Invasion characteristics and clinical significance of tumor-associated macrophages in gastrointestinal Krukenberg tumors

Colorectal Origin: A Marker of Favorable Outcome in Krukenberg Tumor? Results from Clinical and Prognostic Analysis

Purnima Thakur This study aimed to identify the prognostic factors affecting the survival of patients suffering from Krukenberg tumor (KT) and also to determine the survival in these patients. A retrospective review of patients diagnosed with KT between January 2015 and December 2021 was conducted at a tertiary cancer center. Clinicopathological variables were scrutinized, and survival analysis was performed. Thirty-six patients were enrolled in this study. The median age at diagnosis was 48 years (ranging from 22 to 71 years). The median overall survival (OS) was 9.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.6 to 13 months). The mean OS for tumors originating in the colorectal region was longer compared to that for tumors of other sites (15.4 vs. 9 months, respectively; p  = 0.048). In univariate analysis, patients who received chemotherapy had better survival, while those presenting with ascites had a poor prognosis. No correlation was observed between age, menstrual status, bilaterality, size of ovarian metastases, extent of metastatic disease, metastasectomy, and survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that chemotherapy predicted a favorable survival outcome (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.200, 95% CI: 0.046-0.877, p -value = 0.033). KT is an aggressive tumor with a median OS of less than a year. Chemotherapy may improve survival. Patients with a primary tumor in the colorectal region have a better outcome, while those presenting with ascites indicate a poor prognosis.

Krukenberg Tumour in a 34-Year-Old Female: A Case Report

A metastatic condition involving signet ring cells rich in mucin is the Krukenberg tumor, which affects the ovaries. Usually, the metastatic disease does not include both ovaries and usually originates from the stomach side, while it can also occur less frequently from other locations. Krukenberg tumors are uncommon in younger age groups and usually occur after the age of 40. We report a case of a 34-year-old female patient with a primary form of past medical history. The patient was treated with multiple rounds of chemotherapy.

Macrophage heterogeneity and its interactions with stromal cells in tumour microenvironment

Macrophages and tumour stroma cells account for the main cellular components in the tumour microenvironment (TME). Current advancements in single-cell analysis have revolutionized our understanding of macrophage diversity and macrophage-stroma interactions. Accordingly, this review describes new insight into tumour-associated macrophage (TAM) heterogeneity in terms of tumour type, phenotype, metabolism, and spatial distribution and presents the association between these factors and TAM functional states. Meanwhile, we focus on the immunomodulatory feature of TAMs and highlight the tumour-promoting effect of macrophage-tumour stroma interactions in the immunosuppressive TME. Finally, we summarize recent studies investigating macrophage-targeted therapy and discuss their therapeutic potential in improving immunotherapy by alleviating immunosuppression.