Ka F. To

Multicenter, Phase II Study of Cetuximab in Combination With Carboplatin in Patients With Recurrent or Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

PURPOSE To evaluate efficacy and toxicity of cetuximab plus carboplatin in recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) resistant to platinum treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS A multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase II study in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-expressing NPC who progressed on or within 12 months after termination of platinum-based chemotherapy for recurrent or metastatic disease. Cetuximab was administered at an initial dose of 400 mg/m2 followed by weekly doses of 250 mg/m2. Carboplatin area under the curve 5 was administered every 3 weeks up to a maximum of eight cycles. RESULTS Sixty patients were enrolled (46 males, 14 females; median age, 44.5 years; range, 23 to 64 years), and all patients were included in the intent-to-treat and safety analyses. Of the 59 patients assessable for efficacy, there were seven partial responses (11.7%), 29 patients (48.3%) with stable disease, and 23 patients (38.3%) with progressive disease, giving an overall response rate of 11.7% (95% CI, 4.8% to 22.6%). The median time to progression was 81 days in all patients and was longest in the group of patients with a confirmed response (173 days). The median overall survival time was 233 days in all patients. Six patients (10%) experienced serious treatment-related adverse events. Grade 3 or 4 toxicities occurred in 31 patients (51.7%); of these patients, only 19 (31.7%) were considered to have toxicity related to cetuximab. CONCLUSION Cetuximab in combination with carboplatin demonstrates clinical activity and an acceptable safety profile in heavily pretreated patients with recurrent or metastatic NPC who had previously experienced treatment failure with platinum-based therapy.

Epigenetic Therapy Using Belinostat for Patients With Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Multicenter Phase I/II Study With Biomarker and Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Tumors From Patients in the Mayo Phase II Consortium and the Cancer Therapeutics Research Group

PURPOSE Epigenetic aberrations have been reported in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study of patients with unresectable HCC and chronic liver disease, epigenetic therapy with the histone deacetylase inhibitor belinostat was assessed. The objectives were to determine dose-limiting toxicity and maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), to assess pharmacokinetics in phase I, and to assess activity of and explore potential biomarkers for response in phase II. PATIENTS AND METHODS Major eligibility criteria included histologically confirmed unresectable HCC, European Cooperative Oncology Group performance score ≤ 2, and adequate organ function. Phase I consisted of 18 patients; belinostat was given intravenously once per day on days 1 to 5 every 3 weeks; dose levels were 600 mg/m(2) per day (level 1), 900 mg/m(2) per day (level 2), 1,200 mg/m(2) per day (level 3), and 1,400 mg/m(2) per day (level 4). Phase II consisted of 42 patients. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS), and the main secondary end points were response according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) and overall survival (OS). Exploratory analysis was conducted on pretreatment tumor tissues to determine whether HR23B expression is a potential biomarker for response. RESULTS Belinostat pharmacokinetics were linear from 600 to 1,400 mg/m(2) without significant accumulation. The MTD was not reached at the maximum dose administered. Dose level 4 was used in phase II. The median number of cycles was two (range, one to 12). The partial response (PR) and stable disease (SD) rates were 2.4% and 45.2%, respectively. The median PFS and OS were 2.64 and 6.60 months, respectively. Exploratory analysis revealed that disease stabilization rate (complete response plus PR plus SD) in tumors having high and low HR23B histoscores were 58% and 14%, respectively (P = .036). CONCLUSION Epigenetic therapy with belinostat demonstrates tumor stabilization and is generally well-tolerated. HR23B expression was associated with disease stabilization.

Liver disease in transfusion dependent thalassaemia major

Aims: To study the prevalence and severity of liver diseases of transfusion dependent thalassaemia major patients, and correlate the histological and biochemical changes of iron overload in liver with the peripheral blood markers. Method: Liver biopsy was performed to assess the histological changes and liver iron content (LIC). Results: One hundred patients were evaluated (median age 11.7 years, range 1.5–27). A total of 81 liver biopsies were performed in 73 patients; 43 samples were analysed for LIC. Grade 3–4 haemosiderosis and hepatic fibrosis was found in 44% and 30% of patients respectively; both were significantly associated with higher serum ferritin, liver enzymes, and LIC. Very high LIC (>15 mg/g dry weight) was present in 16.3% of patients. Conclusion: Severe haemosiderosis and hepatic fibrosis were common in patients with thalassaemia major despite the use of chelation therapy. Liver biopsy provided information on fibrosis and LIC which could not be accurately predicted from peripheral blood markers.

Profiling of Oncogenic Driver Events in Lung Adenocarcinoma Revealed MET Mutation as Independent Prognostic Factor

Introduction: Oncogenic driver mutations activating receptor tyrosine kinase pathways are promising predictive markers for targeted treatment. We investigated the mutation profile of an updated driver events list on receptor tyrosine kinase/RAS/PI3K axis and the clinicopathologic implications in a cohort of never-smoker predominated Chinese lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: We tested 154 lung adenocarcinomas and adenosquamous carcinomas for EGFR, KRAS, HER2, BRAF, PIK3CA, MET, NRAS, MAP2K1, and RIT1 mutations by polymerase chain reaction-direct sequencing. MET amplification and ALK and ROS1 translocations were assessed by fluorescent in situ hybridizations. MET and thyroid transcription factor-1 protein expressions were investigated by immunohistochemistry. Results: Seventy percent of lung adenocarcinomas carried actionable driver events. Alterations on EGFR (43%), KRAS (11.4%), ALK (6%), and MET (5.4%) were frequently found. ROS1 translocation and mutations involving BRAF, HER2, NRAS, and PIK3CA were also detected. No mutation was observed in RIT1 and MAP2K1. Patients with EGFR mutations had a favorable prognosis, whereas those with MET mutations had poorer overall survival. Multivariate analysis further demonstrated that MET mutation was an independent prognostic factor. Although MET protein expression was detected in 65% of lung adenocarcinoma, only 10% of the MET-immunohistochemistry positive tumors harbor MET DNA alterations that drove protein overexpression. Appropriate predictive biomarker is essential for selecting patients who might benefit from specific targeted therapy. Conclusion: Actionable driver events can be detected in two thirds of lung adenocarcinoma. MET DNA alterations define a subset of patients with aggressive diseases that might potentially benefit from anti-MET targeted therapy. High negative predictive values of thyroid transcription factor-1 and MET expression suggest potential roles as surrogate markers for EGFR and/or MET mutations.

Intermittent versus continuous erlotinib with concomitant modified "XELOX" (q3W) in first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: correlation with serum amphiregulin and transforming growth factor alpha.

This study evaluated the activity of 2 schedules of erlotinib in combination with chemotherapy, and the prognostic significance of serum amphiregulin (AREG) and transforming growth factor alpha (TGFa) in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Palatal lymphoepitheliomas and a review of head and neck lymphoepitheliomas

AIM Lymphoepithelioma is principally a tumour of the nasopharynx with only sporadic cases arising elsewhere in the head and neck. We describe the clinical and imaging features of a group of rare lymphoepitheliomas related to the palate. PATIENTS AND METHODS Four patients with lymphoepithelioma of the palate are described. In each case we retrospectively reviewed the clinical records, laboratory results, and imaging which consisted of computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound in all four cases and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in two patients. RESULTS All four patients were ethnic Chinese (non-smokers, non-drinkers). All cases were Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) related. Tumour was related to the palate in two cases and extended into the nasal cavity in one patient. The fourth patient had a tumour in the floor of the nasal cavity with invasion of the palate on biopsy but not imaging. Cervical lymphadenopathy was seen in two cases, and the nasopharynx was normal in all the four patients. CONCLUSION Lymphoepitheliomas occur in the region of the palate, where they are also EBV related in southern Chinese. Compared with the keratinizing squamous cell carcinomas, patients with lymphoepitheliomas have a better prognosis and these tumours are not tobacco or alcohol related. They should not be misdiagnosed as metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), particularly since the nasopharynx is invariably normal on imaging and adequate nasopharyngeal biopsy is negative for malignancy.