Vincristine is a natural vinca alkaloid widely used in paediatric cancer treatment. Vincristine pharmacokinetics has been already studied, but few data are available in paediatric populations. A sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method was developed for the quantification of vincristine in plasma in order to investigate pharmacokinetics in a paediatric population. Two hundred microliters of plasma was added to vinblastine, used as internal standard. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a C8 HPLC column (Phenomenex Luna 50mmx2.0mm, 3.0mum) with a mobile phase gradient at a flow rate of 0.2ml/min. Quantification was performed using the transition of 825.4-->765.4 (m/z) for vincristine and 811.4-->751.4 (m/z) for vinblastine. Chromatographic separation was achieved in 8min. The limit of quantification was 0.25ng/ml with a precision of 10.2% and an accuracy of 99.6%. The calibration curve was linear up to 50.0ng/ml. Intra-day precision and accuracy ranged from 6.3% to 10% and from 91.9% to 100.8%, respectively. Inter-assay precision and accuracy ranged from 3.8% to 9.7% and from 93.5% to 100.5%, respectively. No significant matrix effect was observed for vincristine. A rapid, specific and sensitive LC/MS/MS method for quantification of vincristine in human plasma was developed and is now successfully applied for pharmacokinetic studies in paediatric patients. less...

The rare occurrence of T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma as a primary tumor in the cavernous sinus is described. The patient, a 17-year-old girl, presented with right-sided ophthalmic and maxillary neuropathy and diplopia due to neuropathies of cranial nerves III and VI. An enhancing mass in the cavernous sinus was identified on MR imaging. Dexamethasone was prescribed but did not provide symptomatic relief. Rapid progression of symptoms led to open biopsy, and a diagnosis of T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma was made. The patient promptly underwent aggressive chemotherapy in which a modified hyper-cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and dexamethasone without doxorubicin regimen with concurrent radiotherapy was used. The patient achieved complete remission and is currently completing the 2-year maintenance phase of chemotherapy. less...

PURPOSE: Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) controls the expression of genes in response to hypoxia, as well as a wide range of other cellular processes. We previously showed constitutive stabilization of HIF-1alpha in the majority of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). To our knowledge, the prognostic significance of HIF in lymphoma has never been investigated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied the immunohistochemical protein expression of HIF-1alpha on tissue microarrays from 153 patients with DLBCL treated in sequential cohorts with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, oncovin, and prednisone (CHOP) or rituximab-CHOP (R-CHOP) from 1999 to 2002. Results were correlated with patient outcome. RESULTS: Median follow-up for all patients was 80 months. Among all patients, HIF-1alpha was expressed in 62% of germinal center and 59% of non-germinal center patients. With HIF-1alpha analyzed as a dependent variable, there were no survival differences in CHOP-treated patients. In the R-CHOP group, however, HIF-1alpha protein expression correlated with significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Five-year PFS for HIF-1alpha-positive patients was 71% v 43% for HIF-1alpha-negative patients (P = .0187), whereas 5-year OS was 75% and 54%, respectively (P = .025). In multivariate analysis with International Prognostic Index criteria, HIF-1alpha remained a significant predictor for PFS (P = .026) and OS (P = .043). Compared with other biomarkers, HIF-1alpha correlated only with BCL6 (P = .004). In terms of gene expression, we found several common gene associations of HIF-1alpha and the stromal-1 signature with genes predominantly involved in regulation of the extracellular matrix (eg, BGN, COL1A2, COL5A1, and PLOD2). CONCLUSION: The expression of HIF-1alpha protein is an important independent favorable prognostic factor for survival in patients with DLBCL treated with R-CHOP. less...

BACKGROUND: Poor outcome in Stage 4 neuroblastoma may be improved with increased dose intensity of therapy. We investigated the feasibility of sequential collection and infusion of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) as hematopoietic support for non-myeloablative dose intensive induction chemotherapy given every 21-28 days. METHODS: Twenty-two children with Stage 4 neuroblastoma (>/=1 year of age) received two cycles of high-dose cyclophosphamide (4 g/m(2)), doxorubicin (75 mg/m(2)), and vincristine (2 mg/m(2)) followed by three cycles of interpatient dose escalating carboplatin (Dose Level 0 = 800 mg/m(2); Dose Level 1 = 1,000 mg/m(2)), high-dose cyclophosphamide (4 g/m(2)), and etoposide (600 mg/m(2)). PBSC were harvested following cycle 2, 3, and 4 in Cohort 1 and infused after each subsequent cycle. In Cohort 2, PBSC were harvested after cycle 2 and split into three aliquots for infusion. Dose limiting toxicity (DLT) and ability to administer cycles within 28 days was assessed. RESULTS: Sufficient PBSC (>/=2 x 10(6) CD34 cells/kg per infusion) were collected from 17/21 eligible patients with minimal toxicity and no detectable neuroblastoma cells by immunocytology. Carboplatin at 1000 mg/m(2) resulted in DLT of delayed platelet recovery >28 days in 4/8 patients. Despite de-escalation to 800 mg/m(2), platelet DLT occurred in 4/7 Cohort 1 and 3/7 Cohort 2 patients. CONCLUSION: As defined in this protocol, doses of carboplatin were not tolerable with the PBSC dose administered. However, it was feasible to collect sufficient PBSC from small neuroblastoma patients to use as hematopoietic support with minimal risk of tumor contamination and toxicity. Pediatr Blood Cancer (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. less...

BACKGROUND: In preclinical models, temozolomide, and vincristine are additive or synergistic with irinotecan. We examined this three-drug combination in children with relapsed solid tumors. Patients received orally administered irinotecan together with temozolomide and vincristine on two different schedules, using cefixime to reduce irinotecan-associated diarrhea. METHODS: Oral irinotecan was given daily on days 1-5 and 8-12 (Schedule A), or on days 1-5 (Schedule B). Temozolomide was given on days 1-5, with vincristine 1.5 mg/m(2) administered on days 1 and 8 (Schedule A) or day 1 (Schedule B) in 21-day courses. RESULTS: On Schedule A, the maximum tolerated dose of oral irinotecan was 35 mg/m(2)/day combined with temozolomide 100 mg/m(2)/day and vincristine on days 1 and 8. Dose-limiting toxicities in 4 of 12 patients included hepatotoxicity, abdominal pain, anorexia, hypokalemia, and thrombocytopenia at 50 mg/m(2)/day. Using Schedule B, 0 of 6 patients experienced dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) at the highest doses studied of oral irinotecan 90 mg/m(2)/day, temozolomide 150 mg/m(2)/day x 5, and vincristine on day 1. First-course and cumulative toxicity was greater with Schedule A. UGT1A1*28 genotype did not correlate with DLT. At the irinotecan dose of 90 mg/m(2)/day, the mean SN-38 AUC(inf) was 63 ng/ml hr. Activity was seen in sarcoma patients, and overall eight patients received >/=6 courses. CONCLUSIONS: The 5-day schedule of VOIT was well tolerated and provided SN-38 exposures similar to those achieved with intravenous IRN. Activity on this and prior studies suggests a potential role for VOIT in a spectrum of childhood solid tumors. Pediatr Blood Cancer (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. less...

BACKGROUND: Decision analysis was used to clarify differences in survival and complication rates comparing surgery alone versus surgery plus chemotherapy for Stage I, favorable histology Wilms tumor patients. PROCEDURE: A state transition model was used to simulate treatment with nephrectomy-only, nephrectomy with adjuvant vincristine (VCR) or with vincristine plus dactinomcyin (NWTS Regimen EE4A). Rates of relapse and complications of therapy were obtained from the literature. In sensitivity analysis, the model was probed for the value(s) at which the treatment of choice changes. RESULTS: The overall survival (OS) is essentially the same for patients treated with any of the three strategies (OS(Nephrectomy) = 98.8%; OS(EE4A) = 98.8%; OS(VCR) = 98.6%). Rates of serious long-term complications in the surviving population are also similar across treatment strategies (nephrectomy = 1.4%; VCR = 1.2%; EE4A = 0.3%). Both the progression and salvage rates after nephrectomy-only would have to be much worse than expected for nephrectomy-only to be an unacceptable strategy. CONCLUSIONS: The differences in overall survival and rates of long-term complications between the three different initial strategies were negligible in the model. Based on this analysis, it was decided by the Children's Oncology Group that it was acceptable to continue to include nephrectomy without adjuvant chemotherapy as an experimental arm of the low risk Wilms tumor protocol with stringent eligibility criteria and close follow-up. Decision analysis can have a role in clinical trial design by making the tradeoffs between strategies more explicit. The robustness of these conclusions can be tested by widely varying the underlying assumptions. Pediatr Blood Cancer. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. less...

Rapamycin demonstrated broad-spectrum tumor growth inhibition activity against the in vivo panels of childhood tumors used in the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Program (PPTP). Here we have evaluated rapamycin combined with agents used frequently in the treatment of childhood malignancies. Rapamycin was tested in vitro against 23 cell lines alone or in combination with melphalan, cisplatin, vincristine, or dexamethasone (leukemic models only). In vivo, the impact of combining rapamycin with a cytotoxic agent was evaluated using two measures: 1) the therapeutic enhancement measure, and 2) a linear regression model for time-to-event to formally evaluate for sub- and supraadditivity for the combination compared to the agents used alone. Combining rapamycin with cytotoxic agents in vitro gave predominantly subadditive or additive effects, except for dexamethasone in leukemia models for which supra-additive activity was observed. In vivo testing demonstrated that therapeutic enhancement was common for rapamycin in combination with cyclophosphamide and occurred for 4 of 11 evaluable xenografts for the rapamycin and vincristine combination. The combinations of rapamycin with either cyclophosphamide or vincristine were significantly more effective than the respective standard agents used alone at their maximum tolerated doses (MTD) for most evaluable xenografts. The combination of rapamycin and cisplatin produced excessive toxicity requiring cisplatin dose reductions, and therapeutic enhancement was not observed for this combination. Addition of rapamycin to either cyclophosphamide or vincristine at their respective MTDs appears promising, as these combinations are relatively well tolerated and as many of the pediatric preclinical models evaluated demonstrated therapeutic enhancement for these combinations. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(1); 101-12. less...

PURPOSE: To report treatment outcomes after combined-modality therapy in patients with Stage I/II head-and-neck (HN) diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBL). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Eighty-six eligible patients received sequential chemotherapy and involved-lesion radiation therapy from 1995 to 2006. After a median of four cycles of CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) or rituximab-plus-CHOP chemotherapy, a median of 41.4 Gy was delivered to the known initial gross lesion with adequate margin (2 to 3 cm). RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 57 months, eight treatment failures were observed: distant metastasis in 8 patients; and locoregional failure in 4 patients. Among the 4 patients with locoregional failure, 3 presented with in-field failures, and 1 both in-field and out-of-field failure (contralateral neck). Rates of overall survival (OS) and freedom from progression (FFP) at 10 years were 74.1% and 88.9%, respectively. There was no severe side effect except 1 patient with Grade 3 mucositis during and after completion of radiation therapy. Multivariate analyses showed that absence of B symptom (p = 0.022) and normal lactate dehydrogenase (p = 0.017) were related to favorable OS, age >60 years (p = 0.033) was related to favorable FFP, and international prognostic index of 0 or 1 was related to favorable OS (p = 0.003) and FFP (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that patients with Stage I/II HN DLBL did not need whole-neck irradiation. Involved-lesion radiation therapy might reduce radiation toxicity with favorable treatment results. less...

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor is a very rare malignancy. We report the case of a 26-year-old woman who suffered from dyspepsia and abdominal pain for 2 months. We performed an endoscopic biopsy of the duodenal mass and diagnosed her disease as desmoplastic small round cell tumor using immunohistochemical staining, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Because the mass invaded the pancreas and superior mesenteric vein as well as duodenum and the disease was disseminated to liver and peritoneum, she received palliative chemotherapy using vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, and etoposide. The maximal response to chemotherapy was stable disease. The patient expired 9 months after diagnosis. less...

Children with high-risk hepatoblastoma (metastatic disease or a low alpha-fetoprotein at presentation) and those with recurrent disease have an extremely poor prognosis and are in need of novel therapeutic agents and strategies. We describe three patients who were treated with irinotecan (two in combination with vincristine). In two patients, this contributed to a clinical remission. All three patients received a 1- to 2-year course of irinotecan as maintenance therapy and all remain disease free. Treatment was well tolerated with minimal toxicity. Further evaluation of the use of irinotecan as maintenance therapy in high-risk and recurrent HB patients is warranted. Pediatr Blood Cancer. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. less...