Tumor budding is an independent prognostic factor in stage III colon cancer patients: a post-hoc analysis of the IDEA-France phase III trial (PRODIGE-GERCOR).

BACKGROUND: Histological characteristics at the invasive front may reflect tumor aggressiveness; specifically, tumor budding (Bd) is an emerging prognostic biomarker in colon cancer (CC). We explored further the significance of Bd for risk stratification by evaluating survival of stage III CC patients included in the IDEA-France phase III trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This post-hoc study was conducted on tissue slides from 1048 stage III CC patients. Bd was scored by central review by the Bd criteria of the 2016 International Tumor Budding Consensus Conference (ITBCC 2016) and classified as Bd1 (0-4 buds/0.785 mm2), Bd2 (5-9 buds), and Bd3 (≥10 buds) categories. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed by the log-rank test. Clinicopathological features and Immunoscore® were correlated with Bd. RESULTS: Overall, Bd1, Bd2, and Bd3 were observed in 39%, 28%, and 33% of CC, respectively. Bd2 and Bd3 were associated with vascular (P = 0.002) and perineural invasions (P = 0.0009). The 3-year DFS and the 5-year OS rates for Bd (1 versus 2-3) were 79.4% versus 67.2% (P = 0.001) and 89.2% versus 80.8% (P = 0.001), respectively. This was confirmed after adjustment for relevant clinicopathological features for DFS [hazard ratio (HR) 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-1.77, P = 0.003] and OS (HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.22-2.22, P = 0.001). When combined with pTN stage and Immunoscore® subgroups, Bd significantly improved disease prognostication. CONCLUSIONS: Bd demonstrated its independent prognostic value for DFS and OS. Given these findings, Bd as per the ITBCC 2016 should be mandatory in every pathology report in stage III CC patients. Bd and Immunoscore® could play a complementary role in personalized health care in this setting.

A transcriptomic signature to predict adjuvant gemcitabine sensitivity in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy is the only systemic treatment approved for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), with a selection of regimens based on patients' performance status and expected efficacy. The establishment of a potent stratification associated with chemotherapeutic efficacy could potentially improve prognosis by tailoring treatments. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Concomitant chemosensitivity and genome-wide RNA profiles were carried out on preclinical models (primary cell cultures and patient-derived xenografts) derived from patients with PDAC included in the PaCaOmics program (NCT01692873). The RNA-based stratification was tested in a monocentric cohort and validated in a multicentric cohort, both retrospectively collected from resected PDAC samples (67 and 368 patients, respectively). Forty-three (65%) and 203 (55%) patients received adjuvant gemcitabine in the monocentric and the multicentric cohorts, respectively. The relationships between predicted gemcitabine sensitivity and patients' overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival were investigated. RESULTS: The GemPred RNA signature was derived from preclinical models, defining gemcitabine sensitive PDAC as GemPred+. Among the patients who received gemcitabine in the test and validation cohorts, the GemPred+ patients had a higher OS than GemPred- (P = 0.046 and P = 0.00216). In both cohorts, the GemPred stratification was not associated with OS among patients who did not receive gemcitabine. Among gemcitabine-treated patients, GemPred+ patients had significantly higher OS than the GemPred-: 91.3 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 61.2-not reached] versus 33 months (95% CI: 24-35.2); hazard ratio 0.403 (95% CI: 0.221-0.735, P = 0.00216). The interaction test for gemcitabine and GemPred+ stratification was significant (P = 0.0245). Multivariate analysis in the gemcitabine-treated population retained an independent predictive value. CONCLUSION: The RNA-based GemPred stratification predicts the benefit of adjuvant gemcitabine in PDAC patients.

Prognostic and predictive value of the Immunoscore in stage III colon cancer patients treated with oxaliplatin in the prospective IDEA France PRODIGE-GERCOR cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The Immunoscore (IS), which prognostically classifies stage I-III colon cancer (CC) patients, was evaluated in the International Duration Evaluation of Adjuvant Therapy (IDEA) France cohort study investigating 3 versus 6 months of oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy in stage III CC patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Densities of CD3+ and CD8+ T cells in the tumor and invasive margin were determined by immunohistochemistry, quantified by digital pathology, and converted to IS. Mismatch repair status was determined by immunohistochemistry or by pentaplex PCR. Prediction of disease-free survival (DFS) by IS was analyzed by a multivariable Cox regression model in each study arm. Harrell's C-statistics were used to investigate the IS performance. RESULTS: Samples of 1322 patients were available. IS Low, Intermediate (Int), and High were observed in 43.6%, 47.0%, and 9.4% of patients, respectively. IS Low identified patients at higher risk of relapse or death compared with Int + High [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.54; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24-1.93, P = 0.0001]. The 3-year DFS was 66.80% (95% CI 62.23-70.94) for IS Low and 77.14% (95% CI 73.50-80.35) for IS Int + High. In multivariable analysis, IS remained significantly independently associated with DFS (P = 0.003) when adjusted for sex, histological grade, T/N stage, and microsatellite instability. For mFOLFOX6-treated patients (91.6% of the cohort), a statistical significant interaction was observed for the predictive value of IS for treatment duration (3 versus 6 months) in terms of DFS (P = 0.057). IS Int + High significantly predicted benefit of 6 months of treatment (HR = 0.53; 95% CI 0.37-0.75; P = 0.0004), including clinically low- and high-risk stage III CC (all P < 0.001). Conversely, patients with IS Low (46.4%) did not significantly benefit from the 6-month mFOLFOX6 versus the 3-month mFOLFOX6. CONCLUSIONS: The prognostic value of IS for DFS was confirmed in patients with stage III CC treated with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. Its predictive value for DFS benefit of longer duration of mFOLFOX6 adjuvant treatment was found in IS Int + High. These results will be validated in an external independent cohort. CLINICALTRIALS. GOV REGISTRATION: NCT03422601; EudraCT Number: 2009-010384-16.

Influence of Molecular Status on Recurrence Site in Patients Treated for a Stage III Colon Cancer: a Post Hoc Analysis of the PETACC-8 Trial.

BACKGROUND: Recurrence patterns in stage III colon cancer (CC) patients according to molecular markers remain unclear. The objective of the study was to assess recurrence patterns according to microsatellite instability (MSI), RAS and BRAFV600E status in stage III CC patients. METHODS: All stage III CC patients from the PETACC-8 randomized trial tested for MSI, RAS and BRAFV600E status were included. The site and characteristics of recurrence were analyzed according to molecular status. Survival after recurrence (SAR) was analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 1650 patients were included. Recurrence occurred in 434 patients (26.3%). Microsatellite stable (MSS) patients had a significantly higher recurrence rate (27.2% vs. 18.7%, P = 0.02) with a trend to more pulmonary recurrence (28.8% vs. 12.9%, P = 0.06) when compared to MSI patients. MSI patients experienced more regional lymph nodes compared to MSS (12.9% vs. 4%, P = 0.046). In the MSS population, the recurrence rate was significantly higher in RAS (32.2%) or BRAF (32.3%) patients when compared to double wild-type patients (19.9%) (p < 0.001); no preferential site of recurrence was observed according to RAS and BRAFV600E mutations. Finally, decreased SAR was observed in the case of peritoneal recurrence or more than two recurrence sites. CONCLUSIONS: Microsatellite, RAS and BRAFV600E status influences recurrence rates in stage III CC patients. However, only microsatellite status seems to be associated with specific recurrence patterns. More than two recurrence sites and recurrence in the peritoneum were associated with poorer SAR.

FDG-PET-driven consolidation strategy in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: final results of a randomized phase 2 study.

Dose-dense induction and up-front consolidation with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) remain controversial issues when treating patients with high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. GELA designed a randomized phase 2 trial evaluating the efficacy of either rituximab, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vindesine, bleomycin, prednisone (R-ACVBP) or rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone (R-CHOP14) induction and a positron emission tomography (PET)-driven ASCT or standard immunochemotherapy (SIC) consolidation in age-adjusted international prognosis index 2 (aaIPI2)-aaIPI3 patients. PET was performed at baseline, after 2 (PET2) and 4 (PET4) induction cycles, and centrally assessed using international harmonization project (IHP) criteria. PET2-/PET4- patients were assigned SIC, PET2+/PET4- patients were assigned ASCT, and PET4+ patients were treated with the investigator's choice. The primary end-point was the 2007 international working group complete response (CR) rate after induction. Change in maximum standard uptake value (ΔSUVmax) after PET assessment was explored. Two hundred eleven patients were randomly assigned to R-ACVBP (n = 109) or R-CHOP14 (n = 102). PET4-/CR rates were 53%/47% with R-ACVBP and 41%/39% with R-CHOP14 (CR 95% confidence interval [CI], 38%-67% and 28%-54%, respectively; P = .076). Consolidation in the R-ACVBP and R-CHOP14 groups was SIC in 26% and 23% of patients and ASCT in 28% and 18% of patients, respectively. PET4 positivity was higher with R-CHOP14 vs R-ACVBP (54% vs 41%; P = .08), leading to more salvage therapy (37% vs 26%; P = .07) and lower event-free survival (EFS; 4-year EFS, 31% vs 43%; P < .01), but progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were similar in both groups. PET2-/PET4- and PET2+/PET4- patients had similar outcomes. Using ΔSUVmax, 79% of the patients were PET2-/PET4- ΔSUVmaxPET0-4 >70% was associated with better outcome (4-year PFS, 84% vs 35%; 4-year OS, 91% vs 57%; P < .0001), whatever the consolidation. Superiority of R-ACVBP over R-CHOP14 was not established, as IHP criteria did not properly reflect disease control. ΔSUVmax may help better select patients needing an alternative to SIC, including ASCT.

Adjuvant FOLFOX +/- cetuximab in full RAS and BRAF wildtype stage III colon cancer patients.

Background: RAS mutations have been shown to confer resistance to anti- epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) treatment. We analysed the results of the PETACC8 trial (cetuximab + FOLFOX vs FOLFOX) in full RAS and BRAF wildtype (WT) patients (pts) with resected stage III colon cancer. Patients and methods: Exons 2, 3 and 4 of KRAS and NRAS, and BRAF exons 11 and 15, were sequenced using the Ampliseq colon-lung cancer panel version 2, in PETACC8 trial pts who consented to translational research. The impact of cetuximab on time to recurrence (TTR), disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was investigated in pts with tumours harbouring RAS and BRAF WT, and RAS mutations. The prognostic value of each individual mutation was also tested. Results: Among the 2559 pts analysed, 745 pts (29%) were known to have KRAS exon 2 mutations and 163 pts (6.4%) the BRAF V600E mutation. Of the remaining 1651 pts, 1054 were assessed by NGS, showing that a further 227 pts (21%) had KRAS exon 2, 3, 4 or NRAS exon 2, 3, 4 mutations, and that 46 pts (4.4%) had a newly diagnosed BRAF mutation. Cetuximab added to FOLFOX did not significantly improve TTR, DFS or OS in pts with RAS WT or RAS and BRAF WT tumours (HR 0.77-1.03, all P > 0.05). Cetuximab addition was not either significantly deleterious in RAS mutant pts or in pts with rare RAS or BRAF mutations. In the overall trial population, NRAS and KRAS codon 61 mutations were the only rare mutations with the same pejorative prognostic value as KRAS exon 2 or BRAF V600E mutations. Conclusion: Though not significant, the clinically relevant 0.76 adjusted HR observed for DFS in favour of adding cetuximab to FOLFOX, in full RAS and BRAF WT stage III colon cancer pts, may justify a new randomized controlled trial testing EGFR inhibitors in this setting. Clinical trial number: This is an ancillary study of the PETACC8 trial: EUDRACT 2005-003463-23.

French updated recommendations in Stage I to III melanoma treatment and management.

As knowledge continues to develop, regular updates are necessary concerning recommendations for practice. The recommendations for the management of melanoma stages I to III were drawn up in 2005. At the request of the Société Française de Dermatologie, they have now been updated using the methodology for recommendations proposed by the Haute Autorité de Santé in France. In practice, the principal recommendations are as follows: for staging, it is recommended that the 7th edition of AJCC be used. The maximum excision margins have been reduced to 2 cm. Regarding adjuvant therapy, the place of interferon has been reduced and no validated emerging medication has yet been identified. Radiotherapy may be considered for patients in Stage III at high risk of relapse. The sentinel lymph node technique remains an option. Initial examination includes routine ultrasound as of Stage II, with other examinations being optional in stages IIC and III. A shorter strict follow-up period (3 years) is recommended for patients, but with greater emphasis on imaging.

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma: two distinct clinicopathological variants with different outcomes.

BACKGROUND: ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma associated with breast implant (i-ALCL) has been recently recognized as a distinct entity. Among 43 830 lymphomas registered in the French Lymphopath network since 2010, 300 breast lymphomas comprising 25 peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL) were reviewed. Among PTCL, ALK-negative ALCL was the most frequent and all of them were associated with breast implants. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Since 2010, all i-ALCL cases were collected from different institutions through Lymphopath. Immuno-morphologic features, molecular data and clinical outcome of 19 i-ALCLs have been retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 61 years and the median length between breast implant and i-ALCL was 9 years. Most implants were silicone-filled and textured. Implant removal was performed in 17 out of 19 patients with additional treatment based on mostly CHOP or CHOP-like chemotherapy regimens (n = 10/19) or irradiation (n = 1/19). CHOP alone or ABVD following radiation without implant removal have been given in two patients. The two clinical presentations, i.e. effusion and less frequently tumor mass correlated with distinct histopathologic features: in situ i-ALCL (anaplastic cell proliferation confined to the fibrous capsule) and infiltrative i-ALCL (pleomorphic cells massively infiltrating adjacent tissue with eosinophils and sometimes Reed-Sternberg-like cells mimicking Hodgkin lymphoma). Malignant cells were CD30-positive, showed a variable staining for EMA and were ALK negative. Most cases had a cytotoxic T-cell immunophenotype with variable T-cell antigen loss and pSTAT3 nuclear expression. T-cell receptor genes were clonally rearranged in 13 out of 13 tested cases. After 18 months of median follow-up, the 2-year overall survival for in situ and infiltrative i-ALCL was 100% and 52.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In situ i-ALCLs have an indolent clinical course and generally remain free of disease after implant removal. However, infiltrative i-ALCLs could have a more aggressive clinical course that might require additional therapy to implant removal.

[Update to the recommendations for management of melanoma stages I to III]. / Actualisation des recommandations de prise en charge du mélanome stades I à III.

As knowledge continues to develop, regular updates are necessary concerning recommendations for practice. The recommendations for the management of melanoma stages I to III were drawn up in 2005. At the request of the Société Française de Dermatologie, they have now been updated using the methodology for recommendations proposed by the Haute Autorité de Santé. In practice, the principal recommendations are as follows: for staging, it is recommended that the 7th edition of AJCC be used. The maximum excision margins have been reduced to 2cm. Regarding adjuvant therapy, the place of interferon has been reduced and no validated emerging medication has yet been identified. Radiotherapy may be considered for patients in stage III at high risk of relapse. The sentinel lymph node technique remains an option. Initial examination includes routine ultrasound as of stage II, with other examinations being optional in stages IIC and III. A shorter strict follow-up period (3years) is recommended for patients, but with greater emphasis on imaging.

Prognostic value of KRAS mutations in stage III colon cancer: post hoc analysis of the PETACC8 phase III trial dataset.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of KRAS mutations in colon adenocarcinoma is controversial. We examined this question as an ancillary study of the PETACC8 phase III trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed the prognostic impact of KRAS exon 2 mutations in stage III colon cancer patients (n = 1657) receiving adjuvant FOLFOX ± cetuximab therapy included in the PETACC8 trial. Patients with BRAF-mutated cancers were excluded and, as no difference was found for time to recurrence (TTR) and disease-free survival (DFS) between treatment arms, both were pooled for analysis. Associations with TTR and DFS were analyzed using a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: KRAS mutations were found in 638 of 1657 tumors and linked to shorter TTR (P < 0.001). However, when specific mutations were compared with wild-type, codon 12 mutations [hazard ratio (HR) 1.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.35-2.04; P < 0.001] but not codon 13 (HR 1.23, 95% CI 0.85-1.79; P = 0.26) were significantly associated with shorter TTR, independently of other covariates. The interaction test showed that, regarding tumor location (distal versus proximal), KRAS genotype affects differently on recurrence (P = 0.02) and DFS (P = 0.042). Subgroup analysis showed that KRAS only affected TTR and DFS in distal tumors (n = 1043; 692 wild type; 351 mutated), with an increased risk of relapse (HR 1.96, 95% CI 1.51-2.56; P < 0.0001) for KRAS codon 12 mutations and a borderline significance for codon 13 mutations (HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.00-2.56; P = 0.051). CONCLUSION: KRAS exon 2 mutations are independent predictors of shorter TTR in patients with resected stage III distal colon cancers receiving adjuvant therapy. Future clinical trials in the adjuvant setting should consider both the tumor location and KRAS mutations as important stratification factors. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: This is an ancillary study of the PETACC8 trial: EUDRACT 2005-003463-23.

Diagnostic value of immunohistochemistry for the detection of the BRAFV600E mutation in primary lung adenocarcinoma Caucasian patients.

BACKGROUND: Non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients with a BRAF(V600E) mutation benefit from targeted therapy. The usefulness of immunohistochemistry (IHC) as an alternative approach for the detection of BRAF(V600E) in NSCLC patients has not been evaluated until now. This study compared the specificity and sensitivity of IHC with other methods for the detection of BRAF(V600E) in primary lung adenocarcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: BRAF mutations were analysed by DNA sequencing of a Caucasian subpopulation of selected 450 of 1509 (30%) EGFR, KRAS, PI3KA, Her2 and EML4-ALK wild-type (wt) primary lung adenocarcinomas. Detection of the BRAF(V600E) mutation was carried out by IHC using the VE1 clone antibody and compared with the results of other molecular methodologies. RESULTS: Of 450 (9%) of tumours, 40 harboured a BRAF mutation, which corresponded to either a BRAF(V600E) or a non-BRAF(V600E) mutation in 21 of 450 (5%) and 19 of 450 (4%) cases, respectively. The IHC VE1 assay was positive in 19 of 21 (90%) BRAF(V600E)-mutated tumours and negative in all BRAF(nonV600E)-mutated tumours. CONCLUSION: IHC using the VE1 clone is a specific and sensitive method for the detection of BRAF(V600E) and may be an alternative to molecular biology for the detection of mutations in NSCLC.

A human IFNGR1 small deletion hotspot associated with dominant susceptibility to mycobacterial infection.

The immunogenetic basis of severe infections caused by bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine and environmental mycobacteria in humans remains largely unknown. We describe 18 patients from several generations of 12 unrelated families who were heterozygous for 1 to 5 overlapping IFNGR1 frameshift small deletions and a wild-type IFNGR1 allele. There were 12 independent mutation events at a single mutation site, defining a small deletion hotspot. Neighbouring sequence analysis favours a small deletion model of slipped mispairing events during replication. The mutant alleles encode cell-surface IFNgamma receptors that lack the intra-cytoplasmic domain, which, through a combination of impaired recycling, abrogated signalling and normal binding to IFNgamma exert a dominant-negative effect. We thus report a hotspot for human IFNGR1 small deletions that confer dominant susceptibility to infections caused by poorly virulent mycobacteria.

Trop-2 is a ubiquitous and promising target in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Trop-2 is overexpressed in tumor cells of various cancers, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and has emerged as a potent therapeutic target. We evaluated Trop-2 expression both at the transcriptomic and protein levels, and its correlation with tumor features and patients' outcomes in a large cohort of PDAC. METHODS: We included patients undergoing pancreatic resection for PDAC in 5 academic hospitals in France and Belgium. Transcriptomic profiles were obtained from FFPE tissue samples, with paired primary -25and metastatic lesions when available. Protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using tissue micro-arrays. RESULTS: 495 patients (male 54%, median age 63 years) were included between 1996 and 2012. Trop-2 mRNA expression was significantly associated to tumor cellularity, but no association with survival nor with any clinical or pathological features was observed, with tumor cells showing an overall high expression among every subgroup. Trop-2 mRNA expression was maintained between primary and metastatic lesion in all 26 paired samples evaluated. In 50 tumors assessed by IHC, 30%, 68% and 2% harbored a high, medium, or low Trop-2 expression score, respectively. Trop-2 staining was significantly associated to mRNA expression, but not to survival or any pathological features. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest Trop-2 overexpression as a ubiquitous marker of PDAC tumor cells and thus a promising therapeutic target to evaluate in these patients.

Contribution of CXCR4 and SMAD4 in predicting disease progression pattern and benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy in resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Prognosis of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma is poor. Many prognostic biomarkers have been tested, but most studies included heterogeneous patients. We aimed to investigate the prognostic and/or predictive values of four relevant biomarkers in a multicentric cohort of patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 471 patients who had resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma were included. Using tissue microarray, we assessed the relationship of biomarker expressions with the overall survival: Smad4, type II TGF-ß receptor, CXCR4, and LKB1. RESULTS: High CXCR4 expression was found to be the only independent negative prognostic biomarker [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.74; P < 0.0001]. In addition, it was significantly associated with a distant relapse pattern (HR = 2.19; P < 0.0001) and was the strongest prognostic factor compared with clinicopathological factors. In patients who did not received adjuvant treatment, there was a trend toward decrease in the overall survival for negative Smad4 expression. Loss of Smad4 expression was not correlated with recurrence pattern but was shown to be predictive for adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) benefit (HR = 0.59; P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: CXCR4 is a strong independent prognostic biomarker associated with distant metastatic recurrence and appears as an attractive target to be evaluated in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Negative SMAD4 expression should be considered as a potential predictor of adjuvant CT benefit.

Relevance of biopsy-derived pancreatic organoids in the development of efficient transcriptomic signatures to predict adjuvant chemosensitivity in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients are frequently treated by chemotherapy. Even if personalized therapy based on molecular analysis can be performed for some tumors, PDAC regimens selection is still mainly based on patients' performance status and expected efficacy. Therefore, the establishment of molecular predictors of chemotherapeutic efficacy could potentially improve prognosis by tailoring treatments. We have recently developed an RNA-based signature that predicts the efficacy of adjuvant gemcitabine using 38 PDAC primary cell cultures. While demonstrated its efficiency, a significant association with the classical/basal-like PDAC spectrum was observed. We hypothesized that this flaw was due to the basal-like biased phenotype of cellular models used in our strategy. To overcome this limitation, we generated a prospective cohort of 27 consecutive biopsied derived pancreatic organoids (BDPO) and include them in the signature identification strategy. As BDPO's do not have the same biased phenotype as primary cell cultures we expect they can compensate one with each other and cover a broader range of molecular phenotypes. We then obtained an improved signature predicting gemcitabine sensibility that was validated in a cohort of 300 resected PDAC patients that have or have not received adjuvant gemcitabine. We demonstrated a significant association between the improved signature and the overall and disease-free survival in patients predicted as sensitive and treated with adjuvant gemcitabine. We propose then that including BDPO along primary cell cultures represent a powerful strategy that helps to overcome primary cell cultures limitations producing unbiased RNA-based signatures predictive of adjuvant treatments in PDAC.

[A tularemia mimicking lymphoma]. / Une tularémie mimant un lymphome.

INTRODUCTION: Adenopathies are a frequent cause of recourse in internal medicine. When histological analysis reveals the presence of granuloma, multiple infectious or non-infectious etiologies are considered. If diagnoses of lymphoma, sarcoidosis or tuberculosis are easily mentioned, tularemia should also be considered in the differential diagnosis. OBSERVATION: A 54-year-old patient had a fever at the evening with night sweats and a cough resistant to two lines of antibiotics. A thoraco-abdomino-pelvic CT scan revealed hilar and mediastinal adenopathies that appeared hypermetabolic with PET-TDM, as well as pulmonary nodules. A PCR performed on lymph node biopsy and serology allowed the diagnosis of tularemia. The evolution was favourable after antibiotic treatment. CONCLUSION: The association of fever, night sweats, altered general state and mediastinal adenopathies should be considered as a diagnosis of tularemia. Ganglionic biopsy, combined with molecular biology techniques and serology, can confirm the diagnosis.

[Use of targeting therapy in Erdheim-Chester disease: A case report with neurologic involvement]. / Utilisation de thérapie ciblée dans la maladie d'Erdheim-Chester : à propos d'un cas avec atteinte du système nerveux central.

INTRODUCTION: Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a rare multisystemic disease characterised by an infiltration of various organs by CD68+ CD1a- histiocytes. The clinical and radiological presentation is very variable. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 71-year-old woman with ECD which was revealed by neurological and cutaneous manifestations. The diagnosis was confirmed by skin biopsy and the BRAFV600E mutation was identified in skin tissue, leading to the use of combined therapy targeting the RAS-RAF-ERK-MEK pathway. This therapy allowed an improvement of cutaneous manifestations but neurological manifestations lead to death, underlying their notable severity. CONCLUSION: Our case report shows the persistent diagnostic difficulty of the ECD and the particular gravity of neurologic involvement.