Disease correlates and clinical relevance of hereditary α-tryptasemia in patients with systemic mastocytosis.

BACKGROUND: Systemic mastocytosis (SM) encompasses a heterogeneous group of clonal disorders characterized by abnormal expansion of mast cells (MCs). Beyond KIT and other genes recurrently mutated in myeloid neoplasms, several genetic variants have been described as predisposing to the development of the disease and influencing its clinical phenotype. Increased copy number variants of the TPSAB1 gene were identified as a cause of nonclonal elevated tryptasemia and defined as hereditary α-tryptasemia (HαT). Moreover, HαT is enriched in patients with SM, where it can affect the incidence of mediator-related symptoms. OBJECTIVE: In a multicenter data set of 444 patients with MC disorders, we aimed to investigate the clinical correlates of germline TPSAB1 copy number gains. METHODS: Droplet digital PCR was performed in all cases to ascertain the presence of HαT. Clinical history along with blood values and bone marrow examination were analyzed. RESULTS: We confirmed a higher incidence of HαT+ cases (n = 59, 13.3%) in patients diagnosed with mastocytosis with respect to the general population (approximately 5%). HαT+ patients were characterized by a lower MC-associated disease burden and higher levels of tryptase. Several disease variables were coherent with this pattern, from bone marrow MC infiltration to MC-related histopathologic traits, which also accounted for a significantly higher incidence of clonal MC activation syndrome in HαT+ (10.2%) compared to HαT- (3.4%, P = .029) patients. We also confirmed that HαT+ carriers had a significantly higher frequency of anaphylaxis, without relevant differences for other clinical manifestations. CONCLUSION: These findings on a large patient series support and extend previous data, and suggest that knowledge of HαT status may be useful for personalized management of patients with SM.

Comparison Between First Line Target Therapy and Immunotherapy in Different Prognostic Categories of BRAF Mutant Metastatic Melanoma Patients: An Italian Melanoma Intergroup Study.

Background: BRAF and MEK inhibitors target therapies (TT) and AntiPD1 immunotherapies (IT) are available first-line treatments for BRAF v600 mutant metastatic melanoma patients. ECOG PS (E), baseline LDH (L), and baseline number of metastatic sites (N) are well-known clinical prognostic markers that identify different prognostic categories of patients. Direct comparison between first-line TT and IT in different prognostic categories could help in first line treatment decision. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis conducted in 14 Italian centers on about 454 metastatic melanoma patients, divided in 3 groups: group A-patients with E = 0, L within normal range, and N less than 3; group B-patients not included in group A or C; group C-patients with E > 0, L over the normal range, and N more than 3. For each prognostic group, we compared TT and IT in terms of progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and disease control rate (DCR). Results: In group A, results in 140 TT and 36 IT-treated patients were, respectively, median PFS 35.5 vs 11.6 months (HR (95% CI) 1.949 (1.180-3.217) p value 0.009); median OS not reached vs 55 months (HR (95% CI) 1.195 (0.602-2.373) p value 0.610); DCR 99% vs 75% p value <0.001). In group B, results in 196 TT and 38 IT-treated patients were, respectively, median PFS 11.5 vs 5 months (HR 1.535 (1.036-2.275) p value 0.033); median OS 19 vs 20 months (HR 0.886 (0.546-1.437) p value 0.623); DCR 85% vs 47% p value <0.001). In group C, results in 41 TT and 3 IT-treated patients were, respectively, median PFS 6.4 vs 1.8 months (HR 4.860 (1.399-16) p value 0.013); median OS 9 vs 5 months (HR 3.443 (0.991-11.9) p value 0.052); DCR 66% vs 33% p value 0.612). Conclusions: In good prognosis, group A-TT showed statistically significant better PFS than IT, also in a long-term period, suggesting that TT can be a good first line option for this patient category. It is only in group B that we observed a crossing of the survival curves after the 3rd year of observation in favor of IT. Few patients were enrolled in group C, so few conclusions can be made on it.

Psychological impact of BRAF mutational status in advanced melanoma patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to highlight the psychological aspects involved in patients with advanced melanoma and to describe the differences between subjects who are positive and negative for the BRAFv600e genetic mutation, a variable that leads to a different medical approach to cancer therapy. The hypothesis is that following knowledge of the genetic mutation and the therapeutic possibilities inherent to it, mutation positive patients (BRAF+) exhibit fewer negative psychological reactions than negative patients (BRAF-) at the time of diagnosis. METHODS: The tests used (SF-12, MHQ) were administered at the time of diagnosis and after three months. RESULTS: The main findings suggest a greater impairment of quality of life at T1 than at T0, regardless of the mutation; BRAF mutated patients show more favorable scores at diagnosis and a reversal of the trend at three months after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained, in line with the literature under review, show a significant general psychological distress in the present oncological sample, suggesting the importance of a psychological, as well as medical, care of the patient and the family.

Endocrine-related adverse events in a large series of cancer patients treated with anti-PD1 therapy.

PURPOSE: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have opened a new scenario in the treatment of cancer. These agents can elicit adverse events, which may affect different systems and organs, including the endocrine system. The aims of this study were to evaluate the impact of the anti-PD-1 molecules nivolumab and pembrolizumab on endocrine toxicity and on patient outcome. METHODS: A retrospective and multicentre study was designed, which involved a total of 251 patients affected by different tumors (mostly non-small cell lung cancer, 68.92% and melanoma, 24.30%) and treated with the PD-1 inhibitors nivolumab (61.35%) or pembrolizumab (38.65%) for up to 60 months. Clinical and biochemical data were recorded until July 31, 2020. RESULTS: Endocrine toxicity occurred in 70 out of 251 patients (27.89%). It was mostly related to thyroid dysfunction and in 75% of cases occurred within 6 months from the beginning of therapy. A previous endocrine morbidity and female gender were predictors of endocrine toxicity. There was no association between endocrine dysfunction and patient outcome. However, when all toxicities (i.e., endocrine and non endocrine) were considered, a significant association with progression-free survival and overall survival was found. CONCLUSIONS: Thyroid alterations are frequently observed in cancer patients treated with anti PD-1 drugs, particularly in women and in the presence of a previous endocrinopathy. We suggest that regular thyroid assessment should be performed in these patients, especially in the first months of therapy. Finally, the onset of side effects, related to anti PD-1 agents, appears to be associated with a better outcome.