Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is an uncommon malignancy of hereditary and sporadic presentation. Mutations in the RET proto-oncogene are involved in the pathogenesis of familial MTC and >50% of the sporadic cases. Currently, there is no effective treatment for recurrent or metastatic MTC. We report here a rapid response to a sorafenib (RET and RAF kinase and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor) -based regimen in a patient with sporadic MTC who had advanced, progressive disease and a novel RET kinase aberration at exon 11 shown in tumor tissue.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is common in patients with advanced cancer and may influence patient eligibility for clinical studies, quality of life, and survival. We reviewed the medical records of 220 consecutive patients seen in the Phase I Clinical Trials Program at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center to determine the frequency of VTE, associated characteristics, and clinical outcomes. Twenty-three (10.5%) patients presenting to the Phase I Clinic had a history of VTE; 26 (11.8%) patients subsequently developed VTE, with a median follow-up of 8.4 months. These included nine (39%) patients with and 17 (8.6%) without a history of VTE (P < 0.0001). The most common events were deep venous thromboses of the extremities and pulmonary emboli. The median survival of patients with and without a history of VTE was 4.7 and 10.9 months, respectively (P 5 0.0002). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that a history of VTE (P < 0.0001), pancreatic cancer (P 5 0.007), and platelet count >440 3 10 9 /L (P 5 0.026) predicted new VTE episodes. In conclusion, this retrospective analysis demonstrated that a history or new development of VTE was noted in 40 (18%) of 220 patients seen in our Phase I Clinic. A prognostic score that can be used to predict time to development of and frequency of VTE is proposed. Am. J. Hematol. 84:408-413, 2009. V

We document an EGFR mutation in a patient with papillary renal cell cancer with a history of multiple therapies, including interferon-alpha, interleukin-2, 5-fluorouracil, and interferon-alpha together with 13-cis-retinoic acid, to which floxuridine was later added, and thalidomide maintenance therapy for six years. We provide a succinct review of the PubMed-derived literature on EGFR mutations in diverse tumors, which indicates that a subset of patients with various tumor types may harbor EGFR mutations. A 32-year old woman with sporadic, metastatic papillary renal cancer was found to harbor an EGFR kinase domain mutation in addition to the MET kinase mutation typically found in this disease. Since lung cancer patients with EGFR mutations often respond well to EGFR inhibitor therapy and EGFR mutations occur in a variety of tumors, it should be worthwhile to assess EGFR status prospectively in other tumors and study the results of treatment with EGFR inhibitors in these patients.

Fluorouracil (5-FU) remains the most widely used agent for colorectal cancer. Capecitabine is a rationally designed 5-FU pro-drug developed to mimic the continuous infusion of 5-FU while avoiding complications and inconvenience of intravenous administration. Capecitabine is absorbed intact from the gastrointestinal tract, converted enzymatically to active 5-FU, and released directly into the tumor. Capecitabine's efficacy and safety are shown in multiple phase III trials across different disease stages and therapy lines. Three randomized phase III trials demonstrated the equivalence of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) versus 5-FU/leucovorin (LV)/oxaliplatin (FOLFOX). The safety of capecitabine compared with 5-FU depends on the regimen of 5-FU used. The adverse event rate with oxaliplatin in combination with infusional 5-FU is similar to that of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin but is associated with more neutropenia and venous thrombotic events; capecitabine plus oxaliplatinbased regimens tend to be associated with more grade 3 diarrhea and hand-foot skin reaction. Combination therapy with capecitabine and irinotecan (CapeIRI) versus 5-FU/ LV and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) had more variable results; some former schedules resulted in excessive treatmentrelated toxicity. More recent data show that lower capecitabine and irinotecan doses, different schedules, and combination with targeted agents (e.g, bevacizumab) have resulted in more favorable outcomes.

Fluorouracil (5-FU) remains the most widely used agent for colorectal cancer. Capecitabine is a rationally designed 5-FU pro-drug developed to mimic the continuous infusion of 5-FU while avoiding complications and inconvenience of intravenous administration. Capecitabine is absorbed intact from the gastrointestinal tract, converted enzymatically to active 5-FU, and released directly into the tumor. Capecitabine’s efficacy and safety are shown in multiple phase III trials across different disease stages and therapy lines. Three randomized phase III trials demonstrated the equivalence of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) versus 5-FU/leucovorin (LV)/oxaliplatin (FOLFOX). The safety of capecitabine compared with 5-FU depends on the regimen of 5-FU used. The adverse event rate with oxaliplatin in combination with infusional 5-FU is similar to that of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin but is associated with more neutropenia and venous thrombotic events; capecitabine plus oxaliplatinbased regimens tend to be associated with more grade 3 diarrhea and hand-foot skin reaction. Combination therapy with capecitabine and irinotecan (CapeIRI) versus 5-FU/ LV and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) had more variable results; some former schedules resulted in excessive treatmentrelated toxicity. More recent data show that lower capecitabine and irinotecan doses, different schedules, and combination with targeted agents (e.g, bevacizumab) have resulted in more favorable outcomes