Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor, a Heterogeneous, Aggressive Cancer with Diverse Biomarkers and No Targeted Standard of Care: Review of the Literature and Ongoing Investigational Agents.

BACKGROUND: Malignant peripheral sheath tumor (MPNST) is a rare, aggressive form of soft-tissue sarcoma that presents a unique set of diagnostic and treatment challenges and is associated with major unmet treatment medical needs. OBJECTIVE: The chief aim of this review is to consider the epidemiology, histology, anatomic distribution, pathologic signaling pathways, diagnosis, and management of MPNST, with a focus on potential targeted therapies. A subordinate objective was to establish benchmarks for the antitumor activity of such treatments. RESULTS: MPNST has an incidence of 1:100,000 in the general population and 1:3500 among patients with the inherited condition of neurofibromatosis-1. Spindle-cell sarcomas of neural-crest origin, MPNSTs are frequently situated in the extremities and pelvis/trunk, often at the confluence of large nerve roots and bundles. Highly copy-number aberrant and enriched in chromosome 8, MPNSTs have a complex molecular pathogenesis that likely involves the interplay of multiple signaling pathways, including Ras/AKT/mTOR/MAPK, EGFR, p53, PTEN, and PRC2, as well as factors in the tumor microenvironment. A combination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) enables comprehensive assessment of both morphology and metabolism, while MRI- and ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy can confirm histopathology. Although surgery with wide excisional margins is now the chief curative approach to localized disease, MPNST-specific survival has not improved in decades. For advanced and metastatic MPNST, radiation and chemotherapy (chiefly with anthracyclines plus ifosfamide) have somewhat promising but still largely uncertain treatment roles, chiefly in local control, downstaging, and palliation. No single druggable target has emerged, no objective responses have been observed with a number of targeted therapies (cumulative disease control rate in our review = 22.9-34.8%), and combinatorial approaches directed toward multiple signal transduction mechanisms are hallmarks of ongoing clinical trials. CONCLUSIONS: Despite advances in our understanding of the genetics and molecular biology of MPNST, further research is warranted to: (1) unravel the complex pathogenesis of this condition; (2) improve diagnostic yield; (3) delineate the appropriate roles of chemotherapy and radiation; and (4) develop a targeted therapy (or combination of such treatments) that is well tolerated and prolongs survival.

Trifluridine/tipiracil versus placebo in patients with heavily pretreated metastatic gastric cancer (TAGS): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Trifluridine/tipiracil showed activity and was well tolerated in a phase 2 study of pretreated patients with advanced gastric cancer done in Japan. We investigated whether the treatment was efficacious compared with placebo in a global population. METHODS: TAGS was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial done in 110 academic hospitals in 17 countries. Patients aged 18 years or older with histologically confirmed, non-resectable, metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma (including adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction) as defined by the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging classification (7th edition) who had received at least two previous chemotherapy regimens and had experienced radiological disease progression were eligible for inclusion. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) via dynamic randomisation from a centralised interactive voice-response system to receive either oral trifluridine/tipiracil (35 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1-5 and days 8-12 every 28 days) plus best supportive care or placebo plus best supportive care. Participants were allocated to groups by study-site personnel. Randomisation was stratified by region (Japan vs rest of world), ECOG performance status (0 vs 1), and previous treatment with ramucirumab (yes vs no). Both patients and investigators were masked to treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was overall survival. Efficacy was assessed in the intention-to-treat population and safety in all patients who received at least one dose of treatment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02500043. The trial, including follow-up of all participants, has been completed. FINDINGS: Between Feb 24, 2016, and Jan 5, 2018, 507 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned, 337 to the trifluridine/tipiracil group and 170 to the placebo group. Median overall survival was 5·7 months (95% CI 4·8-6·2) in the trifluridine/tipiracil group and 3·6 months (3·1-4·1) in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·69 [95% CI 0·56-0·85]; one-sided p=0·00029, two-sided p=0·00058). Grade 3 or worse adverse events of any cause occurred in 267 (80%) patients in the trifluridine/tipiracil group and 97 (58%) in the placebo group. The most frequent grade 3 or worse adverse events of any cause were neutropenia (n=114 [34%]) and anaemia (n=64 [19%]) in the trifluridine/tipiracil group and abdominal pain (n=15 [9%]) and general deterioration of physical health (n=15 [9%]) in the placebo group. Serious adverse events of any cause were reported in 143 (43%) patients in the trifluridine/tipiracil group and 70 (42%) in the placebo group. One treatment-related death was reported in each group (because of cardiopulmonary arrest in the trifluridine/tipiracil group and because of toxic hepatitis in the placebo group). INTERPRETATION: Trifluridine/tipiracil significantly improved overall survival compared with placebo and was well tolerated in this heavily pretreated population of patients with advanced gastric cancer. Trifluridine/tipiracil could be a new treatment option in this population who represent a high unmet medical need. FUNDING: Taiho Oncology and Taiho Pharmaceutical.

Everolimus plus octreotide long-acting repeatable for the treatment of advanced neuroendocrine tumours associated with carcinoid syndrome (RADIANT-2): a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study.

BACKGROUND: Everolimus, an oral inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), has shown antitumour activity in patients with advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. We aimed to assess the combination of everolimus plus octreotide long-acting repeatable (LAR) in patients with low-grade or intermediate-grade neuroendocrine tumours (carcinoid). METHODS: We did a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study comparing 10 mg per day oral everolimus with placebo, both in conjunction with 30 mg intramuscular octreotide LAR every 28 days. Randomisation was by interactive voice response systems. Participants were aged 18 years or older, with low-grade or intermediate-grade advanced (unresectable locally advanced or distant metastatic) neuroendocrine tumours, and disease progression established by radiological assessment within the past 12 months. Our primary endpoint was progression-free survival. Adjusted for two interim analyses, the prespecified boundary at final analysis was p≤0·0246. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00412061. FINDINGS: 429 individuals were randomly assigned to study groups; 357 participants discontinued study treatment and one was lost to follow-up. Median progression-free survival by central review was 16·4 (95% CI 13·7-21·2) months in the everolimus plus octreotide LAR group and 11·3 (8·4-14·6) months in the placebo plus octreotide LAR group (hazard ratio 0·77, 95% CI 0·59-1·00; one-sided log-rank test p=0·026). Drug-related adverse events (everolimus plus octreotide LAR vs placebo plus octreotide LAR) were mostly grade 1 or 2, and adverse events of all grades included stomatitis (62%vs 14%), rash (37%vs 12%), fatigue (31%vs 23%), and diarrhoea (27%vs 16%). INTERPRETATION: Everolimus plus octreotide LAR, compared with placebo plus octreotide LAR, improved progression-free survival in patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumours associated with carcinoid syndrome. FUNDING: Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

Chemotherapies and targeted therapies in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: from laboratory to clinic.

Chronic liver diseases alone or in conjunction with other risk factors result in increased liver damage leading to inflammation and fibrosis of the liver and rising rates of liver cirrhosis, hepatic decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This review will address the determinants of liver injury at the initiation of the tumor and the risk factors for rapid disease progression. Regardless of the etiology, the unifying feature of these tumors are their propensity to arise upon a background of inflammation and fibrosis. Liver disease is often associated with enhanced hepatocyte apoptosis, which is the case in viral and autoimmune hepatitis, cholestatic diseases, and metabolic disorders. Disruption of apoptosis is responsible for HCC. The mechanisms by which apoptosis occurs in the liver might provide insights into HCC and suggest possible treatments. We aim to better understand the factors that distinguish a relatively long course of HCC from one with rapid progression. We will accomplish this task with three integrated ideas: 1 - the role of epidemiology in establishing the risk factors of co-morbidity with alcohol and hepatitis viruses; 2 - the role of apoptosis and anti-apoptotic signals in the progression of HCC; and 3 - the role of new advancements that have emerged in the field of molecular-directed chemotherapeutics in HCC in recent years. This review will also aim to describe the molecular targeted therapies of non-resectable HCC and the ways of effective combination in this otherwise chemo-resistant tumor.

Inflammation and repair in viral hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C viral infection (HCV) results in liver damage leading to inflammation and fibrosis of the liver and increasing rates of hepatic decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the host's immune response and viral determinants of liver disease progression are poorly understood. This review will address the determinants of liver injury in chronic HCV infection and the risk factors leading to rapid disease progression. We aim to better understand the factors that distinguish a relatively benign course of HCV from one with progression to cirrhosis. We will accomplish this task by discussion of three topics: (1) the role of cytokines in the adaptive immune response against the HCV infection; (2) the progression of fibrosis; and (3) the risk factors of co-morbidity with alcohol and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in HCV-infected individuals. Despite recent improvements in treating HCV infection using pegylated interferon alpha (PEGIFN-alpha) and ribavirin, about half of individuals infected with some genotypes, for example genotypes 1 and 4, will not respond to treatment or cannot be treated because of contraindications. This review will also aim to describe the importance of IFN-alpha-based therapies in HCV infection, ways of monitoring them, and associated complications.

Impact of treatment with infliximab on serum cytokine profile of patients with rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis.

This article analyzes the serum cytokine profile of a nonrandomized group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who are destined to be treated with infliximab following failure after failure of different disease-modifiying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Serial serum samples were collected from 11 patients with refractory RA, three with PsA and one with undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy. All were treated with the antitumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha agent, infliximab, after failing to sustain a clinical remission with conventional DMARDs. Blood samples were obtained at different phases of their therapy. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha, interferon (IFN)gamma, interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, sIL-2R, IL-10, and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) were determined by commercial ELISA kits. Interestingly, only eight of the 11 patients with RA had elevated TNFalpha serum levels (at least once in their serial measurements). Only one was unresponsive to therapy and despite anti-TNFalpha therapy her serum TNFalpha levels remained extremely high. Two RA patients who responded to infliximab had normal TNFalpha serum levels prior to and following infliximab administration. One RA patient improved after infliximab therapy despite unrelenting high serum levels of TNFalpha, IL-6, and sIL-2R. Patients with active PsA who responded to infliximab therapy had sustained high serum TNFalpha levels. In an unselected population of RA and PsA patients, we noticed diverse patterns of serum cytokine profiles. These results imply that the cytokine profiles of RA and PsA are diverse and their pathogenesis is heterogeneous.