Long-term survivor of relapsed MFH on the thigh treated with autologous formalin-fixed tumor vaccine (AFTV) combined with limb-sparing surgery and radiotherapy

Successful monotherapy with autologous formalin-fixed tumor vaccine for a Stage IV uterine cancer patient who rejected rational chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment

Key Clinical Message

To overcome patient-initiated treatment refusal because of fear of experiencing severe negative adverse events, mild immunotherapy using a cancer vaccine such as the autologous formalin-fixed tumor vaccine should be considered.

Abstract

A patient who refused chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment for Stage IV uterine cancer after displaying circulating tumor cells and high microsatellite instability received monotherapy with autologous formalin-fixed tumor vaccine (AFTV). Following treatment, we observed regression of multiple lung metastases, suggesting that AFTV is an attractive treatment option.

Spinal sarcomas and immunity: An undervalued relationship

Sarcomas, especially spine sarcomas, are rare yet debilitating and are underestimated types of cancer. Treatment options for spine sarcomas are limited to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgical intervention. Accumulating evidence suggests a complex course associated with the treatment of spine sarcomas as compared to other soft tissue sarcomas in the extremities since adjuvant therapy adds limited success to the oncological outcome. Likewise, the limitations of surgical interventions imposed by the proximity and high sensitivity of the spinal cord, leads to an increased recurrence and mortality rates associated with spine sarcomas. Finding novel treatment options to spine sarcomas as such is inevitable, necessitating a more thorough understanding of the different mechanisms of the underlying etiologies of these tumors. In this review, we discuss the most recent studies tackling the involvement of the immune system; a key player in the emergence of the different types of spine sarcomas and the promising immune-mediated targeted therapy that can be applied in these kind of rare cancers.

Rate of Clinical Complete Response for 1 Year or More in Bone-Metastatic Breast Cancer after Comprehensive Treatments including Autologous Formalin-Fixed Tumor Vaccine

Introduction

No effective treatment has been developed for bone-metastatic breast cancer. We found 3 cases with clinical complete response (cCR) of the bone metastasis and longer overall survival of the retrospectively examined cohort treated comprehensively including autologous formalin-fixed tumor vaccine (AFTV).

Patients and Methods

AFTV was prepared individually for each patient from their own formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded breast cancer tissues.

Results

Three patients maintained cCR status of the bone metastasis for 17 months or more. Rate of cCR for 1 year or more appeared to be 15% (3/20) after comprehensive treatments including AFTV. The median overall survival time (60.0 months) and the 3- to 8-year survival rates after diagnosis of bone metastasis were greater than those of historical control cohorts in Japan (1988-2002) and in the nationwide population-based cohort study of Denmark (1999-2007).

Conclusion

Bone-metastatic breast cancer may be curable after comprehensive treatments including AFTV, although larger scale clinical trial is required.

Recurrent peritoneal serous carcinoma that was unmanageable with paclitaxel-carboplatin therapy responded to autologous formalin-fixed tumor vaccine

Paclitaxel-carboplatin therapy (TC) usually controls primary peritoneal serous carcinoma (PPSC) but not recurrent disease. In this case, PPSC recurred after three courses of TC, responded dramatically to additional autologous formalin-fixed tumor vaccine (AFTV), and resulted in prolonged, progression-free survival without visible lesions detected by positron emission tomography-computed tomography.

Surgical management of giant secondary malignant fibrous histiocytoma following radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A case report and literature review

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is rare in the chest wall, particularly in patients who have undergone radiotherapy for primary nasopharyngeal cancer. In the present study, a case of MFH of the upper chest wall that appeared four years after initial radiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx is reported. Furthermore, two-step surgical management was successfully performed consisting of i) tumor-reductive excision and ii) limb salvage surgery, including wide resection of the tumor mass, defect reconstruction of the chest wall using left latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap and dermatoplasty of the flap-supplied region. The progress of the clinical characteristics, the reasons for radiation-induced carcinogenesis, the treatment options and the prognostic factors of MFH are also reviewed. Finally, the importance of prevention and follow-up of this malignancy are highlighted and specific advice is offered.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma/undifferentiated high-grade pleomorphic sarcoma of the maxillary sinus: report of a case and review of the literature

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) also known as undifferentiated high-grade pleomorphic sarcoma (UHPS) is a soft tissue sarcoma, composed of undifferentiated mesenchymal tumors possessed fibrohistiocytic morphology without definite true histiocytic differentiation. Head and neck localization is very rare, showing an incidence ranging from 4 % to 10 % in different series of investigations. The most frequent involved sites in UHPS are the neck and parotid, followed by the scalp, face, anterior skull base and orbit. Upper aerodigestive tract, lateral skull base and ear are rare locations. The incidence of the lymphatic metastases is also rare. The aim of this article is to report a case of UHPS in the maxillary sinus with palatal, orbital and ethmoidal involvement, with lymphatic metastasis and its surgical treatment. In addition, we review the literature of similar cases of the past 12 years.