Locally advanced cervix cancer: a study of 156 cases from a single institution / Cáncer de cérvix localmente avanzado: un estudio de 156 casos en un único hospital

Objective: The objective of our study was to identify prognostic factors, management strategies, and outcomes for locally advanced cervical cancer in our hospital. Material and methods: We performed a retrospective study of 156 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (FIGO IB2-IVA). All patients underwent staging of the para-aortic lymph nodes by computed tomography. A total of 93 patients with para-aortic lymph nodes with no signs of malignancy in the imaging tests underwent pretherapy surgical staging up to the level of the left renal vein. All patients were treated with chemoradiation. Results: The study included a total of 156 patients. The average age was 54.04 years (range 28-97 years). Squamous cell carcinoma was the most frequent histological type (82.1%). Most patients had FIGO stage IIB disease (43.6%). Histopathology revealed metastatic disease in the para-aortic lymph nodes in 19.3% of patients. The status of the para-aortic lymph nodes was the only factor that was independently associated with an increased risk of mortality (OR 33 [95% CI, 8-135.89], p<0.0001). Conclusions: Patients with an advanced tumor stage at the time of diagnosis and those with pathological para-aortic lymph nodes are at greater risk of developing distant metastases and of more frequent disease-related mortality. In this group of high-risk patients, a more marked therapeutic effort must be made in order to improve survival

Objetivo: El objetivo del estudio fue identificar los factores pronósticos, las estrategias de manejo y los resultados de los cánceres cervicales localmente avanzados tratados en nuestro hospital. Material y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo de 156 pacientes con cánceres cervicales localmente avanzados (FIGO IB2-IVA). A todas las pacientes se les realizó estadiaje de los ganglios linfáticos paraaórticos mediante Tomografía Axial Computarizada. 93 pacientes con ganglios linfáticos paraaórticos sin signos de malignidad en las pruebas de imagen fueron sometidas a estadiaje quirúrgico preterapéutico hasta el nivel de la vena renal izquierda. Todas las pacientes fueron tratadas con quimio-radioterapia. Resultados: El estudio incluyo un total de 156 pacientes. La edad media fue de 54,04 años (rango 28-97 años). El carcinoma de células escamosas fue el tipo histológico más frecuente (82,1%). La mayoría de las paciente tenían un estadio FIGO IIB (43,6%). El estudio anatomopatológico reveló enfermedad metastásica en ganglios paraórticos en un 19,3% de la pacientes. El estado de los ganglios para-aórticos fue el único factor que se asoció de manera independiente con el incremento del riesgo de mortalidad [OR 33 (IC 95% 8-135,89; p<0,0001]. Conclusiones: Las pacientes con un estadio tumoral avanzado en el momento del diagnóstico y aquellas con ganglios paraórticos patológicos tienen mayor riesgo de desarrollar metástasis a distancia y mayores tasas de mortalidad causadas por la enfermedad. En este grupo de pacientes de alto riesgo se debe realizar un esfuerzo terapéutico superior con el fin de mejorar la supervivencia de esta enfermedad

Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio as a Prognostic Factor in European Patients with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: A high neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been associated with adverse outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, information on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant advanced NSCLC is scarce, and most of the studies published have been conducted in Asian populations. We aimed to assess the influence of pretreatment NLR on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in Western European patients treated with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). METHODS: A retrospective evaluation of 41 patients with EGFR-mutant advanced NSCLC treated with EGFR TKIs between June 2010 and May 2016 was carried out. The association between several prognostic factors including pretreatment NLR and survival was analyzed. RESULTS: Median PFS and OS were 10.58 and 20.84 months, respectively. OS for patients with a high NLR was 7.4 months, compared to 24.6 months for patients with a low NLR (p = 0.0122). In multivariate analysis, poor performance status (ECOG PS ≥ 2) and presence of ≥ 3 metastatic locations were identified as significant independent prognostic factors for worse PFS. For OS, unfavorable prognostic factors were a high NLR and central nervous system metastasis at diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment NLR is an independent prognostic factor for OS in Western European patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC treated with EGFR TKIs.

Therapeutic approaches in patients with newly diagnosed follicular lymphoma.

The prognosis of follicular lymphoma (FL) has significantly improved over the last decade, particularly following the introduction of the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab, which has challenged the old concept of FL as an incurable disease. However, the decision whether to start treatment in a patient with advanced FL or adopt a watch-and-wait policy remains a subject of controversy. Furthermore, the optimal first-line treatment for FL remains a clinical challenge owing to the numerous different therapeutic options available. In this review, the authors focus on the initial management of patients with newly diagnosed FL, consider the different treatment options for every stage, paying special consideration to the therapeutic approaches for each clinical scenario, and discuss future directions.

Treatment of gastric marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone.

There is no standard treatment for patients with gastric marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma) who are resistant to, or ineligible for, anti-Helicobacter pylori (anti-HP) therapy. In this study, we investigated the activity of the rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone (R-CVP) regimen in patients with gastric MALT lymphoma. Patients were included provided they had untreated gastric MALT lymphoma (except for anti-HP therapy) and were resistant to, or ineligible for, anti-HP therapy. Treatment plan consisted of six to eight 21-day cycles of the R-CVP chemotherapy regimen. Toxicity, response, relapse and survival were evaluated. Twenty patients (12 women and 8 men) were included in the analyses with median age of 59 years. Thirteen patients (65%) had stage I tumours, and seven patients (35%) had stages II-IV tumours. The overall response rate was 100%, with 19 (95%) complete responses and one (5%) partial response. Regimen toxicity was mild and mainly hematological, and no cases of gastric bleeding or perforation occurred. After a median follow-up of 56.3 months, three patients had relapsed, and 19 patients remained alive (specific lymphoma survival 100%), of whom 17 had no evidence of disease. In our experience, the R-CVP regimen is a well-tolerated and effective treatment for patients with gastric MALT lymphoma who are resistant to, or ineligible for, anti-HP therapy.