First-In-Class CD13-Targeted Tissue Factor tTF-NGR in Patients with Recurrent or Refractory Malignant Tumors: Results of a Phase I Dose-Escalation Study.

Background: Aminopeptidase N (CD13) is present on tumor vasculature cells and some tumor cells. Truncated tissue factor (tTF) with a C-terminal NGR-peptide (tTF-NGR) binds to CD13 and causes tumor vascular thrombosis with infarction.

Methods: We treated 17 patients with advanced cancer beyond standard therapies in a phase I study with tTF-NGR (1-h infusion, central venous access, 5 consecutive days, and rest periods of 2 weeks).

A Phase I Dose Escalation Study of the Triple Angiokinase Inhibitor Nintedanib Combined with Low-Dose Cytarabine in Elderly Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Unlabelled: Nintedanib (BIBF 1120), a potent multikinase inhibitor of VEGFR-1/-2/-3, FGFR-1/-2/-3 and PDGFR-α/-β, exerts growth inhibitory and pro-apoptotic effects in myeloid leukemic cells, especially when used in combination with cytarabine. This phase I study evaluated nintedanib in combination with low-dose cytarabine (LDAC) in elderly patients with untreated or relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) ineligible for intensive chemotherapy in a 3+3 design. Nintedanib (dose levels 100, 150, and 200 mg orally twice daily) and LDAC (20 mg subcutaneous injection twice daily for 10 days) were administered in 28-day cycles.

Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy after Ibrutinib Therapy for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a devastating neurological disease observed nearly exclusively in immunocompromised patients. Recently, the introduction of monoclonal antibodies significantly inhibiting the immune system such as rituximab has led to an increase in PML cases. Although rituximab-based immunochemotherapy remains the standard of treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the importance of Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as ibrutinib is steadily increasing.

Perioperative chemotherapy in gastroesophageal cancer. A retrospective monocenter evaluation of 42 cases.

Background: Perioperative chemotherapy increases the overall and progression-free survival of patients suffering from resectable adenocarcinomas of the lower esophagus, gastroesophageal junction and stomach (GEC). Comparing different chemotherapy regimens platin-based protocols with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)/calcium folinate (CF) or oral fluoropyrimidines were favorable in terms of efficacy and side-effects. However, there is no consensus which regimen is the most efficacious.

Targeting interleukin-2 to the bone marrow stroma for therapy of acute myeloid leukemia relapsing after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

The antibody-based delivery of IL2 to extracellular targets expressed in the easily accessible tumor-associated vasculature has shown potent antileukemic activity in xenograft and immunocompetent murine models of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), especially in combination with cytarabine. Here, we report our experience with 4 patients with relapsed AML after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), who were treated with the immunocytokine F16-IL2, in combination with low-dose cytarabine. One patient with disseminated extramedullary AML lesions achieved a complete metabolic response identified by PET/CT, which lasted 3 months.

Long-term results of a prospective randomized trial evaluating G-CSF priming in intensive induction chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Few studies have evaluated granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) priming in elderly patients with intensively treated acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and no data are available for genetically defined AML subgroups. We provide long-term results (median follow-up 7.6 years) of a randomized trial in which 183 patients (median age 67 years) received G-CSF prior to (G-CSF priming) or after two cycles of induction chemotherapy.

Acral necrosis after inadequate excessive administration of bleomycin in a testicular cancer patient.

Background: Testicular cancer has a favorable prognosis in the majority of patients due to the excellent susceptibility to chemotherapy with cisplatin, etoposide and bleomycin (BEP), which is commonly administered over 3-4 cycles of treatment.

Case Report: A 22-year-old male failed to achieve complete response after unconventional treatment with 6 courses of BEP for intermediate-risk metastasized testicular cancer. The patient developed chemotherapy-induced digital necrosis and substantial loss of digital function after this excessive treatment.