Intra-operative intra-peritoneal chemotherapy with cisplatin in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis of ovarian cancer

International audienceBACKGROUND: Intra-peritoneal (i.p.) chemotherapy is an encouraging treatment option for ovarian cancer with peritoneum involvement in addition with intravenous (i.v.) chemotherapy. Intra-operative i.p. chemotherapy is an interesting method of administration by enhancing the diffusion of chemotherapy. This study had assessed the feasibility of intra-operative i.p. chemotherapy in patients with peritoneal carcinoma of ovarian cancer. METHODS: From January 2003 to February 2006, 47 patients with stage III ovarian cancer were treated with standard paclitaxel carboplatin intravenous chemotherapy and debulking surgery with intra-operative i.p. chemotherapy. After optimal cytoreductive surgery, defined by no unresectable residual disease > 1 cm, i.p. chemotherapy was performed during surgery. The peritoneal cavity was filled by 3 litres of isotonic saline pre-heated at 37 degrees and 90 mg of cisplatin. The sequence was repeated twice during 2 hours based on previous published studies which optimized the cisplatin dosage and exposure duration. Optimal diffusion was obtained by stirring by hands during the 2 hours. RESULTS: Median age was 59.6 years. No severe haematological or non-haematological toxicity induced by intra operative i.p. chemotherapy was reported. No patient died due to the complications of surgery or the i.p. chemotherapy. No neurotoxicity occurred, and one patients had renal impairment. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the feasibility of intra-operative i.p. chemotherapy with cisplatin after optimal resection of peritoneal tumor nodules. Further randomized trials are planned to investigate the clinical benefit of this therapeutic modality

La réponse immunitaire anti-tumorale dans le cancer du sein : état des lieux et perspectives thérapeutiques

International audienceThe role of the immune response in breast cancer is now well recognized and increasingly taken in account. The goal of this article is, in the first part, to underline its prognostic impact and to precise the immunosurvelliance, immunoselection and the immunosubversion concepts involved in the control and evasion of breast carcinoma. In the second part, therapeutic strategies for the restauration of anti-tumor immunity are developed. Vaccination strategies and checkpoints inhibitors blockade strategies are discussed as well as the immunogenic death linked to the conventional treatments of breast cancer.Le rôle de la réponse immune dans le cancer du sein s’étoffe. Le but de cet article est dans en premier temps d’en souligner les aspects pronostiques, en détaillant les phénomènes d’immunosurveillance, d’immunosélection et d’immunosubversion qui sont impliqués dans le contrôle et l’échappement des carcinomes mammaires. Dans la deuxième partie, les stratégies thérapeutiques visant à restaurer l’immunité anti-tumorale sont abordées. Les stratégies vaccinales et celles reposant sur le blocage des checkpoints inhibiteurs sont discutées ainsi que l’effet immunogène des traitements conventionnels des cancers du sein

Upfront Bevacizumab and Temozolomide or Fotemustine before Radiotherapy for Patients with Glioblastoma and Severe Neurological Impairment at Diagnosis

Unresectable glioblastomas with severe neurological impairment at diagnosis have a poor prognosis. The conventional approach using a temozolomide-based chemoradiotherapy has limited efficiency on patients in the RTOG RPA V–VI classes. The activity of the antiangiogenic monoclonal antibody bevacizumab is well defined in recurrent glioblastoma, despite the fact that its impact on survival is not yet established. We wondered if neoadjuvant bevacizumab, used as upfront treatment in combination with a cytotoxic agent, was tolerable and active on neurological signs in patients with severe alteration of the neurological status due to the tumor being located in functional areas. Eight patients received intravenous bevacizumab, 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks, and either oral temozolomide (150–200 mg/m2/day for 5 days every 4 weeks) or intravenous fotemustine (80 mg/m2 every 2 weeks). After an average of 5 cycles of bevacizumab, a clinical improvement of neurological functions was recorded in 8/8 patients who could then receive radiotherapy at a conventional dose (60 Gy in 30 fractions) with continuation of bevacizumab and the cytotoxic agent. Four out of the 8 patients benefited from a durable stabilization and experienced an unusually long survival in such a bad situation at diagnosis. In conclusion, neoadjuvant bevacizumab with chemotherapy appears to be feasible and efficient in a category of patients from the RTOG RPA V–VI classes, by allowing the completion of full-dose radiotherapy. A clinical trial is planned to confirm these retrospective observations

Intrathecal liposomal cytarabine plus systemic therapy versus systemic chemotherapy alone for newly diagnosed leptomeningeal metastasis from breast cancer

International audienceBackground: DEPOSEIN (NCT01645839) was a randomized open-label phase III study to explore the role of intrathecal chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed leptomeningeal metastasis (LM), a common manifestation of breast cancer.Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed LM defined by tumor cells in the cerebrospinal fluid or combination of clinical and neuroimaging signs of LM were randomized to receive systemic therapy alone (control group) or systemic therapy plus intrathecal liposomal cytarabine (experimental group). Progression-free survival related to LM (LM-PFS) was the primary endpoint.Results: Thirty-seven and 36 patients were assigned to the control and the experimental groups. Median number of liposomal cytarabine injections in the experimental group was 5 (range 1-20). Focal radiotherapy was performed in 6 (16%) and 3 (8%) patients in the control and experimental groups. In the intent-to-treat population, median LM-PFS was 2.2 months (95% CI: 1.3-3.1) in the control versus 3.8 months (95% CI: 2.3-6.8) in the experimental group (hazard ratio 0.61, 95% CI: 0.38-0.98) (P = 0.04). Seventy-one patients have died. Median overall survival was 4.0 months (95% CI: 2.2-6.3) in the control versus 7.3 months (95% CI: 3.9-9.6) in the experimental group (hazard ratio 0.85, 95% CI: 0.53-1.36) (P = 0.51). Serious adverse events were reported in 22 and 30 patients, respectively. Quality of life until progression did not differ between groups.Conclusion: The addition of intrathecal liposomal cytarabine to systemic treatment improves LM-related PFS. Confirmatory trials with optimized patient selection criteria and more active drugs may be required to demonstrate a survival benefit from intrathecal pharmacotherapy

Treatment and outcomes of older versus younger women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer in the real-world national ESME database

International audienceBACKGROUND: Treatment and outcomes of patients with HER2-positive (HER2+) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) have dramatically improved over the past 20 years. This work evaluated treatment patterns and outcomes according to age. METHODS: Women who initiated a treatment for HER2+ MBC between 2008 and 2016 in one of the 18 French comprehensive centers part of the ESME program were included. Objectives were the description of first-line treatment patterns, overall survival (OS), first-line progression-free survival (PFS), and prognostic factors among patients aged 70 years or more (70+), or less than 70 (<70). RESULTS: Of 4045 women diagnosed with an HER2+ MBC, 814 (20%) were 70+. Standard first-line treatment (chemotherapy combined with an anti-HER2 therapy) was prescribed in 65% of 70+ versus 89% of <70 patients (p < 0.01). Median OS was 49.2 (95% CI, 47.1-52.4), 35.3 (95% CI, 31.5-37.0) and 54.2 months (95% CI, 50.8-55.7) in the whole population, in patients 70+ and <70, respectively. Corresponding median PFS1 were 12.8 (95% CI, 12.3-13.3), 11.1 (95% CI, 10.0-12.3) and 13.2 months (95% CI, 12.7-13.9), respectively. In 70+ women, initiation of non-standard first-line treatment had an independent detrimental time-varying effect on both OS and PFS (HR on OS at 1 year: chemotherapy without anti-HER2 2.79 [95% CI: 2.05-3.79]; endocrine therapy and/or anti-HER2 1.96 [95% CI: 1.43-2.69]). CONCLUSIONS: In this large retrospective real-life database, older women with HER2+ MBC received standard first-line treatment less frequently than younger ones. This was independently associated with a worse outcome, but confounding factors and usual selection biases cannot be ruled out

Prognostic value of CEC count in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer patients treated with bevacizumab and chemotherapy: a prospective validation study (UCBG COMET)

International audienceProof of concept studies has reported that circulating endothelial cell (CEC) count may be associated with the outcome of HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients treated by chemotherapy and the anti-VEGF antibody bevacizumab. We report the results obtained in an independent prospective validation cohort (COMET study, NCT01745757)

Contemporary outcomes of metastatic breast cancer among 22,000 women from the multicentre ESME cohort 2008–2016

International audienceReal-world data inform the outcome comparisons and help the development of new therapeutic strategies. To this end, we aimed to describe the full characteristics and outcomes in the Epidemiological Strategy and Medical Economics (ESME) cohort, a large national contemporary observational database of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC)