Advanced Cancer Patients' Prognostic Awareness and Its Association With Anxiety,Depression and Spiritual Well-Being: A Multi-Country Study in Asia

AimsThe associations between prognostic awareness, acceptance of illness and psychological outcomes (anxiety, depression and spiritual well-being) remain unclear. This study examined the associations between prognostic awareness and various psychological outcomes and how they can be moderated by patient acceptance of illness (cancer).Materials and methodsIn total, 1184 patients with stage IV solid cancer were recruited at major public hospitals across four Asian countries (China, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam). Prognostic awareness and acceptance of illness were assessed through self-reported understanding of treatment intent and acceptance of illness, respectively. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, whereas spiritual well-being was measured using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy – Spiritual Well-Being Scale. Multivariate regressions were used to estimate the associations while controlling for patient characteristics.ResultsCompared with being unaware of their prognosis (i.e. believing that their cancer is curable), being aware or unsure of their prognosis was associated with higher anxiety and depressive symptoms, and lower spiritual well-being scores. Acceptance of illness moderated these relationships and improved the psychological outcomes.ConclusionsThe results suggest that disclosure of prognostic information should be provided in conjunction with psychological interventions that focus on acceptance of illness.     

Metastatic adult-type non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas in children and adolescents: A cohort study from the European paediatric Soft tissue sarcoma Study Group

Background

Limited data exist on the clinical behavior of pediatric non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas (NRSTS) with distant metastases at onset, and a clear standard of care has not yet been defined.

Methods

This cohort study reports on pediatric adult-type metastatic NRSTS enrolled in two concurrent prospective European studies, i.e., the randomized BERNIE study and the single-arm MTS 2008 study developed by the European paediatric Soft tissue sarcoma Study Group. Treatment programs were originally designed for patients with metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma, i.e., nine courses of multidrug chemotherapy (with or without bevacizumab in the BERNIE study), followed by 12 cycles of maintenance therapy, whereas radiotherapy and/or surgery (on primary tumor and/or metastases) were delayed until after seven courses of chemotherapy had been administered.

Results

The study included 61 patients <21 years old treated from July 2008 to December 2016. The lung was the site of metastases in 75% of the cases. All patients received multi-agent chemotherapy, 44% had local therapy to primary tumor, and 18% had treatment of metastases. Median time to progression/relapse was 6 months. A high rate of tumor progression was observed during the initial part of the chemotherapy program. With a median follow-up of 41.5 months (range, 2–111 months), 3-year event-free survival and overall survival were 15.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.6–25.7) and 34.9% (95% CI, 22.7–47.5), respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in outcome depending on the type of treatment administered.

Conclusions

The study confirmed the overall poor outcome for patients with metastatic NRSTS, whose treatment remains a challenge.

Plain Language Summary

• Pediatric non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcomas form a heterogeneous group of rare tumors.
• Although recent international studies have defined the standard of care for patients with localized disease, limited data are available on the clinical behavior of patients with distant metastases.
• This study on 61 metastatic cases treated on two prospective European protocols confirms that the chances of survival of such patients are often dismal and a standard treatment is still lacking.

     

What is the impact of zinc deficiency for pancreatectomies in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma?

Backgroundand purpose: Zinc is an essential element for human health and plays an important role in metabolic, immunological and other biological processes. The present study was conducted to investigate the association between zinc deficiency (ZD) and the perioperative clinical course in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).MethodsOf 216 patients with PDAC who underwent elective pancreatectomy between 2013 and 2017 at our institution, 206 patients with sufficient clinical data were retrospectively reviewed. The perioperative variables were compared and the risk factors associated with infectious complications were identified.ResultsZD was preoperatively present in 36 (17.5%) of 206 patients with PDAC. In the patients of the ZD group, a higher proportion of males, higher preoperative modified Glasgow prognostic scores, a higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and a higher occurrence of postoperative infectious complications after pancreatectomy were observed, compared to the non-ZD group. By a univariate analysis, three risk factors were significantly associated with infectious complications after pancreatectomy: ZD (vs non-ZD: p = 0.002), serum albumin <3.5 g/dl (vs ≥ 3.5 g/dl: p = 0.005), and the procedure of pancreaticoduodenectomy (vs others: p = 0.013). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, the occurrence of infectious complications was significantly associated with ZD (OR 3.430, 95%CI 1.570 to 7.490, p = 0.002) and the procedure of pancreaticoduodenectomy (OR 2.030, 95%CI 1.090 to 3.770, p = 0.025).ConclusionsThe current study newly demonstrated that ZD could serve as a preoperative predictor of infectious complications after pancreatectomies in the patients with PDAC.     

“The median isn't the message”: How to communicate the uncertainties of survival prognoses to cancer patients in a realistic and hopeful way

This study investigated how doctors communicate the uncertainties of survival prognoses to patients recently diagnosed with life‐threatening cancer, and suggests ways to improve this communication. Two hundred thirty‐eight Norwegian oncologists and general practitioners (GPs) participated in Study 1. The study included both a scenario and a survey. The scenario asked participants to respond to a hypothetical patient who wanted to know how long (s)he could be expected to live. There were marked differences in responses within both groups, but few differences between the GPs and oncologists. There was a strong reluctance among doctors to provide patients with a prognosis. Even when they were presented with a statistically well‐founded right‐skewed survival curve, only a small minority provided hope by communicating the variation in survival time. In Study 2, 177 healthy students rated their preferences for different ways of receiving information regarding the uncertainty of a survival prognosis. Participants who received an explicitly described right‐skewed survival curve believed that they would feel more hopeful. These participants also obtained a more realistic understanding of the variation in survival than those who did not receive this information. Based on the findings of the two studies and on extant psychological research, the author suggests much‐needed guidelines for communicating survival prognoses in a realistic and optimistic way to patients recently diagnosed with life‐threatening cancer. In particular, the guidelines emphasise that the doctor explains the often strongly right‐skewed variation in survival time, and thereby providing the patient with realistic hope.     

血清SCC-Ag、CYFRA21-1及VEGF水平与宫颈癌临床病理特征及预后的关系

目的:探讨血清鳞状细胞癌抗原（SCC-Ag）、细胞角蛋白19片段抗原(CYFRA21-1)及血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）水平与宫颈癌临床病理特征及预后的关系。方法:选取2010年1月至2012年12月海南西部中心医院收治的146例宫颈癌患者、50例宫颈上皮内瘤病变（CIN）患者(CIN组)和50例正常健康女性(对照组)，比较各组血清SCC-Ag、CYFRA21-1及VEGF水平。分析宫颈癌患者血清SCC-Ag、CYFRA21-1及VEGF水平与临床病理特征的关系，采用Kaplan-Meier法分析不同临床病理特征患者生存率差异，多因素COX比例风险回归模型分析宫颈癌患者预后的影响因素。结果:宫颈癌组血清SCC-Ag、CYFRA21-1及VEGF水平均明显高于CIN组和对照组［SCCA（ng/ml）:9.04±2.35 vs 1.91±0.62和0.65±0.14；CYFRA21-1（ng/ml）:5.48±1.62 vs 0.92±0.43和0.64±0.25；VEGF（pg/ml）:326.42±48.15 vs 125.48±23.60和108.62±18.73，均P＜0.01］。血清SCC-Ag、CYFRA21-1及VEGF水平与宫颈癌患者的临床分期、病理分级、淋巴结转移、浸润深度及脉管浸润相关（P＜0.05）。单因素及多因素COX回归分析显示，临床分期［HR（95%CI）:2.016（1.512～2.915）］、淋巴结转移［HR（95%CI）:4.013（2.937～6.016）］、SCC-Ag［HR（95%CI）:2.972（2.106～4.618）］、CYFRA21-1［HR（95%CI）:1.704（1.335～2.519）］及VEGF［HR（95%CI）:2.116（1.685～3.164）］阳性表达是宫颈癌患者预后不良的危险因素。结论:宫颈癌患者血清SCC-Ag、CYFRA21-1及VEGF水平明显升高，SCC-Ag、CYFRA21-1及VEGF阳性表达是影响宫颈癌患者预后不良的危险因素。     

A retrospective alternative for active surveillance trials for ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast is a nonobligate precursor of invasive breast cancer, accounting for 20 % of screen-detected breast cancers. Little is known about the natural progression of DCIS because most patients undergo surgery upon diagnosis. Many DCIS patients are likely being overtreated, as it is believed that only around 50 % of DCIS will progress to invasive carcinoma. Robust prognostic markers for progression to invasive carcinoma are lacking. In the past, studies have investigated women who developed a recurrence after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and compared them with those who did not. However, where there is no recurrence, the patient has probably been adequately treated. The present narrative review advocates a new research strategy, wherein only those patients with a recurrence are studied. Approximately half of the recurrences are invasive cancers, and half are DCIS. So-called “recurrences” are probably most often the result of residual disease. The new approach allows us to ask: why did some residual DCIS evolve to invasive cancers and others not? This novel strategy compares the group of patients that developed in situ recurrence with the group of patients that developed invasive recurrence after BCS. The differences between these groups could then be used to develop a robust risk stratification tool. This tool should estimate the risk of synchronous and metachronous invasive carcinoma when DCIS is diagnosed in a biopsy. Identification of DCIS patients at low risk for developing invasive carcinoma will individualize future therapy and prevent overtreatment.     

CIP2A在子宫内膜样腺癌中的表达及临床意义

目的:探究蛋白磷酸酶2A(CIP2A)在子宫内膜样腺癌中的表达情况及临床意义。方法:选取2011年1月至2014年3月行手术切除并经病理证实的50例子宫内膜样腺癌(EAC)及同期行门诊刮宫术获取的40例正常增生期子宫内膜(NE)组织标本。应用RT-PCR、Western blot法检测EAC和NE组织中CIP2A mRNA及蛋白水平，免疫组化法检测CIP2A阳性表达情况。分析CIP2A在EAC和NE组织中的表达差异及与子宫内膜样腺癌临床病理特征的关系。采用Kaplan-Meier法分析CIP2A不同表达水平对患者预后生存的影响，通过COX分析预后独立危险因素。结果:免疫组化染色显示:CIP2A在子宫内膜样腺癌中呈高表达，阳性着色定位于细胞浆和细胞核中，EAC组织中CIP2A阳性表达率显著高于NE组织(P＜0.01)。RT-PCR和Western blot检测显示EAC组织中CIP2A mRNA及蛋白表达水平高于NE组织(P＜0.01)。CIP2A表达与EAC的组织学分级、FIGO分期、宫颈管受累情况、p53表达及Ki-67增殖指数有关（P＜0.05）。Kaplan-Meier法生存分析显示EAC患者5年无病生存率为92.0%、总生存率为88.0%；CIP2A表达、组织学分级、FIGO分期、肌层浸润深度、附件转移、脉管内癌栓及Ki-67增殖指数与患者预后不良相关（P＜0.05）。多因素分析显示，组织学分级、FIGO分期及脉管内癌栓是影响子宫内膜样腺癌患者预后生存的独立危险因素（P＜0.05）。结论:CIP2A在子宫内膜样腺癌中呈高表达，与患者总生存率下降相关，并非影响患者预后的独立危险因素。     

Over expression of brain and acute leukemia,cytoplasmic and ETS-related gene is associated with poor outcome in acute myeloid leukemia

The high expression of brain and acute leukemia, cytoplasmic (BAALC) and ETS-related gene (ERG) has been reported to influence the outcome in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but due to limited prospective studies, their role as prognostic factors is unclear. At diagnosis, the prognostic value of BAALC and ERG expression with respect to other cytogenetic and molecular markers was analyzed in 149 AML patients. Patients were divided into quartiles which resulted in the formation of four groups (G1–G4) based on expression values of BAALC and ERG and clinical response defined across groups. Groups with similar survival probabilities were merged together and categorized subsequently as high versus low expressers. Patients with high BAALC and ERG expression had significantly lower overall survival (OS; BAALC: p = 0.001 at 5 years 29.4% vs. 69.8%; ERG: p < 0.0001 at 5 years 4% vs. 50.4%) and disease-free survival (BAALC: p = 0.001 at 5 years 19.5% vs. 69.8%; ERG: p < 0.0001 at 5 years 4.2% vs. 47%). Patients were further stratified combining BAALC and ERG expression in an integrative prognostic risk score (IPRS). After a median follow-up of 54 months (95% CI 45–63 months) among survivors, IPRS for high versus low expressers was a significant predictor for OS (BAALC + ERG: 4% vs. 71.6%, p < 0.0001) and DFS (BAALC + ERG: 4.5% vs. 74.1%, p < 0.0001). In a multivariate model, IPRS of BAALC + ERG expression retained prognostic significance for OS (hazard ratio [HR] 2.96, 95%CI 1.91–4.59, p < 0.001) and DFS (HR 3.61, 95%CI 2.26–5.76, p < 0.001).     

Subtyping of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms – pitfalls of MUC1 immunohistochemistry

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are precursor lesions of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Current edition of WHO Classification of Tumors of the Digestive System recognizes four different subtypes (gastric, intestinal, pancreatobiliary, and oncocytic) and recommends analysis of mucin expression (MUC1, MUC2, MUC5AC, MUC6) as well as evaluation of architectural and cell differentiation patterns for correct classification. However, there is no consensus on MUC1 expression of IPMN‐lesions in the literature. Current recommendations are based on studies where antibodies against the core MUC1 protein or sialylated MUC1 (tumor associated MUC1), not the fully glycosylated MUC1 were used. We have recently reported that MUC1 is strongly expressed in both gastric and intestinal types IPMN specimens from the cystic wall, obtained by endoscopic ultrasound guided microbiopsy procedure. We have used a commercial MUC1 antibody, validated and recommended for diagnostic use, which recognizes fully glycosylated MUC1. Based on the above, we propose a revision of the WHO Classification, specifying that antibodies against tumor associated MUC1 should be used for IPMN subtyping.