The Activity of Crizotinib in Chemo-Refractory MET -Amplified Esophageal and Gastric Adenocarcinomas: Results from the AcSé-Crizotinib Program

The AcSé-crizotinib program provides extensive screening of crizotinib-targeted genomic alteration in several malignancies. We here report the results in patients with esogastric MET-amplified adenocarcinomas. The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of crizotinib in patients with pretreated esogastric MET-amplified adenocarcinoma who have no alternative treatment options. MET expression was evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization in tumor samples with immunohistochemistry scores ≥ 2+. Patients with chemo-refractory tumors showing ≥ 6 MET copies were eligible for crizotinib 250 mg twice daily. The primary efficacy outcome was the objective response rate after two cycles of crizotinib. MET was prospectively analyzed in 570 esogastric adenocarcinomas. Amplifications were found in 35/570 adenocarcinomas (29/523 gastric and 6/47 esophageal). Nine patients were treated with crizotinib. The objective response rate after two cycles was 33.3% (95% CI 7.5–70), the best overall response rate was 55.6% (95% CI 21.2–86.3), with median progression-free survival of 3.2 months (95% CI 1.0–5.4), and overall survival of 8.1 months (95% CI 1.7–24.6). Safety was consistent with that previously reported for crizotinib. Large-scale screening for MET-amplified esogastric adenocarcinomas is feasible. MET amplification was observed in 5.5% of gastric and 12.8% of esophageal adenocarcinomas. Crizotinib shows encouraging results in selected patients. Thus, c-MET inhibition for MET-amplified tumors deserves further evaluation. NCT02034981. 14 January 2014.