The impact of sociodemographic factors and health insurance coverage in the diagnosis and clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer in Brazil: AMAZONA III study (GBECAM 0115).

PURPOSE: In Brazil, the available cancer registries are deficient in number and quality and, hence, little information is known regarding sociodemographic, clinicopathological characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of breast cancer (BC) patients. We performed the AMAZONA III/ GBECAM 0115 study and in this analysis, we describe patients' characteristics at diagnosis and their association with health insurance type. METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study developed in 23 sites in Brazil including women with newly diagnosed invasive BC from January 2016 to March 2018. In order to compare healthcare insurance type, we considered patients who were treated under the Brazilian public health system as publicly insured, and women who had private insurance or paid for their treatment as privately insured. RESULTS: A total of 2950 patients were included in the study. Median age at diagnosis was 53.9 years; 63.1% were publicly insured. The majority of patients (68.6%) had stage II-III breast cancer and ductal carcinoma histology (80.9%). The most common breast cancer subtype was luminal A-like (48.0%) followed by luminal B-HER2 positive-like (17.0%) and triple-negative (15.6%). Luminal A was more frequent in private (53.7% vs. 44.2%, p < .0001) than public, whereas Luminal B HER2-positive (19.2% vs. 14.2%, p = 0.0012) and HER2-positive (8.8% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.0009) were more common in patients with public health system coverage. Only 34% of patients were diagnosed by screening exams. Privately insured patients were more frequently diagnosed with stage I disease when compared to publicly insured patients; publicly insured patients had more stage III (33.5% vs. 14.7%; p-value < 0.0001) disease than privately insured ones. Breast cancer was detected by symptoms more frequently in publicly than in privately insured patients (74.2% vs 25.8%, respectively; p-value < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with public health coverage were diagnosed with symptomatic disease, later stages and more aggressive subtypes when compared to privately insured patients.

Systemic therapy for advanced cervical cancer: Leveraging the historical threshold of overall survival.

Cervical cancer (CC) is a worldwide problem, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where patients are often diagnosed with locally advanced disease. Until recently, all chemotherapy drugs achieved low ORR and 12-month overall survival (12- month OS) for advanced CC after failure for platinum compounds. Advances in systemic therapy with immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) have leveraged the 12-month OS limit. Recently, immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) has become the standard of care in first-line advanced CC combined with platinum and taxane and in second-line after platinum doublet failure.

Discrepancies in breast cancer's oncological outcomes between public and private institutions in the southeast region of Brazil: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Brazil is a middle-income country with inequalities in its healthcare system. The disparities between public and private services affect the diagnosis and treatment of patients with breast cancer. The aim of this study is to assess whether disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) are different in public and private specialized centers. Patient and methods: A retrospective cohort study with 1,545 breast cancer patients diagnosed from 2003 to 2011 at Barretos Cancer Hospital-BCH (public group, N = 1,408) and InORP Oncoclinicas (private group, N = 137) was conducted. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to adjust the differences between the groups' characteristics (n = 137 in each group). Results: The median age at diagnosis was 54.4 years. Estimated DFS rates at 1, 5, and 10 years were 96.0%, 71.8%, and 59.6%, respectively, at BCH and 97.8%, 86.9%, and 78%, respectively, at InORP (HR: 2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41-3.10; p < 0.0001). Estimated OS rates at 1, 5, and 10 years were 98.1%, 78.5%, and 65.4%, respectively, at BCH and 99.3%, 94.5%, and 91.9%, respectively, at InORP (HR: 3.84; 95% CI, 2.16-6.82; p < 0.0001). After adjustment by PSM, DFS and OS results in 1, 3, and 5 years remained worse in the public service compared to the private service. Conclusion: Patients treated in a public center have worse DFS and OS after a follow-up period of more than 5 years. These results were corroborated after carrying out the PSM.

Management of patients with recurrent/metastatic endometrial cancer: Consensus recommendations from an expert panel from Brazil.

Background: Endometrial cancer is of increasing concern in several countries, including Brazil, in part because of an ageing population, declines in fertility, and the increasing prevalence of obesity. Although endometrial tumors had lagged behind other cancer types in terms of treatment improvements, molecular characterization of these tumors is paving the way for novel therapies and an expansion of the therapeutic arsenal. We aimed to help medical oncologists who manage patients with recurrent or metastatic endometrial cancer in the Brazilian healthcare setting. Methods: The panel, composed of 20 medical oncologists, convened in November 2021 to address 50 multiple-choice questions on molecular testing and treatment choices. We classified the level of agreement among panelists as (1) consensus (≥75% choosing the same answer), (2) majority vote (50% to <75%), or (3) less than majority vote (<50%). Results: Consensus was present for 25 of the 50 questions, whereas majority vote was present for an additional 23 questions. Key recommendations include molecular testing for every patient with recurrent/metastatic endometrial cancer; choice of first-line treatment according to microsatellite instability and HER2, with the addition of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and hormone receptors (HRs) for second-line therapy; carboplatin and paclitaxel as the preferred option in first-line treatment of HER2-negative disease, with the addition of trastuzumab in HER2-positive disease; pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib as a key option in second line, regardless of HER2, PD-L1 or HRs; and various recommendations regarding treatment choice for patients with distinct comorbidities. Conclusion: Despite the existing gaps in the current literature, the vast majority of issues addressed by the panel provided a level of agreement sufficient to inform clinical practice in Brazil and in other countries with similar healthcare environments.

Independent radiologic review in metastatic colorectal cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To perform a meta-analysis addressing evaluation bias in local radiologic assessment (LRA) of lesions when compared with independent radiologic review (IRR) in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, the Cochrane Library, and Web sites for major medical meetings were searched for RCTs of chemotherapy for metastatic CRC that reported response evaluation by both LRA and IRR. The risk ratios (RRs) of response in the experimental (RR(exp)) and control (RR(cont)) arms were calculated (response rate in LRA divided by response rate in IRR) for each selected study. The ratio of RR of response was calculated (RR of response of LRA divided by RR of response of IRR). The random-effects model was applied. Meta-regression was used to examine the effect of study characteristics on outcomes. RESULTS: LRA and IRR results were concordant (13 studies; 7742 patients; ratio of RR of response = 0.97; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.90, 1.04; P = .35). However, LRA overestimated tumor response independently of therapy allocation (interaction test, P = .81) both in control (RR(cont), 1.163; 95% CI: 1.086, 1.246; P < .001) and experimental (RR(exp), 1.156; 95% CI: 1.093, 1.222; P < .001) therapies. Meta-regression did not show any effect of trial characteristics on effects. CONCLUSION: LRA yields higher response rates in RCTs testing chemotherapy for metastatic CRC, although there was no sign of bias toward experimental therapy. The need for IRR to control evaluation bias must be reappraised.

HPV vaccination in Latin America: Coverage status, implementation challenges and strategies to overcome it.

Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality amongst females in Latin America (LATAM). Cervical cancer is a preventable disease and HPV vaccination is a main key strategy towards its elimination. This study analyzes HPV vaccine implementation current status and the main barriers to achieve adequate coverage in the region. Data from the nineteen sovereign states of LATAM (comprised of all Portuguese and Spanish-speaking nations located south of the United States) were collected, including year of HPV vaccine implementation, gender and age targets, the number of doses included in the public program and coverage by dose. Sixteen out of the 19 evaluated countries have already implemented HPV vaccination programs. However, despite its proven efficacy and safety, HPV vaccine uptake in LATAM has been lower than expected. There is an evident decline in adhesion, mainly regarding the second dose. Several reasons are probably involved, of note: limited knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccine, misguided safety concerns, high cost, cultural barriers, and the Covid19 pandemic. Proper strategies to overcome these barriers are needed to ensure successful uptake. Effective policies are: adopting the one dose schedule, delivering the vaccine on both health center and schools, and advising health professionals to recommend the vaccine. Further research regarding HPV vaccine hesitancy in Latin America is needed.

Accuracy of MRI for diagnosing pelvic and para­aortic lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer.

The current study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of diffusion­weighted imaging and morphological aspects at 3 Tesla (T) and 1.5T MRI for diagnosing metastatic lymph nodes (LN) in cervical cancer. A retrospective study was conducted at the Barretos Cancer Hospital. A total of 45 patients with cervical cancer who underwent MRI examination and pelvic and/or para­aortic lymphadenectomy as part of surgical procedure were included. Data regarding LN images included size (short­axis diameters), morphology (usual, rounded or amorphous), appearance (homogeneous or heterogeneous), limits (regular, irregular or imprecise), presence or absence of necrosis, diffusion (normal or greater restriction than expected for normal tissue) and aspect (suspected, undetermined or normal). These findings were compared with histopathological results. According to histology results, among the 45 patients, 14 (31.1%) LNs were tested positive for metastasis and 31 (68.9%) LNs were tested negative. A total of 41 metastatic positive LNs were detected from a total of 976 resected nodes. Twelve patients from the 45 (26.7%) had LN classified as metastatic by histology and suspected by MRI, 26 (57.8%) as negative in both evaluations, 2 (4.4%) as positive by histology and negative by MRI and five (11.1%) as negative by histology and positive by MRI. Based on these results, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy were 85.7, 83.9, 70.6, 92.9 and 84.4%, respectively. The Cohen's κ test exposed a general outcome of 0.657 (P<0.05), demonstrating that the two variables (histology and MRI) have substantial concordance. The κ test results between histological and MRI data for paraaortic and pelvic LNs were found to be 1 and 0.657, respectively. Finally, short axis >10 mm, T2 hypointensity, rounded morphology and greater restriction than expected for normal tissues are the four most common MRI findings associated with metastatic LN. The concordance between MRI and histology was substantial, indicating that this method using MRI for diagnosing suspected LN metastasis is reliable. The results of the current study revealed that the most important aspects to be evaluated in MRI include: Short axis >10 mm, T2 hypointensity, rounded morphology and greater restriction than expected for normal tissues. If these four characteristics are present in MRI, histological evaluation is likely to reveal positive lymph node metastasis.

A 4-Gene Signature Associated With Recurrence in Low- and Intermediate-Risk Endometrial Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The molecular profile of endometrial cancer has become an important tool in determining patient prognosis and their optimal adjuvant treatment. In addition to The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), simpler tools have been developed, such as the Proactive Molecular Risk Classifier for Endometrial Cancer (ProMisE). We attempted to determine a genetic signature to build a recurrence risk score in patients diagnosed with low- and intermediate-risk endometrial cancer. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted. The eligible patients were women diagnosed with recurrence low- and intermediate-risk endometrial cancer between January 2009 and December 2014 at a single institution; the recurrence patients were matched to two nonrecurrence patients with the same diagnosis by age and surgical staging. Following RNA isolation of 51 cases, 17 recurrence and 34 nonrecurrence patients, the expression profile was determined using the nCounter® PanCancer Pathways Panel, which contains 770 genes. RESULTS: The expression profile was successfully characterized in 49/51 (96.1%) cases. We identified 12 genes differentially expressed between the recurrence and nonrecurrence groups. The ROC curve for each gene was generated, and all had AUCs higher than 0.7. After backward stepwise logistic regression, four genes were highlighted: FN1, DUSP4, LEF1, and SMAD9. The recurrence risk score was calculated, leading to a ROC curve of the 4-gene model with an AUC of 0.93, sensitivity of 100%, and specificity of 72.7%. CONCLUSION: We identified a four-gene signature that may be associated with recurrence in patients with low- and intermediate-risk endometrial cancer. This finding suggests a new prognostic factor in this poorly explored group of patients with endometrial cancer.

Ovarian Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumors: Epidemiological, Clinical and Prognostic Factors.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a series of cases of ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors (SLCTs). METHODS: Retrospective review of 12 cases of SLCT treated at the Hospital do Câncer de Barretos, Barretos, state of São Paulo, Brazil, between October 2009 and August 2017. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 31 years old (15-71 years old). A total of 9 patients (75.0%) presented symptoms: 8 (66.7%) presented with abdominal pain, 5 (41.7%) presented with abdominal enlargement, 2 (16.7%) presented with virilizing signs, 2 (16.7%) presented with abnormal uterine bleeding, 1 (8.3%) presented with dyspareunia, and 1 (8.3%) presented with weight loss. The median preoperative lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was 504.5 U/L (138-569 U/L), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was 2.0 ng/ml (1.1-11.3 ng/ml), human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) was 0.6 mUI/ml (0.0-2.3 mUI/ml), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was 0.9 ng/ml (0.7-3.4 ng/ml), and cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) was 26.0 U/ml (19.1-147.0 U/ml). All of the tumors were unilateral and surgically treated. Lymphadenectomy was performed in 3 (25.0%) patients, but none of the three patients submitted to lymphadenectomy presented lymph node involvement. In the anatomopathological exam, 1 (8.3%) tumor was well-differentiated, 8 (66.7%) were moderately differentiated, and 3 (25.0%) were poorly differentiated. A total of 5 (55.6%) tumors were solid-cystic, 2 (22.2%) were purely cystic, 1 (11.1%) was cystic with vegetations, and 1 (11.1%) was purely solid, but for 3 patients this information was not available. The median lesion size was 14.2 cm (3.2-23.5 cm). All of the tumors were at stage IA of the 2014 classification of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO). A total of 2 (16.7%) patients received adjuvant treatment; 1 of them underwent 3 cycles of paclitaxel and carboplatin every 21 days, and the other underwent 4 cycles of ifosfamide, cisplatin and etoposide every 21 days. None of all of the patients had recurrence, and one death related to complications after surgical staging occurred. CONCLUSION: Abdominal pain was the most frequent presentation. There was no ultrasonographic pattern. All of the SLCTs were at stage IA, and most of them were moderately differentiated. Relapses did not occur, but one death related to the surgical staging occurred.

OBJETIVO: Descrever uma série de casos de tumores de células de Sertoli-Leydig (TCSLs) ovarianos. MéTODOS: Revisão retrospectiva de 12 casos de TCSL tratados no Hospital de Câncer de Barretos entre outubro de 2009 e agosto de 2017. RESULTADOS: A mediana de idade foi 31 anos (15­71 anos). Um total de 9 pacientes (75,0%) apresentaram sintomas: 8 (66,7%) apresentaram dor abdominal, 5 (41,7%) apresentaram aumento abdominal, 2 (16,7%) apresentaram virilização, 2 (16,7%) apresentaram sangramento uterino anormal, 1 (8,3%) apresentou dispareunia, e 1 (8,3%) apresentou emagrecimento. A mediana de desidrogenase láctica (DHL) foi 504,5 U/L (138­569 U/L), alfafetoproteína (AFP) foi 2,0 ng/ml (1,1­11,3 ng/ml), gonadotrofina coriônica humana (ß-hCG) foi 0,6 mUI/ml (0,0­2,3 mUI/ml), antígeno carcinoembrionário (CEA) foi 0,9 ng/ml (0,7­3,4) ng/ml, e antígeno cancerígeno 125 (CA-125) foi 26,0 U/ml (19,1­147,0 U/ml), todos pré-operatórios. Todos os tumores foram unilaterais e tratados cirurgicamente. Realizou-se linfadenectomia em 3 (25,0%) pacientes, porém, nenhuma das três apresentou acometimento linfonodal. No exame anatomopatológico, 1 tumor (8,3%) era bem diferenciado, 8 (66,7%) eram moderadamente diferenciados, e 3 (25,0%) eram pouco diferenciados. Um total de 5 (55,6%) tumores eram sólido-císticos, 2 (22,2%) eram puramente císticos, 1 (11,1%) era cístico com vegetações, e 1 (11,1%) era puramente sólido, mas para 3 pacientes estas informações não estavam disponíveis. A mediana da dimensão da lesão foi 14,2 cm (3,2­23,5 cm). Todos os tumores eram estádio IA de acordo com a classificação de 2014 da Federação Internacional de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia (FIGO, na sigla em inglês). Duas (16,7%) pacientes receberam adjuvância; uma realizou 3 ciclos de paclitaxel e carboplatina a cada 21 dias, e a outra 4 ciclos de ifosfamida, cisplatina e etoposide a cada 21 dias. Dentre todas as pacientes, nenhuma apresentou recidiva e houve um óbito relacionado a complicações após estadiamento cirúrgico. CONCLUSãO: Dor abdominal foi a apresentação mais frequente. Todos os TCSLs eram estádio IA e a maioria era moderadamente diferenciada. Não ocorreram recidivas, mas ocorreu um óbito relacionado ao estadiamento cirúrgico.

Squamous differentiation portends poor prognosis in low and intermediate-risk endometrioid endometrial cancer.

BACKGROUND: Endometrial cancer presents well-defined risk factors: myometrial invasion, histological subtype, tumor grade, lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI). Some low and intermediate-risk endometrioid endometrial cancer patients exhibited unexpected outcomes. This study aimed to investigate other clinical-pathological factors that might influence the recurrence rates of patients diagnosed with low and intermediate-risk endometrioid endometrial cancer. METHODS: A case-control study from a cohort retrospective of 196 patients diagnosed with low and intermediate-risk endometrioid endometrial cancer at a single institution from 2009 to 2014 was conducted. Medical records were reviewed to compare clinical (race, smoking, menopause age, body mass index) and pathological (endometrioid vs endometrioid with squamous differentiation, tumor differentiation grade, tumor location, endocervical invasion, LVSI) features of patients with recurrence (case) and without recurrence (control) of disease. Three controls for each case were matched for age and staging. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients with recurrence were found (10.7%), of which 14 were stage IA, and 7 were stage IB. In accordance, 63 patients without recurrence were selected as controls. There were no significant differences in any clinical characteristics between cases and controls. Among pathological variables, presence of squamous differentiation (28.6% vs. 4.8%, p = 0.007), tumor differentiation grade 2 or 3 (57.1% vs. 30.2%, p = 0.037) and presence of endocervical invasion (28.6% vs. 12.7%, p = 0.103) were associated with disease recurrence on a univariate analysis. On multivariable analysis, only squamous differentiation was a significant risk factor for recurrence (p = 0.031). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that squamous differentiation may be an adverse prognostic factor in patients with low and intermediate-risk endometrioid endometrial cancer, that showed a 5.6-fold increased risk for recurrence.

Development of a new multimedia instrument to measure cancer-specific quality of life in Portuguese-speaking patients with varying literacy skills.

PURPOSE: To develop and validate a new multimedia instrument to measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Portuguese-speaking patients with cancer. METHODS: A mixed-methods study conducted in a large Brazilian Cancer Hospital. The instrument was developed along the following sequential phases: identification of HRQOL issues through qualitative content analysis of individual interviews, evaluation of the most important items according to the patients, review of the literature, evaluation by an expert committee, and pretesting. In sequence, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted (pilot testing, n = 149) to reduce the number of items and to define domains and scores. The psychometric properties of the IQualiV-OG-21 were measured in a large multicentre Brazilian study (n = 323). A software containing multimedia resources were developed to facilitate self-administration of IQualiV-OG-21; its feasibility and patients' preferences ("paper and pencil" vs. software) were further tested (n = 54). RESULTS: An exploratory factor analysis reduced the 30-item instrument to 21 items. The IQualiV-OG-21 was divided into 6 domains: emotional, physical, existential, interpersonal relationships, functional and financial. The multicentre study confirmed that it was valid and reliable. The electronic multimedia instrument was easy to complete and acceptable to patients. Regarding preferences, 61.1 % of them preferred the electronic format in comparison with the paper and pencil format. CONCLUSIONS: The IQualiV-OG-21 is a new valid and reliable multimedia HRQOL instrument that is well-understood, even by patients with low literacy skills, and can be answered quickly. It is a useful new tool that can be translated and tested in other cultures and languages.

Melanoma characteristics in Brazil: demographics, treatment, and survival analysis.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of melanoma, one of the most aggressive of the skin cancers, has been increasing worldwide in the last few decades. Data from Latin America and Brazil remain scarce. We aimed to describe the demographic, clinical, and histopathological data; therapy characteristics; and survival rates of the Brazilian melanoma patient population. RESULTS: We collected and analysed retrospective data from 15 years at a tertiary cancer centre. We describe patient characteristics and treatment. We calculated survival, and identified the main prognostic factors through univariate and multivariate analysis. We analysed a total of 1073 patients, with a mean age of 56.7 years. Men and women experienced similar prevalence, and 91.2% of patients had white skin. The most prevalent subtype was superficial spreading, and the most prevalent anatomic location was the trunk (32.2%), followed by the lower extremities (28%). Of all cases, 567 (52.9%) were assigned to clinical stages I and II, while 382 (32.6%) were stages III and IV. Surgery was the main treatment. Sentinel node biopsy was performed in 373 patients, with 23.8% positivity. Overall actuarial 5-year survival was 67.6%. Multivariate analysis showed that gender, serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels at diagnosis; anatomic location, TNM stage, and local recurrence were significant prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Overall survival was lower than worldwide rates. The main factors influencing survival were similar to those in other populations. Local recurrence was independently associated with lower survival rates. The high prevalence of advanced cases reinforces the importance of strategies to diagnose melanomas in the early stages. There is a need for future multi-institutional prospective studies to attain a better understanding of possible socioeconomic and other influences on survival among melanoma populations in Brazil and Latin America.

Ovarian sertoli-leydig cell tumors: epidemiological, clinical and prognostic factors / Tumores de células de Sertoli-Leydig ovarianos: fatores epidemiológicos, clínicos e prognósticos

Abstract Objective To describe a series of cases of ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors (SLCTs). Methods Retrospective review of 12 cases of SLCT treated at the Hospital do Câncer de Barretos, Barretos, state of São Paulo, Brazil, between October 2009 and August 2017. Results The median age of the patients was 31 years old (15-71 years old). A total of 9 patients (75.0%) presented symptoms: 8 (66.7%) presented with abdominal pain, 5 (41.7%) presented with abdominal enlargement, 2 (16.7%) presentedwith virilizing signs, 2 (16.7%) presented with abnormal uterine bleeding, 1 (8.3%) presented with dyspareunia, and 1 (8.3%) presented with weight loss. The median preoperative lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was 504.5 U/L (138-569 U/L), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was 2.0 ng/ml (1.1-11.3 ng/ml), human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) was 0.6 mUI/ml (0.0-2.3 mUI/ml), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was 0.9 ng/ml (0.7-3.4 ng/ml), and cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) was 26.0 U/ml (19.1-147.0 U/ml). All of the tumors were unilateral and surgically treated. Lymphadenectomy was performed in 3 (25.0%) patients, but none of the three patients submitted to lymphadenectomy presented lymph node involvement. In the anatomopathological exam, 1 (8.3%) tumor was well-differentiated, 8 (66.7%) were moderately differentiated, and 3 (25.0%) were poorly differentiated. A total of 5 (55.6%) tumors were solid-cystic, 2 (22.2%) were purely cystic, 1 (11.1%) was cystic with vegetations, and 1 (11.1%) was purely solid, but for 3 patients this information was not available. The median lesion size was 14.2 cm (3.2-23.5 cm). All of the tumors were at stage IA of the 2014 classification of the International Federation ofGynecology andObstetrics (FIGO). A total of 2 (16.7%) patients received adjuvant treatment; 1 of themunderwent 3 cycles of paclitaxel and carboplatin every 21days, and the other underwent 4 cycles of ifosfamide, cisplatin and etoposide every 21 days. None of all of the patients had recurrence, and one death related to complications after surgical staging occurred. Conclusion Abdominal pain was the most frequent presentation. There was no ultrasonographic pattern. All of the SLCTs were at stage IA, and most of them were moderately differentiated. Relapses did not occur, but one death related to the surgical staging occurred.

Resumo Objetivo Descrever uma série de casos de tumores de células de Sertoli-Leydig (TCSLs) ovarianos. Métodos Revisão retrospectiva de 12 casos de TCSL tratados no Hospital de Câncer de Barretos entre outubro de 2009 e agosto de 2017. Resultados A mediana de idade foi 31 anos (15-71 anos). Um total de 9 pacientes (75,0%) apresentaram sintomas: 8 (66,7%) apresentaram dor abdominal, 5 (41,7%) apresentaram aumento abdominal, 2 (16,7%) apresentaram virilização, 2 (16,7%) apresentaram sangramento uterino anormal, 1 (8,3%) apresentou dispareunia, e 1 (8,3%) apresentou emagrecimento. A mediana de desidrogenase láctica (DHL) foi 504,5 U/L (138-569 U/L), alfafetoproteína (AFP) foi 2,0 ng/ml (1,1-11,3 ng/ml), gonadotrofina coriônica humana (β-hCG) foi 0,6 mUI/ml (0,0-2,3 mUI/ml), antígeno carcinoembrionário (CEA) foi 0,9 ng/ml (0,7-3,4) ng/ml, e antígeno cancerígeno 125 (CA-125) foi 26,0 U/ml (19,1-147,0 U/ml), todos pré-operatórios. Todos os tumores foram unilaterais e tratados cirurgicamente. Realizou-se linfadenectomia em 3 (25,0%) pacientes, por em, nenhuma das tr^es apresentou acometimento linfonodal. No exame anatomopatológico, 1 tumor (8,3%) era bem diferenciado, 8 (66,7%) eram moderadamente diferenciados, e 3 (25,0%) eram pouco diferenciados. Um total de 5 (55,6%) tumores eram sólido-císticos, 2 (22,2%) eram puramente císticos, 1 (11,1%) era cístico com vegetações, e 1 (11,1%) era puramente sólido, mas para 3 pacientes estas informações não estavam disponíveis. A mediana da dimensão da lesão foi 14,2 cm (3,2-23,5 cm). Todos os tumores eram estádio IA de acordo com a classificação de 2014 da Federação Internacional de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia (FIGO, na sigla em inglês). Duas (16,7%) pacientes receberam adjuvância; uma realizou 3 ciclos de paclitaxel e carboplatina a cada 21 dias, e a outra 4 ciclos de ifosfamida, cisplatina e etoposide a cada 21 dias. Dentre todas as pacientes, nenhuma apresentou recidiva e houve um óbito relacionado a complicações após estadiamento cirúrgico. Conclusão Dor abdominal foi a apresentação mais frequente. Todos os TCSLs eram estádio IA e a maioria era moderadamente diferenciada. Não ocorreram recidivas, mas ocorreu um óbito relacionado ao estadiamento cirúrgico.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and pathologic response: a retrospective cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the complete pathologic response attained by patients diagnosed with locally advanced breast cancer submitted to neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on the doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide regimen followed by paclitaxel. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of patients with locally advanced breast cancer, admitted to the Hospital de Câncer de Barretos between 2006 and 2008 submitted to the doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide protocol followed by paclitaxel (4 cycles of doxorubicin 60mg/m² and cyclophosphamide 600mg/m² every 21 days; 4 cycles of paclitaxel 175mg/m² every 21 days). The following variables were assessed: age, menopause, performance status, initial clinical staging, anthropometric data, chemotherapy (dose - duration), toxicity profile, post-treatment staging, surgery, pathologic complete response rate, disease-free survival, and pathological characteristics (type and histological degree, hormonal profile and lymph node involvement). Statistical analysis was performed using a 5% level of significance. RESULTS: Of the 434 patients evaluated, 136 were excluded due to error in staging or because they had received another type of chemotherapy. Median age was 50 years, all with performance status 0-1. Median initial clinical size of tumor was 65mm and the median final clinical size of the tumor was 22mm. Fifty-one (17.1%) patients experienced a pathologic complete response. Those with a negative hormonal profile or who were triple-negative (negative Her-2 and hormonal profile) experienced a favorable impact on the pathologic complete response. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel provided a pathologic complete response in the population studied in accordance with that observed in the literature. Triple-negative patients had a greater chance of attaining this response.

Quimioterapia neoadjuvante e resposta patológica: coorte retrospectiva / Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and pathologic response: a retrospective cohort

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a taxa de resposta patológica completa atingida pelas pacientes com diagnóstico de câncer de mama localmente avançado submetidas à quimioterapia neoadjuvante baseada no esquema doxorrubicina/ciclofosfamida seguido de paclitaxel. MÉTODOS: Coorte retrospectiva de pacientes admitidas no Hospital de Câncer de Barretos com câncer de mama localmente avançado entre 2006 e 2008 submetidas ao protocolo de doxorrubicina/ciclofosfamida seguido de paclitaxel (4 ciclos de doxorrubicina 60mg/m² e ciclofosfamida 600mg/m² a cada 21 dias; 4 ciclos de paclitaxel 175mg/m² a cada 21 dias). As seguintes variáveis foram avaliadas: idade, menopausa, performance status, estadiamento clínico inicial, dados antropométricos, quimioterapia (dose - duração), perfil de toxicidade, estadiamento clínico pós-tratamento, cirurgia, resposta patológica completa, sobrevida livre de doença e características anatomopatológicas (tipo e grau histológico, perfil hormonal e comprometimento linfonodal). A análise estatística foi realizada considerando-se o nível de significância de 5%. RESULTADOS: Das 434 pacientes avaliadas, 136 foram excluídas por erro no estadiamento ou por terem recebido outro tipo de quimioterapia. A mediana de idade foi 50 anos, todas com performance status 0-1. A mediana do tamanho clínico inicial do tumor foi 65mm e a mediana do tamanho clínico final do tumor foi 22mm. Apresentaram resposta patológica completa 51 (17,1%) pacientes. Aquelas que apresentavam perfil hormonal negativo ou que eram triplo-negativas (Her-2 e perfil hormonal negativos) tiveram impacto favorável na resposta patológica completa. CONCLUSÃO: Quimioterapia neoadjuvante com doxorrubicina/ciclofosfamida seguidas de paclitaxel ofereceu taxa de resposta patológica completa na população estudada de acordo com a literatura. Pacientes triplo-negativas tiveram maior chance de atingir essa resposta.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the complete pathologic response attained by patients diagnosed with locally advanced breast cancer submitted to neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on the doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide regimen followed by paclitaxel. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of patients with locally advanced breast cancer, admitted to the Hospital de Câncer de Barretos between 2006 and 2008 submitted to the doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide protocol followed by paclitaxel (4 cycles of doxorubicin 60mg/m² and cyclophosphamide 600mg/m² every 21 days; 4 cycles of paclitaxel 175mg/m² every 21 days). The following variables were assessed: age, menopause, performance status, initial clinical staging, anthropometric data, chemotherapy (dose - duration), toxicity profile, post-treatment staging, surgery, pathologic complete response rate, disease-free survival, and pathological characteristics (type and histological degree, hormonal profile and lymph node involvement). Statistical analysis was performed using a 5% level of significance. RESULTS: Of the 434 patients evaluated, 136 were excluded due to error in staging or because they had received another type of chemotherapy. Median age was 50 years, all with performance status 0-1. Median initial clinical size of tumor was 65mm and the median final clinical size of the tumor was 22mm. Fifty-one (17.1%) patients experienced a pathologic complete response. Those with a negative hormonal profile or who were triple-negative (negative Her-2 and hormonal profile) experienced a favorable impact on the pathologic complete response. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel provided a pathologic complete response in the population studied in accordance with that observed in the literature. Triple-negative patients had a greater chance of attaining this response.

Linfoma não-Hodgkin de células do manto: relato de caso / Mantle cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: case report

Relata-se o caso clínico de paciente feminino, de 80 anos de idade, com o diagnóstico inicial de pênfigo vulgar. Após um ano de evolução, identificou-se linfoma de células do manto. Trata-se de linfoma não Hodgkin agressivo com resposta quimioterápica limitada e prognóstico ruim. A obtenção do diagnóstico exigiu extensa propedêutica inicial (biópsias de lesão de pele de medula óssea e de linfonodo inguinal e ultrassonografia abdominal), que não estabeleceu diagnóstica. Evoluiu com linfocitose, tendo sido submetida à imunofenotipagem, que permitiu o diagnóstico. A quimioterapia inicial consistiu de fludarabina, entretanto, em decorrência de efeito adverso (pancitopenia), necessitou de hemotransfusão e fator estimulador de colônia de granulócitos (G-CSF).

An eighty-year-old woman initially presented with skin lesions suggestive of Pemphigus vulgaris, one year later diagnosed as mantle cell lymphoma. Even after extensive investigation (skin lesion biopsy, abdominal ultra-sound, myelogram, bone marrow biopsy and inguinal lymph node biopsy) no diagnosis could still be firmed. At that time, however, the patient presented lymphocytosis, which leads to immunophenotyping, eventually defining the above-mentioned diagnosis. Fludarabine was selected for initial therapy, but the patient didn?t tolerate it well (pancytopenia) and needed to receive blood transfusion and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). It is a non-Hodgkinïs agressive lymphoma with bad response to chemotherapy and poor prognoses.