SEOM guideline for the treatment of malignant glioma.

High-grade gliomas are an infrequent disease diagnosed usually in the fifth or sixth decade. Careful histopathological diagnosis is essential because tumour grade and type condition the treatment. Magnetic resonance with gadolinium is considered the standard radiologic exploration and should be followed by tissue sampling. Treatment of these patients should be decided in a multidisciplinary committee. Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the basis of patients' treatment, with the best results obtained when the three of them can be used.

Impact of the combined use of tractography, functional magnetic resonance imaging and brain neuronavigation on high grade glioma extent of resection / Impacto del uso combinado de la tractografía, resonancia magnética funcional y la neuronavegación cerebral en el grado de resección de gliomas de alto grado

Introduction: Maximal surgical resection of brain high grade glioma, involves the risk of damaging either eloquent cortical areas or efferent subcortical white matter tracts. Identification of the anatomical and functional relation between the tumor and adjacent functional cortical areas or eloquent white matter bundles may provide critical information to guide tumor resection and prevent surgical morbidity. The main objective of this study was to assess the combined use of diffusion tensor (DT) tractography and functional magnetic resonance (fMR) imaging to assist in the extent of resection of brain high grade glioma (HGG) with preservation of eloquent areas. Material and methods: 42 consecutive patients harboring brain HGG underwent surgery with the purpose of maximal resection. Patients were randomly divided in two groups: Group A (22 cases): control group, and group B (20 cases), where surgery was performed with navigation and combined use of DT imaging and fMR imaging. Results: Extent of resection in group A was 81.5 percent and 90.5 percent in group B (ANOVAs test p=0, 03). We did not observed differences in postoperative neurological deficit and surgical time between both groups. Conclusion: The combined use of tractography, functional MRI and neuronavigation may provide critical information to guide brain high grade glioma resection without increasing surgical morbidity or surgical time.

Introducción: La resección radical de los gliomas cerebrales de alto grado (GCAG) comporta el riesgo de afectación tanto de áreas corticales elocuentes como de los tractos subcorticales de sustancia blanca. La identificación de la relación anatómica y funcional entre el tumor y las áreas corticales o los tractos de sustancia blanca elocuentes, puede proporcionar una información fundamental para guiar la resección quirúrgica y contribuir a reducir la morbilidad postquirúrgica. El principal objetivo del estudio es el análisis del uso combinado de la tractografía y la resonancia magnética funcional (RMf) en el grado de resección de gliomas cerebrales de alto grado con preservación de áreas elocuentes. Material y métodos: Presentamos 42 pacientes con diagnóstico de GCAG y localización próxima a córtex motor o áreas del lenguaje, que fueron intervenidos quirúrgicamente con el objetivo de llevar a cabo una resección radical de la lesión. Los pacientes se distribuyeron de forma aleatoria en 2 grupos: el grupo A (22 pacientes) fue el grupo control y el grupo B (20 casos) fue también intervenido pero utilizando la neuronavegación y el uso combinado de tractografía y RMf. Resultados: El grado de resección en el grupo A fue de un 81,5 por ciento y del 90,5 en el grupo B (test de ANOVA p=0,03). No observamos diferencias en la incidencia de morbilidad postquirúrgica o del tiempo de cirugía entre ambos grupos. Conclusiones: El uso combinado de la tractografía, RMf y neuronavegación proporciona una información funcional que facilita la cirugía de los GCAG sin incrementar la morbilidad o el tiempo de cirugía.

Circulating endothelial and endothelial progenitor cells in non-small-cell lung cancer.

New treatments have recently been introduced for treating non-small-cell lung cancer. Chemotherapeutic agents, such as pemetrexed, and targeted therapies, such as bevacizumab, erlotinib or gefitinib, have extended treatment options for selected histological subgroups. Antiangiogenic treatments, either associated with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs or given alone as maintenance therapy, constitute an active clinical research field. However, not all lung cancer patients benefit from antiangiogenic compounds. Moreover, tumour response assessment is often difficult when using these drugs, since targeted therapies generally do not cause rapid and measurable tumour shrinkage but, rather, long stabilisations and slight density changes on imaging tests. The finding of clinical or biological factors that might identify patients who will better benefit from these treatments, as well as identifying surrogate markers of tumour response and prognosis, is an issue of great interest. In that sense, different research lines have investigated the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) pathways. Circulating endothelial (CECs) and endothelial progenitor cells (CEPCs) are of prognostic value in different types of cancers, and relevant data are published about their potential usefulness as predictors of response to chemotherapy and antiangiogenic treatments. In this review, we discuss the data available on the role of CECs and CEPCs as prognostic factors and as surrogate markers of treatment response in non-small-cell lung cancer.

Long-term results of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and combined chemoradiotherapy before surgery in the management of locally advanced oesophageal cancer: a single-centre experience.

INTRODUCTION: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy before surgery is an option in the treatment of locally advanced resectable oesophageal cancer (EC). However toxicity is substantial and the improvement in overall survival (OS) with this approach is controversial. METHODS: This was a prospective, single-centre study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and concomitant chemoradiotherapy with CDDP and 5-FU and 50.4 Gy of external radiotherapy before possible radical surgery in patients with locally advanced resectable EC. If surgery was not possible, a second-phase radiotherapy boost of 10 Gy and one cycle of modified dose chemotherapy were used. RESULTS: Seventy-three patients included between 1998 and 2007: 96% males, median age 61, 83% squamous cell carcinomas, 23% lower third tumours, 36% stage II and 54% stage III and 47% local lymph node involvement. Eighty-six percent completed the combined protocol. Main grade 3-4 toxicities: mucositis (19%) and infections (8%); 4 toxic deaths. Clinical response rates: complete response 54%, partial response 27%, stable disease 8%. Twenty-five patients proceeded to surgery, with radical resection in 24. Pathological response rate: complete response 32%, partial response 52%, progression 16%. There were 7 postoperative deaths and 16 of 34 patients that did not have surgery received the second-phase RT boost. Survival analysis: Median follow-up of 64 months (range 6-134 months). Median OS of 10.33 months. 2-year and 5-year OS of 22 and 16%. The only significant prognostic factor in OS is the clinical complete response rate: 13.9 vs. 7.7 months (p=0.0049). CONCLUSIONS: Our protocol offers a high rate of clinical activity although it is relatively toxic and seems to increase the postoperative mortality, which would blunt any small improvement in survival. The achievement of a complete response is a powerful prognostic factor.