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Patients with childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer who will be treated with gonadotoxic therapies are at increased risk for infertility. Many patients and their families desire biological children but effective communication about treatment-related infertility risk and procedures for fertility preservation does not always happen. The PanCareLIFE Consortium and the International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group reviewed the literature and developed a clinical practice guideline that provides recommendations for ongoing communication methods for fertility preservation for patients who were diagnosed with childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer at age 25 years or younger and their families. Moreover, the guideline panel formulated considerations of the ethical implications that are associated with these procedures. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology was used to grade the evidence and recommendations. In this clinical practice guideline, existing evidence and international expertise are combined to develop transparent recommendations that are easy to use to facilitate ongoing communication between health-care providers and patients with childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer who might be at high risk for fertility impairment and their families.

ARST1321, a trial of patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma, was the first National Clinical Trials Network study codeveloped by pediatric and adult consortia with two treatment cohorts. We report on the findings of a survey to identify barriers to enrolling adolescent and young adult patients (15-39 years) onto the nonchemotherapy arm. The survey response rate was 31% with a 70% completion rate. Common identified reasons for low accrual in order of decreasing frequency included insufficient funding, lack of study awareness or interest, competing trials, toxicity concerns, philosophical differences in the therapy backbone, and regulatory and infrastructure barriers. Clinical Trials.gov ID: NCT02180867.

Background Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare and heterogeneous tumors making chemotherapy use controversial. Our goal was to identify a subset of patients with primary STS that benefit with the addition of chemotherapy. Methods A retrospective chart review included intermediate to high-grade localized primary STS of the extremity/trunk, and tumor size > 5 cm. The effect of chemotherapy was evaluated for local control (LC), distant control (DC), progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Results In this cohort (n = 273), patients were treated with surgery (98%), radiation (81%), and chemotherapy (24.5%). With a median follow-up of 51 months, the entire cohort’s 5-year LC, DC, PFS, and OS are 79.1%, 59.9%, 43.8%, and 68.7%, respectively. The addition of chemotherapy did not provide a DC benefit (p = 0.238) for the entire cohort. High-grade disease (n = 210) experienced a 5-year benefit in DC (68% vs. 54.4%, p = 0.04), which was more pronounced with MAI (Mesna, Adriamycin, Ifosfamide) based regimens (74.2%, p = 0.016), and a 5-year PFS (50.8% vs 45%, p = 0.025) and OS benefit (76.2% vs 70%, p = 0.067) vs. no chemotherapy. On multivariate analysis of the high-grade subset, chemotherapy independently predicted for a DC benefit (HR 0.48 95% CI 0.26–89, p = 0.019). The benefit of chemotherapy was more pronounced with MAI, showing a significant benefit in DC (HR 0.333 95% CI 0.145–0.767, p = 0.01) and PFS (HR 0.52 95% CI 0.28–0.99, p = 0.047). Conclusion In patients with localized STS > 5 cm, the high-grade subset had a distant control benefit with the addition of chemotherapy, leading to improved progression free survival. This is more pronounced with the use of MAI and should be considered in patients eligible for this regimen.

Lessons from extinction can be used in trials designed to pursue a cure for cancer. When cancer cannot be cured, similar strategies may be unwise, and strategies that leverage the adaptations of cancer to therapy should be considered.

PURPOSE The primary aim of this phase III randomized trial was to test whether the addition of vincristine, topotecan, and cyclophosphamide (VTC) to interval compressed chemotherapy improved survival outcomes for patients with previously untreated nonmetastatic Ewing sarcoma. METHODS Patients were randomly assigned to receive standard five-drug interval compressed chemotherapy (regimen A) for 17 cycles or experimental therapy with five cycles of VTC within the 17 cycles (regimen B). Patients were stratified by age at diagnosis (< 18 years and ≥18 years) and tumor site (pelvic bone, nonpelvic bone, and extraosseous). Tumor volume at diagnosis was categorized as < 200 mL or ≥ 200 mL. Local control occurred following six cycles. Histologic response was categorized as no viable or any viable tumor. Event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between randomized groups with stratified log-rank tests. RESULTS Of 642 enrolled patients, 309 eligible patients received standard and 320 received experimental therapy. The 5-year EFS and OS were 78% and 87%, respectively. There was no difference in survival outcomes between randomized groups (5-year EFS regimen A v regimen B, 78% v 79%; P = .192; 5-year OS 86% v 88%; P = .159). Age and primary site did not affect the risk of an EFS event. However, age ≥ 18 years was associated with an increased risk of death at 5 years (hazard ratio 1.84; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.96; P = .009). The 5-year EFS rates for patients with pelvic, nonpelvic bone, and extraosseous primary tumors were 75%, 78%, and 85%, respectively. Tumor volume ≥ 200 mL was significantly associated with lower EFS. CONCLUSION While VTC added to five-drug interval compressed chemotherapy did not improve survival, these outcomes represent the best survival estimates to date for patients with previously untreated nonmetastatic Ewing sarcoma.

Seven Children’s Oncology Group phase 2 trials for patients with relapsed/progressive solid tumors were analyzed to estimate the event-free survival (EFS) for relapsed/progressive Ewing sarcoma. One hundred twenty-eight Ewing sarcoma patients were enrolled and 124 events occurred. The 6-month EFS was 12.7%, demonstrating the poor outcome of these patients. Only docetaxel achieved its protocol-specified radiographic response rate for activity; however, the EFS for docetaxel was similar to other agents, indicating that a higher radiographic response rate may not translate into superior disease control. This EFS benchmark could be utilized as an additional endpoint in trials for recurrent Ewing sarcoma.

Patients who are diagnosed with osteosarcoma (OS) today receive the same therapy that patients have received over the last 4 decades. Extensive efforts to identify more effective or less toxic regimens have proved disappointing. As we enter a postgenomic era in which we now recognize OS not as a cancer of mutations but as one defined by p53 loss, chromosomal complexity, copy number alteration, and profound heterogeneity, emerging threads of discovery leave many hopeful that an improving understanding of biology will drive discoveries that improve clinical care. Under the organization of the Bone Tumor Biology Committee of the Children's Oncology Group, a team of clinicians and scientists sought to define the state of the science and to identify questions that, if answered, have the greatest potential to drive fundamental clinical advances. Having discussed these questions in a series of meetings, each led by invited experts, we distilled these conversations into a series of seven Provocative Questions. These include questions about the molecular events that trigger oncogenesis, the genomic and epigenomic drivers of disease, the biology of lung metastasis, research models that best predict clinical outcomes, and processes for translating findings into clinical trials. Here, we briefly present each Provocative Question, review the current scientific evidence, note the immediate opportunities, and speculate on the impact that answered questions might have on the field. We do so with an intent to provide a framework around which investigators can build programs and collaborations to tackle the hardest problems and to establish research priorities for those developing policies and providing funding.

Background We performed a randomized phase 3 study of trabectedin versus dacarbazine in previously‐treated patients with liposarcoma/leiomyosarcoma (LPS/LMS). Methods Patients were randomized 2:1 to trabectedin (n = 384) or dacarbazine (n = 193) administered intravenously every 3 weeks. The primary objective was overall survival (OS). Secondary objectives were progression‐free survival, objective response rate, safety, and patient‐reported outcomes, all previously reported and demonstrating superior disease control with trabectedin. Results of the final OS analysis in preplanned subgroups of patients with LPS/LMS are presented. Results At the time of the final OS analysis, 577 patients had been assigned randomly, including 423 (73%) with LMS and 154 (27%) with LPS. The median duration of treatment exposure was higher in the trabectedin arm compared with the dacarbazine arm (4 vs 2 cycles), as was the proportion of patients receiving an extended number of therapy courses (≥6 cycles: 42% vs 22%). This pattern was consistent across histological subgroups: the median number of treatment cycles (4 vs 2 for both subgroups) and proportion of patients with ≥6 treatment cycles (LMS, 43% vs 24%; LPS, 40% vs 16%). Despite improved disease control by trabectedin, no improvement in OS was observed; the final median OS for trabectedin versus dacarbazine was 13.7 versus 13.1 months (P = .49). Sensitivity analyses of OS suggest confounding by post‐study anticancer therapies, which were utilized in most patients in both treatment arms (71% vs 69%, respectively). Conclusion The final OS results demonstrated comparable survival between LPS/LMS patients receiving trabectedin or dacarbazine, which is consistent with the interim analysis results. Both LPS and LMS demonstrated improved disease control with trabectedin., A final analysis of overall survival demonstrates comparable results between patients with liposarcoma/leiomyosarcoma receiving trabectedin or dacarbazine, which is consistent with interim analysis results. Both liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma show improved disease control with trabectedin.

PURPOSE SARC024 is a phase II clinical trial of the multikinase inhibitor regorafenib in specific sarcoma subtypes, including advanced osteosarcoma. We hypothesized that regorafenib would improve progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with sarcoma and report the results of the osteosarcoma cohort. PATIENTS AND METHODS This trial enrolled patients with progressive metastatic osteosarcoma with measurable disease by RECIST who had received at least one prior line of therapy. Patients were randomly assigned at a ratio of one to one to regorafenib or placebo. Crossover was allowed at time of disease progression. PFS was the primary end point of the study, which was powered to detect a difference of at least 3 months in median PFS. RESULTS Forty-two patients from 12 centers were enrolled between September 2014 and May 2018. Median age was 37 years (range, 18 to 76 years). Patients had received an average of 2.3 prior therapy regimens. Ten patients receiving placebo crossed over to active drug at time of progression. Study enrollment was stopped early, after a data safety monitoring committee review. Median PFS was significantly improved with regorafenib versus placebo: 3.6 months (95% CI, 2.0 to 7.6 months) versus 1.7 months (95% CI, 1.2 to 1.8 months), respectively (hazard ratio, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.85; P = .017). In the context of the crossover design, there was no statistically significant difference in overall survival. Fourteen (64%) of 22 patients initially randomly assigned to regorafenib experienced grade 3 to 4 events attributed to treatment, including one grade 4 colonic perforation. CONCLUSION The study met its primary end point, demonstrating activity of regorafenib in patients with progressive metastatic osteosarcoma. No new safety signals were observed. Regorafenib should be considered a treatment option for patients with relapsed metastatic osteosarcoma.

Purpose: Adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology patients are less likely to enroll in clinical trials than pediatric patients. After two decades of effort to improve enrollments, challenges rema...

Osteosarcoma is the most common bone tumor in children and young adults. Metastatic and relapsed disease confer poor prognosis, and there have been no improvements in outcomes for several decades. The disease’s biological complexity, lack of drugs developed specifically for osteosarcoma, imperfect pre-clinical models, and limits of existing clinical trial designs have contributed to lack of progress. The Children’s Oncology Group Bone Tumor Committee established the New Agents for Osteosarcoma Task Force to identify and prioritize agents for inclusion in clinical trials. The group identified multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors, immunotherapies targeting B7-H3, CD47-SIRPα inhibitors, telaglenastat, and epigenetic modifiers as the top agents of interest. Only multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors met all criteria for front-line evaluation and have already been incorporated into an upcoming phase III study concept. The task force will continue to reassess identified agents of interest as new data becomes available and evaluate novel agents using this method.

Cancer recurrence remains a great fear for many cancer survivors following their initial, apparently successful, therapy. Despite significant improvement in the overall survival of many types of cancer, metastasis accounts for ~90% of all cancer mortality. There is a growing understanding that future therapeutic practices must accommodate this unmet medical need in preventing metastatic recurrence. Accumulating evidence supports dormant disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) as a source of cancer recurrence and recognizes the need for novel strategies to target these tumor cells. This review presents strategies to target dormant quiescent DTCs that reside at secondary sites. These strategies aim to prevent recurrence by maintaining dormant DTCs at bay, or eradicating them. Various approaches are presented, including: reinforcing the niche where dormant DTCs reside in order to keep dormant DTCs at bay; promoting cell intrinsic mechanisms to induce dormancy; preventing the engagement of dormant DTCs with their supportive niche in order to prevent their reactivation; targeting cell-intrinsic mechanisms mediating long-term survival of dormant DTCs; sensitizing dormant DTCs to chemotherapy treatments; and, inhibiting the immune evasion of dormant DTCs, leading to their demise. Various therapeutic approaches, some of which utilize drugs that are already approved, or have been tested in clinical trials and may be considered for repurposing, will be discussed. In addition, clinical evidence for the presence of dormant DTCs will be reviewed, along with potential prognostic biomarkers to enable the identification and stratification of patients who are at high risk of recurrence, and who could benefit from novel dormant DTCs targeting therapies. Finally, we will address the shortcomings of current trial designs for determining activity against dormant DTCs and provide novel approaches.

Background Among sarcomas, which are rare cancers, many types are exceedingly rare; however, a definition of ultra-rare cancers has not been established. The problem of ultra-rare sarcomas is particularly relevant because they represent unique diseases, and their rarity poses major challenges for diagnosis, understanding disease biology, generating clinical evidence to support new drug development, and achieving formal authorization for novel therapies. Methods The Connective Tissue Oncology Society promoted a consensus effort in November 2019 to establish how to define ultra-rare sarcomas through expert consensus and epidemiologic data and to work out a comprehensive list of these diseases. The list of ultra-rare sarcomas was based on the 2020 World Health Organization classification, The incidence rates were estimated using the Information Network on Rare Cancers (RARECARENet) database and NETSARC (the French Sarcoma Network's clinical-pathologic registry). Incidence rates were further validated in collaboration with the Asian cancer registries of Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Results It was agreed that the best criterion for a definition of ultra-rare sarcomas would be incidence. Ultra-rare sarcomas were defined as those with an incidence of approximately ≤1 per 1,000,000, to include those entities whose rarity renders them extremely difficult to conduct well powered, prospective clinical studies. On the basis of this threshold, a list of ultra-rare sarcomas was defined, which comprised 56 soft tissue sarcoma types and 21 bone sarcoma types. Conclusions Altogether, the incidence of ultra-rare sarcomas accounts for roughly 20% of all soft tissue and bone sarcomas. This confirms that the challenges inherent in ultra-rare sarcomas affect large numbers of patients.

PurposeSuccess of new cancer therapies relies strongly on effective selection of the target patient populations. We hypothesize that computational analysis of imaging data can be used for patient enrichment in clinical trials and hence aimed to establish the appropriate framework for this analysis.MethodsThis was tested among soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) patients accrued into a randomized clinical trial (SARC021) that evaluated the efficacy of evofosfamide (Evo), a hypoxia activated prodrug, in combination with doxorubicin (Dox). Notably, SARC021 failed to meet its overall survival (OS) objective. We tested whether a radiomic biomarker-driven inclusion/exclusion criterion could have been used to result in a significant treatment benefit of the Evo+Dox combination compared to Dox monotherapy. 164 radiomics features were extracted from 303 SARC021 patients with lung metastases, divided into training and test sets.ResultsA single radiomics feature, Short Run Emphasis, was identified as the most informative. Combined into a model along with histological classification and smoking history, an enriched subset (42%) of patients had longer OS in Evo+Dox vs. Dox groups [p=0.01, Hazard Ratio (HR) =0.57 (0.36-0.90)]. Applying the same model and threshold value in an independent test set confirmed the significant survival difference [p=0.002, HR=0.29 (0.13-0.63)], identifying patients most likely to benefit from doxorubicin alone.ConclusionThe study presents a first of its kind clinical-radiomic approach for patient enrichment in clinical trials. We show that, had an appropriate model been used for selective patient inclusion, SARC021 trial could have met its primary survival objective for patients with metastatic STS.

Trial Information Click here to access other published clinical trials. Lessons Learned The results from the liposarcoma cohort of SARC024 confirm previously published data and do not support the routine use of regorafenib in this patient population. Continued exploration of novel therapies, including combination approaches, is warranted for a patient population in whom limited treatment options exist. Background Regorafenib is a multitargeted kinase inhibitor with a kinase profile overlapping, but distinct from, pazopanib, an agent approved for recurrent and metastatic non-gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), non-adipocytic soft tissue sarcoma. We conducted a randomized, phase II study of regorafenib versus placebo in refractory liposarcoma patients. Methods Patients with advanced or metastatic, treatment-refractory liposarcoma were randomized 1:1 to receive regorafenib 160 mg or placebo once daily (3 weeks on, 1 week off). Patients with well-differentiated liposarcoma only were excluded. Crossover for placebo was allowed upon progression. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), according to RECIST version 1.1. Results Forty-eight subjects with liposarcoma (34 dedifferentiated, 12 myxoid/round cell, 2 pleomorphic) were enrolled. Median PFS was 1.87 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.92–3.67) months for regorafenib versus 2.07 (95% CI, 1.64–3.44) months for placebo; stratified hazard ratio [HR], 0.85 (95% CI, 0.46, 1.58), p = .62. No responses were seen on regorafenib. One PR was observed on placebo. Median overall survival was 6.46 (95% CI, 4.16–23.48) months for regorafenib and 4.89 (95% CI, 3.02–9.77) months for placebo, stratified HR, 0.66 (95% CI, 0.31–1.40), p = .28). Treatment-related adverse events were similar to the known safety profile of regorafenib. Conclusion Regorafenib did not appear to improve PFS in treatment-refractory liposarcoma. No new significant safety signals were observed.

BACKGROUND: The combination of gemcitabine and docetaxel is often used to treat patients with recurrent sarcoma. Nab-paclitaxel is a taxane modified to improve drug exposure and increase intratumoral accumulation and, in combination with gemcitabine, is standard therapy for pancreatic cancer. Applying the dosages and schedule used for pancreatic cancer, we performed a phase II trial to assess the response rate of gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel in patients with relapsed Ewing sarcoma. PROCEDURE: Using a Simon’s two-stage design to identify a response rate of ≥ 35%, patients received nab-paclitaxel 125 mg/m(2) followed by gemcitabine 1000 mg/m(2) i.v. on days 1, 8, and 15 of four-week cycles. Immunohistochemical analysis of archival tissue was performed to identify possible biomarkers of response. RESULTS: Eleven patients from four institutions enrolled, with a median age of 22 years (range, 14–27). Patients were heavily pretreated (median 3 prior regimens, range, 1–7). Thirty-five cycles were administered (median 2, range, 1–8). Accrual was stopped after 11 patients, due to only one confirmed partial response. Two other patients had partial responses after two cycles, but withdrew because of adverse effects or progression before confirmation of continued response. The predominant toxicity was myelosuppression, and four (36%) patients were removed due to hematologic toxicity despite pegfilgrastim and dose reductions. Expression of secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) and CAV-1 in archival tumors was not predictive of clinical benefit in this small cohort of patients. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with heavily pretreated Ewing sarcoma, the confirmed response rate of 9% was similar to multi-institutional studies of gemcitabine and docetaxel.

Osteosarcoma relapses not only herald a very poor prognosis but also opportunities to treat this genetically diverse complex cancer in new ways. This review will attempt to show that the field is a rapidly evolving one in which not only cytotoxic agents but also local control strategies and the immune system can be harnessed to improve the prognosis of relapsed patients. The molecular heterogeneity and the difficulty of effectively treating most common patterns of relapse with surgery and/or radiation (lung and/or bone metastases) have been responsible for a wide variety of approaches to learning whether agents are active against osteosarcoma. This chapter will highlight past, current, and potential future approaches to provide more effective systemic therapy for the problem of recurrent metastases of osteosarcoma. These include single-agent trials with a wide variety of agents, radiopharmaceuticals, and immune therapies. Finally, how such efforts are integrated into more effective local control strategies is also discussed.

We report the case of a 13-year-old girl with multiple recurrences of an aneurysmal bone cyst of the distal fibula successfully treated with denosumab and curettage. Aneurysmal bone cysts are locally aggressive lesions with high rates of recurrence. The novel use of denosumab with curettage in a long bone showed a favorable outcome with no adverse events or signs of recurrence three years after treatment.

Purpose Sarcomas are a diverse group of malignant tumors that arise from soft tissues or bone. For most advanced cases, there is a substantial need for improved therapeutic options and, therefore, a desire to more precisely tailor therapy in individual cases. In this study, we review our institutional experience with next-generation sequencing (NGS)–based molecular profiling for non–GI stromal tumors sarcomas, with a focus on the clinical utility of the results. Patients and Methods We retrospectively analyzed results of NGS performed on tumors from 114 patients with a diagnosis of sarcoma. A chart review was conducted to review the clinical impact of NGS findings. Results A median of three putatively oncogenic gene alterations were identified per tumor sample (range, 0 to 19) and at least one mutation was detected in 96.7% of tumors. Fifty-six patients (49.1%) harbored a finding that was felt to be actionable after review by a molecular tumor board. Five patients (4.4%) had a diagnosis change as a result of NGS findings. In 15 patients (13.2%), therapeutic selection was influenced by NGS findings. Four of 15 (26.7%) of the NGS-influenced systemic therapies resulted in clinical benefit. Conclusion Putatively oncogenic mutations are readily detected in the majority of sarcomas. Genetic profiling affected the diagnosis and/or treatment approach in a sizeable minority of patients with sarcoma treated at our center. Additional study is required to determine if genetic profiling leads to improved clinical outcomes.

Clinical trial enrollments in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer have historically been lower than those in pediatric and older adult populations. We sought to examine therapeutic trial enrollment rates at our cancer center. We performed a retrospective evaluation of AYA patients treated before and after the first checkpoint inhibitor trial opened at our cancer center in 2007. We examined gender, stage at presentation and insurance status in terms of trial enrollment. We compared the trial participation rate of AYA patients with that of older adults. In this adult facility, 12.7% (1,831) of total patients were between age 15 and 39. Overall therapeutic clinical trial rate was 17.6% which increased to 19.8% since 2007. Both nodal disease or metastatic disease at presentation was associated with increasing odds of trial enrollment (OR = 5.36 and P

This selection from the NCCN Guidelines for Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Oncology focuses on treatment and management considerations for AYA patients with cancer. Compared with older adults with cancer, AYA patients have unique needs regarding treatment, fertility counseling, psychosocial and behavioral issues, and supportive care services. The complete version of the NCCN Guidelines for AYA Oncology addresses additional aspects of caring for AYA patients, including risk factors, screening, diagnosis, and survivorship.

The unique needs of adolescent and young adult (AYA) oncology patients have been identified through research and well described in the literature.1–4 Defined as individuals aged 15–39 years, these patients benefit from age-appropriate multidisciplinary care with attention to psychosocial, fertility, financial, and physical effects of cancer, from diagnosis through survivorship. These are termed the pillars of AYA care. With the goal of improving outcomes for the 72,000 AYA patients diagnosed with cancer every year in the United States, AYA programs are being developed. Organizations such as Teen Cancer America (TCA, www.teencanceramerica.org) and Critical Mass (criticalmass.org) provide advocacy, collaboration, and resources for personnel, as well as physical space for AYA patients at major medical centers. Early reports of successful programs have been mitigated more recently by recognition of real barriers to successful program development, prompting an ongoing national dialogue. This article seeks to examine our institution's model and offer solutions to overcome real and perceived barriers to optimal AYA oncology care. Specifically, we examine our institution's model that involves a pediatric oncologist AYA champion employed within an adult cancer center, which we term the Immersive Model. This differs from other models that typically separate pediatric and adult oncology by building and department or medical group. Traditionally, AYA programs have been created to bridge the gap between pediatric and adult centers, often using acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) care as a model. Pediatric oncologists would expand the age of patients seen upward, to provide direct care or participate in tumor boards with adult medicine colleagues. There is a data-driven consensus in the pediatric oncology community that so-called pediatric-inspired regimens improve outcomes for AYA patients compared with standard adult approaches for ALL and a perception that the medical oncology world has been slow to universally adopt these regimens with variation in levels of adoption across centers.5–8 Controversy regarding the optimal treatment for ALL continues at many centers, causing AYA program growth to be hindered. Moffitt Cancer Center (MCC) is a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center based in Tampa, Florida that is uniquely organized by multidisciplinary disease teams rather than the more traditional model of departments of medicine, surgery, and other specialties. Thus, it is common for physicians to report to chairs with different, medical, or surgical, for example, board certifications and training than their own. The AYA program at MCC is led by a pediatric oncologist who reports directly to the chair of the Sarcoma Program, who is a surgical oncologist. MCC does not have a pediatric oncology practice and does not routinely care for patients under 15 years of age, although disease-specific expertise may be provided on a case-by-case basis, with administrative approval. MCC sees ∼16,000 new patients each year, with over 1500 of these new patients ranging from 15 to 39 years of age. This means that 100–125 unique AYA patients visit MCC each day, and 10% of inpatient beds are occupied by AYA patients. This volume prompted an administrative decision to contribute hospital resources to AYA patients, with coordinator support. Clinically, the Immersive Model began at MCC with a pediatric oncologist from All Children's Hospital providing care to sarcoma patients up to 40 years of age with select diagnoses. The program continues to collaborate with Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in a variety of ways, including several ongoing research collaborations and multiple physicians with clinical privileges at both facilities. Other groups, bringing broad and necessary expertise, began participating in the program (Fig. 1). MCC has grown to a multidisciplinary AYA Committee that is structured with five subcommittees that focus on: fertility, research, patient education, social events, and psychosocial issues. The entire group meets monthly in an open forum to share communication and discuss opportunities, provide updates on new and ongoing committee initiatives, and review factors that facilitate and obstruct local AYA care. Open in a separate window FIG. 1. AYA Program Organizational Chart: The AYA program incorporates many disciplines and areas of expertise together across traditional cancer center departments. AYA, adolescent and young adult.

Background Myoepithelial carcinoma of soft tissue is a rare, malignant neoplasm that is morphologically and immunophenotypically similar to its counterpart in salivary gland. It demonstrates myoepithelial differentiation, possessing both epithelial and myogenic characteristics. Thought to be chemotherapy insensitive, the optimal treatment regimen of this tumor has yet to be established and only a select few cases in the literature discuss treatment efficacy in detail. Case presentation Here we present a case of a young adult with metastatic myoepithelial carcinoma with an initial excellent response to systemic therapy utilizing carboplatin and paclitaxel with continued complete response after 3 years. The patient also underwent complete surgical excision and received adjuvant radiation to the primary site of disease. Exome sequencing revealed an inactivating mutation in RB1 which we believe to be the first such mutation to be reported in this cancer type. Conclusions Given increasing evidence suggesting RB1 loss is associated with responsiveness to conventional chemotherapies, particularly platinum-based regimens, we hypothesize that this genetic feature predisposed chemosensitivity in our patient’s tumor.

When pediatric, adolescent, and young adult patients present with a bone sarcoma, treatment decisions, especially after relapse, are complex and require a multidisciplinary approach. This review presents scenarios commonly encountered in the therapy of bone sarcomas with the goal of objectively presenting a consensus, multidisciplinary management approach. Little variation was found in the authors' group with respect to local control or systemic therapy. Clinical trials were universally prioritized in all settings. Decisions regarding relapse therapies in the absence of a clinical trial had very minor variations initially, but a consensus was reached after a literature review and discussion. This review presents a concise document and figures as a starting point for evidence-based care for patients with these rare diseases. This framework allows prospective decision making and prioritization of clinical trials. It is hoped that this framework will inspire and focus future clinical research and thus lead to new trials to improve efficacy and reduce toxicity. Cancer 2017;123:2206-2218. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Female patients with childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer are at increased risk for fertility impairment when treatment adversely affects the function of reproductive organs. Patients and their families desire biological children but substantial variations in clinical practice guidelines reduce consistent and timely implementation of effective interventions for fertility preservation across institutions. As part of the PanCareLIFE Consortium, and in collaboration with the International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group, we reviewed the current literature and developed a clinical practice guideline for fertility preservation in female patients who were diagnosed with childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer at age 25 years or younger, including guidance on risk assessment and available methods for fertility preservation. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology was used to grade the available evidence and to form the recommendations. This clinical practice guideline leverages existing evidence and international expertise to develop transparent recommendations that are easy to use to facilitate the care of female patients with childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer who are at high risk for fertility impairment. A complete review of the existing evidence, including a quality assessment, transparent reporting of the guideline panel's decisions, and achievement of global interdisciplinary consensus, is an important result of this intensive collaboration.

Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver (UESL) is a rare and aggressive malignancy. Though the molecular underpinnings of this cancer have been largely unexplored, recurrent chromosomal breakpoints affecting a noncoding region on chr19q13, which includes the chromosome 19 microRNA cluster (C19MC), have been reported in several cases. We performed comprehensive molecular profiling on samples from 14 patients diagnosed with UESL. Congruent with prior reports, we identified structural variants in chr19q13 in 10 of 13 evaluable tumors. From whole transcriptome sequencing, we observed striking expressional activity of the entire C19MC region. Concordantly, in 7 of 7 samples undergoing miRNAseq, we observed hyperexpression of the miRNAs within this cluster to levels >100 fold compared to matched normal tissue or a non-C19MC amplified cancer cell line. Concurrent TP53 mutation or copy number loss was identified in all evaluable tumors with evidence of C19MC overexpression. We find that C19MC miRNAs exhibit significant negative correlation to TP53 regulatory miRNAs and K-Ras regulatory miRNAs. Using RNA-seq we identified that pathways relevant to cellular differentiation as well as mRNA translation machinery are transcriptionally enriched in UESL. In summary, utilizing a combination of next-generation sequencing and high-density arrays we identify the combination of C19MC hyperexpression via chromosomal structural event with TP53 mutation or loss as highly recurrent genomic features of UESL., Author summary We perform the most comprehensive molecular analysis to date of undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver, utilizing whole exome sequencing, RNA sequencing, miRNA sequencing, and SNP arrays. We find that UESL tumors harbor aberrant transcriptional start sites within C19MC region that is driven by structural rearrangement, leading to extreme overexpression of C19MC miRNAs. We further find that C19MC miRNAs negatively correlate with TP53 and K-Ras regulatory miRNAs. UESL also harbors highly recurrent TP53 mutation or copy number loss. Therefore, we provide for the first time a genomic landscape of UESL and describe cellular consequences of the discovered foundational genomic changes.

Purpose: We recently reported a 17.5% objective RECIST 1.1 response rate in a phase II study of pembrolizumab in patients with advanced sarcoma (SARC028). The majority of responses occurred in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) and dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS). We sought to determine whether we can identify immune features that correlate with clinical outcomes from tumor tissues obtained pre- and on-treatment. Patients and Methods: Pretreatment (n = 78) and 8-week on-treatment (n = 68) tumor biopsies were stained for PD-L1 and multiplex immunofluorescence panels. The density of positive cells was quantified to determine associations with anti–PD-1 response. Results: Patients that responded to pembrolizumab were more likely to have higher densities of activated T cells (CD8+ CD3+ PD-1+) and increased percentage of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) expressing PD-L1 pre-treatment compared with non-responders. Pre-treatment tumors from responders also exhibited higher densities of effector memory cytotoxic T cells and regulatory T cells compared with non-responders. In addition, higher density of cytotoxic tumor-infiltrating T cells at baseline correlated with a better progression-free survival (PFS). Conclusions: We show that quantitative assessments of CD8+ CD3+ PD-1+ T cells, percentage of TAMs expressing PD-L1, and other T-cell densities correlate with sarcoma response to pembrolizumab and improved PFS. Our findings support that multiple cell types present at the start of treatment may enhance tumor regression following anti–PD-1 therapy in specific advanced sarcomas. Efforts to confirm the activity of pembrolizumab in an expansion cohort of patients with UPS/DDLPS are underway.

BACKGROUND Identification and development of young investigators (YI) is critical to the long-term success of research organizations. In 2004, the Children's Oncology Group (COG) created a mentorship program to foster the career development of YIs (faculty

BACKGROUND Alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS) is an uncommon malignancy that may present in a manner similar to benign vascular tumors. METHODS A 6-year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder was referred to the Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital vascular anomalies clinic for the evaluation of a tongue mass. RESULTS Prior to the presentation, at 5 years of age, neck computed tomography (CT) was performed. This showed a well circumscribed, enhancing mass at the anterior aspect of the tongue. The radiologic impression was that this lesion was most likely a hemangioma. Two years later, the patient was evaluated in the vascular anomalies clinic. At that examination a 2-3 cm swelling was noted on the dorsal aspect of the tongue. The mass was fleshy and firm with discrete borders. Handheld Doppler examination indicated a high-flow lesion. The patient underwent an excisional biopsy. The lesion was identified as an alveolar soft-part sarcoma based on pathologic characteristics. CONCLUSION Familiarity with common vascular tumors and malformations allows providers to diagnose the majority of these lesions on a combination of clinical history and physical examination. Atypical and combined lesions do benefit from imaging to help characterize and aid in the differential diagnosis. Biopsy enables definitive diagnosis but is necessary in the minority of cases. When in doubt, referral to a specialized, multidisciplinary vascular anomalies clinic will ensure that these patients receive management for this challenging collection of conditions.

9584 Background: Melanoma is the second most common malignancy affecting AYA patients after lymphoma. Nevertheless, AYA melanoma does constitute a minority of all melanoma cases. Additionally, the AYA population is not well represented in prospective clinical trials, including immunotherapy trials. While previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of ICIs across age groups, it remains unclear if toxicity profiles will be similar. In the general population, age-related changes in the immune milieu result in differential incidences of autoimmune diseases by age. This study aims to compare the toxicity profile between a cohort of AYA melanoma versus elderly melanoma patients receiving ICI therapy. Methods: In this single NCCN institutional study, electronic medical records of melanoma patients treated with ICIs between 01/2007-01/2019 were reviewed. Subjects receiving concurrent investigational agents or chemotherapy were excluded. The AYA cohort included those aged 15-40 years. The elderly cohort included those aged ≥65 years. Adverse events were coded according to CTC-AE version 5.0. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Analyses included 184 treatment courses. In the AYA cohort (N = 57), median age at ICI initiation was 28.8 years (range: 17.9-39.3). In the Elderly cohort (N = 127), median age at ICI initiation was 72.3 years. More AYA patients (28.1% AYA vs. 7.9% Elderly) received ICI combination regimens. The most common adverse events amongst both cohorts were transaminitis (23.4%), rashes (49.5%), and diarrhea/colitis (20%). Incidences of pneumonitis, colitis, hypothyroidism, and hypophysitis did not differ significantly between cohorts. However, the AYA cohort experienced a higher incidence of transaminitis (38.6% AYA vs. 16.5% Elderly, p =0.001 ) and increased occurrence of treatment related hospitalization (26.3% AYA vs. 7.1% Elderly, p

11530 Background: Based on seven prior Phase 2 Children’s Oncology Group (COG) trials, the 4-month event-free survival(EFS) and associated confidence interval for relapsed osteosarcoma with measurable disease according to RECIST was determined to be 12% (95% CI 6 - 19%). Three prospective clinical trials were conducted using this historical benchmark to detect activity defined by an EFS improvement of double the upper confidence interval. This report summarizes the outcome of these studies, describes whether the historical data remains an accurate baseline, and considers implications for future phase II trial study design in relapsed osteosarcoma measurable according to RECIST. Methods: We conducted an analysis of outcome for patients with recurrent/refractory osteosarcoma enrolled in three recent prospective COG phase II trials; AOST1321 (unresected cohort), AOST1322 and AOST1521 that used EFS at 4 months as the primary endpoint. Patients were eligible if they had osteosarcoma that had recurred or become refractory after standard therapy and had measurable disease according to RECIST. We assessed whether risk of an EFS event is modified by age, sex, race/ethnicity, number of prior chemotherapy regimens, or time to first relapse. Results: In each of the three phase II trials (unresected group of AOST1321, AOST1322, AOST1521), the drugs tested (denosumab, eribulin and glembatumumab) were concluded to be not effective due to a failure of the patient populations to meet the prespecified active 4-month progression free survival endpoint. The 4-month EFS for the 57 evaluable patients enrolled on these trials was 7% (95% CI 2 – 16%), similar to the 4-month EFS for 96 patients in the previous seven phase II trials of 12% (95% CI 6 - 19%). The combined EFS at 4 months for all 10 studies is 10% (95% CI 6 – 15%).There was no significant difference in EFS across trials based on age, sex, ethnicity, number of prior treatment regimens, consistent with prior analysis. Data from AOST1321 and AOST1521 were analyzed to determine the impact of time to first recurrence on EFS. Two different quantifications were applied: 1 year or less versus 2 or more years; and 2 years or less versus 3 years or more. Neither categorization was statistically significant. Conclusions: The EFS at 4 months in the three new phase II trials is similar to the previous seven phase II single arm trials. The combined analysis of 153 patients from 10 trials tightens the confidence interval, moving the upper 95% CI to 15%. Modification to future study designs could be considered based on this updated analysis. EFS at 4 months remains a robust primary endpoint. Single-arm trials using this endpoint based on the historical benchmark have accrued rapidly and allowed assessment of multiple novel agents in osteosarcoma. The negative trial results and continued poor outcome highlight the need for new approaches for relapsed osteosarcoma. Clinical trial information: NCT02097238, NCT02470091, NCT02487979.

10023 Background: Amongst patients with recurrent osteosarcoma (OS), those with resectable pulmonary-only relapse appear to have the best outcomes. Prior analysis of patients with completely resected recurrent OS enrolled on a Children’s Oncology Group (COG) Phase 2 trial AOST0221, which studied the efficacy of inhaled GMCSF, showed a 12- month disease control rate (DCR12) of only 20% (95% CI, 10 – 34%). DCR12 based on this analysis was used as the historical benchmark for efficacy analysis in two recently completed trials, AOST1321 (completely resected cohort only) and AOST1421. We analyzed the stability of the DCR12 benchmark using data from these contemporary studies. Methods: Patients were eligible for AOST1321 if they had undergone resection of all sites of recurrent or refractory OS within 30 days of enrollment and for AOST1421 if they had lung only recurrent OS completely resected within 4 weeks of enrollment. AOST1321 evaluated denosumab while AOST1421 evaluated dinutuximab. Patients with refractory disease, extrapulmonary recurrence or without histological confirmation of relapse were excluded from this analysis. DCR12 was defined as having at least stable disease 12 months after the start of protocol therapy. We report the DCR12 observed on AOST1321, AOST1421 and AOST0221. Results: One hundred and twenty-eight evaluable patients with completely resected recurrent OS were enrolled on AOST0221 (N=49), AOST1321 (N=38) and AOST1421 (N=41). One hundred and one patients were included in this analysis (AOST0221: 37, AOST 1321: 25, AOST1421:39). DCR12 was 14 % (95% CI, 5% – 26%) for AOST0221, 24% (95%CI 10-42%) for AOST1321, and 31% (95% CI, 17% - 45%) for AOST1421. Risk for disease progression did not differ across the 3 included studies. DCR12 for all three studies combined was 23% (95% CI, 15% – 31%). Conclusions: Prognosis for recurrent OS remains dismal, even for those with resectable pulmonary-only disease. Although not statistically significant, dinutuximab may have activity in a select group of relapsed OS patients; combination studies using dinutuximab are planned. The previously described benchmark of disease control at 12 months remained relatively consistent in recent studies for those patients who have resectable pulmonary-only relapse. Therefore, DCR12 remains a useful outcome measure in fully resected OS with lung only metastases. Analyses are ongoing to better define the appropriate threshold to define investigational agent activity in this specific patient population.

105 Background: In the era of precision medicine, development of new cancer therapies relies strongly on effective selection of target patient population. We hypothesize that computational analysis of imaging data can be used for development of a quantitative population enrichment strategy in clinical trials and thus we aim to establish an appropriate framework for this analysis. Methods: This hypothesis was tested among soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) patients accrued into a randomized Phase III clinical trial (SARC021) that evaluated the efficacy of evofosfamide (Evo), a hypoxia activated prodrug, in combination with doxorubicin (Dox). Notably, SARC021 failed to meet its survival objective (PMC7771354). We tested whether an inclusion/exclusion model based on radiomic analysis and relevant clinical covariates could have been employed to result in a significant treatment benefit of the Evo+Dox combination compared to the standard Dox monotherapy. A total of 163 radiomics features were extracted from lung metastases of 303 patients from the SARC021 trial, divided into demographically matched training and test sets. Stability analysis identified the most reproducible features. Univariable and multivariable models were utilized to discriminate OS in the two treatment groups. Results: A bespoke enrichment framework was established for individualized patient selection, based on model-derived risk score threshold. A radiomic feature, Short Run Emphasis, was identified as the most informative. When combined with tumor histology and smoking history information, an enriched subset (42%) of patients had longer OS in Evo+Dox vs. Dox groups [p = 0.01, Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0.57 (0.36-0.90)], overperforming a clinical-only approach. Application of the same model and threshold value in an independent test set confirmed the significant survival difference (p = 0.002, HR = 0.29 (0.13-0.63), 38% patients included). The breakdown of Dox+Evo treatment benefit depending on proportion of patients included based on the model is shown in the Table. Notably, this process also identified patients most likely to benefit from doxorubicin alone. Conclusions: The study presents a first of its kind radiomic approach for patient enrichment in clinical trials based on a quantitative score. In particular, we have shown that had the novel model been used for selective patient inclusion into the SARC021 trial, it would have met its primary survival objective for patients with metastatic STS.[Table: see text]

Introduction There has been little improvement in cancer survival of adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients, aged 18 to 39 years, possibly reflecting different disease biology. Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is mainly a disease of the elderly. The characteristics, outcomes, and response to treatment are not well described in the AYA population. Patients and Methods This was a retrospective review of patients from the Moffitt Cancer Center MDS database. We compared baseline characteristics and outcomes of the AYA population to older patients. We identified 51 AYA and 1897 older MDS patients. More female subjects and Hispanics were noted in AYA group. Results The AYA patients had higher risk disease, more circulating myeloblasts, and more hypoplastic MDS. Autoimmune disorders were more prevalent in older patients. The median overall survival (OS) was 47 months in the AYA group versus 40 months in the older group ( P = .26). The median OS was 47 versus 56 months in lower risk AYA group and older group, respectively ( P = .46). In the higher risk group, median OS was 82 months in the AYA group compared to 17 months in the older group ( P = .001). Thirty individuals (59%) underwent allogeneic stem-cell transplantation in the AYA group versus 241 (13%) in the older group. The median OS for transplanted patients was 55 months in the AYA group and 46 months in the older group ( P = .4). In the nontransplanted patients, median survival was 31 months for the AYA group and 39 months for the older group ( P = .9). The rate of acute myeloid leukemia transformation was 37% versus 28% in the AYA and older groups, respectively ( P = .17). No differences in use or response to hypomethylating agents were observed. Lenalidomide therapy was seldom used in AYA, as none presented with del5q. In AYA, poor karyotype was the only variable strongly associated with worse outcome. Fifteen patients had poor risk karyotypes (29%). The median OS was 47 months, not reached, and 29 months among patients with good, intermediate, and poor risk cytogenetics, respectively ( P = .035). Conclusion MDS is rare and tends to be more aggressive in the AYA population. Karyotype was the most important prognostic factor. Allogeneic stem-cell transplantation offered younger patients the best outcomes.

Purpose Systemic therapy has improved rhabdomyosarcoma event-free and overall survival; however, approximately 40 % of patients will have progressive or recurrent disease which is difficult to cure and remains a considerable challenge. Minimal progress has been made in improving outcomes for metastatic or relapsed RMS due to a lack of effective therapeutic agents. Targeted therapies are likely to be incorporated into regimens which rely on conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy. A system to evaluate novel combinations of interest is needed. Methods In this study, we explored 8 agents, 5 that are routinely used or similar to agents used in the clinical management of RMS and 3 biologically targeted agents with novel mechanisms of action, the Wee1 inhibitor AZD1775, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor cabozantinib, and the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib. All were tested individually at clinically achievable concentrations for activity in 4 RMS cell lines and then for potential synergy in two-drug combinations. Results We found single-agent activity in five of the agents (or their active metabolites) that constitute the standard of care in RMS and for AZD1775 with mean IC50 values of 207 ng/ml, well below clinically achievable levels. In addition, the combination of individual cytotoxic chemotherapeutics currently used for RMS demonstrated largely synergistic activity with higher, but clinically achievable concentrations of AZD1775 in our assays. Conclusions Prioritization of chemotherapeutics in RMS is possible using an in vitro system that can define novel drug combinations worthy of future investigation. AZD1775 exhibits single-agent activity, as well as synergy with conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy, and is a novel targeted agent that warrants further study in RMS. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00280-016-3077-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background The incidence and outcomes of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) varies by age. Younger patients tend to have sporadic cancers that are not detected by screening and worse survival. To understand whether genetic differences exist between age cohorts, the authors sought to characterize unique genetic alterations in patients with CRC. Methods In total, 283 patients who were diagnosed with sporadic CRC between 1998 and 2010 were identified and divided by age into 2 cohorts-ages ≤45 years (the younger cohort) and ≥65 years (the older cohort)-and targeted exome sequencing was performed. The Fisher exact test was used to detect differences in mutation frequencies between the 2 groups. Whole exome sequencing was performed on 21 additional younger patient samples for validation. Findings were confirmed in The Cancer Genome Atlas CRC data set. Results In total, 246 samples were included for final analysis (195 from the older cohort and 51 from the younger cohort). Mutations in the FBXW7 gene were more common in the younger cohort (27.5% vs 9.7%; P = .0022) as were mutations in the proofreading domain of polymerase e catalytic subunit (POLE) (9.8% vs 1%; P = .0048). There were similar mutation rates between cohorts with regard to TP53 (64.7% vs 61.5%), KRAS (43.1% vs 46.2%), and APC (60.8% vs 73.8%). BRAF mutations were numerically more common in the older cohort, although the difference did not reach statistical significance (2% vs 9.7%; P = .082). Conclusions In this retrospective study, a unique genetic profile was identified for younger patients who have CRC compared with patients who are diagnosed at an older age. These findings should be validated in a larger study and could have an impact on future screening and treatment modalities for younger patients with CRC. Cancer 2016. © 2016 American Cancer Society. Cancer 2016;122:2828-2835. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Sarcomas are a rare subgroup of pediatric cancers comprised of a variety of bone and soft-tissue tumors. While significant advances have been made in improving outcomes of patients with localized pediatric sarcomas since the addition of systemic chemotherapy to local control many decades ago, outcomes for patients with metastatic and relapsed sarcoma remain poor with few novel therapeutics identified to date. With the advent of new technologies to study cancer genomes, transcriptomes and epigenomes, our understanding of sarcoma biology has improved tremendously in a relatively short period of time. However, much remains to be accomplished in this arena especially with regard to translating all of this new knowledge to the bedside. To this end, a meeting was convened in Philadelphia, PA on April 18, 2015 sponsored by the QuadW foundation, Children’s Oncology Group and CureSearch for Children’s Cancer that brought together sarcoma clinicians and scientists from North America to review the current state of pediatric sarcoma biology and ongoing/planned genomics based clinical trials in an effort to identify and bridge knowledge gaps that continue to exist at the current time. At the conclusion of the workshop, three key objectives that would significantly further our understanding of sarcoma were identified and a proposal was put forward to develop an all-encompassing pediatric sarcoma biology protocol that would address these specific needs. This review summarizes the proceedings of the workshop.

Pediatric melanoma has been rising in incidence in recent years and its management poses challenges that are frequently exacerbated by diagnostic uncertainty about the benign or malignant nature of many pediatric melanocytic neoplasms. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), originally described by Dr. Donald L. Morton, has been incorporated selectively into the management of pediatric atypical melanocytic neoplasms (AMNs), but its value and significance in this scenario have been controversial. Herein, we describe a comprehensive approach to the evaluation and management of pediatric AMNs that involves SLNB as a diagnostic, staging, and potentially therapeutic tool. We also describe our approach to educating patients and their families about the inherent uncertainties involved in diagnosing and predicting the ultimate behavior of pediatric melanocytic lesions. In addition, we stress the importance of long-term follow-up, as well as ongoing research to improve our understanding of the prognostic factors and histopathologic characteristics that may one day allow us to minimize or eliminate entirely this diagnostically uncertain category of skin lesions.

11529 Background: Maximum tumor dimension > 8 cm. and large tumor volume have been reported to be adverse prognostic factors in patients with ES but have not been prospectively evaluated in the context of a phase 3 clinical trial with interval compressed chemotherapy. Methods: COG AEWS1031 (NCT01231906) was a randomized phase 3 clinical trial comparing interval compressed chemotherapy regimens in patients with newly diagnosed localized ES of bone and soft tissue. A correlative objective of AEWS1031 was to evaluate tumor size and volume as prognostic factors. Institution-reported dimensions of the primary tumor from baseline imaging were prospectively collected. For inclusion in this analysis, patients had to have at least 1 tumor dimension reported for tumor size analyses and dimensions in 3 axes for tumor volume analyses. Maximum dimension was dichotomized as less than vs. > / = 8cm. Tumor volume was dichotomized as less than vs. > / = 200 mL. Event-free (EFS) and overall survival (OS) from enrollment were calculated using Kaplan-Meier methods and compared between groups using a two-sided log-rank test. Hazard ratios (HR) and confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using the Cox model. Results: The 5-year EFS and OS of the 629 eligible patients was 78% (95% CI: 75-81%) and 87% (95% CI: 84-90%) respectively and there was no significant difference in both EFS and OS between the randomized interval compressed chemotherapy arms of AEWS1031. 590 of 629 (94%) patients were evaluable for maximum tumor dimension and 307 (52%) had tumors > / = 8 cm. Patients with tumors > / = 8 cm were at significantly increased risk for EFS events (p = 0.016) with estimated 5-year EFS of 73.7% (95% CI: 68.1 vs.78.4%) vs. 82.9% (95% CI 77.7-87.1%) for patients with tumors < 8 cm [HR: 1.53 (1.08-2.17)]. For tumor volume, 586 of 629 patients (93%) were evaluable and 180 (31%) had tumors > / = 200 mL. Patients with tumor volume > / = 200 mL were at significantly increased risk for EFS events (p = 0.003) with estimated 5-year EFS of 70% (95% CI: 62.3-76.4%) vs. 81.6% (95% CI: 77.2-85.2%) for patients with tumors < 200 mL [HR: 1.69 (1.2-2.39)]. Conclusions: Maximum tumor dimension and tumor volume as defined are both prognostic in patients with newly diagnosed localized ES treated with interval compressed chemotherapy. Clinical trial information: NCT01231906 .

e19214 Background: ARST1321(PAZNTIS): A Phase II/III Randomized Trial of Preoperative Chemoradiation or Preoperative Radiation Plus or Minus Pazopanib (NCT02180867) was the first National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) study co-developed by pediatric (COG) and adult (NRG Oncology) consortia anticipating enrollment of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients. ARST1321 had two treatment cohorts, enrolling patients ≥ 2 years of age to either chemotherapy (C) (chemoradiation ± pazopanib) or non-chemotherapy (NC) (radiation ± pazopanib) arms. It was anticipated adults would contribute the majority of enrollments on the NC arm based on prior enrollment patterns. While the C arm accrued as anticipated (with high enrollment of adults and children), the NC arm had low enrollment leading to premature closure. We report on AYA accrual (defined as 15-39 years) to the NC arm and a survey aiming to identify barriers to enrolling AYA patients onto ARST1321. Methods: Our survey was emailed to 161 adult, surgical, and radiation oncologists at large sarcoma centers. A link was sent to an online questionnaire via SurveyMonkey Inc. and responses were reviewed on their platform. Results: 33 patients enrolled on the ARST1321 NC arm, of which 24% were AYA. 25% of AYA enrollments were from non-COG adult cooperative groups. This trial arm was closed in October 2017 after 3.25 years of accrual below anticipated rates. The survey response rate was 31% with a 70% completion rate. Almost half of respondents were medical oncologists with most seeing 50-200 new sarcoma cases/year at an academic institution and 30% in a pediatric environment (divided equally between radiation and surgical oncologists). 70% of respondents have a joint collaboration with their pediatric oncology team with 23% having a joint clinic. 70% of respondents’ sites opened ARST1321 and anticipated 1-5 patients would be eligible for the NC cohort. However, 42% of respondents’ sites had zero patients enrolled on that arm. The most common reasons for not opening the study and/or not enrolling patients on the NC arm included: lack of interest, disagreement with the therapy, lack of a site investigator, premature study closure, patient/family decision, competing trials, insufficient reimbursement, and regulatory delays. Conclusions: Our survey highlights multiple barriers to enrollment of AYA onto cross-NCTN consortia clinical trials spanning the age spectrum. The information obtained will help inform investigators aiming to effectively design, enroll, and conduct similar trial efforts for AYA in the future.

TPS11567 Background: Ewing sarcoma (ES) is a rare, aggressive bone and soft tissue cancer that predominantly afflicts adolescents and young adults. Novel therapeutic agents are needed as there are no approved targeted treatments for this disease. ES is characterized by a chromosomal translocation resulting in an EWS/ETS fusion oncoprotein, a transcription factor that results in aberrant gene expression leading to ES progression. Lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) associates with EWS/ETS oncoproteins to alter gene expression and contribute to disease progression. Directly inhibiting EWS/ETS is challenging and little progress has been made, though targeting LSD1 presents a viable therapeutic strategy for ES. Seclidemstat (SP-2577, Salarius Pharmaceuticals) is a first-in-class, orally bioavailable, small molecule with reversible and noncompetitive selective inhibition of LSD1 at low nanomolar concentrations (IC50: 25-50 nM). Seclidemstat inhibits LSD1’s scaffolding functions and enzymatic activity to help reverse aberrant gene expression. In vitro data show that treatment with seclidemstat, or seclidemstat analog, modulates EWS/ETS transcriptional activity, down-regulating oncogene expression and up-regulating tumor-suppressor gene expression. In in vivo xenograft studies (e.g., SK-N-MC, A673), mice treated with seclidemstat show significant tumor growth inhibition/regression vs the control vehicle group. Methods: This phase 1/2 clinical study of seclidemstat is being conducted in relapsed or refractory ES (NCT03600649). The trial is an open-label, non-randomized dose-escalation/dose-expansion study designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose through single-patient dose escalation followed by traditional 3+3 design. The primary objective is to assess seclidemstat’s safety and tolerability while secondary objectives include pharmacokinetics, efficacy and exploratory pharmacodynamic markers. Patients must be ≥12 years old, have received at least 1 prior line of therapy including a prior camptothecin-based regimen, with a life expectancy > 4 months. All patients receive seclidemstat twice-daily (BID) as oral tablets until unacceptable toxicity or disease progression. Patients are followed for survival until the end of study. The trial is currently recruiting across 8 locations in the United States. Upon identification of the recommended phase 2 dose, that cohort will be expanded to enroll a total of 20 patients. Clinical trial information: NCT03600649 .

Background Pulmonary metastasectomy (PM) for metastatic sarcoma can result in long-term survival. The purpose of this study was to describe factors associated with survival in a series of patients undergoing PM for metastatic sarcoma. Methods We reviewed all patients undergoing PM for metastatic sarcoma over a 12-year period (2000–2012). Multivariate analyses were used to identify factors associated with outcomes. Survival was calculated with Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazard models. Results A total of 120 patients underwent PM with a median follow-up was 48 months. Among 81 (85%) patients who presented with local disease, the median disease free interval (DFI) was 13 months and median overall survival (OS) was 48 months. Fourteen patients (15%) had synchronous metastasis with a median OS of 21 months. On multivariate analysis, synchronous metastasis (P = 0.005), older age (P = 0.02), and number of lung lesions (P = 0.003) were associated with poor survival. The median OS of patients with a DFI ≥12 versus 12 months have the best OS following PM, patients with a DFI

The adolescent and young adult (AYA) population is underserved because of unique late-effect issues, particularly future fertility. This study sought to establish rates of documentation of discussion of risk of infertility, fertility preservation (FP) options, and referrals to fertility specialists in AYA patients' medical records at four cancer centers.All centers reviewed randomized records within the top four AYA disease sites (breast, leukemia/lymphoma, sarcoma, and testicular). Eligible records included those of patients: diagnosed in 2011, with no prior receipt of gonadotoxic therapy; age 18 to 45 years; with no multiple primary cancers; and for whom record was not second opinion. Quality Oncology Practice Initiative methods were used to evaluate documentation of discussion of risk of infertility, discussion of FP options, and referral to a fertility specialist.Of 231 records, 26% documented infertility risk discussion, 24% documented FP option discussion, and 13% documented referral to a fertility specialist. Records were less likely to contain evidence of infertility risk and FP option discussions for female patients (P = .030 and .004, respectively) and those with breast cancer (P = .021 and.001, respectively). Records for Hispanic/Latino patients were less likely to contain evidence of infertility risk discussion (P = .037). Records were less likely to document infertility risk discussion, FP option discussion, and fertility specialist referral for patients age ≥ 40 years (P.001,.001, and .002, respectively) and those who already had children (all P.001).The overall rate of documentation of discussion of FP is low, and results show disparities among specific groups. Although greater numbers of discussions may be occurring, there is a need to create interventions to improve documentation.

Adolescent and young adults with cancer (AYACs) face unique medical, psychosocial, and supportive care needs. The purpose of this study was to identify AYACs perceptions and expectations of cancer care services on and off treatment.Semistructured interviews were conducted with 23 AYACs aged 19-38 years (13 on and 10 off treatment), who were receiving care at a comprehensive cancer center. Verbatim transcripts were created from audiotaped interviews and hand coded using inductive content analysis methodology.Perceptions of optimal care were reported by AYACs through two main themes as follows: perceived barriers and facilitators during treatment. Within each main theme were three subthemes, including perceived facilitators reported as the provision of social support, the website and patient portal, and the educational information provided by the cancer center. Younger female AYACs (age 19-31) on active treatment reported perceived barriers to optimal care related to the management of physical and mental health symptoms, while older patients (age 32 and up) on active treatment endorsed a fear of cancer returning. The third perceived barrier equally endorsed by patients both on and off treatment and across age ranges included limited assistance with financial issues.AYACs reported perceived barriers and facilitators to optimal care. Implications for these findings are discussed in the context of the importance of adding a patient navigator to the AYACs care team.

Background Mentorship of junior faculty is an integral component of career development. The Children's Oncology Group (COG) Young Investigator (YI) Committee designed a mentorship program in 2004 whose purpose was to pair YIs (faculty ≤10 years of first academic appointment) with a senior mentor to assist with career development and involvement in COG research activities. This study reports on the committee's ability to achieve these goals. Procedure An online survey was sent to YIs who were registered with the program from 2004 to2015, assessing three major domains: (1) overall experience with the mentor pairing, (2) satisfaction with the program, and (3) academic accomplishments of the mentees. Results The response rate was 64% (110/171). Overall, YIs rated the success of their mentorship pairing as 7.2 out of 10 (median) (25th, 75th quartile 3.6, 9.6). The direct effects of the mentorship program included 70% YIs reporting a positive effect on their career, 40% reporting any grant or manuscript resulting from the pairing, 47% forming a new research collaboration, and 43% receiving appointment to a COG committee. Respondents reported success in COG with 38% authoring a manuscript on behalf of COG and 65% reporting a leadership position including seven current or past COG discipline chairs and 20 study chairs. Finally, 74% of respondents said they would consider serving as mentors in the program in the future. Conclusion The COG YI mentorship program has been well received by the majority of the participants and has helped to identify and train many current leaders in COG.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is an aggressive soft tissue sarcoma. To more fully characterize the genomic landscape of this tumor type, we performed next generation sequencing studies for mutational and copy number analysis. We analyzed whole exome sequencing data from 12 MPNST and SNP arrays for a subset of these. We additionally conducted a literature review of prior next generation sequencing studies in this disease and compared to the current study. We report recurrent mutations in NF1, SUZ12, EED, TP53 and CDKN2A in our study cohort. Combined with prior studies, we calculate the disease specific incidence of mutation in these genes to be: NF1 (56/64 = 87.5%). SUZ12 (69/123 = 56.1%), EED (40/123 = 32.5%), TP53 (29/72 = 40.3%), and CDKN2A (54/72 = 75.0%). Notably, we also identified frequent Ras pathway activating somatic mutations outside of these previously reported recurrently mutated genes. Five of the 12 MPNST in our cohort (42%) contained such a mutation. In conclusion, our study adds to the growing understanding of the genomic complexity of MPNST. We report a previously underappreciated frequency and variety of secondary or tertiary Ras pathway activating mutations, though not highly recurrent in a single gene.

Summary Background Patients with advanced sarcomas have a poor prognosis and few treatment options that improve overall survival. Chemotherapy and targeted therapies offer short-lived disease control. We assessed pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, for safety and activity in patients with advanced soft-tissue sarcoma or bone sarcoma. Methods In this two-cohort, single-arm, open-label, phase 2 study, we enrolled patients with soft-tissue sarcoma or bone sarcoma from 12 academic centres in the USA that were members of the Sarcoma Alliance for Research through Collaboration (SARC). Patients with soft-tissue sarcoma had to be aged 18 years or older to enrol; patients with bone sarcoma could enrol if they were aged 12 years or older. Patients had histological evidence of metastatic or surgically unresectable locally advanced sarcoma, had received up to three previous lines of systemic anticancer therapy, had at least one measurable lesion according to the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors version 1.1, and had at least one lesion accessible for biopsy. All patients were treated with 200 mg intravenous pembrolizumab every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed objective response. Patients who received at least one dose of pembrolizumab were included in the safety analysis and patients who progressed or reached at least one scan assessment were included in the activity analysis. Accrual is ongoing in some disease cohorts. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02301039. Findings Between March 13, 2015, and Feb 18, 2016, we enrolled 86 patients, 84 of whom received pembrolizumab (42 in each disease cohort) and 80 of whom were evaluable for response (40 in each disease cohort). Median follow-up was 17·8 months (IQR 12·3–19·3). Seven (18%) of 40 patients with soft-tissue sarcoma had an objective response, including four (40%) of ten patients with undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, two (20%) of ten patients with liposarcoma, and one (10%) of ten patients with synovial sarcoma. No patients with leiomyosarcoma (n=10) had an objective response. Two (5%) of 40 patients with bone sarcoma had an objective response, including one (5%) of 22 patients with osteosarcoma and one (20%) of five patients with chondrosarcoma. None of the 13 patients with Ewing's sarcoma had an objective response. The most frequent grade 3 or worse adverse events were anaemia (six [14%]), decreased lymphocyte count (five [12%]), prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (four [10%]), and decreased platelet count (three [7%]) in the bone sarcoma group, and anaemia, decreased lymphocyte count, and prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time in the soft-tissue sarcoma group (three [7%] each). Nine (11%) patients (five [12%] in the bone sarcoma group and four [10%] in the soft-tissue sarcoma group) had treatment-emergent serious adverse events (SAEs), five of whom had immune-related SAEs, including two with adrenal insufficiency, two with pneumonitis, and one with nephritis. Interpretation The primary endpoint of overall response was not met for either cohort. However, pembrolizumab showed encouraging activity in patients with undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma or dedifferentiated liposarcoma. Enrolment to expanded cohorts of those subtypes is ongoing to confirm and characterise the activity of pembrolizumab. Funding Merck, SARC, Sarcoma Foundation of America, QuadW Foundation, Pittsburgh Cure Sarcoma, and Ewan McGregor.

The NCCN Guidelines for Bone Cancer provide interdisciplinary recommendations for treating chordoma, chondrosarcoma, giant cell tumor of bone, Ewing sarcoma, and osteosarcoma. These NCCN Guidelines Insights summarize the NCCN Bone Cancer Panel's guideline recommendations for treating Ewing sarcoma. The data underlying these treatment recommendations are also discussed.

Summary Background Evofosfamide is a hypoxia-activated prodrug of bromo-isophosphoramide mustard. We aimed to assess the benefit of adding evofosfamide to doxorubicin as first-line therapy for advanced soft-tissue sarcomas. Methods We did this international, open-label, randomised, phase 3, multicentre trial (TH CR-406/SARC021) at 81 academic or community investigational sites in 13 countries. Eligible patients were aged 15 years or older with a diagnosis of an advanced unresectable or metastatic soft-tissue sarcoma, of intermediate or high grade, for which no standard curative therapy was available, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–1, and measurable disease by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive doxorubicin alone (75 mg/m 2 via bolus injection administered over 5–20 min or continuous intravenous infusion for 6–96 h on day 1 of every 21-day cycle for up to six cycles) or doxorubicin (given via the same dose procedure) plus evofosfamide (300 mg/m 2 intravenously for 30–60 min on days 1 and 8 of every 21-day cycle for up to six cycles). After six cycles of treatment, patients in the single-drug doxorubicin group were followed up expectantly whereas patients with stable or responsive disease in the combination group were allowed to continue with evofosfamide monotherapy until documented disease progression. A web-based central randomisation with block sizes of two and four was stratified by extent of disease, doxorubicin administration method, and previous systemic therapy. Patients and investigators were not masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was overall survival, analysed in the intention-to-treat population. Safety analyses were done in all patients who received any amount of study drug. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01440088. Findings Between Sept 26, 2011, and Jan 22, 2014, 640 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to a treatment group (317 to doxorubicin plus evofosfamide and 323 to doxorubicin alone), all of whom were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. The overall survival endpoint was not reached (hazard ratio 1·06, 95% CI 0·88–1·29; p=0·527), with a median overall survival of 18·4 months (95% CI 15·6–22·1) with doxorubicin plus evofosfamide versus 19·0 months (16·2–22·4) with doxorubicin alone. The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events in both groups were haematological, including anaemia (150 [48%] of 313 patients in the doxorubicin plus evofosfamide group vs 65 [21%] of 308 in the doxorubicin group), neutropenia (47 [15%] vs 92 [30%]), febrile neutropenia (57 [18%] vs 34 [11%]), leucopenia (22 [7%] vs 17 [6%]), decreased neutrophil count (31 [10%] vs 41 [13%]), and decreased white blood cell count (39 [13%] vs 33 [11%]). Grade 3–4 thrombocytopenia was more common in the combination group (45 [14%]) than in the doxorubicin alone group (four [1%]), as was grade 3–4 stomatitis (26 [8%] vs seven [2%]). Serious adverse events were reported in 145 (46%) of 313 patients in the combination group and 99 (32%) of 308 in the doxorubicin alone group. Five (2%) patients died from treatment-related causes in the combination group (sepsis [n=2], septic shock [n=1], congestive cardiac failure [n=1], and unknown cause [n=1]) versus one ( Interpretation The addition of evofosfamide to doxorubicin as first-line therapy did not improve overall survival compared with single-drug doxorubicin in patients with locally advanced, unresectable, or metastatic soft-tissue sarcomas and so this combination cannot be recommended in this setting. Funding Threshold Pharmaceuticals.

Driven by reports of unmet clinical needs and lack of survival improvement, programs for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer have become increasingly common across the United States during the past 10 years. Programs generally originate from existing pediatric or adult hospitals, serve all or a subset of patients between 15 and 39 years of age at the time of cancer diagnosis, and aim to work collaboratively with other branches of their institution to deliver superior care for AYAs. Until recently, programs responded to local needs and evolved without an established framework for growth. Over the past several years, organizations including NCCN have published guidelines for AYA cancer care and for the development of clinical AYA programs. This article reviews these publications, describes the growth and development of 2 nationally recognized AYA centers--Seattle Children's Hospital and Moffitt Cancer Center--and offers practical suggestions to assist developing AYA programs. AYA oncology is entering a new era of increasing public recognition and nationally coordinated growth, as evidenced by the recent establishment of the Change it Back's Centers of Excellence Program that codifies criteria for excellence in AYA cancer care. AYA programs have the potential to improve care for a vital and underserved patient population, stimulate collaborative research, and enhance relationships with patients, the local community, referring physicians, and donors.