A Randomized Parallel-group Study of Digital Gut-directed Hypnotherapy vs Muscle Relaxation for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Gut-directed hypnotherapy (GDH) is effective for treating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but access limits its widespread use. We report the first randomized controlled trial comparing the safety and efficacy of a self-administered, digital GDH treatment program with that of digital muscle relaxation (MR) in adults with IBS. METHODS: After a 4-week run-in period, patients were randomized to 12 weeks of treatment with digital GDH (Regulora), or digital MR accessed via a mobile app on a smartphone or tablet. The primary endpoint was abdominal pain response, defined as ≥30% reduction from baseline in average daily abdominal pain intensity in the 4 weeks following treatment. Key secondary outcomes included mean change from baseline in abdominal pain, stool consistency, and stool frequency. RESULTS: Of 378 randomized patients, 362 were treated and included in the efficacy analysis. A similar proportion of the GDH (30.4%) and MR (27.1%) groups met the primary endpoint, with no significant difference between the groups (P = .5352). Significantly more patients treated with GDH than MR were abdominal pain responders during the last 4 weeks of treatment (30.9% vs 21.5%; P = .0232) and over the entire treatment period (29.3% vs 18.8%; P = .0254). Improvements in abdominal pain, stool consistency, and stool frequency were consistent across IBS subtypes. No patients experienced serious adverse events or adverse events leading to study discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with a digital GDH program led to an improvement in abdominal pain and stool symptoms in patients with IBS, supporting a role for this intervention as part of integrated care for IBS. CLINICALTRIALS: gov identifier NCT04133519.

Sleep-specific outcomes attributable to digitally delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia in adults with insomnia and depressive symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of digitally delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) have demonstrated reductions in insomnia severity, depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and suicidal ideation. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of self-guided, digital CBT-I to improve sleep-specific outcomes. METHOD: An RCT of Australian adults with insomnia and depressive symptoms (N = 1149) compared SHUTi, a digital CBT-I intervention, with HealthWatch, an attention-matched control internet program, at baseline, posttest (9 weeks) and at 6-, 12-, and 18-month follow-ups. Online sleep diaries were used to derive measures of sleep-onset latency (SOL), wake after sleep onset (WASO), sleep efficiency (SE), number of awakenings, sleep quality, and total sleep time (TST). RESULTS: Participants in the SHUTi condition had greater improvements at posttest compared with control for: SOL, WASO, SE, number of awakenings, and sleep quality. These improvements were sustained at every follow-up (p < .02 for all outcomes except TST, in which statistically significant increases were observed only at 12- and 18-months). CONCLUSIONS: Digitally delivered CBT-I produced lasting improvements in sleep outcomes among adults with insomnia and depressive symptoms. Findings provide further evidence of long-term improvements associated with a digital therapeutic for insomnia, compared to an attention-control condition.

Safety and efficacy of a digital therapeutic for substance use disorder: Secondary analysis of data from a NIDA clinical trials network study.

Background: Traditional treatments for substance use disorders (SUDs) rely heavily on face-to-face interactions, which pose substantial limitations for patients. A clinical trial of a digital therapeutic (DT), delivering behavioral therapy demonstrated safety and efficacy in a population including patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) not treated with buprenorphine, which is not a guideline-recommended approach. This study re-analyzed the data excluding patients with OUD to more closely approximate real-world patient populations. Methods: Secondary analysis of patients with substance use disorders related to alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, or other stimulants (n = 399, patients with OUD excluded) from a previously-published randomized controlled trial. Patients received 12-weeks of outpatient treatment-as-usual (TAU; n = 193) or TAU with reduced counseling plus a DT (n = 206) providing computerized cognitive behavioral therapy and contingency management. Primary outcomes were abstinence in weeks 9-12 and retention in treatment. Results: The 399 patients in this analysis (206 in the DT group and 193 in the TAU group) reported substance use disorders related to alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, or other stimulants (e.g., methamphetamines). Demographic and baseline characteristics including age, sex, race, education, and reported primary substance use disorder were balanced between treatment groups. Abstinence was significantly higher in the DT group compared to TAU (40.3 vs. 17.6%; p < 0.001) as was retention in therapy (76.2 vs. 63.2%, p = 0.004). Intergroup adverse event rates were not significantly different (p = 0.68). Conclusions: The results demonstrate that use of a DT safely increased abstinence (reduced substance use) and retention in treatment among patients with substance use disorders related to alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, or other stimulants (including methamphetamines).

An open-label study of the safety and tolerability of pazopanib in combination with FOLFOX6 or CapeOx in patients with colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Although combining targeted agents with conventional, first-line cytotoxic therapy has improved survival outcomes in patients with advanced colorectal cancer, further improvements in outcomes and tolerability are needed. METHODS: This phase I study evaluated the feasibility of combining oral pazopanib, an agent that targets multiple proangiogenic factors, with FOLFOX6 (oxaliplatin, leucovorin, and 5-fluorouracil) or CapeOx (oxaliplatin and capecitabine). This phase I study evaluated the optimally tolerated regimen of daily pazopanib (dose-escalated) plus standard FOLFOX6 or CapeOx in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. At the optimally tolerated regimen, each cohort was expanded to further evaluate safety and clinical response. RESULTS: The optimally tolerated regimens were pazopanib 800 mg plus FOLFOX6 and pazopanib 800 mg plus reduced CapeOx (capecitabine 850 mg/m(2)). The most commonly reported adverse events in the FOLFOX6 cohorts included decreased appetite, neutropenia, diarrhea, peripheral neuropathy, and vomiting. Similarly, the most commonly reported adverse events in the CapeOx cohorts included fatigue, vomiting, and decreased appetite. The overall response rate was 40 % (8/20 patients) in the pazopanib plus FOLFOX6 cohorts and 38 % (8/21 patients) in the pazopanib plus CapeOx cohorts. CONCLUSION: Pazopanib combined with FOLFOX6 or reduced CapeOx was adequately tolerated in this patient population.

Predicting drug-drug and drug-gene interactions in a community pharmacy population.

OBJECTIVES: Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) are among the most common causes of adverse drug reactions and are further complicated by genetic variants of drug-metabolizing enzymes. The aim of this study is to quantify and describe potential DDIs, drug-gene interactions (DGIs), and drug-drug-gene interactions (DDGIs) in a community-based population. STUDY DESIGN: This was an analysis of deidentified retail pharmacy prescription data for 4761 individuals. METHODS: Data were first assessed for DDIs, and individuals were stratified to a risk category using the logic of a commercially available digital DDGI tool. To calculate the frequency of potential DGIs and DDGIs, genotypes were imputed and randomly allocated to the cohort 100 times via Monte Carlo simulation according to each variant's frequency in the general population. RESULTS: The probability of a DDI of any impact was 26.0% and increased to 49.6% (95% CI, 48.4%-50.7%) when drug-metabolizing phenotypes were ascribed according to the distribution of variants of 11 genes as found in a Caucasian population. There was a 7.8% probability of major DDIs, which increased to a 10.1% (95% CI, 9.5%-10.8%) probability with the addition of genetic contributions. The probability of DDGIs of any impact was correlated with the number of medications. Antidepressants, antiemetics, blood products and modifiers, analgesics, and antipsychotics had the highest probability of DDGIs. CONCLUSIONS: The probability of drug interaction risk increased when phenotypes associated with genetic polymorphisms were attributed to the population. These data suggest that pharmacogenomic assessment may be useful in predicting drug interactions and severity when evaluating patient medication profiles.

Safety and efficacy of a prescription digital therapeutic as an adjunct to buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a digital therapeutic in treatment-seeking individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) in an analysis of randomized clinical trial (RCT) data (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00929253). METHODS: Secondary analysis of an RCT including 170 adults meeting DSM-IV criteria for OUD. Participants were randomized to 12-weeks of treatment-as-usual (TAU) or TAU plus a digital therapeutic providing 67 digital, interactive educational modules based on the Community Reinforcement Approach. TAU consisted of buprenorphine maintenance therapy, 30 min biweekly clinician interaction, and abstinence-based contingency management. Primary endpoints were treatment retention and abstinence (negative urine drug screen) during weeks 9-12 of treatment. Safety was assessed by evaluating adverse events. RESULTS: Participants randomized to TAU plus a digital therapeutic had significantly greater odds of opioid abstinence during weeks 9-12 compared to TAU: 77.3 versus 62.1%, respectively (p=.02), OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.10-3.95. The risk of patients leaving treatment was significantly lower in the digital therapeutic group (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.26-0.92). No significant difference was observed in the rate of adverse events between groups (p=.42). CONCLUSIONS: A prescription digital therapeutic (PDT) in combination with buprenorphine therapy improves clinically significant patient outcomes including abstinence from illicit opioids and retention in treatment compared with treatment as usual.

A population-based validation of the American Joint Committee on Cancer melanoma staging system.

PURPOSE: A major revision of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stages for melanoma was implemented in 2002 after its validation in multinational cohorts including patients from cancer centers and cooperative groups. This staging system has not been validated in a US population-based cohort. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used 41,417 patients with primary invasive cutaneous melanoma diagnosed between 1988 and 2001 from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry to validate the revised AJCC staging system. Survival rates computed from stage-specific Kaplan-Meier curves (time to melanoma-specific death) were compared with the survival rates from 17,600 patients in the original AJCC validation study. RESULTS: In the SEER cohort, 65% of reported melanomas were < or = 1.00 mm in thickness and 8.7% were more than 4.00 mm compared with 39% and 10% in the AJCC cohort (P < .001), respectively. AJCC stages were able to discriminate among SEER patient groups with different prognosis. However, SEER survival rates were significantly higher than those in the AJCC study and notably so in patients with T1a lesions (< or = 1 mm without ulceration). This population-specific effect remained significant after controlling for lesion thickness in all substages except stage IIA. CONCLUSION: Although this national population-based study validates the most recent revision of AJCC stages for melanoma, it emphasizes that survival rates are population specific and found them to be generally higher for SEER compared with AJCC patients. Population-specific survival rates should be used in study designs and decisions about patient-specific interventions.

Drug-metabolizing enzyme polymorphisms predict clinical outcome in a node-positive breast cancer cohort.

PURPOSE: Adjuvant chemotherapy cures only a subset of women with nonmetastatic breast cancer. Genotypes in drug-metabolizing enzymes, including functional polymorphisms in cytochrome P450 (CYP) and glutathione S-transferases (GST), may predict treatment-related outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We examined CYP3A4*1B, CYP3A5*3, and deletions in GST mu (GSTM1) and theta (GSTT1), as well as a priori-defined combinations of polymorphisms in these genes. Using a cohort of 90 node-positive breast cancer patients who received anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy followed by high-dose multiagent chemotherapy with stem-cell rescue, we estimated the effect of genotype and other known prognostic factors on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Patients who carried homozygous CYP3A4*1B and CYP3A5*3 variants and did not carry homozygous deletions in both GSTM1 and GSTT1 (denoted low-drug genotype group) had a 4.9-fold poorer DFS (P = .021) and a four-fold poorer OS (P = .031) compared with individuals who did not carry any CYP3A4*1B or CYP3A5*3 variants but had deletions in both GSTT1 and GSTM1 (denoted high-drug genotype group). After adjustment for other significant prognostic factors, the low-drug genotype group retained a significantly poorer DFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.9; 95% CI, 1.7 to 14.6; P = .004) and OS (HR = 4.8; 95% CI, 1.8 to 12.9; P = .002) compared with the high- and intermediate-drug combined genotype group. In the multivariate model, having low-drug genotype group status had a greater impact on clinical outcome than estrogen receptor status. CONCLUSION: Combined genotypes at CYP3A4, CYP3A5, GSTM1, and GSTT1 influence the probability of treatment failure after high-dose adjuvant chemotherapy for node-positive breast cancer.

Use of immuno-LCM to identify the in situ expression profile of cellular constituents of the tumor microenvironment.

Expression profiling using microarrays has become an essential tool for interrogating tumor biology. However, profiling of whole tumor RNA reflects both tumor and host cells, making it difficult to dissect molecular events within specific cellular compartments in the tumor microenvironment. We developed and optimized a simple, rapid technique combining immunohistochemistry and laser-capture microdissection (immuno-LCM) to purify specific cell populations from the tumor microenvironment followed by RNA isolation and amplification for microarray analysis. Using this methodology, we were able to elucidate the in situ expression profile of pure tumor cells and tumor endothelial cells from ovarian tumors with brisk immune infiltrates. This technique not only increased the specificity of profiling isolated cell populations, eliminating genes expressed by surrounding cells, but also increased the sensitivity of analysis, allowing for the detection of low expression genes that were not detected in whole tumor arrays. Pathway analysis of tumor cells in situ identified distinct activation of signaling pathways converging on NF-kappaB, as compared to pathways identified in cultured tumor cell lines, which were primarily metabolic. Profiling of tumor vascular cells revealed most known panendothelial and tumor endothelial-specific markers, and unveiled genes specific to the myeloid-monocytic lineage. We propose that immuno-LCM coupled with transcriptional profiling is a convenient tool for dissecting molecular and cellular events in complex biological systems such as the tumor microenvironment.

Technetium Tc 99m sestamibi sensitivity in oxyphil cell-dominant parathyroid adenomas.

OBJECTIVE: A subset of parathyroid adenomas contains a relative overabundance of oxyphil cells that are capable of greater technetium Tc 99m sestamibi tracer uptake and retention than other cell types. We examined whether the presence of oxyphil cells augments the sensitivity of technetium Tc 99m sestamibi preoperative localization and whether the histologic findings of a lesion could be predicted based on the adenoma mass and serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels. DESIGN: Retrospective, single-blinded comparison of technetium Tc 99m sensitivity rates, lesion mass, and preoperative serum calcium and parathyroid hormone values of patients with chief and mixed cell-dominant adenomas and those with oxyphil-dominant parathyroid adenomas. SETTING: Tertiary care university hospital. PATIENTS: Sixty-three patients diagnosed as having a parathyroid adenoma. INTERVENTION: All patients underwent resection of a parathyroid adenoma following a preoperative technetium Tc 99m sestamibi localization study and serum calcium and parathyroid hormone level analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Technetium Tc 99m sensitivity rate. RESULTS: The overall technetium Tc 99m sestamibi sensitivity rate was 76.2%. The sensitivity within the chief and mixed cell-dominant (n = 52) and oxyphil cell-dominant groups (n = 11) were 71.2% and 100%, respectively (P = .04). There was no correlation between histologic findings of the lesion and its size or serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels. CONCLUSIONS: Oxyphil cell predominance within an adenoma augments technetium Tc 99m sestamibi scan sensitivity in a statistically significant manner. The use of technetium Tc 99m sestamibi preoperative localization may therefore be differentially greater in patients with these types of lesions.

Effects of Esomeprazole on the Pharmacokinetics of Lapatinib in Breast Cancer Patients.

The aqueous solubility of lapatinib declines significantly at pH >4, suggesting that its bioavailability might be lowered by acid-reducing drugs. A study was therefore conducted to assess the effects of esomeprazole on lapatinib pharmacokinetics (PK). Women with metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2(+) ) breast cancer were enrolled. Patients received 1,250 mg lapatinib once daily (QD) in the morning on Days 1-7 (Period 1) and Days 8-14 (Period 2) with 40 mg esomeprazole QD at bedtime 3 hours after dinner on Days 8-14. Lapatinib PK sampling occurred during the 24-hour steady-state dosing intervals on Day 7 (lapatinib alone) and Day 14 (lapatinib with esomeprazole). Esomeprazole treatment resulted in decreased lapatinib bioavailability (mean 26%, range 6-49%) that was inversely associated with patient age as a significant covariate.

Effects of ketoconazole and esomeprazole on the pharmacokinetics of pazopanib in patients with solid tumors.

PURPOSE: The metabolism of pazopanib is primarily mediated by CYP3A4. The solubility of pazopanib is pH-dependent, and an elevated gastric pH may decrease its bioavailability. This study evaluated the effect of a potent CYP3A4 inhibitor, ketoconazole, and the proton pump inhibitor esomeprazole on the pharmacokinetics and safety of pazopanib and its metabolites. METHODS: In Arm A, patients received pazopanib 400 mg alone once daily for 7 days followed by pazopanib 400 mg plus ketoconazole 400 mg once daily for 5 days. In Arm B, patients received pazopanib 800 mg once daily for 7 days, followed by pazopanib 800 mg plus esomeprazole 40 mg once daily for 5 days, and then pazopanib alone on the last day. RESULTS: Arm A enrolled 21 patients. In the presence of ketoconazole, mean area under the plasma concentration-time curve 24 h post-dose (AUC(0-24)) and mean maximum observed concentration (C max) of pazopanib increased by 66 and 45 %, respectively; mean AUC(0-24) and C max for pazopanib metabolites were lower or remained unchanged. Arm B enrolled 13 patients. In the presence of esomeprazole, mean pazopanib AUC(0-24) and C max decreased by 40 and 42 %, respectively; mean values of those parameters for metabolites of pazopanib also decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant use of pazopanib with a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor should be avoided. If coadministration is necessary, pazopanib should be reduced to 400 mg. Concomitant use of pazopanib and proton pump inhibitors should also be avoided. Alternative dosing regimens that do not increase gastric pH at the time of pazopanib dosing should be considered.

A Phase I study of pazopanib in combination with gemcitabine in patients with advanced solid tumors.

PURPOSE: Pazopanib plus gemcitabine combination therapy was explored in patients with advanced solid tumors. METHODS: In a modified 3 + 3 enrollment scheme, oral once-daily pazopanib was administered with intravenous gemcitabine (Days 1 and 8, 21-day cycles). Three protocol-specified dose levels were tested: pazopanib 400 mg plus gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m(2), pazopanib 800 mg plus gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m(2), and pazopanib 800 mg plus gemcitabine 1,250 mg/m(2). Maximum-tolerated dose was based on dose-limiting toxicities during treatment Cycle 1. In the expansion phase, six additional patients were enrolled at the highest tolerable dose level. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were enrolled. At the highest dose level tested (pazopanib 800 plus gemcitabine 1,250), patients received >80% of their planned dose and the regimen was deemed safe and tolerable. The most common treatment-related adverse events included fatigue, neutropenia, nausea, and decreased appetite. Neutropenia and thrombocytopenia were the most common events leading to dose modifications. Pharmacokinetic interaction between pazopanib and gemcitabine was not observed. One objective partial response at the highest dose was observed in a patient with metastatic melanoma. Prolonged disease stabilization (>12 cycles) was reported in three patients (metastatic melanoma, cholangiocarcinoma, and colorectal carcinoma). CONCLUSION: Combination pazopanib plus gemcitabine therapy is tolerable, with an adverse event profile reflective of that associated with the individual agents. There was no apparent pharmacokinetic interaction with pazopanib plus gemcitabine co-administration, although patient numbers were limited. Further investigation of combined pazopanib plus gemcitabine is warranted.

Concomitant oral and intravenous pharmacokinetics of dabrafenib, a BRAF inhibitor, in patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive solid tumors.

Dabrafenib is an orally bioavailable, potent, and selective inhibitor of human wild-type BRAF and CRAF kinases as well as mutant forms of BRAF kinase. The aim of this phase 1, single-center, open-label study in four patients with BRAF mutation-positive solid tumors was to determine the absolute bioavailability of a 150 mg oral dose of dabrafenib. A microtracer study approach, in which a 50 µg radiolabeled intravenous (IV) microdose of dabrafenib was given concomitantly with a 150 mg oral dose, was used to simultaneously recover IV and oral pharmacokinetic parameters. The least squares mean (90% CI) absolute bioavailability of dabrafenib (HPMC capsules) was 94.5% (81.3%, 109.7%). Median T(max) after oral administration was 2.0 hours and the geometric mean terminal half-life was 4.8 hours. The geometric mean clearance and volume of distribution after IV administration were 12.0 L/h and 45.5 L, respectively. Human clearance and volume of distribution at steady state were in agreement with predictions made using allometric scaling of pharmacokinetic parameters from four preclinical species. In conclusion, dabrafenib absolute bioavailability was high, whereas first-pass metabolism was low. Furthermore, the microtracer approach provided an innovative and efficient method for assessing the absolute bioavailability of dabrafenib in patients with advanced cancer.

First-time-in-human study of GSK923295, a novel antimitotic inhibitor of centromere-associated protein E (CENP-E), in patients with refractory cancer.

PURPOSE: GSK923295 is an inhibitor of CENP-E, a key cellular protein important in the alignment of chromosomes during mitosis. This was a Phase I, open-label, first-time-in-human, dose-escalation study, to determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), safety, and pharmacokinetics of GSK923295. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Adult patients with previously treated solid tumors were enrolled in successive cohorts at GSK923295 doses ranging from 10 to 250 mg/m(2). GSK923295 was administered by a 1-h intravenous infusion, once weekly for three consecutive weeks, with treatment cycles repeated every 4 weeks. RESULTS: A total of 39 patients were enrolled. The MTD for GSK923295 was determined to be 190 mg/m(2). Observed dose-limiting toxicities (all grade 3) were as follows: fatigue (n = 2, 5%), increased AST (n = 1, 2.5%), hypokalemia (n = 1, 2.5%), and hypoxia (n = 1, 2.5%). Across all doses, fatigue was the most commonly reported drug-related adverse event (n = 13; 33%). Gastrointestinal toxicities of diarrhea (n = 12, 31%), nausea (n = 8, 21%), and vomiting (n = 7, 18%) were generally mild. Frequency of neutropenia was low (13%). There were two reports of neuropathy and no reports of mucositis or alopecia. GSK923295 exhibited dose-proportional pharmacokinetics from 10 to 250 mg/m(2) and did not accumulate upon weekly administration. The mean terminal elimination half-life of GSK923295 was 9-11 h. One patient with urothelial carcinoma experienced a durable partial response at the 250 mg/m(2) dose level. CONCLUSIONS: The novel CENP-E inhibitor, GSK923295, had dose-proportional pharmacokinetics and a low number of grade 3 or 4 adverse events. The observed incidence of myelosuppression and neuropathy was low. Further investigations may provide a more complete understanding of the potential for GSK923295 as an antiproliferative agent.

Tumor vascular proteins as biomarkers in ovarian cancer.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify novel ovarian cancer biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets through molecular analysis of tumor vascular cells. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry-guided laser-capture microdissection and genome-wide transcriptional profiling were used to identify genes that were differentially expressed between vascular cells from human epithelial ovarian cancer and healthy ovaries. Tumor vascular markers (TVMs) were validated through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) of immunopurified tumor endothelial cells, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot analysis. TVM expression in tumors and noncancerous tissues was assessed by qRT-PCR and was profiled using gene expression data. RESULTS: We identified a tumor vascular cell profile of ovarian cancer that was distinct from the vascular profile of normal ovary and other tumors. We validated 12 novel ovarian TVMs. These were expressed by immunopurified tumor endothelial cells and localized to tumor vasculature. Select TVMs were found to be specifically expressed in ovarian cancer and were absent in all normal tissues tested, including female reproductive tissues with physiologic angiogenesis. Many ovarian TVMs were expressed by a variety of other solid tumors. Finally, overexpression of any one of three ovarian TVMs by vascular cells was associated with decreased disease-free interval (all P < .005). CONCLUSION: We have identified for the first time the molecular profile of ovarian tumor vasculature. We demonstrate that TVMs may serve as potential biomarkers and molecular targets for ovarian cancer and a variety of other solid tumors.

Identification of high-risk patients among those diagnosed with thin cutaneous melanomas.

PURPOSE: Most patients with melanoma have microscopically thin (< or = 1 mm) primary lesions and are cured with excision. However, some develop metastatic disease that is often fatal. We evaluated established prognostic factors to develop classification schemes with better discrimination than current American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied patients with thin melanomas from the US population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry (1988 to 2001; n = 26,291) and those seen by the University of Pennsylvania's Pigmented Lesion Group (PLG; 1972 to 2001; n = 2,389; Philadelphia, PA). AJCC prognostic factors were thickness, anatomic level, ulceration, site, sex, and age; PLG prognostic factors also included a set of biologically based candidate prognostic factors. Recursive partitioning was used to develop a SEER-based classification tree that was validated using PLG data. Next, a new PLG-based classification tree was developed using the expanded set of prognostic factors. RESULTS: The SEER-based classification tree identified additional criteria to explain survival heterogeneity among patients with thin, nonulcerated lesions; 10-year survival rates ranged from 89.1% to 99%. The new PLG-based tree identified groups using level, tumor cell mitotic rate, and sex. With survival rates from 83.4% to 100%, it had better discrimination. CONCLUSION: Prognostication and related clinical decision making in the majority of patients with melanoma can be improved now using the validated, SEER-based classification. Tumor cell mitotic rate should be incorporated into the next iteration of AJCC staging.

Predictors of regional nodal disease in patients with thin melanomas.

BACKGROUND: Most melanoma patients present with thin (0, vertical growth phase (VGP), male sex, and ulceration were statistically significant predictors of RND. Patients at the highest risk according to a classification tree analysis (VGP and MR>0) had an RND rate of 11.9%. The regression model developed predicted well the SLN status in the validation sample. CONCLUSIONS: Investigation of a large pre-SLN population identified MR>0, ulceration, VGP, and male sex as independently predictive of RND in patients with thin melanomas. These factors may help to identify subgroups of these patients that have clinically significant risks of SLN positivity.

Mitotic rate as a predictor of sentinel lymph node positivity in patients with thin melanomas.

BACKGROUND: Lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymphadenectomy (LM/SL) provide important prognostic information for patients with early-stage melanoma. Although the use of this technique in patients with thin melanomas (< or =1.00 mm) is not routine, risk factors that may predict sentinel lymph node (SLN) positivity in this patient population are under investigation. We sought to determine whether mitotic rate (MR) is associated with SLN positivity in thin-melanoma patients and, therefore, whether it may be used to risk-stratify and select patients for LM/SL. METHODS: Clinical and histopathologic variables were reviewed for 181 patients with thin melanomas who underwent LM/SL from January 1996 through January 2004. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with SLN positivity. Risk groups were defined on the basis of the development of a classification tree. RESULTS: The overall SLN positivity rate was 5%. All patients with positive SLNs had an MR of >0. By univariate analysis, MR and thickness were significant predictors of SLN positivity. The association between MR and SLN positivity remained significant controlling for each of the other variables evaluated. On the basis of a classification tree, patients with an MR >0 and tumor thickness > or =.76 mm were identified as a higher-risk group, with an SLN positivity rate of 12.3%. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with thin melanomas, MR >0 seems to be a significant predictor of SLN positivity that may be used to risk-stratify and select patients for LM/SL. To confirm these results, the predictive value of MR for SLN positivity needs to be validated in other populations of thin-melanoma patients.