Predictive and prognostic value of total tumor load in sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant treatment using one-step nucleic acid amplification: the NEOVATTL study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the predictive and prognostic value of total tumor load (TTL) in sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in patients with infiltrating breast cancer after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST). METHODS: This retrospective multicenter study used data from a Spanish Sentinel Lymph Node database. Patients underwent intraoperative SLN biopsy after NST. TTL was determined from whole nodes using a one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) assay and defined as the total sum of CK19 mRNA copies in all positive SLNs. Cox-regression models identified independent predictive variables, which were incorporated into a nomogram to predict axillary non-SLN metastasis, and identified prognostic variables for incorporation into a disease-free survival (DFS) prognostic score. RESULTS: A total of 314 patients were included; most had no lymph node involvement prior to NST (cN0; 75.0% of patients). Most received chemotherapy with or without biologic therapy (91.7%), and 81 patients had a pathologic complete response. TTL was predictive of non-SLN involvement (area under the concentration curve = 0.87), and at a cut-off of 15,000 copies/µL had a negative predictive value of 90.5%. Nomogram parameters included log (TTL + 1), maximum tumor diameter and study-defined NST response. TTL was prognostic of disease recurrence and DFS at a cut-off of 25,000 copies/µL. After a 5-year follow-up, DFS was higher in patients with ≤ 25,000 copies/µL than those with > 25,000 (89.9% vs. 70.0%; p = 0.0017). CONCLUSIONS: TTL > 15,000 mRNA copies/µL was predictive of non-SLN involvement and TTL > 25,000 mRNA copies/µL was associated with a higher risk of disease recurrence in breast cancer patients who had received NST.

Correction to: Biomarkers in breast cancer: A consensus statement by the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology and the Spanish Society of Pathology.

On page 5 of the article, in the last paragraph of the section "Prognostic genetic platforms: molecular phenotypes and translation to the clinic" a relevant discrepancy between the text and Table 1 could be misunderstood, therefore the paragraph was corrected.

Biomarkers in breast cancer: A consensus statement by the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology and the Spanish Society of Pathology.

This consensus statement revises and updates the recommendations for biomarkers use in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, and is a joint initiative of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology and the Spanish Society of Pathology. This expert group recommends determining in all cases of breast cancer the histologic grade and the alpha-estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor, Ki-67 and HER2 status, in order to assist prognosis and establish therapeutic options, including hormone therapy, chemotherapy and anti-HER2 therapy. One of the four available genetic prognostic platforms (MammaPrint®, Oncotype DX®, Prosigna® or EndoPredict®) may be used in node-negative ER-positive patients to establish a prognostic category and decide with the patient whether adjuvant treatment may be limited to hormonal therapy. Newer technologies including next-generation sequencing, liquid biopsy, tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes or PD-1 determination are at this point investigational.

A New Mexican Species of Orizabus Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Pentodontini), with a Key to the Species of the Genus.

A new Orizabus species is described from Chilapa de Álvarez in the state of Guerrero (Mexico). The new species is similar to Orizabus rawlinsi Dechambre Bull Soc Entomol Fr 98:342, 1993, which is known from the state of Oaxaca but differs in the pygidial punctation, and the shape of the marginal pronotal bead and the parameres. A revised identification key to Orizabus species is provided.

Causa muy rara de pubertad precoz periférica en una niña: tumor de cordones sexuales con túbulos anulares / A very rare cause of peripheral precocious puberty in a girl: ovarian sex cord tumor with annular tubules

El tumor de los cordones sexuales con túbulos anulares es una neoplasia del estroma gonadal muy infrecuente. Representa el 0,05-0,6% de todos los tumores ováricos, según series. Se presenta un caso especialmente inusual, en una niña de 6 años, detectado a raíz de una pubertad precoz periférica isosexual. Su interés radica en que no se halló ninguna masa anexa al ovario, sino únicamente una asimetría gonadal, sin signos radiológicos de malignidad. Se realizó una salpingo-ooforectomía unilateral con linfadenectomía pélvica y paraaórtica ipsilateral, por vía laparoscópica, tras confirmarse la presencia de células tumorales en la biopsia intraoperatoria. La evolución posterior de la paciente fue favorable.

Sex cord tumor with annular tubules is an extremely uncommon gonadal stromal neoplasm. It represents 0.05-0.6% of all ovarian tumors, according to series. An unusual case is presented in a 6-year-old girl, detected as a result of an isosexual peripheral precocious puberty. The highlight of this case is that no mass attached to the ovary was found, but only a gonadal asymmetry without radiological signs of malignancy. After confirming the presence of tumoral cells by intraoperative biopsy, unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with ipsilateral para-aortic and pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed. Afterwards, the evolution of the patient was favorable.

[A very rare cause of peripheral precocious puberty in a girl: ovarian sex cord tumor with annular tubules]. / Causa muy rara de pubertad precoz periférica en una niña: tumor de cordones sexuales con túbulos anulares.

Sex cord tumor with annular tubules is an extremely uncommon gonadal stromal neoplasm. It represents 0.05-0.6% of all ovarian tumors, according to series. An unusual case is presented in a 6-year-old girl, detected as a result of an isosexual peripheral precocious puberty. The highlight of this case is that no mass attached to the ovary was found, but only a gonadal asymmetry without radiological signs of malignancy. After confirming the presence of tumoral cells by intraoperative biopsy, unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with ipsilateral para-aortic and pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed. Afterwards, the evolution of the patient was favorable.

El tumor de los cordones sexuales con túbulos anulares es una neoplasia del estroma gonadal muy infrecuente. Representa el 0,05-0,6% de todos los tumores ováricos, según series. Se presenta un caso especialmente inusual, en una niña de 6 años, detectado a raíz de una pubertad precoz periférica isosexual. Su interés radica en que no se halló ninguna masa anexa al ovario, sino únicamente una asimetría gonadal, sin signos radiológicos de malignidad. Se realizó una salpingo-ooforectomía unilateral con linfadenectomía pélvica y paraaórtica ipsilateral, por vía laparoscópica, tras confirmarse la presencia de células tumorales en la biopsia intraoperatoria. La evolución posterior de la paciente fue favorable.

Long-term outcome of a phase II study of weekly docetaxel with a short course of estramustine and enoxaparine in hormone-resistant prostate cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to define the toxicity and activity of weekly docetaxel administered with a short course of estramustine and enoxaparine in patients with hormone-resistant prostate cancer (HRPC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-four patients were treated with the next regimen: weekly docetaxel 36 mg/m(2) iv for three consecutive weeks every 28 days, and estramustine 280 mg three times a day for three consecutive days beginning the day before docetaxel (days 1-3, 8-10 and 15-17). In order to prevent thromboembolic events, 40 mg of subcutaneous enoxaparine was administered daily sc on the same days as estramustine. Primary endpoints were: toxicity, especially the presence of thromboembolic events, PSA response rate and response in measurable disease. Secondary endpoints were: time to PSA progression and overall survival. RESULTS: Nineteen of 24 patients (79.1%, 95% CI 71-87%) had a PSA response = or >50%. Four of the eleven patients with measurable disease had a partial response. The median time to PSA progression was 7 months (CI 95%: 6.5-9) and the median survival was 19 months (IC 95%: 11-24). Toxicity was manageable with no treatment- related mortality. Only two patients had grade 4 neutropenia. Two patients had thrombotic events, one deep venous thrombosis and one stroke. The main grade 3 non-haematologic toxicity was diarrhoea and asthenia, both in 25% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Weekly docetaxel with a short course of estramustine and enoxaparine is active and tolerable in HRPC patients. The observed incidence of thrombosis was lower than previously reported but the association of enoxaparine was not enough to completely prevent the thromboembolic events.

Participación de las instituciones de salud y de las universidades en la formacón de especialistas clínicos / The role of the health institutions and of the universities in the formation of clinical specialists

Los cursos de especialización médica son resultado de convenio entre las instituciones de salud y las universidades, en este caso. la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. En ellos se han identificado diversos problemas, como es la falta de congruencia entre la formación de especialistas y su práctica profesional. Se consideró que una buena estrategia para evaluar los cursos era el seguimiento de sus egresados, por lo cual se llevó a cabo la presente investigación. En este trabajo se presenta un panorama general de los resultados obtenidos mediante una encuesta aplicada a 209 de sus egresados. En dicha encuesta se exploraron tres áreas: Datos socio-demográficos, datos sobre la práctica profesional actual y las opiniones de los egresados sobre su formación académica. Los resultados indican que, aunque la opinión de los egresados es favorable a los cursos, existen áreas problemáticas que requieren atención para obtener resultados óptimos