Association between hereditary predisposition to common cancers and congenital multimalformations

In a previous article we reported that mutations favoring cancer at adulthood seemed to improve fertility and limit miscarriages. Because spontaneous abortion may result from anomalies in embryo, we questioned if an increased frequency of congenital malformation could be evidenced among cancer-prone families. Oncogenetics database (≈193 000 members) of the comprehensive cancer center Jean Perrin was crossed with regional registry of congenital malformations (≈10 000). Among children born between 1986 and 2011, 176 children with malformation matched in both databases. In breast/ovaries cancer-prone families, the risk for malformations was multiplied by 2.4 [1.2-4.5] in case of a BRCA1 mutation. Frequencies of malformation in BRCA2 and MMR mutated families were similar to families without a cancer syndrome. In comparison to malformations concerning a unique anatomical system, multimalformations were significantly more frequent in case of BRCA or MMR mutations: compared to families without cancer syndrome, the risk of multimalformations was multiplied by 4.1 [0.8-21.7] for cancer-prone families but with no known deleterious mutation, by 6.9 [1.2-38.6] in families with a known mutation but an unknown parental mutational status and by 10.4 [2.3-46.0] when one parent carried the familial mutation. No association with the type of anatomical system was found, nor with multiple births. These results suggest that BRCA and MMR genes play an important role in human embryogenesis and that if their function is lowered because of heterozygote mutations, congenital malformations are either more likely (BRCA1 mutations) and/or more susceptible to concern several anatomical systems.     

The case for allele‐specific recognition by the TCR

There is a sharp difference in how one views TCR structure–function–behaviour dependent on whether its recognition of major histocompatibility complex‐encoded restriction elements (R) is germline selected or somatically generated. The generally accepted or Standard model is built on the assumption that recognition of R is by the V regions of the αβ TCR, which is not driven by allele specificity, whereas the competing model posits that recognition of R is allele‐specific. The establishing of allele‐specific recognition of R by the TCR would rule out the Standard model and clear the road to a consideration of a competing construct, the Tritope model. Here, the case for allele‐specific recognition (germline selected) is detailed making it obvious that the Standard model is untenable.     

直肠癌淋巴结转移的深度神经网络评判研究进展

正目前,临床上对于直肠癌常用的影像评估方法有MRI、螺旋CT、PET-CT、直肠腔内超声(ERUS)等。而MRI作为首选检查方式,对肿瘤位置、浸润深度、淋巴结转移、血管侵犯、环周切缘及周围器官侵犯等方面的评估均具有明显优势~([1-2])。通过MRI诊断淋巴结的方法通常是影像科医师逐层浏览每一幅图像,从中识别淋巴结的形状、界限及密度来判断,这种传统方式耗时较长且存在主观偏倚,导致     

Oncological and aesthetic outcome following surgical management of orbito-palpebral skin cancers: A retrospective study of 132 patients

BackgroundThe incidence of facial skin cancers continues to rise, with major studies on their impacts still lacking in the literature. This study reports on the oncological and aesthetic results following surgical management of an orbito-palpebral skin cancer.MethodsThis retrospective, monocentric study included patients treated for a non-melanoma skin cancer of the eyelid and orbit. Risk factors, location, histological type, invaded or insufficient margins, healing time, surgical management by excision and direct closure, skin graft or local flaps, self-evaluated aesthetics, and quality of life results were all compared.ResultsThe study included 132 patients operated for basal cell carcinoma (71.9%), squamous cell carcinoma (22.9%), or for another type (5.2%) between November 2011 and January 2017. Average tumor size was 9.6 ± 6.3 mm. Surgical management resulted in excision and open healing (9.1%), excision and direct closure (3.9%), skin graft (31.1%), local flap (21.9%), or another type of reconstruction (3.0%). Significant links between invaded or insufficient margins and basal cell type (OR = 3.37, p = 0.014), tumor size over 7 mm (OR = 2.7, p = 0.011), double location (OR = 8.44, p = 0.04), flap-based reconstruction (OR = 0.290, p = 0.02), and female gender (OR = 0.418, p = 0.034) were reported throughout our multivariate analysis.ConclusionsThis study brings out consequential information on factors linked with invaded or insufficient excision margins. Larger cohorts should evaluate the aesthetic outcomes in such a population.     

Efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab for the treatment of advanced biliary cancer: Results from the KEYNOTE-158 and KEYNOTE-028 studies

We present data from patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) receiving pembrolizumab in the KEYNOTE-158 (NCT02628067; phase 2) and KEYNOTE-028 (NCT02054806; phase 1b) studies. Eligible patients aged ≥18 years from both studies had histologically/cytologically confirmed incurable BTC that progressed after standard treatment regimen(s), measurable disease per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0/1, and no prior immunotherapy. Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive tumors were required for eligibility in KEYNOTE-028 only. Patients received pembrolizumab 200 mg every three weeks (KEYNOTE-158) or 10 mg/kg every two weeks (KEYNOTE-028) for ≤2 years. Primary efficacy endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) by RECIST v1.1. Response assessed by independent central review is reported. KEYNOTE-158 enrolled 104 patients and KEYNOTE-028 enrolled 24 patients. Median (range) follow-up was 7.5 months (0.6-34.3) in KEYNOTE-158 and 5.7 months (0.6-55.4) in KEYNOTE-028. In KEYNOTE-158, ORR was 5.8% (6/104; 95% CI, 2.1%-12.1%); median duration of response (DOR) was not reached (NR) (range, 6.2-26.6+ months). Median (95% CI) OS and PFS were 7.4 (5.5-9.6) and 2.0 (1.9-2.1) months. Among PD-L1-expressers (n = 61) and PD-L1-nonexpressers (n = 34), respectively, ORR was 6.6% (4/61) and 2.9% (1/34). In KEYNOTE-028, ORR was 13.0% (3/23; 95% CI, 2.8%-33.6%); median DOR was NR (range, 21.5-53.2+ months). Median (95% CI) OS and PFS were 5.7 (3.1-9.8) and 1.8 (1.4-3.1) months. Grade 3 to 5 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 13.5% of patients in KEYNOTE-158 (no grade 4; grade 5 renal failure, n = 1) and 16.7% in KEYNOTE-028 (no grade 4/5). In summary, pembrolizumab provides durable antitumor activity in 6% to 13% of patients with advanced BTC, regardless of PD-L1 expression, and has manageable toxicity.     

胃癌患者根治术后腹腔灌洗液中CEA mRNA表达的临床意义

目的：探讨胃癌患者根治术后腹腔冲洗液中CEA mRNA表达情况及其临床意义。方法: 回顾性分析了2013 年1 月至2017 年12 月在南京大学医学院附属鼓楼医院接受胃癌根治切除术后进行腹腔灌洗液CEA mRNA检测的139 名患者的病历资料，并进行术后常规随访。用RT-PCR检测139 胃癌患者根治术后腹腔灌洗液中CEA mRNA表达情况。卡方检验分析腹腔灌洗液中CEA mRNA表达与临床基本特征、组织病理学资料、血液学指标及复发方式之间的关系。采用Logistic 单因素及多因素回归分析筛查影响CEA mRNA表达水平的因素。结果：139 名患者中44 名（31.7%）患者腹腔灌洗液CEA mRNA阳性。分析显示，胃癌患者腹腔灌洗液CEA mRNA阳性表达与性别、年龄、病理分级、Lauren 分型和HER2、EGFR、VEGFR等标记物间均没有明显的关联（均P>0.05），与病理类型、脉管是否侵犯、局部浸润深度、淋巴结转移程度和临床AJCC 分期有明显的关联（均P<0.05）。CEA mRNA阳性患者腹膜复发率明显高于阴性患者（P=0.012）。Logistic 单因素回归分析显示，印戒细胞癌（P=0.04，HR=2.810，95% CI: 1.050~7.520）、T 分期（P=0.016，HR=6.329，95% CI: 1.417~28.264）、N 分期（P=0.022，HR=3.068，95% CI: 1.172~8.027）、AJCC分期（P=0.016 ，HR=3.971 ，95% CI: 1.295~12.173 ）、神经侵犯（P=0.002 ，HR=6.738，95% CI: 1.995~22.757）、脉管侵犯（P<0.001，HR=16.36，95% CI: 3.85~69.512）为胃癌患者腹腔灌洗液CEA mRNA阳性表达的危险因素。Logistic 多因素回归分析显示，经过对其他因素的校正，脉管侵犯（P<0.001，HR=21.314，95% CI: 4.21~107.907）为胃癌患者腹腔灌洗液CEA mRNA阳性表达的独立危险因素。结论：胃癌腹腔灌洗CEA mRNA阳性的患者腹膜复发转移风险高且预后不良，应考虑包括腹腔局部治疗在内的更加积极的抗肿瘤治疗。     

阿帕替尼单药在标准方案治疗失败晚期结直肠癌患者中的疗效及安全性

目的：探讨阿帕替尼单药在标准治疗方案失败晚期结直肠癌（colorectal cancer，CRC）患者中的疗效和安全性。方法：本研究为前瞻性研究设计，用PASS15 软件计算研究所需的样本量，从2017 年7 月到2018 年8 月入组标准方案治疗失败的晚期CRC患者52 例，给予阿帕替尼起始剂量750 mg或500 mg单药治疗；评估患者的客观缓解率（ORR）和疾病控制率（DCR），随访评价患者的无进展生存期（PFS）和总生存期（OS），并记录治疗过程中出现的不良反应。主要研究终点为PFS，次要研究终点为ORR、DCR、OS和安全性。结果：纳入研究的52 例CRC患者中45 例可以评价疗效及安全性，其均为既往接受过至少2 次系统性化疗的晚期CRC患者。疗效：完全缓解0 例、部分缓解5 例、疾病稳定30 例、疾病进展10 例，ORR为11.11%、DCR为77.78%；预后：45 例患者的中位PFS 为3.95 个月（95% CI=3.16~4.74），中位OS为10.3 个月（95% CI=5.70~14.90）；3 级以上不良反应：手足综合征6 例（13.33%），高血压5 例（11.11%），蛋白尿5 例（6.67%），转氨酶升高4 例（8.89%），腹泻3 例（6.67%），疲劳2 例（4.44%），出血1例（2.22%）。结论：阿帕替尼单药治疗标准方案失败的晚期CRC患者具有潜在的临床获益，安全性事件总体可控。