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Abstract
Leiomyosarcoma is an aggressive mesenchymal malignancy and represents one of the most common subtypes of soft tissue sarcomas. It is characterized by significant disease heterogeneity with variable sites of origin and diverse genomic profiles. As a result, the treatment of advanced leiomyosarcoma is challenging. First-line therapy for metastatic and/or unresectable leiomyosarcoma includes anthracycline or gemcitabine based regimens, which provide a median progression-free survival time of about 5 months and overall survival time between 14-16 months. Effective later-line therapies are limited. Molecular profiling has enhanced our knowledge of the pathophysiology driving leiomyosarcoma, providing potential targets for treatment. In this review, we explore recent advances in our understanding of leiomyosarcoma tumor biology and implications for novel therapeutics. We describe the development of clinical trials based on such findings and discuss available published results. To date, the most promising approaches for advanced leiomyosarcoma include targeting DNA damage repair pathways and aberrant metabolism associated with oncogenesis, as well as novel chemotherapy combinations. This review highlights the recent progress made in the treatment of advanced leiomyosarcoma. Ongoing progress is contingent upon further development of clinical trials based on molecular findings, with careful consideration for clinical trial design, strong academic collaborations, and prospective correlative analyses.
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Mehta N, Lee SS, Salame G. A case of pembrolizumab and lenvatinib as an alterntive therapy for leiomyosarcoma. Gynecol Oncol Rep 2023; 45:101145. [PMID: 36818196 DOI: 10.1016/j.gore.2023.101145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
•Research surrounding treatment of leiomyosarcoma (LMS) treatment remains sparse.•Pembrolizumab/lenvatinib has been reported as a therapy for endometrial cancer, though not yet as therapy for LMS.•This report demonstrates disease regression after use of pembrolizumab and lenvatinib in a patient with recurrent LMS.
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Samiei A, Gjertson DW, Memarzadeh S, Konecny GE, Moatamed NA. Expression of immune checkpoint regulators, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1/PD-1), cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), and indolaimine-2, 3-deoxygenase (IDO) in uterine mesenchymal tumors. Diagn Pathol 2022; 17:70. [PMID: 36104728 PMCID: PMC9476344 DOI: 10.1186/s13000-022-01251-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoints including programmed death-ligand 1/programmed death-1/ (PD-L1/PD-1), cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), and indolaimine-2, 3-deoxygenase (IDO) have recently emerged as effective candidates for treatment against a range of human malignancies. We have investigated their expression in the uterine mesenchymal tumors. METHODS Sixty-eight mesenchymal tumors were categorized into 6 diagnostic groups. We assessed PD-L1, PD-1, CTLA-4, and IDO expression on paraffin embedded tissue blocks of the uterine tumors using the respective antibodies. Immunohistochemical (IHC) stains were classified as positive when the reactions were present in at least 1% of the cell membranes for PD-L1/PD-1 or in cytoplasm for CTLA-4 and IDO, regardless of intensity. Student's t-test and McNemar's chi-square tests were carried out to analyze the results. RESULTS The mesenchymal neoplasms had expressed the immune checkpoints in the tumor and/or the lymphoid cells at the rate of 49% and 54% respectively. The tumor cells were positive in 10 (18%, PD-L1), 0 (0%, PD-1), 18 (32%, CTLA-4), and 13 (23%, IDO) cases while the infiltrating lymphoid cells were positive in 10 (18%, PD-L1), 23 (40%, PD-1), 18 (32%, CTLA-4), and 13 (23%, IDO) cases. Overall, comparison of paired tumor vs lymphoid cells resulted in p-values of ≤ 0.04. CONCLUSIONS Nearly 50% of the uterine tumors express at least one of the immune checkpoints in tumor and/or the infiltrating lymphoid cells. However, expression of the proteins in the two cellular components are mutually exclusive. Namely, when tumor cells express an immune checkpoint, the infiltrating lymphoid cells do not, and vice versa. Since the leiomyosarcomas are reportedly resistant to the immunotherapy when PD-L1 is expressed in the tumor cells, it can be posited that presence of the IHC positive lymphoid cells may be a better indicator of response to the treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Samiei
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 13-145 CHS, BOX 951732, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1732, USA
| | - David W Gjertson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 13-145 CHS, BOX 951732, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1732, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sanaz Memarzadeh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Johnson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gottfried E Konecny
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Neda A Moatamed
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, 13-145 CHS, BOX 951732, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1732, USA.
- Johnson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Bose S, Schwartz GK, Ingham M. Novel Therapeutics in the Treatment of Uterine Sarcoma. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book 2022; 42:900-909. [PMID: 35714303 DOI: 10.1200/edbk_350541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Uterine sarcomas reflect the diversity of sarcoma as a whole. The most common histologies include leiomyosarcoma, high- and low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma, and adenosarcoma. These are clinically and biologically heterogeneous diseases that are challenging to treat in the advanced setting. Recent advances in our understanding of the cancer biology of uterine sarcomas has improved diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic management. Promising approaches for patients with advanced uterine leiomyosarcoma include targeting DNA damage repair pathways and depleting immunosuppressive macrophage populations. A subset of endometrial stromal sarcomas harbor potentially actionable alterations in the Wnt, cyclin D-CDK4/6-Rb, and MDM2-p53 pathways. There remains an urgent need to translate molecular findings into prospective clinical trials of novel agents for patients with these diseases; progress will depend on academic collaborations and enrollment of patients with uterine sarcoma in biomarker-driven basket studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sminu Bose
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Gary K Schwartz
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Matthew Ingham
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
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Kasper B, D'Ambrosio L, Davis EJ, Ingham M, Broto JM, Trent JC, van Houdt WJ, Van Tine BA. What Clinical Trials Are Needed for Treatment of Leiomyosarcoma? Curr Treat Options Oncol 2022; 23:439-449. [PMID: 35275323 PMCID: PMC8930904 DOI: 10.1007/s11864-021-00928-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OPINION STATEMENT Leiomyosarcoma is one of the most common subtypes of soft tissue sarcomas accounting for approximately 20% of sarcomas. As leiomyosarcoma patients frequently develop metastatic disease, effective systemic therapies are needed to improve clinical outcomes. The overall activity of the currently available conventional systemic therapies and the prognosis of patients with advanced and/or metastatic disease are poor. As such, the treatment of this patient population remains challenging. As a result, there is a clear unmet medical need, and designing and performing meaningful clinical studies are of utmost importance to improve the prognosis of this patient group. Therefore, the aim of this review is to briefly summarize state-of-the-art treatments for leiomyosarcoma patients and to describe trial characteristics needed for informative clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Kasper
- Mannheim University Medical Center, University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, D-68167, Mannheim, Germany.
| | | | - Elizabeth J Davis
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA
| | | | - Javier Martin Broto
- Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital Fundacion Jimenez Diaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jonathan C Trent
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, USA
| | - Winan J van Houdt
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Brian A Van Tine
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, USA
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