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BACKGROUND: This study investigated the safety and efficacy of an anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody (CS1002) as monotherapy and in combination with an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody (CS1003) in patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors. METHODS: The phase 1 study involved phase 1a monotherapy dose-escalation (part 1) and phase 1b combination therapy dose escalation (part 2) and expansion (part 3). Various dosing schedules of CS1002 (0.3, 1, or 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks, or 3 mg/kg every 9 weeks) were evaluated with 200 mg CS1003 every 3 weeks in part 3. RESULTS: Parts 1, 2, and 3 included a total of 13, 18, and 61 patients, respectively. No dose-limiting toxicities or maximum tolerated doses were observed. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were reported in 30.8%, 83.3%, and 75.0% of patients in parts 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Grade ≥3 TRAEs were experienced by 15.4%, 50.0%, and 18.3% of patients in each part. Of 61 patients evaluable for efficacy, 23 (37.7%) achieved objective responses in multiple tumor types. Higher objective response rates were observed with conventional and high-dose CS1002 regimens (1 mg/kg every 3 weeks or 3 mg/kg every 9 weeks) compared to low-dose CS1002 (0.3 mg/kg every 3 weeks) in microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair-deficient tumors, melanoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma (50.0% vs. 58.8%, 14.3% vs. 42.9%, and 0% vs. 16.7%). CONCLUSION: CS1002, as monotherapy, and in combination with CS1003, had a manageable safety profile across a broad dosing range. Promising antitumor activities were observed in patients with immune oncology (IO)-naive and IO-refractory tumors across CS1002 dose levels when combined with CS1003, supporting further evaluation of this treatment combination for solid tumors. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: CS1002 is a human immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 monoclonal antibody that blocks the interaction of CTLA-4 with its ligands and increases T-cell activation/proliferation. CS1003, now named nofazinlimab, is a humanized, recombinant IgG4 monoclonal antibody that blocks the interaction between human PD-1 and its ligands. In this original article, we determined the safety profile of CS1002 as monotherapy and in combination with CS1003. Furthermore, we explored the antitumor activity of the combination in anti-programmed cell death protein (ligand)-1 (PD-[L]1)-naive microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair-deficient (MSI-H/dMMR) pan tumors, and anti-PD-(L)1-refractory melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CS1002 in combination with CS1003 had manageable safety profile across a broad dosing range and showed promising antitumor activities across CS1002 dose levels when combined with CS1003. This supports further assessment of CS1002 in combination with CS1003 for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados , Antígeno CTLA-4 , Inibidores de Checkpoint Imunológico , Neoplasias , Receptor de Morte Celular Programada 1 , Humanos , Masculino , Feminino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Neoplasias/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias/patologia , Antígeno CTLA-4/antagonistas & inibidores , Antígeno CTLA-4/imunologia , Idoso , Adulto , Receptor de Morte Celular Programada 1/antagonistas & inibidores , Inibidores de Checkpoint Imunológico/uso terapêutico , Inibidores de Checkpoint Imunológico/administração & dosagem , Inibidores de Checkpoint Imunológico/efeitos adversos , Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados/administração & dosagem , Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados/uso terapêutico , Anticorpos Monoclonais Humanizados/efeitos adversos , Dose Máxima Tolerável , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/uso terapêuticoRESUMO
OPINION STATEMENT: Small intestine cancer is rare, accounting for approximately 3% of all gastrointestinal malignancies. The most common histological subtypes include adenocarcinoma, neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) and gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs). In localised disease, surgery remains the mainstay of treatment and the best approach to improve survival. Current treatment for small intestine adenocarcinoma (SIA) is extrapolated from small studies and data from colorectal cancer (CRC). There is limited evidence to guide therapy in the adjuvant setting. However, there are small phase II studies in the advanced setting providing evidence for the role of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. There is also limited evidence assessing the efficacy of targeted therapies. Small intestine NETs are rare, with evidence for somatostatin analogue therapy, particularly in the low to intermediate-grade well-differentiated tumours. Poorly differentiated NETs are generally managed with chemotherapy but have worse outcomes compared with well-differentiated NETs. The management of small intestine GISTs is largely targeting KIT mutations with imatinib. Recent trials have provided evidence for effective therapies in imatinib-resistant tumours and the potential role of immunotherapy. The aim of this article was to review the evidence for the current management and recent advances in the management of small intestine adenocarcinoma, NETs and GISTs.
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Adenocarcinoma , Antineoplásicos , Neoplasias Duodenais , Tumores do Estroma Gastrointestinal , Neoplasias Intestinais , Tumores Neuroendócrinos , Humanos , Mesilato de Imatinib/uso terapêutico , Antineoplásicos/uso terapêutico , Intestino Delgado/patologia , Neoplasias Intestinais/diagnóstico , Neoplasias Intestinais/etiologia , Neoplasias Intestinais/terapia , Tumores do Estroma Gastrointestinal/diagnóstico , Tumores do Estroma Gastrointestinal/etiologia , Tumores do Estroma Gastrointestinal/terapia , Tumores Neuroendócrinos/terapia , Adenocarcinoma/tratamento farmacológicoRESUMO
The ectonucleotidases CD39 and CD73 are present on immune cells and play important roles in cancer progression by suppressing antitumour immunity. As such, CD39 and CD73 on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are emerging as potential biomarkers to predict disease outcomes and treatment responses in cancer patients. This study aimed to examine T and B cells, including CD39 and CD73 expressing subsets, by flow cytometry in PBMCs from 28 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and to assess the correlation with the treatment modality, human papillomavirus (HPV) status, and relapse-free survival (RFS). The PBMCs were examined pre-, mid-, and post-radiotherapy with concurrent cisplatin chemotherapy or anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody (cetuximab) therapy. Combination radiotherapy caused changes to T and B cell populations, including CD39 and CD73 expressing subsets, but no such differences were observed between concurrent chemotherapy and cetuximab. Pretreatment PBMCs from HPV+ patients contained increased proportions of CD39-CD73-CD4+ T cells and reduced proportions of CD39-/+CD73+CD4+ T cells compared to the equivalent cells from HPV- patients. Notably, the pretreatment CD4+:CD8+ T cell ratios and CD39+CD73+CD19+ B cell proportions below the respective cohort medians corresponded with an improved RFS. Collectively, this study supports the notion that CD39 and CD73 may contribute to disease outcomes in HNSCC patients and may assist as biomarkers, either alone or as part of immune signatures, in HNSCC. Further studies of CD39 and CD73 on PBMCs from larger cohorts of HNSCC patients are warranted.
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Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço , Infecções por Papillomavirus , Humanos , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas de Cabeça e Pescoço/tratamento farmacológico , Cetuximab , Leucócitos Mononucleares , Recidiva Local de Neoplasia , Linfócitos T CD8-Positivos , Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal , Antígenos CD19 , Doença Crônica , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/tratamento farmacológico , Linfócitos T CD4-PositivosRESUMO
BACKGROUND/AIM: Right sided colon cancer (RsCC) is proposed to be a distinct disease entity to left sided colon cancer (LsCC). We seek to confirm primary tumour location as an independent prognostic factor in locoregional colorectal cancer. METHODS: All patients with stage I - III primary adenocarcinoma of colon were identified from the New South Wales (NSW) clinical cancer registry (2006-2013). Primary tumour location (RsCC vs LsCC) survival analyses were conducted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and adjusted hazard ratios for 5-year all-cause mortality (OS) and 5-year cancer specific mortality (CSS) were obtained using Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: We identified 9509 patients including 5051 patients with RsCC and 4458 with LsCC. Patients with RsCC were more likely to be older, female, have a higher Charlson comorbidity index, and have worse tumour prognostic factors. In univariate analysis of all stages combined, those patients with RsCC had a worse overall survival (OS, HR 1.20 95% CI 1.11-1.29, p < 0.0001), although this was not significant in the multivariate analysis (HR 0.96 95% CI 0.89-1.04, p = 0.35). Stage I patients with RsCC had a trend to improved OS (multivariate HR 0.84 95% CI 0.69-1.01, p = 0.07) and a significantly improved CSS (multivariate HR 0.51 95% CI 0.35-0.75, p = 0.0006). In stage II patients with RsCC there was a significantly improved OS (multivariate HR 0.85 95% CI 0.75-0.98, p = 0.02) and CSS (multivariate HR 0.59 95% CI 0.45-0.78, p = 0.0002) compared to LsCC. In stage III patients, those with RsCC had a worse OS (multivariate HR 1.13 95% CI 1.01-1.26, p = 0.032) and a trend to worse CSS (multivariate HR 1.12 95% CI 0.94-1.33, p = 0.22). CONCLUSIONS: Primary tumour location is an important prognostic factor in locoregional colon cancer with an effect that varies by stage. RsCC is associated with lower all-cause mortality in stage II, and higher all-cause mortality in stage III.
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Neoplasias do Colo/mortalidade , Neoplasias do Colo/patologia , Fatores Etários , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , New South Wales , Prognóstico , Sistema de Registros , Análise de SobrevidaRESUMO
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: There has been minimal improvement in the prognosis of pancreatic cancer cases in the past 3 decades highlighting the crucial need for more effective therapeutic approaches. A drug delivery system capable of locally delivering high concentrations of chemotherapeutics directly at the site of the tumor is clearly required. The aim of this study was to fabricate and characterize the biophysical properties of gemcitabine-eluting wet-spun polymeric fibers for localized drug delivery applications. METHODS/RESULTS: Fibers spun from alginate or chitosan solutions with or without the anticancer drug gemcitabine had a uniform surface area, were internally homogeneous and ranged from 50-120 µm in diameter. Drug encapsulation ranged from 13-52%, depending on the type and concentration of polymer used. Gemcitabine displayed first-order release kinetics where 64-82% of the loaded drug was rapidly released within the first 10 h followed by a sustained release over the next 134 h. A time dependent inhibition of ex vivo tumor spheroid growth and cell viability was observed after incubation with gemcitabine-loaded fibers but not control fibers. CONCLUSION: With further development these studies could lead to the manufacture of a safe and effective delivery system designed to combat non-resectable pancreatic cancer for which currently there is minimal chance of cure.
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Antimetabólitos Antineoplásicos/química , Antimetabólitos Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Desoxicitidina/análogos & derivados , Adenocarcinoma/tratamento farmacológico , Alginatos , Antineoplásicos/uso terapêutico , Neoplasias da Mama/tratamento farmacológico , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Sobrevivência Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Desoxicitidina/administração & dosagem , Desoxicitidina/química , Desoxicitidina/farmacologia , Sistemas de Liberação de Medicamentos , Feminino , Ácido Glucurônico , Ácidos Hexurônicos , Humanos , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/tratamento farmacológico , Polímeros/química , GencitabinaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Translationally controlled tumour protein TCTP is an anti-apoptotic protein frequently overexpressed in cancers, where high levels are often associated with poor patient outcome. TCTP may be involved in protecting cancer cells against the cytotoxic action of anti-cancer drugs. Here we study the early increase of TCTP levels in human colorectal cancer (CRC) and the regulation of TCTP expression in HCT116 colon cancer cells, in response to treatment with the anti-cancer drugs 5-FU and oxaliplatin. METHODS: Using immunohistochemistry, we assessed TCTP levels in surgical samples from adenomas and adenocarcinomas of the colon, compared to normal colon tissue. We also studied the regulation of TCTP in HCT116 colon cancer cells in response to 5-FU and oxaliplatin by western blotting. TCTP mRNA levels were assessed by RT-qPCR. We used mTOR kinase inhibitors to demonstrate mTOR-dependent translational regulation of TCTP under these conditions. Employing the Real-Time Cell Analysis (RTCA) System and the MTS assay, we investigated the effect of TCTP-knockdown on the sensitivity of HCT116 cells to the anti-cancer drugs 5-FU and oxaliplatin. RESULTS: 1. TCTP levels are significantly increased in colon adenomas and adenocarcinomas, compared to normal colon tissue. 2. TCTP protein levels are about 4-fold upregulated in HCT116 colon cancer cells, in response to 5-FU and oxaliplatin treatment, whereas TCTP mRNA levels are down regulated. 3. mTOR kinase inhibitors prevented the up-regulation of TCTP protein, indicating that TCTP is translationally regulated through the mTOR complex 1 signalling pathway under these conditions. 4. Using two cellular assay systems, we demonstrated that TCTP-knockdown sensitises HCT116 cells to the cytotoxicity caused by 5-FU and oxaliplatin. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that TCTP levels increase significantly in the early stages of CRC development. In colon cancer cells, expression of this protein is largely upregulated during treatment with the DNA-damaging anti-cancer drugs 5-FU and oxaliplatin, as part of the cellular stress response. TCTP may thus contribute to the development of anti-cancer drug resistance. These findings indicate that TCTP might be suitable as a biomarker and that combinatorial treatment using 5-FU/oxaliplatin, together with mTOR kinase inhibitors, could be a route to preventing the development of resistance to these drugs.
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Biomarcadores Tumorais/metabolismo , Neoplasias Colorretais/metabolismo , Resistencia a Medicamentos Antineoplásicos/efeitos dos fármacos , Fluoruracila/farmacologia , Compostos Organoplatínicos/farmacologia , Biomarcadores Tumorais/genética , Carcinogênese/metabolismo , Carcinogênese/patologia , Morte Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Neoplasias Colorretais/genética , Neoplasias Colorretais/patologia , Resistencia a Medicamentos Antineoplásicos/genética , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Células HCT116 , Humanos , Alvo Mecanístico do Complexo 1 de Rapamicina , Complexos Multiproteicos/metabolismo , Oxaliplatina , RNA Mensageiro/genética , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais/efeitos dos fármacos , Serina-Treonina Quinases TOR/metabolismo , Proteína Tumoral 1 Controlada por TraduçãoRESUMO
PURPOSE: The aim of this randomized, placebo-controlled, two-stage, phase II/III trial was to determine the efficacy of an oral cannabis extract in adults with refractory nausea and/or vomiting during moderately or highly emetogenic, intravenous chemotherapy despite guideline-consistent antiemetic prophylaxis. Here, we report results of the prespecified combined analysis including the initial phase II and subsequent phase III components. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Study treatment consisted of oral capsules containing either tetrahydrocannabinol 2.5 mg plus cannabidiol 2.5 mg capsules (THC:CBD) or matching placebo, taken three times a day from days -1 to 5, in addition to guideline-consistent antiemetics. The primary measure of effect was the difference in the proportions of participants with no vomiting or retching and no use of rescue medications (a complete response) during hours 0-120 after the first cycle of chemotherapy on study (cycle A). RESULTS: We recruited 147 evaluable of a planned 250 participants from 2016 to 2022. Background antiemetic prophylaxis included a corticosteroid and 5-hydroxytryptamine antagonist in 97%, a neurokinin-1 antagonist in 80%, and olanzapine in 10%. THC:CBD compared with placebo improved the complete response rate from 8% to 24% (absolute difference 16%, 95% CI, 4 to 28, P = .01), with similar effects for absence of significant nausea, use of rescue medications, daily vomits, and the nausea scale on the Functional Living Index-Emesis quality-of-life questionnaire. More frequent bothersome adverse events of special interest included sedation (18% v 7%), dizziness (10% v 0%), and transient anxiety (4% v 1%). There were no serious adverse events attributed to THC:CBD. CONCLUSION: THC:CBD is an effective adjunct for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting despite standard antiemetic prophylaxis, but was associated with additional adverse events. Drug availability, cultural attitudes, legal status, and preferences may affect implementation. Future analyses will evaluate the cost-effectiveness of THC:CBD.
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Approximately 3-5% of patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) develop advanced disease, accounting for roughly 1% of all cancer deaths in Australia. Immunotherapy has demonstrated significant clinical benefit in advanced CSCC in several key phase II studies; however, there are limited data for patients treated outside of clinical trials. This is particularly relevant in advanced CSCC, which is most often seen in elderly patients with significant comorbidities. Thus, we aim to describe our experience with immunotherapy in a cohort of patients with advanced CSCC in Australia. We retrospectively reviewed all advanced CSCC patients treated with immunotherapy within the Illawarra and Shoalhaven Local Health District. Among the 51 patients treated with immunotherapy, there was an objective response rate (ORR) of 53% and disease control rate (DCR) of 67%. Our most significant predictor of response was sex, with male patients more likely to have better responses compared to female patients (DCR 85% vs. 41%, p < 0.0001), as well as improved progression-free survival (HR 4.6, 95%CI 1.9-10.8, p = 0.0007) and overall survival (HR 3.0, 95%CI 1.3-7.1, p = 0.006). Differential expression analysis of 770 immune-related genes demonstrated an impaired CD8 T-cell response in female patients. Our observed ORR of 53% is similar to that described in current literature with durable responses seen in the majority of patients.
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Breast cancer remains a leading global cause of morbidity and mortality. While the field of immunotherapy is a promising avenue of investigation and has revolutionized the standard of care for melanoma and lung cancer, modest response rates and a high incidence of immune-related adverse events often necessitate the administration of a sub-therapeutic dose or treatment cessation. Injectable and implantable drug delivery devices present a novel strategy to achieve sustained delivery of potent concentrations of drug directly to the tumor site and minimize systemic toxicity. This review will address the current limitations with conventional immunotherapy for breast cancer treatment, and the recent developments and future prospects in localized delivery strategies. We describe implantable scaffolds and injectable biomaterials for the localized delivery of immunotherapy, which can improve the safety and efficacy of immunotherapies. We discuss the limitations of these delivery systems, such as the influence of shape and material type on drug release and tumor uptake. The challenges of clinical translation, such as the availability of appropriate preclinical animal models and accurate reporting are also discussed. Considerations of these issues will pave the way for effective new therapies that will improve treatment response, patient survival and quality of life for breast cancer patients.
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Neoplasias da Mama , Animais , Neoplasias da Mama/tratamento farmacológico , Sistemas de Liberação de Medicamentos , Feminino , Humanos , Fatores Imunológicos/uso terapêutico , Imunoterapia , Qualidade de VidaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Advanced biliary tract cancer (ABTC) is a highly aggressive malignancy, with a 5-year overall survival of < 10%. Although preliminary evidence suggests a role of targeted treatments or immunotherapy in a subset of patients, chemotherapy remains the standard second-line treatment in the majority. We conducted a pilot study of second-line chemotherapy with capecitabine and nab-paclitaxel after failure of gemcitabine and platinum. METHODS: Eligible patients had histologically proven, unresectable biliary tract cancer, which had progressed on a gemcitabine/platinum doublet. In this single-arm, multicenter trial, all patients received capecitabine (825 mg/m2 bd PO D1-14 q21d) and nab-paclitaxel (125 mg/m2 IV D1,8 q21d) until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary objective was feasibility of delivering the proposed regimen, with secondary objectives of disease control measures and QOL outcomes. RESULTS: Ten patients were enrolled between 2015 and 2016 from four cancer centers in NSW. Treatment was generally well tolerated with grade III toxicities in five patients (including infection, cholangitis, obstruction, and intestinal perforation) and no grade IV toxicity. Median treatment duration was 4.3 months, with a disease control rate of 80% (8/10), and median progression-free and overall survival of 5.7 and 12.1 months, respectively. Quality of life data and specimens for translational research have been collected. CONCLUSIONS: Our pilot study demonstrates that combination of capecitabine and nab-paclitaxel is feasible as a second-line treatment in ABTC. Adequate safety and promising early efficacy signals make further assessment of the combination in a formal phase II or III trial reasonable. CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION: ACTRN12615000504516.
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Albuminas/uso terapêutico , Antimetabólitos Antineoplásicos/uso terapêutico , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/uso terapêutico , Neoplasias do Sistema Biliar/tratamento farmacológico , Capecitabina/uso terapêutico , Paclitaxel/uso terapêutico , Desoxicitidina/análogos & derivados , Desoxicitidina/uso terapêutico , Estudos de Viabilidade , Humanos , Projetos Piloto , Platina , Qualidade de Vida , Resultado do Tratamento , GencitabinaRESUMO
Brain metastasis from gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas (GOCs) is a rare but a devastating diagnosis. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a prognostic and predictive biomarker in GOCs. The association of HER2 with GOC brain metastasis is not known. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with GOCs with known HER2 status between January 2015 and November 2021. HER2 was assessed on either the primary tumour or metastasis by immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridization. The diagnosis of brain metastasis was made on standard imaging techniques in patients with symptoms or signs. HER2 results were available for 201 patients, with 34 patients (16.9%) HER2 positive. A total of 12 patients developed symptomatic brain metastasis from GOCs, of which 7 (58.3%) were HER2 positive. The development of symptomatic brain metastasis was significantly higher in the HER2-positive GOCs (OR8.26, 95%CI 2.09-35.60; p = 0.0009). There was no significant association of HER2 status and overall survival in patients with brain metastasis. Although the rate of brain metastasis remains low in GOCs, the incidence of symptomatic brain metastasis was significantly higher in patients with HER2-positive tumours.
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Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been incorporated into the treatment of various malignancies. An increasing body of literature is reporting rare but potentially fatal adverse events associated with these agents. In this case series, the authors report the clinical features and outcomes of seven patients who received immune checkpoint inhibitors for different solid organ malignancies and developed a tetrad of immune-related myocarditis, myositis, myasthenia gravis and transaminitis. Herein the authors review the literature and describe the current diagnostic and management approach for this overlapping syndrome. The authors' series highlights the importance of a high index of clinical suspicion, prompt comprehensive investigations, early multidisciplinary team involvement and initiation of immunosuppressive therapy when immune-related adverse events are suspected.
Cancer immunotherapy is used in the treatment of different cancer types. Immunotherapy activates the immune system to detect and attack cancer cells, but side effects may arise from the immune system inadvertently attacking normal tissues and organs. The increased use of immunotherapy has led to an increase in the reporting of rare but potentially life-threatening treatment-related side effects. In this case series, the authors report the clinical features and outcomes of seven patients who developed inflammation of the heart, muscles, nerve and muscle junctions and liver following treatment with immunotherapy. The authors review the scientific literature and discuss the current understanding of and management approach to this rare syndrome. The authors' report highlights the importance of a high degree of clinical suspicion, prompt comprehensive testing to confirm diagnosis, early involvement of experts from different specialties and early initiation of treatment in the management of this unique syndrome.
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Miastenia Gravis , Miocardite , Miosite , Neoplasias , Humanos , Inibidores de Checkpoint Imunológico/efeitos adversos , Miastenia Gravis/induzido quimicamente , Miocardite/induzido quimicamente , Miocardite/diagnóstico , Miocardite/tratamento farmacológico , Miosite/induzido quimicamente , Miosite/diagnóstico , Neoplasias/tratamento farmacológicoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Patients with early-onset colorectal cancer (EO-CRC) have unique characteristics. Contemporary data on the pathological and molecular features, and survival of EO-CRC are limited in the Australian context. AIM: To determine the demographic, histopathological and molecular characteristics of adults with EO-CRC, and their survival. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of adults aged 18-49 years with EO-CRC who were referred to the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District and Royal North Shore Hospital in New South Wales, Australia, between 2014 and 2018. RESULTS: Of 257 patients included, 94 (37%) patients presented with de novo metastatic CRC, 80% patients had near-average risk family history and 89% had a symptomatic presentation. In 159 patients with nonmetastatic disease at diagnosis, stage III disease (OR 3.88 [95% CI: 1.13-13.3]; p = .03) and the presence of perineural invasion (PNI) (OR 6.63 [95% CI: 2.21-19.84]; p = .001) were risk factors associated with the development of metastatic disease. Among 94 patients with de novo metastatic disease, 43 (43%) and 12 (14%) patients harbored a KRAS or BRAF V600E mutation, respectively. The median overall survival was 29.6 months (95% CI: 20.4-38.7). BRAF mutation was associated with inferior survival (HR 3.00 [95% CI: 1.30-6.94]; p = .01). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of KRAS and BRAF mutations in our cohort is similar to the overseas experience. Stage III disease at diagnosis, presence of PNI and BRAF mutation are adverse prognostic indicators. A better understanding of the molecular landscape is needed for this patient cohort, so as to better tailor prevention strategies, screening and treatment pathways.
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Neoplasias Colorretais , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas B-raf , Humanos , Adulto Jovem , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas B-raf/genética , Neoplasias Colorretais/patologia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas p21(ras)/genética , Austrália/epidemiologia , Prognóstico , MutaçãoRESUMO
The fallopian tube is the least common site for origin of malignancy in the female genital tract. Most primary fallopian tube malignancies are adenocarcinomas. Primary transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the fallopian tube is an extremely rare tumor with a small number of cases reported in the literature. We present a 67-year-old woman who was found incidentally to have a left adnexal mass on a screening pelvic ultrasound. Subsequently the patient underwent laparoscopic left salpingo-oophorectomy and the specimen was submitted for intraoperative frozen section, which revealed a high-grade carcinoma; therefore, she underwent a laparotomy and total abdominal hysterectomy, right salpingo-oophorectomy and omentectomy. Histopathology revealed high-grade transitional cell carcinoma in the left fallopian tube. Post-surgery she was treated with four cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel with no complications. Our patient had a family history of malignancy, so genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations was undertaken and did not reveal any mutation or unclassified variants. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was normal.
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Carcinoma de Células de Transição/patologia , Neoplasias das Tubas Uterinas/patologia , Idoso , Carcinoma de Células de Transição/cirurgia , Neoplasias das Tubas Uterinas/cirurgia , Feminino , Humanos , Ovariectomia , Salpingectomia , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
Chest X-ray and CT examinations often find pulmonary nodules that could be malignant or benign. A case is presented and discussed here in order to improve diagnosis and management of pulmonary nodules. A 62-year-old lady was found to have multiple pulmonary nodules by X-ray when she complained of a cough and fever. This was confirmed by a CT scan. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) of one of the lung lesions reported scant atypical epithelial cells that stained positive for TTF-1 and cytokeratin 7, but negative for cytokeratin 20. Thus, it was suspicious for large cell carcinoma. A videothoracoscopic lung biopsy and histopathology were applied and showed a necrotic nodule with surrounding chronic inflammation and macrophage response, with no evidence of malignant cells. Atypical reactive pneumocytes at the periphery of the lesion (an old infarct) were probably equivalent to the atypical cells seen on cytology. This result changed the diagnosis of our patient from a malignant condition to a benign process. Thus, CT and FNA may give a false positive. A second pathological opinion is very useful for the right diagnosis and management, as shown in our case.
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Nódulos Pulmonares Múltiplos/diagnóstico por imagem , Biópsia por Agulha , Feminino , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Nódulos Pulmonares Múltiplos/patologia , Radiografia Torácica , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios XRESUMO
Gastric and oesophageal cancers (GOCs) are lethal cancers which metastasise early and recur frequently, even after definitive surgery. The urokinase plasminogen activator system (uPAS) is strongly implicated in the invasion and metastasis of many aggressive tumours including GOCs. Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) interaction with its receptor, urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR), leads to proteolytic activation of plasminogen to plasmin, a broad-spectrum protease which enables tumour cell invasion and dissemination to distant sites. uPA, uPAR and the plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) are overexpressed in some GOCs. Accumulating evidence points to a causal role of activated receptor tyrosine kinase pathways enhancing uPAS expression in GOCs. Expression of these components are associated with poorer clinicopathological features and patient survival. Stromal cells, including tumour-associated macrophages and myofibroblasts, also express the key uPAS proteins, supporting the argument of stromal involvement in GOC progression and adverse effect on patient survival. uPAS proteins can be detected on circulating leucocytes, circulating tumour cells and within the serum; all have the potential to be developed into circulating biomarkers of GOC. Herein, we review the experimental and clinical evidence supporting uPAS expression as clinical biomarker in GOC, with the goal of developing targeted therapeutics against the uPAS.
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BACKGROUND: The impact of increased body mass index (BMI) on clinical outcomes in locoregional rectal cancer is unknown. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study which included 453 consecutive rectal cancer patients undergoing definitive treatment, with confirmed stage I, II or III rectal adenocarcinoma. The association of BMI at diagnosis with overall survival (OS), cancer specific survival (CSS) and disease-free survival (DFS) was explored, controlling for key covariates using multivariable analyses. BMI as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) is as follows: BMI <18.5-underweight; 18.5-24.9-normal; 25.0-29.9-pre-obesity; >30-obese. RESULTS: Overweight and obese patients had significantly better OS than underweight/normal weight patients (5-year OS 80% for overweight, 77% for obese, and 65% for underweight/normal weight patients, P=0.02). High BMI (>25) was significantly associated with improved OS in univariate [0.62 (0.4-0.8) P=0.007] and multivariable [0.65 (0.4-0.9) P=0.023] analyses. When stratified by stage, high BMI was associated with improved OS in stage III patients (P=0.0009), but not stage II (P=0.21) or stage I (0.54). High BMI was also significantly associated with improved CSS in univariate (HR 0.62, P=0.048) and multivariable analyses (HR 0.58, P=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: In our study a BMI greater than 25 is significantly associated with a longer OS and CSS in patients with locoregional rectal cancer. These findings may be due to the reduced metabolic capacity for non-obese patients to deal with rectal cancer treatment as well as the burden of disease, however further research is needed to evaluate this.
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BACKGROUND: As treatments for rectal cancer improve with developments in surgical techniques, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the nature of recurrences are evolving. We used a comprehensive database of a large Australian population with stage I-III rectal adenocarcinoma to identify timing and prognostic significance of recurrences, and factors associated with risk of developing recurrent disease. METHODS: All patients with locoregional rectal cancer treated with curative intent in our health district from 2006 to 2017 were included. Multivariate analysis using Cox regression models were used to identify factors associated with recurrence. RESULTS: A total of 483 patients were included. Recurrence occurred in 117 (24.2%) of 483 patients, being locoregional in 15 (3.1%) patients, distant in 85 patients (17.6%) and both locoregional and distant in 17 (3.5%) patients. Compared to those with locoregional recurrence, those with both locoregional and distant recurrence had worse cancer-specific survival. On univariate analysis, factors associated with recurrence included stage, grade, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery type and distal tumour location. Factors which remained significant on multivariate analysis included higher grade and stage. CONCLUSION: In the era of multimodality therapy for rectal cancer, recurrences are predominantly distant. Traditional predictors including higher stage, grade and distal tumour location remain independently associated with recurrence, despite current treatment paradigms.
Assuntos
Recidiva Local de Neoplasia , Neoplasias Retais , Austrália/epidemiologia , Humanos , Recidiva Local de Neoplasia/epidemiologia , Recidiva Local de Neoplasia/patologia , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Prognóstico , Modelos de Riscos Proporcionais , Neoplasias Retais/epidemiologia , Neoplasias Retais/patologia , Neoplasias Retais/terapia , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
Circulating tumour cell (CTC) enumeration and profiling has been established as a valuable clinical tool in many solid malignancies. A key challenge in CTC research is the limited number of cells available for study. Ex vivo CTC culture permits expansion of these rare cell populations for detailed characterisation, functional assays including drug sensitivity testing, and investigation of the pathobiology of metastases. We report for the first time the establishment and characterisation of two continuous CTC lines from patients with gastroesophageal cancer. The two cell lines (designated UWG01CTC and UWG02CTC) demonstrated rapid tumorigenic growth in immunodeficient mice and exhibit distinct genotypic and phenotypic profiles which are consistent with the tumours of origin. UWG02CTC exhibits an EpCAM+, cytokeratin+, CD44+ phenotype, while UWG01CTC, which was derived from a patient with metastatic neuroendocrine cancer, displays an EpCAM-, weak cytokeratin phenotype, with strong expression of neuroendocrine markers. Further, the two cell lines show distinct differences in drug and radiation sensitivity which match differential cancer-associated gene expression pathways. This is strong evidence implicating EpCAM negative CTCs in metastasis. These novel, well characterised, long-term CTC cell lines from gastroesophageal cancer will facilitate ongoing research into metastasis and the discovery of therapeutic targets.
Assuntos
Técnicas de Cultura de Células/métodos , Molécula de Adesão da Célula Epitelial/metabolismo , Células Neoplásicas Circulantes/patologia , Neoplasias Gástricas/metabolismo , Neoplasias Gástricas/patologia , Animais , Carboplatina/farmacologia , Transformação Celular Neoplásica , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Camundongos , Metástase Neoplásica , Células Neoplásicas Circulantes/efeitos dos fármacos , Neoplasias Gástricas/sangue , Neoplasias Gástricas/genética , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a dismal prognosis, with surgical resection of the tumor in conjunction with systemic chemotherapy the only potential curative therapy. Up to 80% of diagnosed cases are deemed unresectable, prompting the need for alternative treatment approaches. Herein, coaxial polymeric fibers loaded with two chemotherapeutic agents, gemcitabine (Gem) and paclitaxel (Ptx), are fabricated to investigate the effect of local drug delivery on PDAC cell growth in vitro and in vivo. A wet-spinning fabrication method to form a coaxial fiber with a polycaprolactone shell and alginate core loaded with Ptx and Gem, respectively, is used. In vitro, Gem+Ptx fibers display significant cytotoxicity as well as radiosensitizing properties toward PDAC cell lines greater than the equivalent free drugs, which may be attributed to a radiosensitizing effect of the polymers. In vivo studies assessing Gem+Ptx fiber efficacy found that Gem+Ptx fibers reduce tumor volume in a xenograft mouse model of PDAC. Importantly, no difference in mouse weight, circulating cytokines, or liver function is observed in mice treated with Gem+Ptx fibers compared to the empty fiber controls confirming the safety of the implant approach. With further development, Gem+Ptx fibers can improve the treatment of unresectable PDAC in the future.