For 35 years options for treating advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) were limited to doxorubicin, dacarbazine and ifosfamide. In 2007, trabectedin was approved. Since then, several other agents have ...become available and many more are in development, ushering in a new era in disease management. Considerable scope exists for improving outcomes of advanced STS through better trial design and improved patient care in everyday practice. After anthracycline failure, there are a range of treatment options and, increasingly, the choice of therapy is histology driven. Introduction of newer agents and optimising use of established agents such as trabectedin has led to an increase in overall survival of advanced STS patients. Optimising treatment with trabectedin is being achieved through more extensive experience in drug management, mainly associated with use in earlier lines and uninterrupted use until disease progression. Identification by next-generation sequencing of a significant proportion of cases of actionable mutations among patients with advanced STS suggests a move towards matched therapy in future. As the armamentarium of active agents in advanced sarcoma increases, so too will the challenge of selecting the right drug for the right patient at the right time, in accordance with the patient's lifestyle and wishes.
Summary Background Pazopanib, a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has single-agent activity in patients with advanced non-adipocytic soft-tissue sarcoma. We investigated the effect of ...pazopanib on progression-free survival in patients with metastatic non-adipocytic soft-tissue sarcoma after failure of standard chemotherapy. Methods This phase 3 study was done in 72 institutions, across 13 countries. Patients with angiogenesis inhibitor-naive, metastatic soft-tissue sarcoma, progressing despite previous standard chemotherapy, were randomly assigned by an interactive voice randomisation system in a 2:1 ratio in permuted blocks (with block sizes of six) to receive either pazopanib 800 mg once daily or placebo, with no subsequent cross-over. Patients, investigators who gave the treatment, those assessing outcomes, and those who did the analysis were masked to the allocation. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival. Efficacy analysis was by intention to treat. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT00753688. Findings 372 patients were registered and 369 were randomly assigned to receive pazopanib (n=246) or placebo (n=123). Median progression-free survival was 4·6 months (95% CI 3·7–4·8) for pazopanib compared with 1·6 months (0·9–1·8) for placebo (hazard ratio HR 0·31, 95% CI 0·24–0·40; p<0·0001). Overall survival was 12·5 months (10·6–14·8) with pazopanib versus 10·7 months (8·7–12·8) with placebo (HR 0·86, 0·67–1·11; p=0·25). The most common adverse events were fatigue (60 in the placebo group 49% vs 155 in the pazopanib group 65%), diarrhoea (20 16% vs 138 58%), nausea (34 28% vs 129 54%), weight loss (25 20% vs 115 48%), and hypertension (8 7% vs 99 41%). The median relative dose intensity was 100% for placebo and 96% for pazopanib. Interpretation Pazopanib is a new treatment option for patients with metastatic non-adipocytic soft-tissue sarcoma after previous chemotherapy. Funding GlaxoSmithKline.
Summary Background We report a proof-of-mechanism study of RG7112, a small-molecule MDM2 antagonist, in patients with chemotherapy-naive primary or relapsed well-differentiated or dedifferentiated ...MDM2 -amplified liposarcoma who were eligible for resection. Methods Patients with well-differentiated or dedifferentiated liposarcoma were enrolled at four centres in France. Patients received up to three 28-day neoadjuvant treatment cycles of RG7112 1440 mg/m2 per day for 10 days. If a patient progressed at any point after the first cycle, the lesion was resected or, if unresectable, an end-of-study biopsy was done. The primary endpoint was to assess markers of RG7112-dependent MDM2 inhibition and P53 pathway activation (P53, P21, MDM2, Ki-67, macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 MIC-1, and apoptosis). All analyses were per protocol. This trial is registered with EudraCT, number 2009-015522-10. Results Between June 3, and Dec 14, 2010, 20 patients were enrolled and completed pretreatment and day 8 biopsies. 18 of 20 patients had TP53 wild-type tumours and two carried missense TP53 mutations. 14 of 17 assessed patients had MDM2 gene amplification. Compared with baseline, P53 and P21 concentrations, assessed by immunohistochemistry, had increased by a median of 4·86 times (IQR 4·38–7·97; p=0·0001) and 3·48 times (2·05–4·09; p=0·0001), respectively, at day 8 (give or take 2 days). At the same timepoint, relative MDM2 mRNA expression had increased by a median of 3·03 times (1·23–4·93; p=0·003) that at baseline. The median change from baseline for Ki-67-positive tumour cells was −5·05% (IQR −12·55 to 0·05; p=0·01). Drug exposure correlated with blood concentrations of MIC-1 (p<0·0001) and haematological toxicity. One patient had a confirmed partial response and 14 had stable disease. All patients experienced at least one adverse event, mostly nausea (14 patients), vomiting (11 patients), asthenia (nine patients), diarrhoea (nine patients), and thrombocytopenia (eight patients). There were 12 serious adverse events in eight patients, the most common of which were neutropenia (six patients) and thrombocytopenia (three patients). Discussion MDM2 inhibition activates the P53 pathway and decreases cell proliferation in MDM2 -amplified liposarcoma. This study suggests that it is feasible to undertake neoadjuvant biopsy-driven biomarker studies in liposarcoma. Funding F Hoffmann-La Roche.
SummaryBackgroundDesmoid tumours are locally aggressive tumours associated with substantial morbidity. No systemic treatments are approved for this disease, with methotrexate–vinblastine the only ...chemotherapy regimen assessed in a clinical trial setting to date. VEGF overexpression is a common feature in aggressive desmoid tumours. Pazopanib is an oral antiangiogenic agent targeting VEGF receptors 1, 2, and 3, platelet-derived growth factor receptor-like protein (PDGFR) α and β, and c-KIT tyrosine kinases. We aimed to assess antitumour activity and safety of targeted therapy or combination chemotherapy in progressive desmoid tumours. MethodsDESMOPAZ was a non-comparative, randomised, open-label, phase 2 trial conducted at 12 centres from the French Sarcoma Group. We enrolled adults (≥18 years) with progressive desmoid tumours, normal organ function and centrally documented progressive disease according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 based on two imaging assessments obtained within less than a 6-month interval. Participants were randomly assigned (2:1) to oral pazopanib 800 mg per day for up to 1 year or to an intravenous regimen combining vinblastine (5 mg/m 2 per dose) and methotrexate (30 mg/m 2 per dose), administered weekly for 6 months and then every other week for 6 months. Randomisation was stratified according to inclusion centre and tumour location. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who had not progressed at 6 months in the first 43 patients who had received one complete or two incomplete cycles of pazopanib. This endpoint was also assessed as a prespecified exploratory endpoint in all patients who had received one complete or two incomplete cycles of methotrexate–vinblastane. Safety analyses were done for all patients who received at least one dose of allocated treatment. This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01876082. FindingsFrom Dec 4, 2012, to Aug 18, 2017, 72 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned (n=48 in the pazopanib group; n=24 in the methotrexate–vinblastine group). Median follow-up was 23·4 months (IQR 17·1–25·5). 46 patients in the pazopanib group and 20 patients in the methotrexate–vinblastine group were assessable for activity. In the first 43 patients assessable for the primary endpoint in the pazopanib group, the proportion of patients who had not progressed at 6 months was 83·7% (95% CI 69·3–93·2). The proportion of patients treated with methotrexate–vinblastine who had not progressed at 6 months was 45·0% (95% CI 23·1–68·5). The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events in the pazopanib group were hypertension (n=10, 21%) and diarrhoea (n=7, 15%) and in the methotrexate–vinblastine group were neutropenia (n=10, 45%) and liver transaminitis (n=4, 18%). 11 patients (23%) had at least one serious adverse event related to study treatment in the pazopanib group, as did and six patients (27%) in the methotrexate–vinblastine group. InterpretationPazopanib has clinical activity in patients with progressive desmoid tumours and could be a valid treatment option in this rare and disabling disease. FundingGlaxoSmithKline and Novartis.
Summary Background The effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on survival for resected soft-tissue sarcoma remains unknown. We investigated the effect of intensive adjuvant chemotherapy on survival in ...patients after resection of high-risk soft-tissue sarcomas. Methods In this multicentre randomised trial, patients with macroscopically resected, Trojani grade II–III soft-tissue sarcomas at any site, no metastases, performance status lower than 2 and aged between 16 and 70 years were eligible within 4 weeks of definitive surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to receive adjuvant chemotherapy or no chemotherapy (control group). Randomisation was done with a minimisation technique, stratified by hospital, site of primary tumour, tumour size, planned radiotherapy, and isolated limb perfusion therapy. Chemotherapy consisted of five cycles of doxorubicin 75 mg/m2 , ifosfamide 5 g/m2 , and lenograstim every 3 weeks. Patients in both groups received radiotherapy if the resection was marginal or the tumour recurrent. The primary endpoint was overall survival and analyses were done by intention to treat. The final results are presented. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT00002641. Findings Between February, 1995, and December, 2003, 351 patients were randomly assigned to the adjuvant chemotherapy group (175 patients) or to the control group (176). 258 (73%) of 351 patients received radiotherapy, 129 in each group. Overall survival did not differ significantly between groups (hazard ratio HR 0·94 95% CI 0·68–1·31, p=0·72) nor did relapse-free survival (HR 0·91 0·67–1·22, p=0·51). 5-year overall survival rate was 66·5% (58·8–73·0) in the chemotherapy group and 67·8% (60·3–74·2) in the control group. Chemotherapy was well tolerated, with 130 (80%) of 163 patients who started it completing all five cycles. 16 (10%) patients had grade 3 or 4 fever or infection, but no deaths due to toxic effects were recorded. Interpretation Adjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin and ifosfamide in resected soft-tissue sarcoma showed no benefit in relapse-free survival or overall survival. Future studies should focus on patients with larger, grade III, and extremity sarcomas. Funding European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, Rhone-Poulenc-Rorer.
Purpose
The relevance of the initial observational approach for desmoid tumors (DTs) remains unclear. We investigated a new conservative management treatment for primary abdominal wall DTs.
Methods
...Data were collected from 147 patients between 1993 and 2012. The initial therapeutic approaches were categorized as front-line surgery surgery group (SG),
n
= 41, 28 % and initial observation or medical treatment nonsurgery group (NSG),
n
= 106, 72 %. The cumulative incidence of the last strategy modification was estimated using competing risk methods with variable censoring times.
Results
Of the 147 patients, 143 were female (97 %). In the SG, 27 patients (66 %) required full-thickness abdominal wall mesh repair. In the NSG, 102 patients (96 %) underwent initial observation and four received medical treatment. In the NSG, the 1- and 3-year incidences of changing to medical treatment (no further changes during the follow-up) were 19 % 95 % confidence interval (CI) 11–28 and 25 % (95 % CI 17–35), respectively, and the 1- and 3-year incidences of a final switch to surgery were 14 % (95 % CI 8–22) and 16 % (95 % CI 9–24), respectively. An initial tumor size of >7 cm was associated with a higher strategy modification risk (
p
= 0.004). Of the 102 patients initially observed, 29 experienced spontaneous regression over a median follow-up period of 32 months. All second-intent resections were macroscopically completed, with R0 resections achieved in 82 % of patients.
Conclusions
This study supports an initial nonsurgical approach to abdominal wall DTs ≤7 cm, followed by surgery based on tumor growth in select cases.
Summary Background A non-randomised, phase 2 study showed activity and tolerability of eribulin in advanced or metastatic soft-tissue sarcoma. In this phase 3 study, we aimed to compare overall ...survival in patients with advanced or metastatic soft-tissue sarcoma who received eribulin with that in patients who received dacarbazine (an active control). Methods We did this randomised, open-label, phase 3 study across 110 study sites in 22 countries. We enrolled patients aged 18 years or older with intermediate-grade or high-grade advanced liposarcoma or leiomyosarcoma who had received at least two previous systemic regimens for advanced disease (including an anthracycline). Using an interactive voice and web response system, an independent statistician randomly assigned (1:1) patients to receive eribulin mesilate (1·4 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1 and 8) or dacarbazine (850 mg/m2 , 1000 mg/m2 , or 1200 mg/m2 dose dependent on centre and clinician intravenously on day 1) every 21 days until disease progression. Randomisation was stratified by disease type, geographical region, and number of previous regimens for advanced soft-tissue sarcoma and in blocks of six. Patients and investigators were not masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was overall survival in the intention-to-treat population. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT01327885 , and is closed to recruitment, but treatment and follow-up continue. Findings Between March 10, 2011 and May 22, 2013, we randomly assigned patients to eribulin (n=228) or dacarbazine (n=224). Overall survival was significantly improved in patients assigned to eribulin compared with those assigned to dacarbazine (median 13·5 months 95% CI 10·9–15·6 vs 11·5 months 9·6–13·0; hazard ratio 0·77 95% CI 0·62–0·95; p=0·0169). Treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 224 (99%) of 226 patients who received eribulin and 218 (97%) of 224 who received dacarbazine. Grade 3 or higher adverse events were more common in patients who received eribulin (152 67%) than in those who received dacarbazine (126 56%), as were deaths (10 4% vs 3 1%); one death (in the eribulin group) was considered treatment-related by the investigators. Interpretation Overall survival was improved in patients assigned to eribulin compared with those assigned to an active control, suggesting that eribulin could be a treatment option for advanced soft-tissue sarcoma. Funding Eisai.
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