Feasible Method to enable clear visualization of suspected bladder cancer with 18F-FDG PET/CT

PurposeTo evaluate value of a new method in detecting bladder lesion with ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT.MethodsRoutine and delayed scans of 14 patients were retrospectively studied. All these bladder lesions were confirmed by pathology. By increasing display threshold of SUVmax, routine images were analyzed for the second time.ResultsOf 12 ¹⁸F-FDG-avid cases, 10 cases were confirmed to be primary bladder carcinoma, 2 false-positive cases were inflammation. There were 25% positive cases on routine display and 50% on display with increased SUVmax threshold.ConclusionThe method can effectively increase the sensitivity and accuracy in detecting bladder cancer with ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT.     

Multiplexed Cell Signaling Analysis of Metastatic and Nonmetastatic Colorectal Cancer Reveals COX2-EGFR Signaling Activation as a Potential Prognostic Pathway Biomarker

The identification of prognostic determinants of colorectal cancer (CRC), including prediction of occult metastasis, is of urgent consideration, based on the tremendous differences in outcome and survival between patients who present with metastasis or develop metastasis versus those patients with organ-confined or nonrecurrent disease. Currently, a great deal of attention has been focused on using gene expression profiles of tumor specimens as a launch point for prognostic biomarker discovery. In our study, we chose to focus on functional protein-based pathway biomarkers as a new information archive because it is these proteins that form the functional signaling networks that control cell growth, motility, apoptosis, survival, and differentiation. We used reverse-phase protein microarray analysis of laser capture microdissected CRC tumor specimens to profile broad cell signaling pathways from patients who presented with liver metastasis versus patients who remained recurrence free after follow-up. Our results indicate that members of the EGFR and COX2 signaling pathways appear differentially activated in the primary tumors of patients with synchronous metastatic disease. If validated in larger study sets, this pathway defect might be useful as a prognostic clinical tool as well as a guide to potential therapeutic intervention strategies that target occult disease and/or preventative measure.     

Prognostic factors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia with TCF3::PBX1 in CCCG-ALL-2015: A multicenter study

Background

Contemporary risk-directed treatment has improved the outcome of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and TCF3::PBX1 fusion. In this study, the authors seek to identify prognostic factors that can be used to further improve outcome.

Methods

The authors studied 384 patients with this genotype treated on Chinese Children's Cancer Group ALL-2015 protocol between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019. All patients provisionally received intensified chemotherapy in the intermediate-risk arm without prophylactic cranial irradiation; those with high minimal residual disease (MRD) ≥1% at day 46 (end) of remission induction were candidates for hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Results

The overall 5-year event-free survival was 84.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 80.6–88.3) and 5-year overall survival 88.9% (95% CI, 85.5–92.4). Independent factors associated with lower 5-year event-free survival were male sex (80.4%, [95% CI, 74.8–86.4] vs. 88.9%, [95% CI, 84.1–93.9] in female, p = .03) and positive day 46 MRD (≥0.01%) (62.1%, [95% CI, 44.2–87.4] vs. 87.1%, [95% CI, 83.4–90.9] in patients with negative MRD, p < .001). The presence of testicular leukemia at diagnosis (n = 10) was associated with particularly dismal 5-year event-free survival (33.3% [95% CI, 11.6–96.1] vs. 83.0% [95% CI, 77.5–88.9] in the other 192 male patients, p < .001) and was an independent risk factor (hazard ratio [HR], 5.7; [95% CI, 2.2–14.5], p < .001).

Conclusions

These data suggest that the presence of positive MRD after intensive remission induction and testicular leukemia at diagnosis are indicators for new molecular therapeutics or immunotherapy in patients with TCF3::PBX1 ALL.     

前列腺周围脂肪对前列腺癌术前分期和分级的影响

目的 分析前列腺周围脂肪对前列腺癌术前与术后分期、分级差异性的影响。方法 选取行前列腺癌根治性切除术的184例局限性前列腺癌患者为研究对象,采用MRI测量前列腺癌患者前列腺周围脂肪的相关指标,将前列腺周围脂肪测量指标与前列腺癌患者临床及病理学资料运用SPSS13.0进行统计学比较。结果 前列腺周围脂肪面积（PFA）及内脏脂肪比率（Ratio）在前列腺癌临床分期与病理分期差异组和非差异组之间差异有统计学意义（P=0.014, P=0.037）;并且二者与前列腺癌术前、术后分期差异之间有统计学意义（P=0.031, P=0.002）;而术前穿刺病理结果Gleason评分与根治术后Gleason评分差异组和非差异组之间,PFA脂肪测定指标方面差异有统计学意义（P=0.017）;并且前列腺周围脂肪测定指标PFA、前列腺移行区体积与前列腺癌术前、术后Gleason评分差异之间有统计学意义（P=0.018, P=0.028）。结论 前列腺周围脂肪对前列腺癌患者术前准确的临床分期、分级的评估有影响。     

Cross‐talk between ovarian cancer cells and macrophages through periostin promotes macrophage recruitment

Tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) contribute to tumor progression, but it is not clear how they are recruited to tumor sites. Here we showed that periostin (POSTN) was present at high levels in ovarian cancer ascetic fluids and was correlated with CD163⁺ TAMs. The high POSTN level and macrophage infiltration were inversely associated with relapse‐free survival for ovarian cancer patients. In vitro studies showed that coculture with macrophages significantly increased POSTN production in ovarian cancer cells. Further investigation found that POSTN production in ovarian cancer cells was promoted by transforming growth factor‐β generated by macrophages. Moreover, siRNA of POSTN and POSTN neutralizing antibody treatment showed that ovarian cancer cell‐derived POSTN promoted the recruitment of macrophages and modulated their cytokine secretion profile. Collectively, these data indicated that POSTN was an important factor for macrophage recruitment in the tumor microenvironment and is involved in the interactions between macrophages and ovarian cancer cells.     

Immunotherapy as a treatment for biliary tract cancers: A review of approaches with an eye to the future

Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are aggressive malignancies associated with resistance to chemotherapy and poor prognostic rates. Therefore, novel treatment approaches are in need. Immunotherapy represents a promising breakthrough that uses a patient’s immune system to target a tumor. This treatment approach has shown immense progress with positive results for selected cancers such as melanoma and nonsmall cell lung cancer. Initial preclinical data and preliminary clinical studies suggest encouraging mechanistic effects for immunotherapy in BTC offering the hope for an expanding therapeutic role for this disease. These approaches include targeted tumor antigen therapy via peptide and dendritic cell-based vaccines, allogenic cell adoptive immunotherapy, and the use of inhibitory agents targeting the immune checkpoint receptor pathway and multiple components of the tumor microenvironment. At this time demonstrating efficacy in larger clinical trials remains imperative. A multitude of ongoing trials aim to successfully translate mechanistic effects into antitumor efficacy and ultimately aim to incorporate immunotherapy into the routine management of BTC. With further research efforts, the optimization of dosing and therapeutic regimens, the identification of novel tumor antigens and a better understanding of alternative checkpoint pathway receptor expression may provide additional targets for rational combinatorial therapies which enhance the effects of immunotherapy and may offer hope for further advancing treatment options. Ultimately, the challenge remains to prospectively identify the subsets of patients with BTC who may respond to immunotherapy, and devising alternative strategies to sensitize those that do not with the hopes of improving outcomes for all with this deadly disease.     

The influence of mortality rate from membrane flux for end-stage renal disease: A meta-analysis

To evaluate the influence of the high-flux hemodialysis (HFHD) and the low-flux hemodialysis (LFHD) on mortality rate for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Four electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrails were searched to identify relevant randomized clinical trials up to 31 August 2015. Seven studies enrolling a total of 4412 patients were included in this meta-analysis. For all-cause mortality comparing with LFHD, the result showed that there were significant difference (RR = 0.75; 95% CI [0.60–0.94]; I² = 84%; P < 0.00001). For death due to infection comparing with LFHD, the result showed that there was no significant difference (RR = 0.92; 95% CI [0.75–1.13]; I² = 0%; P = 0.86). For cardiovascular mortality, the overall meta-analysis result showed that there was a significant difference between the HFHD versus the LFHD (RR = 0.75; 95% CI [0.60–0.94]; I² = 55%; P = 0.11). Publication bias was not detected by funnel plot. Based on these results, our study suggests that the HFHD has superior effectiveness over LFHD for long-term survival in ESRD.