Translational Oncology (Apr 2016)

Whole Brain Radiotherapy and RRx-001: Two Partial Responses in Radioresistant Melanoma Brain Metastases from a Phase I/II Clinical Trial

  • Michelle M. Kim,
  • Hemant Parmar,
  • Yue Cao,
  • Priyanka Pramanik,
  • Matthew Schipper,
  • James Hayman,
  • Larry Junck,
  • Aaron Mammoser,
  • Jason Heth,
  • Corey A. Carter,
  • Arnold Oronsky,
  • Susan J. Knox,
  • Scott Caroen,
  • Bryan Oronsky,
  • Jan Scicinski,
  • Theodore S. Lawrence,
  • Christopher D. Lao

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranon.2015.12.003
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 2
pp. 108 – 113

Abstract

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BACKGROUND: Kim et al. report two patients with melanoma metastases to the brain that responded to treatment with RRx-001 and whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) without neurologic or systemic toxicity in the context of a phase I/II clinical trial. RRx-001 is an reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species (ROS/RNS)-dependent systemically nontoxic hypoxic cell radiosensitizer with vascular normalizing properties under investigation in patients with various solid tumors including those with brain metastases. SIGNIFICANCE: Metastatic melanoma to the brain is historically associated with poor outcomes and a median survival of 4 to 5 months. WBRT is a mainstay of treatment for patients with multiple brain metastases, but no significant therapeutic advances for these patients have been described in the literature. To date, candidate radiosensitizing agents have failed to demonstrate a survival benefit in patients with brain metastases, and in particular, no agent has demonstrated improved outcome in patients with metastatic melanoma. Kim et al. report two patients with melanoma metastases to the brain that responded to treatment with novel radiosensitizing agent RRx-001 and WBRT without neurologic or systemic toxicity in the context of a phase I/II clinical trial.