First winter record of Latrodectus mirabilis (Araneae: Theridiidae) in arid Patagonia: A consequence of climate change and urbanization?

Cases of araneism reported in the province of Chubut (Argentina) have tripled in the last two decades, and almost 80 % of them involve Latrodectus mirabilis (Holmberg) (Araneae: Theridiidae). According to descriptions of the life cycle of this species in Argentina, the low temperatures typical of autumn-winter cause the death of all adult spiders, so that no adult specimens of L. mirabilis are observed in winter. Field samplings, observations by the Grupo de Entomología Patagónica (GENTPAT, IPEEC CCT CENPAT CONICET), and citizen reports for more than 15 years suggested a similar cycle in northeastern Patagonia. However, for the last three consecutive years, we have recorded adult females in the field throughout the Patagonian winter. Some of these individuals even survived the winter and were alive the following spring. The purpose of this note is to report the field presence of adult female specimens of L. mirabilis in the outskirts of the city of Puerto Madryn (Chubut, Argentina) during the last three consecutive winters corresponding to the years 2021, 2022 and 2023; and to note that at least two of them survived the winter, arriving alive (and in good condition) the following spring. Given the medical importance of this spider, the publication of this information, the context of the findings, and their ecological implications will help to prevent its spread and reduce the likelihood of accidents.

Clinical validation and diagnostic accuracy of 99mTc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC compared to 111In-DTPA-octreotide in patients with neuroendocrine tumours: the LACOG 0214 study.

99mTc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC is an easily available and cheaper radionuclide that could be used for somatostatin-receptor-based imaging of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs). We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of 99mTc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC compared to111In-DTPA-octreotide in patients (pts) with NETs. We performed a prospective diagnostic study including pts with biopsy-confirmed NET and at least one visible lesion at conventional imaging. Two independent nuclear medicine physicians evaluated pts who underwent 99mTc and 111In scans and images. The primary outcome was comparative diagnostic accuracy of 99mTc and 111In. Secondary outcomes include safety. Nine pts were included and performed 14 paired scans. Overall, 126 lesions were identified. 99mTc demonstrated superior sensitivity both when all images were analysed (93.7, 95% CI 88.1% - 96.8% versus 74.8%, 95% CI 66.6 - 81.6%, p < 0.001) and when liver-specific images were analysed (97.8%, 95% CI 92.7% - 99.5% versus 85.1%, 95% CI 76.6% - 91.0%, p < 0.001). 99mTc was also associated with a lower negative likelihood ratio (LR) (0.002, 95% CI 0.009 - 0.1 versus 0.19, 95% CI 0.12 - 0.42, p = 0.009) when evaluating hepatic lesions. Adverse events happened in 3 pts after 111In and in 2 pts after 99mTc, all grade 1. The 99mTc demonstrated a higher sensitivity overall and a better negative LR in liver-specific images compared to 111In in pts with NETs. Our findings suggest that 99mTc is an alternative to 111In and is especially useful in ruling out liver metastases. NCT02691078.

Critical impact of radiotherapy protocol compliance and quality in the treatment of retroperitoneal sarcomas: Results from the EORTC 62092-22092 STRASS trial.

BACKGROUND: The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer 22092-62092 STRASS trial failed to demonstrate the superiority of neoadjuvant radiotherapy (RT) over surgery alone in patients with retroperitoneal sarcoma. Therefore, an RT quality-assurance program was added to the study protocol to detect and correct RT deviations. The authors report results from the trial RT quality-assurance program and its potential effect on patient outcomes. METHODS: To evaluate the effect of RT compliance on survival outcomes, a composite end point was created. It combined the information related to planning target volume coverage, target delineation, total dose received, and overall treatment time into 2 groups: non-RT-compliant (NRC) for patients who had unacceptable deviation(s) in any of the previous categories and RT-compliant (RC) otherwise. Abdominal recurrence-free survival (ARFS) and overall survival were compared between the 2 groups using a Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for known prognostic factors. RESULTS: Thirty-six of 125 patients (28.8%) were classified as NRC, and the remaining 89 patients (71.2%) were classified as RC. The 3-year ARFS rate was 66.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 55.8%-75.7%) and 49.8% (95% CI, 32.7%-64.8%) for the RC and NRC groups, respectively (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.25-4.32; P = .008). Local recurrence after macroscopic complete resection occurred in 13 of 89 patients (14.6%) versus 2 of 36 patients (5.6%) in the RC and NRC groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The current analysis suggests a significant benefit in terms of ARFS in favor of the RC group. This association did not translate into less local relapses after complete resection in the RC group. Multidisciplinary collaboration and review of cases are critical to avoid geographic misses, especially for rare tumors like retroperitoneal sarcoma.

Exploratory analysis of tumor imaging in a Phase 2 trial with cabozantinib in gastrointestinal stromal tumor: lessons learned from study EORTC STBSG 1317 'CaboGIST'.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are malignant mesenchymal tumors arising in the gastrointestinal tract. Their systemic treatment is based on the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) with imatinib, sunitinib, and regorafenib being the preferred agents. Assessment of tumor response to TKI treatment in GISTs is traditionally done according the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), while Choi criteria have also been proposed as alternative tool assessing both volumetric and density changes on computer tomography (CT) scans. EORTC STBSG 1317 'CaboGIST' was a single-arm prospective Phase 2 trial which met its primary endpoint, as 60% of patients previously treated with imatinib and sunitinib were progression-free at 12 weeks (95% CI 45-74%) based on local RECIST assessment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We report here an exploratory analysis of local versus central RECIST version 1.1 assessment and a comparison of RECIST version 1.1 versus Choi criteria. RESULTS: Comparisons between local and central RECIST version 1.1 at week 12 revealed discrepancies in 17/43 evaluable cases (39.5%). When comparing Choi with local and central RECIST version 1.1, discrepancies were observed in 27/43 (62.8%) and 21/43 (48.8%) cases, respectively. A total of 68% of evaluable patients were progression-free and alive at week 12 based on local RECIST, 84% according to central RECIST analysis and 81% when applying Choi criteria. Central assessment upgraded the treatment response both with RECIST version 1.1 and Choi. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this exploratory analysis support the conclusion that cabozantinib is active in patients with metastatic or recurrent GIST after treatment with imatinib and sunitinib and confirm once again the limitations of RECIST to capture response to TKI in GIST, and the importance to include density changes in the response evaluation in this setting. Clinical trial number: EORTC 1317, NCT02216578.

Influence of physician's lifestyle on the prescription of healthy habits to breast cancer patients (LACOG 1218).

BACKGROUND: Healthy lifestyle is capable of positively modifying the survival of breast cancer (BC) patients. We aimed to evaluate how physician's lifestyle influences on the prescription of healthy habits to BC patients. METHODS: An online questionnaire to evaluate physician lifestyle and prescription of healthy habits to BC patients was developed and circulated by e-mail to physicians dedicated to treat BC patients. A multivariate Poisson regression analysis assessed which factors of physician lifestyle could influence on prescription of healthy habits. RESULTS: A total of 267 physicians answered the questionnaire from October to November 2018. In terms of physician lifestyle, 228 (85.4%) had healthy eating habits and 236 (88.4%) practiced physical activity. Overall, 84.3% of the physicians advised their BC patients on the importance of lifestyle modification. Physicians who did not exercise regularly have a higher probability of not advising for health lifestyle (RR 2.48; p = 0.0265) as opposite to physicians ≥ 50 years-old (RR 0.37; p = 0.0118). Obesity treatment and management was performed by 45.3% of physicians. Being a breast surgeon (RR 1.29; p = 0.0025) or radiation oncologists (RR 1.82; p = 0.0025) were associated with not performing obesity treatment and management. About 53.4% of physicians referred overweight or obese patients to a dietitian and/or endocrinologist. Male gender (RR 1.35; p = 0.0296), breast surgeons (RR 1.99; p = 0.0001), and clinical practice in public health system (RR 1.53; p = 0.0012) were associated with not referring as opposed to physicians ≥ 50 years-old (RR 0.46; p = 0.0005). CONCLUSION: Our survey showed some influence of physician's lifestyle on the prescription of healthy habits to BC patients. Physicians who practice physical activity regularly had a higher probability of advising lifestyle modification and about half of physicians did some type of overweight and obese management.

Characteristics of patients diagnosed with cervical cancer in Brazil: preliminary results of the prospective cohort EVITA study (EVA001/LACOG 0215).

OBJECTIVES: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide. Epidemiological and quality of life (QoL) data in patients with cervical cancer from low- and middle-income countries are scarce. We aimed to describe sociodemographic and clinicopathological characteristics and quality of life of patients with cervical cancer at diagnosis in Brazil. METHODS: EVITA is a prospective cohort study of newly diagnosed patients with cervical cancer from May 2016 to December 2017, stages I-IVB, from 16 Brazilian sites representing the five Brazilian regions. At baseline, medical evaluation was performed and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-CX24/C30 questionnaires were administered. RESULTS: A total of 631 patients were included. Mean±SD age was 49.3±13.9 years; skin color was non-white in 65.3%, and 68.0% had ≤8 years of formal education. In total, 85.1% of patients had a Pap smear. The main reasons reported by patients for not having a Pap smear were: lack of interest (46.9%), shame or embarrassment (19.7%), lack of knowledge (19.7%), and difficulty with access (9.1%). Most patients were diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic disease (FIGO clinical stage II-IV in 81.8%- stage II in 35.2%, stage III in 36.1%, and stage IV in 10.5%). Patients with clinical stage III-IV had worse physical functioning and role functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Cervical cancer in Brazil is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. Most patients have low formal education and are unemployed. Lack of interest was identified as a main reason for not having a screening test, and limited access was reported as a reason by <10% of the patients. Awareness campaigns must be a governmental priority, specially focused on the needy population, along with wide access to treatment.

The impact of sociodemographic factors and health insurance coverage in the diagnosis and clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer in Brazil: AMAZONA III study (GBECAM 0115).

PURPOSE: In Brazil, the available cancer registries are deficient in number and quality and, hence, little information is known regarding sociodemographic, clinicopathological characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of breast cancer (BC) patients. We performed the AMAZONA III/ GBECAM 0115 study and in this analysis, we describe patients' characteristics at diagnosis and their association with health insurance type. METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study developed in 23 sites in Brazil including women with newly diagnosed invasive BC from January 2016 to March 2018. In order to compare healthcare insurance type, we considered patients who were treated under the Brazilian public health system as publicly insured, and women who had private insurance or paid for their treatment as privately insured. RESULTS: A total of 2950 patients were included in the study. Median age at diagnosis was 53.9 years; 63.1% were publicly insured. The majority of patients (68.6%) had stage II-III breast cancer and ductal carcinoma histology (80.9%). The most common breast cancer subtype was luminal A-like (48.0%) followed by luminal B-HER2 positive-like (17.0%) and triple-negative (15.6%). Luminal A was more frequent in private (53.7% vs. 44.2%, p < .0001) than public, whereas Luminal B HER2-positive (19.2% vs. 14.2%, p = 0.0012) and HER2-positive (8.8% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.0009) were more common in patients with public health system coverage. Only 34% of patients were diagnosed by screening exams. Privately insured patients were more frequently diagnosed with stage I disease when compared to publicly insured patients; publicly insured patients had more stage III (33.5% vs. 14.7%; p-value < 0.0001) disease than privately insured ones. Breast cancer was detected by symptoms more frequently in publicly than in privately insured patients (74.2% vs 25.8%, respectively; p-value < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with public health coverage were diagnosed with symptomatic disease, later stages and more aggressive subtypes when compared to privately insured patients.

Activity and safety of the multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor cabozantinib in patients with metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumour after treatment with imatinib and sunitinib: European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer phase II trial 1317 'CaboGIST'.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) is commonly treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), but most patients ultimately develop secondary resistance. Cabozantinib, a multi-targeted TKI inhibitor, has activity in patient-derived GIST mouse xenograft models and can overcome compensatory MET signalling occurring on TKI treatment. European Organisation for Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 1317 'CaboGIST' assessed the safety and activity of cabozantinib in patients with GIST who had progressed on imatinib and sunitinib. METHODS: In this multi-center, open label, single arm phase II study, eligible GIST patients received oral cabozantinib (60 mg) once daily. Primary end-point was the progression-free survival rate at 12 weeks assessed by the local investigator per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours 1·1. If at least 21 of the first 41 eligible and evaluable patients were progression-free at week 12, the activity of cabozantinib was sufficient to warrant further exploration according to the A'Hern one-stage study design. FINDINGS: A total of 50 eligible patients started treatment between 02/2017 and 08/2018, including four (8%) still continuing cabozantinib at clinical cut-off (09/2019). The number of 3-weekly treatment cycles ranged from 1 to 30. Among the first 41 eligible and evaluable patients, 24 were progression-free at week 12 (58·5%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 42·0-74·0%). Among all 50 patients, 30 were progression-free at week 12 (60%, 95% CI 45-74%). Seven patients achieved a partial response (14%, 95% CI 6-27%), and 34 had stable disease (68%, 95% CI 53-80%) as best response. Progression was seen in eight patients (16%, 95% CI 7-29%), and one was not evaluable. Disease control was achieved in 41 patients (82%, 95% CI 69-91%). Median progression-free survival was 5·5 months (95% CI 3·6-6·9). The most common adverse events were diarrhoea (76%), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (60%), fatigue (50%), hypertension (42%), weight loss (40%) and oral mucositis (30%), with 32 (64%) patients requiring dose reductions, 27 (54%) having treatment interruptions and no cabozantinib-related deaths observed. INTERPRETATION: EORTC 1317 met its primary end-point, with 24/41 patients being progression-free at week 12 of treatment. The objective response was 14% with an encouraging disease control rate of 82%. Results of this trial confirm preclinical findings and warrant further exploration of cabozantinib in GIST. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBERS: EORTC 1317, NCT02216578, EudraCT 2014-000501-13.

Real-World Prevalence of PD-L1 Expression Among Tumor Samples From Patients With Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: We analyzed the prevalence of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) tumor proportion score (TPS) of ≥ 50% and compared the results with the existing data from clinical trials and databases from other countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group and Grupo Brasileiro de Oncologia Torácica performed a retrospective, cross-sectional study from August 2017 to April 2018. PD-L1 expression was collected from pathology reports from 5 laboratories in Brazil. All tests were sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry on request from the treating medical oncologist. PD-L1 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The variables were summarized as absolute and relative frequencies or the median and interquartile range. Pearson's χ2 test was used to compare the TPS categories stratified by sex, age, and histologic type. All analyses were performed with SAS, version 9.4, and were deemed statistically significant at P < .05. RESULTS: A total of 1512 patients were included in the present study. Their median age was 66 years. Most patients were men (56.02%), and the most common histologic type was adenocarcinoma (58.04%); 109 tumors (11.31%) had EGFR mutations and 34 (3.64%) had ALK gene rearrangements. Overall, 56.54% had a PD-L1 TPS < 1%, 25.63% a TPS of 1% to 49%, and 17.83% a TPS of ≥ 50%. The factors associated with PD-L1 expression were histologic type (with adenocarcinoma samples having a greater proportion of TPS < 1%) and the laboratory that performed the test. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of high PD-L1 expression among the Brazilian NSCLC samples was lower than previously described in other countries, which could affect the number of patients who might be candidates for immunotherapy alone.

Quality of Surgery and Outcome in Localized Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Treated Within an International Intergroup Randomized Clinical Trial of Adjuvant Imatinib.

Importance: The association between quality of surgery and overall survival in patients affected by localized gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) is not completely understood. Objective: To assess the risk of death with and without imatinib according to microscopic margins status (R0/R1) using data from a randomized study on adjuvant imatinib. Design, Setting, and Participants: This is a post hoc observational study on patients included in the randomized, open-label, phase III trial, performed between December 2004 and October 2008. Median follow-up was 9.1 years (IQR, 8-10 years). The study was performed at 112 hospitals in 12 countries. Inclusion criteria were diagnosis of primary GIST, with intermediate or high risk of relapse; no evidence of residual disease after surgery; older than 18 years; and no prior malignancies or concurrent severe/uncontrolled medical conditions. Data were analyzed between July 17, 2017, and March 1, 2020. Interventions: Patients were randomized after surgery to either receive imatinib (400 mg/d) for 2 years or no adjuvant treatment. Randomization was stratified by center, risk category (high vs intermediate), tumor site (gastric vs other), and quality of surgery (R0 vs R1). Tumor rupture was included in the R1 category but also analyzed separately. Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary end point of this substudy was overall survival (OS), estimated using Kaplan-Meier method and compared between R0/R1 using Cox models adjusted for treatment and stratification factors. Results: A total of 908 patients were included; 51.4% were men (465) and 48.6% were women (440), and the median age was 59 years (range, 18-89 years). One hundred sixty-two (17.8%) had an R1 resection, and 97 of 162 (59.9%) had tumor rupture. There was a significant difference in OS for patients undergoing an R1 vs R0 resection, overall (hazard ratio [HR], 2.05; 95% CI, 1.45-2.89) and by treatment arm (HR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.37-3.75 with adjuvant imatinib and HR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.16-2.99 without adjuvant imatinib). When tumor rupture was excluded, this difference in OS between R1 and R0 resections disappeared (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.54-2.01). Conclusions and Relevance: The difference in OS by quality of surgery with or without imatinib was associated with the presence of tumor rupture. When the latter was excluded, the presence of R1 margins was not associated with worse OS. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00103168.

Health-related quality of life before and during chemotherapy in patients with early-stage breast cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Identify the main changes in the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of women diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) undergoing chemotherapy. METHODS: Prospective cohort study that included 33 women diagnosed with clinical stages I-III BC and who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy. HRQoL was assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-BR23 instruments 1 week before the start of chemotherapy and during the third month of chemotherapy. RESULTS: There was a decline in the HRQoL scores of patients during treatment. Therefore, chemotherapy alters the patient's perceptions of their HRQoL since there is a decrease in global health status/quality of life (QoL) and functional scales such as physical functioning, role functioning, emotional functioning, social functioning, body image, sexual function and sexual enjoyment. We also observed an increase in side effects related to the systemic therapy, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, insomnia, appetite loss and diarrhoea, despite a decrease in breast symptoms and arm symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: HRQoL was negatively affected during chemotherapy. Even though HRQoL assessment is a useful method for optimising patients' care, its implementation into clinical practice remains a challenge. Since side effects are very often underestimated, we consider that the evaluation of HRQoL parameters should be done for BC patients treated with chemotherapy.

Advanced Stage at Diagnosis and Worse Clinicopathologic Features in Young Women with Breast Cancer in Brazil: A Subanalysis of the AMAZONA III Study (GBECAM 0115).

PURPOSE: Breast cancer (BC) in young women is uncommon and tends to present with more aggressive characteristics. To better understand and characterize this scenario in Brazil through real-world data, we performed a subanalysis of AMAZONA III study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02663973). METHODS: The AMAZONA III study (GBECAM 0115) is a prospective registry that included 2,950 women newly diagnosed with invasive BC in Brazil from January 2016 until March 2018 at 22 sites. Valid data were obtained from 2,888 patients regarding age at diagnosis and complete baseline information. To compare epidemiologic and clinicopathological features at the time of diagnosis, patients with BC were divided into two groups according to age: ≤ 40 years and > 40 years. Quantitative variables were described as means, and categorical variables were described as frequencies and percentages and compared using the Pearson's χ2 test. RESULTS: Of 2,888 women diagnosed with BC, 486 (17%) were ≤ 40 years old. Young women had higher educational level, most were employed and a significant number were married (P < .001 for all associations). Younger patients were more symptomatic at BC diagnosis (P < .001), and they also presented more frequently with stage III, T3/T4, grade 3 tumors, HER-2-positive, luminal B, and triple-negative subtypes. CONCLUSION: Brazilian women younger than age 40 years have unfavorable clinicopathological features of BC at diagnosis, with more aggressive subtypes and advanced stage when compared with older women. These differences are not explained by socioeconomic or ethnic imbalances. The causes of a higher prevalence of BC among young women in Brazil deserve additional investigation.

Association of ESR1 Mutations and Visceral Metastasis in Patients with Estrogen Receptor-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer from Brazil.

Mutations in the ESR1 gene (ESR1m) are important mechanisms of resistance to endocrine therapy in estrogen receptor-positive advanced breast cancer and have been recognized as a prognostic and predictive biomarker as well as a potential therapeutic target. However, the prevalence of ESR1m in real-world patients has not been adequately described. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the prevalence of ESR1m in metastatic samples from Brazilian patients with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) advanced breast cancer previously treated with endocrine therapy. The presence of ESR1m was evaluated in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) breast cancer tissue using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Mutations in codons 380, 537, and 538 of the ESR1 gene were analyzed. Out of 77 breast cancer samples, 11 (14.3%) showed mutations in the ESR1 gene. ESR1m were detected in a variety of organs, and the D538G substitution was the most common mutation. In visceral metastasis, ESR1m were detected in 25% (8/32) of the samples, whereas in nonvisceral metastasis, ESR1m were detected in 6.7% (3/45) of the samples. The odds of a sample with visceral metastasis having an ESR1 mutation is 4.66 times the odds of a sample of nonvisceral metastasis having an ESR1 mutation (95% CI: 1.13-19.27; p value = 0.0333). Our study indicates that the prevalence of ESR1m in samples from Brazilian patients with metastatic ER+ breast cancer is similar to that described in patients included in clinical trials. We observed an association of ESR1m with visceral metastasis.

The LACOG-0415 phase II trial: abiraterone acetate and ADT versus apalutamide versus abiraterone acetate and apalutamide in patients with advanced prostate cancer with non-castration testosterone levels.

BACKGROUND: Testosterone suppression is the standard treatment for advanced prostate cancer, and it is associated with side-effects that impair patients' quality of life, like sexual dysfunction, osteoporosis, weight gain, and increased cardiovascular risk. We hypothesized that abiraterone acetate with prednisone (AAP) and apalutamide, alone or in combination, can be an effective hormonal therapy also possibly decreasing castration-associated side effects. METHODS: Phase II, open-label, randomized, efficacy trial of abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (AAP) and Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) versus apalutamide versus the combination of AAP (without ADT) and apalutamide. Key eligibility criteria are confirmed prostate adenocarcinoma; biochemical relapse after definitive treatment (PSA ≥ 4 ng/ml and doubling time less than 10 months, or PSA ≥ 20 ng/ml); newly diagnosed locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer; asymptomatic to moderately symptomatic regarding bone symptoms. Patients with other histology besides adenocarcinoma or previous use of hormonal therapy or chemotherapy were excluded. DISCUSSION: There is an urgent need to study and validate regimens such as new hormonal agents that may add benefit to castration with an acceptable safety profile. We aim to evaluate if apalutamide in monotherapy or in combination with AAP is an effective and safety hormonal treatment that can spare patients of androgen deprivation therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov on October 16, 2017, under Identifier: NCT02867020.

Differences in Breast Cancer Stage at Diagnosis by Ethnicity, Insurance Status, and Family Income in Young Women in the USA.

PURPOSE: Describe the clinical and epidemiological data from young women with breast cancer and determine the association between ethnicity, insurance status, family income, and breast cancer stage at the diagnosis in this population. METHODS: Women under the age of 40 diagnosed with invasive breast cancer from 2010 to 2014 and identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 18 registries database were included. Binary logistic regression was applied in order to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) for factors that were potentially predictive for receiving a breast cancer diagnosis at stage I. RESULTS: Of 14,379 young women with invasive breast cancer, 70.9% of the patients were white, 15.9% black, and 13.2% classified as other ethnicity (American Indian, Asian, Pacific Islander). The initial clinical stage at diagnosis was stage I in 28.2%, II in 45.2%, III in 19.0%, and IV in 7.6%. The chi-square test showed a significant association between clinical stage at diagnosis and family income (p < 0.0001), insurance status (p < 0.0001), and ethnicity (p < 0.0001). The ORs for being diagnosed at stage I, regarding different factors, revealed that women with family income higher than US$ 85,000 were more likely to be diagnosed with stage I (OR [95%CI], 1.306 [1.173-1.454]; p value < 0.0001) when compared with patients with family income of less than US$ 60,000. Black women were less likely to be diagnosed with stage I (OR [95%CI], 0.676 [0.605-0.755]; p value < 0.0001), when compared with white women. Uninsured women were less likely to be diagnosed with stage I (OR [95%CI], 0.586 [0.529-0.648]; p value < 0.0001) when compared with women with insurance coverage. CONCLUSION: Among young US women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, most of them presented early stage disease. Women with black ethnicity, low income, and uninsured are at risk for late-stage presentation. Improvements in strategies to allow earlier breast cancer diagnosis in these at risk population are urged.

Characteristics and prognosis of stage I-III breast cancer subtypes in Brazil: The AMAZONA retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe stage I-III breast cancer (BC) molecular subtypes and outcomes among a cohort of patients from Brazil. METHODS: AMAZONA study is a retrospective cohort conducted from June 2008 to January 2009 including women of at least 18 years old, with histologically proven breast cancer, diagnosed in 2001 (n = 2198) and 2006 (n = 2714). In this analysis, we included patients who underwent surgery, had stage I-III disease and available pathological information (n = 2296). We estimated molecular subtypes by local immunohistochemical stains. Data was obtained from medical charts and public databases. RESULTS: Mean age at diagnosis was 54 years and 41.1% were younger than 50 years. 23.3% were diagnosed in stage I, 53.5% in stage II and 23.2% in stage III. 80.8% were treated in the public health system. 71.3% had hormonal receptor positive disease, 15.7% were HER-2 positive and 21.1% had triple-negative breast cancer. 55.6% were treated with mastectomy and 96.2% received adjuvant treatment (82.2% chemotherapy). 13.4% of HER-2 positive patients received adjuvant trastuzumab. Overall survival rate at 5 years was 96.84% for stage I, 94.16% for stage II and 70.48% for stage III. Molecular subtypes were independent prognostic factor in stages II and III patients. CONCLUSIONS: Brazilian women have a higher risk of being diagnosed with late stage breast cancer and younger age than in high-income countries. Luminal-like disease is the most common molecular subtype in the country. Triple negative and HER-2 positive had the worst prognosis.

PET-CT has low specificity for mediastinal staging of non-small-cell lung cancer in an endemic area for tuberculosis: a diagnostic test study (LACOG 0114).

BACKGROUND: The present study aims to assess the performance of 18F-FDG PET-CT on mediastinal staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a location with endemic granulomatous infectious disease. METHODS: Diagnostic test study including patients aged 18 years or older with operable stage I-III NSCLC and indication for a mediastinal lymph node biopsy. All patients underwent a 18F-FDG PET-scan before invasive mediastinal staging, either through mediastinoscopy or thoracotomy, which was considered the gold-standard. Surgeons and pathologists were blinded for scan results. Primary endpoint was to evaluate sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of PET-CT with images acquired in the 1st hour of the exam protocol, using predefined cutoffs of maximal SUV, on per-patient basis. RESULTS: Overall, 85 patients with operable NSCLC underwent PET-CT scan followed by invasive mediastinal staging. Mean age was 65 years, 49 patients were male and 68 were white. One patient presented with active tuberculosis and none had HIV infection. Using any SUV_max > 0 as qualitative criteria for positivity, sensitivity and specificity were 0.87 and 0.45, respectively. Nevertheless, even when the highest SUV cut-off was used (SUV_max ≥5), specificity remained low (0.79), with an estimated positive predictive value of 54%. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are in line with the most recent publications and guidelines, which recommend that PET-CT must not be solely used as a tool to mediastinal staging, even in a region with high burden of tuberculosis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The LACOG 0114 study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov , before study initiation, under identifier NCT02664792.

Stage III Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Concurrent Chemoradiation Followed or Not by Consolidation Chemotherapy: A Survival Analysis From a Brazilian Multicentric Cohort.

PURPOSE: Of newly diagnosed patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), stage III accounts for 30%. Most patients are treated with concurrent chemoradiation therapy, but the addition of consolidation chemotherapy (CC) is debatable. We examined the effect of CC in Brazilian patients with stage III NSCLC treated in routine clinical practice. METHODS: We retrospectively collected data for patients from five different Brazilian cancer institutions who had stage III NSCLC and who were treated with chemoradiation therapy followed or not by CC. Eligible patients were age 18 years or older and must have been treated with cisplatin-carboplatin plus etoposide, paclitaxel, or vinorelbine, concurrently with thoracic radiation therapy (RT). Patients treated with surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. The primary end point was overall survival (OS). Associations between CC and clinical variables and demographics were evaluated by using Pearson's χ2 test. Survival curves were calculated by using the Kaplan-Meier method and were compared using the log-rank test. Univariable and multivariable analysis used a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: We collected data from 165 patients. Median age was 60 years. Most patients were male (69.1%), white (77.9%), current or former smokers (93.3%), and had stage IIIB disease (52.7%). Adenocarcinoma was the most common histology (47.9%). Weight loss of more than 5% was observed in 39.1% and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2 was observed in 14.6%. The only variable associated with CC was T stage ( P = .022). We observed no statistically significant difference in OS between patients treated or not with CC ( P = .128). A total delivered RT dose ≥ 61 Gy was the only variable independently associated with improved survival ( P = .012). CONCLUSION: Brazilian patients with locally advanced NSCLC who were treated with standard treatment achieved OS similar to that reported in randomized trials. CC did not improve OS in patients with stage III NSCLC after concurrent chemoradiation therapy. An RT dose of less than 61 Gy had a negative effect on OS.

Pulmonary congestion evaluated by lung ultrasound predicts decompensation in heart failure outpatients.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary congestion is the main cause of hospital admission among heart failure (HF) patients. Lung ultrasound (LUS) assessment of B-lines has been recently proposed as a reliable and easy tool for evaluating pulmonary congestion. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prognostic value of LUS in predicting adverse events in HF outpatients. METHODS: Single-center prospective cohort of 97 moderate-to-severe systolic HF patients (53±13years; 61% males) consecutively enrolled between November 2011 and October 2012. LUS evaluation was performed during the regular outpatient visit to evaluate the presence of pulmonary congestion, determined by B-lines number. Patients were followed up for 4months to assess admission due to acute pulmonary edema. RESULTS: During follow-up period (106±12days), 21 hospitalizations for acute pulmonary edema occurred. At Cox regression analysis, B-lines number≥30 (HR 8.62; 95%CI: 1.8-40.1; p=0.006) identified a group at high risk for acute pulmonary edema admission at 120days, and was the strongest predictor of events compared to other established clinical, laboratory and instrumental findings. No acute pulmonary edema occurred in patients without significant pulmonary congestion at LUS (number of B-lines<15). CONCLUSION: In a HF outpatient setting, B-line assessment by LUS identifies patients more likely to be admitted for decompensated HF in the following 4months. This simple evaluation could allow prompt therapy optimization in those patients who, although asymptomatic, carry a significant degree of extravascular lung water. CONDENSED ABSTRACT: Pulmonary congestion is the main cause of hospital admissions among heart failure patients. Lung ultrasound can be used as a reliable and easy way to evaluate pulmonary congestion through assessment of B-lines. In a cohort of heart failure outpatients, a B-lines cutoff≥30 (HR 8.62; 95%CI: 1.8-40.1) identified patients most likely to develop acute pulmonary edema at 120-days.