HLA-inferred extended haplotype disparity level is more relevant than the level of HLA mismatch alone for the patients survival and GvHD in T cell-replate hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from unrelated donor

Serious risks in unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) including graft versus host disease (GvHD) and mortality are associated with HLA disparity between donor and recipient. The increased risks might be dependent on disparity in not-routinely-tested multiple polymorphisms in genetically dense MHC region, being organized in combinations of two extended MHC haplotypes (Ehp). We assessed the clinical role of donor-recipient Ehp disparity levels in N?=?889 patients by the population-based detection of HLA allele phase mismatch. We found increased GvHD incidences and mortality rates with increasing Ehp mismatch level even with the same HLA mismatch level. In multivariate analysis HLA mismatch levels were excluded from models and Ehp disparity level remained independent prognostic factor for high grade acute GvHD (p?=?0.000037, HR?=?10.68, 95%CI 5.50–32.5) and extended chronic GvHD (p?<?0.000001, HR?=?15.51, CI95% 5.36–44.8). In group with single HLA mismatch, patients with double Ehp disparity had worse 5-year overall survival (45% vs. 56%, p?=?0.00065, HR?=?4.05, CI95% 1.69–9.71) and non-relapse mortality (40% vs. 31%, p?=?0.00037, HR?=?5.63, CI95% 2.04–15.5) than patients with single Ehp disparity. We conclude that Ehp-linked factors contribute to the high morbidity and mortality in recipients given HLA-mismatched unrelated transplant and Ehp matching should be considered in clinical HSCT.     

胃癌HER-2表达与术后辅助化疗疗效的相关性分析

目的 通过总结胃癌术后辅助化疗病例及HER-2表达情况,探讨HER-2表达与胃癌术后辅助化疗疗效之间的相关性.方法 回顾性分析185例胃癌术后辅助化疗患者资料,总结其病理特点、HER-2表达状况及无疾病进展生存(DFS)、总生存(OS),分析HER-2与临床病理特点及DFS、OS的关系.结果 185例胃癌患者中,HER-2阴性141例,阳性44例,阳性率24％.HER-2基因的扩增与肿瘤部位、肿瘤的分化程度及远处转移部位相关,与年龄、性别、分期无关;HER-2阳性组中位DFS为9.1个月,中位OS为15.1个月,HER-2阴性组中位DFS为15.2个月,中位OS为25.5个月,HER-2阴性的患者较HER-2阳性的患者更能从术后辅助化疗中获益(P=0.046),并且生存期更长(P=0.01).结论 HER-2无扩增的患者可从术后辅助治疗中获益,DFS与OS均有延长.     

microRNA-195在食管鳞状上皮细胞癌中的表达及临床意义

目的：检测microRNA-195（miR-195）在食管鳞状上皮细胞癌组织中的表达水平,探讨其临床病理生理学意义。方法应用实时荧光聚合酶链反应法检测94例食管鳞状上皮细胞癌组织和配对癌旁正常组织中miR-195的表达水平,并分析miR-195表达水平与食管鳞状上皮细胞癌患者临床病理学特征及预后之间的关系。结果食管鳞状上皮细胞癌组织中miR-195不同程度低表达45例（47.9%）,正常表达39例（41.5%）,高表达10例（10.6%）。miR-195低表达者比例在有无淋巴结转移、不同TNM分期者中的差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）;miR-195表达水平与患者无瘤生存期显著相关,是食管鳞状上皮细胞癌患者预后的独立危险因素。结论 miR-195下调影响食管鳞状上皮细胞癌进展和患者预后,可能起着抑癌基因功能。     

Direct surgery with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for patients with colorectal peritoneal metastases

IntroductionNeoadjuvant chemotherapy is widely used in treatment of peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer, but there is little scientific evidence for this approach. This study aimed to study survival in patients treated with direct surgery with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC), i.e. without neoadjuvant chemotherapy.Material and methodsPatients with histopathologically confirmed peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer that underwent first-time CRS-HIPEC with complete cytoreduction (CC0 or 1) at Karolinska University Hospital 2012–2019 were included. Patients with synchronous extraperitoneal metastases were excluded if not treated before end of follow-up. Factors associated with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression models. The multivariable models were adjusted for sex, age, synchronous/metachronous peritoneal metastases, peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI), extraperitoneal metastases and the pathological tumor (T) and lymph node (N) stage of the primary tumor.ResultsIn all, 131 patients underwent complete CRS-HIPEC for peritoneal metastases without neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The median OS and DFS were 40.3 months and 12.5 months, respectively, in patients treated with direct surgery. In the multivariable model, PCI≥16 was the only variable associated with decreased OS, whereas elevated PCI, metachronous development of peritoneal metastases and synchronous extraperitoneal metastases were associated with decreased DFS. Age was not associated with an impaired prognosis.ConclusionPatients who underwent direct surgery with CRS-HIPEC had a good prognosis, with a median OS of more than 3 years. The results from this study question the need of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in all patients eligible for CRS-HIPEC.     

Extended breast cancer treatment with an aromatase inhibitor (Letrozole) after tamoxifen: Why,who and how long?

Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide, and the risk for disease recurrence continues despite improvements in screening and treatment and the use of prophylactic estrogen-inhibiting therapies such as tamoxifen. A number of long-term studies now indicate a significant risk for breast cancer recurrence among patients who have undergone the currently recommended five years of tamoxifen adjuvant therapy following successful treatment of their initial disease. This ongoing recurrence risk extends even to patients commonly considered at low risk for relapse, that is, those with low-grade, small tumors, and/or node-negative disease. Treatment with tamoxifen for more than five years appears detrimental rather than beneficial and, therefore, tamoxifen is not indicated for use beyond the initial five years. Endometrial cancer and thromboembolism are among the serious adverse events that have been observed with long-term tamoxifen treatment. The aromatase inhibitors are able to reduce overall estrogen levels and appear to be better tolerated over a long term. Letrozole is the most potent aromatase inhibitor and has been available in Europe since 1996 and in the United States since 1997. Letrozole has been approved for first-line treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive or hormone-receptor-unknown, advanced or metastatic breast cancer in the United States and Europe, as well as for neoadjuvant treatment (primary systemic therapy) of early breast cancer prior to surgery in many countries. The results of the pivotal MA-17 trial demonstrate that letrozole is unique in its ability to improve disease-free survival in breast cancer patients who have undergone tamoxifen therapy for five years. The MA-17 results indicate that extended adjuvant therapy with letrozole reduces risk of recurrence in this setting by 42%, reduces risk of distant recurrence (metastasis), and may improve patient survival in the node-positive patient population. The results also show letrozole to be well tolerated and safe over the length of follow-up. The trial outcomes have led to the approval of letrozole for the extended adjuvant indication in more than 40 countries worldwide. Re-randomization of letrozole-treated patients from this pivotal trial is underway to investigate if ten years of extended adjuvant endocrine therapy leads to further improvement, and the results of this extension study should aid in resolving several open questions regarding extended adjuvant therapy, including who should be treated and for how long.     

Therapeutic options for recurrent malignant glioma

Background and purpose: Despite the given advances in neuro-oncology most patients with high grade malignant glioma ultimately fail locally or locoregionally. In parallel with improvements of initial treatment options, several salvage strategies have been elucidated and already entered clinical practice. Aim of this article is to review the current status of salvage strategies in recurrent high grade glioma. Material and methods: Using the following MESH headings and combinations of these terms the pubmed database was searched: “Glioma”, “Recurrence”, “Neoplasm Recurrence, Local”, “Radiosurgery”, “Brachytherapy”, “Neurosurgical Procedures” and “Drug Therapy”. For citation crosscheck the ISI web of science database was used employing the same search terms. In parallel, the abstracts of ASCO 2008-2009 were analyzed accordingly. Results: Currently the following options for salvage entered clinical practice: re-resection, re-irradiation (stereotactic radiosurgery, (hypo-)fractionated (stereotactic) radiotherapy, interstitial brachytherapy) or single/poly-chemotherapy schedules including new dose-intensified or alternative treatment protocols employing targeted drugs. Re-operation is associated with high morbidity and mortality, however, is an option in a highly selected patient cohort. Since toxicity has been overestimated, re-irradiation is an increasingly used option with precise fractionated radiotherapy being the most optimal technique. On average, time to secondary progression is in the range of several months. Conventional chemotherapy regimens also improve time to secondary progression; however the efficacy is only modest and treatment-related toxicities like myelo-suppression occur very frequently. Molecular targeted agents/kinases are undergoing clinical testing; however no final recommendations can be made. Conclusions: Currently, several re-treatment options with only modest efficacy exist. The relative value of each approach compared to other options is unknown as well as it remains open which sequence of modalities should be chosen.