July 1 Clinical Cancer Research Highlights

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Selected Articles from the July 1, 2007 Issue

The articles referenced in this Highlights section will be available online in HTML and PDF formats to all interested users at no charge until the next issue of Clinical Cancer Research is published. Click on the article title to view the complete article.

View the Table of Contents for the July 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.

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New Paradigms Emerge for Cancer Vaccines

Schlom et al.
Page 3776

While no therapeutic cancer vaccine has to date been approved by the FDA, several new paradigms are emerging from recent clinical findings in both the use of combination therapy approaches and, perhaps more importantly, in clinical trial design and endpoint analyses. Schlom et al. reviewed recent clinical trials involving several different cancer vaccines from which data are emerging contrasting classical “tumor response” (RECIST) criteria with “patient response” in the manifestation of increased patient survival post-vaccine therapy. Also described are several paradigm-shifting strategies in which cancer vaccines can be exploited in combination with other agents. Evidence is emerging from several studies in which patients who first receive a cancer vaccine benefit clinically from subsequent therapies.

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EPCs Participate in Vasculogenesis of HCC

Yu et al.
Page 3814

Bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are thought to contribute to the formation of new vessels in tumors. To demonstrate that EPCs participate in the vasculogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), Yu et al. characterized EPCs in the circulation and the liver of patients with HCC. EPCs were mobilized into the peripheral blood and correlated with the plasma levels of VEGF165 and PDGF-BB. Furthermore, EPCs were seen in the microvessels of cirrhotic and tumor tissues and correlated with clinicopathological parameters. This study indicates that mobilized EPCs participate in the vasculogenesis of HCC and may serve as a biomarker for HCC prognosis.

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Bad Rash is Good News

Wacker et al.
Page 3913

Patients treated with EGFR inhibitors frequently develop a rash characterized by inflammatory papules and pustules on the scalp, face, neck, and upper trunk. Wacker et al. analyzed data from two large phase III studies to characterize the correlation between the occurrence of rash during treatment with the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib and improved clinical outcomes. The presence of rash strongly correlated with overall survival in both studies. Physicians and patients should view rash development as a positive event indicative of greater likelihood of clinical benefit. Further studies are required to identify patients most likely to develop rash and to determine if dose escalation to induce rash can improve efficacy.

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Immune Signatures Reveal Tumor Escape Mechanisms and New Targets

Sadun et al.
Page 4016

Immunotherapy has shown preclinical successes, but enhancing clinical response rates may require the identification and reversal of dominant tumor escape mechanisms. Toward this goal, Sadun et al. developed a real-time reverse transcription PCR-based methodology for obtaining immune signatures that identify tumor escape mechanisms from tumor biopsies. Expression analysis for a panel of T cell activation genes in both murine and human cancers showed that some are homogenous (breast) and others are heterogeneous (colon) with regards to tumor escape. Homogeneous immune signatures identify specific immunotherapeutic strategies that may have universal potential, unlike heterogeneous signatures, which may require more individualized analysis and treatment.

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