Demonstrating Agreement between Radio and Fluorescence Measurements of the Depth of Maximum of Extensive Air Showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory.

We show, for the first time, radio measurements of the depth of shower maximum (X_{max}) of air showers induced by cosmic rays that are compared to measurements of the established fluorescence method at the same location. Using measurements at the Pierre Auger Observatory we show full compatibility between our radio and the previously published fluorescence dataset, and between a subset of air showers observed simultaneously with both radio and fluorescence techniques, a measurement setup unique to the Pierre Auger Observatory. Furthermore, we show radio X_{max} resolution as a function of energy and demonstrate the ability to make competitive high-resolution X_{max} measurements with even a sparse radio array. With this, we show that the radio technique is capable of cosmic-ray mass composition studies, both at Auger and at other experiments.

INOVATYON/ ENGOT-ov5 study: Randomized phase III international study comparing trabectedin/pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) followed by platinum at progression vs carboplatin/PLD in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer progressing within 6-12 months after last platinum line.

BACKGROUND: This trial investigated the hypothesis that the treatment with trabectedin/PLD (TP) to extend the platinum-free interval (TFIp) can improve overall survival (OS) in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer (OC). METHODS: Patients with OC (up to two previous platinum-based lines), with a TFIp of 6-12 months, were randomised to receive carboplatin/PLD (CP) or TP followed by platinum therapy at relapse. The primary endpoint was OS (HR: 0.75). RESULTS: The study enrolled 617 patients. The median TFIp was 8.3 months and 30.3% of patients had received two previous platinum lines. 74% and 73.9% of patients, respectively, received a subsequent therapy (ST) in the CP and TP arm; in the latter TP arm 87.2% of ST was platinum-based, as per protocol. The median OS was 21.4 for CP and 21.9 months for TP (HR 1.13; 95% CI: 0.94-1.35; p = 0.197). Grade 3-5 adverse reactions occurred in 37.1% of patients in the CP arm and 69.7% of patients in the TP arm, and the most frequent were neutropenia (22.8% CP, 39.5% TP), gastrointestinal (7.1% CP, 17.4% TP), hepatic (0.7% CP, 19.1% TP). CONCLUSIONS: This study did not meet the primary endpoint. CP combination remains the standard for patients with recurrent OC and a 6-12 months TFIp; TP is an effective treatment in patients suffering from persistent platinum toxicities. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01379989.

Limits to Gauge Coupling in the Dark Sector Set by the Nonobservation of Instanton-Induced Decay of Super-Heavy Dark Matter in the Pierre Auger Observatory Data.

Instantons, which are nonperturbative solutions to Yang-Mills equations, provide a signal for the occurrence of quantum tunneling between distinct classes of vacua. They can give rise to decays of particles otherwise forbidden. Using data collected at the Pierre Auger Observatory, we search for signatures of such instanton-induced processes that would be suggestive of super-heavy particles decaying in the Galactic halo. These particles could have been produced during the post-inflationary epoch and match the relic abundance of dark matter inferred today. The nonobservation of the signatures searched for allows us to derive a bound on the reduced coupling constant of gauge interactions in the dark sector: α_{X}≲0.09, for 10^{9}≲M_{X}/GeV<10^{19}. Conversely, we obtain that, for instance, a reduced coupling constant α_{X}=0.09 excludes masses M_{X}≳3×10^{13} GeV. In the context of dark matter production from gravitational interactions alone, we illustrate how these bounds are complementary to those obtained on the Hubble rate at the end of inflation from the nonobservation of tensor modes in the cosmological microwave background.

Nivolumab plus low-dose ipilimumab in previously treated patients with microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair-deficient metastatic colorectal cancer: 4-year follow-up from CheckMate 142.

BACKGROUND: In the phase II multicohort CheckMate 142 study, nivolumab plus low-dose (1 mg/kg) ipilimumab provided robust and durable clinical benefit with a manageable safety profile in previously treated patients with microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair-deficient (MSI-H/dMMR) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) at 13.4- and 25.4-month median follow-up (Overman MJ, Lonardi S, Wong KYM et al. Durable clinical benefit with nivolumab plus ipilimumab in DNA mismatch repair-deficient/microsatellite instability-high metastatic colorectal cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2018;36:773-779. Overman MJ, Lonardi S, Wong KYM, et al. Nivolumab plus low-dose ipilimumab in previously treated patients with microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair deficient metastatic colorectal cancer: long-term follow-up. J Clin Oncol. 2019;37:635). Here, we present results from the 4-year follow-up of these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients received nivolumab (3 mg/kg) plus low-dose (1 mg/kg) ipilimumab every 3 weeks (four doses) followed by nivolumab (3 mg/kg) every 2 weeks until disease progression. Primary endpoint was investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR; as per RECIST version 1.1). RESULTS: A total of 119 patients were treated; 76% had ≥2 prior lines of therapy. Median follow-up was 50.9 months (range 46.9-62.7 months). Median duration of therapy was 24.9 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 15.8-33.2 months]. Investigator-assessed ORR increased from 55% (95% CI 45% to 64%) at 13.4 months to 65% (95% CI 55% to 73%) at 50.9 months with a disease control rate of 81% (95% CI 72% to 87%). The complete response rate increased from 3% at 13.4 months to 13% at 50.9 months. Partial responses were observed in 52% of patients; 21% had stable disease, and 12% had progressive disease. Median time to response was 2.8 months (range 1.1-37.1 months), and median duration of response was not reached (range 1.4+ to 58.0+ months). At data cut-off, 37 (48%) patients had ongoing responses. Median progression-free survival was not reached [95% CI 38.4 months-not estimable (NE)], and median overall survival was not reached (95% CI NE). Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were observed in 32% of patients; 13% of patients had any-grade TRAEs leading to discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm long-term benefit of nivolumab plus low-dose ipilimumab for previously treated patients with MSI-H/dMMR mCRC. The safety profile was manageable with no new safety signals.

Measurement of the Fluctuations in the Number of Muons in Extensive Air Showers with the Pierre Auger Observatory.

We present the first measurement of the fluctuations in the number of muons in extensive air showers produced by ultrahigh energy cosmic rays. We find that the measured fluctuations are in good agreement with predictions from air shower simulations. This observation provides new insights into the origin of the previously reported deficit of muons in air shower simulations and constrains models of hadronic interactions at ultrahigh energies. Our measurement is compatible with the muon deficit originating from small deviations in the predictions from hadronic interaction models of particle production that accumulate as the showers develop.

Hypersensitivity to platinum salts according to BRCA status in ovarian cancer: A retrospective analysis of clinical outcomes and systematic review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) to platinum are an important issue in the treatment of patients (pts) with ovarian cancer (OC). Germline BRCA mutations have been proposed as a risk factor. We aimed at evaluating the incidence and severity of HSRs to platinum in OC pts. with known BRCA status. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 432 pts. from 5 Italian Centers. In addition, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published series. RESULTS: Four hundred nine pts. received at least one prior platinum-based treatment line: 314 were BRCA wild type (77%) and 95 were BRCA mutated (23%). There was no statistical difference in exposure to platinum. Incidence of any grade HSRs was higher among BRCA mutated pts. [9% vs 18%, p = 0.019] and the time-to-HSRs curves show that the risk increases with the duration of platinum exposure, in BRCA mutated pts. more than in BRCA wild type. A multivariable analysis showed that harboring a germline BRCA mutation was related to a higher incidence of HSRs (HR: 1.84, 95% CI 1.00-3.99, p = 0.05) while having received pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) was related to a lower incidence of HSRs (HR: 0.03 95% CI 0.004-0.22, p = 0.001). The systematic review confirmed the higher incidence of HSRs in BRCA mutated pts., though heterogeneity among series was significant. CONCLUSIONS: In OC pts. with BRCA mutations, there is a significantly higher incidence of HSRs to carboplatin, not justified by longer drug exposure. On the other hand, PLD exerted a protective role in our series.

Features of the Energy Spectrum of Cosmic Rays above 2.5×10

We report a measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic rays above 2.5×10^{18} eV based on 215 030 events. New results are presented: at about 1.3×10^{19} eV, the spectral index changes from 2.51±0.03(stat)±0.05(syst) to 3.05±0.05(stat)±0.10(syst), evolving to 5.1±0.3(stat)±0.1(syst) beyond 5×10^{19} eV, while no significant dependence of spectral features on the declination is seen in the accessible range. These features of the spectrum can be reproduced in models with energy-dependent mass composition. The energy density in cosmic rays above 5×10^{18} eV is [5.66±0.03(stat)±1.40(syst)]×10^{53} erg Mpc^{-3}.

Transcriptomic analysis and mutational status of IDH1 in paired primary-recurrent intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Effective target therapies for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) have not been identified so far. One of the reasons may be the genetic evolution from primary (PR) to recurrent (REC) tumors. We aim to identify peculiar characteristics and to select potential targets specific for recurrent tumors. Eighteen ICC paired PR and REC tumors were collected from 5 Italian Centers. Eleven pairs were analyzed for gene expression profiling and 16 for mutational status of IDH1. For one pair, deep mutational analysis by Next Generation Sequencing was also carried out. An independent cohort of patients was used for validation. RESULTS: Two class-paired comparison yielded 315 differentially expressed genes between REC and PR tumors. Up-regulated genes in RECs are involved in RNA/DNA processing, cell cycle, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), resistance to apoptosis, and cytoskeleton remodeling. Down-regulated genes participate to epithelial cell differentiation, proteolysis, apoptotic, immune response, and inflammatory processes. A 24 gene signature is able to discriminate RECs from PRs in an independent cohort; FANCG is statistically associated with survival in the chol-TCGA dataset. IDH1 was mutated in the RECs of five patients; 4 of them displayed the mutation only in RECs. Deep sequencing performed in one patient confirmed the IDH1 mutation in REC. CONCLUSIONS: RECs are enriched for genes involved in EMT, resistance to apoptosis, and cytoskeleton remodeling. Key players of these pathways might be considered druggable targets in RECs. IDH1 is mutated in 30% of RECs, becoming both a marker of progression and a target for therapy.

Deficiencies in health-related quality-of-life assessment and reporting: a systematic review of oncology randomized phase III trials published between 2012 and 2016.

Quality of life (QoL) is a relevant end point and a topic of growing interest by both scientific community and regulatory authorities. Our aim was to review QoL prevalence as an end point in cancer phase III trials published in major journals and to evaluate QoL reporting deficiencies in terms of under-reporting and delay of publication. All issues published between 2012 and 2016 by 11 major journals were hand-searched for primary publications of phase III trials in adult patients with solid tumors. Information about end points was derived from paper and study protocol, when available. Secondary QoL publications were searched in PubMed. In total, 446 publications were eligible. In 210 (47.1%), QoL was not included among end points. QoL was not an end point in 40.1% of trials in the advanced/metastatic setting, 39.7% of profit trials and 53.6% of non-profit trials. Out of 231 primary publications of trials with QoL as secondary or exploratory end point, QoL results were available in 143 (61.9%). QoL results were absent in 37.6% of publications in the advanced/metastatic setting, in 37.1% of profit trials and 39.3% of non-profit trials. Proportion of trials not including QoL as end point or with missing QoL results was relevant in all tumor types and for all treatment types. Overall, 70 secondary QoL publications were found: for trials without QoL results in the primary publication, probability of secondary publication was 12.5%, 30.9% and 40.3% at 1, 2 and 3 years, respectively. Proportion of trials not reporting QoL results was similar in trials with positive results (36.5%) and with negative results (39.4%), but the probability of secondary publication was higher in positive trials. QoL is not included among end points in a relevant proportion of recently published phase III trials in solid tumors. In addition, QoL results are subject to significant under-reporting and delay in publication.

Lenalidomide normalizes tumor vessels in colorectal cancer improving chemotherapy activity.

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis inhibition is a promising approach for treating metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Recent evidences support the seemingly counterintuitive ability of certain antiangiogenic drugs to promote normalization of residual tumor vessels with important clinical implications. Lenalidomide is an oral drug with immune-modulatory and anti-angiogenic activity against selected hematologic malignancies but as yet little is known regarding its effectiveness for solid tumors. The aim of this study was to determine whether lenalidomide can normalize colorectal cancer neo-vessels in vivo, thus reducing tumor hypoxia and improving the benefit of chemotherapy. METHODS: We set up a tumorgraft model with NOD/SCID mice implanted with a patient-derived colorectal cancer liver metastasis. The mice were treated with oral lenalidomide (50 mg/Kg/day for 28 days), intraperitoneal 5-fluorouracil (5FU) (20 mg/Kg twice weekly for 3 weeks), combination (combo) of lenalidomide and 5FU or irrelevant vehicle. We assessed tumor vessel density (CD146), pericyte coverage (NG2; alphaSMA), in vivo perfusion capability of residual vessels (lectin distribution essay), hypoxic areas (HP2-100 Hypoxyprobe) and antitumor activity in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS: Treatment with lenalidomide reduced tumor vessel density (p = 0.0001) and enhanced mature pericyte coverage of residual vessels (p = 0.002). Perfusion capability of tumor vessels was enhanced in mice treated with lenalidomide compared to controls (p = 0.004). Accordingly, lenalidomide reduced hypoxic tumor areas (p = 0.002) and enhanced the antitumor activity of 5FU in vivo. The combo treatment delayed tumor growth (p = 0.01) and significantly reduced the Ki67 index (p = 0.0002). Lenalidomide alone did not demonstrate antitumor activity compared to untreated controls in vivo or against 4 different mCRC cell lines in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: We provide the first evidence of tumor vessel normalization and hypoxia reduction induced by lenalidomide in mCRC in vivo. This effect, seemingly counterintuitive for an antiangiogenic compound, translates into indirect antitumor activity thus enhancing the therapeutic index of chemotherapy. Our findings suggest that further research should be carried out on synergism between lenalidomide and conventional therapies for treating solid tumors that might benefit from tumor vasculature normalization.

Testing Hadronic Interactions at Ultrahigh Energies with Air Showers Measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory.

Ultrahigh energy cosmic ray air showers probe particle physics at energies beyond the reach of accelerators. Here we introduce a new method to test hadronic interaction models without relying on the absolute energy calibration, and apply it to events with primary energy 6-16 EeV (E_{CM}=110-170 TeV), whose longitudinal development and lateral distribution were simultaneously measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory. The average hadronic shower is 1.33±0.16 (1.61±0.21) times larger than predicted using the leading LHC-tuned models EPOS-LHC (QGSJetII-04), with a corresponding excess of muons.

Measurement of the Radiation Energy in the Radio Signal of Extensive Air Showers as a Universal Estimator of Cosmic-Ray Energy.

We measure the energy emitted by extensive air showers in the form of radio emission in the frequency range from 30 to 80 MHz. Exploiting the accurate energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory, we obtain a radiation energy of 15.8±0.7(stat)±6.7(syst) MeV for cosmic rays with an energy of 1 EeV arriving perpendicularly to a geomagnetic field of 0.24 G, scaling quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy. A comparison with predictions from state-of-the-art first-principles calculations shows agreement with our measurement. The radiation energy provides direct access to the calorimetric energy in the electromagnetic cascade of extensive air showers. Comparison with our result thus allows the direct calibration of any cosmic-ray radio detector against the well-established energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory.

Secondary cytoreductive surgery, hyperthermic intraperitoneal intraoperative chemotherapy, and chemotherapy alone: a retrospective comparison of alternative approaches in relapsed platinum sensitive ovarian cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The best treatment for relapsed platinum sensitive epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is controversial. The aim of the study was to compare progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in platinum-sensitive EOC patients treated with chemotherapy alone (CTA), secondary cytoreductive surgery (SCR) or SCR plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal intraoperative chemotherapy (HIPEC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the clinical outcome of 46 EOC patients with at least 30 months of follow-up. RESULTS: Median follow-up time was 32 months for the CTA group, 30 months for the SCR group, and 45 months for the SCR + HIPEC group. Fifteen recurrences were observed in the CTA group, seven in the SCR group, and 16 in the SCR + HIPEC group. The median time elapsed between first and second recurrence (PFI-2) was significantly higher among patients treated with SCR + HIPEC, in comparison with patients treated with CTA (p = 0.012 andp = 0.017, respectively). On the contrary, PFI-2 did not significantly differ between the SCR and SCR + HIPEC groups (p = 0.877). A statistically significant difference in OS favouring SCR + HIPEC in comparison with CTA (p = 0.04) was observed. CONCLUSIONS: SCR HIPEC compared with CTA improves PFI-2 in patients with platinum-sensitive EOC recurrence. SCR + HIPEC might also improve OS in comparison with CTA. No improvement in favor of SCR + HIPEC vs SCR was observed,. These results further support the need of a randomized trial comparing chemotherapy with SCR ± HIPEC in this setting.

TOP2A gene copy gain predicts response of epithelial ovarian cancers to pegylated liposomal doxorubicin: TOP2A as marker of response to PLD in ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The treatment of platinum resistant/refractory epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a challenge for oncologists. One of the most utilized drugs in these patients is pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD). As PLD is active only in a small subset of patients and causes side effects, selection of responsive patients is an unmet need and might be guided by the status of the DNA topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A) that is poisoned by the drug. METHODS: From 176 ovarian cancers treated in three institutions, we selected 38 patients treated with PLD monotherapy as second/third line of treatment. TOP2A gene copies were measured using Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) and expression evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Patients' derived xenografts (PDXs) of ovarian cancers were used to assess the correlation between TOP2A protein expression and response to PLD. RESULTS: Clinical data showed that TOP2A gene gain that is paralleled by increased expression of the protein, was associated with a higher probability of clinical benefit from PLD. Treatment of PDXs demonstrated that only xenografts showing a high percentage of TOP2A expressing cells underwent tumor shrinkage when treated with PLD. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that TOP2A gene gain and protein over-expression might predict activity of PLD in platinum resistant/refractory EOC.

Multivariate prognostic factors analysis for second-line chemotherapy in advanced biliary tract cancer.

BACKGROUND: The role of second-line chemotherapy (CT) is not established in advanced biliary tract cancer (aBTC). We investigated the outcome of aBTC patients treated with second-line CT and devised a prognostic model. METHODS: Baseline clinical and laboratory data of 300 consecutive aBTC patients were collected and association with overall survival (OS) was investigated by multivariable Cox models. RESULTS: The following parameters resulted independently associated with longer OS: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 (P<0.001; hazard ratio (HR), 0.348; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.215-0.562), CA19.9 lower than median (P=0.013; HR, 0.574; 95% CI 0.370-0.891), progression-free survival after first-line CT ≥ 6 months (P=0.027; HR, 0.633; 95% CI 0.422-0.949) and previous surgery on primary tumour (P=0.027; HR, 0.609; 95% CI 0.392-0.945). We grouped the 249 patients with complete data available into three categories according to the number of fulfilled risk factors: median OS times for good-risk (zero to one factors), intermediate-risk (two factors) and poor-risk (three to four factors) groups were 13.1, 6.6 and 3.7 months, respectively (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Easily available clinical and laboratory factors predict prognosis of aBTC patients undergoing second-line CT. This model allows individual patient-risk stratification and may help in treatment decision and trial design.

A phase I dose escalation trial of tremelimumab (CP-675,206) in combination with gemcitabine in chemotherapy-naive patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Tremelimumab (CP-675,206) is a fully human monoclonal antibody binding to cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA4) on T cells that stimulates the immune system by blocking the CTLA4-negative regulatory signal. Combination with standard chemotherapy may strengthen antitumor therapy. This is a phase Ib, multisite, open-label, nonrandomized dose escalation trial evaluating the safety, tolerability, and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of tremelimumab combined with gemcitabine in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Gemcitabine (1000 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8, and 15 of each 28-day cycles) was administrated with escalating doses of i.v. tremelimumab (6, 10, or 15 mg/kg) on day 1 of each 84-day cycle for a maximum of 4 cycles. The first 18 patients had an initial 4-week gemcitabine-only lead-in period. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) related to tremelimumab were evaluated during the first 6 weeks after the first dose of tremelimumab. RESULTS: From June 2008 to August 2011, 34 patients were enrolled and received at least one dose of tremelimumab. No DLTs related to tremelimumab were observed at any dose, even when the maximum dose established for tremelimumab (15 mg/kg) was used. Most frequent grade 3/4 toxicities were asthenia (11.8%) and nausea (8.8%). Only one patient had a serious drug-related event (diarrhea with dehydration). The median overall survival was 7.4 months (95% confidence interval 5.8-9.4 months). At the end of treatment, two patients achieved partial response. Both patients received tremelimumab 15-mg/kg group (n = 2/19, 10.5%). CONCLUSION: Tremelimumab plus gemcitabine demonstrated a safety and tolerability profile, warranting further study in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. CLINICALTRIALSGOV ID: NCT00556023.

Active immunotherapy in HER2 overexpressing breast cancer: current status and future perspectives.

BACKGROUND: The use of anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has improved the clinical outcome of HER2-overexpressing breast cancers (BCs). Unfortunately, often these tumors tend to relapse and, when metastatic, the duration of clinical benefit is limited over time and almost invariably followed by tumor progression. Alternative approaches to this essentially passive immunotherapy are therefore needed in HER2-overexpressing BC patients. As HER2 is one of the most suitable targets for active immunotherapy in BC, manipulating the immune system is a highly attractive approach. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A computer-based literature search was carried out using PubMed (keywords: breast neoplasm, HER2 vaccine, immunology); data reported at international meetings were included. RESULTS: This review provides a focus on the following active vaccinal approaches under clinical investigation against HER2-overexpressing BC: (i) peptide and protein based; (ii) DNA based; (iii) whole tumor cell based; (iv) dendritic cell based. Moreover, the review discuss future challenges in the field, trying to define the best setting for the development of this innovative strategy, considering both immunological and clinical aspects of HER2 targeting. CONCLUSIONS: Development of effective vaccines for BC remains a distinct challenge but is likely to become a substantial advance for patients with HER2-overexpressing BCs.

A phase II trial of sorafenib in relapsed and unresectable high-grade osteosarcoma after failure of standard multimodal therapy: an Italian Sarcoma Group study.

PURPOSE: After standard multimodal therapy, the prognosis of relapsed and unresectable high-grade osteosarcoma is dismal and unchanged over the last decades. Recently, mitogen-activated protein kinases were shown to be activated in osteosarcoma specimens, suggesting, therefore, they are suitable targets for the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib. Thus, we explored sorafenib activity in patients with relapsed and unresectable osteosarcoma. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Patients > 14 years, progressing after standard treatment, were eligible to receive 400 mg of sorafenib twice daily until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) at 4 months. Secondary objectives were PFS, overall survival (OS), clinical benefit rate (CBR), defined as no progression at 6 months and safety. This nonrandomized phase II study used a Simon two-stage design. PFS and OS at 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. All tests were two sided. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were enrolled. PFS at 4 months was 46% (95% CI 28% to 63%). Median PFS and OS were 4 (95% CI 2-5) and 7 (95% CI 7-8) months, respectively. The CBR was 29% (95% CI 13% to 44%). We observed 3 (8%) partial responses (PRs), 2 (6%) minor responses (< 30% tumor shrinkage) and 12 (34%) stable diseases (SDs). For six patients (17%), PR/SD lasted ≥ 6 months. Noteworthy, tumor density reduction and [(18)F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose-positron emission tomography responses were observed among SD patients. Sorafenib was reduced or briefly interrupted in 16 (46%) patients and permanently discontinued in one (3%) case due to toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Sorafenib demonstrated activity as a second- or third-line treatment in terms of PFS at 4 months with some unprecedented long-lasting responses. Sorafenib, the first targeted therapy showing activity in osteosarcoma patients, deserves further investigations.

153Samarium-EDTMP administration followed by hematopoietic stem cell support for bone metastases in osteosarcoma patients.

BACKGROUND: Bone metastatic patients with osteosarcoma have a very poor prognosis. Targeted radiation therapy has been pursued as a valid alternative. The primary end point of this study was progression-free survival (PFS) at 4 months. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-two osteosarcoma patients were treated with Samarium-153 ethylenediaminetetramethylene phosphonic acid (153Sm-EDTMP) at various dosages. Administered activities ranged from 150 (3 mCi/kg) to 1140 MBq/kg (30 mCi/kg). Autologous hematopoietic stem cell infusion was carried out on day 14 after the (153)Sm-EDTMP infusion. RESULTS: The median PFS was 61 days (18-436 days) and the median overall survival (OS) was 189 days (31-1175 days). PFS and OS for the entire patient population were 32% [95% confidence interval (CI) 16-50] and 76% (95% CI 52-89) at 4 months, respectively. No statistical differences emerged according to 153Sm-EDTMP administered or 24-h retained activity. One-month pain palliation was only observed in a minority of subjects and in none at 4 months. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our series, the PFS is dramatically short even when higher activity of (153)Sm-EDTMP is administered. This would mean that, even at high level, 153Sm-EDTMP is itself ineffective against relapsed osteosarcoma or the residual activity is too low to be active on these particular subsets of patients.

Natural history of bone metastasis in colorectal cancer: final results of a large Italian bone metastases study.

BACKGROUND: Data are limited regarding bone metastases from colorectal cancer (CRC). The objective of this study was to survey the natural history of bone metastasis in CRC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective, multicenter, observational study of 264 patients with CRC involving bone examined cancer treatments, bone metastases characteristics, skeletal-related event (SRE) type and frequency, zoledronic acid therapy, and disease outcomes. RESULTS: Most patients with bone metastases had pathologic T3/4 disease at CRC diagnosis. The spine was the most common site involved (65%), followed by hip/pelvis (34%), long bones (26%), and other sites (17%). Median time from CRC diagnosis to bone metastases was 11.00 months; median time to first SRE thereafter was 2.00 months. Radiation and pathologic fractures affected 45% and 10% of patients, respectively; 32% of patients had no reported SREs. Patients survived for a median of 7.00 months after bone metastases diagnosis; SREs did not significantly affect survival. Subgroup analyses revealed that zoledronic acid significantly prolonged median time to first SRE (2.00 months versus 1.00 month, respectively, P=0.009) and produced a trend toward improved overall survival versus no zoledronic acid. CONCLUSION: This study illustrates the burden of bone metastases from CRC and supports the use of zoledronic acid in this setting.