Matthias Karrasch

Prospective International Multicenter Phase II Trial of Intravenous Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin Monochemotherapy in Patients With Stage IIB, IVA, or IVB Advanced Mycosis Fungoides: Final Results From EORTC 21012

PURPOSE Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. There is a need for multicenter trials involving defined patient populations using rigorous assessment criteria. We have investigated pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) in a clearly defined patient population with advanced MF. PATIENTS AND METHODS Eligible patients had stage IIB, IVA, or IVB MF, refractory or recurrent after at least two previous systemic therapies. Patients were registered to receive a maximum of six cycles of PLD 20 mg/m2 on days 1 and 15, every 28 days (one cycle). The primary end point was response rate (RR). RESULTS Nine centers recruited 49 eligible patients. The median number of chemotherapy cycles received was five. There were no grade 3 to 4 hematologic toxicities. Grade 3 or 4 nonhematologic/nonbiochemical toxicities included cardiac symptom (2%), allergy/hypersensitivity (2%), constitutional symptom (4%), hand and foot reaction (2%), other dermatologic toxicity (6%), other GI toxicity (4%), infection (4%), pulmonary embolism (2%), and cardiac ischemia (2%). Of 49 patients, 20 (40.8%) were responders (complete clinical response [CCR] or partial response [PR] as overall response): three (6.1%) experienced CCRs, and 17 (34.7%) experienced PRs. A 50% or greater reduction of cutaneous manifestations was observed in 26 (60.5%) of 43 assessable patients. Two early deaths were reported, resulting from related cardiovascular toxicity and disease progression. The lower limit of the one-sided 90% CI for RR was 31.2%. Median time to progression and median duration of response were 7.4 and 6 months, respectively. CONCLUSION PLD has an acceptable safety profile in patients with advanced MF. The efficacy of PLD seems promising.

Sequential Combination of Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin and Standard Chemotherapy in Older Patients With Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Results of a Randomized Phase III Trial by the EORTC and GIMEMA Consortium (AML-17)

PURPOSE This randomized trial evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of sequential gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) and standard chemotherapy in older patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients (n = 472) age 61 to 75 years were randomly assigned to induction chemotherapy with mitoxantrone, cytarabine, and etoposide preceded, or not, by a course of GO (6 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 15). In remission, patients received two consolidation courses with or without GO (3 mg/m(2) on day 0). The primary end point was overall survival (OS). RESULTS The overall response rate was comparable between the two arms (GO, 45%; no GO, 49%), but induction and 60-day mortality rates were higher in the GO arm (17% v 12% and 22% v 18%, respectively). With median follow-up of 5.2 years, median OS was 7.1 months in the GO arm and 10 months in the no-GO arm (hazard ratio, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.99 to 1.45; P = .07). Other survival end points were similar in both arms. Grade 3 to 4 hematologic and liver toxicities were greater in the GO arm. Treatment with GO provided no benefit in any prognostic subgroup, with the possible exception of patients age < 70 years with secondary AML, but outcomes were significantly worse in the oldest age subgroup because of a higher risk of early mortality. CONCLUSION As used in this trial, the sequential combination of GO and standard chemotherapy provides no benefit for older patients with AML and is too toxic for those age ≥ 70 years.

Efficacy and safety of bexarotene combined with psoralen-ultraviolet A (PUVA) compared with PUVA treatment alone in stage IB-IIA mycosis fungoides: final results from the EORTC Cutaneous Lymphoma Task Force phase III randomized clinical trial (NCT00056056)

Background  Psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) is the standard treatment for early stages of mycosis fungoides. There have been no adequate randomized controlled trials with sufficient power comparing this modality with other therapies.

Hyperdiploidy with 58-66 chromosomes in childhood B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia is highly curable: 58951 CLG-EORTC results.

The aim of our study was to analyze the factors contributing to heterogeneity of prognosis in patients with hyperdiploidy>50 chromosomes (HD>50), a group of B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia with favorable outcome. The 541 HD>50 patients registered prospectively in the 58951 European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Childrens Leukemia Group (CLG) trial, identified by karyotype (446 patients) and by DNA index (DI) (490 patients), had a 6-year event-free survival (EFS) of 89.0% (standard error [SE] = 1.5%) and a 6-year overall survival (OS) of 95.9% (SE = 0.9%). The strongest prognostic factor was the modal number of chromosomes (MNC): the 6-year EFS of 51-53, 54-57, and 58-66 MNC groups were 80%, 89%, and 99%, respectively (P < .0001). Ploidy assessed by DI was also a favorable factor: the higher the DI, the better the outcome. The 6-year EFS of the 3 subgroups of DI < 1.16/≥1.16-<1.24/≥1.24 were 83%, 90%, and 95%, respectively (P = .009). All usual combinations of trisomies (chromosomes 4, 10, 17, 18) were significant favorable factors but had lower EFS when MNC was lower than 58. In multivariate analysis, MNC remained the strongest factor. Consequently, the best indicator for excellent outcome was ploidy assessed by karyotype because patients with 58-66 chromosomes stood every chance of being cured (OS of 100% at 6-year follow-up) with less-intensive therapy. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00003728. Registered: http://www.eortc.org/, http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00003728.

Major achievements of the EORTC Cutaneous Lymphoma Task Force (CLTF)

Abstract This article describes the achievements of the Cutaneous LymphomaTask Force (CLTF) over the recent decade in their goal to optimize classification and response criteria and establish new treatment options for patients suffering from cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL). Collaborative work with the International Society of Cutaneous Lymphoma (ISCL) and the United States Cutaneous Lymphoma Consortium (USCLC) has led to publication of pivotal manuscripts proposing revised staging proposals for Mycosis fungoides (MF)/Sezary syndrome (SS) and also non MF/SS primary cutaneous lymphomas as well as the recent publication of a proposal for defining endpoints in MF/SS.

EORTC Leukemia Group achievements

The EORTC Leukemia Group (LG) has a long history of promoting the study of leukemias and related malignancies and reports here on three of their most significant achievements. In acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), the LG and Italian group GIMEMA started their fruitful collaboration in 1986 with the AML-8 trial with 1519 inclusions. In the AML-8A trial, in patients who reached complete remission, without a HLA identical sibling, autograft provided longer disease-free survival than a second course of consolidation, whereas the best outcome was observed in patients with a donor, who had to be allografted. The AML-10 trial set a new standard of treatment for induction/consolidation with replacement of daunorubicin by either idarubicin or mitoxantrone. The AML-12 trial tested the effect of high-dose cytosinearabinoside during induction (2109 inclusions, data base locked in August 2011 for final analysis). Development of intergroup trials focusing on subgroups of AML bearing specific genetic abnormalities is now mandatory to validate the “targeted approach” of driving molecular events. In high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), the phase III trial conducted by the LG in collaboration with the German MDS Study Group showed that the response rate of decitabine versus best supportive care was higher (complete or partial remissions, 19% versus 0%, and hematologic improvement, 15% versus 2%), progression-free survival was significantly prolonged (median 6.6 versus 3 months), cumulative incidence of AML was significantly decreased

The EORTC Children's Leukemia Group: Preclinical and clinical research and resulting achievements

Abstract The EORTC Childrens Leukemia Group (CLG) is a spin-off from the EORTC Hemopathies Working Party (adults and children). After a decade of collaboration in the adult-pediatric group it became clear that there was not only a large difference in cure rates between children and adults, but many chemotherapeutic-toxic borders were substantially different. During the following decade the CLG was not only a witness of a very exciting battle against childhood leukemia, but it also contributed substantially to better cure rates for these diseases. The main activity of the CLG was concentrated on the field of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Fine tuning of treatment elements using the BFM design as a backbone has been done very successfully over the past decades. The CLG has many achievements, and the major ones include: the 58831 trial showing the superfluity of the prophylactic Central Nervous System (CNS) radiotherapy in ALL patients when a adequate systemic and CNS directed chemotherapy is ascertained. The 58881 trial demonstrated that the assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD) at completion of induction in ALL is a key step in the process to categorizing and allocating patients into different risk groups, and that MRD is a powerful and independent prognostic factor. This same 58881 trial showed the clear difference in efficacy of different asparaginases resulting in an optimization of the use these drugs and a revival of interest for the asparaginases in the treatment of ALL. In the near future the CLG will focus mainly on translational research projects and innovative biologically targeted treatment approaches, on collaborations with other childrens leukemia groups in intergroup studies, and on the evaluation of the long-term outcome of childhood cancer survivors.