Showing papers in "Journal of Clinical Oncology in 1996"
TL;DR: IFN alpha-2b is the first agent to show a significant benefit in relapse-free and overall survival of high-risk melanoma patients in a randomized controlled trial.
Abstract: PURPOSEInterferon alfa-2b (IFN alpha-2b) exhibits antitumor activity in metastatic melanoma and on this basis has been evaluated as an adjuvant therapy following surgery for deep primary (T4) or regionally metastatic (N1) melanoma.METHODSA randomized controlled study of IFN alpha-2b (Schering-Plough, Kenilworth, NJ) administered at maximum-tolerated doses of 20 MU/m2/d intravenously (i.v.) for 1 month and 10 MU/m2 three times per week subcutaneously (SC) for 48 weeks versus observation, was conducted by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) in 287 patients.RESULTSA significant prolongation of relapse-free survival (P = .0023, one-sided) and prolongation of overall survival (P = .0237, one-sided) was observed with IFN alpha-2b therapy in this trial, which is now mature with a median follow-up time of 6.9 years. The impact of treatment on relapse rate is most pronounced early during the treatment interval. The overall benefit of treatment in this trial was analyzed stratified by tumor burden and the...
2,002 citations
TL;DR: Chemotherapy with mitoxantrone and prednisone provides palliation for some patients with symptomatic hormone-resistant prostate cancer and most responding patients had an improvement in quality-of-life scales and a decrease in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level.
Abstract: PURPOSETo investigate the benefit of chemotherapy in patients with symptomatic hormone-resistant prostate cancer using relevant end points of palliation in a randomized controlled trial.PATIENTS AND METHODSWe randomized 161 hormone-refractory patients with pain to receive mitoxantrone plus prednisone or prednisone alone (10 mg daily). Nonresponding patients on prednisone could receive mitoxantrone subsequently. The primary end point was a palliative response defined as a 2-point decrease in pain as assessed by a 6-point pain scale completed by patients (or complete loss of pain if initially 1 +) without an increase in analgesic medication and maintained for two consecutive evaluations at least 3 weeks apart. Secondary end points were a decrease of > or = 50% in use of analgesic medication without an increase in pain, duration of response, and survival. Health-related quality of life was evaluated with a series of linear analog self-assessment scales (LASA and the Prostate Cancer-Specific Quality-of-Life I...
1,566 citations
TL;DR: RhuMAb HER2 is well tolerated and clinically active in patients with HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancers that had received extensive prior therapy and justifies further evaluation of this agent.
Abstract: PURPOSEBreast cancer frequently overexpresses the product of the HER2 proto-oncogene, a 185-kd growth factor receptor (p185HER2). The recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody (rhuMAb) HER2 has high affinity for p185HER2 and inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells that overexpress HER2. We evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of weekly intravenous administration of rhuMAb HER2 in patients with HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer.PATIENTS AND METHODSWe treated 46 patients with metastatic breast carcinomas that overexpressed HER2. Patients received a loading dose of 250 mg of intravenous rhuMAb HER2, then 10 weekly doses of 100 mg each. Patients with no disease progression at the completion of this treatment period were offered a maintenance phase of 100 mg/wk.RESULTSStudy patients had extensive metastatic disease, and most had received extensive prior anticancer therapy. Adequate pharmacokinetic levels of rhuMAb HER2 were obtained in 90% of the patients. Toxicity was minimal and no antibodies ag...
1,510 citations
TL;DR: Patients with microscopically positive surgical margins or patients who present with locally recurrent disease are at increased risk for subsequent local recurrence and tumor-related mortality.
Abstract: PURPOSETo identify specific independent adverse clinicopathologic factors for event-free survival in a cohort of consecutively treated patients with extremity soft tissue sarcomas.PATIENTS AND METHODSProspectively collected data from a population of 1,041 adult patients with localized (American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] stage IA to IIIB) extremity soft tissue sarcomas were analyzed. Patients were treated at a single institution between 1982 and 1994. Patient, tumor, and pathologic factors were analyzed by univariate and multivariate techniques to identify independent prognostic factors for the end points of local recurrence, distant recurrence, disease-specific survival, and post-metastasis survival.RESULTSThe 5-year survival rate for this cohort of patients was 76%, with a median follow-up time of 3.95 years. Significant independent adverse prognostic factors for local recurrence were age greater than 50 years, recurrent disease at presentation, microscopically positive surgical margins, and the h...
1,115 citations
TL;DR: Results lend support to the clinical and cross-cultural validity of the QLQ-BR23 as a supplementary questionnaire for assessing specific quality-of-life issues relevant to patients with breast cancer.
Abstract: PURPOSETo construct a breast cancer-specific quality-of-life questionnaire (QLQ) module to be used in conjunction with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 and to test its reliability and validity cross-culturally.PATIENTS AND METHODSModule construction took place after the EORTC guidelines for module development. The module--the QLQ-BR23--consists of 23 items covering symptoms and side effects related to different treatment modalities, body image, sexuality, and future perspective. This module was tested in 170 Dutch, 168 Spanish, and 158 American cancer patients at two points in time. The timing for the Dutch and Spanish patients was before and during treatment with radiotherapy or chemotherapy. For the American patients, the questionnaire was administered at admission at the breast clinic and 3 months after the first assessment.RESULTSMultitrait scaling analysis confirmed the hypothesized structure of four of the five scales. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were,...
971 citations
TL;DR: Despite greater toxicity, the use of MMC in a definitive CR regimen for anal cancer is justified, particularly in patients with large primary tumors.
Abstract: Purpose: Definitive chemoradiation (CR) has replaced radical surgery as the preferred treatment of epidermoid carcinoma of the anal canal. To determine the importance of mitomycin (MMC) in the standard CR regimen and to assess the role of salvage CR in patients who have residual tumor following CR, a phase III randomized trial was undertaken by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG)/Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG). Patients andMethods: Between August 1988 and December 1991, 310 patients were randomized to receive either radiotherapy (RT) and fluorouracil (5-FU) or radiotherapy, 5-FU, and MMC. Of 291 assessable patients, 145 received 45 to 50.4 Gy of pelvic RT plus 5-FU at 1,000 mg/m 2 /d for 4 days, and 146 received RT, 5-FU, and MMC (10 mg/m 2 per dose for two doses). Patients with residual tumor on posttreatment biopsy were treated with a salvage regimen that consisted of additional pelvic RT (9 Gy), 5-FU, and cisplatin (100 mg/m 2 ). E PIDERMOID CARCINOMAS of the anal region I comprise only 1% to 2% of large bowel cancers and 3.9% of anorectal carcinomas.' Nevertheless, these neoplasms have dramatically increased in importance over the past 20 years as a model for organ preservation with the use of concomitant radiation (RT) and chemotherapy in lieu of radical surgery. 2 Before the application of chemoradiation (CR) regimens, the 5-year survival rate of patients with anal epidermoid malignancies managed by radical surgery ranged from 40% to 60% and local relapse was common.34 The combined modality regimen initially described by Nigro et a 5 in 1974 was a preoperative regimen that subsequently evolved into a definitive treatment program by 1983.67 More than 500 patients treated with CR using fluorouracil (5-FU) infusion and mitomycin (MMC) have been reported over the past 18 years. 6 ' 2
961 citations
TL;DR: The reduction in local recurrence in patients with high-grade lesions is not associated with a significant reduction in distant metastasis or improvement in disease-specific survival, and improvement in local control is limited to patients withhigh-grade histopathology.
Abstract: PURPOSEThis trial was performed to evaluate the impact of adjuvant brachytherapy on local and systemic recurrence rates in patients with soft tissue sarcoma.PATIENTS AND METHODSIn a single-institution prospective randomized trial, 164 patients were randomized intraoperatively to receive either adjuvant brachytherapy (BRT) or no further therapy (no BRT) after complete resection of soft tissue sarcomas of the extremity or superficial trunk. The adjuvant radiation was administered by iridium-192 implant, which delivered 42 to 45 Gy over 4 to 6 days. The two study groups had comparable distributions of patient and tumor factors, including age, sex, tumor site, tumor size, and histologic type and grade.RESULTSWith a median follow-up time of 76 months, the 5-year actuarial local control rates were 82% and 69% in the BRT and no BRT groups (P = .04), respectively. Patients with high-grade lesions had local control rates of 89% (BRT) and 66% (no BRT) (P = .0025). BRT had no impact on local control in patients with...
862 citations
TL;DR: The more uniform approach to risk-based treatment assignment and to collection of specific prognostic factors should increase the efficiency of future ALL clinical research.
Abstract: PURPOSETo define more uniform criteria for risk-based treatment assignment for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) sponsored a workshop in September 1993. Participants included representatives from the Childrens Cancer Group (CCG), Pediatric Oncology Group (POG), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), St Jude Children's Research Hospital (SJCRH), and the CTEP.METHODSWorkshop participants presented and reviewed data from ALL clinical trials, using weighted averages to combine outcome data from different groups.RESULTSFor patients with B-precursor (ie, non-T, non-B) ALL, the standard-risk category (4-year event-free survival [EFS] rate, approximately 80%) will include patients 1 to 9 years of age with a WBC count at diagnosis less than 50,000/microL. The remaining patients will be classified as having high-risk ALL (4-year EFS rate, approximately 65%). For patients with T-cell ALL, different treatment strategies ...
842 citations
TL;DR: Patients 5 years postsurgery for breast cancer appear to have a very slowly decreasing hazard of recurrence, and this group of patients may be well suited for trials evaluating cytostatic drugs or differentiating agents.
Abstract: PURPOSETo determine if the long-term increase of recurrence for breast cancer is stable or slowly decreasing, or if it ever reaches zero; and to determine the effect of prognostic factors on the hazard of recurrence.METHODSAll patients entered onto the seven completed and unblinded Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) coordinated studies of postoperative adjuvant therapy for breast cancer were analyzed in terms of annual hazard of recurrence of breast cancer.RESULTSFor the entire group, the peak hazard of recurrence occurred in the interval of 1 to 2 years. The hazard decreased consistently in the interval of 2 to 5 years. Beyond 5 years, the hazard of recurrence decreased very, very slowly through year 12. The average hazard of recurrence between years 5 and 12 for the entire population was 4.3% per year. The pattern of a peak hazard of recurrence during the first 5 years with a slowly decreasing hazard of recurrence beyond 5 years was also observed to varying degrees in most subsets. Higher risk su...
789 citations
TL;DR: Ovarian damage is the most significant long-term sequela of adjuvant chemotherapy in premenopausal breast cancer survivors and a common definition of the following important terms is suggested: menopausal status, CRA (early and late), temporary CRA, and oligomenorrhea in the setting of adjUvant treatment.
Abstract: PURPOSEAdjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer causes significant changes in ovarian function. More young women survive breast cancer than ever before and they are at risk of the sequelae of early menopause. We attempted to (1) define menopausal status in the setting of adjuvant chemotherapy; (2) define chemotherapy-related amenorrhea (CRA); (3) document rates of permanent amenorrhea, temporary amenorrhea, and oligomenorrhea among different regimens; and (4) analyze variables that influence ovarian function.DESIGNWe reviewed reports of the effects of adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer on ovarian function in premenopausal women. We searched Medline and Cancerlit from 1966 to 1995 on the following terms: breast neoplasms; chemotherapy, adjuvant; menstruation disorders; premature menopause, and amenorrhea. Further references were obtained from reports retrieved in the initial search.RESULTSA uniform definition of menopause and CRA is lacking. The wide range of CRA rates reported in adjuvant chemotherapy...
739 citations
TL;DR: Most patients with MBC treated with systemic therapies have only temporary responses to treatment, but some patients continue in CR following initial treatment, showing that a small percentage of patients achieve long-term remissions with standard chemotherapy regimens.
Abstract: PURPOSETo determine the long-term clinical course of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) who achieved a complete remission with doxorubicin-alkylating agent-containing combination chemotherapy programs.PATIENTS AND METHODSTo assess the long-term prognosis of MBC, we reviewed our experience with 1,581 patients treated on consecutive doxorubicin and alkylating agent-containing front-line treatment protocols between 1973 and 1982. Treatment was administered for a maximum duration of 2 years. Characteristics of long-term survivors were evaluated, and hazard rates for progression were calculated.RESULTSFrom this group, 263 (16.6%) achieved complete responses (CR) and 49 (3.1%) remained in CR for more than 5 years. After a median duration of 191 months, 26 patients remain in first CR, four patients died in CR at times ranging from 118 to 234 months, 18 patients died of breast cancer, and one is alive with metastatic disease. Compared with the overall CR and total patient populations, the long-term CR g...
TL;DR: Results indicate that tamoxifen treatment is associated with a significant loss of BMD in premenopausal women, whereas it prevents bone loss in post menopausal women.
Abstract: PURPOSETamoxifen is an effective treatment for metastatic and primary breast cancer and is now being evaluated as a chemoprevention agent in healthy women. Any long-term effects on estrogen-sensitive tissues such as bone may have important therapeutic implications.METHODSWe measured bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar spine and hip using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in premenopausal and postmenopausal healthy women who participated in our placebo-controlled tamoxifen chemoprevention of breast cancer trial.RESULTSBMD data are now available from 179 women for this analysis. In premenopausal women, BMD decreased progressively in the lumbar spine (P < .001) and in the hip (P < .05) for women on tamoxifen, but not those on placebo. The mean annual loss in lumbar BMD per year over the 3-year study period in tamoxifen-treated compliant women who remained premenopausal throughout the study period was 1.44% (1.88% calculated on an intent-to-treat basis) compared with a small gain of 0.24% per annum ...
TL;DR: Long-term results support conservative treatment with limited surgery and systematic breast irradiation as a safe procedure for the management of small breast cancers and a prognostic score that is highly predictive of overall and event-free survival.
Abstract: PURPOSESA randomized trial was conducted to compare tumorectomy and breast irradiation with modified radical mastectomy. We have analyzed the patterns of failure in each arm of the trial and the prognostic factors that have an independent effect on treatment failures and overall survival.PATIENTS AND METHODSThe trial included 179 patients with breast cancer of up to 20 mm in diameter at macroscopic examination. Eighty-eight patients had conservative management and 91 a mastectomy. All patients had axillary dissection with frozen-section examination. For patients with positive axillary nodes (N+), a second randomization was performed: lymph node irradiation versus no further regional treatment. Patterns of failure were determined by a competing-risk approach and multivariate analysis. A prognostic-score was determined by multivariate analysis.RESULTSOverall survival, distant metastasis, contralateral breast cancer, new primary malignancy, and locoregional recurrence rates were not significantly different b...
TL;DR: Grade, tumor depth, and tumor size could be used to select patients with a high metastatic risk, for which adjuvant chemotherapy could be beneficial, and was beneficial in terms of overall survival and metastasis-free survival in grade 3 tumor patients only.
Abstract: PURPOSETo define the prognostic factors in adult patients with locally controlled soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and to determine which patients should be considered for adjuvant treatment.PATIENTS AND METHODSFive hundred forty-six patients with a nonmetastatic and locally controlled STS, collected in a cooperative data base by the French Federation of Cancer Centers (FNCLCC) Sarcoma Group from 1980 and 1989, were studied. Histologic slides of all patients were collegially reviewed. Initial treatment consisted of complete tumor resection with amputation in only 4% of the patients. Adjuvant radiotherapy was administered to 57.9% and adjuvant chemotherapy to 31%. Relationships between tumor characteristics were analyzed, and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using Cox models for the hazards rate of tumor mortality, development of distant metastasis, and strictly local recurrence.RESULTSUnfavorable characteristics with an independent prognostic value for tumor mortality were: grade 3 (P = 3 x 10...
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The American Society of Clinical Oncology firmly believes that any physician who offers genetic testing should be aware of, and able to communicate, the benefits and limits of current testing procedures, and the range of prevention and treatment options available to patients and their families.
Abstract: As the leading organization of physicians who treat people with cancer, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recognizes that cancer specialists must be fully informed of the range of issues involved in genetic testing for cancer risk. The newly discovered and still developing ability to identify individuals at highest risk for cancer holds the promise of improved prevention and early detection of cancers. It also poses potential medical, psychological, and other personal risks that must be addressed in the context of informed consent for genetic testing. ASCO firmly believes that any physician who offers genetic testing should be aware of, and able to communicate, the benefits and limits of current testing procedures, and the range of prevention and treatment options available to patients and their families. For these reasons, ASCO endorses the following principles : .ASCO affirms the role of clinical oncologists in documenting a family history of cancer in their patients, providing counseling regarding familial cancer risk and options for prevention and early detection, and recognizing those families for which genetic testing may serve as an aid in counseling. . To the greatest extent possible, genetic testing for cancer susceptibility should be performed in the setting of long-term outcome studies. ASCO endorses the formulation and implementation of a national cooperative study/registry with appropriate confidentiality to define the clinical significance of mutations in known cancer susceptibility genes. . ASCO is committed to providing educational opportunities for physicians concerning methods of quantitative cancer risk assessment, genetic testing, and pre- and post-test genetic counseling so that oncologists may more responsibly integrate genetic counseling and testing into the practice of clinical and preventive oncology. . Oncologists must assure that informed consent has been given by the patient as an integral part of the process of genetic predisposition testing, whether such testing is offered on a clinical or research basis. . ASCO recommends that cancer predisposition testing be offered only when : 1) the person has a strong family history of cancer or very early age of onset of disease ; 2) the test can be adequately interpreted ; and 3) the results will influence the medical management of the patient or family member. As clinical testing becomes more widely available, the Society encourages oncologists to utilize laboratories committed to the validation of testing methodologies, and to facilitate families' participation in long-term outcome studies. . ASCO recommends that oncologists include in pre- and post-test counseling discussion of possible risks and benefits of cancer early detection and prevention modalities, which have presumed but unproven efficacy for individuals at the highest hereditary risk for cancer. . ASCO endorses efforts to strengthen regulatory authority over laboratories that provide cancer predisposition tests that will be utilized to inform clinical decisions. These regulatory requirements should include appropriate oversight of the products used in genetic testing, interlaboratory comparisons of reference samples, as well as quality control mechanisms. . ASCO endorses all efforts including legislation to prohibit discrimination by insurance companies or employers based on an individual's inherited susceptibility to cancer.
TL;DR: EFS in high-risk patients has been markedly improved by including IVAC in protocol 89-C-41, and excellent results can be achieved with only four cycles of therapy, and GM-CSF was not beneficial.
Abstract: PURPOSEWe have used identical treatment protocols for adults and children with small non-cleaved-cell lymphoma (SNCL) for many years and report here the results of two successive treatment regimens in these age groups.PATIENTS AND METHODSSeventy-two patients (39 adults and 33 children) were treated with protocol 77-04 between 1977 and 1985. All patients, except those with resected abdominal disease, received 15 cycles of a combination of cyclophosphamide (CTX), doxorubicin (ADR), prednisone (PRED), vincristine (VCR), high-dose methotrexate (MTX), and intrathecal (IT) therapy. Forty-one patients (20 adults and 21 children) were treated with protocol 89-C-41, which has been used since 1989. High-risk patients received four alternating cycles (with a total duration of 12 to 15 weeks) of an intensified version of protocol 77-04 without PRED (CODOX-M), and a new drug combination consisting of ifosfamide, etoposide, high-dose cytarabine (ara-C), and IT MTX (IVAC). Low-risk patients received three cycles of the ...
TL;DR: Pretreatment with amifostine reduces the cumulative hematologic, renal, and neurologic toxicities associated with the CP regimen, with no reduction in antitumor efficacy.
Abstract: PURPOSESerious cumulative toxicity is a well-recognized consequence of chemotherapy. Amifostine, an organic thiophosphate, has demonstrated the ability to protect selectively a broad range of normal, but not neoplastic, tissues from the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This study was designed to determine if amifostine could reduce the serious toxicities associated with cyclophosphamide and cisplatin (CP), without reducing antitumor efficacy in patients with ovarian cancer.PATIENTS AND METHODSTwo hundred forty-two patients with advanced ovarian cancer were randomized to receive six cycles of cyclophosphamide (1,000 mg/m2) and cisplatin (100 mg/m2) with or without amifostine (910 mg/m2) every 3 weeks for six cycles. The occurrence of hematologic, renal, neurologic, and ototoxicity was evaluated. Antitumor efficacy was assessed by pathologic tumor response and survival.RESULTSPretreatment with amifostine before each cycle of chemotherapy resulted in a reduction of cumulative toxicities. H...
TL;DR: Conurrent cisplatin may improve pelvic control of locally advanced bladder cancer with preoperative or definitive radiation, but has not been shown to improve overall survival.
Abstract: PURPOSEA prospective randomized trial was conducted to determine whether the addition of concurrent cisplatin to preoperative or definitive radiation therapy in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer improved local control or survival.PATIENTS AND METHODSNinety-nine eligible patients with T2 to T4b transitional cell bladder cancer participated, 64% with cT3b or cT4. Patients and their physicians selected either definitive radiotherapy or precystectomy radiotherapy; patients were then randomly allocated to receive intravenous cisplatin 100 mg/m2 at 2-week intervals for three cycles concurrent with pelvic radiation, or to receive radiation without chemotherapy. Patients were stratified by clinical tumor stage and by radiation plan. The median follow-up duration is 6.5 years.RESULTSThe occurrence of distant metastases was the same in both study arms. However, 25 of 48 control patients have had a first recurrence in the pelvis, compared with 15 of 51 cisplatin-treated patients (P = .036). The pelvic rel...
TL;DR: In this large phase III trial, the efficacy of DaunoXome was comparable to that of ABV and is a safe and effective primary therapy for advanced AIDS-related KS.
Abstract: PURPOSETo compare the safety and efficacy of liposomal daunorubicin (DaunoXome; NeXstar Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Boulder, CO) with a reference regimen of doxorubicin, bleomycin, and vincristine (ABV) in advanced AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (KS).PATIENTS AND METHODSIn a prospective randomized phase III trial, 232 patients were randomized to receive DaunoXome 40 mg/m2 or a combination regimen of doxorubicin 10 mg/m2, bleomycin 15 U, and vincristine 1 mg, administered intravenously every 2 weeks. Treatment was continued until complete response (CR), disease progression, or unacceptable toxicity.RESULTSOf 232 patients randomized, 227 were treated: 116 with DaunoXome and 111 with ABV. The overall response rate (CR or partial response [PR]) was 25% (three CRs and 26 PRs) for DaunoXome and 28% (one CR and 30 PRs) for ABV. The difference in response rates was not statistically significant. The median survival time was 369 days for DaunoXome patients and 342 days for ABV patients (P = .19). The median time to treat...
TL;DR: In early-stage breast cancer patients, overexpression of c-erbB2 is a marker of lack of efficacy of adjuvant tamoxifen, and the role of each prognostic variable and their independent effect were studied using the Cox model.
Abstract: PURPOSEWe studied retrospectively the interaction between c-erbB2 overexpression and adjuvant tomoxifen in node-negative breast cancer patients enrolled in the Gruppo Universitario Napoletano 1 (GUN-1) trial.PATIENTS AND METHODSc-erbB2, evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 145 of 173 patients randomly assigned to 2-year adjuvant tamoxifen or no further therapy, was considered overexpressed if greater than 10% of the cells showed specific membrane staining. The role of each prognostic variable and their independent effect were studied using the Cox model. Disease-free (DFS) and overall (OAS) survival curves were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method.RESULTSAs of November 30, 1994, the median follow-up period was 12 years. c-erbB2 was overexpressed in 43 of 145 patients (29.7%), which directly correlated with tumor size and inversely with estrogen receptor (ER) level. At univariate analysis, overexpression of c-erbB2 did not affect either DFS or OAS; tamoxifen had a greater effect on reducing the risk of rec...
TL;DR: In 1993, the Health Services Research Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) charged an Outcomes Working Group with defining the outcomes of adult and pediatric cancer treatment to be used for technology assessment and development of cancer treatment guidelines.
Abstract: In 1993, the Health Services Research Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) charged an Outcomes Working Group with defining the outcomes of adult and pediatric cancer treatment to be used for technology assessment and development of cancer treatment guidelines. The Working Group defined by consensus outcomes for technology assessment and guideline development, focusing on cancer treatments. The Working Group considered a variety of perspectives on outcomes, including those of patients, physicians, clinical investigators, ASCO, and policy makers. Because ASCO's guidelines will define what constitutes the best treatment and not whether that treatment should be paid for, the Working Group gave higher priority to the clinical and clinical research perspectives than to the health policy perspective. Survival is the most important outcome of cancer treatment. An improvement in at least disease-free survival is a prerequisite for recommending adjuvant therapy. In the case of metastatic cancer, treatment can be recommended even without an improvement in survival, if it improves quality of life. Quality of life includes global quality of life, as well as its physical, psychologic, and social dimensions. To be an outcome of cancer treatment, quality-of-life measures must be sensitive to clinically meaningful changes produced by treatment; evaluations must control for placebo effects and determinants of quality of life not related to cancer or its treatment. Toxicity, both short and long term, is vitally important, with the latter being particularly critical in children. The value of cancer outcomes like tumor response (eg, complete or partial response) and biomarkers (eg, CA-125) for technology assessment and guideline development depends on their ability to predict patient outcomes (survival and quality of life) or to influence decisions about treatment. Complete response is an important outcome when it predicts survival. Progression is important because it signals the need to change or stop treatment. Cost-effectiveness is an especially important outcome to consider when the benefits of treatment are modest or the costs are high. Patient outcomes (eg, survival and quality of life) should receive higher priority than cancer outcomes (eg, response rate), but both types of outcomes are important in technology assessment and guideline development. Multiple outcomes should be considered because no single outcome adequately describes the results of cancer treatment. In general, there is no minimum benefit above which treatments are justified; rather, benefits should be balanced against toxicity and cost.
TL;DR: Nonmyeloablative radioimmunotherapy with 131I-anti-B1 is associated with a high rate of durable remissions in patients with B-cell lymphoma refractory to chemotherapy.
Abstract: PURPOSEThe CD20 B-lymphocyte surface antigen expressed by B-cell lymphomas is an attractive target for radioimmunotherapy, treatment using radiolabeled antibodies. We conducted a phase I dose-escalation trial to assess the toxicity, tumor targeting, and efficacy of nonmyeloablative doses of an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (anti-B1) labeled with iodine-131 (131I) in 34 patients with B-cell lymphoma who had failed chemotherapy.PATIENTS AND METHODSPatients were first given tracelabeled doses of 131I-labeled anti-B1 (15 to 20 mg, 5 mCi) to assess radiolabeled antibody biodistribution, and then a radioimmunotherapeutic dose (15 to 20 mg) labeled with a quantity of 131I that would deliver a specified centigray dose of whole-body radiation predicted by the tracer dose. Whole-body radiation doses were escalated from 25 to 85 cGy in sequential groups of patients in 10-cGy increments. To evaluate if radiolabeled antibody biodistribution could be optimized, initial patients were given one or two additional tracer d...
TL;DR: Topotecan in a daily-times-five schedule is an effective regimen as second-line treatment in ovarian cancer in patients who had failed to respond to one prior cisplatin-based chemotherapeutic regimen.
Abstract: PURPOSETopotecan is a topoisomerase I inhibitor with preclinical activity against various tumor types. We conducted a large multicenter phase II study with topotecan in ovarian cancer in patients who had failed to respond to one prior cisplatin-based chemotherapeutic regimen.PATIENTS AND METHODSTopotecan 1.5 mg/m2/d was administered intravenously by 30-minute infusion for 5 days repeated every 3 weeks. As the cisplatin-free interval relates to response in subsequent treatment, patients were stratified in subgroups, ie, cisplatin-refractory, cisplatin-resistant, and cisplatin-sensitive.RESULTSOne-hundred eleven patients entered the study. Nineteen patients were considered to be ineligible; 92 patients were assessable for response. A total of 552 courses were given (median, four per patient; range, one to 17). The major toxicities were leukocytopenia and neutropenia, which were grade 3 to 4 in 54.2% and 69.1% of courses, respectively, but with only 4.3% of these being grade 4 neutropenia plus fever or infec...
TL;DR: Anastrozole, 1 and 10 mg once daily, is well tolerated and as effective as megestrol acetate in the treatment of postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer who progressed following tamoxifen treatment.
Abstract: PURPOSETo compare the efficacy and tolerability of anastrozole (1 and 10 mg once daily), a selective, oral, nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor, and megestrol acetate (40 mg four times daily), in postmenopausal women who progressed following tamoxifen treatment.PATIENTS AND METHODSTwo randomized, double-blind for anastrozole, open-label for megestrol acetate, parallel-group, multicenter trials were conducted in 764 patients. Because both trials were identical in design, an analysis of the combined results was performed to strengthen interpretation of results from each trial.RESULTSThe median follow-up duration was approximately 6 months. The estimated progression hazards ratios were 0.97 (97.5% confidence interval [CI], 0.75 to 1.24) for anastrozole 1 mg versus megestrol acetate and 0.92 (97.5% CI, 0.71 to 1.19) for anastrozole 10 mg versus megestrol acetate. The overall median time to progression was approximately 21 weeks. Approximately one third of patients in each group benefited from treatment. Twenty-s...
TL;DR: ILP with TNF, IFN, and melphalan is a safe and highly effective induction biochemotherapy procedure that can achieve limb salvage in patients with nonresectable extremity STS.
Abstract: PURPOSETo determine the efficacy of isolated limb perfusion (ILP) with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) in combination with interferon-gamma (IFN) and melphalan as induction therapy to render tumors resectable and avoid amputation in patients with nonresectable extremity soft tissue sarcomas (STS).PATIENTS AND METHODSAmong 55 patients with 30 primary and 25 recurrent sarcomas, there were 48 high-grade and seven grade 1 sarcomas (very large, recurrent, or multiple). The composition of this series of patients is unusual: 13 patients (24%) had multifocal primary sarcomas or multiple recurrent tumors; tumors were very large (median, 18 cm); and nine patients (16%) had known systemic metastases. IFN was administered subcutaneously on the 2 days before ILP with TNF, IFN, and melphalan. A delayed marginal resection of the tumor remnant was usually performed 2 to 3 months after ILP.RESULTSA major tumor response was seen in 87% of patients and rendered the sarcomas resectable in most cases. Clinical response rate...
TL;DR: The results of this trial substantiate the activity of paclitaxel in the treatment of MBC and suggest a dose-effect relationship.
Abstract: PURPOSE AND METHODSThe objective of this multicenter study was to compare the therapeutic index of two different doses of paclitaxel given as a 3-hour infusion in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), who had failed to respond to previous chemotherapy. A total of 471 patients with MBC were randomized to receive intravenous paclitaxel at a dose of 175 or 135 mg/m2 every 3 weeks.RESULTSBetter treatment results were achieved with high-dose (HD) versus low-dose (LD) paclitaxel: overall response rate, 29% versus 22% (P = .108); complete response (CR) rate, 5% versus 2% (P = .088); median time to disease progression, 4.2 versus 3.0 months (P = .027); and median survival time, 11.7 versus 10.5 months (P = .321). Patients previously exposed or resistant to anthracyclines were as likely to respond as those without such prior exposure. Treatment was well tolerated, as documented by the number of administered treatment courses (median, six v five; range, one 17 v one to 18), the low frequency of dose reducti...
TL;DR: The combination of HFX RT and low-dose daily CBDCA plus VP-16 was tolerable and improved the survival of patients with stage III NSCLC as a result of improved local control.
Abstract: PURPOSETo investigate the efficacy of concurrent hyperfractionated radiation therapy (HFX RT) and low-dose daily chemotherapy (CHT) in stage III non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).PATIENTS AND METHODSBetween January 1990 and December 1991, 131 patients with histologically or cytologically confirmed stage III NSCLC, Karnofsky performance status (KPS) > or = 50, and no previous therapy were randomly treated as follows: group I, HFX RT with 1.2 Gy twice daily to a total dose of 69.6 Gy (n = 66); and group II, same HFX RT with CHT consisting of 50 mg of carboplatin (CBDCA) and 50 mg of etoposide (VP-16) given on each RT day (n = 65).RESULTSGroup II patients had a significantly longer survival time than group I patients, with a median survival of 22 versus 14 months and 4-year survival rates of 23% versus 9% (P = .021). The median time to local recurrence and 4-year local recurrence-free survival rate were also significantly higher in group II than in group I (25 v 20 months and 42% v 19% respectively, P = .01...
TL;DR: Addition of chemotherapy to local definitive treatment has significantly increased the morbidity of treatment as well as the chance of initial tumor response and local control.
Abstract: PURPOSEUsing the technique of meta-analysis, we aim to illustrate the potential benefit, or lack of it, in adding chemotherapy to locoregional definitive treatment in a prospective randomized setting.PATIENTS AND METHODSMantel-Haenszel summary analyses were used to test 42 prospective and properly randomized trials for statistically significant differences in the proportion with side effects and in the proportion with response to treatment between the experimental treatment arm (including chemotherapy) and control arm (local definitive treatment only) of the study. Summarized estimates of relative risks of side effects and relative proportions of positive responses were obtained using the summarizing options in PROC FREQ in the SAS computer package. In 25 of 42 studies, sufficient survival information was available to estimate the effect of chemotherapy on the rate of dying per person per unit of time.RESULTSChemotherapy, when added to local definitive treatment, was found to increase toxicity. This incre...
TL;DR: Radiotherapy remains the treatment of choice for early-stage low-grade follicular lymphomas and patients who have remained free of disease for 10 years are unlikely to relapse, and youth and staging laparotomy were associated with significantly better survival and freedom from relapse.
Abstract: PURPOSETo evaluate retrospectively the results of radiotherapy for 177 patients with stage I (n = 73 [41%]) and II (n = 104 [59%]) follicular small cleaved-cell and follicular mixed small cleaved-cell and large-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) treated in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University between 1961 and 1994.PATIENTS AND METHODSHistology was follicular small cleaved-cell in 101 (57%) cases and follicular mixed small cleaved-cell and large-cell in 76 (43%). Forty-five patients (25%) had staging laparotomy; 34 (19%) had extranodal involvement. All patients had received radiotherapy, either to one side of the diaphragm (involved or extended field) or to both sides (total lymphoid irradiation [TLI] or subtotal lymphoid irradiation [STLI]. Radiotherapy doses ranged from 35 to 50 Gy.RESULTSThe median follow-up duration was 7.7 years. The longest follow-up duration was 31 years. Actuarial survival rates at 5, 10, 15, and 20 years were 82%, 64%, 44%, and 35%, respectively. The median sur...
TL;DR: The incidence of severe diarrhea is reduced by using a starting dose of irinotecan 125 mg/m2 and by initiating loperamide at the earliest signs of diarrhea.
Abstract: PURPOSETo evaluate irinotecan (CPT-11; Yakult Honsha, Tokyo, Japan) in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma that had recurred or progressed following fluorouracil (5-FU)-based therapy.PATIENTS AND METHODSPatients were treated with irinotecan 125 to 150 mg/m2 intravenously (IV) every week for 4 weeks, followed by a 2-week rest. Forty-eight patients were entered onto the study and all were assessable for toxicity. Forty-three patients completed one full course of therapy and were assessable for response.RESULTSOne complete and nine partial responses were observed (response rate, 23%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 10% to 36%). The median response duration was 6 months (range, 2 to 13). The median survival time was 10.4 months and the 1-year survival rate was 46% (95% CI, 39% to 53%). Grade 4 diarrhea occurred in four of the first nine patients (44%) treated on this study at the 150-mg/m2 dose level. The study was amended to reduce the starting dose of irinotecan to 125 mg/m2. At this dose, nine of 3...