Clinical features of patients with carcinoma soft tissue metastases as surgical indications: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Soft-tissue metastasis of carcinoma is rare. In the present study, we investigated the surgical indications and clinical features of patients with soft tissue metastases of carcinoma. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we enrolled 26 patients with soft tissue carcinoma metastasis referred to our department for treatment. Sex, age, location, size, depth, pain due to the tumor, primary origin, serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level, MRI examinations, diagnosis by a previous physician, carcinoma markers from blood, history of carcinoma, other metastases, performance status (PS), and surgical procedures were documented. Associations between variables and surgery were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The primary cancer origin was found to be the lung (n = 10), kidney (n = 7), esophagus (n = 2), stomach (n = 1), breast (n = 1), liver (n = 1), ureter (n = 1), anus (n = 1), and unknown (n = 2). The mean CRP level of all patients was 2.3 mg/dL. Seven tumors (26.9%) were originally suspected to be soft tissue metastases of carcinoma, while 19 tumors (73.1%) were considered soft tissue sarcomas or inflammatory lesions by the previous treating physician. Twenty patients (76.9%) had other metastases. The PS of the 12 patients (46.2%) was zero. Eleven patients (42.3%) underwent surgery for soft tissue metastases. Diagnosis of soft tissue metastasis by a previous physician and good PS (p < 0.05) were significantly associated with surgery. CONCLUSION: Overall, the present results show that surgical indications for soft tissue metastasis of carcinoma include diagnosis by the referring physician or good PS of the patients.

Combined pretreatment neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-lymphocyte ratio predicts survival and prognosis in patients with non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a retrospective study.

The clinical significance of the combination of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) is unclear. This study investigated the predictive value of pretreatment NLR (pre-NLR) combined with pretreatment PLR (pre-PLR) for the survival and prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). A total of 765 patients with non-metastatic NPC from two hospitals were retrospectively analyzed. The pre-NLR-PLR groups were as follows: HRG, high pre-NLR and high pre-PLR. MRG, high pre-NLR and low pre-PLR or low pre-NLR and high pre-PLR. LRG, neither high pre-NLR nor high pre-PLR. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to identify the cutoff-value and discriminant performance of the model. We compared survival rates and factors affecting the prognosis among different groups. The 5-year overall survival (OS), local regional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) of NPC patients in HRG were significantly poorer than those in MRG and LRG. The pre-NLR-PLR score was positively correlated with T stage, clinical stage, ECOG, and pathological classification. Multivariate cox regression analysis showed that pre-NLR-PLR scoring system, ECOG, pre-ALB, pre-CRP and pre-LMR were independent risk factors affecting 5-year OS, LRRFS and DMFS. The ROC curve showed that area under the curve (AUC) values of pre-NLR-PLR of 5-year OS, LRRFS and DMFS were higher than those of pre-NLR and pre-PLR. pre-NLR-PLR is an independent risk factor for the prognosis of NPC. The pre-NLR-PLR scoring system can be used as an individualized clinical assessment tool to predict the prognosis of patients with non-metastatic NPC more accurately and easily.

ctDNA on liquid biopsy for predicting response and prognosis in locally advanced rectal cancer: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The management of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) requires a multidisciplinary approach, with an increasing interest for non-operative strategies. Liquid biopsy for obtaining circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can provide information on neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) pathological response and cancer-specific prognosis, and therefore might be a promising guide for these treatments. METHODS: A systematic review of the studies available in literature has been performed to assess the role of ctDNA as a predictive and prognostic biomarker in LARC patients. RESULTS: We retrieved 21 publications, of which 17 full-text articles and 4 abstracts. Results have been labelled into two groups: predictive and prognostic. Data about the usefulness of liquid biopsy in this setting is still inconclusive. However, baseline higher levels of longer fragments of cell-free DNA and integrity index, tumor-specific mutations and certain methylated genes could predict non-responders. Also, undetectable baseline ctDNA and decrease of common rectal cancer mutations throughout treatment (dynamic monitoring) were predictive factors of pathological complete response. The continuous detection of ctDNA in different timepoints of treatment (minimal residual disease) was consistently associated with worse prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: ctDNA is a promising biomarker that could assist predicting treatment response to nCRT and prognosis in patients with LARC. The ideal methods and timings for the liquid biopsy still have to be defined.

Prognostic Value of ALP and LDH in Periampullary Carcinoma Patients Undergoing Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Conversion of normal cells to cancer cells is often accompanied by abnormal synthesis of serum enzymes. Both alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) have been reported to have prognostic value in a variety of malignancies. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of preoperative serum ALP and LDH levels on the prognosis of patients with periampullary carcinoma who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy (PD). METHODS: According to the preoperative ALP or LDH values, 856 cancer patients receiving PD treatment from January 2001 to January 2019 were divided into high-ALP group and low-ALP group or high-LDH group and low-LDH group. Statistical analysis was carried out to study the differences between the high-ALP and low-ALP groups or the high-LDH and low-LDH groups. Furthermore, the possibility of preoperative ALP or LDH as prognostic factor of periampullary carcinoma was investigated. RESULTS: In both the high-ALP and the high-LDH groups, the prognosis of patients with periampullary carcinoma who underwent PD was worse than that of the low-ALP and low- LDH group. Even through risk factor analysis, it was found that preoperative ALP and LDH could be independent prognostic factor for patients with periampullary carcinoma who underwent PD. CONCLUSION: Preoperative ALP or LDH is an independent risk factor for periampullary carcinoma.

FAN score comprising fibrosis-4 index, albumin-bilirubin score and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio is a prognostic marker of urothelial carcinoma patients treated with pembrolizumab.

It is important to identify prognostic and predictive markers of metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) treated with immunocheckpoint inhibitors. We sought to establish a prognostic marker for patients with mUC treated with pembrolizumab based on only blood test results. We included 165 patients with mUC in the discovery cohort and 103 with mUC who were treated with pembrolizumab in the validation cohort. Multivariate and Cox regression analyses were used to analyse the data. In the discovery cohort, the fibrosis-4 index (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20-3.76, p = 0.010), albumin-bilirubin score (HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.27-2.88, p = 0.002), and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (HR: 1.84, 95% CI 1.22-2.79, p = 0.004) were independent significant prognostic factors. We established a 'FAN score' that included these three aforementioned items, which were assigned one point each. We divided patients into the 0-1 point (n = 116) and 2-3 points (n = 49) groups. The FAN score was a significant prognostic marker for cancer-specific survival (CSS) (HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.19-1.83, p < 0.001) along with the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status. The FAN score was also a prognostic factor of progression-free survival (PFS) (HR: 1.25, 95% CI 1.01-1.54, p = 0.036) along with the presence of liver metastasis. In the validation cohort, the FAN score was a significant prognostic factor for CSS (HR: 1.48, 95% CI 1.19-1.85, p = 0.001) and PFS (HR: 1.29, 95% CI 1.02-1.62, p = 0.034). We established the FAN score as a prognostic marker for patients with mUC treated with pembrolizumab.

Evaluation of circulating PD-1 and PD-L1 as diagnostic biomarkers in dogs with tumors.

BACKGROUND: Programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) have important roles in tumor evasion of the immune system. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the diagnostic utility of circulating PD-1 and PD-L1 levels in healthy dogs and dogs with tumors. METHODS: Circulating PD-1 and PD-L1 levels in the serum of 71 dogs with tumors were compared with those of 52 healthy dogs by performing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The ELISA results revealed higher circulating PD-1 and PD-L1 levels in dogs with tumors (2.9 [2.2-3.7] ng/mL; median [IQR] and 2.4 [1.4-4.4] ng/mL, respectively) than in healthy dogs (2.4 [1.9-3.0] ng/mL; p = 0.012 and 1.4 [0.9-2.1] ng/mL; p < 0.001, respectively). Especially, there was a significant difference in circulating PD-1 levels between healthy dogs and dogs with malignant epithelial tumors (2.4 [1.9-3.0] ng/mL and 3.1 [2.6-4.4] ng/mL, respectively; p < 0.01). In addition, there was a significant difference in circulating PD-L1 levels between healthy dogs and dogs with lymphomas (1.4 [0.9-2.1] ng/mL and 2.7 [1.6-5.8] ng/mL, respectively; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study indicates that circulating PD-1 and PD-L1 have potential as tumor diagnostic biomarkers in dogs with tumors.

Serum IL-5 and IFN-γ Are Novel Predictive Biomarkers for Anti-PD-1 Treatment in NSCLC and GC Patients.

BACKGROUND: Because responses of patients with cancer to immunotherapy can vary in success, effective biomarkers are urgently needed for predicting clinical response with anti-PD-1 treatment. We aimed to evaluate the IL-5 and IFN-γ level with the response of anti-PD-1 blockade in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: Metastatic NSCLC and GC patients treated with anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody were studied. Blood samples were taken before PD-1 McAb treatment, after the first cycle treatment, and during efficacy evaluation. The association between IL-5 and IFN-γ levels and clinical response were analyzed by the nonparametric Wilcoxon matched-pairs ranked tests. The progression-free survival (PFS) time was obtained by imaging evaluation and telephone follow-up of all the patients. Kaplan-Meier and the log rank test were used to plot the survival curve. RESULTS: IL-5 and IFN-γ levels were detected in the peripheral blood of 40 NSCLC and 35 GC patients who have received anti-PD-1 treatment. In effective group, IL-5 and IFN-γ levels at best response points significantly decreased (P < 0.001) compared with pretherapeutic levels in NSCLC and GC patients with lymph node or distant metastasis. Compared with pretherapeutic levels, IL-5 and IFN-γ levels largely increased as the tumor progresses (P < 0.01). Higher IL-5 and IFN-γ levels before treatment indicated shorter progression-free survival in patients with NSCLC metastasis (P = 0.007, P = 0.0111). Moreover, their levels also accurately reflected the pseudoprogression of two NSCLC patients to anti-PD-1 treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that serum IL-5 and IFN-γ levels could be an effective indicator for predicting clinical efficacy and survival with anti-PD-1 blockade in NSCLC and GC patients.

A pilot study for colorectal carcinoma screening by instant metabolomic profiles using conductive polymer spray ionization mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: The rapid and accurate discrimination of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and polyps at the molecular level enables early intervention of CRC, which can greatly improve the 5-year survival rate of patients. Here we reported the potential of conductive polymer spray ionization mass spectrometry (CPSI-MS) in successfully screening CRC according to the serum metabolic profile. METHODS: Trace intravenous blood (50 µL) was collected from 60 colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and 60 polyp patients, respectively. After centrifugation, serum (2 µL) was loaded onto the tip of conductive polymer to form a dried serum spot. When the 5 µL methanol-water (1:1, v/v) extraction solvent was spiked onto the dried serum spot followed with +4.5 kV high voltage applied on the polymer tip, the extracted components will be ionized and carried into the MS system for direct metabolic profiling. FINDINGS: There were 51 metabolites discovered to be significantly changed in CRC serum compared to polyps. Combining these metabolites as the characteristic panel, the ideal diagnostic performance was achieved by Lasso regression model with the accuracy of 88.3%. INTERPRETATION: This pilot study demonstrated the potential of CPSI-MS as a cost-effective tool in large-scale CRC screening in the high-risk population.

Locoregional recurrence of parathyroid carcinoma: how to identify this rare but fatal condition using ultrasonography.

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is a rare condition with propensity to relapse. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sonographic findings of locoregional recurrences of parathyroid carcinoma, in order to facilitate diagnosis of this condition using ultrasound (US). This was a retrospective observational study including 21 patients confirmed with pathologically confirmed locoregional recurrence of parathyroid carcinoma. All patients had undergone preoperative US examination at a tertiary center. The imaging, clinical and laboratory data of each case were collected. Sonographic appearance of the largest lesion at each recurrence was evaluated by two experienced radiologists according to a pre-agreed protocol. Overall, 29 relapses occurred in 21 patients. The median age of the patients was 45 years (range 24-71 years). The median size of the largest recurrent lesion at each relapse was 1.8 cm (range 0.8-3.8 cm). Ultrasound images showed hypoechoic solid nodules in 28 relapses (96.6%), inhomogeneous echo-texture in 28 relapses (96.6%), intralesional echogenic septa-like structures in 21 relapses (72.4%), intralesional cystic change in two relapses (6.9%), infiltrative or blurred boundary in 20 relapses (69.0%), irregular shape in 22 relapses (75.9%), marked vascularization on color Doppler imaging in 19 relapses (65.5%), multiple lesions in 26 relapses (89.7%), contralateral recurrence in 3 relapses (10.3%), and subcutaneous recurrence in 10 relapses (34.5%). None of the recurrent lesions exhibited calcification. The total size of all the recurrent lesions at each relapse fairly correlated with the serum intact parathyroid hormone levels (r = 0.450; p = 0.014).

Diagnostic value of serum human epididymis protein 4 and cancer antigen 125 in the patients with ovarian carcinoma: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian carcinoma (OC) is considered among the most prevalent triggers of cancer-related deaths in women. Many studies have demonstrated that human epididymis protein 4 (HE-4) as well as cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) are over-expressed in various malignant tumors, such as lung, liver, endometrial, gastric, breast, as well as ovarian cancers. Nonetheless, the overall diagnostic value of serum HE-4, in addition to CA-125 n patients experiencing OC, is still largely undetermined. Therefore, the current study intends to investigate the general diagnostic significance of HE-4 along with CA-125 in patients with OC. METHODS: We aim to systematically search retrospective or prospective study for potential eligible studies from electronic databases, such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, as well as Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure. We will relevant articles evaluating the general diagnostic significance of HE-4 and CA-125 in patients with OC from these databases. We will define our search in English and Chinese. Likewise, we will use 2 independent authors to extract the required data, using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool to evaluate he procedural quality of all included literature. We will use the appropriate statistical method to complete data analyses. RESULTS: The present study aims to investigate the general diagnostic significance of HE-4 and CA-125 in patients suffering from OC. CONCLUSION: The present study will systematically summarise current evidence of HE-4 in combination with CA-125 in relation to diagnosing OC. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval will not be required. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION NUMBER: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/YQPC7 (https://osf.io/yqpc7/).

Assessment of retroperitoneal lymph node status in locally advanced cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: The assessment of retroperitoneal lymph node status in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer is still a problem. This study aimed to explore the choice of these assessment methods. METHODS: Laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy was performed in 96 patients with advanced cervical cancer. The positive rates of lymph node metastasis were analyzed. The values of computed tomography lymph node minimum axial diameter (MAD) and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag), and their combination in predicting retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis were compared. High-risk factors for common iliac lymph node (CILN) and/or para-aortic lymph node (PALN) metastasis were analyzed. RESULTS: The lymph node metastasis rate was 62.50% and the CILN and/or PALN metastasis rate was 31.25%. Overall, 96 patients had 172 visible lymph nodes. The positive rate of lymph node metastasis was significantly higher in the MAD ≥1.0 cm group (83.33%) than in the 0.5 cm ≤ MAD < 1.0 cm group (26.82%). The critical values of MAD and SCC-Ag in determining lymph node metastasis were 1.0 cm and 5.2 ng/mL, respectively. The accuracy, specificity, and Youden index of MAD ≥1.0 cm combined with SCC-Ag ≥ 5.2 ng/mL for evaluating lymph node metastasis were 75.71%, 100%, and 0.59, respectively, and were significantly different from the values for the MAD ≥1.0 cm (72.09%, 80.56%, and 0.47, respectively) and SCC-Ag ≥ 5.2 ng/mL (71.43%, 68.97%, and 0.42, respectively) groups. Correlation analysis showed that non-squamous cell carcinoma, pelvic lymph node (PLN) MAD ≥1.0 cm plus number ≥ 2, and 1 PLN MAD ≥1.0 cm with CILN and/or PALN MAD 0.5-1.0 cm were risk factors for CILN and/or PALN metastasis. CONCLUSION: Patients with MAD ≥1.0 cm and SCC-Ag ≥ 5.2 ng/mL, as well as high risk factors for CILN and/or PALN metastasis, should undergo resection of enlarged lymph nodes below the common iliac gland and lymphadenectomy of CILN/PALN to reduce tumor burden and to clarify lymph node metastasis status for accurate guidance in follow-up treatment. Patients with MAD < 1.0 cm and SCC-Ag < 5.2 ng/mL may be treated with chemoradiotherapy directly based on imaging, given the low lymph node metastasis rate.

Carcinoma of unknown primary origin with isolated adrenal metastasis: a report of two cases.

The adrenal glands are one of the most common sites of malignant tumor metastasis. However, metastatic adrenal carcinoma of unknown primary origin with localized adrenal gland involvement is an extremely rare condition. Herein, we reported two cases of carcinoma of unknown primary origin with isolated adrenal metastasis. In the first case, back pain was the trigger; while in the second case, the triggers were low fever and weight loss. Metabolic abnormalities such as hypertension and obesity were not detected in either case. Neither patient had relevant previous medical histories, including malignancy. However, both had a long-term history of smoking. Systemic imaging studies revealed only adrenal tumors and surrounding lesions. Primary adrenocortical carcinoma was initially suspected, and chemotherapy including mitotane was considered. However, due to difficulty in complete resection of the tumor, core needle tumor biopsies were performed. Histopathological examination of biopsy specimens led to the diagnosis of carcinoma of unknown primary origin with isolated adrenal metastasis. In both cases, additional laboratory testing showed high levels of serum squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen and serum cytokeratin fragment. Malignant lesions confined to the adrenal glands are rare. As in our cases, it could be occasionally difficult to differentiate non-functioning primary adrenocortical carcinoma from metastatic adrenal carcinoma of unknown primary origin localized to the adrenal gland. If the lesion is unresectable and there are elevated levels of several tumor markers with no apparent hormonal excess, core needle tumor biopsy should be considered to differentiate the primary tumor from the metastatic tumor.

The implication of autoantibodies in early diagnosis and monitoring of plasmonic photothermal therapy in the treatment of feline mammary carcinoma.

Feline mammary carcinoma (FMC) shows great similarities to human breast cancer in the cellular and molecular levels. So, in cats as in humans, the role of immune responses is indicated to detect and follow up the development of tumors. As a new breast cancer therapeutic approach, Plasmonic Photothermal Therapy (PPTT) is an effective localized treatment for canine and feline mammary-carcinoma. Its systemic effect has not been inquired yet and needs many studies to hypothesis how the PPTT eradicates tumor cells. In this study, it is the first time to detect (P53, PCNA, MUC-1, and C-MYC) feline autoantibodies (AAbs), study the relationship between PCNA AAbs and mammary-tumors, and investigate the effect of PPTT on the humoral immune response of cats with mammary-carcinoma through detection of AAbs level before, during, and after the treatment. The four-AAbs panel was evaluated in serum of normal and clinically diagnosed cats with mammary tumors using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. The panel showed 100% specificity and 93.7% sensitivity to mammary tumors. The panel was evaluated in PPTT monotherapy, mastectomy monotherapy, and combination therapy. PPTT monotherapy decreased AAbs level significantly while mastectomy monotherapy and combination therapy had a nonsignificant effect on AAbs level.

Debulking surgery for functional pleural dissemination of parathyroid carcinoma-case report.

BACKGROUND: A rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a parathyroid carcinoma. Hypercalcemia with an elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) level seen in recurrent and metastasis disease cases is often refractory to medical therapy, thus surgical resection is recommended when possible. We performed debulking surgery for pleural dissemination of parathyroid cancer for improvement of symptoms in a patient with hypercalcemia. CASE PRESENTATION: A 30-year-old male with hypercalcemia was diagnosed with parathyroid cancer. Following surgery, intact PTH level elevation and hypercalcemia progression due to recurrent disease were noted. An active status of functional left pleural dissemination was revealed in 99mTc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile and somatostatin receptor scintigraphy results, but not in the area of pulmonary metastasis, and debulking surgery was performed. Thereafter, the PTH level was decreased temporarily and activities of daily living improved. CONCLUSION: Aggressive resection of metastatic disease in patients with a parathyroid carcinoma is taken into consideration to control hypercalcemia.

Global profile of tRNA-derived small RNAs in gastric cancer patient plasma and identification of tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP as a new tumor suppressor.

Transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) have been found to play important roles in the occurrence and development of cancers. However, the tsRNA profile in gastric cancer is unknown. In this study, we aimed to identify the global tsRNA profile in plasma from gastric cancer patients and elucidate the role of tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP in gastric cancer. Differentially expressed tsRNAs in the plasma of gastric cancer patients and healthy controls were investigated using RNA sequencing. The expression levels of tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP in the plasma of gastric cancer patients, healthy controls and gastric cancer cell lines were first detected by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The effects of tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP overexpression or downregulation in gastric cancer cells on proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and cell cycle were analyzed using the Cell Counting Kit-8, scratch assay, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. There were 21 upregulated and 46 downregulated tsRNAs found in plasma from gastric cancer patients. The significantly upregulated tsRNAs included tRF-18-S3M83004, tRF-31-PNR8YP9LON4VD, tRF-19-3L7L73JD, tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP, tRF-31-PER8YP9LON4VD, tRF-18-MBQ4NKDJ, and tRF-31-PIR8YP9LON4VD. The significantly downregulated tsRNAs included tRF-41-YDLBRY73W0K5KKOVD, tRF-18-07QSNHD2, tRF-28-86J8WPMN1E0J, tRF-29-86V8WPMN1EJ3, tRF-31-6978WPRLXN4VE, tRF-30-MIF91SS2P46I, tRF-26-MI7O3B1NR8E, tRF-30-RRJ89O9NF5W8, tRF-26-XIP2801MK8E, and tRF-35-V0J8O9YEKPRS93, In vitro studies showed that tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP inhibited proliferation of gastric cancer cells. In conclusion, tsRNAs such as tRF-33-P4R8YP9LON4VDP could serve as a novel diagnostic biomarker and target for gastric cancer therapeutics.

Tumour markers with clinically controlled cut-offs for suspected cancer.

BACKGROUND: Due to insufficient scientific evidence, panels of tumour markers (TMs) are currently not recommended for use in suspected cancer. However, recent well-designed studies have revealed a potential clinical value in lung cancer. We analysed the diagnostic accuracy of a panel of 11 circulating TMs with clinically controlled thresholds in the differentiation of cancer from nonmalignant diseases. METHODS: We prospectively recruited 4776 consecutive patients presenting with focal or nonspecific symptoms suggestive of cancer who underwent testing for 11 serum TMs before diagnosis was known. The study abided by 2015 STARD guidelines. Tumour markers included, among others, carbohydrate antigen 19-9, carcinoembryonic antigen, alpha-fetoprotein, squamous cell carcinoma-associated antigen, prostate-specific antigen (males), neuron-specific enolase, progastrin-releasing peptide and carbohydrate antigen 125. Thresholds were adjusted for the presence of kidney failure, liver disease, effusions and dermatological disorders. Results showing ≥1 TMs with concentrations above threshold were considered positive. RESULTS: Benign diseases were diagnosed in 3281 (68.7%) patients and cancer in 1495 (31.3%), with epithelial cancers in 1214 (77% at stage IV). When applying criteria for controlled thresholds, overall specificity was 98%. Overall sensitivity of the panel in epithelial cancers was 72.2%, positive predictive value 93% and negative predictive value 90.5%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.920 (95% confidence interval, 0.902-0.924). CONCLUSIONS: By using clinically controlled cut-offs, the combined panel demonstrated an excellent ability to discriminate epithelial cancers from nonmalignant diseases. However, its use in clinical practice would need formal validation through a multicentre controlled trial assessing a panel-guided strategy vs. standard diagnosis.

Potential contrasting effects of platelets on the migration and invasion of sarcomas versus carcinomas.

The ability of platelets to promote carcinoma and melanoma progression has been thoroughly studied and occurs in numerous ways. In contrast, the effect of platelets on sarcomas, tumors arising from mesenchymal cells, has received very little attention. This study was undertaken to simultaneously compare the effects of platelets on murine and human sarcomas and carcinomas. In contrast to their effect on carcinomas, platelets inhibited the invasion of some murine- and all human sarcomas tested in vitro. Further invasion studies with TGFß treatment only partially recapitulated the results seen with whole platelets. In a spontaneous tumor growth and lung metastasis model, platelets promoted 4T1 mammary carcinoma metastasis but not MCA-1 fibrosarcoma metastasis. Gene expression analysis of the platelet-promoted MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma, and the platelet-inhibited HT1080 fibrosarcoma cell lines revealed that exposure of MDA-MB-231 to platelets, resulted in upregulation of oncogenes and EMT-associated genes whereas in HT1080 a tumor-suppressor gene was significantly upregulated. Thus, this study has revealed a potential diametrically opposing effect of platelets on mesenchymal and epithelial cancers, a finding that warrants further investigation.

The Effect of Inflammatory Markers on Survival in Advanced Biliary Tract Carcinoma Treated with Gemcitabine/Oxaliplatin Regimen.

BACKGROUND: In advanced biliary tract carcinoma (BTC), the prognosis is very poor, and the overall survival is less than 1 year. This study aimed to determine the effect of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR), C-reactive protein (CRP)/albumin ratio (CAR), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) on the survival of BTC patients treated with gemcitabine/oxaliplatin (GEMOX) regimen. METHODS: Data of 53 patients with advanced BTC were evaluated retrospectively. Association between inflammatory markers and 6-month PFS and 12-month OS were compared by the log-rank test. The optimal cutoff values were determined by a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. NLR, dNLR, CAR, and PNI were grouped based on cutoff points 1.95, 1.15, 0.57, and 33, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess their prognostic values for survival. RESULTS: Lower dNLR (< 1.15) was prognostic for higher 6-month PFS and 12-month OS rates, while lower NLR (< 1.95) was prognostic for higher 6-month PFS rates only. CAR and PNI did not have statistically significant effects on survival. CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment dNLR and NLR values in advanced BTC can be used as predictive markers for survival in patients undergoing the GEMOX regimen.

Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer Treated with Gemcitabine plus Cisplatin (GEMCIS) and Novel Inflammatory Markers.

OBJECTIVE: It is known that chronic inflammation plays an important role in the etiopathogenesis of biliary tract carcinoma (BTC). In this study, we wanted to examine the effect of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) on survival in advanced BTC treated with gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GEMCIS) regimen. METHODS: Forty-two patients with advanced BTC treated with GEMCIS regimen were included in the study. Measurements for NLR, dNLR and PNI were calculated with available formulas. NLR, dNLR, and PNI values were dichotomized based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (cut-off values 3.94, 2.66, and 46, respectively). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors for 6-month progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) using a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The mean PFS was 5.3 (median 5) months, and the mean OS was 10.7 (median 11) months. The pre-treatment increased NLR (≥ 3.94) value was prognostic for lower 6-month PFS and 12-month OS rates. dNLR was not found to be important for survival times. Low PNI (< 36) value was prognostic for lower 6-month PFS and 12-month OS rates. In the multivariate analysis, increased NLR value was determined as an independent prognostic factor for 6-month PFS. CONCLUSION: In patients with advanced BTC using GEMCIS as the first-line chemotherapy regimen, NLR and PNI can be used as prognostic inflammatory markers for 6-month PFS and 12-month OS.

Prognostic Value of the Lymphocyte-to-Monocyte Ratio in Patients with Parotid Gland Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have evaluated various markers as prognostic predictors in patients with many types of cancers. However, the influence of such factors on the outcomes of patients with parotid gland carcinoma (PGC) is unknown. This study investigated the roles of alternative markers in the prognoses of patients with PGC. METHODS: Overall, 101 patients who underwent curative treatment for PGC were retrospectively evaluated, and their 5-year overall and disease-free survival rates were calculated. The prognostic values of clinical and pathologic factors were determined. RESULTS: The 5-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 73.1% and 62.8%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that a low lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), high T classification, high N classification, and perineural invasion were independent predictors of poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, we identified LMR as an independent prognostic factor for patients with PGC. Patients with low LMRs who are amenable to treatment may require adjuvant treatment to improve their prognoses. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:E864-E869, 2021.