Trial Watch | Nature Reviews Cancer

You have full access to this article via your institution. Download PDF VACCINATING THE BRAIN The epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII) is often expressed on glioblastoma

multiforme (GBM) tumour cells (as well as other tumour types) but not normal cells, which — according to Sampson and colleagues — makes EGFRvIII a potential immunotherapy target for patients

with GBM. Sampson and colleagues report a phase II clinical trial of intradermal vaccination with an EGFRvIII-specific peptide (CDX-110) simultaneously with standard or continuous

temozolomide (TMZ) in 21 patients with newly diagnosed EGFRvIII+ GBM. Co-administration of TMZ with CDX-110 resulted in sustained immune responses to EGFRvIII in all evaluated patients (95%

confidence interval (CI): 0.71–1.00) and the median progression-free survival was 16.6 months (95% CI: 9.1–22.7) compared with 15.2 months (95% CI: 13.9–20.5) in patients treated with TMZ

alone. Based on these data a phase III randomized clinical trial has been initiated. POSITIVELY PLATINUM The lung adjuvant cisplatin evaluation (LACE) study pooled data from the five largest

trials that have shown significant overall survival benefit from cisplatin chemotherapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Pignon and colleagues report that chemotherapy

conferred a 5-year absolute benefit of 5.4%, indicating that platinum-based chemotherapy significantly improves survival in patients with NSCLC. In addition, Scagliotti and colleagues

reported a phase III randomized study of cisplatin plus gemcitabine (the standard treatment) and pemetrexed plus cisplatin in 1,725 patients with advanced NSCLC. They found that patients

treated with cisplatin plus pemetrexed had the same median survival as patients treated with the standard regimen (10.3 months, 95% CI: 0.84–1.05). However, they found that cancer histology

correlated to a preferential response to one of the two combinations. Patients with adenocarcinoma or large-cell carcinoma exhibited longer overall survival when treated with cisplatin plus

pemetrexed; whereas patients with squamous cell histology showed significantly improved survival with cisplatin plus gemcitabine (10.8 months versus 9.4 months). They also found that the

pemetrexed–cisplatin combination was better tolerated, which suggests that pemetrexed–cisplatin treatment might be beneficial to some patients. This study assesses, for the first time,

differences in survival as a result of tumour histology and additional studies using this approach could better inform therapeutic strategies. REFERENCES ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER * Sampson,

J. H. et al. Effect of EGFRvIII-targeted vaccine (CDX-110) on immune response and TTP when given with simultaneous standard and continuous temozolomide in patients with GBM. _J. Clin.

Oncol._ 26, abstract 2011 (2008) ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPERS * Scagliotti, G. V. et al. Phase III study comparing cisplatin plus gemcitabine with cisplatin plus pemetrexed in chemotherapy-naïve

patients with advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer. _J. Clin. Oncol._ 27 May 2008 (doi: 10.1200/JCO.2007.15.0375) * Pignon, J.-P. et al. Lung adjuvant cisplatin evaluation: a pooled

analysis by the LACE collaborative group. _J. Clin. Oncol._ 27 May 2008 (doi: 10.1200/JCO.2007.13.9030) Download references RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE

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