scholarly journals Three Phase II Cytokine Working Group Trials of gp100 (210M) Peptide Plus High-Dose Interleukin-2 in Patients With HLA-A2–Positive Advanced Melanoma

2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (14) ◽  
pp. 2292-2298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Sosman ◽  
Carole Carrillo ◽  
Walter J. Urba ◽  
Lawrence Flaherty ◽  
Michael B. Atkins ◽  
...  

Purpose High-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) induces responses in 15% to 20% of patients with advanced melanoma; 5% to 8% are durable complete responses (CRs). The HLA-A2–restricted, modified gp100 peptide (210M) induces T-cell immunity in vivo and has little antitumor activity but, combined with high-dose IL-2, reportedly has a 42% (13 of 31 patients) response rate (RR). We evaluated 210M with one of three different IL-2 schedules to determine whether a basis exists for a phase III trial. Patients and Methods In three separate phase II trials, patients with melanoma received 210M subcutaneously during weeks 1, 4, 7, and 10 and standard high-dose IL-2 during weeks 1 and 3 (trial 1), weeks 7 and 9 (trial 2), or weeks 1, 4, 7, and 10 (trial 3). Immune assays were performed on peripheral-blood mononuclear cells collected before and after treatment. Results From 1998 to 2003, 131 patients with HLA-A2–positive were enrolled. With 60-month median follow-up time, the overall RR for 121 assessable patients was 16.5% (95% CI, 10% to 26%); the RRs were 23.8% in trial 1 (42 patients), 12.5% in trial 2 (40 patients), and 12.8% in trial 3 (39 patients). There were 11 CRs (9%) and nine partial responses (7%), with 11 patients (9%) progression free at ≥ 30 months. Immune studies including assays of CD3-ζ expression and numbers of CD4+/CD25+/FoxP3+ regulatory T cells, CD15+/CD11b+/CD14– immature myeloid-derived cells, and CD8+gp100 tetramer-positive cells in the blood did not correlate with clinical benefit. Conclusion The results again demonstrate efficacy of high-dose IL-2 in advanced melanoma but did not demonstrate the promising clinical activity reported with vaccine and high-dose IL-2 in any of three phase II trials.

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Vickers ◽  
Joyce Kuo ◽  
Barrie R. Cassileth

Purpose A substantial number of cancer patients turn to treatments other than those recommended by mainstream oncologists in an effort to sustain tumor remission or halt the spread of cancer. These unconventional approaches include botanicals, high-dose nutritional supplementation, off-label pharmaceuticals, and animal products. The objective of this study was to review systematically the methodologies applied in clinical trials of unconventional treatments specifically for cancer. Methods MEDLINE 1966 to 2005 was searched using approximately 200 different medical subject heading terms (eg, alternative medicine) and free text words (eg, laetrile). We sought prospective clinical trials of unconventional treatments in cancer patients, excluding studies with only symptom control or nonclinical (eg, immune) end points. Trial data were extracted by two reviewers using a standardized protocol. Results We identified 14,735 articles, of which 214, describing 198 different clinical trials, were included. Twenty trials were phase I, three were phase I and II, 70 were phase II, and 105 were phase III. Approximately half of the trials investigated fungal products, 20% investigated other botanicals, 10% investigated vitamins and supplements, and 10% investigated off-label pharmaceuticals. Only eight of the phase I trials were dose-finding trials, and a mere 20% of phase II trials reported a statistical design. Of the 27 different agents tested in phase III, only one agent had a prior dose-finding trial, and only for three agents was the definitive study initiated after the publication of phase II data. Conclusion Unconventional cancer treatments have not been subject to appropriate early-phase trial development. Future research on unconventional therapies should involve dose-finding and phase II studies to determine the suitability of definitive trials.


2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 122
Author(s):  
Jochen Lorch ◽  
Wieland Voigt ◽  
◽  

The treatment of advanced thyroid cancer is currently entering a new era due to the introduction of targeted therapy into modern cancer treatment. The growing insight into the molecular biology of thyroid cancer and on the development of numerous mainly multitargeted agents provide the basis for new treatment strategies. In particular, activation of mitogenic and angiogenic signalling pathways are suitable targets as preclinical and clinical data suggest. Several Phase II and a few Phase III studies were launched in thyroid cancer which included medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) and anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) but only a few focused specifically on theses subtypes. A number of smaller Phase II trials reported promising response rates and progression-free survival. Results from a randomised Phase III trial in MTC with vandetanib, a combined vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 + 3 (VEGF-R2+3) and RET multi tyrosine kinase inhibitor demonstrated significant clinical activity and resulted in the first approval of a kinase inhibitor for the treatment of MTC in 2011. Unlike in MTC, in ATC the prognosis is dismal due to the aggressive nature of the disease. Some mainly vascular targeting agents alone or in combination with chemotherapy have shown interesting activity in this disease and have raised new hope. Particularly the combination of fosbretabulin with a chemotherapy backbone of paclitaxel and carboplatin tripled the one-year survival rate in a recent Phase II trial which included 80 patients with ATC. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the general treatment concept of MTC and ATC and summarise the compiled evidence published on targeted agents in these rare thyroid cancer subtypes.


2012 ◽  
Vol 08 (02) ◽  
pp. 122
Author(s):  
Jochen Lorch ◽  
Wieland Voigt ◽  
◽  

The treatment of advanced thyroid cancer is currently entering a new era due to the introduction of targeted therapy into modern cancer treatment. The growing insight into the molecular biology of thyroid cancer and on the development of numerous mainly multitargeted agents provide the basis for new treatment strategies. In particular, activation of mitogenic and angiogenic signaling pathways are suitable targets as preclinical and clinical data suggest. Several Phase II and a few Phase III studies were launched in thyroid cancer which included medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) and anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) but only a few focused specifically on theses subtypes. A number of smaller Phase II trials reported promising response rates and progression-free survival. Results from a randomized Phase III trial in MTC with vandetanib, a combined vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 + 3 (VEGF-R2+3) and RET multi tyrosine kinase inhibitor demonstrated significant clinical activity and resulted in the first approval of a kinase inhibitor for the treatment of MTC in 2011. Unlike in MTC, in ATC the prognosis is dismal due to the aggressive nature of the disease. Some mainly vascular targeting agents alone or in combination with chemotherapy have shown interesting activity in this disease and have raised new hope. Particularly the combination of fosbretabulin with a chemotherapy backbone of paclitaxel and carboplatin tripled the one-year survival rate in a recent Phase II trial which included 80 patients with ATC. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the general treatment concept of MTC and ATC and summarize the compiled evidence published on targeted agents in these rare thyroid cancer subtypes.


2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 5579-5579 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. McMeekin ◽  
J. M. del Campo ◽  
N. Colombo ◽  
C. Krasner ◽  
A. Roszak ◽  
...  

5579 Introduction: Trabectedin is a DNA minor groove binding drug with a distinct MoA under development in sarcoma, prostate, breast and ROC. We have performed a pooled analysis of efficacy and tolerability of all phase II trials with T as 2nd - 3rd line in ROC. Methods: Three Trabectedin schedules were investigated: two every 3weeks (q3w; A: 1.3 mg/m2 3-h or B: 1.5 mg/m2 24-h) and one weekly (C: 0.58 mg/m2 3-h ×3 q4w). Endpoints were response rate (RR), time to progression (TTP), response duration (RD) and safety. 294 patients from 3 phase II (one randomized A vs B) trials were included: 108 were resistant (R) and 186 sensitive (S) to last platinum, based on progression-free interval <6 months or longer.Results: Overall RR and median TTP were 8% and 2.1mo in R and 34% and 5.8 mo in S patients. Median RD was 5.8 m. Schedules A & B q3w showed significant better RR (33% vs 16%, p=<0.0001) and median TTP (5.8 vs 2.8 m, p=0.0001) than the weekly schedule C. No efficacy difference was seen between 3-h and 24-h q3wk. In patients with = 2 prior platinum-based regimens, RR (R:7% and S:37%) and median TTP (R: 2.5 m and S:6.3 m) were similar than patients with only 1 prior platinum [RR (R:9%; S:33%) and TTP (R: 2 m; S: 5.5 m)]. 1,404 cycles were delivered [median A: 5(1–23), B: 5(1–19), C: 3(1–22)], with similar dose intensity (mg/m2/wk) across regimens (0.38, 0.42, 0.39). Most common drug-related AEs of any grade by cycle were (A, B, C) fatigue: 38, 35, 63% and vomiting: 16, 27, 21%. Grade 3/4 lab abnormalities were non-cumulative neutropenia: 21, 28, 1% and ALT increase: 32, 26, 3%. Low incidence of febrile neutropenia, neurotoxicity, stomatitis and alopecia was seen regardless of schedule. Conclusions: Trabectedin as single agent has shown clinical activity in both R and, particularly in S ROC. Activity was fully retained in patients with =2 prior platinum lines. Trabectedin q3w schedules (with no difference between 3 and 24-h) showed higher efficacy than T weekly. Toxicities were manageable and non-cumulative. Trabectedin is a promising new drug for the treatment of ROC and is under evaluation in a phase III trial. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


1989 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 486-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
K A Margolin ◽  
A A Rayner ◽  
M J Hawkins ◽  
M B Atkins ◽  
J P Dutcher ◽  
...  

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Extramural IL2/LAK Working Group treated 93 patients with 114 cycles of high-dose intravenous (IV) interleukin-2 (IL-2) and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells in three phase II trials. Thirty-six patients had metastatic melanoma, 35 had metastatic renal cell cancer, and 22 had colorectal cancer. All patients had a Karnofsky performance status greater than or equal to 80% and normal laboratory tests and organ function, and had received no more than one prior form of immunotherapy or chemotherapy. Objective responders were eligible to receive up to two additional courses of therapy at 12-week intervals. The most frequent toxicities were a capillary leak syndrome resulting in marked extravascular fluid shifts, and hypotension requiring treatment with large volumes of IV fluids and vasopressor agents. Laboratory and clinical evidence of hepatic and renal dysfunction were virtually universal. Intensive care-level support was routinely provided and the toxicity observations confirmed the need for this level of care. The life-threatening toxicities were cardiac and pulmonary. Five of the 27 patients who experienced significant respiratory compromise required intubation and mechanical ventilatory support. Twenty patients developed cardiac arrhythmias, the majority of which were supraventricular. There was a single episode of ventricular tachycardia requiring cardioversion. Four patients had transient cardiac ischemia, and an additional four had myocardial infarctions, one of which was fatal. With these exceptions, all toxicities were rapidly reversible. The occurrence of only a single therapy-related death and a very low incidence of other irreversible or life-threatening events is comparable to the level of toxicities often observed in other phase II trials. Although the intensity of this regimen limits this approach to a subset of cancer patients with excellent performance status and adequate organ function, because of the frequency and apparent durability of complete responses, this treatment warrants further investigation.


2002 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1600-1607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruggero Ridolfi ◽  
Vanna Chiarion-Sileni ◽  
Michele Guida ◽  
Antonella Romanini ◽  
Roberto Labianca ◽  
...  

PURPOSE: Phase II and III studies have shown that the addition of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon alfa-2b (IFNα-2b) in multiagent chemotherapy (CT) for advanced melanoma increases overall response (OR), albeit without clear evidence of an improvement in overall survival (OS). Treatment with high-dose IL-2 can cause severe toxicity and is normally administered in an inpatient setting. We conducted a multicenter prospective randomized clinical trial in outpatients with metastatic melanoma to compare CT with biochemotherapy (bioCT) using immunomodulant doses of IL-2 and IFNα-2b. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred seventy-six eligible patients with advanced melanoma were randomized to receive CT (cisplatin and dacarbazine with or without carmustine every 21 days) or bioCT comprising the same CT regimen followed by low-dose subcutaneous IL-2 for 8 days and IFNα2b three times a week, both for six cycles. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 18 (CT) and 16 (bioCT) months, median OS was 9.5 versus 11.0 months (P = .51), respectively. In the 89 CT-arm patients, 18 ORs (20.2%) (three complete responders [CRs] and 15 partial responders [PRs]) were observed according to World Health Organization criteria. In the 87 bioCT-arm patients, 22 ORs (25.3%) (three CRs and 19 PRs) (P = .70) were recorded. Treatment-related toxicity was fairly similar in both arms. CONCLUSION: The addition of low-dose immunotherapy did not produce a statistically significant advantage in OS, time to progression, or OR. However, the 11-month median OS in the bioCT arm does not differ greatly from the best results with high-dose IL-2–containing regimens reported in the literature. Furthermore, our treatment schedule was carried out on outpatients and had an acceptable level of toxicity.


1993 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1969-1977 ◽  
Author(s):  
J A Sparano ◽  
R I Fisher ◽  
M Sunderland ◽  
K Margolin ◽  
M L Ernest ◽  
...  

PURPOSE To compare the response rate, survival, and toxicity of treatment with high-dose intravenous (IV) bolus interleukin-2 (IL-2) plus interferon alfa-2a (IFN-alpha) with high-dose IL-2 alone in patients with advanced melanoma in a randomized phase III trial design. PATIENTS AND METHODS Eighty-five patients with advanced melanoma were randomly assigned to receive IL-2 6 X 10(6) U/m2 per dose every 8 hours as tolerated for a maximum of 14 doses on days 1 through 5 and 15 through 19, or IL-2 4.5 X 10(6) U/m2 per dose, plus IFN-alpha 3 X 10(6) U/m2 using an identical schedule. A planned interim analysis was performed after 85 patients were entered, which forms the basis for this report. RESULTS Partial response (PR) occurred in two of 44 patients (5%; 95% confidence interval, 1% to 15%) receiving IL-2 alone, compared with four of 41 patients (10%; 95% confidence interval, 3% to 23%) receiving IL-2/IFN-alpha (P = .30). There were no complete responses (CRs). The median duration of response was 11.5 months (range, 2.0 to 15.7+). There was no significant difference in the median survival duration for patients receiving IL-2 alone (10.2 months) compared with patients receiving IL-2/IFN-alpha (9.7 months). The median and mean number of doses of IL-2 were equivalent in both groups, as was toxicity. There were three treatment-related deaths, two in the IL-2-alone arm and one in the IL-2/IFN-alpha arm. The trial was terminated after the first interim analysis based on predefined early-stopping rules, which included termination if the response rate in the IL-2/IFN-alpha arm was less than 25%. CONCLUSION Using the preparation, dose, and schedule of IL-2 in our trial, IFN-alpha failed to enhance significantly the response rate to high-dose IL-2 in the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma.


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