Circulating Tumor DNA Predicts Early Recurrence Following Locoregional Therapy for Oligometastatic Colorectal Cancer.

(1) Background: Local therapies offer a potentially curative approach for patients with oligometastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). An evidence-based consensus recommendation for systemic therapy following definitive locoregional therapy is lacking. Tumor-informed circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) might provide information to help guide management in this setting. (2) Methods: A multi-institutional retrospective study was conducted, including patients with CRC that underwent curative-intent locoregional therapy to an isolated site of metastatic disease, followed by tumor-informed ctDNA assessment. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests were used to compare disease-free survival based on ctDNA results. ctDNA test performance was compared to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) test results using McNemar's test. (3) Results: Our study cohort consisted of 87 patients treated with locoregional interventions who underwent ctDNA testing. The initial ctDNA test post-intervention was positive in 28 patients and negative in 59 patients. The median follow-up time was 14.0 months. Detectable ctDNA post-intervention was significantly associated with early disease recurrence, with a median disease-free survival (DFS) of 6.63 months compared to 21.30 months in ctDNA-negative patients (p < 0.001). ctDNA detected a numerically higher proportion of recurrences than CEA (p < 0.097). Post-intervention systemic therapy was not associated with improved DFS (p = 0.745). (4) Conclusions: ctDNA results are prognostically important in oligometastatic CRC, and further prospective studies are urgently needed to define its role in guiding clinical decisions.

Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab as first-line systemic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: a multi-institutional cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab is the standard of care for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the first-line setting, although was only evaluated in patients with Child-Pugh (CP) A liver function in the IMbrave150 trial. We sought to determine the outcomes of these patients based on CP score and ALBI grade in the US population. METHODS: This multicenter cohort study included patients with HCC who received atezolizumab with bevacizumab as first-line systemic therapy between March 2018 and November 2023. Overall survival (OS) was determined using the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazard regression method. RESULTS: Among 322 patients, 226, 86, and 10 patients had CP-A, CP-B, and CP-C liver function, respectively. Median age was 66.5 years, 78.6% were male, and 82.6% were White. Median OS (mOS) was 21.6 months for those with CP-A, 9.1 months for those with CP-B7, and 4.7 months for those with CP-B8-C12 (P < .0001). Among patients with CP-A, those with ALBI grade 1 had an mOS of 34.9 months versus 14.2 months in those with grade 2. In multivariate analyses, CP score, ALBI grade, hepatitis B, performance status, and macrovascular invasion were significantly associated with survival. CONCLUSIONS: CP score is an important prognostic tool for patients with HCC receiving atezolizumab plus bevacizumab, and this regimen remains a viable option for patients with CP-B7 with no additional safety concern, although the benefit is significantly less than those with CP-A. ALBI score has independent predictive value in patients with CP-A liver function.

Nodular Lymphocyte-Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma: Review of Current Literature and Case Discussion.

Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) is a rare subset of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). It has a distinct clinical and pathological presentation. Unlike classic HL, where the predominant malignant cells are Reed Sternberg cells, the malignant cells in NLPHL are known as lymphocyte predominant (LP) cells, with their own unique immunohistochemistry antigen expression and staining pattern. Based on risk stratification and staging of the disease, treatment can range from active surveillance in asymptomatic patients with no organ compromise or bulky disease, to aggressive chemotherapeutic agents in advanced disease. Guidelines on which of these chemotherapy regimens would offer the most benefit to our patients are limited due to lack of randomized-controlled studies. Majority of the current prospective data on treatment were inclusive of both HL and NLPHL. Thus, the regimens employed in treatment of NLPHL are similar to the ones used in HL, though NLPHL is often viewed as its own distinct entity. This article aims to review the current literature and future advances on treatment of this rare disease.