ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) have limited treatment options. Inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs) represents a novel therapeutic approach warranting additional investigation in solid tumors. METHODS: A phase II trial of single agent romidepsin, an HDAC inhibitor, was performed in 14 patients with SCCHN who provided consent for pre- and post-therapy samples of accessible tumor, blood and uninvolved oral mucosa. Romidepsin was administered at 13 mg/m(2) as a 4-h intravenous infusion on days 1, 8 and 15 of 28 day cycles, with response assessment by RECIST every 8 weeks. RESULTS: Objective responses were not observed, although 2 heavily pretreated patients had brief clinical disease stabilization. Observed toxicities were expected, including frequent severe fatigue. Immunohistochemical analysis of 7 pre- and post-treatment tumor pairs demonstrated induction of p21(Waf1/Cip1) characteristic of HDAC inhibition, as well as decreased Ki67 staining. Exploratory microarray analyses of mucosal and tumor samples detected changes in gene expression following romidepsin treatment that were most commonly associated with regulation of transcription, cell cycle control, signal transduction, and electron transport. Treatment with romidepsin did not alter the extent of DNA methylation of candidate gene loci (including CDH1 and hMLH1) in SCCHN tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Single agent romidepsin has limited activity for the treatment of SCCHN but can effectively achieve tumor-associated HDAC inhibition. Although tolerability of romidepsin in this setting may be limiting, further evaluation of other HDAC inhibitors in combination with active therapies may be justified.
Subject(s)
Depsipeptides/therapeutic use , Head and Neck Neoplasms/drug therapy , Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Neoplasm Metastasis , Acetylation , Aged , DNA Methylation , Female , Head and Neck Neoplasms/pathology , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Novel agents to reduce angiogenesis by targeting vascular endothelial growth factor and other proangiogenic signaling pathways are being developed for advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer. Antibody-based therapies (e.g., aflibercept) and multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (e.g., sorafenib, sunitinib, and BIBF 1120) are being evaluated in phase III clinical trials. Some antiangiogenic agents have demonstrated distinct profiles in producing a variety of nonhematologic toxicities, including bleeding/hemorrhage, venous and arterial thromboembolic events, gastrointestinal perforation, hypertension, and proteinuria. Elucidating the molecular basis of these toxicities may lead to clinical benefits by improving patient selection and allowing for the development of effective prevention and management strategies.
Subject(s)
Angiogenesis Inhibitors/adverse effects , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy , Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy , Antibodies, Monoclonal/adverse effects , Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized , Benzenesulfonates/adverse effects , Bevacizumab , Blood Coagulation Disorders/chemically induced , Humans , Hypertension/chemically induced , Indoles/adverse effects , Intestinal Perforation/chemically induced , Niacinamide/analogs & derivatives , Phenylurea Compounds , Proteinuria/chemically induced , Pyridines/adverse effects , Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/adverse effects , Sorafenib , Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/antagonists & inhibitors , Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/physiology , Wound Healing/drug effectsABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Trials combining irinotecan/docetaxel and irinotecan/gemcitabine in second-line treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have yielded promising results. Preliminary data suggested that the selective cyclooxygenase -2 inhibitor celecoxib (CBX) might enhance efficacy of chemotherapeutic regimens. This multicenter, phase II, randomized trial investigated efficacy and safety of irinotecan and docetaxel and irinotecan and gemcitabine, with or without CBX, in second-line treatment of NSCLC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients 18 years or older were randomly assigned to receive irinotecan 60 mg/m2 and docetaxel 35 mg/m2, or irinotecan 100 mg/m2 and gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2, with or without CBX 400 mg twice daily, for four cycles. Primary efficacy end points were median and 1-year survival probabilities. Patient-reported symptoms were assessed by the Lung Cancer Symptoms Scale (LCSS). RESULTS: A total of 133 patients were assessable for efficacy and safety. Median survival time was 6.31 months for patients treated with CBX and 8.99 months for those treated with chemotherapy alone. One-year survival rates were 24% and 36% respectively. The overall toxicity rates and LCSS scores were similar between patients treated or not treated with CBX. Four deaths were considered possibly treatment related. CONCLUSION: Survival results for the second-line regimens in this study were similar to results reported for single-agent therapy in this setting. CBX did not appear to enhance efficacy or improve patient-reported symptoms. The addition of high-dose CBX to second-line chemotherapy in NSCLC cannot be recommended.
