A New Paradigm in Managing Advanced Ovarian Cancer: Differentiating Patients Requiring Neoadjuvant Treatment from Primary Cytoreduction.

Our study aims to evaluate the comparability of primary debulking surgery (PDS) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) patients. This single-center retrospective study includes all patients treated for advanced stages high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas (HGSOC) between 2007 and 2017. Preoperative characteristics and postoperative outcomes were compared after a propensity score matching analysis. Of the 221 patients included, 38% underwent PDS, and 62% received NACT. There was no age difference at diagnosis; however, CA125 levels, PCI score levels, and rates of stage IV were higher in the NACT group. There were no differences concerning the rate and the severity of complications (p = 0.29). The propensity score distribution showed a broad distinction between PDS patients and NACT patients with no significant overlap. Survival analyses demonstrate, after a median follow-up of 66.5 months, an overall survival (OS) of 105.9 and progression-free survival (PFS) of 29.2 months in the PDS group, compared to OS of 52.8 and PFS of 18.9 months in the NACT group. Advanced HGSOC is a heterogeneous population, in which inoperable patients should be differentiated from PDS patients based on many factors, primarily tumor burden.

FOXL2 homozygous genotype and chromosome instability are associated with recurrence in adult granulosa cell tumors of the ovary.

INTRODUCTION: Adult granulosa cell tumors (aGCTs) are extremely rare tumors characterized by the presence of the single missense mutation (c.402 C>G, p. C134W) in the FOXL2 gene. These tumors are frequently associated with a slow, indolent disease progression and a high probability of aggressive tumor recurrence. Hence, the identification of molecular markers that are predictive of recurrence and/or aggressive behavior would be a great asset in the management of aGCT. The present study focused on the influence of the FOXL2 genotype (heterozygous or homozygous) and copy number variations (CNVs) in recurrence by comparing the primary tumor with recurrent lesions in the same patient. We performed array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) experiments and FOXL2 genotyping by allelic discrimination on 40 tumor samples. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In array CGH results of recurrent tumors, few samples presented the multiple chromosome losses and gains characteristic of chromosome instability (CIN). We also observed that three recurrent tumors and one primary tumor appeared to be homozygous for the FOXL2 c.402C>G mutation. Interestingly, the homozygous FOXL2 genotype was correlated with a shorter time to relapse. A change in the FOXL2 genotype in cases of recurrence was correlated with the appearance of CIN. CONCLUSION: Despite the small number of matching primary and recurrent tumors analyzed here, the present study is the first to have shown that the FOXL2 homozygous genotype and CIN are prevalent in recurrent aGCTs. The two mechanisms are probably linked, and both almost certainly have a role in the molecular transformation of aGCTs.

Pesticide residue profiles in bee bread and pollen samples and the survival of honeybee colonies-a case study from Luxembourg.

Pesticide residues (112 compounds) were quantified by GC-MS/MS or LC-MS/MS in 85 bee bread samples and 154 pollen samples obtained from five apiaries each with three or four colonies (genotype Buckfast) in Luxembourg over the period 2011-2013. Thiacloprid, chlorfenvinphos, tebuconazole, and methiocarb were found most frequently in bee bread while thiacloprid, permethrin-cis, and permethrin-trans were detected most frequently in the pollen samples. Three neonicotinoid insecticides (clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam) that were restricted by an EU regulation in 2013 after our sampling campaign was finished were each found in less than 8% of the pollen or bee bread samples. The maximum concentrations of thiacloprid, metazachlor, and methiocarb measured in the pollen collected by a group of honeybee colonies (n = 5) without survivors within the 3-year period of observation were 86.20 ± 10.74 ng/g, 2.80 ± 1.26 ng/g, and below the limit of quantification, respectively. The maximum concentrations of the same compounds measured in the pollen collected by a group of honeybee colonies with significantly (P = 0.02) more survivors (7 out of 9) than expected, if the survivors had been distributed randomly among the groups of colonies, were 11.98 ± 2.28 ng/g, 0.44 ± 0.29 ng/g, and 8.49 ± 4.13 ng/g, respectively. No honeybee colony that gathered pollen containing more than 23 ng/g thiacloprid survived the 3-year project period. There was no statistically significant association between pesticide residues in the bee bread and the survival of the colonies. Actions already taken or planned and potential further actions to protect bees from exposure to pesticides are discussed.

Winter honey bee colony losses, Varroa destructor control strategies, and the role of weather conditions: Results from a survey among beekeepers.

Sets of treatments that were applied against varroa mites in the Luxembourgish beekeeper community were surveyed annually with a questionnaire between the winters 2010/11 and 2014/15. The average temperature and the precipitation sum of the month, when the respective varroa control method was applied were considered as co-variables when evaluating the efficacy of varroa control regimes. Success or failure of control regimes was evaluated based on the percentage of colonies lost per apiary in the winter following the treatment(s). Neither a positive nor a negative effect of formic acid (concentration 60%, w/v) on the colony losses could be found, irrespective of the weather conditions around the time of application. The higher concentration of 85% formic acid was linked with reduced colony losses when applications were done in August. Colony losses were reduced when Thymovar was applied in July or August, but applications in September were associated with increased losses compared with apiaries not treated with Thymovar during the same period. Apilife application in July as well as Apivar applications between July and September were associated with reduced colony losses. The removal of the drone brood and trickled oxalic acid application had beneficial effects when being done in April and December, respectively. Relatively warm (3.0±1.3°C) and wet (507.0±38.6mm/2months) conditions during the winter months December and January and relatively cool (17.2±1.4°C average monthly temperature) and wet (110.8±55.5mm/month) conditions in July were associated with elevated honey bee colony losses.

Correlations between land covers and honey bee colony losses in a country with industrialized and rural regions.

High levels of honey bee colony losses were recently reported from Canada, China, Europe, Israel, Turkey and the United States, raising concerns of a global pollinator decline and questioning current land use practices, in particular intense agricultural cropping systems. Sixty-seven crops (data from the years 2010-2012) and 66 mid-term stable land cover classes (data from 2007) were analysed for statistical relationships with the honey bee colony losses experienced over the winters 2010/11-2012/13 in Luxembourg (Western Europe). The area covered by each land cover class, the shortest distance between each land cover class and the respective apiary, the number of plots covered by each land use class and the size of the biggest plot of each land cover class within radii of 2 km and 5 km around 166 apiaries (2010), 184 apiaries (2011) and 188 apiaries (2012) were tested for correlations with honey bee colony losses (% per apiary) experienced in the winter following the season when the crops were grown. Artificial water bodies, open urban areas, large industrial facilities including heavy industry, railways and associated installations, buildings and installations with socio-cultural purpose, camping-, sports-, playgrounds, golf courts, oilseed crops other than oilseed rape like sunflower or linseed, some spring cereals and former forest clearcuts or windthrows were the land cover classes most frequently associated with high honey bee colony losses. Grain maize, mixed forest and mixed coniferous forest were the land cover classes most frequently associated with low honey bee colony losses. The present data suggest that land covers related to transport, industry and leisure may have made a more substantial contribution to winter honey bee colony losses in developed countries than anticipated so far. Recommendations for the positioning of apiaries are discussed.