Positron Emission Tomography-Driven Strategy in Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma: Prolonged Follow-Up of the AHL2011 Phase III Lymphoma Study Association Study.

Purpose: The AHL2011 study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01358747) demonstrated that a positron emission tomography (PET)-driven de-escalation strategy after two cycles of bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (BEACOPP) provides similar progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) and reduces early toxicity compared with a nonmonitored standard treatment. Here, we report, with a prolonged follow-up, the final study results.

Gonadal Function Recovery in Patients With Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma Treated With a PET-Adapted Regimen: Prospective Analysis of a Randomized Phase III Trial (AHL2011).

Purpose: The prospective, randomized AHL2011 trial demonstrated that the use of the doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine regimen (ABVD) after two cycles of bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (BEACOPP) in early responders on the basis of a positron emission tomography (PET)-driven strategy was safe and minimized toxicity compared with standard 6 BEACOPP cycles. This substudy investigated the benefit of this strategy in gonadal function and fertility in patients under 45 years old.

Methods: Ovarian function was assessed by serum measurement of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, and anti-müllerian hormone in women, and semen analysis, FSH, and testosterone levels were used to evaluate testicular function in men at baseline, end of treatment, and during 5 years of follow-up.

PET-adapted treatment for newly diagnosed advanced Hodgkin lymphoma (AHL2011): a randomised, multicentre, non-inferiority, phase 3 study.

Background: Increased-dose bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (BEACOPP) improves progression-free survival in patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma compared with doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD), but is associated with increased risks of haematological toxicity, secondary myelodysplasia or leukaemia, and infertility. We investigated whether PET monitoring during treatment could allow dose de-escalation by switching regimen (BEACOPP to ABVD) in early responders without loss of disease control compared with standard treatment without PET monitoring.

Methods: AHL2011 is a randomised, non-inferiority, phase 3 study done in 90 centres across Belgium and France.

A randomized trial of induction docetaxel-cisplatin-5FU followed by concomitant cisplatin-RT versus concomitant cisplatin-RT in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (GORTEC 2006-02).

Background: Concomitant chemotherapy (CT)-radiotherapy (RT) is a standard of care in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and a role for induction CT is not established.

Methods: Patients with locally advanced NPC, WHO type 2 or 3, were randomized to induction TPF plus concomitant cisplatin-RT or concomitant cisplatin-RT alone. The TPF regimen consisted of three cycles of Docetaxel 75 mg/m2 day 1; cisplatin 75 mg/m2 day 1; 5FU 750 mg/m2/day days 1-5.

Patterns of care and clinical outcomes in primary oesophageal gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST): A retrospective study of the French Sarcoma Group (FSG).

Background: Oesophageal GIST (ESOGIST) are very rare tumours requiring special consideration regarding diagnosis, surgical management, and perioperative treatment.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted across 9 centres in the French Sarcoma Group (FSG) to characterize all patients in the years 2000-2014.

Results: Seventeen patients (pts) with primary localized ESOGIST were identified, with median age 69 years (36-81) and 11 females.

Intracerebral C6 glioma model in female hairless rats: assessment by using MRI and follow-up of irradiation.

An experimental intracerebral C6 glioma model in immunosuppressed female hairless rats has been developed. The rate of tumor uptake was evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), using specific sequences without gadolinium enhancement. Twenty-four hours before intracerebral transplantation, a control cranial MRI was carried out and rats underwent a total body irradiation (TBI).

Multicentric phase II study of cisplatin and etoposide in patients with metastatic carcinoma of unknown primary.

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy and toxicity of combination cisplatin and etoposide chemotherapy in patients with metastatic carcinoma of unknown primary. Patients were treated with cisplatin (100 mg/m2 iv day 1) followed by etoposide (100 mg/m2 iv days 1-3) every 3 weeks for a maximum of 6 cycles. Patients with progressive disease after two or four courses could receive FAC (fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide) until progression.

Treatment of patients with metastatic renal carcinoma with a combination of subcutaneous interleukin-2 and interferon alfa with or without fluorouracil. Groupe Français d'Immunothérapie, Fédération Nationale des Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer.

Purpose: Subcutaneous recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) and recombinant interferon alfa-2a (rIFNalpha-2a) have been used extensively in the treatment of metastatic renal cancer. Most results, coming from noncontrolled phase II trials, showed inconsistent rates of response. More recently, the addition of fluorouracil (FU) was proposed to improve the efficacy of these regimens.

LMCE3 treatment strategy: results in 99 consecutively diagnosed stage 4 neuroblastomas in children older than 1 year at diagnosis.

Purpose: To tailor postinduction therapy for stage 4 neuroblastoma in children who are older than 1 year at diagnosis according to status after induction.

Patients And Methods: From March 1987 to December 1992, 99 patients who were consecutively admitted were included in the Lyon-Marseille-Curie East of France (LMCE)3 strategy. After induction with the French Society of Pediatric Oncology NB87 regimen and surgery, patients who were in complete remission immediately proceeded to consolidation therapy with vincristine, melphalan, and fractionated total-body irradiation (VMT).

Combined treatment modality for intracranial germinomas: results of a multicentre SFOP experience. Société Française d'Oncologie Pédiatrique.

Conventional therapy for intracranial germinomas is craniospinal irradiation. In 1990, the Société Française d'Oncologie Pédiatrique initiated a study combining chemotherapy (alternating courses of etoposide-carboplatin and etoposide-ifosfamide for a recommended total of four courses) with 40 Gy local irradiation for patients with localized germinomas. Metastatic patients were allocated to receive low-dose craniospinal radiotherapy.

A risk model for thrombocytopenia requiring platelet transfusion after cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Severe thrombocytopenia is a rare but life-threatening side effect of cytotoxic chemotherapy for which risk factors are not well known. Our objective was to delineate a risk model for chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia requiring platelet transfusions in cancer patients. Univariate and multivariate analysis of risk factors for chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia requiring platelet transfusions were performed on the cohort of the 1,051 patients (CLB 1996) treated with chemotherapy in the Department of Medicine of the Centre Léon Bérard (CLB) in 1996.

Initial management of advanced Burkitt lymphoma in children: is there still a place for surgery?

This retrospective study compared the overall survival, the event-free survival, and the timing of chemotherapy in patients with advanced Burkitt lymphoma with and without laparotomy. Thirty-five patients with advanced abdominal Burkitt lymphoma treated at least partially at the Centre Léon Bérard between 1981 and 1992 were included in this study. The diagnosis was obtained by laparotomy (LAP group) in 21 patients (17 stage III, 4 stage IV) and by other methods (non-LAP group) in 14 patients (5 stage III, 9 stage IV).

Phase II study of cisplatinum and carboplatinum (CACIS) combination in advanced stage neuroblastomas.

Background: Platinum derivatives are, among others (cyclophosphamide, etoposide, doxorubicin), the most active drugs in neuroblastomas. As the combination of carboplatin (CBDCA) with cisplatinum (CDDP) was proven effective in some carcinomas, we proposed it as a second-line therapy in neuroblastoma.

Procedure: Nineteen children with neuroblastoma and primary refractory disease (seven cases) or relapse either untreated (eight cases) or resistant to second-line therapy (four cases), were treated with cisplatinum and carboplatinum (CACIS) combination.

Isolated intraspinal relapse of neuroblastoma after autologous bone marrow transplantation.

Neuroblastoma may present with spinal cord compression due to dumbbell extension of thoracic or abdominal disease. Isolated intraspinal involvement as the sole site of relapse is rare. Two infants with poor-prognosis stage IV neuroblastoma presented early after high-dose therapy and autologous bone marrow transplant with isolated spinal relapse heralded by misleading symptoms.

Once daily antibiotic regimen in paediatric oncology.

The feasibility and efficacy of a once daily antibiotic regimen were assessed in children with malignant tumours. Over a 44 month period, 296 febrile episodes were treated with a regimen of once daily ceftriaxone-amikacin (and teicoplanin or vancomycin if the patient had a central line). The treatment was successful in 272 (92%) episodes without modification of the antibiotic regimen, and only one patient died of uncontrolled sepsis.

Intravenous interleukin-2 in patients over 65 with metastatic renal carcinoma.

The present study was designed in order to evaluate the response rate and the toxicity of continuous infusion of Interleukin 2 (IL2) in patients over 65 with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Twenty-five patients, median age 69 (range 65-77), without any prior systemic anticancer therapy received a continuous infusion of IL2 at a dose of 18 x 10(6) iu m-2 d-1 for 2 periods of 5 days separated by a 6 day break. Toxicity was not different compared with younger patients (e.

M4 protocol for cerebellar medulloblastoma: supratentorial radiotherapy may not be avoided.

The main goal of the M4 protocol was to evaluate the efficacy of treatment excluding supratentorial radiation in patients with newly diagnosed medulloblastoma. All patients underwent surgical resection and received postoperative chemotherapy. Chemotherapy was adapted to the initial staging and prognostic factors (Group A: good-risk; Group B: poor-risk).

[Retinoblastoma].

Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most frequent ocular tumor in childhood. Due to recent advances in molecular biology, RB has become a study model for cancer suppressor genes, and antenatal diagnosis has now become feasible. The goals of therapy include an improved survival rate, decrease in iatrogenic sequelae (especially enucleation), and avoidance of radio-induced neoplasias.

PARMA international protocol: pilot study on 50 patients and preliminary analysis of the ongoing randomized study (62 patients).

Fifty patients with intermediate- or high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who had relapsed following a complete remission (CR) induced by a doxorubicin-containing chemotherapy regimen participated in the PARMA pilot study. The patients ranged in age from 16 to 60 years (median age, 42). All patients received DHAP (dexamethasone/high-dose cytarabine/cisplatin) for two courses at 3- to 4-week intervals.