Phase Ib/II trial of tipapkinogene sovacivec, a therapeutic human papillomavirus16-vaccine, in combination with avelumab in patients with advanced human papillomavirus16-positive cancers.

Purpose: To evaluate tipapkinogene sovacivec (TG4001), a viral immunotherapeutic vaccine expressing human papillomavirus (HPV)16 E6/E7 non-oncogenic proteins and IL-2, in combination with avelumab in HPV16+ cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: In this open-label, phase Ib/II, multicenter study, HPV16+ advanced cancer patients received subcutaneous TG4001 at two dose levels (DL) in phase Ib and at the recommended phase II dose (RP2D) in phase II weekly for 6 weeks, then every 2 weeks (q2Wk) until 6 months, thereafter every 12 weeks, in combination with avelumab q2Wk starting from day 8. Exploratory end-points included immunomonitoring from sequential tumour and blood samples.

HPV DNA integration site as proof of the origin of ovarian metastasis from endocervical adenocarcinoma: three case reports.

Background: Most endocervical adenocarcinomas are human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers associated with p16 immunostaining. Ovarian metastasis from cervical cancer is a rare phenomenon, the mechanism of dissemination remains unclear. The diagnosis of metastasis may be difficult to establish when the ovarian neoplasm presents features consistent with primary tumor.

Importance of pre-analytical steps for transcriptome and RT-qPCR analyses in the context of the phase II randomised multicentre trial REMAGUS02 of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.

Background: Identification of predictive markers of response to treatment is a major objective in breast cancer. A major problem in clinical sampling is the variability of RNA templates, requiring accurate management of tumour material and subsequent analyses for future translation in clinical practice. Our aim was to establish the feasibility and reliability of high throughput RNA analysis in a prospective trial.

Tumor aromatase expression as a prognostic factor for local control in young breast cancer patients after breast-conserving treatment.

Introduction: We sought to determine whether the levels of expression of 17 candidate genes were associated with locoregional control after breast-conserving treatments of early-stage breast cancers in young, premenopausal women.

Methods: Gene expression was measured by using RT-PCR in the breast tumors of a series of 53 young (younger than 40 years), premenopausal patients. All treatments consisted of primary breast-conserving surgery followed by whole-breast radiotherapy (+/- regional lymph nodes) with or without systemic treatments (chemotherapy +/- hormone therapy).

Expression of progesterone and estradiol receptors in normal adrenal cortex, adrenocortical tumors, and primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease.

Adrenal tumors occur more frequently in women and are the leading cause of Cushing's syndrome during pregnancy. We aimed to evaluate the potential role of sex steroids in the susceptibility of women to adrenocortical tumors. We evaluated the presence of the progesterone receptor (PR), estradiol receptors (ERs), and aromatase in 5 patients with primary pigmented nodular adrenal disease (PPNAD), 15 adrenocortical adenomas (ACAs) and adjacent normal tissues, 12 adrenocortical carcinomas (ACCs), and 3 normal adrenal glands (NA).

A new model of patient tumor-derived breast cancer xenografts for preclinical assays.

Purpose: To establish a panel of human breast cancer (HBC) xenografts in immunodeficient mice suitable for pharmacologic preclinical assays.

Experimental Design: 200 samples of HBCs were grafted into Swiss nude mice. Twenty-five transplantable xenografts were established (12.

Gefitinib and chemotherapy combination studies in five novel human non small cell lung cancer xenografts. Evidence linking EGFR signaling to gefitinib antitumor response.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway is often activated in NSCLC, and thus represents a promising therapeutic target. We studied the antitumor activity of gefitinib (Iressa), an orally active EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, alone and in combination with standard chemotherapy in 5 recently established human NSCLC xenografts with wild-type EGFR. Mice were treated with 2 protocols of chemotherapy based on cisplatin (CDDP) combined with either gemcitabine (GEM) or vinorelbine (VNR).

Role of chemotherapy resistance genes in outcome of neuroblastoma.

Background: Neuroblastoma is a heterogeneous pediatric disease. Most patients with localized disease usually have a favorable prognosis, but patients with advanced disease have a poor prognosis despite combination chemotherapy. Treatment failure may be attributable to resistance to cytotoxic drugs.

In vivo efficacy of STI571 in xenografted human small cell lung cancer alone or combined with chemotherapy.

STI571, or imatinib, selectively inhibits BCR/ABL, PDGFR and c-kit kinase activity. It has been reported that a large proportion of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines and tumors express c-kit and that STI571 inhibits tumor cell growth. We therefore investigated the therapeutic efficacy of STI571, alone or combined with chemotherapy, in human SCLC cells or tumors xenografted into nude mice.

Quantitation of estradiol receptors alpha and beta and progesterone receptors in human breast tumors by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Correlation with protein assays.

Hormone receptor content is the most useful parameter for predicting hormone response therapy in breast cancer. The high frequency of primary and secondary resistance to treatment makes it necessary to find out other parameters in order to improve the prediction of response to treatment. The newly described estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) is a potential candidate.