Phase II Pilot Study of Intravenous High-Dose Interferon With or Without Maintenance Treatment in Melanoma at High Risk of Recurrence

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miranda J. Payne ◽  
Katerina Argyropoulou ◽  
Paul Lorigan ◽  
James J. McAleer ◽  
David Farrugia ◽  
...  

Purpose High-dose interferon alfa-2b (HDI) has emerged as a potentially effective adjuvant therapy in patients with resected melanoma at high risk of recurrence. Evidence suggests it may be the early, very-high-dose part of the regimen that is critical. This pilot study sought to provide an early indication of whether the same effects can be achieved with the intravenous component of HDI alone and inform the feasibility and design of a phase III trial. Patients and Methods Patients with stage 2B, 2C, 3B, and 3C melanoma were randomly assigned to receive interferon alfa-2b (IFN-α-2b) 20 MIU/m2 intravenously (IV) daily 5 days per week for 4 weeks (arm A) versus the same regimen followed by IFN-α-2b 10 MIU/m2 administered subcutaneously three times per week for 48 weeks (arm B) and observed for relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival. Results Between 2003 and 2009, 194 patients were enrolled (arm A, 96; arm B, 98). After median follow-up of 39.5 months, RFS was 22.7 months (95% CI, 14.1 to 38.1 months) in arm A versus 33.3 months (95% CI, 18.2 to not reached) in arm B (P = .28). The proportions of patients free of relapse at 2 years were 50% and 54.1% (P = .569; hazard ratio, 0.89), respectively. Overall survival favored arm B (median, 41.5 months v not reached; P = .05). Conclusion Clinical outcomes were better in patients who had the longer regimen. Our results do not support either the use of a month of IV HDI alone in place of the year-long regimen or the initiation of a larger trial on this question.

2001 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 1430-1436 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Kirkwood ◽  
Joseph Ibrahim ◽  
David H. Lawson ◽  
Michael B. Atkins ◽  
Sanjiv S. Agarwala ◽  
...  

PURPOSE: High-dose interferon alfa-2b (IFNα2b) is the only established adjuvant therapy of resectable high-risk melanoma. GM2-KLH/QS-21 (GMK) is a chemically defined vaccine that is one of the best developed of a range of vaccine candidates for melanoma. A single-institution phase III trial conducted at Memorial Hospital served as the impetus for an intergroup adjuvant E1694/S9512/C509801 trial, which recently completed enrollment of 880 patients. To build on the apparent benefit of IFNα2b in resectable high-risk American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage IIB or III melanoma, this phase II study was designed to evaluate the combination of GMK and IFNα2b. The E2696 trial was undertaken to evaluate the toxicity and other effects of the established adjuvant high-dose IFNα2b regimen in relation to immune responses to GMK and to evaluate the potential clinical and immunologic effects of the combined therapies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This trial enrolled 107 patients with resectable high- or very high–risk melanoma (AJCC stages IIB, III, and IV). RESULTS: The results demonstrate that IFNα2b does not significantly inhibit immunoglobulin M or G serologic responses to the vaccine and that the combination of high-dose IFNα2b and GMK is well tolerated in this patient population. CONCLUSION: Cox analysis of the results of the combination with IFNα2b show improvement in the relapse-free survival of patients with very high–risk melanoma (including those with resectable M1 disease).


2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 939-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Pectasides ◽  
Urania Dafni ◽  
Dimitrios Bafaloukos ◽  
Dimosthenis Skarlos ◽  
Aristidis Polyzos ◽  
...  

Purpose A high-dose interferon alfa (IFN-α) regimen as reported in E1684 was unique for the incorporation of an induction phase of maximally tolerated dosages of intravenous (IV) therapy for the initial 4 weeks. This is the only trial that has shown prolongation of overall survival and relapse-free survival (RFS) in comparison with observation. Analysis of the hazard curves for RFS and overall survival (OS) in E1684 revealed separation of the high-dose and observation arms, suggesting that the induction phase may represent a critical component of this regimen, although this has not been tested prospectively. Patients and Methods We conducted a prospective randomized study of IV induction therapy versus a full year of high-dose IFN, with primary end points of RFS and OS for patients with stage IIB, IIC, and III melanoma, within 56 days of curative surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to receive IFN-α-2b 15 × 106 U/m2 IV × 5/7 days weekly × 4 weeks (arm A) versus the same regimen followed by IFN-α-2b 10 × 106 U (flat dose) administered subcutaneously three times a week for 48 weeks (arm B). Results Between 1998 and 2004, 364 patients were enrolled (353 eligible: arm A, n = 177; arm B, n = 176). At a median follow-up of 63 months (95% CI, 58.1 to 67.7), the median RFS was 24.1 months versus 27.9 months (P = .9) and the median OS was 64.4 months versus 65.3 months (P = .49). Patients in arm B had more grade 1 to 2 hepatotoxicity, nausea/vomiting, alopecia, and neurologic toxicity. Conclusion There were no significant differences in OS and RFS between the regimens of 1 month and 1 year of treatment.


2001 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 2370-2380 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Kirkwood ◽  
Joseph G. Ibrahim ◽  
Jeffrey A. Sosman ◽  
Vernon K. Sondak ◽  
Sanjiv S. Agarwala ◽  
...  

PURPOSE: Vaccine alternatives to high-dose interferon alfa-2b therapy (HDI), the current standard adjuvant therapy for high-risk melanoma, are of interest because of toxicity associated with HDI. The GM2 ganglioside is a well-defined melanoma antigen, and anti-GM2 antibodies have been associated with improved prognosis. We conducted a prospective, randomized, intergroup trial to evaluate the efficacy of HDI for 1 year versus vaccination with GM2 conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin and administered with QS-21 (GMK) for 96 weeks (weekly × 4 then every 12 weeks × 8). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible patients had resected stage IIB/III melanoma. Patients were stratified by sex and number of positive nodes. Primary end points were relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Eight hundred eighty patients were randomized (440 per treatment group); 774 patients were eligible for efficacy analysis. The trial was closed after interim analysis indicated inferiority of GMK compared with HDI. For eligible patients, HDI provided a statistically significant RFS benefit (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.47, P = .0015) and OS benefit (HR = 1.52, P = .009) for GMK versus HDI. Similar benefit was observed in the intent-to-treat analysis (RFS HR = 1.49; OS HR = 1.38). HDI was associated with a treatment benefit in all subsets of patients with zero to ≥ four positive nodes, but the greatest benefit was observed in the node-negative subset (RFS HR = 2.07; OS HR = 2.71 [eligible population]). Antibody responses to GM2 (ie, titers ≥ 1:80) at days 29, 85, 365, and 720 were associated with a trend toward improved RFS and OS (P2 = .068 at day 29). CONCLUSION: This trial demonstrated a significant treatment benefit of HDI versus GMK in terms of RFS and OS in melanoma patients at high risk of recurrence.


2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (25) ◽  
pp. e82-e83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjiv S. Agarwala ◽  
Robert J. Gray ◽  
Michael K.K. Wong

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Malczewski ◽  
Andrea Marshall ◽  
Miranda J. Payne ◽  
Lili Mao ◽  
Dimitrios Bafaloukos ◽  
...  

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (22) ◽  
pp. 3664-3670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cyrille Hulin ◽  
Thierry Facon ◽  
Philippe Rodon ◽  
Brigitte Pegourie ◽  
Lotfi Benboubker ◽  
...  

Purpose Until recently, melphalan and prednisone were the standards of care in elderly patients with multiple myeloma. The addition of thalidomide to this combination demonstrated a survival benefit for patients age 65 to 75 years. This randomized, placebo-controlled, phase III trial investigated the efficacy of melphalan and prednisone plus thalidomide in patients older than 75 years with newly diagnosed myeloma. Patients and Methods Between April 2002 and December 2006, 232 previously untreated patients with myeloma, age 75 years or older, were enrolled and 229 were randomly assigned to treatment. All patients received melphalan (0.2 mg/kg/d) plus prednisone (2 mg/kg/d) for 12 courses (day 1 to 4) every 6 weeks. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 100 mg/d of oral thalidomide (n = 113) or placebo (n = 116), continuously for 72 weeks. The primary end point was overall survival. Results After a median follow-up of 47.5 months, overall survival was significantly longer in patients who received melphalan and prednisone plus thalidomide compared with those who received melphalan and prednisone plus placebo (median, 44.0 v 29.1 months; P = .028). Progression-free survival was significantly prolonged in the melphalan and prednisone plus thalidomide group (median, 24.1 v 18.5 months; P = .001). Two adverse events were significantly increased in the melphalan and prednisone plus thalidomide group: grade 2 to 4 peripheral neuropathy (20% v 5% in the melphalan and prednisone plus placebo group; P < .001) and grade 3 to 4 neutropenia (23% v 9%; P = .003). Conclusion This trial confirms the superiority of the combination melphalan and prednisone plus thalidomide over melphalan and prednisone alone for prolonging survival in very elderly patients with newly diagnosed myeloma. Toxicity was acceptable.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (17) ◽  
pp. 1905-1912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuele Zucca ◽  
Annarita Conconi ◽  
Giovanni Martinelli ◽  
Reda Bouabdallah ◽  
Alessandra Tucci ◽  
...  

Purpose There is no consensus on the optimal systemic treatment of patients with extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. The IELSG-19 phase III study, to our knowledge, was the first such study to address the question of first-line treatment in a randomized trial. Patients and Methods Eligible patients were initially randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) to receive either chlorambucil monotherapy (6 mg/m2/d orally on weeks 1 to 6, 9 to 10, 13 to 14, 17 to 18, and 21 to 22) or a combination of chlorambucil (same schedule as above) and rituximab (375 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1 of weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 13, 17, and 21). After the planned enrollment of 252 patients, the protocol was amended to continue with a three-arm design (1:1:6 ratio), with a new arm that included rituximab alone (same schedule as the combination arm) and with a final sample size of 454 patients. The main end point was event-free survival (EFS). Analysis of chlorambucil versus the combination arm was performed and reported separately before any analysis of the third arm. Results At a median follow-up of 7.4 years, addition of rituximab to chlorambucil led to significantly better EFS (hazard ratio, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.77). EFS at 5 years was 51% (95% CI, 42 to 60) with chlorambucil alone, 50% (95% CI, 42 to 59) with rituximab alone, and 68% (95% CI, 60 to 76) with the combination ( P = .0009). Progression-free survival was also significantly better with the combination ( P = .0119). Five-year overall survival was approximately 90% in each arm. All treatments were well tolerated. No unexpected toxicities were recorded. Conclusion Rituximab in combination with chlorambucil demonstrated superior efficacy in mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma; however, improvements in EFS and progression-free survival did not translate into longer overall survival.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 4683-4683
Author(s):  
Gerald Illerhaus ◽  
Reinhard Marks ◽  
Fabian Mueller ◽  
Friedrich Feuerhake ◽  
Christoph Ostertag ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Primary NHL of the CNS (PCNSL) are associated with a dismal prognosis despite initial response to steroids and radiotherapy (RT). Addition of high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) to RT has improved the prognosis of patients (pts) with PCNSL. However, the majority of pts eventually relapse. To improve survival we performed a multicenter phase II study with early high-dose chemotherapy (HDT) and autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) followed by hyperfractionated whole-brain radiation (WBRT) for 30 pts under 65yrs. Five-year overall survival rates of 69% for all pts and 87% for 23 pts receiving HDT and ASCT could be reported (Illerhaus et al., J Clin Oncol. 2006). Purpose: Here we present the results of 1) a pilot study for HDT and ASCT with WBRT restricted to residual disease in pts ≤65 years; 2) a multicenter phase II study for MTX-based CT and 3) a pilot-study for chemo-immunotherapy in pts &gt; 65 years. Methods and Results: New treatment regimen for pts ≤65 years: CT consists of 4 cycles HD-MTX (8g/m2), 2 cycles AraC (2×3g/m2) and thiotepa (40mg/m2) followed by HDT with BCNU (400mg/m2) and thiotepa (4×5mg/kg) before ASCT. To date, 12 pts have been treated in this single center pilot-study. After HDT and ASCT 7/10 pts (70%) responded with complete remission (CR), 2/10 pts with partial remission (PR), 1 pt showed progressive disease (PD) and died after refusing RT. The 2 pts with PR have been irradiated resulting in continuous CR. Two pts were off study due to refractory disease. After a median follow-up of 17 months (mo) (range 4–41) 9/12 pts are alive in continuous CR. One pt developed a systemic relapse and died 8 months after ASCT. Overall, the treatment was well tolerated without grade IV toxicity. Patients &gt;65 yrs, MCP-protocol: Thirty-two pts (17 female, 15 male, median age 71 yrs, range 57–79y) were treated in a phase II trial with 3 repetitive cycles of HD-MTX (3g/m2, d1, 15, 30) combined with procarbazine (60 mg/m2 p.o., d1-10) and CCNU (110 mg/m2 p.o., d 1). There was no lower limit of Karnofsky Performance Status. Thirty-two pts received 1 cycle, 17 pts received 2 cycles and 10 pts received 3 cycles. Best documented response in 25 evaluable pts were CR in 13/32 (41%), PR in 7/32 (22%) and PD 5/32 (16%) pts. Five of 32 pts developed severe renal impairment after MTX and were treated off-study. One patient died due to neutropenic fever. With a median follow-up of 64 mo (range 0–82 mo), the 5-year overall survival probability currently is 30.5%, the median survival is 15 mo. As of July 2006 9/32 (28%) pts are alive, 8 without evidence for leukoencephalopathy. New treatment regimen for pts &gt;65 years, R-MCP-Protocol: In a subsequent pilot-phase rituximab has been added before each MTX-application. In a single center pilot-phase, 9 pts were treated within the protocol. The response rates were CR in 4/7 (57%) evaluable pts, PR, SD and PD, each in one pt, respectively. One patient received only one dose of MTX due to liver toxicity and developed CR with rituximab as single agent. To date, after a median follow-up of 4 mo (range 0–11mo) 8 of 9 pts are alive. Conclusion: The protocols presented here are safe and show high efficacy in treating patients with PCNSL in both age-groups. The addition of rituximab to MTX-based chemotherapy is promising and warrants further investigation.


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