Per-Ebbe Jönsson

Natural history of patients with untreated liver metastases from colorectal cancer

One hundred fifty-five patients, laparotomized because of colorectal cancer, were retrospectively evaluated with special attention given to the natural course of untreated synchronous liver metastases. The median survival time for patients with synchronous liver metastases was 4.5 months. The survival time was mainly influenced by the extent of tumor involvement in the liver. Patients with elevated levels of serum-alkaline phosphatase at the time of operation had a significantly shorter survival time than those with normal values. Serum alkaline phosphatase levels are a good indication of prognosis. The incidence of synchronous liver metastases was 16 percent. This low rate is partly explained by the development of metachronous liver metastases in five patients within 1 year. Comparison with previous reports, often more than 10 years old, reveals that the poor prognosis of patients with untreated liver metastases from colorectal cancer has remained unchanged.

Long term results of a randomized study by the Swedish Melanoma Study Group on 2-cm versus 5-cm resection margins for patients with cutaneous melanoma with a tumor thickness of 0.8-2.0 mm

Large, prospective, randomized trials with long term follow‐up are required to obtain an unbiased evaluation of the significance of resection margins in patients with cutaneous melanoma.

A systematic overview of chemotherapy effects in breast cancer

A systematic review of chemotherapy trials in several tumour types was performed by The Swedish Council of Technology Assessment in Health Care (SBU). The procedures for the evaluation of the scientific literature are described separately (Acta Oncol 2001; 40: 155-65). This synthesis of the literature on chemotherapy for breast cancer is based on 233 randomised studies, 9 meta-analysis of randomised studies, a population-based cohort study and 18 overviews/retrospective analyses including a total of 155,243 patients. The conclusions reached can be summarised into the following points: Adjuvant treatment-- There is solid scientific support from randomised studies that adjuvant polychemotherapy at 10 years will result in an absolute mortality reduction for patients younger than 50 years by 12% for node positive (34% relative mortality reduction corresponding to an estimated median survival prolongation of several years) and 6% for node negative patients. For women aged 50 to 69 years, the corresponding figures for node positive and node negative patients are 6% and 2%, respectively (approximately 11% relative mortality reduction). Anthracycline-containing combinations result in an absolute survival benefit at five years of 3%, compared with non-anthracycline based polychemotherapy. There are indications that the taxane paclitaxel may further improve the survival compared with anthracyclines. However, the limited data preclude conclusions for the routine care. The addition of tamoxifen to chemotherapy further enhances the survival benefit for receptor positive subgroups. The roles of more dose-intensive regimens, including high-dose therapy with stem cell support, are presently studied in randomised investigations. The data presented so far are conflicting but they do not in general support high-dose therapy. Quality of life, based on analyses of randomised studies, demonstrate that adjuvant polychemotherapy has an initial detrimental effect, but long-term follow-up of treated patients demonstrates no impairment of quality of life compared with untreated patients. Polychemotherapy in standard doses should be offered to premenopausal node positive patients, and the corresponding postmenopausal group with a receptor-negative breast cancer and to node negative patients with high risk factors. Polychemotherapy should be combined with tamoxifen to all patients with receptor-positive tumours. Due to a need of more knowledge in this field, patients should be included in investigational protocols. Locally advanced breast cancer-- Based on current knowledge, treatment of patients with locally advanced breast cancer should include neoadjuvant/preoperative polychemotherapy since there is evidence from controlled studies that such therapy will statistically significantly increase the number of patients who can be offered breast-conserving surgery. Indirect comparisons also demonstrate survival improvements, but the scientific support is equivocal. Metastatic breast cancer-- The median survival for patients with metastatic disease treated with conventional chemotherapy doses and regimens is 12 to 24 months. Retrospective cohort studies indicate that the use of non-anthracycline containing chemotherapy compared with no chemotherapy might add a survival gain of six to nine months. However, this estimation is based on equivocal data. Based on overview data, polychemotherapy results in a statistically significant survival gain compared with single-agent therapy. Based on repeated randomised studies, the addition of anthracyclines increases the response rate and statistically significantly improves the survival compared with non-anthracycline containing chemotherapy, except for CMF combined with prednisone/prednisolone, which will statistically significantly improve the survival compared with some anthracycline combinations. Second line therapy using vinorelbine or docetaxel is statistically significantly better than other regimens with a time to progression and survival benefit in the order of one to three months based on few randomised studies. The role, if any, of third line therapy is yet to be demonstrated. In the metastatic setting, conventional chemotherapy improves the quality of life. In standard care, first line therapy should contain an anthracycline and second line therapy using vinorelbine or docetaxel could be offered to selected patients failing first line therapy. Based on numerous randomised studies, breast cancer demonstrates a positive dose-response relationship both in the adjuvant situation and for metastatic disease. However, in the conventional dose-range there seems to be a plateau in the dose-response curve, with no further survival gains for high

FACT: An Open-Label Randomized Phase III Study of Fulvestrant and Anastrozole in Combination Compared With Anastrozole Alone as First-Line Therapy for Patients With Receptor-Positive Postmenopausal Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE To compare the effect of therapy with anastrozole versus a combination of fulvestrant and anastrozole in women in first relapse of endocrine-responsive breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Postmenopausal women, or premenopausal women receiving a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist, with estrogen receptor- and/or progesterone receptor-positive disease at first relapse after primary treatment of localized disease were open-label randomly assigned to a fulvestrant loading dose (LD) regimen followed by monthly injection plus 1 mg of anastrozole daily or to 1 mg of anastrozole daily alone. The primary end point was time to progression (TTP). RESULTS In all, 514 women were randomly assigned to fulvestrant plus anastrozole (experimental arm; n = 258) or anastrozole (standard arm; n = 256). Approximately two thirds had received adjuvant antiestrogens, but only eight individuals had received an aromatase inhibitor. Median TTP was 10.8 and 10.2 months in the experimental versus standard arm, respectively (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.99; 95% CI, 0.81 to 1.20; P = .91); median overall survival was 37.8 and 38.2 months, respectively (HR = 1.0; 95% CI, 0.76 to 1.32; P = 1.00). Incidences of prespecified adverse events (AEs) were similar. Hot flashes were more common in the experimental arm: 63 patients (24.6%) versus 35 patients (13.8%) in the standard arm (P = .0023). Death owing to AEs was reported in 11 (4.3%) and five patients (2.0%) in the experimental versus standard arm, respectively. CONCLUSION Fulvestrant (250 mg + LD regimen) in combination with anastrozole offered no clinical efficacy advantage over anastrozole monotherapy in this population of individuals with a relatively high proportion of previous adjuvant antiestrogen exposure.

Breast conservation surgery, with and without radiotherapy, in women with lymph node-negative breast cancer: a randomised clinical trial in a population with access to public mammography screening

The effect of postoperative radiotherapy after sector resection for stage I-II lymph node-negative breast cancer was evaluated in a patient population with access to public mammographical screening. 1187 women were randomised to no further treatment or postoperative radiotherapy following a standardised sector resection and axillary dissection. Radiation was administered to a dose of 48-54 Gy. Median age was 60 years, and median size of the detected tumours was 12 mm. Of the women 65% had their tumours detected by mammographical screening. The relative risk (RR) of ipsilateral breast recurrence was significantly higher in the non-irradiated patients compared with the irradiated patients, RR=3.33 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 2.13-5.19, P<0.001). The corresponding cumulative incidence at 5 years was 14% versus 4%, respectively. Overall survival (OS) was similar, RR=1.16 (95% CI 0.81-1.65, P=0.41), with 5 year probabilities of 93 and 94%, respectively. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) at 5 years was significantly lower in the non-irradiated women, 77% versus 88% (P<0.001). Although women above 49 years of age, whose tumours were detected with mammographical screening, had the lowest rate of ipsilateral breast recurrence in this study, the cumulative incidence of such event amounted to 10% at 5 years if radiotherapy was not given. Such a recurrence rate has been considered as unacceptably high, but is, however, in the same range as that reported after lumpectomy and postoperative radiotherapy in published series.

Resection margins of 2 versus 5 cm for cutaneous malignant melanoma with a tumor thickness of 0.8 to 2.0 mm: A randomized study by the Swedish Melanoma Study Group

The traditional surgical treatment for primary malignant melanoma has often been a wide excision with a margin of about 5 cm. Since the risk of local recurrences is dependent on tumor thickness, thin tumors (<1 mm) have routinely been excised with a narrow margin. For thick tumors, the optimal resection margin is controversial, and can be determined only by prospective, randomized trials.

Tumor specific VEGF-A and VEGFR2/KDR protein are co-expressed in breast cancer.

Angiogenesis is a prognostic indicator in primary breast cancer regulated by specific angiogenic factors and their receptors. Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), so far considered the most important, acts through dimerization of the receptor VEGFR2/KDR within the receptor tyrosine kinase family of VEGF receptors. In order to study the interplay between VEGF-A and VEGFR2/KDR in breast cancer we evaluated their expression by immunohistochemistry in 102 breast cancers organized in a tumor tissue array system allowing semi-quantitative evaluation of cytoplasmatic staining intensity. In addition, VEGF-A165 was analyzed by an enzyme immuno assay (ELISA) in protein extracts prepared from frozen tissue from 98 of 102 tumors included in the array. Cytoplasmatic staining of VEGF of varying intensity was observed in all samples and correlated with the ELISA results of VEGF content (p = 0.007). Interestingly, VEGFR2/KDR expression correlated with VEGF expression using immunohistochemistry, indicating that VEGF and VEGFR2/KDR may be co-expressed in breast cancer. Furthermore, high levels of VEGF-A165 in the protein extracts was associated with impaired short time survival but not long term survival whereas immunohistochemically assessed VEGF and VEGFR2/KDR were not significantly associated with survival. In summary, immunohistochemically based analysis of VEGF using a tumor tissue array system seems to be a useful method for VEGF quantification in breast cancer here validated using an ELISA based method. The tumor tissue array system enables opportunities of simultaneous analysis of markers engaged in angiogenesis justifying further studies using larger series of tumors.

Regional hyperthermic perfusion with melphalan after surgery for recurrent malignant melanoma of the extremities. Swedish Melanoma Study Group.

A prospective randomized trial testing regional hyperthermic perfusion with melphalan has been conducted. Sixty-nine patients with recurrent malignant melanoma of the extremities were randomly allocated to surgery (36 patients) or surgery plus regional perfusion (33 patients). Prognostic variables concerning primary tumor as well as the recurrent disease were evenly distributed in the groups, excluding any bias in the randomization. Median tumor-free survival after randomization was 17 months in the perfusion group and 10 months in the control group. There were 15 locoregional recurrences in the perfusion group and 24 in the control group. The tumor-free survival curve was significantly (P = .044) better for the perfusion group than for the control group. Median survival time after randomization was 57 months in the perfusion group and 35 months in the control group. This difference was not significant. One patient died within 1 month after perfusion of pulmonary embolism. Regional hyperthermic perfusion after surgery of recurrent malignant melanoma should only be recommended in prospective and controlled trials, until its value has been proven in several randomized studies.

Axillary recurrence rate after negative sentinel node biopsy in breast cancer - Three-year follow-up of the Swedish Multicenter Cohort Study

Background:Sentinel lymph node biopsy is an established staging method in early breast cancer. After a negative biopsy, most institutions will not perform a completion axillary dissection. The present study reports the current axillary recurrence (AR) rate, overall and disease-free survival in the Swedish Multicenter Cohort Study. Methods:From 3534 patients with primary breast cancer ≤3 cm prospectively enrolled in the Swedish multicenter cohort study, 2246 with a negative sentinel node biopsy and no further axillary surgery were selected. Follow-up consisted of annual clinical examination and mammography. Twenty-six hospitals and 131 surgeons contributed to patient accrual. Results:After a median follow-up time of 37 months (0–75), the axilla was the sole initial site of recurrence in 13 patients (13 of 2246, 0.6%). In another 7 patients, axillary relapse occurred after or concurrently with a local recurrence in the breast, and in a further 7 cases, it coincided with distant or extra-axillary lymphatic metastases. Thus, a total of 27 ARs were identified (27 of 2246, 1.2%). The overall 5-year survival was 91.6% and disease-free survival 92.1%. Conclusions:This is the first report from a national multicenter study that covers, not only highly specialized institutions but also small community hospitals with just a few procedures per year. Despite this heterogeneous background, the results lie well within the range of AR rates published internationally (0%–3.6%). The sentinel node biopsy procedure seems to be safe in a multicenter setting. Nevertheless, long-term follow-up data should be awaited before firm conclusions are drawn.

Proliferation of the breast epithelium in relation to menstrual cycle phase, hormonal use, and reproductive factors

SummaryThe proliferative rate in normal breast epithelium from 58 women undergoing reduction mammoplastics was studied using the formalin resistant antibody Ki-S5, and related to age at operation, menstrual cycle phase, family history of breast cancer, height and weight, parity, and hormonal use.The breast tissue from women operated on in the luteal menstrual cycle phase (day 15–28 among oral contraceptive (OC) users) had significantly higher proliferative rate than breast tissue removed from women in the follicular phase (day 1–14) (p = 0.01). Among women presently exposed to hormones, those with a positive family history of breast cancer among first and second degree relatives had significantly higher values than cases without such history (p = 0.02). Weight was not significantly related to proliferation rate, while a short height was associated with a significantly higher proliferation rate (p = 0.04). Women who used OCs before the first full-term pregnancy (FFTP) had a significantly higher proliferation rate compared with never users or late users (p = 0.04). No significant difference was seen between parous versus nulliparous women.The results from the univariate analysis persisted in multivariate models. An especially high proliferation rate was seen in young women with both a positive family history and present hormonal use (p = 0.001). Overall, it was found that young women had a non-significantly higher proliferation rate than older women (p = 0.10). Due to small sample size, these results must be regarded as preliminary, especially in the subgroup analyses.