Retrospective Evaluation of the Efficacy of Gemcitabine-Based Therapies After FOLFIRINOX Failure in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer, Multi-Center Real-Life Data.

OBJECTIVE: Combination therapies such as FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine-nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (GnP) are recommended for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of gemcitabine-based second-line therapies in patients whose disease progressed on FOLFIRINOX. METHOD: Patients diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer in 7 tertiary hospitals in Turkey were included. Patients were divided into 3 different groups according to their treatment regimens: GnP, gemcitabine doublet (gemcitabine-cisplatin or gemcitabine-capecitabine), and gemcitabine monotherapy. RESULTS: A total of 144 patients were included in the study. In the second-line treatment, 65% of patients were given GnP, 20% were given gemcitabine doublet, and 15% were given gemcitabine monotherapy. The median exposure of the patients to gemcitabine-based therapy was 3 cycles, whereas the median progression-free survival was calculated as 3.4 months. The median overall survival for patients who received GnP was 4.6 months, 6.4 months for patients who received gemcitabine doublet therapy, and 3.7 months for patients who received gemcitabine monotherapy ( P = 0.248). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, it has been shown that gemcitabine-based second-line treatments contribute to survival in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. In addition, there was no difference in efficacy between gemcitabine monotherapy or combination treatments.

Efficacy and safety of folfiri plus aflibercept in second-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: Real-life data from Turkish oncology group.

Aims: The addition of aflibercept to the fluorouracil and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) regimen significantly improved clinical outcomes in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) previously treated with oxaliplatin. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of second-line FOLFIRI and aflibercept combination in patients with metastatic CRC in real-life experience. Materials and Methods: Four hundred and thirty-three patients who treated with FOLFIRI and aflibercept in the second-line were included in the study. The clinical and pathological features of the patients were recorded retrospectively. Survival (overall and progression-free survival [PFS]), response rates, and safety data were analyzed. Results: The median age was 61. Majority of patients (87.5%) received first-line bevacizumab and 10.1% of patients received anti-epidermal growth factor receptor agents. About 80% of patients had KRAS, 18.6% of patients had NRAS, and 6.4% of patients had BRAF mutations. The median OS was 11.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.6-12.6) and the median PFS was 6 months (95% CI, 5.5-6.5). About 4.6% of patients had complete response and 30.6% of patients had partial response as best tumor response. Grade 1-2 toxicities were seen in 33.4% of patients, while grade 3-4 toxicities were recorded in 27% of patients. Eight patients (2%) died due to treatment toxicity. Conclusions: Overall and PFS were similar in routine clinical practice compared to phase III pivotal VELOUR trial. However, response rates were found to be higher. It was observed that there were fewer adverse events compared to the VELOUR trial.

Prognostic factors of perioperative FLOT regimen in operable gastric and gastroesophageal junction tumors: real-life data (Turkish Oncology Group).

BACKGROUND: Perioperative FLOT regimen is a standard of care in locally advanced operable gastric and GEJ adenocarcinoma. We aimed to determine the efficacy, prognostic factors of perioperative FLOT chemotherapy in real-life gastric and GEJ tumors. METHODS: The data of patients who were treated with perioperative FLOT chemotherapy were retrospectively analyzed from 34 different oncology centers in Turkey. Baseline clinical and demographic characteristics, pretreatment laboratory values, histological and molecular characteristics were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 441 patients were included in the study. The median of age our study population was 60 years. The majority of patients with radiological staging were cT3-4N(+) (89.9%, n = 338). After median 13.5 months (IQR: 8.5-20.5) follow-up, the median overall survival was NR (95% CI, NR to NR), and median disease free survival was 22.9 (95% CI, 18.6 to 27.3) months. The estimated overall survival at 24 months was 62%. Complete pathological response (pCR) and near pCR was achieved in 23.8% of all patients. Patients with lower NLR or PLR have significantly longer median OS (p = 0.007 and p = 0.033, respectively), and patients with lower NLR have significantly longer median DFS (p = 0.039), but PLR level did not affect DFS (p = 0.062). The OS and DFS of patients with better ECOG performance scores and those who could receive FLOT as adjuvant chemotherapy instead of other regimens were found to be better. NLR was found to be independent prognostic factor for OS in the multivariant analysis. At least one adverse event reported in 57.6% of the patients and grade 3-4 toxicity was seen in 23.6% patients. DISCUSSION: Real-life perioperative FLOT regimen in operable gastric and GEJ tumors showed similar oncologic outcomes compared to clinical trials. Better performance status, receiving adjuvant chemotherapy as same regimen, low grade and low NLR and PLR improved outcomes in real-life. However, in multivariate analysis, only NLR affected OS.

The relationship between adjuvant chemotherapy and thiol-disulfide compounds.

Aim: Thiols are the organic compounds of the antioxidant system. There is limited data in the literature concerning chemotherapy (CT) in cancer and thiol balance. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the possible changes of thiol/disulfide levels with the recurrent CT cycles and type of cancer. Materials and Methods: The 40 healthy individuals and 40 patients who had been newly diagnosed with early-stage breast, ovary and endometrium cancer receiving adjuvant CT. Blood samples were taken from all patients three times as basal and after the first and second CT sessions. Results: We compared preadjuvant treatment levels of thiol and disulfide parameters in the patients group with the control group. The median of native thiol and total thiol was found to be higher in the control group than in the study group (P < 0.001). In addition, disulfide/native thiol and disulfide/total thiol rates were found to be higher in the patient group (P = 0.001). When we look at the comparison before and after CT in the patient group, disulfide/native thiol and disulfide/total thiol rates, which represent increased oxidative stress (OS) levels were found to be higher after CT than before CT measurement (P < 0.016). Discussion: This is the first study, which has researched the relationship between cancer type and thiol compounds and changes of thiol compounds during CT therapy, by using the method designed by Erel and Neselioglu. In this study, we found that pre-CT thiol disulfide balance in cancer patients shifted toward disulfide direction and OS levels may increase after repetitive CT sessions.

The effect of EML4-ALK break-apart ratio on crizotinib outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer harboring EML4-ALK rearrangement.

PURPOSE: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement exists in approximately 3-7% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and more than 15% split or isolated red signals among 50 tumor nuclei scored in the FISH analysis defines as ALK-positive. The previous studies showed that the high EGFR mutational load related to better outcomes in EGFR mutant NSCLC. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of the ALK break-apart ratio on treatment outcome in metastatic ALK-positive NSCLC. METHODS: The patients (pts) who ALK-positive and treated with crizotinib were retrospectively enrolled. The 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 70% break-apart ratios were determined as a threshold value, and each of these was evaluated separately. Based on the results of these analyses, we detected the optimal threshold value and also performed further investigations. RESULTS: A total of 70 patients were enrolled in the study. The most significant decrease in the risk of the progression or death was detected at the 50% threshold value and it was accepted as the optimal threshold. The median PFS was 17.9 vs. 7.06 months (mo) in the pts with high ALK rearrangement than low (HR: 0.43, 95% CI 0.24-0.76, p 0.004). The median OS was also significant longer in high ALK rearrange group (44.6 mo vs. 16.8 mo; HR: 0.37, 95% Cl 0.1883-0.7315; p 0.004). The intracranial progression during crizotinib treatment was significantly frequent in the pts with high ALK rearrangement (62.5-32.5%, P 0.039) DISCUSSION: In this study, we found that the high break-apart ratio can predict the extent of benefit from targeted therapy in ALK-positive NSCLC patients. Based on the results of this study, the percentage of the ALK rearrangement can be used to predict treatment outcome and to choose the optimal targeted agent in the treatment of metastatic ALK-positive NSCLC.

Real-life comparison of the afatinib and first-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors in nonsmall cell lung cancer harboring EGFR exon 19 deletion: a Turk Oncology Group (TOG) study.

BACKGROUND: The new second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have superior survival outcome and worse toxicity profile when compared with first-generation TKIs according to the results of clinical trials. However, there are limited studies that investigate the efficacy and safety of the new generation TKIs in real-world patients. Thus, we aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of the afatinib, an irreversible inhibitor of ErbB family receptor, and first-generation TKIs in real-world patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who had EGFR exon 19del mutation and treated with afatinib or first-generation TKIs as upfront treatment between 2016 and 2020. All patient's information was collected retrospectively. The study cohort was divided as afatinib arm and erlotinib/gefitinib arm. RESULTS: A total of 283 patients at the 24 oncology centers were included. The 89 and 193 of whom were treated with afatinib and erlotinib/gefitinib, respectively. After 12.9 months (mo) of follow-up, the median PFS was statistically longer in the afatinib arm than erlotinib/gefitinib arm (19.3 mo vs. 11.9 mo, p: 0.046) and the survival advantage was more profound in younger patients (< 65 years). The 24-mo overall survival rate was 76.1% and 49.5% in the afatinib arm and erlotinib/gefitinib arm, respectively. Although all-grade adverse event (AE) rates were similar between the two arms, grade 3-4 AE rates were higher in the afatinib arm (30.7% vs. 15.2%; p: 0.004). DISCUSSION: In our real-world study, afatinib has superior survival outcomes despite worse toxicity profile as inconsistent with clinical study results and it is the good upfront treatment option for younger patients and elderly patients who have good performance status.

Clinical features and outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with solid tumors: Turkish National Registry Data.

We present demographic, clinical, laboratory characteristics and outcomes of the patients with solid malignancies and novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) collected from the National COVID-19 Registry of Turkey. A total of 1523 patients with a current or past diagnosis of solid tumors and diagnosed with COVID-19 (confirmed with PCR) between 11 March and 20 May 2020 were included. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Median age was 61 (range: 18-94), and 752 (49%) were male. The most common types of cancers were breast (19.8%), prostate (10.9%) and colorectal cancer (10.8%). 65% of the patients had at least one comorbidity. At least one COVID-19-directed therapy was given in 73% of the patients.. Hospitalization rate of the patients was 56.6% and intensive care unit admission rate was 11.4%. Seventy-seven (5.1%) patients died within 30 days of diagnosis. The first multivariate model which included only the demographic and clinical characteristics showed older age, male gender and presence of diabetes and receipt of cytotoxic therapy to be associated with increased 30-day mortality, while breast and prostate cancer diagnoses were associated with lower 30-day mortality. In the second set, we further included laboratory parameters. The presence of leukocytosis (OR 6.7, 95% CI 3.3-13.7, P < .001), lymphocytopenia (OR 3,1, 95% CI 1,6-6,1, P = .001) and thrombocytopenia (OR 3,4 95% CI 1,5-8,1, P = .005) were found to be associated with increased 30-day mortality. Relatively lower mortality compared to Western countries and China mainly results from differences in baseline risk factors but may also implicate the importance of intensive supportive care.

FDG Hepatic Superscan Due to Metastatic Infiltration of Prostate Cancer.

A 69-year-old man with prostate cancer presented to the hospital with 2 weeks' history of fever, abdominal distension, and fatigue. Laboratory findings showed signs of acute liver failure, and marked elevation of lactate dehydrogenase and tumor marker levels. Abdominal CT showed hepatomegaly with multiple hypodense lesions in both lobes, suggesting metastases. FDG PET/CT scan shows hypermetabolism unusually in the liver with significantly suppressed heart and brain activity, reminiscent of an FDG hepatic superscan. The hypermetabolic lesions confirmed with Tru-Cut needle biopsy of the liver as metastasis of prostate cancer.

Prognostic effect of red cell distribution width-to-platelet ratio in colorectal cancer according to tumor stage and localization.

INTRODUCTION: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide and survival is still approximately 24 months. Recently, importance of the molecular features, tumor localization, and also inflammatory status is increased, and most of these entities can be used as a predictive marker for colon tumor. However, since most of these tests are expensive and unachievable, there is a need for new prognostic and predictive markers that can be used easily and are inexpensive. AIM: We aimed to investigate the prognostic effect of red cell distribution width (RDW)-to-platelet ratio (RPR) which reflects inflammatory status and can be calculated basically by using center blood count (CBC) parameters on CRC according to tumor stage and localization. METHODS: Newly diagnosed 312 CRC patients between 2010 and 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients' demographics, including survival data and tumor characteristics, were obtained from medical charts. RPR was calculated using CBC parameters at the time of diagnosis. Cutoff value for RPR was set at 0.05 and the patient population was divided into two arms (arm A: RPR ≥0.05 and arm B: RPR <0.05). The patients were stratified according to the tumor stage (early and advanced disease) and tumor localization (right sided and left sided). RESULTS: Totally, 312 patients were enrolled to the study. Nearly 81.9% of the patients were at early stage and 18.1% were at advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. In patients with early-stage disease, no significant disease-free survival and overall survival (OS) was found in both arms (P = 0.88 and P = 0.085, respectively). In arm A, OS was nonsignificantly better in the entire and left-sided advanced tumor compared to arm B. In patients with right-sided advanced cancer, OS was statistically significantly better for arm A compared to arm B (median OS; RPR ≥0.05: 24.8 months vs. <0.05: 13.9 months; P = 0.035). DISCUSSION: RPR can be a useful prognostic marker in CRC, especially in right-sided advanced tumors. CONCLUSION: RPR can be used as a prognostic marker in CRC but should be validated with further investigation.

Association between Her2/neu status in colorectal carcinoma and clinicopathological features: a retrospective study using whole - tissue sections.

The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2/neu) signal pathway plays a significant role in the occurance of various solid tumor types. The rate of Her2/neu in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is not clearly elucidated. In this study, we discuss the association between Her2/neu overexpression and clinicopathological parameters in CRC. Her2/neu immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was performed on whole sections of formalin fixed paraffin embedded tumor tissues of 100 CRC resections. Cases with score 3+ and score 2+ expressions were further evaluated by silver in-situ hybridization (ISH) for the existence of Her2/neu gene amplification. Her2/neu membranous overexpression was observed in 12 of the 100 cases (6 cases with a score 3+ and 6 cases with a score 2+) and 6 of these were heterogenous. There were 10 cases with Her2/neu amplification (6/6 score 3+, 4/6 score 2+). Strong cytoplasmic staining was observed in 5 cases. Membranous scores were either 3+ or 2+ in 3 of these 5 cases. Moreover, there was Her2/neu amplification in 2 of these 3 cases. Her2/neu amplification status and overexpression was not related to clinicopathological parameters and overall survival. More clear results can be obtained from studies with Her2/neu IHC and ISH test on whole sections.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura following salvage chemotherapy with paclitaxel, ifosfamide and cisplatin in a patient with a refractory germ cell tumor: A case report and review of the literature.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare form of thrombotic microangiopathy that is characterized by microvascular thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, hemolysis and end organ damage. An extensive variety of drugs, including certain chemotherapeutic agents, have been associated with TTP. However, paclitaxel, cisplatin and ifosfamide regimen (TIP)-induced TTP has not previously been described. The present study reports the case of a 43-year-old patient with a refractory testicular germ cell tumor who developed acute TTP during TIP chemotherapy. Following the third cycle of TIP chemotherapy, the patient developed fever, anemia, thrombocytopenia and confusion. A diagnosis of TTP was established. Plasmapheresis was initiated as daily treatment in the first week, then continued every other day for 4 weeks. TIP chemotherapy was discontinued. The patient's clinical and neurological symptoms improved markedly after a week. Renal function and hemolysis improved, and the patient was discharged in a stable condition. The patient did not develop any complications and has been in remission for 5 months. The Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale indicated a likely association between TTP and the TIP chemotherapy regimen in this patient. This case is also investigated with regard to the associated literature to increase the awareness of TTP following chemotherapy.

Medication errors in chemotherapy preparation and administration: a survey conducted among oncology nurses in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Medication errors in oncology may cause severe clinical problems due to low therapeutic indices and high toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents. We aimed to investigate unintentional medication errors and underlying factors during chemotherapy preparation and administration based on a systematic survey conducted to reflect oncology nurses experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in 18 adult chemotherapy units with volunteer participation of 206 nurses. A survey developed by primary investigators and medication errors (MAEs) defined preventable errors during prescription of medication, ordering, preparation or administration. The survey consisted of 4 parts: demographic features of nurses; workload of chemotherapy units; errors and their estimated monthly number during chemotherapy preparation and administration; and evaluation of the possible factors responsible from ME. The survey was conducted by face to face interview and data analyses were performed with descriptive statistics. Chi-square or Fisher exact tests were used for a comparative analysis of categorical data. RESULTS: Some 83.4% of the 210 nurses reported one or more than one error during chemotherapy preparation and administration. Prescribing or ordering wrong doses by physicians (65.7%) and noncompliance with administration sequences during chemotherapy administration (50.5%) were the most common errors. The most common estimated average monthly error was not following the administration sequence of the chemotherapeutic agents (4.1 times/month, range 1-20). The most important underlying reasons for medication errors were heavy workload (49.7%) and insufficient number of staff (36.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the probability of medication error is very high during chemotherapy preparation and administration, the most common involving prescribing and ordering errors. Further studies must address the strategies to minimize medication error in chemotherapy receiving patients, determine sufficient protective measures and establishing multistep control mechanisms.

Radiotherapy concurrent with weekly gemcitabine after transurethral tumor resection in muscle invasive bladder cancer.

OBJECTIVE: In this report, we determined the efficacy and the toxicity of low dose weekly gemcitabine with radiotherapy, in medically unfit or refused surgery muscle-invasive bladder cancer (BC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2008 to 2012, 15 patients were included into the retrospective analysis. Weekly gemcitabine was administered at a rate of 50 mg/m(2) with a median dose of 63 Gy radiotherapy. RESULTS: The median age was 69 (range, 55-86). Median follow-up was 15 months (range, 5-53 months). A complete response was achieved in 12 patients (80%). Median progression free survival and overall survival were 15 months (range, 7-23 months) and 18 months (range not calculated), respectively. Local recurrence was found in 3 patients (20%) and distant recurrence was found in 5 patients (33.3%) for the entire group. While salvage surgery was performed on 1 patient, salvage chemotherapy was delivered for 4 patients. Treatment was well tolerated, there was no treatment interruption or instances of toxic death. A serious toxicity (grade 3) cystitis was seen in only 1 patient. CONCLUSIONS: Multimodality treatment of muscle invasive BC proved a feasible and effective treatment option. Gemcitabine based chemoradiation is an active treatment option with a low toxicity profile for patients with muscle invasive BC, who are not suitable medically or refused to surgery.

Non-metastatic upper tract transitional cell carcinoma: single center experience.

BACKGROUND: Upper tract transitional cell carcinomas (UTCC) are relatively uncommon but prognosis is generally worse than TCC of bladder. METHODS: Between March 2004 and June 2012, patients with initial non- metastatic UTCC were assessed in the Medical Oncology and Urology Departments of Ataturk Training and Research Hospital. RESULTS: A total of 11 patients with initially non-metastatic UTCC were detected in the 8 year period, all males. Median age of was 62 (range, 38-74). Six lesions were located in the renal pelvis and 5 in the ureter. Nephroureterectomy was performed in 9 patients, and distal ureterectomy and cuff excision of the bladder in the remaining 2. The majority (n= 9) had high grade tumors. Median primary tumor diameter was 3.5 cm (range, 0.7-10). Five patients (45.5%) were stage I, 2 (18.2%) were stage II, and 4 (36.4%) were stage III. While adjuvant chemotherapy was not applied for stage I and II disease (n= 7), 4 to 6 courses were applied for 3 of the stage III patients. Also one stage III case received adjuvant radiotherapy. Up to 100 months follow-up, median overall survival was 13 months (range, 5-100 months). While stage I and II patients are following-up without muscle-invasive progression, 2 of stage III patients demonstrated progression. CONCLUSION: We need more collaborative studies to determine management of especially pT3-pT4 patients with UTCC.