Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes as a predictor of axillary and primary tumor pathological response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer: a retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) can predict complete pathological response (pCR) of tumor in the breast but not so well-defined in the axilla after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Since axillary surgery is being increasingly de-escalated after NACT, we aimed to investigate the relationship between TILs and pCR in the axilla and breast, as well as survival amongst NACT patients. METHODS: Clinicopathological data on patients who underwent NACT between 2013 and 2020 were retrospectively examined. Specifically, pre-TILs (before NACT), post-TILs (after NACT) and ΔTIL (changes in TILs) were assessed. Primary endpoint was pCR and secondary endpoints were breast cancer-free interval (BCFI) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty patients with nodal metastases were included. Overall axillary and breast pCR rates were 42.7% (94/220) and 39.1% (86/220), respectively, whereas the combined pCR rate was 32.7% (72/220). High pre-TILs (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.02-4.05; p = 0.04) predicted axillary pCR whereas, high post-TILs (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.14-0.76; p = 0.009) and increased ΔTILs (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.08-0.79; p = 0.02) predicted non-axillary pCR. TILs were not a significant predictor for BCFI and OS. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the potential use of pre-TILs to select initially node-positive patients for axillary surgical de-escalation after NACT.

Omitting Axillary Dissection in Breast Cancer with Sentinel-Node Metastases.

BACKGROUND: Trials evaluating the omission of completion axillary-lymph-node dissection in patients with clinically node-negative breast cancer and sentinel-lymph-node metastases have been compromised by limited statistical power, uncertain nodal radiotherapy target volumes, and a scarcity of data on relevant clinical subgroups. METHODS: We conducted a noninferiority trial in which patients with clinically node-negative primary T1 to T3 breast cancer (tumor size, T1, ≤20 mm; T2, 21 to 50 mm; and T3, >50 mm in the largest dimension) with one or two sentinel-node macrometastases (metastasis size, >2 mm in the largest dimension) were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to completion axillary-lymph-node dissection or its omission (sentinel-node biopsy only). Adjuvant treatment and radiation therapy were used in accordance with national guidelines. The primary end point was overall survival. We report here the per-protocol and modified intention-to-treat analyses of the prespecified secondary end point of recurrence-free survival. To show noninferiority of sentinel-node biopsy only, the upper boundary of the confidence interval for the hazard ratio for recurrence or death had to be below 1.44. RESULTS: Between January 2015 and December 2021, a total of 2766 patients were enrolled across five countries. The per-protocol population included 2540 patients, of whom 1335 were assigned to undergo sentinel-node biopsy only and 1205 to undergo completion axillary-lymph-node dissection (dissection group). Radiation therapy including nodal target volumes was administered to 1192 of 1326 patients (89.9%) in the sentinel-node biopsy-only group and to 1058 of 1197 (88.4%) in the dissection group. The median follow-up was 46.8 months (range, 1.5 to 94.5). Overall, 191 patients had recurrence or died. The estimated 5-year recurrence-free survival was 89.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 87.5 to 91.9) in the sentinel-node biopsy-only group and 88.7% (95% CI, 86.3 to 91.1) in the dissection group, with a country-adjusted hazard ratio for recurrence or death of 0.89 (95% CI, 0.66 to 1.19), which was significantly (P<0.001) below the prespecified noninferiority margin. CONCLUSIONS: The omission of completion axillary-lymph-node dissection was noninferior to the more extensive surgery in patients with clinically node-negative breast cancer who had sentinel-node macrometastases, most of whom received nodal radiation therapy. (Funded by the Swedish Research Council and others; SENOMAC ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02240472.).

The effect of a single dose of nivolumab prior to isolated limb perfusion for patients with in-transit melanoma metastases: An interim analysis of a phase Ib/II randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (NivoILP trial).

OBJECTIVE: ILP has shown to achieve high response rates in patients with melanoma ITM. Possibly there is a synergistic mechanism of action of ILP and anti-PD1. The aim of this trial was to investigate the safety and efficacy of adding a single dose of systemic anti-PD1 to isolated limb perfusion (ILP) for patients with melanoma in-transit metastases (ITM). METHODS: In this placebo controlled double-blind phase Ib/II trial, patients with melanoma ITM were randomized 1:1 to either a single systemic dose of nivolumab or placebo one day prior to ILP. The primary endpoint was complete response (CR) rate at three months, and safety in terms of incidence and severity of adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: A total of 20 patients were included. AEs of any grade occurred in 90% of patients in the nivolumab arm and in 80% in the placebo arm within three months after ILP. Grade 3 AEs were reported in 40% and 30% respectively, most commonly related to wound infection, wound dehiscence, or skin necrosis. There were no grade 4 or 5 AEs reported. The CR rate was 75% in the nivolumab arm and 60% in the placebo arm. The 1-year local progression-free rate was 86% in the nivolumab arm and 67% in the placebo arm. The 1-year OS was 100% in both arms. CONCLUSION: For patients with melanoma ITM, the addition of a single systemic dose of nivolumab the day before ILP is considered safe and feasible with promising efficacy. Accrual will continue in a phase 2 trial.

Technical considerations for isolated limb perfusion: A consensus paper.

BACKGROUND: Isolated limb perfusion (ILP) is a well-established surgical procedure for the administration of high dose chemotherapy to a limb for the treatment of advanced extremity malignancy. Although the technique of ILP was first described over 60 years ago, ILP is utilised in relatively few specialist centres, co-located with tertiary or quaternary cancer centres. The combination of high dose cytotoxic chemotherapy and the cytokine tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), mandates leakage monitoring to prevent potentially serious systemic toxicity. Since the procedure is performed at relatively few specialist centres, an ILP working group was formed with the aim of producing technical consensus guidelines for the procedure to streamline practice and to provide guidance for new centres commencing the technique. METHODS: Between October 2021 and October 2023 a series of face to face online and hybrid meetings were held in which a modified Delphi process was used to develop a unified consensus document. After each meeting the document was modified and recirculated and then rediscussed at subsequent meeting until a greater than 90% consensus was achieved in all recommendations. RESULTS: The completed consensus document comprised 23 topics in which greater than 90% consensus was achieved, with 83% of recommendations having 100% consensus across all members of the working group. The consensus recommendations covered all areas of the surgical procedure including pre-operative assessment, drug dosing and administration, perfusion parameters, hyperthermia, leakage monitoring and theatre logistics, practical surgical strategies and also post-operative care, response evaluation and staff training. CONCLUSION: We present the first joint expert-based consensus statement with respect to the technical aspects of ILP that can serve as a reference point for both existing and new centres in providing ILP.

Survival and Quality of Life after Isolated Hepatic Perfusion with Melphalan as a Treatment for Uveal Melanoma Liver Metastases - Final Results from the Phase III Randomized Controlled Trial SCANDIUM.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate overall survival (OS) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of first-line isolated hepatic perfusion (IHP) compared to best alternative care (BAC) for patients with uveal melanoma liver metastases. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Approximately half of patients with uveal melanoma develop metastatic disease, most commonly in the liver and systemic treatment options are limited. Isolated hepatic perfusion (IHP) is a locoregional therapy with high response rates but with unclear effect on overall survival (OS). METHODS: In this phase III randomized controlled multicenter trial (the SCANDIUM trial) patients with previously untreated isolated uveal melanoma liver metastases were included between 2013-2021, with at least 24 months of follow-up. The planned accrual was 90 patients randomized 1:1 to receive a one-time treatment with IHP or BAC. Crossover to IHP was not allowed. The primary endpoint was the 24-month OS rate, with the hypothesis of a treatment effect leading to a 50% OS rate in the IHP group compared to 20% in the control group. HRQOL was measured by the EuroQol 5-domains 3-levels (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire over 12 months. RESULTS: The intention-to-treat (ITT) population included 87 patients randomized to the IHP group (43 patients; 41 [89%] received IHP) or the control group (44 patients). The control group received chemotherapy (49%), immunotherapy (39%), or localized interventions (9%). In the ITT population, the median PFS was 7.4 months in the IHP group compared with 3.3 months in the control group, with a hazard ratio of 0.21 (95% CI, 0.12-0.36). The 24-month OS rate was 46.5% in the IHP group versus 29.5% in the control group (P=0.12). The median OS was 21.7 months versus 17.6 months, with a hazard ratio of 0.64 (95% CI, 0.37-1.10). EQ-5D-3L showed a sustained high health status for the IHP group over 12 months, compared to a deteriorating trend in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with liver metastases from uveal melanoma, IHP offers high response rates translating to a benefit in PFS including a trend of better HRQOL compared to the control group. However, the primary endpoint of OS at 24 months was not met.

Population-Based Validation of the MIA and MSKCC Tools for Predicting Sentinel Lymph Node Status.

Importance: Patients with melanoma are selected for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) based on their risk of a positive SLN. To improve selection, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) developed predictive models, but the utility of these models remains to be tested. Objective: To determine the clinical utility of the MIA and MSKCC models. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a population-based comparative effectiveness research study including 10 089 consecutive patients with cutaneous melanoma undergoing SLNB from the Swedish Melanoma Registry from January 2007 to December 2021. Data were analyzed from May to August 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures,: The predicted probability of SLN positivity was calculated using the MSKCC model and a limited MIA model (using mitotic rate as absent/present instead of count/mm2 and excluding the optional variable lymphovascular invasion) for each patient. The operating characteristics of the models were assessed and compared. The clinical utility of each model was assessed using decision curve analysis and compared with a strategy of performing SLNB on all patients. Results: Among 10 089 included patients, the median (IQR) age was 64.0 (52.0-73.0) years, and 5340 (52.9%) were male. The median Breslow thickness was 1.8 mm, and 1802 patients (17.9%) had a positive SLN. Both models were well calibrated across the full range of predicted probabilities and had similar external area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC; MSKCC: 70.8%; 95% CI, 69.5-72.1 and limited MIA: 69.7%; 95% CI, 68.4-71.1). At a risk threshold of 5%, decision curve analysis indicated no added net benefit for either model compared to performing SLNB for all patients. At risk thresholds of 10% or higher, both models added net benefit compared to SLNB for all patients. The greatest benefit was observed in patients with T2 melanomas using a threshold of 10%; in that setting, the use of the nomograms led to a net reduction of 8 avoidable SLNBs per 100 patients for the MSKCC nomogram and 7 per 100 patients for the limited MIA nomogram compared to a strategy of SLNB for all. Conclusions and Relevance: This study confirmed the statistical performance of both the MSKCC and limited MIA models in a large, nationally representative data set. However, decision curve analysis demonstrated that using the models only improved selection for SLNB compared to biopsy in all patients when a risk threshold of at least 7% was used, with the greatest benefit seen for T2 melanomas at a threshold of 10%. Care should be taken when using these nomograms to guide selection for SLNB at the lowest thresholds.

Three-dimensional reconstruction of interstitial extracellular vesicles in human liver as determined by electron tomography.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer nanoparticles involved in cell-cell communication that are released into the extracellular space by all cell types. The cargo of EVs includes proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and metabolites reflecting their cell of origin. EVs have recently been isolated directly from solid tissues, and this may provide insights into how EVs mediate communication between cells in vivo. Even though EVs have been isolated from tissues, their point of origin when they are in the interstitial space has been uncertain. In this study, we performed three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction using transmission electron tomography of metastatic and normal liver tissues with a focus on the presence of EVs in the interstitium. After chemical fixation of the samples and subsequent embedding of tissue pieces in resin, ultrathin slices (300 nm) were cut and imaged on a 120 ekV transmission electron microscopy as a tilt series (a series of subsequent images tilted at different angles). These were then computationally illustrated in a 3D manner to reconstruct the imaged tissue volume. We identified the cells delimiting the interstitial space in both types of tissues, and small distinct spherical structures with a diameter of 30-200 nm were identified between the cells. These round structures appeared to be more abundant in metastatic tissue compared to normal tissue. We suggest that the observed spherical structures in the interstitium of the metastatic and non-metastatic liver represent EVs. This work thus provides the first 3D visualization of EVs in human tissue.

A prospective feasibility trial exploring novel biomarkers for neurotoxicity after isolated limb perfusion.

BACKGROUND: Isolated limb perfusion (ILP) is a regional cancer treatment in which high-dose chemotherapy is administered in an isolated extremity. The main side effect is regional toxicity, which occasionally leads to nerve damage. Measuring neuroaxonal biomarkers, might be a method predicting such complications. Therefore, the primary aim of the study is to investigate if neuronal biomarkers are measurable and alters in an isolated extremity during ILP. Secondly, if postoperative regional toxicity, alterations in sensitivity, and/or muscle strength are correlated to the biomarker levels. METHODS: Eighteen scheduled ILP-patients were included in the study. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light (NfL), and tau concentrations were measured in plasma sampled preoperatively, at the start and end of the ILP, on days 3 and 30, using ultrasensitive Single molecule array (Simoa) technology. The patients were assessed by a physiotherapist pre- and postoperatively. RESULTS: At ILP end, significantly higher NfL and tau levels were measured in the extremity than in the corresponding systemic circulation (NfL; 17 vs 6 ng/L, p < .01, tau; 1.8 vs 0.6 ng/L, p < .01), and the extremity levels were significantly increased at ILP end (NfL; 66 ± 37%, p < .001, tau; 75 ± 45%, p = .001). On days 3 and 30, significantly increased NfL and GFAP levels were measured systemically (NfL day 3: 69 ± 30%, p < .001; day 30: 76 ± 26%, p < .001; GFAP day 3: 33 ± 22%, p < .002; day 30: 33 ± 23%, p ≤ .004). Finally, no significant correlations were found between regional toxicity or between postoperative muscle or sensitivity decrease and biomarker release. CONCLUSION: During ILP, NfL and tau levels increased significantly. No obvious correlations were observed between biomarker release and regional toxicity or decreased muscle strength or sensitivity, although large-scale studies are warranted.

Isolated hyperthermic perfusions for cutaneous melanoma in-transit metastasis of the limb and uveal melanoma metastasis to the liver.

Patients with cutaneous melanoma can develop in-transit metastases (ITM), most often localized to limbs. For patients with uveal melanoma that develop metastatic disease, the overall majority develop isolated liver metastases. For these types of metastases, regional cancer therapies have evolved as effective treatments. Isolated limb perfusion (ILP), isolated limb infusion (ILI), isolated hepatic perfusion (IHP) and percutaneous hepatic perfusion (PHP) achieve a high local concentration of chemotherapy with minimal systemic exposure. This review discusses the mechanism and available literature on locoregional treatment modalities in the era of modern immunotherapy.

Mental health, stress, and well-being measured before (2019) and during (2020) COVID-19: a Swedish socioeconomic population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: Compare mental health, stress, and well-being in the Swedish population as measured before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Repeated cross-sectional design using data measured before (Jan-2019; n = 2791) and during (Oct/Nov-2020; n = 2926) COVID-19 pandemic in Swedish population-representative cohorts. Following constructs were measured: anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory), depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II), stress (Perceived Stress Scale-10 items), health-related quality of life (HRQOL[Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General Population]) and self-rated health (SRH) was assessed with a single-item question. RESULTS: When adjusting for age, sex, education, and income there were significantly higher levels of anxiety (M̂ = 9.15 vs. 8.48, p < 0.01) and depression (M̂ = 3.64 vs. 3.30, p = 0.03), lower levels of stress (M̂ = 14.06 vs. 14.91, p < 0.001), but worsened HRQOL (M̂ = 76.40 vs. 77.92, p < 0.01) and SRH (M̂ = 6.91 vs. 7.20, p < 0.001), observed in 2020 compared to 2019. For the negative effects seen in anxiety, depression, HRQOL, and SRH, higher income and education had a protective effect. The decrease in stress was also correlated with higher income. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a small but significant worsening in mental health and well-being in the general Swedish population, where higher socioeconomic status seemed to have a protective effect.

Prognostic Significance of Sentinel Lymph Node Status in Thick Primary Melanomas (> 4 mm).

BACKGROUND: The key prognostic factors for staging patients with primary cutaneous melanoma are Breslow thickness, ulceration, and sentinel lymph node (SLN) status. The multicenter selective lymphadenectomy trial (MSLT-I) verified SLN status as the most important prognostic factor for patients with intermediate-thickness melanoma (Breslow thickness, 1-4 mm). Although most international guidelines recommend SLN biopsy (SLNB) also for patients with thick (> 4 mm, pT4) melanomas, its prognostic role has been questioned. The primary aim of this study was to establish whether SLN status is prognostic in T4 melanoma tumors. METHODS: Data for all patients with a diagnosis of primary invasive cutaneous melanoma of Breslow thickness greater than 1 mm in Sweden between 2007 and 2020 were retrieved from the Swedish Melanoma Registry, a large prospective population-based registry. A multivariable Cox proportional hazard model for melanoma-specific survival (MSS) was constructed based on Breslow thickness stratified for SLN status. RESULTS: The study enrolled 10,491 patients, 1943 of whom had a Breslow thickness greater than 4 mm (pT4). A positive SLN was found for 34% of these pT4 patients. The 5-year MSS was 71%, and the 10-year MSS was 62%. There was a statistically significant difference in MSS between the patients with a positive SLN and those with a negative SLN (hazard ratio of 2.4 (95% confidence interval CI 1.6-3.5) for stage T4a and 2.0 (95% CI 1.6-2.5) for satage T4b. CONCLUSION: Sentinel lymph node status gives important prognostic information also for patients with thick (> 4 mm) melanomas, and the authors thus recommend that clinical guidelines be updated to reflect this.

Oncolytic intralesional therapy for metastatic melanoma.

In-transit metastasis (ITM) develop in approximately 1 in 10 patients with melanoma and the disease course can vary widely. Surgical resection is the gold-standard treatment; however, ITM are often surgically unresectable due to size, distribution, and/or anatomic involvement. Oncolytic viral therapies are one category of non-surgical treatment options available for ITM. They induce tumor cell lysis and systemic anti-tumor activity through selective infection of tumor cells by naturally occurring or genetically modified factors. While there are numerous oncolytic viral therapies in various stages of development for the treatment of ITM, this discussion focuses on the mechanism and available literature for the two most established herpes virus-based therapies.

Outcome of different radiotherapy strategies after breast conserving surgery in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

BACKGROUND: Adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) after breast-conserving surgery for DCIS lowers the relative local recurrence risk by half. To identify a low-risk group with the minimal benefit of RT could avoid side effects and spare costs. In this study, the outcome was compared for different RT-strategies using data from the randomized SweDCIS trial. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five strategies were compared in a Swedish setting: RT-to-none or all, RT to high-risk women defined by DCISionRT, modified Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) 9804 criteria, and Swedish Guidelines. Ten-year recurrence risks and cost including adjuvant RT and local recurrence treatment cost were calculated. RESULTS: The mean age at recurrence was 64.4 years (36-90) and the mean cost for treating a recurrence was $21,104. In the SweDCIS cohort (n = 504), 59 women developed DCIS, and 31 invasive recurrence. Ten-year absolute local recurrence risk (invasive and DCIS) according to different strategies varied between 18.6% (12.5-23.6%) and 7.8% (5.0-12.6%) for RT-to-none or to-all, with an additional cost of $2614 US dollars per women and $24,201 per prevented recurrence for RT-to-all. The risk differences between other strategies were not statistically significant, but the larger proportion receiving RT, the fewer recurrences. DCISionRT spared 48% from RT with 8.1% less recurrences compared to RT-to-none, and a cost of $10,534 per prevented recurrence with additional cost depending on the price of the test. RTOG 9804 spared 39% from RT, with 9.7% less recurrences, $9525 per prevented recurrence and Swedish Guidelines spared 13% from RT, with 10.0% less recurrences, and $21,521 per prevented recurrence. CONCLUSION: It seems reasonable to omit RT in pre-specified low-risk groups with minimal effect on recurrence risk. Costs per prevented recurrence varied more than two-fold but which strategy that could be considered most cost-effective needs to be further evaluated, including the DCISionRT-test price.

Clinical relevance of biomarker discordance between primary breast cancers and synchronous axillary lymph node metastases.

Clinical decision-making for patients with breast cancer (BC) is still primarily based on biomarker characteristics of the primary tumor, together with the evaluation of synchronous axillary lymph node metastasis (LNM). In this study, we investigated the prevalence of discordance in the biomarkers and surrogate subtyping between the primary BC and the LNM, and whether subsequent changes would have altered clinical treatment recommendations. In this retrospective study, 94 patients treated for unifocal primary BC and synchronous LNM at Sahlgrenska UniversityHospital during 2018 were included. Estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptor, Ki67, and HER2 status were assessed in the primary tumor and LNM using immunohistochemistry. Discordances between the primary tumor and the LNM were analyzed for each individual biomarker and surrogate subtyping. The concordance between the primary tumor and the LNM for ER, PR, Ki67, and HER2 status was 98.9%, 89.4%, 72.3%, and 95.8%, respectively. Discordance in surrogate subtyping was found in 28.7% of the tumors and matched LNMs, the majority (81.5%) of which changed to a more favorable subtype in the LNM; most commonly from Luminal B to Luminal A (48.6%). No changes in surrogate subtyping were detected where ER or HER2 status changed from negativity in the BC to positivity in the LNM, thereby showing no additional value in performing immunohistochemistry on the LNM from a treatment decision-making perspective. However, large studies need to be performed that test both the primary BCs and synchronous LNMs for more accurate diagnostics.

Population-based prognostic instrument (SweMR 2.0) for melanoma-specific survival - An ideal tool for individualised treatment decisions for Swedish patients.

INTRODUCTION: The prognosis for patients with melanoma has improved due to better treatments in recent years and updated tools to accurately predict an individual's risk are warranted. This study aims to describe a prognostic instrument for patients with cutaneous melanoma and its potential as a clinical device for treatment decisions. METHODS: Patients with localised invasive cutaneous melanoma diagnosed in 1990-2021 with data on tumour thickness were identified from the population-based Swedish Melanoma Registry. The parametric Royston-Parmar (RP) method was used to estimate melanoma-specific survival (MSS) probabilities. Separate models were constructed for patients (≤1 mm) and (>1 mm) and prognostic groups were created based on all combinations of age, sex, tumour site, tumour thickness, absence/presence of ulceration, histopathologic type, Clark's level of invasion, mitoses and sentinel lymph node (SLN) status. RESULTS: In total, 72 616 patients were identified, 41 764 with melanoma ≤1 mm and 30 852 with melanoma >1 mm. The most important variable was tumour thickness for both (≤1 mm) and (>1 mm), that explained more than 50% of the survival. The second most important variables were mitoses (≤1 mm) and SLN status (>1 mm). The prognostic instrument successfully created probabilities for >30 000 prognostic groups. CONCLUSIONS: The Swedish updated population-based prognostic instrument, predicts MSS survival up to 10 years after diagnosis. The prognostic instrument gives more representative and up-to-date prognostic information for Swedish patients with primary melanoma than the present AJCC staging. Additional to clinical use and the adjuvant setting, the information retrieved could be used to plan future studies.

Variation in response rates to isolated limb perfusion in different soft-tissue tumour subtypes: an international multi-centre study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the response rates of different extremity soft-tissue sarcoma subtypes (eSTS) after isolated limb perfusion (ILP), based on an international multi-centre study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The retrospective cohort comprised eSTS patients from 17 specialised ILP centres that underwent melphalan-based ILP, with or without recombinant human tumour necrosis factor (rhTNFα) (TM-ILP and M-ILP, respectively). Response was measured on imaging (magnetic resonance imaging) and/or clinical response, for which M-ILPs were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 1109 eSTS patients were included. The three most common histological subtypes were undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (17%, n = 184), synovial sarcoma (16%, n = 175) and myxofibrosarcoma (8%, n = 87). rhTNFα was used in 93% (TM-ILP) and resulted in a significantly better overall response rate (ORR, p = 0.031) and complete responses (CR, p < 0.001) in comparison to M-ILP, without significant differences among histological subgroups. The ORR of TM-ILP was 68%, including 17% CR. Also, 80% showed progressive disease. Significantly higher response rates were shown for Kaposi sarcoma (KS) with 42% CR and 96% ORR (both p < 0.001), and significantly higher CR rates for angiosarcoma (AS, 45%, p < 0.001) and clear cell sarcoma (CCS, 31%, p = 0.049). ILP was followed by resection ≤ 6 months in 80% of the patients. The overall limb salvage rate was 88%, without significant differences among histological subgroups, but was significantly higher for ILP responders compared to non-responders (93% versus 76%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: ILP resulted in high response and LRS among all eSTS subtypes, however, with significant differences between subtypes with most promising results for KS, AS and CCS.

Ultra-Low Dose of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Sentinel Lymph Node Detection in Patients with Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) status is pivotal for treatment decision-making in patients with breast cancer. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO) have been shown to be equivalent to the dual technique with technetium99m (Tc99) and blue dye (BD) for SLN detection. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of detecting SLNs using an ultra-low dose of SPIO. METHOD: Patients planned for breast conserving surgery and SLN biopsy were included. An intradermal injection of 0.1 mL SPIO was administered at the areolar border up to 7 days before surgery. Tc99/BD was administered according to clinical routine. SLNs were detected during surgery using a handheld magnetometer. All nodes with a magnetic and/or radioactive signal, as well as blue or clinically suspicious nodes, were harvested and analyzed. RESULTS: In 50 patients, SPIO was injected a median of 4 days before surgery. At least one SLN was found in all patients with both methods. A total of 98 SLNs were removed; 90 were detected using SPIO and 88 using Tc99/BD. Of the 90 SLNs detected by SPIO, 80 were Tc99/BD positive (concordance 89%). Histopathological analysis classified 16 patients with tumor cells deposit and 9 with macro-metastasis > 2mm, where one SLN was identified only by the radioactive technique and one only by the magnetic technique. DISCUSSION: SLN detection using 0.1 mL ultra-low dose SPIO injected intradermally was successful in all patients. A future analysis will determine whether the approach using an ultra-low dose of SPIO injected intradermally will minimize skin staining and MRI artefacts.