Vincent J. Picozzi

Reduction by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor of fever and neutropenia induced by chemotherapy in patients with small-cell lung cancer

Abstract Background. Neutropenia and infection are major dose-limiting side effects of chemotherapy. Previous studies have suggested that recombinant methionyl granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) can reduce chemotherapy-related neutropenia in patients with cancer. We conducted a randomized clinical trial to test this hypothesis and the clinical implications. Methods. Patients with small-cell lung cancer were enrolled in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of recombinant methionyl G-CSF to study the incidence of infection as manifested by fever with neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count, <1.0×l09 per liter, with a temperature ≥38.2°C) resulting from up to six cycles of chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and etoposide. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or G-CSF, with treatment beginning on day 4 and continuing through day 17 of a 21 -day cycle. Results. The safety of the study treatment could be evaluated in 207 of the 211 pa...

Interferon-based adjuvant chemoradiation therapy after pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND Patients with cancer who undergo pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) followed by radiation and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) therapy have experienced median overall survival from 18 to 24 months and an actuarial 2-year overall survival from 34% to 48%. We previously reported an 84% 2-year survival using a novel adjuvant chemoradiation protocol that included alpha interferon. This report describes the continued observations regarding this methodology with longer follow-up and more than twice the number of patients as the original report. METHODS From July 1995 to May 2002, 43 patients with adenocarcinomas in the pancreatic head underwent PD at our institution. The mean age was 62 years (range 29 to 77) and 60% were men. Final pathologic findings were stage I (2%), II (12%), III (72%), and IVa (14%) while 84% had positive lymph nodes (average number of nodes positive was 3.2 nodes, (range 0 to 13). Tumor extended through the capsule of the surgical specimen in 70%. These patients then received our investigational protocol consisting of external-beam irradiation at a dose of 4,500 to 5,400 cGy (25 fractions over 5 weeks) and three-drug chemotherapy: continuous infusion 5-FU (200 mg/m(2) daily, days 1 to 35), weekly intravenous bolus cisplatin (30 mg/m(2) daily, days 1,8,15,22,29), and subcutaneous alpha, interferon (3 x 10(6) units, days 1 to 35). This chemoradiation was followed by continuous infusion 5-FU (200 mg/m(2) daily, weeks 9 to 14 and 17 to 22). Chemoradiation was generally initiated between 6 and 8 weeks after surgery. RESULTS All patients completed radiation therapy. There were no deaths due to chemoradiation but 42% were hospitalized during chemoradiation, virtually all due to gastrointestinal toxicity. With a mean follow-up time of 31.9 months, 67% of the patients are alive. Therefore, the median survivorship has not been reached. Actuarial overall survival for the 1-, 2-, and 5-year periods was 95% (confidence interval [CI] = 91% to 98%), 64% (CI = 56% to 72%), and 55% (CI = 46% to 65%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS This follow-up report further suggests overall survival may be improved for patients with adenocarcinoma in the pancreatic head using an adjuvant interferon-based chemoradiation protocol. These results are obtained despite a high incidence of node involvement and advanced tumor stage. From this limited patient series, the actuarial 2-year and 5-year overall survival rates suggest a potential for improved long-term survival. Further study of this regimen in a multiinstitutional setting is needed.

Safety and Survival With GVAX Pancreas Prime and Listeria Monocytogenes–Expressing Mesothelin (CRS-207) Boost Vaccines for Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

PURPOSE GVAX pancreas, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-secreting allogeneic pancreatic tumor cells, induces T-cell immunity to cancer antigens, including mesothelin. GVAX is administered with low-dose cyclophosphamide (Cy) to inhibit regulatory T cells. CRS-207, live-attenuated Listeria monocytogenes-expressing mesothelin, induces innate and adaptive immunity. On the basis of preclinical synergy, we tested prime/boost vaccination with GVAX and CRS-207 in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS Previously treated patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma were randomly assigned at a ratio of 2:1 to two doses of Cy/GVAX followed by four doses of CRS-207 (arm A) or six doses of Cy/GVAX (arm B) every 3 weeks. Stable patients were offered additional courses. The primary end point was overall survival (OS) between arms. Secondary end points were safety and clinical response. RESULTS A total of 90 patients were treated (arm A, n = 61; arm B, n = 29); 97% had received prior chemotherapy; 51% had received ≥ two regimens for metastatic disease. Mean number of doses (± standard deviation) administered in arms A and B were 5.5 ± 4.5 and 3.7 ± 2.2, respectively. The most frequent grade 3 to 4 related toxicities were transient fevers, lymphopenia, elevated liver enzymes, and fatigue. OS was 6.1 months in arm A versus 3.9 months in arm B (hazard ratio [HR], 0.59; P = .02). In a prespecified per-protocol analysis of patients who received at least three doses (two doses of Cy/GVAX plus one of CRS-207 or three of Cy/GVAX), OS was 9.7 versus 4.6 months (arm A v B; HR, 0.53; P = .02). Enhanced mesothelin-specific CD8 T-cell responses were associated with longer OS, regardless of treatment arm. CONCLUSION Heterologous prime/boost with Cy/GVAX and CRS-207 extended survival for patients with pancreatic cancer, with minimal toxicity.

Combined Modality Treatment of Resectable and Borderline Resectable Pancreas Cancer: Expert Consensus Statement

Department of Radiation Oncology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Division of Surgical Oncology, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA; Gastrointestinal Oncology Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York; Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; Pancreaticobiliary Cancer, Digestive Diseases Institute, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA; Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Treatment of lymphoblastic lymphoma in adults.

Forty-four adult patients with lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) were treated according to one of two protocols. Both included (1) induction with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, and L-asparaginase; (2) CNS prophylaxis; and (3) maintenance therapy with methotrexate (MTX) and 6-mercaptopurine. In the second protocol, CNS prophylaxis began earlier than in the first protocol and included cranial irradiation and intrathecal (IT) MTX rather than simultaneous high-dose systemic and IT MTX. The overall response rate was 100% (95% complete). With a 26-month median follow-up, the 1-and 3-year actuarial freedom from relapse (FFR) for the composite patient group was 70% and 56%, respectively. The incidence of CNS relapse was reduced from 31% in the first protocol to 3% in the second protocol (P = .04, Gehan). Patients can be assigned retrospectively to low (n = 19) and high (n = 25) risk prognostic groups, as indicated by a multivariate analysis of pretreatment prognostic factors. High-risk is defined by Ann Arbor stage IV disease with bone marrow or CNS involvement or initial serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) concentration of greater than 300 IU/L (normal, less than 200). FFR of low- and high-risk groups at 5 years are 94% and 19%, respectively (P = .0006). Low-risk patients are highly curable using this approach to adult LBL. More intensive treatment for high-risk patients is warranted.

Interferon-based adjuvant chemoradiation therapy improves survival after pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND Based on a 2-year survival of 43%, the Gastrointestinal Tumor Study Group (GITSG) recommended adjuvant 5-FU-based chemoradiation for resected patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head. Here we report improved survival over the GITSG protocol with a novel adjuvant chemoradiotherapy based on interferon-alpha (IFNalpha). METHODS From July 1993 to September 1998, 33 patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and subsequently went on to adjuvant therapy (GITSG-type, n = 16) or IFNalpha-based (n = 17) typically given between 6 and 8 weeks after surgery. The latter protocol consisted of external-beam irradiation at a dose of 4,500 to 5,400 cGy (25 fractions per 5 weeks) and simultaneous three-drug chemotherapy consisting of (1) continuous infusion 5-FU (200 mg/m2 per day); (2) weekly intravenous bolus cisplatin (30 mg/m2 per day); and (3) IFNalpha (3 million units subcutaneously every other day) during the 5 weeks of radiation. This was then followed by two 6-week courses of continuous infusion 5-FU (200 mg/m2 per day, given weeks 9 to 14 and 17 to 22). Risk factors for recurrence and survival were compared for the two groups. RESULTS A more advanced tumor stage was observed in the IFNalpha-treated patients (positive nodes and American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] stage III = 76%) than the GITSG group (positive nodes and stage III = 44%, P = 0.052). The 2-year overall survival was superior in the IFNalpha cohort (84%) versus the GITSG group (54%). With a mean follow-up of 26 months in both cohorts, actuarial survival curves significantly favored the IFNalpha group (P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS With a limited number of patients, this phase II type trial suggests better survival in the interferon group as compared with the GITSG group even though the interferon group was associated with a more extensive tumor stage. The 2-year survival rate in the interferon group is the best published to date for resected pancreatic cancer. The interferon/cisplatin/5-FU-based adjuvant chemoradiation protocol appears to be a promising treatment for patients who have undergone PD for adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head.

13-cis retinoic acid treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes.

To test the biologic activity of 13-cis retinoic acid (13-CRA) in patients with myelodysplastic states (MDS), we administered 13-CRA orally (2.5 mg/kg/d initially, escalated to 4 mg/kg/d) for 8 weeks to 15 consecutive patients. Eight of 15 patients (53%) experienced an increase in peripheral granulocyte counts of greater than 20% (range, 22% to 700%). In five patients, the absolute increase in peripheral granulocyte count was greater than 500 cells/microL. Two of 15 patients experienced a decrease in the circulating granulocyte count of greater than or equal to 20%. Comparable values for peripheral platelet counts were 27% (4/15 patients) greater than 20% increase and 33% (5/15 patients) greater than 20% decrease. No patient experienced a major change in erythrocyte transfusion requirement while receiving 13-CRA in comparison with pretreatment status. Thirteen patients had morphologic and cytogenetic evaluation of marrow cells before 13-CRA treatment, and with one exception, marrow morphologic and cytogenetic abnormalities persisted following 13-CRA administration. The exception occurred in the patient with the most dramatic response, whose granulocyte count increased from 400 to 2,800 cells/microL along with a normalization of the leukocyte alkaline phosphatase score, a morphologic improvement in granulocyte maturation, and a disappearance of the initial chromosome abnormality. These changes did not persist after cessation of 13-CRA administration, but were reproduced following drug readministration. No patients experienced serious decrements in peripheral blood counts or leukemic transformation while receiving 13-CRA. All patients had mild to marked dermatologic toxicity (cheilosis, skin dryness). No other major toxicity was encountered. We conclude that 13-CRA may be safely administered and may increase peripheral granulocyte counts in a proportion of patients with MDS.

Multicenter phase II trial of adjuvant therapy for resected pancreatic cancer using cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and interferon-alfa-2b–based chemoradiation: ACOSOG Trial Z05031

BACKGROUND The American College of Surgeons Oncology Group sought to confirm the efficacy of a novel interferon-based chemoradiation regimen in a multicenter phase II trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with resected (R0/R1) adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head were treated with adjuvant interferon-alfa-2b (3 million units s.c. on days 1, 3, and 5 of each week for 5.5 weeks), cisplatin (30 mg/m(2) i.v. weekly for 6 weeks), and continuous infusion 5-fluorouracil (5-FU; 175 mg·m(2)/day for 38 days) concurrently with external-beam radiation (50.4 Gy). Chemoradiation was followed by two 6-week courses of continuous infusion 5-FU (200 mg·m(2)/day). The primary study end point was 18-month overall survival from protocol enrollment (OS18); an OS18 ≥65% was considered a positive study outcome. RESULTS Eighty-nine patients were enrolled. Eighty-four patients were assessable for toxicity. The all-cause grade ≥3 toxicity rate was 95% (80 patients) during therapy. No long-term toxicity or toxicity-related deaths were noted. At 36-month median follow-up, the OS18 was 69% [95% confidence interval (CI) 60% to 80%]; the median disease-free survival and overall survival were 14.1 months (95% CI 11.0-20.1 months) and 25.4 months (95% CI 23.4-34.1 months), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Notwithstanding promising multi-institutional efficacy results, further development of this regimen will require additional modifications to mitigate toxic effects.

Perianal Paget's disease: Successful treatment with combined chemoradiotherapy

A case of locally extensive perianal Pagets disease is presented. Initial wide local excision, guided by frozen sections, was inadequate. Multiple punch biopsies subsequently revealed extensive circumferential involvement of the anoderm by Pagets disease, making wide local excision difficult. Therefore, the patient was treated with combined chemoradiotherapy (5000 cGy, 5-fluorouracil, and mitomycin C). Fourteen months after treatment, the patient had a complete response.

Prognostic Significance of a Decline in Serum Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Levels After Initial Chemotherapy for Advanced Germ-Cell Carcinoma

We studied 40 consecutive patients with advanced germ-cell carcinoma and elevated serum levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) to assess the prognostic value of the magnitude of the decline in HCG levels after chemotherapy. If serum levels failed to become normal after the first chemotherapy cycle and if the day-22 HCG level/day-1 level was greater than 1/200 (0.005), an incomplete response to chemotherapy could be predicted with a sensitivity of 90% and a predictive value of 94%. Conversely, if the day-22 level was within normal limits, or if the day-22 level/day-1 level was less than 1/200, a successful response to chemotherapy (defined as a 1-year disease-free interval following cessation of chemotherapy) could be predicted with a sensitivity of 95% and a predictive value of 91% after one chemotherapy cycle. Overall, the long-term response to chemotherapy was correctly predicted in 37 of 40 patients (p less than 0.0001, compared with actual patient outcome using the chi-squared test).