949 poster HIGH DOSE RATE BRACHYTHERAPY BOOST FOR RESIDUAL MALIGNANT GLIOMA: CLINICAL RESULTS FROM SINGLE INSTITUTION

Abstract

sion, by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Findings: The overall rate of MAGE-A3 expression was 41% (37% in Taiwan and 48% in Thailand, from 132 valid samples). MAGEA3 expression was lower in patients with HBV infection (33.3%) than in HCV-infected patients (63.0%). No difference in MAGEA3 expression was noted for the following factors: age, gender, liver cirrhosis, Child-Pugh class, chronic alcohol abuse, number and size of (largest) tumours. No clinical effects on survival were associated with MAGE-A3 expression in this HCC Asian population. The hazard ratio (HR) for the disease-free interval for MAGE-A3-positive versus MAGE-A3-negative patients was 1.06 (p = 0.82; HR adjusted for T stage, tumour number and size, cirrhosis, Child-Pugh score, and ECOG performance status was 1.40 [p = 0.29]). HRs for disease-free and overall survival were 1.03 (p = 0.91) and 0.97 (p = 0.94), respectively; adjusted HRs were 1.32 (p = 0.37) and 1.33 (p = 0.63). However, because of the small number of patients, no subset analysis by stage or other variables that affect disease-free and overall survival could be done. Interpretation: MAGE-A3 can be assessed by RT-PCR on surgically resected HCC. The overall expression rate is sufficient to consider MAGE-A3 a target for active immunotherapy. The relatively higher expression in HCV-infected patients has no explanation, so far. Clinical evaluation of MAGE-A3 antigen-specific cancer immunotherapeutics in early HCC after resection is being discussed. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals. D.D., J.L., A.M., and P.T. are employed by GlaxoSmithKline.