Identification of tumors with NRG1 rearrangement, including a novel putative pathogenic UNC5D-NRG1 gene fusion in prostate cancer by data-drilling a de-identified tumor database.

The fusion genes containing neuregulin-1 (NRG1) are newly described potentially actionable oncogenic drivers. Initial clinical trials have shown a positive response to targeted treatment in some cases of NRG1 rearranged lung adenocarcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, and pancreatic carcinoma. The cost-effective large scale identification of NRG1 rearranged tumors is an open question. We have tested a data-drilling approach by performing a retrospective assessment of a de-identified molecular profiling database of 3263 tumors submitted for fusion testing. Gene fusion detection was performed by RNA-based targeted next-generation sequencing using the Archer Fusion Plex kits for Illumina (ArcherDX Inc., Boulder, CO). Novel fusion transcripts were confirmed by a custom-designed RT-PCR. Also, the aberrant expression of CK20 was studied immunohistochemically. The frequency of NRG1 rearranged tumors was 0.2% (7/3263). The most common histologic type was lung adenocarcinoma (n = 5). Also, renal carcinoma (n = 1) and prostatic adenocarcinoma (n = 1) were found. Identified fusion partners were of a wide range (CD74, SDC4, TNC, VAMP2, UNC5D), with CD74, SDC4 being found twice. The UNC5D is a novel fusion partner identified in prostate adenocarcinoma. There was no co-occurrence with the other tested fusions nor KRAS, BRAF, and the other gene mutations specified in the applied gene panels. Immunohistochemically, the focal expression of CK20 was present in 2 lung adenocarcinomas. We believe it should be considered as an incidental finding. In conclusion, the overall frequency of tumors with NRG1 fusion was 0.2%. All tumors were carcinomas. We confirm (invasive mucinous) lung adenocarcinoma as being the most frequent tumor presenting NRG1 fusion. Herein novel putative pathogenic gene fusion UNC5D-NRG1 is described. The potential role of immunohistochemistry in tumor identification should be further addressed.

Octreotide in the treatment of malignant thymoma - Case report.

Thymomas are the most common mediastinal tumors. Systemic therapy for patients with unresectable or recurrent thymomas is a challenging field in the current oncology research. There is some evidence that somatostatin analogs combined with corticosteroids may have a role in the treatment of advanced malignant thymoma; however, the role of these agents have not been fully evaluated. CASE REPORT: A 39-year-old man with metastatic thymoma was administered long-acting depot injection form of octreotide. Octreotide scan before the treatment initiation revealed low uptake. CT control after three months of the treatment revealed marked regression of pleural metastases, while the primary tumor mass remained stable. The treatment response was lasting for 9 months. CONCLUSION: We describe an interesting case of marked clinical and radiological response of advanced malignant thymoma to the treatment with octreotide in a heavily pre-treated patient, even though octreotide scan revealed low uptake.

[Small-cell lung cancer: epidemiology, diagnostics and therapy]. / Malobunecný karcinom plic: epidemiologie, diagnostika a lécba.

Authors present actual overview of information on diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). This highly aggressive type of lung cancer is diagnosed in 14.8 % of Czech lung cancer patients. Vast majority of those patients (87 %) suffer from advanced and metastatic disease in the time of diagnosis. In this issue are presented prognostic factors, staging diagnostic procedures and therapeutic recommendations. The backbone of actual SCLC treatment is combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy and less frequently, carefully in selected cases, surgical procedures. SCLC should be have as chemosensitive, chemoresistent or chemorefractory disease. Actual cytostatic combinations used in 1st line treatment, different schedules of chemoradiotherapy, drugs used in second line treatment and schedules and timing of prophylactic brain irradiation are presented. In near future, perspectively, there are some promissible data on antitumour immunotherapy based on anti CTLA-4 and anti PD-1/PE-L1 antibodies also in SCLC patients.Key words: cancer immunotherapy - concomitant chemoradiotherapy - chemotherapy - chest radiotherapy - lung resections - prophylactic brain irradiation - small cell lung cancer.

Thyroid transcription factor 1 expression is associated with outcome of patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer treated with pemetrexed-based chemotherapy.

Pemetrexed is an antifolate cytostatic agent targeting several folate-dependent enzymatic pathways, widely used in the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic stage non-small cell lung cancer. Aside from the non-squamous histology, there is still no available molecular biomarker predicting treatment efficacy of pemetrexed-based chemotherapy. The aim of our retrospective study was to evaluate the association of thyroid transcription factor 1 expression with outcome of a large cohort of patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer treated with pemetrexed. We retrospectively analysed clinical data of 463 patients with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer (IIIB or IV) treated with pemetrexed-based chemotherapy. Thyroid transcription factor 1 expression was assessed using indirect immunohistochemical detection in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumour tissue at the time of diagnosis. Thyroid transcription factor 1 expression was detected in the tumour tissue from 76.0% of patients, and tumours from 24.0% of patients were thyroid transcription factor 1 negative. The median progression-free survival and overall survival for patients with thyroid transcription factor 1 positive tumours were 4.8 and 11.8 months compared to 2.8 and 8.3 months for those with thyroid transcription factor 1 negative tumours (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001). The multivariable Cox proportional hazards model revealed that thyroid transcription factor 1 expression was significantly associated with progression-free survival (hazard ratio = 1.57, p < 0.001) and also with overall survival (hazard ratio = 1.73, p < 0.001). In conclusion, the results of the conducted retrospective study suggest that the thyroid transcription factor 1 expression was independently associated with progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with advanced-stage non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer treated with pemetrexed-based chemotherapy.

[Patient with Three EGFR Mutations - Gradual Development of Resistance to Previous Targeted Treatment]. / Pacientka se tremi EGFR mutacemi - postupný rozvoj rezistence na predchozí cílenou lécbu.

BACKGROUND: Patients with sensitive EGFR mutations are already being treated with first and second generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). However, resistance to these drugs occurs over time, and over half of all cases is caused by a mutation (T790M) in the EGFR kinase domain. Osimertinib offers a new treatment option that overcomes this problem. Unfortunately, resistance to this drug also develops after several months of treatment and is caused by another mutation (C797S) in EGFR. CASE REPORT: Our case report provides evidence for the progressive development of EGFR-TKI resistance in a patient with a deletion of exon 19 in the EGFR gene. First, based on a mutation (T790M) identified after afatinib treatment and a subsequent mutation (C797S) mutation identified after osimertinib treatment. We mention overcoming this resistance (C797S) mutation by using 4th generation EGFR-TKI and other alternative procedures (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and combinations of older EGFR-TKI generations). We also mention a rare case of peritoneal metastasis that occurred after previous treatment with osimertinib that we attempted to ameliorate by using erlotinib because the impaired condition of the patient did not allow treatment by chemotherapy. There are documented cases in which erlotinib has been successfully given to patients with peritoneal metastases and patients with the EGFR mutation C797S following progression to afatinib. This was not the case in our patient, probably because of the remaining EGFR mutation T790M. CONCLUSION: In our case report, erlotinib did not show efficacy after progression to osimetinib. Nowadays, chemotherapy is the only possible treatment in patients with good a performance status. The next-generation of TKIs are undergoing promising developments.Key words: EGFR - deletion on exon 19 - mutation T790M - mutation C797S - afatinib - osimertinibSubmitted: 12. 9. 2017Accepted: 12. 10. 2017 This project was supported by grant AZV 17-30 748A. The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE recommendation for biomedical papers.

Statins augment efficacy of EGFR-TKIs in patients with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer harbouring KRAS mutation.

Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) represent novel effective agents approved for the treatment of patients with advanced-stage NSCLC. KRAS mutations have been reported as a negative prognostic and predictive factor in patients with NSCLC treated with EGFR-TKIs. Several studies have recently shown that statins can block tumour cell growth, invasion and metastatic potential. We analysed clinical data of 67 patients with locally advanced (IIIB) or metastatic stage (IV) NSCLC harbouring Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene (KRAS) mutation treated with erlotinib or gefitinib. Twelve patients were treated with combination of EGFR-TKI and statin and 55 patients were treated with EGFR-TKI alone. Comparison of patients' survival (progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS)) according to the treatment used was performed using the Gehan-Wilcoxon test. The median of PFS and OS for patients treated with EGFR-TKI alone was 1.0 and 5.4 months compared to 2.0 and 14.0 months for patients treated with combination of EGFR-TKI and statin (p = 0.025, p = 0.130). In conclusion, the study results suggest significant improvement of PFS for patients treated with combination of statin and EGFR-TKI, and the difference in OS was not significant.

High serum level of C-reactive protein is associated with worse outcome of patients with advanced-stage NSCLC treated with erlotinib.

Erlotinib is a low molecular weight tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) directed at epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), widely used in the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although introduction of EGFR-TKIs have significantly extended survival of advanced-stage NSCLC patients, their efficacy in the entire patient population is relatively low. Aside from activating EGFR mutations, no reliable biochemical or molecular predictors of response to erlotinib have been established. The aim of our retrospective study was to evaluate the association of baseline serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) with outcomes in patients with advanced-stage NSCLC treated with erlotinib. We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 595 patients with advanced-stage NSCLC (IIIB or IV) treated with erlotinib. Serum CRP was measured using an immunoturbidimetric method. High baseline levels of CRP (≥10 mg/l) were measured in 387 (65 %) patients, and normal levels (<10 mg/l) were measured in 208 (35 %) patients. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for patients with high CRP was 1.8 and 7.7 compared to 2.8 and 14.4 months for patients with low CRP (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001). The multivariable Cox proportional hazards model revealed that CRP was significantly associated with PFS and also with OS (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.57, p < 0.001, and HR = 1.63, p < 0.001, respectively). In conclusion, the results of the conducted retrospective study suggest that high baseline level of CRP was independently associated with worse outcome of patients with advanced-stage NSCLC treated with erlotinib. CRP is a commonly used biomarker which is simple and easy to detect, and thus, it is feasible for the use in the routine clinical practice.

Omission of staging PET/CT linked to reduced survival in stage III non-small cell lung cancer: insights from the LUCAS project real-world data.

Background: Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a highly heterogeneous stage due to its subgroups (IIIA-IIIC) comprising both resectable and unresectable tumors. Accurate determination of the extent of the disease is essential for excluding stage IV and choosing the optimal treatment regimen. Whole body positron emission tomography and computed tomography scan (PET/CT) is recommended as an initial staging imaging in locally advanced NSCLC. Despite international guidelines for NSCLC diagnosis and treatment, they are not always adhered to due to various reasons. Even in such a groundbreaking study, the phase 3 trial PACIFIC investigating the efficacy of durvalumab as consolidation therapy in patients with stage III NSCLC PET/CT was not mandatory. With the premise that whole body PET/CT of the trunk is essential for diagnosing stage III NSCLC, we performed a retrospective study evaluating the relationship of the use of PET/CT versus conventional staging with CT of the chest and abdomen, in terms of survival. Methods: This retrospective study of stage III NSCLC patients used the Czech lung cancer registry LUCAS, which was established in June 2018. As of the data export (up to February 9, 2022), a total of 703 patients were eligible for the analysis. Overall survival (OS) was compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis and a Cox regression model. Continuous variables were tested using the Mann-Whitney test, and categorical variables using the Pearson's Chi-square or Fisher's exact test. Results: A total of 703 patients were included in the cohort with an average age of 69 years. PET/CT was performed on 354 patients, and conventional staging using chest and abdominal CT on 349 patients. The median OS among patients with PET/CT was 20.9 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 18.1-23.7], and it was statistically significantly higher (P<0.001) than among patients without PET/CT, where the median OS was 9.0 months (95% CI: 7.3-10.6). The observed effect of PET/CT was also statistically significant when comparing individual stages (IIIA, IIIB, IIIC). The multivariate Cox model confirmed the use of PET/CT as an independent prognostic factor. The most common reason for omission of PET/CT was the local or time unavailability of the examination. Conclusions: Omission of PET/CT can mean a significant decrement in survival for the patients in stage III NSCLC, likely due to poor staging and suboptimal treatment. Routine use of PET/CT is strictly recommended for the optimal management of stage III NSCLC patients even outside the high-income countries.

Circulating Tumor DNA correlates with Lactate Dehydrogenase, CYFRA 21-1, and CRP levels in patients with advanced NSCLC.

Purpose: To investigate potential association between selected tumor markers and laboratory parameters (lactate dehydrogenase [LDH], neutrophils, hemoglobin, neutrophils, lymphocytes, C-reactive protein, albumin, carcinoembryonic antigen, and cytokeratin 19 fragment 21-1 [CYFRA 21-1]) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) with survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and Methods: The study encompassed 82 patients from a single center. All patients had (localy-) advanced adenocarcinomas. ctDNA was determined before starting therapy and at 6 weeks follow-up. Laboratory parameters were measured before each cycle of therapy and oncomarkers before starting the therapy as standard clinical practice. Mann-Whitney U test, Cox proportional hazards model, Fisher's exact test, and Kaplan-Meier survival estimation with Gehan-Wilcoxon test were used for statistical analysis of the corresponding variables. Results: We have confirmed predictive or prognostic significance for some of the selected laboratory markers and oncomarkers. Above all, we demonstrate a significant relationship between the levels of LDH and the oncomarker CYFRA 21-1 and the presence or absence of ctDNA at the time of diagnosis. We also demonstrate significantly lower CRP levels in patients within whom the ctDNA disappeared during treatment. A similar but statistically insignificant trend was observed for LDH. Conclusions: CYFRA 21-1, LDH and probably CRP correlate with ctDNA levels in NSCLC. Repeated measurement of these markers could thus help in early detection of disease progression in the same way as does ctDNA monitoring.

Detection and Quantification of ctDNA for Longitudinal Monitoring of Treatment in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Using a Universal Mutant Detection Assay by Denaturing Capillary Electrophoresis.

Background: Observation of anticancer therapy effect by monitoring of minimal residual disease (MRD) is becoming an important tool in management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The approach is based on periodic detection and quantification of tumor-specific somatic DNA mutation in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) extracted from patient plasma. For such repetitive testing, complex liquid-biopsy techniques relying on ultra-deep NGS sequencing are impractical. There are other, cost-effective, methods for ctDNA analysis, typically based on quantitative PCR or digital PCR, which are applicable for detecting specific individual mutations in hotspots. While such methods are routinely used in NSCLC therapy prediction, however, extension to cover broader spectrum of mutations (e.g., in tumor suppressor genes) is required for universal longitudinal MRD monitoring. Methods: For a set of tissue samples from 81 NSCLC patients we have applied a denaturing capillary electrophoresis (DCE) for initial detection of somatic mutations within 8 predesigned PCR amplicons covering oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Mutation-negative samples were then subjected to a large panel NGS sequencing. For each patient mutation found in tissue was then traced over time in ctDNA by DCE. Results: In total we have detected a somatic mutation in tissue of 63 patients. For those we have then prospectively analyzed ctDNA from collected plasma samples over a period of up to 2 years. The dynamics of ctDNA during the initial chemotherapy therapy cycles as well as in the long-term follow-up matched the clinically observed response. Conclusion: Detection and quantification of tumor-specific mutations in ctDNA represents a viable complement to MRD monitoring during therapy of NSCLC patients. The presented approach relying on initial tissue mutation detection by DCE combined with NGS and a subsequent ctDNA mutation testing by DCE only represents a cost-effective approach for its routine implementation.

Combination of Circulating Tumour DNA and 18F-FDG PET/CT for Precision Monitoring of Therapy Response in Patients With Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) represents an emerging biomarker in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We focused on the combination of ctDNA and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the follow-up monitoring of advanced-stage NSCLC patients treated with chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-four patients were enrolled in this study. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT and ctDNA assessments were performed at baseline and after two cycles of chemotherapy (follow-up). RESULTS: There was a correlation of ctDNA with metabolic tumour volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and iodine concentration (IC) at baseline (p=0.001, p=0.001, p=0.003) and at follow-up (p=0.006, p=0.002, p=0.001). The objective response was associated with follow-up ctDNA (p<0.001) and the change of all PET/CT parameters. ROC analyses showed that the combination of follow-up ctDNA with changes in SUVmax is very promising for the estimation of objective response and progression-free survival. CONCLUSION: The combination of ctDNA assessment with PET/CT is a promising approach for the follow-up monitoring of therapy response and prognosis estimation of advanced-stage NSCLC patients.

Laboratory Parameters are Possible Prognostic Markers in Patients with Advanced-stage NSCLC Treated with Bevacizumab plus Chemotherapy.

Purpose: To investigate potential associations between selected laboratory markers (CRP, LDH, albumin, sodium, hemoglobin, neutrophils, and neutrophils/lymphocytes ratio [NLR]) and outcomes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with bevacizumab (BEV) plus chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 105 patients with NSCLC from the Czech TULUNG registry treated at University Hospital in Pilsen with BEV + chemotherapy. Response to therapy was tested by Fisher's exact test. Survival statistics were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox analysis. Results: We showed significantly better disease control rate when CRP, albumin, hemoglobin, and NLR were within established "normal" values. In univariate analysis, normal values of CRP, LDH, albumin, sodium, hemoglobin, neutrophils, and NLR were associated with better overall survival (OS). Normal values of CRP, albumin, hemoglobin, neutrophils, and NLR were associated also with better progression-free survival (PFS). In a multivariate Cox model, normal values of LDH, albumin, and NLR were associated with significantly better OS while normal CRP, albumin, and NLR were associated with better PFS. Conclusions: LDH and sodium appear to be possible prognostic markers for BEV treatment in combination with chemotherapy in NSCLC. The parameters associated with inflammatory response (CRP, NLR, albumin, and possibly hemoglobin) appear to be promising predictive markers for this treatment combination.

Prognostic Role for CYFRA 21-1 in Patients With Advanced-stage NSCLC Treated With Bevacizumab Plus Chemotherapy.

AIM: To investigate potential associations between selected oncomarkers [carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), C-terminus of cytokeratin 19 (CYFRA 21-1, CYFRA), and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC)] and outcomes in patients with NSCLC treated with bevacizumab plus chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 105 patients with NSCLC from the Czech TULUNG registry treated at University Hospital in Pilsen with bevacizumab plus chemotherapy. Response to therapy was tested by Fisher's exact test. Survival statistics were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox analysis. RESULTS: Only normal values of CYFRA (not CEA or SCC) were associated with significantly better overall and progression-free survival in univariate analysis. We also observed a trend for a better disease control rate in patients with normal levels of CYFRA. In a multivariate Cox model, only CYFRA was associated with significantly better overall but not progression-free survival. CONCLUSION: In our retrospective study, we point out the possibility of using CYFRA as a prognostic marker in patients with NSCLC treated with chemotherapy plus bevacizumab.

Prognostic Value of EGFR Exon-20 Insertions in Czech Patients With Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Per literature, patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon-20 insertions respond poorly to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). This study analyzed real-world data to examine the prognostic and predictive value of these mutations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using Czech TULUNG Registry data, with data on multiple mutation types, collected in 2011-2020. RESULTS: We analyzed 554 (95.85%) patients with EGFR exon-19 deletions or exon-21 L858R substitutions and 24 (4.15%) patients with exon-20 insertions who received first-line high-value therapies. We summarized clinical characteristics and outcomes in all patients and by cohort. The risk of progression was statistically significantly higher (86%) in the exon-20 insertion cohort compared to the cohort with other mutations. Although not statistically significant, the risk of death was 44% higher in patients with exon-20 insertions. CONCLUSION: Advanced NSCLC patients with rare EGFR exon-20 insertions have a high risk of progression.

Comparison of Chemotherapeutic Regimens Frequently Used in Metastatic Non-squamous NSCLC Treatment.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Platinum-based chemotherapy with pemetrexed or paclitaxel/bevacizumab are regimens used in combination with checkpoint inhibitors in non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. We conducted a real-world study to compare the outcomes of these chemotherapeutic regimens. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We investigated 1,534 patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC treated with platin/pemetrexed (n=1212) or platin/paclitaxel/bevacizumab (n=322) in 9 cancer centres in the Czech Republic. RESULTS: The regimen containing platin/paclitaxel/bevacizumab showed significantly better overall response rate (ORR) compared to the platin/pemetrexed [40.8% vs. 32.7% (p=0.008)] in the overall population and [55.0% vs. 38.8% (p=0.002)] in the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 group. There was no significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in either of these two groups of patients. CONCLUSION: In our real-world data analysis, patients treated with platin/paclitaxel/bevacizumab had better overall response rate (ORR), but not PFS or OS. Thus, both treatment regimens are similarly effective. Their selection should therefore be based on the potential side effects.

Autologous dendritic cell-based immunotherapy (DCVAC/LuCa) and carboplatin/paclitaxel in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A randomized, open-label, phase I/II trial.

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of an active cellular immunotherapy (DCVAC/LuCa) and chemotherapy in patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: SLU01 was a multicenter, open-label, parallel-group, randomized, phase I/II trial. NSCLC patients were randomized in a ratio of 1:1:1 to receive: DCVAC/LuCa and chemotherapy (carboplatin and paclitaxel; Group A); DCVAC/LuCa, chemotherapy, pegylated interferon-α2b, and hydroxychloroquine (Group B); or chemotherapy alone (Group C). DCVAC/LuCa was administered subcutaneously every 3-6 weeks (up to 15 doses). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). During the study, enrollment into Group B was discontinued for strategic reasons. RESULTS: Forty-five patients were randomized to Group A, 29 patients to Group B, and 38 patients to Group C. The median OS in the modified intention-to-treat (mITT) population was 3.7 months longer in Group A than in Group C (15.5 vs. 11.8 months; p = 0.0179; hazard ratio = 0.54; 95% confidence interval: 0.32-0.91). This OS effect was consistent across subgroups of the mITT population (females, males, current smokers, former smokers, and patients with non-squamous and squamous cell histology). The most common treatment-emergent adverse events of any grade reported in Groups A, B, and C, respectively, were neutropenia (50.0%, 29.6%, and 20.6%), fatigue (40.0%, 18.5%, and 20.6%), anemia (35.0%, 44.4%, and 32.4%), paresthesia (27.5%, 25.9%, and 17.6%), and alopecia (25.0%, 29.6%, and 41.2%). CONCLUSION: DCVAC/LuCa in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel extended OS and was well tolerated.

A novel high-resolution chipCE assay for rapid detection of EGFR gene mutations and amplifications in lung cancer therapy by a combination of fragment analysis, denaturing CE and MLPA.

There is a growing interest in evaluating molecular markers as predictors of response to new generation of targeted cancer therapies. One of such areas is biological therapy targeting epidermal growth factor receptor gene (EGFR) in lung cancer. The testing of tumor tissue is focused on specific EGFR mutations and EGFR gene amplification, since tumors exhibiting positivity of either of the two marker types are highly sensitive towards the treatment. Although traditional methods of DNA sequencing and fluorescence in situ hybridization are still in use for the detection of EGFR mutations and gene amplification, respectively, there is a need for new dedicated techniques with the primary emphasis on simplicity, sensitivity, speed and cost effectiveness. The main purpose of this work was to integrate diverse assays for both EGFR tests onto a single platform to eliminate the need for different instruments and separate processing. We demonstrate a chip capillary electrophoresis (chipCE) application for EGFR mutation detection by a combination of fragment analysis and denaturing CE along with multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) for evaluation of EGFR amplification. All separations are carried out in denaturing sieving polymer on a modified Bioanalyzer 2100 chipCE instrument running at temperatures of up to 65°C. The main strength of the resulting high-resolution chipCE application is in its simplicity, speed of analysis and minimal amount of sample required for complete testing of EGFR status. Such an approach could potentially fit medium throughput laboratories providing molecular pathology services for clinical oncologists with fast turnaround times and limited consumption of tissue material.

Diagnostic and prognostic significance of inflammatory markers in lung cancer-associated pleural effusions.

Besides massive expression in inflammatory pleural effusions, inflammatory markers are also present in cancerinduced pleural effusions. Recent advances in cancer biology point to a role of inflammatory signaling in cancer and encourage reconsidering the diagnostic and prognostic value of inflammatory markers. Here an attempt was made to relate protein levels of inflammatory markers to underlying malignant processes in the pleural space. Pleural effusions from lung cancer patients (n=116) were subjected to a multifactorial analysis covering 13 inflammatory markers. The composition of tumor-associated effusions was compared with that of parainflammatory pleural effusions (n=30), transudates (n=18), and serum values, and evaluated in relation to cancer origin, histology, cytology, pleural involvement, treatment history, and survival time. Inflammatory markers were significantly expressed in pleural effusions of paraneoplastic origin when compared to transudates and most serum levels. Values in pleura-invading and metastatic tumor-associated effusions were typically higher than those of other tumors. Many markers correlated negatively with survival, most prominently IL-8 (r=-0.36, p=0.001) and VEGF (r=-0.35, p=0.001). It appears that most inflammatory markers are highly expressed in tumor-associated pleural effusions, reflecting to some extent tumor origin and localization. Despite the lower efficacy of inflammatory markers in the differentiation between exudative pleural effusions, some inflammatory markers may represent potential prognostic markers of malignant processes in the pleural space.

Denaturing capillary electrophoresis for automated detection of L858R mutation in exon 21 of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene in prediction of the outcome of lung cancer therapy.

The presence of activating mutations within the tyrosine kinase domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene has been attributed to a positive response to biological therapy of lung cancer by small-molecular tyrosine kinase inhibitors, gefitinib and erlotinib. Among the two most significant mutation types are deletions in exon 19 and a single point substitution in exon 21 (termed L858R). The exon 19 deletions can readily be examined by fragment analysis, due to the characteristic length difference between the normal and mutated PCR product. Analysis of the L858R point mutation, however, presents a greater challenge. The current paper is aimed at developing a sensitive, yet simple, low-cost mutation detection assay directed at the L858R mutation using a method based on CE of heteroduplexes under partial denaturing conditions. We perform optimization of separation conditions on different commercial instruments including ones equipped with 8, 16 and 96 capillaries. We present normalized migration reproducibility in the range from 1 (8 and 16) to 5% (96) RSD. A reliable distinction of the R836R silent polymorphism from a potential presence of the L858R mutation is also demonstrated. In its implementation, the presented assay is just another application running on a conventional CE platform without the need of dedicated instrumentation.

[Cancer multiplicities in the Czech population]. / Nádorové multiplicity u ceské populace.

During 1976-2005 the Czech Cancer Registry registered 1.486,984 neoplasms of categories ICD-10: C00-D48, of which were notified 290,312 (19.5%) multiple cases. There were 65,292 primary diseases in men and 59,970 in women, 89,796 subsequent neoplasms in men and 75,254 in women. The duplicities were higher in men and multiplicities higher in women. The multiple cases there were 19.5% of total new diagnosed neoplasms in men and 18.5% in women, without the skin cancers there were 13.7% in men and 13.6% in women. The most frequent were primary cancers of skin 46%, digestive tract 13.5%, urinary tract 9.6%, genital organs 8.1%, respiratory and intrathoracic organs 7.8% in men and cancers of skin 39.4%, breast 17.3%, genital organs 14.6%, and digestive tract 9.8% in women. The highest percentage of multiplicities in new diagnosed cases were cancers of skin 56.4%, melanoma 22.7%, urinary tract 19.9%, oral cavity 17.8%, genital organs 16.4%, endocrine glands 15.8% and haemopoietic tissues 13.9% in men, the cancers of skin 43.6%, oral cavity 19.8%, melanoma 18.6%, breast 17.7%, urinary tract 17.7%, genital organs 13.5% and endocrine glands 13% in women. The most multiplicities were registered in region Northern Moravia 38,547 (13.3%), Southern Moravia 34,219 (11.8%) and in Prague 34,218 (11.8%). From 125,262 patients, 18,887 (15.1%) men and 22,274 (17.8%) women survived, number of deceased persons was 46,405 (37%) men and 37,696 (30.1%) women. In the view of multiple cancers the broad education of lifestyle appears not to be sufficient for both the healthy population and for patients with 595 thousand cancers, expected in 2010.