Clinicopathologic Analysis and Prognostic Factors for Survival in Patients with Operable Ampullary Carcinoma: A Multi-Institutional Retrospective Experience.

Background and Objectives: In ampullary cancer, 5-year survival rates are 30-50%, even with optimal resection and perioperative systemic therapies. We sought to determine the important clinicopathological features and adjuvant treatments in terms of the prognosis of patients with operable-stage ampullary carcinomas. Materials and Methods: We included 197 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy to treat ampullary carcinomas between December 2003 and May 2019. Demographics, clinical features, treatments, and outcomes/survival were analyzed. Results: The median disease-free survival (mDFS) and median overall survival (mOS) were 40.9 vs. 63.4 months, respectively. The mDFS was significantly lower in patients with lymphovascular invasion (p < 0.001) and lymph node involvement (p = 0.027). Potential predictors of decreased OS on univariate analysis included age ≥ 50 years (p = 0.045), poor performance status (p = 0.048), weight loss (p = 0.045), T3-T4 tumors (p = 0.018), surgical margin positivity (p = 0.01), lymph node involvement (p = 0.001), lymphovascular invasion (p < 0.001), perineural invasion (p = 0.007), and poor histological grade (p = 0.042). For the multivariate analysis, only nodal status (hazard ratio [HR]1.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-3.65; p = 0.027) and surgical margin status (HR 2.61; 95% CI, 1.09-6.24; p = 0.03) were associated with OS. Conclusions: Nodal status and a positive surgical margin were independent predictors of a poor mOS for patients with ampullary carcinomas. Additional studies are required to explore the role of adjuvant therapy in patients with ampullary carcinomas.

Efficacy and safety of G-CSF prophylaxis in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer receiving chemoimmunotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) prophylaxis during chemoimmunotherapy with carboplatin plus etoposide and atezolizumab in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). METHODS: This retrospective, multicenter study enrolled ES-SCLC patients receiving carboplatin plus etoposide and atezolizumab, categorized into G-CSF and non-G-CSF groups. Demographic and disease-related data were collected. Response rates, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity were analyzed. RESULTS: Of 119 patients (median age: 63 years), the overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 72.3% and 81.5%, respectively. In the G-CSF group, the ORR was 76.4% compared to 60.0% in the non-G-CSF group (p = 0.33), and the DCR was 85.4% versus 70.0%, respectively (p = 0.46). Median PFS was 8.3 months (95% CI, 6.8-9.8) in the G-CSF group and 6.8 months (95% CI, 6.2-7.5) in the non-G-CSF group (p = 0.24). Median OS was 13.8 months (95% CI, 9.6-18.1) for the G-CSF group and 10.6 months (95% CI, 7.9-13.3) for the non-G-CSF group (p = 0.47). Grade 3 ≥ adverse events were similar between groups (49.4% vs. 33.3%, respectively, p = 0.12). CONCLUSION: G-CSF prophylaxis can be safely used in ES-SCLC patients undergoing carboplatin plus etoposide and atezolizumab regimen without significantly altering efficacy or increasing toxicity.

Efficacy of first-line CDK 4-6 inhibitors in premenopausal patients with metastatic breast cancer and the effect of dose reduction due to treatment-related neutropenia on efficacy: a Turkish Oncology Group (TOG) study.

The only phase 3 study on the effectiveness of CDK 4-6 inhibitors in first-line treatment in premenopausal patients with hormone receptor (HR) positive, HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer is the MONALEESA-7 study, and data on the effectiveness of palbociclib is limited. Data are also limited regarding the effectiveness of CDK 4-6 inhibitors in patients whose dose was reduced due to neutropenia, the most common side effect of CDK 4-6 inhibitors. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of palbociclib and ribociclib in first-line treatment in patients with premenopausal metastatic breast cancer and the effect of dose reduction due to neutropenia on progression-free survival. Our study is a multicenter, retrospective study, and factors affecting progression-free survival (PFS) were examined in patients diagnosed with metastatic premenopausal breast cancer from 29 different centers and receiving combination therapy containing palbociclib or ribociclib in the metastatic stage. 319 patients were included in the study. The mPFS for patients treated with palbociclib was 26.83 months, and for those receiving ribociclib, the mPFS was 29.86 months (p = 0.924). mPFS was 32.00 months in patients who received a reduced dose, and mPFS was 25.96 months in patients who could take the initial dose, and there was no statistical difference (p = 0.238). Liver metastasis, using a fulvestrant together with a CDK 4-6 inhibitor, ECOG PS 1 was found to be a negative prognostic factor. No new adverse events were observed. In our study, we found PFS over 27 months in patients diagnosed with premenopausal breast cancer with CDK 4-6 inhibitors used in first-line treatment, similar to post-menopausal patients. We did not detect any difference between the effectiveness of the two CDK 4-6 inhibitors, and we showed that there was no decrease in the effectiveness of the CDK 4-6 inhibitor in patients whose dose was reduced due to neutropenia.

Postoperative fungal endophthalmitis caused by Trichosporon asahii treated with voriconazole / Endoftalmite fúngica pós-operatória causada por Trichosporon asahii tratada com voriconazol

ABSTRACTPostoperative fungal endophthalmitis is a rare but devastating complication of cataract surgery. Vitrectomy and intravitreal amphotericin B injection as well as administration of systemic antifungal agents have been suggested as optimal treatments for fungal endophthalmitis. However, this therapy may fail to eliminate fungal species resistant to current antifungal agents. The saprophytic fungus Trichosporon asahii is frequently observed as a cause of endogenous endophthalmitis in immunosuppressed patients. We report a case of postoperative endophthalmitis caused by T. asahii, resistant to amphotericin B. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of T. asahii endophthalmitis successfully treated with intravitreal and systemic voriconazole, pars plana vitrectomy, and removal of the intraocular lens and entire lens capsule.

RESUMOEndoftalmite fúngica pós-operatória é uma complicação rara mas devastadora da cirurgia de catarata. A vitrectomia e injeção intravítrea de anfotericina B, bem como agentes fungicidas sistêmicos, têm sido sugeridos como tratamentos ideais para endoftalmite fúngica. No entanto, esta terapia pode falhar em erradicar as espécies de fungos resistentes aos agentes antifúngicos atuais. Uma dessas espécies de fungos é o fungo saprófita,Trichosporon asahii, que é frequentemente observada, como causa de endoftalmite endógena, em pacientes imunodeprimidos. Relatamos um caso de endoftalmite pós-operatória causada porT. asahii que é resistente a anfotericina B. Ao nosso conhecimento, este é o primeiro relato de endoftalmite porT. asahii tratado com sucesso com voriconazol intravítreo e sistêmico, vitrectomia viapars plana, e remoção da lente intraocular e saco capsular.