Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1: duodenopancreatic tumours

The pancreaticoduodenal disease in Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is the most frequent cause of death due to the syndrome, and the most controversial with regard to its management. This article discusses the current data and recommendations with respect to disease screening, functional tumour diagnosis, natural history, preoperative imaging, operative strategy and follow-up.     

Prognostic factors and evaluation of a clinical score for predicting survival after resection of colorectal liver metastases

Background: Patient outcome after resection of colorectal liver metastases can be predicted by various prognostic factors. Aims: Development of a model for risk stratification based on analysis of prognostic factors. Methods: Data of 201 patients were collected prospectively and included in a single‐centre trial. A total of 20 factors were analysed as to their influence on recurrence‐free and overall survival. Independent prognostic factors were entered into a model of a clinical risk score. Results: Median recurrence‐free survival reached 24 months for all patients; median overall survival was 50 months. Only a synchronous manifestation of primary colorectal carcinoma and liver metastases, the presence of four or more metastases and a carcino‐embryonic antigen level of 200 ng/ml or more significantly influenced recurrence‐free and overall survival in the multivariate analysis. The derived risk stratification grouped the patients according to the following criteria: low risk, zero prognostic factors (n=112); intermediate risk, one factor (n=74); high risk, two or more factors (n=15). The median recurrence‐free survival for low, intermediate and high risk were 30.0, 23.0 and 11.0 months, respectively; the median overall survival was 94.0, 40.0 and 33.0 months. Compared with the low‐risk group, patients with intermediate risk demonstrated an increased hazard ratio (HR) of 1.57‐fold for recurrence (P=0.018) and 1.91‐fold for mortality (P=0.007). For the high‐risk group, the HR rose significantly to 3.26 for recurrence (P<0.0005) and to 3.10 for mortality (P=0.001). Conclusions: The presented clinical score may allow for patients with colorectal liver metastases to be stratified appropriately and for optimization of their subsequent therapeutic management.     

Prognostic factors in the survival of patients with blood disorders recovering from septic shock

Background: Septic shock is one of the major direct causes of death in patients in hematology departments.

Objectives: The knowledge about clinical outcomes and factors associated with negative outcome in these patients can be important and useful for physicians to identify the patients who are most likely to benefit from ICU therapy.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed records of 214 episodes of septic shock in patients with different blood diseases hospitalized between 1998 and 2011 in the Department of Hematology, Oncology and Internal Medicine, the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.

Results: Direct survival with resolution of septic shock was 46%. Among these survivors, 75% continued to live at 30 days, 49% at 6 months, and 12% at 5 years after shock resolution. It was found that the most important prognostic factors for direct (short-term) mortality were multiorgan failure, lack of concordance of empiric antibiotic treatment with results of in vitro sensitivity testing, the Karnofsky score below 60%, presence of more than two comorbidities. Long-term prognosis (3-year follow-up) was affected by multiple factors with the most significant being Karnofsky score, higher organ failure score, hematologic disease relapse or resistance to treatment.

Discussion: Septic shock in patients with blood disorders treated in the hematology ward was associated with very high risk of mortality in all periods after its completion. However, although the results of treatment of septic shock in patients with blood diseases are poor, they were comparable to the results of treatment of septic shock in mixed populations treated in intensive care units.     

Prognostic factors in multiple myeloma in a population-based trial

Prognostic factors have been tested in patients with multiple myeloma treated according to a randomized trial of standard therapy versus 5-drug combination therapy. The following population-based study included 92 patients with a median age of 70 yr. The median survival was 31 months. The Cox regression model was used to search for predictors of survival. The cut-off levels for blood analyses derived in earlier studies tended to select few patients in the high-risk groups, for example only 8% of the patients had hemoglobin (Hb) less than or equal to 7.5 g/dl. Lytic bone lesions in the pelvis or in the long bones, or spontaneous fractures and age greater than 70 yr gave prognostic information in addition to anemia and impaired renal function. The MRC staging system was a better prognostic tool than the Durie & Salmon stages. Palliative treatment regimens which take quality of life into account should be considered carefully in multiple myeloma patients greater than 70 yr.     

Surgery for gastroenteropancreatic tumours in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1: review and personal experience

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) tumours develop from the pancreatic islets and from the endocrine cells of the duodenal and gastric mucosa. Even if GEP tumours have generally a benign course, a subgroup of them shows an aggressive behaviour and is a major cause of death amongst MEN1 patients. Diagnosis of insulinoma should lead promptly to pancreatic surgery. MEN1 gastrinomas are multiple and almost exclusively localized in the duodenum. Cure rate for Zollinger-Ellison syndrome in MEN1 is low when surgery is limited to tumour enucleation or full thickness duodenal wall resection. Conversely, pancreatoduodenectomy is followed by higher chance of cure. For nonfunctioning tumours exceeding 1 cm diameter in size a prompt treatment is recommended due to their high malignant potential. Gastroscopic surveillance is indicated for the frequent occurrence of multiple, small, type 2 fundic carcinoids. Endoscopic removal is possible for lesions growing in the mucosa-submucosa, but partial or even total gastrectomy is recommended for the small number of gastric carcinoids infiltrating the muscular layers.     

Prognostic factors for resection of isolated pulmonary metastases in breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Lung is a common organ of metastases in patients with primary breast cancer. Pulmonary metastasis of primary breast cancer is usually considered as a systemic disease, however, the systemic approaches have achieved little progress in terms of prolonging survival time. In contrast, some studies revealed a probable survival benefit of pulmonary metastasectomy for such patients. However, the prognostic factor for pulmonary metastasectomy in breast cancer patients is still a controversial issue. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies to assess the pooled 5-year overall survival (OS) rate and the prognostic factors for pulmonary metastasectomy from breast cancer.

Methods

An electronic search in MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE (via OVID), CENTRAL (via Cochrane Library), and Chinese BioMedical Literature Database (CBM) complemented by manual searches in article references were conducted to identify eligible studies. All cohort studies in which survival and/or prognostic factors for pulmonary metastasectomy from breast cancer were reported were included in the analysis. We calculated the pooled 5-year survival rates, identified the prognostic factors for OS and combined the hazard ratios (HRs) of the identified prognostic factors.

Results

Sixteen studies with a total of 1937 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled 5-year survival rates after pulmonary metastasectomy was 46% [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 43-49%]. The poor prognostic factors were disease-free interval (DFI) (<3 years) with HR =1.70 (95% CI: 1.37-2.10), resection of metastases (incomplete) with HR =2.06 (95% CI: 1.63-2.62), No. of pulmonary metastases (>1) with HR =1.31 (95% CI: 1.13-1.50) and the hormone receptor status of metastases (negative) with HR =2.30 (95% CI: 1.43-3.70).

Conclusions

Surgery with a relatively high 5-year OS rate after pulmonary metastasectomy (46%), may be a promising treatment for pulmonary metastases in the breast cancer patients with a good performance status and limited disease. The main poor prognostic factors were DFI (<3 years), resection of metastases (incomplete), No. of pulmonary metastasis (>1) and hormone receptor status of metastases (negative). And prospective randomized trials will be needed to address these issues in the future.     

Prognostic factors of patients after liver cancer surgery: Based on Surveillance,Epidemiology, and End Results database

This study aimed to investigate the prognostic factors of patients after liver cancer surgery and evaluate the predictive power of nomogram. Liver cancer patients with the history of surgery in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database between 2000 and 2016 were preliminary retrieved. Patients were divided into the survival group (n = 2120, survival ≥5 years) and the death group (n = 2615, survival < 5 years). Single-factor and multi-factor Cox regression were used for analyzing the risk factors of death in patients with liver cancer after surgery. Compared with single patients, married status was the protective factor for death in patients undergoing liver cancer surgery (HR = 0.757, 95%CI: 0.685–0.837, P < .001); the risk of death in Afro-Americans (HR = 1.300, 95%CI: 1.166–1.449, P < .001) was higher than that in Caucasians, while the occurrence of death in Asians (HR = 0.821, 95%CI: 0.1754–0.895, P < .0012) was lower; female patients had a lower incidence of death (HR = 0.875, 95%CI: 0.809–0.947, P < .001); grade II (HR = 1.167, 95%CI: 1.080–1.262, P < .001), III (HR = 1.580, 95%CI: 1.433–1.744, P < .001), and IV (HR = 1.419, 95%CI: 1.145–1.758, P = 0.001) were the risk factors for death in patients with liver cancer. The prognostic factors of liver cancer patients after surgery include the marital status, race, gender, age, grade of cancer and tumor size. The nomogram with good predictive ability can provide the prediction of 5-year survival for clinical development.     

Prognostic evaluation in multiple myeloma: an analysis of the impact of new prognostic factors

We have analysed the prognostic information for survival of presenting features in an unselected series of 394 myeloma patients. 15 variables with significant prognostic information were identified, among these were some not previously or only recently reported: serum levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of collagen I (ICTP) and soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R). In a multivariate Cox analysis six variables were significantly and independently associated with poor survival: high age, low W.H.O.-performance status (PS), high serum levels of calcium, beta-2-microglobulin (beta-2M), IL-6 and sIL-6R. A risk score formed to predict survival for each percentile of the patient population allowed an efficient separation of prognostic groups. The discriminating power of the model compared favourably with three other previously published staging systems applied to the study population. Exclusion of IL-6 and sIL-6R from the model only marginally decreased the efficacy of the separation. The predictive value of some variables (sIL-6R, beta-2M and W.H.O.-PS) decreased significantly over time. We conclude that formation of a risk score based on independent variables is an efficient way to separate prognostic groups, that the contribution of new and not easily available parameters should be thoroughly evaluated before inclusion in prognostic models for clinical use and that the predictive value of parameters may decrease over time.     

Bone metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma:clinical features and prognostic factors

BACKGROUND: Bone metastases (BMs) from hepatocellu-lar carcinoma (HCC) is an increasingly common disease in Asia. We assessed the clinical features, prognostic factors, and differences in outcomes related to BMs among patients with different treatments for HCC. METHODS: Forty-three consecutive patients who were diag-nosed with BMs from HCC between January 2010 and Decem-ber 2014 were retrospectively enrolled. The clinical features were identified, the impacts of prognostic factors on survival were statistically analyzed, and clinical data were compared. RESULTS: The median patient age was 54 years; 38 patients were male and 5 female. The most common site for BMs was the trunk (69.3%). BMs with extension to the soft tissue were found in 14 patients (32.5%). Most (90.7%) of the lesions were mixed osteolytic and osteoblastic, and most (69.8%) patients presented with multiple BMs. The median survival after BMs diagnosis was 11 months. In multivariate analyses, survival after BM diagnosis was correlated with Karnofsky perfor-mance status (P=0.008) and the Child-Pugh classification (P<0.001); BM-free survival was correlated with progression beyond the University of California San Francisco criteria (P<0.001) and treatment of primary tumors (P<0.001). BMs with extension to soft tissue were less common in liver trans-plantation patients. During metastasis, the control of intrahe-patic tumors was improved in liver transplantation and hepa-tectomy patients, compared to conservatively treated patients. CONCLUSIONS: The independent prognostic factors of surviv-al after diagnosis of BMs were the Karnofsky performance status and Child-Pugh classification. HCC patients developed BMs may also benefit from liver transplantation or hepatectomy.     

Prognostic factors for overall survival in patients with clear cell metastatic renal cell carcinoma: Model development and external validation with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center model and the international metastatic renal cell carcinoma database consortium model

To develop a new prognostic model for the overall survival of patients with clear cell metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) using Korean Renal Cancer Study Group (KRoCS) database and compared it with 2 renowned prognostic models: the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and the international metastatic renal cell carcinoma database consortium (IMDC) models.Data of 790 patients diagnosed with mRCC and receiving targeted therapy as their first-line treatment were pooled to this study. Data from 4 hospitals (n = 619) were used to develop the new model and those from other 5 hospitals (n = 171) were used for external validation. After detecting prognostic factors in multivariable Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis, patients were classified into 3 risk groups, favorable (0), intermediate (1–2), and poor (3 and more) by the number of prognostic factors.Seven variables such as more than 2 metastasis sites, no prior nephrectomy, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≥2, low hemoglobin, high serum corrected calcium, high neutrophil, high serum alkaline phosphatase were identified as prognostic factors for poor overall survival. Also, risk groups were categorized into 3 groups; median overall survival was 61.1 months in favorable, 26.5 months in intermediate, and 6.8 months in poor group. KRoCS ranked the first in all 3 statistical parameters including akaike information criterion (AIC), concordance index and generalized R² among other prognostic models.We developed the KRoCS model and validated it externally with demonstrating its superiority over MSKCC and IMDC models. The KRoCS model can provide useful information for counseling patients with clear cell mRCC regarding life-expectancy.     

75岁以上急性冠脉综合征患者近期预后因素分析

目的探讨预测75岁以上急性冠脉综合征患者30d内发生急性心血管事件的预后因素。方法选择2007年12月至2009年12月在广州医学院附属广州市第一人民医院老年科连续住院的75岁以上急性冠脉综合征患者共93例,根据就诊第30天内有无急性心血管事件发生分为事件组和无事件组,对两组患者临床特点及血清生化检测指标进行单因素分析和多因素Logistic回归分析,并对最终进入回归方程的指标进行相关性分析。结果 30d内共发生急性心血管事件27例(29.0%),事件组血清高敏C-反应蛋白[(12.16±11.24)mg/Lvs.(5.47±9.85)mg/L,P0.05]、空腹血糖[(7.67±3.96)mmol/Lvs.(5.75±1.48)mmol/L,P0.05]、心肌肌钙蛋白[(11.91±21.77)ng/Lvs.(2.07±7.02)ng/L,P0.05]浓度显著高于无事件组;多因素Logistic回归分析显示,血清高敏C-反应蛋白、空腹血糖、心肌肌钙蛋白浓度升高是75岁以上老年急性冠脉综合征近期发生心脏事件的独立危险因素;相关性分析显示,血清高敏C-反应蛋白、空腹血糖分别与心肌肌钙蛋白浓度呈显著正相关(r=0.474,P0.01;r=0.249,P0.01)。结论血清高敏C-反应蛋白、空腹血糖、心肌肌钙蛋白浓度升高是75岁以上老年急性冠脉综合征患者近期发生急性心脏事件的独立危险因素,联合检测可能对其临床预后具有更强的预测价值。     

非小细胞肺癌脑转移预后影响因素

目的探讨非小细胞肺癌脑转移的生存情况及预后影响因素。方法选取我院2014年6月至2018年12月确诊139例非小细胞肺癌脑转移患者,收集临床资料并随访生存时间。运用Kaplan-Meier法对每个临床因素的不同水平进行生存分析,Log-rank法进行生存曲线的比较。采用单因素、多因素分析方法来筛选非小细胞肺癌脑转移的预后影响因素。结果本研究139例患者中位生存时间为11.2个月,对症支持组、全脑放疗组、靶向治疗组、全脑放疗+靶向治疗组、全脑放疗+化疗+靶向治疗组分别为8.1个月、10.1个月、14.6个月、16.7个月、23.4个月。单因素分析显示病理类型、发生脑转移的时间、EGFR突变的状态、RPA分级以及治疗方式对非小细胞肺癌脑转移的发生有显著影响作用。多因素分析表明KPS评分、RPA分级、治疗方法、发生脑转移的时间及EGFR突变状态是影响生存期的独立预后因素。结论经积极治疗(化疗+全脑放疗+靶向治疗)脑转移瘤患者可以获得更长生存期,高KPS评分、RPA I级、异时性脑转移及EGFR敏感突变型是非小细胞肺癌脑转移的预后良好因素。     

Prognostic factors in lung cancer in a defined geographical area over two decades with a special emphasis on gender

Introduction: Many studies over recent decades report an increasing incidence of lung cancer in female patients. Female gender is often reported as a good prognostic factor. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate prognostic factors with a special emphasis on gender. Methods: During 1989–2008, 1497 patients in eastern Scania, a part of southern Sweden with 202 000 inhabitants, were referred to one Central Hospital and prospectively registered. All patients were grouped into four 5‐year periods and were analysed for occurrence of lung cancer, patient performance status, types and stages of lung cancer and the relation to gender. Results: The incidence of lung cancer more than doubled in women. The proportion of adenocarcinomas increased in females and in males to 57% (P = 0.028) and 42% (P = 0.001), respectively, while the frequency of small cell lung carcinomas (SCLCs) decreased in both genders to approximately 14%. Females had significantly more frequent stage 1 (16.6%) and higher surgery rate (23.1%) than males (12% and 18.2%, respectively). Females showed a higher 5‐year survival rate than males (20.1% and 11.5%, respectively; P < 0.001). Patients with non‐small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) had a higher 5‐year survival rate than those with SCLC (16.5% and 7.5%, respectively; P < 0.01); however, there was no significant survival difference in females between NSCLC and SCLC. Conclusion: Female patients exhibited longer survival than males for both NSCLC and SCLC, and this was not explained by a higher frequency of stage 1 or surgery in NSCLC. Please cite this paper as: Svensson G., Ewers S.‐B., Ohlsson O. and Olsson H. Prognostic factors in lung cancer in a defined geographical area over two decades with a special emphasis on gender. Clin Respir J 2013; 7: 91–100.     

Octreotide in control of multiple liver metastases from gastrinoma

The somatostatin analogue octreotide was effective in controlling systemic effects related to multiple liver metastases from a gastrinoma. A 61-year-old man underwent distal gastrectomy for gastrinoma in the duodenum, because a curative resection was not feasible due to metastases found in paraaortic lymph nodes during operation. Multiple liver metastases, associated with an increase in serum gastrin concentration, were found by magnetic resonance imaging 16 months after the operation. Although chemotherapy with dimethyltrizenoimidazole carboxamide was not effective, subcutaneous administration of octreotide was effective in controlling the growth of the liver metastases and in stabilizing serum gastrin. The patient now receives subcutaneous injections of octreotide, at 200µg a day, twice a week, as an outpatient.