The management of benign and malignant pheochromocytoma and abdominal paraganglioma.

AIMS: To report treatment and outcome in patients with malignant and benign pheochromocytoma and abdominal paraganglioma. METHODS: Review of clinical and therapeutic features in 85 patients with pheochromocytoma or abdominal paraganglioma between 1976 and 1999. RESULTS: Thirty-nine of 85 patients presented with symptoms other than classical paroxysmal attacks. Paragangliomas were more often malignant (7/15) than pheochromocytomas (7/70). No recurrences have occurred in 71 patients with tumours initially classified as benign after a median follow-up time of 144 months (range 7-287). Nine of 14 patients with tumours classified as malignant have developed metastasis and/or local recurrence. Treatment of malignant tumours with cyclophosphamide, vincristine and dacarbazine (CVD) improved or stabilised the disease in three of four patients. CONCLUSION: Life long follow-up of patients with benign pheochromocytoma is not necessary. Combination chemotherapy (CVD) is a valid option in the treatment of malignant pheochromocytomas and abdominal paragangliomas.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: three protocols combining doxorubicin, hyperfractionated radiotherapy and surgery.

Patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma can rarely be cured, but every effort should be made to prevent death due to suffocation. Between 1984 and 1999, 55 consecutive patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma were prospectively treated according to a combined regimen consisting of hyperfractionated radiotherapy, doxorubicin, and when feasible surgery. Radiotherapy was carried out for 5 days a week. The daily fraction until 1988 was 1.0 Gyx2 (A) and 1989-92 1.3 Gyx2 (B). Thereafter 1.6 Gyx2 (C) was administered. Radiotherapy was administered to a total target dose of 46 Gy; of which 30 Gy was administered preoperatively in the first two protocols (A and B), while the whole dose was given preoperatively in the third protocol (C). The therapy was otherwise identical. Twenty mg doxorubicin was administered intravenously weekly. Surgery was possible in 40 patients. No patient failed to complete the protocol due to toxicity. In only 13 cases (24%) was death attributed to local failure. Five patients (9%) 'had a survival' exceeding 2 years. No signs of local recurrence were seen in 33 patients (60%); 5 out of 16 patients in Protocol A, 11 out of 17 patients in Protocol B, 17 out of 22 patients in Protocol C (P=0.017). In the 40 patients undergoing additional surgery, no signs of local recurrence were seen in 5 out of 9 patients, 11 out of 14 patients and 17 out of 17 patients, respectively (P=0.005).

Alteration of interleukin 2 (IL-2) pharmacokinetics and function by IL-2 antibodies induced after treatment of colorectal carcinoma patients with a combination of monoclonal antibody 17-1A, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and IL-2.

In this study, we have assessed the development of neutralizing and non-neutralizing interleukin 2 (IL-2) antibodies in metastatic colorectal carcinoma patients receiving a colon carcinoma reactive monoclonal antibody (17-1A) in combination with granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor and IL-2 therapy. Before treatment, no IL-2 antibodies were detected in any of the patients. After therapy, 10 of the 19 patients tested developed antibodies that bound to the IL-2 product used for therapy, but only one developed antibodies that neutralized the biological activity of IL-2 as assessed using an in vitro bioassay. We found that the induction of IL-2 antibodies in some patients irrespective of their neutralizing potential had a significant impact on IL-2 pharmacokinetics. A significant reduction of the area under the concentration-time curve and maximum concentration (C(max)) and increased IL-2 distribution and clearance were observed in IL-2 antibody-positive patients in comparison with IL-2 antibody-negative patients. A significant decrease in IL-2-mediated expansion of lymphocytes was also evident in patients positive for IL-2 antibodies in comparison with those negative for these antibodies. Further characterization of sera from patients with antibodies showed that, in most cases, the antibodies recognized different IL-2 preparations. Results also showed that serum IL-2 concentration at initiation of therapy in patients was significantly higher relative to healthy control donors. The endogenous production of IL-2 gradually increased during the treatment cycles. To conclude, induction of neutralizing and non-neutralizing antibodies in cytokine-treated patients should be carefully monitored in terms of their clinical significance.

Ga733/EpCAM as a target for passive and active specific immunotherapy in patients with colorectal carcinoma.

GA733/EpCAM is an oncofetal antigen abundantly expressed in colorectal carcinoma. This antigen can spontaneously induce a humoral and cellular antitumor immunity and may therefore be a suitable target structure for immunotherapy. Patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma have been treated with monoclonal antibodies (MAb17-1A) against this structure. The data indicate that the chimeric variant was not superior to the original mouse MAb. Addition of cytokines and chemotherapeutics may improve the therapeutic effect of the MAb. A particularly interesting regimen is a combination of MAb17-1A/GM-CSF/alpha-IFN/5-Fu. The GA733 protein antigen can also be used as a vaccine. Patients with colorectal carcinoma stages B and C were vaccinated with this protein antigen in combination with GM-CSF as an adjuvant cytokine. A strong type I T cell response was induced that seemed to be MHC class I as well as class II restricted. No systemic side effects were noted.