Pre- or postoperative radiotherapy for soft tissue sarcomas

Sarcomas are rare tumours arising from mesenchymal tissue. A multimodal management in an expert centre combining surgery and radiotherapy is the current standard of care for localized soft-tissue sarcomas of the extremities, to enable limb-sparing strategies. The delivery of pre- radiotherapy or postoperative radiotherapy offers similar local control and survival rates but the toxicity profile is quite different: preoperative radiotherapy increases the risk of wound complications and postoperative radiotherapy affects long-term functional outcomes. While postoperative radiotherapy has long been the rule, especially in Europe, technical improvements with image-guided- and intensity-modulated radiotherapy associated with a better management of postoperative wounds has tended to change practices with more frequent preoperative radiotherapy. More recently the possibilities of a hypofractionated regimen or potentiation by nanoparticles to increase the therapeutic index plead in favour of a preoperative delivery of radiotherapy. The aim of this paper is to report pros and cons of pre- and post-operative radiotherapy for soft-tissue sarcomas.     

Sentinel lymph node localization and staging with a low-dose of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) enhanced MRI and magnetometer in patients with cutaneous melanoma of the extremity - The MAGMEN feasibility study

BackgroundIn patients with melanoma, sentinel lymph node (SLN) status is pivotal for treatment decisions. Current routine for SLN detection combines Technetium^99m (Tc⁹⁹) lymphoscintigraphy and blue dye (BD). The primary aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of using a low dose of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) injected intracutaneously to detect and identify the SLN, and the secondary aim was to investigate if a low dose of SPIO would enable a preoperative MRI-evaluation of SLN status.MethodsPatients with melanoma of the extremities were eligible. Before surgery, a baseline MRI of the nodal basin was followed by an injection of a low dose (0.02–0.5 mL) of SPIO and then a second MRI (SPIO-MRI). Tc⁹⁹ and BD was used in parallel and all nodes with a superparamagnetic and/or radioactive signal were harvested and analyzed.ResultsFifteen patients were included and the SLNB procedure was successful in all patients (27 SLNs removed). All superparamagnetic SLNs were visualized by MRI corresponding to the same nodes on scintigraphy. Micrometastatic deposits were identified in four SLNs taken from three patients, and SPIO-MRI correctly predicted two of the metastases. There was an association between MRI artefacts in the lymph node and the dose SPIO given.DiscussionIt is feasible to detect SLN in patients with melanoma using a low dose of SPIO injected intracutaneously compared with the standard dual technique. A low dose of SPIO reduces the lymph node MRI artefacts, opening up for a non-invasive assessment of SLN status in patients with cancer.     

New and important changes in breast cancer TNM: incorporation of biologic factors into staging

Introduction: Cancer staging has historically been based solely on the anatomic extent of the tumor (T), spread to lymph nodes (N), and the presence of distant metastases (M). More recently biologic factors have been added to modify TNM stage groups to provide more accurate prognosis for patients.

Areas covered: The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) updated breast cancer staging in 2016 to include T, N, M, tumor grade and expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors and HER2. Addition of these factors changed the stage group for a large fraction of cases compared to prior TNM stage groupings. This updated ‘prognostic stage’ provides more robust and precise prognosis information.

Expert opinion: Inclusion of biological information in staging changes the meaning and the use of stage in clinical practice. This paper reviews the evidence supporting these changes, limitations affecting staging, and discusses the implications for clinical practice and the future of breast cancer staging.     

外科治疗ⅢA期N2非小细胞肺癌的预后分析及临床意义

目的 探讨影响ⅢA期N2非小细胞肺癌（NSCLC）预后的因素，并分析经手术治疗不同亚组病人的生存率差异。方法 分析1997年1月至2000年1月146例手术治疗的ⅢA期N2 NSCLC病人的可能影响预后因素：病理类型、肿瘤位置、肿瘤大小、手术方式、临床N2情况，N2转移组数及个数、术后辅助治疗等，并用Kaplan-Meier曲线及Logr ank检验生存率差异，Cox单因素、多因素分析各因素对生存率的影响。结果 ⅢA期N2 NSCLC病人的3年和5年生存率分别为19．86％和14．56％。单因素分析示肿瘤位置、临床N2情况、N2转移组数及个数是影响生存率的因素；多因素分析示肿瘤大小、临床N2情况，N2转移组数和肿瘤位置影响预后。右肺下叶肿瘤单组或单个N2转移，预后最好。结论 纵隔N2转移淋巴结的大小、个数和组数是影响术后生存率主要因素。手术前未发现N2转移（mN2），有1组N2转移（N2h），N2转移数少于4个者手术治疗效果好。右肺下叶肿瘤发生单组N2淋巴结转移预后好。