Vitreous metastasis from cutaneous melanoma: diagnosis and management / Metástase vítrea de melanoma cutâneo: diagnóstico e tratamento

ABSTRACT Purpose: To report the clinical findings, treatments, and outcomes in a series of patients with vitreous metastasis from cutaneous melanoma. Methods: This single-center, retrospective, interventional case series included patients with biopsy-confirmed vitreous metastasis from cutaneous melanoma diagnosed between 1997 and 2020. Standard 23- or 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy was performed for diagnostic sampling. Sclerotomies were treated with double or triple freeze-thaw cryotherapy. Perioperative intravitreal injections of melphalan (32 µg/0.075 mL) were administered, when indicated. Visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and systemic and ocular treatment responses were reported. Results: Five eyes of five patients with unilateral vitreous metastasis from cutaneous melanoma were identified. The median age at diagnosis was 84 (range, 37-88) years. The median follow-up after ophthalmic diagnosis was 28 (8.5-36) months; one patient did not have a follow-up. The initial visual acuity ranged from 20/30 to hand motions. Baseline clinical findings included pigmented or non-pigmented cellular infiltration of the vitreous (5/5), anterior segment (4/5), and retina (3/5). Four patients had secondary glaucoma. Systemic therapy included checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy (n=3, all with partial/complete response), systemic chemotherapy (n=2), surgical resection (n=3), and radiation (n=2). The median time from primary diagnosis to vitreous metastasis was 2 (2-15) years. One patient had an active systemic disease at the time of vitreous metastasis. The final visual acuity ranged from 20/40 to no light perception. Ophthalmic treatment included vitrectomy in all five patients, intravitreal administration of melphalan in three, and intravitreal administration of methotrexate in one. One patient required enucleation, and histopathology revealed extensive invasion by melanoma cells. Conclusions: Vitreous metastasis from cutaneous melanoma can present as a diffuse infiltration of pigmented or non-pigmented cells into the vitreous and may be misdiagnosed as uveitis. Diagnostic pars plana vitrectomy and periodic intravitreal chemotherapy may be indicated.

RESUMO Objetivo: Descrever os achados clínicos, tratamentos, e desfechos em uma série de pacientes com me tástases vítreas de melanoma cutâneo. Métodos: Série retrospectiva de casos de único centro com intervenção. Pacientes incluídos tiveram seu diagnóstico de MVMC confirmado por biópsia entre 1997 e 2020. Vitrectomia via pars plana com 23 ou 25 gauge foram realizadas para obter espécimens. Esclerotomias foram tratadas com crioterapia em duplo ou triplo congelamento. Injeção intravítrea perioperatória de melfalano (32 ug/0,075 mL) foi administrada quando necessário. Foram relatados acuidade visual, pressão intraocular, resposta terapêutica sistêmica e ocular. Resultados: Cinco olhos de 5 pacientes com metástases vítreas de melanoma cutâneo unilateral foram identificados. Idade média de diagnóstico foi 84 anos (variando de 37-88). Seguimento médio após diagnóstico oftalmológico foi 28 (8,5-36) meses; 1 paciente não teve acompanhamento. Acuidade visual inicial variou de 20/30 a movimentos de mão. Achados clínicos iniciais incluíram infiltração de células pigmentadas e não-pigmentadas no vítreo (5/5), segmento anterior (4/5), e retina (3/5). Quatro pacientes tiveram glaucoma secundário. Tratamento sistêmico incluiu imunoterapia com inibidores da via de sinalização (3 - todos com resposta parcial/completa), quimioterapia sistêmica (2), ressecção cirúrgica (3), e irradiação (2). Intervalo médio entre diagnóstico primário e metástases vítreas foi 2 (2-15) anos. Um paciente teve doença sistêmica ativa simultânea as metástases vítreas. Acuidade visual final variou entre 20/40 e SPL. Tratamento oftalmológico incluiu vitrectomia nos 5 pacientes, melfalano intravítreo em 3 e metotrexato intravítreo em 1. Um paciente precisou de enucleação. A histopatologia revelou invasão celular extensa de melanoma. Conclusões: Metástases vítreas de melanoma cutâneo pode se manifestar como uma infiltração difusa de células pigmentadas e não-pigmentadas no vítreo e erroneamente diagnosticada como uveites. Vitrectomia diagnóstica e quimioterapia intravítrea periódica podem estar indicadas.

Diabetes mellitus tipo 1 de presentación súbita inducida por inhibidores del punto de control inmunitario en el tratamiento de cáncer avanzado. Serie de casos / Sudden onset type 1 diabetes mellitus induced by immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of advanced cancer. Cases report

Tres pacientes con cáncer avanzado en tratamiento con inhibidores del punto de control inmunitario (inmune checkpoint inhibitors, ICIs), sin antecedentes de diabetes mellitus (DM), ingresaron al Servicio de Urgencias con poliuria, polidipsia y pérdida de peso, y diagnóstico de cetoacidosis diabética, sin evidencia clínica de infección. Fueron tratados con líquidos e infusión de insulina pasando luego a un régimen de insulina bolo basal que continuó después del alta. Las pruebas de detección de autoanticuerpos para DM resultaron negativas, y se les diagnosticó DM inducida por ICIs, pembrolizumab en dos de ellos y nivolumab en el otro. El propósito de esta serie de casos es demostrar el desarrollo de la DM1 en forma aguda en pacientes tratados con inhibidores de PD-1. Sobre la base de estos casos y la literatura revisada, se buscaron determinar las características clínicas, y sugerir estrategias para la identificación, control, tratamiento precoz y seguimiento de los pacientes tratados con ICIs a fin de minimizar el impacto de la disfunción autoinmune.

Three patients with advanced cancer, treated with inmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), with no history of diabetes mellitus (DM), were admitted to the Emergency Department with polyuria, polydipsia, and weight loss and a diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis without clinical evidence of infection. They were treated with fluids and insulin infusion transitioning to a basal-bolus insulin regimen, which continued after discharge. Autoantibody detection tests for DM were negative and they were diagnosed with DM induced by ICIs, pembrolizumab in two of them, and nivolumab in another. The purpose of this case report is to show the development of DM1 in an acute form in patients treated with PD-1 inhibitors. Based on these cases and the reviewed literature, we seek to identify clinical characteristics and suggest strategies for the proper identification, control, treatment, and follow-up of patients treated with ICIs to minimize the impact of autoimmune dysfunction.

Merkel cell carcinoma: epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of a rare disease

Abstract Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare skin cancer with neuroendocrine differentiation. The risk factors include sun exposure, advanced age, immunosuppression (such as transplant recipients, patients with lymphoproliferative neoplasms, or patients with HIV), and Merkel cell polyomavirus infection. Clinically, Merkel cell carcinoma appears as a cutaneous or subcutaneous plaque or nodule, but this tumor diagnosis is rarely made clinically. Therefore, histopathology and immunohistochemistry are usually necessary. Primary tumors without evidence of metastases are treated with complete surgical excision and appropriate surgical margins. The presence of occult metastasis in a lymph node is frequent and a sentinel lymph node biopsy should be performed. Postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy increases local tumor control. Recently, agents that block the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway have shown objective and durable tumor regression in patients with advanced solid malignancies. The first anti-PD-L1 antibody used in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma was avelumab, but pembrolizumab and nivolumab have also shown efficacy. This article describes the current state of knowledge of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and staging of Merkel cell carcinoma, as well as new strategies for its systemic treatment.

Cetoacidosis diabética como debut de diabetes mellitus inmunomediada en paciente en tratamiento con inhibidores de checkpoint / Diabetic ketoacidosis as debut of immune-mediated diabetes mellitus in a patient in treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors

Los inhibidores de checkpoint (ICP) son anticuerpos usados en inmunoterapia contra el cáncer. Uno de sus blancos de acción es el receptor de muerte celular programada-1 (PD-1), el cual es importante para mantener la tolerancia inmunitaria. Sin embargo, este mecanismo se asocia a riesgo de eventos adversos relacionados a la inmunidad que pueden afectar a múltiples órganos incluyendo el sistema endocrino. Se describe el caso inhabitual de un paciente que a los 18 meses de terapia con ICP debutó con cetoacidosis diabética (CAD).

Immune checkpoint inhibitors consist in antibodies used in immunotherapy against cancer. One of their targets is the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) receptor, which is important in maintaining self-tolerance. However, this mechanism is associated with a risk for immune-related adverse events potentially affecting multiple organs, including the endocrine system. We describe the unusual case of a patient who, after 18 months of treatment with an immune checkpoint inhibitor, debuted with diabetic ketoacidosis

Treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer with driver mutations: current applications and future directions / 医学前沿

With the improved understanding of driver mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), expanding the targeted therapeutic options improved the survival and safety. However, responses to these agents are commonly temporary and incomplete. Moreover, even patients with the same oncogenic driver gene can respond diversely to the same agent. Furthermore, the therapeutic role of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in oncogene-driven NSCLC remains unclear. Therefore, this review aimed to classify the management of NSCLC with driver mutations based on the gene subtype, concomitant mutation, and dynamic alternation. Then, we provide an overview of the resistant mechanism of target therapy occurring in targeted alternations ("target-dependent resistance") and in the parallel and downstream pathways ("target-independent resistance"). Thirdly, we discuss the effectiveness of ICIs for NSCLC with driver mutations and the combined therapeutic approaches that might reverse the immunosuppressive tumor immune microenvironment. Finally, we listed the emerging treatment strategies for the new oncogenic alternations, and proposed the perspective of NSCLC with driver mutations. This review will guide clinicians to design tailored treatments for NSCLC with driver mutations.

Advances in predictive biomarkers associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors for tumor therapy / 生物工程学报

Malignant tumors are diseases that seriously threaten human health and social development. Traditional tumor therapies such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy cannot fully meet the needs of clinical treatment, and emerging immunotherapy has become a research hotspot in the field of tumor treatment. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been approved as a tumor immunotherapy method for the treatment of various tumors, such as lung cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer and colorectal cancer, etc. However, during the clinical use of ICIs, only a small number of patients experienced durable responses, which also led to drug resistance and adverse reactions. Therefore, the identification and development of predictive biomarkers is crucial to improve the therapeutic efficacy of ICIs. The predictive biomarkers of tumor ICIs mainly include tumor biomarkers, tumor microenvironment biomarkers, circulation-related biomarkers, host environmental biomarkers and combinatorial biomarkers. They are of great significance for screening, individualized treatment and prognosis evaluation of tumor patients. This article reviews the advances of predictive markers for tumor ICIs therapy.

Clinical analysis of combined immunotherapy in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To observe the present situation, efficacy and safety of immunotherapy in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Methods: The data of 39 patients with MPM in two centers from 2016 to 2021 were collected and the efficacy and safety were evaluated. According to the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), these patients, whose median clinical follow-up amounting to 18.97 months, were divided into immunotherapy group (19 cases) and control group (20 cases). Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test were used for the survival analysis. Results: The objective response rate (ORR) and the disease control rate (DCR) in the immunotherapy group is 21.05% and 79.0% respectively, compared with 10.0% and 55.0% in the control group; and the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The median overall survival (OS) in the immunotherapy group was significantly longer than that in the control group (14.53 months vs 7.07 months, P=0.015), but there was no significant difference in the median progression free survival (PFS) between two groups (4.80 months vs 2.03 months, P=0.062). Single factor survival analysis showed that the nature of pleural effusion, pathological subtype and the efficacy of immunotherapy were related to both PFS and OS of the patients with MPM (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in immunotherapy group was 89.5% (17 out of 19 cases), and the most common adverse event was hematological toxicity (9 cases), followed by nausea and vomiting (7 cases), fatigue (6 cases) and skin damage (6 cases). Five patients had immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) related adverse reactions with grade 1-2. Conclusions: Patients with MPM have begun to receive immunotherapy in more than 2-line mainly combined chemotherapy in the real world, and the median treatment line is 2-line. Either combined with chemotherapy or anti-angiogenesis therapy, ICI inhibitors have significant efficacy, controllable adverse events and good clinical value.

Progress of Research on Immune-related Pneumonia in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer / 肿瘤防治研究

In recent years, immunotherapy has made a breakthrough in the field of non-small cell lung cancer, reshaping the pattern of lung cancer treatment. However, with the wide application of immunotherapy in clinical practice, immune-related adverse events have attracted increasing attention. Immune pneumonia, as one of the immune-related toxic side effects of greatest concern, affects the treatment process and curative effect and can be a threat to life in serious cases. Given that immune pneumonia has a complicated pathogenesis and diverse clinical manifestations, strengthening the understanding of immune pneumonia is urgently needed. The treatment of immune pneumonia is limited, and additional therapeutic medicines are still awaiting exploration. Therefore, this paper summarizes the progress of the research on immune pneumonia in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

Clinical Characteristics of 5 Cases of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Induced Diabetes Mellitus / 罕见病研究

  Objective  By summarizing the clinical characteristics and follow-up outcomes of 5 patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor induced diabetes mellitus (ICI-DM) and reviewing the relevant literatures, the article aims at providing reference to clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of the ICI-DM.  Methods  Clinical data of 5 patients with ICI-DM who were admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital from December 2018 to February 2023 and did retrospectively analyzed.  Results  Five patients with a mean age of (65±7)years received treatment by the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) or its ligand inhibitor (PD-L1). The median time from the first immunotherapy to the discovery of elevated plasma glucose was 100 (43, 210)days, and the median cycle of immunotherapy was 7 (2.5, 10.5). The onset of the illness of all the 5 patients started with diabetic ketosis or ketoacidosis. At the onset, urine ketone bodies were positive, random plasma glucose was (36.36±15.89)mmol/L, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)was (8.6%±0.66%), arterial blood pH was (7.28±0.16), and the median fasting C-peptide level was 0.09 (0.05, 0.32)μg/L. Five patients had an onset plasma glucose level of grade 3 or 4.Then, ICI treatment was discontinued in all patients and insulin therapy started. The daily dosage of insulin was (56±20)IU, supplemented with hypoglycemic drugs. After treatment, urine ketone body turned negative, pH value increased to normal range, and random plasma glucose decreased significantly (the median difference of random blood glucose before and after treatment was 21.30 mmol/L, P=0.043) showing that the treatment was effective. During the follow-up, all patients continued to use insulin. The PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors were restarted after hyperglycemia remission. The tumor condition was under control.  Conclusions  ICI-DM mainly occurs in patients who receive treatment with PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors usually with acute hyperglycemia whose laboratory tests indicate insulin secretion defects. Some patients had positive islet cell antibodies, glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies and autoantibodies.Patients with positive autoantibodies needed early diagnosis and continuous insulin treatment. ICI treatment can be restarted after endocrinologists brought the blood glucose under control.

Meta-analysis of the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of NSCLC with different KRAS genotypes / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors （ICIs） in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） with different KRAS genotypes. METHODS Retrieved from PubMed， the Cochrane Library， Web of Science， Embase， CNKI， Wanfang data and VIP， randomized controlled trials （RCTs） about ICIs alone， combined use of various ICIs or ICIs combined with traditional chemotherapy （trial group） versus traditional chemotherapy （control group） for NSCLC were collected from the inception of the databases to April 1， 2023. After screening literature， extracting data and evaluating quality， meta-analysis， sensitivity analysis and publication bias analysis were conducted by using RevMan 5.4 software. RESULTS A total of 7 RCTs involving 5 980 patients were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed that overall survival （OS） [HR＝ 0.79， 95%CI （0.72， 0.87）， P＜0.000 01] and progression-free survival （PFS） [HR＝0.63， 95%CI （0.50， 0.80）， P＝0.000 2] of trial group were significantly longer than those of control group； furthermore， the OS of KRAS mutant type [HR＝0.63， 95%CI （0.53， 0.75）， P＜0.000 01] and KRAS wild type [HR＝0.87， 95%CI （0.78， 0.98）， P＝0.02]， PFS of KRAS mutant type [HR＝ 0.58， 95%CI （0.43， 0.78）， P＝0.000 3] and KRAS wild type [HR＝0.68， 95%CI （0.47， 0.99）， P＝0.04] in the trial group were all significantly longer than in the control group. Subgroup analysis by different treatment regimens showed that the OS of KRAS mutant type patients receiving first- and second-line treatment regimens， using ICIs alone and those receiving ICIs combined with traditional chemotherapy as well as PFS of KRAS mutant type and wild type patients receiving first-line treatment regimens in the trial group were all significantly longer than in the control group （P＜0.05）. Sensitivity analysis results indicated that the findings of this study were robust. Publication bias results showed that the possibility of publication bias in this study was small. CONCLUSIONS ICIs show significant efficacy in NSCLC patients， and NSCLC patients benefit equally regardless of whether KRAS mutations occur.

Data mining of severe cutaneous adverse reactions related to immune checkpoint inhibitors in the FAERS / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To mine and analyze severe cutaneous adverse reaction signals of 5 commonly used immune checkpoint inhibitors （ICIs）， and to provide reference for clinically safe use of drugs. METHODS Based on the FDA adverse events reporting system （FAERS） database，adverse drug events （ADEs） reports about severe cutaneous adverse reactions related to ipilimumab， nivolumab， pembrolizumab， atezolizumab and durvalumab were collected from listing in the United States to the fourth quarter of 2022. The ADE signals were mined and analyzed with reporting odds ratio （ROR） and Bayesian confidence propagation neural network （BCPNN）. RESULTS A total of 5 726 reports of severe cutaneous adverse reactions were collected， including 3 037 reports for nivolumab，1 465 reports for pembrolizumab， 130 reports for durvalumab， 429 reports for atezolizumab and 665 reports for ipilimumab. All 5 kinds of ICIs caused positive signals， the correlation degree of which was as follows： pembrolizumab＞atezolizumab＞nivolumab＞ipilimumab＞durvalumab. Stevens-Johnson syndrome（SJS） and toxic epidermal necrolysis （TEN） have been reported for all 5 ICIs， and the association was the strongest with pembrolizumab. CONCLUSIONS All 5 kinds of ICIs are associated with the risk of severe skin adverse reactions， and close attention should be paid to their clinical use， especially being cautious when using pembrolizumab. The combination of ICIs should be avoided as much as possible.

Progress of immunotherapy strategies for uveal melanoma / 肿瘤研究与临床

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common intraocular malignancy in adults. Recently, great progresses have been made in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of UM, however, nearly 50% of patients still develop liver metastases, which severely affects on the survival of UM patients. Whether UM patients will benefit from the immune checkpoint blockade similarly as the cutaneous melanoma (CM)? Whether the specific gene mutations targeting UM could improve the anti-tumor efficacy? Whether chimeric antigen receptor T cell or T cell receptor T cell immunotherapy is effective to UM patients with liver metastases? How about the combinational therapies in UM and the clinical effects? This review summarizes the anti-tumor research and novel treatment options of UM, analyzes the current achievements and problems.

Clinical characteristics of patients with malignant tumors and immune checkpoint inhibitors related multisystem adverse events as well as therapeutic efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors: a retrospective study / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with malignant tumors and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) related multisystem adverse events as well as therapeutic efficacy of ICI.Methods:The general data, immune-related adverse events (irAE) type, onset time, severity and ICI efficacy of patients with malignant tumors who developed irAE after receiving ICI in China-Japan Friendship Hospital between January 2019 and November 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were divided into multisystem irAE group and single system irAE group according to whether patients with more than 1 organ or system developed irAE for once. The occurrence of irAE was summarized, and the clinical characteristics of patients were compared. Progression-free survival analysis was not performed owing to the pause of immunotherapy caused by some irAE, so the efficacy of ICI was evaluated by using ICI treatment duration (TD).Results:A total of 47 patients with malignant tumors and irAE were included in this study, with 70 times of irAE in total. The median onset time was 90 d (35 d, 196 d). Among them, 12 patients (25.53%) developed multisystem irAE (32 times of irAE in total); the other 35 patients (74.47%) developed single system irAE (38 times of irAE in total). Cutaneous toxicity for 7 times, thyroid toxicity for 7 times and pulmonary toxicity for 5 times were the most frequent among multisystem irAE group; pulmonary toxicity for 13 times, thyroid toxicity for 12 times and cutaneous toxicity for 5 times were the most frequent among single system irAE group. There were no statistically significant differences in the proportion of patients stratified by age, gender, the combination of other treatments and different body mass between the two groups (all P > 0.05). The median follow-up time was 20 months (9-40 months). The median TD of ICI was 16.00 months (95% CI 3.62-31.22 months) in multisystem irAE group and 4.60 months (95% CI 4.12-11.30 months) in single system irAE group; TD in multisystem irAE group was longer than that in single system irAE group, and the difference was statistically significant ( HR = 0.413, 95% CI 0.202-0.844, P = 0.038). Conclusions:The efficacy of ICI in patients with malignant tumors and multisystem irAE is better than that in those with single system irAE. It suggests that the better efficacy of ICI may be associated with greater risk of irAE. There is no significant difference in the clinical features between multisystem irAE and single system irAE.

Correlation of immune inflammatory index with occurrence, development and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma / 肿瘤研究与临床

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a typical chronic inflammatory-associated malignancy. Chronic inflammation continuously damages the reticuloendothelial system of the liver and leads to impairment of immune surveillance, which in turn leads to dysregulation of the immune environment. Immune escape caused by impaired surveillance system can improve the immunogenicity of tumor, which plays an important role in the occurrence and development of tumors. Studies have shown that the indicators including immune inflammatory cells such as neutrophils, platelets and lymphocytes can predict the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, the individualized treatment and early intervention for patients on this basis is expected to improve the prognosis of patients. The article introduces the role of immune cells in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma, and summarizes the relationship between peripheral blood immune inflammatory indicators and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Progress of relationship between cytokines and treatment-related adverse events of immune checkpoint inhibitors in tumors and the clinical values / 肿瘤研究与临床

The use of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) has significantly improved the efficacy of different types of malignancies, but the immune-related adverse event (irAE) callsed by ICI involves multiple organs and systems, affects the treatment, threatens the health of patients and even endangers their life. Therefore, it is necessary to select biomarkers to predict and monitor the occurrence of irAE, assist in the early diagnosis of high-risk patients, and guide individualized treatment. Recent studies have shown that some certain cytokines may be involved in the genesis and development of irAE. The article provides a review of studies related to cytokines and irAE to provide a reference for clinical prediction and monitoring of irAE.

Construction and validation of a prognostic nomogram model of programmed death receptor 1 inhibitors in treatment of hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To investigate the factors influencing the prognosis of hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma treated with programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) inhibitors, and to construct a prognostic nomogram model for these patients and evaluate its clinical significances.Methods:The clinical data of 121 patients with hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma treated with PD-1 inhibitors at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College from July 2018 to July 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Follow-up was performed from the beginning of PD-1 inhibitor use, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the overall survival of patients. The variables screened by the univariate Cox proportional hazards model analysis and variables clinically believed to be related to the prognosis were included in the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model for overall survival, and the stepwise regression method was used to screen the independent factors influencing overall survival. Based on the independent influencing factors of overall survival, R 3.5.1 software was used to construct a prognostic nomogram model for overall survival of hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma treated with PD-1 inhibitors. Calibration curve was used to the consistency of model prediction and practice. The Harrell consistency index and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (with imaging diagnosis as the gold standard) were used to analyze the efficacy of model in predicting the 1-year and 2-year overall survival rates.Results:The median follow-up time of 121 patients was 12.40 months, and the median overall survival time was 14.30 months, with overall survival rates of 82.60% and 62.30% at 6 and 12 months. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that albumin (ALB) ( HR = 0.946, 95% CI 0.901-0.992), international normalized ratio (INR) ( HR = 32.034, 95% CI 5.046-203.362), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ( HR = 1.010, 95% CI 1.007-1.012) were independent influencing factors for overall survival of patients. According to the three factors, a prognostic nomogram model for hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma treated with PD-1 inhibitors was constructed. The slope of the calibration curve of the model predicting 1-year and 2-year overall survival rates was close to 1. The Harrell consistency index of the nomogram model was 0.809 (95% CI 0.760-0.858). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of the nomogram model predicting 1-year and 2-year overall survival rates of patients was 0.794 (95% CI 0.744-0.887, P < 0.001) and 0.791 (95% CI 0.708-0.860, P = 0.002). Conclusions:ALB, INR and AST are the influencing factors of prognosis of hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with PD-1 inhibitors, and the nomogram model constructed based on prognostic influencing factors has a good effect on predicting the 1-year and 2-year overall survival rates of patients, which can be used to screen the population suitable for immunotherapy and is conducive to the clinical formulation of individualized and precise treatment plans.

Efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with concurrent chemotherapy in treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and its effect on levels of tumor markers and immune cells of patients / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To investigate the effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with concurrent chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the effect of this regimen on serum levels of tumor marker and immune cells of patients.Methods:The clinical data of 60 NSCLC patients in Xuzhou Cancer Hospital from February 2020 to February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, and they were divided into chemotherapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment group (combination treatment group) and conventional chemotherapy group by treatment methods, with 30 cases in each group. Before treatment and 6 weeks after treatment, the patients' serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), cytokeratin 19 fragment antigen 21-1 (CYFRA21-1) were detected by chemiluminescence immunoassay, and the levels of serum tumorous M2 pyruvate kinase (TuM2-PK) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) were detected by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of T cell subsets were measured by flow cytometry, and the quality of life of patients was evaluated according to the World Health Organization quality of life scale brief version (WHOQOL-BREF). The clinical efficacy, tumor markers levels, immune cells levels, quality of life and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.Results:The overall effective rate of patients in the combination treatment group was 46.67% (14/30), which was higher than 20.00% (6/30) in the conventional chemotherapy group ( χ2 = 4.80, P = 0.029). The differences in serum CEA, CA125, VEGF, CYFRA21-1, TuM2-PK, FAS levels and the proportions of CD3 +, CD4 +, CD8 + T cells and WHOQOL-BREF scores between the two groups before treatment were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05); the levels of CEA, CA125, VEGF, CYFRA21-1, TuM2-PK, FAS and the proportion of CD8 + T cells at 6 weeks after treatment were lower than those before treatment in both groups (all P < 0.05), and the proportions of CD3 + and CD4 + T cells and WHOQOL-BREF scores were higher than those before treatment (all P < 0.05); the levels CEA, CA125, VEGF, CYFRA21-1, TuM2-PK and the proportions of CD8 + T cells in the combination treatment group at 6 weeks after treatment were higher than those in the conventional chemotherapy group at 6 weeks after treatment (all P < 0.001), and the proportions of CD3 + and CD4 + T cells and WHOQOL-BREF scores were higher than those in the conventional chemotherapy group at 6 weeks after treatment (all P < 0.05). The differences in the incidence of gastrointestinal reactions, alopecia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and liver and kidney function impairment between the two groups were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). Conclusions:Immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with chemotherapy in NSCLC patients are more effective than conventional chemotherapy, and the combined treatment can more effectively reduce the serum tumor marker levels of patients and enhance the anti-tumor immune effect, with the adverse reactions comparable to conventional chemotherapy.

Effect of surgical resection after preoperative immunotherapy combined chemotherapy on unresectable stage Ⅲ non-small cell lung cancer / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:Immune checkpoint inhibitors have a high remission rate in the preoperative application of resectable and potentially resectable non-small cell lung cancer when combined with chemotherapy. For the unresectable stage Ⅲ non-small cell lung cancer, whether the transformation can be achieved through this regimen to provide opportunities for surgical resection is controversial. In this study, we evaluated the pattern of transformation therapy by reviewing the efficacy and safety of preoperative therapy and surgery of this group.Methods:A review of 23 patients undergoing surgical resection after transformation therapy by preoperative immunotherapy combined chemotherapy between November 2019 and November 2021 was performed. All patients must clarify the pathological diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer by biopsy. After the multi-disciplinary treatment team and preoperative imaging assessment, the diagnosis should be consistent with unresectable stage III as described in the Expert Consensus on Multidisciplinary Management of Stage Ⅲ Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, 2019 Edition. After 2 to 4 cycles of preoperative anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody combined with chemotherapy, the surgical team assessed the chance of resection and performed surgery. Important indicators such as surgical resection rate, R0 resection rate, MPR, pCR, incidence of grade 3-5 adverse reactions and various other perioperative data were counted.Results:In the whole group, initial imaging evaluation was 10 of stage cⅢA and 13 of stage cⅢB.15 cases had multiple stations N2 lymph nodes metastasis, 9 had enlarged fused N2 lymph nodes metastasis, 6 had large vessel invasion(T4), and 1 had contralateral mediastinal lymph node metastasis(N3). After preoperative neoadjuvant therapy, 17 cases achieved PR, 3 achieved SD and 3 achieved PD. The surgical resection rate of the whole group was 91.3%(21/23, 1 lobectomy combined with superior vena cava reconstruction, 2 sleeve lobectomy, 5 pneumonectomy, 12 lobectomy/combined lobectomy, 1 wedge resection and 2 unresectable cases), R0 resection rate was 95.2%(20/21). MPR was achieved in 13 cases, 8 of them reached pCR. There were no perioperative deaths, median surgical time was 260(190-460) min, median bleeding volume was 100(50-750) ml, median drainage time was 5(3-9) days, and median hospitalization was 7(5-11) days. Two cases got immunotherapy-related grade 3 adverse reactions, one was interstitial pneumonia and the other was immune-related injury involving the eye, oral and genital mucosa. Two cases got surgical complications and one was persistent lung leakage, which stopped after 46 days of conservative treatment; The other was pleural effusion, which was relieved after drainage.Conclusion:For the unresectable stage Ⅲ NSCLC, immunotherapy combined chemotherapy is an effective preoperative downstage method. It can convert 91.3% cases to resectable ones while achieving a good degree of pathological remission. Its side reactions are generally controllable and safety.

Biomarkers related to the treatment of melanoma with immune checkpoint inhibitors / 中华皮肤科杂志

Recently, great breakthroughs have been made in the treatment of melanoma with immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, only a small proportion of patients show a long-lasting response to immunotherapy, and risks of immune-related adverse events and drug resistance have been also increasing along with the emergence of combination treatment. This review summarizes biomarkers related to the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of melanoma, aiming to predict and screen out patients who may benefit from immunotherapy, guide individualized clinical treatment, and reduce the occurrence of drug resistance and adverse reactions.

Gut microbiota and immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment of melanoma / 中华皮肤科杂志

A growing number of studies have shown that gut microbiota affects the development of melanoma through various mechanisms, and plays a vital role in the treatment of melanoma. This review summarizes the relationship between gut microbiota and the development of melanoma, the effect of gut microbiota on the checkpoint blockade immunotherapy of melanoma and related adverse effects.