Accelerated chemotherapy with or without GM-CSF for small cell lung cancer: a non-randomised pilot study

G- and GM-CSF in oncology and oncological haematology

Administration of G- and GM-CSF increases the neutrophil counts in a number of clinical situations. GM-CSF shows the additional effect of increasing the number of monocytes and eosinophil granulocytes. Both G- and GM-CSF affect of neutrophil functions, in the case of GM-CSF there are some potentially negative effects on neutrophil migration and adhesiveness. The clinical relevance of the various effects on mature haematopoietic cells is not fully understood. Clinical data with G-CSF treatment indicate that increased levels of neutrophil granulocytes following cytotoxic chemotherapy may translate into clinical benefit such as a decreased rate of neutropenic infection and an increased cytotoxic chemotherapy dose even though the data are conflicting and the risk of "laboratory cosmetics" is apparent. Regarding treatment with GM-CSF following chemotherapy, the clinical benefit is unclear. The clinical benefit of GM-CSF-induced monocytes and eosinophils is unknown. G- and GM-CSF accelerates neutrophil recovery following autologous or allogeneic BMT. The influence on neutropenic infections is, however, less impressive. Pretreatment with G- or GM-CSF increases the yield of peripheral stem cell harvest, thereby reducing the number of leukaphereses needed. Transplantation of G- and GM-CSF primed autologous peripheral stem cells tends to reduce the period of post-transplant cytopenia, particularly thrombocytopenia, in comparison with traditional ABMT. In patients with MDS, G- and GM-CSF appear to increase the number of neutrophil granulocytes and there is some evidence that patients with severe infectious problems will benefit from this treatment. However, little influence was seen on the main clinical problems with these patients, which are anaemia and thrombocytopenia. In conclusion, G- and GM-CSF are two different proteins with different properties in vivo and in vitro. GM-CSF has, compared with G-CSF, more complex pharmacological effects and a more trouble-some side-effect profile. Early clinical development indicates that both compounds have a substantial influence on the levels of certain blood cells. Whether the increases in different blood cells translate into long-term clinical benefit for greater patient groups is the focus of ongoing research. The effects of G- and GM-CSF may be potentiated by other cytokines, an area which is presently being explored.

Standard versus intensified chemotherapy with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support in small-cell lung cancer: a prospective European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Lung Cancer Group Phase III Trial-08923

PURPOSE

To assess the impact on survival of increasing dose-intensity (DI) of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and etoposide (CDE) in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Previously untreated SCLC patients were randomized to standard CDE (cyclophosphamide 1,000 mg/m(2) and doxorubicin 45 mg/m(2) on day 1, and etoposide 100 mg/m(2) on days 1 to 3 every 3 weeks, for five cycles) or intensified CDE (cyclophosphamide 1,250 mg/m(2) and doxorubicin 55 mg/m(2) on day 1, and etoposide 125 mg/m(2) on days 1 to 3 with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor [G-CSF] 5 micro g/kg/d on days 4 to 13 every 2 weeks, for four cycles). Projected cumulative dose was almost identical on the two arms, whereas projected DI was nearly 90% higher on the intensified arm. Two hundred forty-four patients were enrolled. The first 163 patients were also randomized (2 x 2 factorial design) to prophylactic antibiotics or placebo to assess their impact on preventing febrile leukopenia (FL). This report focuses on chemotherapy DI results.

RESULTS

With a median follow-up of 54 months, 216 deaths have occurred. Actually delivered DI on the intensified arm was 70% higher than on the standard arm. Intensified CDE was associated with more grade 4 leukopenia (79% v 50%), grade 4 thrombocytopenia (44% v 11%), anorexia, nausea, and mucositis. FL and number of toxic deaths were similar on the two arms. The objective response rate was 79% for the standard arm and 84% for the intensified arm (P =.315). Median survival was 54 weeks and 52 weeks, and the 2-year survival rates were 15% and 18%, respectively (P =.885).

CONCLUSION

A 70% increase of CDE actual DI does not translate into an improved outcome in SCLC patients.

Dose intensification of epidoxorubicin and cyclophosphamide in metastatic breast cancer: a randomised study with two schedules of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor

A randomised phase II/III study was conducted in patients with advanced breast cancer to determine the dose intensity achievable through an acceleration of administration of chemotherapy with epidoxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (EC) alone, as compared with the combination of this regimen with two different schedules of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). 73 patients received EC intravenous (i.v.) (epidoxorubicin 100 mg/m2, cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2) on day 1 (group A), or the same chemotherapy plus sub-cutaneous (s.c.) GM-CSF (5 micrograms/kg/day) either from days 3 to 12 (group B) or from days -6 to -3 (group C). The primary objective of the study was the investigation of dose intensity delivered in the three treatment arms, whereas the secondary objective was response rate. A significant increase (P = 0.006) in dose intensity of 21% was observed for treatment group B, whereas the increase in dose intensity achieved in group C (7%) was not significant (P = 0.086). Response rates (complete response (CR) + partial response (PR)) of 56% were observed in group A, 65% in group B, and 57% in group C, respectively. This difference in response rates did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.271). We thus conclude that an acceleration of the EC regimen over the standard schedule could be accomplished with postchemotherapeutic GM-CSF support, leading to an increase in dose intensity, whereas pretherapeutic short-term GM-CSF administration did not reach this goal.

GM-CSF did not allow doxorubicin dose escalation in the MAID regimen: a phase I trial. A Southwest Oncology Group study

Since dose intensity of doxorubicin is correlated with the clinical response of patients with soft tissue sarcomas and since doxorubicin dose intensity may be compromised in combination chemotherapy, we evaluated the use of recombinant granulocytemacrophage colony-stimulating factor (rGM-CSF) to ameliorate myelosuppression and allow doxorubicin dose escalation in a phase I trial utilizing the MAID combination [Mesna 2.5 g/m2/day x 4 days, Adriamycin (doxorubicin) 15 mg/m2/day x 4 days, ifosfamide 2.0 g/m2/day x 3 days, dacarbazine 250 mg/m2/day x 4 days; to be repeated every 21 days]. Thirteen patients were treated. The doxorubicin dose for the first 6 patients was at the standard dose of 15 mg/m2/day x 4 days (level 1), while the doxorubicin dose for the next 7 patients was escalated by 25% to 18.75 mg/m2/day x 4 days (level 2). rGM-CSF was given at 5 micrograms/kg/day, days 5-14. All patients experienced moderate to severe myelosuppression, with all patients at dose level 2 requiring doxorubicin dose reduction to dose level 1 or lower by their third course of treatment. rGM-CSF failed to allow sustained escalation of the doxorubicin dose in the MAID regimen.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) allows acceleration and dose intensity increase of CEF chemotherapy: a randomised study in patients with advanced breast cancer

A randomised study was conducted in 62 patients with advanced breast cancer to assess whether granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) would yield an increase in the dose intensity of a standard-dose CEF regimen through an acceleration of chemotherapy administration. Patients received CEF (cyclophosphamide 600 mg m-2, epidoxorubicin 60 mg m-2 and fluorouracil 600 mg m-2) i.v. on day 1 or the same chemotherapy, plus GM-CSF 10 micrograms kg-1 s.c. starting from day 4, repeated as soon as haematopoietic recovery from nadir occurred. Patients in the CEF + GM-CSF group received chemotherapy at a median interval of 16 days compared with 20 days in the control group. This led to a significant increase (P = 0.02) in the dose intensity actually administered in the third, fourth and sixth cycles: +28%, +25%, +20% respectively. Non-haematological toxicity was mild. GM-CSF had to be reduced or suspended in 50% of patients because of toxicity. Haematological toxicity, mainly cumulative anaemia and thrombocytopenia, was manageable. An increase in response rate for patients with measurable disease, of borderline statistical significance (P = 0.088, P for trend = 0.018), from 42% in the CEF group to 69% in the CEF + GM-CSF group, was observed. This randomised trial indicates that GM-CSF is useful for chemotherapy acceleration. Accelerated CEF + GM-CSF is a moderately dose-intensive regimen that can be administered in an outpatient clinic and is associated with a high objective response.

High dose-intense chemotherapy alone or in combination with interleukin-2 for small cell lung cancer: a pilot study

Given the antitumor activity of interleukin-2 (IL-2) against some drug-resistant cancer cells, 17 previously untreated patients with small cell lung cancer entered a pilot study to evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and immunological effects of combining 12-week high dose-intense chemotherapy based on a modified Evans regimen (CAV/PE) with different IL-2 schedules (6-12 MU/m2 week as a 48-72-h infusion using the same cumulative dose, 72 MU/m2). Despite significant myelotoxicity, up to 70% of the intended dose intensity was delivered, showing no differences with regard to the IL-2 schedule used. Immunotherapy-induced toxicity was usually mild and manageable. No limiting effects were observed in patients receiving immunotherapy except for a very poor compliance to the 12-week IL-2 regimen. The low-dose 72-h infusion was the optimal IL-2 schedule. As given in this study, neither of the alternating CAV/PE regimens abrogated the effects of IL-2 on T-cell and NK-cell subsets, showing typical kinetics with rebound in lymphocytes following each discontinuation of the IL-2. While immunological changes cannot predict the antitumor effect of IL-2, they are consistent with those described for IL-2 alone, suggesting its compatibility with high dose-intense chemotherapy. Although no definite advantages have been demonstrated in this small pilot study with significant unbalanced prognostic factors (12% 2-year survival), both the preserved immunostimulatory effects and the lack of limiting overlapping toxicity make this combined approach promising and worthy of further clinical investigation.

Short-term administration of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor decreases hematopoietic toxicity of cytostatic drugs

BACKGROUND

Administration of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is followed by a rapid increase in the proliferative activity of the hematopoietic precursors. Within 72 hours after its suspension, however, establishment of a negative feedback results in a reduction of the proliferative activity of the hyperplastic marrow to values below the baseline, suggesting refractoriness of hematopoietic progenitors to the action of cell-cycle-specific cytostatic agents.

METHODS

The hypothesis that short treatment with GM-CSF before chemotherapy could reduce the hematopoietic toxicity of cytostatics was investigated by administering GM-CSF glycosylate (Sandoz, Basel, Switzerland/Schering-Plough, Kenilworth, NJ) subcutaneously with a 5.5 micrograms/kg protein dosage per day from day-6-day-4 before each course of adjuvant chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, 5-fluorouracil/cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil alternate) in patients with node-positive breast cancer. Twelve patients were randomized to receive GM-CSF before chemotherapy or only at chemotherapy. The hematologic picture and dose intensity of chemotherapy were compared in the two groups of patients.

RESULTS

In the group of patients receiving chemotherapy only, 22% of the cycles had to be postponed because of leukopenia, with a consequent reduction of the dose intensity, whereas in the GM-CSF group, the neutrophil counts remained at significantly (P < 0.001) higher levels, and there were no delays in chemotherapy administration. No substantial systemic toxicity was associated with this brief GM-CSF schedule. Moreover, GM-CSF treatment did not result in delayed depletion of the hematopoietic pool.

CONCLUSIONS

Short treatment with GM-CSF can enable the dose intensity of conventional protocols of proven efficacy to be increased.

Southwestern Internal Medicine Conference: clinical use of hematopoietic growth factors

The hematopoietic growth factors, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), have been cloned, produced in bacteria and yeast, and approved for clinical use in the treatment of neutropenia. Both factors stimulate the proliferation and maturation of neutrophil progenitors and enhance the effector functions of mature cells by interaction with specific receptors on the cell surface. Serum levels of G-CSF correlate inversely with the neutrophil count, suggesting that G-CSF may be the normal homeostatic regulator of the neutrophil count, while GM-CSF is generally undetectable in the serum and appears under normal physiologic conditions to act locally at inflammatory sites. Phase I and II clinical trials with these factors demonstrated minimal toxicity for G-CSF and mild to moderate dose-dependent toxicity for GM-CSF. Recent clinical trials, including double-blind, randomized studies, support a role for these growth factors in the treatment of chronic neutropenias, such as Kostmann's syndrome, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), aplastic anemia, and myelodysplasia, as well as in acute neutropenias, such as cyclic neutropenia, chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, and bone marrow transplantation.

Therapeutic use of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). A review of recent experience

Recombinant cytokines are now available for clinical use. Several colony-stimulating factors (CFS) have been identified which induce activation, proliferation and maturation of myeloid lineage cells. Recent therapeutic trials with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors (GM-CSF) in association with chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation and leukemia treatment are reviewed. GM-CSF as primary treatment for myelodysplasia and other types of bone marrow failure is also of interest. Colony-stimulating factor therapy in AIDS may be useful in order to reduce myelodepression caused by antiviral treatment and chemotherapy for associated malignancies like Kaposi's sarcoma. However, the effect of neutrophil count increase on infection is far from clear, and the real benefit of GM-CSF in cancer therapy has yet to be demonstrated.

High dose-intensity chemotherapy, with accelerated cyclophosphamide-doxorubicin-etoposide and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, in the treatment of small cell lung cancer

15 patients with small-cell lung cancer were treated with an "accelerated" chemotherapy consisting of standard-dose cyclophosphamide-doxorubicin-etoposide administered every 15 days (as opposed to the usual 21-day intervals) along with granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (10 micrograms/kg/day) administered prophylactically subcutaneously from day 4 to 13. The primary objective of this study was to examine the possibility of achieving a 50% dose-intensity increase by a shortening of chemotherapy intervals. 9 patients were not able to complete the planned six courses of chemotherapy owing to cumulative haematological toxicity. In fact, while leukopenia was acceptable and constant during treatment, both thrombocytopenia and anaemia progressively worsened with subsequent courses, becoming particularly severe after the 4th cycle when interruption of the treatment was often required. 13 patients who completed four courses of chemotherapy received a median of 96% of the planned dose-intensity. This corresponded with an average relative dose-intensity actually delivered of 1.44 compared with the planned dose-intensity of a standard cyclophosphamide-doxorubicin-etoposide every 21 days. In conclusion, acceleration of cyclophosphamide-doxorubicin-etoposide chemotherapy combined with granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor can lead to a significant increase of dose-intensity but it is feasible only for a limited number of courses.

A phase I/II study of dose and administration of non-glycosylated bacterially synthesized G-M CSF in chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

Recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) derived from E. coli was administered to 24 previously untreated patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma following the first cycle of CHOP chemotherapy. Four dose levels were examined, 1.5, 3.0, 5.5 and 11 micrograms/kg and patients were randomized to receive the drug either once or twice daily subcutaneously (s.c.). During rhGM-CSF treatment, the leucocyte counts increased up to 3-4 fold in 20/24 patients, reaching a peak 24-48 (mean 35) hours after initiation of rhGM-CSF. The leukopenic period in cycle one of the CHOP chemotherapy with rhGM-CSF, was shorter than after the course of chemotherapy without rhGM-CSF and also shorter when compared to cycle one of CHOP in the 127 historical controls (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001 respectively). Similar results were observed for neutrophil counts. No effect was seen on platelet counts at nadir but a significant, although moderate increase occurred in the recovery period on days 15 and 22 when compared to control cycles and historical controls. When dose levels were compared, there was only a trend to higher WBC counts at the higher dose groups (5.5 and 11 micrograms/kg) when compared to the two lower dose groups (1.5 and 3.0 micrograms/kg). In the overall evaluation there was no statistical significant difference in results between patients treated s.c. once daily versus twice daily. However when only the two highest dose levels (5.5 + 11 micrograms/kg) were compared, s.c. administration of rhGM-CSF twice daily led to higher leucocyte counts than once daily in the recovery period on day 15 (p < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)