Treatment patterns and outcomes in real-world transplant-ineligible patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

Despite the significant proportion of older patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM), most clinical trials driving therapeutic decisions in routine practice include younger and presumably healthier patients than those in the real world. Furthermore, longitudinal studies suggest that elderly, transplant-ineligible patients with MM are not benefitting enough from new anti-MM agents. We retrospectively analyzed the profile of and treatment patterns and outcomes in 675 transplant-ineligible patients with MM who started frontline therapy in routine practice. The mean (SD) age was 75.6 (6.7) years; 152 (47.4%) had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) 2-4, and 73 (25.1%) had high cytogenetic risk. The most frequent frontline therapy was non-VMP bortezomib-based regimens (n=207; 30.7%), which were more frequent among patients with ECOG PS 0/1 and higher risk (e.g., international staging system (ISS) stage III, severely impaired glomerular filtrate rate (GFR), high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and high-risk cytogenetics); 185 patients (27.4%) started an attenuated (lite) VMP regimen, and 159 (23.6%) a VMP (VISTA) regimen. Median progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) were 15.3 months (95%CI 14.0-16.9) and 33.5 months (95%CI 29.1-37.2), respectively; 405 patients (78.2%) achieved partial response or better. Age, ECOG PS, ISS stage, serum LDH, GFR, cytogenetic risk, and treatment regimen significantly influenced OS. In this study, a remarkable proportion of transplant-ineligible patients with MM were older, frontline regimens were highly heterogeneous, and patients at higher risk often received less efficacious combinations. These findings suggest that clinicians have limited objective criteria for therapeutic decisions for this patient group.

Prevalence of clinically significant incidental findings by whole-body fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography/computed tomography scanning in moderate-to-severe psoriasis patients participating in clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: There has been an increase in the number of psoriasis treatments being investigated in clinical trials. Patients may have undiagnosed issues at the start of a study which may become identified during follow-up as incident medicinal conditions. The prevalence of incidental findings in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis presenting for clinical trials is unknown. OBJECTIVE: Determine the prevalence of incidentalomas and rate of malignancy identified by fludeoxyglucose F 18 (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging in clinical trial patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. METHODS: A cross-sectional secondary analysis of patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who underwent FDG PET/CT scans at the baseline visit, before randomization, for 3 phase 4 clinical trials on vascular inflammation in psoriasis. Only patients without active infection, malignancy, or uncontrolled comorbidities were eligible for the clinical trials. RESULTS: A total of 259 healthy patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis underwent an FDG PET/CT scan as part of the study procedures. In all, 31 patients (11.97%) (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.28-16.56) had clinically significant incidentalomas on the baseline FDG PET/CT scan. Univariate logistic regression demonstrated that with every increase of 10 years of age, there was an approximate 30% increased risk of discovery of an incidentaloma (odds ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.01-1.68). Of those patients with findings suggestive of malignancy (n = 28), 6 were confirmed to have cancer, resulting in a 2.31% (95% CI, 0.9-5.0) prevalence of malignancy. The positive predictive value of a true cancer was 31.58% (range, 21%-54%). LIMITATIONS: Generalizability and lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: Incidentalomas on FDG PET/CT imaging are common in otherwise healthy, asymptomatic patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis in clinical trials. Our results can help inform interpretation of clinical trial safety data and emphasize the importance of compliance with cancer screening recommendations.

[Proctocolitis by cryptococcus in an immunocompetent patient: first report in Peru]. / Proctocolitis por criptococo en inmunocompetente: primer reporte de caso en Per ú.

Cryptococcosis is a typical opportunistic fungal infection in immunocompromised patients especially those with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). We report a case of primary intestinal criptococosis in a 57 year old women HIV negative with one year of abdominal pain and hematochezia. Colonoscopy reveals nodular and friable mucosa from rectum to distal descending colon. We report the first case of gastrointestinal criptococosis in Peru in an immunocompetent patient.

Characterization of the LPS and 3OHFA Contents in the Lipoprotein Fractions and Lipoprotein Particles of Healthy Men.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is caused by the accumulation of LDL particles in the intima, causing the activation of immune cells and triggering an inflammatory response. LPS is a potent activator of the innate immune response and it can be transported by lipoproteins. Since humans are much more sensitive to LPS than other mammals, and very low amounts of LPS can elicit an immune response, the aim of this study is to characterize the distribution of LPS and its immunogenic portion (3OHFAs) among lipoprotein types of healthy men. We separated lipoprotein fractions by ultracentrifugation and the amount of each 3OHFA was measured by MS in each lipoprotein fraction to calculate LPS concentration. Lipoprotein particle concentration was measured by NMR. LDL and HDL fractions transported the highest concentration of LPS (35.7% and 31.5%, respectively), but VLDL particles carried more LPS molecules per particle (0.55 molecules/particle) than LDL or HDL (p < 0.01). The distribution of LPS and all 3OHFAs among lipoprotein fractions showed high interindividual variability, suggesting that they may be studied as a potential biomarker. This may help understand the role of LPS in atherosclerosis in those cases where the disease cannot be explained by traditional risk factors.

Tumor limítrofe del ovario: revisión de un viejo conocido con nuevas propuestas terapéuticas / Ovarian borderline tumor: Review of an old acquaintance with new therapeutic proposals

Resumen ANTECEDENTES: Las pacientes con un tumor limítrofe del ovario pueden tratarse conservadoramente en etapas tempranas y con ello conseguir una supervivencia considerable. Las etapas avanzadas tienen un periodo libre de enfermedad prolongado, algunas con crecimiento de implantes peritoneales y recaída posterior a 10 años del tratamiento. OBJETIVO: Conocer cuál es el pronóstico de las pacientes con un tumor limítrofe del ovario, y su tratamiento en México y otros países. MÉTODOLOGÍA: Revisión sistemática de ensayos clínicos recientes registrados en las bases de datos de PubMed, Embase y Cochrane de artículos publicados en inglés y en español entre los años 2006 y 2021. Además, una revisión analítica de la experiencia acumulada en 10 años en la atención de pacientes con tumor limítrofe del ovario atendidas en la Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad de Oncología del Centro Médico Nacional siglo XXI del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, en la Ciudad de México y otros centros médicos de la República Mexicana. RESULTADOS: Se encontraron 62 artículos relacionados con los términos de búsqueda; de éstos, se descartaron 11 porque no eran artículos originales solo de tumores limítrofes del ovario y 4 porque el texto completo estaba escrito en idiomas diferentes al inglés y español. Uno más se eliminó porque sus conclusiones diferían del objetivo planteado y su sustento se consideró endeble. Al final se analizaron 41 artículos. CONCLUSIONES: Las posibilidades de atención quirúrgica de pacientes con tumor limítrofe del ovario, con preservación de la fertilidad, son altas pues su recurrencia es baja. Los tumores microinvasores mucinosos, con permeación vascular y linfática, tendrán mayor posibilidad de recaída a largo plazo. En general, su pronóstico de supervivencia, en cada etapa, es alto. La linfadenectomía retroperitoneal no está indicada en etapas tempranas de la enfermedad.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Patients with borderline ovarian tumor can be treated conservatively in early stages and thereby achieve considerable survival. Advanced stages have a prolonged disease-free period, some with peritoneal implant growth and relapse after 10 years of treatment. OBJECTIVE: To know the prognosis of patients with borderline ovarian tumor and its treatment in Mexico and other countries. METHODOLOGY: Systematic review of recent clinical trials registered in PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases of articles published in English and Spanish between 2006 and 2021. In addition, an analytical review of the experience accumulated in 10 years in the care of patients with borderline ovarian tumor attended at the Oncology High Specialty Medical Unit of the XXI Century National Medical Center of the Mexican Social Security Institute, in Mexico City and other medical centers in the Mexican Republic. RESULTS: We found 62 articles related to the search terms; of these, 11 were discarded because they were not original articles only on ovarian borderline tumors and 4 because the full text was written in languages other than English and Spanish. One more was eliminated because its conclusions differed from the stated objective and its support was considered weak. In the end, 41 articles were analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: The chances of surgical care of patients with ovarian borderline tumor, with fertility preservation, are high because its recurrence is low. Mucinous microinvasive tumors, with vascular and lymphatic permeation, will have a higher chance of long-term relapse. In general, their prognosis for survival, at each stage, is high. Retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy is not indicated in early stages of the disease.

Proctocolitis por criptococo en inmunocompetente: primer reporte de caso en Perú

La criptococosis es una infección oportunista micótica típica en pacientes inmunocomprometidos especialmente con VIH. Se reporta el caso de una criptococosis primaria intestinal en una mujer de 57 años VIH negativo, que se presenta con un cuadro de un año de evolución caracterizado con dolor abdominal y hematoquecia. En la colonoscopía se observa una mucosa nodular y friable desde recto hasta colon descendente distal. Reportamos el primer caso de criptococosis en el Perú de localización gastrointestinal y en paciente inmunocompetente.

Cryptococcosis is a typical opportunistic fungal infection in immunocompromised patients especially those with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). We report a case of primary intestinal criptococosis in a 57 year old women HIV negative with one year of abdominal pain and hematochezia. Colonoscopy reveals nodular and friable mucosa from rectum to distal descending colon. We report the first case of gastrointestinal criptococosis in Peru in an immunocompetent patient.