Tumour infiltrating lymphocytes and PD-L1 expression as potential predictors of outcome in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare and aggressive form of tumour. Some mesotheliomas have been proven to be highly immunogenic. Here, we investigated the correlation between tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) or programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression with overall survival (OS) in patients with MPM. 62 Paraffin-embedded formalin fixed (PEFF) samples were analysed for TILs and PD-L1 expression. Patients were divided in 4 groups according to a cut-off of the percentage of TILs found per sample as measured by immunohistichemistry: "0" or absent (between 0 and 5%), "1" or low (between 6 and 25%), "2" or moderate (between 26 and 50%) and "3" or high (between 51 and 75%). OS was then correlated with different TILs' expression patterns. Moreover, PD-L1 expression was assessed within the tumour as well as in the adjacent stroma on the same samples. Higher expression of peritumoral TILs (Group 2 + 3) versus Group 0 and 1 correlated with improved OS (p-value = 0.02). On the contrary PD-L1 expression seemed to be inversely correlated with clinical outcomes, even in the absence of statistical significance (HR 1.76; p = 0.083 95% IC 0.92-3.36 in areas within the tumour; HR 1.60; p = 0.176 95%; IC 0.80-3.19 in areas within the stroma). No relationship between TILs and PD-L1 expression was identified. Our research supports the use of TILs and PD-L1 expression as potential outcome predictors in patients with MPM. The use of TILs and PD-L1 as biomarkers for checkpoint inhibitors' efficacy warrants future investigation.

Nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel: a big nano for the treatment of gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the third cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Patients with unresectable GC can be treated with chemotherapy such as paclitaxel, which is a microtubule stabilizer. The use of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-ptx) avoids hypersensitivity reactions due to the absence of solvent needed to dissolve paclitaxel and it can be administered at higher doses. The ABSOLUTE randomized phase-3 clinical trial showed the non-inferiority of the nab-ptx used every week compared to the solvent-based paclitaxel used every week. This review describes the current advancements of the use of nab-ptx in GC in preclinical and clinical study investigations. The possibility of combining nab-ptx with other medications to improve response of patients to their specific molecular needs will also be debated.

Advances in systemic therapy for metastatic breast cancer: future perspectives.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women worldwide. One in eight women will develop the disease in her lifetime. Notwithstanding the incredible progress made in this field, BC still represents the second most common cause of cancer-related death in women. Targeted drugs have revolutionised breast cancer treatment and improved the prognosis as well as the life expectancy of millions of women. However, the phenomenon of primary and secondary pharmacological resistance is becoming increasingly evident, limiting the efficacy of these agents and calling for a better in-depth knowledge and understanding of the biology as well as the biochemical crosstalk underlying the disease. The advent of laboratory technologies in the clinical setting such as the routine use of next generation sequencing has allowed identification of new genetic alterations as well as providing a precise picture of the molecular landscapes of each tumour. Consequently, new specific therapeutic approaches are becoming available to minimise or delay the occurrence of resistance. In this review, we analyse the latest research and news from the clinical development side for each BC subtype.

Development of a varicocele following left-sided nephrectomy in kidney donors.

INTRODUCTION: Most kidney transplantation surgeons tend to prefer the left-sided kidney for donation. Because one of the veins to join the left renal vein is the left testicular (gonadal) vein, its flow may be damaged by manipulation of the left renal vein during left-sided nephrectomy. We sought to evaluate changes of the left-sided pampiniform venous plexus and testis following left-sided nephrectomy in kidney donors. METHODS: During the present cross-sectional study (June 2007-July 2008), 54 healthy males who were candidates for left kidney donation underwent an ultrasound study of the left-sided pampiniform venous plexus diameter as well as the left testis size before and 4 months after left-sided nephrectomy. RESULTS: The patient mean age was 25.07 +/- 2.49 years. The mean diameters of left pampiniform vein before versus 4 months after nephrectomy were 1.37 +/- 0.40 versus 2.04 +/- 0.49 mm, respectively. The mean sizes of left testis before and 4 months after nephrectomy were 21.86 +/- 2.47 versus 21.50 +/- 2.17 mL, respectively. The mean left pampiniform vein diameter significantly increased at 4 months after left-sided nephrectomy (P < .001), but the mean left testis size was not significantly changed (P = .136). CONCLUSION: Four months after left-sided nephrectomy, the left pampiniform venous plexus diameter increased, whereas there was no significant change in left testis size. Therefore, in patients with left-sided nephrectomy, a high risk of varicocele may be predicted.