Phase I trial of a melanoma vaccine with gp100(280-288) peptide and tetanus helper peptide in adjuvant: immunologic and clinical outcomes.

A melanoma vaccine composed of HLA-A2-restricted peptide YLEPGPVTA (gp100(280)), with or without a modified T-helper epitope from tetanus toxoid AQYIKANSKFIGITEL, has been evaluated in a Phase I trial to assess safety and immunological response. The vaccines were administered s.c. in either of two adjuvants, Montanide ISA-51 or QS-21, to 22 patients with high-risk resected melanoma (stage IIB-IV). Local and systemic toxicities were mild and transient. We detected CTL responses to the gp100(280) peptide in peripheral blood in 14% of patients. Helper T-cell responses to the tetanus helper peptide were detected in 79% of patients and had a Th1 cytokine profile. One patient with a CTL response to gp100 had a recurrence in a lymph node 2 years later; her nodes contained CD8+ cells reactive to gp100(280) (0.24%), which proliferated in response to peptide. The overall survival of patients is 75% (95% confidence interval, 57-94%) at 4.7 years follow-up, which compares favorably with expected survival. Four of 14 patients who completed at least six vaccines subsequently developed metastases, all of which were solitary and surgically resectable. They remain alive and clinically free of disease at last follow-up. Data from this trial demonstrate immunogenicity of the gp100(280) peptide and suggest that immune responses may persist long-term in some patients. The frequency and magnitude of the CTL response may be improved with more aggressive vaccination regimens. Although this Phase I study was not intended to evaluate clinical benefit, the excellent survival of patients on this protocol suggests the possibility of a benefit that should be assessed in future studies.

Evaluation of peptide vaccine immunogenicity in draining lymph nodes and peripheral blood of melanoma patients.

Many peptide epitopes for cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) have been identified from melanocytic differentiation proteins. Vaccine trials with these peptides have been limited mostly to those associated with HLA-A2, and immune responses have been detected inconsistently. Cases of clinical regression have been observed after peptide vaccination in some trials, but melanoma regressions have not correlated well with T-cell responses measured in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). We vaccinated stage IV melanoma patients with a mixture of gp100 and tyrosinase peptides restricted by HLA-A1 (DAEKSDICTDEY), HLA-A2 (YLEPGPVTA and YMDGTMSQV) and HLA-A3 (ALLAVGATK) in an emulsion with GM-CSF and Montanide ISA-51 adjuvant. CTL responses were assessed in PBLs and in a lymph node draining a vaccine site (sentinel immunized node, SIN). We found CTL responses to vaccinating peptides in the SIN in 5/5 patients (100%). Equivalent assays detected peptide-reactive CTLs in PBLs of 2 of these 5 patients (40%). CTLs expanded from the SIN lysed melanoma cells naturally expressing tyrosinase or gp100. We demonstrated immunogenicity for peptides restricted by HLA-A1 and -A3 and for 1 HLA-A2 restricted peptide, YMDGTMSQV. Immune monitoring of clinical trials by evaluation of PBLs alone may under-estimate immunogenicity; evaluation of SIN provides a new and sensitive approach for defining responses to tumor vaccines and correlating these responses with clinical outcomes. This combination of an immunogenic vaccine strategy with a sensitive analysis of CTL responses demonstrates the potential for inducing and detecting anti-tumor immune responses in the majority of melanoma patients.

Primary breast carcinoma of the vulva: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: In 1872, Hartung was the first to describe the case of a fully formed mammary gland arising in the left labium majora of a 30-year-old woman. Since Hartung's initial report, 38 additional cases of ectopic vulvar breast tissue have been described. This case report describes the rare occurrence of primary mammary adenocarcinoma arising within the vulva. CASE: A 64-year-old G4P4 white female presented with a 4-year history of a 2 x 1 cm firm, indurated, raised lesion of the left lateral mons. A wide local excision with ipsilateral inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy was performed. Given histological findings characteristic of both invasive ductal carcinoma and invasive lobular carcinoma, in conjunction with the presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors within the tumor, a diagnosis of infiltrating adenocarcinoma arising within ectopic breast tissue was made. CONCLUSIONS: Thirty-nine reported cases of ectopic breast tissue arising within the vulva have been reported in the world literature. Though the diagnosis of primary breast carcinoma arising within the vulva is based primarily upon histologic pattern, estrogen and progesterone receptor positivity provide supporting evidence. Given the rarity of this condition, guidelines for therapy are unavailable; we therefore suggest looking to the current management of breast cancer in order to establish a sensible approach.

Peripheral blood stem cell collection in a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia and a high circulating nucleated red cell fraction.

A high level of circulating nucleated red blood cells (NRBC) in patients with chronic myeloproliferative syndromes could potentially complicate peripheral blood stem cell (PSC) collection. The mononuclear NRBC might comprise a significant fraction of the total mononuclear cells in the final product. We report a successful PSC collection in a patient with more NRBC than WBC in the peripheral blood. A 27-year-old man with chronic myelogenous leukemia underwent eight PSC collection procedures, seven using the Cobe Spectra (Spectra) and one using the Fenwal CS3000 Plus (CS). PSC product manipulations to remove NRBC were unnecessary. As assessed by post-collection NRBC: WBC ratio as a percent of the initial ratio, Spectra selectively harvested mononuclear leukocytes over NRBC. The collected products had a mean NRBC: WBC ratio that was 3.4% of the peripheral blood ratio. Adequate numbers of mononuclear leukocytes were collected with less than 6% NRBC contamination. The single CS procedure resulted in a comparable NRBC reduction efficiency as the Spectra. We conclude that PSC harvest using automated blood cell separators from patients with a high level of circulating NRBC may result in a product with an acceptable number of NRBC.

Post-5-fluorouracil human marrow: stem cell characteristics and renewal properties after autologous marrow transplantation.

The effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) pretreatment on human bone marrow (BM) progenitor/stem cells and recovery of hematopoiesis after autologous marrow transplant was studied. Twenty-one patients were treated with 5-FU (15 mg/kg to 45 mg/kg) intravenously (IV) for 1 to 3 days administered 6 to 22 days before BM harvest. Post-FU marrow was infused into 15 patients after high-dose cyclophosphamide, carmustine (BCNU), and VP-16 (CBV). Seventeen patients (historical controls) were treated with CBV and autologous BM transplantation but did not receive 5-FU before marrow harvest. The groups were comparable for diagnosis and prior therapy. In the 5-FU-treated group and control group, median recovery times for platelet count to 50,000/mm3 were 20 and 30 days, respectively (P = .007), and for platelet count to 100,000/mm3, 23 and 38 days, respectively (P = .007), while neutrophil recovery was not significantly altered. In vitro cultures with 1 to 7 growth factors (interleukin-1 [IL-1], IL-3, IL-4, IL-6, colony-stimulating factor-1 [CSF-1], granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF], and G-CSF) were performed. In 8 of 10 patients whose marrow was studied before and after 5-FU treatment, the numbers of CFU-C responsive to the combination of GM-CSF and IL-3 was increased 6.15-fold by 5-FU pretreatment. In 4 of these patients, thymidine suicide of GM-CSF- and IL-3-stimulated CFU-C ranged from 17% to 42%. High proliferative potential colony-forming cell (HPP-CFC) was observed in low frequency in normal marrow and patient's marrow before 5-FU treatment. In 11 of 16 patients pretreated with 5-FU, increased numbers of HPP-CFC were noted. GM-CSF and IL-3 interacted synergistically to stimulate HPP-CFC. Multifactor combinations, especially GM-CSF + G-CSF + IL-3 + IL-6 + IL-1 + CSF-1 did not increase total colony count or classic HPP-CFC but did result in altered morphology, producing huge, loose colonies. The marrow from patients pretreated with 5-FU is enriched with multifactor-responsive HPP-CFC, renews in vivo granulopoiesis in a manner comparable with marrow harvests without 5-FU pretreatment, and provides accelerated in vivo platelet recovery. This marrow may be an appropriate target marrow for gene insertion in gene-therapy protocols.

Recombinant human hematopoietic growth factors in the treatment of cytopenias.

The hemolymphopoietic growth factors, including the colony-stimulating factors (CSF) and interleukins (IL), are described and categorized on the basis of their biological features in laboratory systems. Although these agents are varied and exceptions exist, in general they lack lineage specificity although they may express lineage-predominant activity. They act at multiple levels of hemolymphopoietic cell differentiation, demonstrate additive or synergistic effects when combined in vitro, require surface receptors on target cells to directly express their activity, and may be produced by a variety of cells. This framework of behavioral generalizations, completed by the specifics of each factor's activity, despite the artifactual and simplified nature of in vivo systems, forms the basis for concepts of in vitro activity and for clinical applications. Hemolymphopoietic growth factors studied in the clinic have demonstrated impressive and important activity, validating much of the in vitro data. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) have clearly reduced neutropenia and infection rates when administered following conventional chemotherapy and high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation. To a varying degree, similar results with G-CSF and/or GM-CSF have been described in other diseases including acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) treated following induction chemotherapy, myelodysplastic syndrome, hairy cell leukemia, aplastic anemia, and chronic neutropenias. In preliminary studies IL-3 has been shown to have similar qualitative activities. However, these agents have not demonstrated a reproducible salutary impact on platelet or red cell lineages. Adverse effects on platelet counts and/or platelet recovery have been noted. Additionally, hemolymphopoietic growth factor receptors have been identified on malignant cells, suggesting that these factors could stimulate neoplastic growth. Studies with GM-CSF and IL-3 have demonstrated blast proliferation in some cases of AML and myelodysplasia, underscoring the capacity of these agents to stimulate the growth of myeloid leukemia. No clinically evident impact of these factors upon the growth of solid tumors has been identified but this issue has not been adequately studied. The toxicity of these agents has been surprisingly limited and appears to be related to their biologic activities. Hemolymphopoietic growth factors as single agents have broad clinical applications in cytopenias. Several methods for enhancing the clinical activity of these agents are under study, including the use of combinations of growth factors synergistic in vitro.

High-dose cisplatin combination chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma.

We treated 25 newly diagnosed patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer with an intensive induction chemotherapy regimen using high-dose cisplatin in combination with cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin. All patients had either stage IIIC or stage IV disease. Two intensive induction courses of chemotherapy were administered at 28-day intervals, which consisted of cisplatin 40 mg/m2 daily for 5 days, cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2 day 1, and doxorubicin 40 mg/m2 day 1. Four courses of chemotherapy using cisplatin 60 mg/m2, doxorubicin 40 mg/m2, and cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2 followed the high-dose induction therapy. Two of the first six patients died during high-dose induction therapy (one died of neutropenia and sepsis, one of intercurrent intracerebral hemorrhage). Doxorubicin was subsequently omitted from the induction therapy due to unacceptable myelosuppression; no deaths occurred in the remaining 19 patients, and myelosuppression was manageable. Peripheral neuropathy was the most severe side effect with this regimen. This complication was unpredictable, developed during the third or fourth month of treatment, and was disabling in five patients. Other toxicity included prolonged nausea and vomiting (eight patients), ototoxicity (five patients), and nephrotoxicity (two patients), but these did not compromise therapy. All 23 assessable patients had objective response to therapy. Four of 12 patients who underwent second-look laparotomy had pathologic complete response, while four additional patients had only microscopic residual disease. The median survival for the entire group was 25 months. Four patients remain continuously disease-free 23 to 48 months following completion of therapy. Although this regimen was tolerated by most patients, the unpredictable occurrence of disabling neuropathy may limit its usefulness.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Peritoneal carcinomatosis of unknown primary site in women. A distinctive subset of adenocarcinoma.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To define the clinical features and results of systemic treatment in women with adenocarcinoma of unknown primary site involving predominantly the peritoneal surfaces. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of 18 patients treated at a single institution between 1978 and 1984. PATIENTS: All 18 women had abdominal carcinomatosis and had no primary site identified at laparotomy. Nine patients had limited residual tumor (maximal tumor diameter, 3 cm or less) after initial cytoreductive surgery, and 9 patients had extensive residual disease. INTERVENTIONS: In general, patients were treated according to standard guidelines for treatment of advanced ovarian carcinoma. All patients had initial laparotomy with attempted cytoreduction; of these 18 patients, 16 subsequently received cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Patients were restaged either clinically (10 patients) or with second-look surgery (8 patients). RESULTS: The median survival for all patients was 23 months. Five patients had complete response to chemotherapy, and three patients remain disease-free 41, 59, and 77 months after diagnosis. Patients with limited residual disease had longer median survival than did those with extensive residual disease (31 months compared with 11 months). CONCLUSIONS: Women with adenocarcinoma of unknown primary site involving predominantly the peritoneal surface should be distinguished from other patients with adenocarcinoma of unknown primary site because they have a more indolent disease course, a higher response rate to systemic therapy, and a chance for long-term, disease-free survival after therapy. Although optimal treatment is undefined, we recommend that these patients be treated using the guidelines established for therapy of advanced ovarian carcinoma, including initial surgical cytoreduction followed by cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy.

Primary lymphoma of the central nervous system. A report of 20 cases and a review of the literature.

Twenty patients with primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the central nervous system (CNS) were seen at Vanderbilt and its affiliated hospitals between 1974 and 1986. Histologically, the most common subtypes were large, noncleaved cell lymphoma and immunoblastic lymphoma of B cells. However, multiple histologies were identified. Lesions most commonly involved the frontal lobes and/or deep nuclei. Positive cerebrospinal fluid cytology was rare at initial presentation. Seventeen patients were treated with surgical biopsy or resection followed by whole brain radiotherapy at a median dose of 5,000 cGy (range: 3,000-5,600 cGy). Seven patients have been followed for less than 12 months since diagnosis. Of the remaining patients, 7 (54%) survived at least 1 year. The extent of surgery performed, dose of radiotherapy administered, subclass of lymphoma diagnosed, or location(s) of involvement within the CNS did not influence survival. Treatment rarely caused a dramatic improvement in performance status despite objective signs of response. New treatment strategies are needed to improve the management of these tumors.

Advanced ovarian cancer: long-term results of treatment with intensive cisplatin-based chemotherapy of brief duration.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of a 6-month course of combination chemotherapy with hexamethylmelamine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (H-CAP) in the treatment of advanced ovarian carcinoma. DESIGN: Prospective, non-randomized, single-institution trial with a 6-month course of chemotherapy, followed by second-look laparotomy for restaging. Minimum follow-up after completion of therapy is 83 months. PATIENTS: Fifty-five patients with advanced (stage III or IV), intermediate- or high-grade epithelial carcinoma of the ovary. Twenty patients had limited residual tumor (3 cm or less maximal tumor diameter) after initial cytoreductive surgery; 35 had extensive residual disease. INTERVENTIONS: All patients received chemotherapy with hexamethylmelamine (150 mg/m2 body surface area orally on days 1 to 14), cyclophosphamide (350 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1 and 8), doxorubicin (20 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1 and 8), and cisplatin (60 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1). Courses were repeated at 4-week intervals; 41 patients (75%) received six courses; 10 patients received five courses, 3 patients received four courses, and 1 patients received three courses. Forty-seven patients underwent second-look laparotomy after completion of therapy; 8 had their disease restaged clinically. RESULTS: Fifty-three of fifty-five patients (96%) had either partial or complete response to treatment. Nineteen of forty-seven patients who had a second-look laparotomy had a surgically documented complete response; 17 of these 19 patients began chemotherapy with limited residual tumor. Ten patients (18%) remain disease-free 83 to 108 months after therapy, whereas three additional patients died of other diseases without clinical evidence of recurrent ovarian cancer. Nine of twenty patients who began chemotherapy with limited residual tumor remain disease-free, as compared to only 1 of 35 patients with more extensive tumor (P less than 0.001). All long-term, disease-free survivors had surgically documented complete response at second-look laparotomy. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy after aggressive cytoreductive surgery should be considered standard treatment for advanced ovarian carcinoma. Our intensive, 6-month course of treatment produced results comparable to those previously reported with prolonged treatment.

Renal cell carcinoma: treatment with interferon.

All IFN types--alpha, beta, and gamma--appear to have some antitumor activity against RCC. IFNa has been extensively studied and has demonstrated objective response rates between 15% and 20% when administered in a variety of doses, routes, and schedules. Intermediate dose levels may be associated with greater response rates than low dose levels, and high dose levels are poorly tolerated and usually require dose reduction because of toxicity. Among the means of administration, intramuscular or subcutaneous routes are favored because of logistic advantages; in the low- and intermediate-dose ranges chronic sequential administration (daily, three times a week, or five days per week) is tolerable and may ameliorate toxicity; none of these therapeutic recommendations can be proven to be superior, with respect to response, to several other alternatives. No survival advantage can yet be proven to result from IFN therapy for patients with RCC. Studies evaluating combinations of IFNa and other IFNs or cytotoxic agents have demonstrated increased toxicity. Although responses have been seen in the limited number of studies performed to date, these studies do not appear to support in vivo suggestions of dramatic synergism between these agents. Knowledge of the therapeutic use of IFN is in its infancy. Although the response rates described in this review are unimpressive, they are commensurate with the best available conventional therapy for RCC. As clinical strategies for the use of IFN improve, so too, might the therapeutic efficacy in RCC improve.

Disseminated Merkel cell tumor. Treatment with systemic chemotherapy.

Four patients with disseminated Merkel cell tumors were treated with cyclophosphamide (C), doxorubicin (A), and vincristine (V). Two partial responses (PR) were noted and in one case disease remained stable. One of the patients who achieved a PR achieved a second PR when treated with VP-16 (E) and cis-platin (P) after progressive disease developed. Systemic chemotherapy appears capable of inducing objective responses in some patients with disseminated Merkel cell tumors.

In vitro pharmacodynamic evaluation of VP-16-213 and implications for chemotherapy.

VP-16-213 (Etoposide) is an active antineoplastic agent which has undergone extensive evaluation of clinical dose escalation. To corroborate a putative dose-response relationship, we studied, in a modified clonogenic assay, various doses and durations of exposure. VP-16-213 at doses of 0.01, 0.05, 0.10, 0.50, 1.0, 5.0, and 10.0 micrograms/ml, each with exposure durations of 1, 3, 18, and 30 h, was studied in vitro against two human tumor cell lines, MOLT and 9812. The doses and durations of exposure were chosen to approximate some of the pharmacokinetic values achievable in either standard-dose or high-dose clinical studies. The results, summarized as linear regression lines, demonstrate with statistical significance (p less than 0.03) that there is correlation between dose and cytotoxicity and between dose X duration of exposure (representing the area under the concentration-time curve) and cytotoxicity. Our in vitro data thus support the concept of intensive use of VP-16-213 to maximize antitumor activity. However, how best to accomplish the manipulation of dose and duration of exposure is not yet clear and will be the subject of future clinical investigations.

Malignant mixed mesodermal tumors of the uterus and ovary treated with cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy.

Twelve patients with malignant mixed mullerian tumors were treated with combination chemotherapy at Vanderbilt University Hospital from 1977 through 1981. Nine patients, all of whom received combination chemotherapy with hexamethylmelamine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (HCAP), were evaluable for response. Objective responses (all partial responses) were noted in 3 (33.3%) (response rate greater than 10% and less than 55% with 90% confidence limits), a minimal response was noted in one patient, and stable disease in four (50%) patients. Responders survived longer (calculated from the initiation of HCAP) than nonresponders (median 112 vs 19 weeks). These results are not at present statistically different from previous studies utilizing doxorubicin alone, cisplatin alone, the combination of doxorubicin and DTIC, or the combination of vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide.

Phase I study of MVE-2 evaluating toxicity and biologic response modification capability.

A total of 21 patients were treated in a phase I trial using the biological response modifier MVE-2, a low molecular weight component of pyran copolymer. All patients received weekly IV MVE-2 infused over 2 h. Proteinuria, sometimes of nephrotic proportions, was the dose limiting toxicity, and was seen with increasing incidence as the cumulative dose of MVE-2 exceeded 2500 mg. Other toxicity with MVE-2 was minimal. Biologic response modification at tolerable doses was inconsistent, although several assays, particularly natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity, indicated enhanced activity at higher dosages of MVE-2. No objective tumor responses were observed. MVE-2 is not useful as a biological response modifier using our initial method of administration, since the dose limiting toxicity occurred at lower levels than were necessary to induce consistent biologic response modification. Following completion of the phase I study, we administered MVE-2 by 30-min infusion to 8 additional patients and did not detect proteinuria, in spite of large cumulative doses. It is possible that alternate schedules of MVE-2 administration could minimize proteinuria and allow the administration of dosages necessary for immunologic modification.

Abdominopelvic computed tomography: evaluation in patients undergoing second-look laparotomy for ovarian carcinoma.

Preoperative abdominopelvic computed tomography results and operative findings were compared in 52 patients undergoing second-look laparotomy to confirm tumor status. Seventeen true-negative, 22 false-negative, and 13 true-positive scans were found. The sensitivity was 0.38, specificity was 1.0, and diagnostic accuracy was 0.58. Negative studies were associated with positive findings at laparotomy in 42% of all cases. Fourteen patients were identified who had computed tomography that would have enabled an attempt at the diagnosis of persistent cancer by computed tomography-directed needle aspiration or biopsy, thus avoiding laparotomy. Assuming 80% accuracy of needle aspiration, the cost of computed tomography in all 52 patients is considerably outweighed by the savings that could have been realized by eliminating the need for second-look surgery in these 11 women.

Extensive-stage small-cell bronchogenic carcinoma: intensive induction chemotherapy with high-dose cyclophosphamide plus high-dose etoposide.

Seventeen ambulatory patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer received one or two courses of high-dose induction chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide (100 mg/kg) plus etopside (1,200 mg/m2) followed by four or five cycles of conventional-dose cyclophosphamide (1,000 mg/m2), doxorubicin (40 mg/m2), and vincristine (1.4 mg/m2) (CAV) given every 21 days. No additional chemotherapy was given until relapse or progression was documented. Response was assessed initially after high-dose induction therapy and again after completion of all chemotherapy. After induction therapy, 16/17 (94%) patients had achieved an objective response, including five (29%) complete responses and 11 (65%) partial responses. Two partially responding patients improved to a complete response after CAV, while one partial responder progressed and one patient died of an intercurrent illness while receiving CAV. Thus, the overall response after completing all chemotherapy was 15/16 (94%), including seven (44%) complete responses and eight (50%) partial responses. Median response duration was six months (range, 3 to 11 months), and overall median survival was ten months (range, 2 to 17 months). All 31 courses of induction therapy were associated with leukopenia (less than 1,000/microL), 81% with thrombocytopenia (less than 20,000/microL), and 77% with fever (greater than 38.5 degrees C). Seven episodes of bacteremia and one axillary abscess were documented, and there was one treatment-related death (6%). These toxicities are similar to that produced by high-dose etoposide alone. High-dose cyclophosphamide combined with high-dose etoposide can be administered to ambulatory patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer without requiring bone marrow transplantation to reestablish hematopoiesis. Complete response and median survival rates, however, are similar to those obtained with less intensive therapy.

Serum neuron-specific enolase in metastatic Merkel cell tumors.

Three patients with widely disseminated Merkel cell tumors of the skin are presented. In all three cases, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) was demonstrated in neoplastic tissue by immunohistochemical staining, and serum NSE levels were also elevated in all three patients. Serum NSE may prove to be a useful tumor marker in this and other malignancies of neuroendocrine origin.