Efficacy of cumulative cisplatin dose on survival in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy: multicenter study by Turkish Oncology Group.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of cumulative cisplatin dose on clinical outcomes in locally advanced cervical cancer patients undergoing definitive chemoradiotherapy. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 654 patients with stage IB3-IVA disease treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy. Radiotherapy was applied as external beam pelvic with or without para-aortic radiotherapy and brachytherapy. Concomitant chemotherapy was in the form of weekly or 3 weekly cisplatin. Data on demographics, treatment protocols, cumulative cisplatin dose, adverse effects, and survival outcomes were collected. Statistical analyses, including univariate and multivariate Cox regression models, were used to assess factors influencing progression free survival and overall survival. RESULTS: The median cumulative cisplatin dose was 210 mg (range 40-320), and ≥200 mg in 503 (76.9%) patients. Median follow-up was 35 months (range 1-150). The 5 year progression free survival and overall survival rates were 66.9% and 77.1%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified poor performance status, non-squamous cell histology, presence of lymph node metastases, and hemoglobin <10 g/dL before chemoradiotherapy as poor prognostic factors for both progression free survival and overall survival in the whole group. When stage III cases were evaluated separately, the cumulative cisplatin dose <200 mg was found to be a significant poor prognostic factor in overall survival (hazard ratio 1.79, 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 3.0, p=0.031). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that a cumulative cisplatin dose >200 mg, particularly in patients with lymph node metastases, significantly improved overall survival. Factors such as anemia, toxicity related challenges, and comorbidities were identified as critical considerations in treatment planning. These findings emphasize the balance between maximizing therapeutic efficacy and managing toxicity, guiding personalized treatment approaches for locally advanced cervical cancer.

A propensity score-matched comparison of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin-5FU and carboplatin-paclitaxel in locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A Turkish oncology group study.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant treatment is the standard treatment in locally advanced ESCC. However, the optimal chemotherapy regimen is not known. METHOD: This is a retrospective observational cohort study conducted with propensity score matching. Patients with resectable ESCC from 13 tertiary centers from Türkiye were screened between January 2011 and December 2021. We compared the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with the CF and the CROSS regimens in patients with ESCC. RESULTS: Three hundred and sixty-two patients were screened. Patients who received induction chemotherapy (n = 72) and CROSS-ineligible (n = 31) were excluded. Two hundred and fifty nine patients received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. After propensity score matching (n = 97 in both groups), the mPFS was 18.4 months (95% CI, 9.3-27.4) and 25.7 months (95% CI, 15.6-35.7; p = 0.974), and the mOS was 35.2 months (95% CI, 18.9-51.5) and 39.6 months (95% CI 20.1-59.2; p = 0.534), in the CF and the CROSS groups, respectively. There was no difference between subgroups regarding PFS and OS. Compared with the CF group, the CROSS group had a higher incidence of neutropenia (34.0% vs. 62.9%, p < 0.001) and anemia (54.6% vs. 75.3%, p = 0.003) in all grades. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in grade 3-4 anemia, grade 3-4 neutropenia, and febrile neutropenia between groups. There were more dose reductions and dose delays in the CROSS group than in the CF group (11.3% vs. 3.1%, p = 0.026 and 34.0% vs. 17.5%, p = 0.009, respectively). The resection rate was 52.6% in the CF-RT and 35.1% in the CROSS groups (p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: Favorable PFS and pCR rates and a comparable OS were obtained with the CROSS regimen over the CF regimen as neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with ESCC.

Analysis of Treatment Strategies and Outcomes in Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma: Insights From a Multi-Center Study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the demographic," clinicopathologic, and prognostic characteristics of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPeM), as well as the treatment options for the rare and heterogeneous MPeM population. METHODS: A retrospective multi-center observational cohort study was conducted to evaluate patients with MPeM. Due to the heterogeneity of the study population, the study divided them into two main groups in terms of treatments, follow-up periods, and prognostic features. The first group comprised the patients who underwent cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), and the second group included the patients with metastatic disease for whom curative intent surgery was not possible. The patients' diagnostic procedures and treatments were identified from medical records. Patients older than 18 years old were included in the study regardless of asbestos exposure. Well-differentiated papillary and multicystic mesothelioma histologic types were not included in the study. RESULTS: The study evaluated 118 patients from five centers. Survival times, prognosis, and treatment responses were analyzed in both groups. The study showed that CRS-HIPEC was associated with longer overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Perioperative therapy was evaluated in subgroup analyses of this population and shown to provide survival benefits. The patients treated with chemotherapy (metastatic and medically inoperable patients and those for whom complete cytoreduction was not achievable) had a poorer prognosis than the surgery group. The study showed that life expectancy decreased significantly for the patients not suitable to undergo surgery for any reason. CONCLUSIONS: According to data from experienced centers, CRS-HIPEC is a treatment option recognized as effective, cost-effective, and safe, with better OS and PFS , as well as low morbidity and mortality rates similar to those in the literature. In addition, the platinum-pemetrexed combination continues to be an effective and acceptable treatment option for metastatic patients, those who are medically inoperable, and those for whom complete or near-complete cytoreduction is not achievable.

Comparing the efficacy of regorafenib and 5-fluorouracil-based rechallenge chemotherapy in the third-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) after the second line is still controversial. Regorafenib has been the standard of care in this setting as it improved overall survival (OS) compared to placebo. In real-world practice chemotherapy rechallenge is also a preferred option even though supporting evidence is not enough. We aim to compare the efficacy of regorafenib and 5-fluorouracil-based (5-FU) rechallenge treatment in the third line setting of mCRC. METHODS: In this retrospective multi-institutional trial, mCRC patients from 21 oncology centers who progressed after 2 lines of chemotherapy were analyzed. Patients who were treated with regorafenib or rechallenge therapy in the third-line setting were eligible. Rechallenge chemotherapy was identified as the re-use of the 5-FU based regimen which was administered in one of the previous treatment lines. OS, disease control rate (DCR), progression free survival (PFS) and toxicity were analyzed. RESULTS: Three hundred ninety-four mCRC patients were included in the study. 128 (32.5%) were in the rechallenge, and 266 (67.5%) were in the regorafenib group. Median PFS was 5.82 months in rechallenge and 4 months in regorafenib arms (hazard ratio:1.45,95% CI, p = 0.167). DCR was higher in the rechallenge group than regorafenib (77% vs 49.5%, respectively, p = < 0.001). Median OS after the third-line treatment was 11.99 (95% CI, 9.49-14.49) and 8.08 months (95% CI, 6.88-9.29) for rechallenge and regorafenib groups, respectively (hazard ratio:1.51, 95% CI, p < 0.001). More adverse effects and discontinuation were seen with regorafenib treatment. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that higher disease control and OS rates were achieved with rechallenge treatment compared to regorafenib, especially in patients who achieved disease control in one of the first two lines of therapy.

Impact of 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT on Survival and Management in Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND: 68Ga-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography-computed tomography (68Ga-PSMA PET/CT) has led to altered treatment plans for prostate cancer (PCa) patients. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the impact of 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT on overall survival (OS) and management in PCa. METHODS: Consecutive 100 patients who had 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT and conventional imaging (CI) were included in this retrospective study. Disease stages and treatment plans according to both CI and 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT were compared. The effect of 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT on OS was assessed. RESULTS: After 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT, the stage changed in 64 patients (64%). By the reason of 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT findings, treatment plans based on CI were changed in 73 patients (73%). According to the ROC analysis, patients with a PSA value below 8 had higher rates of change in staging (p<0.0001) and treatment (p=0.034). Both a PSA below 8 (OR 8.79 95% CI (2.72-28.43), p<0.001), and having a hormone-sensitive disease at the time of imaging (OR 5.6 95% CI (1.35-23.08), p=0.017) were significant independent factors predicting change in staging with 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT. The results of a phi correlation coefficient analysis showed a significant relationship between therapy and changes in staging (ϕ=0.638, p<0.0001). Two-year OS was statistically different in hormone-sensitive patients with and without treatment change (95% vs 81%, p=0.006). CONCLUSION: 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT has the effect of changing the treatment in 73% of PCa patients. There is a positive correlation between the changes in staging and treatment. Survival of hormone sensitive patients has improved due to treatment changes based on PET/CT findings.

Simple and easily accessible prognostic markers in ewing sarcoma; neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil-platelet score and systemic-inflammation index.

Background: Inflammation markers are the new point of view in cancer due to increasing data on the interaction of immune system with tumor cells and their prognostic and predictive importance were found in many different types of solid tumors. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), neutrophil-platelet score (NPS), and systemic inflammation index (SII) in Ewing sarcoma patients in which risk groups are still not clearly defined. Methods and Results: A total of 64 patients were evaluated retrospectively. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to find cut-off values for NLR and SII. Survival analysis was calculated by using Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression analysis was performed to determine prognostic factors such as age, stage, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy were statistically significant prognostic factors for OS in multivariate analysis. While patients with low NLR and SII had longer OS (P = 0.003 and P = 0.018), patients with high NPS score had shorter OS (67.7 vs 21.7 months, P = 0.001). Conclusion: Patients with lower NLR, NPS, and SII score have a better prognosis compared with those with higher NLR, NPS, and SII score and these simple parameters may be monitoring tools of the tumor microenvironment.

Treatment Outcomes and Prognostic Factors in N3 Stage Gastric Cancer After Curative Resection: A Real World Data.

Purpose: N3 gastric cancer is characterized by a fairly high lymph node metastasis burden and poor outcome despite optimal therapy. Given the limitations of TNM classification, a comprehensive evaluation tool is necessary to predict the prognosis of patients with N3 gastric cancer who underwent curative surgery. This study aims to explore the outcomes and clinicopathologic prognostic factors affecting the overall survival (OS) of patients with N3 gastric cancer after surgery. Methods: Data on patients with N3 gastric cancer who underwent (sub)total gastrectomy and regional lymph node dissection between November 2005 and September 2018 (n = 169) were analyzed by Cox regression to determine the independent prognostic factors for OS. Results: The multivariable analysis established that gender, patient performance status, metastatic lymph node ratio (MLNR), tumor grade, and adjuvant chemotherapy are significantly associated with OS. The five-year OS of the study population was 15%. Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy was applied to 72% of the patients, which resulted in an improvement in recurrence-free survival but not OS. Recurrence occurred in 103 (75%) patients, in which the most frequent recurrence site was distant metastasis. Conclusion: Male gender, poor performance status, grade 3 tumor, MLNR > 0.37, and not receiving adjuvant chemotherapy are predictors of poor prognosis in N3 gastric cancer after curative resection. Considering the high recurrence rates of this group, prospective studies are needed to optimize treatment strategies.

Major and minor salivary gland cancers: A multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Most of the studies on salivary gland cancers are limited for various reasons such as being single-center, small number of patients, including only major or minor SGCs, or only including epidemiological data. METHODS: A total of 37 medical oncology clinics from different regions of Turkey participated in this retrospective-multicenter study. The analyzed data included clinical and demographical features, primary treatment, metastasis localizations, and treatments and includes certain pathologic features. RESULTS: The study included data from a total of 443 SGCs. 56.7% was in major salivary glands and 43.3% was in minor salivary glands. Distant metastasis in the major SGCs was statistically significantly more common than in the minor SGCs, locoregional recurrence was statistically significantly more common in the minor SGCs than in the major SGCs (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Epidemiological information, metastasis and recurrence patterns, treatment modalities, and survival analysis of the patients over 20 years of follow-up are presented.

The percentage of ALK-positive cells and the efficacy of first-line alectinib in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: is it a novel factor for stratification? (Turkish Oncology Group Study).

INTRODUCTION: Alectinib is an effective second-generation ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) used in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced ALK-positive NSCLC. Recent studies demonstrated that the percentage of ALK-positive tumor cells in patient groups receiving crizotinib might affect outcomes. This study aimed to investigate whether the percentage of ALK-positive cells had a predictive effect in patients with advanced NSCLC who received first-line Alectinib as ALK-TKI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included patients with advanced-stage NSCLC who received alectinib as a first-line ALK-TKI and whose percentage of ALK-positive cells was determined by FISH at 27 different centers. Patients who received any ALK-TKI before alectinib were not included in the study. Patients were separated into two groups according to the median (40%) value of the percentage of ALK-positive cells (high-positive group ≥ 40% and low-positive group < 40%). The primary endpoint was PFS, and the secondary endpoints were OS, ORR, and PFS of the subgroups based on different threshold values for the percentage of ALK-positive cells. RESULTS: 211 patients were enrolled (48.3% female, 51.7% male) to study. 37% (n = 78) of the patients had received chemotherapy previously. After a median of 19.4 months of follow-up, the median PFS was not reached in the high-positive group (n = 113), but it was 10.8 months in the low-positive group (n = 98) (HR 0.39; 95% CI 0.25-0.60, p < 0.001). The median OS in the high-positive group was not reached, whereas it was 22.8 months in the low-positive group (HR 0.37; 95% CI 0.22-0.63, p < 0.001). ORR was significantly higher in the high-positive group (87.2 vs. 68.5%; p = 0.002). According to the cut-off values of < 20%, 20-39%, 40-59%, and ≥ 60%, the median PFS was 4.5, 17.1, and 26 months, respectively, and could not be reached in the ≥ 60% group. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that the efficacy of alectinib varies significantly across patient subgroups with different percentages of ALK-positive cells. If these findings are prospectively validated, the percentage of ALK-positive cells may be used as a stratification factor in randomized trials comparing different ALK-TKIs.

Management and prognosis of patients with cancer of unknown primary: 20 years of experience.

Background/aim: Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is a difficult clinical entity to manage. The aim of the study was to investigate the sociodemographic and pathological characteristics, treatment options, and factors affecting overall survival (OS) in CUP patients whose primary tumor was not detected during follow-up. Materials and methods: A total of 243 CUP patients whose primary tumors could not be detected during follow-up were included in the study. Their demographic characteristics, survival outcomes, and prognostic factors were investigated. Results: Of the 243 patients included in this study, 61.7% were male and 38.3% were female, and the median age was 61 (range: 19-90) years. The most common histological type was adenocarcinoma (79%). The median follow-up time of the patients was 30.3 months (95% CI: 11.4-49.3), the median OS time was 9.1 months (95% CI: 7.2-11.0), and 72.4% of the patients received at least 1 line of chemotherapy (CT). The difference in survival between the patients who did and did not receive CT was statistically significant (median OS: 10.1 vs. 4.2 months, p = 0.003). According to the multivariate analysis, the presence of cholestasis (HR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.29-0.79, p = 0.004), lung metastasis (HR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.51-0.95, p = 0.001), second-line chemotherapy (HR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.14-2.49, p < 0.001), and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (HR: 0.20, 95% CI: 0.10-0.40, p < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors influencing OS. Conclusion: CUP patients who receive multiple lines of chemotherapy tend to have longer survival. This is the first study to report cholestasis as a prognostic factor in CUP patients. In addition, the presence of lung metastases, not receiving second-line chemotherapy, and ECOG performance status (≥2) were found to be independent poor prognostic factors.

The effectiveness of adjuvant treatment approaches for resectable esophageal cancer: A single-center experience.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: In general, neoadjuvant treatment is the standard for clinical stage II/III esophageal cancer (EC), whereas the effect of adjuvant treatment on survival still remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of adjuvant treatment modalities on the survival of EC patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 63 patients with stage II-IVA EC who had undergone curative surgery between the years 2002 and 2020 were included in the study. Patients' data were retrospectively collected from oncologic follow-up files. Various treatment regimens were administered during this period, including chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy. RESULTS: The median age was 56 years (24-73), and the number of males was slightly higher than females (male/female: 33/30). While 32 (51%) patients received postoperative adjuvant treatment, the remaining 31 (49%) patients underwent surgery alone. The median overall survival (OS) was 45.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 25.1-66.8) in patients receiving adjuvant therapy and 37.6 months (95% CI: 20.9-54.4) in patients not receiving adjuvant therapy. The 8.3-month survival difference was statistically insignificant (P = 0.54). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 87.5% versus 77.4%, 58.4% versus 51.6%, and 40.8% versus 27.6% for patients with and without adjuvant therapy, respectively. Pathological stage (P = 0.028) and lymph node status (P = 0.044) were significant prognostic factors for survival. CONCLUSIONS: This study did not support the benefit of adjuvant treatment compared with surgery alone in completely resected EC patients. The reason for this result may be related to the small sample size and different treatment regimens due to the change in treatment options over time.

Real-world data on efficacy and safety of first-line alectinib treatment in advanced-stage, ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer patients: a Turkish Oncology Group study.

Aims: In this multicenter study, the authors aimed to determine the real-life efficacy and safety of first-line alectinib. Materials & methods: This retrospective trial included advanced-stage, ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer patients who were treated with first-line alectinib in terms of ALK-tyrosine kinase inhibitors, regardless of previous chemotherapy. The co-primary end points were progression-free survival both for all patients and for the treatment-naive population. The secondary end points were overall response rate, overall survival, rate of CNS progression and safety. Results & conclusion: A total of 274 patients (n = 177 for treatment-naive patients) were enrolled in the study. The median progression-free survival was 26 and 28.8 months for all patients and the treatment-naive group, respectively. The overall response rate, CNS progression rate and 1-year overall survival ratio were 77.9, 12.4 and 77%. Alectinib is a highly effective therapy with a favorable safety profile.

The advancements in cancer treatment, particularly in the last two decades, have been promising. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most important diseases experiencing these promising developments. ALK positivity, which is caused by the rearrangement of different gene fragments between two chromosomes, affects about 5% of NSCLC patients. This provides a target for next-generation therapies. One of these targeted therapy drugs is alectinib. The authors examined the outcomes of 271 patients with body-disseminated NSCLC who received alectinib as initial targeted therapy. These patients were not chosen to participate in a clinical phase study. They were treated with an approved drug; the study also included 97 patients who had previously received chemotherapy. The median duration of survival without disease worsening was 26 months for all patients receiving alectinib treatment. This value was 28.8 months in 177 patients who had not received any treatment before alectinib. Regardless of disease status, 77% of all patients were found to be alive at the end of the first year. Alectinib treatment resulted in a significant improvement of the disease in approximately four out of five patients. The treatment's side effects were generally tolerable or manageable. Only four patients were reported to have discontinued their medication due to treatment-related side effects. These real-world findings are compatible with previous clinical research. Alectinib is an important first-line treatment option for patients with advanced, ALK-positive NSCLC.

[Clinical features of the ALK-mutant non-small cell lung cancer patients who received first-line alectinib treatment]. / Birinci basamak alektinib tedavisi alan ALK mutasyonu pozitif akciger kanseri hastalarinin klinik özelliklerinin degerlendirilmesi.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is the most common cancer type and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The positivity rate of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has been reported as 3-7%. This study aimed to investigate the pathological, clinical and demographic characteristics of ALK-mutant NSCLC patients who received first-line alectinib as a tyrosine kinase inhibitor in two different centers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed at the Medical Oncology Departments of Ankara City Hospital and Atatürk Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital. Patients diagnosed with ALK-mutant NSCLC and received alectinib treatment as a first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor were enrolled to study and retrospectively analyzed. RESULT: A total of 38 patients (15 males, 23 females) were included in the study. Median age was 56.5. 55.3% of the patients were non-smokers. All of the patients had adenocarcinoma histology. Thirty-four patients (89.5%) were metastatic. Brain metastasis was detected in 44.7% of the patients. Thirty-three patients (86.8%) were using alectinib in first-line treatment. The remaining five patients were seen to have received at least one course of chemotherapy before. The objective response rate was 78.9% with alectinib treatment. The percentage of the patients who experienced at least one side effect was 34.2% and serious side effects were 7.9%. After median 9.5 months follow-up, median progression-free survival (PFS) was not achieved. 24-month PFS was 67% and 24-month overall survival was 84%. CONCLUSIONS: Our results were compatible with previous studies in terms of the clinical, pathological and demographic features of the patients with ALK mutation. We observed that the majority of patients were non-smokers, relatively young, and female patients. The objective response rate and survival results were similar with phase 3 studies.

A Comparison of Osseous and Extraosseous Ewing Sarcoma.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinicopathological characteristics, treatment responses, survival analysis of osseous Ewing sarcoma (OES) and extraosseous ES (EES). STUDY DESIGN: Observational study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Ankara City Hospital and Ankara Numune Training Research Hospital Medical Oncology Clinics from January 2005 to February 2020. METHODOLOGY: Clinicopathological characteristics of histologically confirmed ES/PNET and followed up, and treatment modalities were recorded from patients' registration data-base of the hospital. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), hemoglobin were measured before chemotherapy or surgery. The patients with a second cancer, gall bladder/biliary tract diseases, viral hepatitis and other bone diseases were excluded. RESULTS: Sixty seven patients evaluated retrospectively. Out of the total patients, 56.7% consisted of OES, and 43.3% consisted of EES. The median age of the EES group (26 years) was significantly higher than that of the OES group (22 years, p = 0.008). The most common metastasis region was lung in both the groups. Age, LDH levels and stage of the disease were found to be statistically significant prognostic factors in univariate and multivariate analysis. The median OS of patients who started with local treatment (surgical, surgical ± radiotherapy) and followed up with chemotherapy was 82.6 months (95% CI, 55.2-110.1), while the median OS of patients who received local treatment between or after chemotherapy was 43.4 months (95% CI, 13.2-73.6, p = 0.042). CONCLUSION: Patients with extrosseus ES were significantly older. Age, LDH levels, stage of disease, local treatment followed by systemic therapy are important associated factors. Key Words: Osseous ewing sarcoma, Extraosseous ewing sarcoma, Chemotherapy, Local treatment.

Is there any relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expression in gastric cancer?

PURPOSE: Helicobacter pylori(HP) is a significant causative agent of gastric cancer (GC). However, the underlying mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis and association with oncoproteins are unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between HP infection and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression in GC patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Surgery (173) or endoscopic biopsy (35) specimen of 208 patients diagnosed with GC was evaluated for the presence of HER2 and HP. HER2 expression was assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method, whereas HP status was evaluated histologically. Giemsa stain was used to identify HP status, in case HP could not be recognized in routine H and E-stained sections despite careful examination. RESULTS: The median age was 63 years (27-91), and most patients were male (male/female: 149/59). Of all the 208 patients, HP was positive in 87 (41.8%) and negative in 121 (58.2%) patients. FISH positivity for HER2 was observed in 41 (19.7%) patients, whereas FISH negativity was observed in 167 (80.3%) patients. According to the Chi-square test, patient distribution was 21 in HER2-positive HP-negative group, 20 in HER2-positive HP-positive group, 100 in HER2-negative HP-negative group, and 67 in HER2-negative HP-positive group. No correlation was found between HP and HER2 status (P = 0.314). HP positivity had significant effect on median overall survival (27.4 vs. 12.9 months, P = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that there is no relationship between HP infection and HER2 status in patients with GC.

Carbonic anhydrase IX is a prognostic biomarker in glioblastoma multiforme.

The identification of prognostic factors in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) represents an area of increasing interest. Carbonic anhydrase IX (CA-IX), a hypoxia marker, correlates with tumor progression in a variety of human cancers. However, the role of CA-IX in GBM remains largely unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the prognostic role of CA-IX in GBM patients. In total, 66 consecutive patients with GBM who received concomitant chemoradiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy with temozolomide were retrospectively reviewed, and all patients received temozolomide chemotherapy for at least 3 months. Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests were used for analysis of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), and a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model was employed to identify factors with an independent effect on survival. The median OS was longer in patients with low levels of CA-IX expression (18 months) compared to patients overexpressing CA-IX (9 months) (P = 0.004). There was not a statistically significant difference in median PFS (3.5 vs. 8 months, P = 0.054) between patients with high or low levels of CA-IX expression. In multivariate analysis, the variables that were identified as significant prognostic factors for OS were preoperative Karnofsky performance scale score (KPS) (hazard ratio (HR), 3.703; P = 0.001), CA-IX overexpression (HR, 1.967; P = 0.019), and incomplete adjuvant temozolomide treatment (HR, 2.241; P = 0.003) and gross-total resection (HR, 1.956; P = 0.034). Our findings indicated that CA-IX may be a potential prognostic biomarker in the treatment of GBM.

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil-platelet score and prognostic nutritional index: do they have prognostic significance in metastatic pancreas cancer?

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-platelet score (NPS) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) as proinflammatory markers in metastatic pancreas cancer (MPC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 146 MPC patients followed up at our center were evaluated retrospectively for clinicopathological characteristics and hematological ratios (NLR, PLR, NPS and PNI). PNI was calculated as (10 × serum albumin [g/dL]) + (0.005 × peripheral lymphocyte count [per mm³]). Log rank and Cox regression analysis were used. RESULTS: Median age was 53 years (range: 22-78) with male predominance (73.3%). Liver (94.7%) was the most common site for metastasis. Half (53.4%) of the patients had ECOG-PS <2; 18% had cholestasis. Palliative chemotherapy predominantly gemcitabine was given to 86.3% of the patients. Clinical benefit rate was 58.2% and objective response rate (ORR) was 23%. Median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 6.3 months (95% CI: 5.2-7.8) and 4.9 months (95% CI: 3.6-6.1). Age (p = .003), ECOG-PS (p = .0001), palliative chemotherapy (p = .002), cholestasis (p = .001) and NLR (p = .001) were statistically significant but PLR (p = .062), NPS (p = .86) and PNI (p = .51) were not significant in univariate analysis. Age (HR 1.026, 95% CI: 1.007-1.045, p = .007), ECOG-PS (HR 0.299, 95% CI: 0.202-0.443, p = .0001), cholestasis (HR 0.541, 95% CI: 0.325-0.901, p = .01) and NLR (HR 1.076, 95% CI: 1.025-1.130, p = .003) were significant prognostic factors in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Basal high NLR (>3), advanced age (>60 years), poor ECOG-PS (>2) and cholestasis were independent poor prognostic factors in MPC. However, PNI, NPS and PLR had no prognostic significance (p = .51, p = .86 and p = .062, respectively).

Liver metastases from adenocarcinomas of unknown primary site: management and prognosis in 68 consecutive patients.

BACKGROUND: In this retrospective study, we aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients presenting with liver metastases from unknown primary site besides survival rates, treatment outcomes, and prognostic factors. METHODS: In all, 68 patients followed-up at our center with adenocarcinoma of unknown primary (ACUP) metastatic to the liver between 2005 and 2013 were enrolled. All of the liver metastases were proven by liver biopsy and all yielded diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. RESULTS: Median age was 61 years (29-90) and most of the patients were male (male/female: 43/25). The liver was the only metastatic site in 2 (3%) patients whilst 66 patients (97%) had extrahepatic metastases. The most common extrahepatic metastatic sites were lymph nodes (89.7%), lungs (32.4%), bones (25%), peritoneum (11.8%), brain (4.4%), and adrenal glands (2.9%). Of all 68 patients, 39 (57.4%) were treated with chemotherapy. Median overall survival (OS) was significantly higher in ACUP patients treated with chemotherapy [12.5 months (95% CI 8.3-16.7) vs. 4 months (95% CI 1.2-6.8), (p = 0.026), respectively]. In multivariate analysis, ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status (p = 0.009), chemotherapy (p = 0.024), serum albumin (p = 0.012), and serum CA 19-9 level (p = 0.026) at initial diagnosis were identified as independent prognostic factors influencing survival for the patients with liver metastases from ACUP. CONCLUSION: Patients with liver metastases from ACUP have poor prognosis and chemotherapy improves survival. Decreased serum albumin level, increased CA 19-9 level and poor performance status are independent poor prognostic factors.

Impact of adjuvant treatment modalities on survival outcomes in curatively resected pancreatic and periampullary adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: We examined the impact of adjuvant modalities on resected pancreatic and periampullary adenocarcinoma (PAC). METHODS: A total of 563 patients who were curatively resected for PAC were retrospectively analyzed between 2003 and 2013. RESULTS: Of 563 patients, 472 received adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) alone, chemoradiotherapy (CRT) alone, and chemoradiotherapy plus chemotherapy (CRT-CT) were analyzed. Of the 472 patients, 231 were given CRT-CT, 26 were given CRT, and 215 were given CT. The median recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were 12 and 19 months, respectively. When CT and CRT-CT groups were compared, there was no significant difference with respect to both RFS and OS, and also there was no difference in RFS and OS among CRT-CT, CT and CRT groups. To further investigate the impact of radiation on subgroups, patients were stratified according to lymph node status and resection margins. In node-positive patients, both RFS and OS were significantly longer in CRT-CT than CT. In contrast, there was no significant difference between groups when patients with node-negative disease or patients with or without positive surgical margins were considered. CONCLUSIONS: Addition of radiation to CT has a survival benefit in patients with node-positive disease following pancreatic resection.