Predictors of Locoregional Recurrence After Failure to Achieve Pathologic Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated factors predictive of locoregional recurrence (LRR) in women with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy who do not experience pathologic complete response (pCR). METHODS: This is a single-institution retrospective review of women with TNBC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy in 2000 through 2013. LRR was estimated between patients with and without pCR using the Kaplan-Meier method. Patient-, tumor-, and treatment-specific factors in patients without pCR were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards method to evaluate factors predictive of LRR. Log-rank statistics were then used to compare LRR among these risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 153 patients with a median follow-up of 48.6 months were included. The 4-year overall survival and LRR were 70% and 15%, respectively, and the 4-year LRR in patients with pCR was 0% versus 22.0% in those without (P<.001). In patients without pCR, lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI; hazard ratio, 3.92; 95% CI, 1.64-9.38; P=.002) and extranodal extension (ENE; hazard ratio, 3.32; 95% CI, 1.35-8.15; P=.009) were significant predictors of LRR in multivariable analysis. In these patients, the 4-year LRR with LVSI was 39.8% versus 15.0% without (P<.001). Similarly, the 4-year LRR was 48.1% with ENE versus 16.1% without (P=.002). In patients without pCR, the presence of both LVSI and ENE were associated with an even further increased risk of LRR compared with patients with either LVSI or ENE alone and those with neither LVSI nor ENE in the residual tumor (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: In patients without pCR, the presence of LVSI and ENE increases the risk of LRR in TNBC. The risk of LRR is compounded when both LVSI and ENE are present in the same patient. Future clinical trials are warranted to lower the risk of LRR in these high-risk patients.

Treatment response as predictor for brain metastasis in triple negative breast cancer: A score-based model.

BACKGROUND: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has worse prognosis than other subtypes of breast cancer, and many patients develop brain metastasis (BM). We developed a simple predictive model to stratify the risk of BM in TNBC patients receiving neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), surgery, and radiation therapy (RT). METHODS: Patients with TNBC who received NAC, surgery, and RT were included. Cox proportional hazards method was used to evaluate factors associated with BM. Significant factors predictive for BM on multivariate analysis (MVA) were used to develop a risk score. Patients were divided into three risk groups: low, intermediate, and high. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the value of the risk group in predicting BM. This predictive model was externally validated. RESULTS: A total of 160 patients were included. The median follow-up was 47.4 months. The median age at diagnosis was 49.9 years. The 2-year freedom from BM was 90.5%. Persistent lymph node positivity, HR 8.75 (1.76-43.52, P = 0.01), and lack of downstaging, HR 3.46 (1.03-11.62, P = 0.04), were significant predictors for BM. The 2-year rate of BM was 0%, 10.7%, and 30.3% (P < 0.001) in patients belonging to low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups, respectively. Area under the ROC curve was 0.81 (P < 0.001). This model was externally validated (C-index = 0.79). CONCLUSIONS: Lack of downstaging and persistent lymph node positivity after NAC are associated with development of BM in TNBC. This model can be used by the clinicians to stratify patients into the three risk groups to identify those at increased risk of developing BM and potentially impact surveillance strategies.

Evaluation of 3 T pelvic MRI imaging in prostate cancer patients receiving post-prostatectomy IMRT.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the utility of a 3 T pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting a local recurrence in post-prostatectomy prostate cancer patients prior to receiving adjuvant or salvage intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). METHODS: Ninety prostate cancer patients status post-prostatectomy with rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) had a 3 T pelvic MRI prior to IMRT. The following variables were analyzed for predicting positive findings on MRI: initial presenting and initial post-op PSA, PSA at the time of imaging, PSA velocity, surgical margins, Gleason score, pathological stage, pre-RT digital rectal examination, and type of surgical prostatectomy. RESULTS: The only significant variable predictive of a positive MRI was positive margins. Specifically, 15 of 46 (33 %) patients with positive margins had a positive MRI, while 5 of 44 (11 %) patients with negative margins had a positive MRI. In the MRI positive group, the location of the positive findings on MRI corresponded with the pathology report in 9 of 12 (75 %) cases. CONCLUSION: Post-prostatectomy patients with pathologic positive margins are three times more likely to have positive findings on a 3 T MRI.

Association of 1p/19q Codeletion and Radiation Necrosis in Adult Cranial Gliomas After Proton or Photon Therapy.

PURPOSE: To analyze the incidence of and risk factors for clinically significant radiation necrosis (cRN) in adult cranial oligodendrogliomas and astrocytomas treated with proton or photon therapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between 2007 and 2015, 160 patients with grade 2 or 3 oligodendrogliomas (with 1p/19q codeletion, n = 53) or astrocytomas (without 1p/19q codeletion, n = 107) were treated with proton (n = 37) or photon (n = 123) therapy. Clinically significant radiation necrosis (RN) was defined as symptomatic RN or asymptomatic RN that resulted in surgery or bevacizumab administration. The cumulative incidence was calculated using competing risks. Risk factors were identified using Cox proportional hazards. RESULTS: After a median follow-up period of 28.5 months, cRN developed in 18 patients (proton, 6; photon, 12). The 2-year cumulative incidence of cRN for proton and photon therapy was 18.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.5%-33.8%) and 9.7% (95% CI, 5.1%-16%), respectively (P = .16). On multivariate analysis, risk factors for cRN included oligodendroglioma (hazard ratio [HR], 3.57; 95% CI, 1.38-9.25; P = .009) and higher prescription dose (in gray relative biological equivalents [GyRBE]) (HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.05-1.61; P = .015). The 2-year cumulative incidence of cRN in oligodendrogliomas and astrocytomas was 24.2% and 6.2%, respectively (P = .01). The relative volume (percentage) of brain receiving 60 GyRBE was a significant dosimetric predictor of cRN in oligodendrogliomas (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.03-1.20; P = .005). CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that 1p/19q codeleted oligodendroglioma was a significant risk factor associated with cRN and the relative volume (percentage) of brain receiving 60 GyRBE was an important dosimetric predictor of cRN for oligodendroglioma patients. There is insufficient evidence at this time to conclude a significant difference in the incidence of cRN between proton and photon therapy.

Ca(2+) ATPase Conformational Transitions in Lipid Bilayers Mapped by Site-directed Ethylation and Solid-State NMR.

To transmit signals across cellular compartments, many membrane-embedded enzymes undergo extensive conformational rearrangements. Monitoring these events in lipid bilayers by NMR at atomic resolution has been challenging due to the large size of these systems. It is further exacerbated for large mammalian proteins that are difficult to express and label with NMR-active isotopes. Here, we synthesized and engineered (13)C ethyl groups on native cysteines to map the structural transitions of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase, a 110 kDa transmembrane enzyme that transports Ca(2+) into the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Using magic angle spinning NMR, we monitored the chemical shifts of the methylene and methyl groups of the derivatized cysteine residues along the major steps of the enzymatic cycle. The methylene chemical shifts are sensitive to the ATPase conformational changes induced upon nucleotide and Ca(2+) ion binding and are ideal probes for active and inactive states of the enzyme. This new approach is extendable to large mammalian enzymes and signaling proteins with native or engineered cysteine residues in their amino acid sequence.