David P. Ryan

Clinical practice guidelines in oncology

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast represents a heterogeneous group of neoplastic lesions in the breast ducts. The goal for management of DCIS is to prevent the development of invasive breast cancer. This manuscript focuses on the NCCN Guidelines Panel recommendations for the workup, primary treatment, risk reduction strategies, and surveillance specific to DCIS.

Activity of Sunitinib in Patients With Advanced Neuroendocrine Tumors

PURPOSE Standard cytotoxic chemotherapy has limited efficacy in metastatic neuroendocrine tumor patients. Neuroendocrine tumors express vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor (VEGFR). Sunitinib malate, an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has activity against VEGFRs as well as platelet-derived growth factor receptors, stem-cell factor receptor, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, and FMS-like tyrosine kinase-3. We evaluated the efficacy of sunitinib in a two-cohort, phase II study of advanced carcinoid and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients were treated with repeated 6-week cycles of oral sunitinib (50 mg/d for 4 weeks, followed by 2 weeks off treatment). Patients were observed for response, survival, and adverse events. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed. RESULTS Among 109 enrolled patients, 107 received sunitinib (carcinoid, n = 41; pancreatic endocrine tumor, n = 66). Overall objective response rate (ORR) in pancreatic endocrine tumor patients was 16.7% (11 of 66 patients), and 68% (45 of 66 patients) had stable disease (SD). Among carcinoid patients, ORR was 2.4% (one of 41 patients), and 83% (34 of 41 patients) had SD. Median time to tumor progression was 7.7 months in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor patients and 10.2 months in carcinoid patients. One-year survival rate was 81.1% in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor patients and 83.4% in carcinoid patients. No significant differences from baseline in patient-reported quality of life or fatigue were observed during treatment. CONCLUSION Sunitinib has antitumor activity in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors; its activity against carcinoid tumors could not be definitively determined in this nonrandomized study. Randomized trials of sunitinib in patients with neuroendocrine tumors are warranted.

Phase II Study of Temozolomide and Thalidomide in Patients With Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

PURPOSE Standard, intravenous chemotherapy regimens for neuroendocrine tumors have been associated with limited response rates and significant toxicity. We evaluated the efficacy of an oral regimen of temozolomide and thalidomide in patients with metastatic carcinoid, pheochromocytoma, or pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS Twenty-nine patients were treated with a combination of temozolomide, administered at a dose of 150 mg/m2 for 7 days, every other week, and thalidomide at doses of 50 to 400 mg daily. Patients were followed for evidence of toxicity, biochemical response, radiologic response, and survival. RESULTS Treatment with temozolomide and thalidomide was associated with an objective biochemical (chromogranin A) response rate of 40%, and a radiologic response rate of 25% (45% among pancreatic endocrine tumors, 33% among pheochromocytomas, and 7% among carcinoid tumors). The median duration of response was 13.5 months, 1-year survival was 79%, and 2-year survival was 61%. The median administered dose of temozolomide was 150 mg/m(2), and the median administered dose of thalidomide was 100 mg daily. Grade 3-4 toxicities were uncommon, with the exception of grade 3-4 lymphopenia, which developed in 69% of the patient population. Opportunistic infections occurred in three patients (10%) during the time of lymphopenia, and included single cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, disseminated varicella zoster virus, and herpes simplex virus. CONCLUSION Orally administered temozolomide and thalidomide seems to be an active regimen for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors. In this 29-patient study, this regimen appeared more active in pancreatic endocrine tumors than in carcinoid tumors.

Carcinoma of the Anal Canal

Despite the rarity of carcinoma of the anal canal, remarkable progress has been achieved during the past 30 years in understanding its pathogenesis and improving treatment. Largely because of the rigorous collection of data and the treatment of patients in clinical trials, it is now widely accepted that the majority of cases are caused by human papillomavirus and can be cured by combination therapy. Concomitant treatment with external-beam radiation therapy and chemotherapy with fluorouracil and mitomycin represents the standard approach to combination treatment. Appropriate cytologic screening of high risk populations and the integration of platinum compounds into treatment regimens will most likely reduce mortality from this disorder even further.

Efficacy, safety, and potential biomarkers of sunitinib monotherapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a phase II study.

PURPOSE To assess the safety and efficacy of sunitinib in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and explore biomarkers for sunitinib response. PATIENTS AND METHODS We conducted a multidisciplinary phase II study of sunitinib, an antivascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in advanced HCC. Patients received sunitinib 37.5 mg/d for 4 weeks followed by 2 weeks of rest per cycle. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate vascular changes in HCC after sunitinib treatment. Circulating molecular and cellular biomarkers were evaluated before and at six time points after sunitinib treatment. RESULTS Thirty-four patients were enrolled. The objective response rate was 2.9%, and 50% of patients had stable disease. Median PFS was 3.9 months (95% CI, 2.6 to 6.9 months), and overall survival was 9.8 months (95% CI, 7.4 months to not available). Grade 3 or 4 toxicities included leukopenia/neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, elevation of aminotransferases, and fatigue. Sunitinib rapidly decreased vessel leakiness, and this effect was more pronounced in patients with delayed progression. When evaluated early (at baseline and day 14) as well as over three cycles of treatment, higher levels of inflammatory molecules (eg, interleukin-6, stromal-derived factor 1alpha, soluble c-KIT) and circulating progenitor cells were associated with a poor outcome. CONCLUSION Sunitinib shows evidence of modest antitumor activity in advanced HCC with manageable adverse effects. Rapid changes in tumor vascular permeability and circulating inflammatory biomarkers are potential determinants of response and resistance to sunitinib in HCC. Our study suggests that control of inflammation might be critical for improving treatment outcome in advanced HCC.

Phase II Study of Gemcitabine and Oxaliplatin in Combination With Bevacizumab in Patients With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PURPOSE Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a vascular tumor with poor prognosis. Given the reported activity of gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (GEMOX) in HCC and the potential benefits of targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor pathway with bevacizumab (B), a phase II study of GEMOX-B was undertaken to define efficacy and toxicity profiles in HCC patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS Eligible patients had pathologically proven measurable unresectable or metastatic HCC. For cycle 1 (14 days), bevacizumab 10 mg/kg was administered alone intravenously on day 1. For cycle 2 and beyond (28 days/cycle), bevacizumab 10 mg/kg was administered on days 1 and 15, gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 was administered as a dose rate infusion at 10 mg/m2/min followed by oxaliplatin at 85 mg/m2 on days 2 and 16. RESULTS Thirty-three patients were enrolled and 30 patients were assessable for efficacy. The objective response rate was 20%, and 27% of patients had stable disease. Median overall survival was 9.6 months (95% CI, 8.0 months to not available) and median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.3 months (95% CI, 3.7 to 8.7 months); the PFS rate at 3 and 6 months was 70% (95% CI, 54% to 85%) and 48% (95% CI, 31% to 65%), respectively. The most common treatment-related grade 3 to 4 toxicities included leukopenia/neutropenia, transient elevation of aminotransferases, hypertension, and fatigue. CONCLUSION GEMOX-B could be safely administered with close monitoring and had moderate antitumor activity for patients with advanced HCC. The high 6-month PFS rate is encouraging, and this regimen is worthy of further investigation.

Safety and Pharmacokinetics of the Dual Action Raf Kinase and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor, BAY 43-9006, in Patients with Advanced, Refractory Solid Tumors

Purpose: BAY 43-9006, a novel multikinase inhibitor, prevents tumor growth by combining two antitumor activities: inhibition of both tumor cell proliferation and tumor angiogenesis. This phase I, open-label, nonrandomized, noncontrolled, single-arm, dose escalation study was done to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), safety profile, pharmacokinetic variables, effect on biomarkers, and tumor response with BAY 43-9006 in 19 patients with advanced, refractory solid tumors. Experimental Design: BAY 43-9006 was given orally in repeated cycles of 1-week on/1-week off. The study comprised five dose levels, ranging from 100 mg twice daily (bid) to 800 mg bid. Treatment of each patient continued until unacceptable toxicity, tumor progression, or death. Results: Rash and hypertension were the dose-limiting toxicities at the 800 mg bid dose requiring study drug discontinuation; therefore, the MTD of BAY 43-9006 in this study was determined to be 600 mg bid. BAY 43-9006 was generally well tolerated, with mild to moderate toxicities. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed early absorption followed by delayed secondary peaks and slow terminal elimination. Stable disease was achieved in five patients: one patient showed reduced tumor activity (positron emission tomography scan) and reduced mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling (lower phospho-ERK); one patient remained on treatment until study end point. Conclusions: The results confirm the favorable safety profile of BAY 43-9006 and support the development of this compound for the treatment of solid tumors.

Frequent Mutation of Isocitrate Dehydrogenase (IDH)1 and IDH2 in Cholangiocarcinoma Identified Through Broad-Based Tumor Genotyping

Cancers of origin in the gallbladder and bile ducts are rarely curable with current modalities of cancer treatment. Our clinical application of broad-based mutational profiling for patients diagnosed with a gastrointestinal malignancy has led to the novel discovery of mutations in the gene encoding isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) in tumors from a subset of patients with cholangiocarcinoma. A total of 287 tumors from gastrointestinal cancer patients (biliary tract, colorectal, gastroesophageal, liver, pancreatic, and small intestine carcinoma) were tested during routine clinical evaluation for 130 site-specific mutations within 15 cancer genes. Mutations were identified within a number of genes, including KRAS (35%), TP53 (22%), PIK3CA (10%), BRAF (7%), APC (6%), NRAS (3%), AKT1 (1%), CTNNB1 (1%), and PTEN (1%). Although mutations in the metabolic enzyme IDH1 were rare in the other common gastrointestinal malignancies in this series (2%), they were found in three tumors (25%) of an initial series of 12 biliary tract carcinomas. To better define IDH1 and IDH2 mutational status, an additional 75 gallbladder and bile duct cancers were examined. Combining these cohorts of biliary cancers, mutations in IDH1 and IDH2 were found only in cholangiocarcinomas of intrahepatic origin (nine of 40, 23%) and in none of the 22 extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas and none of the 25 gallbladder carcinomas. In an analysis of frozen tissue specimens, IDH1 mutation was associated with highly elevated tissue levels of the enzymatic product 2-hydroxyglutarate. Thus, IDH1 mutation is a molecular feature of cholangiocarcinomas of intrahepatic origin. These findings define a specific metabolic abnormality in this largely incurable type of gastrointestinal cancer and present a potentially new target for therapy.

RNA sequencing of pancreatic circulating tumour cells implicates WNT signalling in metastasis

Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) shed into blood from primary cancers include putative precursors that initiate distal metastases. Although these cells are extraordinarily rare, they may identify cellular pathways contributing to the blood-borne dissemination of cancer. Here, we adapted a microfluidic device for efficient capture of CTCs from an endogenous mouse pancreatic cancer model and subjected CTCs to single-molecule RNA sequencing, identifying Wnt2 as a candidate gene enriched in CTCs. Expression of WNT2 in pancreatic cancer cells suppresses anoikis, enhances anchorage-independent sphere formation, and increases metastatic propensity in vivo. This effect is correlated with fibronectin upregulation and suppressed by inhibition of MAP3K7 (also known as TAK1) kinase. In humans, formation of non-adherent tumour spheres by pancreatic cancer cells is associated with upregulation of multiple WNT genes, and pancreatic CTCs revealed enrichment for WNT signalling in 5 out of 11 cases. Thus, molecular analysis of CTCs may identify candidate therapeutic targets to prevent the distal spread of cancer.

Phase II and Pharmacokinetic Study of Ecteinascidin 743 in Patients With Progressive Sarcomas of Soft Tissues Refractory to Chemotherapy

PURPOSE To assess the efficacy of the marine-derived alkaloid ecteinascidin 743 (ET-743) in patients with soft tissue sarcomas that progressed despite prior conventional chemotherapy and to characterize the pharmacokinetic profiles of ET-743 in this patient population. PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirty-six previously treated soft tissue sarcoma patients from three institutions received ET-743 as a 24-hour continuous intravenous (IV) infusion at a dose of 1,500 microg/m(2) every 3 weeks. Pharmacokinetic studies were also performed. Patients were restaged every two cycles for response by objective criteria. RESULTS Objective responses were observed in three patients, with one complete response and two partial responses, for an overall response rate of 8% (95% CI, 2% to 23%). Responses were durable for up to 20 months. Two minor responses (43% and 47% tumor reduction) were observed, for an overall clinical benefit rate of 14%. The predominant toxicities were neutropenia and self-limited transaminitis of grade 3 to 4 severity in 34% and 26% of patients, respectively. The estimated 1-year time to progression and overall survival rates were 9% (95% CI, 3% to 27%) and 53% (95% CI, 39% to 73%), respectively. The maximum observed plasma concentration and total plasma clearance of ET-743 (mean +/- standard deviation), 1.04 +/- 0.48 ng/mL and 35.6 +/- 16.2 L/h/m(2), respectively, were consistent with previously reported values from phase I studies of the drug given as a 24-hour IV infusion. CONCLUSION ET-743 is a promising new option for the management of several histologic subtypes of sarcoma. Durable objective responses were obtained in a subset of sarcoma patients with disease progression despite prior chemotherapy. Additionally, the relatively high survival rate noted in this series of previously treated patients further justifies development of this agent.