Sequencing radium 223 and other life-prolonging agents in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients.

Background: Radium 223 (RA223) is currently administered as part of a therapeutic sequence with the other life-prolonging agents (LPAs) for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Patients & methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of patients who had received at least three LPAs including RA223. Results: Median overall survival (OS) from the start of first-line treatment was 39.8 months, with the patients who completed all six planned courses of RA223 having a longer OS than those who did not (53.2 vs 29.5 months; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Our study confirms the activity of RA223 regardless of the treatment line in which it is administered and suggests that patient selection plays a central role in maximizing this activity.

Fracture risk and survival outcomes in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients sequentially treated with abiraterone acetate and RADIUM-223.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the fracture risk and survival outcomes in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who received sequentially abiraterone acetate (AA) and radium 223 [223Ra]RaCl2 in the daily clinical practice. MATERIALS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of mCRPC patients who received [223Ra]RaCl2 immediately after progressing during an AA treatment line in everyday clinical practice. RESULTS: We reviewed data of a consecutive series of 94 mCRPC patients. Most of the patients (85.1%) received [223Ra]RaCl2 as second- or third-line treatment. [223Ra]RaCl2 treatment was well-tolerated; there were only four cases of grade 3 anaemia, two cases of grade 3 leukopenia and one case of grade 3 neutropenia. The overall fracture rate is 2.1%; one fracture was recorded during the course of [223Ra]RaCl2 treatment, and one was recorded 1 month after its end. The fractures both occurred at metastatic sites. Median OS from [223Ra]RaCl2 start was more than 14 months regardless of the treatment line when [223Ra]RaCl2 was administered. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study show that the treatment with [223Ra]RaCl2 immediately after AA was active and safe with a very low risk of a fracture. Thus, the present observational report makes a valuable contribution to the current debate concerning the risks and benefits of including [223Ra]RaCl2 in the therapeutic algorithm.

The effect of a treatment delay on outcome in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate if a first-line treatment delay (TD) can negatively affect the outcomes of patients affected by metastatic renal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with a diagnosis of metastatic renal cancer who were ineligible for active surveillance were included in the sample. A TD was defined as the time from the diagnosis of metastatic disease to the start of first-line therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. RESULTS: A total of 835 patients were assessed and 635 were included in the final analysis. The median TD was 6.3 weeks. No significant differences were found in baseline characteristics between patients experiencing a TD below/equal to or above the median value, with the exceptions being the rate of bone metastases (25.3% vs. 35.9%) and advanced disease at diagnosis (34.7% vs. 54.9%). In patients who had received a previous nephrectomy for localized disease, the TD was 5.3 compared to 8.0 weeks for those with metastatic disease at diagnosis (P = 0.001). Among this latter group, 68.7% had received a cytoreductive nephrectomy. In patients with a TD below/equal to and above the median value, the median progression-free survival was 10.3 and 11.2 months, respectively (hazard ratio = 1.03; 95% confidence intervals, 0.86-1.22; P = 0.78); the median overall survival was 27.3 and 28.2 months, respectively (hazard ratio = 1.04; 95% confidence intervals, 0.86-1.27; P = 0.68). The lack of differences was confirmed when adjusted for prognostic factors and baseline characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports that patients with bone metastases and advanced disease at diagnosis have a significant probability of experiencing delayed first-line therapy of more than 6 weeks from the time of diagnosis. However, a TD does not significantly affect outcomes and survival.

Activity and safety of metronomic cyclophosphamide in the modern era of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

AIM: To evaluate activity of metronomic cyclophosphamide (mCTX) in heavily pretreated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. PATIENTS & METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated a consecutive series of 74 mCRPC patients treated with at least one new agent after docetaxel failure, who received once-daily oral mCTX treatment at a fixed dose of 50 mg. RESULTS: The treatment was well tolerated. Sixteen percent of the patients experienced a major biochemical response. Median progression-free survival was 4.0 months, and median overall survival was 8.1 months. CONCLUSIONS: In the modern context of mCRPC, mCTX may represent a valuable and inexpensive alternative to new agents, which have shown similar activity in heavily pretreated patients.

Long-term Response to First-line Pazopanib Therapy in mRCC Patients: A Multicenter Italian Experience.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The specific characteristics of patients who are most likely to benefit from pazopanib therapy are still uncertain. We report on the results of an Italian multicenter, retrospective analysis investigating the factors associated with longer response to first-line pazopanib in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Adult patients were considered if they had received treatment with pazopanib (800 mg/day) for >12 months in the first-line setting. RESULTS: In total, 112 patients were evaluated. Median duration of pazopanib treatment was 22.6 months (IQR 17.8 months). Median PFS was 22.6 months (95%CI= 20.2-25.0). Eighty-three patients (74.1%) had a PFS ≥18 months. Median OS was 32.9 months (95%CI=30.2-35.6). At statistical analysis, only PS score (1+ vs. 0) was significantly associated with PFS (HR=1.76; 95%CI=1.02-3.05; p=0.04). CONCLUSION: Pazopanib therapy may be suitable for all patients with mRCC, and especially in those with PS 0.

A case of a patient with severe renal failure on hemodialysis treated with vismodegib for relapsing basal cell carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer. Treatment options for metastatic or locally advanced BCC inappropriate for surgery or radiotherapy were poor until vismodegib was approved for use in this setting. This drug can be safely used in patients with mild to moderate renal impairment, but limited data are available for its use in case of severe kidney failure. We present the case of a patient with severe renal failure on hemodialysis treated with vismodegib. CASE DESCRIPTION: An 83-year-old patient with relapsing BCC of both auricles and severe renal failure on hemodialysis was treated with vismodegib for 7 months. The treatment proved to be effective with a striking reduction of the tumor masses. The patient was on therapy with vismodegib for 7 months and no severe adverse event was observed. CONCLUSION: Vismodegib could be used in patients with severe renal impairment, but these patients must be attentively followed and strict cooperation among healthcare professionals, such as nephrologists, dermatologists, and medical oncologists, is required.

The outcome to axitinib or everolimus after sunitinib in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

We aimed to investigate the different outcomes in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with second-line axitinib or everolimus after sunitinib. Patients treated in 16 oncological centres in Italy were included, and those receiving axitinib or everolimus from January 2013 onwards were analysed for outcomes. Descriptive statistical tests were used to highlight differences between groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Data on 634 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with first-line sunitinib have been obtained. A total of 182 patients received a second-line therapy with everolimus (79 patients, 43%) or axitinib (103 patients, 57%), respectively. The median PFS was 4.6 [95% confidence (CI): 2.6-6.5] months for patients treated with everolimus and 5.5 (95% CI: 4.3-6.7) months for patients treated with axitinib (P=0.7). The median OS was 13.9 (95% CI: 10.4-17.4) months for patients treated with everolimus and 12.0 (95% CI: 7.9-16.2) months for patients treated with axitinib (P=0.3). No differences were found based on length of first-line treatment. Major limitations are the retrospective nature of the study and the lack of a prospective evaluation of the progression. This study reports no significantly differences between everolimus and axitinib in terms of both PFS and OS. Furthermore, the length of first-line treatment cannot be used as such a predictive factor and cannot suggest the use of a molecule compared with another.

Pharmacogenetics of androgen signaling in prostate cancer: Focus on castration resistance and predictive biomarkers of response to treatment.

Tumor heterogeneity strongly affects the molecular mechanisms driving resistance to hormonal therapies in castration-resistant prostate cancer. Since the current use of available treatments can be optimized on the basis of the molecular profile of tumor, the present review focuses on genetic biomarkers in prostate cancer and their application to a personalized treatment.

Outcome of oligoprogressing metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients treated with locoregional therapy: a multicenter retrospective analysis.

Locoregional treatment with radical intent should be considered during therapy with targeted agents in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) in order to achieve a complete response, especially in the setting of an oligo-progression in one or more metastatic sites. We retrospectively enrolled 55 patients who experienced a disease oligo-progression after at least 6 months from the beginning of first-line therapy in one or more metastatic sites radically treated with locoregional treatments. Post-first-oligo-progression overall survival (PFOPOS) and post-first-oligo-progression free survival (PFOPFS) were evaluated. The global median PFOPOS and PFOPFS were 37 months and 14 months respectively. Patients who continued the same therapy after a locoregional treatment on a site of progression had a significantly longer mPFOPOS compared to patients who changed therapy (39 vs 11 months, p=0.014). An advantage in mPFOPOS was also observed in patients with a Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) good risk score compared to patients of the intermediate risk group (39 vs 29 months, p=0.036); patients with bone metastases had a longer mPFOPOS compared to those with visceral metastases (not reached vs 31 months, p=0.045). The only independent predictor of poor prognosis, in terms of PFOPOS at multivariate analysis (p=0.007), proved out to be change of treatment after first progression. In this paper we aim to illustrate that continuing the same systemic therapy, after a radical locoregional treatment on a site of progression, seems to be associated with a prolongation of mPFOPOS.

Clinical outcome of patients who reduced sunitinib or pazopanib during first-line treatment for advanced kidney cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the different outcomes in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) who receive a reduced first-line dose of sunitinib or pazopanib compared to those who continue at the standard dose. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All the patients treated in 11 oncological centers in Italy for mRCC who started first-line treatment with sunitinib or pazopanib at the standard dose. Descriptive statistical tests were used to highlight differences among groups. Survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared across the groups using log-rank tests, the Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for statistically significant variables was also done. RESULTS: A total of 591 patients were included in the study. Of these, 45.7% received a reduced dose of sunitinib or pazopanib after a median treatment time of 3.6 months at the standard dose. The median overall survival in the patients who continued to receive the standard dose was 24.0 months compared to 49.4 months for those who received a reduced dose (hazard ratio = 1.80; 95% CI: 1.42-2.29; P<0.001). Only 45% of the patients received second-line therapy: 42.5% had an mTOR and 54.1% a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Second-line overall survival was 19.8 and 11.8 months, respectively, in the patients who received, or did not, a reduced dose during first-line therapy (P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Toxicity-related dose reduction is a common event in mRCC patients who have started first-line therapy with either sunitinib or pazopanib. This is positively related to the outcomes of both first- and second-line therapy.

The Detection of Androgen Receptor Splice Variant 7 in Plasma-derived Exosomal RNA Strongly Predicts Resistance to Hormonal Therapy in Metastatic Prostate Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: The androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7) is associated with resistance to hormonal therapy in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Due to limitations of the methods available for AR-V7 analysis, the identification of a reliable detection method may facilitate the use of this biomarker in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: To confirm AR-V7 as a predictor of resistance to hormonal therapy and develop a new approach to assess AR-V7 by highly sensitive digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) in plasma-derived exosomal RNA. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Plasma samples were collected from 36 CRPC patients before they began second-line hormonal treatment. Exosomes were isolated and RNA extracted for analysis of AR-V7 by ddPCR. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The absolute target gene concentration as copies per milliliter (copies/ml) was determined by ddPCR. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: A total of 26 patients received abiraterone and 10 enzalutamide; 39% of patients were found to be AR-V7 positive (AR-V7+). Median progression-free survival was significantly longer in AR-V7 negative (AR-V7-) versus AR-V7+ patients (20 vs 3 mo; p<0.001). Overall survival was significantly shorter in AR-V7+ participants at baseline compared with AR-V7- participants (8 mo vs not reached; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that plasma-derived exosomal RNA is a reliable source of AR-V7 that can be detected sensitively by ddPCR assay. We also showed that resistance to hormonal therapy may be predicted by AR-V7, making it a clinically relevant biomarker. PATIENT SUMMARY: We report a first study on a method for androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7) detection in RNA extracted from cancer cell vesicles released in blood. Results confirmed the role of AR-V7 as a predictive biomarker of resistance to hormonal therapy. Our assay showed that vesicles are a reliable source of AR-V7 RNA and that the method is fast, highly sensitive, and affordable.

Risk of recurrence and conditional survival in complete responders treated with TKIs plus or less locoregional therapies for metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: We retrospectively analyzed the risk of recurrence and conditional Disease-Free Survival (cDFS) in 63 patients with complete remission during treatment with tirosin kinase inhibitor (TKI), alone or with local treatment in metastatic renal cell carcinoma. RESULTS: 37% patients achieve CR with TKI alone, while 63% with additional loco-regional treatments. 49% patients recurred after CR, with a median Disease free survival of 28.2 months. Patients treated with multimodal approaches present lower rate of recurrence (40% vs 61%) and longer Disease free survival compared to patient treated with TKI alone (16.5 vs 41.9 months, p=0.039).Furthermore the rate of recurrence was higher in patients with brain (88%), pancreatic (71%) and bone metastasis (50%). Patients who continued TKI therapy after complete response had a longer disease free survival than patients who stopped therapy, although the difference was not significant (42.1 vs 25.1 months, p=0.254). 2y-cDFS was better in patients treated with multimodal treatment and who continued TKIs than the other patient arms. CONCLUSIONS: The prognostic value of CR depends on the site where was obtained and how was obtained (with or without locoregional treatment). Cessation of TKI should be carefully considered in complete responder patients.

Small-bowel neuroendocrine tumor and retroperitoneal fibrosis: efficacy of octreotide and tamoxifen.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Neuroendocrine tumors are uncommon clinical entities and only a few cases of the co-occurrence of neuroendocrine tumors and retroperitoneal fibrosis have been described in the literature. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: We report the promising results achieved in a case of neuroendocrine tumor complicated by retroperitoneal fibrosis causing right ureteral obstruction treated with long-acting release octreotide and tamoxifen. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The treatment resulted in a complete response without toxicity.

Docetaxel plus oral metronomic cyclophosphamide: a phase II study with pharmacodynamic and pharmacogenetic analyses in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Docetaxel plus prednisone is currently the standard first-line treatment in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The aim of this study was to assess the clinical activity and pharmacodynamic/pharmacogenetic profile of docetaxel plus prednisone in combination with metronomic cyclophosphamide in mCRPC patients. METHODS: Forty-one chemotherapy-naive patients received docetaxel (60 mg/m(2) intravenously every 3 weeks up to 12 cycles) and, from day 2, prednisone 10 mg/day, celecoxib 400 mg/day, and metronomic cyclophosphamide 50 mg/day, continuously. Plasma VEGF and bFGF were detected by ELISA. Real-time PCR-SNP analysis of VEGF gene was performed using an ABI PRISM 7900HT SDS and TaqMan SNP genotyping. RESULTS: Eighty-seven percent of patients were free of progression at 6 months. A decrease in prostate-specific antigen ≥50% was observed in 82% of 39 evaluable patients, with a median time to progression of 12.3 months. Grade 3 adverse events were neutropenia (5%), thrombocytopenia, diarrhea, and stomatitis (2.5%). Median PFS and OS were 14.9 months (95% CI, 9.2-15.3 months) and 33.3 months (95% CI, 23-35.6 months), respectively. Of 11 patients (28%) with evaluable disease, 5 (44%) achieved a complete response, 2 (11%) a partial response, and 2 (11%) stable disease, whereas 2 showed disease progression. The -1154A/G VEGF polymorphism, plasma VEGF, and bFGF after the first cycle of chemotherapy may represent useful pharmacodynamic markers to predict better outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of docetaxel and oral metronomic chemotherapy is effective and well tolerated in mCRPC patients and may deserve further evaluation.

Early and prolonged response to pazopanib in a patient with multiple metastases from renal cell carcinoma: a case report.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: In recent years, targeted agents have replaced cytokine therapy as the standard of care for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: We report a patient with multiple metastases from renal cell carcinoma treated with cytoreductive surgery and pazopanib. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The treatment resulted in an early and prolonged response, without toxicity.