Features and allele frequency of JAK2 Exon 12-mutated polycythemia vera in comparison with JAK2V617F-mutated disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: JAK2 exon 12 mutation status and the clinical characteristics of patients with polycythemia vera (PV) in Asia remain to be defined. METHOD: We analyzed the clinical, molecular, and genetic features and outcomes of patients with PV harboring exon 12 mutation and compared them with the JAK2V617F-mutated patients in Taiwan. JAK2V617F with allele burden was measured by pyrosequencing and/or RT/qPCR. The allele frequency of exon 12 mutation was analyzed by next-generation sequencing in JAK2V617F-negative patients. RESULTS: A total of 532 patients diagnosed with PV were enrolled. The JAK2V617F mutation was present in 94.9% and exon 12 mutations in 5.1%. At diagnosis, patients with exon 12 mutation had higher hemoglobin (p = 0.012), and hematocrit levels (p = 0.003), and lower platelet (p < 0.001), and leukocyte counts (p < 0.001) compared to patients with JAK2V617F mutations. Patients harboring the JAK2V617F mutation had a higher incidence of high allele burden (p < 0.001), disease risk (p= 0.014), and bleeding events (p= 0.013) compared to patients with PV with exon 12 mutations. These patients showed similar outcomes (overall survival, leukemia-free, myelofibrosis and thrombosis-free survival) to those with JAK2V617F mutations. An allele frequency ≥ 52.5% conferred an inferior overall survival compared to ≤ 52.5% in both exon 12-mutated (p = 0.029) and JAK2V617F patients with PV (p = 0.038). CONCLUSION: Taiwanese patients with PV showed differences in blood count, risk group, and bleeding events between exon 12 and JAK2V617F patients. Higher mutant allele burden had a negative impact on overall survival for both mutation types.

Evaluating the cancer aging and research group model in predicting immunochemotherapy toxicity among elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: The management of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in elderly patients is complicated by an increased risk of treatment-related toxicity associated with aging. This study aimed to validate the effectiveness of the Cancer Aging and Research Group (CARG) model in elderly patients with DLBCL receiving rituximab-based chemotherapy. METHODS: In this prospective study, elderly DLBCL patients (aged 65 years or older) receiving rituximab-based chemotherapy were consecutively assessed between August 2016 and December 2021 at one medical center in Taiwan using the CARG model to predict treatment-related toxicity. Patients were categorized into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups based on their CARG scores. Comparisons were made regarding toxicities and survival rates among these groups. RESULTS: Ninety-one patients, with a median age of 70 years (range 65-96), were included. A substantial 81 % (74 patients) experienced grade 3-5 toxicity. The overall 2-year survival rate was 63.8 % after a median follow-up of 28 months (range, 2-46). The risk of grade 3-5 toxicity was 83 %, 78 %, and 87 %, respectively, among the low-, medium-, and high-risk groups (p = 0.60). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for CARG was 0.521 (95 % CI, 0.376-0.666), which was significantly lower than that for the Eastern Cancer Oncology Group score (ROC = 0.701, 95 % CI, 0.571-0.831). Similarly, compared with those of low-risk patients, hazard ratios for overall survival were 9.22 (95 % CI, 1.23-69.1; p = 0.031) and 14.6 (95 % CI, 1.90-112; p = 0.010) for medium- and high-risk patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: While CARG exhibited limitations in predicting treatment-related toxicity in elderly DLBCL patients, it demonstrated potential efficacy in predicting survival outcomes.

Impact of pretreatment quality of life on tolerance and survival outcome in head and neck cancer patients undergoing definitive CCRT.

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a predictor of treatment outcomes in cancer patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of pretreatment HRQoL on treatment tolerance and survival outcomes in patients with HNC planned for concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in Taiwan. METHODS: This study included 461 patients with HNC planned for definitive CCRT at three medical centers in Taiwan between August 2017 and December 2018. HRQoL was assessed using the QLQ-HN35 one week before the initiation of CCRT. Patients were grouped based on the sum scores of QLQ-HN35 (

Primary breast diffuse large B-cell lymphoma characterized by CNS relapse and successful hematopoietic stem cell transplantation salvage therapy.

BACKGROUND: Primary breast diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PB-DLBCL) is rare, with a high incidence of central nervous system (CNS) relapse. This study aims to investigate clinical characteristics, prognostic factors, and outcomes in Taiwanese PB-DLBCL patients and review the literature on PB-DLBCL. METHODS: Thirty-one PB-DLBCL patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2021 were retrospectively enrolled for analysis. RESULTS: The median age was 49 (range 26-79) years. The complete remission (CR) rate was 90.3%. Nine (90%) of the ten patients who experienced relapse had CNS involvement at the time of relapse. The one-year, two-year, and five-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 86.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 75.2-99.8), 75.8% (95% CI 61.6-93.2), and 45.1% (95% CI 29.5-68.9), respectively. The five-year overall survival (OS) rate was 64.1% (95 % CI 48.4-85.0). A stage-modified International Prognostic Index (mIPI) less than two (five-year PFS rate 52.5% vs. 17.1%, P = 0.02) and the achievement of CR after first-line treatment (two-year PFS rate 80.3% vs. 33.3%, P < 0.001) were significant favorable prognostic factors for PFS. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) after the first relapse was associated with significantly improved post-relapse OS (five-year OS rate 85.7% vs. 20.0%, P = 0.02) and PFS (five-year PFS rate 85.7% vs. 20.0%, P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Patients with low-risk mIPI scores, CR after first-line treatment, and those who underwent HSCT after the first relapse had significantly better survival. Intrathecal chemotherapy conferred no benefit in preventing CNS relapse. Further research is needed to assess frontline HSCT's effectiveness in improving outcomes and preventing CNS relapses in PB-DLBCL patients.

Integrating Frailty Assessment to Enhance Care in Cancer Patients with Borderline Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status.

BACKGROUND: The (ECOG) performance status (PS) is commonly used to evaluate the functional ability of patients undergoing antitumor therapy. An ECOG PS of 2, indicating patients capable of self-care but restricted strenuous activity, can complicate treatment decisions owing to concerns regarding treatment-related toxicity. We investigated whether frailty assessment could help discriminate treatment tolerance and survival outcomes in patients with an ECOG PS of 2. METHODS: We prospectively included 45 consecutive patients, aged ≥65 years, with an ECOG PS of 2, and newly diagnosed solid cancer scheduled for chemotherapy. Frailty was assessed using an eight-indicator geriatric assessment. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS) based on frailty status; secondary outcomes included treatment tolerance and toxicity. RESULTS: The median patient age was 73 years (range 65-94), and 71% had stage IV disease. Predominant frailty-related deficits were functional decline (96%), malnutrition (78%), and polypharmacy (51%). The median OS was 12.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.8-18.4). Patients with 4-6 deficits had significantly lower OS than those with 1-3 deficits (9.9 months vs. 20.0 months, adjusted hazard ratio 2.51, 95% CI: 1.16-5.44, P = .020). Frailty significantly correlated with reduced 12-week chemotherapy competence (52% vs. 85%, adjusted odds ratio [OR] .14, 95% CI: .03-.70, P = .016) and enhanced risk of unexpected hospitalization (60% vs. 20%, adjusted OR 6.80, 95% CI: 1.64-28.1, P = .008). CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the multifaceted nature of patients with an ECOG PS of 2 and emphasize the importance of frailty assessment for treatment outcomes.

Major impact of prognosis by age and sex in patients with primary mediastinal large B­cell lymphoma.

The effective prognostic factors for primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMLBCL) vary among published studies. The aim of the present study was to explore the factors influencing the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with PMLBCL at a single institute in Taiwan. This retrospective study was conducted to analyze the prognostic impact of age, sex, disease stage, International Prognostic Index (IPI) score, treatment modality and initial response. A total of 72 patients with a median age of 28 years were included in the study. The mean OS and PFS were 171.40 and 159.77 months, respectively. Female sex, age ≤60 years, receiving radiotherapy (RT) and achieving a complete response were found to be associated with a significantly improved OS and PFS. In addition, high-intensity chemotherapy and an IPI score ≤1 were associated with longer OS, and early-stage disease was associated with a PFS superior to that of advanced-stage disease. The predictive value of IPI is limited in PMLBCL. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a novel prognostic system. The present study revealed the impact of sex on prognosis and, therefore, this factor should be considered in future prognostic evaluations. Since a complete post-treatment response was found to be important, high-intensity chemotherapy is recommended. However, low-intensity treatment followed by RT consolidation appears to be a feasible approach in elderly patients.

Frailty is an independent factor for health-related quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer receiving definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

PURPOSE: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is associated with treatment-related complications and poor survival in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). We investigated the effects of frailty on HRQoL in patients with HNC receiving definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). METHODS: A total of 461 consecutive patients with locally advanced HNC who received CCRT between 2017 and 2018 at three medical centers in Taiwan were included. Frailty and HRQoL were assessed using the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and QLQ-H&N35 before CCRT. The sum score was calculated based on the first 30 questions of QLQ-H&N35. Multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of frailty on HRQoL. RESULTS: The overall sum score was 39 (34-49). The sum scores of patients with impairments in 0, 1, 2, 3, and ≥ 4 frailty domains were 34 (32-38), 40 (34-47), 46 (36-55), 48 (41-64), and 56 (50-60), respectively. Patients with impairments in more frailty domains had a higher symptom burden (p for trend < 0.001). Frail patients tended to experience symptoms across all QLQ-H&N35 subscales. Sex, body mass index, tumor type, tumor stage, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, and frailty were determinants of HRQoL in the univariate analysis. Frailty was an independent determinant of HRQoL in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Routine frailty assessment may serve as a surrogate for the selection of patients with HNC with poor HRQoL before CCRT. Further studies are needed to determine whether appropriate interventions in frail patients would improve their HRQoL during CCRT.

Impact of preoperative frailty on the surgical and survival outcomes in older patients with solid cancer after elective abdominal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is common in older patients with cancer; however, its clinical impact on the survival outcomes has seldom been examined in these patients. This study aimed to investigate the association of frailty with the survival outcomes and surgical complications in older patients with cancer after elective abdominal surgery in Taiwan. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 345 consecutive patients aged ≥65 years with newly diagnosed cancer who underwent elective abdominal surgery between 2016 and 2018. They were allocated into the fit, pre-frail, and frail groups according to comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) findings. RESULTS: The fit, pre-frail, and frail groups comprised 62 (18.0%), 181 (52.5%), and 102 (29.5%) patients, respectively. After a median follow-up of 48 (interquartile range, 40-53) months, the mortality rates were 12.9%, 31.5%, and 43.1%, respectively. The adjusted hazard ratio was 1.57 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73-3.39; p = 0.25) and 2.87 (95% CI, 1.10-5.35; p = 0.028) when the pre-frail and frail groups were compared with the fit group, respectively. The frail group had a significantly increased risk for a prolonged hospital stay (adjusted odds ratio, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.05-4.69; p = 0.022) compared with the fit group. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment frailty was significantly associated with worse survival outcomes and more surgical complications, with prolonged hospital stay, in the older patients with cancer after elective abdominal surgery. Preoperative frailty assessment can assist physicians in identifying patients at a high risk for surgical complications and predicting the survival outcomes of older patients with cancer.

Frailty assessment by two screening instruments in non-elderly patients with head and neck cancer.

PURPOSE: Frailty assessment is often overlooked in non-elderly patients with cancer, possibly due to the lack of an effective frailty screening tool. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of two modern frailty screening tools, the Flemish version of the Triage Risk Screening Tool (fTRST) and the modified 5-Item Frailty Index (mFI-5), compared to the gold standard comprehensive geriatric assessment (GA) among non-elderly patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). METHODS: We prospectively included 354 consecutive patients aged < 65 years with newly diagnosed HNC scheduled for definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) at three academic hospitals in Taiwan between January 2020 and December 2022. Frailty assessment using the GA, fTRST, and mFI-5 was performed in all patients to evaluate the relationship between frailty and treatment outcomes. RESULTS: The prevalence of frailty was 27.1%, 37.0%, and 42.4% based on GA, mFI-5, and fTRST, respectively. mFI-5 and fTRST demonstrated good predictive value in identifying frail patients compared to the GA. Patients with frailty, as defined by GA, mFI-5, and fTRST, exhibited higher risks of treatment-related complications, incomplete treatment, and poorer baseline quality of life (QoL). However, only GA showed significant prognostic value for overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Frailty assessment using fTRST and mFI-5 is valuable for predicting treatment-related adverse events, treatment tolerance, and QoL in non-elderly patients with HNC. Incorporating frailty assessment into the management of non-elderly cancer patients can aid in the identification of high-risk individuals. However, the performance of these tools varies, highlighting the need for further validation and refinement.

Different patterns of failure in two treatment regimens for primary central nervous system lymphoma, a retrospective analysis of 124 cases in Taiwan.

To explore prognostic factors and outcomes of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in Taiwan, 124 PCNSL-DLBCL patients (from 1995 to 2021) were retrospectively analyzed. Mainly, two treatment modalities including sandwich chemoradiotherapy and modified MATRix regimen were employed in these patients. Overall survival (OS) was determined by log-rank test and time-dependent Cox analysis. Median OS of all patients was 27.1 months. 47 (37.9%) patients who underwent sandwich chemoradiotherapy had a complete remission (CR) rate of 87.2%, median OS of 53.9 months, and progression free survival (PFS) of 42.9 months. 11 (8.9%) patients who underwent modified MATRix regimen had CR rate of 72.7%, median OS of 18.9, and PFS of 11.2 months. There are no significant OS differences between treatment groups or addition of Rituximab. Patients treated with the modified MATRix regimen experienced a higher early mortality rate followed by a survival plateau. IELSG low-risk group had significantly improved OS and PFS than IELSG intermediate- or high-risk group. In multivariant analysis, age > 60 years old and bilateral cerebral lesions are associated with significantly inferior OS. Sandwich chemoradiotherapy demonstrated better early survival and reduced treatment-related toxicity for PCNSL patients compared to the modified MATRix regimen. However, the long-term follow-up revealed a higher rate of treatment failure events in the sandwich chemoradiotherapy group. IELSG and MSKCC scores served as reliable risk assessment models. Incorporating bilateral cerebral lesions as a risk factor further improved risk evaluation.

Effect of prophylactic tube feeding in head and neck cancer patients with high Mallampati score undergoing definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

PURPOSE: There is no consensus on the selection of appropriate prophylactic tube feeding in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of prophylactic tube feeding in patients with HNSCC who presented with a high Mallampati score and underwent CCRT. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 185 consecutive patients with stage II to IVa HNSCC and a pre-treatment Mallampati score of 3 or 4 who received CCRT between August 2017 and December 2018 with follow-up data collected retrospectively. Patients were divided to either with or without prophylactic tube feeding group for comparison of treatment tolerance, toxicities, and quality of life(QOL). Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to achieve balanced covariates across the two groups. RESULTS: Of the cohort, 52 (28.1%) and 133 (71.9%) patients were allocated to the prophylactic and non-prophylactic tube feeding groups, respectively. Before and after PSM, patients in the tube feeding group had a significantly lower incidence of incomplete radiotherapy, incompletion of chemotherapy, emergency room visits, and grade 3 or higher infection, and improved symptoms of quality of life after CCRT than those in the non-tube feeding group. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic tube feeding was associated with better treatment tolerance, safety profiles, and quality of life in patients with HNSCC and high Mallampati scores who underwent CCRT. Therefore, Mallampati score might serve as a clinical tool for proactive selection of patients receiving prophylactic tube feeding in HNSCC patients upon receiving CCRT.

Beta2-microglobulin is a valuable marker and identifies a poor-prognosis subgroup among intermediate-risk patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

Prognosis of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) can be predicted by various factors. The most widely used tool for prediction is the international prognostic index (IPI). ß2-microglobulin is a tumor marker commonly used in hematological malignancies. ß2-microglobulin is well correlated with outcome of DLBCL. It has been used as an adjunctive tool in some scoring systems for prognostication of DLBCL. In this study, we collected data of patients with diagnosis of DLBCL between 2015 and 2019 in our institute. For each patient, IPI was calculated according to published literature. At diagnosis, serum levels of ß2-microglobulin were measured in the clinical laboratory and the results were retrieved from medical records. A total of 516 patients (269 male and 247 female) were enrolled for retrospective analysis. The median age was 64 (range 22-96). The median follow-up period was 32.2 months. The median level of ß2-microglobulin was 2319 µg/L (normal range < 2366 µg/L in the clinical laboratory). Level of ß2-microglobulin was significantly different between survivors and patients who succumbed to the disease. ß2-microglobulin level was correlated with tumor stage, extranodal involvement, B symptoms and IPI, suggesting that it may be a good surrogate marker for disease severity and outcome prediction. We selected the intermediate-risk patients for further analysis. Patients with intermediate-risk IPI and high ß2-microglobulin levels have overall survival comparable to patients with high-risk IPI, suggesting an important role of ß2-microglobulin in subdivision of DLBCL patients. In conclusion, ß2-microglobulin levels correlated with outcome of DLBCL. It may be used independently as a prognostic factor. Subdivision of patients with intermediate-risk IPI may identify a group of high-risk patients, which can be helpful in refining plans of treatment and follow-up.

Comparison of Clinical and Molecular Features Between Patients With Essential Thrombocythemia and Early/Prefibrotic Primary Myelofibrosis Presenting With Thrombocytosis in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: The clinical presentations of essential thrombocythemia (ET) may be quite similar to early/prefibrotic primary myelofibrosis (pre-PMF), especially in pre-PMF presenting with thrombocytosis (pre-PMF-T), but may be associated with a different outcome. It is very important to distinguish these two entities. The aim of this study was to address the clinical and prognostic relevance of distinguishing pre-PMF-T from ET. METHODS: All patients, including 258 with ET and 105 with pre-PMF-T, received JAK2V617F, MPL (exon 10), and CALR (exon 9) mutation analysis and allele burden measurement for JAK2V617F and CALR mutants. RESULTS: Patients with pre-PMF-T had an older age and higher leukocyte and platelet counts but lower hemoglobin levels than patients with ET. Patients with pre-PMF-T had a shorter overall, leukemia-free, and thrombosis-free survival compared with patients with ET. Patients with ET had a higher rate of cerebral ischemic stroke, whereas patients with pre-PMF-T tended to have splanchnic vein thrombosis. The frequencies of JAK2V617F, CALR, and MPL mutations and CALR allele burden were no different, but JAK2V617F allele burden was significantly higher in pre-PMF-T. Patients with pre-PMF-T with the JAK2V617F mutation had an inferior overall survival and thrombosis-free survival, whereas the status of driver gene mutations did not influence the outcomes of patients with ET. CONCLUSIONS: ET and pre-PMF-T were two distinct disease entities and exhibited different clinical phenotype, genotype, and outcomes.

Pretreatment frailty is an independent prognostic factor among elderly patients with B-cell lymphoma undergoing immunochemotherapy: A prospective observational cohort study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Frailty is a common clinical syndrome among the elderly; however, it is frequently neglected in patients with hematological malignancies, especially among the Asian population. This study is aimed to evaluate the prevalence and effect of frailty on survival outcomes in elderly Asian patients with B-cell lymphoma. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 76 consecutive patients with age ≥ 65 years and newly diagnosed B-cell lymphoma and were receiving immunochemotherapy in a medical center in Taiwan between August 2016 and December 2017. The frailty of all patients was assessed using a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) within 7 days before immunochemotherapy. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients (36%) were allocated to the frail group based on CGA. With a median follow-up duration of 26.5 (range, 1.7-39.8) months, the 1- and 2-year survival rates were 68% and 58%, respectively, for all group of patients. In patients in the non-frail group, the 1-year and 2-year survival rates were 81% and 71%, respectively, compared to 44% and 33%, respectively, in the frail group (hazard ratio [HR], 3.57, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.74-7.30; p = 0.001). Age ≥ 75years (adjusted HR 2.57, 95% CI 1.02-6.47, p = 0.045), presence of B-symptoms (adjusted HR 2.43, 95% CI 1.05-5.60, p = 0.038), and frailty (adjusted HR 3.03, 95% CI 1.29-7.11, p = 0.011) were independent prognostic factors in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Frailty significantly influenced the survival outcome as an independent prognostic factor in elderly patients with B-cell lymphoma undergoing immunochemotherapy. Pretreatment frailty assessment is critical to assist clinicians and patients with B-cell lymphoma with prognosis prediction and counseling on an appropriate treatment goal.

Association of preoperative frailty and postoperative delirium in older cancer patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery: A prospective observational study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common surgical complication in elderly patients. As frailty is a relatively novel concept, its clinical significance for POD has seldom been examined. This study aimed to investigate the association between frailty and POD in aged cancer patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery in Taiwan. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 345 consecutive patients aged ≥65 years with newly diagnosed cancer who underwent elective abdominal surgery between 2016 and 2018. Frailty assessment was performed using the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA). POD was assessed daily using the Confusion Assessment Method from postoperative day 1 until discharge. Patients were allocated into fit and frail groups. RESULTS: POD occurred in 19 (5.5%) of 345 patients. POD incidence was 1.6%, 3.1%, 4.8%, 11.5%, and 10.0% in patients with 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4+ frail conditions, respectively, which presented a positive linear correlation among patients with an increased number of frail conditions and POD incidence. Based on CGA, 159 (46.1%) and 186 (53.9%) patients were allocated to fit and frail groups, respectively. POD incidence was 2.5% and 8.1% for the fit and frail groups, respectively. Frailty status was an independent risk factor for POD occurrence in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Our study identified frailty as an independent risk factor for POD in aged Taiwanese cancer patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery. Given the high prevalence of frailty among older cancer patients, preoperative assessment is important to identify high risk of POD and to improve the quality of postoperative care.

Measurable Residual Disease Monitoring by Locked Nucleic Acid Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assay for IDH1/2 Mutation in Adult AML.

Locked nucleic acid quantitative Real-Time PCR (LNA-qPCR) for IDH1/2 mutations in AML measurable residual disease (MRD) detection is rarely reported. LNA-qPCR was applied to quantify IDH1/2 mutants MRD kinetics in bone marrow from 88 IDH1/2-mutated AML patients, and correlated with NPM1-MRD, clinical characteristics, and outcomes. The median normalized copy number (NCN) of IDH1/2 mutants decreased significantly from 53,228 (range 87−980,686)/ALB × 106 at diagnosis to 773 (range 1.5−103,600)/ALB × 106 at first complete remission (CR). IDH1/2 LNA-qPCR MRD was concordant with remission status or NPM1-MRD in 79.5% (70/88) of patients. Younger patients and patients with FLT3 mutations had higher concordance. The Spearman correlation coefficient (rs) and concordance rate between the log reduction of IDH1/2 LNA-qPCR and NPM1-MRD were 0.68 and 81% (K = 0.63, 95% CI 0.50−0.74), respectively. IDH1/2-MRD > 2 log reduction at first CR predicted significantly better relapse-free survival (3-year RFS rates 52.9% vs. 31.9%, p = 0.007) and cumulative incidence of relapse (3-year CIR rates 44.5% vs. 64.5%, p = 0.012) compared to IDH1/2-MRD ≤ 2 log reduction. IDH1/2-MRD > 2 log reduction during consolidation is also associated with a significantly lower CIR rate than IDH1/2-MRD ≤ 2 log reduction (3-year CIR rates 42.3% vs. 68.8%, p = 0.019). LNA-qPCR for IDH1/2 mutation is a potential MRD technique to predict relapse in IDH1/2-mutated AML patients, especially for those with IDH1/2 MRD > 2 log reduction at first CR or a concurrent FLT3 mutation.

External validation of a risk model for survival prediction in older patients with cancer undergoing elective abdominal surgery: a prospective cohort study.

We previously developed a Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH) model to predict the 1-year postoperative mortality risk in patients with solid cancer undergoing cancer surgery. This study aimed to externally validate the CGMH score for survival outcome and surgical complication prediction in a prospective patient cohort. A total of 345 consecutive patients aged ≥65 years who underwent elective abdominal surgery for cancer treatment were prospectively enrolled. Patients were categorized into the low, intermediate, high, and very high-risk groups according to the CGMH score for comparison. The postoperative 1-year mortality rate was 12.5% in the entire cohort. The postoperative 1-year mortality rates were 0%, 2.2%, 14.0%, and 31.6% among patients in the low, intermediate, high, and very-high risk groups, respectively. The c-statistic of the CGMH model was 0.82 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76-0.88) for predicting the 1-year mortality risk. Hazard ratios for overall survival were 3.73 (95% CI, 2.11-6.57; P<0.001) and 10.1 (95% CI, 5.84-17.6; P<0.001) when comparing the high and very-high risk groups with the low/intermediate risk groups, respectively. Patients in the higher CGMH risk groups had higher risks of adverse surgical outcomes in terms of longer length of hospital stay, major surgical complications, postoperative intensive care unit stay, and in-hospital death. The CGMH model accurately predicted thesurvival probabilityand risk of adverse surgical outcomes in older patients with cancer undergoing elective abdominal surgery. Our study justifies the prospective use of the CGMH model for survival outcome and safety profile predictionfor cancer surgery in older patients.

Predictive Value of Albumin and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Score for Treatment Completeness and Safety Profiles in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Receiving Definitive Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Malnutrition and inflammation are common conditions in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of albumin combined with neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), referring to the albumin-NLR score (ANS), in the prediction of treatment completeness and safety profiles in HNC patients receiving definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 461 consecutive HNC patients who received CCRT between 2016 and 2017 at three medical centers in Taiwan were prospectively enrolled and divided into three different groups based on their pretreatment ANS (ANS 0, high albumin and low NLR; ANS 1, low albumin or high NLR; and ANS 2, low albumin and high NLR) for treatment completeness and safety profiles comparison. RESULTS: Overall, 46 patients (10.0%) had incomplete CCRT treatment. Patients in the ANS 2 group experienced a higher rate of incomplete CCRT (20.9%) than those in the ANS 1 (7.4%) and ANS 0 (3.5%) groups. ANS had a better discriminatory ability in predicting CCRT completeness in terms of -2 log-likelihood value, chi-square value, and c-index than the prognostic nutritional index. Patients in the ANS 2 group had significantly higher incidences of grade 3 or higher leukopenia, anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, non-neutropenic infection, and hypokalemia than those in the other two ANS groups. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the ANS can accurately predict the treatment completeness of CCRT in patients with HNC and can be widely used as a simple predictor of treatment tolerance and safety profiles in patients with HNC undergoing CCRT.

Albumin and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Score in Neoadjuvant Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy for Esophageal Cancer: Comparison With Prognostic Nutritional Index.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for esophageal cancer is often overwhelming due to its toxic effects. This study aimed to establish a prognostic indicator based on pretreatment albumin and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR) ratio score (ANS) in comparison to the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) in patients with esophageal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 123 patients who received neoadjuvant CCRT for esophageal cancer were prospectively and consecutively recruited between August 2016 and December 2017 from three medical institutes in Taiwan. Patients were assigned to ANS 0, 1, and 2 groups based on their pretreatment albumin and NLR values. ANS and PNI performances were compared for prediction of survival outcome. RESULTS: Compared with ANS 0 (39 patients) and ANS 1 (51 patients), ANS 2 (33 patients) cases showed worse overall survival (hazard ratio=2.96; 95% confidence interval=1.45-6.05; log-rank p=0.003; hazard ratio=3.79; 95% confidence interval=1.79-8.02, p<0.001, respectively). ANS had better performance in overall survival evaluation and discrimination ability than PNI and individual albumin and NLR. Patients in the ANS 0, 1, and 2 had radiotherapy incompletion rates of 2.6%, 3.9%, and 18.2%, respectively, and chemotherapy incompletion rates of 5.1%, 7.8%, and 30.3%, respectively. Patients in the ANS 2 group were significantly associated with a higher incidence of infection (30.3%) than those in the ANS 0 (10.3%) and ANS 1 groups (9.8%). CONCLUSION: Pre-treatment ANS was significantly associated with CCRT safety profiles, CCRT completion rate, and survival outcome in patients with esophageal cancer with excellent performance compared to PNI and NLR.