Majorities of the rare ovarian cancer were represented by Germ cell tumours and sex cords ovarian tumours with borderline tumours, clear cell carcinoma and mucinous carcinoma and are extremely rare malignant diseases of the ovaries. Tumors of the stromal (Leydig cells) and/or sex cords (Sertoli cells) represent approximately 7% of ovarian cancers and develop from the conjunctive tissue (respectively, interstitial and nurse cells) of the ovaries. All together, they represented less than 5% of the adult malignant and non malignant ovarian tumours. Treatment of rare ovarian tumors is currently as follows. Surgery is the same as that for ovarian adenocarcinoma, with one major difference: conservation of reproductive function in women of reproductive age is usual case for this type of tumor. Chemotherapy for germ cell and sex cords tumors, based on data reported in the literature is the same as that prescribed for testicular germ-cell tumors. For rare epithelial carcinoma, carboplatine plus paclitaxel remains the standard attitude with a well-known less efficiency than for other epithelial subtypes. Surgery, chemotherapy and possible surgical intervention for residual lesions are highly complex. Too rare to be included in randomized studies, treatment of these tumors has benefited from the therapeutic advancements made against testicular germ-cell tumors or with publications using retrospective data. Effectively, some prognostic factors such stage, histology, number of managed patients seems to be prognostic for survival. Because of the rarity of these tumours a specialized website (www.ovaire-rare.org) was developed in France in 2002. Objectives were: to delineate prognostic factors of these very rare diseases, to favour patient inclusion in a clinical trial available online, to provide access to online medical expert forum (disease-related) for complex cases, and finally to demonstrate the impact of these tools on improving medical practice. The website provides very interesting data for a better knowledge of these rare tumors and will possibly help improve medical practice. Since 2008, referent centers were delineated to promote optimal management of these tumors, organization of clinical and molecular research at a national or international level and to elaborate guidelines. The other new scientific data concern surgical procedures for sex cords tumors, evidence for presence of FOXL2 mutation in adult granulosa cell tumors, the use of paclitaxel plus carboplatine for sex cords tumors.

BACKGROUND: A prospective phase II study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of oral gimatecan in patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients had a maximum of three prior chemotherapy lines with no more than two prior platinum-containing regimens and a progression-free interval after the last dose of platinum <12 months. A total dose of 4 mg/m(2)/cycle (0.8 mg/m(2)/day from day 1 to day 5) was administered, repeated every 28 days. RESULTS: From June 2005 to December 2005, 69 assessable patients were enrolled. The best overall response to study treatment by combined CA-125 and RECIST criteria was partial response in 17 patients (24.6%) and disease stabilization in 22 patients (31.9%). The median time to progression and overall survival were 3.8 and 16.2 months, respectively. A total of 312 cycles were administered. Neutropenia grade 4 and thrombocytopenia grade 4 occurred in 17.4% and 7.2% of patients, respectively. Diarrhea grade 4 was never observed. Asthenia and fatigue were reported by 36.2% and 18.8% of patients, but were all grade 2 or less. CONCLUSION: Gimatecan is a new active agent in previously treated ovarian cancer with myelosuppression as main toxicity.

Trabectedin was recently approved for patients failing doxorubicin, the standard treatment for advanced/metastatic sarcoma. This retrospective study aimed to compare trabectedin efficacy between compassionate use in unselected patients and clinical trials. From May 1999 to January 2006, 92 patients were treated at the Centre Léon Bérard, either in phase II studies or on a named patient compassionate basis. All cases were retrospectively analyzed to assess trabectedin efficacy in terms of response, progression-free, and overall survival.The objective response rate was 10%(N=9): 4%(N=2) for patients treated in compassionate use program and 16%(N=7) for those in clinical trials (P=0.18); 26 (28%) patients had stable disease for at least 6 months, 11 (23%) in the compassionate group and 15 (33%) in clinical trials. Median progression-free and overall survivals were, respectively, 2.2 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.9-3.6] and 8.9 (95% CI: 6.4-14.2) months for all patients, 2.3 (95% CI: 1.9-4.3) and 10.4 (95% CI: 6.9-24.2) months for patients in clinical trials and 1.8 (95% CI: 1.4-3.4) and 6.4 (95% CI: 3.3-14.2) months for patients under compassionate treatment. In this retrospective analysis, the reported grade 3-4 toxicities were increased transaminase (34 patients, 37%) and neutropenia (38 patients; 42%). Higher efficacy was observed in phase II studies than with compassionate treatment, but no significant difference remained after adjustment in multivariate analysis for performance status, a well-established prognosis factor. The safety and tolerability of trabectedin shown in clinical trials is confirmed for patients in real-life situation treated in compassionate use programs, but its benefit is higher for patients with performance status 0-1.

Background: The Renal Insufficiency and Anticancer Medications (IRMA) study reported a renal insufficiency (RI) prevalence of 50%-60% in a population of almost 5000 patients with solid tumors, 80% of whom were being treated with anticancer drugs that either necessitated dosage adjustment or were potentially nephrotoxic drugs. A national multicenter study from 15 cancer centers in France analyzed IRMA data on patients with prostate cancer. Patients and Methods: Data on patients with prostate cancer from the IRMA study were analyzed. Renal function was calculated using Cockcroft-Gault and abbreviated Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (aMDRD) formulas to estimate the prevalence of RI. Anticancer drugs' potential renal toxicity and need for dosage adjustment were detailed. Results: Of the 222 IRMA patients with prostate cancer, 14.9% had a serum creatinine (SCr) level of > 110 micromol/L. When using Cockcroft-Gault and aMDRD formulas, 62.6% and 55.9%, respectively, of the patients had RI. Of the 228 anticancer drug prescriptions, 82.9% required dose adjustments for RI or were drugs with no available data on their administration in patients with RI. Of the patients treated, 86.9% received >/= 1 such drug, but only 29.1% received nephrotoxic drugs. Conclusion: The prevalence of RI in patients with prostate cancer was very high in spite of a normal SCr level in most cases. Some anticancer drugs, particularly some bisphosphonates and platinum salts, might be nephrotoxic and/or need dosage adjustment. However, other important drugs in prostate cancer, such as docetaxel, neither require dose reduction nor present with potential nephrotoxicity. Both issues were significantly more important in the patients with bone metastases compared with those with nonmetastatic disease.

PURPOSE: To study the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of the selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor nilotinib as a single agent or in combination with imatinib in patients with advanced imatinib-resistant gastrointestinal stromal tumors. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A phase I intercohort dose-escalation trial was done in patients who received either (a) single agent nilotinib 400 mg twice daily or (b) escalating doses of nilotinib (200 mg once daily, 400 mg qd, or 400 mg bid) plus imatinib 400 mg bid (10- and 14-hour interval daily), or (c) nilotinib 400 mg bid plus imatinib 400 mg qd. Safety, pharmacokinetics, and tumor assessments were done. RESULTS: Oral clearance (CL/F) of nilotinib was similar across the combination groups (mean CL/F, 19.1-25.6 L/h), and lower than in the single-agent cohort (mean CL/F, 35.6 L/h). A linear relationship between nilotinib daily dose and peak concentration was observed in the combination cohorts. Observed adverse events (AE) were mostly nonhematologic. Frequently reported AEs were rash (40%), fatigue (38%), abdominal pain (36%), and nausea (36%). Severe AEs (grade 3 or 4) included abdominal pain (13%) and rash (9%), the latter mainly with the combination. Thirty-eight patients had stable disease and two patients achieved partial response with a median progression-free survival of 134 days for the entire group. CONCLUSIONS: Nilotinib alone or in combination with imatinib was well tolerated overall and showed clinical activity in imatinib-resistant gastrointestinal stromal tumor patients. This phase I trial identified single-agent nilotinib 400 mg bid or combined with imatinib 400 mg qd as possible phase II doses for further evaluation.(Clin Cancer Res 2009;15(18):OF1-7).

This bibliographic review evaluated phase II clinical trials aimed at the identification of antitumor activity of single agents in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) after failure of standard- of-care therapy including anthracyclines and ifosfamide. A total of 63 articles (on anthracyclines, ifosfamide, trabectedin and 27 investigational agents) were included (data from 1979 to 2008).Trabectedin is the most extensively studied agent in patients with STS after failure of anthracyclines and ifosfamide (457 patients), followed by ifosfamide (412), cisplatin (144), temozolomide (137), docetaxel (114), gemcitabine (112), etoposide (95) and doxorubicin (59). Dacarbazine and the remaining investigational agents have usually been tested in 50 or fewer patients, with vastly negative results not warranting further investigation. Methodological limitations are identified in the majority of the reviewed phase II studies, including small sample size, single-institution studies, lack of independent review of the antitumor responses and inadequate description of previous therapies/agents. However, all trabectedin studies fulfilled these methodological characteristics relevant for a phase II trial. A phase II randomized trial confirmed the results of 3 prior nonrandomized studies and, therefore, trabectedin is currently considered an important new option to control advanced sarcomas in patients with STS following failure of all conventional treatments.

BACKGROUND: We have investigated predictors of 90-day-mortality in a large cohort of non-specific cancer of unknown primary patients. METHODS: Predictors have been identified by univariate and then logistic regression analysis in a single-center cohort comprising 429 patients (development cohort). We identified four predictors that produced a predictive score that has been applied to an independent multi-institutional cohort of 409 patients (validation cohort). The score was the sum of predictors for each patient (0 to 4). RESULTS: The 90-day-mortality-rate was 33 and 26% in both cohorts. Multivariate analysis has identified 4 predictors for 90-day-mortality: performance status>1 (OR = 3.03, p = 0.001), at least one co-morbidity requiring treatment (OR = 2.68, p = 0.004), LDH>1.5 x the upper limit of normal (OR = 2.88, p = 0.007) and low albumin or protein levels (OR = 3.05, p = 0.007). In the development cohort, 90-day-mortality-rates were 12.5%, 32% and 64% when the score was [0-1], 2 and [3]-[4], respectively. In the validation cohort, risks were 13%, 25% and 62% according to the same score values. CONCLUSIONS: We have validated a score that is easily calculated at the beside that estimates the 90-days mortality rate in non-specific CUP patients. This could be helpful to identify patients who would be better served with palliative care rather than aggressive chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) reduce anemia in cancer patients and may improve quality of life, but there are concerns that ESAs might increase mortality. OBJECTIVES: Our objectives were to examine the effect of ESAs and identify factors that modify the effects of ESAs on overall survival, progression free survival, thromboembolic and cardiovascular events as well as need for transfusions and other important safety and efficacy outcomes in cancer patients. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase and conference proceedings for eligible trials. Manufacturers of ESAs were contacted to identify additional trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomized controlled trials comparing epoetin or darbepoetin plus red blood cell transfusions (as necessary) versus red blood cell transfusions (as necessary) alone, to prevent or treat anemia in adult or pediatric cancer patients with or without concurrent antineoplastic therapy. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing epoetin alpha, epoetin beta or darbepoetin alpha plus red blood cell transfusions versus transfusion alone, for prophylaxis or therapy of anemia while or after receiving anti-cancer treatment. Patient-level data were obtained and analyzed by independent statisticians at two academic departments, using fixed-effects and random-effects meta-analysis. Analyses were according to the intention-to-treat principle. Primary endpoints were on study mortality and overall survival during the longest available follow-up, regardless of anticancer treatment, and in patients receiving chemotherapy. Tests for interactions were used to identify differences in effects of ESAs on mortality across pre-specified subgroups. The present review reports only the results for the primary endpoint. MAIN RESULTS: A total of 13933 cancer patients from 53 trials were analyzed, 1530 patients died on-study and 4993 overall. ESAs increased on study mortality (combined hazard ratio [cHR] 1.17; 95% CI 1.06-1.30) and worsened overall survival (cHR 1.06; 95% CI 1.00-1.12), with little heterogeneity between trials (I(2) 0%, p=0.87 and I(2) 7.1%, p=0.33, respectively). Thirty-eight trials enrolled 10441 patients receiving chemotherapy. The cHR for on study mortality was 1.10 (95% CI 0.98-1.24) and 1.04; 95% CI 0.97-1.11) for overall survival. There was little evidence for a difference between trials of patients receiving different cancer treatments (P for interaction=0.42). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: ESA treatment in cancer patients increased on study mortality and worsened overall survival. For patients undergoing chemotherapy the increase was less pronounced, but an adverse effect could not be excluded.

Lymphopenia is frequent in advanced cancers and predicts the toxicity of chemotherapy. Its effect on relapse and survival is uncertain. Its prognostic value for survival was analyzed in three databases of previously reported prospective multicenter studies:(a) FEC chemotherapy in metastatic breast carcinoma;(b) CYVADIC in advanced soft tissue sarcoma (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Group 62791); and (c) prospective, consecutive phase III studies of aggressive diffuse large-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas conducted at Centre Léon Bérard between 1987 and 1993. Univariate and multivariate analyses of prognostic factors for survival were performed. The incidence of lymphopenia of <1,000/microL before treatment was constant among the series: 25%, 24%, and 27%, respectively. Lymphopenia was significantly more frequent (P < 0.05) in metastatic breast cancer patients with performance status (PS) of >1, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients with international prognostic index (IPI) of > 0, and advanced soft tissue sarcoma and metastatic breast cancer patients with bone metastases. Inunivariate analysis, lymphopenia of <1,000/microL significantly correlated to overall survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer (median, 10 versus 14 mo; P < 0.0001), advanced soft tissue sarcoma (median, 5 versus 10 months; P < 0.01), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (median, 11 versus 94 months; P < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis (Cox model), lymphopenia was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in metastatic breast cancer [RR (relative risk), 1.8; 95% CI (confidence interval), 1.3-2.4] along with liver metastases and PS; in advanced soft tissue sarcoma (RR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.0-2.1) along with liver metastases, lung metastases, and PS; and in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (RR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.03-2.1) along with IPI. Our findings show that lymphopenia is an independent prognostic factor for overall and progression-free survival in several cancers.[Cancer Res 2009;69(13):5383-91].

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Imatinib is the standard first-line treatment of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumour in advanced phase. In this setting, the optimal duration of treatment is not known, and it is generally considered that treatment should be given until progression or intolerance. RECENT FINDINGS: The BFR14 randomized trial tested the discontinuation of imatinib at 1 and 3 years and demonstrated that treatment discontinuation at these time points is associated with a median progression-free survival of 6 months. Discontinuation is now tested at 5 years in this trial. The capacity of adjuvant imatinib to reduce the risk of relapse in localized gastrointestinal stromal tumours of sizes more than 3 cm was demonstrated in the ACOSOG Z9001. However, the risk of relapse beyond the 1 year of adjuvant imatinib remained substantial, and longer treatment duration may be needed. Finally, in patients having exhausted all therapeutic options in advanced phase, the role of a continuous maintenance treatment with TKI even in those who failed the treatment has been proposed as an option in the recent European Society of Medical Oncology and National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, though a formal demonstration of its impact on survival is lacking. SUMMARY: In advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumour, imatinib should be given until progression or intolerance and possibly after progression when patients have exhausted all other options. In the adjuvant setting, the optimal duration of imatinib treatment remains unknown.