Phase 2 trial of radiation plus high-dose tamoxifen for glioblastoma multiforme: RTOG protocol BR-0021.

Preclinical studies support the concept that inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) by tamoxifen (TAM) should provide both antineoplastic effects and radiosensitization. High-dose TAM (80 mg/m2 p.o. daily in divided doses) was given with and after conventional radiotherapy (XRT) to inhibit PKC-mediated signaling, which is known to be enhanced in glioblastoma (GBM). Seventy-seven patients were accrued between December 2000 and December 2001; two were ineligible and not included in the efficacy results. Pretreatment characteristics of the patients included the following: 52% were less than 60 years of age, 39% had a Zubrod score of 0, 70% had minor or no neurological symptoms, and 65% were Radiation Therapy Oncology Group-recursive partition analysis (RPA) class III and IV. Eighty-six percent of patients achieved acceptable dosing of TAM. Notable toxicity included late radiation grade 3 in two patients and thromboembolic events in 16 patients (two grade 2, 10 grade 3, three grade 4, and one grade 5), for an incidence of 20.8% (which is lower than expected, based on the literature for deep vein thrombophlebitis in GBM patients not receiving TAM). Median survival time (MST) was 9.7 months as compared (by three different statistical methodologies) to the historical GBM control database of 1457 RPA class III, IV, and V drug/XRT-treated patients. After controlling for RPA class IV, the MST was 11.3 months, which compares to the historical RPA control of 11.3 months (P = 0.37). The results obtained do not exhibit a substantial advance over those of previous studies with various XRT/drug doublets, including BCNU. However, as TAM does not have significant overlapping toxicities with most other drugs, its testing in a combined modality approach with other medications may be justified in future clinical trials. Historically, the incidence of thromboembolic events in GBM patients is approximately 30%. The lower-than-expected incidence seen here has also been observed in other high-dose TAM GBM studies. We speculate that TAM inhibited the PKC-mediated phosphorylation of coagulation factors.

Analysis of 1p, 19q, 9p, and 10q as prognostic markers for high-grade astrocytomas using fluorescence in situ hybridization on tissue microarrays from Radiation Therapy Oncology Group trials.

Survival periods vary considerably for patients with high-grade astrocytomas, and reliable prognostic markers are not currently available. We therefore investigated whether genetic losses from chromosomes 1p, 19q, 9p, or 10q were associated with survival in 89 high-grade astrocytomas using tissue microarrays (TMAs) derived from Radiation Therapy Oncology Group clinical trials. Cases included 15 anaplastic astrocytomas (AAs) and 74 glioblastomas (GBMs) selected on the basis of survival times significantly shorter or longer than the expected median. Genetic analysis was performed by TMA-fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on array sections using 8 DNA probes, including those directed at 1p32, 19q13.4, 9p21 (p16/CDKN2A), and 10q (PTEN and DMBT1). Genetic status for each locus was correlated with patient survival group, and data were analyzed by using Fisher's exact test of association (adjusted P = 0.025). Losses of chromosome 1p, either alone or in combination with 19q, were encountered in only 2 cases, both AAs. This contrasts with oligodendrogliomas, in which combined 1p and 19q losses are frequent and predictive of prolonged survival. Solitary 19q loss was noted in 3/15 AAs and in 7/70 GBMs and was more frequent in the long-term survival group (P = 0.041, AA and GBM combined). Chromosome 9p loss was seen in 5/8 AAs and 39/57 GBMs, whereas chromosome 10q loss was detected in 4/15 AAs and 48/68 GBMs. The 9p and 10q deletions were slightly more frequent in short-term survivors, though none of the comparisons achieved statistical significance. Long-term and short-term survival groups of high-grade astrocytomas appear to have dissimilar frequencies of 19q, 9p, and 10q deletions. TMA-FISH is a rapid and efficient way of evaluating genetic alterations in such tumors.