Heinrich Bodenstein

Final results of a randomized phase III trial of sequential high-dose methotrexate, fluorouracil, and doxorubicin versus etoposide, leucovorin, and fluorouracil versus infusional fluorouracil and cisplatin in advanced gastric cancer: A trial of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer Cooperative Group.

PURPOSE To compare the efficacy and tolerability of etoposide, leucovorin, and bolus fluorouracil (ELF) or infusional fluorouracil plus cisplatin (FUP) with that of the reference protocol of fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and methotrexate (FAMTX) in advanced gastric cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 399 patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the stomach were randomized and analyzed for toxicity, tumor response, and progression-free and overall survival. Only reviewed and confirmed responses were considered. The analysis of remission was based on assessable patients with documented measurable lesions. The intent-to-treat principle, log-rank test, and Cox regression model were used for the statistical analysis of time-to-event end points. RESULTS The overall response rate for 245 eligible patients with measurable disease was 9% with ELF, 20% with FUP, and 12% with FAMTX, with no significant differences. One hundred twelve patients were eligible for efficacy in assessable, nonmeasurable disease. No change was observed in 66% of patients treated with ELF, 56% with FUP, and 55% with FAMTX. Two patients achieved a complete tumor regression (one each for ELF and FAMTX). With a median follow-up time of 4.5 years, the median survival times were 7.2 months with ELF, 7.2 months with FUP, and 6.7 months with FAMTX, respectively, with no significant differences. Nonhematologic and hematologic toxicities of ELF, FUP, and FAMTX were acceptable, with neutropenia being the major toxicity for all three regimens. Seven treatment-related deaths occurred (two with FUP and five with FAMTX). CONCLUSION All three investigated regimens demonstrate modest clinical efficacy and should not be regarded as standard treatment for advanced gastric cancer. New strategies should be considered to achieve a better clinical efficacy in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer.

Primary Gastrointestinal Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: I. Anatomic and Histologic Distribution, Clinical Features, and Survival Data of 371 Patients Registered in the German Multicenter Study GIT NHL 01/92

PURPOSE The study was initiated to obtain epidemiologic data and information on anatomic and histologic distribution, clinical features, and treatment results in patients with primary gastrointestinal non-Hodgkins lymphomas (PGI NHL). PATIENTS AND METHODS Between October 1992 and November 1996, 371 PGI NHL patients were eligible to evaluate clinical features. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy were stratified according to histologic grading, stage, and whether surgery had been carried out or not. RESULTS A total of 74.8% patients had gastric NHL (PGL). Within the intestine, the small bowel and the ileocecal region were involved in 8.6% and 7.0% of the cases, respectively. Multiple GI involvement (MGI) was 6.5%. Approximately 90% of the GI NHL were in stages IE/IIE. Aggressive NHL accounted for the majority, with a distinguishable pattern in several sites. Forty percent of PGL were of low-grade mucosa-associated lymphatic tissue type. One third of large-cell lymphomas had low-grade components. Most intestinal NHL were germinal-center lymphomas. The site of origin was prognostic. In gastric and ileocecal lymphoma, event-free (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly higher as compared with the small intestine or MGI (median time of observation, 51 months). In PGL, localized disease was prognostic for EFS and OS. Histologic grade influenced only EFS significantly. Numbers in intestinal lymphomas were too small for subanalyses. CONCLUSION PGI NHL are heterogeneous diseases. The number of localized PGL allowed for detailed analyses. Larger studies are needed for stages III and IV and for intestinal NHL. A uniform reporting system for PGI NHL, in terms of definitions and histologic and staging classifications, is needed to facilitate comparison of treatment results.

Long-Term Prognosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia According to the New Genetic Risk Classification of the European LeukemiaNet Recommendations: Evaluation of the Proposed Reporting System

PURPOSE The current European LeukemiaNet (ELN) recommendations for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) propose a new risk reporting system, integrating molecular and cytogenetic factors and subdividing the large heterogenous group of intermediate-risk patients into intermediate-I (IR-I) and intermediate-II (IR-II). We assessed the prognostic value of the new risk classification in a large cohort of patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS Complete data for classification were available for 1,557 of 1,862 patients treated in the AML96 trial. Patients were assigned to the proposed genetic groups from the ELN recommendations, and survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test for significance testing. RESULTS The median age of all patients was 67 years. With a median follow-up of 8.3 years, significant differences between all risk categories were observed in patients age ≤ 60 years regarding the time to relapse, relapse-free survival, and overall survival (OS). Patients in the IR-II group had a better prognosis than patients in the IR-I group. The median OS times in young patients with favorable risk (FR), IR-I, IR-II, and adverse risk (AR) were 5.3, 1.1, 1.6, and 0.5 years, respectively. Separate analyses in the age group older than 60 years revealed significant differences between FR, AR, and IR as a whole, but not between IR-I and IR-II. CONCLUSION In younger patients with AML, the ELN classification seems to be the best available framework for prognostic estimations to date. Caution is advised concerning its use for prospective treatment allocation before it has been prospectively validated. In elderly patients, alternative prognostic factors are desirable for further risk stratification of IR.

A novel prognostic model in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia: results of 909 patients entered into the prospective AML96 trial.

We present an analysis of prognostic factors derived from a trial in patients with acute myeloid leukemia older than 60 years. The AML96 trial included 909 patients with a median age of 67 years (range, 61-87 years). Treatment included cytarabine-based induction therapy followed by 1 consolidation. The median follow-up time for all patients is 68 months (5.7 years). A total of 454 of all 909 patients reached a complete remission (50%). Five-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival were 9.7% and 14%, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that karyotype, age, NPM1 mutation status, white blood cell count, lactate dehydrogenase, and CD34 expression were of independent prognostic significance for OS. On the basis of the multivariate Cox model, an additive risk score was developed that allowed the subdivision of the largest group of patients with an intermediate-risk karyotype into 2 groups. We are, therefore, able to distinguish 4 prognostic groups: favorable risk, good intermediate risk, adverse intermediate risk, and high risk. The corresponding 3-year OS rates were 39.5%, 30%, 10.6%, and 3.3%, respectively. The risk model allows further stratification of patients with intermediate-risk karyotype into 2 prognostic groups with implications for the therapeutic strategy.

Immunophenotyping is an independent factor for risk stratification in AML

Chromosomal abnormalities are one of the most important prognostic factors in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, only a limited number of patients have such informative chromosomal abnormalities. The prognostic value of immunophenotyping in this disease is still unclear.

Risk stratification using a new prognostic score for patients with secondary acute myeloid leukemia: results of the prospective AML96 trial

Patients with secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML) are generally thought to have a poor prognosis. As there are no prognostic risk stratification models for patients with sAML available, the aim of this study was to obtain a scoring system. Prognostic factors influencing overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were analyzed in 305 sAML patients treated in the prospective AML96 trial. The obtained prognostic scoring system was then validated in an independent patient cohort included in the AML2003 and AML60+ trials. In addition to the known risk factors for AML, age and karyotype, we identified the absolute platelet count and the Nucleophosmin 1 mutational status at diagnosis as prognostic factors of sAML patients. A pronounced distribution of sAML patients into three score groups was achieved showing a 2-year OS/EFS of 52/44% for patients in the low-risk group, 21/12% in the intermediate-risk group and 7/3% in the high-risk group (both P<0.001). Validation of this scoring system in a second independent set of sAML patients revealed similar significantly different survival results. In conclusion, for the first time, a prognostic scoring system is provided for sAML patients, allowing differential treatment strategies in the future.

Randomized Trial of Single Compared With Tandem High-Dose Chemotherapy Followed by Autologous Stem-Cell Transplantation in Patients With Chemotherapy-Sensitive Metastatic Breast Cancer

PURPOSE To compare progression-free survival between single and tandem high-dose chemotherapy (HDT) followed by autologous stem-cell transplantation in chemotherapy-sensitive metastatic breast cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between February 1997 and June 2001, 187 patients with complete and partial remission were randomly assigned to receive either one or two cycles of HDT, consisting of thiotepa (125 mg/m2/d for 4 days), cyclophosphamide (1,500 mg/m2/d for 4 days), and carboplatin (200 mg/m2/d for 4 days), followed by autologous stem-cell transplantation. RESULTS One hundred seventy one of 187 randomly assigned patients completed first HDT, but only 52 of 85 completed the second HDT cycle in the tandem HDT arm. The rate of complete remission on an intent-to-treat-basis was 33% in the single-dose HDT arm and 37% in the tandem HDT arm (P = .48). The median progression-free survival times in single and tandem HDT arms were 9.4 and 11.2 months, respectively (one-sided P = .06; two one-sided P = .12), whereas median overall survival time tended to be greater after single versus tandem HDT (29 v 23.5 months, respectively; P = .4). In a multivariate analysis for progression-free survival, tandem HDT (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.52 to 0.98; P = .03) and achievement of complete remission after induction chemotherapy (HR = 0.59; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.96; P = .03) were factors for a better progression-free survival, whereas the factor of three or more sites of metastases (HR = 1.66; 95% CI, 1.12 to 2.47; P = .01) was associated with a worse progression-free survival. CONCLUSION Despite a trend of improved progression-free survival, tandem HDT cannot be recommended for patients with chemotherapy-sensitive metastatic breast cancer because of a trend for shorter overall survival and higher toxicity compared with single HDT.