Real world study of sacituzumab govitecan in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer in the United Kingdom.

BACKGROUND: Treatment options for pre-treated patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) remain limited. This is the first study to assess the real-world safety and efficacy of sacituzumab govitecan (SG) in the UK. METHODS: Data was retrospectively collected from 16 tertiary UK cancer centres. Pts had a diagnosis of mTNBC, received at least two prior lines of treatment (with at least one being in the metastatic setting) and received at least one dose of SG. RESULTS: 132 pts were included. Median age was 56 years (28-91). All patients were ECOG performance status (PS) 0-3 (PS0; 39, PS1; 76, PS2; 16, PS3;1). 75% (99/132) of pts had visceral metastases including 18% (24/132) of pts with CNS disease. Median PFS (mPFS) was 5.2 months (95% CI 4.5-6.6) with a median OS (mOS) of 8.7 months (95% CI 6.8-NA). The most common adverse events (AEs) were fatigue (all grade; 82%, G3/4; 14%), neutropenia (all grade; 55%, G3/4; 29%), diarrhoea (all grade; 58%, G3/4, 15%), and nausea (all grade; 38%, G3/4; 3%). SG dose reduction was required in 54% of pts. CONCLUSION: This study supports significant anti-tumour activity in heavily pre-treated pts with mTNBC. Toxicity data aligns with clinical trial experience.

Trends in keratinocyte skin cancer incidence, mortality and burden of disease in 33 countries between 1990 and 2017.

BACKGROUND: Keratinocyte cancers (KCs) are the most common type of cancer in the White population worldwide, with associated high healthcare costs. Understanding the epidemiological trends for KCs, namely basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), is required to assess burden of disease, project future trends and identify strategies for addressing this pressing global health issue. OBJECTIVES: To report trends in BCC and SCC incidence, and SCC mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). METHODS: An observational study of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database between 1990 and 2017 was performed. European Union countries and other selected high-income countries, including the UK and the USA, classified as having high-quality mortality data, were included. Annual age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs), age-standardized death rates (ASDRs) and DALYs for each country were obtained from the GBD database. Trends were described using joinpoint regression analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 33 countries were included. For both BCC and SCC in 2015-2017, the highest ASIRs were observed in the USA and Australia. Males had higher ASIRs than females at the end of the observation period in all countries for SCC, and in all countries but two for BCC. In contrast, the highest ASDRs for SCC were observed in Australia and Latvia for males, and in Romania and Croatia for females. The highest DALYs for SCC for both sexes were seen in Australia and Romania. Over the observation period, there were more countries demonstrating decreasing trends in mortality than in incidence, and disparities were observed between which countries had comparatively high mortality rates and which had high incidence rates. Overall reductions in SCC DALYs were observed in 24 of 33 countries for males, and 25 countries for females. CONCLUSIONS: Over the past 27 years, although trends in SCC incidence have risen in most countries, there is evidence that mortality rates have been decreasing. Burden of disease as assessed using DALYs has decreased in the majority of countries. Future work will explore potential explanatory factors for the observed disparity in trends in SCC incidence and mortality.

A case-control study on the relationship between HDL2b and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that low concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). HDL2b, a major subfraction of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), is more significantly correlated with coronary heart disease (CHD) compared with total HDL. In this study, we analysed HDL2b in a cohort of Chinese T2DM subjects with or without NAFLD. METHODS: A highly sensitive and reliable microfluidic chip method was adopted to measure HDL2b. In total, 48 T2DM patients with NAFLD diagnosed by a B-ultrasound were enrolled from our Beijing Community Pre-Diabetes (BCPD) study cohort. A total of 48 age and gender matched diabetic controls without NAFLD were selected from the same population. RESULTS: Clinical characteristics and serum biochemical analyses demonstrated a significantly increased body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistant index (HOMA-IR), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride (TG) concentrations in the NAFLD group. However, the concentrations of HDL2b and its ratio to total HDL in NAFLD patients was decreased, compared with controls (p<0.01). Significantly increased concentrations of high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (p<0.01) were also found. Multifactor logistic regression analysis showed that BMI and TG were the predominant risk factors for fatty liver, while HDL2b was a protective factor. CONCLUSIONS: T2DM patients with NAFLD have characteristics including obesity, marked insulin resistance, high TG, high hs-CRP, low HDL2b and a low HDL2b ratio to total HDL. These factors may increase the incidence of atherosclerosis as well as the risk of CHD.

Appearance of Florid Cemento-Osseous Dysplasia on SPECT/CT.

Florid cemento-osseous dysplasia, a benign fibro-osseous condition, is diagnosed based on characteristic radiographic appearances of multifocal round or lobulated sclerotic lesions associated with the teeth in multiple quadrants of the jaws. We report a case of a 73-year-old woman who presented with a painless sharp bony area on the right side of her maxilla. SPECT/CT of facial bones demonstrated multifocal intense increased uptake in both the maxilla and mandible, corresponding to ill-defined florid sclerotic periapical lesions seen on CT, in keeping with a classical appearance of florid cemento-osseous dysplasia.

Physical activity levels and barriers to exercise referral among patients with cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Physical activity after cancer is associated with a lower rate of adverse effects and better survival. The objectives of this study were to assess the exercise levels of people living with and beyond cancer attending a local oncology unit, and explore their attitudes to supervised exercise referral. METHODS: 134 patients attending the oncology unit over a 2 month period were approached to complete a questionnaire about their exercise levels and barriers to exercise. RESULTS: 12 of 114 (11%) patients were classed as active according to the General Practice Physical Activity Questionnaire. Despite receiving written and verbal explanations about the benefits of exercise, 44% of eligible patients declined exercise referral, with health concerns, time pressures, and the perception that they were already adequately exercising stated as the most common justifications. Overall, 82% met one or more of the current indications for the National Exercise Referral Scheme, so even in regions where the inclusion criteria have not been broadened to include cancer, this scheme is a practical option for most. CONCLUSION: It is clear from these results that we are failing to motivate cancer patients into healthier lifestyles. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Further efforts are needed to determine and implement behavioural change strategies.

IGF-1 produced by cone photoreceptors regulates rod progenitor proliferation in the teleost retina.

Teleost eyes grow throughout life by adding neurons and stretching extant tissue. New retinal neurons of all types are added at the ciliary margin and new rod photoreceptors are inserted throughout retina in the outer nuclear layer (ONL). New rod photoreceptors result from the division of progenitor cells located in the ONL amidst functioning rod photoreceptor cell nuclei, but it is not known how new rod addition is regulated. Previous experiments using an organotypic retinal slice preparation revealed that insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) up-regulates the division of the rod progenitor cells [Dev. Brain Res. 76 (1993) 183], but the site of IGF-1 action was unknown. Here, we show where in the retina IGF-1 is made, where IGF receptors are located, and we identify the role of IGF-1 in adult retinal rod neurogenesis with both gain-and loss-of-function experiments. We found that IGF-1 is expressed by cone photoreceptor cells and its abundance varies with a daily rhythm, being significantly higher at night. In vivo application of exogenous IGF-1 increases rod progenitor cell division, an effect that is greater at night than during the day. We also show that inhibiting the function of IGF receptors decreases proliferation of rod progenitor cells. Finally, we show that IGF receptors are located on rod progenitor cells as well as on cone and rod photoreceptors. Taken together, these data suggest that the rhythmic production and release of IGF-1 plays a role in regulating the insertion of new rod photoreceptors into the retina. The diurnal change in IGF-1 abundance and effects of exogenous IGF-1 are consistent with the previous demonstration that rod progenitor cell division is threefold greater at night than in the day [Brain Res. 673 (1995) 119; Brain Res. 712 (1996) 40]. We also show that the insertion of new rod photoreceptors at the central edge of the ciliary neurogenic zone very likely also depends on IGF-1 production by cone photoreceptors. We propose that addition of new rod photoreceptors into the functioning retina is regulated through a feedback mechanism mediated at least in part via the IGF-1 produced in the cone photoreceptors.

Antibody Arrays Identify Potential Diagnostic Markers of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Effective treatment of HCC patients is hampered by the lack of sensitive and specific diagnostic markers of HCC. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), the currently used HCC marker, misses 30%-50% of HCC patients, who therefore remain undiagnosed and untreated. In order to identify novel diagnostic markers that can be used individually or in combination with AFP, we used an antibody array platform to detect the levels of candidate proteins in the plasma of HCC patients (n = 48) and patients with chronic hepatitis B or C viral infections (n = 19) (both of which are the major risk factors of HCC). We identified 7 proteins that significantly differentiate HCC patients from hepatitis patients (p < 0.05) (AFP, CTNNB, CSF1, SELL, IGFBP6, IL6R, and VCAM1). Importantly, we also identified 8 proteins that significantly differentiate HCC patients with 'normal' levels of AFP (< 20 ng/ml) from hepatitis patients (p < 0.05) (IL1RN, IFNG, CDKN1A, RETN, CXCL14, CTNNB, FGF2, and SELL). These markers are potentially important complementary markers to AFP. Using an independent immunoassay method in an independent group of 23 HCC patients and 22 hepatitis patients, we validated that plasma levels of CTNNB were significantly higher in the HCC group (p = 0.020). In conclusion, we used an antibody array platform to identify potential circulating diagnostic markers of HCC, some of which may be valuable when used in combination with AFP. The clinical utility of these newly identified HCC diagnostic markers needs to be systematically evaluated.

PROCAM Study: risk prediction for myocardial infarction using microfluidic high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subfractionation is independent of HDL cholesterol.

BACKGROUND: High-density lipoprotein (HDL) subfractions are among the new emerging risk factors for atherosclerosis. In particular, HDL 2b has been shown to be linked to cardiovascular risk. This study uses a novel microfluidics-based method to establish HDL 2b clinical utility using samples from the Prospective Cardiovascular Muenster (PROCAM) Study. METHODS: Method performance was established by measuring accuracy, precision, linearity and inter-site precision. Serum samples from 503 individuals collected in the context of the PROCAM study were analyzed by electrophoresis on a microfluidics system. Of these, 251 were male survivors of myocardial infarction (cases), while 252 individuals were matched healthy controls. HDL cholesterol, HDL 2b concentration and HDL 2b percentage were analyzed. RESULTS: This novel method showed satisfactory assay performance with an inter-site coefficient of variance of <10% for HDL 2b percentage. Parallel patient testing on 52 samples between two sites resulted in a correlation coefficient of r=0.95. Significant differences were observed in the HDL 2b subfraction between cases and controls independent of other risk factors. Including HDL 2b percentage in logistic regression reduced the number of false positives from 64 to 39 and the number of false negative cases from 48 to 45, in the context of this study. CONCLUSIONS: The novel method showed satisfactory assay performance in addition to drastically reduced analysis times and improved ease of use as compared to other methods. Clinical utility of HDL 2b was demonstrated supporting the findings of previous studies.