Search for Neutrinoless Double-β Decay with the Complete EXO-200 Dataset

A search for neutrinoless double-β decay (0νββ) in ^{136}Xe is performed with the full EXO-200 dataset using a deep neural network to discriminate between 0νββ and background events. Relative to previous analyses, the signal detection efficiency has been raised from 80.8% to 96.4±3.0%, and the energy resolution of the detector at the Q value of ^{136}Xe 0νββ has been improved from σ/E=1.23% to 1.15±0.02% with the upgraded detector. Accounting for the new data, the median 90% confidence level 0νββ half-life sensitivity for this analysis is 5.0×10^{25}  yr with a total ^{136}Xe exposure of 234.1 kg yr. No statistically significant evidence for 0νββ is observed, leading to a lower limit on the 0νββ half-life of 3.5×10^{25}  yr at the 90% confidence level.

Retrospective Analysis of Clinical Outcomes Associated With the Use of Pegfilgrastim On-body Injector in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy Requiring Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Support

Objectives: Pegfilgrastim is a granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) used as primary prophylaxis in patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy regimens that have greater than 20% risk of developing febrile neutropenia (FN). Historically, pegfilgrastim has been administered 24 to 72 hours after chemotherapy, necessitating a return to clinic to receive the provider-administered injection. An alternative option is the pegfilgrastim on-body injector (OBI). With the OBI device, patients have their pegfilgrastim administered 27 hours after receiving chemotherapy while remaining at home, avoiding an additional clinic appointment. Concerns with pegfilgrastim OBI include lack of experience with the device in both the patient and provider, device-related failures, and the success of delivery. This study evaluates pegfilgrastim OBI failure rates through associated patient outcomes among cancer patients receiving chemotherapy requiring G-CSF. Methods: A retrospective electronic chart review was conducted of adult patients with cancer who received chemotherapy and pegfilgrastim OBI from July 1, 2016, to July 31, 2018. The primary objective of this study was the incidence of FN in patients receiving pegfilgrastim OBI. Results: There were no reported cases of hospitalization due to FN in patients who received pegfilgrastim OBI. Dose delays and dosage modifications were not observed in our review. The OBI device failure rate was found to be low (1.92%). Conclusion: The low device failure rate from this study suggests that the OBI is a viable option for administration of pegfilgrastim in patients receiving chemotherapy requiring G-CSF.

Neutropenia-Associated Outcomes in Patients With Breast Cancer Receiving Myelosuppressive Chemotherapy With Reduced Doses of Pegfilgrastim

BACKGROUND

Pegfilgrastim can be utilized to prevent neutropenia-associated complications in patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy for breast cancer. A common adverse event associated with pegfilgrastim is bone pain. Clinicians may opt to reduce the dose of pegfilgrastim when administering it to patients with previous severe or refractory bone pain. There is limited and conflicting evidence with regard to the safety and efficacy of this practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of administering reduced doses of pegfilgrastim on neutropenia-associated outcomes in patients with breast cancer receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review was conducted at a large, multistate health system with several different medical oncology practice sites. The primary outcome was the incidence of febrile neutropenia. Secondary outcomes included the incidence and severity of neutropenia, hospitalization for febrile, use of intravenous antimicrobials for febrile, delays in chemotherapy or dose reductions in chemotherapy secondary to neutropenia or febrile, rationale for dose reduction of pegfilgrastim, and improvement in bone pain.

RESULTS

A total of 80 patients received reduced dose pegfilgrastim. Most patients had their doses reduced secondary to bone pain (54%) or leukocytosis (14%). One (1.25%) patient experienced febrile neutropenia that did not require hospitalization or intravenous antimicrobials. Chemotherapy treatment delays and dose reductions secondary to neutropenia or febrile neutropenia occurred in 1 (1.25%) and 2 (2.5%) patients, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Reduced doses of pegfilgrastim in patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy for breast cancer resulted in a low incidence of neutropenia-associated events, including febrile neutropenia and grade 3/4 neutropenia.

Poly (ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors in the Management of Ovarian Cancer: A Drug Class Review

OBJECTIVE

To review the pharmacology, safety, efficacy, and role of poly adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors in the treatment and maintenance of relapsed, advanced ovarian cancer.

SUMMARY

A total of 3 phase 2 trials and 2 phase 3 trials were reviewed that evaluated the safety and efficacy of oral niraparib, olaparib, and rucaparib in patients with ovarian cancer. Progression-free survival (PFS) was evaluated in the maintenance setting for niraparib and olaparib, resulting in a PFS of 21.0 months and 8.4 months, respectively. Olaparib and rucaparib were evaluated in the treatment setting, producing a PFS of 9.4 months and 12.8 months, respectively. PFS was higher in patients with BRCA mutation when compared to patients with BRCA wild-type in both the maintenance and treatment setting across all trials evaluated. Niraparib, olaparib, and rucaparib were found to be relatively well tolerated in clinical trials, with the most common adverse events being anemia, fatigue, and nausea.

CONCLUSION

PARP inhibitors appear to be a safe and effective new option in the treatment and maintenance of relapsed, advanced BRCA1/2 mutant ovarian cancer. This drug class will likely have an expanding role in ovarian cancer as further trial results are published.

Incidence and management of adverse events associated with panobinostat in the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a plasma cell neoplasm that has seen impressive improvements in outcomes in recent years with combination therapies, such as proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs. Histone deacetylase inhibition is an additional unique mechanism of action with established biological relevance in multiple myeloma. Panobinostat is the first histone deacetylase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma in patients who have received at least two prior regimens, including bortezomib and an immunomodulatory agent. While the addition of panobinostat to bortezomib and dexamethasone has demonstrated response and progression-free survival benefits, the incidence and severity of adverse events associated with it can create a challenge for clinicians and patients. Specifically, diarrhea, myelosuppression, an increased risk for infectious complications, cardiotoxicity, and nausea/vomiting may be seen with use. The frequency and grade of adverse event occurrence may differ between doses and schedule of panobinostat as well as with different companion therapies and routes. Herein we discuss the incidence, severity, and practical management of adverse events associated with panobinostat in the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

Metastatic Soft Tissue Sarcomas: A Review Of Treatment and New Pharmacotherapies

Soft tissue sarcomas represent a group of heterogeneous mesenchymal tumors that occur rarely in adults. While a variety of histological subtypes exist, some of the most common are leiomyosarcoma and liposarcoma. For eligible patients, standard first-line treatment of metastatic disease has typically comprised anthracycline-containing regimens. While traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy has been the mainstay of treatment in metastatic soft tissue sarcoma, emerging targeted and novel therapies are creating new frontiers of treatment for a variety of histological subtypes. Olaratumab (Lartruvo, Eli Lilly) in combination with doxorubicin represents a new potential first-line treatment option. Second-line therapy is often histology-driven, and novel treatment options include trabectedin (Yondelis, Janssen) and eribulin (Halaven, Eisai). This review discusses the diagnosis, role of chemotherapy in unresectable and metastatic disease, and role of emerging therapies in the treatment of metastatic soft tissue sarcoma.

Case series of docetaxel-induced dorsal hand-foot syndrome

Palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, also known as hand-foot syndrome (HFS), is a well-known dermatologic adverse event that can occur with a variety of cytotoxic chemotherapies including fluoropyrimidines, cytarabine, liposomal doxorubicin, and taxanes. HFS often presents as painful erythemas and desquamation of the skin involving the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. Three cases are presented of patients with breast cancer who received multiagent chemotherapy regimens containing docetaxel that developed an atypical presentation of HFS on the dorsal aspect of the hands and feet. All patients received supportive care to manage the symptoms of their dermatologic toxicity. Dorsal HFS improved with supportive care or dose reduction and resolved following completion of the docetaxel-based chemotherapy. Based on the temporal relationship of the event and previous reports, we found that docetaxel was the probable offending agent.

Olaratumab: A New Strategy in the Treatment of Advanced Soft-Tissue Sarcoma

Olaratumab is a monoclonal antibody that recently received accelerated approval for the treatment of advanced soft-tissue sarcomas in combination with doxorubicin for a histologic subtype in which anthracycline-containing regimens is appropriate and disease is not amenable to curative surgery or radiotherapy. It inhibits platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha, leading to the inhibition of tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis. In a phase II clinical trial, olaratumab in combination with doxorubicin met its predefined primary endpoint of improving progression-free survival and secondary endpoint of overall survival compared to doxorubicin monotherapy in patients with advanced soft-tissue sarcoma. Common adverse events associated with the combination of olaratumab and doxorubicin include nausea, mucositis, neutropenia, and infusion-related reactions.

Rucaparib: A Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Inhibitor for BRCA-Mutated Relapsed Ovarian Cancer

OBJECTIVE

To review the pharmacology, safety, efficacy, and the role of rucaparib in the treatment of relapsed, advanced ovarian cancer.

SUMMARY

A total of 2 phase I/II trials and 1 phase II trial have evaluated the safety and efficacy of oral rucaparib in ovarian cancer. In patients with deleterious BRCA1/2 mutation, an overall response rate of 80% was achieved in the phase II trial Assessment of Rucaparib in Ovarian CancEr Trial 2 (ARIEL2). In the same trial, progression-free survival was higher in patients with BRCA1/2 mutation and BRCA wild types with high loss of heterozygosity (LOH) than BRCA wild types with low LOH. Rucaparib was found to be relatively well tolerated in clinical trials, with the most common adverse events being anemia, fatigue, and nausea.

CONCLUSION

Rucaparib appears to be a safe and effective new option in the treatment of relapsed, advanced BRCA1/2 mutant ovarian cancer. The role of rucaparib in this setting will likely expand and be further elucidated as results from several ongoing studies become available.

Pegfilgrastim-Induced Bone Pain: A Review on Incidence, Risk Factors, and Evidence-Based Management

Objective: To review the incidence, risk factors, and management of pegfilgrastim-induced bone pain (PIBP). Data Sources: PubMed was searched from 1980 to March 31, 2017, using the terms pegfilgrastim and bone pain. Study Selection and Data Extraction: English-language, human studies and reviews assessing the incidence, risk factors, and management of PIBP were incorporated. Data Synthesis: A total of 3 randomized, prospective studies and 2 retrospective studies evaluated pharmacological management of PIBP. Naproxen compared with placebo demonstrated a reduction in the degree, incidence, and duration of bone pain secondary to pegfilgrastim. Loratadine was not effective in reducing the incidence of bone pain prophylactically, but a retrospective study evaluating dual antihistamine blockade with loratadine and famotidine demonstrated a decreased incidence in bone pain when administered before pegfilgrastim. Conclusion: Naproxen is effective at managing PIBP. Although commonly used, antihistamines have a paucity of data supporting their use. Dose reductions of pegfilgrastim and opioids may also be potential management options; however, data supporting these treatment modalities are scarce.

Case Report of Ipilimumab-Induced Diffuse, Nonnecrotizing Granulomatous Lymphadenitis and Granulomatous Vasculitis

Ipilimumab is indicated for the treatment of melanoma in both the metastatic and adjuvant setting. Ipilimumab inhibits cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4, leading to the augmentation of T-cell activity and an antitumor immune system response. The side effect profile of ipilimumab consists of autoimmune-like events such as dermatitis, colitis, and thyroiditis. These immune-related adverse events can be serious, often resulting in the need for systemic immunosuppression with corticosteroids. We present a case of diffuse, nonnecrotizing granulomatous lymphadenitis and granulomatous vasculitis in a heavily pretreated patient with metastatic melanoma. After completion of 4 cycles of ipilimumab for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, our patient complained of increasing fatigue, drenching night sweats, and chills. Imaging revealed diffuse adenopathy involving several lymph nodes. Biopsy was positive for nonnecrotizing granulomatous lymphadenitis and granulomatous vasculitis. High-dose prednisone was initiated and tapered gradually over 6 weeks, resulting in complete resolution of the granulomatous disease.

Necitumumab for the treatment of squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common form of lung cancer, accounting for about 85% of all cases and is further subdivided into adenocarcinoma, squamous cell, and large cell carcinoma. Necitumumab (Portrazza™, Eli Lilly and Company) is an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody approved for the first-line treatment of squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine. The safety and efficacy of necitumumab has been evaluated in two-phase III clinical trials, one demonstrating a lack of efficacy in non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer and another demonstrating improvement in overall survival and progression-free survival in squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer. Necitumumab is associated with adverse events such as infusion reactions, hypomagnesemia, diarrhea, and dermatological toxicities. Although considered a safe and effective treatment option for squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer, the clinical utility of necitumumab may be limited due to the high cost of the drug as well as added toxicity when combined with cisplatin and gemcitabine. Several clinical trials are ongoing in order to further investigate the utilization of necitumumab.

Drug-Induced Neutropenia: A Focus on Rituximab-Induced Late-Onset Neutropenia

Rituximab can cause late-onset neutropenia that may result in serious life-threatening complications. The author describes the pathophysiology, incidence, and management of this adverse reaction and presents two case histories.

Cost savings analysis and toxicity audit of a bevacizumab dose rounding policy at a community cancer center

Purpose To evaluate the potential cost savings incurred from a policy to round doses of bevacizumab to the nearest vial size. Secondarily, to determine differences in rates of adverse events between patients who had their doses rounded up compared with those who had doses rounded down. Methods This study is a retrospective chart review of all patients who received at least one rounded dose of bevacizumab over a period of 22 months. Doses of bevacizumab were calculated based on actual body weight. The calculated dose was then rounded to the nearest 400 or 100 mg vial size. The predicted effect on cost was calculated in US dollars for both the pre-rounded dose and the rounded dose. Adverse events including hypertension, proteinuria, and vascular events were compared between those that received a dose that was rounded up and those with a dose rounded down. Results A total of 55 patients received at least one dose bevacizumab between 1 August 2014 and 31 May 2016. A total of 470 doses were administered. The estimated cost savings by rounding bevacizumab doses to the nearest 100 mg during the study time period was $164,617.92. Patients receiving either a dose that was rounded up or rounded down to the nearest 100 mg experienced similar rates of adverse events. Conclusion Dose rounding of bevacizumab to the nearest vial size resulted in significant cost savings and did not significantly impact the incidence of adverse events.

Comparison of micro-CT post-processing methods for evaluating the trabecular bone volume fraction in a rat ACL-transection model

Trabecular bone volume fraction assessments are likely sensitive to the analysis method and selection of the region of interest. Currently, there are several methods for selecting the region of interest to analyze trabecular bone in animal models of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. The objective of this study was to compare three published methods for determining the trabecular bone volume fraction of the medial tibial epiphyses in ACL transected and contralateral ACL intact knees. Micro-computed tomography images of both knees were obtained five weeks post-operatively and evaluated using three methods: (1) the Whole Compartment Method that captured the entire medial compartment, (2) the centrally located Single Core Method, and (3) the Triplet Core Method that averaged focal locations in the anterior, central, and posterior regions. The Whole Compartment Method detected significant bone loss in the ACL transected knee compared to the ACL intact knee (p<0.001), with a loss of 15.2±3.9%. The Single Core and the Triplet Core Methods detected losses of 7.5±10.5% (p=0.061) and 14.1±13.7%(p=0.01), respectively. Details regarding segmentation methods are important for facilitating comparisons between studies, and for selecting methods to document trabecular bone changes and treatment outcomes. Based on these findings, the Whole Compartment Method is recommended, as it was least variable and more sensitive for detecting differences in the bone volume fraction in the medial compartment.

Abiraterone-induced rhabdomyolysis: A case report

Abiraterone is an inhibitor of androgen biosynthesis indicated for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Common side effects include diarrhea, edema, hypokalemia, hypertension, and liver function test abnormalities. We report a case of rhabdomyolysis developing in association with the use of abiraterone. Following discontinuation of abiraterone, creatine kinase concentrations decreased gradually throughout the duration of the hospitalization.

First direct limits on lightly ionizing particles with electric charge less than e/6

While the standard model of particle physics does not include free particles with fractional charge, experimental searches have not ruled out their existence. We report results from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS II) experiment that give the first direct-detection limits for cosmogenically produced relativistic particles with electric charge lower than e/6. A search for tracks in the six stacked detectors of each of two of the CDMS II towers finds no candidates, thereby excluding new parameter space for particles with electric charges between e/6 and e/200.

Search for low-mass weakly interacting massive particles using voltage-assisted calorimetric ionization detection in the SuperCDMS experiment

SuperCDMS is an experiment designed to directly detect weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), a favored candidate for dark matter ubiquitous in the Universe. In this Letter, we present WIMP-search results using a calorimetric technique we call CDMSlite, which relies on voltage-assisted Luke-Neganov amplification of the ionization energy deposited by particle interactions. The data were collected with a single 0.6 kg germanium detector running for ten live days at the Soudan Underground Laboratory. A low energy threshold of 170  eVee (electron equivalent) was obtained, which allows us to constrain new WIMP-nucleon spin-independent parameter space for WIMP masses below 6  GeV/c2.

Silicon detector dark matter results from the final exposure of CDMS II

We report results of a search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPS) with the silicon detectors of the CDMS II experiment. This blind analysis of 140.2 kg day of data taken between July 2007 and September 2008 revealed three WIMP-candidate events with a surface-event background estimate of 0.41(-0.08)(+0.20)(stat)(-0.24)(+0.28)(syst). Other known backgrounds from neutrons and 206Pb are limited to <0.13 and <0.08 events at the 90% confidence level, respectively. The exposure of this analysis is equivalent to 23.4 kg day for a recoil energy range of 7-100 keV for a WIMP of mass 10  GeV/c2. The probability that the known backgrounds would produce three or more events in the signal region is 5.4%. A profile likelihood ratio test of the three events that includes the measured recoil energies gives a 0.19% probability for the known-background-only hypothesis when tested against the alternative WIMP+background hypothesis. The highest likelihood occurs for a WIMP mass of 8.6  GeV/c2 and WIMP-nucleon cross section of 1.9×10(-41)  cm2.