Desmoid-type fibromatosis (or desmoid tumor) represents an intermediate grade neoplasm with a striking predilection for locally invasive growth and recurrence following resection. It occurs in children as well as young adults. As a typically localized disease, the historical standard of care for treatment has been surgical resection, with or without ionizing radiation. In some cases where surgical resection or radiation is not feasible, chemotherapy has been used. Two clinical trials conducted in the Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) and the Children's Oncology Group (COG) evaluated the role for either low intensity or non-cytotoxic chemotherapy for children with desmoid tumor that is not amenable to standard therapy. These were largely empirical treatment strategies or based on somewhat anecdotal observations. By better understanding desmoid tumor biology, even more effective therapy targeting a particular protein that is central to the disease can be developed. Desmoid tumor is well-known to be associated with deregulation of the Adenomatous Polyposis Cell/beta-catenin (APC/β-catenin pathway). This is true of familial cases associated with Gardner's Syndrome and also in sporadic desmoid tumor, nearly all of which display histological or molecular evidence of Adenomatous Polyposis Cell/beta-catenin (APC β-catenin) pathway activation (Alman et al., 1997; Lips et al., 2009). Several new pieces of evidence support the concept that deregulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) cell proliferation/survival pathway may play an important role in tumor biology when the APC/β-catenin pathway is disrupted. Sirolimus, a drug that inhibits mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), is currently being evaluated as an anti-cancer agent in a variety of tumor types, but it has not been previously studied in desmoid tumor. The investigators are conducting this pilot study to begin to explore whether mTOR inhibition may be beneficial for children and young adults with desmoid tumor.
We propose a translational research project that will directly test the hypothesis that mTOR is active in desmoid tumor in children and young adults. Activity will be assessed by clinical and histological studies following a course of pre-operative chemotherapy using sirolimus. Clinical response will be measured using validated pain assessment scales because desmoid tumor size is unlikely to change during the course of pre-operative chemotherapy in this study. Histological response will be based on quantifying the phosphorylation of following mTOR targets: thr389p-p70S6K, p-4E-BP1, and ser473p-AKT.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
9
* Loading dose of 12 milligrams/meter2; Per Os (PO), by mouth day 1 (Max dose 12 milligrams) * Starting 24 hours after the initial loading dose, patients will receive a dose of 4 milligrams/meter2 daily; Per Os (PO), by mouth days 2 through 28 (Max dose 4 milligram/day)
UCLA Medical Center
Los Angeles, California, United States
Rady Children's Hospital
San Diego, California, United States
University of Florida College of Medicine
Gainesville, Florida, United States
Maine Medical Center
Portland, Maine, United States
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Children's Mercy Hospital
Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Seattle Children's Hospital
Seattle, Washington, United States
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Immunohistochemical Immunoreactive Score Results After 4 Weeks of Sirolimus Compared to Control Specimens
Changes to the mTOR pathway were determined using an immunohistochemical immunoreactive score (IRS). The components of the IRS for each phosphoprotein (p4EPB and pS706K) are as follows: the percentage of positive cells were scored as: 0 (0%); 1 (\<10%); 2 (11-50%); 3 (51-80%); 4(\>80%). The staining intensity were scored as: 0 (negative), 1 (weak), 2 (moderate), and 3 (strong). To derive the IRS, the percentage of positive cells and staining intensity were multiplied together, resulting in a value from 0 to 12. The score for patients after 4 weeks of sirolimus was compared to a group of control desmoid tumor samples from the UCLA tumor bank (n=68). Lower scores for patients following 4 weeks of sirolimus compared to control sample scores indicate a better outcome.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Pain Levels After 4 Weeks of Sirolimus
Pain assessments were performed using the validated numeric (age ≥ 10 years) and Wong-Baker FACES (≥3 and \< 10 years) pain rating scales at specified study time points including baseline, at week 1 and after 4 weeks of treatment (just prior to surgery). Both pain scales range from a value of 0 to 10 with 0 being equal to no pain and 10 being equal to the worst pain. The median pain score and pain score range for study participants at Week 1 and Prior to Surgery (Week 4) timepoints are provided. Lower pain scale values (median and upper limit of the range) at the Prior to Surrgery timepoint are considered a better outcome.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Number of Participants Without Tumor Recurrence
We evaluated the number of study participants whose tumor did not recur by 3 years from the date of surgery.
Time frame: 3 years from the end of therapy, a total duration of 3 years and 4 weeks
Number of Participants With Grade 3 or Higher Toxicity Per CTCAE Definitions
The safety and tolerability of patients receiving sirolimus was evaluated using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0 grading criteria. All reported grades of toxicity (1-5) were collected.
Time frame: 4 weeks
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