Adjuvant S-1 plus endocrine therapy for oestrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative, primary breast cancer: a multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Oral fluoropyrimidines, such as S-1, have been shown to have a role in controlling disease progression in metastatic breast cancer. We examined adjuvant treatment with S-1 in patients with oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive and HER2-negative primary breast cancer. METHODS: We did a multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial in 139 sites (137 hospitals and two clinics). Eligible patients were women aged 20-75 years with histologically diagnosed stage I to IIIB invasive breast cancer (intermediate to high risk of recurrence). Patients were temporarily registered at participating institutions and biopsy or surgical samples were collected and sent for central pathological assessment. Patients received 5 years of standard adjuvant endocrine therapy (selective oestrogen receptor modulators with or without ovarian suppression and aromatase inhibitors) with or without 1 year of S-1. Oral S-1 80-120 mg/day was administered twice a day for 14 days with 7 days off. Randomisation (1:1) using the minimisation method was done with six stratification factors (age, axillary lymph node metastasis at surgery or sentinel lymph node biopsy, preoperative or postoperative (neoadjuvant or adjuvant) chemotherapy, preoperative endocrine therapy, proportion of ER-positive cells, and study site). The primary endpoint was invasive disease-free survival, in the full analysis set (all randomly assigned patients, excluding those with significant protocol deviations). The safety analysis set consisted of all patients who received at least one dose of study treatment. Here, we report the results from the interim analysis at the data cutoff date Jan 31, 2019. This trial is registered with Japan Registry of Clinical Trials, jRCTs051180057, and the University hospital Medical Information Network, UMIN000003969. FINDINGS: Between Feb 1, 2012, and Feb 1, 2016, 1930 patients were enrolled in the full analysis set, 957 (50%) received endocrine therapy plus S-1 and 973 (50%) received endocrine therapy alone. Median follow-up was 52·2 months (IQR 42·1-58·9). 155 (16%) patients in the endocrine therapy alone group and in 101 (11%) patients in the endocrine therapy plus S-1 group had invasive disease-free survival events (hazard ratio 0·63, 95% CI 0·49-0·81, p=0·0003). As the primary endpoint was met at interim analysis, the trial was terminated early. The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events were decreased neutrophil count (72 [8%] of 954 patients in the endocrine therapy plus S-1 group vs seven [1%] of 970 patients in the endocrine therapy alone group), diarrhoea (18 [2%] vs none), decreased white blood cells (15 [2%] vs two [<1%]), and fatigue (six [<1%] vs none). Serious adverse events were reported in nine (1%) of 970 patients in the endocrine therapy alone group and 25 (3%) of 954 patients in the endocrine therapy plus S-1 group. There was one (<1%) possible treatment-related death in the endocrine therapy plus S-1 group due to suspected pulmonary artery thrombosis. INTERPRETATION: These data suggest that this combination of S-1 with endocrine therapy could be a potential treatment option for this intermediate and high-risk group of patients with ER-positive, HER2-negative primary breast cancer. FUNDING: Public Health Research Foundation (Japan), Taiho Pharmaceutical.

N-Cadherin mRNA Levels in Peripheral Blood Could Be a Potential Indicator of New Metastases in Breast Cancer: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that patients with metastatic breast cancer whose disease progresses from a new metastasis (NM) have a worse prognosis than that of patients whose disease progresses from a pre-existing metastasis. The aim of this pilot study is to identify a blood biomarker predicting NM in breast cancer. METHODS: The expression of epithelial (cytokeratin 18/19) or mesenchymal (plastin-3, vimentin, and N-cadherin) markers in the peripheral blood (PB) of recurrent breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy with eribulin or S-1 was measured over the course of treatment by RT-qPCR. The clinical significance of preoperative N-cadherin expression in the PB or tumor tissues of breast cancer patients undergoing curative surgery was assessed by RT-qPCR or using public datasets. Finally, N-cadherin expression in specific PB cell types was assessed by RT-qPCR. RESULTS: The expression levels of the mesenchymal markers N-cadherin and vimentin were high in the NM cases, whereas that of the epithelial marker cytokeratin 18 was high in the pre-existing metastasis cases. High preoperative N-cadherin expression in PB or tumor tissues was significantly associated with poor recurrence-free survival. N-cadherin was expressed mainly in polymorphonuclear leukocytes in PB. CONCLUSION: N-cadherin mRNA levels in blood may serve as a novel prognostic biomarker predicting NM, including recurrence, in breast cancer patients.

Mucin 21 is a novel, negative immunohistochemical marker for epithelioid mesothelioma for its differentiation from lung adenocarcinoma.

AIMS: The process of differential diagnosis between epithelioid mesothelioma and lung adenocarcinoma has been progressing; however, there are no absolute immunohistochemical markers with which to definitively diagnose epithelioid mesothelioma. The aim of this study was to search for a novel negative marker of epithelioid mesothelioma. METHODS AND RESULTS: We immunohistochemically studied the applicability of mucin 21 (MUC21), which was identified in our previous study, as a novel, negative diagnostic marker for epithelioid mesothelioma. Seventy epithelioid mesotheliomas and 70 lung adenocarcinomas were investigated for the expression of MUC21, along with other previously reported markers, by the use of immunohistochemistry. MUC21 was expressed in only two of the 70 (3%) epithelioid mesotheliomas, as compared with 67 of the 70 (96%) lung adenocarcinomas. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of negative MUC21 expression for differentiating epithelioid mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma were 97%, 96%, and 96%, respectively; these are similar to those of carcinoembryonic antigen and claudin-4, and better than those of thyroid transcription factor-1, napsin-A, and mucin 4. CONCLUSION: MUC21 could be used as an additional, novel, negative immunohistochemical marker to differentiate mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma.

Glypican-1 immunohistochemistry is a novel marker to differentiate epithelioid mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma.

Histological morphology alone is not sufficient for the pathological diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. Positive and negative immunohistochemical markers are necessary to differentiate it from lung adenocarcinoma. As calretinin and D2-40, the recognized positive markers of mesothelioma, are expressed in lung adenocarcinoma to some extent, novel markers with high specificity are desirable. In this study, we investigated the applicability of glypican-1 immunohistochemistry to differentiate epithelioid mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma. We investigated 82 cases of epithelioid mesothelioma and 97 cases of lung adenocarcinoma for glypican-1 expression by immunohistochemistry using a commercially available antibody. All 82 cases of epithelioid mesothelioma showed glypican-1 expression, most with diffuse and strong reactivity. In contrast, only three cases of lung adenocarcinoma showed focal glypican-1 expression. Glypican-1 expression showed 100 sensitivity, 97% specificity, and a 98% accuracy rate to differentiate epithelioid mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma. The sensitivity of glypican -1 immunohistochemistry is as high as that of calretinin and D2-40, and its specificity is far better than that of calretinin and D2-40. Therefore, we recommend including glypican -1 immunohistochemistry as a positive marker of epithelioid mesothelioma.

Role of HER2-Related Biomarkers (HER2, p95HER2, HER3, PTEN, and PIK3CA) in the Efficacy of Lapatinib plus Capecitabine in HER2-Positive Advanced Breast Cancer Refractory to Trastuzumab.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-related biomarkers and the treatment outcomes using lapatinib plus capecitabine (LC) and to evaluate the influence of the estrogen receptor (ER) status in trastuzumab-refractory HER2-positive advanced breast cancer. METHOD: Eighty patients were enrolled in this study. Total HER2, p95HER2, and total HER3 expression were quantified using the VeraTag assays. PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) and p95 expression was evaluated using immunohistochemistry and PIK3CA mutation using direct sequencing. RESULTS: The response rate to LC was 30%, clinical benefit rate was 51.3%, and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 174.5 days. ER negativity significantly correlated with higher HER2 and p95HER2. The lower HER2 and PIK3CA mutations were often observed in the nonresponders. A high p95HER2 expression correlated with longer PFS especially in the high HER2- and ER-positive cases. Patients without the PIK3CA mutation showed longer PFS in the same subset. Overall survival after LC significantly correlated with the number of recurrence organs. CONCLUSION: LC therapy is effective in trastuzumab-refractory HER2-positive breast cancer. Moreover, the biomarker expression differed depending on ER status, and a high p95HER2 expression and wild-type PIK3CA gene correlated with longer PFS especially in the ER-positive cases.

Long-term outcome of adipose-derived regenerative cell-enriched autologous fat transplantation for reconstruction after breast-conserving surgery for Japanese women with breast cancer.

PURPOSE: More effective methods are needed for breast reconstruction after breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer. The aim of this clinical study was to assess the perioperative and long-term outcomes of adipose-derived regenerative cell (ADRC)-enriched autologous fat grafting. METHODS: Ten female patients who had undergone breast-conserving surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy for breast cancer were enrolled. An ADRC-enriched fat graft prepared from the patient's adipose tissue was implanted at the time of adipose tissue harvest. The perioperative and long-term outcomes of the grafts, which included safety, efficacy, and questionnaire-based patient satisfaction, were investigated. RESULTS: The mean operation time was 188 ± 30 min, and the mean duration of postoperative hospitalization was 1.2 ± 0.4 days. No serious postoperative complications were associated with the procedure. Neither recurrence nor metastatic disease was observed during the follow-up period (7.8 ± 1.5 years) after transplantation. Of 9 available patients, "more than or equal to average" satisfaction with breast appearance and overall satisfaction were reported by 6 (66.7%) and 5 (55.6%) patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: ADRC-enriched autologous fat transplantation is thus considered to be safe perioperatively, with no long-term recurrence, for patients with breast cancer treated by breast-conserving surgery, and it may be an option for breast reconstruction, even after adjuvant radiotherapy.

Dynamic Changes in Peripheral Systemic Immunity Markers During Chemotherapy in HER2-negative Advanced Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The immune system has a pivotal role in modulating the response to chemotherapy in breast cancer (BC). However, the immune status during chemotherapy remains unclear. We evaluated the sequential changes in peripheral systemic immunity markers in BC patients treated with various chemotherapeutic agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined the correlation between the peripheral systemic immunity markers, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and the local cytolytic activity (CYT) score obtained by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction of 84 preoperative BC patients. Next, we observed the sequential changes in the peripheral systemic immunity markers during treatment with four anticancer drugs: oral 5-fluorouracil derivative; S-1, epirubicin plus cyclophosphamide; paclitaxel plus the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor antibody bevacizumab, and eribulin in 172 HER2-negative advanced BC patients. Finally, we examined the correlation between the changes in the peripheral systemic immunity markers, time to treatment failure (TTF) and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: A negative correlation was found between ALC and NLR. ALC-low and NLR-high cases were positively associated with CYT score-low cases. The ratio of ALC-increase and NLR-decrease varies depending on the anticancer drugs used. The responder group (TTF ≥3 months) had a higher NLR-decrease ratio than the nonresponder group (TTF <3 months). Patients with a high NLR-decrease ratio showed higher PFS. CONCLUSION: The change in ALC or NLR varies according to the anticancer drugs, suggesting differential immunomodulatory effects of the drugs. Furthermore, the change in NLR reflects the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapy in advanced BC.

Downregulation of lncRNA PVT1 inhibits proliferation and migration of mesothelioma cells by targeting FOXM1.

Malignant mesothelioma is a highly aggressive tumor, and an effective strategy for its treatment is not yet available. Long non­coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be associated with various biological processes, including the regulation of gene expression of cancer­related pathways. Among various lncRNAs, plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) acts as a tumor promoter in several human cancers, but its mechanism of action has not yet been elucidated. Increased PVT1 expression was identified in ACC­MESO­1, ACC­MESO­4, CRL­5915, and CRL­5946 mesothelioma cell lines. PVT1 expression was investigated in mesothelioma cell lines by reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction and its functional analysis by cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell migration, and cell invasion assays, as well as western blot analysis of downstream target genes. Knockdown of PVT1 expression in these cell lines by small interfering RNA transfection resulted in decreased cell proliferation and migration and increased the proportion of cells in the G2/M phase. The results of reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that PVT1 knockdown in mesothelioma cell lines caused the downregulation of Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) expression, while the results of western blot analysis revealed that this knockdown reduced FOXM1 expression at the protein level. In addition, combined knockdown of PVT1 and FOXM1 decreased the proliferation of mesothelioma cell lines. In conclusion, PVT1 and FOXM1 were involved in the proliferation of cancer cells. Therefore, PVT1­FOXM1 pathways may be considered as candidate targets for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma.

Sensitivity and optimal clinicopathological features for mutation-targeted liquid biopsy in pN0M0 EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma.

PURPOSE: Liquid biopsy for early-stage lung cancer diagnosis is challenging, and optimal candidates' clinicopathological features are unknown. We investigated utility and clinicopathological features of optimal candidates in somatic mutation-targeted liquid biopsy using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) in pN0M0 EGFR mutation-positive lung adenocarcinoma patients. METHODS: We performed EGFR mutation-targeted ddPCR liquid biopsy in 100 patients with resected pN0M0 invasive lung adenocarcinoma, whose tumor diameter in high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was ≤ 5 cm. Peripheral blood-derived serum was collected preoperatively. Two representative EGFR somatic variants (exon 19 [E746-A750 del (2235_2249 del)]; exon 21 (L858R)) were utilized as liquid biopsy targets. Clinicopathological features including radiological appearance, subhistology, and invasive status were compared between ddPCR-positive and ddPCR-negative patients. RESULTS: Among the 100 patients, 98 showed part-solid or pure-solid appearance in HRCT and 2 showed non-solid appearance; 98 were pathological stage IA1-IB. Of the 66 patients with EGFR mutation detection in ddPCR, 12 were significantly positive and 10 (83.3%, 10/12) exhibited pure-solid appearance in HRCT. Clinical invasive tumor ratio was significantly higher in ddPCR-positive than in ddPCR-negative patients (median: 100% vs. 85.4%, P = 0.0212), whereas other clinicopathological features were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: Mutation-targeted liquid biopsy using ddPCR detected lung cancer in 12.0% (12/100) of pN0M0 EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma patients. In 83.3% of the ddPCR-positive patients, tumors showed pure-solid appearance in HRCT. The detection ratio increased to 21.3% (10/47) among patients with pure-solid appearance tumors. Tumor appearance might be useful for better selection of liquid biopsy candidates.

Development of an intraoperative breast cancer margin assessment method using quantitative fluorescence measurements.

Breast-conserving surgery has become the preferred treatment method for breast cancer. Surgical margin assessment is performed during surgery, as it can reduce local recurrence in the preserved breast. Development of reliable and lower-cost ex vivo cancer detection methods would offer several benefits for patient care. Here, a practical and quantitative evaluation method for the ex vivo fluorescent diagnosis of breast lesions was developed and confirmed through a three-step clinical study. Gamma-glutamyl-hydroxymethyl rhodamine green (gGlu-HMRG) has been reported to generate fluorescence in breast lesions. Using this probe, we constructed a reliable and reproducible procedure for the quantitative evaluation of fluorescence levels. We evaluated the reliability of the method by considering reproducibility, temperature sensitivity, and the effects of other clinicopathological factors. The results suggest that the fluorescence increase of gGlu-HMRG is a good indicator of the malignancy of breast lesions. However, the distributions overlapped. A 5 min reaction with this probe could be used to distinguish at least part of the normal breast tissue. This method did not affect the final pathological examination. In summary, our results indicate that the methods developed in this study may serve as a feasible intraoperative negative-margin assessment tool during breast-conserving surgery.

Laparoscopic repair of Morgagni hernia with extra-abdominal sutures and ileocecal resection for colon cancer: a case report.

Morgagni hernia is a rare form of diaphragmatic hernia. It is located at the anterior edge of the diaphragm and does not have an anterior rim. It is difficult to achieve a secure closure and maintain the tension of closure with laparoscopic surgery. We have performed laparoscopic resection of colorectal cancer and hernia repair simultaneously. An 89-year-old woman underwent laparoscopic hernia repair and ileocecal resection simultaneously. Regarding hernia repair, we considered that it would be difficult to use a mesh from the viewpoint of infection due to the colectomy. Therefore, we have done the extra-abdominal suture method. After laparoscopic ileocecal resection, a small incision was made in the epigastric region, and Morgagni hernia repair was performed with extra-abdominal sutures. She had no recurrence of either colon cancer or hernia for 22 months post-operatively. The extra-abdominal suture method can provide secure closure of the hernia orifice for Morgagni hernia.

Glypican-1 is a novel immunohistochemical marker to differentiate poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma from solid predominant adenocarcinoma of the lung.

BACKGROUND: The histological classification of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is essential in determining new cancer-specific targeted therapies. However, the accurate typing of poorly differentiated is difficult, particularly for poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the lung with limited immunohistochemical markers. Thus, novel immunohistochemical markers are required. We assumed the possibility of the immunohistochemical expression of glypican-1 in lung squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: The microarray dataset GSE43580 from Gene Expression Omnibus database were analyzed for confirming the gene expression of glypican-1 in lung squamous cell carcinoma. We immunohistochemically investigated the use of glypican-1 as a novel positive diagnostic marker for lung squamous cell carcinoma. Glypican-1 expression in 63 cases of poorly differentiated lung squamous cell carcinoma and 60 cases of solid predominant lung adenocarcinoma was investigated by immunohistochemistry. Additionally, we compared glypican-1 expression with the expressions of p40, cytokeratin 5/6, thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1), and napsin A. RESULTS: All 63 cases of lung squamous cell carcinoma showed glypican-1 expression. In contrast, only 2 cases of lung adenocarcinoma showed glypican-1 expression. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of glypican-1 expression for differentiating lung squamous cell carcinoma from lung adenocarcinoma were 100%, 96.7%, and 98.4%, respectively. These were similar to those of p40 and significantly better than those of CK 5/6. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend the use of glypican-1 as an additional positive marker of lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Bronchial mucosal ablation for bronchial stump closure in right pneumonectomy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Bronchial fistula is a severe complication of pneumonectomy with a high mortality rate. We previously reported a technique for bronchial closure to prevent bronchial fistula in a canine model. We described that mucosal ablation could result in primary wound healing and involve mucosal tight adhesions histologically. In this paper, the pathologic findings of one patient, who underwent autopsy 4 years after surgery, were reviewed. CASE PRESENTATION: A 70-year-old Japanese man was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma and underwent right extra-pleural pneumonectomy. The right main bronchus was cut using a scalpel. When closing the bronchial stump, the bronchial mucosa was ablated by electric cautery and sutured manually using 3-0 absorbable sutures. The bronchial fistula was not found after pneumonectomy. Four years after surgery, the patient died of recurrent malignant pleural mesothelioma and underwent autopsy. Macroscopic evaluation showed tight adhesions and white scars on the bronchial stump. Microscopic findings showed few inflammatory cells and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)-positive cells. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this case suggested that bronchial mucosal ablation leads to robust agglutination of bronchial stump over years. This technique is not only simple but also reliable to prevent bronchial fistula.

Segmentectomy vs Lobectomy for Clinical Stage IA Lung Adenocarcinoma With Spread Through Air Spaces.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the prognosis after segmentectomy as compared with lobectomy for small-sized lung adenocarcinoma with spread through air spaces (STAS). METHODS: This retrospective study included 609 patients who underwent lobectomy or segmentectomy with lymph node dissection for clinical stage IA lung adenocarcinoma between April 2011 and March 2020 at Hiroshima University Hospital. Patient characteristics and prognosis after segmentectomy and lobectomy were investigated. RESULTS: STAS was detected in 293 patients (48.1%). The recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate was significantly worse with STAS-positive adenocarcinoma than with STAS-negative adenocarcinoma both in patients who underwent lobectomy (5-year RFS, 68.2% vs 90.2%; P < .001) and in patients who underwent segmentectomy (5-year RFS, 81.3% vs 93.0%; P = .003). Among the patients with STAS, there was no significant difference in RFS between patients who underwent lobectomy (5-year RFS, 68.2%) and those who underwent segmentectomy (5-year RFS, 81.3%; P = .225). In a multivariable analysis using propensity score to adjust clinical patient characteristics, segmentectomy was not found to be an independent prognostic factor of RFS (hazard ratio 0.732, P = .326) among patients with STAS. Among the patients with STAS, only 1 patient (1%) with insufficient resection margin (0.5 mm) had local recurrence and 1 patient (1%) with invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma had recurrence in preserved lobe after segmentectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Spread through air spaces was a poor prognostic factor in patients with clinical stage IA lung adenocarcinoma. Prognosis after segmentectomy was comparable with that of lobectomy in lung adenocarcinoma with STAS without increasing locoregional recurrence.

Initiation gait variability is higher in the morning in elderly inpatients.

OBJECTIVE: Although elderly inpatients are known to experience decreased physical activity in the morning, falls occur frequently during this time. Gait variability is an evaluation of gait instability and a risk factor for falls. Gait initiation requires complex processes, and it is important to evaluate gait variability not only during steady-state gait but also during gait initiation. However, the effect of the diurnal pattern on variability in gait characteristics is still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the diurnal pattern on initiation and steady-state gait variability in elderly inpatients. METHOD: Thirty-seven elderly inpatients (28 women; mean age, 79.7 ± 9.5 years) who could walk without support were sampled in this study. The quantitative measure of gait variability was evaluated using the coefficient of variation (CV) based on four consecutive stride durations determined using triaxial accelerometers. Gait characteristics were evaluated during initiation and steady-state gait and defined as initiation CV and steady-state CV, respectively. This measurement was performed at two time points, morning and daytime. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between initiation and steady-state gait characteristics in the daytime condition. However, in the morning condition, the initiation CV was higher than the steady-state CV. Furthermore, the initiation CV was higher in the morning than during daytime (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that the variability of initiation gait is higher in the morning. It may be important to assess the risk of falls, including initiation gait, in the morning.

Prognostic Impact of Programmed Death-ligand 1 and Surrounding Immune Status on Stage I Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The programmed death 1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway reportedly is as an important factor determining effects of immunotherapy; however, its prognostic impact is controversial, and its association with the surrounding immune microenvironment has not yet been elucidated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 126 patients with pathologic stage I non-small-cell lung cancer. Patients with lepidic-dominant adenocarcinoma were excluded. PD-L1 expression was evaluated with immunohistochemistry correlated with clinicopathologic features and surrounding immune microenvironment status, including CD4, CD8, regulatory T cells, and human leukocyte antigen class I. Factors affecting prognosis were assessed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: Twenty-three (18.3%) patients were positive for PD-L1 expression. No significant correlation was observed between PD-L1 expression and the surrounding immune microenvironment status. The PD-L1-positive group had a worse prognosis than the PD-L1-negative group (5-year recurrence-free survival rates, 63.4% vs. 81.0%; P = .061). Among surrounding immune cells, intratumoral CD8 status had the strongest impact on prognosis (P = .12). In the intratumoral CD8-high group, PD-L1 expression demonstrated no significant prognostic impact, whereas in the intratumoral CD8-low group, patients positive for PD-L1 demonstrated a significantly worse prognosis than those negative for PD-L1 (5-year recurrence-free survival rates, 41.7% vs. 78.6%; P = .034). Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that 'PD-L1-positive and intratumoral CD8-low' status was an independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio, 3.80; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-10.5; P = .023). CONCLUSIONS: The prognostic impact of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway may be distinct according to concurrent intratumoral CD8 status.

Inhibition of miR-18a-3p reduces proliferation of mesothelioma cells and sensitizes them to cisplatin.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a notorious human malignancy. Despite combination chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed, the majority of patients with advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma have a poor prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are short non-coding RNAs that regulate various biological processes by binding to the 3'-untranslated region of target gene mRNAs and suppressing their expression. Since abnormal expression patterns of miRNAs are a common feature in human malignancies, a number of them have been researched as potential therapeutic targets. Our previous study demonstrated that microRNA-18a (miR-18a) is upregulated in mesothelioma cell lines compared with in non-neoplastic mesothelial tissues, but its function remains unclear. In the present study, miRNA inhibitor was transfected into mesothelioma cell lines and then analyzed various cellular functions. Mesothelioma cells transfected with the miR-18a inhibitor exhibited lower proliferation and migration rates compared with cells transfected with a negative control inhibitor in proliferation and wound scratch assays, respectively. Additionally, the present study revealed that downregulation of miR-18a increased mesothelioma cell apoptosis. In a chemosensitivity assay, transfection of the miR-18a inhibitor significantly increased the sensitivity of mesothelioma cells to cisplatin but not to pemetrexed. Therefore, miR-18a may be a potential therapeutic target for mesothelioma resistant to cisplatin.

SOX6 is a Novel Immunohistochemical Marker for Differential Diagnosis of Epithelioid Mesothelioma From Lung Adenocarcinoma.

The differential diagnosis of epithelioid mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma using immunohistochemistry is improving. However, immunohistochemical markers with high sensitivity and specificity have yet to be identified. In this study, we investigated the utility of sex-determining region Y box 6 (SOX6) as a novel immunohistochemical marker, identified by analyzing previous gene expression data. Immunohistochemically, SOX6 expression was present in 53 of 54 (98%) cases of epithelioid mesothelioma, compared with its expression in only 5 of 69 (7%) cases of lung adenocarcinoma. The sensitivity and specificity of SOX6 expression for differentiating epithelioid mesothelioma and lung adenocarcinoma were 98% and 93%, respectively. SOX6 expression showed similar sensitivity and far better specificity than those of calretinin or podoplanin (D2-40). In addition, SOX6 expression was more sensitive than Wilms' tumor 1 expression. The combination of SOX6 with other markers showed comparable or better sensitivity and specificity relative to other combinations. In particular, the sensitivity of positivity for both SOX6 and calretinin (96%) and the specificity of positivity for both SOX6 and Wilms' tumor 1 (93%) were higher than those of the other combinations. In conclusion, SOX6 is a novel candidate immunohistochemical marker for differentiating epithelioid mesothelioma from lung adenocarcinoma.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients with breast cancer: a prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: To explore the actual status of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) through a multicenter prospective cohort study. METHODS: Patients with breast cancer treated with moderately emetogenic (MEC) or highly emetogenic (HEC) chemotherapy were eligible. A 7-day diary was provided for all patients. Acute and delayed CINV were defined as nausea and vomiting that developed ≤ 24 or > 24 h after the start of chemotherapy, respectively. The severity of nausea was evaluated with a visual analog scale (VAS). We also assessed the accuracy of estimations of CINV by medical staff. RESULTS: In total, 426 patients were included; 352 patients (82.6%) received HEC, and 74 (17.3%) received MEC. In the acute phase, 44.9% of patients receiving HEC and 5.4% receiving MEC experienced nausea, and 12.8% receiving HEC and none receiving MEC experienced vomiting. More patients experienced nausea in both groups and vomiting in MEC during the delayed phase (nausea: 59.4% in HEC and 44.6% in MEC group; vomiting: 11.1% in HEC; and 13.5% in MEC group) than during the acute phase. Estimations of CINV by medical staff were not accurate, with a kappa coefficient of 0.10 and 0.08 for acute nausea and vomiting and 0.02 and 0.01 for delayed. The VAS scores showed that in the HEC group, the degree of nausea was worst on the first day. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of nausea was worst in the acute phase, although delayed nausea was more in proportion in HEC. Estimation by medical staff is not accurate.

Prolonged post-recurrence survival following pleurectomy/decortication for malignant pleural mesothelioma.

The present study analyzed surgical results in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) who underwent extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) or pleurectomy/decortication (P/D). Data for 44 patients who achieved macroscopic complete resection following neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by EPP (n=29) or P/D (n=15) were reviewed. Patient demographics and oncological outcomes were compared between the EPP and P/D groups. The median overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) times were 22 and 14 months, respectively. OS was significantly different between the EPP and P/D groups (median OS, 17 vs. 34 months; 5-year OS, 11 vs. 44%; P=0.019); no difference was noted in PFS (median PFS, 13 vs. 21 months; 5-year PFS, 11 vs. 17%; P=0.373). Univariate analysis demonstrated that epithelial histology (P=0.0003) and P/D (P=0.018) were significant favorable prognostic factors for OS. Using multivariate analysis, epithelial histology (P=0.001) remained the only significant factor. Post-recurrence survival (PRS) among all patients was significantly longer in the P/D group (median PRS, 3 vs. 20 months; 1.5-year PRS, 5 vs. 54%; P=0.003), even among patients with epithelial-type MPM (median PRS, 6 s vs. 20 months; 1.5-year PRS, 8 vs. 61%; P=0.012). Chemotherapy following recurrence (P=0.033) was significantly associated with superior PRS in multivariate analysis. Postoperative pulmonary function was significantly improved in the P/D group. In summary, P/D may be an alternative procedure to EPP for resectable MPM providing similar PFS and improved PRS.