The impact of MRI sequence on tumour staging and gross tumour volume delineation in squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal.

OBJECTIVES: To compare maximum tumour diameter (MTD) and gross tumour volume (GTV) measurements between T2-weighted (T2-w) and diffusion-weighted (DWI) MRI in squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCCA) and assess sequence impact on tumour (T) staging. Second, to evaluate interobserver agreement and reader delineation confidence. METHODS: The staging MRI scans of 45 SCCA patients (25 females) were assessed retrospectively by two independent radiologists (0 and 5 years' experience of anal cancer MRI). MTD and GTV were delineated on both T2-w and high-b-value DWI images and compared between sequences; T staging was derived from MTD. Interobserver agreement was assessed and delineation confidence scored (1 to 5) by each observer. RESULTS: GTV and MTD were significantly and systematically lower on DWI versus T2-w sequences by 14.80%/9.98% (MTD) and 29.70%/12.25% (GTV) for each reader, respectively, causing T staging discordances in approximately a quarter of cases. Bland-Altman limits of agreement were narrower and intraclass correlation coefficients higher for DWI. Delineation confidence was greater on DWI: 40/42 cases were scored confidently (4 or 5) by each reader, respectively, versus 31/36 cases based on T2-w images. CONCLUSIONS: Sequence selection affects SCCA measurements and T stage. DWI yields higher interobserver agreement and greater tumour delineation confidence. KEY POINTS: • MTD and GTV measurements are significantly lower on DWI than on T 2 -w MRI. • Such differences cause T staging discordances in up to a quarter of cases. • DWI results in higher agreement between inexperienced and experienced observers. • DWI offers greater tumour delineation confidence to inexperienced readers.

Randomised, open-label, phase II study of gemcitabine with and without IMM-101 for advanced pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Immune Modulation and Gemcitabine Evaluation-1, a randomised, open-label, phase II, first-line, proof of concept study (NCT01303172), explored safety and tolerability of IMM-101 (heat-killed Mycobacterium obuense; NCTC 13365) with gemcitabine (GEM) in advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Patients were randomised (2 : 1) to IMM-101 (10 mg ml(-l) intradermally)+GEM (1000 mg m(-2) intravenously; n=75), or GEM alone (n=35). Safety was assessed on frequency and incidence of adverse events (AEs). Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall response rate (ORR) were collected. RESULTS: IMM-101 was well tolerated with a similar rate of AE and serious adverse event reporting in both groups after allowance for exposure. Median OS in the intent-to-treat population was 6.7 months for IMM-101+GEM v 5.6 months for GEM; while not significant, the hazard ratio (HR) numerically favoured IMM-101+GEM (HR, 0.68 (95% CI, 0.44-1.04, P=0.074). In a pre-defined metastatic subgroup (84%), OS was significantly improved from 4.4 to 7.0 months in favour of IMM-101+GEM (HR, 0.54, 95% CI 0.33-0.87, P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: IMM-101 with GEM was as safe and well tolerated as GEM alone, and there was a suggestion of a beneficial effect on survival in patients with metastatic disease. This warrants further evaluation in an adequately powered confirmatory study.

Assessment of sarcopenia and changes in body composition after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and associations with clinical outcomes in oesophageal cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Sarcopenia and changes in body composition following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) may affect clinical outcome. We assessed the associations between CT body composition changes following NAC and outcomes in oesophageal cancer. METHODS: A total of 35 patients who received NAC followed by oesophagectomy, and underwent CT assessment pre- and post-NAC were included. Fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), subcutaneous fat to muscle ratio (FMR) and visceral to subcutaneous adipose tissue ratio (VA/SA) were derived from CT. Changes in FM, FFM, FMR, VA/SA and sarcopenia were correlated to chemotherapy dose reductions, postoperative complications, length of hospital stay (LOS), circumferential resection margin (CRM), pathological chemotherapy response, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Nine (26 %) patients were sarcopenic before NAC and this increased to 15 (43 %) after NAC. Average weight loss was 3.7 % ± 6.4 (SD) in comparison to FM index (-1.2 ± 4.2), FFM index (-4.6 ± 6.8), FMR (-1.2 ± 24.3) and VA/SA (-62.3 ± 12.7). Changes in FM index (p = 0.022), FMR (p = 0.028), VA/SA (p = 0.024) and weight (p = 0.007) were significant univariable factors for CRM status. There was no significant association between changes in body composition and survival. CONCLUSIONS: Loss of FM, differential loss of VA/SA and skeletal muscle were associated with risk of CRM positivity. KEY POINTS: • Changes in CT body composition occur after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in oesophageal cancer. • Sarcopenia was more prevalent after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. • Fat mass, fat-free mass and weight decreased after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. • Changes in body composition were associated with CRM positivity. • Changes in body composition did not affect perioperative complications and survival.

Best of the Radiosurgery Society® Scientific Meeting 2014: stereotactic radiosurgery/stereotactic body radiotherapy treatment of extracranial and intracranial lesions.

The SRS/SBRT Scientific Meeting 2014, Minneapolis, MN, USA, 7-10 May 2014. The Radiosurgery Society(®), a professional medical society dedicated to advancing the field of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), held the international Radiosurgery Society Scientific Meeting, from 7-10 May 2014 in Minneapolis (MN, USA). This year's conference attracted over 400 attendants from around the world and featured over 100 presentations (46 oral) describing the role of SRS/SBRT for the treatment of intracranial and extracranial malignant and nonmalignant lesions. This article summarizes the meeting highlights for SRS/SBRT treatments, both intracranial and extracranial, in a concise review.

Liquid Biopsy for Detection of Pancreaticobiliary Cancers by Functional Enrichment and Immunofluorescent Profiling of Circulating Tumor Cells and Their Clusters.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have historically been used for prognostication in oncology. We evaluate the performance of liquid biopsy CTC assay as a diagnostic tool in suspected pancreaticobiliary cancers (PBC). The assay utilizes functional enrichment of CTCs followed by immunofluorescent profiling of organ-specific markers. The performance of the assay was first evaluated in a multicentric case-control study of blood samples from 360 participants, including 188 PBC cases (pre-biopsy samples) and 172 healthy individuals. A subsequent prospective observational study included pre-biopsy blood samples from 88 individuals with suspicion of PBC and no prior diagnosis of cancer. CTCs were harvested using a unique functional enrichment method and used for immunofluorescent profiling for CA19.9, Maspin, EpCAM, CK, and CD45, blinded to the tissue histopathological diagnosis. TruBlood® malignant or non-malignant predictions were compared with tissue diagnoses to establish sensitivity and specificity. The test had 95.9% overall sensitivity (95% CI: 86.0-99.5%) and 92.3% specificity (95% CI: 79.13% to 98.38%) to differentiate PBC (n = 49) from benign conditions (n = 39). The high accuracy of the CTC-based TruBlood test demonstrates its potential clinical application as a diagnostic tool to assist the effective detection of PBC when tissue sampling is unviable or inconclusive.

Implementation of Stereotactic MRI-Guided Adaptive Radiotherapy (SMART) for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Cancers in the United Kingdom - Fifty in Five.

The first MRIdian® MR linear accelerator (MR-Linac; ViewRay, Oakwood Village, Ohio) in the United Kingdom went live in December 2019 following a record installation time. Stereotactic MRI-guided Adaptive Radiotherapy (SMART) has since been implemented and has advantages of excellent soft tissue definition of both target and organs at risk (OARs), real-time target and OAR visualisation on cine-MRI, daily recontouring of target and critical OARs with live online plan adaptation/re-optimisation, and automatic respiratory-gated treatment delivery. We present a multi-disciplinary narrative and technical description of how this innovative technique was implemented for hepatobiliary (HPB) cancers. In particular, we explain how a collaborative approach and desire to push the boundaries and improve outcomes enabled 50 patients to be treated in the first five months, many with technically challenging tumours not always deliverable on other platforms. Physics, dosimetry, radiographer, and clinician perspectives on implementing SMART are presented. MRIdian® single fraction lung stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) will shortly be implemented along with innovative research in conjunction with our academic partners.

Improved Treatment Outcomes by Using Patient Specific Drug Combinations in Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Activated Advanced Metastatic Cancers.

Background: Activation of the mTOR signaling pathway is ubiquitous in cancers and a favourable therapeutic target. However, presently approved mTOR inhibitor monotherapies have modest benefits in labeled indications while poor outcomes have been reported for mTOR inhibitor monotherapy when administered in a label-agnostic setting based on univariate molecular indications. The present study aimed to determine whether patient-specific combination regimens with mTOR inhibitors and other anticancer agents selected based on multi-analyte molecular and functional tumor interrogation (ETA: Encyclopedic Tumor Analysis) yields significant treatment response and survival benefits in advanced or refractory solid organ cancers. Methods: We evaluated treatment outcomes in 49 patients diagnosed with unresectable or metastatic solid organ cancers, of whom 3 were therapy naïve and 46 were pre-treated in whom the cancer had progressed on 2 or more prior systemic lines. All patients received mTOR inhibitor in combination with other targeted, endocrine or cytotoxic agents as guided by ETA. Patients were followed-up to determine Objective Response Rate (ORR), Progression Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS). Results: The Objective Response Rate (ORR) was 57.1%, the disease Control rate (DCR) was 91.8%, median Progression Free Survival (mPFS) was 4.9 months and median Overall Survival (mOS) was 9.4 months. There were no Grade IV treatment related adverse events (AEs) or any treatment related deaths. Conclusion: Patient-specific combination regimens with mTOR inhibition and other anti-neoplastic agents, when selected based on multi-analyte molecular and functional profiling of the tumor can yield meaningful outcomes in advanced or refractory solid organ cancers. Trial Registration: Details of all trials are available at WHO-ICTRP: https://apps.who.int/trialsearch/. RESILIENT ID CTRI/2018/02/011808. ACTPRO ID CTRI/2018/05/014178. LIQUID IMPACT ID CTRI/2019/02/017548.

Clinical utility of circulating tumor-associated cells to predict and monitor chemo-response in solid tumors.

PURPOSE: Selection of cytotoxic chemotherapy agents (CCA) based on pre-treatment evaluation of drug sensitivities is a desirable but unmet goal for personalized anticancer treatment strategies. Prior attempts to correlate in vitro Chemo-Response Profiles (CRP) of tumor explants or Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) with clinical outcomes have been largely unsuccessful. METHODS: We present results from a large cohort (n = 5090, three Arms) of patients with various solid organ tumors, where CRP of Circulating Tumor-Associated Cells (C-TACs) was determined against cancer-specific CCA panels to generate a database of 56,466 unique CRP. RESULTS: In Arm 1 (n = 230), 93.7% concordance was observed between CRP of C-TACs and concurrently obtained Tumor tissue Derived Cells (TDCs). In arm 2 (n = 2201, pretreated), resistance of C-TACs to ≥ 1 CCA was observed in 79% of cases. In a blinded subset analysis of 143 pretreated patients with radiologically ascertained disease progression, CRP of C-TACs was 87% concordant with in vivo treatment failure. In Arm 3 (n = 2734, therapy naïve), innate resistance of C-TACs to ≥ 1 CCA was observed in 61% of cases. In a blinded subset analysis of 77 therapy naïve patients, in vitro chemo-sensitivity of C-TACs was concordant with radiologically ascertained treatment response to first line CCA in 97% of cases. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first expansive and in-depth study demonstrating that real-time CRP of C-TACs is a viable approach for non-invasive assessment of response to CCA in solid organ cancers.

Evaluation of circulating tumor cell clusters for pan-cancer noninvasive diagnostic triaging.

BACKGROUND: Histopathologic examination (HPE) of tumor tissue obtained by invasive biopsy is the standard for cancer diagnosis but is resource-intensive and has been associated with procedural risks. The authors demonstrate that immunocytochemistry (ICC) profiling of circulating ensembles of tumor-associated cells (C-ETACs) can noninvasively provide diagnostic guidance in solid organ cancers. METHODS: The clinical performance of this approach was tested on blood samples from 30,060 individuals, including 9416 individuals with known cancer; 6725 symptomatic individuals with suspected cancer; and 13,919 asymptomatic individuals with no prior diagnosis of cancer. C-ETACs were harvested from peripheral blood and profiled by ICC for organ-specific and subtype-specific markers relevant to the cancer type. ICC profiles were compared with HPE diagnoses to determine concordance. RESULTS: The presence of malignancy was confirmed by the detection of C-ETACs in 91.8% of the 9416 individuals with previously known cancer. Of the 6725 symptomatic individuals, 6025 were diagnosed with cancer, and 700 were diagnosed with benign conditions; C-ETACs were detected in 92.6% of samples from the 6025 individuals with cancer. In a subset of 3509 samples, ICC profiling of C-ETACs for organ-specific and subtype-specific markers was concordant with HPE findings in 93.1% of cases. C-ETACs were undetectable in 95% of samples from the 700 symptomatic individuals who had benign conditions and in 96.3% of samples from the 13,919 asymptomatic individuals. CONCLUSIONS: C-ETACs were ubiquitous (>90%) in various cancers and provided diagnostically relevant information in the majority (>90%) of cases. This is the first comprehensive report on the feasibility of ICC profiling of C-ETACs to provide pan-cancer diagnostic guidance with accuracy comparable to that of HPE.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors in Personalized Combination Regimens for the Treatment of Advanced Refractory Cancers.

Background: Angiogenic factors are commonly activated in solid tumors and present a viable therapeutic target. However, anticancer treatment with angiogenesis inhibitors (AGI) is limited to a few cancers, mostly as monotherapy and not selected based on molecular indications. We aimed to determine whether patient-specific combination regimens with AGI and other anticancer agents when selected based on multi-analyte tumor interrogation (ETA: Encyclopedic Tumor Analysis) can expand the scope of AGIs in advanced refractory solid organ cancers with improved treatment responses. Methods: We evaluated treatment outcomes in 60 patients with advanced, refractory solid organ cancers who received ETA-guided combination regimens of AGI with other targeted, endocrine or cytotoxic agents. Radiological evaluation of treatment response was followed by determination of Objective Response Rate (ORR), Disease Control Rate (DCR), Progression Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS). Results: Among the 60 patients, Partial Response (PR) was observed in 28 cases (46.7%), Stable Disease (SD) was observed in 29 cases (48.3%) and Disease Progression (PD, within 60 days) was observed in 3 cases (5.0%). The ORR was 46.7% and DCR was 95.0%. At the most recent follow-up the median PFS (mPFS) was 5.0 months and median OS (mOS) was 8.9 months. There were no Grade 4 therapy related adverse events or treatment related deaths. Conclusion: ETA-guided patient-specific combination regimens with AGI and other anti-neoplastic agents, can yield improved outcomes over AGI monotherapy. Trial Registration: Details of all trials are available at WHO-ICTRP: https://apps.who.int/trialsearch/. RESILIENT ID CTRI/2018/02/011,808. LIQUID IMPACT ID CTRI/2019/02/017,548.

MRI heterogeneity analysis for prediction of recurrence and disease free survival in anal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of image heterogeneity analysis of standard care magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC) to predict chemoradiotherapy (CRT) outcome. The ability to predict disease recurrence following CRT has the potential to inform personalized radiotherapy approaches currently being explored in novel clinical trials. METHODS: An IRB waiver was obtained for retrospective analysis of standard care MRIs from ASCC patients presenting between 2010 and 2014. Whole tumor 3D volume-of-interest (VOI) was outlined on T2-weighted (T2w) and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) of the pre- and post-treatment scans. Independent imaging features most predictive of disease recurrence were added to the baseline clinico-pathological model and the predictive value of respective extended models was calculated using net reclassification improvement (NRI) algorithm. Cross-validation analysis was carried out to determine percentage error reduction with inclusion of imaging features to the baseline model for both endpoints. RESULTS: Forty patients who underwent 1.5 T pelvic MRI at baseline and following completion of CRT were included. A combination of two baseline MR heterogeneity features (baseline T2w energy and DWI coefficient of variation) was most predictive of disease recurrence resulting in significant NRI (p = 0 < 0.001). This was confirmed in cross-validation analysis with 34.8% percentage error reduction for the primary endpoint and 18.1% reduction for the secondary endpoint with addition of imaging variables to baseline model. CONCLUSION: MRI heterogeneity analysis offers complementary information, in addition to clinical staging, in predicting outcome of CRT in anal SCC, warranting validation in larger datasets.

Comparison of combined x-ray radiography and magnetic resonance (XMR) imaging-versus computed tomography-based dosimetry for the evaluation of permanent prostate brachytherapy implants.

PURPOSE: To present a method for the dosimetric analysis of permanent prostate brachytherapy implants using a combination of stereoscopic X-ray radiography and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (XMR) in an XMR facility, and to compare the clinical results between XMR- and computed tomography (CT)-based dosimetry. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients who had received nonstranded iodine-125 permanent prostate brachytherapy implants underwent XMR and CT imaging 4 weeks later. Four observers outlined the prostate gland on both sets of images. Dose-volume histograms (DVHs) were derived, and agreement was compared among the observers and between the modalities. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients were evaluated. Inherent XMR registration based on prior calibration and optical tracking required a further automatic seed registration step that revealed a median root mean square registration error of 4.2 mm (range, 1.6-11.4). The observers agreed significantly more closely on prostate base and apex positions as well as outlining contours on the MR images than on those from CT. Coefficients of variation were significantly higher for observed prostate volumes, D90, and V100 parameters on CT-based dosimetry as opposed to XMR. The XMR-based dosimetry showed little agreement with that from CT for all observers, with D90 95% limits of agreement ranges of 65, 118, 79, and 73 Gy for Observers 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The study results showed that XMR-based dosimetry offers an alternative to other imaging modalities and registration methods with the advantages of MR-based prostate delineation and confident three-dimensional reconstruction of the implant. The XMR-derived dose-volume histograms differ from the CT-derived values and demonstrate less interobserver variability.

Linear quadratic modeling of increased late normal-tissue effects in special clinical situations.

PURPOSE: To extend linear quadratic theory to allow changes in normal-tissue radiation tolerance after exposure to cytotoxic chemotherapy, after surgery, and in elderly patients. METHODS: Examples of these situations are analyzed by use of the biologic effective dose (BED) concept. Changes in tolerance can be allowed for by: estimation of either the contribution of the additional factor as an equivalent BED or the equivalent dose in 2-Gy fractions or by the degree of radiosensitization by a mean dose-modifying factor (x). RESULTS: The estimated x value is 1.063 (95% confidence limits for the mean, 1.056 to 1.070) for subcutaneous fibrosis after cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF) chemotherapy and radiotherapy in breast cancer. The point estimate of x is 1.18 for the additional risk of gastrointestinal late-radiation effects after abdominal surgery in lymphoma patients (or 10.62 Gy at 2 Gy per fraction). For shoulder fibrosis in patients older than 60 years after breast and nodal irradiation, x is estimated to be 1.033 (95% confidence limits for the mean, 1.028 to 1.0385). The equivalent BED values were CMF chemotherapy (6.48 Gy3), surgery (17.73 Gy3), and age (3.61 Gy3). CONCLUSIONS: The LQ model can, in principle, be extended to quantify reduced normal-tissue tolerance in special clinical situations.

A prognostic index for systemic AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma treated in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: The established International Prognostic Index for lymphomas has not included patients with systemic AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma. OBJECTIVE: To establish the most appropriate prognostic index for use in patients with systemic AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma. DESIGN: A prospective study involving univariate and multivariable analyses of patients with AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma whose data were used to examine standard and new criteria for survival after diagnosis. SETTING: The Chelsea and Westminster cohort of HIV-1-infected persons. PATIENTS: 9621 HIV-positive patients, 111 in whom AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma was treated after 1996, in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). INTERVENTION: Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to determine the prognostic significance of multiple clinicopathologic variables. RESULTS: Survival of patients with AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma has increased in the HAART era (log-rank chi-square, 9.23; P = 0.002). Univariate analyses using the established International Prognostic Index factors of age, tumor stage, lactate dehydrogenase level, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, and number of extranodal sites were confirmed to be significant variables. Regression modeling for patients in whom disease was diagnosed after 1996 revealed only 2 independent predictors of death: International Prognostic Index risk group and CD4 cell count. These predictors yielded 4 internally validated risk strata with predicted 1-year survival rates of 82%, 47%, 20%, and 15% (P < 0.001). Prognostic risk scores in the highest quartile yielded a likelihood ratio for death of 7.90 (hazard ratio, 1.0), whereas a prognostic score less than 1.0 yielded a likelihood ratio of 0.23 (hazard ratio, 0.15 [95% CI, 0.06 to 0.33]). LIMITATIONS: The sample was small, and different HAART regimens were used. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma that was diagnosed in the era of HAART, application of the International Prognostic Index remains useful. The addition of CD4 cell count provides further independent prognostic information. Patients who present with AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma and a low CD4 cell count have a poor prognosis; this information can be used to guide therapeutic options.

Cardiac complications after radical radiotherapy.

Improvements in cancer therapy have led to increasing numbers of cancer survivors, and the long-term complications of these treatments are now becoming apparent. This article presents the current knowledge of adverse cardiovascular effects of radiotherapy to the chest. Medline literature searches relating to the cardiac complications of radiotherapy and subsequent prognosis were conducted. Potential adverse effects of mediastinal irradiation are numerous and can include coronary artery disease, pericarditis, cardiomyopathy, and valvular disease. Damage seems to be related to radiation dose, volume of irradiated heart, age at exposure, technique of chest irradiation, and patient-specific factors. The advent of technology and the newer sophisticated techniques in treatment planning and delivery are expected to decrease the incidence of cardiovascular diseases after radiation of the mediastinal structures. In any case, patients subjected to irradiation of the mediastinal structures require close multidisciplinary clinical monitoring.

Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) for primary and secondary lung tumours.

Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) represents a technological breakthrough in radiotherapy technique, with proven benefits to patients in terms of improved tumour control and overall survival. The key components of SABR are described. The current evidence base for SABR for the treatment of primary and secondary lung tumours is appraised, and key ongoing trials are identified.

A preclinical and clinical review of aflibercept for the management of cancer.

Aflibercept, also known as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-Trap, is a recombinant, decoy receptor fusion protein, rationally designed to block angiogenesis by targeting not only all forms of VEGF-A, but also VEGF-B and placental growth factor. It inhibits VEGF-induced angiogenesis in preclinical models. In tumor models, aflibercept is associated with the reduction of tumor vasculature and size, and the inhibition of ascites formation. Clinical studies are investigating the use of aflibercept alone and in combination with other antineoplastic therapies for the treatment of various cancers. Phase I and II studies have provided proof of principle, and support the continuing clinical investigation of aflibercept. Results from the phase III study, VITAL, of aflibercept in the second-line setting in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer [NCT00532155] demonstrated efficacy in progression-free survival and overall objective response rate, but overall survival was not significantly improved. A full report awaits publication. The Phase III VANILLA trial in metastatic pancreatic cancer [NCT00574275] showed no improvement in overall survival. Most recently, the phase III VELOUR study [NCT00561470] of aflibercept plus FOLFIRI compared with placebo plus FOLFIRI in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer following failure of an oxaliplatin regimen showed significant improvements in overall survival, progression-free survival, and response rate and the complete results have been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. This review summarizes preclinical and clinical data for aflibercept and discusses future directions and clinical trials for this agent.

Anti-angiogenesis therapies: their potential in cancer management.

Angiogenesis plays an important role in normal animal growth and development. This process is also vital for the growth of tumors. Angiogenesis inhibitors have a different mechanism of action to traditional chemotherapy agents and radiation therapy. The angiogenesis inhibitors can act synergistically with conventional treatments and tend to have non-overlapping toxicities. There are four drugs which have a proven role in treating cancer patients. Bevacizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to and neutralizes vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Sunitinib and sorafenib inhibit multiple tyrosine kinase receptors that are important for angiogenesis. Thalidomide inhibits the activity of basic fibroblast growth factor-2 (bFGF). The licensed indications and the supporting evidence are discussed. Other drugs are currently being tested in clinical trials and the most promising of these drugs are discussed. Aflibercept, also known as VEGF-trap, is a recombinant fusion protein that binds to circulating VEGF. The vascular disrupting agents act by targeting established blood vessels. These exciting new treatments have the potential to transform the management of cancer.

An analysis of intraoperative versus post-operative dosimetry with CT, CT-MRI fusion and XMR for the evaluation of permanent prostate brachytherapy implants.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To assess the agreement between intraoperative and post-operative dosimetry and to identify factors that influence dose calculations of prostate brachytherapy implants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients treated with prostate brachytherapy implants underwent post-operative CT and XMR (combined X-ray and MR) imaging. Dose-volume histograms were calculated from CT, XMR and CT-MR fusion data and compared with intraoperative values for two observers. Multiple linear regression models assessed the influences of intraoperative D90, gland oedema, gland volume, source loss and migration, and implanted activity/volume prostate on post-operative D90. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients were studied. The mean D90 differences (95% confidence limits) between intraoperative and post-operative CT, XMR and CT-MR fusion assessments were: 11 Gy (-22, 45), 18 Gy (-13, 49) and 20 Gy (-17, 58) for Observer 1; and 15 Gy (-34, 63), 13 Gy (-29, 55) and 14 Gy (-27, 54) for Observer 2. Multiple linear regression modelling showed that the observed oedema and intraoperative D90 were significant independent variables for the prediction of post-operative D90 values for both observers using all modalities. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to report Bland-Altman agreement analysis between intraoperative and post-operative dosimetry. Agreement is poor. Post-operative dosimetry is dependent on the intraoperative D90 and the subjectively outlined gland volume.