Isolated limb perfusion with hyperthermia and chemotherapy: predictive factors for regional toxicity

Feasibility and efficacy of indocyanine green in monitoring systemic drug leakage during isolated limb perfusion for recurrent melanoma of extremity

Melanoma is known for its high metastatic potential and aggressive growth. Recurrence is common post-surgery, sometimes leading to unresectable disease. Locally recurrent unresectable melanoma of extremity has been treated with high-dose anticancer chemotherapy via isolated limb perfusion (ILP) to improve local efficacy of drug and salvage limbs. Standard ILP monitoring uses radiolabeled dyes, requiring specialized personnel and involving radiation exposure. In this case, we used indocyanine green (ICG) to track systemic drug leakage during ILP. A 47-year-old gentleman with recurrent malignant melanoma of the left foot, operated twice earlier and treated with adjuvant pembrolizumab, presented with multiple in-transit metastases in the limb. ILP was planned, with 5 mg ICG administered in the perfusion solution along with high-dose melphalan. Stryker's SPI PHI handheld device was employed to visualize ICG during ILP. Absence of fluorescence beyond the involved extremity, such as fingers, ears, and the abdominal wall, indicated no systemic drug dispersion. For control, technetium radiocolloid dye was co-administered, monitored by a precordial gamma probe, confirming no systemic leakage, and validating effectiveness of ICG in leakage monitoring. ICG proves to be a safe, reliable, cost-effective, radiation-free approach for precise systemic drug leakage monitoring during ILP for recurrent melanoma of extremity.

Management of In-Transit Metastases

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this study is to discuss the current knowledge and future perspectives regarding the treatment options for in-transit metastases (ITM), along with the optimal algorithms for patients presenting with this adverse manifestation of melanoma.

RECENT FINDINGS

In addition to procedures historically accepted for the management of ITM, encompassing surgery and regional techniques, novel medications in the form of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and targeted therapies now represent standard options, allowing for the possibility of combined approaches, with an expanding role of systemic therapies. Melanoma in-transit metastases consist of intralymphatic neoplastic implants distributed between the primary site and the regional nodal basin, within the subepidermal and dermal lymphatics. Distinct risk factors may influence the development of ITM, and the clinical presentation can be highly heterogeneous, enhancing the complexity of the management of ITM. Surgical resection, when feasible, continues to represent a standard approach for patients with curative intent. Patients with extensive or unresectable disease may also benefit from regional approaches that include isolated limb perfusion or infusion, electrochemotherapy, and a wide variety of intralesional therapies. Over the past decade, regimens with ICI and BRAF/MEK inhibitors dramatically expanded the benefit of systemic treatments for patients with melanoma, both in the adjuvant setting and for those with advanced disease, and the combination of these modalities with regional treatments, as well as neoadjuvant approaches, may represent the future for the treatment of patients with ITM.

Indocyanine Green for Leakage Control in Isolated Limb Perfusion

Sarcomas are characterized by a high metastatic potential and aggressive growth. Despite surgery, chemotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of these tumors. Optimal anti-cancer therapy with maximized local efficacy and minimized systemic side effects has been the object of many studies for a long time. To improve the local efficacy of anti-tumor therapy, isolated limb perfusion with high-dose cytostatic agents has been introduced in surgical oncology. In order to control the local distribution of substances, radiolabeled cytostatic drugs or perfusion solutions have been applied but often require the presence of specialized personnel and result in a certain exposure to radiation. In this study, we present a novel strategy using indocyanine green to track tumor perfusion with high-dose cytostatic therapy. In a rat cadaver model, the femoral vessels were cannulated and connected to a peristaltic pump to provide circulation within the selected limb. The perfusion solution contained indocyanine green and high-dose doxorubicin. An infrared camera enabled the visualization of indocyanine green during limb perfusion, and subsequent leakage control was successfully performed. Histologic analysis of sections derived proximally from the injection site excluded systemic drug dispersion. In this study, the application of indocyanine green was proven to be a safe and cost- and time-efficient method for precise leakage control in isolated limb perfusion with a high-dose cytostatic agent.

The oncoprotective fever hypothesis: Have antibiotics, antimalarials and antipyrectics contributed to the global rise in cancer over the past century?

The adaptive and therapeutic nature of fever has been recognized for centuries and both local and systemic thermotherapy are now used to enhance the effectiveness of both chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer. We propose that the success of antiseptic, antibiotic, antipyretic and antimalarial strategies and medications over the past century and a half may have had the unintended effect of releasing precancerous growths and neoplastic foci from the inhibitory effects of intermittent fever. This may be a previously unrecognized factor in the overall rise in cancer rates in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Results of isolated limb perfusion for metastasized malignant melanoma

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Locoregional metastases are typical biological manifestations of advanced malignant melanomas. Treatment with hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion (HILP) should be considered in affected patients. In the present study, we have analyzed the results of HILPs performed in our department.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eighty patients with locoregional metastases of the extremities received HILP at the Department of Surgery between January 2007 and December 2016. The mean follow-up was 38 months.

RESULTS

The study included 50 men and 30 women (mean age: 63 years). The median time between melanoma diagnosis and HILP was 25 months (range: 1-219 months). HILP was performed in curative (n = 45) and palliative (n = 35) intention. Seventy-five patients received a drug combination of melphalan/dactinomycin and five patients received a drug combination of melphalan/tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Remission rates were determined in 72 of 80 patients (90%) as follows: partial response n = 28, complete response n = 25, no response n = 19. Of the 25 patients with complete response, 13 patients developed a new tumor manifestation during follow-up (locoregional recurrences n = 4; distant metastases n = 3; both n = 6). The median overall survival rate was 33 months. Tumor stage influenced the survival rate significantly (p = 0.001). Patients with complete response showed a significantly better overall survival than patients with partial or no response (p = 0.016).

CONCLUSION

HILP is an effective therapeutic option in patients with locoregional metastases. This procedure carries a certain risk of side effects and adverse events but overall results in good response rates. Therefore, HILP should be offered to selected patients based on an individual discussion, considering their health status and oncological prognosis.

The effect of adjuvant therapy with TNF-α on animal model of triple-negative breast cancer

AIM

This study tested the effect of TNF-α, a cytokine associated with inflammation, and tumor progression, on enhancing doxorubicin (Dox) tumor accumulation, and improving its therapeutic effect.

MATERIALS & METHODS

4T1 murine breast cancer cells were injected into the flanks of Balb/c female mice and treated with TNF-α, Dox and a combination of both.

RESULTS & CONCLUSION

The addition of TNF-α to Dox did not improve anticancer activity against 4T1 breast cancer cells in vitro. In 4T1 tumor-bearing mice, the pretreatment with TNF-α increased tumor Dox concentration. The accumulation of Dox was even higher when systemically injected with a micellar formulation of Dox. This work provides a rationale for testing the combination on breast cancer patients.

EPR hyperthermia of S. cerevisiae using superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Presently we communicate a newly developed method of resonant radiofrequency heating, applicable in hyperthermal therapy. This method uses electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to transform the electromagnetic field energy into heat. We report the growth dynamics of the S. cerevisiae yeast cells exposed to EPR heating with superparamagnetic magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles, with only 4% of yeast cells surviving hyperthermia. Given that EPR functions independently of type of the biologic species exposed, and produces spatially localized heating in conjunction with MRI hardware, it may be used in hyperthermal therapy of cancer and other diseases.

Myoglobin does not predict local toxicity in isolated limb perfusion

INTRODUCTION

Isolated limb perfusion (ILP) is a treatment option for patients with in-transit metastases of malignant melanoma in the extremities, as well as locally advanced sarcoma. ILP allows for a delivery of high-dose chemotherapy to an isolated extremity with minimal systemic toxicity. However, local toxicity like oedema, blistering, nerve damage and compartment syndrome can occur. Myoglobin measurements have been used as a screening method to predict the most severe cases of local toxicity. The aim was to investigate if myoglobin is a predictive factor for local toxicity after ILP in patients with melanoma in-transit metastases.

METHODS

One hundred and ninety-three patients were treated for the first time with ILP for in-transit metastases between 2001 and 2015. Myoglobin was measured once the first hours after the perfusion (POD0), and for the first five post-operative days (POD1-5). Local toxicity was graded according to Wieberdink, and grouped in mild (I and II), moderate (III), and severe (IV and V). Wieberdink-groups were compared with myoglobin measurements, and myoglobin measurements were compared between gender, perfusion time, perfusion temperature and cannulated vessels.

RESULTS

There is no statistically significant difference in myoglobin serum levels during the first five days post perfusion between patients suffering from mild, moderate or severe local toxicity. There is no difference between toxicity groups when it comes to distribution of sex, tumour size, or tumour numbers.

CONCLUSION

Levels of myoglobin do not predict local toxicity for patients with melanoma in-transit metastases treated with ILP when measured during the first five post-operative days.

Isolated limb perfusion in Merkel cell carcinoma offers high rate of complete response and durable local-regional control: Systematic review and institutional experience

INTRODUCTION

Hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion (HILP) has an established role in the management of melanoma, but its role for Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is less well defined.

METHODS

Retrospective review of our institutional experience with HILP for MCC was conducted (2009-2015). Literature search was performed through 04/2015 and 10 studies met inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Four patients underwent HILP for MCC at our institution. There were no major complications and complete response was achieved in all patients. Early metastatic recurrence developed in two patients. The remaining two had no evidence of disease at last follow-up (36 months) or death (39 months). Systematic review identified an additional 12 pts that underwent HILP for MCC, for a total of 16 cases. Median age was 73 [IQR 69-78] years and 56% were men. Of the patients with reported follow-up, 12 (86%) had complete response, 1 had stable disease, and 1 partial response. Four patients developed local-regional recurrence and six distant metastases, all within 6 months. Overall median follow-up time was 15 [7-36] months.

CONCLUSION

Among a highly selective group of patients, regional perfusion for MCC is safe and has a high complete response rate. HILP is an acceptable therapeutic modality for obtaining durable loco-regional control but early distant metastatic disease remains a significant cause of mortality. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:187-192. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Radionuclide leakage monitoring during hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion for treatment of local melanoma metastasis in an extremity

INTRODUCTION

The aim is to describe the importance of leakage monitoring in hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion (ILP). It is generally recommended that leakage should not exceed 10% because of risk of systemic toxicity.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Data retrieved by retrospective analysis of 131 perfusions performed in 115 consecutive patients (77 women and 38 men; median age 66 years) with recurrent and/or clinically apparent, cutaneous or subcutaneous melanoma metastases in an extremity. Radionuclide monitoring was performed with continuous, precordial count rate determinations of an intravascular (99m) Tc-labelled tracer infused into the isolated limb circulation.

RESULTS

One hundred and sixteen of 131 procedures were completed. In 13%, a leakage of ≥10% was detected; in 6% (n = 8), the cytotoxic drug was never infused because of constant leakage; in 7% (n = 9), leakage ≥10% was measured during the perfusion resulting in two perfusions being terminated before 30 min, 5 perfusions were considered completed though with early termination (after 30 min, before 60 min), and 2 fully completed. No patients had systemic toxicity requiring treatment, whereas considerable or serious local toxicity were observed in 14%. Three of the patients with leakage ≥10% were successfully treated in a repeated procedure.

CONCLUSION

Leakage monitoring using a threshold of 10% during ILP saves the patients from systemic toxicity, however, at the expense of early termination or cancellation of ILP treatment in a few patients and repeated ILP procedures in some.

Drug dosage in isolated limb perfusion: evaluation of a limb volume model for extremity volume calculation

Background

Exact drug dosing in isolated limb perfusion (ILP) and infusion (ILI) is essential. We developed and evaluated a model for calculating the volume of extremities and compared this model with body weight- and height-dependent parameters.

Methods

The extremity was modeled by a row of coupled truncated cones. The sizes of the truncated cone bases were derived from the circumference measurements of the extremity at predefined levels (5 cm). The resulting volumes were added. This extremity volume model was correlated to the computed tomography (CT) volume data of the extremity (total limb volume). The extremity volume was also correlated with the patient’s body weight, body mass index (BMI) and ideal body weight (IBW). The no-fat CT limb volume was correlated with the circumference-measured limb volume corrected by the ideal-body-weight to actual-body-weight ratio (IBW corrected-limb-volume).

Results

The correlation between the CT volume and the volume measured by the circumference was high and significant. There was no correlation between the limb volume and the bare body weight, BMI or IBW. The correlation between the no-fat CT volume and IBW-corrected limb volume was high and significant.

Conclusions

An appropriate drug dosing in ILP can be achieved by combining the limb volume with the simple circumference measurements and the IBW to body-weight ratio.