PET-based response assessment criteria for diffuse gliomas (PET RANO 1.0): a report of the RANO group.

Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) response criteria have been established and were updated in 2023 for MRI-based response evaluation of diffuse gliomas in clinical trials. In addition, PET-based imaging with amino acid tracers is increasingly considered for disease monitoring in both clinical practice and clinical trials. So far, a standardised framework defining timepoints for baseline and follow-up investigations and response evaluation criteria for PET imaging of diffuse gliomas has not been established. Therefore, in this Policy Review, we propose a set of criteria for response assessment based on amino acid PET imaging in clinical trials enrolling participants with diffuse gliomas as defined in the 2021 WHO classification of tumours of the central nervous system. These proposed PET RANO criteria provide a conceptual framework that facilitates the structured implementation of PET imaging into clinical research and, ultimately, clinical routine. To this end, the PET RANO 1.0 criteria are intended to encourage specific investigations of amino acid PET imaging of gliomas.

The plasma miRNome and venous thromboembolism in high-grade glioma: miRNA Sequencing of a nested case-control cohort.

Patients with high-grade gliomas are at high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs with multiple roles in tumour biology, haemostasis and platelet function. Their association with VTE risk in high-grade glioma has not been comprehensively mapped so far. We thus conducted a nested case-control study within 152 patients with WHO grade IV glioma that had been part of a prospective cohort study on VTE risk factors. At inclusion a single blood draw was taken, and patients were thereafter followed for a maximum of 2 years. During that time, 24 patients (16%) developed VTE. Of the other 128 patients, we randomly selected 24 age- and sex-matched controls. After quality control, the final group size was 21 patients with VTE during follow-up and 23 without VTE. Small RNA next-generation sequencing of plasma was performed. We observed that hsa-miR-451a was globally the most abundant miRNA. Notably, 51% of all miRNAs showed a correlation with platelet count. The analysis of miRNAs differentially regulated in VTE patients-with and without platelet adjustment-identified potential VTE biomarker candidates such as has-miR-221-3p. Therewith, we here provide one of the largest and deepest peripheral blood miRNA datasets of high-grade glioma patients so far, in which we identified first VTE biomarker candidates that can serve as the starting point for future research.

Tissue factor pathway inhibitor is associated with risk of venous thromboembolism and all-cause mortality in patients with cancer.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication in patients with cancer. Data on the role of natural inhibitors of coagulation for occurrence of cancer-associated VTE are limited, thus, we investigated the association of tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) with risk of VTE and all-cause mortality in patients with cancer. Total TFPI antigen levels were measured with a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay in patients included in the Vienna Cancer and Thrombosis Study, a prospective observational cohort study with the primary outcome VTE. Competing risk analysis and Cox regression analysis were performed to explore the association of TFPI levels with VTE and all-cause mortality. TFPI was analyzed in 898 patients (median age 62 years; interquartile range [IQR], 53-68; 407 (45%) women). Sixty-seven patients developed VTE and 387 died (24-month cumulative risk 7.5% and 42.1%, respectively). Patients had median TFPI levels at study inclusion of 56.4 ng/mL (IQR, 45.7-70.0), with highest levels in tumor types known to have a high risk of VTE (gastroesophageal, pancreatic and brain cancer: 62.0 ng/mL; IQR, 52.0-75.0). In multivariable analysis adjusting for age, sex, cancer type and stage, TFPI levels were associated with VTE risk (subdistribution hazard ratio per doubling =1.63, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-2.57). When patients with high and intermediate/low VTE risk were analyzed separately, the association remained independently associated in the high risk group only (subdistribution hazard ratio =2.63, 95% CI: 1.40-4.94). TFPI levels were independently associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio =2.36, 95% CI: 1.85-3.00). In cancer patients increased TFPI levels are associated with VTE risk, specifically in patients with high-risk tumor types, and with all-cause mortality.

AllergoOncology: Biomarkers and refined classification for research in the allergy and glioma nexus-A joint EAACI-EANO position paper.

Epidemiological studies have explored the relationship between allergic diseases and cancer risk or prognosis in AllergoOncology. Some studies suggest an inverse association, but uncertainties remain, including in IgE-mediated diseases and glioma. Allergic disease stems from a Th2-biased immune response to allergens in predisposed atopic individuals. Allergic disorders vary in phenotype, genotype and endotype, affecting their pathophysiology. Beyond clinical manifestation and commonly used clinical markers, there is ongoing research to identify novel biomarkers for allergy diagnosis, monitoring, severity assessment and treatment. Gliomas, the most common and diverse brain tumours, have in parallel undergone changes in classification over time, with specific molecular biomarkers defining glioma subtypes. Gliomas exhibit a complex tumour-immune interphase and distinct immune microenvironment features. Immunotherapy and targeted therapy hold promise for primary brain tumour treatment, but require more specific and effective approaches. Animal studies indicate allergic airway inflammation may delay glioma progression. This collaborative European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) and European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) Position Paper summarizes recent advances and emerging biomarkers for refined allergy and adult-type diffuse glioma classification to inform future epidemiological and clinical studies. Future research is needed to enhance our understanding of immune-glioma interactions to ultimately improve patient prognosis and survival.

Joint EANM/EANO/RANO/SNMMI practice guideline/procedure standards for diagnostics and therapy (theranostics) of meningiomas using radiolabeled somatostatin receptor ligands: version 1.0.

PURPOSE: To provide practice guideline/procedure standards for diagnostics and therapy (theranostics) of meningiomas using radiolabeled somatostatin receptor (SSTR) ligands. METHODS: This joint practice guideline/procedure standard was collaboratively developed by the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM), the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), the European Association of Neurooncology (EANO), and the PET task force of the Response Assessment in Neurooncology Working Group (PET/RANO). RESULTS: Positron emission tomography (PET) using somatostatin receptor (SSTR) ligands can detect meningioma tissue with high sensitivity and specificity and may provide clinically relevant information beyond that obtained from structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) imaging alone. SSTR-directed PET imaging can be particularly useful for differential diagnosis, delineation of meningioma extent, detection of osseous involvement, and the differentiation between posttherapeutic scar tissue and tumour recurrence. Moreover, SSTR-peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) is an emerging investigational treatment approach for meningioma. CONCLUSION: These practice guidelines will define procedure standards for the application of PET imaging in patients with meningiomas and related SSTR-targeted PRRTs in routine practice and clinical trials and will help to harmonize data acquisition and interpretation across centers, facilitate comparability of studies, and to collect larger databases. The current document provides additional information to the evidence-based recommendations from the PET/RANO Working Group regarding the utilization of PET imaging in meningiomas Galldiks (Neuro Oncol. 2017;19(12):1576-87). The information provided should be considered in the context of local conditions and regulations.

DNA methylation-based classification of central nervous system tumours.

Accurate pathological diagnosis is crucial for optimal management of patients with cancer. For the approximately 100 known tumour types of the central nervous system, standardization of the diagnostic process has been shown to be particularly challenging-with substantial inter-observer variability in the histopathological diagnosis of many tumour types. Here we present a comprehensive approach for the DNA methylation-based classification of central nervous system tumours across all entities and age groups, and demonstrate its application in a routine diagnostic setting. We show that the availability of this method may have a substantial impact on diagnostic precision compared to standard methods, resulting in a change of diagnosis in up to 12% of prospective cases. For broader accessibility, we have designed a free online classifier tool, the use of which does not require any additional onsite data processing. Our results provide a blueprint for the generation of machine-learning-based tumour classifiers across other cancer entities, with the potential to fundamentally transform tumour pathology.

Incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of venous and arterial thromboembolism in immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and arterial thromboembolism (ATE) associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors is currently unclear. Our aim was to quantify the risk of VTE/ATE in patients with cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, explore clinical impact, and investigate potential clinical risk factors. Patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors at the Medical University of Vienna from 2015 to 2018 were identified using in-house pharmacy records (n = 672; most frequent entities: 30.4% melanoma, 24.1% non-small cell lung cancer; 86% stage IV disease). A retrospective chart review was performed to screen for VTE and/or ATE. Cumulative incidences and between-group differences were estimated in competing-risk analysis. The impact of VTE/ATE on mortality was studied by multistate modelling. Over a median follow-up of 8.5 months, 47 VTEs and 9 ATEs were observed. Cumulative incidences of VTE and ATE were 12.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.2-18.5) and 1.8% (95% CI, 0.7-3.6). Occurrence of VTE was associated with increased mortality (transition hazard ratio, 3.09; 95% CI, 2.07-4.60). History of VTE predicted VTE occurrence (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR], 3.69; 95% CI, 2.00-6.81), and distant metastasis was nonsignificantly associated with VTE risk (SHR, 1.71; 95% CI, 0.62-4.73). No association of VTE with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, Charlson comorbidity index, or Khorana score was observed, and rates of VTE were comparable between tumor types and checkpoint-inhibitory agents. In conclusion, patients with cancer under immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy are at high risk of thromboembolism, especially VTE. Furthermore, VTE occurrence was associated with increased mortality.

Emerging systemic treatment options in meningioma.

PURPOSE: Meningiomas are the most frequently diagnosed intracranial neoplasms. Usually, they are treated by surgical resection in curative intent. Radiotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery are commonly applied in the adjuvant setting in newly diagnosed atypical (CNS WHO grade 2), and anaplastic (CNS WHO grade 3) meningioma, especially if gross total resection is not feasible, and in recurrent cases. Conversely, the evidence for pharmacotherapy in meningioma is scarce. METHODS: The available literature of systemic treatment in meningioma was screened using PubMed, and ongoing clinical trials were explored using ClinicalTrials.gov. RESULTS: Classical cytotoxic agents, somatostatin analogs, and antihormone treatments have shown only limited efficacy. In contrast, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies, especially those targeting angiogenic signaling such as sunitinib and bevacizumab, have shown promising antitumoral activity in small phase 2 trials. Moreover, results of recent landmark studies on (epi-)genetic alterations in meningioma revealed potential therapeutic targets which are currently under investigation. These include inhibitors of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), focal adhesion kinase (FAK), cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK), phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K), sonic hedgehog signaling, and histone deacetylases. In addition, clinical trials evaluating immune checkpoint inhibitors such as ipilimumab, nivolumab, pembrolizumab and avelumab are currently being conducted and early results suggest clinically meaningful responses in a subset of patients. CONCLUSIONS: There is a paucity of high-level evidence on systemic treatment options in meningioma. However, interesting novel treatment targets have been identified in the last decade. Positive signals of anti-angiogenic agents, genomically targeted agents and immunotherapy in early phase trials should be confirmed in large prospective controlled trials.

Somatostatin analogues in treatment-refractory meningioma: a systematic review with meta-analysis of individual patient data.

Treatment-refractory meningiomas have a dismal prognosis and limited treatment options. Meningiomas express high-densities of somatostatin receptors (SSTR), thus potentially susceptible to antitumorigenic effects of somatostatin analogues (SSA). Evidence for SSA in meningiomas is scarce, and it is unclear if published literature would either (1) support wider use of SSA, if (2) more evidence is desirable, or if (3) available evidence is sufficient to discard SSA. We addressed the need for more evidence with a systematic review and meta-analysis. We performed an individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis. Main outcomes were toxicity, best radiological response, progression-free survival, and overall survival. We applied multivariable logistic regression models to estimate the effect of SSA on the probability of obtaining radiological disease control. The predictive performance was evaluated using area under the curve and Brier scores. We included 16 studies and compiled IPD from 8/9 of all previous cohorts. Quality of evidence was overall ranked "very low." Stable disease was reported in 58% of patients as best radiological response. Per 100 mg increase in total SSA dosage, the odds ratios for obtaining radiological disease control was 1.42 (1.11 to 1.81, P = 0.005) and 1.44 (1.00 to 2.08, P = 0.05) for patients treated with SSA as monodrug therapy vs SSA in combination with everolimus, respectively. Low quality of evidence impeded exact quantification of treatment efficacy, and the association between response and treatment may represent reverse causality. Yet, the SSA treatment was well tolerated, and beneficial effect cannot be disqualified. A prospective trial without bias from inconsistent study designs is warranted to assess SSA therapy for well-defined meningioma subgroups.

Antithrombin Activity and Association with Risk of Thrombosis and Mortality in Patients with Cancer.

Venous and arterial thromboembolism (VTE/ATE) are common complications in cancer patients. Antithrombin deficiency is a risk factor for thrombosis in the general population, but its connection to risk of cancer-associated thrombosis is unclear. We investigated the association of antithrombin activity levels with risk of cancer-associated VTE/ATE and all-cause mortality in an observational cohort study including patients with cancer, the Vienna Cancer and Thrombosis Study. In total, 1127 patients were included (45% female, median age: 62 years). Amongst these subjects, 110 (9.7%) patients were diagnosed with VTE, 32 (2.8%) with ATE, and 563 (49.9%) died. Antithrombin was not associated with a risk of VTE (subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR): 1.00 per 1% increase in antithrombin level; 95% CI: 0.99-1.01) or ATE (SHR: 1.00; 95% CI: 0.98-1.03). However, antithrombin showed a u-shaped association with the risk of all-cause death, i.e., patients with very low but also very high levels had poorer overall survival. In the subgroup of patients with brain tumors, higher antithrombin levels were associated with ATE risk (SHR: 1.02 per 1% increase; 95% CI: 1.00-1.04) and mortality (HR: 1.01 per 1% increase; 95% CI: 1.00-1.02). Both high and low antithrombin activity was associated with the risk of death. However, no association with cancer-associated VTE and ATE across all cancer types was found, with the exception of in brain tumors.

Systemic inflammation scores correlate with survival prognosis in patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation measured by the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), leucocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (LLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) and CRP/albumin ratio (CRP/Alb) was shown to impact the survival prognosis in patients with extracranial solid cancer. METHODS: One thousand two hundred and fifty patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases (BM) were identified from the Vienna Brain Metastasis Registry. RESULTS: PLR and CRP/Alb were higher in patients with progressive extracranial disease and lower in patients with no evidence of extracranial disease. Lower NLR (cut-off = 5.07; 9.3 vs. 5.0 months), LLR (cut-off = 5.76; 10.0 vs. 5.3 months), PLR (cut-off = 335; 8.0 vs. 3.8 months), MLR (cut-off = 0.53; 6.0 vs. 3.5 months) and CRP/Alb (cut-off = 2.93; 8.5 vs. 3.7 months; padj < 0.05) were associated with longer overall survival (OS). In multivariate analysis with graded prognostic assessment (hazard ratio (HR) 1.45; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.32-1.59; padj = 1.62e - 13), NLR (HR 1.55; 95% CI: 1.38-1.75; padj = 1.92e - 11), LLR (HR 1.57; 95% CI: 1.39-1.77; padj = 1.96e - 11), PLR (HR 1.60; 95% CI: 1.39-1.85; padj = 2.87955e - 9), MLR (HR 1.41; 95% CI: 1.14-1.75; padj = 0.027) and CRP/Alb (HR 1.83; 95% CI: 1.54-2.18; padj = 2.73e - 10) remained independent factors associated with OS at BM diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic inflammation, measured by NLR, LLR, PLR, MLR and CRP/Alb, was associated with OS in patients with BM. Further exploration of immune modulating therapies is warranted in the setting of BM.

High Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index is an Adverse Prognostic Factor for Patients With Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the clinical role of the systemic immune-inflammation index in patients with resectable adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction treated with or without neoadjuvant therapy. BACKGROUND: Adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction is an aggressive disease, with less than 20% of overall patients surviving more than 5 years after diagnosis, while currently available clinical staging for esophageal cancer is lacking necessary accuracy. The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) based on peripheral neutrophil, lymphocyte, and platelet counts has shown a prognostic impact in various malignancies. METHODS: Data of consecutive patients undergoing esophagectomy (n = 320, 1992 to 2016) were abstracted. The cut point for high and low SII before neoadjuvant treatment and before surgery was calculated for illustration of the Kaplan-Meier curves. SII was used for the correlation with patients' clinicopathological characteristics as a continuous variable. Survival was analyzed with Cox proportional hazards models using clinical or pathological staging, adjusting for other known survival predictors. RESULTS: In both neoadjuvantly treated and primarily resected patients, high SII was significantly associated with diminished overall [hazard ratio (HR) 1.3, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.2-1.4; HR 1.2, 95% CI 1.2-1.3, respectively] and disease-free survival (HR 1.3, 95% CI 1.2-1.3; HR 1.2, 95% CI 1.2-1.3, respectively). In multivariable survival analysis, SII remained an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (HR 1.3, 95% CI 1.2-1.4; HR 1.2, 95% CI 1.2-1.3, respectively) and disease-free survival (HR 1.3, 95% CI 1.2-1.3; HR 1.2, 95% CI 1.2-1.3, respectively) in primarily resected and neoadjuvantly treated patients. CONCLUSION: Elevated SII is an independent adverse prognostic factor in patients with resectable gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas with and without neoadjuvant treatment.

Circulating PD-L1 levels change during bevacizumab-based treatment in recurrent glioma.

PURPOSE: In primary brain tumors, the efficacy of immune-modulating therapies is still under investigation as inflammatory responses are restricted by tight immunoregulatory mechanisms in the central nervous system. Here, we measured soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) in the plasma of patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) and recurrent WHO grade II-III glioma treated with bevacizumab-based salvage therapy. METHODS: Thirty patients with recurrent GBM and 10 patients with recurrent WHO grade II-III glioma were treated with bevacizumab-based salvage therapy at the Medical University of Vienna. Prior to each treatment cycle, EDTA plasma was drawn and sPD-L1 was measured applying a sandwich ELISA with a lower detection limit of 0.050 ng/ml. Leukocyte counts and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured according to institutional practice. RESULTS: Median number of sPD-L1 measurements was 6 per patient (range: 2-24). At baseline, no significant difference in sPD-L1 concentrations was observed between WHO grade II-III glioma and GBM. Intra-patient variability of sPD-L1 concentrations was significantly higher in WHO grade II-III glioma than in GBM (p = 0.014) and tendentially higher in IDH-mutant than in IDH-wildtype glioma (p = 0.149) In WHO grade II-III glioma, sPD-L1 levels were significantly lower after one administration of bevacizumab than at baseline (median: 0.039 ng/ml vs. 0.4855 ng/ml, p = 0.036). In contrast, no significant change could be observed in patients with GBM. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in systemic inflammation markers including sPD-L1 are observable in patients with recurrent glioma under bevacizumab-based treatment and differ between WHO grade II-III glioma and GBM.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on routine oncology versus emergency care at a high volume cancer centre.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the influence of population-wide COVID-19 lockdown measures implemented on 16, March 2020 on routine and emergency care of cancer outpatients at a tertiary care cancer centre in Vienna, Austria. METHODS: We compared the number/visits of cancer outpatients receiving oncological therapies at the oncologic day clinic (DC) and admissions at the emergency department (ED) of our institution in time periods before (pre-lockdown period: 1 January - 15 March 2020) and after (post-lockdown period: 16 March- 31 May 2020) lockdown implementation with the respective reference periods of 2018 and 2019. Additionally, we analysed Emergency Severity Index (ESI) score of unplanned cancer patient presentations to the ED in the same post-lockdown time periods. Patient outcome was described as 3-month mortality rate (3-MM). RESULTS: In total, 16 703 visits at the DC and 2664 patient visits for the respective time periods were recorded at the ED. No decrease in patient visits was observed at the DC after lockdown implementation (P = .351), whereas a substantial decrease in patient visits at the ED was seen (P < .001). This translates into a 26%-31% reduction of cancer-related patient visits per half month after the lockdown at the ED (P < .001 vs. 2018 + 2019). There was no difference in the distribution of ESI scores at ED presentation (P = .805), admission rates or 3-MM in association with lockdown implementation (P = .086). CONCLUSION: We demonstrate the feasibility of maintaining antineoplastic therapy administration during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, our data underline the need for adapted management strategies for emergency presentations of cancer patients.

LAG-3 expression in the inflammatory microenvironment of glioma.

PURPOSE: Immune modulatory therapies including immune checkpoint inhibitors have so far failed to result in clinically meaningful efficacy in glioma. We aimed to investigate lymphocyte activation gene 3 (LAG-3), an inhibitory receptor on immune cells and target of second-generation immune checkpoint inhibitors, in glioma. METHODS: 97 patients with diffuse glioma (68 with glioblastoma, 29 with WHO grade II-III glioma) were identified from the Neuro-Biobank of the Medical University of Vienna. LAG-3 expression in the inflammatory microenvironment was assessed by immunohistochemistry (monoclonal anti-LAG-3 antibody, clone 17B4) and correlated to CD3+ , CD8+ , CD20+ and PD-1+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and PD-L1 expression on tumor cells. RESULTS: LAG-3+ TILs could be observed in 10/97 (10.3%) IDH-wildtype samples and in none of the included IDH-mutant glioma samples (p = 0.057). Further, LAG-3+ TILs were only observed in WHO grade IV glioblastoma, while none of the investigated WHO grade II-III glioma presented with LAG-3+ TILs (p = 0.03). No association of O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation and presence of LAG-3+ TILs was observed (p = 0.726). LAG-3 expression was associated with the presence of CD3+ (p = 0.029), CD8+ (p = 0.001), PD-1+ (p < 0.001) TILs and PD-L1+ tumor cells (p = 0.021), respectively. No association of overall survival with LAG-3+ TIL infiltration was evident (median OS 9.9 vs. 14.2 months, p = 0.95). CONCLUSIONS: LAG-3 is only rarely expressed on TILs in IDH-wildtype glioma and associated with active inflammatory milieu as defined by higher TIL density. Immune microenvironment diversity should be considered in the design of future immunotherapy trials in glioma.

Prevalence of pain and its association with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and distress in 846 cancer patients: A cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Pain depicts a severe physical symptom but its relationship to mental health problems is not well studied in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of pain and its correlation with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and psychological distress in a large sample of cancer patients. METHODS: From 2010 to 2019, cancer patients who received outpatient treatment at the Medical University of Vienna were assessed with the Post-Traumatic Symptom Scale (PTSS-10) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales. A visual analogue scale was used to assess pain perception. For statistical analysis, linear regression models were applied to log-transformed data. RESULTS: Of the 846 cancer patients included in the study, 63.5% experienced pain (mild 43.5%, moderate 13.6%, severe 6.4%). About a third (31.2%) of the total sample presented with significant PTSD symptoms. Significant symptoms of depression, anxiety and distress were present in 13.9%, 15.1% and 25.3%, respectively. Women more often reported symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and distress. Pain scores were significantly related to symptoms of PTSD, depression and psychological distress (all with p < .001), but not to anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Results show a high prevalence of experienced pain and indicate a clear association of elevated pain levels with psychiatric symptoms in oncological patients in a large Austrian sample. In order to decrease experienced pain and to enable better treatment of mental health problems in cancer patients, diagnostic procedures and interventions based on a biopsychosocial model need to be intensified.

Brain tumour cells interconnect to a functional and resistant network.

Astrocytic brain tumours, including glioblastomas, are incurable neoplasms characterized by diffusely infiltrative growth. Here we show that many tumour cells in astrocytomas extend ultra-long membrane protrusions, and use these distinct tumour microtubes as routes for brain invasion, proliferation, and to interconnect over long distances. The resulting network allows multicellular communication through microtube-associated gap junctions. When damage to the network occurred, tumour microtubes were used for repair. Moreover, the microtube-connected astrocytoma cells, but not those remaining unconnected throughout tumour progression, were protected from cell death inflicted by radiotherapy. The neuronal growth-associated protein 43 was important for microtube formation and function, and drove microtube-dependent tumour cell invasion, proliferation, interconnection, and radioresistance. Oligodendroglial brain tumours were deficient in this mechanism. In summary, astrocytomas can develop functional multicellular network structures. Disconnection of astrocytoma cells by targeting their tumour microtubes emerges as a new principle to reduce the treatment resistance of this disease.

EORTC SPECTA-AYA: A unique molecular profiling platform for adolescents and young adults with cancer in Europe.

For most adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancers, age-specific molecular features are poorly understood. EORTC-SPECTA, an academic translational research infrastructure for biomaterial collection, will explicitly recruit AYA patients and will therefore collect empirical data to bridge the molecular gap between pediatric and adult oncology. The initial pilot study, activated in February 2019 across Europe, will recruit 100 AYA patients (aged 12-29 years) with newly diagnosed or relapsed high-grade gliomas and high-grade bone and soft tissue sarcomas. The primary objective of the pilot is to determine feasibility and recruitment rates. Formalin-fixed tumor tissue and whole blood from study participants will be prospectively collected with clinical data and stored centrally at the Integrated BioBank of Luxembourg. Whole exome sequencing of matched tumor and blood, and tumor RNA sequencing and DNA methylation profiling will be performed at the German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany. Virtual central pathology review of scanned diagnostic slides will be undertaken by an international expert panel, and diagnostic material returned to the participating centers. A multidisciplinary molecular tumor board will release a clinically validated report to referring clinicians within 4-6 weeks after biopsy. SPECTA-AYA constitutes a major opportunity to gain knowledge about the tumor biology of this unique age group. It incorporates notable innovative aspects: AYA specificity, pan-European academic collaboration, centralized biobanking, comprehensive molecular profiling and virtual central pathology review, among others. SPECTA-AYA will help untangle the tumor particularities of AYAs with cancer and aims to improve their access to novel drugs and personalized medicine.

Neurological symptom burden impacts survival prognosis in patients with newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer brain metastases.

BACKGROUND: Brain metastases (BM) are a frequent complication of advanced cancer and are characterized by a variety of neurological symptoms. Although the presence of neurological symptoms is included in the response assessment in patients with primary brain tumors, to the authors' knowledge little is known regarding the prognostic impact of neurological symptoms in patients with BM. METHODS: Patients with newly diagnosed BM from non-small cell lung cancer were identified from the Vienna Brain Metastasis Registry and were evaluated according to the incidence, distribution, and prognostic impact of neurological symptoms at the time of diagnosis of BM. RESULTS: A total of 1608 patients (57.3% male and 42.7% female; median age, 62 years) were available for further analyses. Neurological symptoms including focal deficits (985 patients; 61.3%), signs of increased intracranial pressure (483 patients; 30.0%), epileptic seizures (224 patients; 13.9%), and neuropsychological symptoms (233 patients; 14.5%) were documented in 1186 of the 1608 patients (73.8%). Patients with asymptomatic BM presented with a longer median overall survival after the diagnosis of BM compared with patients with symptomatic BM (11 months vs 7 months; P < .001). In multivariate analysis with a diagnosis-specific graded prognostic assessment (hazard ratio, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.33-1.50 [P < .001]), the presence of neurological symptoms (hazard ratio, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.23-1.57 [P < .001]) was found to be independently associated with survival prognosis from the time of diagnosis of BM. CONCLUSIONS: Neurological symptoms at the time of BM diagnosis demonstrated a strong and independent association with survival prognosis. The results of the current study have highlighted the need for the integration of the presence of neurological symptoms into the prognostic assessment of patients with BM from non-small cell lung cancer. LAY SUMMARY: Neurological symptom evaluation is included regularly in the assessment of patients with primary brain tumors. However, to the authors' knowledge, little is known regarding the prognostic impact in patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases (BM). The current study has provided a detailed clinical characterization of the incidence, distribution, and prognostic impact of neurological symptoms in a large, real-life cohort of patients with BM from non-small cell lung cancer. In this cohort, neurological symptoms at the time of diagnosis of BM demonstrated a strong, independent prognostic impact on the survival prognosis. The results of the current study have highlighted the need for the integration of neurological symptom burden into the prognostic assessment of patients with BM from non-small cell lung cancer.

Interruption of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 signaling induces a proliferative pulmonary vasculopathy and pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a severe and progressive disease characterized by a pulmonary vascular remodeling process with expansion of collateral endothelial cells and total vessel occlusion. Endothelial cells are believed to be at the forefront of the disease process. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its tyrosine kinase receptor, VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), play a central role in angiogenesis, endothelial cell protection, but also in the destabilization of endothelial barrier function. Therefore, we investigated the consequences of altered VEGF signaling in an experimental model, and looked for translational correlates of this observation in patients. We performed an endothelial cell-specific conditional deletion of the kinase insert domain protein receptor (kdr) gene, coding for VEGFR-2, in C57/BL6 mice (Kdr∆end) and held them in an environmental chamber with 10% FiO2 or under normoxia for 6 weeks. Kdr knockout led to a mild PH phenotype under normoxia that worsened under hypoxia. Kdr∆end mice exhibited a significant increase in pulmonary arterial wall thickness, muscularization, and VEGFR-3+ endothelial cells obliterating the pulmonary artery vessel lumen. We observed the same proliferative vasculopathy in our rodent model as seen in patients receiving anti-angiogenic therapy. Serum VEGF-a levels were elevated both in the experimental model and in humans receiving bevacizumab. Interrupted VEGF signaling leads to a pulmonary proliferative arteriopathy in rodents after direct ablative gene manipulation of Kdr. Histologically, similar vascular lesions can be observed in patients receiving anti-VEGF treatment. Our findings illustrate the importance of VEGF signaling for maintenance of pulmonary vascular patency.