Nutritional status associates with immunotherapy clinical outcomes in recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients.

BACKGROUND: Beyond programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) assessed by the combined positive score (CPS) and tumor mutational burden (TMB), no other biomarkers are approved for immunotherapy interventions. Here, we investigated whether additional clinical and pathological variables may impact on immunotherapy outcomes in recurrent or metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. METHODS: R/M HNSCC patients treated with immunotherapy were reviewed. Analyzed variables at baseline included: clinicopathological, laboratory, and variables reflecting the host nutritional status such as the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and albumin. The primary endpoint was progression free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR). Univariable and multivariable Cox models were fitted and random forest algorithm was used to estimate the importance of each prognostic variable. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients were treated with immunotherapy; 50% with single agent and 50% with experimental immunotherapy combinations. In the multivariable analysis, both ECOG performance status (HR: 1.73; 95%CI 1.07-2.82; p = 0.03) and PNI levels (10-point increments, HR: 0.66; 0.46-0.95; p = 0.03) were significantly associated with PFS. However, the derived neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were not significantly associated with PFS (p-values > 0.15). In the OS analysis, albumin and PNI were the only statistically significant factors in the multivariable model (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, PNI and ECOG performance status were most strongly associated with PFS in R/M HNSCC patients treated with immunotherapy. These results suggest that parameters informative of nutritional status should be considered before immunotherapy.

Brown tumor of the jaw after pregnancy and lactation in a MEN1 patient.

Skeletal manifestations of primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) include brown tumors (BT), which are osteoclastic focal lesions often localized in the jaws. Brown tumors are a rare manifestation of pHTP in Europe and USA; however, they are frequent in developing countries, probably related to vitamin D deficiency and longer duration and severity of disease. In the majority of cases, the removal of the parathyroid adenoma is enough for the bone to remineralize, but other cases require surgery. Hyperparathyroidism in MEN1 develops early, and is multiglandular and the timing of surgery remains questionable. To our knowledge, there are no reports of BT in MEN 1 patients. We present a 29-year-old woman with MEN 1 who developed a brown tumor of the jaw 24 months after getting pregnant, while breastfeeding. Serum corrected calcium remained under 2.7 during gestation, and at that point reached a maximum of 2.82 mmol/L. Concomitant PTH was 196 pg/mL, vitamin D 13.7 ng/mL and alkaline phosphatase 150 IU/L. Bone mineral density showed osteopenia on spine and femoral neck (both T-scores = -1.6). Total parathyroidectomy was performed within two weeks, with a failed glandular graft autotransplantation, leading to permanent hypoparathyroidism. Two months after removal of parathyroid glands, the jaw tumor did not shrink; thus, finally it was successfully excised. We hypothesize that higher vitamin D and mineral requirements during maternity may have triggered an accelerated bone resorption followed by appearance of the jaw BT. We suggest to treat pHPT before planning a pregnancy in MEN1 women or otherwise supplement with vitamin D, although this approach may precipitate severe hypercalcemia. LEARNING POINTS: Brown tumors of the jaw can develop in MEN 1 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism at a young age (less than 30 years).Pregnancy and lactation might trigger brown tumors by increasing mineral and vitamin D requirements.Early parathyroidectomy is advisable in MEN 1 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, at least before planning a pregnancy.Standard bone mineral density does not correlate with the risk of appearance of a brown tumor.Removal of parathyroid glands does not always lead to the shrinkage of the brown tumor, and surgical excision may be necessary.

Manejo quirúrgico del ameloblastoma / Surgical management of ameloblastoma

El ameloblastoma es un tumor odontogénico de estirpe epitelial. Aunque se clasifica como una tumoración benigna, suele ser localmente agresiva presentando elevada invasión local, con gran tendencia a la recidiva y con posibilidad metastásica ocasional. Se manifiesta preferentemente durante la tercera, cuarta y quinta décadas de la vida, sin predilección por razón de sexo, aunque puede darse en cualquier grupo de edad, incluidos los niños. Lamayoría de los ameloblastomas se encuentran sobre todo enmandíbula (al nivel del ángulo y rama). En el tratamiento se debe valorar su tipología clínica (sólido, multiquístico, uniquístico, mixto o periférico), su localización y el tamaño del tumor, así como la edad y las condiciones clínicas del paciente. Presentamos una revisión de los pacientes afectos de ameloblastomas tratados en nuestro Centro durante los últimos 10 años. Se aportan datos acerca de su aparición clínica, sus características histológicas, el manejo terapéutico realizado y analizamos el seguimiento y comparamos la aparición de recidivas en los pacientes presentados. Las características clínicas, incluso si se complementan con radiografías y/omuestras histológicas, no son siempre determinantes del comportamiento biológico y, por tanto tampoco lo son del pronóstico de un ameloblastoma individual(AU)

The ameloblastoma is an odontogenic tumour of epithelial origin. Although it is classified as benign, there is usually aggressive local invasion, a great tendency to recurrence, and occasional metastatic potential. It generally appears during the third, fourth and fifth decades of life, without gender predilection, although it can occur at any age, including in children. Ameloblastomas are mostly found in the mandible (angle and branch). In treatment, its clinical type (solid, unicystic, desmoplastic, mixed or peripheral), its location and size, must be assessed, as well as the age and clinical condition of the patient. We present a review of patients diagnosed and treated for ameloblastoma in our hospital during the last 10 years.We present data on clinical appearance, histological characteristics, and therapeutic management, and we analyse and compare the rate of recurrence in these patients. The clinical features, even if they are supplemented with radiographs and/or histological samples, are not always biological determinants of its behaviour, or of the individual prognosis of the ameloblastoma(AU)