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Background: Surveillance imaging of patients with retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RP-LPS) after surgical resection is based on a projected risk of locoregional and distant recurrence. The duration of surveillance is not well defined because the natural history of RP-LPS after treatment is poorly understood. This study evaluated the long-term risk of recurrence and disease-specific survival (DSS) for a cohort of patients with at least 10 years of progression-free survival (10yr-PFS) from their primary resection. Methods: The prospective University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Sarcoma Database identified RP-LPS patients with 10yr-PFS after initial resection. The patients in the 10yr-PFS cohort were subsequently evaluated for recurrence and DSS. The time intervals start at date of initial surgical resection. Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine factors associated with recurrence and DSS. Results: From 1972 to 2010, 76 patients with RP-LPS had at least 10 years of follow-up evaluation. Of these 76 patients, 39 (51%) demonstrated 10yr-PFS. The median follow-up period was 15 years (range 10–33 years). Among the 10yr-PFS patients, 49% (19/39) experienced a recurrence at least 10 years after surgery. Of those who experienced recurrence, 42% (8/19) died of disease. Neither long-term recurrence nor DSS were significantly associated with age, sex, tumor size, LPS subtype, surgical margin, or perioperative treatment with radiation or chemotherapy. Conclusion: Patients who have primary RP-LPS treated with surgical resection ± multimodality therapy face a long-term risk of recurrence and disease-specific death unacknowledged by current surveillance imaging guidelines. Among the patients with 10yr-PFS, 49% experienced a recurrence, and 42% of those died of disease. These findings suggest a need for lifelong surveillance imaging for patients with RP-LPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epithelioid angiosarcoma is an extremely rare subtype of cardiac angiosarcoma that is highly aggressive and associated with poor prognosis. Due to its rare nature, the epidemiology and pathogenesis of this disease are not well-known. Thus, effective diagnostic and treatment modalities are limited. Here, we report a case of a primary epithelioid angiosarcoma in a patient who was treated successfully with surgical resection. A 45-year-old woman who initially presented with chronic systemic symptoms and severe anemia and subsequently developed new-onset atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular rate was found to have a right-sided cardiac mass with a large pericardial effusion. Several years prior to presentation, she was treated for localized papillary thyroid cancer with Gc protein-derived macrophage-activating factor (Gc-MAF) therapy after declining thyroidectomy. After initial workup of her cardiac mass, including a transthoracic echocardiogram and cardiac MRI, she was transferred to an outside hospital where her mass was surgically resected. She was found to have stage IIIA high-grade epithelioid angiosarcoma involving the inferior vena cava, right atrium, and pericardium. She subsequently had complete resolution of her pericardial effusion and anemia and continues to have good performance status 16 months after her excellent surgical outcome without evidence of recurrence. This unique case contributes to our knowledge of epithelioid cardiac angiosarcoma, of which limited number of cases has been reported. It highlights a favorable outcome following surgical resection of a rare, life-threatening primary cardiac tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoblastomas and aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC) are rare benign bone tumors that make up about 1%–2% of primary bone malignancies, typically occurring in young patients with a median age of 20 years, most commonly effecting the axial skeleton. ABCs may develop independently as primary lesions, or secondary to other bony lesions including osteoblastomas, chondroblastomas, and giant cell tumors. Treatment of unresectable or extensive osteoblastomas can be challenging. In 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved denosumab for the treatment of giant cell tumors of the bone due to its efficacy in these morbid bony lesions. Various case reports have shown that osteoblastomas can respond to denosumab. Furthermore, numerous ABC case reports have described the efficacy of denosumab in these situations. We herein describe a unique case of a young patient with an aggressive osteoblastoma and secondary ABCs who was successfully treated with denosumab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) are systemic necrotizing vasculitides associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Given the immunosuppression used to manage these conditions, it is important for clinicians to recognize complications, especially infectious ones, which may arise during treatment. Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a lymphoangioproliferative neoplasm caused by human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8). Its cutaneous manifestations can mimic vasculitis. We describe a 77-year-old man with microscopic polyangiitis with pulmonary-renal syndrome treated with prednisone and intravenous cyclophosphamide who developed KS (HHV-8 positive) after 2 months of treatment. Cyclophosphamide was discontinued and prednisone gradually lowered with improvement and clinical stabilization of KS lesions. This comprehensive review includes all published cases of KS in patients with AAV, with a goal to summarize potential risk factors including the clinical characteristics of vasculitis, treatment and outcomes of patients with this rare complication of immunosuppressive therapy. We also expanded our literature review to KS in other forms of systemic vasculitis. Our case-based review emphasizes the importance of considering infectious complications of immunosuppressive therapy, especially glucocorticoids, and highlights the rare association of KS in systemic vasculitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoblastomas and aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC) are rare benign bone tumors that make up about 1%–2% of primary bone malignancies, typically occurring in young patients with a median age of 20 years, most commonly effecting the axial skeleton. ABCs may develop independently as primary lesions, or secondary to other bony lesions including osteoblastomas, chondroblastomas, and giant cell tumors. Treatment of unresectable or extensive osteoblastomas can be challenging. In 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved denosumab for the treatment of giant cell tumors of the bone due to its efficacy in these morbid bony lesions. Various case reports have shown that osteoblastomas can respond to denosumab. Furthermore, numerous ABC case reports have described the efficacy of denosumab in these situations. We herein describe a unique case of a young patient with an aggressive osteoblastoma and secondary ABCs who was successfully treated with denosumab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opinion Statement: The role of targeted therapy is firmly established for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs); other modalities for targeting this disease are necessary for recurrent and refractory disease. There are several lines of evidence pointing to an active role of the immune system in GIST. Preclinical and clinical studies revealed that the most common type of immune cell infiltration in GISTs is tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). The mechanism of how TAMs sculpt the tumor microenvironment in GIST is not clear, but it seems that the presence of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs) is correlated with the number of TAMs, thus linking macrophages to immunosuppression. CD3+ T cells and NK infiltrates are found in the GIST microenvironment and carry some prognostic value. In early clinical trials, there is evidence for an active role for immunotherapy in treating GIST patients. Moreover, preclinical evidence has indicated that combining TKIs with checkpoint blockers may be synergistic in murine GIST models. Overall, there is substantial preclinical and clinical evidence to support a role for immunoregulation in GIST and further studies will be important for the development of immunotherapies for GIST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undifferentiated/unclassified soft tissue sarcoma (USTS) is a recalcitrant disease; therefore, precise individualised therapy is needed. Toward this goal, we previously established patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) models of USTS in nude mice. Here, we determined the extent of uniqueness of drug response in a panel on USTS PDOX models from 5 different patients. We previously showed that 3 of the 5 patients were resistant to doxorubicin (DOX) despite DOX being first-line therapy. Two weeks after orthotopic tumour implantation, PDOX mouse models were randomised into five groups: untreated control, DOX, gem-citabine/docetaxel (GEM/DOC), pazopanib (PAZ), temozolomide (TEM). Three PDOX cases were completely resistant to DOX. TEM had high efficacy for 4 USTS PDOX models, including DOX-resistant cases. GEM/DOC and PAZ were effective in three USTS PDOX. One case was completely resistant to TEM. Two cases were completely resistant to PAZ. The results showed the drug sensitivity pattern for each USTS PDOX was highly individualised and that at least one effective drug could be found for each. The PDOX model could be effective in precise individualised drug sensitivity testing which is especially important for heterogeneous cancers such as USTS, and can give the patient a greater chance to be treated with an effective drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ewing's sarcoma (ES) is a recalcitrant disease in need of transformative therapeutics. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of tumor-selective Salmonella typhimurium A1-R combined with tumor metabolism targeting with oral administration of recombinant methioninase (o-rMETase), on an ES patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) model. Methods: The ES PDOX models were previously established in the right chest wall. The ES PDOX models were randomized into 5 groups when the tumor volume reached 80 mm3: G1: untreated control; G2: doxorubicin; G3: S. typhimurium A1-R; G4: o-rMETase; G5: S. typhimurium A1-R combined with o-rMETase. All mice were sacrificed on day 15. Body weight and tumor volume were assessed twice a week. Results:S. typhimurium A1-R and o-rMETase respectively suppressed tumor growth as monotherapies (p = 0.050 and p = 0.032). S. typhimurium A1-R combined with o-rMETase regressed tumor growth significantly compared to untreated group on day 15 (p < 0.032). S. typhimurium A1-R combined with o-rMETase group was significantly more effective than S. typhimurium A1-R or o-rMETase monotherapy (p = 0.032, p = 0.032). Conclusions: The present results suggest that the combination of S. typhimurium A1-R and o-rMETase has promise to be a transformative therapy for ES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pleomorphic liposarcoma (PLPS) is a rare, heterogeneous and an aggressive variant of liposarcoma. Therefore, individualized therapy is urgently needed. Our recent reports suggest that trabectedin (TRAB) is effective against several patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) mouse models. Here, we compared the efficacy of first-line therapy, doxorubicin (DOX), and TRAB in a platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α (PDGFRA)-amplified PLPS.Methods: We used a fresh sample of PLPS tumor derived from a 68-year-old male patient diagnosed with a recurrent PLPS. Subcutaneous implantation of tumor tissue was performed in a nude mouse. After three weeks of implantation, tumor tissues were isolated and cut into small pieces. To match the patient a PDGFRA-amplified PLPS PDOX was created in the biceps femoris of nude mice. Mice were randomized into three groups: Group 1 (G1), control (untreated); Group 2 (G2), DOX-treated; Group 3 (G3), TRAB-treated. Measurement was done twice a week for tumor width, length, and mouse body weight.Results: The PLPS PDOX showed resistance towards DOX. However, TRAB could arrest the PLPS (p < 0.05 compared to control; p < 0.05 compared to DOX) without any significant changes in body-weight.Conclusions: The data presented here suggest that for the individual patient the PLPS PDOX model could specifically distinguish both effective and ineffective drugs. This is especially crucial for PLPS because effective first-line therapy is harder to establish if it is not individualized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) model of recurrent cisplatinum (CDDP)-resistant metastatic osteosarcoma was treated with Salmonella typhimurium A1-R (S. typhimurium A1-R), which decoys chemoresistant quiescent cancer cells to cycle, and recombinant methioninase (rMETase), which selectively traps cancer cells in late S/G2, and chemotherapy. The PDOX models were randomized into the following groups 14 days after implantation: G1, control without treatment; G2, CDDP (6 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection, weekly, for 2 weeks); G3, rMETase (100 unit/mouse, i.p., daily, for 2 weeks). G4, S. typhimurium A1-R (5 × 107 CFU/100 μl, i.v., weekly, for 2 weeks); G5, S. typhimurium A1-R (5 × 107 CFU/100 μl, i.v., weekly, for 2 weeks) combined with rMETase (100 unit/mouse, i.p., daily, for 2 weeks); G6, S. typhimurium A1-R (5 × 107 CFU/100 μl, i.v., weekly, for 2 weeks) combined with rMETase (100 unit/mouse, i.p., daily, for 2 weeks) and CDDP (6 mg/kg, i.p. injection, weekly, for 2 weeks). On day 14 after initiation, all treatments except CDDP alone, significantly inhibited tumor growth compared to untreated control: (CDDP: p = 0.586; rMETase: p = 0.002; S. typhimurium A1-R: p = 0.002; S. typhimurium A1-R combined with rMETase: p = 0.0004; rMETase combined with both S. typhimurium A1-R and CDDP: p = 0.0001). The decoy, trap and kill combination of S. typhimurium A1-R, rMETase and CDDP was the most effective of all therapies and was able to eradicate the metastatic osteosarcoma PDOX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doxorubicin (DOX) is often first-line treatment of undifferentiated/unclassified soft tissue sarcoma (USTS). However, the DOX response rate for USTS patients is low. Individualized precision-medicine technology that could identify DOX responders as well as non-responders would be of high value to cancer patients. In the present study, we established 5 patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) nude mouse models from 5 USTS patients and evaluated the efficacy of DOX in each PDOX model. USTS's were grown orthotopically in the right thigh of nude mice to establish the PDOX models. Two weeks after implantation, the mouse models were randomized into two groups of 8 mice each: untreated control; and DOX (3 mg/kg, i.p., once a week for 2 weeks). DOX showed significant growth inhibition in only 2 USTS PDOX models out of 5 (p = 0.0054, p = 0.0055, respectively) on day 14 after initiation. DOX was ineffective in the other 3 PDOX models. However, even in the DOX-sensitive cases, DOX could not regress the PDOX tumors responding to treatment. The present study has important implications since this is the first in vivo study to compare the DOX sensitivity for USTS on multiple patient tumors. We showed that only two of five USTS were responsive to DOX, despite DOX being first line chemotherapy for USTS. The 3 resistant cases should not be treated with DOX clinically, in order to spare the patients' unnecessary toxicity. This PDOX model is useful for precise individualized drug sensitivity testing, especially for rare heterogeneous recalcitrant sarcomas such as USTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elevated methionine (MET) use by cancer cells is termed MET dependence and may be the only known general metabolic defect in cancer. Targeting MET by recombinant methioninase (rMETase) can arrest the growth of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. We previously reported that rMETase, administrated by intra-peritoneal injection (ip-rMETase), could inhibit tumor growth in a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) model of a BRAF-V600E mutant melanoma. In the present study, we compared ip-rMETase and oral rMETase (o-rMETase) for efficacy on the melanoma PDOX. Melanoma PDOX nude mice were randomized into four groups of 5 mice each: untreated control; ip-rMETase (100 units, i.p., 14 consecutive days); o-rMETase (100 units, p.o., 14 consecutive days); o-rMETase+ip-rMETase (100 units, p.o.+100 units, i.p., 14 consecutive days). All treatments inhibited tumor growth on day 14 after treatment initiation, compared to untreated control (ip-rMETase, p<0.0001; o-rMETase, p<0.0001; o-rMETase+ip-rMETase, p<0.0001). o-rMETase was significantly more effective than ip-rMETase (p = 0.0086). o-rMETase+ip-rMETase was significantly more effective than either mono-therapy: ip-rMETase, p = 0.0005; or o-rMETase, p = 0.0367. The present study is the first demonstrating that o-rMETase is effective as an anticancer agent. The results of the present study indicate the potential of clinical development of o-rMETase as an agent for chronic cancer therapy and for cancer prevention and possibly for life extension since dietary MET reduction extends life span in many animal models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A metastatic melanoma obtained from the right chest wall of a patient was previously established orthotopically in the right chest wall of nude mice as a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) model. We previously showed that the combination of tumor-targetingSalmonella typhimuriumA1-R (S. typhimuriumA1-R) and chemotherapy was highly effective against the melanoma PDOX. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism of the high efficacy of this combination. Two weeks after implantation, 40 PDOX mouse models were randomized into 4 groups of 10 mice each: untreated control (n = 10); treated withS. typhimuriumA1-R (5 × 107CFU/100 μl, i.v., once a week for 2 weeks, n = 10); treated with temozolomide (TEM) (25 mg/kg, p.o. for 14 consecutive days) combined withS. typhimuriumA1-R (5 × 107CFU/100 μl, i.v., once a week for 2 weeks, n = 10); treated with vemurafenib (VEM) (30 mg/kg, p.o., for 14 consecutive days) combined withS. typhimuriumA1-R (5 × 107CFU/100 μl, i.v., once a week for 2 weeks) (n = 10). On day 14 from initiation, all treatments significantly inhibited tumor growth compared with untreated control (S. typhimuriumA1-R:p< 0.01; TEM combined withS. typhimuriumA1-R:p< 0.01; VEM combined withS. typhimuriumA1-R:p< 0.01). Combination therapy withS. typhimuriumA1-R was significantly more effective on tumor growth thanS. typhimuriumA1-R alone (with TEM:p< 0.01; with VEM:p< 0.01). Combination therapy significantly increasedS. typhimuriumA1-R tumor targeting alone (S. typhimuriumA1-R + TEM:p< 0.01,S. typhimuriumA1-R + VEM:p< 0.01), relative toS. typhimuriumA1-R alone, respectively. In conclusion, chemotherapy drugs promoted targeting ofS. typhimuriumA1-R of melanoma, thereby enhancing efficacy against the melanoma PDOX. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Previously, a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) model was established with a lung metastasis from an osteosarcoma patient which developed after adjuvant cisplatinum (CDDP) treatment. In this model, we previously demonstrated the efficacy of trabectedin (TRAB) and temozolomide (TEM) compared with CDDP. In the present report, osteosarcoma tissue was implanted orthotopically in the distal femur of mice which were randomized into the following groups when tumor volume reached approximately 100 mm3; On day 14 after initiation of treatment, all but CDDP significantly inhibited tumor volume growth compared with untreated controls. Control (G1): 793.7 ± 215.0 mm3; CDDP (G2): 588.1 ± 176.9 mm3;Salmonella typhimuriumA1-R (S. typhimuriumA1-R) intravenous (i.v.) (G3): 269.7 ± 72.7 mm3;S. typhimuriumA1-R intra-arterial (i.a.) (G4): 70.2 ± 18.9 mm3(CDDP: p = 0.056;S. typhimuriumA1-R i.v.: p = 0.0001;S. typhimuriumA1-R i.a.: p = 0.00003, all vs. untreated controls). i.a. administration ofS. typhimuriumA1-R was significantly more effective than either CDDP (p = 0.00007), or i.v. administration ofS. typhimuriumA1-R (p = 0.00007) and significantly regressed the tumor volume compared with day 0 (p = 0.001). The new model of i.a. administration ofS. typhimuriumA1-R has great promise for the treatment of recalcitrant osteosarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Gastric leiomyosarcoma is a recalcitrant cancer and the chemotherapy strategy is controversial. The present study used a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) nude mouse model of gastric leiomyosarcoma to identify an effective therapeutic regimen to develop individualized precision medicine for this disease. The gastric leiomyosarcoma obtained from a patient was first grown in transgenic nude mice ubiquitously expressing red fluorescent protein (RFP) to stably label the tumor stroma. The RFP-expressing tumor was then passaged orthotopically in the gastric wall of non-transgenic nude mice to establish an imageable PDOX (iPDOX) model. The bright fluorescent tumor was readily imaged over time to determine drug efficacy. Four weeks after implantation, 70 PDOX nude mice were divided into 7 groups: control without treatment (n = 10); doxorubicin (DOX) (2.4 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.), once a week for 2 weeks, n = 10); gemcitabine (GEM)/ docetaxel (DOC) (GEM: 100 mg/kg, DOC: 20 mg/kg, i.p., once a week for 2 weeks, n = 10); cyclophosphamide (CPA) (140 mg/kg, i.p., once a week for 2 weeks, n = 10); temozolomide (TEM) (25 mg/kg, orally, daily for 14 consecutive days, n = 10); yondelis (YON) (0.15 mg/kg, i.v., once a week for 2 weeks, n = 10); pazopanib (PAZ) (100 mg/kg, orally, daily for 14 consecutive days, n = 10). On day 14 from initiation of treatment, all treatments except PAZ significantly inhibited tumor growth compared with untreated control (DOX:p< 0.01, GEM/DOC:p< 0.01, CPA:p< 0.01, TEM:p< 0.01, YON:p< 0.01) on day 14 after initiation. In addition, only GEM/DOC was more significantly effective than DOX (p< 0.05). GEM/DOC could regress the leimyosarcoma in the PDOX model and has important clinical potential for precision individual treatment of leiomyosarcoma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

William B. Coley developed bacterial therapy of cancer more than 100 years ago and had clinical success. James Ewing, a very famous cancer pathologist for whom the Ewing sarcoma is named, was Coley's boss at Memorial Hospital in New York and terminated Coley's bacterial therapy of cancer. A tumor from a patient with soft-tissue Ewing's sarcoma, who failed doxorubicin (DOX) therapy, was previously implanted in nude mice to establish a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) model. In the present study, the Ewing's sarcoma PDOX was treated with tumor-targetingS. typhimuriumA1-R expressing green fluorescent (GFP), alone and in combination with DOX.S. typhimuriumA1-R-GFP was detected in the tumors after intratumor (i.t.) or intravenous (i.v.) injection. The combination ofS. typhimuriumA1-R and DOX significantly reduced tumor weight (37.8 ± 15.6 mg) compared to the untreated control (73.8 ± 10.1 mg,P< 0.01).S. typhimuriumA1-R monotherapy-treated tumors tended to be smaller (50.9 ± 17.8 mg,P= 0.051). DOX monotherapy did not show efficacy (66.3 ± 26.4 mg,P= 0.82), as was the case with the patient. The PDOX model faithfully replicated the DOX resistance the Ewing's sarcoma had in the patient.S. typhimuriumA1-R converted the Ewing's sarcoma from DOX resistant to sensitive. One can only wonder how bacterial therapy and immunotherapy of cancer would have developed over the past 80 years if Ewing did not stop Coley. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: Given the diverse and aggressive nature of soft tissue sarcomas (STSs), a need exists for more-precise therapy. Patient-derived orthotopic xenografts (PDOXs) provide a unique platform for personalized treatment. Thus, identification of patient and treatment factors that predict PDOX establishment is important. This study assessed the feasibility of incorporating PDOXs into the clinical setting and identifying factors associated with PDOX establishment. Patients and Methods: From May 2015 to May 2016, 107 patients with biopsy-proven or potential STS were enrolled. Tumor samples were obtained intraoperatively and orthotopically implanted into nude mice in the corresponding anatomic location. PDOXs were considered established after engraftment and serial passage. Factors associated with establishment were analyzed by logistic regression and time to establishment by time-to-event analysis. Results: Only high-grade tumors established (32 of 72 [44.4%]). The establishment rate (ER) varied by neoadjuvant therapy and treatment response, with the highest ER among untreated high-grade tumors (26 of 42 [61.9%]). Tumors exposed to radiation preoperatively did not establish (zero of 11 [0%]), and tumors exposed to neoadjuvant chemotherapy had a lower ER (31.9%) than untreated tumors. Only STSs with minimal pathologic response to neoadjuvant treatment (≤ 30%) established a PDOX (six of 18 [33.3%]). Median establishment time was 54 days, which varied by neoadjuvant therapy but was not statistically significant (P =.180). Conclusion: To our knowledge, in the largest STS PDOX study to date, we demonstrate a 62% ER among untreated high-grade tumors with a median establishment time of 54 days. Neoadjuvant therapy, particularly radiation, and pathologic response to treatment were associated with a reduced rate of PDOX establishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giant-cell tumor of bone is a rare, locally aggressive tumor that typically occurs in the bones of skeletally mature young adults in their second to fourth decades. Traditionally, surgery has been the mainstay of therapy for this disease, but the disease can recur even with optimal procedures. Furthermore, it may occur in locations where a surgical approach would be morbid. The maturation of the understanding of the role of the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) in the pathophysiology of giant-cell tumor of bone has led to the use of denosumab, a monoclonal antibody against RANKL, in this disease. In 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration approved denosumab for use in patients with recurrent/unresectable/ metastatic giant-cell tumor of bone or for patients in whom surgery would be morbid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial examines Miwa et al's article entitled “Phase 1/2 Study of Immunotherapy With Dendritic Cells Pulsed With Autologous Tumor Lysate in Patients With Refractory Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A Safe Method for Inducing an Immunological Response but With Limited Effects on Clinical Outcomes,” which appears in the current issue of Cancer. The state of the art of autologous cancer vaccines is briefly reviewed, and suggestions for improved immunological therapy for sarcomas are discussed. See also pages 1576‐84. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of upfront chemotherapy for primary localized soft tissue sarcoma (STS) of the extremity and trunk is debated. It remains unclear if chemotherapy adds clinical benefit, which patients are likely to benefit, and whether the timing of therapy affects outcomes. We used the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to examine the association between overall survival (OS) and chemotherapy in 5436 patients with the five most common subtypes of STS with primary disease localized to the extremity or trunk, mirroring the patient population of a modern phase 3 clinical trial of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We then examined associations between timing of multi-agent chemotherapy (neoadjuvant or adjuvant) and OS. We used a Cox proportional hazards model and propensity score matching (PSM) to account for covariates including demographic, patient, clinical, treatment, and facility factors. In the overall cohort, we observed no association between multi-agent chemotherapy or its timing and improved OS. Multi-agent chemotherapy was associated with improved OS in several subgroups, including patients with larger tumors (>5 cm), those treated at high-volume centers, or those who received radiation. We also identified an OS benefit to multi-agent chemotherapy among the elderly (>70 years) and African American patients. Multi-agent chemotherapy was associated with improved survival for patients with tumors >5 cm, who receive radiation, or who receive care at high-volume centers. Neither younger age nor chemotherapy timing was associated with better outcomes. These 'real-world' findings align with recent randomized trial data supporting the use of multi-agent chemotherapy in high-risk patients with localized STS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tenosynovial giant cell tumors (TGCTs) or giant cell tumors of tendon sheath are neoplasms that arise in the synovium. They can be categorized as nodular (localized) or diffuse type (D-TGCT). Historically, surgery has been the mainstay of therapy, but diffuse type disease recurs at a high rate and treatment often requires increasingly morbid procedures. Elucidation of the importance of the colony-stimulating factor (CSF1)/CSF1 receptor (CSF1R) pathway in the pathogenesis of this disease has created significant interest in targeting this pathway as a novel TGCT treatment approach. Pexidartinib, a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor against CSF1R, showed an 83% disease control rate (52% with partial response and 31% with stable disease) in a recent phase 1 study of patients with TGCT. Case presentation: We present an illustrative example of a TGCT patient who would have required a morbid operation who derived considerable clinical benefit from pexidartinib treatment. Her tumor volume decreased by 48% after 4 months of treatment, and 55 months after starting treatment the patient exhibits continued disease stability with minimal clinical symptoms, and significant improvement in functional status. Conclusions: This case illustrates the effectiveness of systemic therapy in controlling a disease associated with high surgical morbidity. This approach may be especially useful in the treatment of extra-articular disease which often invades neurovascular bundles; as the effectiveness in metastatic disease is still unknown. In the future, systemic treatment for TGCT may be appropriate for the neoadjuvant setting to decrease disease burden prior to surgery with the aim of decreasing recurrence rates. However, properly designed prospective studies will need to be carried out to answer these questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. For extremity soft tissue sarcomas (STS), surgical resection remains the standard of care, and the addition of chemotherapy is controversial. This was a phase Ib/II trial of neoadjuvant therapy for patients with STS. Methods. Patients with high grade, extremity STS of >8 cm and amenable to definitive resection were treated with up to four 21-day cycles of 900 mg/m² gemcitabine on days 1 and 8, 75 mg/m² docetaxel on day 8, and 400 mg of pazopanib daily (GDP), followed by surgery and, if indicated, radiation therapy. Primary and secondary endpoints (phase Ib portion) were the safety and rate of pathologic response. Results. The trial was discontinued because of slow accrual after inclusion of five patients (leiomyosarcoma: two; undif-ferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma: three). Two patients completed four treatment cycles: one underwent surgery and one had insufficient response and received additional therapies. Three patients discontinued treatment because of toxicity. Grade 3 adverse events included hypertension, fatigue, aspartate aminotransferase(AST)or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation, hoarseness, and myelotoxicity. There were no complete or partial responses. One patient had ≥90% pathologic response. Among four patients who underwent resection, three remain free of disease, and one patient eventually relapsed. Conclusion. GDP combination used in the neoadjuvant setting resulted in significanttoxicity; despite pathologic responses, no objective responses occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]