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Background: The objective of this study was to report on a retrospective series of patients with epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) who received treatment with sirolimus within the Italian Rare Cancer Network., Methods: From January 2005, 38 adult patients with advanced EHE received continuous-dosing sirolimus, 5 mg daily, until they developed either toxicity or disease progression. Disease progression in the 6 months before the start of treatment was required. Each pathologic diagnosis was reviewed. The daily dose of sirolimus was adjusted based on plasma levels. Response was retrospectively assessed by local investigators using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, version 1.1 (RECIST). Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method., Results: All 38 patients (WW Domain Containing Transcription Regulator 1 [WWTR1]-positive, n = 37; transcription factor E3 [TFE3]-positive, n = 1) had disease progression before starting sirolimus (at baseline, 13 of 38 patients had the presence of serosal effusions and systemic symptoms). Thirty-seven patients were evaluable for response (there was 1 early interruption). The best RECIST responses were a partial response in 4 patients (10.8%), stable disease in 28 patients (75.7%), and disease progression in 5 patients (13.5%). At a 41.5-month median follow-up (interquartile range [IQR], 23.9-56.8 months), the median PFS was 13 months (95% CI, 3.7 months to not estimated [NE]), and the median OS was 18.8 months (95% CI, 10.6 months to NE). In patients who had serosal effusions at baseline, the median PFS was 4.8 months (IQR, 3.5-11.7 months), and the median OS was 10.6 months (IQR, 5.1-13.0 months), compared with 47.8 months (IQR, 11.4 months to NE) and 47.8 months (IQR, 15.7 months to NE), respectively, in patients without serosal effusions. Overall, sirolimus was fairly well tolerated, with 10 patients reporting irregular menstruation/ovary disfunction., Conclusions: The current results confirm that sirolimus is active in EHE, leading to prolonged stabilization in most patients who present without serosal effusions. Serosal effusions are confirmed as an unfavorable prognostic sign associated with short survival, and sirolimus displays limited activity in this subgroup., (© 2020 American Cancer Society.)

Background: The aim of this study was to report on sirolimus activity in a series of patients with hemangioendothelioma (HE) treated at the National Cancer Institute, Milan (Istituto Nazionale Tumori; INT) and within the Italian Rare Cancer Network ("Rete Tumori Rari"; RTR)., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with advanced and progressing epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) treated with sirolimus at the INT and/or within the RTR. Pathologic review and molecular analysis for WWTR1 rearrangement were performed. Sirolimus was administered until unacceptable toxicity or progression, with the dose being adjusted to reach target plasma levels of 15-20 ng/dL. Responses were assessed using the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria., Results: Since 2005, 18 patients (17 EHE, 1 retiform HE; 1 locally advanced, 17 metastatic; WWTR1 rearrangement: 16) have been identified, with 17/18 patients being evaluable for response. Mean sirolimus daily dose was 4.5 mg. According to RECIST, best responses in EHE were 1 partial response (PR), 12 stable disease (SD), and 3 progressive disease (PD); the patient with retiform HE also achieved a PR, lasting >2 years. Four patients with a reversed interval progression on interruption were observed. Median overall survival was 16 months, and median progression-free survival was 12 months (range 1-45), with four patients progression-free at 24 months. The clinical benefit (complete response [CR] + PR + SD >6 months) was 56 %. Seven patients receiving sirolimus experienced an increase in pleural/peritoneal effusion plus worsening of tumor-related symptoms; six of these patients died within 1-8 months from evidence of effusion progression, while a RECIST PD was assessed in two of seven patients., Conclusions: A clinical benefit was achieved in 56 % of patients receiving sirolimus, which lasted >24 months in four patients. Most patients with pleural effusion did not benefit from sirolimus and had a poor outcome.