Analysis of efficacy and safety of vismodegib therapy in patients with advanced basal cell carcinoma - real world multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most frequent non-melanoma skin cancer. The basis of treatment is surgical resection. The treatment of locally advanced and metastatic disease is currently based on sonidegb or vismodegib, small molecule inhibitors of the hedgehog signalling pathway. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to retrospectively analyse the efficacy and safety of treatment with vismodegib in 108 patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease treated from August 1st, 2017 to December 31st, 2020. The primary objective was to evaluate the objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival rates. The secondary aims of the study were the disease control rate, the incidence of adverse events (AEs) and the estimation of the factors that potentially impact the treatment outcome and patient survival. METHODS: Patients treated in national drug programme were enrolled into this retrospective cohort study. Evaluation of the treatment efficacy was performed according to CT/MRI scans and by the response evaluation criteria in solid tumours (RECIST) 1.1. The safety evaluation was performed according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v. 5.0 (CTCAE) classification and severity assessment. RESULTS: The median duration of treatment was 14 months (range 1-94 months). The median progression-free survival reached 30.5 months (95% CI; 24.8-36.3), and the progression-free survival rate after 6, 12 and 24-months were 92%, 78% and 61%, respectively. The median overall survival was 41.5 months (95% CI; 31.6-51.3), and the overall survival rate after 1, 2 and 3 years accordingly 86%, 73% and 60%. The univariant and multivariant analysis indicated that the female gender is an independent positive prognostic factor of progression-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: The response to treatment is the prognostic factor for response maintenance and better overall survival. The therapy was well tolerated with the safety profile consistent in general with known from previous studies.

Differences in recurrence and survival of extremity liposarcoma subtypes.

BACKGROUND: Liposarcomas can be divided into four subtypes and are most frequently located in the extremities. There are currently no studies comparing the clinical outcomes, such as local recurrence and distant metastasis, between the distinct subtypes of primary LPS of the extremity specifically. METHODS: Retrospective databases of two expertise centres (Rotterdam-R, Warsaw-W) of patients with liposarcoma located in the extremities from 1985 to 2015 were used to analyse 5-year local recurrence-free survival (5y-LRFS), 5-year distant metastasis-free survival (5y-DMFS) and 5-year overall survival (5y-OS). RESULTS: We identified 456 patients: 192 well-differentiated liposarcomas (WDLPS), 172 myxoid liposarcomas (MLPS), 54 pleomorphic liposarcomas (PLPS), 23 dedifferentiated liposarcomas (DDLPS) and 15 other subtypes. The frequency of (neo)adjuvant radiotherapy (R: 34.5% vs. W: 78.4%) and R0-resections (R: 41.0% vs. W: 84.1%) differed between the datasets. Local recurrences (LR) were observed most frequently in DDLPS (5y-LRFS 62.4%), followed by PLPS (71.4%), WDLPS (77.0%) and MLPS (84.5%, p = 0.054). Distant metastases (DM) were most commonly observed in PLPS (5y-DMFS 46.9%), followed by MLPS (74.0%), DDLPS (86.3%) and WDLPS (97.3%). 5y-OS was poorest in patients with PLPS (47.6%) and DDLPS (54.4%), followed by MLPS (79.7%) and WDLPS (92.4%, p < 0.001). Male gender significantly increased the risk of LR and DM. The subtypes MLPS and PLPS were significant prognostic factors for DM and OS. Additionally, DDLPS and age had significant impact on OS. CONCLUSION: In the largest cohort of extremity LPS patients reported to date, LPS subtypes show distinct patterns of LR, DM and OS, stressing that 'extremity LPS' is not a single entity.

Efficacy of neoadjuvant hypofractionated radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced myxoid liposarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Myxoid liposarcoma (MLPS) has been reported to be more radiosensitive compared with other soft tissue sarcomas (STS). The use of preoperative hypofractionated radiotherapy 5 × 5 Gy for five consecutive days, and then immediate surgery in patients with locally advanced STS showed a good local control rate. The main objective of our work was to assess the efficacy of hypofractionated radiotherapy in preoperative setting in patients with locally advanced primary MLPS. METHODS: From February 1999 to March 2014, 32 patients with primary MLPS were treated with preoperative hypofractionated radiotherapy for 5 consecutive days followed by immediate surgery (median dose 5 × 5 Gy). Median size of the tumor 10.5 cm. In one patient the tumor was located on the upper extremity, the other (31 patients) had their tumors located on the lower extremity. RESULTS: In 90% patients histologically negative surgical margins (R0) were obtained. 34% patients had distant recurrence of the disease, local recurrence was found in 9.3% of the patients. 5-year local relapse-free survival rate was 90% and overall survival was 68%. In all analyzed surgical specimens the radiotherapy response features (hyalinization, fibrosis, paucicelularity, hemorrhages, dilatation of vessels) were detected. We have not found statistically significant differences in terms of OS and LRFS for RCC component, tumor grade, BCL2, TP53, postsurgery necrosis and tumor size. In postradiotherapy specimens significantly higher positivity of TP53 expression was detected as compared to primary biopsies. CONCLUSION: Combined therapy with hypofractionated radiotherapy followed by immediate surgery seems to be effective therapy in MLPS demonstrating good local control and pathological response to therapy.

Preoperative hypofractionated radiotherapy in the treatment of localized soft tissue sarcomas.

BACKGROUND: The primary treatment of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) is a radical resection of the tumor with adjuvant radiotherapy. Conventional fractionation of preoperative radiotherapy is 50 Gy in fraction of 2 Gy a day. The purpose of the conducted study was to assess the efficacy and safety of hypofractionated radiotherapy in preoperative setting in STS patients. METHODS: 272 patients participated in this prospective study conducted from 2006 till 2011. Tumors were localized on the extremities or trunk wall. Median tumor size was 8.5 cm, 42% of the patients had tumor larger than 10 cm, whereas 170 patients (64.6%) had high grade (G3) tumors. 167 patients (61.4%) had primary tumors. Patients were treated with preoperative radiotherapy for five consecutive days in 5 Gy per fraction, with an immediate surgery. Median follow up is 35 months. RESULTS: 79 patients died at the time of the analysis, the 3-year overall survival was 72%. Local recurrences were observed in 19.1 % of the patients. Factors that had a significant adverse impact on local recurrence were tumor size of 10 cm or more and G3 grade. 114 patients (42%) had any kind of treatment toxicity, vast majority with tumors located on lower limbs. 7% (21) of the patients required surgery for treatment of the complications. CONCLUSION: In this non-selected group of locally advanced STS use of hypofractionated preoperative radiotherapy was associated with similar local control (81%) when compared to previously published studies. The early toxicity is tolerable, with small rate of late complications. Presented results warrant further evaluation.