A population pharmacodynamic model for lactate dehydrogenase and neuron specific enolase to predict tumor progression in small cell lung cancer patients

AAPS J. 2014 May;16(3):609-19. doi: 10.1208/s12248-014-9600-0. Epub 2014 Apr 17.

Abstract

The development of individualized therapies poses a major challenge in oncology. Significant hurdles to overcome include better disease monitoring and early prediction of clinical outcome. Current clinical practice consists of using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) to categorize response to treatment. However, the utility of RECIST is restricted due to limitations on the frequency of measurement and its categorical rather than continuous nature. We propose a population modeling framework that relates circulating biomarkers in plasma, easily obtained from patients, to tumor progression levels assessed by imaging scans (i.e., RECIST categories). We successfully applied this framework to data regarding lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and neuron specific enolase (NSE) concentrations in patients diagnosed with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). LDH and NSE have been proposed as independent prognostic factors for SCLC. However, their prognostic and predictive value has not been demonstrated in the context of standard clinical practice. Our model incorporates an underlying latent variable ("disease level") representing (unobserved) tumor size dynamics, which is assumed to drive biomarker production and to be influenced by exposure to treatment; these assumptions are in agreement with the known physiology of SCLC and these biomarkers. Our model predictions of unobserved disease level are strongly correlated with disease progression measured by RECIST criteria. In conclusion, the proposed framework enables prediction of treatment outcome based on circulating biomarkers and therefore can be a powerful tool to help clinicians monitor disease in SCLC.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / adverse effects
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis*
  • Carboplatin
  • Carcinoma, Small Cell / diagnosis*
  • Carcinoma, Small Cell / drug therapy
  • Cisplatin
  • Disease Progression
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Etoposide
  • Humans
  • L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / analysis*
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Models, Biological
  • Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / analysis*
  • Population
  • Predictive Value of Tests

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Etoposide
  • Carboplatin
  • L-Lactate Dehydrogenase
  • Phosphopyruvate Hydratase
  • Cisplatin