Factors Associated With Participation in the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program: Findings From the SUCCEED Trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Self-management programs may improve quality of life and self-efficacy for stroke survivors, but participation is low. In a randomized controlled trial of a complex, multidisciplinary, team-based secondary stroke prevention intervention, we offered participants Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) workshops in addition to clinic visits and home visits. To enhance participation, workshops were facilitated by community health workers who were culturally and linguistically concordant with most participants and scheduled CDSMP sessions at convenient venues and times. Over time, we implemented additional strategies such as free transportation and financial incentives. In this study, we aimed to determine factors associated with CDSMP participation and attendance. METHODS: From 2014 to 2018, 18 CDSMP workshop series were offered to 241 English and Spanish-speaking individuals (age ≥40 years) with recent stroke or transient ischemic attack. Zero-inflated Poisson regression was used to identify factors associated with participation and attendance (ie, number of sessions attended) in CDSMP. Missing values were imputed using multiple imputation methods. RESULTS: Nearly one-third (29%) of intervention subjects participated in CDSMP. Moderate disability and more clinic/home visits were associated with participation. Participants with higher numbers of clinic and home visits (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.06 [95% CI, 1.01-1.12]), severe (IRR, 2.34 [95% CI, 1.65-3.31]), and moderately severe disability (IRR, 1.55 [95% CI, 1.07-2.23]), and who enrolled later in the study (IRR, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.08-1.16]) attended more sessions. Individuals with higher chaos scores attended fewer sessions (IRR, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.95-0.99]). CONCLUSIONS: Less than one-third of subjects enrolled in the SUCCEED (Secondary Stroke Prevention by Uniting Community and Chronic Care Model Teams Early to End Disparities) intervention participated in CDSMP; however, participation improved as transportation and financial barriers were addressed. Strategies to address social determinants of health contributing to chaos and engage individuals in healthcare may facilitate attendance. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01763203.

Less Than Ideal: Trends in Cardiovascular Health Among US Stroke Survivors.

Background and Purpose- The American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 (LS7) defines ideal cardiovascular health by 7 metrics: not smoking, regular physical activity, normal body mass index, blood pressure, plasma glucose, and total cholesterol levels, and a healthy diet. We assessed prevalence and predictors of ideal LS7 among US stroke survivors. Methods- Among 67 514 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 1988 to 1994 and 1999 to 2014, 1597 adults (≥18 years) had self-reported history of stroke. LS7 metrics were categorized as poor, intermediate, and ideal; ideal LS7 scores were calculated (1 point for each ideal metric met). Trends in poor, intermediate, and ideal cardiovascular health were assessed. Odds of low (0-1) versus high (≥4) ideal LS7 scores were assessed according to sex, race, poverty income ratio, and education level, before and after adjusting for covariates. Results- Only 1 participant met all ideal LS7 metrics. The proportion with low LS7 score increased from 17.9% in 1988 to 1994 to 35.4% in 2011 to 2014 (P<0.001). Over that time frame, prevalence of poor blood pressure (≥140/90 mm Hg) and poor cholesterol (≥240 mg/dL) decreased (45.2%-26.5% and 37.2%-10.3%), whereas prevalence of poor body mass index (≥30 kg/m2), poor diet (healthy eating index score <50), and poor physical activity (0 minutes moderate/vigorous activity per week) increased (26.9%-39.0%; 14.2%-50.6%; 44.6%-70.9%; all P<0.05). After adjustment, black race (odds ratio, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.17-4.48), poverty income ratio ≤200% (odds ratio, 2.20, 95% CI, 1.11-4.36), and ≤12th grade education (odds ratio, 4.50; 95% CI, 2.27-8.92) were associated with low ideal LS7 scores. Conclusions- Over the past 3 decades, blood pressure and cholesterol control among stroke survivors improved, but rates of obesity, poor diet, and physical inactivity increased. Stroke survivors who are black, poor, or less educated are less likely to have ideal cardiovascular health.

A Phase II Trial of Selinexor, an Oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export Compound, in Abiraterone- and/or Enzalutamide-Refractory Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

LESSONS LEARNED: In abiraterone- and/or enzalutamide-refractory metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients, selinexor led to prostate-specific antigen and/or radiographic responses in a subset of patients, indicating clinical activity in this indication.Despite twice-a-week dosing and maximal symptomatic management, selinexor was associated with significant anorexia, nausea, and fatigue in mCRPC patients refractory to second-generation anti-androgen therapies, limiting further clinical development in this patient population.This study highlights the challenge of primary endpoint selection for phase II studies in the post-abiraterone and/or post-enzalutamide mCRPC space. BACKGROUND: Selinexor is a first-in-class selective inhibitor of nuclear export compound that specifically inhibits the nuclear export protein Exportin-1 (XPO-1), leading to nuclear accumulation of tumor suppressor proteins. METHODS: This phase II study evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of selinexor in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) refractory to abiraterone and/or enzalutamide. RESULTS: Fourteen patients were enrolled. Selinexor was initially administered at 65 mg/m2 twice a week (days 1 and 3) and was subsequently reduced to 60 mg flat dose twice a week (days 1 and 3), 3 weeks on, 1 week off, to improve tolerability. The median treatment duration was 13 weeks. At a median follow-up of 4 months, two patients (14%) had ≥50% prostate-specific antigen (PSA) decline, and seven patients (50%) had any PSA decline. Of eight patients with measurable disease at baseline, two (25%) had a partial response and four (50%) had stable disease as their best radiographic response. Five patients (36%) experienced serious adverse events (SAEs; all unrelated to selinexor), and five patients (36%) experienced treatment-related grade 3-4 AEs. The most common drug-related adverse events (AEs) of any severity were anorexia, nausea, weight loss, fatigue, and thrombocytopenia. Three patients (21%) came off study for unacceptable tolerability. CONCLUSION: Selinexor demonstrated clinical activity and poor tolerability in mCRPC patients refractory to second-line anti-androgenic agents.

A Phase I Study of Abiraterone Acetate Combined with BEZ235, a Dual PI3K/mTOR Inhibitor, in Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer.

LESSONS LEARNED: The combination of standard dose abiraterone acetate and BEZ235, a pan-class I PI3K and mTORC1/2 inhibitor, was poorly tolerated in men with progressive mCRPC.Although the clinical development of BEZ235 has been discontinued in prostate cancer, agents that more selectively target PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling may have a more favorable therapeutic index and should continue to be explored. BACKGROUND: Androgen receptor (AR) and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) signaling are two commonly perturbed pathways in prostate cancer. Preclinical data have shown that the two pathways compensate for each other when one is inhibited, and combined inhibition of AR and PI3K signaling may be a viable strategy to prevent or overcome castration resistance. METHODS: This phase I study evaluated the safety and tolerability of abiraterone acetate and prednisone combined with BEZ235, a dual PI3K and mTORC1/2 inhibitor, in men with progressive metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who have not received prior chemotherapy. RESULTS: Six patients (n = 6) were treated at the starting dose level of abiraterone acetate 1,000 mg with prednisone 5 mg twice daily and BEZ235 200 mg twice daily in a 3 + 3 dose escalation design. The study was terminated early because three of the six patients (50%) experienced dose-limiting toxicities: grade 3 mucositis, grade 3 hypotension, and grade 4 dyspnea and pneumonitis. All six patients had previously progressed on abiraterone/prednisone. The median treatment duration was 27 days (range: 3-130 days). No prostate-specific antigen (PSA) decline or objective response were observed. CONCLUSION: The combination of standard-dose abiraterone/prednisone with BEZ235 200 mg twice daily was poorly tolerated in patients with mCRPC. The on-target and off-target effects of dual PI3K and mTORC inhibition likely contributed to the unacceptable toxicity profile. The Oncologist 2017;22:503-e43.

Hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase (HPGDS): a high stability, Val187Ile isoenzyme common among African Americans and its relationship to risk for colorectal cancer.

Intestinal tumors in Apc(Min/+) mice are suppressed by over-production of HPGDS, which is a glutathione transferase that forms prostaglandin D(2) (PGD(2)). We characterized naturally occurring HPGDS isoenzymes, to see if HPGDS variation is associated with human colorectal cancer risk. We used DNA heteroduplex analysis and sequencing to identify HPGDS variants among healthy individuals. HPGDS isoenzymes were produced in bacteria, and their catalytic activities were tested. To determine in vivo effects, we conducted pooled case-control analyses to assess whether there is an association of the isoenzyme with colorectal cancer. Roughly 8% of African Americans and 2% of Caucasians had a highly stable Val187lle isoenzyme (with isoleucine instead of valine at position 187). At 37°C, the wild-type enzyme lost 15% of its activity in 1h, whereas the Val187Ile form remained >95% active. At 50°C, the half life of native HPGDS was 9min, compared to 42 min for Val187Ile. The odds ratio for colorectal cancer among African Americans with Val187Ile was 1.10 (95% CI, 0.75-1.62; 533 cases, 795 controls). Thus, the Val187Ile HPGDS isoenzyme common among African Americans is not associated with colorectal cancer risk. Other approaches will be needed to establish a role for HPGDS in occurrence of human intestinal tumors, as indicated by a mouse model.

A phase 1 study of everolimus and sorafenib for metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The current study was conducted to assess the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary antitumor effect of everolimus, a mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor, in combination with sorafenib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma. METHODS: Sequential cohorts of patients received escalating doses of everolimus and sorafenib in 28-day cycles in the absence of a dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) or disease progression were examined. RESULTS: Twenty patients with a median age of 65 years received therapy in 3 cohorts. Dose level 1 was comprised of everolimus at a dose of 2.5 mg daily and sorafenib at a dose of 400 mg twice daily (6 patients), dose level 2 was comprised of everolimus at a dose of 5 mg daily and sorafenib at a dose of 400 mg twice daily (8 patients), and dose level 3 was comprised of everolimus at a dose of 10 mg daily and sorafenib at a dose of 200 mg twice daily (6 patients). DLTs included grade 4 (according to National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events [version 3.0]) hyperuricemia with grade 2 gout and grade 3 lipase associated with grade 2 pancreatitis at dose level 2, and grade 3 rash in 2 patients at dose level 3. Dose level 2 (everolimus at a dose of 5 mg daily and sorafenib at a dose of 400 mg twice daily) was established as the maximum tolerated dose. Treatment-related adverse events occurring in >20% of patients included diarrhea, hand-foot syndrome, hypertension, hypophosphatemia, hypothyroidism, and rash. Five of 20 patients achieved Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST)-defined partial responses, all of which occurred in patients without a history of prior systemic therapy. Seven of 8 patients treated at dose level 2 experienced a partial response or stable disease. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed no interaction between everolimus and sorafenib. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of everolimus and sorafenib was associated with acceptable toxicity and evidence of antitumor activity in previously untreated patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Tumor fistulization associated with targeted therapy: computed tomographic findings and clinical consequences.

PURPOSE: To describe the computed tomographic (CT) appearances and clinical consequences of tumor fistulization as a complication of targeted therapy for cancer. METHODS: The committee on human research approved this Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant study and waived written informed consent. Based on the records of the senior author and our multidisciplinary Tumor Boards, we retrospectively identified 4 patients (1 man and 3 women with a mean age of 55.25 years; range, 47 to 64 years) who developed tumor fistulization while being treated with targeted therapy consisting of sunitinib (n = 2); bevacizumab (n = 1); and XL184, an investigational c-Met inhibitor (n = 1). All available clinical, imaging, and histopathological records were reviewed, with particular emphasis on treatment administered, CT findings, and clinical course. RESULTS: All 4 patients developed fistulae from large metastatic deposits in the abdomen (mean size before treatment, 10.55 cm; range, 7.4-13.4 cm) to the gastrointestinal tract, and one patient also developed fistulae from a lung metastasis of undetermined size to the bronchial tree. All fistulae manifested as the appearance of air within a pre-existing tumor mass. At the time of fistula detection, disease at other sites in the 4 patients showed signs of regression (n = 1), progression (n = 2), or stability (n = 1). Currently, one patient is alive without evidence of disease, and the 3 other patients are deceased. CONCLUSIONS: Targeted therapy can be associated with tumor fistulization to the gastrointestinal tract or tracheobronchial tree; familiarity with the CT findings should facilitate the diagnosis of this complication, which seems to be of variable and patient-specific prognostic significance.

Asymptomatic maternal combined homocystinuria and methylmalonic aciduria (cblC) detected through low carnitine levels on newborn screening.

A symptom-free woman gave birth to a girl with a low carnitine level on newborn screening. The baby was unaffected, but the mother had biochemical abnormalities and mutations characteristic of the cblC defect of vitamin B(12) metabolism (late-onset form). This patient with cblC was detected through her infant's newborn screening.

Itraconazole as a Noncastrating Treatment for Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer: A Phase 2 Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer and short prostate-specific antigen doubling time (PSADT) are at risk for metastasis yet may wish to avoid androgen deprivation therapy. Itraconazole may have antitumor activity without affecting circulating androgen levels. We therefore evaluated itraconazole as a potentially noncastrating treatment approach in biochemically recurrent prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer and PSADT ≤ 15 months, with serum testosterone > 150 ng/dL, were prospectively enrolled. The primary end point was the proportion of patients who experienced ≥ 50% decline from baseline in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) by week 12. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were enrolled. The median (range) age, baseline PSA, and PSADT at study entry was 72 (49-76) years, 7.6 (1.5-45.5) ng/mL, and 5.7 (1.2-13.0) months, respectively. Among 19 patients with evaluable data, 1 patient (5%) had a > 50% PSA decline. Nine patients (47%) experienced any PSA decline (mean decline 25.0%, range 2%-60%) by week 12. Among 10 patients without a PSA decline, the on-treatment versus pretreatment PSADT was not significantly longer (median 6.8 vs. 4.3 months, P = .17). There was no significant change from baseline to week 12 in serum testosterone (median change = 32.4%, P = .21) or androstenedione (median change = -8.3%, P = .85). The most common adverse events were edema (52%), fatigue (38%), hypertension (24%), and hypokalemia (24%). CONCLUSION: Itraconazole modulates serum PSA levels without lowering serum testosterone. However, the magnitude of effect is modest, and treatment carries risk of toxicities associated with mineralocorticoid excess.

Prostate cancer update: 2007.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The present review highlights the year's most important developments in the risk assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of prostate cancer. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent research has helped define the prognostic importance of incorporating tertiary Gleason 5 pattern into the Gleason sum as well as interpretation of prostate-specific antigen levels when patients are being treated with low doses of finasteride. More data have emerged on the benefits of active treatment in elderly men newly diagnosed with localized prostate cancer. Particular subgroups of high-risk postprostatectomy patients (low postsurgical prostate-specific antigen level, positive surgical margins) may benefit from adjuvant radiotherapy. For salvage radiotherapy, the first comprehensive nomogram has been developed. Further data is emerging on the cardiovascular risks associated with androgen deprivation therapy even when administered for shorter treatment durations in conjunction with definitive local therapy. In addition, androgen deprivation therapy may be associated with earlier incidence of fatal cardiovascular events. For advanced prostate cancer, the first prospective trial defining taxane-resistant prostate cancer is described. SUMMARY: The data of the present year have important implications in the diagnosis and management of prostate cancer by urologists, radiation oncologists, and medical oncologists.

Intermittent chemotherapy for metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer.

While docetaxel/prednisone chemotherapy has demonstrated a survival advantage in metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) patients, the optimal duration of chemotherapy has not yet been established. Currently, a standard practice is to treat patients indefinitely until unacceptable toxicity or disease progression. A systematic approach to providing breaks in treatment schedules (intermittent chemotherapy) for patients who experience an initial response to chemotherapy may avoid or delay the development of progressive toxicity. Whether continuous therapy offers an advantage over intermittent therapy, in terms of balancing disease control and overall survival with treatment-related toxicities and quality-of-life (QOL) is yet unanswered. This article will: (1) review the data from prior studies of intermittent versus continuous chemotherapy in other solid tumors, (2) review existing trials of intermittent chemotherapy in prostate cancer, (3) discuss intermittent chemotherapy clinical trial design considerations, and (4) discuss the future role of intermittent chemotherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer.

A phase I trial of docetaxel/estramustine/imatinib in patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Docetaxel/estramustine was a commonly used regimen to treat metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Imatinib inhibits the platelet-derived growth factor receptor that is expressed in prostate cancer and is synergistic with taxanes in preclinical prostate cancer models. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A phase I trial of docetaxel/estramustine/ imatinib was undertaken to determine the safety and maximum tolerated dose of this combination. Patients with progressive, metastatic, hormone-refractory prostate cancer were treated every 21 days with fixed doses of estramustine (280 mg orally 3 times a day on days 1-5), imatinib (400 mg orally daily on days 1-21), dexamethasone (8 mg orally twice daily on days 1-3), and prophylactic warfarin (2 mg orally daily on days 1-21). Cohorts of 3-6 patients were enrolled to receive escalating doses of docetaxel on day 2 from 50 mg/m2 to 60 mg/m2 to 70 mg/m2. Thirteen patients were treated. RESULTS: On dose level 3 (docetaxel 70 mg/m2 and imatinib 400 mg daily), 2 patients experienced grade 3 elevations in prothrombin time, attributed to the interaction between imatinib and warfarin. The protocol was amended to include an intermediate dose level (docetaxel 60 mg/m2 and imatinib 300 mg daily). However, in the overall study, there were 5 unacceptable toxicities (2 cerebrovascular accidents, 1 myocardial infarction, 1 mesenteric ischemia, and 1 deep venous thrombosis) in 13 patients; 2 of those toxicities resulted in death. The study was closed early to further accrual. CONCLUSION: The high incidence of thromboembolic events observed when imatinib was combined with docetaxel/estramustine precludes further exploration of this regimen.

A multicenter phase I study of cabazitaxel, mitoxantrone, and prednisone for chemotherapy-naïve patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: A department of defense prostate cancer clinical trials consortium study.

BACKGROUND: Cabazitaxel plus prednisone has significant activity in patients with chemotherapy-naïve and pretreated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Mitoxantrone has antitumor activity in mCRPC and nonoverlapping mechanism of action and toxicity profile. OBJECTIVE: To establish the maximally tolerated dose of the combination of cabazitaxel, mitoxantrone, and prednisone. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients with chemotherapy-naïve mCRPC were prospectively enrolled in a multicenter phase 1 trial. Cabazitaxel 20 and 25mg/m2 were each evaluated in combination with escalating doses of mitoxantrone (starting dose 4mg/m2), given with prednisone 5mg twice daily. RESULTS: A total of 25 patients were enrolled, with median age of 67 (range: 51-78) and prostate-specific antigen of 66.8ng/ml (range: 3-791.2). There were 4 dose-limiting toxicities (febrile neutropenia, n = 3; sepsis, n = 1). The maximally tolerated dose was cabazitaxel 20mg/m2 plus mitoxantrone 12mg/m2. The most common treatment-related grade≥3 related adverse events included neutropenia (n = 8; 32%), febrile neutropenia (n = 5; 20%), and thrombocytopenia (n = 4; 16%). The median number of treatment cycles was 8 (range: 2 to 19+). Decline in prostate-specific antigen to≥50% from baseline was observed in 15 patients (60%). Objective responses were observed in 10/14 (71%) evaluable patients. The median radiographic progression-free survival was 14.5 months (95% CI: 8.0-not reached (NR)), and median overall survival was 23.3 months (95% CI: 14.3-NR). CONCLUSIONS: The approved single-agent doses of mitoxantrone and cabazitaxel were safely combined. The combination led to durable tumor responses in most patients. Further study of the combination is warranted.

High-Dose Abiraterone Acetate in Men With Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Abiraterone acetate (AA) inhibits androgen biosynthesis and prolongs survival in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) when combined with prednisone (P). Resistance to therapy remains incompletely understood. In this open-label, single-arm, multicenter phase II study we investigated the clinical benefit of increasing the dose of AA at the time of resistance to standard-dose therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible patients had progressive mCRPC and started AA 1000 mg daily and P 5 mg twice daily. Patients who achieved any prostate-specific antigen (PSA) decline after 12 weeks of therapy continued AA with P until PSA or radiographic progression. At progression, AA was increased to 1000 mg twice daily with unchanged P dosing. Patients were monitored for response to therapy for a minimum of 12 weeks or until PSA or radiographic progression. The primary end point was PSA decline of at least 30% after 12 weeks of therapy at the increased dose of AA. RESULTS: Forty-one patients were enrolled from March 2013 through March 2014. Thirteen men experienced disease progression during standard-dose therapy and were subsequently treated with AA 1000 mg twice per day. Therapy was well tolerated. No PSA declines ≥ 30% nor radiographic responses were observed after 12 weeks of dose-escalated therapy. Higher baseline dehydroepiandrosterone levels, lower circulating tumor cell burden, and higher pharmacokinetic levels of abiraterone and abiraterone metabolites were associated with response to standard-dose therapy. CONCLUSION: Increasing the dose of abiraterone at the time of resistance has limited clinical utility and cannot be recommended. Lower baseline circulating androgen levels and interpatient pharmacokinetic variance appear to be associated with primary resistance to AA with P.

Immunotherapy for prostate cancer using prostatic acid phosphatase loaded antigen presenting cells.

Dendritic cells from patients with cancer are deficient in number and functional activity, leading to inadequate tumor immunosurveillance as a result of poor induction of T-cell antitumor responses. Loaded dendritic cell therapy is a vaccination strategy aimed at eliciting tumor antigen-specific, T-cell immune responses. Loaded dendritic cell therapy using prostatic acid phosphatase (APC8015; Provenge, Dendreon Corp., Seattle, WA) as an immunogen has shown a survival benefit in patients with metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer in a randomized phase III trial. This review will summarize the prostate cancer clinical trials using APC8015 and discuss the potential future role of APC8015 in prostate cancer treatment.

Angiogenesis inhibition plus chemotherapy for metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer: history and rationale.

Angiogenesis inhibition with bevacizumab and other agents of this class are showing significant activity in a variety of cancers. In prostate cancer, the single agent activity has been low, but the addition of these agents to chemotherapy may be the area in which they provide their greatest clinical benefit. An ongoing study conducted by the Cancer and Leukemia Group B will test this approach in men with metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer. Future studies may test the efficacy of anti-angiogenic strategies in earlier stage disease as well as in combination with other approaches. This review will highlight the clinical experience to date with angiogenesis inhibitors in prostate cancer and the ongoing studies.

Systemic GM-CSF Recruits Effector T Cells into the Tumor Microenvironment in Localized Prostate Cancer.

Granulocytic-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is used as an adjuvant in cancer vaccine trials and has the potential to enhance antitumor efficacy with immunotherapy; however, its immunologic effects are not fully understood. Here, we report results from a phase I study of neoadjuvant GM-CSF in patients with localized prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy. Patients received subcutaneous injections of GM-CSF (250 µg/m2/day) daily for 2 weeks (cohort 1; n = 6), 3 weeks (cohort 2; n = 6), or 4 weeks (cohort 3; n = 6). Treatment was well tolerated with all grade 1 or 2 adverse events. Two patients had a decline in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) of more than 50%. GM-CSF treatment increased the numbers of circulating mature myeloid dendritic cells, proliferating conventional CD4 T cells, proliferating CD8 T cells, and to a lesser magnitude FoxP3+ regulatory CD4 T cells. Although GM-CSF treatment did not augment antigen-presenting cell localization to the prostate, treatment was associated with recruitment of CD8+ T cells to the tumor. These results suggest that systemic GM-CSF can modulate T-cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment. Cancer Immunol Res; 4(11); 948-58. ©2016 AACR.

Preexisting Levels of CD4 T Cells Expressing PD-1 Are Related to Overall Survival in Prostate Cancer Patients Treated with Ipilimumab.

Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) blockade can induce tumor regression and improved survival in cancer patients. This treatment can enhance adaptive immune responses without an exogenous vaccine, but the immunologic biomarkers associated with improved clinical outcome in cancer patients are not fully established. A phase Ib trial in patients with metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer was performed combining ipilimumab with sargramostim (GM-CSF). In addition to evaluating ipilimumab dose, patients were followed clinically for response and overall survival, and for immunomodulation of circulating T cells. PSA declines of ≥50% and radiographic responses were observed at doses of ≥3 mg/kg/dose. Timing of clinical responses could be either immediate or delayed. Durable responses were also observed off treatment. A subset of patients experienced long-term survival with or without objective clinical responses. The relationship between T-cell phenotype in peripheral blood and overall survival was examined retrospectively. We found that the treatment induced an increase in the levels of CD4(+) effector T (Teff) cells, regulatory T cells, PD-1(+) CD4 Teff cells, and PD-1(+) CD8 T cells. However, these increased levels were not associated with overall survival. Instead, low pretreatment baseline levels of PD-1(+) CD4 Teff cells were found to correlate with longer overall survival. Furthermore, baseline levels of PD-1(+) CD4 Teff cells from patients with shorter overall survival were higher than from cancer-free male control subjects. These results suggest that preexisting expression of immunologic checkpoint marker PD-1 on CD4 Teff cells may help identify patients that may benefit from ipilimumab treatment.

Intermittent Chemotherapy as a Platform for Testing Novel Agents in Patients With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: A Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium Randomized Phase II Trial of Intermittent Docetaxel With Prednisone With or Without Maintenance GM-CSF.

BACKGROUND: Immunotherapy with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), an agent that previously demonstrated antitumor activity, was evaluated within an intermittent chemotherapy framework of docetaxel with prednisone (D+P) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: mCRPC patients with ≥ 50% prostate-specific antigen (PSA) decline after 6 cycles of D+P were randomized to either GM-CSF or observation (Obs). At disease progression (PD), D+P was reinitiated for 6 cycles followed by the same "off chemotherapy" regimen in patients eligible for chemotherapy interruption. The sequence was repeated until PD during chemotherapy, lack of PSA response to chemotherapy, or unacceptable toxicity. The primary end point was time to chemotherapy resistance (TTCR). RESULTS: Of 125 patients enrolled, 52 (42%) experienced ≥ 50% PSA decline on induction D+P and were randomized to GM-CSF (n = 27) or Obs (n = 25). The median time to PD was 3.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.4-3.5) and 1.5 months (95% CI, 1.5-2.4) during the initial course of GM-CSF and Obs, respectively. Twelve of 26 (46%) patients responded to a second course of D+P. Eleven randomized patients (21%) experienced PD during chemotherapy, precluding accurate assessment of TTCR. The remaining 41 randomized patients discontinued study for lack of PSA response to chemotherapy (n = 8), patient choice to not restart chemotherapy with PSA PD (n = 13), toxicity (n = 7), or study withdrawal (n = 13). CONCLUSION: Conducting a prospective study in mCRPC with maintenance immunotherapy within the framework of intermittent chemotherapy was feasible. The use of PSA instead of radiographic end points limited the number of evaluable patients. This study provides important insight into designing contemporary intermittent chemotherapy trials with maintenance immunotherapy in patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Intestinal tumor suppression in ApcMin/+ mice by prostaglandin D2 receptor PTGDR.

Our earlier work showed that knockout of hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase (HPGDS, an enzyme that produces prostaglandin D2) caused more adenomas in Apc(Min/+) mice. Conversely, highly expressed transgenic HPGDS allowed fewer tumors. Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) binds to the prostaglandin D2 receptor known as PTGDR (or DP1). PGD2 metabolites bind to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARG). We hypothesized that Ptgdr or Pparg knockouts may raise numbers of tumors, if these receptors take part in tumor suppression by PGD2. To assess, we produced Apc(Min/+) mice with and without Ptgdr knockouts (147 mice). In separate experiments, we produced Apc(Min/+) mice expressing transgenic lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase (PTGDS), with and without heterozygous Pparg knockouts (104 mice). Homozygous Ptgdr knockouts raised total numbers of tumors by 30-40% at 6 and 14 weeks. Colon tumors were not affected. Heterozygous Pparg knockouts alone did not affect tumor numbers in Apc(Min/+) mice. As mentioned above, our Pparg knockout assessment also included mice with highly expressed PTGDS transgenes. Apc(Min/+) mice with transgenic PTGDS had fewer large adenomas (63% of control) and lower levels of v-myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (MYC) mRNA in the colon. Heterozygous Pparg knockouts appeared to blunt the tumor-suppressing effect of transgenic PTGDS. However, tumor suppression by PGD2 was more clearly mediated by receptor PTGDR in our experiments. The suppression mechanism did not appear to involve changes in microvessel density or slower proliferation of tumor cells. The data support a role for PGD2 signals acting through PTGDR in suppression of intestinal tumors.