Soft tissue sarcomas of adults: state of the translational science.

Sarcomas--like leukemias, which are also mesodermal malignancies--carry biological significance disproportionate to their clinical frequency. Identification of mutations and translocations associated with these tumors has illuminated aberrant signaling pathways that cause these diseases, determine their behavior, and are therapeutic targets. Activated receptor-associated tyrosine kinase c-kit, mutated in most gastrointestinal stromal tumors, has proven a clinically effective target for enzyme inhibition. A translocation involving a single gene family, consisting of EWS and related genes, has been identified in five different sarcomas, and its chimeric protein products could prove similarly amenable to inhibitors. Resolution of the histopathological complexity is being aided by data from molecular and chromosomal characterization. Improvements in imaging, definition of prognostic factors, and surgical and radiotherapeutic treatment have resulted in improved local control. Continued progress will depend on further adapting the rapidly evolving technologies of genomics and proteomics. It will also depend upon accurate histopathological diagnosis based on validated reagents and consistent methodologies applied to adequate tissue samples derived from patients with complete clinical data. Finally, multicenter, coordinated trials, such as those that occurred with assessment of imatinib mesylate in metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors, will assure the most rapid reductions in morbidity and mortality.     

Dose-intense chemotherapy every 2 weeks with dose-intense cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone may improve survival in intermediate- and high-grade lymphoma: a phase II study of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG 9349).

PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that therapy of intermediate- and high-grade (excluding Burkitt lymphoblastic) lymphoma with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) could be safely dose-intensified with routine filgrastim support. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible patients were those who were previously untreated and who had either bulky stage II, or stage III or IV lymphoma with working formulation histology D, E, F, G, H, or J; performance status < or = 2; and acceptable end organ function. No upper age limit was specified. Therapy was dose-intensified CHOP (CHOP-DI) with filgrastim support. Each course was repeated every 14 days for six planned courses. RESULTS: Eighty-eight eligible patients were treated with CHOP-DI and had a median follow-up of 5.1 years on this phase II study, designated Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) 9349. The progression-free survival was 51% at 2 years and 41% at 5 years. The overall survival was 60% at 5 years. Three fatal treatment-related events occurred. One patient with myelodysplastic syndrome was reported. CONCLUSION: Treatment with CHOP-DI can be safely administered in the cooperative group setting and results in improved survival. Estimated overall survival at 5 years was 14% better than that of patients treated with standard-dose CHOP in an earlier SWOG study, although progression-free survival of 60% at 2 years-the prespecified end point-was not achieved. CHOP-DI, given every 2 weeks at escalated doses, is a strategy that should be tested in a future randomized clinical trial in lymphoma.     

Survival and neurologic outcomes in a randomized trial of motexafin gadolinium and whole-brain radiation therapy in brain metastases.

PURPOSE: This phase III randomized trial evaluated survival as well as neurologic and neurocognitive function in patients with brain metastases from solid tumors receiving whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) with or without motexafin gadolinium (MGd). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned to 30 Gy of WBRT +/- 5 mg/kg/d MGd. Survival and time to neurologic progression determined by a blinded events review committee (ERC) were coprimary end points. Standardized investigator neurologic assessment and neurocognitive testing were evaluated. RESULTS: Four hundred one (251 non-small-cell lung cancer) patients were enrolled. There was no significant difference by treatment arm in survival (median, 5.2 months for MGd v 4.9 months for WBRT; P =.48) or time to neurologic progression (median, 9.5 months for MGd v 8.3 months for WBRT; P =.95). Treatment with MGd improved time to neurologic progression in patients with lung cancer (median, not reached for MGd v 7.4 months for WBRT; P =.048, unadjusted). By investigator, MGd improved time to neurologic progression in all patients (median, 4.3 months for MGd v 3.8 months for WBRT; P =.018) and in lung cancer patients (median, 5.5 months for MGd v 3.7 months for WBRT; P =.025). MGd improved neurocognitive function in lung cancer patients. CONCLUSION: The overall results did not demonstrate significant differences by treatment arm for survival and ERC time to neurologic progression. Investigator neurologic assessments demonstrated an MGd treatment benefit in all patients. In lung cancer patients, ERC- and investigator-determined time to neurologic progression demonstrated an MGd treatment benefit. MGd may improve time to neurologic and neurocognitive progression in lung cancer.     

Overcoming drug resistance in multiple myeloma: the emergence of therapeutic approaches to induce apoptosis.

Drug resistance remains a major clinical challenge for cancer treatment. Early studies suggested that overexpression of P-glycoprotein was a major contributor to the chemotherapy resistance of myeloma cells and other tumor cells. Attempts in several clinical studies to reverse multidrug resistance protein (MDR) by using MDR modulators have not yet generated promising results. Recently, the emerging knowledge about the importance of overcoming antiapoptosis and drug resistance in treating a variety of malignancies, including multiple myeloma (MM), raises new hope of improving the treatment outcome for patients with cancer. The therapeutic value of targeting therapies that aim to reverse the antiapoptotic process in MM cells has been explored in a number of experimental systems, and the results have been promising. The proteasome inhibitor PS-341 is a new specifically targeted proapoptotic therapy that has been tested in clinical studies. The results indicate that PS-341 alone is an effective therapy for patients with MM who experience disease relapse. Recent in vitro data also demonstrate that PS-341 can markedly sensitize chemotherapy-resistant MM cells to various chemotherapeutic agents. On the basis of these encouraging results, clinical studies are underway to test the efficacy of PS-341 and chemotherapeutic agents as combination therapy in treating patients with refractory and relapsed MM.     

Thymic Function and Output of Recent Thymic Emigrant T Cells During Intracranial Glioma Progression

One of the hallmarks of patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is profound lymphopenia mostly confined to the T cell lineage. A deficiency in the production of naïve T cells from the thymus could contribute to the lymphopenia seen in GBM patients. In this study we asked whether thymic function and the production of recent thymic emigrant (RTE) T cells from the thymus was influenced by intracranial (i.c.) glioma progression. We found significant thymic involution in animals with progressive i.c. gliomas. Involuted thymi from animals with progressive i.c. T9.F gliomas showed dramatic losses of CD4⁺CD8⁺ (DP) thymocytes. Microscopic analysis complemented those findings by demonstrating a reversal of the typical cortico-medullary structure. Significant increases in apoptosis accompanied the rapid loss of viable thymocytes, which was prevented in part by adrenalectomy, suggesting a dominant role for endogenous glucocorticoids. This thymic involution was also associated with a significant decrease in peripheral RTE T cells, reflecting the diminished thymic function. Finally, we found that CD8⁺ RTE T cells were enriched in progressively growing T9 gliomas, which points to an immunological role for RTE's in anti-glioma immunity. Our findings may shed light on the significance of thymic function for anti-glioma immunity and the response to immunotherapeutic treatment paradigms.     

C-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase mediates proliferation and tumor growth of human prostate carcinoma.

PURPOSE: C-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) has been implicated in numerous functions including stress responses, apoptosis,and transformation. The role in transformation is based largely on studies of isolated cell types with little indication of whether JNK plays a general role in a specific human tumor type or whether this occurs in vivo. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We examined 9 human prostate carcinoma cell lines in vitro and a representative line in vivo. RESULTS: For all of the cell lines proliferation is highly correlated with serum-supported JNK activity (r(Pearson) = 0.91; P = 0.004), whereas no relationship was observed for 10 human breast cancer cell lines (r(Pearson) = -0.32). Treatment with characterized antisense oligonucleotides complementary to sequences common to either the JNK1 or JNK2 family of isoforms showed that, whereas antisense JNK1 inhibited growth by a maximum of 57%, antisense JNK2 inhibited proliferation up to 80%. Sense and scrambled control oligonucleotides had little effect (average 3.7 +/- 1.5%). Moreover, systemic treatment of mice bearing established xenografts of PC3 prostate carcinoma cells with antisense JNK1 and JNK2 led to inhibition tumor growth by 57% (P < 0.002) and 80% (P < 0.001), respectively. The difference is significant (P < 0.012). Combined antisense treatment led to a significant increase in frequency of tumor regression (P = 0.022). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that JNK is required for growth of prostate carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo, and additionally indicate that JNK2 plays a dominant role. The JNK pathway is a novel target in the treatment of prostate carcinoma.     

Antineoplastic effects of partially HLA-matched irradiated blood mononuclear cells in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Vaccines, cytokines, and other biologic-based therapies are being developed as antineoplastic agents. Many of these agents are designed to induce an autologous immune response directed against the malignancy. In contrast, hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation is being developed as a form of allogeneic immunotherapy. This study tests the tolerance and antineoplastic activity of sequential infusions of partially HLA-matched allogeneic blood mononuclear cells (obtained from relatives) when administered outside of the context of a hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. The cells are irradiated to prevent graft-versus-host disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients with relapsed or refractory malignancies for which no standard therapy was available were enrolled onto a clinical trial designed to assess the tolerability and antineoplastic effects of irradiated partially HLA-matched blood mononuclear cells obtained from relatives. RESULTS: There was disease regression in three patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma during treatment. There was disease progression in six patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma and two patients with metastatic melanoma during treatment. There was no change in disease state in several other patients. CONCLUSION: Irradiated allogeneic blood mononuclear cells administered outside the context of hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation may induce disease responses in patients with relapsed or refractory malignancies. Transfusion of irradiated allogeneic blood mononuclear cells should be developed further as a novel therapeutic antineoplastic approach.