A phase II study of the orally administered negative enantiomer of gossypol (AT-101), a BH3 mimetic, in patients with advanced adrenal cortical carcinoma.

Background Adrenal cortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare cancer with treatment options of limited efficacy, and poor prognosis if metastatic. AT-101 is a more potent inhibitor of B cell lymphoma 2 family apoptosis-related proteins than its racemic form, gossypol, which showed preliminary clinical activity in ACC. We thus evaluated the efficacy of AT-101 in patients with advanced ACC. Methods Patients with histologically confirmed metastatic, recurrent, or primarily unresectable ACC were treated with AT-101 (20 mg/day orally, 21 days out of 28-day cycles) until disease progression and/or prohibitive toxicity. The primary endpoint was objective response rate, wherein a Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) partial response rate of 25% would be considered promising and 10% not, with a Type I error of 10% and 90% power. In a 2-stage design, 2 responses were required of the first 21 assessable subjects to warrant complete accrual of 44 patients. Secondary endpoints included safety, progression-free survival and overall survival. Results This study accrued 29 patients between 2009 and 2011; median number of cycles was 2. Seven percent experienced grade 4 toxicity including cardiac troponin elevations and hypokalemia. None of the first 21 patients attained RECIST partial response; accordingly, study therapy was deemed ineffective and the trial was permanently closed. Conclusions AT-101 had no meaningful clinical activity in this study in patients with advanced ACC, but demonstrated feasibility of prospective therapeutic clinical trials in this rare cancer.

Phase I trial of vandetanib in combination with gemcitabine and capecitabine in patients with advanced solid tumors with an expanded cohort in pancreatic and biliary cancers.

BACKGROUND: Vandetanib is a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor that affects vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and rearranged during transfection (RET) mediated receptors which are important for growth and invasion of biliary and pancreatic cancers. This phase I study evaluated the safety profile of vandetanib in combination with standard doses of gemcitabine and capecitabine in order to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). METHODS: In this single center phase I trial, patients received gemcitabine intravenously (i.v.) at 1000 mg/m2 days 1, 8, 15 in a 28 day cycle, capecitabine orally at 850 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1-21, and escalating doses of vandetanib (200 or 300 mg orally daily). Once the MTD was defined, an expansion cohort of patients with advanced biliary cancers and locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer was enrolled. Blood samples were also collected at predetermined time points for biomarker analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients were enrolled: 9 in the dose escalation and 14 in the dose expansion cohort. One dose limiting toxicity (DLT), of grade 4 neutropenia, occurred in the 200 mg vandetanib cohort. The most common adverse effects were diarrhea (39 %), nausea and vomiting (34%), and rash (33%). There were 3 partial responses and stable disease of >2 months (range 2-45, median 5) was observed in 15/23 patients. There was no association between changes in biomarker analytes and disease response. CONCLUSION: The combination of gemcitabine, capecitabine and vandetanib is well tolerated at the recommended phase II dose of gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 weekly for three consecutive weeks, capecitabine 850 mg/m2 BID days 1-21, and vandetanib 300 mg daily, every 28 days. This combination demonstrated promising activity in pancreaticobiliary cancers and further evaluation is warranted in these diseases. NCT00551096.

Treatment of advanced thyroid cancer with axitinib: Phase 2 study with pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic and quality-of-life assessments.

BACKGROUND: In a previous phase 2 trial, axitinib was active and well tolerated in patients with advanced thyroid cancer. In this second phase 2 trial, the efficacy and safety of axitinib were evaluated further in this population, and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationships and patient-reported outcomes were assessed. METHODS: Patients (N = 52) with metastatic or unresectable, locally advanced medullary or differentiated thyroid cancer that was refractory or not amenable to iodine-131 received a starting dose of axitinib 5 mg twice daily. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), safety, pharmacokinetic parameters, and patient-reported outcomes assessed with the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory questionnaire. RESULTS: The overall ORR was 35% (18 partial responses), and 18 patients had stable disease for ≥16 weeks. The median PFS was 16.1 months, and the median OS was 27.2 months. All-causality, grade ≥3 adverse events (>5%) were fatigue, dyspnea, diarrhea, decreased weight, pain in extremity, hypertension, decreased appetite, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, hypocalcemia, and myalgia. Patients who had greater axitinib exposure had a longer median PFS. Quality of life was maintained during treatment with axitinib, and no significant deterioration in symptoms or interference in daily life caused by symptoms, assessed on MD Anderson Symptom Inventory subscales, were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Axitinib has activity and a manageable safety profile while maintaining quality of life, and it represents an additional treatment option for patients with advanced thyroid cancer.

An International Phase 2 Study of Pazopanib in Progressive and Metastatic Thyroglobulin Antibody Negative Radioactive Iodine Refractory Differentiated Thyroid Cancer.

Introduction: Multikinase inhibitors have clinical activity in radioactive iodine refractory (RAIR) differentiated thyroid cancers (DTCs) but are not curative; optimal management and salvage therapies remain unclear. This study assessed clinical effects of pazopanib therapy in RAIR-DTC patients with progressive disease, examining in parallel biomarker that might forecast/precede therapeutic response. Methods: Assessment of responses and toxicities and of any association between thyroglobulin (Tg) changes cycle 1 and RECIST (response evaluation criteria in solid tumors) response to pazopanib therapy were prospectively undertaken in Tg antibody negative RAIR-DTC patients. RECIST progressive metastatic disease <6 months preceding enrollment was required. With a sample size of 68 (assuming 23 attaining partial response [PR]), there would be 90% chance of detecting a difference of >30% when the proportion of patients attaining PR whose Tg values decrease by >50% is >50% cycle 1 (one-sided α = 0.10, two sample test of proportions). Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) change or mutational status or pretreatment were also explored as early correlates of eventual RECIST response. Results: From 2009 to 2011, 60 individuals were treated and evaluated; (one additional patient withdrew; another was found ineligible before therapy initiation); 91.7% had previous systemic therapy beyond RAI. Adverse events included one death (thromboembolic) deemed possibly pazopanib associated. Twenty-two confirmed RECIST PRs resulted (36.7%, confidence interval; CI [24.6-50.1]); mean administered 4-week cycles was 10. Among 44 fully accessible patients, the Tg nadir was greater among the 20 attaining PR (median: -86.8%; interquartile range [IQR]: -90.7% to -70.9%) compared with the 28 who did not (median: -69.0%; IQR: -78.1% to -27.7%, Wilcoxon rank-sum test: p = 0.002). However, the difference in the proportion of PRs among those whose Tg fell ≥50% after cycle 1 versus those that did not were not significantly correlated (-23.5% [CI: -55.3 to 8.3]; Fisher's exact test p-value = 0.27). RECIST response was also not correlated with/predicted by early MCV change, receipt of prior therapy, or tumor mutational status. Conclusions: This trial prospectively confirmed pazopanib to have clinical activity and manageable toxicities in patients with progressive RAIR-DTC. Response to pazopanib, however, was not robustly forecast by early associated changes in Tg or MCV, by prior therapy, or by tumor mutational status. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00625846.

A Phase II multi-institutional trial of chemoradiation using weekly docetaxel and erythropoietin for high-risk postoperative head and neck cancer patients.

PURPOSE: To determine efficacy and toxicities of postoperative concurrent chemoradiation using docetaxel in high-risk head and neck cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: High-risk patients were enrolled 2-8 weeks after surgery. Treatment included 60 Gy for 6 weeks with weekly docetaxel 25 mg/m(2) and erythropoietin alpha 40,000 U for hemoglobin < or =12 g/dL. Primary endpoints included locoregional control (LC), disease-free survival (DFS), and patterns of failure (POF). Secondary endpoints were toxicity and quality of life. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were enrolled (14 male, 4 female), aged 24-70 years (median, 55 years). Primary site included oropharynx = 7, oral cavity = 8, hypopharynx = 1, and larynx = 2. Pathologic American Joint Committee on Cancer Stage was III = 3 patients, IV = 15 patients. High-risk eligibility included > or =2 positive lymph nodes = 13, extracapsular extension = 10, positive margins = 8 (11 patients with two or more risk factors). Docetaxel was reduced to 20 mg/m(2)/week after 5 patients had prolonged Grade 3 or higher mucositis. Overall, number of doses delivered was 2 of 6 = 1, 3 of 6 = 2, 4 of 6 = 2, 5 of 6 = 4, 6 of 6 = 9 patients. With median follow-up of 30 months (range, 5-66), 10 (56%) patients are alive and have no evidence of disease (NED); POF: three local recurrences (two with distant) and 1 distant only. One-year survival was 76%, median PFS and DFS had not been reached. Three-year LC was 82%. No Grade 3 or higher late toxicities were observed, although a few cases of prolonged mucositis and taste loss (>3 months) were seen, particularly at 25 mg/m(2)/week. CONCLUSION: Postoperative radiation therapy with weekly docetaxel 20 or 25 mg/m(2)/week for high-risk postoperative head and neck cancer caused intolerable mucosal toxicity, prompting early study termination. Further studies should consider 15 mg/m(2). Actuarial 3-year LC is 82%, similar to cisplatin-based chemoradiation regimens. Distant metastasis remains an important issue requiring additional systemic interventions.

Phase II trial of gefitinib 250 mg daily in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

PURPOSE: An objective response rate of 11% was reported in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) treated with 500 mg daily gefitinib although the recommended dose in lung cancer is 250 mg. This study evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of 250 mg daily gefitinib in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic SCCHN. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Phase II trial with objective response rate as the primary end point. Measurements of quality of life and levels of serum vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-alpha were assessed before and during therapy. RESULTS: In 70 patients, 1 (1.4%) partial response was observed. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 1.8 and 5.5 months, respectively. Quality of life scores improved transiently during the first weeks of therapy before returning to baseline. Median vascular endothelial growth factor and transforming growth factor-alpha levels were above the normal range but were not predictive of outcome. Four patients experienced grade 3 drug-related adverse events. Rash of any grade was observed in 64% of subjects. Correlation between disease control (partial response + stable disease), progression-free survival, and overall survival and grade of cutaneous toxicity was observed (P = 0.001, 0.001, and 0.008 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Gefitinib monotherapy at 250 mg in recurrent and/or metastatic SCCHN seems to have less activity than was previously observed for 500 mg daily. A dose-response relationship may exist for this agent in SCCHN and grade of cutaneous toxicity attributable to gefitinib is a clinical predictor of better outcome.

Chemoprevention of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity has long been seen as an attractive candidate for chemoprevention strategies. Because of the poor out-comes associated with the disease, the presence of identifiable premalignant lesions, and the failure of local preventive therapies, such as surgery, many investigators have hoped to find an effective chemopreventive compound. Initial enthusiasm surrounding high-dose retinoids gave way to concerns regarding toxicity and short duration of response. Although many of the other agents discussed above have shown promise, as yet none have been proven safe and effective in large-scale randomized trials. Much has been learned,however, about the molecular process of oral carcinogenesis from studies of these agents. Ongoing and future studies of chemopreventive agents in oral cancer hopefully will be able to exploit our expanding knowledge of these molecular pathways.

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome associated with Kaposi sarcoma during potent antiretroviral therapy.

Rapidly progressive Kaposi sarcoma (KS) lesions with lymphadenopathy and tissue swelling occurred in a patient during antiretroviral treatment, despite an increased CD4(+) lymphocyte count and decreased HIV-1 level and KS-associated herpesvirus replication, suggesting immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. Inflammation resolved coincident with decreases in the CD4(+) lymphocyte count during paclitaxel treatment, whereas KS cleared only after prolonged antiretroviral therapy and chemotherapy.

Inhibition of proliferation of human small cell lung cancer cells expressing an autocrine system for gastrin releasing peptide by antisense oligodeoxynucleotides to gastrin releasing peptide receptor.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of antisense (AS) oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) directed against gastrin releasing peptide (GRP) receptor mRNA on proliferation of human small cell lung cancer (SCLC) NCI-H345 cells which express the autocrine system for GRP. The methods used were to expose human SCLC cell lines to antisense ODNs or sense ODNs and to measure their proliferation by spectrophotometric assay or viable cell counts. Our results demonstrated that the single or combined AS ODNs against GRP receptor inhibited proliferation of human SCLC NCI-H345 cells significantly by 37% (P<0.01), but did not inhibit proliferation of either human bronchial epithelial BEAS 2B cells or human SCLC NCI-N417 cells, neither of which express the GRP autocrine system. The sense controls did not significantly inhibit proliferation compared with no treatment controls. Specificity was also demonstrated by the observation that cells exposed to AS ODNs had a decrease in GRP receptor expression as measured by specific binding of 34% (P<0.01), and when all three AS ODNs were used, binding was decreased by 60% (P<0.03). Furthermore, AS ODNs decreased by 75% the maximum percentage of cells responding to GRP in an intracellular calcium release assay. Our conclusions are that antisense ODNs directed against a GRP receptor which is involved in an autocrine loop in human SCLC cells inhibited proliferation of these cells by their impact on reducing GRP receptor expression. Further development of means of increasing AS ODN specificity and effectiveness in human SCLC cell is warranted.

Dexamethasone regulation of gastrin-releasing peptide receptor in human lung cells.

We investigated the effects of the glucocorticoid, dexamethasone (Dex), on expression of the gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) receptor by human small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) SHP77 cells. After 12h of 10nM Dex exposure, a six-fold increase in the peak of GRP receptor mRNA compared with untreated controls (10.5+/-4 versus 1.65+/-0.15 attomols/microg total RNA, respectively, P<0.05) occurred. GRP receptor mRNA levels fell to less than 0.5 attomols/microg total RNA after 24h; in Dex-treated cells, these levels rose to 1.2 compared with 0.12 attomols/microg total RNA in the absence of Dex after 7 days. A significant increase (P<0.05) in the GRP receptor-specific binding was also found. Stimulation of SHP77 cell proliferation (25-35% in the presence of 10-100 nM Dex; P<0.0001) was observed after 4-8 days of exposure; this stimulation was inhibited by GRP receptor antagonists. SHP77 cell content and concentration of bombesin-like peptides (BLP) in conditioned medium (approximately 4 nM) was unchanged by Dex. Stimulation of human SCLC SHP77 cell proliferation by Dex may, in part, occur via effects on the GRP autocrine system in these cells.

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) following platelet transfusion in a patient receiving high-dose interleukin-2 for treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is an uncommon life-threatening complication of hemotherapy. It is hypothesized to be the result of two independent insults: the first related to the clinical status of the patient and the second to the infusion of biologic response modifiers within blood components. We present a case of TRALI in a patient who received high-dose Interleukin-2 (IL-2) as treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma, where IL-2 is speculated to have been the first insult and transfusion of platelet concentrate the second. This is the first reported case of TRALI complicating treatment with high-dose immunotherapy.

Approach to the thyroid cancer patient with extracervical metastases.

Patients with distant, or extracervical, metastases from differentiated thyroid cancer require multimodality diagnostic, therapeutic, and monitoring approaches. Whereas cure is the initial goal, especially in those with small, radioiodine-avid pulmonary metastases, improved survival and management of symptoms become the primary objective in many patients with persistent disease, especially those with bone metastases. Levothyroxine therapy with suppression of serum TSH is a primary therapy in all patients with advanced differentiated thyroid cancer, and this therapy has been shown to improve overall survival and slow disease progression. Radioiodine is also an important systemic therapy for those patients with radioiodine-avid disease who respond to this targeted therapy. In this review, we compare standard fixed-dose radioiodine therapy vs. the dosimetric approach. Directed therapy such as external beam radiotherapy, surgery, and embolization is generally considered for large or painful lesions. Careful collaborations with multiple specialties through tumor boards or other mechanisms help to optimize complex management decisions in these patients with advanced thyroid cancer. Multimodality monitoring focused on the organ of interest such as pulmonary [computed tomography (CT)], bone (magnetic resonance imaging, CT, bone scan), and brain (CT, magnetic resonance imaging) metastases as well as general metastatic surveillance (bone scan, (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography) aid decision making about careful monitoring vs. directed or systemic therapy. (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography imaging has an additional role in patient prognosis and guiding directed therapy for fluorodeoxyglucose-avid lesions. Patients with asymptomatic, stable, radioiodine-resistant metastases may be carefully monitored for disease progression. Patients with symptomatic disease should receive directed therapy with the goal of symptom relief. Patients with progressive metastatic disease should be considered for clinical trials or targeted systemic therapy (sorafenib or sunitinib), although these agents are not Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for patients with thyroid cancer. The goals of therapy for patients with extracervical metastases should be to improve survival, relieve symptoms, and decrease the morbidity of disease progression and limit the morbidity associated with therapy.

Axitinib is an active treatment for all histologic subtypes of advanced thyroid cancer: results from a phase II study.

PURPOSE: Patients with advanced, incurable thyroid cancer not amenable to surgery or radioactive iodine ((131)I) therapy have few satisfactory therapeutic options. This multi-institutional study assessed the activity and safety of axitinib, an oral, potent, and selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR) 1, 2, and 3 in patients with advanced thyroid cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with thyroid cancer of any histology that was resistant or not appropriate for (131)I were enrolled onto a single-arm phase II trial to receive axitinib orally (starting dose, 5 mg twice daily). Objective response rate (ORR) by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors was the primary end point. Secondary end points included duration of response, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival, safety, and modulation of soluble (s) VEGFR. RESULTS: Sixty patients were enrolled. Partial responses were observed in 18 patients, yielding an ORR of 30% (95% CI, 18.9 to 43.2). Stable disease lasting > or = 16 weeks was reported in another 23 patients (38%). OBJECTIVE: responses were noted in all histologic subtypes. Median PFS was 18.1 months (95% CI, 12.1 to not estimable). Axitinib was generally well tolerated, with the most common grade > or = 3 treatment-related adverse event being hypertension (n = 7; 12%). Eight patients (13%) discontinued treatment because of adverse events. Axitinib selectively decreased sVEGFR-2 and sVEGFR-3 plasma concentrations versus sKIT, demonstrating its targeting of VEGFR. CONCLUSION: Axitinib is a selective inhibitor of VEGFR with compelling antitumor activity in all histologic subtypes of advanced thyroid cancer.

The role of folates in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

The primary objective of this review is to explore the hypothesis that folate insufficiency may be important in the pathogenesis of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN) and that folate repletion may be an effective component of chemoprevention. The main results are that folate insufficiency disrupts DNA global and specific gene methylation patterns such that the activity of certain tumor suppressor genes such as p16 and possibly p53 may be lost. Folate pool imbalance and impaired repair mechanisms may contribute to DNA instability and strand breaks. Sensitive methods exist for identification of individuals with folate insufficiency in contrast to the relatively insensitive conventional serum or red cell folate assays with broad "normal" ranges. The impact of folate supplementation can thus be quantified. Folate imbalance may result from alterations in folate cellular uptake by the reduced folate carrier (RFC) and/or the folate receptor (FR) and polymorphisms in enzymes important in folate retention such as folylpolyglutamate synthetase and in folate modification such as methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). Known predisposing factors for SCCHN such as alcohol and tobacco carcinogens may influence folate balance. Folate supplementation may reduce primary or secondary risk of cancer. Formal studies of folate sufficiency in persons at risk for or diagnosed and treated for SCCHN are needed to define the role of folate supplementation in the prevention of these cancers.