Short-term versus long-term metronomic adjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A propensity score-matched real-world study.

BACKGROUND: This retrospective study aimed to determine the optimal metronomic chemotherapy duration (MTCD) as adjuvant therapy for patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC). METHODS: This study involved LANPC patients treated with metronomic chemotherapy (MTC) using a 5-FU prodrug (S1, capecitabine, or tegafur) from May 2013 to September 2020. The optimal MTCD threshold was established using X-tile Bioinformatics software. The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and locoregional relapse-free survival (LRRFS) were compared between short-term and long-term groups using propensity score matching (PSM). RESULTS: A total of 546 patients were analyzed. MTCD was an independent prognostic factor for OS, PFS, and DMFS (all P < 0.05). Patients were categorized into long-term (>3 months) and short-term (≤3 months) MTCD groups. After a median follow-up of 48 months, significant differences were observed in 4-year OS (97.0 % vs. 87.1 %; P < 0.01), PFS (84.6 % vs. 70.9 %; P < 0.01), DMFS (87.3 % vs. 78.8 %; P < 0.01), and LRRFS (95.3 % vs. 87.4 %; P < 0.01) between the long-term and short-term groups. In the PSM-matched cohort of 196 patients per group, the long-term group demonstrated superior 4-year OS and LRRFS (97.3 % vs. 87.1 %, P < 0.01; 95.2 % vs. 90.0 %, P < 0.05). No significant differences in acute toxicities were observed between the groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Extended MTC with a 5-FU prodrug (>3 months) may benefit NPC patients. Further prospective studies are needed to validate these findings.

Impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on survival after pathological complete response in rectal cancer: a meta-analysis of 31,558 patients.

BACKGROUND: Locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) typically involves neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by surgery (total mesorectal excision, TME). While achieving a complete pathological response (pCR) is a strong indicator of a positive prognosis, the specific benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy after pCR remain unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the potential advantages of adjuvant therapy in patients who achieve pCR. METHODS: In this study, we searched Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases for relevant research. We focused on binary outcomes, analyzing them using odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). To account for potential variability between studies, all endpoints were analyzed with DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models. We assessed heterogeneity using the I2 statistic and employed the R statistical software (version 4.2.3) for all analyses. RESULTS: Thirty-four studies, comprising 31,558 patients, were included. The outcomes demonstrated a significant difference favoring the AC group in terms of overall survival (OS) (HR 0.75; 95% CI 0.60-0.94; p = 0.015; I2 = 0%), and OS in 5 years (OR 1.65; 95% CI 1.21-2.24; p = 0.001; I2 = 39%). There was no significant difference between the groups for disease-free survival (DFS) (HR 0.94; 95% CI 0.76-1.17; p = 0.61; I2 = 17%), DFS in 5 years (OR 1.19; 95% CI 0.82-1.74; p = 0.36; I2 = 43%), recurrence-free survival (RFS) (HR 1.10; 95% CI 0.87-1.40; p = 0.39; I2 = 0%), and relapse-free survival (OR 1.08; 95% CI 0.78-1.51; p = 0.62; I2 = 0%). CONCLUSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis found a significant difference in favor of the ACT group in terms of survival after pCR. Therefore, the administration of this treatment as adjuvant therapy should be encouraged in clinical practice.

Impacto del Score de Recurrencia de 21 genes (Oncotype DX®) sobre la toma de decisión en tratamiento adyuvante: un estudio multicéntrico y colaborativo / Impact of the 21-gene Recurrence Score (Oncotype DX®) on decision-making in adjuvant treatment: a multicenter and collaborative study

En la actualidad, más de la mitad de las pacientes con cáncer de mama receptor hormonal positivo recibe algún esquema de quimioterapia adyuvante. Sin embargo, sólo algunas de ellas obtendrían un beneficio real en términos de sobrevida. Las plataformas genómicas permiten un mejor entendimiento de la heterogeneidad tumoral entre carcinomas con receptores hormonales positivos, Her2 negativos, habiendo sido validadas como herramientas para identificar aquellas. pacientes que obtendrían un beneficio claro con el tratamiento quimioterápico. El objetivo de nuestro estudio es describir el uso de la plataforma genómica Oncotype Dx® y evaluar su impacto sobre la indicación del tratamiento adyuvante, evaluado principalmente a través del cambio de conducta en relación con la indicación final del tratamiento adyuvante. Material y método: Estudio multicéntrico observacional de cohorte llevado a cabo en distintas Unidades de Mastología de la República Argentina que utilizaran el Oncotype Dx* para esclarecer la indicación del tratamiento adyuvante en pacientes luminales Her2neu negativas en estadio inicial. Se registraron las decisiones relacionadas con el tratamiento antes y luego de realizar la prueba genómica. El objetivo secundario consistió en describir los eventos en aquellas pacientes en quiénes se solicitó dicho estudio. Resultados: Entre enero de 2013 y diciembre de 2018, 211 pacientes con carcinomas luminales A o B, Her2neu negativas realizaron el Oncotype Dx* y fueron incluidas en el estudio. Según nuestros registros, 40% de las pacientes experimentó un cambio en la indicación del tratamiento adyuvante luego de realizada la plataforma genómica. De aquellas pacientes que tenían indicación inicial de hormonoterapia según parámetros tradicionales clínico-patológicos, 24% recibió adicionalmente quimioterapia. En relación con las pacientes que tenían indicación inicial de quimio y hormonoterapia, 49% experimentó un cambio en la indicación de su adyuvancia pudiendo realizar únicamente hormonoterapia. En relación a los eventos descriptos en las pacientes participantes del trabajo, se registraron 4 muertes específicas por la enfermedad, una muerte por otra causa, 2 recaídas a distancia y un cáncer de mama contralateral. Conclusiones: En nuestra población de estudio el uso del Score de Recurrencia (RS) resultó clínicamente significativo en relación al cambio de conducta en la toma de decisión para adyuvancia. En consecuencia, para este grupo de investigadores, ha demostrado ser una herramienta de significativa importancia en la decisión del tratamiento adyuvante de pacientes con cáncer de mama temprano, luminal, Her2neu negativo(AU)

Objetive: Currently, over half of all patients diagnosed with hormone-receptor positive early stage breast cancer will receive some type of adjuvant chemotherapy (CHT), but only a few of them will actually benefit in terms of survival. Genomic platforms allow a better understanding of the heterogeneity among the different types of hormone receptor positive, her2 negative breast cancer, and have proven their validity as tools for identifying those patients who will obtain a clear benefit from CHT. The aim of our study was to analyze the use of the genomic platform Oncotype Dx® in our population and describe its impact on the decision of adjuvant treatment assessed through change in treatment decision. Material and method: this was a real world collaborative observational study, which was performed across several Breast Units in Argentina. Patients who underwent Oncotype Dx® testing to determine adjuvant treatment were included. Decisions regarding treatment were settled before and after the oncotype was performed by the tumor boards of each Breast Unit. Results: From January 2013 to December 2018, 211 patients with luminal A or B, her 2 negative breast cancer who underwent Oncotype Dx" testing were included. We found that treatment decisions were modified after Oncotype DX in approximately 40% of patients. In 24% percent of cases, chemotherapy was added to the initial treatment plan although endocrine therapy alone had initially been considered (potential subtreatment); and on the other hand, 49% of all patients were able to receive endocrine therapy only when, due to traditional prognostic factors, they would have received chemotherapy (potential overtreatment). Conclusions: In our population, we found that the use of the Recurrence Score was associated with a significant change in treatment recommendation We therefore consider it to be a very important tool and a decisive factor for the selection of adjuvant treatment in patients with hormone receptor positive, her2neu negative early breast cancer(AU)

Impact of platinum-based chemotherapy on the tumor mutational burden and immune microenvironment in non-small cell lung cancer with postoperative recurrence.

PURPOSE: To investigate the impact of platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy on the immunotherapeutic biomarkers of postoperative recurrent tumors in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: This study involved twenty-two cases of NSCLC, all of which underwent postoperative platinum-based chemotherapy, with matched surgical samples obtained from both their primary tumors (PTs) and recurrent tumors (RTs). Multiplex immunofluorescence was performed to assess the tumor proportion score (TPS) and immune cells (IC) on whole sections. Whole exon sequencing (WES) was conducted to investigate the tumor mutational burden (TMB) and tumor neoantigen burden (TNB). RESULTS: Compared to paired PTs, RTs exhibited higher PD-L1 expression, along with a slightly elevated density of intratumoral PD-L1+ cells (p = 0.082) and an increased tumor proportion score (mean TPS: 40.51% vs. 28.56%, p = 0.046). Regarding IC infiltration, RTs generally demonstrated significantly lower CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) density (p = 0.011) and lower CD68+ macrophage density (p = 0.005), with a loss of tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS). The comparison between RTs and PTs revealed no significant differences in TMB (p = 0.795), whereas the count of TNB in RTs was notably increased compared to PTs (p = 0.033). Prognosis analysis indicated that a higher density of CD8+ CTLs in RTs was positively correlated with improved overall survival (OS). CONCLUSIONS: In NSCLC patients with a history of postoperative platinum-based chemotherapy, the RTs demonstrated a trend towards increased PD-L1 expression and TMB/TNB, but a state of immunosuppression characterized by decreased ICs and loss of TLS, which may potentially impact the therapeutic benefits of immunotherapy.

Quimioterapia perioperatória, quimioterapia adjuvante e quimiorradioterapia adjuvante no tratamento cirúrgico do câncer gástrico em um hospital do sistema único de saúde brasileiro / Perioperative chemotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy in the surgical treatment of gastric cancer in a hospital of the brazilian unified health system

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Despite the preference for multimodal treatment for gastric cancer, abandonment of chemotherapy treatment as well as the need for upfront surgery in obstructed patients brings negative impacts on the treatment. The difficulty of accessing treatment in specialized centers in the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) scenario is an aggravating factor. AIMS: To identify advantages, prognostic factors, complications, and neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies survival in gastric cancer treatment in SUS setting. METHODS: The retrospective study included 81 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent treatment according to INT0116 trial (adjuvant chemoradiotherapy), CLASSIC trial (adjuvant chemotherapy), FLOT4-AIO trial (perioperative chemotherapy), and surgery with curative intention (R0 resection and D2 lymphadenectomy) in a single cancer center between 2015 and 2020. Individuals with other histological types, gastric stump, esophageal cancer, other treatment protocols, and stage Ia or IV were excluded. RESULTS: Patients were grouped into FLOT4-AIO (26 patients), CLASSIC (25 patients), and INT0116 (30 patients). The average age was 61 years old. More than 60% of patients had pathological stage III. The treatment completion rate was 56%. The pathological complete response rate of the FLOT4-AIO group was 7.7%. Among the prognostic factors that impacted overall survival and disease-free survival were alcoholism, early postoperative complications, and anatomopathological status pN2 and pN3. The 3-year overall survival rate was 64.9%, with the CLASSIC subgroup having the best survival (79.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The treatment strategy for gastric cancer varies according to the need for initial surgery. The CLASSIC subgroup had better overall survival and disease-free survival. The INT0116 regimen also protected against mortality, but not with statistical significance. Although FLOT4-AIO is the preferred treatment, the difficulty in carrying out neoadjuvant treatment in SUS scenario had a negative impact on the results due to the criticality of food intake and worse treatment tolerance.

RESUMO RACIONAL: Apesar da preferência pelo tratamento multimodal para o câncer gástrico, o abandono do tratamento quimioterápico bem como a necessidade de cirurgia "upfront" em pacientes obstruídos traz impactos negativos para o tratamento. A dificuldade de acesso ao tratamento em centros especializados no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) é um agravante. OBJETIVOS: Identificar vantagens, fatores prognósticos, complicações e sobrevida de terapias neoadjuvantes e adjuvantes no tratamento do câncer gástrico no cenário do SUS. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo incluindo 81 pacientes com adenocarcinoma gástrico submetidos a tratamento segundo os protocolos INT0116 (quimiorradioterapia adjuvante), CLASSIC (quimioterapia adjuvante), FLOT4-AIO (quimioterapia perioperatória) e cirurgia com intuito curativo (ressecção R0 e linfadenectomia D2) em um único centro oncológico entre 2015 e 2020. Indivíduos com outros tipos histológicos, coto gástrico, câncer de esôfago, outros protocolos de tratamento e estádio Ia ou IV foram excluídos. RESULTADOS: Os pacientes foram distribuídos em: FLOT4-AIO (26 pacientes), CLASSIC (25 pacientes) e INT0116 (30 pacientes). A média de idade foi 61 anos. Mais de 60% dos pacientes apresentaram estádio III patológico. A taxa de completude do tratamento foi 56%. A taxa de resposta patológica completa do grupo FLOT4-AIO foi 7,7%. Dentre os fatores prognósticos que impactaram a sobrevida global e sobrevida livre de doença tivemos etilismo, complicações pós-operatórias precoces, status anatomopatológico pN2 e pN3. A taxa de sobrevida global em 3 anos foi 64,9% sendo o subgrupo CLASSIC com melhor sobrevida (79,8%). CONCLUSÕES: A estratégia de tratamento do câncer gástrico varia de acordo com a necessidade de cirurgia inicial. O subgrupo CLASSIC apresentou melhor sobrevida global e sobrevida livre de doença. O esquema INT0116 também protegeu contra a mortalidade, mas não com significância estatística. Apesar do FLOT4-AIO ser o tratamento de escolha, a dificuldade na realização da neoadjuvância no âmbito do SUS impactou negativamente nos resultados devido à criticidade da ingesta alimentar e à pior tolerância ao tratamento.

Subpopulation treatment effect pattern plot analysis: a prognostic model for distant recurrence-free survival to estimate delayed adjuvant chemotherapy initiation effect in triple-negative breast cancer.

Introduction: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous disease associated with a poor prognosis. Delaying in time to start adjuvant chemotherapy (TTC) has been related to an increased risk of distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS). We aimed to develop a prognostic model to estimate the effects of delayed TTC among TNBC risk subgroups. Materials and methods: We analyzed 687 TNBC patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy at the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas (Lima, Peru). Database was randomly divided to create a discovery set (n=344) and a validation set (n=343). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were performed to identify prognostic factors for DRFS. Risk stratification was implemented through two models developed based on proportional hazard ratios from significant clinicopathological characteristics. Subpopulation treatment effect pattern plot (STEPP) analysis was performed to determine the best prognostic cut-off points for stratifying TNBC subgroups according to risk scores and estimate Kaplan-Meier differences in 10-year DRFS comparing TTC (≤30 vs.>30 days). Results: In univariate analysis, patients aged ≥70 years (HR=4.65; 95% CI: 2.32-9.34; p=<0.001), those at stages pT3-T4 (HR=3.28; 95% CI: 1.57-6.83; p=0.002), and pN2-N3 (HR=3.00; 95% CI: 1.90-4.76; p=<0.001) were notably associated with higher risk. STEPP analysis defined three risk subgroups for each model. Model N°01 categorized patients into low (score: 0-31), intermediate (score:32-64), and high-risk (score: 65-100) cohorts; meanwhile, Model N°02: low (score: 0-26), intermediate (score: 27-55), and high (score: 56-100). Kaplan-Meier plots showed that in the discovery set, patients with TTC>30 days experienced a 17.5% decrease in 10-year DRFS rate (95%CI=6.7-28.3), and the impact was more remarkable in patients who belong to the high-risk subgroup (53.3% decrease in 10 years-DRFS rate). Similar results were found in the validation set. Conclusions: We developed two prognostic models based on age, pT, and pN to select the best one to classify TNBC. For Model N°02, delayed adjuvant chemotherapy conferred a higher risk of relapse in patients ≥70 years and who were characterized by pT3/T4 and pN2/N3. Thus, more efforts should be considered to avoid delayed TTC in TNBC patients, especially those in high-risk subgroups.

Early Stage and Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Treatment from Present to Future: Where Are We and Where Are We Going?

OPINION STATEMENT: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare malignancy, endemic in China, that is commonly diagnosed in locally advanced scenarios. Its pathogenesis is strongly associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), an infection for which measuring EBV plasma DNA levels has helped as a prognostic factor guiding treatment options, including a stronger treatment in those with high titers. Additionally, tobacco and alcohol are often implicated in EBV-negative patients. The local disease is treated with radiotherapy alone, preferentially intensity modulated radiotherapy. For locally advanced disease, the backbone treatment is concurrent chemoradiotherapy with the ongoing research dilemma being adding adjuvant chemotherapy or induction chemotherapy. The ongoing research is focused not only on identifying patients that will benefit from adjuvant or induction chemotherapy, but also on identifying the best chemotherapeutic regimen, regimen alternatives to diminish toxicity, the role that immune checkpoint inhibitors play, and the use of molecularly guided treatment targeting patients with NPC whether driven by EBV or tobacco and alcohol. Knowing the precise oncogenesis of NPC not only offers a better understanding of the role that EBV plays in this tumor but also helps create targeted therapies that could potentially block important pathways such as the NF-κB pathway. Much is yet to be done, but the prognosis and management of NPC patients have changed drastically, offering precise treatment methods and excellent control of the disease, even in locally advanced scenarios.

Supervivencia a dos años en pacientes con cáncer gástrico localmente avanzado en una institución de Popayán entre 2018 y 2020 / Two-year survival in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer at an institution in Popayán between 2018 and 2020

Introducción. El tratamiento oncológico perioperatorio en pacientes con cáncer gástrico localmente avanzado está indicado; aun así, no siempre es posible. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la supervivencia de los pacientes según la administración de quimioterapia perioperatoria. Métodos. Estudio observacional, tipo cohorte ambispectivo, incluyendo pacientes con cáncer gástrico localmente avanzado quienes recibieron o no quimioterapia perioperatoria. Resultados. Se incluyeron 33 pacientes, 90,9 % pertenecían al régimen subsidiado de salud y el 78,8 % en estadio T4. El grupo que recibió quimioterapia perioperatoria, que solo tuvo 5 pacientes (15,1 %), presentó mayor supervivencia global a 2 años (100 %), seguido del grupo de quimioterapia postoperatoria (58,8 %) y del grupo sin quimioterapia, que alcanzó una supervivencia global a 2 años de 54,5 %. Discusión. La supervivencia global fue mayor en el grupo de quimioterapia perioperatoria, consonante a lo descrito a nivel internacional, aunque los pacientes se encontraban en un estadío localmente más avanzado, la mayoría con T4 y N+ según AJCC VIII edición. Conclusiones. El estadío clínico es un factor pronóstico importante y, en nuestro medio, la mayoría de los pacientes consultan en estadíos localmente más avanzados. A eso se suman las dificultades en el acceso a la atención en salud. Aun así, la quimioterapia perioperatoria mostró una supervivencia mayor en pacientes con cáncer gástrico localmente avanzado

Introduction. Perioperative cancer treatment in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer is indicated; even so, it is not always possible. The objective was to evaluate survival according to time and receipt of perioperative chemotherapy. Methods. Observational study, ambispective cohort type, including patients with locally advanced gastric cancer who received or did not receive perioperative chemotherapy. Results. Thirty-three patients were included, 90.9% belonged to the subsidized regimen and 78.8% with TNM T4. The perioperative chemotherapy group, which only had five patients (15.1%), had a higher overall survival at 2 years (100%), followed by the postoperative chemotherapy group and by the group without chemotherapy, with an overall survival at 2 years of 58.8% and 54.5%, respectively. Discussion. Overall survival was higher in the perioperative chemotherapy group, consistent with what has been described internationally, although the patients were in a more advanced stage, most being with T4 and N+ according to the AJCC VIII edition. Conclusions. The clinical stage is an important prognostic factor and in our environment, most patients consult in more advanced stages, coupled with difficulties in accessing health care. Even so, perioperative chemotherapy showed a longer survival in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer, the data should not be extrapolated since the number of patients in each group is significantly different

Gastric adenocarcinoma burden, trends and survival in Cali, Colombia: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Gastric adenocarcinoma (GA) has changed in recent decades. Cancer estimates are often calculated from population-based cancer registries, which lack valuable information to guide decision-making (clinical outcomes). We describe the trends in clinical practice for GA using a hospital-based cancer registry over a timespan of 15 years. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Data were gathered from adults diagnosed and treated for GA at Fundación Valle del Lili (FVL), between 2000 and 2014, from the hospital's own cancer registry and crossed with Cali's Cancer Registry. Additional data were obtained directly from clinical records, pathology reports and the clinical laboratory. Patients younger than 18 years and those for whom limited information was available in the medical history were excluded. A survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier method. Results: A total of 500 patients met eligibility criteria. Median age was 64 years (IQR: 54-74 years), 39.8% were female, 22.2% were at an early stage, 32.2% had a locally advanced disease, and 29% a metastatic disease, 69% had intestinal subtype, 48.6% had a positive H. pylori test, 85.2% had a distal lesion, 62% underwent gastrectomy, 60.6% lymphadenectomy, and 40.6% received chemotherapy. Survival at 5 years for all cases was 39.9% (CI 95% 35.3-44.5). Survival decreased over time in all groups and was lower in age-groups <39 and 60-79 with either locally advanced or metastatic disease. Prognostic factors that were significant in the Cox proportional-hazards model were late stages of the tumor (locally advanced: HR=2.52; metastatic: HR=4.17), diffuse subtype (HR=1.40), gastrectomy (subtotal: HR=0.42; total: 0.44) and palliative chemotherapy (HR=0.61). Conclusions: The treatment of GA has changed in recent decades. GA survival was associated with clinical staging, diffuse subtype, gastrectomy and palliative chemotherapy. These findings must be interpreted in the context of a hospital-based study.

B-mode and Doppler ultrasound of bitches' kidneys with mammary neoplasia submitted to adjuvant chemotherapy / Ultrassonografia modo-B e Doppler dos rins de cadelas com neoplasias mamárias submetidas à quimioterapia adjuvante

Mammary neoplasia represents the most frequently diagnosed type of neoplasia in bitches. Although surgical removal is the procedure of choice for therapeutic management, chemotherapy protocols appear as important allies and adjuvants. Despite the great advances that have occurred in the field of cancer therapy, the systemic repercussions of these drugs still impose important limitations on their use. In this sense, the development of increasingly targeted therapeutic protocols and preventive monitoring of patients represent important strategies to avoid possible complications - among them, Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). Routinely, ultrasound evaluation is used to identify morphological or metastatic variations in abdominal cavity organs. Acting complementary to the B-mode evaluation, Doppler mapping proves to be efficient in recognizing alterations in vascular hemodynamics. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the use of B-mode and Doppler ultrasound to identify renal morphological and hemodynamic alterations in bitches with mammary neoplasia submitted to adjuvant chemotherapy protocols that associate gemcitabine with carboplatin. Thirteen bitches were included, without distinction of breed and between seven and 13 years of age. The animals were evaluated ultrasonographically at two different times during three consecutive chemotherapy cycles: before (T0) and one and a half hours after each cycle (T1), for 42 days. No morphological changes were observed in B-mode throughout the chemotherapy protocol. However, the Doppler velocimetry indices demonstrated statistical differences before (T0) and after (T1) the administration of the drugs. It was concluded that Doppler ultrasound could be used as a complementary method for monitoring the renal response of patients exposed to nephrotoxic drugs and potentially causing renal injury.

As neoplasias mamárias representam o tipo de neoplasma mais frequentemente diagnosticado em fêmeas da espécie canina. Embora a remoção cirúrgica seja o procedimento de eleição para a conduta terapêutica, os protocolos quimioterápicos aparecem como importantes aliados e adjuvantes. Apesar dos grandes avanços ocorridos na área da terapia oncológica, as repercussões sistêmicas destes fármacos ainda impõem importantes limitações ao seu uso. Neste sentido, o desenvolvimento de protocolos terapêuticos cada vez mais direcionados e o monitoramento preventivo dos pacientes representam estratégias importantes para evitar possíveis complicações - dentre elas, a injúria renal aguda (IRA). Rotineiramente, a avaliação ultrassonográfica é utilizada para identificação de variações morfológicas ou metastáticas em órgãos da cavidade abdominal. Atuando de forma complementar à avaliação em modo-B, o mapeamento Doppler mostra-se eficiente no reconhecimento de alterações na hemodinâmica vascular. Portanto, o objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a utilização da ultrassonografia modo-B e Doppler como método para identificação de alterações morfológicas e hemodinâmicas renais em cadelas com neoplasias mamárias submetidas a protocolos quimioterápicos adjuvantes que associam a gencitabina à carboplatina. Foram incluídas 13 fêmeas caninas, sem distinção quanto a raça e com idades entre sete e 13 anos. Os animais foram avaliados ultrassonograficamente em dois momentos distintos durante três ciclos quimioterápicos consecutivos: antes (T0) e uma hora e meia após a realização de cada ciclo (T1), totalizando 42 dias. Não foram observadas alterações morfológicas em modo-B ao longo do protocolo quimioterápico. Entretanto, os índices dopplervelocimétricos demonstraram diferenças estatísticas antes (T0) e após (T1) a administração dos fármacos. Concluiu-se que a ultrassonografia Doppler pode ser utilizada como método complementar para o monitoramento da resposta renal de pacientes expostos a fármacos nefrotóxicos e potencialmente causadores de injúrias renais.

Use of N-acetylcysteine as treatment adjuvant regulates immune response in visceral leishmaniasis: Pilot clinical trial and in vitro experiments.

This investigation aimed to assess the effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) as an adjuvant treatment to alleviate visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The present work includes both blinded randomized clinical intervention and experimental in vitro studies. The clinical trial included 60 patients with VL randomly allocated into two groups: a test group (n = 30) treated with meglumine antimoniate plus NAC (SbV + NAC) and a control group (n = 30) treated with meglumine antimoniate only (SbV). The primary outcome was clinical cure (absence of fever, spleen and liver sizes reduction, and hematological improvement) in 180 days. The cure rate did not differ between the groups; both groups had similar results in all readout indices. The immunological parameters of the patients treated with SbV + NAC showed higher sCD40L in sera during treatment, and the levels of sCD40L were negatively correlated with Interleukin-10 (IL-10) serum levels. In addition, data estimation showed a negative correlation between the sCD40L levels and the spleen size in patients with VL. For the in vitro experiments, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or PBMC-derived macrophages from healthy donors were exposed to soluble Leishmania antigen (SLA) or infected with stationary promastigotes of Leishmania infantum in the presence or absence of NAC. Results revealed that NAC treatment of SLA-stimulated PBMCs reduces the frequency of monocytes producing IL-10 and lowers the frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells expressing (pro-)inflammatory cytokines. Together, these results suggest that NAC treatment may modulate the immune response in patients with VL, thus warranting additional investigations to support its case use as an adjuvant to antimony therapy for VL.

Impact of lymph node staging in presumed early-stage ovarian carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to analyze the prevalence of lymph node metastasis in early-stage ovarian carcinoma after systematic lymph node dissection and its impact on indication of adjuvant chemotherapy. STUDY DESIGN: We evaluated a series of 765 patients diagnosed with ovarian carcinoma who underwent surgical treatment from February 2007 to December 2019. Patients with peritoneal disease and incomplete surgical staging were excluded. All cases underwent systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy up to the renal vessels. RESULTS: A total of 142 cases were analyzed. Median pelvic and para-aortic lymph node dissected were 30 (range, 6-81) and 21 (range, 3-86), respectively. Twelve (8.4%) patients had metastatic lymph nodes - high-grade serous, 10.4% (5/48); clear cell, 17.2% (5/29) and endometrioid, 5.7% (2/35). Any other histology (low grade serous, mucinous, carcinosarcoma or mixed) had lymph node metastasis. Notably, 50% of patients with positive lymph nodes had preoperative suspicious lymph nodes in imaging. The median hospital stay length was 6 days (range, 2-33) and 4.2% cases had grade ≥ 3 complications. A total of 110 (77.6%) patients underwent adjuvant chemotherapy and all cases had indication of adjuvant chemotherapy after histological type, despite the lymph node status. After a median follow-up of 52.5 months, we noted 24 (16.9%) recurrences. The 5-year recurrence-free survival and overall survival were 86.4% and 98.1%, respectively. High grade histology was the only variable that negatively impacted disease-free survival in univariate analysis [HR 4.70 (95%CI: 1.09-20); p = 0.037]. CONCLUSIONS: We found a positive lymph node rate of less than 10% after lymphadenectomy in presumed early-stage ovarian carcinoma. Lymph node status was not determinant for adjuvant chemotherapy.

Adjuvant chemotherapy after curative D2 gastrectomy in Latin American patients with gastric cancer.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common cause of cancer deaths around the world and the first cause of cancer deaths in Peru; however, there are no prospective trials for adjuvant chemotherapy in GC after curative gastrectomy in this country. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage II-III gastric cancer patients who underwent D2 gastrectomy. Methods: We included patients with stage II-III gastric cancer who underwent radical gastrectomy and D2 dissection between 2014 and 2016 at our institution. Patients received 3-week cycles of capecitabine (1,000 mg/m2 twice daily on days 1-14) plus oxaliplatin (130 mg/m2 on day 1) for 6 months. Survival curves were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify prognostic factors for survival. Results: In total, 173 patients were included: 100 (57.8%) patients received adjuvant chemotherapy and surgery (AChS) and 73 (42.2%) surgery alone (SA). Three-year disease-free survival (DFS) was higher in the AChS groups (69%) than in the SA group (52.6%) (p = 0.034). Regarding overall survival (OS), 31 patients (31%) died in the AChS group compared with 34 (46.6%) in the SA group (p = 0.027). In the multivariate analysis, adjuvant chemotherapy was an independent prognostic factor for DFS (HR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.37-0.97; p = 0.036) and OS (HR = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.36-0.95; p = 0.029). ACh showed consistent benefit in DFS and OS for patients with albumin >3.5 g/dL, lymphovascular and perineural invasion, pT4, pN2-3, pathologic stage (PS) IIIA and IIIB and lymph node ratio (LNR) > 13.1. Conclusion: These data suggest that adjuvant capecitabine and oxaliplatin reduce the recurrence and mortality in patients with stage II-III gastric cancer who underwent D2 gastrectomy. PS IIIA and IIIB and LNR > 13.1 benefited more from receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and poorly cohesive gastric carcinoma did not significantly reduce the rates of survival.

Ovarian Function Suppression: A Deeper Consideration of the Role in Early Breast Cancer and its Potential Impact on Patient Outcomes: A Consensus Statement from an International Expert Panel.

It has been suggested that the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) in premenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) early breast cancer may be related, at least in part, to CT-induced ovarian function suppression (OFS) in this subgroup of patients. Although this hypothesis has not been directly tested in large randomized clinical trials, the observations from prospective studies have been remarkably consistent in showing a late benefit of CT among the subgroup of patients who benefit (ie, women who were close to menopause). The hypothesis has important clinical implications, as it may be possible to spare the associated adverse effects of adjuvant CT in a select group of women with early breast cancer, in favor of optimizing OFS and endocrine therapy (ET), without compromising clinical outcomes. Such an approach has the added benefit of preserving the key quality of life outcomes in premenopausal women, particularly by preventing the irreversible loss of ovarian function that may result from CT use. For this reason, we convened an international panel of clinical experts in breast cancer treatment to discuss the key aspects of the available data in this area, as well as the potential clinical implications for patients. This article summarizes the results of these discussions and presents the consensus opinion of the panel regarding optimizing the use of OFS for premenopausal women with HR+, HER2- early breast cancer.

Adjuvant chemotherapy for pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma: A retrospective analysis of the National Cancer Database.

OBJECTIVES: Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is a rarely occurring variant of non-small cell lung cancer with sarcoma-like features. Compared with traditional non-small cell lung cancer, PSC patients typically present later and have poorer prognoses, irrespective of stage. The standard of care is resection, but guidelines for the use of adjuvant chemotherapy have not been established. To advance the development of evidence-based management algorithms for PSC after resection, a statistical analysis on a nationwide representative sample of patients was performed. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed by querying the National Cancer Database for patients with a diagnosis of PSC between 2004 and 2015. Patients who received complete anatomical resection with or without adjuvant chemotherapy were included. Multivariable regression was used to detect factors associated with the receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy. Multivariable Cox regression of overall survival and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis on propensity-matched groups was conducted to study the association between adjuvant chemotherapy and prognosis. RESULTS: We included 1497 patients with PSC in the final analysis. Factors associated with receiving adjuvant chemotherapy were age, histology, and receipt of adjuvant radiation. The results of multivariable Cox analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis on propensity matched groups yielded similar trends: adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with improved 5-year overall survival for stage II and III disease, but not for stage I disease. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple factors are associated with receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy for PSC, and this treatment appears to be associated with improved survival in stage II and stage III, but not stage I patients.

Linfoma no Hodgkin primario de ovario: reporte de caso y revisión de la bibliografía / Primary ovarian non-Hodgkin lymphoma: case report and review of literature

Resumen INTRODUCCIÓN: Los linfomas no Hodgkin son un grupo heterogéneo de neoplasias hematolinfoides, de manifestación principal ganglionar; un pequeño porcentaje tiene un origen extra-ganglionar. Se han descrito algunos casos de linfomas no Hodgkin primarios de ovario y, en general, del conducto genitourinario femenino. Debido a su poca frecuencia suponen un reto diagnóstico, clínico y patológico. Se informa el caso de una paciente con linfoma no Hodgkin primario de ovario, a quien se le practicó citorreducción quirúrgica primaria y tratamiento coadyuvante con quimioterapia sistémica. Se revisa la bibliografía en torno a los criterios diagnósticos y el pronóstico de la enfermedad. CASO CLÍNICO: Paciente de 65 años, que acudió a consulta debido a un síndrome constitucional y síntomas irritativos urinarios; al ingreso tuvo signos vitales dentro de los parámetros de referencia y en el examen físico se encontraron: edema grado 2, bilateral, en los miembros inferiores y marcada palidez mucocutánea. Los estudios complementarios evidenciaron anemia microcítica hipocrómica heterogénea y trombocitosis. La resonancia magnética reportó la existencia de una masa anexial derecha, compleja, por lo que se practicó la citorreducción quirúrgica primaria. El estudio anatomopatológico reveló que se trataba de un linfoma no Hodgkin B primario de ovario. El tratamiento consistió en quimioterapia, con esquema R-CHOP. Diez meses después se estableció la curación de la enfermedad mediante estudios de imagen y pruebas de laboratorio. CONCLUSIONES: El linfoma no Hodgkin primario de ovario es una causa poco frecuente de afectación extraganglionar y se trata de un diagnóstico de exclusión, que requiere confirmación histopatológica. El pronóstico sugiere que la enfermedad confinada al ovario muestra una tasa de supervivencia global de 79% a 10 años. Se requieren estudios adicionales, que caractericen el pronóstico y el procedimiento diagnóstico de esta enfermedad.

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms hematolymphoid, with main lymph node manifestation; a small percentage have an extra-nodal origin. Some cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas have been described.Primaries of the ovary and, in general, of the female genitourinary duct. Because of his they infrequently pose a diagnostic, clinical and pathological challenge. We report the case of a patient with primary ovarian non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, who underwent primary surgical cytoreduction and adjuvant treatment with systemic chemotherapy. The bibliography around the criteria is reviewed diagnosis and prognosis of the disease. CLINICAL CASE: A 65-years-old patient who presented constitutional syndrome and urinary irritative symptoms, her vital signs at the admission were normal, at the physical examination bilateral grade 2 edema in lower limbs and mucocutaneous paleness was observed, heterogeneous hypochromic microcytic anemia, thrombocytosis and also a right complex ovarian mass were documented during the hospitalization, for this reason was treated with primary surgical reduction, the histopathological result was Ovarian Primary Non Hodgkin B-cell Lymphoma, for that reason systemic adjuvant chemotherapy with R-CHOP scheme was initiated, at the ten month follow-up radiological and nuclear examinations were performed confirming the remission of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: Primary ovarian non-Hodgkin lymphoma is an unusual extra-nodular hematolymphoid neoplasm that requires a histopathological confirmation. The prognosis according to the literature review for the disease limited to the ovary has an overall survival rate of 79% to 10 years after diagnosis. More studies are required to characterize the prognosis and diagnostic approach of this entity.

Dietary Antioxidant Capacity Promotes a Protective Effect against Exacerbated Oxidative Stress in Women Undergoing Adjuvant Treatment for Breast Cancer in a Prospective Study.

Breast cancer (Bca) is the most common type of cancer among women worldwide, and oxidative stress caused by adjuvant treatment may be decreased by antioxidant intake. The aim of this study is to investigate the associations between Dietary antioxidant Capacity (DaC) and oxidation and antioxidant biomarkers in women undergoing adjuvant treatment (AT) for Bca. This prospective study had a sample of 70 women (52.2 ± 10.7 y). DaC (mmol/g) was calculated using nutritional data obtained from a Food Frequency Questionnaire, and blood was collected to measure the oxidation and antioxidant biomarkers at baseline (T0), and after AT (T1). Carbonylated protein levels were inversely associated with DaC at T1 (p = 0.004); women showed an increased risk of having increment on lipid hydroperoxides and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and decrement on ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and reduced glutathione after AT, in response to lowered DaC (p < 0.05). Carbonylated proteins, TBARS and FRAP levels remained stable between the periods for women at the 3rd DaC tertile at T1, differentiating them from those at the 1st tertile, who showed negative changes in these biomarkers (p < 0.04). DaC may be beneficial for women undergoing AT for Bca, since it promoted a reduction in oxidative stress.

Survival and Time to Initiation of Adjuvant Chemotherapy Among Breast Cancer Patients in Uruguay.

INTRODUCTION: Increases in disease-free survival and overall survival (OS) with the use of adjuvant chemotherapy in early breast cancer (BC) are widely known; however, the optimal time to initiate treatment with adjuvant chemotherapy remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the time elapsed between surgery and the initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy and its possible impact on OS in patients diagnosed with BC stages I-III. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 112 patients diagnosed with BC stages I-III who received adjuvant chemotherapy at the Mastology Unit of the Hospital de Clínicas in Uruguay from 2009 to 2019. OS was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and a Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: No statistically significant association was found between the time from surgery to the initiation of chemotherapy and the described variables. OS was worse for patients initiating chemotherapy more than 90 days after breast surgery (n = 19) (HR 7.63; p = 0.004) and between 61 and 90 days after surgery (n = 46) (HR 4.58; p = 0.040) compared to those who started before 30 days (n = 23). Controlling by type of surgery and stage, the prognosis of patients who started chemotherapy between 61 and 90 days after surgery was similar to that of patients who underwent chemotherapy within the first 30 days, controlling for surgery (HR 4.10; p = 0.056) and controlling for stage (HR 3.76; p = 0.075). Prognosis was worse for patients with stage III disease (p = 0.022) who underwent a mastectomy and/or axillary lymph node dissection (p = 0.025). CONCLUSION: Patients who started chemotherapy more than 90 days following surgery and those with stage III disease or underwent mastectomy and/or axillary lymph node dissection who initiated it between 61 and 90 days had a worse OS. Multiple factors are involved in the time between surgery and the initiation of chemotherapy, and further studies are needed to evaluate which of these factors influence the delay of chemotherapy in order to design strategies to avoid such delays and their negative impact on survival.

Caracterización molecular del glioblastoma multiforme de un paciente con larga sobrevida / Molecular characterization of glioblastoma multiforme in a patient with long survival

RESUMEN El glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) es un tumor del sistema nervioso central con alta tasa de recambio celular, infiltración, degradación de la matriz extracelular y resistencia al tratamiento resectivo y quimioterapéutico. La sobrevida general no suele ser superior a los dos años. Sin embargo, en los últimos años se han dilucidado mejor los mecanismos moleculares que sustentan su comportamiento y que, potencialmente, podrían modularse con la terapia. A continuación se presenta el caso de un adulto joven, de 20 años, con diagnóstico de glioblastoma multiforme frontal derecho a los 13 años. El tratamiento incluyó cirugía resectiva, quimioterapia y dieta cetogénica. La caracterización genética del tumor se analiza en el contexto clínico del paciente.

SUMMARY Glioblastoma multiforme is a very aggressive central nervous system tumor with a high celular replacement, local infiltration, degradation of the extracellular matrix and resistance to surgery and chemotherapeutical agents. General survival used to be less than 2 years. However, research in the last years has shown the molecular mechanisms underlying behavior and potentially be a therapeutical targets. We show an adult with 20 years old diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme when he was 13 years, whose treatment involved resective surgery, chemoterapy and ketogenic diet. Genetic characterization was performed and analyzed in the context of the clinical pathway.

Patterns of relapse and treatment outcome after active surveillance or adjuvant carboplatin for stage I seminoma: a retrospective study of the Spanish Germ Cell Cancer Group.

PURPOSE: Active surveillance (AS) and adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) with carboplatin are valid alternatives for managing stage I seminoma, and most relapses can be cured with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. However, some reports suggest that AC may modify the classical pattern of recurrences. METHODS: We analyzed all relapses observed in a series of 879 patients with stage I seminoma included in 4 consecutive studies of the Spanish Germ Cell Cancer Group. After a median follow-up of 67 months, recurrences were detected in 56/467 (12%) low-risk cases on AS and 13/412 (3%) high-risk cases after AC (p < 0.001). The objective was to describe clinical features, treatment and outcome. Univariate comparisons were performed between both groups. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between relapses on AS and those after AC in terms of time to relapse (13 vs 17 months), size (26 vs 27 mm), location (retroperitoneum in 88% vs 85%), and method of detection (computed tomography in 77% vs 69%). Treatment consisted of chemotherapy (etoposide + cisplatin ± bleomycin) in 89% and 92%, respectively. Late relapses (after > 3 years) were seen in 11% vs 7.7% (p = NS) and second or successive recurrences in 1.8 vs 23% (p < 0.05). With a median follow-up of 130 moths, two patients died of seminoma-unrelated causes (AS group) and the rest are alive and disease-free. CONCLUSION: In the setting of a risk-adapted treatment of stage I seminoma, the administration of two courses of AC in patients with tumor size > 4 cm and/or rete testis invasion is associated with a higher incidence of second recurrences but does not significantly modify the pattern of relapses or their outcome.