Uta Dirksen

Primary Disseminated Multifocal Ewing Sarcoma: Results of the Euro-EWING 99 Trial

PURPOSE To improve the poor prognosis of patients with primary disseminated multifocal Ewing sarcomas (PDMES) with a dose-intense treatment concept. PATIENTS AND METHODS From 1999 to 2005, 281 patients with PDMES were enrolled onto the Euro-EWING 99 R3 study. Median age was 16.2 years (range, 0.4 to 49 years). Recommended treatment consisted of six cycles of vincristine, ifosfamide, doxorubicin, and etoposide (VIDE), one cycle of vincristine, dactinomycin, and ifosfamide (VAI), local treatment (surgery and/or radiotherapy), and high-dose busulfan-melphalan followed by autologous stem-cell transplantation (HDT/SCT). RESULTS After a median follow-up of 3.8 years, event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) at 3 years for all 281 patients were 27% +/- 3% and 34% +/- 4% respectively. Six VIDE cycles were completed by 250 patients (89%); 169 patients (60%) received HDT/SCT. The estimated 3-year EFS from the start of HDT/SCT was 45% for 46 children younger than 14 years. Cox regression analyses demonstrated increased risk at diagnosis for patients older than 14 years (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.6), a primary tumor volume more than 200 mL (HR = 1.8), more than one bone metastatic site (HR = 2.0), bone marrow metastases (HR = 1.6), and additional lung metastases (HR = 1.5). An up-front risk score based on these HR factors identified three groups with EFS rates of 50% for score <or= 3 (82 patients), 25% for score more than 3 to less than 5 (102 patients), and 10% for score >or= 5 (70 patients; P < .0001). CONCLUSION PDMES patients may survive with intensive multimodal therapy. Age, tumor volume, and extent of metastatic spread are relevant risk factors. A score based on these factors may facilitate risk-adapted treatment approaches.

Human pulmonary alveolar proteinosis associated with a defect in GM-CSF/IL-3/IL-5 receptor common beta chain expression.

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a heterogeneous disorder of genetic or acquired etiologies. In some cases congenital PAP is associated with hereditary surfactant protein (SP)-B deficiency. To date, the molecular defect in the majority of patients with PAP has not been identified. In mice, PAP has been generated by targeted deletion of the genes for either the GM-CSF/IL-3/IL-5 receptor common beta chain (beta c) or GM-CSF. Here, we describe an expression defect of beta c in three of seven pediatric patients with PAP and in one patient with severe lung disease suspected to be PAP. The patients failed to express normal levels of beta c as shown by flow cytometry. Strikingly reduced or absent function of beta c was demonstrated by ligand binding studies and progenitor clonogenic assays. Analysis of beta c DNA revealed a point mutation from proline to threonine at codon 602 in one patient. Our findings provide evidence that a defect in the expression of a hematopoietic cytokine receptor is associated with human PAP.

Impact of EWS-ETS Fusion Type on Disease Progression in Ewing's Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor: Prospective Results From the Cooperative Euro-E.W.I.N.G. 99 Trial

PURPOSE EWS-ETS fusion genes are the driving force in Ewings sarcoma pathogenesis. Because of the variable breakpoint locations in the involved genes, there is heterogeneity in fusion RNA and protein architecture. Since previous retrospective studies suggested prognostic differences among patients expressing different EWS-FLI1 fusion types, the impact of fusion RNA architecture on disease progression and relapse was studied prospectively within the Euro-E.W.I.N.G. 99 clinical trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS Among 1,957 patients who registered before January 1, 2007, 703 primary tumors were accessible for the molecular biology study. Fusion type was assessed by polymerase chain reaction on frozen (n = 578) or paraffin-embedded materials (n = 125). The primary end point was the time to disease progression or relapse. Results After exclusion of noninformative patients, 565 patients were entered into the prognostic factor analysis comparing type 1 (n = 296), type 2 (n = 133), nontype 1/nontype 2 EWS-FLI1 (n = 91) and EWS-ERG fusions (n = 45). Median follow-up time was 4.5 years. The distribution of sex, age, tumor volume, tumor site, disease extension, or histologic response did not differ between the four fusion type groups. We did not observe any significant prognostic value of the fusion type on the risk of progression or relapse. The only slight difference was that the risk of progression or relapse associated with nontype 1/nontype 2 EWS-FLI1 fusions was 1.38 (95% CI, 0.96 to 2.0) times higher than risk associated with other fusion types, but it was not significant (P = .10). CONCLUSION In contrast to retrospective studies, the prospective evaluation did not confirm a prognostic benefit for type 1 EWS-FLI1 fusions.

Preliminary Efficacy of the Anti-Insulin–Like Growth Factor Type 1 Receptor Antibody Figitumumab in Patients With Refractory Ewing Sarcoma

PURPOSE Patients with Ewing sarcoma (ES) with metastases and those who relapse fare poorly and receive therapies that carry significant toxicity. This phase 1/2 study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of figitumumab in advanced ES. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with sarcoma 10 to 18 years old were enrolled in two dose escalation cohorts (20 and 30 mg/Kg intravenously every 4 weeks) in the phase 1 portion of the study. Patients with ES 10 years old or older were enrolled in the phase 2 portion of the study. The primary phase 2 objective was objective response rate (ORR). RESULTS Thirty-one patients with ES (n = 16), osteosarcoma (n = 11), or other sarcomas (n = 4) were enrolled in the phase 1 portion of the study. Dose escalation proceeded to 30 mg/kg every 4 weeks with no dose-limiting toxicity identified. In the phase 2 portion of the study, 107 patients with ES received figitumumab at 30 mg/kg every 4 weeks for a median of 2 cycles (range, 1 to 16). Sixty three percent of phase 2 patients had received at least three prior treatment regimens. Of 106 evaluable patients, 15 had a partial response (ORR, 14.2%) and 25 had stable disease. Median overall survival was 8.9 months. Importantly, patients with a pretreatment circulating free insulin-like growth factor (IGF) -1 lower than 0.65 ng/mL (n = 14) had a median OS of 3.6 months, whereas those with a baseline free IGF-1 ≥ 0.65 ng/mL (n = 84) had a median OS of 10.4 months (P < .001). CONCLUSION Figitumumab had modest activity as single agent in advanced ES. A strong association between pretreatment serum IGF-1 and survival benefit was identified.

Ewing Sarcoma: Current Management and Future Approaches Through Collaboration

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is an aggressive sarcoma of bone and soft tissue occurring at any age with a peak incidence in adolescents and young adults. The treatment of ES relies on a multidisciplinary approach, coupling risk-adapted intensive neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapies with surgery and/or radiotherapy for control of the primary site and possible metastatic disease. The optimization of ES multimodality therapeutic strategies has resulted from the efforts of several national and international groups in Europe and North America and from cooperation between pediatric and medical oncologists. Successive first-line trials addressed the efficacy of various cyclic combinations of drugs incorporating doxorubicin, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, etoposide, and dactinomycin and identified prognostic factors now used to tailor therapies. The role of high-dose chemotherapy is still debated. Current 5-year overall survival for patients with localized disease is 65% to 75%. Patients with metastases have a 5-year overall survival < 30%, except for those with isolated pulmonary metastasis (approximately 50%). Patients with recurrence have a dismal prognosis. The many insights into the biology of the EWS-FLI1 protein in the initiation and progression of ES remain to be translated into novel therapeutic strategies. Current options and future approaches will be discussed.

Risk of recurrence and survival after relapse in patients with Ewing sarcoma.

The prognosis in patients with relapsed Ewing sarcoma is unfavorable. Our investigation identifies factors predicting for the outcome following relapse.

Microarray analysis of Ewing's sarcoma family of tumours reveals characteristic gene expression signatures associated with metastasis and resistance to chemotherapy

In Ewings sarcoma family of tumours (ESFT), the clinically most adverse prognostic parameters are the presence of tumour metastasis at time of diagnosis and poor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. To identify genes differentially regulated between metastatic and localised tumours, we analysed 27 ESFT specimens using Affymetrix microarrays. Functional annotation of differentially regulated genes revealed 29 over-represented pathways including PDGF, TP53, NOTCH, and WNT1-signalling. Regression of primary tumours (n=20) induced by polychemotherapy was found to be correlated with the expression of genes involved in angiogenesis, apoptosis, ubiquitin proteasome pathway, and PI3 kinase and p53 pathways. These findings could be confirmed by in vitro cytotoxicity assays. A set of 46 marker genes correctly classifies these 20 tumours as responding versus non-responding. We conclude that expression signatures of initial tumour biopsies can help to identify ESFT patients at high risk to develop tumour metastasis or to suffer from a therapy refractory cancer.

Ewing Sarcoma: Clinical State-of-the-Art

Ewing sarcoma, a rare malignancy of childhood and adolescence, has become a model of advances in diagnosis, treatment, and outcome through long-standing research efforts in multinational clinical trials. With modern multimodal regimens consisting of local surgery and/or radiotherapy plus intensive systemic chemotherapy, survival can be achieved for ∼70% of patients with localized disease. However, in the last decade, improvement in survival curves has slowed down. Also, a relapse rate of ∼30% remains unacceptable, since salvage strategies for Ewing sarcoma recurrence are discouraging and prognosis is unfavorable in most cases. Metastatic disease at diagnosis poses a similar challenge, since even if remission is achieved, relapse frequently occurs despite the most intensive treatment. Urgently needed, novel biology-driven treatment options are now beginning to emerge on the horizon, but have not yet reached the standard of care. An overview of the current clinical state-of-the-art is provided in this article.

The value of local treatment in patients with primary, disseminated, multifocal Ewing sarcoma (PDMES)

The value of local treatment in patients with primary, disseminated, multifocal Ewing sarcoma (PDMES) was investigated.

Cyclophosphamide Compared With Ifosfamide in Consolidation Treatment of Standard-Risk Ewing Sarcoma: Results of the Randomized Noninferiority Euro-EWING99-R1 Trial.

PURPOSE Relative efficacy and toxicity of cyclophosphamide compared with ifosfamide are debatable. The Euro-EWING99-R1 trial asked whether cyclophosphamide may replace ifosfamide in combination with vincristine and dactinomycin (vincristine, dactinomycin, and cyclophosphamide [VAC] v vincristine, dactinomycin, and ifosfamide [VAI]) after an intensive induction chemotherapy containing vincristine, ifosfamide, doxorubicin, and etoposide (VIDE) in standard-risk localized disease (NCT00020566). METHODS Standard-risk Ewing sarcomas were localized tumors with either a good histologic response to chemotherapy (< 10% cells) or small tumors (< 200 mL) resected at diagnosis or receiving radiotherapy alone as local treatment. Patients entered the trial after six VIDE+1 VAI courses. Allocated treatment was either 7 VAC courses with 1.5 g/m(2) of cyclophosphamide or seven VAI-courses with 6 g/m(2) ifosfamide. The limit of noninferiority was set at -8.5% for the 3-year event-free survival rate (EFS), equivalent to 1.43 in terms of the hazard ratio of event (HR(event)). RESULTS This large international trial recruited 856 patients between February 2000 and March 2010 (n = 431 receiving VAC and n = 425 receiving VAI). With a median follow-up of 5.9 years, the 3-year EFSs were 75.4% and 78.2%, respectively, the 3-year EFS difference was -2.8% (91.4% CI, -7.8 to 2.2%), the HR(event) was 1.12 (91.4% CI, 0.89 to 1.41), and the HR(death) was 1.09 (91.4% CI, 0.84 to 1.42; intention-to-treat). The HR(event) was 1.22 (91.4% CI, 0.96 to 1.54) on the per-protocol population. Major treatment modifications were significantly less frequent in the VAC arm (< 1%) than in the VAI arm (7%), mainly resulting from toxicity. Patients experienced more frequent thrombocytopenia in the VAC arm (45% v 35%) but fewer grade 2 to 4 acute tubular toxicities (16% v 31%). CONCLUSION Cyclophosphamide may be able to replace ifosfamide in consolidation treatment of standard-risk Ewing sarcoma. However, some uncertainty surrounding the noninferiority of VAC compared with VAI remains at this stage. The ongoing comparative evaluation of long-term renal and gonadal toxicity is crucial to decisions regarding future patients.