Prognostic Factors across Poorly Differentiated Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: A Pooled Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) are characterized by aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis. No reliable prognostic markers have been validated to date; thus, the definition of a specific NEC prognostic algorithm represents a clinical need. This study aimed to analyze a large NEC case series to validate the specific prognostic factors identified in previous studies on gastro-entero-pancreatic and lung NECs and to assess if further prognostic parameters can be isolated. METHODS: A pooled analysis of four NEC retrospective studies was performed to evaluate the prognostic role of Ki-67 cut-off, the overall survival (OS) according to primary cancer site, and further prognostic parameters using multivariable Cox proportional hazards model and machine learning random survival forest (RSF). RESULTS: 422 NECs were analyzed. The most represented tumor site was the colorectum (n = 156, 37%), followed by the lungs (n = 111, 26%), gastroesophageal site (n = 83, 20%; 66 gastric, 79%) and pancreas (n = 42, 10%). The Ki-67 index was the most relevant predictor, followed by morphology (pure or mixed/combined NECs), stage, and site. The predicted RSF response for survival at 1, 2, or 3 years showed decreasing survival with increasing Ki-67, pure NEC morphology, stage III-IV, and colorectal NEC disease. Patients with Ki-67 <55% and mixed/combined morphology had better survival than those with pure morphology. Morphology pure or mixed/combined became irrelevant in NEC survival when Ki-67 was ≥55%. The prognosis of metastatic patients who did not receive any treatment tended to be worse compared to that of the treated group. The prognostic impact of Rb1 immunolabeling appears to be limited when multiple risk factors are simultaneously assessed. CONCLUSION: The most effective parameters to predict OS for NEC patients could be Ki-67, pure or mixed/combined morphology, stage, and site.

Platinum sensitivity in patients with IDH1/2 mutated vs wild-type intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: A propensity score-based study.

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)1/2 mutations are the most frequent druggable alterations in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), reported in ~20% of cases. Preclinical evidence indicates that these mutations are associated with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), which could be exploited as a target for platinum chemotherapy (ChT) and PARP inhibitors. However, the role of IDH1/2 mutations as surrogate biomarkers for platinum efficacy is unknown. We conducted a multicenter, propensity score-matched analysis to investigate the impact of IDH1/2 mutations on progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) in patients with iCCA treated with platinum-based ChT. An exploratory comparison of complex HRD estimates between IDH1/2 mutated and wild-type tumors from TCGA was also performed. A total of 120 cases were matched in a 1:1 ratio (60 IDH1/2 mutant and 60 wild-type). No differences were observed for platinum-based PFS (7.7 vs 7.3 months, P = .970), DCR (66.1% vs 74.1%, P = .361) and ORR (27.8% vs 25.0%, P = .741). IDH1/2 mutations showed mutual exclusivity with genomic alterations in ATM, BRCA2, MST1R, NF1, FGFR2 and CDKN2A/B losses, respectively, with no clear survival and response differences. Among TCGA tumors, IDH1/2 mutated CCA did not show higher HRD compared to wild-type cases. IDH1/2 mutations are not associated with increased sensitivity to platinum-based ChT in iCCA patients. Deeper genomic sequencing is needed to elucidate the HRD phenotype in IDH1/2 mutant iCCA and exploit its therapeutic vulnerabilities.

Prognostic and Predictive Value of Microsatellite Instability, Inflammatory Reaction and PD-L1 in Gastric Cancer Patients Treated with Either Adjuvant 5-FU/LV or Sequential FOLFIRI Followed by Cisplatin and Docetaxel: A Translational Analysis from the ITACA-S Trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with high microsatellite instability (MSI) gastric cancer (GC) show improved survival and no benefit or harm from adjuvant and/or perioperative chemotherapy. The role of immune microenvironment in GC is largely unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present study, 256 tumor tissue blocks were centrally collected from patients enrolled in ITACA-S, a randomized adjuvant trial of 5-FU/LV versus sequential FOLFIRI and cisplatin-docetaxel. MSI status was assessed by multiplex PCR, inflammatory reaction by H&E morphological assessment, and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Overall, 9% patients had MSI-high tumors, 23% had high inflammatory reaction, 11% had tumor PD-L1 ≥ 1%, and 11% had stromal PD-L1 ≥ 1%. A significant association with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was found for MSI-high (hazard ratio [HR], 0.43; p = .02; HR, 0.40; p = .02) and high inflammatory reaction (HR, 0.55; p = .010; HR, 0.53; p = .008) but not for PD-L1. At multivariable analysis, only MSI showed an independent association with both DFS (p = .02) and OS (p = .01), whereas inflammatory reaction showed an independent association only with OS (p = .04). Patients with tumor PD-L1 ≥ 1% had a significantly longer DFS in sequential chemotherapy than in than 5-FU/LV arm (interaction p = .04) and a trend for OS (interaction p = .12). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that MSI status could be a useful prognostic biomarker in patients with radically resected stage II-III GC and should be used as stratification factor in future trials. Tumor PD-L1 ≥ 1% should be further investigated as a potential predictor of benefit from intensive chemotherapy. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: In this post hoc analysis of patients with radically resected gastric cancer randomized to an intensive sequential chemotherapy regimen versus 5-FU/LV monotherapy as adjuvant treatment in the ITACA-S trial, MSI-high status was independently associated with better disease-free survival and overall survival (OS) and inflammatory reaction was independently associated with better OS. Moreover, tumor PD-L1 expression ≥1% was associated with greater benefit from intensive sequential chemotherapy compared with 5-fluorouracil plus leucovorin (5-FU/LV), whereas PD-L1 expression <1% was not, conditioning a statistically significant interaction between such biomarker and treatment arms. The meta-analysis of individual patients' data from available studies could yield data on the role of MSI status that could inform clinical decisions.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) provides estimates of minute and interstitial BAP1, CDKN2A, and NF2 gene deletions in peritoneal mesothelioma.

The aim of this study was to assess the performance of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in identifying the copy number profiles of the three key peritoneal mesothelioma tumor suppressor genes BAP1, CDKN2A, and NF2, with particular emphasis on minute homozygous deletions, a copy number abnormality recently unveiled at the 3p21 (BAP1) chromosomal region using high-throughput methods. FISH was performed on 75 formalin-fixed-paraffin-embedded peritoneal mesotheliomas and recognized two types of monoallelic loss (monosomy, and hemizygous deletion) and two types of biallelic loss (canonical homozygous deletion with a complete loss of FISH signal and homozygous deletion with diminished signal). Diminished FISH signals revealed deletions occurring within the genomic region covered by the gene-specific probe and affected all three tumor suppressors. BAP1 homozygous deletions with diminished signal outnumbered canonical homozygous deletions (13 vs 3): conversely, canonical homozygous deletions were prevalent for CDKN2A (2 vs 14). Diminished signal homozygous deletion was the only pattern of biallelic loss observed for NF2 (2 cases). Hemizygous deletion mainly affected BAP1 (21 vs 6), while monosomy was prevalent for CDKN2A (14 vs 7) and particularly for NF2 where it accounts for all monoallelic losses. FISH/immunohistochemistry (BAP1, CDKN2A, and MTAP) correlation showed that all homozygous deletions, including those with diminished signals, resulted in a null BAP1 and CDKN2A immunophenotype but only canonical CDKN2A homozygous deletions resulted in MTAP loss of expression. BAP1 hemizygous deletion, but not monosomy, was also invariably associated with loss of protein expression whereas neither type of CDKN2A monoallelic loss correlated with p16 or MTAP immunohistochemistry. Array comparative genomic hybridization performed on a spontaneously emerging peritoneal mesothelioma cell line provided support for the interpretation of the FISH patterns and allowed us to extend the number of chromatin remodeling factors involved in mesothelioma to SETD7 and PCGF5, two previously unreported genes.

miR-146a-5p impairs melanoma resistance to kinase inhibitors by targeting COX2 and regulating NFkB-mediated inflammatory mediators.

BACKGROUND: Targeted therapy with BRAF and MEK inhibitors has improved the survival of patients with BRAF-mutated metastatic melanoma, but most patients relapse upon the onset of drug resistance induced by mechanisms including genetic and epigenetic events. Among the epigenetic alterations, microRNA perturbation is associated with the development of kinase inhibitor resistance. Here, we identified and studied the role of miR-146a-5p dysregulation in melanoma drug resistance. METHODS: The miR-146a-5p-regulated NFkB signaling network was identified in drug-resistant cell lines and melanoma tumor samples by expression profiling and knock-in and knock-out studies. A bioinformatic data analysis identified COX2 as a central gene regulated by miR-146a-5p and NFkB. The effects of miR-146a-5p/COX2 manipulation were studied in vitro in cell lines and with 3D cultures of treatment-resistant tumor explants from patients progressing during therapy. RESULTS: miR-146a-5p expression was inversely correlated with drug sensitivity and COX2 expression and was reduced in BRAF and MEK inhibitor-resistant melanoma cells and tissues. Forced miR-146a-5p expression reduced COX2 activity and significantly increased drug sensitivity by hampering prosurvival NFkB signaling, leading to reduced proliferation and enhanced apoptosis. Similar effects were obtained by inhibiting COX2 by celecoxib, a clinically approved COX2 inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS: Deregulation of the miR-146a-5p/COX2 axis occurs in the development of melanoma resistance to targeted drugs in melanoma patients. This finding reveals novel targets for more effective combination treatment. Video Abstract.

Gastroenteropancreatic High-Grade Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: Histology and Molecular Analysis, Two Sides of the Same Coin.

BACKGROUND: In gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) high-grade neuroendocrine neoplasms (H-NENs), Ki-67 threshold of 55% defines three prognosis subclasses: neuroendocrine tumor (NET) G3, neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) <55%, and NEC ≥55%. We investigated whether the molecular profiling of H-NENs differs among these subcategories and evaluated potential therapeutic targets, including PD-L1. METHODS: In GEP-NEN patients, we evaluated: (i) 55% threshold for Ki-67 labeling index for further stratifying NEC and (ii) immunoreactivity and gene mutations by immunohistochemistry and targeted next-generation sequencing (T-NGS). RESULTS: Fifteen NETs G3 and 39 NECs were identified. Ki-67 labeling index was <55% in 9 NECs and ≥55% in 30 NECs. Gene mutations by NGS (TP53, 32.9%; KRAS, 5.5%; BRAF, 4.1%) were detected in 46.6% NENs, significantly enriched in NEC ≥55% (76.7%) compared to NEC <55% (55.6%) or NET (20.0%). PD-L1 staining in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes was observed in NEC ≥55% (36.7%; p = 0.03). Median OS was 4.3 years in NET G3, 1.8 years in NEC <55%, and 0.7 years in NEC ≥55% (p <0.0001); it was 2.3 years with NGS wild-type, 0.7 years with ≥1 mutation (p <0.0001), 0.8 years in PD-L1-positive patients, and 1.7 years in PD-L1-negative subjects (p = 0.0004). In multivariate analysis, only the proposed subclassification approach yielded statistically significant differences between groups (NEC <55% vs. NET G3, HR 14.1, 95% CI 2.2-89.8, p = 0.005; NEC ≥55% vs. NET G3, HR 25.8, 95% CI 3.9-169, p = 0.0007). CONCLUSIONS: These findings identify NEC ≥55% as a biologically and prognostically distinct subtype and pave the way for more personalized treatment.

Imatinib and everolimus in patients with progressing advanced chordoma: A phase 2 clinical study.

BACKGROUND: We present the results of an academic phase 2 study on imatinib plus everolimus in patients who have progressive advanced chordoma. METHODS: In January 2011, 43 adult chordoma patients were enrolled in the study and received imatinib 400 mg/day and everolimus 2.5 mg/day until progression or limiting toxicity. Eligible patients had progressed in the 6 months before study entry. PDGFRB, S6, and 4EBP1 expression and phosphorylation were evaluated by way of immunohistochemistry and/or western blotting. The primary endpoint was the overall response rate (ORR) according to Choi criteria. Secondary endpoints were RECIST 1.1 response, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), correlation between S6/4EBP1 phosphorylation and response. RESULTS: Thirteen of 43 patients were pretreated with imatinib. Among 40 of the 43 patients who were evaluable by Choi criteria, the best responses were 9 with partial response (ORR, 20.9%), 24 with stable disease (SD) (ORR, 55.8%), and 7 with progressive disease (ORR, 16.3%). Forty-two patients were evaluable by RECIST criteria, with 1 partial response (ORR, 2.3%), 37 stable disease (ORR, 86%), and 4 progressive disease (ORR, 9.3%). The median PFS according to Choi criteria was 11.5 months (range, 4.6-17.6 months), and 58.8% and 48.1% of patients were progression-free at 9 and 12 months, respectively. The median PFS by RECIST criteria was 14 months; the median OS was 47.1 months. When assessable, S6/4EBP1 was phosphorylated in a high and moderate/low proportion of tumor cells in responsive and nonresponsive patients, respectively. Toxicity caused a temporary and definitive treatment discontinuation in 60.5% and 30.2% of patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Imatinib plus everolimus showed a limited activity in progressing advanced chordoma. Interestingly, the amount of tumor cells activated for mammalian target of rapamycin effectors correlated with the response. Toxicity was not negligible.

Self-Assembled Nanomicelles as Curcumin Drug Delivery Vehicles: Impact on Solitary Fibrous Tumor Cell Protein Expression and Viability.

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are rare soft tissue sarcomas that rely on several epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) protein regulators for invasion/metastatic progression. Curcumin (CUR) has several pharmacological activities, including anticancer activity and the ability to suppress the EMT process. However, poor absorption, rapid metabolism, and side effects at high doses limit the clinical applications of CUR. Here we present the results obtained by treating SFT cells with free CUR and three different CUR-loaded nanomicelles (NMs), each of which has its surface decorated with different ligands. All CUR-loaded NMs were more efficient in suppressing SFT cell viability and expression of EMT markers than CUR alone. Combined treatments with the pan-histone deacetylase dual inhibitor SAHA revealed a differential ability in inhibiting EMT markers expression and SFT cell invasiveness, depending on the NM-ligand type. Finally, combinations of photodynamic therapy and CUR-loaded NM administrations resulted in almost complete SFT cell viability abrogation 24 h after laser irradiation.

Immunohistochemical and molecular profile of salivary gland cancer in children.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric salivary gland carcinomas (SGCs) are very rare. They differ from the adult SGCs in terms of epidemiologic and clinical behavior, being generally limited only to selected histotypes (e.g. low-grade mucoepidermoid [LG-MEC] and acinic cell cancer [AcCC]) and characterized by very good outcome. Our aim was to investigate therapeutic targets on a series of pediatric SGCs by immunohistochemical and molecular analysis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed to search for cases of pediatric SGCs in the database of the Pediatric Oncology Unit at the Istituto Nazionale Tumori and in the Pathology database at the Gerhard-Seifert-Reference-Centre. The expressions of the most common tyrosine-kinase receptors (TKRs) reported in adult SGCs as EGFR, HER2, KIT and hormonal receptors (HRs) (estrogen α and ß, progesterone as well as androgen receptors) were investigated. CRTC1/MAML2 and MYB/NFIB were also analyzed in MEC and adenoid cystic carcinoma cases, respectively. RESULTS: Twenty-nine cases were identified: 22 MECs, 4 AcCCs, 1 adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), 1 adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified and 1 sialoblastoma. EGFR was the most expressed TKR, whilst HRs were negative in all cases except for ER-ß in four cases of MEC. CRTC1/MAML2 was present in 15 out of 17 evaluable MEC cases and MYB/NFIB was identified in the ACC case. CONCLUSIONS: The immunohistochemical and molecular profiles of pediatric SGCs analyzed in our series are similar to that observed in adults, especially for MEC, supporting a common biological background.

Rationale and protocol of MetNET-2 trial: Lanreotide Autogel plus metformin in advanced gastrointestinal or lung neuroendocrine tumors.

Metformin (MET) has recently emerged as a potentially active agent in cancer prevention and treatment. MET is thought to exert its antitumor effects either via modification of systemic metabolism or through cell-autonomous effects (e.g., activation of AMPK and inhibition of the mTOR pathway). Preliminary findings of the PRIME-NET study suggest that the addition of MET to treatment with everolimus (EVE) and/or somatostatin analogs (SSAs) can provide clinical benefit in diabetic neuroendocrine tumor (NET) patients. In light of this and other retrospective evidence of MET's anticancer activity in NETs, prospective studies are needed. A pilot, single-arm, open-label, prospective study (MetNET-2 trial, NCT02823691) was designed to evaluate the safety of MET in combination with lanreotide in well-differentiated gastrointestinal (WD GI) and lung NETs.

GNAS mutations as prognostic biomarker in patients with relapsed peritoneal pseudomyxoma receiving metronomic capecitabine and bevacizumab: a clinical and translational study.

BACKGROUND: There is lack of evidence about systemic treatment of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) relapsing after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. There is also lack of biomarkers able to predict outcomes beyond known clinical and pathological prognostic features. METHODS: Fifteen patients with relapsed PMP and progressive disease within the last 6 months were included and received metronomic capecitabine (625 mg/mq/day b.i.d.) and bevacizumab (7.5 mg/Kg three-weekly) until progressive disease/unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Ion Torrent(®) next generation sequencing technology (Hot-spot Cancer Panel) was used to characterize molecular features. RESULTS: At a median follow up of 12 months, median PFS was 8.2 months and 1-year overall survival was 91 %. Partial responses were observed in 20 % of cases, but a significant reduction of tumor markers in up to 79 %. Treatment was very well tolerated without no new safety signals. All tumor samples except one had KRAS mutations. Patients with GNAS mutations had a significantly shorter median PFS as compared to GNAS wild-type ones (5.3 months vs. not reached; p < 0.007). The results were externally validated on our previous series of PMP patients. GNAS mutations were rare in a parallel cohort of 121 advanced colorectal cancers (2.5 %), but were associated with peculiar clinical-pathological features and aggressive course. CONCLUSIONS: Metronomic capecitabine and bevacizumab is an active and well tolerated option in patients with relapsed PMP. The negative prognostic effect of GNAS mutations in gastrointestinal cancers warrants further confirmatory studies and may prompt the development of effective targeted strategies.

Solitary fibrous tumors: loss of chimeric protein expression and genomic instability mark dedifferentiation.

Solitary fibrous tumors, which are characterized by their broad morphological spectrum and unpredictable behavior, are rare mesenchymal neoplasias that are currently divided into three main variants that have the NAB2-STAT6 gene fusion as their unifying molecular lesion: usual, malignant and dedifferentiated solitary fibrous tumors. The aims of this study were to validate molecular and immunohistochemical/biochemical approaches to diagnose the range of solitary fibrous tumors by focusing on the dedifferentiated variant, and to reveal the genetic events associated with dedifferentiation by integrating the findings of array comparative genomic hybridization. We studied 29 usual, malignant and dedifferentiated solitary fibrous tumors from 24 patients (including paired samples from five patients whose tumors progressed to the dedifferentiated form) by means of STAT6 immunohistochemistry and (when frozen material was available) reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and biochemistry. In addition, the array comparative genomic hybridization findings were used to profile 12 tumors from nine patients. The NAB2/STAT6 fusion was detected in all of the tumors, but immunohistochemistry and western blotting indicated that chimeric protein expression was atypical or absent in 9 out of 11 dedifferentiated tumors. The comparative genomic hybridization results revealed that the usual and malignant solitary fibrous tumors had a simple profile, whereas the genome of the dedifferentiated tumors was complex and unstable, and suggested that 13q and 17p deletions and TP53 mutations may be present in malignant lesions before the full expression of a dedifferentiated phenotype. Solitary fibrous tumor dedifferentiation is associated with the loss of chimeric oncoprotein expression, genomic instability, and cell decommitment and reprogramming. The assessment of dedifferentiated solitary fibrous tumors is based on the presence of the fusion transcripts and, in principle, negative STAT6 immunohistochemistry should not rule out a diagnosis of solitary fibrous tumor.

FOLFOX-4 chemotherapy for patients with unresectable or relapsed peritoneal pseudomyxoma.

PURPOSE: The standard treatment of peritoneal pseudomyxoma is based on cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The establishment of newer systemic treatments is an unmet clinical need for unresectable or relapsed peritoneal pseudomyxoma. The aim of our study was to assess the activity of chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX-4 regimen) in terms of response rate in this subset of patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were included in a single-center, observational study and treated with FOLFOX-4 administered every 2 weeks for up to 12 cycles or until progressive disease or unacceptable toxicity. RESULTS: Twenty consecutive patients were reviewed from July 2011 to September 2013. Only partial responses were observed, with an objective response rate of 20%. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 8 months and 26 months, respectively. Two patients were able to undergo laparotomy with complete cytoreduction and HIPEC in one case. Safety data for FOLFOX-4 were consistent with the literature. By means of a mutant enriched polymerase chain reaction, KRAS mutation was found in 16 of 19 cases (84%), and MGMT promoter methylation was found in 8 (42%, all KRAS mutant). CONCLUSION: FOLFOX-4 chemotherapy is tolerable and active in patients with peritoneal pseudomyxoma when disease is deemed unresectable or relapsed after peritonectomy and HIPEC. The identification of predictive biomarkers, such as KRAS for resistance to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibodies and MGMT for response to temozolomide, is a priority for the development of evidence-based treatment strategies for peritoneal pseudomyxoma.

Ewing sarcoma of the small bowel: a study of seven cases, including one with the uncommonly reported EWSR1-FEV translocation.

AIMS: Primary Ewing sarcoma of the ileum has rarely been documented. Little is known about its pathogenesis and clinical implications, and it would be helpful to identify novel molecular markers. EWSR1-FEV translocation is exceedingly rare in Ewing sarcoma, as FEV expression is restricted to prostate, brain and serotonin neuroendocrine cells (NE) and related tumours. METHODS AND RESULTS: Paraffin sections or snap-frozen material were used in this investigation. Tumours were investigated by means of immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR (EWSR1-FLI1, EWSR1-ERG and EWSR1-FEV transcripts), FISH analysis (EWSR1 break-apart and specific EWSR1-FEV translocation) and spectral karyotyping (SKY). Ten ileal neuroendocrine tumours (INET) made up the control group for EWSR1-FEV translocation. Among 445 Ewing sarcomas cases spanning a period of 20 years, seven (1.6%) arose in the ileum. All tumours were immunoreactive for synaptophysin, CD99, FLI1 and vimentin. FISH identified EWSR1 rearrangement in all cases, with EWSR1-FLI1 transcripts being detected in all but one tumour showing the uncommon EWSR1-FEV rearrangement, with SKY, RT-PCR and FISH confirmation. The mean survival of EWSR1-FLI1 patients was 14 months, whereas the EWSR1-FEV patient was alive after 15 years despite several recurrences controlled by surgery alone. No INET showed EWSR1 translocation. CONCLUSIONS: Most primary Ewing sarcomas of the ileum show the common EWSR1-FLI1 translocation, but EWSR1-FEV could be specific for tumours arising in the ileum and showing better prognosis.

Is tumour sequencing effective for the identification of germline BRCA1/2 pathogenic variant carriers?

This article is temporarily under embargo.

Sunitinib for the treatment of patients with advanced pheochromocytomas or paragangliomas: The phase 2 non-randomized SUTNET clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Metastatic Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) are rare neuroendocrine tumors characterized by high morbidity and limited systemic treatment options, mainly based on radiometabolic treatments or chemotherapy. Based on the preclinical rationale that PGGLs carcinogenesis relies on angiogenesis, treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) may represent another viable therapeutic option. METHODS: We conducted a prospective phase II study in patients with metastatic or unresectable PGGLs. Patients received sunitinib (50 mg daily for 4 weeks, followed by a 2-week rest period) until progressive disease (PD), unacceptable toxicity or consent withdrawal. The primary endpoint was 12-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate; secondary endpoints were safety overall response rate (ORR) according to RECIST 1.1 criteria and overall survival (OS). EudraCT Number: 2011-002632-99. RESULTS: Fifty patients were included. At a median follow-up of 71.7 months (IQR 35.4-100.1), the 1 year-PFS rate was 53.4 % (95 %CI 41.1-69.3) and median PFS was 14.1 months (95 % CI 8.9-25.7). ORR was 15.6 %, the median OS was 49.4 months (95 %CI 21.2-NA), and grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events were reported in 34 % patients. No significant correlation was found between specific genetic alterations or genomic clusters and sunitinib efficacy. CONCLUSION: Sunitinib is an active drug in patients with advanced PGGLs, capable of inducing prolonged disease control with a manageable toxicity profile.

Multistep tumor genetic evolution and changes in immunogenicity trigger immune-mediated disease eradication in stage IV melanoma: lessons from a single case.

Durable remissions are observed in 10%-20% of treated patients with advanced metastatic melanoma but the factors associated with long-term complete clinical responses are largely unknown. Here, we report the molecular characteristics of tumor evolution during disease progression along a 9-year clinical course in a patient with advanced disseminated melanoma who received different treatments, including trametinib, ipilimumab, radiation, vemurafenib, surgical tumor debulking and a second ipilimumab course, ultimately achieving complete long-term disease remission.Longitudinal analyses of therapies-resistant metastatic tumors revealed the effects of different treatments on tumor's microenvironment and immunogenicity, ultimately creating a milieu favorable to immunotherapy response. Monitoring of the temporal dynamics of T cells by analysis of the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire in the tumor and peripheral blood during disease evolution indicated that T-cell clones with common TCR rearrangements, present at low levels at baseline, were maintained and expanded after immunotherapy, and that TCR diversity increased. Analysis of genetic, molecular, and cellular components of the tumor depicted a multistep process in which treatment with kinase inhibitors strongly conditioned the immune microenvironment creating an inflamed milieu converting cold into hot tumors, while ipilimumab impacted and increased the TCR repertoire, a requirement for tumor rejection.Since the optimal sequencing of treatment with antibodies targeting immune checkpoints and kinase inhibitors for advanced melanoma is still clinically debated, this case indicates that immunotherapy success is possible even after progression on targeted therapy.

In vitro and in silico studies of MDM2/MDMX isoforms predict Nutlin-3A sensitivity in well/de-differentiated liposarcomas.

The molecular marker of well-differentiated/de-differentiated liposarcomas is MDM2 gene amplification coupled with protein overexpression and wild-type TP53. MDMX is a recently identified MDM2 homolog and its presence in this tumor is unexplored. Our aim was to investigate the role of full-length MDM2 and MDMX proteins and their isoforms in surgical specimens of well-differentiated/de-differentiated liposarcomas in view of Nutlin-3A (a MDM2 inhibitor) treatment. Frozen and matched formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded material from surgical specimens was examined by means of: (1) fluorescence in situ hybridization to determine MDM2 and MDMX gene copy numbers; (2) RT-PCR and densitometry to analyze alternative splicing forms of mdm2 and mdmx; (3) immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry to assess the corresponding translated proteins; and (4) in vitro and in silico assays to determine their affinity for Nutlin-3A. All these cases showed MDM2 gene amplification with an MDMX disomic pattern. In all cases, the full-length mdm2 transcript was associated with the mdm2-b transcript, with ratios ranging from 0.07 to 5.6, and both were translated into protein; mdmx and mdmx-s were co-transcripted, with ratios ranging from 0.1 to 5.6. MDMX-S was frequently more upregulated than MDMX at both transcriptional and protein level. Each case showed different amounts of mdm2, mdm2-b, mdmx, and mdmx-s transcripts and the corresponding proteins. In vitro assays showed that Nutlin-3A was ineffective against MDM2-B and was unable to disrupt the MDMX/TP53 and MSMX-S/TP53 complexes. Molecular simulations confirmed these in vitro findings by showing that MDM2 has high Nutlin-3A affinity, followed by MDMX-S, MDMX, and MDM2-B. Nutlin-3A is predicted to be a good therapeutic option for well-differentiated/de-differentiated liposarcomas. However, our findings predict heterogeneous responses depending on the relative expression of mdm2, mdm2-b, mdmx, and mdmx-s transcripts and proteins.

The Revolution of Immunotherapy in Gynecological Cancers: The Lazarus Effect in Endometrial Cancer.

Patients with solid tumors and mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) are eligible for immunotherapy. Recently, different reports described patients with poor performance status (PS), unrelated to comorbidities, which showed a rapid improvement of their clinical conditions under immunotherapy, which evoked a Lazarus response. Very few data on the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy in patients with gynecological malignancies and poor PS are available. Based on the GARNET trial, Dostarlimab, a monoclonal antibody anti-programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1), has been approved in advanced or recurrent mismatch repair deficient endometrial cancer (EC) which progressed after platinum-based therapy. For the first time, in gynecological oncology, an immune checkpoint inhibitor drastically changed the clinical practice. We collected a multicenter case series of six patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma and PS ECOG 3-4 treated with Dostarlimab, showing exceptionally quick responses and significant improvement of PS to configure a Lazarus response.

NUT carcinoma of the submandibular gland: A case report.

BACKGROUND: NUT carcinoma (NUTc) is a rare and aggressive malignant epithelial tumor characterized by rearrangement of the NUT gene on chromosome 15q14. METHODS: In this article, we present the fifth case worldwide of a young woman affected by a NUTc arising from a submandibular gland, presenting as a rapidly evolving mass. She underwent a right scialoadenectomy and received the initial diagnosis of high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Due to evidence of local recurrence at magnetic resonance imaging 1 month later, a subsequent right radical neck dissection was performed. The patient then sought a second opinion at our cancer center and finally received the correct diagnosis of NUT carcinoma. Given the well-known aggressive behavior of this neoplasm, as well as clinical and radiological features, she underwent adjuvant chemo-radiation (intensity-modulated radiotherapy + concurrent chemotherapy with cisplatin). RESULTS: After a disease-free interval of 2.6 months, a widespread metastatic disease led to rapid deterioration of performance status and patient death in a few weeks after metastatic onset. CONCLUSIONS: We presented a case of NUTc arising from salivary gland aiming to improve the knowledge of this rare malignancy. First, we pointed out that in the setting of rare tumors like salivary gland cancers, the diagnosis should be obtained by expert pathologists, and patients should be referred to tertiary cancer centers for their clinical management. Second, molecular profiling may help to identify possible druggable targets that may be exploited to treat patients suffering from this aggressive malignancy. Sharing the molecular data provided in this case will be useful for further research.