脑转移的预防性放疗(表1)一直不被认为是局限期小细胞肺癌(SCLC)之外的标准方案,特别是随着新型靶向疗法的激增和获批,癌基因驱动型肺腺癌患者的治疗已经改善的情况下。然而,最近发表的一项随机临床试验引发了一些争论。
文章作者:墨西哥城国家癌症研究所Zyanya Lucia Zatarain-Barrón(左)和Oscar Arrieta(右)
首先,尽管晚期非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)的治疗取得进展,但脑转移仍然是肺癌患者预后不良和死亡率升高的重要原因。众所周知,高达10%的新诊断NSCLC患者出现脑转移,并且在整个疾病过程中脑转移发生率不断增加,在文献报道达20%~40%。1,2此外,一些特定的患者亚组面临更高的脑转移风险,包括具有更高癌胚抗原、ALK重排和EGFR突变的NSCLC患者,其50%~60%在病程中的某个时间点发生脑转移。1,3
因此,多年来,预防NSCLC患者脑转移进展的策略一直是优先探索的领域。直到最近,评估NSCLC预防性颅脑照射(PCI) 的研究表明,预防性脑照射使脑转移的累积发生率显著降低,但生存方面并没有显示出显著的益处。在最近更新的III期RTOG 0214试验中,对比III期NSCLC患者完成既定治疗后使用PCI或“标准”观察,PCI组没有增加生存获益;然而,其他终点(包括5年和10年的脑转移率)在PCI组中显著降低。4
2010年底,墨西哥国家癌症研究所胸部肿瘤科的研究人员认识到,我们迫切需要改善脑转移高危患者的预后。因此,国家癌症研究所设计了PRoT-BM研究,创新性地仅纳入具有脑转移高风险的晚期NSCLC患者,例如癌胚抗原水平升高、EGFR突变或ALK重排的患者。在这项随机II期研究中,筛选入组的患者接受初始全身治疗(根据分子状态,接受当时可用的化疗或第一代TKI),然后按 1:1 随机分配接受 PCI(25 Gy/10)或观察。PRoT-BM研究在2016年进行了修订,以便在该日期之后接受PCI的患者进行海马保护。研究方案是根据既往疗效和毒性数据进行精心选择。4
招募了84名患者的PRoT-BM研究首次表明,接受PCI治疗的高危患者的24个月脑转移发生率显著降低(PCI组和观察组分别为7% vs 38%),OS也显著改善(中位数OS: 64.5 vs 19.8 个月)。重要的是,正如其他PCI研究中所记录的那样,患者的生活质量或与PCI干预相关的神经认知功能没有受损害。6 需要强调的是,其他PCI对比观察的研究也发现试验组的神经认知功能毒性较低,然而这些研究使用了更高的PCI剂量和不同的分割方案,以及放疗之外使用手术治疗。7
尽管具有血脑屏障穿透能力的全身疗法不断涌现,可以在没有PCI的情况下改善脑转移的治疗结果。然而,世界范围内获得这些药物的患者比例很小,尤其是在低收入和中等收入国家。例如,在设计和实施PRoT-BM试验的墨西哥,奥希替尼的每月费用约为170,000墨西哥比索,而每日最低工资为141比索。7这意味着患者必须工作1,200天(3.3年!)才能负担1个月的治疗费用,绝大多数患者无法使用新一代EGFR-TKI进行治疗。8此外,那些没有可靶向的驱动基因突变的患者,例如癌胚抗原水平升高的患者有较高的脑转移风险。最后,TKI耐药机制很复杂,尽管使用了具有穿透血脑屏障能力的第三代TKI,但脑转移瘤依然是导致死亡率增高的重要因素。脑转移的治疗策略还应仔细探讨。
最重要的是,我们必须了解全球的临床医生和患者所面临的挑战,了解不同地区的癌症治疗存在的局限性,从全球视角出发,既看到肺癌治疗取得的前沿进展,也要了解到落后地区无法使用这些先进疗法的困局,这样才能改善每个地区的每位患者的癌症护理。
表1. 预防性脑放疗研究
参考文献
1. West H, Somolon B. Brain metastases in non-small cell lung cancer. UpToDate. March 2021. Updated March 23, 2021. Accessed April 19, 2021. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/brain-metastases-in-non-small-cell-lung-cancer
2. Hendriks LEL, Subramaniam DS, Dingemans AC. Central Nervous System Metastases in Lung Cancer Patients: From Prevention to Diagnosis and Treatment. Editorial. Front Oncol. 2018;8:511.
3. Arrieta O, Saavedra-Perez D, Kuri R, et al. Brain metastasis development and poor survival associated with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a prospective analysis. BMC Cancer. 2009;9:119.
4. Sun A, Hu C, Wong SJ, et al. Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation vs Observation in Patients With Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Long-term Update of the NRG Oncology/RTOG 0214 Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2019;5(6):847-855.
5. Le Pechoux C, Dunant A, Senan S,et al. Prophylactic cranial irradiation collaborative, standard-dose versus higher-dose prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) in patients with limited-stage small-cell lung cancer in complete remission after chemotherapy and thoracic radiotherapy (PCI 99-01, EORTC 22003-08004, RTOG 0212, and IFCT 99-01): a randomised clinical trial. Lancet Oncol. 2009;10(5):467-474.
6. Pottgen C, Eberhardt W, Grannass A, Korfee S, Stuben G, Teschler H, et al. Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation in Operable Stage IIIA Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy: Results Rrom a German Multicenter Randomized Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25(31):4987-4992.
7. De Ruysscher D, Dingemans AC, Praag J, Belderbos J, et al. Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation Versus Observation in Radically Treated Stage III Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Randomized Phase III NVALT-11/DLCRG-02 Study. J Clin Oncol. 2018;36(23):2366-2377.
8. Arrieta O, Zatarain-Barron Z, Aldaco F, et al. Lung Cancer in Mexico. J Thorac Oncol. 2019;14(10):1695-1700.
9. Cox JD, Stanley K, Petrovich Z, Paig C, Yesner R. Cranial irradiation in cancer of the lung of all cell types. JAMA. 1981;245(5):469-472.
10. Umsawasdi T, Valdivieso M, Chen TT, et al. Role of elective brain irradiation during combined chemoradiotherapy for limited disease non-small cell lung cancer. J Neurooncol. 1984;2(3):253-259.
11. Mira JG, Miller TP, Crowley JJ. Chest irradiation (RT) vs. chest RT + chemotherapy ± prophylactic brain RT in localized non small cell lung cancer: A southwest oncology group randomized study. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1990;19:145.
12. Russell AH, Pajak TE, Selim HM, et al. Prophylactic cranial irradiation for lung cancer patients at high risk for development of cerebral metastasis: Results of a prospective randomized trial conducted by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 1991;21(3):637-643.
13. Gore EM, Bae K, Wong SJ, et al. Phase III Comparison of Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation Versus Observation in Patients With Locally Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Primary Analysis of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Study RTOG 0214. J Clin Oncol. 2011;29(3):272-278.
14. Sun A, Bae K, Gore EM, et al. Phase III trial of prophylactic cranial irradiation compared with observation in patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: neurocognitive and quality-of-life analysis. J Clin Oncol. 2011;29(3):279-286.
15. Li N, Zeng ZF, Wang SY, et al. Randomized phase III trial of prophylactic cranial irradiation versus observation in patients with fully resected stage IIIA-N2 nonsmall-cell lung cancer and high risk of cerebral metastases after adjuvant chemotherapy. Ann Oncol. 2015;26(3):504-509.
16. Arrieta O, Maldonado F, Turcott JG, et al. Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation Reduces Brain Metastases and Improves Overall Survival in High-Risk Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients: A randomized phase 2 Study (PRoT-BM trial). Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2021. (Epub ahead of print).