Diagnostic impact of preoperative corticosteroids in primary central nervous system lymphoma.

PURPOSE: High dose corticosteroids are an effective tool for rapidly alleviating neurologic symptoms caused by intracranial mass lesions. However, there is concern that preoperative corticosteroids limit the ability to obtain a definitive pathologic diagnosis, particularly if imaging features suggest primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). METHODS: To explore the impact of preoperative corticosteroids in newly diagnosed PCNSL patients, from 2009 to 2018 treated at our institution. RESULTS: We identified 54 patients; 18 had received corticosteroids prior to biopsy or resection. Only in one case did the patient have a prior non-diagnostic biopsy, requiring a second procedure. The cumulative doses of preoperative dexamethasone ranged from 4 mg to 120 mg (mean 32 mg, median 24 mg), given over 1-14 days (mean 2 days, median 1 day), and the majority had received corticosteroids for only 1-2 days. There was a trend for a larger diameter of lesional T1 contrast enhancement for patients who received steroids (39 mm vs. 34 mm, p = 0.11). In this series of cases with pathologically and clinically proven PCNSL, preoperative corticosteroids had been given in a third of cases, suggesting that they may be given for symptomatic relief without compromising pathologic diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the commonly held tenet that preoperative corticosteroids can obscure the pathologic diagnosis in PCNSL, this is likely not the case in the majority of patients who receive a short course preoperatively. Obtaining a second stereotactic scan to confirm continued presence of the lesion prior to tissue sampling may also mitigate these concerns.

Induction of high-titer IgG antibodies against multiple leukemia-associated antigens in CML patients with clinical responses to K562/GVAX immunotherapy.

The ability to target myeloid leukemia with immunotherapy would represent a significant therapeutic advance. We report here immunological analysis of clinical trials of primary and secondary vaccination with K562/GM-CSF immunotherapy in adult chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia patients (CML-CP) with suboptimal responses to imatinib mesylate. Using serological analysis of recombinant cDNA expression libraries of K562 with autologous vaccinated patient serum, we have identified 12 novel chronic myeloid leukemia-associated antigens (LAAs). We show that clinical responses following K562/GM-CSF vaccination are associated with induction of high-titer antibody responses to multiple LAAs. We observe markedly discordant patterns of baseline and induced antibody responses in these identically vaccinated patients. No single antigen was recognized in all responses to vaccination. We demonstrate that an additional 'booster' vaccination series can be given safely to those with inadequate responses to initial vaccination, and is associated with more frequent induction of IgG responses to antigens overexpressed in K562 vaccine compared with primary CML-CP. Finally, those with induced immune responses to the same LAAs often shared HLA subtypes and patients with clinical responses following vaccination recognized a partially shared but non-identical spectrum of antigens; both findings have potentially significant implications for cancer vaccine immunotherapy.

The effects of intraocular silicone oil placement prior to iodine 125 brachytherapy for uveal melanoma: a clinical case series.

PURPOSE: To investigate the role of silicone oil as an adjunct to iodine 125 ((125)I) brachytherapy in attenuating radiation dose and reducing radiation retinopathy. METHODS: A 16-mm COMS plaque loaded with (125)I seeds was simulated in vitro on an eye model containing silicone oil as a vitreous substitute using BrachyDose. The radiation dose ratio of silicone oil vs water to ocular structures was calculated at angles subtended from the centre of the eye. Silicone oil was then used in three choroidal melanoma patients who underwent 23-gauge vitrectomy, silicone oil placement, and (125)I brachytherapy. RESULTS: Silicone oil reduced the ocular radiation dose in vitro to 65%. Radiation dose ratios on the retina increased from 0.45 to 0.99 when moving from points diametrically opposed to the plaque's central axis. In 10-24 months' follow-up, no patients have developed radiation retinopathy. Each patient required silicone oil removal and experienced cataract progression, and one also developed a retinal detachment. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that silicone oil attenuates radiation dose in vitro, and may protect against radiation retinopathy clinically in patients, however it requires extensive surgical interventions. Further studies in only very selected populations using silicone oil as an adjunct to (125)I brachytherapy will best elucidate its role in shielding radiation retinopathy.