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Michael T Deavers

Publications and source records attributed to Michael T Deavers.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Chemotherapy response is an important predictor of local recurrence in Ewing sarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Local recurrence in Ewing sarcoma is associated with a poor prognosis. The purpose of the study was to determine the factors that predict local recurrence after surgical treatment of the primary tumor. METHODS: Between 1990 and 2001, 64 patients underwent surgical resection of Ewing sarcoma. Surgical margins were assessed histologically and radiologically. Response to preoperative chemotherapy was determined by detailed specimen mapping. Local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) was calculated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Multivariate analysis was performed with the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: A number of factors were found to be associated with local recurrence on univariate analysis. Patients with a good response to chemotherapy (> or = 90% tumor necrosis), had superior LRFS at 5 years (86% vs 51%, P = .015). Central site of disease was associated with an increased rate of recurrence. The LRFS at 5 years was 50% for the chest wall, 74% for pelvic/scapular, and 86% for extremity tumors (P = .083). Positive surgical margin was not a strong predictor of recurrence (P = .72). A critical analysis of minimal surgical margin based on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans also failed to reveal an association between margin and local recurrence. In multivariate analysis, the 2 independent predictors of local recurrence were histological response to chemotherapy and central site of disease. CONCLUSION: Local recurrence after surgical resection is a complex phenomenon. An important predictive factor is the response to chemotherapy. In the current study, this seems to have the largest impact. Central site of disease may be a second independent predictive factor.

Adolescent↗

Periosteal margin in soft-tissue sarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Soft-tissue sarcomas frequently rest in contact with bone. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the risk of local recurrence for sarcomas adjacent to bone and to determine whether the periosteum provides an adequate margin of resection. METHODS: Fifty patients with soft-tissue sarcomas abutting bone were treated at a single institution between 1990 and 2004. All patients had high-grade, T2 (>5 cm), nonmetastatic disease in the lower extremity. Bone contact was verified by preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or computed tomography (CT) scans. Forty-three of 50 patients received preoperative radiation with a mean dose of 50 Gy. In 11 cases a composite resection of bone and soft tissue was performed. In 39 cases the excision involved only soft tissue. RESULTS: True bone invasion was verified by histopathologic examination in 3 of 50 cases (6%). Local recurrence in the soft tissues developed in 8 of 50 (16%) patients. In no case did the recurrence involve destruction of cortical bone or erosion into bone. The recurrent tumor resided against the region of previous bone contact in 1 of 8 cases. There was no statistically significant difference in local recurrence between patients who had composite bone resection and patients who had soft-tissue resection only (P = .87). CONCLUSIONS: Relatively few sarcomas are able to penetrate cortical bone. Composite bone and soft-tissue resections are indicated primarily for frank bone invasion. In the absence of this, the periosteum is an adequate surgical margin for sarcomas treated with wide excision and radiation.

Adolescent↗

EphA2 overexpression is associated with angiogenesis in ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: EphA2 is overexpressed in the majority of ovarian cancers and predicts poor clinical outcome. Based on EphA2's emerging role in angiogenesis, we hypothesized that tumors overexpressing EphA2 demonstrate greater microvessel density (MVD) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression. METHODS: After Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, 77 invasive epithelial ovarian tumors were analyzed for CD31, EphA2, MMP-2, MMP-9, and MT1-MMP expression. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 59 years (range, 34-83). EphA2 was overexpressed in 76% of tumors and was associated with advanced-stage disease (P < .001) and high-grade histology (P = .04). MVD was stratified into high (>12.7 vessels/high-power field [HPF]) versus low (<or=12.7 vessels/HPF) counts. High MVD was significantly associated with advanced stage (P < .001), presence of ascites (P < .001), and suboptimal surgical cytoreduction (P = .01). MMP expression was scored separately in the stromal (percentage of tumors with high expression: MMP-2 = 43%; MMP-9 = 74%; MT1-MMP = 40%) and epithelial (percentage of tumors with high expression: MMP-2 = 52%; MMP-9 = 61%; MT1-MMP = 44%) compartments. Endothelial cell EphA2 overexpression correlated with epithelial MMP-9 (P = .02), whereas EphA2 overexpression in tumor cells was significantly associated with high MVD (P = .002), as well as strong stromal and epithelial MMP-9 (P = .01 and P = .04, respectively), epithelial MMP-2 (P = .006), and epithelial MT1-MMP (P = .01) expression. CONCLUSIONS: EphA2 overexpression in endothelial and ovarian cancer cells was strongly associated with critical factors involved in angiogenesis and invasion. These findings may explain the poor clinical outcome of patients with EphA2 overexpression.

Adult↗

Analysis of EphA2 expression and mutant p53 in ovarian carcinoma.

The EphA2 tyrosine kinase receptor is frequently overexpressed in ovarian cancer and this feature is predictive of poor clinical outcome. Preclinical investigation has also linked EphA2 with p53. In our present study, we examined EphA2 and p53 status (both expression and full-length mutation status) in 6 ovarian cell lines and 79 human ovarian cancers to determine potential associations. EphA2 was overexpressed in 80% of ovarian cancer cell lines and in 75% of clinical specimens. In particular, high levels of EphA2 occurred in 91% of tumors with p53 null mutations compared to 68% in tumors with wild-type or missense mutations (p=0.027). EphA2 expression did not relate to critical versus non-critical site missense p53 mutations or the location of mutations on specific p53 exons. We also demonstrated that while EphA2 and p53 can provide independent information regarding clinical status, the combination of EphA2 and p53 status can predict poor clinical outcome. In particular, the combination of EphA2 overexpression and p53 null status was associated with decreased overall patient survival and related to increased incidence of ascites and distant metastasis. Taken together, these data indicate a complex relationship between EphA2 and p53 that appears to regulate EphA2 expression and clinical outcome.

Cell Line, Tumor↗

Radiation-associated endometrial cancers are prognostically unfavorable tumors: a clinicopathologic comparison with 527 sporadic endometrial cancers.

INTRODUCTION: Previous reports have suggested that patients who have undergone pelvic radiation for cervical cancer are at risk for developing poorly differentiated endometrial cancers with poor prognoses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart and histologic review of patients from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center diagnosed with endometrial cancer after radiation therapy (RT) for cervical cancer from 1976 to 2000. The comparison group comprised MSKCC endometrial cancer patients whose tumors were not radiation associated ("sporadic cancers"). RESULTS: We identified 23 patients who developed endometrial carcinoma or carcinomasarcoma after RT for cervical carcinoma and 527 sporadic endometrial cancer patients. When radiation-associated endometrial cancers (RAECs) were compared with sporadic cancers, significant differences were noted with regard to stage, grade and histologic subtype distribution. In the RAEC group, there were 16 (70%) stages III and IV cancers compared with 101 (19%) in the sporadic group (P<0.001). There were 20 (87%) grade 3 cancers in the RAEC group versus 161 (31%) in the sporadic group (P<0.001). There were 16 (70%) high-risk histologic subtypes (serous, clear cell, carcinosarcoma, undifferentiated) in the RAEC group versus 79 (15%) in the sporadic group (P<0.001). Median survival in the RAEC group was 24 months versus not reached in the sporadic group (P<0.001). Radiation remained a significant factor for poor prognosis in a stratified analysis, in which we compared sporadic and RAEC cancers controlled for age, histology, grade and stage. However, radiation lost significance in a multivariate analysis, in which stage- and grade-matched cancers from both groups were compared. DISCUSSION: The clinicopathologic characteristics of RAECs, which include a preponderance of high-stage, high-grade and high-risk histologic subtypes, indicate that these tumors differ from sporadic endometrial carcinomas. However, patients with RAECs do not appear to have a significantly worse prognosis when compared with patients with high-stage and high-grade sporadic cancers.

Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell↗

Cyclin E expression is correlated with tumor progression and predicts a poor prognosis in patients with ovarian carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Cyclins, cyclin dependent kinases (cdks), and their inhibitors act in combination to regulate progression through the cell cycle and often are dysregulated in carcinoma. The authors hypothesized that cyclin E plays an important role in ovarian carcinogenesis and that its overexpression may be an indicator of a poor prognosis. METHODS: Immunohistochemical analysis of cyclin E expression was performed by image analysis in normal ovaries, cystadenomas, tumors of low malignant potential, and 405 primary ovarian carcinomas by using tissue microarray technology. RESULTS: Overexpression of cyclin E was found in 63.2% of the samples and was associated with clear cell, poorly differentiated, and serous carcinoma (P < or = .001), high-grade tumors (P < or = .001), late-stage disease (P = .002), age older than 60 years at the time of diagnosis (P = .04), and suboptimal cytoreduction (P = .001). A high percentage of cyclin E-expressing cells was associated with a poor outcome in univariate and in multivariate analyses. In addition, cyclin E levels also reduced survival in the late-stage disease group and in patients who underwent suboptimal debulking. CONCLUSIONS: Cyclin E was identified as an independent prognostic factor in patients with ovarian carcinoma. The accumulation of cyclin E protein may be a late event in tumorigenesis and may contribute to disease progression in these patients.

Adult↗

Cytologic diagnosis of ciliated hepatic foregut cyst.

Ciliated hepatic foregut cyst (CHFC) is a rare, benign, solitary cyst occurring most often in the left lobe of the liver. CHFCs are typically found incidentally during radiologic imaging, surgical exploration, or autopsy. Only six cases of CHFC diagnosed by fine needle aspiration have been reported in the literature. We describe a CHFC diagnosed by aspiration in a 70-yr-old woman who presented with a 2-yr history of abdominal discomfort. The radiologically benign-appearing lesion was located in the subcapsular area of segment IV of the liver. The aspirate contained benign ciliated columnar cells and goblet cells suspended in mucoid material. Sections from a cell block demonstrated pseudo-stratified bronchial-type epithelium with mucin secreting cells and an absence of cartilage, characteristic of CHFC. Mucin-containing goblet cells stained with alcian blue. The neuroendocrine cells within the bronchial-type epithelium stained for calcitonin and synaptophysin. On follow-up, a computed tomography (CT) demonstrated the cyst to be unchanged, but as the patient continued to have pain, sclerosis of the cyst was planned. The diagnosis of CHFC by fine needle aspiration and its distinction from other solitary cysts of the liver may prevent unnecessary surgical exploration and excision.

Aged↗

Clinical behavior of stage II-IV low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical behavior of patients with stage II-IV low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary seen at our institution who underwent primary surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy. METHODS: Patients with stage II-IV low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary from 1978 to 2003 were identified using existing databases. Clinicopathologic information was obtained from medical records. Progression-free survival and overall survival were estimated by the method of Kaplan and Meier. The log-rank test was used to compare differences between survival curves. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: We identified 112 eligible patients. Median age was 43 years.; 90% had stage III disease. Preoperative serum CA 125 was elevated in 86% of patients. The most common sites of extraovarian disease were omentum, fallopian tubes, pelvic peritoneum, and uterus. Response rate to platinum-based chemotherapy in 10 evaluable patients (15% of patients with gross residual disease) was 80%, and 42 patients underwent second-look surgery: microscopically negative findings, 2 (5%); microscopically positive disease, 13 (33%); macroscopically positive disease, 24 (62%); and insufficient information, 3 (7%). Median progression-free survival and overall survival times were 19.5 and 81.8 months. Persistent disease after primary chemotherapy was the only factor associated with shorter overall survival time (hazard ratio 3.46, 95% confidence interval 2.00-5.97, P<.001). CONCLUSION: Metastatic low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary is characterized by young age at diagnosis and prolonged overall survival. Segregating women with this diagnosis in future clinical trials is warranted.

Adolescent↗

Ovarian involvement by metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma: still a diagnostic challenge.

Ovarian involvement by metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma, although not an uncommon occurrence, remains a diagnostic challenge. The gross and histologic features of such metastases overlap those of primary ovarian epithelial neoplasms such as endometrioid or mucinous adenocarcinoma. The clinical and pathologic features of 86 cases of metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma involving the ovary were reviewed. Patients ranged in age from 19 to 85 years (median, 51 years); 24% were younger than 40 years. Presenting symptoms included abdominal or pelvic pain (45 cases), rectal bleeding (13 cases), change in bowel habits (20 cases), and vaginal bleeding (5 cases). In 23 cases, an ovarian mass was the first manifestation of the disease. Ovarian involvement was bilateral in 49 cases and unilateral in 33 (including 20 cases in which the only involved ovary measured at least 10 cm in greatest dimension). Involved ovaries ranged from 2 to 24 cm (mean, 10.1 cm), and most featured both solid and cystic areas. Many involved ovaries featured smooth capsules without gross evidence of surface involvement by tumor. In general, the tumors had typical histologic features of metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma, including a garland pattern and dirty necrosis. In 23 cases, foci with a benign or low malignant potential appearance were seen. Immunohistochemical studies showed that 29 of 29 tumors (100%) were positive for CK20; focal CK7 positivity was seen in 5 of 30 cases (17%). In 9 of the cases, an ovarian primary was diagnosed or favored initially, and 5 of these cases were initially treated as ovarian primaries. Metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of an ovarian mass, even if the mass is large and unilateral or in a young patient, to secure proper treatment of these patients.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Endometrioid carcinoma simultaneously involving the uterus and the fallopian tube: a clinicopathologic study of 13 cases.

Although the simultaneous presentation of endometrial and ovarian carcinomas of the endometrioid type is well described, little is known about a similar phenomenon involving the endometrium and fallopian tube (FT). We present the clinicopathologic features of 13 such cases seen in the Department of Pathology at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center over an 8 year period (1995 to 2002). FT tumors that could have represented luminal extension of the endometrial carcinoma or that represented an unequivocal metastasis to the FT were excluded. The patients' ages ranged from 34 to 77 years (median 54). The most common symptom was abnormal uterine/vaginal bleeding (11) and all of the patients were considered overweight or obese (mean body mass index was 41). The size of the endometrial carcinomas ranged from 0.3 to 8 cm. According to the FIGO grading of the endometrial endometrioid carcinomas, the cases were distributed as follows: Grade 1 (3) and Grade 2 (10). In 2 cases, there were also small areas of other histologic types, papillary serous carcinoma (1 case), and papillary endometrial carcinoma of intermediate grade (another case). The size of the fallopian tube carcinomas ranged from 0.2 to 17.5 cm. Seven of these tumors were located in the distal/fimbriated end of the FT. There was bilateral involvement in 2 cases. Three of the FT tumors were in situ. The grades of the fallopian tube carcinomas were as follows: Grade 1 (2), Grade 2 (6), and Grade 3 (2). In situ components were seen in all cases. One fallopian tube carcinoma was mixed with serous carcinoma. In 4 cases, there was also an endometrioid carcinoma involving the ovary, all of them with an intact ovarian capsule. Patients were treated as follows: total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (TAH/BSO) (4), TAH/BSO/chemotherapy (chemo) (4), TAH/BSO/radiation (3), and TAH/BSO/chemo/radiation (2). Follow-up ranging from 6 to 54 months was available in 10 patients: 1 patient died of disease (at 38 mo), 1 patient is alive with disease (at 9 mo), 7 patients have no evidence of disease (6 to 54 mo), and 1 patient died of metastatic endometrial carcinoma (at 9 mo). Simultaneous endometrioid carcinomas of the uterus and FT are unusual and occur primarily in obese perimenopausal women. The tumors are predominantly well or moderately differentiated with dissimilar endometrial and FT grades. The FT carcinoma is usually unilateral and located at the distal end of the tube.

Adult↗

Association of low-grade endometrioid carcinoma of the uterus and ovary with undifferentiated carcinoma: a new type of dedifferentiated carcinoma?

Low-grade endometrioid carcinomas, either of the endometrium or the ovaries, usually have an excellent prognosis. The association of this type of tumor with undifferentiated carcinoma is rare. In this study, we present the clinicopathologic features of 25 such cases. The age of the patients ranged from 30 to 82 years (median, 51 years). At presentation, the patients had either vaginal bleeding or pelvic pain. The endometrioid carcinoma involved the endometrium in 14 cases, the endometrium and 1 or both ovaries in 9 cases, and the ovaries in 2 cases. Undifferentiated carcinoma associated with low-grade endometrioid carcinoma was found at presentation in 19 grade 1 or 2 endometrioid carcinomas: 15 in the endometrium and 5 in the ovary. In one of these cases, undifferentiated carcinoma was found in the endometrium and the ovary. Undifferentiated carcinoma was found after resection of low-grade endometrioid carcinoma in six cases, involving the retroperitoneum, pelvis, vagina, or liver. The undifferentiated carcinoma was composed exclusively of diffuse sheets and solid nests of epithelial cells in l0 cases. Epithelial cells with isolated foci of keratinization were seen in nine cases and rhabdoid cells in a myxoid background in six cases. Twenty-four patients were treated with total abdominal hysterectomy and with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Twenty-two patients received additional therapy as follows: chemotherapy (), radiotherapy (), and tamoxifen (). Follow-up showed that 15 patients died of disease in 1 to 60 months (median, 6 months), and 5 patients are alive with progressive disease with a follow-up between 6 and 8 months; 1 patient is alive with no evidence of disease at 104 months. In four cases, the diagnosis was made recently, with short follow-ups of 3 and 4 months. Foci of undifferentiated carcinoma may be confused with solid endometrioid adenocarcinoma erroneously leading to the diagnosis of a grade 3 or a significantly less aggressive grade 2 endometrioid carcinoma. The recognition of undifferentiated carcinoma in an otherwise low-grade endometrioid adenocarcinoma is extremely important because it indicates aggressive behavior. In asynchronous cases, being aware of this association can explain the absence of a second primary.

Adult↗

Myeloid sarcoma involving the gynecologic tract: a report of 11 cases and review of the literature.

Myeloid sarcoma can involve any anatomic site, but involvement of the gynecologic tract is uncommon. We describe 11 women, 17 to 60 years old, with myeloid sarcoma involving the gynecologic tract, including 5 patients in whom myeloid sarcoma presented as an isolated mass. The uterus was the most frequently involved anatomic site, in 8 patients (5 corpus, 3 cervix). Each neoplasm diffusely infiltrated normal structures, and, cytologically 7 tumors were immature, 3 were differentiated, and 1 was blastic. In 9 cases assessed, immunohistochemical stains showed that all neoplasms were positive for myeloperoxidase and lysozyme; CD117 was positive in 7 of 8 cases, and cytochemical staining for naphthol AS-D chloroacetate was positive in all 6 neoplasms analyzed. Following chemotherapy, complete remission and long-term survival were achieved in a subset of patients, as was particularly true for 2 patients (cases 8 and 10), with complete remission 12.5 and 31 years after diagnosis, respectively.

Adolescent↗

Postirradiation osteosarcoma of the mandible with heterologous differentiation.

Heterologous differentiation in osteosarcoma is rare, with only 17 cases previously described in the literature. We report a case of a mandibular osteoblastic osteosarcoma with rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation in a 45-year-old man who had a history of Hodgkin lymphoma that was treated with chemotherapy and radiation. Radiographs showed a destructive osteoblastic tumor of the mandible that was proven by biopsy to be osteosarcoma. After the patient underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the tumor was resected. It contained a high-grade osteosarcoma composed of osteoblastic and chondroblastic elements that had no definitive response to therapy. Within the center of the lesion was a discrete focus of pleomorphic cells with rhabdomyosarcomatous differentiation that was confirmed by immunohistochemical stains for desmin, myogenin, and myogenic differentiation antigen 1. The patient received additional chemotherapy and radiation therapy but developed lung, brain, and spinal metastases and died 7 months after surgery. To our knowledge, this is the first report of osteosarcoma of the mandible with heterologous differentiation.

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic↗

Therapeutic EphA2 gene targeting in vivo using neutral liposomal small interfering RNA delivery.

Inducing destruction of specific mRNA using small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a powerful tool in analysis of protein function, but its use as a therapeutic modality has been limited by inefficient or impractical delivery systems. We have used siRNA incorporated into the neutral liposome 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DOPC) for efficient in vivo siRNA delivery. In nude mice bearing i.p. ovarian tumors, nonsilencing siRNA tagged with the fluorochrome Alexa 555 was encapsulated into DOPC liposomes and shown to be taken up by the tumor as well as many major organs. Furthermore, DOPC-encapsulated siRNA targeting the oncoprotein EphA2 was highly effective in reducing in vivo EphA2 expression 48 hours after a single dose as measured by both Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Therapy experiments in an orthotopic mouse model of ovarian cancer were initiated 1 week after injection of either HeyA8 or SKOV3ip1 cell lines. Three weeks of treatment with EphA2-targeting siRNA-DOPC (150 microg/kg twice weekly) reduced tumor growth when compared with a nonsilencing siRNA (SKOV3ip1: 0.35 versus 0.70 g; P = 0.020; HeyA8: 0.98 versus 1.51 g; P = 0.16). When EphA2-targeting siRNA-DOPC was combined with paclitaxel, tumor growth was dramatically reduced compared with treatment with paclitaxel and a nonsilencing siRNA (SKOV3ip1: 0.04 versus 0.22 g; P < 0.001; HeyA8: 0.21 versus 0.84 g; P = 0.0027). These studies show the feasibility of siRNA as a clinically applicable therapeutic modality.

Animals↗

Metastatic carcinoma of the gallbladder mimicking an advanced cervical carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Metastasis to the uterine cervix from a non-gynecologic neoplasm is extremely rare. To our knowledge, only three cases of primary carcinoma of the gallbladder with metastasis to the cervix have been previously reported. We report a case of metastatic gallbladder carcinoma mimicking a stage IIIB cervical carcinoma. CASE: A 74 year-old woman presented with pain in her left lumbar area radiating to her left flank. On physical examination, a 6 cm cervical tumor involving the left parametrium was noted. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the pelvis showed left-sided hydronephrosis and hydroureter with distal ureteral obstruction. A Pap smear revealed adenocarcinoma, and a biopsy of the endocervical canal was consistent with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. The patient was referred to a tertiary care center. On review of the biopsy after referral, the carcinoma was felt to be unusual for an endocervical primary and immunohistochemical stains were ordered. The carcinoma was positive for cytokeratin 7, had only focal cytoplasmic staining for p16, and was negative for carcinoembryonic antigen and cytokeratin 20. Upon presentation, the patient complained of new onset of shortness of breath and cough. A chest CT revealed multiple lesions in both lungs suggestive of metastatic disease, and an abdominal CT revealed a gallbladder tumor with extension into the liver. The patient underwent a CT-guided biopsy of one of the lung lesions and the pathologic findings were consistent with metastatic adenocarcinoma. The patient was diagnosed with stage IVB primary gallbladder adenocarcinoma and was treated with capecitabine, but her condition deteriorated rapidly and she died 5 months later. CONCLUSION: In patients with an atypical presentation for cervical adenocarcinoma, it is important to consider a metastatic tumor in the differential diagnosis and to perform a thorough work-up for metastatic disease before initiating therapy.

Adenocarcinoma↗

The activity of taxanes compared with bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin in the treatment of sex cord-stromal ovarian tumors.

OBJECTIVE: We compared the efficacy and side effects of taxanes, with or without platinum, to bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP) in treating sex cord-stromal ovarian tumors. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of all patients with sex cord-stromal ovarian tumors seen at our institution from 1985 to 2002. Eligible patients were those who underwent pathologic confirmation, clinical evaluation, and treatment with a taxane or BEP for initial or recurrent disease. RESULTS: Of 222 patients identified, 21 received BEP for new (n = 11) or recurrent disease (n = 10); 44 received a taxane during 48 treatment episodes (four patients on two occasions each) for new (n = 11) or recurrent disease (n = 37). Newly diagnosed patients treated with BEP vs. taxanes had no significant difference in response rate (Fisher's exact test, P = 1), progression-free survival (PFS) (log-rank test, P = 0.213), or overall survival (log-rank test, P = 0.994). Among patients treated for recurrent measurable disease, the response rate was higher for BEP-treated (71%) than for taxane-treated patients (37%), but this was not statistically significant. In all patients treated for recurrent disease, there was no significant difference in failure to progress at chemotherapy completion between BEP- (70%) and taxane-treated patients (62%) or in median PFS (11.2 vs. 7.2 months). The presence of platinum in taxane-containing regimens correlated with response. Taxane-related side effects included neutropenia (n = 6), anemia (n = 1), thrombocytopenia (n = 1), myelodysplasia (n = 1), and hypersensitivity (n = 1). BEP-related side effects included pulmonary fibrosis (n = 3) and neutropenia (n = 2). CONCLUSIONS: Taxanes demonstrated activity against sex cord-stromal tumors of the ovary and may be less toxic than BEP. Taxane and platinum combination chemotherapy warrants further investigation in this disease.

Adolescent↗

Treatment and prognosis of chondroblastoma.

UNLABELLED: Chondroblastoma is an aggressive tumor of bone with the capacity for recurrence and metastasis. We sought to determine the prognostic factors that affect survival and local recurrence with particular emphasis on surgical technique and the anatomic constraints of the open physis. It was hypothesized that an open growth plate would impact the local recurrence rate negatively and be a primary determinant of treatment outcome. We retrospectively reviewed 82 consecutive patients treated at one institution. Intralesional treatment with meticulous curettage and bone graft resulted in local control in the majority of patients. Four local recurrences developed between 5 and 51 months. An open growth plate was not found to correlate with local recurrence. In most cases, the open physis did not considerably impact surgical technique. Although the median age of the patients was 16 years, the majority of patients had a closed or closing physis. Few patients had substantial growth remaining. A physeal-sparing operation was done in six patients, and no local recurrences were observed in this group. The factors that seemed to affect local recurrence included inadequate surgery and biologic aggressiveness of the tumor. Inadequate surgery was likely to be the cause of local recurrence in patients who presented after previous treatment elsewhere. Three patients who developed local recurrence manifested increased biologic aggressiveness of disease. These patients subsequently developed metastatic disease and malignant transformation of disease. All three patients died from their disease. Pelvic tumors tend to be biologically more aggressive and more apt to recur locally and metastasize to distant locations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Study, Level IV (case series). See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Adolescent↗