Nelarabine, etoposide, and cyclophosphamide in relapsed pediatric T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia and T-lymphoblastic lymphoma (study T2008-002 NECTAR).

Children with relapse of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) or lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) have a dismal prognosis, largely due to difficulty attaining second remission. We hypothesized that adding etoposide and cyclophosphamide to the nucleoside analog nelarabine could improve response rates over single-agent nelarabine for relapsed T-ALL and T-LBL. This phase I dose-escalation trial's primary objective was to evaluate the dose and safety of nelarabine given in combination with etoposide at 100 mg/m /day and cyclophosphamide at 330-400 mg/m /day, each for 5 consecutive days in children with either T-ALL (13 patients) or T-LBL (10 patients).

From vision to reality: deploying the immune system for treatment of sarcoma.

Modern immunotherapy advances including checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive T cell therapy have created a new era of cancer treatment, with significant activities in a wide variety of hematologic and solid cancers. Sarcomas are rare and aggressive malignancies of bone and soft tissue affecting all ages of patients that are usually incurable when refractory to chemotherapy and surgery. However, a subset of patients with metastatic sarcoma will survive for years, suggesting that immune suppression of residual sarcoma cells may be effective in some cases.

Recommendations for the Use of WBC Growth Factors: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline Update.

Purpose: To update the 2006 American Society of Clinical Oncology guideline on the use of hematopoietic colony-stimulating factors (CSFs).

Methods: The American Society of Clinical Oncology convened an Update Committee and conducted a systematic review of randomized clinical trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews from October 2005 through September 2014. Guideline recommendations were based on the review of the evidence by the Update Committee.

Rhabdomyosarcoma in adults: new perspectives on therapy.

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is well known as a pediatric disease. Most of the knowledge, like biology, genetics, and treatments of this disease, comes from studies done in that age group. The two subtypes of RMS, embryonic RMS and alveolar RMS, that affect mainly the pediatric population are well described in the literature and that has had an impact on the improvement in overall survival during the past 20 years.

Biologic Activity of Autologous, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor Secreting Alveolar Soft-Part Sarcoma and Clear Cell Sarcoma Vaccines.

Purpose: Alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS) and clear cell sarcoma (CCS) are rare mesenchymal malignancies driven by chromosomal translocations that activate members of the microphthalmia transcription factor (MITF) family. However, in contrast to malignant melanoma, little is known about their immunogenicity. To learn more about the host response to ASPS and CCS, we conducted a phase I clinical trial of vaccination with irradiated, autologous sarcoma cells engineered by adenoviral-mediated gene transfer to secrete granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF).

Immunotherapy in sarcoma: a new frontier.

Sarcomas are rare cancers of soft tissue and bone, and remain incurable when refractory to standard multimodality treatments. With the recent advances in immunotherapy for other solid tumors, there is heightened interest in the potential link of the immune system with sarcoma physiology. This review aims to summarize the ongoing laboratory and clinical research investigating the applications of immunotherapy in the treatment of sarcomas.

Active immunotherapy using dendritic cells in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme.

Objective: Glioblastoma multiforme, the most common malignant brain tumor still has a dismal prognosis with conventional treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to explore new and/or adjuvant treatment options to improve patient outcomes. Active immunotherapy is a new area of research that may be a successful treatment option.

Immunotherapy of sarcomas.

Purpose Of Review: To describe the current advances in immunotherapy and how they can be applied to sarcoma. This review will discuss the recent literature and selected clinical trials. Evidence supporting treatment with immunotherapy alone in sarcoma will be reviewed, as will the potential incorporation of immunotherapy into treatment for sarcoma.

Clinical practice guidelines for cancer care: utilization and expectations of the practicing oncologist.

ASCO produces guidelines for oncologists, utilizing a systematic review process. Although this resource-intense process results in authoritative and widely cited guidelines, they can cover only a few specific clinical issues. Hence, the ASCO guidelines presently do not fully address many clinical situations.

Tivantinib (ARQ 197), a selective inhibitor of MET, in patients with microphthalmia transcription factor-associated tumors: results of a multicenter phase 2 trial.

Background: Microphthalmia transcription factor (MITF)-associated (MiT) tumors are a family of rare malignancies, including alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS), clear cell sarcoma (CCS), and translocation-associated renal cell carcinoma (tRCC) that have dysregulated expression of oncogenic MITF family proteins. The MET receptor tyrosine kinase gene is transcriptionally activated by MITF family proteins, making MET a potential therapeutic target for MiT tumors. This study assessed the activity of tivantinib (ARQ 197), a selective MET inhibitor, in patients with MiT-associated tumors.

Cardiac failure 30 years after treatment containing anthracycline for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

In 1977, a 5-year-old girl diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia was treated on Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Protocol 77-01, receiving a cumulative doxorubicin dose of 465 mg/m(2), cranial radiation, and other drugs. After being in continuous complete remission for 34 months, she developed heart failure and was treated with digoxin and furosemide. At 16 years of age, she was diagnosed and treated for dilated cardiomyopathy.

Childhood T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute acute lymphoblastic leukemia consortium experience.

Purpose: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) accounts for 10% to 15% of newly diagnosed cases of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Historically, T-ALL patients have had a worse prognosis than other ALL patients.

Patients And Methods: We reviewed the outcomes of 125 patients with T-ALL treated on Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) ALL Consortium trials between 1981 and 1995.