Search

Background Nitrogen containing bisphosphonates such as zoledronic acid (ZA) are known to contain certain anti-cancer properties. These have been investigated in the past in various cancers such as breast, prostate and colon. ZA in particular has shown promising results in pre-clinical studies. We propose a multicentre double-blind randomised controlled feasibility study to assess the recruitment and acceptability of ZA/placebo alongside chemotherapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Methods Patients will be recruited for a 13-month period from October 2016 to November 2017. Eligible patients will be identified via the regional mesothelioma multidisciplinary team meeting. Those who receive chemotherapy will be randomised to receive either ZA or placebo alongside their chemotherapy. Those who decline chemotherapy will be offered to join the trial on the non-randomised open-labelled arm of the trial. Patients will receive a maximum of six cycles of ZA/placebo, at three-weekly cycles. All patients will be followed up for six months from randomisation. Semi-structured interviews to gather data on acceptability of trial procedures, tolerability of ZA and other relevant information will take place after the participants have completed their six cycles of treatment. For a better understanding about non-participation in mesothelioma trials we also aim to interview those who decline to take part in the trial. Discussion The qualitative and quantitative data gathered in this feasibility trial will hopefully pave the way to designing a robust full phase III trial to investigate the potential synergistic effect of ZA and current standard treatment for MPM, cisplatin-pemetrexed combination chemotherapy. Trial registration ISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN45536692. Registered on 9 August 2016. EudraCT no. 2015–004433-26. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-018-2851-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: The effect of chemotherapy on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is poorly understood. Patient-individualised prognostication and prediction of treatment response from chemotherapy is useful but little evidence exists to guide practice. Method: Consecutive patients with MPM who were fit for first-line chemotherapy with pemetrexed and cisplatin\carboplatin were recruited and followed up for a minimum of 12 months. This study focussed on the HRQoL outcomes of these patients using the EQ-5D, EORTC QLQ-C30 and LC13. Results: Seventy-three patients were recruited of which 58 received chemotherapy and 15 opted for best supportive care (BSC). Compliance with HRQoL questionnaires was 98% at baseline. The chemotherapy group maintained HRQoL compared with the BSC group whose overall HRQoL fell (P=0.006) with worsening dyspnoea and pain. The impact of chemotherapy was irrespective of histological subtype although those with non-epithelioid disease had worse HRQoL at later time points (P=0.012). Additionally, those with a falling mesothelin or improvement on modified-RECIST CT at early follow-up had a better HRQoL at 16 weeks. Conclusions: HRQoL was maintained following chemotherapy compared with a self-selected BSC group. Once chemotherapy is initiated, a falling mesothelin or improved RECIST CT findings infer a quality-of-life advantage.

Background Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare tumours arising in mesenchymal tissues. Gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) is the commonest STS and arises within the wall of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. While most GISTs occur in the stomach they do occur in all parts of the GI tract. As with other STS, it is important that GISTs are managed by expert teams, to ensure consistent and optimal treatment, as well as recruitment to clinical trials, and the ongoing accumulation of further knowledge of the disease. The development of appropriate guidance, by an experienced panel referring to the evidence available, is therefore a useful foundation on which to build progress in the field. Methodology British Sarcoma Group guidelines for the management of GIST were initially developed by a panel of physicians experienced in the management of GIST. This current version has been updated and amended with reference to other European and US guidance. We have received input from representatives of all diagnostic and treatment disciplines as well as patient representatives. Levels of evidence and strength of recommendation gradings are those used by ESMO adapted from those published by the Infectious Disease Society of America. Conclusions The guidelines cover aetiology, genetics and underlying molecular mechanisms, diagnosis and initial investigations, staging and risk stratification, surgery, neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy, the management of advanced disease and follow-up. The importance of mutational analysis in guiding treatment is highlighted, since this can indicate the most effective treatment and avoid administration of ineffective drugs, emphasising the need for management in specialist centres.

BACKGROUND: Safety and cellular immunogenicity of rising doses and varying regimens of a poly-epitope vaccine were evaluated in advanced metastatic melanoma. The vaccine comprised plasmid DNA and recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) both expressing a string (Mel3) of seven HLA.A2/A1 epitopes from five melanoma antigens. METHODS: Forty-one HLA-A2 positive patients with stage III/IV melanoma were enrolled. Patient groups received one or two doses of DNA.Mel3 followed by escalating doses of MVA.Mel3. Immunisations then continued eight weekly in the absence of disease progression. Epitope-specific CD8+ T cell responses were evaluated using ex-vivo tetramer and IFN-gamma ELISPOT assays. Safety and clinical responses were monitored. RESULTS: Prime-boost DNA/MVA induced Melan-A-specific CD8+ T cell responses in 22/31 (71%) patients detected by tetramer assay. ELISPOT detected a response to at least one epitope in 10/31 (32%) patients. T cell responder rates were

We have recently reported the results of a phase II trial in which two TroVax [modified vaccinia ankara (MVA) encoding the tumour antigen 5T4] vaccinations were given to patients both pre- and post-surgical resection of liver metastases secondary to colorectal cancer (CRC). 5T4-specific cellular responses were assessed at the entry and 2 weeks after each vaccination by proliferation of fresh lymphocytes and ELISA for antibody responses; 18 from the 19 CRC patients mounted a 5T4-specific cellular and/or humoral response. Here, we present a comparison of individual and between patient responses over the course of the treatments using cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) samples from the baseline until after the fourth vaccination at 14 weeks. Assays used were proliferation assay with 5T4-Fc fusion protein, overlapping 32mer 5T4 peptides, MVA-LacZ and MVA-5T4 infected autologous monocytes. Responses to 5T4 protein or one or more peptide pools were pre-existing in 12/20 patients and subsequently 10 and 12 patients showed boosted and/or de novo responses, respectively. Cumulatively, 13/20 patients showed proliferative responses by week 14. We also assessed the levels of systemic T regulatory cells, plasma cytokine levels, phenotype of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes including T regulatory cells and tumour HLA class I loss of expression. More than half of the patients showed phenotypes consistent with relative immune suppression and/or escape highlighting the complexity of positive and negative factors challenging any simple correlation with clinical outcome.

The 5T4 oncofoetal antigen is a heavily glycosylated cell surface protein found on human placental trophoblast and on diverse types of human cancer but is not expressed at significant levels on adult human tissues in health. It therefore satisfies the criteria for a tumour-associated antigen and is an ideal target for the immunotherapy of cancer. We report here that 5T4 is strongly expressed on the majority of renal cell carcinomas and therefore this population of patients is suitable for trials of 5T4-targeted therapies. In particular, we have shown that T cells from renal cell carcinoma patients can be genetically modified to kill 5T4 expressing renal cancer cell lines by introduction of a chimeric-signalling protein. This protein consists of a single chain antibody fragment capable of binding antigen directly at the cell surface and then activating the T cell by virtue of a CD3zeta-signalling domain. This is a powerful tool that bypasses a number of mechanisms that allow tumours to escape T-cell killing and can be readily scaled up for clinical use.

Monthly intravenous pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) 50 mg m(-2), although well tolerated, showed almost no activity in this phase II study of 16 patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with a response rate of 0%, stable disease 19%, median time to progression of 2.4 months, 1-year survival of 25% and median survival of 6.5 months.