Efficacy of chemotherapy according to BRCA status in patients with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma at first platinum-sensitive relapse.

OBJECTIVE: Chemotherapy for high-grade serous ovarian cancers in platinum-sensitive relapse includes carboplatin/paclitaxel, carboplatin/gemcitabine, and carboplatin/pegylated liposomal doxorubicin. According to in vitro data, BRCA mutated patients are sensitive to replicative stress agents but BRCA status is not yet used for the choice of chemotherapy at relapse. Our aim was to assess these doublets according to BRCA status in first platinum-sensitive relapse. METHODS: The ESME ovarian cancer database comprises a multicenter retrospective cohort of patients with ovarian cancer treated in French cancer centers between January 2011 and December 2017. Patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancers at first platinum-sensitive relapse who received one of these doublets were included. The objective was to compare progression-free survival of each chemotherapy doublet according to BRCA status. RESULTS: Among the 10 263 patients in the database, 1539 patients had a first platinum-sensitive relapse: 825 BRCA wild type patients (53.6%) and 304 BRCA mutated patients (19.8%) (7 patients had a homologous recombination mutation and BRCA status was unkown for 403 patients). Median progression-free survival was longer in BRCA mutated patients than in BRCA wild type patients when receiving carboplatin/pegylated liposomal doxorubicin without maintenance treatment (15.8 vs 11.8 months; p<0.001). In contrast, we observed no difference in patients treated with carboplatin/paclitaxel (14.6 vs 14.3 months, respectively; p=0.70) or in those treated with carboplatin/gemcitabine (12.0 vs 9.8 months, respectively; p=0.18). In BRCA wild type patients without maintenance, better progression-free survival occurred with carboplatin/paclitaxel (median progression-free survival 14.3 months) than with carboplatin/gemcitabine and carboplatin/pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (9.8 and 11.8 months, respectively; p=0.017). In BRCA mutated patients without maintenance, there was no difference between the three doublets (median progression-free survival of 14.6, 12.0, and 15.8 months with carboplatin/paclitaxel, carboplatin/gemcitabine, and carboplatin/pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, respectively; p=0.40). CONCLUSION: While treatment with carboplatin/paclitaxel, carboplatin/gemcitabine, and carboplatin/pegylated liposomal doxorubicin shows comparable efficacy in BRCA mutated patients, treatment with carboplatin/paclitaxel appears to be more effective than carboplatin/gemcitabine and carboplatin/pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in BRCA wild type patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancers at first platinum-sensitive relapse.

High-dose proton therapy and tomotherapy for the treatment of sacral chordoma: a retrospective monocentric study.

OBJECTIVE: Radiation therapy (RT) is used for the treatment of sacral chordoma, in combination with surgery or alone for unresected tumours, to improve local control (LC) and potentially overall survival (OS). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate efficacy and toxicity of proton therapy (PT), and/or intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), particularly Tomotherapy, for sacral chordoma treatment. Material: Between November 2005 and June 2018, 41 consecutive patients who were not included in clinical trials, received sacral chordoma radiation treatment in Institut Curie with Tomotherapy alone in 13 patients, and combined PT and Tomotherapy boost (Proton - Tomo) in 28 patients. RT was delivered as the exclusive local treatment in 11 patients, and as a post-operative complementary treatment in 30 patients. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 46 months (range, 0-125 months), eight local relapses were observed, and seven patients developed distant metastasis (particularly bone and lung). The 2- and 5- year local relapse rates were 11.4% CI (0.65-22.2%) and 29% (10.5-47.4%), respectively. Over the follow-up period, ten patients died (24.4%). The estimated 2- and 5-year OS rates were 91.4% CI (82.5-100%) and 74.5% (59.4-93.5%), respectively. Fibrosis, cauda equina syndrome, and pain were the most common late toxicities. The comparison between Tomotherapy alone and Proton - Tomo revealed that acute and late cystitis were significantly more frequent in the Tomotherapy group: SHR = 0.12 IC95% (0.01-0.90 [p = .04]), as well as late proctitis. A dosimetric comparison confirmed the interest of PT to spare rectum and bladder in this context. CONCLUSION: RT remains essential to improve local control in sacral chordoma. The combination of proton and photon seems to improve organ at risk sparing, resulting in a decreased rate of reported late toxicities.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are associated with poor prognosis in invasive lobular breast carcinoma.

The prognostic impact of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) within invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) remains to be better characterized. In estrogen receptor (ER)-negative invasive ductal carcinomas of no special type (IDC-NST), TILs are associated with good prognosis. The aim of this study was to examine TILs in ILC, with particular focus on prognostic and clinicopathologic features. A cohort comprising 459 consecutive ILCs diagnosed in a single institution from 2005 to 2008 met the eligibility criteria for this study. The percentage of tumor area occupied by TILs was quantified by two breast pathologists and categorized into three groups: no TILs, ≤5%, >5%. Clinicopathologic features were tested by Fisher's exact tests or Chi2 tests. Overall survival (OS) and invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) were estimated by Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard statistics. There were 239 TIL-negative cases, 185 cases with ≤5% TILs, and 35 cases with >5% TILs. TILs were associated with younger age, larger tumors, lymph node involvement, poor Nottingham prognostic index, HER2 amplification, multinucleation, and prominent nucleoli (p < 0.05). Poor OS was significantly associated with increasing TILs in the univariate Cox proportional hazards model (p < 0.001) and Kaplan-Meier estimator (p < 0.05, log-rank test). Similar results were observed for iDFS (p = 0.004 for Cox univariate and p = 0.005 for log-rank test). Notably, TILs can identify a subset of ILC patients with poor OS independently of molecular subtype and lymph node metastases (multivariate Cox, p < 0.001, OS hazard ratio (HR) = 4.38 and HR = 6.15, for ≤5% and >5% TILs, respectively, vs. absence of TILs). Prominent nucleoli was the only nuclear feature associated with poor OS (p = 0.05) and iDFS (p = 0.05) in univariate Cox survival analysis. TILs represent a promising new morphologic biomarker associated with poor outcome of ILC, in contrast with that observed in ER-negative IDC-NST.

[Adverse drug reactions in pediatrics: Experience of a regional pharmacovigilance center]. / Les effets indésirables médicamenteux en pédiatrie : expérience d'un centre régional de pharmacovigilance.

AIM: To describe the adverse drug reactions (ADR) and the drugs involved in pediatrics. METHODS: An observational study on all ADR notifications recorded in the French pharmacovigilance database by the Regional Pharmacovigilance Center of Champagne-Ardenne between 1 January 1985 and 31 December 2014 involving children from 0 to 17 years inclusive was performed. For all notifications, we studied the patient and the ADR characteristics. RESULTS: During the study period, 632 notifications were collected. The most frequently reported ATC (anatomical, therapeutic and chemical) classes were vaccines (15.9%), antineoplastics (12%) and antibiotics (11.1%). Forty-six percent of the notifications were serious. For serious ADRs, the most involved drugs were paracetamol, asparaginase and ibuprofen. Skin reactions were the most often reported ADRs. The most common lowest level terms (LLT) were urticaria (4.9%), hypersensitivity (4.1%), fever (2.9%) and vomiting (2.8%). CONCLUSION: ADR reporting to the pharmacovigilance system, in particular pediatric ADRs, should be encouraged. Information on the use of medicinal products, especially on self-medication use, need to be improve.

Efficacy and Safety of Combined Brain Stereotactic Radiotherapy and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer with Brain Metastases.

BACKGROUND: To analyze the outcomes of patients with brain metastases (BM) from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immunotherapy (IT) and stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) and to study the impact of the sequence between the two modalities. METHODS: The authors reviewed the records of 51 patients with 84 BM from NSCLC treated at Institut Curie with IT and SRT. BM were categorized into three groups: 'SRT before IT', 'concurrent SRT and IT', and 'SRT after IT.' Regional progression-free interval (R-PFI) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: After a median follow-up from SRT of 22.5 months (2.7-47.3), the 1-year and 2-year OS were 69.7% (95%CI [58.0-83.8]) and 44.0% [30.6-63.2], respectively. Concerning distant intracranial control, the 1-year and 2-year R-PFI were 40.1% [30.1-53.3] and 35.2% [25.1-49.4], respectively. Moreover, one-year R-PFI in 'SRT before IT', 'concurrent SRT and IT', and 'SRT after IT' groups were 24.1%, 49.6%, and 34.2%, respectively (p = 0.094). The type of therapeutic sequence did not appear to impact the risk of brain necrosis. CONCLUSIONS: The concurrent administration of SRT and IT appeared to offer the best locoregional control, without increasing the risk of toxicity, compared to patients treated with SRT before or after IT.

Curative high-dose reirradiation for patients with recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma using IMRT or proton therapy: Outcomes and analysis of patterns of failure.

PURPOSE: To analyze outcomes of patients treated with curative reirradiation (reRT), with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or proton therapy (PT) for recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). MATERIALS: Among the 55 patients reirradiated for head and neck cancer from 30/08/2012 to 08/04/2019, 23 had HNSCC and received IMRT (52.2%) or PT (47.8%) at a median maximum dose to the CTV of 66 Gy. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 41.3 months, 18 patients developed a locoregional recurrence (LR), of which eight (44.4%) occurred within the previously reirradiated volume. Two-year locoregional failure-free survival and overall survival were 18.3%[95%CI:7.1%-47.1%] and 42.5%[95%CI:26.2%-69.1%], respectively. Disease-free survival was significantly longer in the PT group (p = 0.031). Main late grade ≥2 toxicities were dysphagia and trismus. CONCLUSION: Curative reRT in HNSCC is possible for selected cases, but the LR rate in the irradiated field and the risk of toxicity grade ≥2 remain high.

Efficacy of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) and lapatinib after dual HER2 inhibition with trastuzumab and pertuzumab in patient with metastatic breast cancer: Retrospective data from a French multicenter real-life cohort.

PURPOSE: Trastuzumab-emtansine (T-DM1), as well as lapatinib plus capecitabine were proven effective in two Phase III studies, following first-line trastuzumab plus a taxane. The introduction of dual HER2 blockade by trastuzumab and pertuzumab as first-line has positioned T-DM1 into second-line, and lapatinib plus capecitabine beyond, without formal evaluation of these strategies. METHODS: ESME Data Platform (NCT03275311) included individual data from all patients aged ≥18 years, in whom first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) was initiated between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2016 in one of the 18 French Comprehensive Cancer Centers. The efficacy of T-DM1 and lapatinib plus capecitabine combination, following double blockade associating trastuzumab and pertuzumab were evaluated in this national real-life database. Eligibility criteria were: female, MBC, HER2+ tumor, first-line taxane-based chemotherapy and dual HER2-blockage by trastuzumab plus pertuzumab. Cohort A received second-line T-DM1, and Cohort B second-line T-DM1 and third or fourth-line lapatinib plus capecitabine. RESULTS: Cohort A comprised 233 patients, and Cohort B 47 patients. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7.1 months in Cohort A and 4.6 months in Cohort B. Median overall survival were 36.7 months and 12.9 months, respectively. PFS was significantly dependent on the preceding treatment line's duration. In cohort A, HER2 expression status was a significant predictive factor of PFS. CONCLUSION: First-line trastuzumab plus pertuzumab do not markedly diminish T-DM1's efficacy in second-line. Similarly, sequential treatment with trastuzumab plus pertuzumab then T-DM1 does not noticeably modify the efficacy of lapatinib plus capecitabine.

Selective Ophthalmic Artery Chemotherapy with Melphalan in the Management of Unilateral Retinoblastoma: A Prospective Study.

PURPOSE: To determine prospectively the efficacy and to assess potential side effects of melphalan selective ophthalmic artery chemotherapy (SOAC) as first-line treatment for unilateral retinoblastoma. DESIGN: Phase 2 nonrandomized, prospective study. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with unilateral retinoblastoma group B, C, or D of the International Classification for Intraocular Retinoblastoma (IRC). Group D eyes with massive vitreous seeding were not eligible. METHODS: Melphalan SOAC associated with diode laser thermotherapy, cryotherapy, or both at 4-week intervals (3-6 cycles). For persistent vitreous seeding, intravitreal melphalan chemotherapy also was used. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was globe preservation rate. Secondary outcomes were tumor relapse rate, occurrence of ocular or systemic adverse events, and measurement of the dose area product (DAP). RESULTS: Between 2012 and 2017, 39 patients (39 eyes) with unilateral retinoblastoma were included prospectively. Three included patients did not receive SOAC (2 catheterization failures and 1 case of viral syndrome) and were considered failures. At diagnosis, IRC groups for the 36 treated patients were: B, n = 4 (11%); C, n = 13 (36%); and D, n = 19 (53%); median age was 21.5 months (range, 3.2-61.6 months). Median number of SOAC cycles was 3.9 (range, 1-6 cycles), and median melphalan dose was 4.9 mg/procedure. The median DAP was 1.24 Gy.cm2/procedure. Median follow-up was 63 months (range, 34-93 months). SOAC was associated with local treatments for 31 patients (86%): diode laser thermotherapy for all of them and cryotherapy or intravitreal chemotherapy for 10 (32%) and 9 patients (25%), respectively. SOAC treatment was interrupted in 5 patients because of severe ophthalmic (ptosis, n = 2; retinal ischemia, n = 2) or systemic (hypotension, n = 1) adverse events. At the cutoff date analysis, all patients were alive without metastasis. The 18-month eye preservation rate was 80% (range, 68.6%-94.6%). After a follow-up of at least 30 months, the ocular preservation rate was 69% (n = 24 preservations). CONCLUSIONS: This first prospective trial demonstrated that SOAC with melphalan alone as first-line treatment for retinoblastoma is efficient and well tolerated with no metastatic events, although ocular ischemic complications were observed.

Photons Without Bolus Versus Electrons With Bolus After Upfront Mastectomy Without Immediate Reconstruction in Breast Cancer Patients.

PURPOSE: To evaluate locoregional control and outcome after mastectomy in patients treated with postmastectomy highly conformal electron radiation therapy (PMERT) with bolus compared with patients treated by highly conformal photon radiation therapy (PMPhRT) without bolus in the adjuvant setting of nonmetastatic breast cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We studied women undergoing PMRT without immediate reconstruction for breast cancer before 2012 in 2 sites of our hospital using 2 different techniques. All patients received 50 Gy in 25 fractions. Patients previously treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. RESULTS: Among the 807 patients, 583 received PMERT and 224 received PMPhRT. The median follow-up was 64 months. Patients in the PMERT group had a median age of 52.7 years (range, 26-91 years), 6.9% were triple-negative, 16.3% were HER2-positive, and 58.6% had multifocal lesions. Patients in the PMPhRT group had a median age of 56.4 years (28-89), 8.5% were triple negative, 12.9% were HER2-positive, and 55.8% had multifocal lesions. Lymph node involvement was observed in 66% and 72.8% of cases (P = .07) treated with PMERT and PMPhRT, respectively. No significant difference in overall survival was observed between the 2 groups (hazard ratio [HR], 1.2; 95% CI, 0.67-2.13; P = .54). The risk of locoregional recurrence, estimated using the Fine-Gray method, was significantly higher with PMPhRT than with PMERT (subdistribution HR, 3.62; 95% CI, 1.07-12.3; P = .04), corresponding to a 5-year LRR rate of 0.53% (95% CI, 0-1.12%) for PMERT and 2.52% (95% CI, 0.05%-4.6%) for PMPhRT. CONCLUSIONS: A higher risk of local recurrence was observed in the PMPhRT without bolus group compared with the PMERT with bolus group. Prospective randomized trials are needed to confirm these findings.

Background parenchymal enhancement and fibroglandular tissue on breast MRI in women with high genetic risk: Are changes before and after risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy associated with breast cancer risk?

BACKGROUND: Parenchymal enhancement and fibroglandular tissue on breast MRI in women with high genetic risk: are changes before and after risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy associated with breast cancer risk? OBJECTIVE: To evaluate changes in the level of background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) and amount of fibroglandular tissue (FGT) on breast MRI before and after risk-reducing oophorectomy (RRSO), and to determine whether these changes correlate with ultimate breast cancer risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cohort included 146 women with high genetic risk who had undergone pre- and post-RRSO breast MRI. BPE level and FGT amount were retrospectively graded according to BI-RADS classification. Initial values and changes were compared in women with or without later breast cancer after RRSO. Hazard ratios (HR) were estimated using Cox univariate models. RESULTS: Patients with initial moderate (BI-RADS C category) BPE had a higher risk of subsequent breast cancer of HR = 3.9 (95% CI [1.1-14.3]; p = 0.04) compared to patients with initial minimal (BI-RADS A) BPE. A categorical BPE decrease after RRSO, versus no change, was associated with a higher cancer risk (HR 2.2, 95% CI [1.04-4.8]; p = 0.04). Initially dense (BI-RADS 3 category) FGT correlated with an increased cancer risk compared to fatty (BI-RADS 1 category) parenchyma (HR 8.3, 95% CI [1.1-64]; p = 0.04). After RRSO, there was a trend for higher cancer risk related to a categorical FGT decrease (HR 2.3, 95% CI [0.9-35.4]; p = 0.06). CONCLUSION: Patients in whom BPE decreases after RRSO might be at higher risk of subsequent breast cancer compared to patients with stable BPE. This finding is consistent with the concept of increased risk associated with high initial BPE, which could be of higher clinical relevance than post-RRSO BPE reduction. A similar trend was observed with high initial FGT.

Overdiagnosis of thyroid cancer in the Marne and Ardennes Departments of France from 1975 to 2014.

OBJECTIVES: Incidence of thyroid cancer has increased considerably in France in recent years, but the mortality rate has declined only slightly. Part of this increased incidence could be attributable to overdiagnosis. We aimed to estimate the contribution of overdiagnosis to the incidence of papillary thyroid cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Incidence rates were calculated based on data from the specialised Marnes-Ardennes thyroid cancer registry, for cancers diagnosed between 1975 and 2014, by age category and by five-year period. The population was divided into two groups according to pTNM classification at diagnosis (i.e. localised or invasive). Overdiagnosis was defined as the difference in incidence rates between the invasive cancer and localised cancer groups. This rate was then divided by the incidence rate in the localised cancer group for the most recent period (2010-2014) to obtain the proportion of cancers attributable to overdiagnosis. RESULTS: In total, 2008 patients were included. The proportion of incidence attributable to overdiagnosis for the period 2010-2014 was estimated at 7 and 62% in men and women aged < 50 years respectively, and at 65 and 73% respectively in men and women aged ≥ 50 years. CONCLUSION: We observed a high proportion of cancers attributable to overdiagnosis. This finding raises the issue of patient management, with the risk of overtreatment, and the repercussions on quality of life for patients diagnosed with cancer.

Tracking the career development of scientists in low- and middle-income countries trained through TDR's research capacity strengthening programmes: Learning from monitoring and impact evaluation.

The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) co-sponsored by UNICEF, UNDP, World Bank and WHO has been supporting research capacity strengthening in low- and middle-income countries for over 40 years. In order to assess and continuously optimize its capacity strengthening approaches, an evaluation of the influence of TDR training grants on research career development was undertaken. The assessment was part of a larger evaluation conducted by the European Science Foundation. A comprehensive survey questionnaire was developed and sent to a group of 117 trainees supported by TDR who had completed their degree (masters or PhD) between 2000 and 2012; of these, seventy seven (77) responded. Most of the respondents (80%) rated TDR support as a very important factor that influenced their professional career achievements. The "brain drain" phenomenon towards high-income countries was particularly low amongst TDR grantees: the rate of return to their region of origin upon completion of their degree was 96%. A vast majority of respondents are still working in research (89%), with 81% of respondents having participated in multidisciplinary research activities; women engaged in multidisciplinary collaboration to a higher extent than men. However, only a minority of all have engaged in intersectoral collaboration, an aspect that would require further study. The post-degree career choices made by the respondents were strongly influenced by academic considerations. At the time of the survey, 92% of all respondents hold full-time positions, mainly in the public sector. Almost 25% of the respondents reported that they had influenced policy and practice changes. Some of the challenges and opportunities faced by trainees at various stages of their research career have been identified. Modalities to overcome these will require further investigation. The survey evidenced how TDR's research capacity grant programmes made a difference on researchers' career development and on south-south collaborations, by strengthening and localizing research capacity in lower income regions, and also showed there is more that needs to be done. The factors involved, challenges and lessons learnt may help donors and policy makers improve their future interventions with regard to designing capacity strengthening programmes and setting funding priorities.