Faculty Bibliography

PURPOSE: To report the 5-year results of a technique of prone breast radiation therapy delivered by a regimen of accelerated intensity modulated radiation therapy with a concurrent boost to the tumor bed. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between 2003 and 2006, 404 patients with stage I-II breast cancer were prospectively enrolled into 2 consecutive protocols, institutional trials 03-30 and 05-181, that used the same regimen of 40.5 Gy/15 fractions delivered to the index breast over 3 weeks, with a concomitant daily boost to the tumor bed of 0.5 Gy (total dose 48 Gy). All patients were treated after segmental mastectomy and had negative margins and nodal assessment. Patients were set up prone: only if lung or heart volumes were in the field was a supine setup attempted and chosen if found to better spare these organs. RESULTS: Ninety-two percent of patients were treated prone, 8% supine. Seventy-two percent had stage I, 28% stage II invasive breast cancer. In-field lung volume ranged from 0 to 228.27 cm(3), mean 19.65 cm(3). In-field heart volume for left breast cancer patients ranged from 0 to 21.24 cm(3), mean 1.59 cm(3). There was no heart in the field for right breast cancer patients. At a median follow-up of 5 years, the 5-year cumulative incidence of isolated ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence was 0.82% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.65%-1.04%). The 5-year cumulative incidence of regional recurrence was 0.53% (95% CI 0.41%-0.69%), and the 5-year overall cumulative death rate was 1.28% (95% CI 0.48%-3.38%). Eighty-two percent (95% CI 77%-85%) of patients judged their final cosmetic result as excellent/good. CONCLUSIONS: Prone accelerated intensity modulated radiation therapy with a concomitant boost results in excellent local control and optimal sparing of heart and lung, with good cosmesis. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group protocol 1005, a phase 3, multi-institutional, randomized trial is ongoing and is evaluating the equivalence of a similar dose and fractionation approach to standard 6-week radiation therapy with a sequential boost.

OBJECTIVE:: In 2011, 15.8% of eligible patients in the United States were vaccinated against herpes zoster (HZ). To increase the usage of the HZ vaccine by studying physicians' knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceived obstacles after interventions to overcome barriers. METHODS:: General internal medicine physicians were surveyed with a cross-sectional internet survey from October to December 2011 before interventions to increase the use of the HZ vaccine and 1 year later. Interventions included education, increasing availability at the medical center pharmacy, and electronic medical record reminders. Outcome measures included changes in knowledge, attitudes, and practices, and perceived barriers. McNemar chi-square tests were used to compare the changes from the baseline survey for physicians who completed the follow-up survey. RESULTS:: Response rate for the baseline study was 33.5% (89/266) and for the follow-up was 29.8% (75/252). Fifty-five completed both surveys. There was a decrease from 57% at baseline to 40% at follow-up in the proportion of physicians who reported that less than 10% of their patients were vaccinated. They were more likely to know the HZ annual incidence (30% baseline; 70% follow-up; P=0.02), and report having educational information for physicians (7% baseline; 27% follow-up; P=0.003). The top helpful intervention was nursing administration of the vaccine. Average monthly HZ vaccine usage in the affiliated outpatient pharmacy increased in 10 months between surveys by 156% compared with the 3 months before the baseline survey. CONCLUSIONS:: Interventions implemented during the study led to an increase in physicians' basic knowledge of the HZ vaccine and an increase in usage at the affiliated pharmacy.

Noninvasive carotid measurements have proven value in the estimation of future cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Natural IgM-antibodies to phosphorylcholine (PC) epitopes can enhance apoptotic-cell clearance and induce anti-inflammatory pathways. Herein, we show that subclinical CV disease, as detected by carotid ultrasound, in a cross-sectional SLE cohort was associated with lower levels of IgM anti-PC, as well as lower levels of the ratio of IgM anti-PC/total IgM, compared to patients without plaque (p=0.004 and p=0.02, respectively). The IgM anti-PC/total IgM association remained significant after adjusting for age, cholesterol and hypertension. Adiponectin and sE-selectin were significantly elevated in patients with plaque, and statistical models showed that combining adiponectin, sE-selectin and IgM anti-PC/total IgM was better for predicting plaque than either test alone. These results support the hypothesis that IgM-natural autoantibodies may inhibit atherogenesis, and confirm the utility of IgM anti-PC levels as a biomarker for subclinical CV disease.

INTRODUCTION: Rapamycin acts synergistically with platinum agents to induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation in breast cancer cell lines. Combination of everolimus also known as RAD001 (oral mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor) and carboplatin may have activity in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). METHODS: The primary objective of this study was to determine clinical benefit rate (CBR), that is (complete remission (CR) + partial remission (PR) + stable disease (SD) lasting >/=6 months) and the toxicity of everolimus/carboplatin in women with metastatic TNBC. Prior carboplatin was allowed. Treatment consisted of intravenous carboplatin area under the curve (AUC) 6 (later decreased to AUC 5 and subsequently to AUC 4) every 3 weeks with daily 5 mg everolimus. RESULTS: We enrolled 25 patients in this study. Median age was 58 years. There were one CR, six PRs, seven SDs and eight PDs (progression of disease). CBR was 36% (95% confidence interval (CI) 21.1 to 57.4%). One SD was achieved in a patient progressing on single agent carboplatin. The median progression free survival (PFS) was 3 months (95% CI 1.6 to 4.6 months) and overall survival (OS) was 16.6 months (95% CI 7.3 months to not reached). There were seven patients (28%) with >/= grade 3 thrombocytopenia; three (12%) with grade 3 neutropenia (no bleeding/febrile neutropenia) and one (4%) with grade 3 anemia. Greater hematological toxicity was seen in the first seven patients treated with carboplatin AUC5/6. After the amendment for starting dose of carboplatin to AUC 4, the regimen was well tolerated with only one out of 18 patients with grade 3 neutropenia and two patients with grade 3 thrombocytopenia. There was only one case of mucositis. CONCLUSION: Everolimus-carboplatin was efficacious in metastatic TNBC. Dose limiting hematological toxicity was observed when AUC5/6 of carboplatin was combined with everolimus. However, carboplatin AUC 4 was well tolerated in combination with everolimus with continuing responses. TRIAL REGISTRATIONS: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01127763.

Recent whole genome melanoma sequencing studies have identified recurrent mutations in the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of serine/threonine phosphatase 6 (PPP6C/PP6C). However, the biochemical, functional, and clinical ramifications of these mutations are unknown. Sequencing PP6C from patients with melanoma (233 primary and 77 metastatic specimens) with extended prospective clinical outcome revealed a large number of hotspot mutations in patients with both primary and metastatic melanoma. Despite minimal association between stage and presence of PP6C mutations in patients with primary melanoma, a subpopulation of cells within each tumor did contain PP6C mutations, suggesting PP6C mutation is an early, but non-tumor-initiating event in melanoma. Among patients with primary melanoma with PP6C mutations, patients with stop mutations had significantly shorter recurrence-free survival compared with patients without stop mutations. In addition, PP6C mutations were independent of commonly observed BRAF and NRAS mutations. Biochemically, PP6C mutations could be classified as those that interact with PP6C regulatory subunits and those that do not. Mutations that did not bind to PP6C regulatory subunits were associated with increased phosphorylation of Aurora kinase, a PP6C substrate, and mitotic defects. However, both classes of PP6C mutations led to increased sensitivity to Aurora kinase inhibition. Together, these data support for the first time that PP6C mutations are molecularly, biochemically, and clinically heterogeneous. Implications: PP6C mutations have distinct functional and clinical consequences in melanoma, and confer sensitivity to Aurora A kinase inhibitors. Mol Cancer Res; 12(3); 433-9. (c)2013 AACR.

Background Activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is thought to be a key driver of tumor growth in Merlin (NF2)-deficient tumors. Everolimus is an oral inhibitor of mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) with antitumor activity in a variety of cancers. Methods We conducted a single-institution, prospective, 2-stage, open-label phase II study to estimate the response rate to everolimus in neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) patients with progressive vestibular schwannoma (VS). Ten eligible patients were enrolled, including 2 pediatric patients. Everolimus was administered at a daily dose of 10 mg (adults) or 5 mg/m(2)/day (children <18 y) orally in continuous 28-day courses, for up to 12 courses. Response was assessed every 3 months with MRI, using 3-dimensional volumetric tumor analysis, and audiograms. Nine patients were evaluable for the primary response, defined as >/=15% decrease in VS volume. Hearing response was evaluable as a secondary endpoint in 8 patients. Results None of the 9 patients with evaluable disease experienced a clinical or MRI response. No objective imaging or hearing responses were observed in stage 1 of the trial, and the study was closed according to predefined stopping rules. Conclusion Everolimus is ineffective for the treatment of progressive VS in NF2 patients. We are currently conducting a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic ("phase 0") study of everolimus in presurgical VS patients to elucidate the biological basis for apparent treatment resistance to mTORC1 inhibition in these tumors.