Brain Metastases from Adult Sarcoma: Prognostic Factors and Impact of Treatment. A Retrospective Analysis from the French Sarcoma Group (GSF/GETO).

Background: Brain metastases (BM) from adult soft tissue or bone sarcomas are rare, and sparse data exist on their prognostic factors and management.

Subjects, Materials And Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 15 centers of the French Sarcoma Group, plus one Canadian and one Swiss center, to report on clinical, histological, and treatment characteristics and to identify predictive factors of outcome.

Results: Between 1992 and 2012, 246 patients with a median age of 50 years (range: 16-86) were managed for BM.

Fluctuation of the left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer treated by 12 months of adjuvant trastuzumab.

Background: Cardiac toxicity with a decrease of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is the main side effect induced by trastuzumab. This study reports the fluctuation of LVEF over the 12 months of adjuvant trastuzumab in PHARE trial (NCT00381901).

Methods: LVEF assessment was performed every 3 months while patients received trastuzumab and after completion of treatment over the first 2 years and then every 6 months afterwards.

The 21-gene Recurrence Score® assay predicts distant recurrence in lymph node-positive, hormone receptor-positive, breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant sequential epirubicin- and docetaxel-based or epirubicin-based chemotherapy (PACS-01 trial).

Background: The 21-gene Recurrence Score (RS) result predicts outcome and chemotherapy benefit in node-negative and node-positive (N+), estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) patients treated with endocrine therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of RS results in N+, hormone receptor-positive (HR+) patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy (6 cycles of FEC100 vs. 3 cycles of FEC100 followed by 3 cycles of docetaxel 100 mg/m) plus endocrine therapy (ET) in the PACS-01 trial (J Clin Oncol 2006;24:5664-5671).

Patients with primary localized high-grade sarcomas of the digestive tract excluding GIST : a retrospective study from the French sarcoma group.

Introduction: The natural history of localized high-grade sarcomas of the digestive tract (SDT) excluding GIST has been rarely considered owing to their low incidence and heterogeneity. We describe the histoclinical characteristics of SDT and correlate them with patients' outcomes.

Methods: We retrospectively collected medical files from a European database covering connective tissue tumors listed in Europe for about twenty years.

Cytoreductive Surgery Plus Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Peritoneal Metastases From a Small Bowel Adenocarcinoma: Multi-Institutional Experience.

Background: The multi-institutional registry in this study evaluated the outcome after cytoreductive surgery (CRS) plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for patients with peritoneal metastases (PM) from small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA).

Methods: A multi-institutional data registry including 152 patients with PM from SBA was established. The primary end point was overall survival (OS) after CRS plus HIPEC.

Improved survival using specialized multidisciplinary board in sarcoma patients.

Background: Sarcomas are rare but aggressive diseases. Specialized multidisciplinary management is not implemented for all patients in most countries. We investigated the impact of a multidisciplinary tumor board (MDTB) presentation before treatment in a nationwide study over 5 years.

[Pharmacist involvement in supporting care in patients receiving oral anticancer therapies: A situation report in French cancer centers].

Introduction: The increasing prescription of oral anticancer therapies has significantly changed inpatient care to outpatient care. This transformation requires an excellent coordination between different professionals to ensure healthcare channel security.

Method: We performed a prospective study in 18 French cancer centers from March to April 2016.

Quality of life after mastectomy with or without immediate breast reconstruction.

Background: Mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) is a surgical strategy in breast cancer when breast-conserving surgery is not an option. There is a lack of evidence showing an advantage of mastectomy plus IBR over mastectomy alone on health-related quality of life (QoL).

Methods: A large prospective multicentre survey, STIC-RMI (support of innovative and expensive techniques - immediate breast reconstruction), was undertaken to study the changes in QoL in patients treated by mastectomy with or without IBR.

[Radiotherapy of cervix and endometrial carcinoma].

External irradiation and brachytherapy still have a major place in the treatment of cervix and endometrial carcinoma. This review presents the French guidelines in terms of preparation and choice of irradiation techniques of these gynecological malignancies.

A Study of Hypermethylated Circulating Tumor DNA as a Universal Colorectal Cancer Biomarker.

Background: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a good candidate for tracking tumor dynamics in different cancer types, potentially avoiding repeated tumor biopsies. Many different genes can be mutated within a tumor, complicating procedures for tumor monitoring, even with highly sensitive next-generation sequencing (NGS) strategies. Droplet-based digital PCR (dPCR) is a highly sensitive and quantitative procedure, allowing detection of very low amounts of circulating tumor genetic material, but can be limited in the total number of target loci monitored.

Results of a multicenter phase I dose-finding trial of hyperthermic intraperitoneal cisplatin after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and complete cytoreductive surgery and followed by maintenance bevacizumab in initially unresectable ovarian cancer.

Purpose: Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) may improve the outcome of patients with initially unresectable ovarian cancer who are eligible for complete cytoreductive surgery (CCRS) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The main objective of this multicenter phase-I study was to identify the recommended dose of cisplatin for HIPEC at CCRS after neoadjuvant carboplatin and paclitaxel (CP).

Methods: Patients were treated with 6cycles of CP followed by CCRS and HIPEC using cisplatin heated for one hour at 42°C+/-1°C.

[Management of soft tissues sarcoma of the limbs by external beam radiation therapy].

Soft tissue sarcomas are rare tumours. Conservative surgery followed by postoperative radiation therapy represents the gold standard in the majority of cases. Postoperative radiotherapy improves local control without affecting survival.

Cytoreductive Surgery Combined with Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy with Oxaliplatin Increases the Risk of Postoperative Hemorrhagic Complications: Analysis of Predictive Factors.

Background: Treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) using cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is recommended as curative treatment for selected patients. Modalities of HIPEC remain heterogeneous and HIPEC using oxaliplatin (HIPEC-Ox) appears to increase the risk of postoperative hemorrhagic complications (HCs).

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the risk of HCs after CRS combined with HIPEC-Ox versus other drugs, and to determine predictive factors for HCs after HIPEC-Ox.

Relationship between imatinib trough concentration and outcomes in the treatment of advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumours in a real-life setting.

Background: Imatinib has dramatically improved the prognosis of advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs). Clinical trial data showed that patients with trough imatinib plasma concentrations (Cmin) below 1100 ng/ml (quartile 1) had shorter time to progression, but no threshold has been defined. The main objective of this study was to investigate in advanced GIST whether a Cmin threshold value associated with a longer progression-free survival (PFS) could be specified.

[Perception of pT1a,b pN0 breast tumor prognosis by the French oncology community: Results of the EURISTIC national survey].

The prognosis of infracentimetric breast cancers (BC) is heterogeneous. The EURISTIC survey describes how French oncology specialists perceive the prognosis of pT1a,b pN0 BCs. A self-administered questionnaire has been sent to over 2000 French BC specialists.

[Adaptive radiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer].

Anatomical changes and tumor regression during thoracic radiotherapy may alter the treatment volumes. These modifications are not taken into account into set-up or motion margins used for treatment planning. Their dosimetric impact could be significant and a better understanding of the changes occurring during the 6 to 7 weeks of treatment could be useful in order to define quantitative thresholds before a new treatment planning is needed.

Prognostic value of HMGA2, CDK4, and JUN amplification in well-differentiated and dedifferentiated liposarcomas.

HMGA2, CDK4, and JUN genes have been described as frequently coamplified with MDM2 in atypical lipomatous tumor, well-differentiated liposarcoma, and dedifferentiated liposarcoma. We studied the frequency of amplification of these genes in a series of 48 dedifferentiated liposarcomas and 68 atypical lipomatous tumors/well-differentiated liposarcomas. We correlated their amplification status with clinicopathological features and outcomes.

Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for First Relapse of Ovarian Cancer.

Background: To assess impact of surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients treated for a first relapse of ovarian cancer (FROC).

Patients And Methods: Patients with a FROC treated with second-line chemotherapy, surgery and HIPEC were retrospectively included from 13 Institutions. Studied parameters were interval free between the end of initial treatment and the first relapse, second-line chemotherapy, peritoneal cancer index and completeness of surgery, HIPEC, mortality and morbidity, pathological results and survival.

Cardiac toxicity events in the PHARE trial, an adjuvant trastuzumab randomised phase III study.

Background: This article reports, the cardiac toxicity according to 6- versus 12-month durations of adjuvant trastuzumab in PHARE randomised trial (NCT00381901).

Patients And Methods: Cardiac follow-up and Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) assessment by echocardiography or multigated acquisition scan were performed every 3 months while patients received trastuzumab and after completion of treatment over the first 2 years and every 6 months afterwards. The primary cardiac end-point was Cardiac Heart Failure (CHF) defined as New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or IV.

Ombrabulin plus cisplatin versus placebo plus cisplatin in patients with advanced soft-tissue sarcomas after failure of anthracycline and ifosfamide chemotherapy: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial.

Background: Ombrabulin (AVE8062) disrupts the vasculature of established tumours and has shown preclinical synergistic anti-tumour activity when combined with cisplatin. In this phase 3 trial, we aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of ombrabulin plus cisplatin compared with placebo plus cisplatin in patients with advanced soft-tissue sarcomas.

Methods: We did this multinational, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study at 44 centres in ten countries.

Image-guided radiotherapy and -brachytherapy for cervical cancer.

Conventional radiotherapy for cervical cancer relies on clinical examination, 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), and 2-dimensional intracavitary brachytherapy. Excellent local control and survival have been obtained for small early stage cervical cancer with definitive radiotherapy. For bulky and locally advanced disease, the addition of chemotherapy has improved the prognosis but toxicity remains significant.

Trabectedin in combination with doxorubicin for first-line treatment of advanced uterine or soft-tissue leiomyosarcoma (LMS-02): a non-randomised, multicentre, phase 2 trial.

Background: Metastatic leiomyosarcomas of uterine or soft-tissue origin have poor prognosis and moderate chemosensitivity. Trabectedin has shown activity in pretreated leiomyosarcoma. We did a single-group, multicentre, phase 2 trial (LMS-02) to assess the effect of first-line doxorubicin and trabectedin combination on disease control and survival.

Trabectedin in patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma: a retrospective national analysis of the French Sarcoma Group.

Aim: The French Sarcoma Group performed this retrospective analysis of the 'RetrospectYon' database with data of patients with recurrent advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) treated with trabectedin 1.5 mg/m(2) as a 24-h infusion every three weeks.

Methods: Patients who achieved non-progressive disease after six initial cycles could receive long-term trabectedin treatment until disease progression.

PIK3CA Pathway Mutations Predictive of Poor Response Following Standard Radiochemotherapy ± Cetuximab in Cervical Cancer Patients.

Purpose: EGFR is frequently overexpressed in cervical cancer, suggesting EGFR blockade as a promising treatment approach. Cetuximab, an anti EGFR antibody, used conjointly with radiochemotherapy, was feasible in first-line treatment of cervix carcinoma limited to the pelvis.

Experimental Design: This randomized phase II trial enrolled 78 FIGO stage IB2-IIIB cervical cancer patients to either cisplatin-based radiochemotherapy alone (arm B, n = 38) or conjointly with a 6-week course of weekly cetuximab (arm A, n = 40).

Neoadjuvant treatment with docetaxel plus lapatinib, trastuzumab, or both followed by an anthracycline-based chemotherapy in HER2-positive breast cancer: results of the randomised phase II EORTC 10054 study.

Background: Neoadjuvant trials conducted using a double HER2 blockade with lapatinib and trastuzumab, combined with different paclitaxel-containing chemotherapy regimens, have shown high pathological complete response (pCR) rates, but at the cost of important toxicity. We hypothesised that this toxicity might be due to a specific interaction between paclitaxel and lapatinib. This trial assesses the toxicity and activity of the combination of docetaxel with lapatinib and trastuzumab.