Efficacy of carboplatin given in a phase II window study to children and adolescents with newly diagnosed metastatic soft tissue sarcoma.

AIM: The activity of carboplatin was evaluated in a phase II window study in previously untreated children with metastatic soft tissue sarcoma. METHODS: Children with poor-risk metastatic disease (over 10 years and/or with bone/bone marrow involvement) treated in the SIOP MMT 98 study were scheduled to receive two courses of intravenous carboplatin (area under curve [AUC] of 10), 21 days apart. RESULTS: Sixteen eligible patients were entered into the rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) group. Response (complete remission or partial remission) was seen in five children (31%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 14-56%). Ten eligible patients with other soft tissue sarcomas were recruited into the non-RMS group. Two responses (20%, 95% CI 6-51%) were seen. Toxicity in both groups was predictable nausea, vomiting and marrow suppression and there were no toxic deaths. CONCLUSION: Single-agent carboplatin at AUC of 10 has an acceptable toxicity profile but only moderate efficacy in poor-risk metastatic soft tissue sarcoma.

Comprehensive genetic and histopathologic study reveals three types of neuroblastoma tumors.

PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between multiple genetic features, tumor morphology, and prognosis in neuroblastoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The genetic alterations and morphologic features that underpin three histopathologic risk classifications were analyzed in 108 neuroblastoma patients. Tumors were subdivided into four groups based on the three most frequent and prognostically significant genetic alterations (17q gain, 1p deletion, and MYCN amplification), and all other genetic, morphologic, and clinical data were analyzed with respect to these groups. RESULTS: Our analyses identify three nonoverlapping tumor types with distinct genetic and morphologic features, defined here as types 1, 2, and 3. Type 1 tumors show none of the three significant genetic alterations and have good prognosis. Both type 2 (17q gain only or 17q gain and 1p del) and type 3 (17q gain, 1p del, and MYCN amplification) tumors progress. However, these tumor types are distinguished clinically by having significantly different median age at diagnosis and median progression-free survival (PFS). Multivariate analysis indicates that 17q gain is the only independent prognostic factor among all genetic, histopathologic, and clinical factors analyzed. Among histopathologic risk systems, the International Neuroblastoma Pathology Classification was the best predictor of PFS. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that specific combinations of genetic changes in neuroblastoma tumors contribute to distinct morphologic and clinical features. Furthermore, the identification of two genetically and morphologically distinct types of progressing tumors suggests that possibilities for different therapeutic regimens should be investigated.

Response to N7 induction chemotherapy in children more than one year of age diagnosed with metastatic neuroblastoma treated in UKCCSG centers.

BACKGROUND: The highest reported metastatic response rate to induction chemotherapy in patients with neuroblastoma has been achieved by Kushner et al. [Kushner et al.: J Clin Oncol 12:2607-2613,1994; Cheung et al.: Med Pediatr Oncol 36: 227-230, 2001; Kushner et al.: J Clin Oncol 22:4888-4892, 2004] using their N6 and subsequently N7 protocols. This N7 induction was adopted by UKCCSG for new patients in 1999. METHODS: Forty-seven children with metastatic neuroblastoma were recruited between 1999 and 2002. They received the N7 intensive chemotherapy protocol, after full staging including evaluation by I123mIBG imaging where possible. RESULTS: Thirty patients with positive mIBG scans were evaluable for response, and complete resolution of metastatic disease was obtained in 16 (53.3%). Fourteen patients without positive mIBG scans were evaluated for response according to bone marrow and bone scan data and 11 (78.6%) cleared metastatic disease. The toxicity of this induction therapy was similar to that seen in previous UK protocols, although 14 patients had Brock grade 3 or 4 ototoxicity. Thirty-three patients proceeded to high-dose therapy with no unanticipated toxicities. For the whole group of 44 evaluable patients, the 3-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 38.3 and 46.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although feasible in terms of delivery, when used in the UKCCSG centers, this protocol achieved a much lower response rate than in the previously published series in the US [Kushner et al.: J Clin Oncol 12:2607-2613,1994; Cheung et al.: Med Pediatr Oncol 36: 227-230, 2001; Kushner et al.: J Clin Oncol 22:4888-4892, 2004].

Adaptive dosing and platinum-DNA adduct formation in children receiving high-dose carboplatin for the treatment of solid tumours.

A pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic study was carried out to investigate the feasibility and potential importance of therapeutic monitoring following high-dose carboplatin treatment in children. High-dose carboplatin was administered over 3 or 5 days, with the initial dose based on renal function, to achieve target area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) values of 21 or 20 mg ml(-1).min, respectively. Dose adjustment was carried out based on observed individual daily AUC values, to obtain the defined target exposures. Platinum-DNA adduct levels were determined in peripheral blood leucocytes and toxicity data were obtained. Twenty-eight children were studied. Based on observed AUC values, carboplatin dose adjustment was performed in 75% (21 out of 28) patients. Therapeutic monitoring resulted in the achievement of carboplatin exposures within 80-126% of target AUC values, as compared to estimated exposures of 65-213% of target values without dose adjustment. The carboplatin AUC predicted with no dose modification was positively correlated with pretreatment glomerular filtration rate (GFR) values. Higher GFR values were observed in those patients who would have experienced AUC values >25% above the target AUC than those patients attaining AUC values >25% below the target AUC, following renal function-based dosing. Platinum-DNA adduct levels correlated with observed AUC values on day 1 of carboplatin and increased over a 5-day course of treatment. Real-time monitoring of carboplatin pharmacokinetics with adaptive dosing is both feasible and necessary for the attainment of consistent AUC values in children receiving high-dose carboplatin treatment. Pharmacodynamic data suggest a strong correlation between carboplatin pharmacokinetics and the drug-target interaction.

A randomized trial of 13-Cis retinoic acid in children with advanced neuroblastoma after high-dose therapy.

One hundred and seventy-five children with Stage 3 or 4 neuroblastoma who had obtained a good response to conventional therapy were randomly allocated to 13-Cis retinoic acid at a dose of 0.75 mg/kg/day or placebo for up to 4 years. Toxicity was mild but no advantage in event-free survival was shown for the children receiving retinoic acid.

17q gain in neuroblastoma predicts adverse clinical outcome. U.K. Cancer Cytogenetics Group and the U.K. Children's Cancer Study Group.

BACKGROUND: It is now recognized that gain of chromosome 17 material is the most frequent genetic abnormality of neuroblastoma cells. Several studies have linked 17q gain with known adverse prognostic factors: patient age >1 year, advanced stage disease, deletion of chromosome arm 1 p, and amplification of the MYCN oncogene. We sought to further investigate the clinical and prognostic associations of chromosome 17 status in relation to other well-established predictive factors. PROCEDURE: In a collaborative study by UK cytogenetics centres, we compiled a series of 104 neuroblastoma tumours for which the status of chromosome 17 was confidently defined by cytogenetics, metaphase or interphase FISH, or CGH analysis. The results were correlated with data on 1p and MYCN, and with centrally collated clinical and survival information. RESULTS: Gain of 17q (i.e., unbalanced gain of segment 17q21-qter) was found in 66.3% of tumours, while 33.7% showed a '17q normal' status (i.e., no gain at all, or gain of whole chromosome 17 relative to ploidy). Gain of 17q was strongly associated with advanced stage disease, patient age >1 year, 1p deletion, and MYCN amplification (all P< 0.01). In univariate analysis, 17q gain was a significant predictor of adverse outcome (projected 5 year relapse-free survival 15.6% compared to 75.2% in cases lacking this feature in tumour cells; (P < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, 17q gain was more strongly associated with adverse outcome than was either stage (Stage 4 vs other combined) or 1p status. CONCLUSION: We conclude that gain of chromosome segment 17q21-qter is of great biological and clinical importance in neuroblastoma, and that its detection at diagnosis should be a priority.

OPEC/OJEC for stage 4 neuroblastoma in children over 1 year of age.

BACKGROUND: This paper reports the toxicity of OPEC/OJEC chemotherapy in stage 4 neuroblastoma patients over 1 year of age. PROCEDURE: Ninety-five patients with stage 4 neuroblastoma received alternating courses of OPEC/OJEC--vincristine 1.5 mg/m2 (O), cisplatin 80 mg/m2 (P), etoposide 200 mg/m2 (E), cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 (C), and carboplatin 500 mg/m2 (J), every 21 days if there was haematological recovery. RESULTS: Seventy out of ninety-five (74%) patients completed seven or more courses and were evaluable for toxicity. Of these 70 patients, 33% had more than three episodes of fever and sepsis, 35% required more than five blood or platelet transfusions, 36% had grade 2 or more gastrointestinal toxicity and 9% had neurotoxicity. There was a median reduction in GFR of 32 ml/min/1.73 m2 (-46 to 134) and there was one toxic death. CONCLUSIONS: OPEC/OJEC is a well-tolerated therapy for stage 4 neuroblastoma over 1 year of age.

Relationship between histopathological features, MYCN amplification, and prognosis: a UKCCSG study. United Kingdom Children Cancer Study Group.

Histological sections from 231 patients with neuroblastoma were reviewed and morphological features and their relationship to age, stage, MYCN amplification (in 128 tumours by Southern analyses), and clinical outcome (based on Shimada risk grouping) determined. Stage 4 disease was associated with poorly differentiated and undifferentiated tumours (P = 0.001), an MKI of >2% (P< 0.001), and Shimada unfavourable histology (UHi) P< 0.0001. In univariate analysis MKI was significant in predicting a poorer relapse-free survival (RFS), low vs. intermediate and high (P< 0.001). Age, MYCN amplification, and Shimada UH also emerged as significant variables. There was a higher proportion of MYCN-amplified tumours with Shimada UH (P = 0.03), and this group had a decreased RFS (P = 0.002). In patients with Shimada FH, MYCN amplification did not significantly predict a poor prognosis. In those with stage 4 disease, Shimada classification was not significant in predicting survival (P = 0.97); the same was true for those over the age of 1 year (P = 0.66). In multivariate analysis, MYCN amplification and Shimada UH both emerged as independent prognostic factors. In conclusion, morphological features assigned some subsets of patients to prognostic risk groups. Most MYCN-amplified tumours have unfavourable histology and a poorer prognosis. However, in patients with stage 4 disease and those over the age of 1 year, other factors that may influence prognosis should be determined.