CA-125 response patterns in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer treated with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD)

Predicting Response to Anthracyclines in Ovarian Cancer

(1) Background: Anthracyclines are intriguing drugs, representing one of the cornerstones of both first and subsequent-lines of chemotherapy in ovarian cancer (OC). Their efficacy and mechanisms of action are related to the hot topics of OC clinical research, such as BRCA status and immunotherapy. Prediction of response to anthracyclines is challenging and no markers can predict certain therapeutic success. The current narrative review provides a summary of the clinical and biological mechanisms involved in the response to anthracyclines. (2) Methods: A MEDLINE search of the literature was performed, focusing on papers published in the last two decades. (3) Results and Conclusions: BRCA mutated tumors seem to show a higher response to anthracyclines compared to sporadic tumors and the severity of hand–foot syndrome and mucositis may be a predictive marker of PLD efficacy. CA125 can be a misleading marker of clinical response during treatment with anthracyclines, the response of which also appears to depend on OC histology. Immunochemistry, in particular HER-2 expression, could be of some help in predicting the response to such drugs, and high levels of mutated p53 appear after exposure to anthracyclines and impair their antitumor effect. Finally, organoids from OC are promising for drug testing and prediction of response to chemotherapy.

Retrospective comparative study of irinotecan and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin for platinum-resistant or -refractory epithelial ovarian and primary peritoneal carcinoma

PURPOSE

This study was conducted to retrospectively compare the efficacy and safety of irinotecan (CPT-11) and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) in patients with platinum-resistant or -refractory recurrent epithelial ovarian and primary peritoneal carcinoma.

METHODS

Nineteen patients who received CPT-11 and eleven patients who received PLD were enrolled. CPT-11 was intravenously administered at a starting dose of 60-100 mg/m(2) on day 1, 8, and 15 every 28 days, and PLD was administered at a starting dose of 40-50 mg/m(2) on day 1 every 28 days. Primary outcomes were overall response rate (complete response [CR] + partial response [PR]), disease control rate (CR + PR + stable disease), and progression-free survival (PFS) in each group. Clinical response was evaluated every two or three cycles using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors criteria; CA125 analysis was not performed.

RESULTS

The overall response rate was 21.1 % (PR, four cases) and 0 % (p = 0.10) in the CPT-11 and PLD groups, respectively, and the disease control rate was 73.7 and 45.5 % (p = 0.12), respectively. Median PFS was 25.3 (range 5.4-69.9) weeks and 12.7 (range 4.0-43.1) weeks in the CPT-11 and PLD groups, respectively; however, this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.064). Major adverse events in the CPT-11 group were neutropenia, nausea, and diarrhea, whereas those in the PLD group included thrombocytopenia, anemia, stomatitis, and hand-foot syndrome.

CONCLUSIONS

This retrospective study demonstrated comparable efficacy outcomes for CPT-11 and PLD. The overall response rate, disease control rate, and median PFS were more favorable in the CPT-11 group compared to the PLD group, although the difference was not significant. The adverse event profiles were different between groups. These results suggest that CPT-11 might be a feasible choice as single-agent salvage chemotherapy for platinum-resistant or -refractory recurrent epithelial ovarian and primary peritoneal carcinoma beside established regimen like PLD.

Metastatic ovarian and primary peritoneal cancer: assessing chemotherapy response with diffusion-weighted MR imaging--value of histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficients

PURPOSE

To prospectively evaluate apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histograms in the prediction of chemotherapy response in patients with metastatic ovarian or primary peritoneal cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Research ethics committee approval and patient written informed consent were obtained. Diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was performed through the abdomen and pelvis before and after one and three cycles of chemotherapy in 42 women (mean age, 63.0 years ± 11.4 [standard deviation]) with newly diagnosed or recurrent disease. Reproducibility and intra- and interobserver agreement of ADC calculations were assessed. Per-patient weighted ADC histograms were generated at each time point from pixel ADCs from five or fewer target lesions. Mean ADC, percentiles (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th), skew, kurtosis, and their change were analyzed according to histologic grade, primary versus recurrent disease status, and response, determined with integrated biochemical and morphologic criteria, with a linear mixed model. Areas under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) for combinations of parameters were calculated with linear discriminant analysis.

RESULTS

Coefficients of variation for repeat measurements and for within and between observers were 4.8%, 11.4%, and 13.7%, respectively. Grade and disease status did not significantly affect histogram parameters. Pretreatment ADCs were not predictive of response. In responders, all ADCs increased after the first and third cycle (P < .001), while skew and kurtosis decreased after the third (P < .001 and P = .006, respectively); however, in nonresponders, no parameter changed significantly. Percentage change of the 25th percentile performed best in identifying response (AUC = 0.82 and 0.83 after first and third cycle, respectively), whereas combination of parameters did not improve accuracy.

CONCLUSION

An early increase of ADCs and later decrease of skew and kurtosis characterize chemotherapy response. Quantitative DW MR imaging can aid in early monitoring of treatment efficacy in patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

Study of the molecular recognition of aptamers selected through ovarian cancer cell-SELEX

BACKGROUND

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy, and the ovarian clear cell carcinoma subtype (OCCA) demonstrates a particularly poor response to standard treatment. Improvements in ovarian cancer outcomes, especially for OCCA, could be expected from a clearer understanding of the molecular pathology that might guide strategies for earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Cell-SELEX technology was employed to develop new molecular probes for ovarian cancer cell surface markers. A total of thirteen aptamers with K(d)'s to ovarian cancer cells in the pico- to nanomolar range were obtained. Preliminary investigation of the targets of these aptamers and their binding characteristics was also performed.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

We have selected a series of aptamers that bind to different types of ovarian cancer, but not cervical cancer. Though binding to other cancer cell lines was observed, these aptamers could lead to identification of biomarkers that are related to cancer.