Similar outcome of elderly patients in intergroup trial 0096: Cisplatin, etoposide, and thoracic radiotherapy administered once or twice daily in limited stage small cell lung carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients comprise a significant portion of patients with limited stage small cell lung carcinoma. However, the prognostic importance of age has been controversial, and concern for toxicity often hinders enthusiasm for offering full dose therapy. METHODS: In this retrospective analysis of Intergroup Trial 0096, the authors compared the outcome of patients 70 years or older to those younger than 70 years. Patients received cisplatin 60 mg/m(2), Day 1 and etoposide 120 mg/m(2), Days 1-3 for 4 cycles and either once or twice daily concurrent thoracic radiotherapy to 45 grays. RESULTS: Of 381 patients, 50 (13%) were age 70 years or older. The elderly group did not differ significantly from those younger than 70 years with respect to gender distribution, performance status, or weight loss. Severe hematologic toxicity (Grade 4-5: 61% vs. 84%; P < 0.01) and fatal toxicity (1% vs. 10%; P = 0.01) occurred more often among older patients. There were no differences in the frequency of nonhematologic toxicities. Response rate (88% vs. 80%; P = 0.11), event free survival rate (5 year, 19% vs. 16%; P = 0.18), time to local failure, and duration of response did not differ between groups. Overall survival rates (5 year, 22% vs. 16%; P = 0.05) favored those younger than 70 years. Much of the difference in overall survival rates between age groups occurred within the first 6 months on study. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients had similar response and survival rates compared with those younger than 70 years. However, toxicity, particularly hematologic, was greater among the elderly. Selected older patients, such as those with a good performance status, should be considered for optimum treatment approaches.

Clinical studies of antisense therapy in cancer.

The ability to target and inhibit individual gene expression with antisense oligonucleotides has shown promising activity in preclinical cancer models. Recent clinical studies have tested antisense compounds directed against seven cancer related genes including p53, bcl-2, c-raf, H-ras, protein kinase C-alpha, and protein kinase A. Class specific effects of the phosphorothioate backbone common to the first generation of antisense compounds have dominated the side effects of these oligonucleotides. Inhibition of target gene expression has been modest at most, and clinical activity has been primarily anecdotal. Combinations of the antisense compounds with chemotherapy and second-generation oligonucleotides offer promise that these agents might become a standard part of future cancer therapy.

Pilot study with weekly chemotherapy for patients with extensive small cell lung cancer: an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Study (PA586).

PURPOSE: Six of the most active chemotherapy agents in small cell lung cancer were administered sequentially in a weekly fashion in an attempt to optimize the dose and the number of agents received over a 12-week period. The purpose of this study was to estimate the efficacy and to characterize the toxicity of this approach. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-six patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer received weekly treatments with cisplatin and etoposide (weeks 1, 5, and 11), cyclophosphamide (weeks 2, 7, and 10), vincristine (weeks 2, 4, 7, 8, 10, and 12), methotrexate (weeks 3, 6, and 9), and doxorubicin (weeks 4, 8, and 12). Patients achieving a partial response received a second 12-week course. Patients achieving a complete response received prophylactic cranial radiation. RESULTS: Twenty-nine of the 36 patients completed the initial 12-week program over a median of 16 weeks. Hematologic toxicity was most prominent, with two deaths from sepsis and 31 patients having grade 3 or 4 neutropenia The overall response rate was 85%, with 33% of patients achieving a complete response. The median survival was 10.5 months, and the median time to progression was 8.2 months. DISCUSSION: This 12-week program, consisting of administration of six active agents for small cell lung cancer, caused significant myelosuppression that resulted in significant treatment delays and dose reductions. Although a high response rate was achieved, the median overall survival of 10.5 months was not significantly longer than expected from other standard two- to three-drug regimens.

Phase I study of an antisense oligonucleotide to protein kinase C-alpha (ISIS 3521/CGP 64128A) in patients with cancer.

Protein kinase C (PKC) is an attractive target in cancer therapy. It is overexpressed in a variety of cancers, and nonspecific inhibitors of PKC have demonstrated antitumor activity. Antisense oligonucleotides targeted against PKC-alpha, which have high specificity, can inhibit mRNA and protein expression as well as the growth of tumors in vitro and in vivo. This Phase I study sought to characterize the safety profile and to determine the maximum tolerated dose of antisense to PKC-alpha when administered by continuous infusion in patients. Patients with incurable malignancies received ISIS 3521, a 20-length phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide specific for PKC-alpha. Treatment was delivered over a period of 21 days by continuous i.v. infusion followed by a 7-day rest period. Doses were increased from 0.5 to 3.0 mg/kg/day. Patients continued on the study until evidence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity was detected. Between August 1996 and September 1997, 21 patients were treated in five patient cohorts. The maximum tolerated dose was 2.0 mg/kg/day. The dose-limiting toxicities were thrombocytopenia and fatigue at a dose of 3.0 mg/kg/day. Pharmacokinetic measurements showed rapid plasma clearance and dose-dependent steady-state concentrations of ISIS 3521. Evidence of tumor response lasting up to 11 months was observed in three of four patients with ovarian cancer. The recommended dose of ISIS 3521 for Phase II studies is 2.0 mg/kg/day when given over a period of 21 days. Side effects are modest and consist of thrombocytopenia and fatigue. Evidence of antitumor activity provides the rationale for Phase II studies in ovarian cancer and other malignancies.

Recent advances in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease.

Most patients who present with Hodgkin's disease today can be cured of their disease. Current treatments strive to maintain a high level of efficacy while reducing side effects that limit the quality and length of survival. Sophisticated molecular techniques continue to aid our understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of this disease. However, the heterogeneity and paucity of "malignant" cells in Hodgkin's disease continue to limit our ability to articulate a coherent and encompassing model.

Comparison between conventional salvage therapy and high-dose therapy with autografting for recurrent or refractory Hodgkin's disease.

Sixty patients with Hodgkin's disease, refractory to or at first recurrence after chemotherapy, received cytoreductive therapy followed by high-dose etoposide, cyclophosphamide and either total body irradiation or carmustine and autografting (median follow-up, 3.6 years; range, 1.1 to 7.5 years). A matched conventional salvage group of 103 patients was selected from patients treated at Stanford University Medical Center between January 1976 and January 1989 (median follow-up, 10.3 years; range, 3.0 to 15.7 years). Overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), and freedom from progression (FFP) at 4 years follow-up favored patients who received high-dose therapy compared with conventional salvage treatment (OS: 54% v 47%, P = .25; EFS: 53% v 27%, P < .01; FFP: 62% v 32%, P < .01). In Cox regression analysis, response to cytoreductive or salvage therapy and B symptoms at relapse were the most important predictors of OS. The use of high-dose therapy at relapse, a longer duration of remission, and favorable response to cytoreductive or salvage therapy were most predictive of superior FFP and EFS. These data from a single institution comparing conventional and high-dose therapy in matched patients demonstrate an advantage for high-dose therapy and autografting in the sustained control of Hodgkin's disease. As with primary therapy, it is difficult to demonstrate a statistically significant survival advantage, despite an apparently superior cure rate. However, patients failing induction therapy or relapsing within 1 year benefited significantly from high-dose therapy by all outcome measures (OS, EFS, FFP). As the transplant-related mortality rates decline in Hodgkin's disease, it is predicted that cure rates and late effects will become ultimate determinants of the success of high-dose therapy and autografting.

Recent advances in Hodgkin's disease.

Most patients who present with Hodgkin's disease today can be cured of their disease. Current treatments strive to maintain a high level of efficacy while reducing the chance of long-term side effects that limit the quality and length of survival. Epidemiologic and sophisticated molecular techniques continue to add to our understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of this disease. However, the heterogeneity and paucity of "malignant" cells in Hodgkin's disease continue to limit our ability to articulate a coherent and encompassing model of this disease.

Hodgkin's disease: management of first relapse.

In most patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin's disease, initial therapy is curative. However, a small portion of patients treated with radiotherapy alone for limited favorable disease, and a larger percentage of patients treated with combination chemotherapy, with or without radiotherapy, for advanced-stage or unfavorable disease relapse after initial remission. Patients relapsing after radiotherapy alone should do as well with salvage combination chemotherapy as patients with advanced disease who have never received radiation. In patients who relapse after combination chemotherapy, retreatment with the same regimen or employment of a non-cross-resistant regimen offers high response rates among those with favorable characteristics. However, long-term disease-free survival is achieved in a minority of these patients, and in even fewer of those with early relapse or other unfavorable characteristics. High-dose therapy with autografting shows the greatest promise in the treatment of patients at relapse.

Long-term survival after histologic transformation of low-grade follicular lymphoma.

PURPOSE: To describe the course of patients following histologic transformation (HT) from low-grade follicular lymphoma to intermediate- or high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were identified from data bases in the Division of Oncology and the Department of Surgical Pathology. HT was defined as the conversion of a follicular small cleaved-cell or follicular mixed small cleaved-cell and large-cell lymphoma to a diffuse large-cell, diffuse mixed small cleaved-cell and large-cell or any high-grade lymphoma. RESULTS: We analyzed the clinical course of 74 low-grade lymphoma patients with histologically proven transformation occurring from 1965 to 1988. The median time from diagnosis to HT was 66 months, and the median age at HT was 58 years. The median duration of survival after transformation was 22 months. Anatomic extent of disease at HT (limited v extensive, P = .01), prior chemotherapy (none v any, P = .01), and response to therapy (complete v partial or none, P = .005) at time of HT were identified as significant predictors of survival after HT in backward-selection Cox regression analysis. Thirty patients attained a complete response to therapy at HT. They had a median survival duration of 81 months after HT. CONCLUSION: A subset of patients with HT from low-grade follicular lymphoma to intermediate- or high-grade lymphoma enjoys relatively long-term survival. Patients with limited disease and no previous exposure to chemotherapy have the most favorable prognosis.

Recent advances in Hodgkin's disease.

The treatment of Hodgkin's disease has long superseded our understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease. Recent work adds further evidence to the theory that the Epstein-Barr virus and the bcl2 oncogene play an etiologic role in certain histologic subtypes. Most patients who present with Hodgkin's disease today will be cured with radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of the two. However, any satisfaction with success in treating the disease should be tempered by the increasing recognition of morbid and potentially lethal complications. Secondary malignancies, cardiotoxicity, and other late effects continue to limit the quality and quantity of life after initial and salvage treatment.

Multidrug resistance in lymphomas.

PURPOSE: To discuss the significance of multidrug resistance (MDR) in human lymphomas and to review recent and ongoing clinical trials using MDR modulators. DESIGN: A medical literature search was used to identify articles that reported results on the expression or modulation of MDR in human lymphomas. This review summarizes the various methods for detecting expression of the mdr1 gene in tumor specimens, the patterns of expression in lymphomas, and recent and upcoming clinical trials using modulating agents to reverse MDR. RESULTS: There is considerable variation in the assays used to evaluate the expression of mdr1 in lymphomas. Current methodology includes reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) for assay of mdr1 mRNA, and immunohistochemistry or flow cytometry for detection of the multidrug transporter, P-glycoprotein (P-gp). The preponderance of evidence suggests that mdr1 expression is relatively low in untreated patients (10% to 20% of lymphomas positive), but increases in patients with recurrent disease (50% to 70% positive). Some evidence suggests that mdr1 expression is a prognostic factor for response to chemotherapy, as well as for subsequent survival. Verapamil and cyclosporine (CsA) have been used as competitive inhibitors of the multidrug transporter P-gp in early clinical trials. Although these studies show some activity in modulating clinical MDR, both verapamil and CsA manifest considerable toxicities at doses below those required for complete inhibition of P-gp function. CONCLUSION: MDR due to the expression of the mdr1 gene is an important factor in the course of patients with lymphomas. Continued clinical trials with more potent and less toxic modulators are needed to define the ultimate benefit of modulating MDR in lymphomas.