Induction therapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab followed by consolidative chemoradiation as organ-sparing treatment in urothelial bladder cancer: study protocol of the INDIBLADE trial.

Introduction: Studies that assessed the efficacy of pre-operative immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in locally advanced urothelial cancer of the bladder showed encouraging pathological complete response rates, suggesting that a bladder-sparing approach may be a viable option in a subset of patients. Chemoradiation is an alternative for radical cystectomy with similar oncological outcomes, but is still mainly used in selected patients with organ-confined tumors or patients ineligible to undergo radical cystectomy. We propose to sequentially administer ICB and chemoradiation to patients with (locally advanced) muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Methods: The INDIBLADE trial is an investigator-initiated, single-arm, multicenter phase 2 trial. Fifty patients with cT2-4aN0-2M0 urothelial bladder cancer will be treated with ipilimumab 3 mg/kg on day 1, ipilimumab 3 mg/kg plus nivolumab 1 mg/kg on day 22, and nivolumab 3 mg/kg on day 43 followed by chemoradiation. The primary endpoint is the bladder-intact event-free survival (BI-EFS). Events include: local or distant recurrence, salvage cystectomy, death and switch to platinum-based chemotherapy. We will also evaluate the potential of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging of the bladder to identify non-responders, and we will assess the clearance of circulating tumor DNA as a biomarker for ICB treatment response. Discussion: This is the first trial in which the efficacy of induction combination ICB followed by chemoradiation is being evaluated to provide bladder-preservation in patients with (locally advanced) urothelial bladder cancer. Clinical Trial Registration: The INDIBLADE trial was registered on clinicaltrials.gov on January 21, 2022 (NCT05200988).

Occult lymph node metastases in patients without residual muscle-invasive bladder cancer at radical cystectomy with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a nationwide study of 5417 patients.

PURPOSE: Little is known about the prevalence of occult lymph node metastases (LNM) in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients with pathological downstaging of the primary tumor. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of occult LNM in patients without residual MIBC at radical cystectomy (RC) with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) or neoadjuvant radiotherapy (NAR), and to assess overall survival (OS). METHODS: Patients with cT2-T4aN0M0 urothelial MIBC who underwent RC plus pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) with curative intent between January 1995-December 2013 (retrospective Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR) cohort) and November 2017-October 2019 (prospective NCR-BlaZIB cohort (acronym in Dutch: BlaaskankerZorg In Beeld; in English: Insight into bladder cancer care)) were identified from the nationwide NCR. The prevalence of occult LNM was calculated and OS of patients with <(y)pT2N0 vs. <(y)pT2N+ disease was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: In total, 4657 patients from the NCR cohort and 760 patients from the NCR-BlaZIB cohort were included. Of 1374 patients downstaged to <(y)pT2, 4.3% (N = 59) had occult LNM 4.1% (N = 49) of patients with cT2-disease and 5.6% (N = 10) with cT3-4a-disease. This was 4.0% (N = 44) in patients without NAC or NAR, 4.5% (N = 10) in patients with NAC, and 13.5% (N = 5) in patients with NAR but number of patients treated with NAR and downstaged disease was small. The prevalence of <(y)pT2N+ disease was 4.2% (N = 48) in the NCR cohort and 4.6% (N = 11) in the NCR-BlaZIB cohort. For patients with <(y)pT2N+ and <(y)pT2N0, median OS was 3.5 years (95% CI 2.5-8.9) versus 12.9 years (95% CI 11.7-14.0), respectively. CONCLUSION: Occult LNM were found in 4.3% of patients with cT2-4aN0M0 MIBC with (near-) complete downstaging of the primary tumor following RC plus PLND. This was regardless of NAC or clinical T-stage. Patients with occult LNM showed considerable worse survival. These results can help in counseling patients for bladder-sparing treatments.

European guidelines (S3) on diagnosis and management of mucous membrane pemphigoid, initiated by the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology - Part I.

This guideline on mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) has been elaborated by the Task Force for Autoimmune Blistering Diseases of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) with a contribution of physicians from all relevant disciplines and patient organizations. It is a S3 consensus-based guideline encompassing a systematic review of the literature until June 2019 in the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. This first part covers methodology, the clinical definition of MMP, epidemiology, MMP subtypes, immunopathological characteristics, disease assessment and outcome scores. MMP describes a group of autoimmune skin and mucous membrane blistering diseases, characterized by a chronic course and by predominant involvement of the mucous membranes, such as the oral, ocular, nasal, nasopharyngeal, anogenital, laryngeal and oesophageal mucosa. MMP patients may present with mono- or multisite involvement. Patients' autoantibodies have been shown to be predominantly directed against BP180 (also called BPAG2, type XVII collagen), BP230, laminin 332 and type VII collagen, components of junctional adhesion complexes promoting epithelial stromal attachment in stratified epithelia. Various disease assessment scores are available, including the Mucous Membrane Pemphigoid Disease Area Index (MMPDAI), the Autoimmune Bullous Skin disorder Intensity Score (ABSIS), the 'Cicatrising Conjunctivitis Assessment Tool' and the Oral Disease Severity Score (ODSS). Patient-reported outcome measurements (PROMs), including DLQI, ABQOL and TABQOL, can be used for assessment of quality of life to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions and monitor disease course.

European Guidelines (S3) on diagnosis and management of mucous membrane pemphigoid, initiated by the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology - Part II.

This guideline has been initiated by the task force Autoimmune Blistering Diseases of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, including physicians from all relevant disciplines and patient organizations. It is a S3 consensus-based guideline that systematically reviewed the literature on mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) in the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases until June 2019, with no limitations on language. While the first part of this guideline addressed methodology, as well as epidemiology, terminology, aetiology, clinical presentation and outcome measures in MMP, the second part presents the diagnostics and management of MMP. MMP should be suspected in cases with predominant mucosal lesions. Direct immunofluorescence microscopy to detect tissue-bound IgG, IgA and/or complement C3, combined with serological testing for circulating autoantibodies are recommended. In most patients, serum autoantibodies are present only in low levels and in variable proportions, depending on the clinical sites involved. Circulating autoantibodies are determined by indirect IF assays using tissue substrates, or ELISA using different recombinant forms of the target antigens or immunoblotting using different substrates. The major target antigen in MMP is type XVII collagen (BP180), although in 10-25% of patients laminin 332 is recognized. In 25-30% of MMP patients with anti-laminin 332 reactivity, malignancies have been associated. As first-line treatment of mild/moderate MMP, dapsone, methotrexate or tetracyclines and/or topical corticosteroids are recommended. For severe MMP, dapsone and oral or intravenous cyclophosphamide and/or oral corticosteroids are recommended as first-line regimens. Additional recommendations are given, tailored to treatment of single-site MMP such as oral, ocular, laryngeal, oesophageal and genital MMP, as well as the diagnosis of ocular MMP. Treatment recommendations are limited by the complete lack of high-quality randomized controlled trials.

Risk factors for residual disease at re-TUR in a large cohort of T1G3 patients.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The goals of transurethral resection of a bladder tumor (TUR) are to completely resect the lesions and to make a correct diagnosis in order to adequately stage the patient. It is well known that the presence of detrusor muscle in the specimen is a prerequisite to minimize the risk of under staging. Persistent disease after resection of bladder tumors is not uncommon and is the reason why the European Guidelines recommended a re-TUR for all T1 tumors. It was recently published that when there is muscle in the specimen, re-TUR does not influence progression or cancer specific survival. We present here the patient and tumor factors that may influence the presence of residual disease at re-TUR. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In our retrospective cohort of 2451 primary T1G3 patients initially treated with BCG, pathology results for 934 patients (38.1%) who underwent re-TUR are available. 74% had multifocal tumors, 20% of tumors were more than 3 cm in diameter and 26% had concomitant CIS. In this subgroup of patients who underwent re-TUR, there was no residual disease in 267 patients (29%) and residual disease in 667 patients (71%): Ta in 378 (40%) and T1 in 289 (31%) patients. Age, gender, tumor status (primary/recurrent), previous intravesical therapy, tumor size, tumor multi-focality, presence of concomitant CIS, and muscle in the specimen were analyzed in order to evaluate risk factors of residual disease at re-TUR, both in univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regressions. RESULTS: The following were not risk factors for residual disease: age, gender, tumor status and previous intravesical chemotherapy. The following were univariate risk factors for presence of residual disease: no muscle in TUR, multiple tumors, tumors > 3 cm, and presence of concomitant CIS. Due to the correlation between tumor multi-focality and tumor size, the multivariate model retained either the number of tumors or the tumor diameter (but not both), p < 0.001. The presence of muscle in the specimen was no longer significant, while the presence of CIS only remained significant in the model with tumor size, p < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: The most significant factors for a higher risk of residual disease at re-TUR in T1G3 patients are multifocal tumors and tumors more than 3 cm. Patients with concomitant CIS and those without muscle in the specimen also have a higher risk of residual disease.

Nomogram Predicting Bladder Cancer-specific Mortality After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Radical Cystectomy for Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer: Results of an International Consortium.

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is associated with improved overall and cancer-specific survival. The post-NAC pathological stage has previously been reported to be a major determinant of outcome. OBJECTIVE: To develop a postoperative nomogram for survival based on pathological and clinical parameters from an international consortium. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Between 2000 and 2015, 1866 patients with MIBC were treated at 19 institutions in the USA, Canada, and Europe. Analysis was limited to 640 patients with adequate follow-up who had received three or more cycles of NAC. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: A nomogram for bladder cancer-specific mortality (BCSM) was developed by multivariable Cox regression analysis. Decision curve analysis was used to assess the model's clinical utility. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: A total of 640 patients were identified. Downstaging to non-MIBC (ypT1, ypTa, and ypTis) occurred in 271 patients (42 %), and 113 (17 %) achieved a complete response (ypT0N0). The 5-yr BCSM was 47.2 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 41.2-52.6 %). On multivariable analysis, covariates with a statistically significant association with BCSM were lymph node metastasis (hazard ratio [HR] 1.90 [95% CI: 1.4-2.6]; p < 0.001), positive surgical margins (HR 2.01 [95 % CI: 1.3-2.9]; p < 0.001), and pathological stage (with ypT0/Tis/Ta/T1 as reference: ypT2 [HR 2.77 {95 % CI: 1.7-4.6}; p < 0.001] and ypT3-4 [HR 5.9 {95 % CI: 3.8-9.3}; p < 0.001]). The area under the curve of the model predicting 5-yr BCSM after cross validation with 300 bootstraps was 75.4 % (95 % CI: 68.1-82.6 %). Decision curve analyses showed a modest net benefit for the use of the BCSM nomogram in the current cohort compared with the use of American Joint Committee on Cancer staging alone. Limitations include the retrospective study design and the lack of central pathology. CONCLUSIONS: We have developed and internally validated a nomogram predicting BCSM after NAC and radical cystectomy for MIBC. The nomogram will be useful for patient counseling and in the identification of patients at high risk for BCSM suitable for enrollment in clinical trials of adjuvant therapy. PATIENT SUMMARY: In this report, we looked at the outcomes of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer in a large multi-institutional population. We found that we can accurately predict death after radical surgical treatment in patients treated with chemotherapy before surgery. We conclude that the pathological report provides key factors for determining survival probability.

Epigenetic profiling demarcates molecular subtypes of muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is a heterogeneous disease that often recurs despite aggressive treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and (radical) cystectomy. Basal and luminal molecular subtypes have been identified that are linked to clinical characteristics and have differential sensitivities to chemotherapy. While it has been suggested that epigenetic mechanisms play a role in defining these subtypes, a thorough understanding of the biological mechanisms is lacking. This report details the first genome-wide analysis of histone methylation patterns of human primary bladder tumours by chromatin immunoprecipitations and next-generation sequencing (ChIP-seq). We profiled multiple histone marks: H3K27me3, a marker for repressed genes, and H3K4me1 and H3K4me3, which are indicators of active enhancers and active promoters. Integrated analysis of ChIP-seq data and RNA sequencing revealed that H3K4 mono-methylation demarcates MIBC subtypes, while no association was found for the other two histone modifications in relation to basal and luminal subtypes. Additionally, we identified differentially methylated H3K4me1 peaks in basal and luminal tumour samples, suggesting that active enhancers play a role in defining subtypes. Our study is the first analysis of histone modifications in primary bladder cancer tissue and provides an important resource for the bladder cancer community.

Prediction of early (30-day) and late (30-90-day) mortality after radical cystectomy in a comprehensive cancer centre over two decades.

BACKGROUND: Radical cystectomy (RC) is associated with substantial postoperative mortality. In this study, we analyzed early (30-day; 30 M) and late (30-90-day; 30-90 M) mortality after RC in a Dutch tertiary referral center and determined factors associated with 30 M, 30-90 M and 90-day mortality (90 M). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified 823 patients who underwent RC for bladder cancer in the Netherlands Cancer Institute between 1997 and 2017. Predictive factors for mortality were analyzed to identify patients with a higher mortality risk. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the influence of patient, surgical and histopathological variables on 30 M, 30-90 M and 90 M. RESULTS: Thirty-day mortality was 1.9% and 90 M was 6.0%. Multivariable analysis showed that age (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.01-1.1, p = 0.002) and ASA 3-4 (OR 3.57, 95% CI 1.25-10.16, p = 0.002) were significant predictors of 30 M while higher ASA score (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.31-6.5, p = 0.009) and higher pathological T stage (OR 8.8, 95% CI 1.9-40.4, p = 0.005) were associated with 30-90 M. Risk of 90 M was increased in patients with ASA 3-4 (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2-4.9, p = 0.01), pT3-4 (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.27-7.57, p = 0.01) and positive LNs (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.25-4.98, p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Patient-related factors predicted 30 M whereas both patient-related and cancer-related factors predicted 30-90 M. This suggests that patient mix, i.e. patient- vs. cancer-related factors for 30 M and 30-90 M, should be taken into account if mortality rates are to be compared between hospitals.

Concomitant CIS on TURBT does not impact oncological outcomes in patients treated with neoadjuvant or induction chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for muscle invasive bladder cancer improves all-cause and cancer specific survival. We aimed to evaluate whether the detection of carcinoma in situ (CIS) at the time of initial transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) has an oncological impact on the response to NAC prior to radical cystectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were identified retrospectively from 19 centers who received at least three cycles of NAC or induction chemotherapy for cT2-T4aN0-3M0 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder followed by radical cystectomy between 2000 and 2013. The primary and secondary outcomes were pathological response and overall survival, respectively. Multivariable analysis was performed to determine the independent predictive value of CIS on these outcomes. RESULTS: Of 1213 patients included in the analysis, 21.8% had concomitant CIS. Baseline clinical and pathologic characteristics of the 'CIS' versus 'no-CIS' groups were similar. The pathological response did not differ between the two arms when response was defined as pT0N0 (17.9% with CIS vs 21.9% without CIS; p = 0.16) which may indicate that patients with CIS may be less sensitive to NAC or ≤ pT1N0 (42.8% with CIS vs 37.8% without CIS; p = 0.15). On Cox regression model for overall survival for the cN0 cohort, the presence of CIS was not associated with survival (HR 0.86 (95% CI 0.63-1.18; p = 0.35). The presence of LVI (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.01-1.96; p = 0.04), hydronephrosis (HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.23-2.16; p = 0.001) and use of chemotherapy other than ddMVAC (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.34-0.94; p = 0.03) were associated with shorter overall survival. For the whole cohort, the presence of CIS was also not associated with survival (HR 1.05 (95% CI 0.82-1.35; p = 0.70). CONCLUSION: In this multicenter, real-world cohort, CIS status at TURBT did not affect pathologic response to neoadjuvant or induction chemotherapy. This study is limited by its retrospective nature as well as variability in chemotherapy regimens and surveillance regimens.

Superior efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radical cystectomy in cT3-4aN0M0 compared to cT2N0M0 bladder cancer.

In this study, we compared complete pathological downstaging (pCD, ≤(y)pT1N0) and overall survival (OS) in patients with cT2 versus cT3-4aN0M0 UC of the bladder undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) with or without neoadjuvant chemo- (NAC) or radiotherapy (NAR). A population-based sample of 5,517 patients, who underwent upfront RC versus NAC + RC or NAR + RC for cT2-4aN0M0 UC between 1995-2013, was identified from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Data were retrieved from individual patient files and pathology reports. pCD-rates were compared using Chi-square tests and OS was estimated by Kaplan-Meier analyses. Multivariable analyses were conducted to determine odds (OR) and hazard ratios (HR) for pCD-status and OS, respectively. We included 4,504 (82%) patients with cT2 and 1,013 (18%) with cT3-4a UC. Median follow-up was 9.2 years. In cT2 UC, pCD-rate was 25% after upfront RC versus 43% (p < 0.001) and 33% (p = 0.130) after NAC + RC and NAR + RC, respectively. In cT3-4a UC, pCD-rate was 8% after upfront RC versus 37% (p < 0.001) and 16% (p = 0.281) after NAC + RC and NAR + RC, respectively. In cT2 UC, 5-year OS was 57% and 51% for NAC + RC and upfront RC, respectively (p = 0.135), whereas in cT3-4a UC, 5-year OS was 55% for NAC + RC versus 36% for upfront RC (p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis for OS, NAC was beneficial in cT3-4a UC (HR: 0.67, 95%CI 0.51-0.89) but not in cT2 UC (HR: 0.91, 95%CI 0.72-1.15). NAR did not influence OS. In conclusion, NAC + RC was associated with superior pCD compared to RC alone and NAR + RC. Superior OS for NAC + RC compared to RC alone was especially evident in cT3-4a disease.

Predictors of oncological outcomes in T1G3 patients treated with BCG who undergo radical cystectomy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the oncological impact of postponing radical cystectomy (RC) to allow further conservative therapies prior to progression in a large multicentre retrospective cohort of T1-HG/G3 patients initially treated with BCG. METHODS: According to the time of RC, the population was divided into 3 groups: patients who did not progress to muscle-invasive disease, patients who progressed before radical cystectomy and patients who experienced progression at the time of radical cystectomy. Clinical and pathological outcomes were compared across the three groups. RESULTS: Of 2451 patients, 509 (20.8%) underwent RC. Patients with tumors > 3 cm or with CIS had earlier cystectomies (HR = 1.79, p = 0.001 and HR = 1.53, p = 0.02, respectively). Patients with tumors > 3 cm, multiple tumors or CIS had earlier T3/T4 or N + cystectomies. In patients who progressed, the timing of cystectomy did not affect the risk of T3/T4 or N + disease at RC. Patients with T3/T4 or N + disease at RC had a shorter disease-specific survival (HR = 4.38, p < 0.001), as did patients with CIS at cystectomy (HR = 2.39, p < 0.001). Patients who progressed prior to cystectomy had a shorter disease-specific survival than patients for whom progression was only detected at cystectomy (HR = 0.58, p = 0.024) CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated with RC before experiencing progression to muscle-invasive disease harbor better oncological and survival outcomes compared to those who progressed before RC and to those upstaged at surgery. Tumor size and concomitant CIS at diagnosis are the main predictors of surgical treatment while tumor size, CIS and tumor multiplicity are associated with extravesical disease at surgery.

Recurrence, progression and cancer-specific mortality according to stage at re-TUR in T1G3 bladder cancer patients treated with BCG: not as bad as previously thought.

PURPOSE: The goals of transurethral resection of a bladder tumor (TUR) are to completely resect the lesions and to make a correct diagnosis to adequately stage and treat the patient. Persistent disease after TUR is not uncommon and is why re-TUR is recommended in T1G3 patients. When there is T1 tumor in the re-TUR specimen, very high risks of progression (82%) have been reported. We analyze the risks of recurrence, progression to muscle-invasive disease and cancer-specific mortality (CSM) according to tumor stage at re-TUR in T1G3 patients treated with BCG. METHODS: In our retrospective cohort of 2451 T1G3 patients, 934 patients (38.1%) underwent re-TUR. 667 patients had residual disease (71.4%): Ta in 378 (40.5%), T1 in 289 (30.9%) patients. Times to recurrence, progression and CSM in the three groups were estimated using cumulative incidence functions and compared using the Cox regression model. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 5.2 years, 512 patients recurred. The recurrence rate was significantly higher in patients with a T1 at re-TUR (P < 0.001). Progression rates differed according to the pathology at re-TUR, 25.3% in T1, 14.6% in Ta and 14.2% in case of no residual tumor (P < 0.001). Similar trends were seen in both patients with and without muscle in the original TUR specimen. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with T1G3 tumors and no residual disease or Ta at re-TUR have better recurrence, progression and CSM rates than previously reported, with a CSM rate of 13.1 and a 25.3% progression rate in re-TUR T1 disease.

Short-term outcome after cystectomy: comparison of early oral feeding in an enhanced recovery protocol and feeding using Bengmark nasojejunal tube.

PURPOSE: Cystectomy for bladder cancer is associated with a high risk of postoperative complications. Standardized perioperative protocols, such as enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols, aim to improve postoperative outcome. Postoperative feeding strategies are an important part of these protocols. In this two-centre study, we compared complications and length of hospital stay (LOS) between an ERAS protocol with early oral nutrition and a protocol with early enteral feeding with a Bengmark nasojejunal tube. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 154 consecutive patients who underwent cystectomy for bladder cancer in two hospitals (Hospital A and B) between 2014 and 2016. Hospital A uses an ERAS protocol (n = 45), which encourages early introduction of an oral diet. Hospital B uses a fast-track protocol comprising feeding with a Bengmark nasojejunal tube (Bengmark-protocol, n = 109). LOS and complications according to Clavien classification were compared between protocols. RESULTS: Overall 30-day complication rates in the ERAS and Bengmark protocol were similar (64.4 and 67.0%, respectively; p = 0.463). The rate of postoperative ileus (POI) was significantly lower in the Bengmark protocol (11.9% vs. 34.4% in the ERAS protocol, p = 0.009). This association remained significant after adjustment for other variables (odds ratio 0.32, 95% confidence interval 0.11-0.96; p = 0.042). Median LOS did not differ significantly between protocols (10 days vs. 11 days in the ERAS and Bengmark protocols, respectively; p = 0.861). CONCLUSIONS: Early oral nutrition in Hospital A was well tolerated. However, the Bengmark protocol was superior with respect to occurrence of POI. A prospective study may clarify whether the lower rate of POI was due to the use of early nasojejunal tube feeding or other reasons.

Incidence of eosinophilic esophagitis in the Netherlands continues to rise: 20-year results from a nationwide pathology database.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) has increased rapidly. Most epidemiologic data were gathered in single-center studies over a short timeframe, possibly explaining the heterogeneous incidences. AIM: The aim of this study was to retrospectively estimate the Dutch nationwide incidence of EoE over the last 20 years. METHODS: The Dutch pathology registry (PALGA) was queried to identify pathology reports describing esophageal eosinophilia from 1996 to 2016. Cases were eligible if EoE was confirmed by the pathologist. Using the annual Dutch population data, the incidence of EoE was calculated. KEY RESULTS: The search yielded 11 288 reports of which 5080 described esophageal eosinophilia. Eosinophilic esophagitis was diagnosed in 2161 patients, 1574 (73%) males and 365 (17%) children. The incidence increased from 0.01 (95% CI 0-0.02) in 1996 to 2.07 (95% CI 2.05-2.23) per 100 000 inhabitants in 2015. The incidence was higher in males than in females, 3.02 (95% CI 2.66-3.41) vs 1.14 (95% CI 0.93-1.38), odds ratio (OR) 2.66 (95% CI 2.10-3.36) and higher in adults than in children, 2.23 (95% CI 1.99-2.49) vs 1.46 (95% CI 1.09-1.91), OR 1.78 (95% CI 1.32-2.40). Incidence of EoE increased more than 200-fold, whereas endoscopy rates only tripled, from 30 in 1996 to 105 per 100 000 inhabitants in 2015. We observed no seasonal variation. CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES: In the last decades, the Dutch EoE incidence has increased tremendously and still continues to rise. This expansion is only partially driven by increased endoscopy rates.

FDG-PET/CT for response evaluation of invasive bladder cancer following neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: We investigated the accuracy of FDG-PET/CT response identification following neoadjuvant or induction chemotherapy (NAIC) for invasive bladder cancer (BC) as to better select patients for radical cystectomy (RC). METHODS: Between 2010 and 2014, 37 cT1-4N1-3 BC patients received a FDG-PET/CT before and after NAIC followed by RC. Metabolic lymph node (LN) response was evaluated according to EORTC recommendations. Additionally, primary tumor response was evaluated for 23 patients by means of delayed pelvic imaging after forced diuresis. Gold standard was response on pathologic analysis of RC specimens. Response was defined as partial response (pPR, any pathologic downstaging) or complete response (pCR, 

Association Of Plasma And Urinary Mutant DNA With Clinical Outcomes In Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer.

Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (MIBC) has a poor prognosis. Whilst patients can achieve a 6% improvement in overall survival with Neo-Adjuvant Chemotherapy (NAC), many do not respond. Body fluid mutant DNA (mutDNA) may allow non-invasive identification of treatment failure. We collected 248 liquid biopsy samples including plasma, cell pellet (UCP) and supernatant (USN) from spun urine, from 17 patients undergoing NAC. We assessed single nucleotide variants and copy number alterations in mutDNA using Tagged-Amplicon- and shallow Whole Genome- Sequencing. MutDNA was detected in 35.3%, 47.1% and 52.9% of pre-NAC plasma, UCP and USN samples respectively, and urine samples contained higher levels of mutDNA (p = <0.001). Longitudinal mutDNA demonstrated tumour evolution under the selective pressure of NAC e.g. in one case, urine analysis tracked two distinct clones with contrasting treatment sensitivity. Of note, persistence of mutDNA detection during NAC predicted disease recurrence (p = 0.003), emphasising its potential as an early biomarker for chemotherapy response.

Elemental diet decreases inflammation and improves symptoms in adult eosinophilic oesophagitis patients.

BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) is a chronic disease, driven by food allergens. Elemental diets are effective for the management of children with EoE, but studies on the effect of elemental diets in adults are scarce and poor palatability challenges dietary adherence. AIM: To assess the effects of an elemental diet (Neocate, Nutricia, Utrecht, the Netherlands) on the inflammation, symptoms and endoscopic signs in adult EoE patients. METHODS: In this prospective study, 21 patients with active EoE, confirmed by biopsies showing ≥15 eosinophils per microscopic high power field (HPF) and symptoms of oesophageal dysfunction were included. Patients underwent endoscopy before and 4 weeks after diet. Histological disease activity (peak eosinophil count/HPF), and endoscopic signs were scored by physicians. Symptoms and adherence to the diet were evaluated by questionnaires. Serum total IgE levels and total eosinophil counts were determined and the expression of inflammatory cytokines was analysed by qPCR. RESULTS: In total, 17 (81%) of the patients completed the diet, of whom 12 (71%) showed complete histological response (≤15 eosinophils/HPF) and 4 (24%) showed partial histological response (≥50% reduction of baseline eosinophil count). Peak eosinophil counts decreased significantly after the diet from 40 to 9 per HPF (P ≤ 0.001). A marked improvement in endoscopic signs was observed. Symptoms decreased significantly in all subjects, and 15 patients (88%) became completely asymptomatic (P ≤ 0.001). In 14 patients (82%), blood eosinophil count and serum IgE decreased (P ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION: Elemental diet reduces eosinophilic inflammation and induces clinical remission in adult patients with eosinophilic oesophagitis.