Gastrointestinal tolerability of once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg in adults with overweight or obesity, and the relationship between gastrointestinal adverse events and weight loss.

AIM: We evaluated gastrointestinal (GI) adverse events (AEs) with once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg in adults with overweight or obesity and their contribution to weight loss (WL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: AE analyses pooled data from the Semaglutide Treatment Effect in People With Obesity (STEP) 1-3 trials for participants randomized to 68 weeks of semaglutide 2.4 mg (n = 2117) or placebo (n = 1262). WL was analysed by presence/absence of GI AEs. Mediation analysis estimated WL effects mediated by and unrelated to GI AEs. GI tolerability with semaglutide 2.4 mg maintenance and cessation after dose escalation was evaluated using STEP 4 data among 803 participants tolerating 20 weeks of semaglutide run-in. RESULTS: GI AEs were more common with semaglutide 2.4 mg than placebo, with most frequently nausea (43.9% vs. 16.1% of participants), diarrhoea (29.7% vs. 15.9%), vomiting (24.5% vs. 6.3%) and constipation (24.2% vs. 11.1%). Most GI AEs with semaglutide were non-serious (99.5% of AEs), mild-to-moderate (98.1%), transient and occurred most frequently during/shortly after dose escalation. Few semaglutide-treated participants (4.3%) permanently discontinued treatment for GI AEs. In STEP 1-3, mean WL with semaglutide 2.4 mg was similar in participants without (9.6%-17.1%) versus with GI AEs (11.4%-17.7%). Consistent with this observation, mediation analysis found that GI AEs contributed little to semaglutide-induced WL: of the additional 7.6%-14.4% WL with semaglutide versus placebo, <1 percentage point was mediated by GI AEs. In STEP 4, semaglutide 2.4 mg maintenance was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: GI AEs were more common with semaglutide 2.4 mg than placebo, but typically mild-to-moderate and transient. Semaglutide-induced WL was largely independent of GI AEs.

Effects of Liraglutide Versus Placebo on Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Chronic Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: LEADER trial (Liraglutide Effect and Action in Diabetes: Evaluation of CV Outcome Results) results demonstrated cardiovascular benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at high cardiovascular risk on standard of care randomized to liraglutide versus placebo. The effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist liraglutide on cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease is unknown. Liraglutide's treatment effects in patients with and without kidney disease were analyzed post hoc. METHODS: Patients were randomized (1:1) to liraglutide or placebo, both in addition to standard of care. These analyses assessed outcomes stratified by baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; <60 versus ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2) and baseline albuminuria. The primary outcome (composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke) and secondary outcomes, including all-cause mortality and individual components of the primary composite outcome, were analyzed using Cox regression. RESULTS: Overall, 2158 and 7182 patients had baseline eGFR <60 or ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively. In patients with eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, risk reduction for the primary composite cardiovascular outcome with liraglutide was greater (hazard ratio [HR], 0.69; 95% CI, 0.57-0.85) versus those with eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (HR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.83-1.07; interaction P=0.01). There was no consistent effect modification with liraglutide across finer eGFR subgroups (interaction P=0.13) and when analyzing eGFR as a continuous variable (interaction P=0.61). Risk reductions in those with eGFR <60 versus ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 were as follows: for nonfatal myocardial infarction, HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.55-0.99 versus HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.77-1.13; for nonfatal stroke, HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.33-0.80 versus HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.84-1.37; for cardiovascular death, HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.50-0.90 versus HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.67-1.05; for all-cause mortality, HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.60-0.92 versus HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.75-1.07. Risk reduction for the primary composite cardiovascular outcome was not different for those with versus without baseline albuminuria (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.71-0.97; and HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.79-1.07, respectively; interaction P=0.36). CONCLUSIONS: Liraglutide added to standard of care reduced the risk for major cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. These results appear to apply across the chronic kidney disease spectrum enrolled. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ . Unique identifier: NCT01179048.

Pleiotropic effects of liraglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes and moderate renal impairment: Individual effects of treatment.

Liraglutide has pleiotropic effects favouring cardiovascular and renal risks. We investigated individual responses to liraglutide in six cardio-renal risk factors to examine whether responses in one risk factor are associated with changes in other risk factors (cross-dependency). We performed secondary analysis of the LIRA-RENAL trial (n = 279) in type 2 diabetes. HbA1c, body weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP), low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were measured at baseline and after 26 weeks of liraglutide/placebo treatment: "Good responders" had a change within the best quartile. In the liraglutide-treated group, good HbA1c responders showed similar changes in other risk factors analysed to low responders (P ≥ 0.17). Good body weight responders had a larger reduction in HbA1c than low body weight responders (-1.6 ± 0.94 vs. -1.0 ± 0.82%; P = 0.003), but similar changes in the other risk factors (P ≥ 0.11). Good and low responders in SBP, UACR, LDL-cholesterol or eGFR showed similar changes in other risk factors (P ≥ 0.07). Treatment response to liraglutide is largely individual; aside from an association between body weight and HbA1c reduction, there are no obvious cross-dependencies in risk factor response.

Dual blockade of epidermal growth factor receptor and insulin-like growth factor receptor-1 signaling in metastatic pancreatic cancer: phase Ib and randomized phase II trial of gemcitabine, erlotinib, and cixutumumab versus gemcitabine plus erlotinib (SWOG S0727).

BACKGROUND: Targeting a single pathway in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PC) is unlikely to affect its natural history. We tested the hypothesis that simulataneous targeting of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and insulin-like growth factor receptor-1 (IGF-1R) pathways would significantly improve progression-free survival (PFS) by abrogating reciprocal signaling that promote drug resistance METHODS: This was a phase Ib/II study testing cixutumumab, combined with erlotinib and gemcitabine (G) in patients with untreated metastatic PC. The control arm was erlotinib plus G. The primary end point was PFS. Eligibility included performance status 0/1 and normal fasting blood glucose. Polymorphisms in genes involved in G metabolism and in the EGFR pathway were also studied RESULTS: The phase I results (n = 10) established the safety of cixutumumab 6 mg/kg/week intravenously, erlotinib 100 mg/day orally, and G 1000 mg/m(2) intravenously on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle. In the RP2 portion (116 eligible patients; median age, 63), the median PFS and overall survival (OS) were 3.6 and 7.0 months, respectively, on the cixutumumab arm, and 3.6 and 6.7 months, respecively, on the control arm. Major grades 3 and 4 toxicities with cixutumumab and control were elevation of transaminases, 12% and 6%, respectively; fatigue, 16% and 12%, respectively; gastrointestinal, 35% and 28%, respectively; neutropenia, 21% and 10%, respectively; and thrombocytopenia, 16% and 7%, respecively. Grade 3/4 hyperglycemia was seen in 16% of patients on cixutumumab. Grade 3 or 4 skin toxicity was similar in both arms of the study (< 5%). No significant differences in PFS by genotype were seen for any of the polymorphisms. CONCLUSIONS: Adding the IGF-1R inhibitor cixutumumab to erlotinib and G did not lead to longer PFS or OS in metastatic PC.

Genetic polymorphisms in oxidative stress-related genes are associated with outcomes following treatment for aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Variable survival outcomes are seen following treatment for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). This study examined whether outcomes for aggressive B-cell NHL are associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in oxidative stress-related genes, which can alter drug metabolism and immune responses. Genotypes for 53 SNPs in 29 genes were determined for 337 patients given anthracycline-based therapies. Their associations with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by Cox proportional hazard regression; associations with hematologic toxicity were estimated by logistic regression. To validate the findings, the top three SNPs were tested in an independent cohort of 572 DLBCL patients. The top SNPs associated with PFS in the discovery cohort were the rare homozygotes for MPO rs2243828 (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14-3.06, P = 0.013), AKR1C3 rs10508293 (HR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.28-3.41, P = 0.0032) and NCF4 rs1883112 (HR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.43-1.02, P = 0.06). The association of the NCF4 SNP with PFS was replicated in the validation dataset (HR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.44-1.01, P = 0.05) and the meta-analysis was significant (HR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.49-0.89, P < 0.01). The association of the MPO SNP was attenuated in the validation dataset, while the meta-analysis remained significant (HR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.12-2.41). These two SNPs showed similar trends with OS in the meta-analysis (for NCF4, HR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.51-1.02, P = 0.07 and for MPO, HR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.36-3.12, P < 0.01). In addition, patients with the rare homozygote of the NCF4 SNP had an increased risk of hematologic toxicity. We concluded that genetic variations in NCF4 may contribute to treatment outcomes for patients with aggressive NHL.

Efficacy and safety of semaglutide 2.4 mg according to antidepressant use at baseline: A post hoc subgroup analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy and safety of semaglutide 2.4 mg in people with overweight/obesity who were also being treated with antidepressants (ADs). METHODS: Across the Semaglutide Treatment Effect for People with obesity (STEP) 1-3 and 5 trials, adults with overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes (STEP 2 only) were enrolled. People with severe major depressive disorder within 2 years prior to screening or with a patient health questionnaire-9 score ≥15 at screening were excluded. Participants were categorized into subgroups according to baseline AD status (on/off ADs) in this post hoc exploratory analysis of the STEP trials. RESULTS: Of 3683 participants randomized, 539 were on ADs at baseline. Mean body weight change from baseline to week 68 was greater for semaglutide versus placebo, regardless of baseline AD use. In STEP 1, for participants on ADs at baseline, mean change from baseline was -15.7% with semaglutide versus -0.2% with placebo and -14.7% versus -2.8% for those not on ADs at baseline. Similar patterns were seen in STEP 2, 3, and 5. The prevalence of adverse events (AEs) was generally similar between semaglutide and placebo in participants on ADs at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: In adults with overweight/obesity, semaglutide provided clinically meaningful weight loss regardless of baseline AD use, with an AE profile consistent with previous studies.

SWOG S0353: Phase II trial of intravesical gemcitabine in patients with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer and recurrence after 2 prior courses of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin.

PURPOSE: Prior phase II studies of intravesical gemcitabine have shown it to be active and well tolerated, but durable responses in patients with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer who have experienced recurrence after bacillus Calmette-Guérin treatment are uncommon. We performed a multi-institutional phase II study within the SWOG (Southwest Oncology Group) cooperative group to evaluate the potential role of gemcitabine induction plus maintenance therapy in this setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eligible patients had recurrent nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer, stage Tis (carcinoma in situ), T1, Ta high grade or multifocal Ta low grade after at least 2 prior courses of bacillus Calmette-Guérin. Patients were treated with 2 gm gemcitabine in 100 cc normal saline intravesically weekly × 6 and then monthly to 12 months. Cystoscopy and cytology were performed every 3 months, with biopsy at 3 months and then as clinically indicated. Initial complete response was defined as negative cystoscopy, cytology and biopsy at 3 months. RESULTS: A total of 58 patients were enrolled in the study and 47 were evaluable for response. Median patient age was 70 years (range 50 to 88). Of the evaluable patients 42 (89%) had high risk disease, including high grade Ta in 12 (26%), high grade T1 in 2 (4%) and carcinoma in situ in 28 (60%) with or without papillary lesions. At the initial 3-month evaluation 47% of patients were free of disease. At 1 year disease had not recurred in 28% of the 47 patients, all except 2 from the high risk group, and at 2 years disease had not recurred in 21%. CONCLUSIONS: Intravesical gemcitabine has activity in high risk nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer and offers an option for patients with recurrence after bacillus Calmette-Guérin who are not suitable for cystectomy. However, less than 30% of patients had a durable response at 12 months even with maintenance therapy.

Fc gamma receptor 3a genotype predicts overall survival in follicular lymphoma patients treated on SWOG trials with combined monoclonal antibody plus chemotherapy but not chemotherapy alone.

BACKGROUND: Fc gamma receptor polymorphisms were linked to outcome in follicular lymphoma patients treated with single-agent rituximab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. In particular, 158F/F genotype of Fc gamma receptor 3A and 131R/R genotype of Fc gamma receptor 2A correlated with worse outcome compared to high-affinity 158V/V and 131H/H, respectively. We examined this association in the context of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody combined with chemotherapy, as compared to chemotherapy alone, in follicular lymphoma patients treated on SWOG clinical trials. DESIGN AND METHODS: Tissue from 142 SWOG patients treated with chemotherapy alone (protocol S8809, n = 70) or combined chemotherapy and anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (rituximab and Iodine I-131 tositumomab on protocols S9800 and S9911, n = 30 and 42, respectively) was analyzed. DNA was extracted and assayed for Fc gamma receptor 3A V158F and 2A R131H polymorphisms using a TaqMan SNP assay. Stratified Cox's regression was used to assess association with overall survival. RESULTS: For Fc gamma receptor 3A, there was an association with overall survival in the combination therapy trials but not in the chemotherapy-only trial. Having at least one Fc gamma receptor 3A V allele was associated with improved overall survival versus F/F (HR = 0.33, 95% CI, 0.11, 0.96, P = 0.042). For overall survival, there was evidence of a statistical interaction between the use of mAb and the number of V alleles (0, 1, or 2) (P = 0.006). There was no such association for Fc gamma receptor 2A. CONCLUSIONS: Fc gamma receptor 3A polymorphism status may be predictive of survival in follicular lymphoma patients receiving treatments containing an anti-CD20 antibody but not treatment with chemotherapy alone. Thus, Fc gamma receptor 3A polymorphisms may be important to consider in designing new follicular lymphoma trials and new anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies. (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00933127).

Evaluation of Consistency of Treatment Response Across Regions-the LEADER Trial in Relation to the ICH E17 Guideline.

The US Food and Drug Administration in 2008 required new type 2 diabetes (T2D) medications to be subject to cardiovascular outcomes safety requirements. Accordingly, the global LEADER trial investigated cardiovascular outcomes of T2D treatment with liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist. LEADER (NCT01179048) was a multiregional clinical trial (MRCT) conducted from 2010 to 2016, thus completed before publication of the International Council for Harmonization (ICH) E17 guideline on MRCTs in 2017. Novo Nordisk pre-specified analysis of regional cardiovascular outcomes of LEADER participants. This paper assesses the pre-specified regional outcomes based on the ICH E17 guidelines on consistency evaluation. Regional LEADER participant numbers were broadly aligned with ICH E17 guidance and equally balanced across Europe, Asia, North America, and rest of the world. Overall primary major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) composite outcome for the trial: hazard ratio (HR) (95% CI) 0.87 (0.78; 0.97); regional results varied, ranging from HR (95% CI) 0.62 (0.37; 1.04) (Asia) to 1.01 (0.84; 1.22) (North America). However, pre-specified Cox proportional-hazard regression analyses did not show clear evidence of interaction between regions and primary outcome (p = 0.20). Furthermore, post hoc analysis of the US population in the North American region found that adjusting for extrinsic or intrinsic factors did not account for this difference [HR (95% CI) 1.03 (0.84; 1.25)]. LEADER data evaluation demonstrated general consistency in cardiovascular safety across regions, except for US participants. Discrepancies in the North American region may relate to drug exposure or chance, but, as these were post hoc findings, the overall primary result is valid, aligned with ICH E17 guidelines.

A Case Series Demonstrating a Novel Technique for Reversal of Trabeculectomy Using Lamellar Sclerectomy and Corneal Graft.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: We describe two cases demonstrating a new technique to permanently reverse a problematic trabeculectomy. BACKGROUND: Trabeculectomy-related complications are typically treated in a manner that preserves the initial surgical outcome; however, in certain cases a complete reversal of the trabeculectomy is preferable to revision. TECHNIQUE: Our technique involves seating a lamellar corneal graft into a partial thickness sclerectomy. CONCLUSION: This method achieves permanent closure of large ostomies or areas of scleromalacia. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This technique can be used on very anterior ostomies while still providing an excellent seal, patient comfort, and cosmesis without inducing astigmatism. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Bakhsh SR, Rooney D, Goldman BA, et al. A Case Series Demonstrating a Novel Technique for Reversal of Trabeculectomy Using Lamellar Sclerectomy and Corneal Graft. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2020;14(2):61-63.

Effects of Liraglutide on Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Diabetes With or Without Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: More data regarding effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and heart failure (HF) are required. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of liraglutide on cardiovascular events and mortality in LEADER (Liraglutide Effect and Action in Diabetes: Evaluation of Cardiovascular Outcome Results) participants, by HF history. METHODS: In the multinational, double-blind, randomized LEADER trial, 9,340 patients with T2D and high cardiovascular risk were assigned 1:1 to liraglutide (1.8 mg daily or maximum tolerated dose up to 1.8 mg daily) or placebo plus standard care, and followed for 3.5 to 5 years. New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class IV HF was an exclusion criterion. The primary composite major adverse cardiovascular events outcome was time to first occurrence of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke. Post hoc Cox regression analyses of outcomes by baseline HF history were conducted. RESULTS: At baseline, 18% of patients had a history of NYHA functional class I to III HF (liraglutide: n = 835 of 4,668; placebo: n = 832 of 4,672). Effects of liraglutide versus placebo on major adverse cardiovascular events were consistent in patients with (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.81 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.65 to 1.02]) and without (HR: 0.88 [95% CI: 0.78 to 1.00]) a history of HF (p interaction = 0.53). In both subgroups, fewer deaths were observed with liraglutide (HR: 0.89 [95% CI: 0.70 to 1.14] with HF; HR: 0.83 [95% CI: 0.70 to 0.97] without HF; p interaction = 0.63) versus placebo. No increased risk of HF hospitalization was observed with liraglutide, regardless of HF history (HR: 0.98 [95% CI: 0.75 to 1.28] with HF; HR: 0.78 [95% CI: 0.61 to 1.00] without HF; p interaction = 0.22). Effects of liraglutide on the composite of HF hospitalization or cardiovascular death were consistent in patients with (HR: 0.92 [95% CI: 0.74 to 1.15]) and without (HR: 0.77 [95% CI: 0.65 to 0.91]) a history of HF (p interaction = 0.19). CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, liraglutide should be considered suitable for patients with T2D with or without a history of NYHA functional class I to III HF. (Liraglutide Effect and Action in Diabetes: Evaluation of Cardiovascular Outcome Results [LEADER]; NCT01179048).

Semaglutide 2.4 mg for the Treatment of Obesity: Key Elements of the STEP Trials 1 to 5.

OBJECTIVE: The obesity epidemic is a public health concern, warranting further research into pharmacological treatments for weight management (WM) as an adjunct to lifestyle interventions. The Semaglutide Treatment Effect in People with obesity (STEP) program aims to investigate the effect of semaglutide versus placebo on weight loss, safety, and tolerability in adults with obesity or overweight. METHODS: Across five phase 3 trials (NCT03548935, WM; NCT03552757, WM in type 2 diabetes; NCT03611582, WM with intensive behavioral therapy; NCT03548987, sustained WM; and NCT03693430, long-term WM), ~5,000 participants are being randomly assigned to receive semaglutide 2.4 mg once weekly subcutaneously versus placebo. Results will be available in 2020/2021. For all trials, the primary end point is change from baseline to end of treatment in body weight. RESULTS: Participants have a mean age of 46.2 to 55.3 years, are mostly female (mean: 74.1%-81.0%), and have a mean BMI of 35.7 to 38.5 kg/m2 and a mean waist circumference of 113.0 to 115.7 cm. CONCLUSIONS: The STEP program evaluates the efficacy and safety of semaglutide 2.4 mg subcutaneously once weekly in a broad population. The trials will provide insights on WM in people with obesity with and without type 2 diabetes and on long-term follow-up.

A sequential treatment approach to myoinvasive urothelial cancer: a phase II Southwest Oncology Group trial (S0219).

PURPOSE: We conducted a phase II trial of neoadjuvant paclitaxel, carboplatin and gemcitabine as well as transurethral resection of bladder tumor to evaluate the clinical T0 (cT0) rate with paclitaxel, carboplatin and gemcitabine, and to study cystoscopic surveillance or immediate cystectomy for patients with cT0 status following chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with T2-T4a chemotherapy and radiation naive urothelial cancer were eligible. T2+ tumor had to be diagnosed by transurethral bladder tumor resection followed by a second transurethral bladder tumor resection to confirm persistent disease within 16 weeks of the first resection. Three cycles of paclitaxel, carboplatin and gemcitabine were administered within 8 weeks of the second transurethral bladder tumor resection. Patients with cT0 status after paclitaxel, carboplatin and gemcitabine therapy could elect immediate cystectomy or cystoscopic surveillance, and those with greater than cT0 status were to undergo immediate cystectomy. RESULTS: Of 77 patients 74 were assessable, and cT0 status after paclitaxel, carboplatin and gemcitabine was achieved in 34 of 74 patients (46%). Of the 34 patients with cT0 status 10 underwent immediate cystectomy, 6 of whom had persistent cancer. Persistent tumor at transurethral bladder tumor resection was seen in 28 patients (38%) and 21 underwent cystectomy. Thus, 35 of 74 patients underwent cystectomy. With a median followup of 22 months 2-year overall survival was 59% (95% CI 45, 72) and among cT0 cases it was 75% (95% CI 57, 93). CONCLUSIONS: Although neoadjuvant paclitaxel, carboplatin and gemcitabine had a promising 46% cT0 rate, the study failed to meet the primary objective as there was an unacceptably high rate (60%) of persistent cancer at cystectomy in patients presumed to have pT0 status. Patients completing neoadjuvant chemotherapy should strongly consider definitive local therapy rather than cystoscopic surveillance regardless of post-chemotherapy cT0 status.

The prognostic impact of seminal vesicle involvement found at prostatectomy and the effects of adjuvant radiation: data from Southwest Oncology Group 8794.

PURPOSE: From the randomized study Southwest Oncology Group 8794 we evaluated the effect of seminal vesicle involvement on outcomes and whether those patients benefited from post-prostatectomy adjuvant radiation therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Southwest Oncology Group study 8794 randomized high risk patients (with seminal vesicle positive disease and/or capsular penetration and/or positive margins) to radiation vs observation after prostatectomy. A total of 431 subjects with pathologically advanced prostate cancer were randomized. RESULTS: Median followup was 12.2 years. Of the patients 139 had seminal vesicle involvement with or without capsular penetration and/or positive margins. Compared to the 286 patients with seminal vesicle negative disease there was poorer 10-year biochemical failure-free survival (33% for seminal vesicle negative and 22% for seminal vesicle positive, p = 0.04), metastasis-free survival (70% and 56%, respectively, p = 0.005) and overall survival (10-year overall survival 74% and 61%, respectively, p = 0.02) for those with seminal vesicle positive disease. Patients with seminal vesicle positive disease who received adjuvant radiation compared to observation realized an improvement in 10-year biochemical failure-free survival from 12% to 36% (p = 0.001), in 10-year overall survival from 51% to 71% (p = 0.08) and in metastasis-free survival from 47% to 66% (p = 0.09), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although seminal vesicle involvement is a negative prognostic factor, long-term control is possible especially if patients are given adjuvant radiation therapy. This therapy appears to be effective in patients with seminal vesicle involvement.

Southwest Oncology Group phase II study of irinotecan in patients with advanced transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium that progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to characterize the activity and toxicity of irinotecan in metastatic platinum-refractory urothelial carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a prospective multi-institutional phase II clinical trial, we evaluated the activity and safety of irinotecan 350 mg/m2 (300 mg/m2 in patients with previous radiation therapy to the pelvis) intravenously given every 21 days in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma and evidence of progression following one previous systemic chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease that included cisplatin or carboplatin. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the probability of confirmed complete or partial response. RESULTS: Forty eligible patients were registered between December 2003 and December 2006. One patient had a complete response, and 1 had a partial response (overall response rate, 5%; 95% CI, 1%-17%). Median progression-free survival was 2.1 months (95% CI, 1.8-2.3 months). Median overall survival was 5.4 months (95% CI, 3.4-7.1 months). Toxicity was similar to that reported previously for this schedule of irinotecan. CONCLUSION: The response rate seen in this study is insufficient to recommend further evaluation of irinotecan in urothelial cancer that relapsed following initial platinum based chemotherapy. Investigation of novel agents for this patient population remains a priority.

Southwest Oncology Group phase II study of ispinesib in androgen-independent prostate cancer previously treated with taxanes.

PURPOSE: The mitotic spindle has proven to be an effective therapeutic target in antineoplastic efforts. In this study, we sought to assess the efficacy of ispinesib, a mitotic kinesin spindle protein (KSP) inhibitor in androgen-independent prostate cancer progressing after docetaxel. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were treated with ispinesib 18 mg/m2 every 21 days and assessed for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and measurable disease response at regular intervals. Kinesin spindle protein expression in archival tumors, population ispinesib pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamic assessments of circulating lymphocytes were included. RESULTS: The study was terminated after first stage because no responses were seen in the first 21 patients. Median duration of PSA or clinical progression-free survival was 9 weeks. Plasma concentrations of ispinesib were comparable with those observed in previous phase I investigations. Immunohistochemical analysis of archival tumor specimens did not demonstrate significant KSP expression in most of the prostate cancer cases studied. Pharmacodynamic assessments of circulating lymphocytes from patients receiving ispinesib showed an absence of monopolar spindle formation, as would be expected if the drug were having its expected effects. CONCLUSION: Ispinesib was inactive in this study of patients with androgen-independent, and largely docetaxelresistant, prostate cancer. The lack of efficacy might be explained by the low expression of the drug target seen in prostate cancer, whereas not detecting monopolar spindles in circulating lymphocytes with drug treatment likely reflects the lack of dividing cells in peripheral blood.

Aneusomy for detection of bladder cancer recurrence: a Southwest Oncology Group study.

The high risk of recurrence in superficial transitional cell cancer (TCC) of the bladder prompted evaluation of whether chromosome changes detected at first recurrence were correlated with relapse or with response to fluoroquinolone treatment. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis was applied to desquamated cells from bladder washings obtained immediately before surgical resection. Cells were screened for numeric changes in chromosomes 7 and 9. Aberrations were identified in 38/54 patients eligible for evaluation. Although no clear associations were established owing to sample size, the results suggested that risk of progression/relapse was positively associated with loss of chromosome 9 and with polysomy, and negatively associated with gain of chromosome 7, the latter in contrast to published data. A short-term survival advantage was noted anecdotally with gain of chromosome 9.

Low Serum Vitamin D Levels Are Associated With Inferior Survival in Follicular Lymphoma: A Prospective Evaluation in SWOG and LYSA Studies.

PURPOSE: Recent literature reports a potential association between high vitamin D and improved lymphoma prognosis. We evaluated the impact of pretreatment vitamin D on follicular lymphoma (FL) outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: SWOG participants were previously untreated patients with FL enrolled onto SWOG clinical trials (S9800, S9911, or S0016) involving CHOP chemotherapy plus an anti-CD20 antibody (rituximab or iodine-131 tositumomab) between 1998 and 2008. Participants included in our second independent cohort were also previously untreated patients with FL enrolled onto the Lymphoma Study Association (LYSA) PRIMA trial of rituximab plus chemotherapy (randomly assigned to rituximab maintenance v observation) between 2004 and 2007. Using the gold-standard liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method, 25-hydroxyvitamin D was measured in stored baseline serum samples. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 5.4 years, the adjusted PFS and overall survival hazard ratios for the SWOG cohort were 1.97 (95% CI, 1.10 to 3.53) and 4.16 (95% CI, 1.66 to 10.44), respectively, for those who were vitamin D deficient (< 20 ng/mL; 15% of cohort). After a median follow-up of 6.6 years, the adjusted PFS and overall survival hazard ratios for the LYSA cohort were 1.50 (95% CI, 0.93 to 2.42) and 1.92 (95% CI, 0.72 to 5.13), respectively, for those who were vitamin D deficient (< 10 ng/mL; 25% of cohort). CONCLUSION: Although statistical significance was not reached in the LYSA cohort, the consistent estimates of association between low vitamin D levels and FL outcomes in two independent cohorts suggests that serum vitamin D might be the first potentially modifiable factor to be associated with FL survival. Further investigation is needed to determine the effects of vitamin D supplementation in this clinical setting.

Clinical significance of MYC expression and/or "high-grade" morphology in non-Burkitt, diffuse aggressive B-cell lymphomas: a SWOG S9704 correlative study.

The clinicopathologic findings in Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) may show significant overlap, and MYC abnormalities, found in all BLs, also occur in a subset of DLBCL. The 2008 World Health Organization classification introduced the category of "B-cell lymphoma, unclassifiable, with features intermediate between DLBCL and BL" (BCLU) in recognition of this overlap, but the clinical significance of BCLU (ie, "high-grade") morphology and the relationship between BCLU morphology and MYC abnormalities remains unclear. In this study, we identified 260 cases of non-Burkitt, diffuse aggressive B-cell lymphomas from SWOG S9704, a phase 3 randomized study of standard immunochemotherapy versus autologous stem cell transplantation. Of these, 31 cases (12%) showed BCLU morphology, and 229 (88%) showed typical DLBCL morphology. Of 198, 27 (14%) were positive for MYC by immunohistochemistry. BCLU morphology was associated with an increased incidence of MYC expression but otherwise was not associated with distinct clinicopathologic features or significantly decreased survival. MYC-positive cases were morphologically and phenotypically heterogenous and were associated with poor progression-free and overall survival in multivariate analysis. These findings confirm that BCLU does not represent a distinct clinicopathologic entity and demonstrate that BCLU morphology alone does not significantly impact survival compared with typical DLBCL. In contrast, MYC protein expression is a poor prognostic factor that may be associated with either BCLU or DLBCL morphology, and MYC immunohistochemistry is suggested for routine prognostic evaluation (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00004031).