The predictive value of vessels encapsulating tumor clusters in treatment optimization for recurrent early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The predictive value of vessels encapsulating tumor clusters (VETC) in recurrent early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic significance of VETC in patients with recurrent early-stage HCC after repeat hepatic resection (RHR) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA). METHODS: From December 2005 to December 2016, 138 patients receiving RHR and 188 patients receiving RFA were recruited. VETC was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining for CD34. The survival outcomes of patients with VETC pattern or not were investigated. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the RHR and RFA groups in disease-free survival (DFS) or overall survival (OS) as determined by the univariate analysis of the whole cohort. In the subgroup analysis of the VETC-positive cohort, the patients in the RHR group showed a longer median DFS time in contrast to those in the RFA group (15.0 vs. 5.0 months, p = 0.001). Similarly, the patients in the RHR group showed a longer median OS time in contrast to those in the RFA group (39.5 vs. 19 months, p = 0.001). In the VETC-negative cohort, no significant differences in DFS and OS rates between the RHR and RFA groups were observed (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study suggested that RHR was relatively safe and superior to RFA in improving survival outcomes for recurrent early-stage HCC after initial hepatectomy. Furthermore, the VETC pattern may represent a reliable marker for selecting HCC patients who may benefit from RHR.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) targeting therapy for persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer ranks as the fourth leading cause of death from cancer in women. Historically, women with metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer have had limited treatment options. New anti-angiogenesis therapies, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) targeting agents, offer an alternative strategy to conventional chemotherapy; they act by inhibiting the growth of new blood vessels, thereby restricting tumour growth by blocking the blood supply. OBJECTIVES: To assess the benefits and harms of VEGF targeting agents in the management of persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer. SEARCH METHODS: We performed searches of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, online registers of clinical trials, and abstracts of scientific meetings up until 27 May 2020. SELECTION CRITERIA: We examined randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the use of VEGF targeting agents alone or in combination with conventional chemotherapy or other VEGF targeting agents. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Three review authors independently screened the results of search strategies, extracted data, assessed risk of bias, and analysed data according to the standard methods expected by Cochrane. The certainty of evidence was assessed via the GRADE approach. MAIN RESULTS: A total of 1634 records were identified. From these, we identified four studies with a total of 808 participants for inclusion. We also identified two studies that were awaiting classification and nine ongoing studies. Bevacizumab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy Treatment with bevacizumab plus chemotherapy may result in lower risk of death compared to chemotherapy alone (hazard ratio (HR) 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.62 to 0.95; 1 study, 452 participants; low-certainty evidence). However, there are probably more specific adverse events when compared to chemotherapy alone, including gastrointestinal perforations or fistulae (risk ratio (RR) 18.00, 95% CI 2.42 to 133.67; 1 study, 440 participants; moderate-certainty evidence); serious thromboembolic events (RR 4.5, 95% CI 1.55 to 13.08; 1 study, 440 participants; moderate-certainty evidence); and hypertension (RR 13.75, 95% CI 5.07 to 37.29; 1 study, 440 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). There may also be a higher incidence of serious haemorrhage (RR 5.00, 95% CI 1.11 to 22.56; 1 study, 440 participants; low-certainty evidence). In addition, the incidence of serious adverse events is probably higher (RR 1.44, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.79; 1 study, 439 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was USD 295,164 per quality-adjusted life-year (1 study, 452 participants; low-certainty evidence). Cediranib plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy Treatment with cediranib plus chemotherapy may or may not result in similar risk of death when compared to chemotherapy alone (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.65; 1 study, 69 participants; low-certainty evidence). We found very uncertain results for the incidences of specific adverse events, including gastrointestinal perforations or fistulae (RR 3.27, 95% CI 0.14 to 77.57; 1 study, 67 participants; very low-certainty evidence); serious haemorrhage (RR 5.45, 95% CI 0.27 to 109.49; 1 study, 67 participants; very low-certainty evidence); serious thromboembolic events (RR 3.41, 95% CI 0.14 to 80.59; 1 study, 60 participants; very low-certainty evidence); and serious hypertension (RR 0.36, 95% CI 0.02 to 8.62; 1 study, 67 participants; very low-certainty evidence). In addition, there may or may not be a similar incidence of serious adverse events compared to chemotherapy alone (RR 1.15, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.78; 1 study, 67 participants; low-certainty evidence). Apatinib plus chemotherapy or chemotherapy/brachytherapy versus chemotherapy or chemotherapy/brachytherapy Treatment with apatinib plus chemotherapy or chemotherapy/brachytherapy may or may not result in similar risk of death compared to chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy/brachytherapy alone (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.51 to 1.60; 1 study, 52 participants; low-certainty evidence). However, hypertension events may occur at a higher incidence as compared to chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy/brachytherapy alone (RR 5.14, 95% CI 1.28 to 20.73; 1 study, 52 participants; low-certainty evidence). Pazopanib plus lapatinib versus lapatinib Treatment with pazopanib plus lapatinib may result in higher risk of death compared to lapatinib alone (HR 2.71, 95% CI 1.16 to 6.31; 1 study, 117 participants; low-certainty evidence). We found very uncertain results for the incidences of specific adverse events, including gastrointestinal perforations or fistulae (RR 2.00, 95% CI 0.19 to 21.59; 1 study, 152 participants; very low-certainty evidence); haemorrhage (RR 2.00, 95% CI 0.72 to 5.58; 1 study, 152 participants; very low-certainty evidence); and thromboembolic events (RR 3.00, 95% CI 0.12 to 72.50; 1 study, 152 participants; very low-certainty evidence). In addition, the incidence of hypertension events is probably higher (RR 12.00, 95% CI 2.94 to 49.01; 1 study, 152 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). There may or may not be a similar incidence of serious adverse events as compared to lapatinib alone (RR 1.45, 95% CI 0.94 to 2.26; 1 study, 152 participants; low-certainty evidence). Pazopanib versus lapatinib Treatment with pazopanib may or may not result in similar risk of death as compared to lapatinib (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.38; 1 study, 152 participants; low-certainty evidence). We found very uncertain results for the incidences of specific adverse events, including gastrointestinal perforations or fistulae (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.07 to 16.12; 1 study, 150 participants; very low-certainty evidence); haemorrhage (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.31 to 3.40; 1 study, 150 participants; very low-certainty evidence); and thromboembolic events (RR 3.08, 95% CI 0.13 to 74.42; 1 study, 150 participants; very low-certainty evidence). In addition, the incidence of hypertension events is probably higher (RR 11.81, 95% CI 2.89 to 48.33; 1 study, 150 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). The risk of serious adverse events may or may not be similar as compared to lapatinib (RR 1.31, 95% CI 0.83 to 2.07; 1 study, 150 participants; low-certainty evidence). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: We found low-certainty evidence in favour of the use of bevacizumab plus chemotherapy. However, bevacizumab probably increases specific adverse events (gastrointestinal perforations or fistulae, thromboembolic events, hypertension) and serious adverse events. We found low-certainty evidence that does not support the use of cediranib plus chemotherapy, apatinib plus chemotherapy, apatinib plus chemotherapy/brachytherapy, or pazopanib monotherapy. We found low-certainty evidence suggesting that pazopanib plus lapatinib worsens outcomes. The VEGF inhibitors apatinib and pazopanib may increase the probability of hypertension events.

Preoperative transarterial embolization of a recurrent orbital solitary fibrous tumor with significant hypervascularity: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Orbital solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are rare neoplasms. Recurrent, hypervascular, malignant variations of orbital SFTs have recently been noted and can present a surgical challenge. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a case of a 53-year-old Chinese woman with a history of a resected orbital SFT. She presented with proptosis, limited eyeball movement, and visual loss in the right eye, suggestive of a recurrent SFT. Ocular examination with multimodal imaging revealed a large, nonpulsatile, noncompressible, hypervascular mass behind the eyeball. The patient underwent preoperative transarterial embolization of the main blood supply to the tumor in order to control intraoperative blood loss, followed by ocular enucleation to optimize exposure and enable complete resection of the tumor. Embolization of the right ophthalmic artery and the distal branch of the right internal maxillary artery caused an immediate, substantial reduction of vascular flow, which allowed us to enucleate the eyeball and resect the tumor with minimal blood loss and no complications. CONCLUSIONS: Our case is so far the first Chinese case of successful preoperative embolization of the main blood supply to a large, recurrent, hypervascular orbital SFT. This case also described a different surgical approach to achieve total removal of an orbital SFT without osteotomy.

Serum metabolites may be useful markers to assess vascular invasion and identify normal alpha-fetoprotein in hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing liver resection: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver with a dismal prognosis. Vascular invasion, among others, is the most robust indicator of postoperative recurrence and overall survival after liver resection for HCC. Few studies to date have attempted to search for effective markers to predict vascular invasion before the operation. The current study would examine the plasma metabolic profiling via 1H-NMR of HCC patients undergoing liver resection and aim to search for potential biomarkers in the early detection of HCC with normal alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and the diagnosis of vascular invasion preoperatively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HCC patients scheduled to receive liver resections for their HCC were recruited and divided into two separate groups, investigation cohort and validation cohort. Their preoperative blood samples were collected and subjected to a comprehensive metabolomic profiling using 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). RESULTS: There were 35 HCC patients in the investigation group and 22 patients in the validation group. Chronic hepatitis B remained the most common etiology of HCC, followed by chronic HCV infection. The two study cohorts were essentially comparable in terms of major clinicopathological variables. After 1H-nuclear NMR analysis, we found in the investigation cohort that HCC with normal alpha-fetoprotein (AFP < 15 ng/mL) had significantly higher serum level of O-acetylcarnitine than those with higher AFP (AFP ≥ 15 ng/mL, P = 0.025). In addition, HCC with microscopic vascular invasion (VI) had significantly higher preoperative serum level of formate than HCC without microscopic VI (P = 0.023). These findings were similar in the validation cohort. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive metabolomic profiling of HCC demonstrated that serum metabolites may be utilized to assist the early diagnosis of AFP-negative HCC patients and recognition of microvascular invasion in order to facilitate preoperative surgical planning and postoperative follow-up. Further, larger scale prospective studies are warranted to consolidate our findings.

Radiation Damage to Tumor Vasculature Initiates a Program That Promotes Tumor Recurrences.

This review, mostly of preclinical data, summarizes the evidence that radiation at doses relevant to radiation therapy initiates a pathway that promotes the reconstitution of the tumor vasculature leading to tumor recurrence. The pathway is not specific to tumors; it promotes repair of damaged and ischemic normal tissues by attracting proangiogenic cells from the bone marrow. For irradiated tumors the pathway comprises: (1) loss of endothelial cells and reduced tumor blood perfusion leading to increased tumor hypoxia and increased levels of hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1). Alternatively, increased HIF-1 levels may arise by reactive oxygen species (ROS) production caused by tumor reoxygenation. (2) Increased HIF-1 levels lead to increased levels in the tumor of the chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1, CXCL12), which captures monocytes/macrophages expressing the CXCR4 receptor of CXCL12. (3) The increased levels of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) become highly proangiogenic (M2 polarized) and restore the tumor vasculature, thereby promoting tumor recurrence. The relevance of this pathway for radiation therapy is that it can be blocked in a number of different ways including by inhibitors of monocytes/macrophages, of HIF-1, of CXCL12, of CXCR4, and of CSF-1R, the latter of which is responsible for the M2 polarization of the TAMs. All of these inhibitors produce a robust enhancement of the radiation response of a wide variety of preclinical tumor models. Further, the same inhibitors actually provide protection against radiation damage of several normal tissues. Some of these pathway inhibitors are available clinically, and a first-in-human trial of the CXCR4 inhibitor, plerixafor, with radiation therapy of glioblastoma has yielded promising results, including an impressive increase in local tumor control. Further clinical trials are warranted.

Targeting vasculogenic mimicry by phytochemicals: A potential opportunity for cancer therapy.

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is regarded as a process where very aggressive cancer cells generate vascular-like patterns without the presence of endothelial cells. It is considered as the main mark of malignant cancer and has pivotal role in cancer metastasis and progression in various types of cancers. On the other hand, resistance to the antiangiogenesis therapies leads to the cancer recurrence. Therefore, development of novel chemotherapies and their combinations is urgently needed for abolition of VM structures and also for better tumor therapy. Hence, identifying compounds that target VM structures might be superior therapeutic factors for cancers treatment and controlling the recurrence and metastasis. In recent times, naturally occurring compounds, especially phytochemicals have obtained great attention due to their safe properties. Phytochemicals are also capable of targeting VM structure and also their main signaling pathways. Consequently, in this review article, we illustrated key signaling pathways in VM, and the phytochemicals that affect these structures including curcumin, genistein, lycorine, luteolin, columbamine, triptolide, Paris polyphylla, dehydroeffusol, jatrorrhizine hydrochloride, grape seed proanthocyanidins, resveratrol, isoxanthohumol, dehydrocurvularine, galiellalactone, oxacyclododecindione, brucine, honokiol, ginsenoside Rg3, and norcantharidin. The recognition of these phytochemicals and their safety profile may lead to new therapeutic agents' development for VM elimination in different types of tumors.

Prospective feasibility analysis of salvage surgery in recurrent oral cancer in terms of quality of life.

OBJECTIVES: The goals of the present study were to prospectively analyze salvage surgery with microvascular reconstruction in recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity (OSCC) in terms of oncological outcome and quality of life. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 2012 to 2015, 28 patients underwent salvage surgery due to recurrent OSCC or second primary OSCC without the option of curative re-irradiation. Endpoints were disease-specific survival and progression-free survival after 12 months. The survival was estimated by using the Kaplan-Meier blotting. Quality of life data (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer - EORTC: QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N35) was assessed at baseline and subsequently every 3 months up to one year. RESULTS: Estimated 1-year-survival was 68.4% and progression-free survival was 38.5%. Overall quality of life was significantly reduced three months after salvage surgery [baseline (mean 64.15) versus time 1 (mean 53.04); p = 0.002]. However, the patients experienced a recovery within the first year [baseline (mean 64.15) versus time 4 (mean 70.33); p = 0.176]. Furthermore, the sensation of pain is significantly reduced after salvage surgery [baseline (mean 47.53) versus time 2 (mean 31.25); p = 0.036]. Microvascular reconstruction success rate was 93.1%. CONCLUSION: Salvage surgery is a curative treatment option in recurrent and intensively pretreated OSCC. Microvascular reconstruction is feasible with acceptable morbidity and high success rates. Quality of life can be preserved. Further studies combining checkpoint inhibition with salvage surgery are justified.

Vascular architecture mapping for early detection of glioblastoma recurrence.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment failure and inevitable tumor recurrence are the main reasons for the poor prognosis of glioblastoma (GB). Gross-total resection at repeat craniotomy for GB recurrence improves patient overall survival but requires early and reliable detection. It is known, however, that even advanced MRI approaches have limited diagnostic performance for distinguishing tumor progression from pseudoprogression. The novel MRI technique of vascular architectural mapping (VAM) provides deeper insight into tumor microvascularity and neovascularization. In this study the authors evaluated the usefulness of VAM for the monitoring of GB patients and quantitatively analyzed the features of neovascularization of early- and progressed-stage GB recurrence. METHODS: In total, a group of 115 GB patients who received overall 374 follow-up MRI examinations after standard treatment were retrospectively evaluated in this study. The clinical routine MRI (cMRI) protocol at 3 Tesla was extended with the authors' experimental VAM approach, requiring 2 minutes of extra time for data acquisition. Custom-made MATLAB software was used for calculation of imaging biomarker maps of macrovascular perfusion from perfusion cMRI as well as of microvascular perfusion and architecture from VAM data. Additionally, cMRI data were analyzed by two board-certified radiologists in consensus. Statistical procedures included receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to determine diagnostic performances for GB recurrence detection. RESULTS: Overall, cMRI showed GB recurrence in 89 patients, and in 28 of these patients recurrence was detected earlier with VAM data, by 1 (20 patients) or 2 (8 patients) follow-up examinations, than with cMRI data. The mean time difference between recurrence detection with VAM and cMRI data was 147 days. During this time period the mean tumor volume increased significantly (p < 0.001) from 9.7 to 26.8 cm3. Quantitative analysis of imaging biomarkers demonstrated microvascular but no macrovascular hyperperfusion in early GB recurrence. Therefore, ROC analysis revealed superior diagnostic performance for VAM compared with cMRI. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the targeted assessment of microvascular features using the VAM technique provided valuable information about early neovascularization activity in recurrent GB that is complementary to perfusion cMRI and may be helpful for earlier and more precise monitoring of patients suffering from GB. This VAM approach is compatible with existing cMRI protocols. Prospective clinical trials are necessary to investigate the clinical usefulness and potential benefit of increased overall survival with the use of VAM in patients with recurrent GB.

Association of Preoperative Hypercoagulability with Poor Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients with Microvascular Invasion After Liver Resection: A Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: Microvascular invasion (MVI) predicts poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC patients with hypercoagulability are prone to develop thrombosis; however, the relationship between preoperative coagulability state, as reflected by the international normalized ratio (INR) level, and MVI remains unclear. METHODS: From January 2009 to December 2012, HCC patients who underwent R0 liver resection (LR) from four cancer centers entered into this study. The overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 2509 HCC patients who were included into this study, 1104 were found to have MVI in the resected specimens. These patients were divided into the low (n = 151), normal (n = 796), and high (n = 157) INR subgroups based on the preoperative INR levels. The low INR subgroup had a significantly higher incidence of MVI than the normal or high INR subgroups (61.6% vs. 41.6% vs. 44.6%; p < 0.001). HCC patients with MVI were significantly more likely to have a low preoperative INR level (p < 0.001); the INR level (p < 0.001) was an independent risk factor of OS and RFS. HCC patients with MVI in the low INR subgroup had significantly worse RFS and OS than the normal or high INR subgroups (median RFS 13.5 vs. 20.2 vs. 21.6 months, p < 0.001; median OS 35.5 vs. 59.5 vs. 57.0 months, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative hypercoagulability was associated with poor long-term prognosis in HCC patients with MVI after R0 LR.

Microvascular Invasion as a Predictor of Response to Treatment with Sorafenib and Transarterial Chemoembolization for Recurrent Intermediate-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background The evidence of combining sorafenib with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for intermediate-stage recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited. Patient responses to this treatment varied because of the heterogeneous nature of intermediate-stage recurrent HCC, making it important to identify patients who are most likely to benefit from this combination therapy. Purpose To compare sorafenib administered in combination with TACE versus TACE alone in the treatment of recurrent intermediate-stage HCC after initial hepatectomy and to determine the relationship of microvascular invasion (MVI) to survival. Materials and Methods In this retrospective multicenter study, 3652 consecutive patients were found to have intrahepatic recurrences after initial hepatectomy of primary HCC from January 2010 to December 2016. Of these, 260 patients with intermediate-stage recurrent HCC underwent combination treatment with sorafenib and TACE or TACE alone. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared between these two treatments according to MVI status by using log-rank tests. Results A total of 128 patients were administered combination therapy (mean age, 55 years ± 7.6 [standard deviation]; 107 men) and 132 patients were administered TACE alone (mean age, 56 years ± 8.3; 110 men). The 5-year OS and PFS were higher in the combination group than in the TACE group (OS: 38.9% vs 20.5%, respectively, P = .01; PFS, 37.5% vs 18.7%, respectively, P = .003). For patients with MVI-positive lesions, the median OS and PFS after combination treatment (n = 55) were longer than those after TACE alone (n = 72; OS: 17.2 months vs 12.1 months, respectively, P = .02; PFS: 17.0 months vs 11.0 months, respectively, P = .02). Multivariable analysis showed that tumor number, MVI status, and treatment allocation were significant predictors of OS and PFS, whereas tumor size was a prognostic factor for PFS. Conclusion Patients with recurrent intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma and lesions positive for microvascular invasion (MVI) had longer survival times by using a combined treatment of sorafenib with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) compared with TACE alone; patients with MVI-negative lesions did not show survival benefit from combined therapy. © RSNA, 2019 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Malloy in this issue.

Exogenous sickle erythrocytes combined with vascular disruption trigger disseminated tumor vaso-occlusion and lung tumor regression.

Hypoxic tumor niches are chief causes of treatment resistance and tumor recurrence. Sickle erythrocytes' (SSRBCs') intrinsic oxygen-sensing functionality empowers them to access such hypoxic niches wherein they form microaggregates that induce focal vessel closure. In search of measures to augment the scale of SSRBC-mediated tumor vaso-occlusion, we turned to the vascular disrupting agent, combretastatin A-4 (CA-4). CA-4 induces selective tumor endothelial injury, blood stasis, and hypoxia but fails to eliminate peripheral tumor foci. In this article, we show that introducing deoxygenated SSRBCs into tumor microvessels treated with CA-4 and sublethal radiation (SR) produces a massive surge of tumor vaso-occlusion and broadly propagated tumor infarctions that engulfs treatment-resistant hypoxic niches and eradicates established lung tumors. Tumor regression was histologically corroborated by significant treatment effect. Treated tumors displayed disseminated microvessels occluded by tightly packed SSRBCs along with widely distributed pimidazole-positive hypoxic tumor cells. Humanized HbS-knockin mice (SSKI) but not HbA-knockin mice (AAKI) showed a similar treatment response underscoring SSRBCs as the paramount tumoricidal effectors. Thus, CA-4-SR-remodeled tumor vessels license SSRBCs to produce an unprecedented surge of tumor vaso-occlusion and infarction that envelops treatment-resistant tumor niches resulting in complete tumor regression. Strategically deployed, these innovative tools constitute a major conceptual advance with compelling translational potential.

Correlation of radiological and immunochemical parameters with clinical outcome in patients with recurrent glioblastoma treated with Bevacizumab.

BACKGROUND: Some phase 2 trials had reported encouraging progression-free survival with Bevacizumab in monotherapy or combined with chemotherapy in glioblastoma. However, phase 3 trials showed a significant improvement in progression free survival without a benefit in overall survival. To date, there are no predictive biomarker of response for Bevacizumab in glioblastoma. METHODS: We used Immunochemical analysis on tumor samples and pretreatment and post-treatment perfusion-MRI to try to identify possible predictive angiogenesis-related biomarkers of response and survival in patients with glioblastoma treated with bevacizumab in the first recurrence. We analyzed histological parameters: vascular proliferation, mitotic number and Ki-67 index; molecular factors: MGMT promoter methylation, EGFR amplification and EGFR variant III; immunohistochemical: MET, Midkine, HIF1, VEGFA, VEGF-R2, CD44, Olig2, microvascular area and microvascular density; and radiological: rCBV. RESULTS: In the statistical analysis, no significant correlation of any histological, molecular, microvascular or radiological parameters could be demonstrated with the response rate, PFS or OS with bevacizumab treatment. CONCLUSION: Unfortunately, in this histopathological, molecular, immunohistochemical and neuroradiological study we did not find any predictive biomarker of response or survival benefit for Bevacizumab in glioblastoma.

Tumor thrombus in the venous drainage pathways of primary, recurrent and metastatic disease on routine oncologic imaging studies: beyond hepatocellular and renal cell carcinomas.

Radiologists routinely evaluate for tumor thrombus in the portal and hepatic veins in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and in the renal vein and inferior vena cava in patients with renal cell carcinoma. However, tumor thrombus occurs in association with numerous other tumor types, e.g. colorectal carcinoma and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. Furthermore tumor thrombi are not limited to the primary tumor but also seen with local recurrence and metastatic disease. While less recognized, these thrombi nevertheless affect patterns of recurrence and prognosis. Their detection is critical for accurate local staging and early detection of local recurrence and metastatic disease. The purpose of this pictorial review is to draw the attention of radiologists to the less familiar manifestations of tumor thrombus, review the imaging findings and illustrate the clinical significance of these thrombi.

A comprehensive analysis of factors related to carmustine/bevacizumab response in recurrent glioblastoma.

PURPOSE: Patients with recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM) have a poor prognosis, with survival ranging from 25 to 40 weeks. Antiangiogenic agents are widely used, showing a variable response. In this study, we explored the efficacy of carmustine plus bevacizumab (BCNU/Bev) for treating rGBM. METHODS/PATIENTS: In this study, we assessed 59 adult patients with histologically confirmed rGBM who were treated with BCNU/Bev as second-line regimen. The response rate (RR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated according to their molecular expression profile, including CD133 mRNA expression, MGMT methylation (pMGMT), PDGFR amplification, YKL40 mRNA expression, IDH1/2 condition, p53 and EGFRvIII mutation status. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 18.6 months, overall RR to the combination was 56.3%, and median PFS was 9.0 months (95% CI 8.0-9.9). OS from time of diagnosis was 21.0 months (95% CI 13.2-28.7) and from starting BCNU/Bev it was 10.7 months (95% CI 9.5-11.8). IDH1/2 mutations were found in 30.5% of the patients, pMGMT in 55.9% and high CD133 mRNA expression in 57.6%. Factors which positively affected PFS included performance status (p = 0.015), IDH+ (p = 0.05), CD133 mRNA expression (p = 0.009) and pMGMT+ (p = 0.007). OS was positively affected by pMGMT+ (p = 0.05). Meanwhile, YKL40 negatively affected PFS (p = 0.01) and OS (p = 0.0001). Grade ≥ 3 toxicities included hypertension (22%) and fatigue (12%). CONCLUSIONS: BCNU/Bev is a safe and tolerable treatment for rGBM. Patients with MGMT+/IDH+ derive the greatest benefit from the treatment combination in the second-line setting. Nonetheless, high YKL40 expression discourages the use of antiangiogenic therapy.

Patterns of Local Failure After Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy and Sequential Chemotherapy as Initial Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer: Implications of Target Volume Design.

PURPOSE: To identify patterns of local failure in patients with pancreatic cancer receiving stereotactic body radiation therapy plus chemotherapy as initial treatment, for the optimal design of target volumes encompassing a majority of local recurrences. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Consecutive patients with resectable or borderline resectable but medically inoperable cancer owing to comorbidities and locally advanced pancreatic cancer undergoing stereotactic body radiation therapy and chemotherapy were reviewed. Local recurrences were plotted with respect to the celiac trunk (CT), superior mesenteric artery (SMA), and splenic artery on 1 computed tomographic scan of a template patient. RESULTS: Five hundred and ten patients were included. Median follow-up of the entire group was 21.8 months (range, 3.1-54.9 months). Two hundred and seventeen patients had locoregional recurrences, whereas local and distant progressions were found in 293 patients. One hundred and sixty-nine (33.2%) and 144 (28.2%) patients had recurrences closer to the CT and SMA, respectively, whereas both invasions of the CT and SMA were found in 115 patients (22.5%). In addition, 33 patients (6.5%) and 49 patients (9.6%) had recurrences at the hepatic hilum and the splenic artery, respectively. Besides these patterns of failure, 138 patients (27.1%) also experienced retroperitoneal progressions. The mean distance to the CT, SMA, and retroperitoneal recurrence was 9.0, 8.3, and 11.7 mm, respectively. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that advanced pancreatic cancer, recurrences at both the CT and SMA and the hepatic hilum, CA19-9 nonresponders, and BED10 <60 Gy were predictive of worse survival. CONCLUSIONS: Areas closer to the CT, SMA, and retroperitoneal space were at a high risk of local recurrences. Nonuniform and sufficient expansions from the gross tumor volume might be necessary, and the splenic vessels abutting the tumor might also be included in the target volume without compromise of dose constraints of organs at risk. In addition, at least BED10 ≥60 Gy might be required to achieve better outcomes.

Utility of the Virtual Liver Parenchymal Perfusion Area Using a Commercially Available Workstation in Transarterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy of the virtual liver parenchymal perfusion area using a commercially available workstation and liver analysis software in conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This method was retrospectively applied to 29 treated HCCs in 23 patients. The virtual embolic area (VEA) was estimated based on cone beam computed tomography during hepatic arteriography using a commercially available workstation and liver analysis software by two observer groups (group A: experts; group B: semi-experts). The real embolic area (REA) was defined as the area where iodized oil accumulated on computed tomography at 1 week after cTACE. The REA was estimated by each of the two groups, and the mean REA between the groups (mREA) was used as a standard reference. Agreement of volume and cross-sectional area in three orthogonal planes between the VEA and mREA were analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS: The ICCs for volume between VEA and mREA were 0.97 and 0.88 for groups A and B, respectively, and those for cross-sectional area were 0.94 and 0.88 for the axial plane, 0.95 and 0.83 for the coronal plane, and 0.87 and 0.74 for the sagittal plane, respectively. Thus, the overall agreement was excellent, except for the sagittal imaging plane in group B. CONCLUSION: This method using a commercially available workstation and liver analysis software can be useful for estimating the embolic area in cTACE.

Angiotropism in recurrent cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: Implications for regional tumor recurrence and extravascular migratory spread.

Extravascular migratory metastasis is a form of cancer metastasis in which tumor cells spread by tracking along the abluminal aspect of vessel walls without breaking the vascular endothelial lining or intraluminal invasion. This phenomenon has been extensively described in melanoma and is being increasingly recognized in other neoplasms. Various modalities of treatment, including radiation-, chemo-, targeted-, and immune- therapies may potentially induce angiotropic behavior in neoplastic cells. Although there is a risk for tumor recurrence and metastasis, angiotropism may be under-recognized and is rarely reported. Here, we report a case of recurrent poorly-differentiated acantholytic squamous cell carcinoma of the scalp with extensive perineural invasion, previously treated with multiple therapies. There was multifocal extravascular cuffing of neoplastic cells around and focally involving the walls of small to medium-caliber blood vessels within and surrounding the tumor, without obvious tumor intravasation. In addition, small subtle nests of neoplastic keratinocytes were noted along the abluminal aspect of a large-caliber deep dermal blood vessel in an en-face margin, away from the main tumor mass. Such involvement can be difficult to identify; and thus, may be missed particularly during intra-operative frozen section evaluation, leading to false-negative margins and is therefore, a diagnostic pitfall.

A phase II evaluation of sunitinib in the treatment of persistent or recurrent clear cell ovarian carcinoma: An NRG Oncology/Gynecologic Oncology Group Study (GOG-254).

OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy and tolerability of sunitinib in recurrent or persistent clear cell ovarian cancer patients. METHODS: All patients had one or two prior regimens with measurable disease. Tumors were at least 50% clear cell histomorphology and negative for WT-1 antigen and estrogen receptor expression by immunohistochemistry. Sunitinib 50 mg per day for 4 weeks was administered in repeated 6-week cycles until disease progression or prohibitive toxicity. Primary end points were progression-free survival (PFS) at 6 months and clinical response. The study was designed to determine if the drug had a response rate of at least 20% or 6-month PFS of at least 25%. RESULTS: Of 35 patients enrolled, 30 were treated and eligible (median age: 51, range: 27-73). Twenty-five (83%) were White, 4 (13%) Asian, and 1 (3%) unknown. The majority 28 (83%) patients, underwent ≤3 but 2 (7%) had 16 courses of study therapy. Five (16.7%) patients had PFS ≥6 months (90% CI: 6.8%-31.9%). Two (6.7%) patients had a partial or complete response (90% CI: 1.2%-19.5%). The median PFS was 2.7 months. The median overall survival was 12.8 months. The most common grade 3 adverse events were fatigue (4), hypertension (4), neutropenia (4), anemia (3), abdominal pain (3), and leukopenia (3). Grade 4-5 adverse events included: thrombocytopenia (5), anemia (2), acute kidney Injury (1), stroke (1), and allergic reaction (1). CONCLUSION: Sunitinib demonstrated minimal activity in the second- and third-line treatment of persistent or recurrent clear cell ovarian carcinoma. ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00979992.