Clinical significance of comprehensive genomic profiling tests covered by public insurance in patients with advanced solid cancers in Hokkaido, Japan.

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive cancer genomic profiling has been used recently for patients with advanced solid cancers. Two cancer genomic profiling tests for patients with no standard treatment are covered by Japanese public health insurance since June 2019. METHODS: We prospectively analyzed data of 189 patients with solid cancers who underwent either of the two-cancer genomic profiling tests at Hokkaido University Hospital and its liaison hospitals and whose results were discussed in molecular tumor board at Hokkaido University Hospital between August 2019 and July 2020. RESULTS: All 189 patients had appropriate results. Actionable gene alterations were identified in 93 patients (49%). Frequent mutations included PIK3CA (12%) mutation, BRCA1/2 alteration (7%), ERBB2 amplification (6%) and tumor mutation burden-High (4%). The median turnaround time from sample shipping to acquisition by the expert panel was 26 days. Although 115 patients (61%) were provided with information for genotype-matched therapies, only 21 (11%) received them. Notably, four of eight patients below the age of 20 years were provided information for genotype-matched therapies, and three received them. Their response rates and disease control rates were 29% and 67%, respectively. Most patients who did not undergo the genotype-matched therapies were provided information for only investigational drugs in phases I and II at distant clinical trial sites in central Japan. Twenty-six patients were informed of suspected germline findings, while 11 patients (42%) received genetic counseling. CONCLUSIONS: The publicly reimbursed cancer genomic profilings may lead to the modest but favorable therapeutic efficacy of genotype-matched therapy for solid cancer patients with no standard therapy. However, poor access to genotype-matched therapy needs to be resolved.

Concurrent occurrence of renal cell carcinoma with rhabdoid features in a married couple: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with rhabdoid features is a rare histology and exhibits clinically aggressive behavior. We report a case of a married couple in whom RCC with rhabdoid features concurrently occurred. The rarity of this event suggests that environmental factors may contribute to the etiology of RCC with rhabdoid features. CASE PRESENTATION: A 76-year-old Japanese woman was diagnosed with a hypervascular mass in the right kidney and tumor thrombus extending into the right atrium by enhanced computed tomography (CT). She underwent radical nephrectomy and tumor thrombectomy following systemic therapy with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib. The histological evaluation denoted clear cell RCC with rhabdoid features. The patient died of cancer 12 months postoperatively. A 76-year-old man, her husband, presented with gross hematuria 2 weeks after his wife had undergone surgery. He had a long history of asbestos exposure. An abdominal CT scan revealed a hypervascular mass in the right kidney and tumor thrombus extending into the inferior vena cava. He also underwent radical nephrectomy and tumor thrombectomy. The histological evaluation also showed clear cell RCC with rhabdoid features. Bone metastasis occurred 12 months postoperatively, but he died of an unrelated cause 18 months after surgery. CONCLUSION: Concurrent occurrence of RCC with rhabdoid features may not to be coincidental. Although further studies are warranted, asbestos exposure may contribute to the etiology of clear cell RCC with rhabdoid features.

Longitudinal comparison of quality of life after real-time tumor-tracking intensity-modulated radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy in patients with localized prostate cancer.

The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of life (QOL) in patients with localized prostate cancer (PC) after intensity-modulated radiation therapy assisted with a fluoroscopic real-time intensity-modulated radiation therapy (RT-IMRT) tumor-tracking system versus the QOL after radical prostatectomy (RP). Between 2003 and 2006, 71 patients were enrolled in this longitudinal prospective study. Each patient was allowed to decide which treatment modality they would receive. Of the 71 patients, 23 patients underwent RT-IMRT, while 48 opted for RP. No patient received neo-adjuvant or adjuvant hormone therapy. The global QOL and disease-specific-QOL were evaluated before treatment and again at 1, 3 and 5 years after treatment. There was no significant difference in the background characteristics between the two groups. The 5-year biochemical progression-free survival was 90% in the RT-IMRT and 79% in the RP group. In the RT-IMRT group, there was no significant deterioration of the global QOL or disease-specific QOL through 5 years post-treatment. In the RP group, the urinary function, sexual function, and sexual bother indicators significantly deteriorated after treatment. Urinary and sexual function was significantly better in the RT-IMRT group at 1, 3 and 5 years post-treatment compared to the RP group. RT-IMRT may be a preferable treatment for localized PC because of similar efficacy to RP but better post-treatment QOL.