Endpoints in oncology clinical trials

In oncology clinical trials, many different endpoints can be used as primary or secondary endpoints. Advances in cancer treatment have provided longer survival outcomes, particularly in certain types of cancer. Overall survival is accepted as the gold standard endpoint for demonstrating clinical benefit; however, it is associated with some disadvantages such as requirement of long-term follow-up, requirement of higher number of patients, and high cost. Thus, the question "what is the most appropriate endpoint in clinical trials?" comes to mind. The present review discusses the endpoints in oncology clinical trials.

Pertuzumab, trastuzumab and taxane-based treatment for visceral organ metastatic, trastuzumab-naïve breast cancer: real-life practice outcomes

PURPOSE

In this study, we aimed to describe the real-life practice outcomes of pertuzumab-trastuzumab-taxane (PTT) combination in visceral organ metastatic, trastuzumab-naive breast cancer (BC) patients.

METHODS

This study was conducted by Turkish Oncology Group and included 317 patients' data from 36 centers.

RESULTS

Median age was 51 (22-82). Median PFS was 28.5 months, while median OS was 40.3 months. Patients with brain metastases (n: 13, 4.1%) had worse PFS (16.8 m vs. 28.5 m; p = 0.002) and OS (26.7 m vs. 40.3 m; p = 0.009). Patients older than 65 years of age (n: 42, 13.2%) had significantly lower OS results (19.8 m vs. 40.3 m; p = 0.01). Two hundred sixty-eight patients (86.7%) received docetaxel while 37 patients (11.7%) received paclitaxel. PFS and OS were similar between taxane groups. In eight patients (2.5%), 5-40% ejection fraction decrement from baseline was detected without any clinical sign of heart failure.

CONCLUSIONS

Our RLP trial included only visceral metastatic, trastuzumab-naïve BC patients including cases with brain involvement who received PTT combination in the first-line treatment. Regardless of negative prognostic characteristics, our results are in parallel with pivotal trial. Further strategies for brain metastasis should be developed to improve outcomes despite encouraging results with PTT treatment. Taxane selection can be personalized and endocrine maintenance may further improve outcomes after taxanes were discontinued. To our knowledge, this is the largest scale real-life clinical practice study of pertuzumab-trastuzumab-taxane therapy to date.

Is there a role of high dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation in the treatment of Ewing's sarcoma and osteosarcomas?

Although osteosarcomas are rare tumors, they are the most common primary bone tumors in children and adolescents younger than 20 years with a remarkable male predominance. Ewing's sarcoma (ES) is the second most common primary bone tumor in children and adolescents. The preferred actual treatment modality for osteosarcoma patients is neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by complete surgical excision and adjuvant chemotherapy including agents such as doxorubicin, cisplatin, ifosfamide, and high-dose methotrexate which are widely used and accepted as being efficacious treatment strategies in osteosarcoma patients. Conventional treatments have increased overall survival (OS) rates in osteosarcoma and ES, but not as enough as desired. High dose chemotherapy (HDC) and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) may be beneficial in some subgroup of ES, including children with partial response to conventional chemotherapy and with poor-risk as well as metastatic ES. HDC and ASCT remain as a clinical option in patients with ES, but it is considered as an experimental treatment approach for patients with osteosarcoma. In this review, we discussed the current approach and role of HDC and ASCT in the treatment of osteosarcoma and ES and focused on the current literature data evaluating the treatment outcomes of some sub-groups of high risk patients.

A Review of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Metastatic Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BC) has a high mortality rate and metastatic BC is almost incurable despite hormonal therapy and chemotherapy. The second and third lines of chemotherapies usually yield transient responses and the median survival is generally as low as 18-24 months. Autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) have been extensively investigated in this setting. The presence of immune mediated anti-tumor effects referred to as graft-versus-tumor (GvT) effects after allogeneic HSCT among patients with solid tumors have been clearly defined. The advantages of allogeneic HSCT over autologous HSCT for metastatic BC are i) cancer-free graft and ii) immune-mediated GvT effects mediated by human leukocyte antigen compatible donor T-cells. In conclusion, a GvT effect does exist against metastatic BC and play a key role in tumor response. This review aims to describe the background, rationale, and clinical results of allogeneic HSCT as a potential alternative treatment in metastatic BC.

Current Status of mCRC in East Europe and Middle East

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Background: Results obtained in trials may not necessarily translate into prolonged survival of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients (pts) in real life.This multinational registry study aimed to evaluate the real life data effecting survival of pts with mCRC. Methods: Multinational, retrospective registry study.Those mCRC pts with at least 3 year follow up data OR died before 3 year time period:diagnosis in between 2005 – 2012. Results: Totally 208 (57%) male,156 female (43%) mCRC pts were included.Median age was 62 years (min:23 max:85).Primary locations; right (n = 71, 19.5%), transvers (n = 13, 3.6%), left colon (n = 276,75%). Sites of metastasis: liver 69.7%, lung:27.4%, local relapse %12.6, peritoneum 12%, distant lymph node 10%, CNS: 1.6%. Metastasectomy (mtc) was done in 38.5%, mtc regions: liver (22.3%), lung (4.7%), other (%11.5 ). K-N RAS and BRAF wild pts were 37.4%, 16.5% and 14.3%. Aflibercept was available for %57 of pts. MSI rate was 1.6%. Most common first line chemotherapy (FLC); Oxaliplatin (O) based combination (C) 29.9%, irinotecan (İ) C with bevacizumab (bev) 16.5%, O with bev. 16.5%. Responses to FLC; CR: 8%, PR: 30.5% stable: 28.3%, progres: 24.7%. Median OS of FLC; combination with bev: 35 months (m) (95%CI, 29.1 – 40.8), anti-EGFR:38 m (95%CI, 30.1–45.8 ),only chemotherapy: 32 m (95%CI 26.3 - 37.6), p > 0.05. Second mtc was done 10.2%.Second LC was given to %66.7 of pts. İ combination with bev (24.5%) was most common SLC. Responses to SLC; CR:4.9%, PR: 15.1% , stable:13.2% progres:29.1%. Total %31.3 and 22% of pts had third and fourth LC, most common one was single agent 5-FU. Median PFS1: 10 m (95%CI 8.3 – 11.6 ), PFS2: 7 m (95%CI 6.2 –7.7 ), PFS3: 6 m (95% CI 4.6 – 7.3 ). Median OS of all pts were 35 m (95%CI 30.7 – 39.2 ). In pts with metastasectomy compared with others median OS was; 43 m (95%CI 34.4 – 51.5) vs 29 m (95% CI 25.8 vs 32.1), respectively , p: < 0.001. Median OS in right, transvers and left colon was; 25 m (95%CI, 16.6 – 33.3), 33 m (95%CI, 8.7 – 52.7), 37 m (95%CI 32.4 – 41.5), (p = 0.25). In K-N Ras wild group median PFS; anti-EGFR:13 m (95 % CI, 9.3 - 16.6) bev:13 m (95 %CI, 4.4 - 21.5), chemo:9 m (95 % CI, 6.3 - 11.6), (p: 0.3). Conclusions: The current study demonstrated median OS and prognosis of left-transvers-right colon was consistent with the phase trials.

Effectiveness of bendamustine in relapse or refractory lymphoma cases: A report from Turkey—The Turkish Oncology Group (TOG) study

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Background: Bendamustine is an old conventional agent which is used in the treatment of hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), non-hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients despite they are relapsed or refractory cases. In our study we wanted to reveal retrospectively the efficacy and side effects of bendamustine in relapse/refractory patients from Turkey. Methods: We included in the study relapse/refractory HL and NHL patients who underwent multiple line chemotherapy. Bendamustine was administered at 90 mg/m² on days 1 and 2, every 3 weeks by 60 minutes infusion. The primary endpoint of the study was to determine the objective response and toxicity. Results: Seventy-five patients (31 female) with a median age of 62.8 years (range 16-89 years) were included in the study. 58 of the patients were NHL (follicular lymphoma:8, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: 17, mantle cell lymphoma: 11, marginal zone lymphoma: 4, Small lymphocytic lymphoma:11, Others:7) and 17 of them were HL patients. The patients were underwent median three lines chemotherapy (range 1-8) accept autologous stem cell transplantation, 20 patients (HL: 12, NHL:8) were underwent autologous stem cell transplantation. Bendamustine was performed an average of 6 cycles (range 1-38). The objective response rate was 73.3%, complete response rate was 44% (n = 33), partial response rate was 29.3% (n = 22), respectively. The response rate was 65% (11/17) in HL cases, 79% (30/38) in indolent NHL cases and 70% (14/20) in aggressive NHL cases. For median follow-up of 20.7 months, the median overall survival (OS) was 64.9 months, OS rate was 75.5% for 1 year, 67.6% for 2 years and 63.1% for 3 years. The most common side effects associated with treatment were lymphopenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, abdominal pain, fatigue and diarrhea. Side effects which were seen as grade 3 and higher levels: 9.6% lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia 8% and 12% fatigue. Conclusions: Objective response rate of bendamustine with tolerable side effect profile was found to be 73.3% in relapsed / refractory HL and NHL patients as a rescue agent. It appears to be an ideal agent for rescue treatment which had previously received intensive treatment.

An overview of high dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue for germ cell tumors in current practice

Testicular cancer is a frequent tumor of adolescent and young adult males. Chemotherapy has been reported to provide cure rates as high as 80% even in the presence of advanced testicular cancer. Studies regarding testicular cancer started after the advent of high dose chemotherapy (HDC) plus atologous stem cell rescue (ASCR) for the treatment of solid tumors in 1980s. Testicular cancer is highly responsive to HDC. Einhorn et al. have reported long-lasting remissions reaching up to 40% among patients with platinum-refractory disease. However, the present prospective randomized studies are heterogeneous in terms of patient characteristics and methodology, therefore superiority of HDC plus ASCR to conventional chemotherapies could not be proven. The results of the TIGER study, which is a recent prospective randomized study being conducted by the European Organisation for Research and Treatments in Cancer (EORTC) and the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) aiming to compare HDC plus ASCR to conventional chemotherapy are eagerly expected. In this review, we will evaluate the current use of HDC plus ASCR in patients with relapsed or refractory germ cell tumors.

Review of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with reduced intensity conditioning in solid tumors excluding breast cancer

Solid tumors in adults constitute a heterogeneous group of malignancy originating from various organ systems. Solid tumors are not completely curable by chemotherapy, even though some subgroups are very chemo-sensitive. Recently, oncologists have focused on the use of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) with reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) for the treatment of some refractory solid tumors. After the demonstration of allogeneic graft-versus-leukemia effect in patients with hematological malignancies who received allo-HSCT, investigators evaluated this effect in patients with refractory metastatic solid tumors. According to data from experimental animal models and preliminary clinical trials, a graft-versus-tumor (GvT) effect may also be observed in the treatment of some solid tumors (e.g., renal cell cancer, colorectal cancer, etc.) after allo-HSCT with RIC. The use of RIC regimens offers an opportunity of achieving full-donor engraftment with GvT effect, as well as, a reduced transplant-related mortality. Current literature suggests that allo-HSCT with RIC might become a choice for elderly and medically fragile patients with refractory metastatic solid tumors.

Comparison of the clinical features and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation outcomes of mediastinal malignant germ cell tumors with nonmediastinal extragonadal placements

OBJECTIVE

Even though the primary mediastinal extragonadal germ cell tumors (EGCTs) are rare, they are noteworthy in the differential diagnosis of mediastinal masses. In this study, we aimed to identify the clinical features of mediastinal malignant GCTs and compare the results of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation between mediastinal and nonmediastinal malignant EGCTs.

METHOD

Data of the patients with EGCT who were treated and underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at our hospital between 1988 and 2015 were retrieved retrospectively. Results were compared between mediastinal and nonmediastinal EGCTs.

RESULTS

Data of 65 patients diagnosed with EGCT (37 [56.92%] cases with mediastinal EGCT and 28 [43.07%] cases with nonmediastinal EGCT) were assessed. The clinical stages, frequency of pretransplant status, mean pretransplant time, and mean number of chemotherapy lines before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were not significantly different between groups. Although the overall survival did not significantly differ between groups, the 5-year survival was significantly higher in mediastinal EGCTs (P=0.02). Yolk sac tumor was significantly more common in mediastinal EGCTs (P=0.05). Mortality rates were higher in seminomas and yolk sac tumors in all cases, higher in embryonal carcinomas in mediastinal EGCT group and higher in yolk sac tumors in nonmediastinal EGCT group. While choriocarcinomas had more aggressive courses in mediastinal EGCTs, seminomas and yolk sac tumors had poorer prognosis in nonmediastinal EGCTs. Short pretransplant time and persistence of elevated posttransplant βhCG and AFP levels were the significant mortality risk factors both in mediastinal and nonmediastinal EGCTs.

CONCLUSION

Mediastinal placement of EGCT was not a poor prognostic factor; furthermore, the 5-year survival was significantly higher in mediastinal EGCTs. According to our knowledge, this is the first study that compares the clinical outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation of mediastinal and nonmediastinal malignant EGCTs.

Detrimental Effects of N-Acetylcysteine Plus Desferoxamine Combination in an Experimental Nephrotic Syndrome Model

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and desferoxamine (DFO) administered alone or in combination together in rats with doxorubicin (DOX)-induced nephrotic syndrome, by monitoring oxidative stress parameters and trace elements in renal tissue and erythrocytes. Fifty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were included the study. Equal volume of isotonic saline was injected to control rats. After DOX administration, the animals were divided into four experimental groups: (a) rats given only DOX; (b) rats treated with NAC; (c) rats treated with DFO; (d) rats treated with NAC plus DFO. The combination of N-acetylcysteine and DFO has no beneficial effect on reducing proteinuria in experimentally nephrotic rats, although both of these agents ameliorate the condition when administered separately. It seems likely that detrimental effects of NAC plus DFO could be secondary to its effects on erythrocyte selenium levels demonstrated here. Consequently, the results may propose caution to the use of antioxidant therapeutic strategies such as NAC plus DFO against nephropathy.

A Very Rare Case - Hairy Cell Leukemia in Patient with Sarcoidosis

Although the coexistence of hairy cell leukemia with sarcoidosis has been reported in a few cases in the literature, in our case the patient had been diagnosed and followed about 10 years with sarcoidosis and massive splenomegaly. It has been demonstrated that T helper 1 cells exist in organs influenced by sarcoidosis. These cells produce IL-2 and IFN-γ and induce a nonspecific inflammatory response and granuloma formation. Also these cytokines may play a role in the development of hairy cell leukemia.Key words: hairy cell leukemia -  sarcoidosis - massive splenomegaly.

A rare presentation of follicular lymphoma: cerebellar involvement, successfully treated with a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy

The central nervous system (CNS) is an important area of involvement for both high-grade, aggressive primary and secondary lymphomas. Although follicular lymphoma represents a low-grade histology, it may rarely present with CNS involvement. Here, we describe a patient diagnosed with follicular lymphoma who was presented with cerebellar involvement.

Infection profile in patients developing febrile neutropenia after high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation

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Background: Febril neutropenia is absorved in all patients after stem cell transplantation (SCT) antibiotic and antifungal prophlaxis is recommended to patients after the transplantation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the infection agents in patients developing febrile neutropenia after high dose chemotherapy (HDC) and SCT. Methods: Patients who underwent HDC and auto- and allogenic SCT between 2003-2012 in the GATA medical oncology department were investigated for infection agents. After the development of fever in the neutropenic period of SCT blood and urine cultures were taken and antibiotics was started. Data of 278 patients were reached who were eligible for evaluation. Of these 67 patients cultural examination were positive. 8 allogeneic SCT, 59 autologous SCT patients consisted of NHL (n=20), testicular cancer (n=11), multiple myeloma (n=10), Hodgkin Lymphoma (n=9), AML (n=4), ALL (n=2) and other diognosis (n=11). Results: When the agents identified according to standart blood culture examinations 44.5 % were coagulase neg. staph, 24% were gram neg. bacils and 15% consisted of candidas. When the results of urine culture was observed: 66.8% were gram neg. bacils, 11.1% were coagulase neg. Staph and 5.5% consisted of candidas. Gram neg. bacilli growth was present in 80% of the blood cultures of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma patients and coagulase neg. Staph growth were observed in 20% of the patients. Coagulase neg. Staph consisted 66.8% of the catheter culture results, 13.2% consisted of Acinetobacter beumonii and 6.6% consisted of enterococci. Conclusions: Physicians who are working in SCT area should be aware of different kind of infections, which is reported in this study. [Table: see text]

High-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation in refractory/metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell-tumors: A retrospective study of the Turkish Oncology Association

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Background: Testicular cancer is a chemosensitive tumor that may be curable even in relapsed disease. Those patients who do not respond to standard combination chemotherapy or relaps may be treated with high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) as salvage therapy. Methods: Eighty five patients that received HDC and ASCT between Feb 1993 - Dec 2012 in different university clinics of Turkey were retrospectively reviewed and evaluated. Results: Median age of the patients was 24 (range: 11-54 years) and 63 patients (74,1%) had stage III, 21 (24,7%) had stage II disease at initial diagnosis. The primary tumor location was testis in 71 patients (83,5%), and 14 patients (16,5%) had extragonadal region origin. Evaluation of metastatic focuses before HDC and ASCT was as follows: Liver metastasis (n = 23, 27.05%), lung involvement (n = 23, 27.05%) and multiorgan involvement (n =14, 16.47%) and other metastatic involvements (n=4, 4.7%). ICE (ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide) regimen was performed as HDC in all patients. Median follow-up was 59 (range: 8-218) months. Pre-ASCT patients’ condition was complete remission (n=28, 32.9%), partial remission (n=36, 42.4%) and never in CR (n=21, 24.7%) respectively. 32 patients (37.6%) relapsed or progressed within 1 year after HDC and ASCT median relaps was time 3 months (range: 0.3 - 36.13). Transplant related mortality was %3.5 and 3 patients died within the engraftment period after HDC. Five-year overall survival rate was 59.7%. Conclusions: HDC and ASCT is an effective and safe approach for patients with metastatic and refractory germ cell testicular cancer patients that do not respond to standard combination chemotherapy.

The utility of tumor markers CA 125, CA 15-3, and CA 19-9 in assessing the response to therapy in pulmonary and pleural tuberculosis

AIM

Both of the diagnosis and treatment evaluation are time-consuming conditions in patients with pulmonary and pleural tuberculosis. The aim of this study was to establish the validity of tumor markers CA 125, CA 15-3, and CA 19-9 in the diagnosis of pulmonary and pleural TB and to verify the success of the treatment protocol.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The levels of tumor markers CA 125, CA 15-3, and CA 19-9 were measured before and after treatment in 67 TB patients, 54 of whom had pulmonary TB and 13 of whom had pleural TB. All values were compared with the results of a healthy control group of 44 subjects.

RESULTS

CA 125 and CA 15-3 levels were significantly high when compared with those of the healthy control group and there was a significant decrease in both tumor marker levels after treatment in patients with pulmonary TB (P < 0.001 and P < 0.004, respectively). However, the difference found in CA 19-9 levels before and after treatment in patients with pulmonary TB was not statistically significant (P < 0.08). When the CA 125, CA 15-3, and CA 19-9 values of the pulmonary TB group before treatment were compared with that of the healthy control group, the results were statistically significant in all parameters except CA 19-9 (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P < 0.09 for CA 125, CA 15-3, and CA 19-9, respectively). In the patients with pleural TB, CA 125, CA 15-3, and CA 19-9 values did not change significantly after treatment.

CONCLUSION

The authors suggest that CA 125 and CA 15-3 tumor markers may be important for verification of the success of treatment protocol in pulmonary TB, as the differences found for these tumor markers between the pre- and the posttreatment periods are statistically significant.

Lower plasma soluble TWEAK concentration in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension

PURPOSE

To determine circulating levels of the soluble TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (sTWEAK)and its association with demographic and biochemical parameters in a young group of patients with newly diagnosed and never treated hypertension.

METHODS

A total of 51 patients (mean age 21.7 ±1.4 years, body mass index (BMI) 24.5 ±1.6 kg/m2) with primary untreated hypertension, and 37 age- and BMI-matched healthy controls (mean age 22.5 ± 1.9 years, BMI 24.7 ± 1.5 kg/m2) were studied. Serums TWEAK and plasma asymmetrical dimethyl arginine (ADMA) levels were measured by EIA.

RESULTS

In patients and controls, mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were 149.8±5.65/93.4±3.4 mmHg and 124.2±6.4/78.24±5.5 mmHg, respectively. Serum sTWEAK levels were lower in the patient group (882.6±228.9 μmol/L vs. 1060.2±231.7μmol/L, p=0.001), whereas plasma ADMA levels were higher(0.837±0.34μmol/L vs.0.3176±0.25μmol/L, p < 0.001). sTWEAK serum levels correlated with SBP(r=-0.301; p=0.005) and DBP (r=-0.279; p=0.009). Circulating plasma ADMA levels also correlated with SBP (r=0.734; p < 0.001) and DBP (r=0.733; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Young patients with yet untreated primary hypertension have lower circulating serum sTWEAK level compared with healthy controls. Further research for possible associations among serum sTWEAK, endothelial dysfunction and other measures of atherosclerosis may be of benefit in order to better understand the pathophysiology of hypertension and to establish more effective treatment options.