Results of a randomized, prospective clinical trial evaluating metronomic chemotherapy in nonmetastatic patients with high-grade, operable osteosarcomas of the extremities: A report from the Latin American Group of Osteosarcoma Treatment

BACKGROUND

Metronomic chemotherapy (MC) consists of the administration of a low dose of chemotherapy on a daily or weekly basis without a long break to achieve an antitumoral effect through an antiangiogenic effect or stimulation of the immune system. The potential effect of MC with continuous oral cyclophosphamide and methotrexate in patients with high-grade operable osteosarcomas (OSTs) of the extremities was investigated.

METHODS

Patients with high-grade OSTs who were 30 years old or younger were eligible for registration at diagnosis. Eligibility for randomization included 1) nonmetastatic disease and 2) complete resection of the primary tumor. The study design included a backbone of 10 weeks of preoperative therapy with methotrexate, adriamycin, and platinum (MAP). After surgery, patients were randomized between 2 arms to complete 31 weeks of MAP or receive 73 weeks of MC after MAP. The primary endpoint was event-free survival (EFS) from randomization.

RESULTS

There were 422 nonmetastatic patients registered (May 2006 to July 2013) from 27 sites in 3 countries (Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay), and 296 were randomized to MAP plus MC (n = 139) or MAP alone (n = 157). At 5 years, the EFS cumulative proportions surviving in the MAP-MC group and the MAP-alone group were 61% (standard error [SE], 0.5%) and 64% (SE, 0.5%), respectively, and they were not statistically different (Wilcoxon [Gehan] statistic = 0.724; P =.395). The multivariate analysis showed that necrosis grades 1 and 2, tumor size, and amputation were associated with shorter EFS.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the current follow-up, EFS with MAP plus MC is not statistically superior to EFS with MAP alone in patients with high-grade, resectable OSTs of the extremities. Cancer 2017;123:1003-10. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Surgical treatment for pediatric mediastinal neurogenic tumors

BACKGROUND

Mediastinal neurogenic tumors are relatively rare in children, and controversies persist about the best surgical approach and long-term survival.

METHODS

With ethics approval we reviewed the case notes of 43 consecutive children (22 boys) operated on for mediastinal neurogenic tumor in two different institutions from March 1998 to June 2009.

RESULTS

The average age at diagnosis was 3 years (range, 0.6 to 4.7 years). Of the 43 operated tumors, 20 were neuroblastomas (47%), 13 were ganglioneuroblastomas (30%), and 10 were ganglioneuromas (23%). Only 6 (14%) of these tumors were discovered incidentally; the remaining 37 (86%) presented symptomatically: cough (30%), dyspnea (21%), wheezing (11.6%), neurologic spinal compression (7%), dancing eyes syndrome (7%), and Horner syndrome (7%). Tumor resection was undertaken by open operation in 38 cases (88%) and by thoracoscopy in 5 cases (12%). The children operated on by means of thoracoscopy had significantly smaller tumors (p = 0.01) and shorter duration of thoracic drain (p = 0.011) and hospitalization (p = 0.016) than those who were operated on by thoracotomy. There was not any surgical death. Postoperative complications occurred in 11 children (25.6%). Tumor recurrence occurred in 4 children (9.3%) operated on by open surgery, and there were 2 deaths of children with neuroblastoma. The overall survival was 95.4% in an average follow-up of 3.5 years (range, 0.7 to 4.4 years).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical resection of children with mediastinal neurogenic tumors treated at two international tertiary hospitals was safe, and the thoracoscopic approach was appropriate for small tumors. The long-term survival was higher when compared with those reported for other primary neurogenic tumor locations.

Phase I first-in-human study of the polo-like kinase-1 selective inhibitor, GSK461364, in patients with advanced solid tumors

3536

Background: Polo-like kinase-1 (Plk1), part of a family of highly conserved serine-threonine kinases, has multiple roles in mitotic progression, is over-expressed and also associated with poor prognosis in some tumor types. GSK461364 is a potent and selective ATP-competitive inhibitor of Plk1 (Ki 2.2nM) with demonstrated antiproliferative activity in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Adult patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory advanced solid tumors with performance status of 0–2 and adequate organ function were eligible. Sequential cohorts of 2–6 patients each received escalating doses of GSK461364 administered as a 4h intravenous infusion (Schedule [Sch] 1: D1,8,15 q28 or Sch 2: D1,2,8,9,15,16 q28). Primary objectives were to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and pharmacokinetics (PK) of GSK461364. Secondary objectives included preliminary evaluation of anti-tumor activity. Results: 27 pts (20 male, 7 female) were evaluated. Four dose levels, 50mg (n = 2), 100 mg (n = 3), 150 mg (n = 3) and 225 mg (n = 8) were evaluated in Sch 1. Three dose levels, 25 mg (n = 2), 50 mg (n = 2) and 100 mg (n = 7) were evaluated in Sch 2. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) observed were Gr 4 sepsis, in Sch 1 at 225 mg dose, Gr 4 pulmonary embolism (PE) and Gr 4 neutropenia >7d in Sch 2, both at 100 mg dose. Other Sch 1 adverse events (AEs) with a maximum grade ≥3 were fatigue and anemia (both, n = 2), pleuritic pain, pelvic pain, abdominal discomfort, constipation, vomiting, neutropenia, and deep vein thrombosis (all, n = 1). Other Sch 2 AEs with a maximum grade ≥3 were PE, renal failure, thrombocytopenia, and catheter-related infection (all n = 1). The most common adverse events (AEs) regardless of attribution, Sch and dose level were phlebitis (n = 9), fatigue (n = 9), nausea (n = 7), anemia (n = 6), anorexia (n = 6), diarrhea (n = 6), and infusion site reaction (n = 5). Preliminary PK data indicate that AUC and Cmax were proportional across doses; mean values were CLs ∼72–85L/hr, Vss ∼550–1200L and t1/2 ∼11.5hr. Phospho-histone H3, a marker of mitotic arrest, was detected, in circulating tumor cells, 24 hrs after first dose. Stable disease >5m has been observed in 2 esophageal cancer pts. Conclusions: Dose escalation continues in Sch1, Sch2 has been expanded at 75mg. An MTD has not yet been defined.

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Limited brain access for leptin in obesity

Obesity is a major health problem that contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease. The current pharmacological therapies for obesity are limited and may have significant side effects. Leptin therapy was shown to effectively cause weight loss in obese rats, however its effectiveness in humans is still under investigation. Obese humans have significantly elevated plasma leptin concentrations compared with lean individuals. Plasma leptin concentrations strongly correlated with percentage of body fat. Leptin concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is correlated, in a nonlinear manner, with plasma leptin levels and body mass index (BMI). The ratio of CSF leptin levels to serum leptin levels was 4 times greater in lean individuals than in obese individuals. One interpretation of this finding is that human obesity could be secondary to a central resistance to leptin action, causing a relative leptin deficiency in the CNS. Six years after the discovery of leptin we still do not have a clear understanding of how leptin accesses its targets in the brain, or whether there is defect in this process in the brain of obese individuals. In this manuscript we will review the different leptin gateways to the brain and the potential sites where a defect in leptin action may be present, as well as some potential clinical implications of leptin. A better understanding of how leptin reaches the brain and how it modulates the release of hypothalamic neuropeptides will be important in understanding the role that leptin plays in the pathophysiology of obesity.

Radiographic imaging modalities for the patient in the emergency department with abdominal complaints

The emergency physician should be aware of the sensitivity and specificity of any radiologic study being considered. Radiographic examinations should be used to answer specific questions raised by the history and physical examination. The need to obtain a given radiologic evaluation should be based on the potential information it may reveal and the likelihood that this information will alter patient care. This cost-effective approach minimizes unnecessary radiation exposure and has been advocated by many authorities. The emergency physician should resist the "knee jerk" tendency to order radiographs to reassure himself or herself of the safety of the patient at discharge. Documentational and legal concerns are equally invalid reasons, as is the feeling that "it's what we always order for patients with this abdominal complaint." A given study may be indicated if the yield is acceptable and treatment of the patient may be altered by the results.

[A paradigmatic case of partial agenesis of the pericardium]

Complete or partial absence of the pericardium is an uncommon congenital abnormality. Since its first description, several cases have been reported. Although the clinical and instrumental features of this defect are well described, at present it is often overlooked. We report a case of a 19-year old boy referred to our Echocardiography laboratory because of a suspected interatrial septal defect. For this reason it has been recommended to undergo cardiac catheterization. The patient, completely asymptomatic, had a negative physical examination. The echocardiogram excluded the presence of an interatrial septal defect, but some abnormalities, regarding overall right-sided heart, were found (paradoxical interventricular septal movement, apparent right-sided heart enlargement, with unusual bulging of the apex of the right ventricle, an excessive basculant heart movement). In the absence of any other heart disease, we thought that these abnormalities reflected a congenital absence of the pericardium. Indeed, the chest X-ray showed some features, considered patognomonic for congenital absence of the pericardium (levoposition of the heart, lung interposition between the diaphragm and the base of the heart and between the aorta and pulmonary artery). Nuclear magnetic resonance study showed the absence of the pericardium in the posterior and posterolateral wall, confirming our suspicion. Furthermore, the posterior wall of the heart leaned to herniate through the pericardial defect. Since the partial absence of the pericardium can lead to severe complications, surgery was recommended. The correct diagnosis of this disease is very important because of its prognostic implications; this case represents a further contribution to the understanding of this defect.

Active and passive sugar absorption in pancreatic insufficiency

Urinary excretion of lactulose, mannitol, and 3-0-methylglucose, following oral administration (5 g, 5 g, and 2 g, respectively, in 100 ml H2O; 80 ml/m2), has been measured in subjects with cystic fibrosis (CF) (22), Shwachman syndrome (3), chronic pancreatitis (3), and normal controls (46). Mean lactulose excretion was increased 10-fold in CF (p less than 0.001), and two-fold in other disorders associated with pancreatic insufficiency (PI) (p less than 0.05). Mean mannitol excretion was 1.6 times greater in CF (p less than 0.001), compared with controls, but was reduced in other forms of PI (p less than 0.03). The mean lactulose/mannitol excretion ratio was increased in all types of PI (p less than 0.001). There were no significant differences in 3-0-methylglucose excretion. This study confirms the large increase in lactulose absorption recently reported in CF and also demonstrates increased absorption of mannitol; these changes are different than those in other forms of PI. This study provides further evidence for a specific abnormality of the mucosal barrier to the absorption of passively absorbed, water soluble molecules in CF.