Venetoclax-obinutuzumab for previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia: 6-year results of the randomized phase 3 CLL14 study.

ABSTRACT: In the CLL14 study, patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and coexisting conditions were randomized to 12 cycles of venetoclax-obinutuzumab (Ven-Obi, n = 216) or chlorambucil-obinutuzumab (Clb-Obi, n = 216). Progression-free survival (PFS) was the primary end point. Key secondary end points included time-to-next-treatment (TTNT), rates of undetectable minimal residual disease (uMRD), overall survival (OS), and rates of adverse events. Patient reported outcomes of time until definitive deterioration (TUDD) in quality of life (QoL) were analyzed. At a median observation time of 76.4 months, PFS remained superior for Ven-Obi compared with Clb-Obi (median, 76.2 vs 36.4 months; hazard ratio [HR], 0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.31-0.52; P < .0001). Likewise, TTNT was longer after Ven-Obi (6-year TTNT, 65.2% vs 37.1%; HR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.33-0.58; P < .0001). In the Ven-Obi arm, presence of del(17p), unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region, and lymph node size of ≥5 cm were independent prognostic factors for shorter PFS. The 6-year OS rate was 78.7% in the Ven-Obi and 69.2% in the Clb-Obi arm (HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.48-1.01; P = .052). A significantly longer TUDD in global health status/QoL was observed in the Ven-Obi than in the Clb-Obi arm (median, 82.1 vs 65.1 months; HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.51-0.97). Follow-up-adjusted second primary malignancies incidence rates were 2.3 and 1.4 per 1000 patient-months in the Ven-Obi and Clb-Obi arm, respectively. The sustained long-term survival and QoL benefits support the use of 1-year fixed-duration Ven-Obi in CLL. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT02242942.

Perioperative FLOT plus ramucirumab for resectable esophagogastric adenocarcinoma: A randomized phase II/III trial of the German AIO and Italian GOIM.

This multicenter, randomized phase II/III study evaluated the addition of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 inhibitor ramucirumab to FLOT as perioperative treatment for resectable esophagogastric adenocarcinoma. Patients received either FLOT alone (Arm A) or combined with ramucirumab followed by ramucirumab monotherapy (Arm B). The primary endpoint for the phase II portion was the pathological complete or subtotal response (pCR/pSR) rate. Baseline characteristics were comparable between both arms with a high rate of tumors signet-ring cell component (A:47% B:43%). No between-arm difference in pCR/pSR rate was seen (A:29% B:26%), therefore the transition to phase III was not pursued. Nevertheless, the combination was associated with a significantly increased R0-resection rate compared with FLOT alone (A:82% B:96%; P = .009). In addition, the median disease-free survival was numerically improved in Arm B (A:21 months B:32 months, HR 0.75, P = 0.218), while the median overall survival was similar in both treatment arms (A:45 months B:46 months, HR 0.94, P = 0.803). Patients with Siewert type I tumors receiving transthoracic esophagectomy with intrathoracic anastomosis showed an increased risk of serious postoperative complications after ramucirumab treatment, therefore recruitment of those patients was stopped after the first-third of the study. Overall, surgical morbidity and mortality was comparable, whereas more non-surgical grade ≥ 3 adverse events were observed with the combination, especially anorexia (A:1% B:11%), hypertension (A:4% B:13%) and infections (A:19% B:33%). The combination of ramucirumab and FLOT as perioperative treatment shows efficacy signals, particularly in terms of R0 resection rates, for a study population with a high proportion of prognostically poor histological subtypes, and further evaluation in this subgroup seems warranted.

Phase I dose-escalation studies of roniciclib, a pan-cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, in advanced malignancies.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate safety, pharmacokinetics, and maximum tolerated dose of roniciclib in patients with advanced malignancies, with dose expansion to evaluate clinical benefit at the recommended phase II dose (RP2D). METHODS: Two phase I dose-escalation studies evaluated two roniciclib dosing schedules: 3 days on/4 days off or 4 weeks on/2 weeks off. The expansion phase included patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), ovarian cancer, or tumour mutations involving the CDK signalling pathway. RESULTS: Ten patients were evaluable in the 4 weeks on/2 weeks off schedule (terminated following limited tolerability) and 47 in the 3 days on/4 days off schedule dose-escalation cohorts. On the 3 days on/4 days off schedule, RP2D was 5 mg twice daily in solid tumours (n=40); undetermined in lymphoid malignancies (n=7). Common roniciclib-related adverse events included nausea (76.6%), fatigue (65.8%), diarrhoea (63.1%), and vomiting (57.7%). Roniciclib demonstrated rapid absorption and dose-proportional increase in exposure. One partial response (1.0%) was observed. In RP2D expansion cohorts, the disease control rate (DCR) was 40.9% for patients with ovarian cancer (n=25), 17.4% for patients with SCLC (n=33), and 33.3% for patients with CDK-related tumour mutations (n=6). CONCLUSIONS: Roniciclib demonstrated an acceptable safety profile and moderate DCR in 3 days on/4 days off schedule.

Intraperitoneal chemotherapy of peritoneal carcinomatosis using pressurized aerosol as an alternative to liquid solution: first evidence for efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is an unmet medical need. Despite recent improvements, systemic chemotherapy has limited efficacy. We report the first application of intraperitoneal chemotherapy as a pressurized aerosol in human patients. METHODS: Three end-stage patients with advanced PC from gastric, appendiceal, and ovarian origin were treated as a compassionate therapy. All patients had received previous systemic chemotherapy. A pressurized aerosol of CO2 loaded with doxorubicin 1.5 mg/m(2) and cisplatin 7.5 mg/m(2) (pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy, PIPAC) was applied into the abdomen for 30 min at a pressure of 12 mmHg and a temperature of 37 °C. RESULTS: No side-effects >2 CTCAE were observed, and the procedures were well tolerated. Early hospital discharge was possible (days 2-5). Nuclear presence of doxorubicin was documented throughout the peritoneum, reaching high local concentration (≤4.1 µmol/g) and plasma concentration was low (4.0-6.2 ng/ml). PIPAC created no significant adhesions, could be repeated, and was applied 6×, 4×, and 2×. Two patients showed a complete and one a partial histological remission. Mean survival after the first PIPAC was 288 days. One patient is alive after 567 days. CONCLUSIONS: PIPAC shows superior pharmacological properties with high local concentration and low systemic exposure. PIPAC can induce regression of PC in chemoresistant tumors, using 10% of a usual systemic dose.

Activity of Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy (PIPAC) with cisplatin and doxorubicin in women with recurrent, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer: preliminary clinical experience.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the activity of laparoscopic Pressurized IntraPeritoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy (PIPAC) in women with recurrent, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. METHODS: Prospective case series using repeated courses q 28-42 days of PIPAC containing cisplatin 7.5 mg/m(2) and doxorubicin 1.5 mg/m(2) at 12 mmHg and 37°C for 30 min. Objective tumor response was defined as tumor regression on histology and peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI) improvement on repeated video-laparoscopy. RESULTS: 34 PIPAC procedures were performed in 18 women, in 8 instances combined with cytoreductive surgery (CRS). Eight women had repeated PIPAC and objective tumor response was observed in 6 (complete remission: 1; partial remission: 2; stable disease: 3). Five adverse events WHO grade ≥ 2 were noted, 3 of them after combined CRS. No perioperative mortality occurred. Median follow-up was 192 days (min. 13-max. 639). Cumulative survival after 400 days was 62% and mean actuarial survival time was 442 days. In a multivariable regression analysis with objective tumor response (yes vs. no) as the dependent variable and PIPAC (1 vs.>1), patient age (<75 vs.≥75 years), serum CA-125 (<1000 vs.>1000 U/mL), and the presence of ascites (yes vs. no) as independent variables, PIPAC independently predicted objective tumor response. CONCLUSION: PIPAC has activity in women with recurrent, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and should be investigated in prospective clinical trials.

FOLFIRI and sunitinib as first-line treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases--a CESAR phase II study including pharmacokinetic, biomarker, and imaging data.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was the evaluation of pharmacokinetic parameters, biomarkers, clinical outcome, and imaging parameters in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients treated with FOLFIRI plus sunitinib. METHODS: mCRC patients with liver metastases were treated with FOLFIRI and sunitinib as 1st line therapy. At protocol-defined time points, multicontrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)measurements, computed tomography (CT) scans, pharmacokinetics (PK), and biomarker analyses were performed during the first and second treatment cycle. Thereafter, patients were treated until tumor progression, investigator’s decision due to toxicity, or patient withdrawal. RESULTS: 28 patients were screened, 26 were included, and 23 received at least one study medication. Full safety analysis was performed in 23 patients. Full PK and biomarker analyses were performed in 21 patients. Strong responses in tumor size reduction forced a change from the original imaging timing scheme. This unforeseen change in the timing scheme resulted in subgroups too small for meaningful statistical analysis of most imaging parameters. Thus, only a descriptive analysis of the MRI data was possible. In 21/22 patients, MRI showeda decrease of the liver metastases. Best response was partial remission (PR) in 8/17 patients. Plasma concentrations of sVEGFR-2 and sVEGFR-3 decreased in all patients. The majority of the patients developed some kind of toxicity not always deducible to FOLFIRI or sunitinib. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the observed side effect profile, FOLFIRI plus sunitinib 37.5 mg per day cannot be recommended for previously untreated mCRC.

Identification of compounds that selectively target highly chemotherapy refractory neuroblastoma cancer stem cells.

Relapse of cancer months or years after an apparently successful therapy is probably caused by cancer stem cells (CSCs) due to their intrinsic features like dormant periods, radiorefraction, and acquired multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotypes, among other mechanisms of cellular drug evasiveness. Thus, the lack of currently efficacious interventions remains a major problem in the treatment of malignancies, together with the inability of existing drugs to destroy specifically CSCs. Neuroblastomas per se are highly chemotherapy-refractory extracranial tumors in infants with very low survival rates. So far, no effective cytostatics against this kind of tumors are clinically available. Therefore, we have put much effort into the development of agents to efficiently combat this malignancy. For this purpose, we tested several compounds isolated from Cuban propolis on induced CSCs (iCSC) derived from LAN-1 neuroblastoma cells which expressed several characteristics of tumor-initiating cells both in in-vitro and in-vivo models. Some small molecules such as flavonoids and polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (PPAP) were isolated using successive RT-HPLC cycles and identified employing mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopic techniques. Their cytotoxicity was first screened in sensitive cell systems by MTT proliferation assays and afterwards studied in less sensitive neuroblastoma iCSC models. We found several compounds with considerable anti-iCSC activity, most of them belonging to the PPAP class. The majority of the compounds act in a pleiotropic manner on the molecular biology of tumors although their specific targets remain unclear. Nevertheless, two substances, one of them a flavonoid, induced a strong disruption of tubulin polymerization. In addition, an unknown compound strongly inhibited replicative enzymes like toposimerases I/II and DNA polymerase. Here, we report for the first time cytotoxic activities of small molecules isolated from Caribbean propolis which could be promising therapeutics or lead structures against therapy-refractory neuroblastoma entities. *Contributed equally.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess QTc interval prolongation of standard dose aflibercept in cancer patients treated with docetaxel.

: The effect of repeated doses of aflibercept on ventricular repolarization in cancer patients was evaluated in an intensive electrocardiogram trial. This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial was conducted in 87 treated solid tumor patients. Treatment was with 6 mg/kg aflibercept, 1-hour intravenous (n = 43), or placebo (n = 44), combined with ≤75 mg/m docetaxel, every 3 weeks. Electrocardiograms were collected for 6 hours posttreatment using digital 12-lead Holter recorders, at day 1, in cycles 1 and 3. Free and vascular endothelial growth factor-bound aflibercept concentrations were assessed at similar time points. Eighty-four patients (43 placebo and 41 aflibercept) were evaluable for QT interval, Fridericia correction (QTcF) at cycle 1 and 59 (31 placebo and 28 aflibercept) at cycle 3. During cycle 3, from 30 minutes to 6 hours after the start of aflibercept, the maximum observed upper limit of the QTcF 90% confidence interval was 16 ms, for a mean of 8.4 ms. QTcF prolongation above 480 ms and 60 ms above baseline was observed in 1 aflibercept patient (2%). The slope of the relationship between free aflibercept concentration and QTcF was 0.048 (95% confidence interval, 0.013-0.082), corresponding to a 5-ms increase per 100 µg/mL increase in concentration. These results exclude a clinically important effect of aflibercept on ventricular repolarization.

Lapatinib versus trastuzumab in combination with neoadjuvant anthracycline-taxane-based chemotherapy (GeparQuinto, GBG 44): a randomised phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: We compared the efficacy and safety of the addition of lapatinib versus trastuzumab to anthracycline-taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: In the GeparQuinto randomised phase 3 trial, patients with untreated HER2-positive operable or locally advanced breast cancer were enrolled between Nov 7, 2007, and July 9, 2010. Patients were eligible if their tumours were classified as cT3/4a-d, or hormone receptor (HR)-negative, HR-positive with clinically node-positive and cT2 disease (cT2 cN+), or HR-positive and pathologically node-positive in the sentinel lymph node for those with cT1 disease (cT1 pN(SLN+)). Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive neoadjuvant treatment with four cycles of EC (epirubicin [90 mg/m(2) intravenously] plus cyclophosphamide [600 mg/m(2) intravenously], every 3 weeks), and four cycles of docetaxel (100 mg/m(2) intravenously every 3 weeks) with either trastuzumab (6 mg/kg intravenously, with a starting loading dose of 8 mg/kg, for eight cycles, every 3 weeks) or lapatinib (1000-1250 mg per day orally) throughout all cycles before surgery. Randomisation was done by dynamic allocation with the minimisation method of Pocock and patients were stratified by participating site, HR status, and extent of disease (cT1-3 cN0-2 vs T4 or N3). The primary endpoint was pathological complete response (defined as ypT0 and ypN0) and was analysed in all patients who received at least one cycle of EC. Participants and investigators were not masked to treatment assignment. Pathologists in centres assessing surgery outcomes were masked to group assignment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00567554. FINDINGS: Of 620 eligible patients, 309 were randomly assigned to chemotherapy with trastuzumab (ECH-TH group) and 311 to chemotherapy with lapatinib (ECL-TL group). Two patients in the ECH-TH group and three patients in the ECL-TL group did not start treatment because of withdrawal of consent or immediate surgery. 93 (30·3%) of 307 patients in the ECH-TH group and 70 (22·7%) of 308 patients in the ECL-TL group had a pathological complete response (odds ratio [OR] 0·68 [95%CI 0·47-0·97]; p=0·04). Chemotherapy with trastuzumab was associated with more oedema (119 [39·1%] vs 88 [28·7%]) and dyspnoea (90 [29·6%] vs 66 [21·4%]), and ECL-TL with more diarrhoea (231 [75·0%] vs 144 [47·4%]) and skin rash (169 [54·9%] vs 97 [31·9%]). 43 (14·0%) patients discontinued in the ECH-TH group and 102 (33·1%) in the ECL-TL group. 70 serious adverse events were reported in the ECH-TH group and 87 in the ECL-TL group. INTERPRETATION: This direct comparison of trastuzumab and lapatinib showed that pathological complete response rate with chemotherapy and lapatinib was significantly lower than that with chemotherapy and trastuzumab. Unless long-term outcome data show different results, lapatinib should not be used outside of clinical trials as single anti-HER2-treatment in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. FUNDING: GlaxoSmithKline, Roche, and Sanofi-Aventis.

Results of a phase II trial of S-1 as first-line treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer (CESAR-study group).

PURPOSE: S-1, an oral fluoropyrimidine derivative, has previously demonstrated anticancer efficacy in pancreatic cancer (PC), predominantly in Asian populations. This study evaluated the antitumor effect and safety of S-1 in Caucasian patients with metastatic PC. METHODS: Chemotherapy-naïve patients received S-1 orally at 30 mg/m(2) twice daily (BID) for 2 weeks, repeated every 3 weeks. Primary endpoint was ORR. Secondary endpoints included PFS, OS and safety assessment. The trial had a Simon's two-stage design with 22 patients evaluable for efficacy in stage 1 and an additional 18 patients in stage 2, if ≥3/22 patients had a confirmed response at the first stage. RESULTS: Three out of 27 patients showed PR, however, detection of asymptomatic brain metastases in one of them prevented this study from proceeding to stage 2. The median PFS and OS for all patients was 3.5 and 9.1 months, respectively. The median duration of disease control for patients with SD or PR (n = 17) was 4.3 months. S-1 was well tolerated; fatigue was the most frequent grade 3/4 adverse event. CONCLUSIONS: Efficacy data of PFS and OS are at least comparable to gemcitabine, the current standard of care. S-1 is active in Caucasian patients with metastatic PC.

Phase II study of nimotuzumab, a humanized monoclonal anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody, in patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Nimotuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to the EGFR. Based on phase I data, the recommended dose has been established at 200 mg weekly. This study was aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of nimotuzumab monotherapy in patients (pts) with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. METHODS: Pts who failed first line standard chemotherapy for advanced disease and had at least one measurable lesion were eligible for the study. Nimotuzumab was given intravenously at 200 mg once weekly for 6 weeks (wks). Follow up by CT scan was performed after 8 weeks. Pts continued receiving treatment 3-weekly until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred. Endpoints included tumor response (RECIST), progression-free survival (PFS), and safety. RESULTS: A total of 56 pts were enrolled for treatment (ECOG status of 1 [n = 41] or 0 [n = 15]), the majority (47 pts) had metastatic disease. Nearly half of the pts [n = 26] received ≥2 regimens. Pts evaluable for response: n = 36; CR: 0; PR: 0; SD: 6 pts. Median PFS for pts with SD was 19.2 weeks, for all pts 6.7 weeks (95% CI: 6.43-7.14 weeks). PFS after 1 year was 10.3% with a median overall survival of 18.1 weeks. Treatment-related adverse events were generally mild including rash grade 1 in 5 pts. After a single dose of 200 mg, the t(1/2) was calculated to 45 h. CONCLUSION: These data confirm that nimotuzumab is safe and very well tolerated. To improve efficacy, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial with Gem has been initiated.

Phase I open-label study of cediranib, an oral inhibitor of VEGF signalling, in combination with the oral Src inhibitor saracatinib in patients with advanced solid tumours.

UNLABELLED: Combining different targeted anticancer agents may improve clinical outcomes. This Phase I study investigated cediranib, an oral inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor signalling in combination with saracatinib, an oral Src inhibitor. The primary endpoint was safety/tolerability. Secondary assessments included pharmacokinetics and preliminary efficacy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with advanced solid tumours received cediranib 20, 30 or 45 mg/day for 7 days followed by daily treatment with cediranib at the same dose plus saracatinib 175 mg/day. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients received cediranib (20 mg, n = 6; 30 mg, n = 6; 45 mg, n = 27 [n = 20 in cohort expansion]) plus saracatinib. In the cediranib 45 mg cohort, 59% of patients required dose reduction/pause compared with 33% in each of the other two cohorts. There was one dose-limiting toxicity (hypertension; 45 mg cohort). The most common adverse events were hypertension (67%), diarrhoea (62%), dysphonia (46%) and fatigue (39%). There was no evidence of a clinically significant effect of saracatinib on cediranib pharmacokinetics and vice versa. 22/35 evaluable patients had a best response of stable disease. CONCLUSIONS: All cediranib doses were tolerated; however, in patients with advanced solid tumours, for combination with saracatinib 175 mg/day, cediranib 20 or 30 mg/day was more sustainable than 45 mg/day.

Observation of de novo bladder dysfunction under treatment with Her2-neu antibodies.

PURPOSE: We diagnosed de novo bladder dysfunction in several breast cancer patients under cancer-specific therapy with trastuzumab. The goal of this retrospective analysis was to investigate whether bladder dysfunction is common in a larger population of breast cancer patients receiving trastuzumab therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified 93 patients who received at least two doses of trastuzumab at our institution in the years 2003-2006. 57 of those patients were still alive at the time of this analysis. We mailed a validated global questionnaire for the assessment of incontinence (King's Health Questionnaire, KHQ) to them, additionally asking for bladder dysfunction observed under trastuzumab therapy. RESULTS: 43 (75%) of the patients returned the questionnaire, 11 (25%) of them reporting severe de novo bladder dysfunction under therapy. Significant differences between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients were detected in all KHQ subscales. Previous conditions and surgeries as well as medications, especially hormonal therapy, were excluded as underlying causes. However, there were more patients under taxane-based chemotherapy in the symptomatic group. CONCLUSIONS: The epidermal growth factor receptor is involved in the cellular response to mechanical stretch in the urinary bladder. Based on our findings, we hypothesize that interfering with this pathway may well be the cause of symptomatic bladder dysfunction in patients under trastuzumab medication. A prospective study is required to further elucidate this hypothesis.

Enhanced antitumoral activity of TLR7 agonists via activation of human endogenous retroviruses by HDAC inhibitors.

In this work, we are reporting that "Shock and Kill", a therapeutic approach designed to eliminate latent HIV from cell reservoirs, is extrapolatable to cancer therapy. This is based on the observation that malignant cells express a spectrum of human endogenous retroviral elements (HERVs) which can be transcriptionally boosted by HDAC inhibitors. The endoretroviral gene HERV-V2 codes for an envelope protein, which resembles syncytins. It is significantly overexpressed upon exposure to HDAC inhibitors and can be effectively targeted by simultaneous application of TLR7/8 agonists, triggering intrinsic apoptosis. We demonstrated that this synergistic cytotoxic effect was accompanied by the functional disruption of the TLR7/8-NFκB, Akt/PKB, and Ras-MEK-ERK signalling pathways. CRISPR/Cas9 ablation of TLR7 and HERV-V1/V2 curtailed apoptosis significantly, proving the pivotal role of these elements in driving cell death. The effectiveness of this new approach was confirmed in ovarian tumour xenograft studies, revealing a promising avenue for future cancer therapies.

Safety, Efficacy and Pharcacokinetics of Targeted Therapy with The Liposomal RNA Interference Therapeutic Atu027 Combined with Gemcitabine in Patients with Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. A Randomized Phase Ib/IIa Study.

BACKGROUND: Atu027 is a liposomally formulated short interfering RNA with anti-metastatic activity, which silences the expression of protein kinase N3 (PKN3) in the vascular endothelium. This trial was designed to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of Atu027 in combination with gemcitabine in advanced pancreatic carcinoma (APC). METHODS: In total, 23 patients (pts) with inoperable APC were randomly assigned to gemcitabine combined with two different Atu027 schedules (0.235 mg/kg once weekly vs. 0.235 mg/kg twice weekly). ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01808638. RESULTS: The treatment was well-tolerated. There were Grade 3 adverse events (AEs) in 9/11 pts (arm 1) and 11/12 pts (arm 2), while Grade 4 AEs were reported for two pts in each arm. The AEs were mainly laboratory abnormalities without clinical significance. The median progression-free survival reached statistical significance in patients who had metastatic disease (1.6 vs. 2.9 months, p = 0.025). Disease control during treatment was achieved in 4/11 pts (arm 1) and in 7/12 pts (arm 2). Pts in arm 1 experienced stable global health status while pts in arm 2 reported improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Combining Atu027 with gemcitabine is safe and well tolerated. In pts with metastatic APC, twice-weekly Atu027 is associated with significantly improved outcomes. Our clinical results support the significant involvement of the vascular endothelium in the spread of cancer, and thus the further investigation of its target role.

Pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy with low-dose cisplatin and doxorubicin (PIPAC C/D) in patients with gastric cancer and peritoneal metastasis: a phase II study.

BACKGROUND: Efficacy of second-line systemic chemotherapy in recurrent gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis (RGCPM) is limited. We assessed the feasibility, safety and possible efficacy of pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) in patients with RGCPM after ⩾1 line of palliative intravenous chemotherapy. METHODS: In this open-label, single-arm, monocentric phase II ICH-GCP clinical trial, patients were scheduled for three courses of PIPAC with cisplatin 7.5 mg/m2 and doxorubicin 1.5 mg/m2 (PIPAC C/D) every 6 weeks. Patients with bowel obstruction or extraperitoneal metastasis were ineligible. The primary endpoint was clinical benefit rate (CBR) by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors based on clinical records. Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), median time to progression (TTP), peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI), histological regression and ascites volume. Safety and tolerability were assessed by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4, quality of life (QoL) by EORTC-QLQ30 questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 25 patients were enrolled and available for the analysis of the primary endpoint. Of those 25 patients, 10 (40%) had a radiological complete, partial response or stable disease. Median OS [intention to treat (ITT)] was 6.7 months, median TTP was 2.7 months. Complete or major regression on histology were observed in 9/25 patients (36%, ITT) or 6/6 [100%, per protocol (PP)] patients. There were no suspected unexpected serious adverse reactions, no treatment-related deaths, no CTCAE grade 4 toxicity and three (12%) grade 3 toxicities. Changes in the QLQ-C30 scores during PIPAC C/D therapy were small and not significant. CONCLUSIONS: PIPAC C/D was well tolerated and active in patients with RGCPM. Survival was encouraging. Randomized controlled trials should now be designed in this indication.

A Distinct Oncogenerative Multinucleated Cancer Cell Serves as a Source of Stemness and Tumor Heterogeneity.

The effects of anticancer treatments on cell heterogeneity and their proliferative potential play an important role in tumor persistence and metastasis. However, little is known about de-polyploidization, cell fate, and physiologic stemness of the resulting cell populations. Here, we describe a distinctive cell type termed "pregnant" P1 cells found within chemotherapy-refractory ovarian tumors, which generate and gestate daughter generation Gn cells intracytoplasmically. Release of Gn cells occurred by ejection through crevices in the P1 cell membrane by body contractions or using a funiculus-like structure. These events characterized a not yet described mechanism of cell segregation. Maternal P1 cells were principally capable of surviving parturition events and continued to breed and nurture Gn progenies. In addition, P1 cells were competent to horizontally transmit offspring Gn cells into other specific proximal cells, injecting them to receptor R1 cells via cell-cell tunneling. This process represents a new mechanism used by tumor cells to invade surrounding tissues and ensure life cycles. In contrast to the pregnant P1 cells with low expression of stem cell markers despite their physiologic stemness, the first offspring generations of daughter G1 cells expressed high levels of ovarian cancer stem cell markers. Furthermore, both P1 and Gn cells overexpressed multiple human endogenous retroviral envelope proteins. Moreover, programmed death-ligand 1 and the immunosuppressive domain of the retroviral envelope proteins were also overexpressed in P1 cells, suggesting effective protection against the host immune system. Together, our data suggest that P1 oncogenerative cancer cells exhibit a not yet described cell biological mechanism of persistence and transmission of malignant cells in patients with advanced cancers.Significance: P1 oncogenerative cell entities express low levels of CSC markers, which are characteristic of their histological origin. Cancer Res; 78(9); 2318-31. ©2018 AACR.