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The present review aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of thalidomide and lenalidomide, two immunomodulatory drugs with anti-angiogenic properties, in women with recurrent ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer. A systematic review of the literature was conducted whereby Medline and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched using terms associated with thalidomide, lenalidomide, and recurrent ovarian, fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancer. Published English language case reports, trials and studies that described the safety and efficacy of thalidomide or lenalidomide alone, or in combination with other drugs were reviewed. A total of 16 clinical studies involving 394 patients treated with thalidomide (n=188), lenalidomide (n=77) and 129 controls were identified, including five case reports (n=6), three case series (n=45), two phase I trials (n=27), four phase II trials (n=109), and two randomized phase III trials (n=207). In a pooled analysis of thalidomide investigated as a single drug, the overall clinical benefit rate was 43% (43/99) with a mean time to progression of 5.6 months. The response rate (complete response + partial response) was 25%. In a phase III trial, the combination of thalidomide and topotecan significantly increased the overall response rate compared with topotecan alone [14/30 (47%) vs. 8/39 (21%)]. In another phase III trial involving women with asymptomatic biochemical recurrence, compared with tamoxifen, thalidomide was not more effective. Lenalidomide was investigated in three phase I trials and in one phase II trial with an overall clinical benefit rate of 52% (34/65), and a mean time to progression of 4.6 months. The response rate (complete response + partial response) was 6%. Systemic toxicity of both drugs was noted in >77% of patients with pneumonitis/pneumonia, fatigue, neuropathy and venous thromboembolism reported as the most common side effects. Thalidomide and lenalidomide are moderately active in recurrent ovarian cancer. Thalidomide possesses synergistic effects with topotecan. The toxicity of both drugs is considerable and there is a greater amount of data available for thalidomide compared to lenalidomide.

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.

Background: Young women with endometrial cancer (EC) have an increased risk of synchronous ovarian cancer. The prognosis of women with synchronous endometrial and ovarian cancer (SEOC) is good. A high proportion of affected women have hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer syndrome (HNPCC). Case presentation: We present the case of a 45-year-old woman with histologically proven endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the endometrium (pT1B, G2, R0 without lymphovascular space invasion). She underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and pelvic lymphadenectomy. Final histology revealed a synchronous bilateral endometrioid ovarian cancer (pT1A, G2, R0). HNPCC analysis by immunohistochemistry showed no microsatellite instability in MSH2, MSH6, MLH1, and PMS2. No adjuvant therapy was administered, clinical follow-up with regular gynecological examinations was recommended. In a systematic literature review, 2,904 cases of women with SEOC were identified with 1,035 (36%) of them being premenopausal or

Background: CPX-351, a liposomal formulation of daunorubicin and cytarabine in the fixed molar ratio (1:5), is approved for the treatment of adult patients (pts) with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with myelodysplasia-related changes and therapy-related AML (t-AML). To explore the potential benefit of CPX-351 in a broader indication, we initiated a randomized phase III study of CPX-351 vs "3+7" in pts ≥18 years (yrs) of age with AML and intermediate or adverse genetics according to 2017 European LeukemiaNet (ELN) risk categorization (AMLSG 30-18, NCT03897127). In the younger pts (18-60 yrs) we sought to investigate a higher dose of CPX-351. We here report data from an interim safety analysis for this higher CPX-351 dose. Methods: Pts are randomized to receive first induction cycle (ind 1) with either CPX-351 or daunorubicin + cytarabine ("3+7": daunorubicin 60 mg/m2 on days 1, 2, 3 + cytarabine 200 mg/m2 on days 1-7); in pts aged 18-60 yrs (performance status 0-1) CPX-351 is given at a dose of 55 mg/m2 daunorubicin/125 mg/m2 cytarabine (125 U/m²; 1 U/m2=0.44 mg/m2 daunorubicin/1 mg/m2 cytarabine; days 1, 3, 5); pts >60 yrs receive the standard dose CPX-351 100 U/m² (days 1, 3, 5). There was no age-adapted dosing in the control arm. For induction cycle 2 (ind 2), pts on the CPX-351 arm receive the same dosage on day 1+2 only; pts on the control arm receive intermediate-dose cytarabine + daunorubicin (both in age-adapted dosing). Continuous assessment for safety is performed for two endpoints: 60-day mortality with a maximally tolerated rate (MTR) of 15%; and hematologic recovery times with i) neutropenia 4° and / or ii) thrombocytopenia 3° or 4° after each ind lasting longer than day 42 after start of treatment cycle (without evidence of persistent leukemia) with a MTR of 25%. Median hematologic recovery times were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier estimates, p-values are mentioned in a descriptive manner (log-rank test). Results: As of July 20, 2020, 36 patients have been randomized to the study (CPX-351, n=19; "3+7", n=17) with following characteristics: de novo AML, n=27, secondary or t-AML, n=9; median age 60.5 yrs (range 47-75; ≤60 yrs, n=18; >60 yrs, n=18); intermediate and adverse risk genetics were found in 7 and 10 pts, respectively (not available yet, n=19). On the CPX-351 arm, 9 of 19 pts were ≤60 yrs of age and received the higher CPX-351 dose. So far, 36 pts received ind 1, 25 pts ind 2. Overall, the median time to neutrophil recovery with absolute neutrophil count (ANC) >0.5 G/l was longer in the CPX-351 arm compared to the "3+7" arm: 39 vs 28 days (p=0.07) after ind 1, and 26.5 vs 19 days after ind 2 (p=0.06; table 1). Time to platelet recovery >50 G/l was significantly prolonged in the CPX-351 arm after ind 1 (40 vs 26 days; p60 yrs), the median time to neutrophil recovery after ind 1 was significantly longer with the higher dose (40 and 31 days, respectively; p=0.03); after ind 2 median times were 38 and 20.5 days (p=0.26); platelet recovery (>50 G/l) was also significantly delayed after ind 1 with the higher compared to the standard CPX-351 dose (median 43 vs 32 days; p=0.002); platelet recovery after ind 2 was after a median of 38.5 and 26.5 days, respectively (p=0.17). There was no treatment-related death (60-day mortality 0%) in both arms. So far, 6 of the 9 pts (67%) treated with the higher CPX-351 dose reached the safety endpoint of persisting neutropenia (n=4) or thrombocytopenia (n=5) during ind beyond day 42. The MTR was exceeded for thrombocytopenia (0.63; 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.31; 0.86]), but not for neutropenia (0.50; 95% CI [0.22; 0.78]). Overall, there were 18 serious adverse events (SAEs); among the most frequent SAEs were infections and fever in neutropenia (n=10). Conclusion: The higher dose of CPX-351 administered in pts 18-60 yrs of age led to significantly prolonged hematologic recovery times during ind 1 and 2 exceeding the MTR for thrombocytopenia without treatment-related death. Based on the prolonged hematologic recovery, the protocol will be amended, in that the CPX-351 dose for ind in pts 18-60 yrs of age is reduced to the current Package Insert for CPX-351 44 mg/m2 daunorubicin / 100 mg/m2 cytarabine (100 U/m²). Data on hematologic response as well as on measurable residual disease using multi-parameter flow cytometry will be presented. Disclosures Kapp-Schwoerer: Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria, Research Funding. Thol:Daiichi Sankyo: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Astellas: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Heuser:Karyopharm: Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy; Astellas: Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Research Funding; BerGenBio ASA: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy; Stemline Therapeutics: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding; PriME Oncology: Honoraria. Faderl:Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Wagner:JAZZ Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment; JAZZ Pharmaceuticals: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Ganser:Celgene: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy. Döhner:Abbvie: Consultancy; Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Astex Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Roche: Consultancy; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Astellas Pharma: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sunesis Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Agios: Consultancy; Arog: Research Funding. Paschka:BerGenBio ASA: Research Funding; Janssen Oncology: Other; Amgen: Other; Otsuka: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Sunesis Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Astellas Pharma: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Other: Travel, accommodations or expenses; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Agios Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Astex Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; AbbVie: Other: Travel, accommodation or expenses, Speakers Bureau. Döhner:Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sunesis: Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Research Funding; Oxford Biomedicals: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Helsinn: Consultancy, Honoraria; Jazz: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria; AROG: Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Agios: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Astellas: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Astex: Consultancy, Honoraria; GEMoaB: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. OffLabel Disclosure: CPX-351 is approved for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with myelodysplasia-related changes and therapy-related AML (t-AML). To explore the potential benefit of CPX-351 in a broader indication, a randomized phase III study of CPX-351 vs 3+7 in patients older than 18 years of age with AML and intermediate or adverse genetics according to 2017 European LeukemiaNet (ELN) risk categorization (AMLSG 30-18, NCT03897127) was initiated. In the younger patients (18-60 yrs) a higher dose of CPX-351 is evaluated.

Background Primary melanoma of the vagina (PMV) is a rare entity. The prognosis of women with PMV is poor and there is no standardized therapy for this type of malignancy. We present the case of a 72-year-old woman with PMV (cT2, pN0, M0). Case report Imaging studies showed no evidence of regional or distant metastases. Molecular analysis demonstrated wild-type B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine kinase (BRAF). Staging laparoscopy with pelvic lymphadenectomy and subsequent radiotherapy with 60 Gy delivered as pelvic teletherapy and vaginal brachytherapy was applied. Systematic literature review: A total of 805 cases of PMV were identified. Most lesions were melanotic (65%) and localized (66%), whereas amelanotic (35%) and primary advanced lesions (34%) were only seen in a minority of patients. BRAF mutation was detected in none out of 33 cases, tumor protein 53 (TP53) mutations and mast/stem cell growth factor receptor CD117 (KIT) amplification were identified in one case each. The most common treatment was surgery, reported in 43% of cases. Surgery combined with adjuvant radiotherapy, adjuvant immunotherapy (mostly with interferon-alpha), or adjuvant chemotherapy were given in 35%, 8%, and 3% of cases, respectively. Radiotherapy or chemotherapy as sole treatments were used in 5% and 1% of patients, respectively. Among patients with recurrence, chemotherapy (mostly dacarbazine) alone or in combination with surgery, radiotherapy or immunotherapy was the most common treatment in 61% of cases. The mean durations of recurrence-free and overall survival were 16.4 and 22.2 months, respectively. Conclusion PMV is a rare malignancy with a poor prognosis. Surgery, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy with interferon-alpha are the mainstay of treatment for localized disease, while chemotherapy with dacarbazine is mostly used for unresectable and recurrent disease. No data on the clinical value of immune checkpoint inhibitors in PMV have been published.

Background Radiogenic angiosarcoma of the breast (RASB) is a rare late sequela of local irradiation of the breast or chest wall after breast cancer. The prognosis of women with RASB is poor and there is no standardized therapy for this type of malignancy. Case presentation We present the case of a 54 year old woman with RASB (poorly differentiated angiosarcoma of the left breast; pT1, pNX, M0, L0, V0) and a history of invasive-ductal cancer of the left breast (pT1b, G2, pN0, ER positive, PR positive, HER-2/neu negative) treated in July 2012 with breast-conserving surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy with 6 cycles of epirubicin and cyclophosphamide, adjuvant irradiation of the left breast with 50 Gray, and adjuvant endocrine therapy with an aromatase inhibitor. In August 2016, a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed to remove a tumor of the left ovary, which was diagnosed as breast cancer recurrence. At the same time, a small, purple skin lesion of 1.2 cm in diameter was noted in the inner upper quadrant of the right breast. RASB was diagnosed by punch biopsy and the tumor was excised with clear margins. Imaging studies showed no evidence of further metastases. A systemic chemotherapy with 6 cycles of liposomal doxorubicin was initiated. Five months later, a local recurrence of RASB was diagnosed and mastectomy was performed. Six months later, the patient is alive with no evidence of disease. Three hundred seven cases of RASB were identified. The pooled incidence rate of RASB was 1/3754 women. The most common treatment of RASB was mastectomy in 83% of cases. Adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy were rarely used with 6 and 4%, respectively, whereas in case of recurrence, chemotherapy was the mainstay of treatment, used in 58% of cases. Radiotherapy and repeated surgery were also common with 30 and 33% of cases, respectively. Overall, the prognosis of women with RASB was poor and the recurrence-free survival was short with a mean of 15.9 months. Mean overall survival was 27.4 months. Conclusion RASB is a rare late complication of breast irradiation. The prognosis of women with RASB is poor. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for localized disease while systemic chemotherapy and re-irradiation are appropriate for women with disseminated or recurrent RASB.

WOS: 000411827200016, PubMed ID: 28961832, Background: This randomized study was designed to investigate the superiority of gemcitabine (gem) plus nimotuzumab (nimo), an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody, compared with gem plus placebo as first-line therapy in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Patients and methods: Patients with previously untreated, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer were randomly assigned to receive gem: 1000 mg/m(2), 30-min i.v. once weekly (d1, 8, 15; q29) and nimo: fixed dose of 400 mg once weekly as a 30-min infusion, or gem plus placebo, until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary end point was overall survival (OS), secondary end points included time to progression, overall response rate, safety and quality of life. Results: A total of 192 patients were randomized, with 186 of them being assessable for efficacy and safety (average age 63.6 years). One-year OS/progression-free survival (PFS) was 34%/22% for gem plus nimo compared with 19%/10% for gem plus placebo (HR = 0.69; P = 0.03/HR = 0.68; P = 0.02). Median OS/PFS was 8.6/5.1 months for gem plus nimo versus 6.0/3.4 mo in the gem plus placebo group (HR = 0.69; P = 0.0341/HR = 0.68; P = 0.0163), with very few grade 3/4 toxicities. KRAS wildtype patients experienced a significantly better OS than those with KRAS mutations (11.6 versus 5.6 months, P = 0.03). Conclusion: This randomized study showed that nimo in combination with gem is safe and well tolerated. The 1-year OS and PFS rates for the entire population were significantly improved. Especially, those patients with KRAS wildtype seem to benefit. The study was registered as protocol ID OSAG101-PCS07, NCT00561990 and EudraCT 2007-000338-38., Oncoscience AG, Schenefeld, Germany, This multi-institutional, randomized phase IIb trial was sponsored by Oncoscience AG, Wedel (recently Schenefeld), Germany. There is no grant number applicable.

Until recently, acquired resistance to cytostatics had mostly been attributed to biochemical mechanisms such as decreased intake and/or increased efflux of therapeutics, enhanced DNA repair, and altered activity or deregulation of target proteins. Although these mechanisms have been widely investigated, little is known about membrane barriers responsible for the chemical imperviousness of cell compartments and cellular segregation in cytostatic-treated tumors. In highly heterogeneous cross-resistant and radiorefractory cell populations selected by exposure to anticancer agents, we found a number of atypical recurrent cell types in (1) tumor cell cultures of different embryonic origins, (2) mouse xenografts, and (3) paraffin sections from patient tumors. Alongside morphologic peculiarities, these populations presented cancer stem cell markers, aberrant signaling pathways, and a set of deregulated miRNAs known to confer both stem-cell phenotypes and highly aggressive tumor behavior. The first type, named spiral cells, is marked by a spiral arrangement of nuclei. The second type, monastery cells, is characterized by prominent walls inside which daughter cells can be seen maturing amid a rich mitochondrial environment. The third type, called pregnant cells, is a giant cell with a syncytium-like morphology, a main nucleus, and many endoreplicative functional progeny cells. A rare fourth cell type identified in leukemia was christened shepherd cells, as it was always associated with clusters of smaller cells. Furthermore, a portion of resistant tumor cells displayed nuclear encapsulation via mitochondrial aggregation in the nuclear perimeter in response to cytostatic insults, probably conferring imperviousness to drugs and long periods of dormancy until nuclear eclosion takes place. This phenomenon was correlated with an increase in both intracellular and intercellular mitochondrial traffic as well as with the uptake of free extracellular mitochondria. All these cellular disorders could, in fact, be found in untreated tumor cells but were more pronounced in resistant entities, suggesting a natural mechanism of cell survival triggered by chemical injury, or a primitive strategy to ensure stemming, self-renewal, and differentiation under adverse conditions, a fact that may play a significant role in chemotherapy outcomes.

Background Lymphoma of the uterine cervix (LUCX) is rare and may occur as a primary or secondary manifestation of this disease. Clinical and cytological presentations of LUCX vary and establishing diagnosis is often difficult. Surgery followed by radiation or chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment. Case report We present the case of a 73-year-old woman with recurrent pathological PAP smears of the cervix and a history of chronic lymphatic leukemia 15 years ago. Colposcopy of the cervix showed no acetowhite lesion and a conization was performed. Histology revealed endocervical lymphoid cells, specified as low-malignant B-Non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the cervix based on the expression of CD5, CD20, and CD23, whilst CD10 and cyclin D1 were negative. The diagnosis was confirmed by flow cytometry of peripheral blood. Staging revealed enlarged iliacal, para-aortic, mediastinal, cervical, subclavicular, and inguinal lymph nodes and hepatosplenomegaly. Bone marrow analysis confirmed lymphoid infiltration consistent with B-cell lymphoma. The patient was scheduled for a combined immuno-chemotherapy with obinutuzumab and chlorambucil. In a MEDLINE literature search, 246 cases of LUCX were identified. One hundred and eighty-five cases were primary and 61 cases were secondary manifestations of LUCX. With a mean follow-up time of 38 months, overall survival was 81%. Data in the literature including clinical and histological characteristics of LUCX as well as the clinical management and prognosis are discussed herein. Conclusion LUCX is rare and has distinct clinical and histological features. LUCX is usually treated with local surgical excision followed by radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

Despite improvement of prognosis, older age remains a negative prognostic factor in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Reports on disease characteristics and outcome of older patients are conflicting. We therefore analyzed 91 newly diagnosed APL patients aged 60 years or older (30 % of 305 adults with APL) registered by the German AML Cooperative Group (AMLCG) since 1994; 68 patients (75 %) were treated in studies, 23 (25 %) were non-eligible, and 31 % had high-risk APL. Fifty-six patients received induction therapy with all-trans retinoic acid and TAD (6-thioguanine, cytarabine, daunorubicin), and consolidation and maintenance therapy. Treatment intensification with a second induction cycle (high dose cytarabine, mitoxantrone; HAM) was optional (n = 14). Twelve patients were randomized to another therapy not considered in this report. The early death rate was 48 % in non-eligible and 19 % in study patients. With the AMLCG regimen, 7-year overall, event-free and relapse-free survival (RFS) and cumulative incidence of relapse were 45 %, 40 %, 48 %, and 24 %, respectively. In patients treated with TAD–HAM induction, 7-year RFS was superior (83 %; p = 0.006) compared to TAD only, and no relapse was observed. In our registered elderly patients, we see a high rate of non-eligibility for treatment in studies and of high-risk APL. In patients who can undergo a curative approach, intensified chemotherapy is highly effective, but is restricted to a selection of patients. Therefore, new less toxic treatment approaches with broader applicability are needed. Elderly patients might be a particular target group for concepts with arsenic trioxide.

Objectives Diagnosing invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) remains a challenge in patients with hematological malignancies. The clinical significance of testing bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples both with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Aspergillus galactomannan ELISA (GM) is unclear, and the BAL cutoff for GM has not been clearly evaluated yet. Methods Using a validated nested PCR assay and a GM ELISA, we prospectively examined BAL samples from 87 hematological patients at high risk of IPA. Of 76 (87%) evaluable patients, 29 patients had proven or probable disease. Results The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of GM optical density (OD) cutoff levels yielded a BAL OD of 0.5 to be optimal. We identified 29 probable or proven cases based on this OD. Sensitivity and specificity for BAL GM were 0.79 (95% CI, 0.62–0.9) and 0.96 (95% CI, 0.86–0.99), respectively. For BAL PCR, sensitivity and specificity were 0.59 (95% CI, 0.41–0.75) and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.75–0.94), respectively. Combining BAL GM and PCR for diagnosis showed a sensitivity and specificity rate of 0.55 (95% CI, 0.38–0.72) and 1.0 (95% CI, 0.93–1.0), respectively, if positivity was defined by positive results for both tests. If either positive BAL GM or positive BAL PCR results defined test positivity, the sensitivity was 0.83 (95% CI, 0.65–0.92), and the specificity was 0.83 (95% CI, 0.70–0.91) Conclusions In terms of optimal sensitivity and specificity, a GM OD cutoff of 0.5 was determined for BAL samples. Positivity for both GM and Aspergillus PCR in BAL makes a pulmonary aspergillosis highly likely.

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-naive patients received S-1 orally at 30 mg/m2 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.

Leukamien sind maligne Erkrankungen des blutbildenden Systems. Die Klassifikation basiert auf morphologischen, immunologischen und molekulargenetischen Eigenschaften der Leukamiezellen. Sowohl bei der akuten lymphatischen als auch bei der akuten myeloischen Leukamie wurden risikoadaptierte Behandlungen eingefuhrt, die zu Heilungsraten von ca. 40% bei jungeren Patienten fuhrten, mit allerdings grosen subgruppenspezifischen Unterschieden. Das Management der chronischen myeloischen Leukamie wurde durch molekular gezielte Therapien vollig geandert. Bei der chronischen lymphatischen Leukamie werden langer anhaltende Remissionen durch Purinanaloga und Antikorper erreicht. Die allogene Stammzelltransplantation hat die kurativen Therapieansatze erweitert. Die Strahlentherapie wird kurativ und palliativ eingesetzt. Der vorliegende Beitrag erlautert den aktuellen Stand der Diagnose und Therapie der einzelnen Leukamieformen im Erwachsenenalter.

Ein onkologischer Notfall tritt ein, wenn im Rahmen einer Tumorerkrankung direkt oder indirekt die Vitalparameter so weit beeintrachtigt werden, dass eine Lebensbedrohung entsteht. Eine Vielzahl von metabolischen Entgleisungen und Gerinnungsstorungen lassen sich direkt oder indirekt auf maligne Erkrankungen zuruckfuhren. Zu den typischen metabolisch bedingten onkologischen Notfallsituationen gehoren das Tumorlysesyndrom und akute Elektrolytverschiebungen wie Hyperkalzamie oder Hyponatriamie mit konsekutiven Organfunktionseinschrankungen. Sowohl Blutungs- als auch thromboembolische Ereignisse konnen Notfallsituationen bei onkologischen Patienten hervorrufen. Daruber hinaus ergeben sich durch das rasch wachsende Gebiet der Signaltransduktionsinhibitoren neue Nebenwirkungsprofile metabolischer Art (z. B. Hypophosphatamie, Hypothyreose), die der entsprechenden Erfahrung und vorbeugenden Masnahmen bedurfen, um bedrohliche Situationen rasch abwenden zu konnen.

Due to demographic changes there is an increasing number of elderly and old patients with cancer. This group of patients shows a significant heterogeneity and differs from the average young patient. Identification of relevant functional deficits and comorbidities remains crucial for an efficient treatment strategy of this patient group. For this reason, the geriatric assessment has been developed and integrated in daily oncological practice. Within this diagnostic approach oncologists can for example identify elderly fit patients suitable for aggressive treatments or identify at-risk patients for complications. Recent studies have shown that this approach is feasible in daily practice and capable of improving outcome. There is still the need for more specific instruments for different cancers.

Telatinib (BAY 57-9352) is an orally available, small-molecule inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 2 and 3 (VEGFR-2/-3) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta tyrosine kinases. In this multicentre phase I dose escalation study, 71 patients with refractory solid tumours were enroled into 14 days on/7 days off (noncontinuous dosing) or continuous dosing groups to receive telatinib two times daily (BID). Hypertension (23%) and diarrhoea (7%) were the most frequent study drug-related adverse events of CTC grade 3. The maximum-tolerated dose was not reached up to a dose of 1500 mg BID continuous dosing. Telatinib was rapidly absorbed with median t(max) of 3 hours or less. Geometric mean C(max) and AUC(0-12) increased in a less than dose-proportional manner and plateaued in the 900-1500 mg BID dose range. Two renal cell carcinoma patients reached a partial response. Tumour blood flow measured by contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and sVEGFR-2 plasma levels decreased with increasing AUC(0-12) of telatinib. Telatinib is safe and well tolerated up to a dose of 1500 mg BID continuous dosing. Based on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic criteria, 900 mg telatinib BID continuously administered was selected as the recommended phase II dose.

Blood transfusions represent a main component of supportive care in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). To avoid organ damage caused by transfusion-dependent iron overload, an adequate iron chelation therapy is required. Recently, a new oral iron chelator deferasirox (ICL670, Exjade) has become available. A study was conducted to demonstrate the efficacy and tolerability of deferasirox in transfusion-dependent iron-overloaded patients with MDS. The efficacy of deferasirox was monitored by changes in serum ferritin, bone marrow iron, and liver iron concentration (LIC), as determined by T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Twelve patients with MDS of different subtypes (median age 76 years, range 53-91) were enrolled. Deferasirox administered in a once-daily dose of 20-30 mg/kg for 12 months was effective in reducing median ferritin concentration from 1,515 microg/L (range 665-6,900) to 413 microg/L (range 105-3,052). Within the first 4 weeks of treatment before the continuous decline of ferritin levels, the values markedly rose in eight of 12 patients. The median LIC declined from 315 to 230 micromol/g (p=0.02) at the end of study, accompanied by a reduction of bone marrow siderosis. The most common adverse events were mild and transient gastrointestinal disturbances, skin rash, nonprogressive transient increases in serum creatinine and urine beta2-microglobulin, and a temporary reduction of the creatinine clearance. The renal parameters normalized after end of treatment. No hematologic toxicities were observed. Deferasirox proved to be effective in transfusion-dependent iron overload in MDS by mobilizing iron deposits in liver and at least stabilizing iron stores in bone marrow.

Aberrant micro RNA (miRNA) expression has been described in human malignancies including B-cell lymphomas. We here report BCR-ABL– and c-MYC–dependent regulation of miRNA expression in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) using microarray analysis (miCHIP) and miRNA-specific quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (miR-qRT-PCR). In 3 bcr-abl–positive cell lines, expression of miRNAs encoded within the polycistronic miR-17-92 cluster is specifically down-regulated (2- to 5-fold) by both imatinib treatment and anti–BCR-ABL RNA interference (RNAi). In addition, anti–c-MYC RNAi reduces miR-17-92 expression in K562 cells in which miRNAs can specifically repress reporter gene expression, as demonstrated by specific miRNA inhibition with antagomirs. Furthermore, lentivirus-mediated overexpression of polycistronic miRNAs in K562 cells confers increased proliferation, partial resistance against anti–c-MYC RNAi, and enhanced sensitivity to imatinib-induced cell death. Finally, we determined miR-17-92 expression in purified normal (n = 4), early chronic-phase (CP) (n = 24), and blast-crisis (BC) (n = 7) CML CD34+ cells and found up-regulation of polycistronic pri-miRNA transcripts in CML and mature miRNAs in CP but not in BC CML. These data are in accordance with a BCR-ABL–c-MYC–miR-17-92 pathway that mediates enhanced miRNA expression in CP but not BC CML CD34+ cells. Altered miRNA expression may contribute to the pathophysiology of the disease and may provide potential targets for therapeutic intervention.

A reliable diagnosis of small cell lung cancers (SCLC) is of high clinical relevance. We investigated whether immunocytology substantially improves the diagnostic accuracy of conventional cytology in diagnosing SCLC.162 carcinomatous specimens clinically suspected to originate from pulmonary neoplasms were investigated by cytology and immunocytology. Immunocytology was performed on smears using HEA125 and pancytokeratin antibodies as epithelial markers and MOC-1 as SCLC probe.As histologically clarified, 114 specimens corresponded to pulmonary neoplasms (SCLC = 51; non-small cell lung cancer: NSCLC = 59; mixed SCLC/NSCLC = 2; carcinoid = 2), 48 to nonpulmonary adenocarcinomas. By conventional cytology tumor cells were clearly detected in 93 (57.4%) and suspected in another 43 (26.5%) cases (83.9% overall sensitivity). Considering SCLC samples, tumor cells were diagnosed or suspected in 36 (70.5%), not identified in 10 (19.6%), and misdiagnosed as hematological malignancy in 5 cases. Only 2 specimens were accurately diagnosed as SCLC. Using the epithelial antibodies all samples were identified as carcinomatous. MOC-1 stained all but one SCLC, both SCLC/NSCLC, and both carcinoids. One SCLC brush smear was MOC-1 negative, containing only squamous epithelium. 3 pulmonary adenocarcinomas stained falsely positive, all nonpulmonary carcinomas MOC-1 negative.Immunocytology substantially improves the diagnostic accuracy of cytology in diagnosing SCLC with a diagnostic sensitivity of 98% and specificity of 97%.

Melanoma of the breast is a rare disease and may present as a metastatic manifestation of primary cutaneous melanoma or as primary malignant melanoma of the breast (PMMB). Clinical presentations of PMMB vary and surgery is the mainstay of treatment.We present the case of a 54-year-old woman with a primary malignant melanoma of the left breast. She was treated with mastectomy, axillary sentinel lymph node excision and primary reconstruction with a tissue expander. Final histology revealed a malignant melanoma with 10 cm in the largest diameter. Molecular characterization by DNA-sequencing showed B-RAF, N-RAS and c-kit wild types. Immunohistochemical characterization demonstrated weak expression of S100 and melan-A and strong expression of polyclonal S100. HMB45, tyrosine kinase and the cytokeratins AE1/AE3 and MNF 116 were not expressed. Lymphoma-specific markers (CD30, CD3, CD20) and sarcoma-specific markers (desmin, actin, CD34) were also negative. The tumor proliferation rate according to Mib1-staining was 90%. Staging of the abdomen, chest, head and bones showed no evidence of metastases. A dermatological examination showed no primary melanoma of the skin. Interferon-alpha was suggested as adjuvant therapy but declined by the patient. With a follow-up of 6 months, the patient is still alive with no evidence of disease.PMMB is rare and may be successfully treated with surgical excision. Locally advanced PMMB may occur without regional and distant metastases.

KIT mutation has been implicated in sporadic mastocytosis, yet clusters in only a few sites in the molecule. For those malignancies associated with KIT mutation or over-expression, imatinib offers a specific therapeutic option, yet it has no effect on D816V mutation commonly seen in sporadic mastocytosis. The majority of cases of familial mastocytosis seem to lack KIT mutation. We report a kindred with mastocytosis in whom in vitro and in vivo sensitivity to imatinib was demonstrated. Mutation analysis of the KIT coding region in this family identified a novel A > T mutation at nucleotide 1547 [K509I] in exon 9 in both of the affected patients.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) starts with the acquisition of a BCR-ABL fusion gene in a single hematopoietic stem cell, but the time to progression is unpredictable. Although the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib mesylate is highly effective in the treatment of CML, its continuous administration is associated with development of resistance, particularly in advanced phase or blast crisis. We investigate here whether a feature of disease progression (i.e., elevated expression of Bcr-Abl in CD34+ progenitor cells from CML patients in blast crisis) has any bearing on the kinetics of resistance to imatinib. By studying cell lines that exogenously express Bcr-Abl over the range found from chronic phase to blast crisis of CML, we show that cells expressing high amounts of Bcr-Abl, as in blast crisis, are much less sensitive to imatinib and, more significantly, take a substantially shorter time for yielding a mutant subclone resistant to the inhibitor than cells with low expression levels, as in chronic phase. Our data suggest that the differential levels of the Bcr-Abl oncoprotein expressed by CD34+ CML cells may reflect the extent and duration of their response to imatinib; the relatively high levels of oncoprotein in advanced-phase disease may underlie the observed rapid development of resistance.

The analysis of rare chromosomal translocations in myeloproliferative disorders has highlighted the importance of aberrant tyrosine kinase signaling in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Here we have investigated samples from 679 patients and controls for the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase JAK2 V617F mutation. Of the 480 myeloproliferative disorder (MPD) samples, the proportion of positive cases per disease subtype was 30 (20%) of 152 for atypical or unclassified MPD, 2 of 134 (2%) for idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome, 58 of 72 (81%) for polycythemia vera, 24 of 59 (41%) essential thrombocythemia (ET), and 15 of 35 (43%) for idiopathic myelofibrosis. V617F was not identified in patients with systemic mastocytosis (n = 28), chronic or acute myeloid leukemia (n = 35), secondary erythrocytosis (n = 4), or healthy controls (n = 160). Homozygosity for V617F was seen in 43% of mutant samples and was closely correlated with chromosome 9p uniparental disomy. Homozygosity was significantly less common in ET compared with other MPD subtypes. In 53 cases analyzed, the median level of PRV1 expression was significantly higher in V617F-positive cases compared with cases without the mutation. We conclude that V617F is widespread in MPDs. Detection of this acquired mutation is likely to have a major impact on the way patients with MPD are diagnosed, as well as serving as an obvious target for signal transduction therapy.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is caused by Bcr-Abl, an activated tyrosine kinase. The amounts of Bcr-Abl mRNA and protein in cells from patients in blast crisis (BC) are higher than in those chronic phase (CP), indicating that their expression rises with disease progression. In order to study this phenomenon on cells with the same genetic background, we transfected the 32D cell line with the BCR-ABL transgene and selected clones with graded expression of Bcr-Abl within the range found in cells from CP to BC. In vitro, we found that Bcr-Abl exerted dose-dependent effects upon growth factor dependence, clonogenicity and migration. However, the relationship between Bcr-Abl expression and cellular adhesion to fibronectin was more complex: rather than a direct positive correlation, clones that expressed low, but not high, levels of Bcr-Abl were less adhesive than growth factor stimulated, parental BCR-ABL-negative 32D cells. This finding parallels the situation with normal and CML-CP progenitors where the latter exhibit defective adhesion to fibronectin. Treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib mesylate reversed the adhesion deficient phenotype of clones expressing low levels of Bcr-Abl. When injected subcutaneously into syngeneic mice, cell lines expressing high levels of Bcr-Abl rapidly induced tumors, whereas low-expressing clones led to tumor formation only after a prolonged latency. These findings suggest that the level of Bcr-Abl may be essential in determining the phenotype of the leukemic clone at different stages of the disease.

Overexpression of BCR-ABL and P-glycoprotein (Pgp) are two of the known mechanisms of imatinib resistance. As combination therapy may allow to overcome drug resistance, we investigated the effect of combination treatment with imatinib and 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), a heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor, on different imatinib-sensitive and imatinib-resistant CML cell lines. In imatinib-sensitive cells, combination index (CI) values obtained using the method of Chou and Talalay indicated additive (CI=1) or marginally antagonistic (CI>1) effects following simultaneous treatment with imatinib and 17-AAG. In imatinib-resistant cells both drugs acted synergistically (CI

Chemically synthesized, small interfering RNAs (siRNA) are currently used as a new class of therapeutic molecules, allowing the controlled down-regulation of pathologically relevant gene expression e.g., oncogenes and other similar targets in cancer [1, 2, 3].However, the overall negative charge of siRNA molecules (up to 40 negative charg-es) and the relatively high molecular weight (12,000 – 14,000 Da) prevent the functional uptake of these novel therapeutic molecules in vivo. Besides the inefficient uptake and the degradation in endosomal compartments at the cellular level, non-formulated siRNAs are rapidly cleared by renal excretion from the blood stream when administered i.v. [4].To overcome these limitations, a variety of non-viral nanoparticles (50 – 200 nm) have been recently developed enabling chemically synthesized siRNA to be used therapeuti-cally for inhibition of RNAi-mediated tumor growth. Atu027 is a novel RNAi therapeutic agent based on cationic lipoplexes containing chemically stabilized siRNAs, which target Protein Kinase N3 (PKN3) gene expression in the vascular endothelium (Figure 1) [5]. PKN3, a member of the AGC kinase fam-ily, has been identified as a promising, novel therapeutic target in cancer cells for inhibiting tumor progression and lymph node metasta-sis formation [6]. These studies have revealed that PKN3 mediates malignant cell growth downstream of the chronically activated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway [6]. Recently, PKN3 has also been considered as a suitable therapeutic target for modulating tumor-associated angiogenesis. Preclinical data, obtained in various cancer mouse mod-els, revealed target-specific, RNAi-mediated silencing of PKN3 expression and significant inhibition of tumor progression and metasta-sis formation [

The retinoblastoma protein (pRb), p16(INK4A), D-type cyclins, and their partners cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4 and 6 constitute a G(1) regulatory pathway commonly targeted in tumorigenesis. Several malignancies show a reciprocal correlation between genetic alterations of single members of the pRb pathway. Therefore, we determined the frequency of Rb deletions and cyclin D1 alterations by fluorescence in situ hybridization as well as 5' CpG island hypermethylation of the p16(INK4A)gene using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction in bone marrow mononuclear cells from 82 individuals with plasma cell disorders. Alterations in at least one of the components of the pathway were found in 75%. Cyclin D1 translocations or amplifications were detected in 14/82 (17.1%), Rb deletions at 13q14 in 23/82 (28%) of the cases, including three (3.6%) homozygous deletions. p16(INK4A) was hypermethylated in 33/57 (57.9%) of the samples. Further analysis revealed a highly significant correlation between cyclin D1 alterations and extramedullar or leukemic myeloma manifestations (P = 0.014; Fisher's test). Whereas Rb deletions seemed to occur alternatively to cyclin D1 alterations, no reciprocal correlation was found between p16(INK4A) hypermethylations and cyclin D1 or Rb locus aberrations. Cyclin D1 locus alterations and Rb deletions were associated with a significantly worse prognosis whereas p16(INK4A) hypermethylation had no impact on survival. We conclude that cyclin D1 and Rb aberrations seem to occur as alternative events in plasma cell malignancies and contribute to clinical course and prognosis. In contrast, although p16(INK4A) hypermethylation is frequent, inactivation of p16(INK4A) seems not to be involved in the pathogenesis of plasma cell disorders.

e15787 Background: Nimotuzumab, a unique and affinity differentiated anti-EGFR antibody had been used in combination with gemcitabine on the treatment of pancreatic cancer patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate overall survival. Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed, locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer, KPS ≥ 70 %, 18-72 years old, with adequate renal and liver function were included. Pts received gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2and nimotuzumab or placebo fixed dose of 400 mg once a wk, for 3 wks, followed by a 1-wk rest (d1, 8, 15, q28) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was OS and secondary PFS, ORR, CBR, safety and QoL. For OS determination, a KM log-rank test was used and a modified IPCW with a cox regression as a secondary analysis. On this evaluation using a modified IPCW model, 41.7% of pts from treatment arm and 42.7% from control arm who received 2nd and 3rd line treatment were censored after progression, while pts that did not receive 2nd and 3rd line treatment were weighted to compensate for the bias created by censoring switchers to 2nd and 3rd line treatment. Results: 192 pancreatic cancer pts were recruited. Ninety-six pts (62 male and 34 female) with a median age of 67 years, range (31, 83) were randomized to treatment arm and 96 pts (57 male and 39 female) with a median age of 64 years, range (41, 82) were randomized to control arm. In the primary analysis, median OS [95% CI] in the treatment arm was 8.57 mo [5.93, 10.90] vs 6.03 mo [4.97, 7.60] in the control arm. The HR [95% CI], 0.83 [0.62, 1.12] and p = 0.23 and when a modified IPCW model as a secondary analysis was used to remove the effect of 2nd and 3rd line therapies, the median OS was statistically significant with a HR [95% CI], 0.81 [0.67, 0.98] and a p = 0.030. The median PFS [95% CI] was 4.43 mo [3.67, 6.00] in the treatment arm vs 3.47 mo [2.60, 4.03] in the control arm with a HR [95% CI] 0.68 [0.51, 0.92] and p = 0.012. Conclusions: A modified IPCW model had proven that addition of nimotuzumab to gemcitabine increases median overall survival of newly diagnosed chemotherapy-naïve locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. Clinical trial information: NCT00561990.

Purpose Atu027 is a novel liposomal RNA interference therapeutic that includes a short-interfering RNA (siRNA), which silences expression of protein kinase N3 in the vascular endothelium. Atu027 has previously been shown to inhibit local tumor invasion as well as lymph node and pulmonary metastasis in mouse cancer models. This first-in-human study aimed to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of Atu027 while evaluating therapeutic effects on both primary tumors and metastatic lesions. Patients and Methods Thirty-four patients with advanced solid tumors received 10 escalating doses of Atu027 without premedication, as one single followed by eight intravenous infusions twice per week during a 28-day cycle. Response was monitored by computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging at baseline, at the end of treatment (EoT), and at final follow-up (EoS), and was assessed according to RECIST. Results Atu027 was well tolerated up to dose levels of 0.336 mg/kg; most adverse events (AEs) were low-grade toxicities (grade 1 or 2). No maximum tolerated dose was reached. Plasma levels of siRNA strands and lipids were dose proportional, peaking during 4-hour infusion. Disease stabilization was achieved in 41% of patients at EoT (n = 14 of 34 treated patients); eight patients had stable disease at EoS, and some experienced complete or partial regression of metastases. sFLT1 (soluble variant of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1) decreased from pretreatment levels in most patients after dose levels 04 to 10. Conclusion Atu027 was safe in patients with advanced solid tumors, with 41% of patients having stable disease for at least 8 weeks. In view of these results, further clinical trials have been initiated, and sFLT1 will be investigated as a potential biomarker.

Background: Internal tandem duplications (ITD) in the receptor tyrosine kinase FLT3 occur in roughly 25% of younger adult patients (pts) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The multi-targeted kinase inhibitor midostaurin combined with intensive chemotherapy has shown activity against AML with FLT3 mutations. However, toxicity and potential drug-drug interactions with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors such as posaconazole may necessitate dose reduction. Aims: To evaluate the impact of age and midostaurin dose-adaptation after intensive induction chemotherapy on response and outcome in AML with FLT3-ITD within the AMLSG 16-10 trial (NCT01477606). Methods: The study included adult pts (age 18-70 years (yrs)) with newly diagnosed FLT3-ITD positive AML enrolled in the ongoing single-arm phase-II AMLSG 16-10 trial. Pts with acute promyelocytic leukemia were not eligible. The presence of FLT3-ITD was analyzed within our diagnostic study AMLSG-BiO (NCT01252485) by Genescan-based DNA fragment-length analysis. Induction therapy consisted of daunorubicin (60 mg/m², d1-3) and cytarabine (200 mg/m², continuously, d1-7); midostaurin 50 mg bid was applied from day 8 until 48h before start of the next treatment cycle. A second cycle was allowed in case of partial remission (PR). For consolidation therapy, pts proceeded to allogeneic hematopoietic-cell transplantation (HCT) as first priority; if alloHCT was not feasible, pts received three cycles of age-adapted high-dose cytarabine (HDAC) in combination with midostaurin starting on day 6. In all pts one-year maintenance therapy with midostaurin was intended. The first patient entered the study in June 2012 and in April 2014, after recruitment of n=147 pts, the study was amended including a sample size increase to 284 pts and a dose reduction to 12.5% of the initial dose of midostaurin in case of co-medication with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g. posaconazole). This report focuses on age and the comparison between the first (n=147) and the second cohort (n=137) of the study in terms midostaurin dose-adaptation. Results: Patient characteristics were as follows: median age 54 yrs (range, 18-70; younger, 68% < 60 yrs; older, 32% ≥ 60 yrs); median white cell count 44.7G/l (range 1.1-1543 G/l); karyotype, n=161 normal, n=16 high-risk according to ELN recommendations; mutated NPM1 n=174 (59%). Data on response to first induction therapy were available in 277 pts; complete remission (CR) including CR with incomplete hematological recovery (CRi) 60%, PR 20%, refractory disease (RD) 15%, and death 5%. A second induction cycle was given in 54 pts. Overall response (CR/CRi) after induction therapy was 76% (76%, younger; 76%, older) and death 6% (4%, younger; 10% older). The dose of midostaurin during first induction therapy was reduced in 53% and 71% of patients in cohort-1 and cohort-2, respectively. Reasons for dose reduction were in 58% and 49% toxicity, and in 9% and 23% co-medication in cohort-1 and cohort-2, respectively. No difference in response to induction therapy was noted between cohorts (p=0.81). Median follow-up was 18 months. Overall 146 pts received an alloHCT, 128 in first CR (n=94 younger, n=34 older; n=92 from a matched unrelated and n=36 from a matched related donor). In pts receiving an alloHCT within the protocol in median two chemotherapy cycles were applied before transplant (range 1-4). The cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) and death after transplant were 13% (SE 3.2%) and 16% (SE 3.5%) without differences (p=0.97, p=0.41, respectively) between younger and older patients. So far maintenance therapy was started in 86 pts, 61 pts after alloHCT and 25 pts after HDAC. Fifty-five adverse events 3°/4° were reported being attributed to midostaurin; cytopenias after alloHCT were the most frequent (29%). CIR in patients starting maintenance therapy was 20% one year after start of maintenance without difference between alloHCT and HiDAC (p=0.99). In addition, no difference in CIR was identified in patients after consolidation with alloHCT or HDAC according to dose reduction of midostaurin during first induction therapy (p=0.43, p=0.98, respectively). Median overall survival was 25 months (younger, 26 months; older 23 months; p=0.15). Conclusions: The addition of midostaurin to intensive induction therapy and as maintenance after alloHCT or HDAC is feasible and effective without an impact of age and dose adaptation on outcome. Disclosures Schlenk: Amgen: Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria, Research Funding. Fiedler:GSO: Other: Travel; Pfizer: Research Funding; Kolltan: Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Other: Travel, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Gilead: Other: Travel; Ariad/Incyte: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Teva: Other: Travel. Lübbert:Celgene: Other: Travel Funding; Janssen-Cilag: Other: Travel Funding, Research Funding; Ratiopharm: Other: Study drug valproic acid. Greil:Janssen-Cilag: Honoraria; Genentech: Honoraria, Research Funding; Mundipharma: Honoraria, Research Funding; Merck: Honoraria; AstraZeneca: Honoraria; Boehringer-Ingelheim: Honoraria; GSK: Research Funding; Ratiopharm: Research Funding; Cephalon: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers-Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding; Sanofi Aventis: Honoraria; Eisai: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria, Research Funding. Greiner:BMS: Research Funding. Paschka:ASTEX Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Medupdate GmbH: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria; Pfizer Pharma GmbH: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria. Heuser:Bayer Pharma AG: Research Funding; Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria; Pfizer: Research Funding; BerGenBio: Research Funding; Tetralogic: Research Funding.

The mechanism and target cell of the life-prolonging effect of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) are controversial. We studied the influence of IFN-alpha treatment on the frequency of malignant hematopoietic precursor cells in the peripheral blood (PB) of CML patients during the course of the disease. PB 10-day colony-forming cells (PB-CFCs) were assessed with regard to their quantity, lineage distribution, and BCR-ABL status, as determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). PB-CFC numbers were determined in 39 patients (29 in the chronic phase, 6 in an advanced stage, and 4 with progression to an advanced stage during follow-up). Thirty-one patients were evaluated either once or several times to determine the BCR-ABL status of the colonies. BCR-ABL negative PB-CFCs were detectable at diagnosis in 5 of 11 patients. A major reduction of BCR-ABL positive colonies to25% of PB-CFCs was observed in 10/13 determinable IFN-alpha treated patients in early and late chronic phases, indicating a high proportion of BCR-ABL negativity at the clonogenic cell level. In contrast, only 3 of these patients had a cytogenetic response of25% Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1)-positive metaphases in bone marrow cytogenetics. Treatment with IFN-alpha and/or hydroxyurea (HU) during chronic phase was accompanied by a reduction of PB-CFCs to subnormal levels (median 24 CFCs/ml) compared to controls (median 207 CFCs/ml), untreated patients in chronic phase (median 25,979 CFCs/ml), and patients with advanced disease (median 6,047 CFCs/ml). In blast crisis (6 patients), all colonies tested were BCR-ABL positive. Our results show that IFN-alpha treatment leads to a marked reduction of malignant myeloid precursor cells in the PB of CML patients, which exceeds the degree of cytogenetic remission. This offers an explanation for the good therapeutic efficacy and even life-prolonging effect of IFN-alpha, which is also observed in cytogenetic non-responders.

Targeting the tyrosine kinase activity of Bcr-Abl with STI571 is an attractive therapeutic strategy in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). A few CML cell lines and primary progenitors are, however, resistant to this compound. We investigated the mechanism of this resistance in clones of the murine BaF/3 cells transfected with BCR-ABL and in 4 human cell lines from which sensitive (s) and resistant (r) clones were generated by various methods. Although the resistant cells were able to survive in the presence of STI571, their proliferation was approximately 30% lower than that of their sensitive counterparts in the absence of the compound. The concentration of STI571 needed for a 50% reduction in viable cells after a 3-day exposure was on average 10 times higher in the resistant (2-3 μmol/L) than in the sensitive (0.2-0.25 μmol/L) clones. The mechanism of resistance to STI571 varied among the cell lines. Thus, in Baf/BCR-ABL-r, LAMA84-r, and AR230-r, there was up-regulation of the Bcr-Abl protein associated with amplification of the BCR-ABL gene. In K562-r, there was no Bcr-Abl overexpression, but the IC50 for the inhibition of Bcr-Abl autophosphorylation was increased in the resistant clones. Sequencing of the Abl kinase domain revealed no mutations. The multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein (Pgp) was overexpressed in LAMA84-r, indicating that at least 2 mechanisms of resistance operate in this cell line. KCL22-r showed neither Bcr-Abl up-regulation nor a higher threshold for tyrosine kinase inhibition by STI571. We conclude that BCR-ABL–positive cells can evade the inhibitory effect of STI571 by different mechanisms, such as Bcr-Abl overexpression, reduced intake mediated by Pgp, and, possibly, acquisition of compensatory mutations in genes other than BCR-ABL.

A substantial minority of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) achieve a complete response (CR) to treatment with interferon- (IFN), defined as the disappearance of Philadelphia chromosome-positive metaphases. Currently it is unclear how long IFN treatment should be continued for such patients. We used a competitive reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to quantify levels of BCR-ABL transcripts in 297 peripheral blood specimens collected from 54 patients who had achieved CR with IFN. The median duration of observation was 1.9 years (range, 0.3-11.0 years). Total ABL transcripts were quantified as internal control and results were expressed as the ratio BCR-ABL/ABL. All 54 patients had molecular evidence of residual disease, although 3 patients were intermittently PCR negative. The median BCR-ABL/ABL ratio at the time of maximal response for each patient was 0.045% (range, 0%-3.6%). During the period of observation 14 patients relapsed, 11 cytogenetically to chronic phase disease and 3 directly to blastic phase. The median ratio of BCR-ABL/ABL at maximal response was significantly higher in patients who relapsed than in those who remained in CR (0.49% versus 0.021%,P

A substantial minority of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) achieve a complete response (CR) to treatment with interferon- (IFN), defined as the disappearance of Philadelphia chromosome-positive metaphases. Currently it is unclear how long IFN treatment should be continued for such patients. We used a competitive reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to quantify levels of BCR-ABL transcripts in 297 peripheral blood specimens collected from 54 patients who had achieved CR with IFN. The median duration of observation was 1.9 years (range, 0.3-11.0 years). Total ABL transcripts were quantified as internal control and results were expressed as the ratio BCR-ABL/ABL. All 54 patients had molecular evidence of residual disease, although 3 patients were intermittently PCR negative. The median BCR-ABL/ABL ratio at the time of maximal response for each patient was 0.045% (range, 0%-3.6%). During the period of observation 14 patients relapsed, 11 cytogenetically to chronic phase disease and 3 directly to blastic phase. The median ratio of BCR-ABL/ABL at maximal response was significantly higher in patients who relapsed than in those who remained in CR (0.49% versus 0.021%,P

Although it is a severe complication in immunocompromised patients, diagnosing invasive fungal disease (IFD), especially invasive aspergillosis (IA), remains difficult. In certain clinical scenarios, examining tissue samples for identification of the infectious organism becomes important. As culture-based methods rarely yield results, the performance of an Aspergillus -specific nested PCR in fresh tissue or pleural effusion samples was evaluated. Fresh tissue ( n = 59) and effusion ( n = 47) specimens from 79 immunocompromised patients were subjected to an Aspergillus -specific PCR assay. Twenty-six patients had proven ( n = 20) or probable ( n = 6) IFD, according to the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Mycoses Study Group (EORTC/MSG) criteria, while the remaining patients were classified as having either possible IFD ( n = 30) or no IFD ( n = 23). IA was identified as the underlying IFD in 21/26 proven/probable cases. PCR positivity was observed for 18/21 proven/probable and 6 possible IA cases; cases classified as no IA did not show positive signals. Patients with proven IFD ( n = 5) with cultures positive for non- Aspergillus molds also had negative Aspergillus PCR results. Aspergillus PCR performance analysis yielded sensitivity and specificity values of 86% (95% confidence interval [CI], 65% to 95%) and 100% (95% CI, 86% to 100%), respectively, thus leading to a diagnostic odds ratio of >200. In this analysis, good diagnostic performance of the PCR assay for detection of IA was observed for tissue samples, while effusion samples showed lower sensitivity rates. PCR testing represents a complementary tool; a positive PCR result strengthens the likelihood of IA, whereas IA seems unlikely in cases with negative results but findings could indicate non- Aspergillus IFD. Thus, PCR testing of these specimens enhances the diagnostic capabilities.

Background Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is commonly treated with 5-fluorouracil, folinic acid, and oxaliplatin or irinotecan. The multitargeted kinase inhibitor, regorafenib, was combined with chemotherapy as first- or second-line treatment of mCRC to assess safety and pharmacokinetics (primary objectives) and tumor response (secondary objective). Patients and methods Forty-five patients were treated every 2 weeks with 5-fluorouracil 400 mg/m2 bolus then 2400 mg/m2 over 46 h, folinic acid 400 mg/m2, and either oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2 or irinotecan 180 mg/m2. On days 4–10, patients received regorafenib 160 mg orally once daily. Results The median duration of treatment was 108 (range 2–345 days). Treatment was stopped for adverse events or death (17 patients), disease progression (11 patients), and consent withdrawal or investigator decision (11 patients). Six patients remained on regorafenib at data cutoff (two without chemotherapy). Drug-related adverse events occurred in 44 patients [grade ≥3 in 32 patients: mostly neutropenia (17 patients) and leukopenia, hand–foot skin reaction, and hypophosphatemia (four patients each)]. Thirty-three patients achieved disease control (partial response or stable disease) for a median of 126 (range 42–281 days). Conclusion Regorafenib had acceptable tolerability in combination with chemotherapy, with increased exposure of irinotecan and SN-38 but no significant effect on 5-fluorouracil or oxaliplatin pharmacokinetics.

385 Background: Atu027 is a liposomally formulated short interfering RNA with anti-metastatic activity, which silences expression of protein kinase N3 (PKN3) in the vascular endothelium. PKN3 acts as a Rho effector downstream of PI3K. This trial was designed to assess safety, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of Atu027 in combination with gemcitabine in advanced pancreatic carcinoma (APC). Methods: 23 patients (pts) with APC stage 3 or 4 were enrolled and randomly assigned to different Atu027 dosing schedules (arm 1: 0.253mg/kg once weekly, n = 11; arm 2: 0.253mg/kg twice-weekly, n = 12) but identical gemcitabine regimen. Response was evaluated according to RECIST 1.1. Quality of life was assessed with EORTC questionnaire QLQ-C30. Results: Combination therapy with Atu027 and gemcitabine was given up to 7.8 months until progression. Grade 3 adverse events (AEs) were reported by 9/11 pts (82%) in arm 1 and 11/12 pts (92%) in arm 2. Grade 4 AEs were reported by two pts in each arm. Interestingly, there was a difference in median progression free survival (mPFS) between the two treatment arms. Arm 1 showed an mPFS of 1.8 [95%CI: 0.4-5.5] months vs. 5.3 [95%CI: 1.5-6.0] months in arm 2, p= 0.399. In a post-hoc analysis of metastatic disease only, the difference in mPFS between the two arms reached statistical significance (1.6 [95%CI:0.4-2.1] vs 2.9 [95%CI:1.0-7.3] months, n = 9 vs 10, p= 0.025). Disease control during treatment was achieved in 4/11 (36%) pts in arm 1 and in 7/12 (58%) pts in arm 2. New lesions occurred in all (6/6) pts in arm 1 who had at least one RECIST re-evaluation but only 5/10 pts (50%) in arm 2. In quality of life analysis, pts in the once-weekly arm showed a stable global health status while pts in the twice-weekly arm reported an improvement (0-100 score change from baseline: -2.3 vs +21.6 after one cycle, N = 7 vs 7). Conclusions: Combination of Atu027 with gemcitabine for the treatment of APC is safe and was well tolerated. Despite the small patient number, there is a clear signal that twice-weekly Atu027 dosing might be superior to the once-weekly regimen. These results suggest efficacy of Atu027 and warrant further investigation with Atu027 added to standard of care in APC. Clinical trial information: NCT01808638.

OBJECTIVES Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a life-threatening infection in severely immunocompromised patients, especially those receiving intensive chemotherapy or undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. As the clinical diagnosis of IA is mostly based on biomarkers (galactomannan, β-d-glucan, PCR assays) indicating Aspergillus as the underlying pathogen, the effect of antifungal treatment on the performance of these parameters is still controversial. We evaluated the effect of antifungal treatment on the performance of an Aspergillus-specific PCR assay in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples. PATIENTS AND METHODS Two-hundred-and-twenty-six BAL samples from 226 patients with haematological malignancies at high risk for IA classified according to the 2008 European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer criteria were analysed retrospectively for the diagnostic performance of a nested Aspergillus PCR assay in relation to the number and type of mould-active antifungals received prior to BAL sampling. RESULTS Sensitivity of BAL PCR for patients without antifungal treatment prior to BAL sampling was 0.69, whereas specificity was 0.87. While no significant change in diagnostic performance by the addition of one antifungal was observed, receiving two or more antifungals prior to BAL sampling led to a significant decrease in the diagnostic performance of BAL PCR testing (P

Regorafenib (BAY 73-4506) is a novel, orally active, diphenylurea multikinase inhibitor of VEGFR1-3, c-KIT, TIE-2, PDGFR-β, FGFR-1, RET, RAF-1, BRAF and p38 MAP kinase.This review covers the preclinical development of regorafenib as well as the pivotal Phase I studies. The safety profile of regorafenib is discussed in context with other oral multikinase inhibitors bearing a similar target profile. Current clinical developments, especially in colorectal cancer (CRC) and gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), are addressed. Open questions on clinically useful biomarkers predicting response with regard to a personalized therapy strategy are also being discussed.Regorafenib (BAY 73-4506) is a novel, orally active multikinase inhibitor that is well tolerated in preclinical mouse models as well as clinically according to Phase I - III trials performed. The toxicity profile is comparable with other oral multikinase inhibitors with similar molecular targets. Regorafenib has promising antineoplastic activity in various tumor types. Two large, randomized Phase III pivotal registration studies in patients with GIST and CRC, respectively, already completed enrolment, with final results being awaited. Further extensive clinical development as a single agent or in combination with standard chemotherapeutic agents in various malignant tumors is ongoing. Moreover, regorafenib has recently been granted Orphan Drug Status for GIST tumors and 'fast track' status for both GIST and CRC by the FDA.

Preliminary evidence suggests that the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib has clinical activity in FLT3-ITD-positive (FLT3-ITD) acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the quality and sustainability of achievable remissions and clinical variables that influence the outcome of sorafenib monotherapy are largely undefined. To address these questions, we evaluated sorafenib monotherapy in 65 FLT3-ITD AML patients treated at 23 centers. All but two patients had relapsed or were chemotherapy-refractory after a median of three prior chemotherapy cycles. Twenty-nine patients (45%) had undergone prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). The documented best responses were: hematological remission in 24 patients (37%), bone marrow remission in 5 patients (8%), complete remission (with and without normalization of peripheral blood counts) in 15 patients (23%) and molecular remission with undetectable FLT3-ITD mRNA in 10 patients (15%), respectively. Seventeen of the patients without prior allo-SCT (47%) developed sorafenib resistance after a median treatment duration of 136 days (range, 56-270 days). In contrast, allo-SCT patients developed sorafenib resistance less frequently (38%) and significantly later (197 days, range 38-225 days; P=0.03). Sustained remissions were seen exclusively in the allo-SCT cohort. Thus, sorafenib monotherapy has significant activity in FLT3-ITD AML and may synergize with allogeneic immune effects to induce durable remissions.

Background: In a phase I dose-escalation study, regorafenib demonstrated tolerability and antitumour activity in solid tumour patients. The study was expanded to focus on patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: Patients received oral regorafenib 60–220 mg daily (160 mg daily in the extension cohort) in cycles of 21 days on, 7 days off treatment. Assessments included toxicity, response, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Results: Thirty-eight patients with heavily pretreated CRC (median 4 prior lines of therapy, range 0–7) were enrolled in the dose-escalation and extension phases; 26 patients received regorafenib 160 mg daily. Median treatment duration was 53 days (range 7–280 days). The most common treatment-related toxicities included hand–foot skin reaction, fatigue, voice change and rash. Twenty-seven patients were evaluable for response: 1 achieved partial response and 19 had stable disease. Median progression-free survival was 107 days (95% CI, 66–161). At steady state, regorafenib and its active metabolites had similar systemic exposure. Pharmacodynamic assessment indicated decreased tumour perfusion in most patients. Conclusion: Regorafenib showed tolerability and antitumour activity in patients with metastatic CRC. This expanded-cohort phase I study provided the foundation for further clinical trials of regorafenib in this patient population.

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.

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 t1/2 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.