Clinical Effectiveness of Targeted Therapies Following Nivolumab Therapy in Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Real-World Study.

Background: The treatment and escape for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has rapidly evolved, particularly with the integration of immune therapies into first-line regimens. However, optimal strategies following progression in first-line immunotherapy remain uncertain. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of axitinib and cabozantinib as third-line therapies after progression on nivolumab following first-line VEGF-TKI therapy. Methods: Patients with metastatic RCC who progressed on prior nivolumab treatment after receiving first-line VEGF-TKI therapy were included. Data on patient characteristics, treatment regimens, response rates, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were collected. Statistical analyses were conducted to assess the prognostic factors and treatment outcomes. Results: A total of 46 patients were included who were predominantly male (83%) with clear-cell histology (89%). The median PFS on first-line TKI therapy was 10.2 months. All the patients received nivolumab as a second-line therapy, with a median of 12 cycles. The median second-line PFS was seven months. Third-line therapies included axitinib (24 patients) and cabozantinib (20 patients). The median PFS for axitinib and cabozantinib was six months, with comparable survival outcomes. The IMDC risk group and treatment tolerability were significant predictors of survival in multivariate analysis. Adverse events were manageable, with hypertension, fatigue, and diarrhea being the most common. Conclusion: Axitinib and cabozantinib show promise as third-line therapies post-nivolumab progression in metastatic RCC, though prospective validation is warranted. This study underscores the need for further research to establish treatment standards in this evolving landscape.

Does Adjuvant Chemotherapy Benefit Patients with T4 N0 Colon Cancer?

Background and Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) poses a major global health challenge, with high incidence rates and ongoing treatment debates. Adjuvant chemotherapy benefits for high-risk subgroups, particularly stage II disease, remain controversial. This study seeks to clarify this issue by specifically examining the impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients diagnosed with T4 colon cancer. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study analyzed patients undergoing radical surgery for T4 colon cancer between 2002 and 2023. Results: Our study of 184 pT4 pN0 colon cancer patients revealed that 79.3% received adjuvant chemotherapy. Multivariate analysis demonstrated significant DFS improvement: a 60% reduction in risk for those who received adjuvant therapy (0.40 95% CI: 0.25-0.62, p < 0.001). Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and adjuvant treatment were also significantly associated with OS. Adjuvant treatment reduced mortality by 60% (HR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.23-0.68, p = 0.001). Patients with LVI had a 1.9-fold increase in mortality (HR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.17-3.20, p = 0.011). These findings underscore the potential value of adjuvant chemotherapy and highlight the importance of treatment completion in managing T4 colon cancer. Conclusions: Our study identifies LVI and adjuvant chemotherapy as key prognostic factors in T4 colon cancer patients. These results support the consideration of adjuvant chemotherapy in this patient population.

Prognostic Impact and Clinical Features of Spread through Air Spaces in Operated Lung Cancer: Real-World Analysis.

Background and Objectives: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Spread through air spaces (STAS) is an adverse prognostic factor that has become increasingly known in recent years. This study aims to investigate the impact of STAS presence on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with surgically resected stage IA-IIIA lung cancer and to identify clinicopathological features associated with STAS. Materials and Methods: This research involved 311 lung cancer surgery patients. The relationship between the presence of STAS in the patients' surgical pathology and OS and DFS values was examined. Clinicopathological features associated with the presence of STAS were determined. Results: There were 103 (33%) STAS-positive patients. Adenocarcinoma histological subtype, perineural invasion (PNI), and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) were significantly correlated with being STAS positive. STAS significantly predicted DFS and OS. One-year and five-year DFS rates were significantly lower in the STAS-positive group compared to the STAS-negative group (65% vs. 88%, 29% vs. 62%, respectively, p ≤ 0.001). Similarly, one-year and five-year OS rates were significantly lower in the STAS-positive group compared to the STAS-negative group (92% vs. 94%, 54% vs. 88%, respectively, p ≤ 0.001). In multivariate analysis, STAS was found to be an independent prognostic factor for both DFS and OS (HR: 3.2 (95%CI: 2.1-4.8) and 3.1 (95%CI: 1.7-5.5), p < 0.001 and <0.001, respectively). Conclusions: In our study, STAS was found to be an independent prognostic biomarker in operated stage IA-IIIA lung cancer patients. It may be a beneficial pathological biomarker in predicting the survival of patients and managing their treatments.

Outcomes of surveillance versus adjuvant treatment for patients with stage-I seminoma: a single-center experience.

INTRODUCTION: Testicular germ cell tumors (seminoma/non-seminoma) are the most common carcinomas in young males, comprising approximately 1% of all carcinomas. In stage-I disease, orchiectomy can cure approximately 85% of patients. Post-surgical options are adjuvant therapy and active surveillance. Our study examined the effects of management options on stage-I seminoma patients followed in our center. METHODS: We evaluated the patients with stage-I testicular seminoma who underwent radical orchiectomy and followed up in the oncology center between 2001 and 2022. The outcomes of management options, survivals were retrospectively analyzed. The prognostic significance of risk factors for relapse on survival was evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 140 patients with stage-I seminoma, 49 (35%) were treated with adjuvant therapy, and 91 (65%) underwent surveillance. The median follow-up duration was 37 months. During the follow-up period, nine patients in the active surveillance group and four in the adjuvant therapy group had a recurrence. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.67). In the surveillance group, the univariate and multivariate analyzes identified the presence of lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.005, HR: 0.13) as significant prognostic factor for disease-free survival (DFS). In the surveillance cohort, the 5-year DFS rate was 60% for patients with lymphovascular invasion and 93% for those without. There was statistical significance between the two groups (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Our study shows that adjuvant therapy does not significantly improve DFS compared to surveillance in patients. In addition, it has been shown that lymphovascular invasion is an important prognostic indicator for DFS in determining the treatment strategy.

Side effects of immune-checkpoint inhibitors: Can multiple side effects be seen in a patient?

INTRODUCTION: Nivolumab is a human immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal antibody that inhibits programmed cell death-1 activity by binding to the programmed cell death-1 receptors. Cancer cells express increased number of programmed cell death-1 ligands and this allows them to escape the cytotoxic effects of the T cells. Therefore, the negative programmed cell death-1 receptor signal regulates T-cell proliferation and activation is disrupted. However, this change in the activity of the T cells can cause them to lose their ability to recognize host cells. The immune response enabled by these agents has led to side effects, commonly known as "immune-related adverse events." CASE REPORT: We report a case of a 66-year-old male patient who was treated with nivolumab for recurrent renal cell carcinoma presented with hepatitis and adrenalitis. Three weeks after starting nivolumab, the patient had abdominal pain and weakness, and then aspartate and alanine transaminase levels were found to be elevated. MANAGEMENT AND OUTCOME: Hepatitis was predicted to be due to nivolumab, because other causes were excluded. He started using oral methylprednisolone and then, hepatitis improved. However, while receiving methylprednisolone treatment, fludrocortisone was started with the pre-diagnosis of adrenalitis due to the persistence of fatigue, weakness, and hyponatremia and hyperkalemia. With both treatments, the patient's symptoms and sodium and potassium level returned to normal. DISCUSSION: This case emphasizes the need for patient's education and awareness of immune-related adverse events, and the importance of understanding the management of life-threatening complications of the checkpoint inhibitors, because these side effects require prompt recognition and treatment.

Does systemic anti-tumor therapy increase COVID-19 risk in patients with cancer?

PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the COVID-19 infection rate and determine the factors that affect hospitalization and prognosis in patients receiving systemic chemotherapy (CT), immunotherapy (IT) and molecular-targeted therapies at our hospital within three months after the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients who received systemic treatment at chemotherapy unit with diagnosis of cancer between 11 March 2020 and 11 June 2020 were included. The clinical and demographic characteristics of patients, the systemic treatments that they received (CT, IT, targeted therapies), and the stage of disease were determined. For the parameters that affect the hospitalization of COVID-19 infected patients were also determined. RESULTS: Among 1149 patients with cancer, 84 of them were infected with COVID-19, and the median age of infected patients was 61.0 (IQR: 21-84) and 60.7% of them were male. As a subtype of cancers lung cancer was more frequent in the patients who infected with COVID compared with non-infected ones and the difference was statistically significant when the underlying malignities were compared (32.1% vs 19.0%, p = 0.031). The hospitalization rate and receiving COVID-19 treatment were more frequent in metastatic patients who were receiving palliative therapy, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.01, p = 0.03). In our study, infection rate was similar among patients treated with CT, IT and CT plus targeted therapy; however, fewer COVID-19 infections were seen at patients who received only targeted therapy. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 infection is more frequent in cancer patients and tends to be more severe in metastatic cancer patients receiving anticancer treatment, and the continuation of palliative cancer treatments in these patients may cause increased cancer and infection-related morbidity and mortality.

Prognostic factors of ado-trastuzumab emtansine treatment in patients with metastatic HER-2 positive breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Ado-trastuzumab emtansine is an antibody-drug conjugate that combines the cytotoxic activity of emtansine with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-targeted antitumor features of trastuzumab. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a study of metastatic breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab emtansine. By evaluating progression-free survival, overall survival, and response rates, we aimed to find prognostic factors of trastuzumab emtansine treatment. METHODS: Our study is a single-center, retrospective, observational study. We have clinical data from 78 patients treated with trastuzumab emtansine for metastatic breast cancer, from May 2016 through May 2019, at Kartal Dr Lutfi Kirdar Education and Research Hospital, Medical Oncology Department. Our objective is to assess the survival and response rates in trastuzumab emtansine-treated individuals and the factors associated with survival. The factors we analyzed were cancer antigen 15-3 sensitivity, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status, presence or absence of visceral metastases, presence or absence of cranial metastases, and treatment-associated thrombocytopenia. RESULTS: Among 78 patients, median progression-free survival was 7.8 months, and overall survival was 21.1 months. Twenty of the patients had an objective tumor response. The results showed that trastuzumab emtansine was tolerable with a manageable safety profile and consistent with the results of the previous literature. Mostly seen adverse events were anemia, thrombocytopenia, fatigue, and increased levels of alkaline phosphatase. Patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status = 2 had worse progression-free survival and overall survival compared to ones with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status < 2; progression-free survival and overall survival are worse in cancer antigen 15-3-sensitive breast cancer patients. According to our findings, treatment-associated thrombocytopenia was a significant prognostic factor for survival. Patients with thrombocytopenia had 12 months progression-free survival, whereas patients without thrombocytopenia had only 4.1 months progression-free survival. In like manner, overall survival was much better in the thrombocytopenia-experienced patients as 29.5 versus 11.8 months. CONCLUSIONS: Trastuzumab emtansine prolongs progression-free survival and overall survival with a manageable safety profile. Thrombocytopenia, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status, and cancer antigen 15-3 are correlated with progression-free survival and/or overall survival.

Comparison of efficacy and safety of three different chemotherapy regimens delivered with concomitant radiotherapy in inoperable stage III non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Concomitant administration of chemotherapy and radiotherapy is currently recognized as the standard of treatment in locally advanced inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Our study aimed to compare the efficacy and toxicities of three different chemotherapy regimens delivered concurrently with radiotherapy. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of patients who received the PE (cisplatin, 50 mg/m(2), on days 1, 8, 29, and 36 plus etoposide, 50 mg/m(2), on days 1 to 5 and 29 to 33), PD (docetaxel, 20 mg/m(2), on day 1 plus cisplatin, 20 mg/m(2), on day 1, every week), and PC (carboplatin, AUC 2 plus paclitaxel, 45 mg/m(2), on day 1, every week) regimens concurrently with radiotherapy. A total of 227 patients were evaluated in the study. Median follow-up time was 13 months (2-101). There were 27 females (11.9 %) and 200 males (88.1 %) with a median age of 61 (38-82) years. The PD group had higher rates of esophagitis, mucositis, and anemia (p < 0.05). The PC group had higher rates of neuropathy (p = 0.000). The progression-free survival (PFS) time was 10 months for patients in the PC group, 15 months for patients in the PD group, and 21 months for the PE group (p = 0.010). Patients in the PC group had a median overall survival time of 23 months, those in the PD group 27 months, and those in the PE group 36 months (p = 0.098). Combination of cisplatin-etoposide with radiotherapy led to a more favorable outcome compared with the other two regimens. It shows generally manageable toxicity profile and compliance to treatment is noticeable.

A Novel Prognostic Indicator for Immunotherapy Response: Lymphocyte-to-Albumin (LA) Ratio Predicts Survival in Metastatic NSCLC Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Immunotherapies are commonly employed for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, predictive biomarkers still need to be improved to predict responses to these agents. The lymphocyte-albumin (LA) laboratory index has not been evaluated before in this patient group. The aim of this study was to analyze the relation between the LA index and the survival rate of metastatic NSCLC patients who had immunotherapy after at least one round of chemotherapy. METHODS: The research included 227 patients diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC, who were administered nivolumab after at least one round of chemotherapy. The LA index was calculated by multiplying lymphocyte count and albumin concentration. The optimal threshold values for the index were established by the examination of the ROC curve for both overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Oncological data were obtained retrospectively from patient files, and survival analyses were performed. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 7.9 months. Progression was observed in 129 (56.9%) patients. A total of 97 (42.7%) patients died during the follow-up. The cutoff values of the LA index to predict OS and PFS were determined as 52.87 and 57.67, respectively. The low-LA group had significantly lowered OS and PFS compared to the high-LA group. LA was found to be an independent prognostic factor for PFS (hazard ratio 4.47; 95% confidence interval, 2.73-7.34; p < 0.001) and OS (hazard ratio 6.24; 95% confidence interval, 3.46-11.25; p < 0.001) in the multivariate regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we observed that the LA index independently predicts OS and PFS in immunotherapy-treated metastatic NSCLC patients. Its ease of application, low cost, and noninvasive nature make it a potential guide for clinicians in predicting treatment responses and survival.

Exploring the Clinical Impact of RANK Pathway Inhibition in Advanced Breast Cancer: Insights From a Retrospective Study on CDK4/6 Inhibitors and Antiresorptive Therapy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer (BC) remains a significant health concern, particularly in advanced stages where the prognosis is poor. The combination of endocrine therapy (ET) with cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) has improved outcomes for advanced BC (aBC) patients. However, resistance to CDK4/6i remains a challenge, with no validated biomarkers to predict response. The receptor activator of the nuclear factor-kB (RANK) pathway has emerged as a key player in aBC, particularly in luminal BC. RANK overexpression has been associated with aggressive phenotypes and resistance to therapy. In view of these findings, we proceeded to investigate the potential involvement of the RANK pathway in luminal BC resistance to CDK4/6i. The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of denosumab in increasing overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, 158 BC patients with bone metastases were included. Patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-negative and hormone receptor-positive BC who received palbociclib or ribociclib in addition to antiresorptive medication were included. Patients received either denosumab or zoledronic acid (ZA) therapy. The primary endpoint was OS, with PFS as a secondary endpoint. RESULTS: Although the PFS and OS of denosumab were better than ZA in this study, it did not show a significant difference between the two drugs. Meanwhile, mOS was not achievable in patients in the denosumab group, while it was 34.1 months in patients in the ZA group. The hazard ratio (HR) showed a significant improvement for the denosumab group in patients under 60 of age (HR: 0.33, p<0.01), patients with a score of 1 HER2 overexpression (HR: 0.09, p=0.01), and patients with resistant endocrine (HR: 0.42, p=0.02) compared to ZA. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the potential clinical relevance of the RANK pathway in BC treatment, and our findings suggest that denosumab may offer significant benefits in terms of PFS and OS for certain subgroups, particularly those with HER2 scores of 1, patients under 60, and those with endocrine-resistant BC. In conclusion, considering that RANK pathway status may be a predictive biomarker for CDK4/6i treatment and may cause treatment resistance, our results demonstrate the clinical relevance of the combination of CDK4/6i + ET with RANKL inhibition.

The role of laboratory indices on treatment response and survival in breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is the standard treatment for locally advanced, high-risk breast cancer. Pathological complete response (pCR) improves survival. Peripheral blood-derived indices reflecting systemic inflammation and nutritional status have long been used as predictive and prognostic markers in solid malignancies. This retrospective study investigates whether eight commonly used indices in patients receiving NACT affect pCR and survival. This study includes 624 locally advanced breast cancer patients who received NACT. The biomarker indices were calculated from peripheral blood samples taken two weeks before starting chemotherapy. The indices' optimal cut-off values were determined using ROC Curve analysis. During a median follow-up period of 42 months, recurrence was detected in 146 patients, and 75 patients died. pCR was observed in 166 patients (26.6%). In univariate analysis, NLR, PLR, SII, PNI, HALP, and HRR were statistically significantly associated (p = 0.00; p = 0.03; p = 0.03; p = 0.02; p = 0.00; p = 0.02 respectively), but in multivariate analysis, only NLR was significantly predictive for pCR(p = 0.04). In multivariate analysis, the HGB/RDW score significantly predicted DFS(p = 0.04). The PNI score was identified as a marker predicting survival for both OS and PFS (p = 0.01, p = 0.01, respectively). In conclusion, peripheral blood-derived indices have prognostic and predictive values on pCR and survival. However, further studies are needed to validate our findings.

Does the efficacy of regorafenib differ in chemotherapy refractory metastatic colorectal cancer patients who had mucinous pathology compared to those who had non-mucinous pathology?

PURPOSE: To investigate the importance of mucinous histopathology on the assessment of tumor response in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) receiving regorafenib. MATERIALS AND METHOD: All patients diagnosed with histologically confirmed mCRC in 2 oncology centers between 2013 and 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Among 678 patients diagnosed with mCRC, 103 patients were treated with regorafenib. Ninety-four of these patients who had used at least 2 cycles of regorafenib and evaluable for treatment response were included in the analysis. Histopathologically, 18 patients with mucinous adenocarcinoma and 76 patients with nonmucinous adenocarcinoma were compared in terms of response rate and survival durations. RESULTS: Median follow-up duration of 6 months, median age of the patients was 61 (34-77) years. While 19.1% of the patients had mucinous histology, 80.9% had nonmucinous histology. The overall response rate was significantly lower in the mucinous subgroup than the nonmucinous subgroup (5.6% vs 43.4%, respectively, P = 0.003). Similarly, both progression-free survival (3.0 vs 4.0 months, respectively, P = 0.011) and overall survival duration were shorter in the mucinous subgroup (3.0 vs 7.0 months, P = 0.016, respectively) compared with the nonmucinous subgroup. CONCLUSION: The histological subgroup may predict tumor response in mCRC patients receiving regorafenib. Its efficacy on nonmucinous histology had significantly more favorable than mucinous subtype.

Efficacy and safety of bevacizumab in Turkish patients with metastatic and recurrent cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of bevacizumab a monoclonal, antivascular endothelial growth factor antibody in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy in Turkish patients with recurrent and metastatic cervical cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data of 64 patients with metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer, receiving bevacizumab with first-line cisplatin or carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy between 2013 and 2017 were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 49 years (range, 28-68), the median follow-up time was 12 months (range, 2-53), the median progression-free survival (PFS) was eight months, and the median overall survival (OS) was 23 months. All 64 patients received a median of 6 (range, 1-12) bevacizumab and 6 (range, 2-12) chemotherapy cycles. The chemotherapy regimens used with bevacizumab were cisplatin and paclitaxel in 31 (48%) and carboplatin and paclitaxel in 33 (52%) patients. The survival in patients treated with bevacizumab and cisplatin plus paclitaxel was better-particularly in patients with no previous cisplatin-based radiosensitizer therapy-than those treated with carboplatin, paclitaxel, and bevacizumab (p=0.023). The bevacizumab dose was 7.5 mg/kg in 30 patients (47%) and 15 mg/kg in 34 patients (53%) every 21 days. No significant difference was reported in the OS and the PFS between the two groups. While the most common all-grades adverse events were nausea, neutropenia, anemia, and peripheral sensory neuropathy, the most common grade ≥3 adverse events were neutropenia, anemia, and peripheral sensory neuropathy. CONCLUSION: Adding bevacizumab to platinum and paclitaxel chemotherapy in a case of metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer is an effective and tolerable treatment for Turkish patients.

Evaluation of Bevacizumab in Advanced Small Bowel Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Small bowel adenocarcinomas (SBAs) are rarely seen tumors. Data regarding the use of chemotherapy together with bevacizumab in patients with advanced SBA are lacking. The aim of this study was the evaluation of treatment with bevacizumab in advanced SBA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients from 5 centers with a diagnosis of advanced SBA who received first-line treatments with modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6; oxaliplatin, leucovorin, and 5-fluorouracil) and FOLFIRI (leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil, and irinotecan) chemotherapy regimens were involved in the study. All patients were divided into 2 groups; those who received bevacizumab together with these chemotherapy regimens (Chemo+Bev group) and those who did not receive bevacizumab (Chemo group). RESULTS: The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) times of all population were 8.7 months and 16.9 months, respectively. The overall response rate was 43.7% in the Chemo group and 58.3% in the Chemo+Bev group. The median PFSs in the Chemo and Chemo+Bev groups were found to be 7.7 months and 9.6 months, respectively, and the median OSs were 14.8 months and 18.5 months, respectively. There was not a significant difference between the groups in terms of overall response rate, PFS, and OS. CONCLUSION: Although there was no significant difference in any of the outcomes, use of bevacizumab together with chemotherapy is a more effective treatment approach compared with chemotherapy alone, and it does not cause an excess of significant toxicity.

Approach to mushroom intoxication and treatment: can we decrease mortality?

BACKGROUND: Mushroom is widely consumed in Turkey because it is inexpensive and widely available. Intoxication with mushroom is a common health problem in Turkey with a high mortality rate. AIM: To identify the outcome of patients with wild mushroom intoxication who were diagnosed based on systematic criteria and had received a comprehensive treatment. METHODS: Seventy-seven patients admitted to the Emergency Department of our hospital with mushroom intoxication were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were administered a combined treatment of gastric lavage, activated charcoal, penicillin G, N-acetyl cysteine, silybin and hemofiltration. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data of patients and the outcomes of the treatment modality were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 77 patients, 46 (59.7%) females and 31 (40.3%) males were evaluated in the study. The mean age of the patients was 41.94 ± 15.40 years. They presented with nausea and vomiting within 4 to 48 hours. Sixteen patients (20.7%) had abdominal pain, six patients had (7.7%) diarrhea and five patients (6.5%) had jaundice. Seven patients (9%) developed acute liver failure and were referred to intensive care units. Five of these patients recovered without any liver transplantation; one patient had cadaveric liver transplantation but died in the early period after the transplantation and one patient died while waiting for transplantation. The rest of the patients were followed by us and they all have recovered. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that clinical diagnosis based on systematic criteria and a comprehensive treatment regimen may be effective in decreasing the mortality in mushroom intoxication.