Outcomes of the patients with metastatic male breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The goal of this research is to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of men with metastatic breast cancer (mMBC). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the data of 28 patients was conducted. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to assess overall survival (OS) and prognostic variables. RESULTS: At the time of diagnosis, the median age was 57 years (range 26-86). The most prevalent pathological subtype was invasive ductal carcinoma (92.6%). HER2 positivity was 21.6% in patients, with estrogen and progesterone receptor positivity at 96.4% and 71.4%, respectively. Bone-75%, lung-39.3%, brain-21.4%, and adrenal gland-10.7% were the most prevalent metastatic sites. Trastuzumab-based chemotherapy was given to six patients. During the study period, 14 patients (or half) died. All patients had a median OS of 42.6 months (range: 21.6-63.7). The OS rates after 1, 3, and 5 years were 95.7%, 54.2%, and 36.6%, respectively. The number of metastatic locations (P = 0.045), brain metastasis (P = 0.033), and a history of regular alcohol intake (P = 0.008) were all shown to be statistically significant factors affecting OS in univariate analysis. However, multivariate analysis did not support the findings. In addition, we discovered that trastuzumab-based therapy and de-novo metastatic disease had no effect on OS for mMBC. CONCLUSIONS: The data on mMBC is restricted because of its rarity. The prognosis of mMBC was shown to be poor in this investigation. Despite the small number of patients, we discovered that in univariate analysis, having brain metastases, the number of metastatic locations, and a history of alcohol intake may be prognostic factors.

Clinical factors predicting objective response to bevacizumab-based chemotherapies in advanced and recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: Bevacizumab-based chemotherapies are commonly administered in the treatment of patients diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The primary aim of this study was to assess the factors that predict the objective response to bevacizumab-based therapies in cases of advanced and recurrent EOC. METHODS: The retrospective data of 264 patients with EOC from the current study were collected between 2009 and 2022 at our clinic. Survival analyses were conducted utilizing the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the factors predicting the objective response. RESULTS: A predominant subset of patients (83%) presented with serous adenocarcinoma, exhibiting a high-grade differentiation at 87%. The vast majority (80%) of the cohort experienced disease recurrence. Three-fourths of the cases received bevacizumab in combination with platinum-based doublet chemotherapy. In the multivariate analysis, clinical factors such as a disease recurrence (P=0.031), upfront tumor debulking surgery before bevacizumab (P=0.009), doublet chemotherapy (P=0.003), and the presence of malignant pleural effusion (P=0.024) emerged as significant determinants influencing the Objective Response Rate (ORR) in patients undergoing bevacizumab-based therapy. The ORR was 67.5% (N.=178), comprising 15.2% complete responses (N.=40) and 52.1% partial responses (N.=138). The median Progression-Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS) were estimated at 10.2 months (95% CI, 8.60-11.9) and 20.1 months (95% CI, 16.0-24.2), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The responses to bevacizumab-based chemotherapies could be predict by the presence of malignant pleural effusion, disease recurrence, upfront tumor debulking surgery and doublet regimen of chemotherapy.

Therapeutic efficacy of high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem-cell transplantation in 44 relapsed or refractory germ-cell tumor patients: A retrospective cohort study.

Despite having a higher mortality risk than conventional chemotherapeutics, high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) has the potential to be curative in relapsed/refractory germ-cell tumors. Therefore, selecting the best patient group for this treatment is critical. This study aimed to determine the factors that affect survival in our relapsed/refractory GCT cohort who received HDCT and autologous stem-cell transplantation. Between September 2010 and 2020, we included in the study 44 relapsed/refractory male patients with GCT treated with HDCT plus autologous stem-cell transplantation. The patients' demographic features, clinical characteristics, and treatment outcomes were evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed to identify risk factors associated with survival. The median age of all cohorts was 28 years. Thirty-six patients had nonseminomatous tumors, and 8 patients had seminomatous tumors. The most common primary tumor sites were the gonads (75%), followed by the mediastinum (15.9%) and the retroperitoneum (9.1%). After HDCT, 11 patients had a complete response, 12 patients had a partial response, and 17 patients had a progressive disease, respectively. About 23 patients (52.3%) experienced at least 1 treatment-related grade 3 to 4 nonhematological toxicity. About 4 patients (10%) died due to HDCT-related toxicity. The total group's median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7 months, and the median overall survival (OS) was 14.9 months. Primary tumor site (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.84; P = .028), type of HDCT regimen (HR: 0.35; P = .010), and best response to HDCT (HR: 11.0; P < .0001) were independent prognostic risk factors for PFS. The only independent prognostic risk factor associated with OS was the best response to HDCT (HR: 6.62; P = .001). The results of the study promise the best response to HDCT as a primary measure for predicting survival in relapsed/refractory GCT. In contrast, primary mediastinal GCT is not a good candidate for HDCT. Furthermore, a carboplatin-etoposide regimen in combination with cyclophosphamide and paclitaxel may improve PFS.

Disease characteristics and prognostic factors of colorectal cancer patients with bone metastasis: A real-world data from Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Bone metastasis is rarely seen in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, and there is insufficient data available regarding such cases. The study aimed to identify the prognostic factors and characteristics associated with overall survival in patients with bone metastatic CRC. METHOD: Data from bone metastatic CRC patients referred to a high-volume tertiary cancer center in Turkey, between January 2018 and April 2021, were retrospectively collected. The records of 150 consecutive patients treated for bone metastases due to CRC were reviewed. Overall survival curves were generated by the Kaplan-Meier method and analyzed using the log-rank test. RESULTS: Median age was 55 years (19-86 years). Bone metastases were more common in men and those with metachronous metastases. The axial skeleton was the most commonly involved site, and patients were frequently presented with single bone metastasis. Peritoneal metastases were significantly correlated with extra-axial metastases (P = 0.002), and radiotherapy was applied to axial metastases significantly, more frequently (P = 0.02). Lung metastasis was also more prevalent in K-RAS mutated patients (P = 0.008). The median survival time from diagnosis of bone metastasis was 8.3 months (95% confidence interval (CI), 5.5-10.6), and the three-year survival rate was 76.9% (95% CI, 69.8-84.0). Multivariate analysis revealed that brain metastases, right-sided colon tumor, high serum ALP, and Ca 19-9 levels were independent poor prognostic factors (P = 0.01, 0.02, <0.001, and 0.04, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The location of CRC correlates significantly with the site of bone metastasis; the prognosis of CRC patients with bone metastasis is very poor, and the significant poor prognostic factors are brain metastases, right-sidedness, high serum ALP, and Ca 19-9 levels. More attention should be paid to bone metastasis in CRC patients.

Termination of trastuzumab in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients who received trastuzumab beyond progression.

The purpose of the study was to assess the prognosis of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients who received trastuzumab beyond progression and investigate the predictors of complete response. HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients who received long-term trastuzumab were included in the study. Predictors of complete response were analyzed with binary regression analysis. The prognosis of patients who had their trastuzumab-based treatment terminated was assessed. Eighty patients were involved in the study. The patients were received with trastuzumab for a median of 62 months (12-191). A complete response was observed in 60 (75%) patients. The median duration to development of complete response was found as 14.8 months (2.4-55). In logistic regression analysis: using endocrine therapy with trastuzumab (p = 0.04), menopausal status (p = 0.03), and the number of metastatic sites (p = 0.01) were found to be statistically significant factors for a complete response. Trastuzumab-based therapy of fifteen patients was terminated, six (40%) patients continued to receive an aromatase inhibitor, and nine (60%) patients were followed up without treatment. After termination of trastuzumab, at a median follow-up of 32 months (11-66), recurrence was detected in two (13.3%) patients. We detected that menopausal status, the number of metastatic sites, and using endocrine therapy with trastuzumab were predictors of complete response in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients who received long-term trastuzumab-based therapy. We observed that HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients may be completely cured with trastuzumab-based therapy. There are no defined criteria for termination of trastuzumab treatment in this selected patient group. It is necessary to confirm our data with multicenter studies involving a large number of patients.

Weekly paclitaxel treatment in the first-line therapy of classic Kaposi sarcoma: A real-life study.

Kaposi sarcoma is an angioproliferative disease associated with human herpes virus 8 infection. Classic Kaposi sarcoma (CKS) usually develops in older age. Although CKS often does not require systemic therapy, systemic therapy can be administered in progressively symptomatic patients. In this real-life study, we purposed to determine effectiveness and safety of weekly paclitaxel therapy in the first-line treatment of CKS. In this cross-sectional retrospective study, we analyzed the clinical data of 44 patients with CKS who received first-line paclitaxel therapy between January 2000 and December 2020. Paclitaxel was administered by intravenous infusion 80 to 100 mg/weekly. The median age of the patients was 67 years (range, 39-86 years), and majority male (77.2%). All patients had cutaneous involvement in extremities. The median follow-up time from paclitaxel treatment was 39.1 (range, 3.7-173.5) months. The median progression free survival from start of therapy was 35.1 months (range, 2-144 months). Complete response, partial response and stable disease were observed in 7 (15.9%), 28 (63.7%) and 6 (13.6) patients, respectively. Objective control rate was 79.6%, and the median response time after the last dose of paclitaxel was 18.2 months. A total of 4 patients (9.1%) had grade 3 to 4 neutropenia, but it was not complicated by febrile neutropenia. Three patients (6.8%) experienced grade 3 to 4 peripheral neuropathy. No patient had grade 3 to 4 allergic reaction. There was no drug-related death. According to our results, paclitaxel is an effective therapy option with an acceptable safety profile for patients with advanced CKS.

Fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel (FLOT) regimen in the first-line treatment of metastatic gastric cancer: A single-center experience.

Objective: The median survival time for metastatic gastric cancer that has a poor prognosis is usually shorter than 1 year. The fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel (FLOT) regimen is observed to be effective in the neo-adjuvant treatment of gastric cancer. However, data on the FLOT regimen in metastatic gastric cancer are limited. The current study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the FLOT regimen in metastatic gastric cancer in real life. Study Design: Retrospective study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was performed in an Institute of Oncology of a university and included the patients diagnosed between January 2015 and December 2020. Methodology: In addition to the clinicopathological data of patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2)-negative metastatic gastric cancer, we retrospectively evaluated the survival and treatment-related toxicities. The FLOT regimen (Fluorouracil 2600 mg/m2 24 hours continuous intravenous infusion, leucovorin 200 mg/m2, oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2, and docetaxel 50 mg/m2 on day 1) every 2 weeks was used in all patients. Results: The study included 94 patients who were followed up for a median of 11.1 (min-max: 1.5-65.8) months. The number of male patients was 60 (63.4%), and the median age was 58 (min-max: 27-78) years. The primary tumor was located in the stomach (72.3%) and gastroesophageal junction (27.7%). The objective response rate was observed in 64.8% of the patients. The median overall survival was 13.5 (95% CI: 9.2-17.8) months, whereas the progression-free survival was 7 (95% CI: 5.7-8.3) months. The 1-year survival rate was 53.6%. Complete response was detected in 7.4% of the patients. Among grade 3-4 toxicities, neutropenia (44.6%), leukopenia (27.6%), neuropathy (12.7%), and fatigue (9.5%) were the most common observed toxicities. Conclusion: FLOT is a highly active option in the first-line treatment of metastatic gastric cancer, with a favorable safety profile.

Predictors of response in EGFR-mutant metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: The goal of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant metastatic non-small cell cancer and to determine the factors that predict objective response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the study, data from metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients with EGFR mutations treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors were retrospectively reviewed. Factors predicting objective response were evaluated with logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The study evaluated the data of 105 patients. The most common EGFR mutations detected in patients were exon 19 (56.2%) and exon 21 (23.8%). The median progression-free survival (PFS) associated with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors was 20.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.4-26.7) months. The median overall survival (OS) in the post-metastasis period was found to be 30.8 (95% CI, 20.2-41.4) months. Five- and seven-year OS was determined as 28.7% and 22.9%, respectively. Factors predicting the objective response were analyzed. Presence of drug-related toxicity (P = 0.02), histopathologic type (P = 0.01), metastasis burden (P = 0.03), and EGFR mutation type (P = 0.04) were found to be statistically significant in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, we found that EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors are effective and safe. Better response to EGFR inhibitors was observed in the presence of drug-induced toxicity, adenocarcinoma histology, low metastasis burden, and exon 19 mutation.

Long-term outcomes and predictors of recurrence in node-negative early stage breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the outcomes, and risk factors for recurrence in patients with early stage node-negative breast cancer in this study. METHOD: Retrospective data analysis was done on patient treatment records from 1988 to 2018. The patient's demographic, clinical, pathological, and therapeutic characteristics were noted. To evaluate survival analysis and predictors of recurrence, we employed Kaplan-Meier analysis with the log-rank test. RESULTS: A total of 357 patients in all were enrolled in the research. At the time of diagnosis, the median age was 50 (with a range of 18-81). A total of 85.5% of patients had undergone a lumpectomy, while 14.5% had a mastectomy. 78.7% of patients had sentinel lymph node biopsy, and 21.3% had axillary lymph node dissection. In addition, the patients received adjuvant radiotherapy (88.7%), adjuvant endocrine therapy (82.1%), and adjuvant chemotherapy (48.5%). Recurrence of the tumor occurred in 31 (8.7%) patients (local recurrence 45.2% and metastatic disease 54.8%). Ten- and twenty-year recurrence-free survival rates were 92% and 77%. 19 (5.3%) patients had also developed contralateral breast cancer. Ten-year survival rates were 91.6%, and 20-year survival rates were 76.6%, respectively. Aged over 65 years (p = 0.004), necrosis (p = 0.002), mitosis (p = 0.003), and nuclear pleomorphism (p = 0.049) were found as statistically significant factors for recurrence in univariate analysis. In the ROC analysis, the largest size of the tumor (over 1.45 cm, p = 0.07) remained outside the statistical significance limit in terms of recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Thirty-year outcomes in individuals with early stage, node-negative breast cancer were shown in this study. We found that the recurrence ratios between 10 and 20 years were more frequent than the first 10 years during the follow-up. Despite the small number of patients who experienced a recurrence, we demonstrated that, in univariate analysis, being older than 65 and having some pathological characteristics (nuclear pleomorphism, mitosis, and necrosis) were statistically significant factors for disease recurrence.

High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation for adult patients With first relapse of Ewing's sarcoma: A single institution experience.

The prognosis of patients with Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT) relapse is poor; the 5-year overall survival (OS) is 13%. We evaluated the effectivity of high-dose therapy (HDT) with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in adult patients with ESFT relapse. Between January 2010 and January 2021, we retrospectively analyzed 20 patients with ESFT who received HDT upon relapse. A combination of busulfan with melphalan was used as a conditioning regimen before ASCT. The median follow-up from diagnosis and from first relapse was 46.08 months (range; 10.71-186.87) and 14.41 months (range; 4.34-104.11), respectively. The median of age patients was 21.2 years (range, 17.6-25.3), and 10 (50%) patients were female. The tumor originated from the bone in 13 patients and soft tissue in 7 patients. Twelve patients had early (<2 years) relapse, and 8 patients had late (>2 years) relapse. Before HDT, 13 (65%) and 7 (35%) patients had pulmonary and extrapulmonary metastasis, respectively. After induction chemotherapy, 14 patients achieved complete response. The median OS1 and OS2 were 51.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI], range: 16.2-87) and 15.7 months (95% CI, range: 10.2-21.2), respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 5-year OS rates were 50%, 30%, and 15%, respectively. One patient died (sepsis) 1 month after ASCT. In univariate analyses, a disease-free interval (DFI) of < 2 years (P = .008) and incomplete response (P = .021) before ASCT were poor prognostic factors for OS2.HDT with ASCT can result in long-term survival of patients with ESFT relapse. HDT should be considered an important treatment opt ion in patients with a DFI > 2 years and complete response before transplantation.

Toxicity management and efficacy of carboplatin desensitization therapy for recurrent epithelial ovarian carcinoma: A real-world study.

Epithelial Ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most lethal gynecologic cancer worldwide. Carboplatin (CP) is the main chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of ovarian cancer. However, the development of a hypersensitivity reaction (HSR) in 10% to 15% of patients with EOC is an important limiting factor for the clinical use of CP. Herein, we aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of CP-desensitization (CP-D) therapy in the treatment of recurrent patients with EOC. Forty-seven ovarian cancer cases treated with CP-desensitization at the Istanbul University Oncology Institute were retrospectively analyzed between 01.01.2017 and 01.01.2022. The decision for CP-D was based on the patients' history of HSR and/or a positive skin test. For all patients, a 6-hour 12-step rapid drug desensitization protocol with a 30-minutes premedication regimen was used. Forty-seven patients were included in this study, and the median age at diagnosis was 53 years (range; 27-80). Twenty-one (43.7%) patients had 1 or more comorbid diseases, and 12.7% had a previous history of drug allergy. On average, HSR due to carboplatin was identified after 9 (7-16) cycles, and carboplatin was administered n = 11 (range, 3-36) times to patients. The overall survival from the first desensitization procedure (0S2) was 42.2 months (range: 25.3-59.1), and the 1-, 2-, and 5-years survival rates were 92.6%, 75.6%, and 47.2%, respectively. The objective response rate (ORR) was 78.5%. Cumulatively, 496 CP-D procedures were performed, of which 478 (96.3%) were successfully completed. None of the patients included in this study developed severe (grade 3-4) HSR during CP administration (no adrenaline was used, no need for intensive care). No deaths due to CP-D were noted. CP-D is a beneficial and safe method in treating platinum-sensitive recurrent EOC patients with CP-induced HSR.

Assessment of serum endocan levels in patients with beta-thalassemia minor.

OBJECTIVE: Beta-thalassemia minor is a blood disease caused by a hereditary decrease in beta-globin synthesis, frequently leading to hypochromic microcytic anemia. Formerly called endothelial cell-specific molecule 1, endocan is a proteoglycan released by vascular endothelial cells in many organs. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between the beta-thalassemia minor patients and the healthy control group in terms of serum endocan level. METHODS: The study was performed in a total of 80 subjects. They were divided into two groups, the beta-thalassemia minor group (n=40) and the healthy control group (n=40). Serum endocan levels, age, sex, body mass index value, and tobacco use data of these groups were compared. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was detected between the two groups in terms of age, sex, and body mass index values (p>0.05). Endocan levels were measured to be 206.85±88.1 pg/mL in the beta-thalassemia minor group and 236.1±162.8 pg/mL in the control group with no significant difference between the groups in terms of serum endocan levels (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, there was no change in endocan level in beta-thalassemia minor. This might be because serum endocan levels are affected by multi-factorial reasons. Serum endocan levels may be altered secondarily to decreased beta-globin chain, increased sympathetic activity due to anemia, or platelet dysfunction induced by oxidative stress in beta-thalassemia minor. Further multicenter studies involving more patients are necessary to demonstrate this.

Crizotinib efficacy and safety in patients with advanced NSCLC harboring MET alterations: A real-life data of Turkish Oncology Group.

Crizotinib is a multikinase inhibitor, effective in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring mesenchymal-epidermal transition (MET) alterations. Although small prospective studies showed efficacy and safety of crizotinib in NSCLC with MET alterations, there is limited real-life data. Aim of this study is to investigate real-life efficacy and safety of crizotinib in patients with advanced NSCLC harboring MET alterations. This was a retrospective, multicenter (17 centers) study of Turkish Oncology Group. Patients' demographic, histological data, treatment, response rates, survival outcomes, and toxicity data were collected. Outcomes were presented for the study population and compared between MET alteration types. Total of 62 patients were included with a median age of 58.5 (range, 26-78). Major histological type was adenocarcinoma, and 3 patients (4.8%) had sarcomatoid component. The most common MET analyzing method was next generation sequencing (90.3%). MET amplification and mutation frequencies were 53.2% (n = 33) and 46.8% (n = 29), respectively. Overall response rate and disease control rate were 56.5% and 74.2% in whole study population, respectively. Median progression free survival (PFS) was 7.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.8-10.5), and median overall survival (OS) was 18.7 months (95% CI: 13.7-23.7), regardless of treatment line. Median PFS was 6.1 months (95% CI: 5.6-6.4) for patients with MET amplification, whereas 14.3 months (95% CI: 6.7-21.7) for patients with MET mutation (P = .217). Median PFS was significantly longer in patients who have never smoked (P = .040), have good performance score (P < .001), and responded to the treatment (P < .001). OS was significantly longer in patients with MET mutation (25.6 months, 95% CI: 15.9-35.3) compared to the patients with MET amplification (11.0 months; 95% CI: 5.2-16.8) (P = .049). In never-smokers, median OS was longer than smoker patients (25.6 months [95% CI: 11.8-39.3] vs 16.5 months [95% CI: 9.3-23.6]; P = .049). The most common adverse effects were fatigue (50%), peripheral edema (21%), nausea (29%) and diarrhea (19.4%). Grade 3 or 4 adverse effects were observed in 6.5% of the patients. This real-life data confirms efficacy and safety of crizotinib in the treatment of advanced NSCLC harboring MET alteration.

Assessment of serum endocan levels in patients with beta-thalassemia minor

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: Beta-thalassemia minor is a blood disease caused by a hereditary decrease in beta-globin synthesis, frequently leading to hypochromic microcytic anemia. Formerly called endothelial cell-specific molecule 1, endocan is a proteoglycan released by vascular endothelial cells in many organs. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between the beta-thalassemia minor patients and the healthy control group in terms of serum endocan level. METHODS: The study was performed in a total of 80 subjects. They were divided into two groups, the beta-thalassemia minor group (n=40) and the healthy control group (n=40). Serum endocan levels, age, sex, body mass index value, and tobacco use data of these groups were compared. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was detected between the two groups in terms of age, sex, and body mass index values (p>0.05). Endocan levels were measured to be 206.85±88.1 pg/mL in the beta-thalassemia minor group and 236.1±162.8 pg/mL in the control group with no significant difference between the groups in terms of serum endocan levels (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, there was no change in endocan level in beta-thalassemia minor. This might be because serum endocan levels are affected by multi-factorial reasons. Serum endocan levels may be altered secondarily to decreased beta-globin chain, increased sympathetic activity due to anemia, or platelet dysfunction induced by oxidative stress in beta-thalassemia minor. Further multicenter studies involving more patients are necessary to demonstrate this.