H. von der Maase

Gemcitabine and Cisplatin Versus Methotrexate, Vinblastine, Doxorubicin, and Cisplatin in Advanced or Metastatic Bladder Cancer: Results of a Large, Randomized, Multinational, Multicenter, Phase III Study

PURPOSEnGemcitabine plus cisplatin (GC) and methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (MVAC) were compared in patients with locally advanced or metastatic transitional-cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urothelium.nnnPATIENTS AND METHODSnPatients with stage IV TCC and no prior systemic chemotherapy were randomized to GC (gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 days 1, 8 and 15; cisplatin 70 mg/m2 day 2) or standard MVAC every 28 days for a maximum of six cycles.nnnRESULTSnFour hundred five patients were randomized (GC, n = 203; MVAC, n = 202). The groups were well-balanced with respect to prognostic factors. Overall survival was similar on both arms (hazards ratio [HR], 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82 to 1.32; P = .75), as were time to progressive disease (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.85 to 1.30), time to treatment failure (HR, 0.89; 95% CI 0.72 to 1.10), and response rate (GC, 49%; MVAC, 46%). More GC patients completed six cycles of therapy, with fewer dose adjustments. The toxic death rate was 1% on the GC arm and 3% on the MVAC arm. More GC than MVAC patients had grade 3/4 anemia (27% v 18%, respectively), and thrombocytopenia (57% v 21%, respectively). On both arms, the RBC transfusion rate was 13 of 100 cycles and grade 3/4 hemorrhage or hematuria was 2%; the platelet transfusion rate was four patients per 100 cycles and two patients per 100 cycles on GC and MVAC, respectively. More MVAC patients, compared with GC patients, had grade 3/4 neutropenia (82% v 71%, respectively), neutropenic fever (14% v 2%, respectively), neutropenic sepsis (12% v 1%, respectively), and grade 3/4 mucositis (22% v 1%, respectively) and alopecia (55% v 11%, respectively). Quality of life was maintained during treatment on both arms; however, more patients on GC fared better regarding weight, performance status, and fatigue.nnnCONCLUSIONnGC provides a similar survival advantage to MVAC with a better safety profile and tolerability. This better-risk benefit ratio should change the standard of care for patients with locally advanced and metastatic TCC from MVAC to GC.

Weekly gemcitabine and cisplatin combination therapy in patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium: A phase II clinical trial

PURPOSEnTo determine the efficacy of gemcitabine and cisplatin combination therapy in patients with advanced and/or metastatic transitional cell urothelial carcinoma.nnnPATIENTS AND METHODSnForty-two chemonaïve patients with Karnofsky performance status (KPS) > or = 70 were treated with cisplatin 35 mg/m2 followed by gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 (30 min i.v. infusion) on days 1, 8, and 15 every twenty-eight days.nnnRESULTSnThirty-eight patients were evaluable for efficacy. Half had visceral disease. There were seven complete (18%) and nine partial responses (24%), for a response rate of 42% (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 26%-59%). Responses were independently reviewed. Median response duration was 13.5 months (95% CI: 8.5-18.1 months), median time to progressive disease 7.2 months (95% CI: 4.0-9.1 months) and median survival 12.5 months (95% CI: 8.1-18.7 months); one-year survival was 52%. Laboratory toxicities included leucopenia (44% grade 3; 17% grade 4), neutropenia (25% grade 3; 33% grade 4) and thrombocytopenia (29% grade 3; 49% grade 4). Four patients had grade 4 symptomatic toxicity (three nausea and vomiting, one diarrhoea). There were no grade 4 infections and no toxic deaths.nnnCONCLUSIONSnThe combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin is active in patients with locally advanced and/or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. The weekly schedule of cisplatin is considered inappropriate.

Long-term fertility and Leydig cell function in patients treated for germ cell cancer with cisplatin, vinblastine, and bleomycin versus surveillance.

Fertility and Leydig cell function were investigated in 31 patients previously treated for nonseminomatous testicular cancer. Twenty-two patients with metastatic cancer had received cisplatin-based chemotherapy, and the median follow-up was 64 months (range, 42 to 100 months). Nine patients without metastases were treated with orchiectomy alone, and follow-up in this group was a median of 61 months (range, 40 to 77 months). None of the patients have relapsed and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection was not performed in any patient. Both the concentration of spermatozoa and the volume of the remaining testis are significantly reduced in patients who had previously received chemotherapy when compared with patients treated with orchiectomy alone (P less than .05). There were no significant differences between groups when comparing morphology, motility, and penetration of the spermatozoa. Subclinical Leydig cell dysfunction with normal testosterone and elevated luteinizing hormone (LH) was observed in one patient (11%) treated with orchiectomy alone, while 59% of the patients who had received chemotherapy had elevated LH (P less than .05). We conclude that cisplatin-based chemotherapy leads to a persistent impairment of fertility and Leydig cell function in the majority of patients with testicular cancer.

Effect of chemotherapy on carcinoma in situ of the testis

Summary Background Approximately 5% of patients with testicular cancer harbour carcinoma in situ (CIS) in the contralateral testis. CIS will progress into invasive tumour in about 50% of cases within five years. The present study evaluated the effect of platinum containing chemotherapy on CIS. Patients and methods Thirty-three patients with disseminated germ-cell cancer and biopsy proven CIS of the testis were evaluated. Results CIS had disappeared in the first follow-up biopsy in 30 patients. Six patients had a relapse of CIS with or without invasive cancer after 30, 31,47, 51, 76 and 95 months from start of chemotherapy. Two relapses were among six patients who initially received cisplatin, vinblastine and bleomycine and four among 27 patients who initially received cisplatin, etoposide and bleomycine. The estimated cumulative risk of CIS five and 10 years after chemotherapy was 21% and 42%, respectively. The estimated cumulative incidence of spermatogenesis was 64% and 81% at five and 10 years of follow-up, respectively. Conclusion Platinum containing chemotherapy may eradicate CIS. However, patients with CIS may develop invasive cancer in spite of chemotherapy. In the light of the present data, we recommend radiotherapy to the affected testicle in patients with CIS in the contralateral testis and in patients with bilateral testicular CIS. In patients with extragonadal disease and CIS in one testicle, orchiectomy of the affected testicle is recommended. In patients for whom future fertility is an important issue, follow-up including repeated biopsies can be offered for a period of at least 10 years.

Surveillance alone versus radiotherapy after orchiectomy for clinical stage I nonseminomatous testicular cancer. Danish Testicular Cancer Study Group.

From December 1980 to January 1984, all patients with stage I nonseminomatous testicular cancer in Denmark entered a randomized trial comparing surveillance only with radiotherapy after orchiectomy. One hundred fifty patients were assessable for the final analysis. Relapse occurred in 23 patients in the surveillance group and in 11 patients in the radiotherapy group. Radiotherapy completely prevented retroperitoneal relapse; 14 retroperitoneal relapses occurred in the surveillance-only group. All relapsing patients in the surveillance-only group are without evidence of disease with a median observation time after chemotherapy of 67 months. Two of the patients with relapse in the radiotherapy group died with disease; the others are alive without evidence of disease, with a median observation time after relapse treatment of 72 months. In the surveillance group, four relapses occurred later than 2 years after orchiectomy; only one such late relapse occurred in the radiotherapy group. Four of the retroperitoneal relapses occurred without concomitant increase in the serum marker levels (alpha-fetoprotein [AFP] and human chorionic gonadotropin [HCG]). It is concluded that surveillance only should replace radiotherapy after orchiectomy as standard treatment for clinical stage I nonseminomatous testicular cancer. Improved methods for control of retroperitoneal relapses, especially of embryonal carcinomas, are needed.

Treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma by continuous intravenous infusion of recombinant interleukin-2: a single-center phase II study.

PURPOSEnA single-center phase II study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) administered by continuous infusion to patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC).nnnPATIENTS AND METHODSnThirty-one patients with RCC were entered onto the study. rIL-2 (Proleukin; Eurocetus Corp, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) was administered intravenously in a dose of 18 x 10(6) IU/m2 per 24 hours. A maximum of two induction cycles and four maintenance cycles were given. Each induction cycle consisted of two rIL-2 infusion periods of 120 hours and 108 hours duration, respectively; these were separated by a 6-day rest period. Each maintenance cycle consisted of a 120 hours rIL-2 infusion period.nnnRESULTSnSix of 30 assessable patients (20%) responded; two (7%) with a complete response (CR) and four (13%) with a partial response (PR). The response duration for patients with CR was 209 and 715+ days, and for those with PR 161, 197, 245, and 353 days. Seven patients had stable disease (SD) with a median duration of 261 days (range, 127 to 381 days). The overall median survival was 261 days (range, 13 to 905+ days). The most frequent toxicities requiring dose reductions of rIL-2 were: hypotension in 87% of patients, dyspnea in 32%, CNS toxicity in 55%, and an increase in serum creatinine levels in 48%. Septicemia occurred in 16% of patients. Toxicities usually reversed on interruption of rIL-2 infusion. One patient (3%) died as a result of the treatment from initial CNS toxicity followed by multiorgan failure.nnnCONCLUSIONSnThe study confirmed the antitumor efficacy of rIL-2 administered by continuous infusion in patients with metastatic RCC. The response rate was similar to that obtained by high-dose bolus injections of rIL-2. Toxicity was substantial but manageable in a specialized oncology ward without routine use of an intensive care unit.

Toxicity-adjusted dose (TAD) administration of chemotherapy: Effect of baseline and nadir neutrophil count in patients with breast, ovarian, and lung cancer?

e21023 Background: In some solid cancers a survival benefit has been observed for patients who had chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. The prognostic impact of baseline and nadir blood neutrophils was assessed in the present study.nnnMETHODSnData on patients with breast cancer st.I-IV, ovarian cancer st.I-IV, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) st.II-IV, and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) treated from 1997 to 2005 at Westmead Hospital, Sydney, with complete medical records of the first 3 cycles of chemotherapy and a full set of baseline and nadir laboratory data were collected from patient medical files.Survival data were updated 2010.nnnRESULTSnA total of 819 patients were identified, comprising 507 patients with breast cancer, 118 patients with ovarian cancer, 115 patients with NSCLC and 79 patients with SCLC. Median survival for ovarian cancer patients obtaining nadir neutropenia below 2.0 x 109/l was 56 months. In contrast, median survival for ovarian cancer patients who had nadir neutropenia above 2.0 was 27 months. In a multivariate analysis, adjusting for well-known prognostic features, nadir neutropenia below 2.0 was statistically significant (HR 1.73;p=0.03). In patients with NSCLC, baseline elevated neutrophil count was associated with short survival (p< 0.00001). The subgroup of NSCLC patients with baseline neutrophils above median value (5.9) had significantly improved survival if they obtained nadir neutropenia below 2.0 (median survival 13.4 vs 8.8 mo, p=0.041). On the contrary, in the subgroup of NSCLC patients with baseline neutrophils below median value, nadir neutropenia did not impact survival. Finally, no impact of nadir neutropenia on survival was observed for SCLC or breast cancer patients.nnnCONCLUSIONSnChemotherapy-induced nadir neutropenia was significantly associated with improved overall survival in patients with ovarian cancer and the subgroup of NSCLC with baseline elevated neutrophils, whereas no significant impact was observed in small cell lung cancer or breast cancer in this cohort of patients. The prognostic impact of nadir neutropenia in ovarian and non small cell lung cancer should be confirmed in larger prospective trials.

Evaluation of serum YKL-40 as a prognostic marker for overall survival in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma

7520 Background: YKL-40 is secreted by cancer cells, macrophages and neutrophils. YKL-40 is a growth factor for connective tissue cells and stimulates migration of endothelial cells. Its function i...