Renin and electrolytes indicate the mineralocorticoid activity of fludrocortisone: a 6 year study in primary adrenal insufficiency

CONTEXT

Fludrocortisone (FC) is the mineralocorticoid (MC) replacement treatment for patients with primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI).

OBJECTIVE

To explore the dose of FC treatment and its relationship with glucocorticoid therapy, sodium, potassium, renin and clinical parameters.

SETTING

Monocentric cohort.

PATIENTS

Data of 193 patients with PAI (130 autoimmune) were collected during baseline (T0), intermediate (T1) and last follow-up visit (T2, respectively, after a mean of 38 and 72 months).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Utility of endocrine and clinical parameters to titrate FC dose.

RESULTS

FC dose (50-75 μg/daily) was stable in the follow-up in half patients. The MC activity of FC was dose-dependent: we observed a reduced but significant positive linear correlation between FC dose and sodium (r = 0.132) and negative linear correlation between FC and potassium (r = - 0.162) or renin (r = - 0.131, all p < 0.01). An overall reduction in the FC dose was observed at T2 in the group with longer follow-up (> 60 months, p < 0.05). Higher doses of FC were observed in patients with low-normal renin, especially in autoimmune PAI (86 vs 65 μg/daily, p < 0.05). On the contrary, reduced sodium and increased potassium levels were observed in patients with high renin at T2. The number of cardiovascular events (15 in the whole cohort) was similar in patients sorted by renin levels or FC dose.

CONCLUSIONS

Renin and electrolytes can indicate the MC activity of FC treatment: they should be routinely evaluated and used to titrate its dose that can be reduced in the long-term follow-up.

Metastatic pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas: where are we?

Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) can metastasize in approximately 15-20% of cases. This review discusses the available evidence on the biology and treatment of metastatic PPGLs. Chemotherapy is the first-line treatment option for this evolving and symptomatic disease. In patients with high MIBG uptake and positive PETGa-68, radiometabolic treatment may be considered. The efficacy of sunitinib has been shown in observational studies, and pembrolizumab has been evaluated in phase II clinical studies, while other agents investigated in this setting are anti-angiogenic drugs cabozantinib, dovitinib, axitinib and lenvatinib. As these agents' efficacy and safety data, alone or in combination, are scant and based on few treated patients, enrollment in clinical trials is mandatory. Future therapeutic options may be represented by DNA repair system inhibitors (such as olaparib), HIF2 inhibitors and immunotherapy.

Impact of Diabetes and Metformin Use on Enteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: Post Hoc Analysis of the CLARINET Study

The prognostic role of diabetes mellitus (DM) in advanced enteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is unclear. Progression free survival (PFS) was assessed in post-hoc analyses of the 96-week, phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled CLARINET study of lanreotide 120 mg in patients with advanced non-functional enteropancreatic NETs with DM (with/without metformin) and without DM. Of 204 patients, there were 79 with DM (lanreotide, n = 42 {metformin, n = 14}; placebo, n = 37 {metformin, n = 10}) and 125 without DM (lanreotide, n = 59; placebo, n = 66). Median PFS was 96.0 and 98.0 weeks with and without DM, respectively (hazard ratio 1.20 {95% confidence interval 0.79 to 1.82}; p = 0.380). No difference in PFS was observed in lanreotide-treated patients with/without DM (p = 0.8476). In the placebo group, median PFS was numerically shorter with versus without DM (p = 0.052) and was significantly longer in patients with DM and metformin (85.7 weeks) versus without metformin (38.7 weeks; p = 0.009). Multivariable Cox analyses showed that DM at baseline was not associated with PFS (p = 0.079); lanreotide was significantly associated with lower disease progression risk (p = 0.017). Lanreotide efficacy was confirmed in patients with advanced enteropancreatic NETs, regardless of diabetic status; DM was not a negative prognostic factor. A potential antitumor effect of metformin was observed in patients receiving placebo.

Prognostic role of hematologic parameters of metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with sunitinib

BACKGROUND

Hemochrome parameters at the diagnosis of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) and the development of macrocytosis during sunitinib therapy are considered prognostic.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prognostic role of hematologic parameters and macrocytosis in mRCC treated with sunitinib.

METHODS

We analyzed clinical data of 100 patients with mRCC treated with sunitinib as first-line therapy in a retrospective multicenter study. We calculated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) at baseline and erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume (MCV) during therapy. We considered the following cutoffs: NLR >3, PLR >150, LMR <3, and MCV >100 fl. Clinical data histology, prior nephrectomy, Fuhrman grading, metastatic sites, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center score, and Heng score were collected. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated. Univariate and multivariate analysis using Cox regression model with time-dependent (macrocytosis) covariate were applied.

RESULTS

At the univariate analysis, low LMR was associated with shorter PFS and OS (p = 0.02 and p = 0.06, respectively). High PLR was associated with worse PFS (p = 0.005); median OS was 23 vs 28 months (p = 0.13). At the multivariate analysis, poor risk (Heng score), low LMR, and high PLR were associated with shorter PFS (hazard ratio 7.1, 1.5, and 2, respectively); poor PS and poor risk (Heng score) were related to worst OS. Macrocytosis was observed in 26 patients and was not prognostic of survival.

CONCLUSIONS

In our cohort of patients with mRCC treated with sunitinib, low LMR (>3) and high PLR (>150) were associated with shorter PFS. Macrocytosis was not prognostic.

Case Report: Exceptional Response to Avelumab After Failure of Electrochemotherapy in a Patient With Rapidly Progressive, PD-L1-Negative Merkel Cell Carcinoma

This case report shows, for the first time, a patient experiencing a complete response after one dose of avelumab following extensive disease progression with prior electrochemotherapy (ECT) treatment. We suggest that ECT may help to establish a tumor microenvironment favorable to immunotherapy. Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a highly aggressive skin cancer with seldom durable chemotherapy responses. ECT has recently emerged as a potential treatment option for several malignancies, including MCC. Avelumab, an anti-programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) monoclonal antibody, became the first approved treatment for patients with metastatic MCC. ECT has been shown to activate the immune response, but it is still unknown how ECT may affect patient’s response to subsequent immunotherapy. We report a case of a patient with MCC who presented with a rapidly growing skin nodule of the right cheek and experienced extensive disease progression following surgical debulking and ECT treatment. The patient received a flat dose of 800 mg avelumab intravenously every 2 weeks showing complete tumor regression after only one dose. Immunohistochemical analysis of surgical and post-ECT biopsies collected from the primary lesion revealed tumor expression of programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1), but not PD-L1. Analysis of the tumor samples also revealed no expression of Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV). Comparison of the biopsies showed a decrease in myeloid and T-cell markers after ECT but an increase in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I expression on tumor cells. Additionally, the patient experienced an increase in neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and lactate dehydrogenase values post-ECT, which subsequently decreased with avelumab treatment. As of 30 October 2019, the patient was still receiving avelumab treatment and had an ongoing complete response. In this case report, a patient with PD-L1-negative and MCPyV-negative MCC who had disease progression following ECT experienced complete tumor regression with avelumab treatment, suggesting, for the first time to our knowledge, that ECT may help to establish a tumor microenvironment favorable to immunotherapy via a potential abscopal effect. Tumor-intrinsic PD-1 expression and modulation of MHC class I antigens after ECT may contribute to the clinical efficacy of avelumab in this context.

European Cancer Organisation Essential Requirements for Quality Cancer Care (ERQCC): Pancreatic Cancer

European Cancer Organisation Essential Requirements for Quality Cancer Care (ERQCC) are written by experts representing all disciplines involved in cancer care in Europe. They give patients, health professionals, managers and policymakers a guide to essential care throughout the patient journey. Pancreatic cancer is an increasing cause of cancer mortality and has wide variation in treatment and care in Europe. It is a major healthcare burden and has complex diagnosis and treatment challenges. Care must be carried out only in pancreatic cancer units or centres that have a core multidisciplinary team (MDT) and an extended team of health professionals detailed here. Such units are far from universal in European countries. To meet European aspirations for comprehensive cancer control, healthcare organisations must consider the requirements in this paper, paying particular attention to multidisciplinarity and patient-centred pathways from diagnosis, to treatment, to survivorship.

Second primary neoplasms in patients with lung and gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms: Data from a retrospective multi-centric study

BACKGROUND

Patients with sporadic neuroendocrine neoplasms may exhibit a higher risk of a second primary tumor than the general population.

AIM

This study aimed to analyze the occurrence of second primary malignancies.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort of 2757 patients with sporadic lung and gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms, managed at eight Italian tertiary referral Centers, was included.

RESULTS

Between 2000 and 2019, a second primary malignancy was observed in 271 (9.8%) neuroendocrine neoplasms patients with 32 developing a third tumor. There were 135 (49.8%) females and the median age was 64 years. The most frequent locations of the second tumors were breast (18.8%), prostate (12.5%), colon (9.6%), blood tumors (8.5%), and lung (7.7%). The second primary tumor was synchronous in 19.2% of cases, metachronous in 43.2%, and previous in 37.6%. As concerned the neuroendocrine neoplasms, the 5- and 10-year survival rates were 87.8% and 74.4%, respectively. PFS for patients with a second primary malignancy was shorter than for patients without a second primary malignancy. Death was mainly related to neuroendocrine neoplasms.

CONCLUSION

In NEN patients the prevalence of second primary malignancies was not negligible, suggesting a possible neoplastic susceptibility. Overall survival was not affected by the occurrence of a second primary malignancy.

Recent Advances in the Management of Typical and Atypical Lung Carcinoids

Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the lung represent about 20% to 30% of all neuroendocrine tumors. On the basis of clinical and pathologic characteristics, 2 different categories of tumors may be defined: poorly differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms, characterized by a high rate of recurrences and poor prognosis, and well-differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms (typical carcinoids and atypical carcinoids), which generally display an indolent course. Lung carcinoids represent only 1% to 5% of all lung malignancies, but their incidence has significantly increased over the past 30 years. Surgery is the reference standard of treatment for lung carcinoids with locoregional disease. For advanced or unresectable lung carcinoids, several therapeutic options are available, but the choice should be shared within a multidisciplinary team to ensure optimal therapeutic outcomes. We describe the current management of these rare neoplasms.

Systemic Treatment of Patients With Gastrointestinal Cancers During the COVID-19 Outbreak: COVID-19-adapted Recommendations of the National Cancer Institute of Milan

The current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak poses a major challenge in the treatment decision-making of patients with cancer, who may be at higher risk of developing a severe and deadly SARS-CoV-2 infection compared with the general population. The health care emergency is forcing the reshaping of the daily assessment between risks and benefits expected from the administration of immune-suppressive and potentially toxic treatments. To guide our clinical decisions at the National Cancer Institute of Milan (Lombardy region, the epicenter of the outbreak in Italy), we formulated Coronavirus-adapted institutional recommendations for the systemic treatment of patients with gastrointestinal cancers. Here, we describe how our daily clinical practice has changed due to the pandemic outbreak, with the aim of providing useful suggestions for physicians that are facing the same challenges worldwide.

One size does not fit all for pancreatic cancers: A review on rare histologies and therapeutic approaches

Exocrine pancreatic neoplasms represent up to 95% of pancreatic cancers (PCs) and are widely recognized among the most lethal solid cancers, with a very poor 5-year survival rate of 5%-10%. The remaining < 5% of PCs are neuroendocrine tumors that are usually characterized by a better prognosis, with a median overall survival of 3.6 years. The most common type of PC is pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which accounts for roughly 85% of all exocrine PCs. However up to 10% of exocrine PCs have rare histotypes, which are still poorly understood. These subtypes can be distinguished from PDAC in terms of pathology, imaging, clinical presentation and prognosis. Additionally, due to their rarity, any knowledge regarding these specific histotypes is mostly based on case reports and a small series of retrospective analyses. Therefore, treatment strategies are generally deduced from those used for PDAC, even if these patients are often excluded or not clearly represented in clinical trials for PDAC. For these reasons, it is essential to collect as much information as possible on the management of PC, as assimilating it with PDAC may lead to the potential mistreatment of these patients. Here, we report the most significant literature regarding the epidemiology, typical presentation, possible treatment strategies, and prognosis of the most relevant histotypes among rare PCs.

Differential Diagnosis and Management of Diarrhea in Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors

Diarrhea is a recurrent symptom in patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and can represent different etiologies; thus, differential diagnosis is challenging. This paper distinguishes the different causes of chronic diarrhea in patients with gastroenteropancreatic NETs, with the aim to identify the most appropriate therapeutic approach. Underlying causes of diarrhea can be multifactorial, including not only diarrhea that is related to specific hormonal hypersecretory syndromes, but also diarrhea that is secondary to the following: extensive surgery which can cause pancreatic exocrine insufficiency or short bowel syndrome, treatment with somatostatin analogs or other antineoplastic agents, and bile acid malabsorption. After initial management of diarrhea with general treatments (dietary modification, use of antidiarrheals), a proper differential diagnosis is necessary to treat patients with specific etiology-driven therapeutic approaches, such as somatostatin analogs, pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, and tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitors. In conclusion, NETs should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients suffering from chronic diarrhea, after the exclusion of more common etiologies. Furthermore, physicians should keep in mind that several different etiologies might be responsible for diarrhea occurrence in NET patients. A prompt diagnosis of the actual cause of diarrhea is necessary to guide the treatment and a multidisciplinary approach is mandatory.

The potential role of metformin in the treatment of patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: a review of preclinical to clinical evidence

The incidence of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (panNETs) has increased worldwide in the last two decades. Given the indolent nature of these tumors, several patients are diagnosed with metastatic disease, which partially impairs the long-term efficacy of currently available treatments and reduces survival rates. The search for new therapeutic strategies for cancer patients has pushed towards the retrospective analysis of studies involving patients who concomitantly received other drugs together with standard anticancer agents. In this light, several retrospective analyses have shown that metformin use is associated with improved prognosis in patients with different tumor types treated with standard antitumor agents. Metformin, the cornerstone oral agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, plays a role in modulating glucose cell metabolism. Its potential ability to interfere with tumors may derive from the tight relationship between metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells and tumor progression. Indications for metformin use as an anticancer drug result from pre-clinical and clinical observations. In particular, metformin use in diabetic patients with advanced panNETs has been associated with better progression-free survival in patients treated with somatostatin analogues with or without metformin.

Combined use of albumin and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as new prognostic and predictive factor in patients with poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas

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Background: Outcomes of patients affected by advanced neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC) with Ki-67 labeling index > 55% are heterogeneous regardless of the primary tumor site. We explored baseline inflammatory indexes and serum albumin levels to identify markers of response to standard first line chemotherapy. Methods: We retrospectively identified patients with advanced NEC treated with cisplatin (CP) or carboplatin (CB) and etoposide between 2015 and 2019 at the National Cancer Institute of Milan. Linear and Cox regressions were used to investigate, respectively, numeric and time-to-event outcomes. Maximization of log-rank statistics was used for optimal cutoffs finding. An artificial intelligence algorithm, random forest, was used to rank the impact of different clinical features on OS and PFS. Results: A total of 81 consecutive patients with different primary tumors (53 small cell lung carcinoma, 12 large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, 10 gastrointestinal neuroendocrine carcinoma and 6 Merkel cell carcinoma) either treated with CP (n = 39) or CB (n = 42) were analyzed. Overall response rate (ORR), median progression free survival (PFS) and median overall survival (OS) were, respectively, 50.6%, 5.5 months (m) and 9.1m. Considered together, high serum albumin (SA > 3.5 g/dl) and low neutrophile-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR < 3.59) identified a group of patients (n = 42) with longer median PFS and OS compared to the rest of the cohort (8.3m vs 1.5m, HR 3.58, CI 2.14-6.02, p < 0.001 for PFS and 12.6m vs 4.4m, HR 3.11, CI 1.88-5.18, p < 0.001 for OS); within this group a higher ORR (74% vs 36%, OR 5.01, CI 1.83-14.64, p = 0.002) was observed. Two multivariate models showed statistically significant associations of SA and NLR with PFS ( p = 0.017 and p = 0.005) and OS ( p = 0.016 and p = 0.036), independent of baseline ECOG performance status, age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, stage, hepatic tumor burden, primary site, histology, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) serum levels, type of platinating agent and number of cycles. Two random forest models ranked SA, NLR and LDH as the most important factors for PFS and OS prediction. Conclusions: In the setting of advanced NEC with Ki-67 > 55% the combined use of SA and NLR identified two groups of patients with remarkably different outcomes, suggesting that these serum markers at baseline may have prognostic implications and be predictive of response to platinating agents. Prospective studies should validate these preliminary findings.

Nonconventional Doses of Somatostatin Analogs in Patients With Progressing Well-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumor

PURPOSE

To evaluate the antiproliferative activity and safety of nonconventional high doses of somatostatin analogs (HD-SSA) in patients with well-differentiated gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine tumors (NET) with radiological disease progression according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria on a previous treatment.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of prospectively maintained databases from 13 Italian NET-dedicated centers was performed. Main inclusion criteria were: well-differentiated G1 or G2 GEP-NET, progressive disease on a previous treatment, and subsequent treatment with HD-SSA (either by increased administered dose [dose intensity] or shortened interval between administrations [dose density]). Main endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and safety.

RESULTS

Of 198 patients, 140 matched inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Overall, median PFS was 31 months. Use of HD-SSA as second-line treatment was associated with reduced risk for progression or death compared with third- or further-line treatment (HR: 2.12; P = 0.004). There was no difference in PFS between HD-SSA by increased dose density (N = 133; 95%) or intensity (N = 7; 5%). Partial response according to RECIST criteria was observed in 12 patients (8.6%), and stable disease was achieved in 106 (75.7%) patients. Adverse events occurred in 21 patients (15.0%), 2 of whom had grade 3 biliary stone disease. No patients discontinued HD-SSA treatment due to adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

HD-SSA is an active and safe treatment option in patients with progressive well-differentiated GEP-NET. The high rate of objective responses observed deserves prospective validation in ad hoc clinical trials.

On-target Toxicities Predictive of Survival in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (mRCC) Treated With Sunitinib: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND

Preliminary studies suggested that selected drug-related toxicities of sunitinib may correlate with a better prognosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From January 2006 through December 2015, we retrospectively analyzed data of 145 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with sunitinib as a first-line therapy in 7 different Italian oncology departments. Hypertension, hypothyroidism, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, and anemia were evaluated. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated. OS and PFS were compared in patients who developed and who did not develop a drug-related toxicity. A multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model was performed.

RESULTS

We evaluated 145 patients (92 males; median age, 70 years); 105 (62.4%) patients experienced at least 1 toxicity: 66 (45.5%) patients developed hypothyroidism, 41 (28.3%) thrombocytopenia, 39 (26.9%) hypertension that required medical therapy, 22 (15.2%) anemia, and 11 (7.6%) neutropenia. The median PFS of patients who developed hypertension was 12 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 9-21 months) versus 9 months (95% CI, 7-12 months) in patients who did not develop toxicity; the median OS was 36 months (95% CI, 22 months to not reached) versus 26 months (95% CI, 18-34 months). For neutropenia, the median PFS was 17.5 months (95% CI, 9-65 months) versus 10 months (95% CI, 8-12 months); the median OS was 23 months (95% CI, 13 months to not reached) versus 28 months (95% CI, 22-35 months). At univariate and multivariate analysis, we observed a protective effect of hypertension and neutropenia on tumor progression (hazard ratio, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.28-0.78 and hazard ratio, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.09-0.76, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Many patients developed toxicities during treatment with sunitinib; hypertension and neutropenia were related to longer PFS in our cohort.

Treatment of Advanced Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Current Therapeutic Options and Novel Immunotherapy Approaches

Advanced Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a very aggressive, rare neuroendocrine tumor of the skin with a high frequency of locoregional recurrence and metastasis, and a high mortality rate. Surgical resection, sentinel lymph node biopsy, and radiotherapy represent the gold standard of treatment in patients with localized disease, while chemotherapy has a significant role in the treatment of advanced disease. However, no definitive evidence on the survival impact of radiotherapy in the advanced stages has been provided to date, and response to chemotherapy remains brief in the majority of cases, indicating an urgent need for alternative approaches. Biological and genome sequencing studies have implicated multiple molecular pathways in MCC, thus leading to the development of new agents that target angiogenic factors, anti-apoptosis molecules, poly-ADP ribose polymerase, intracellular signal proteins such as the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, and peptide receptors such as somatostatin receptors. More recently, immunotherapy agents such as avelumab, pembrolizumab, and nivolumab, which act by blocking the programmed cell-death (PD)-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint, have shown promising results, especially in the advanced setting, and should now be considered standard of care for metastatic MCC. Current research is focusing on developing new immunotherapeutic strategies, identifying predictive biomarker to aid in the selection of patients responsive to immunotherapy, and defining combination approaches to increase efficacy in refractory patients.

Somatostatin analogs in association with peptide receptor radionucleotide therapy in advanced well-differentiated NETs

Aim: Data from 69 well-differentiated gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors treated with peptide receptor radionucleotide therapy + somatostatin analogs (SSAs) after SSA treatment failure were evaluated. Methods: We identified two groups: S1 - patients who kept the same SSA treatment beyond progression; S2 - patients who switched the SSA with another SSA after progression. Results: Median progression-free survival was 53 and 127 months in S1 and S2, respectively (p = 0.001; hazard ratio: 0.31; 95% CI: 0.15-0.63). Median overall survival was 69 versus 150 months in S1 and S2, respectively (p = 0.004; hazard ratio: 0.32; 95% CI: 0.14-0.71). Conclusion: In patients with advanced well-differentiated gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors treated with peptide receptor radionucleotide therapy plus SSA after SSA failure, the 'switch' strategy of SSA after progression improve progression-free survival and overall survival.

Exploiting DNA repair alterations in metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPAC): Is MGMT methylation a new therapeutic target?

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Background: Metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPAC) has a poor prognosis, with few therapeutic options and an overall survival (OS) at 5 years < 5%. O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase ( MGMT) is a key DNA repair gene, responsible of alkyl groups’ elimination from the O6-position of guanine. Its promoter methylation results in diminished DNA-repair of O6-alkylguanine adducts and enhanced sensitivity to alkylating agents, such as temozolomide (TMZ). Of note, both reductions in MGMT expression and MGMT promoter methylation are described in a variety of gastrointestinal malignancies, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Here we present data on MGMT methylation tested in mPAC pts treated at our center. Methods: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples were examined using Next Generation Sequencing (50 genes “Hotspot Cancer Panel, Ion Torrent®” and “Oncomine BRCA Research Assay”) and PCR analysis of microsatellite instability (MSI). Furthermore, the exploratory analysis of MGMT status was performed via methyl specific PCR (EZ DNA Methylation-Gold™ KIT) to assess promoter methylation, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) was done to assess protein expression. Results: Archived FFPE tissue sections obtained from 60 pts treated at Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori of Milan from October 2017 to December 2018 were analyzed. 47 samples (78%) had adequate tissue for extended analyses. As expected, 44 (93%) pts had KRAS mutations, while ATM, CDKN2A mutations and microsatellite instability (MSI) were found in 3 pts (6%), respectively. MGMT promoter methylation was identified in 14 pts (29%), with low/negative MGMT protein expression in 7 (14%). Interestingly, amongst MGMT methylated pts, there were 3 (21%) BRCA1/2 somatic mutant and 1 (7%) MSI, suggesting possible genomic instability. Conclusions: MGMT is a prognostic and predictive marker in glioblastomas and there is an increasing evidence in its role in metastatic CRC, with phase II studies showing a response rate of 10% in chemorefractory pts with MGMT methylation treated with TMZ. In our single center experience, MGMT methylation was found in 29% of patients with mPAC. This data warrant further prospective confirmation, but there is definitely a growing interest in the role of MGMT methylation as a predictive and prognostic biomarker in mPAC.

A novel subpopulation of circulating tumor cells in patients with cholangiocarcinoma

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Background: In cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), molecular analysis during disease progression is rarely feasible due to low access to tissue. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) could overcome this issue. Data on CTCs in CCA are presently insufficient to promote their use in clinical management due to their low detection rates. Improved methods to capture all CTC subpopulation are therefore needed. Methods: Peripheral blood (PB) was longitudinally collected from patients with metastatic/unresectable CCA (intrahepatic, extrahepatic and gallbladder). CTCs were enriched from PB (10mL) with Parsortix, labeled for epithelial and leukocyte markers, and analyzed in the DEPArray to collect i) single CTCs positive for epithelial markers (eCTC) and ii) single double negative cells (DNC) lacking epithelial and leukocyte markers. DNCs underwent WGA and low-pass WGS to detect copy number alterations. DNCs with aberrant genotype were defined as non-conventional CTCs (ncCTCs). Results: Forty-one blood samples were collected from 21 patients receiving gemcitabine and/or platinum-based regimens. We detected 18 eCTCs and 73 ncCTCs, respectively in 8/41 (19%, median number = 1.5, range 1-5) and 31/41 (76%, median number = 2, range 1-7) samples. By considering also ncCTCs, CTC-positivity increased by 4.4-fold (83% of CTC+ samples). All untreated patients were CTC+, and CTC- samples (n = 7) were collected only on-treatment. In 18 patients, the detection of eCTCs ( ≥1eCTC/10mL blood) at baseline was associated with a shorter overall survival than in eCTC- patients (7.0 vs 19 months, p = 0.03). CTC count fluctuations during treatment mirrored patient response. Indeed, in responding patients CTCs were not detectable. In some patients, CTC counts were more informative on treatment outcome than imaging and Ca19.9 levels. Conclusions: We developed a new single-cell protocol to detect two distinct CTC subpopulations (eCTC and ncCTC) in patients with CCA. Baseline eCTCs detected by our method inform prognosis whereas ncCTCs provide hints on treatment response. The possibility to collect and molecularly characterize CTC from all patients with our protocol, opens the way to future treatment planning based on CTC molecular asset.

Comparative Effectiveness of Gemcitabine plus Nab-Paclitaxel and FOLFIRINOX in the First-Line Setting of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (GEM-NAB) and the combination of 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan (FOLFIRINOX) are valid first-line options for advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC). However, no randomized trials comparing the two schemes have been performed. This meta-analysis aims to compare GEM-NAB and FOLFIRINOX in terms of safety and effectiveness, taking into account data from real-life studies on mPC. We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane library up to November 2018 to identify retrospective or cohort studies on mPC comparing GEM-NAB and FOLFIRINOX. We included 16 retrospective studies, including 3813 patients (2123 treated with GEM-NAB and 1690 treated with FOLFIRINOX). Despite a median weighted overall survival (OS) difference in favor of FOLFIRINOX (mean difference: 1.15, 95% confidence interval CI 0.08–2.22, p = 0.03), in whole population OS was similar (hazard ratio (HR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.84–1.16; p = 0.9). PFS was also not different between the two arms (HR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.71–1.1; p = 0.26). The overall response rate was similar (25 vs. 24% with GEM-NAB and FOLFIRINOX). Among grade 3–4 toxicities, neutropenia, febrile neutropenia, and nausea were lower with GEM-NAB, while neurotoxicity and anemia were lower with FOLFIRINOX. In conclusion, despite a numerically longer median OS with FOLFIRINOX as compared to GEM-NAB, the overall risk of death and progression were similar. Their toxicity was different with less nausea, neutropenia, and febrile neutropenia with GEM-NAB, as compared to less neurotoxicity and anemia with FOLFIRINOX. Therefore, analysis of non-randomized “real world” studies to date has not provided evidence of a major benefit of one regimen over the other.

Adjuvant radiotherapy for Merkel cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive cutaneous malignancy with a high propensity for local recurrence and regional and distant metastases. The main treatment is surgery with narrow excision margins and draining nodes, plus or minus adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) on the surgical bed and/or lymph nodes. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the benefits of adjuvant RT in MCC treatment. PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched to identify relevant studies published before September 2018. Prospective trials and retrospective series comparing adjuvant RT vs. no RT in resected primary MCCs were included. Primary endpoint was to evaluate the outcomes of MCC patients who received adjuvant RT in term of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Hazard ratios (HRs) for OS and DFS were aggregated according to a fixed or random effect model. Secondary endpoints were local, locoregional, and distant DFS. A total of 17,179 MCCs across 29 studies were analysed. There was a significant difference in OS between the RT and no RT arms (HR = 0.81, 95%CI 0.75-0.86, P < 0.001). There was also a significant difference in DFS in favour of adjuvant RT (HR = 0.45, 95%CI 0.32-0.62, P < 0.001). Adjuvant RT improved locoregional DFS and local DFS but not distant DFS (HR = 0.3, 95%CI 0.22-0.42; HR = 0.21, 95%CI 0.14-0.33, and HR = 0.79, 95%CI 0.49-1.14, respectively). Meta-regression analysis showed that high Newcastle-Ottawa scale scores, stage I-II MCCs, shorter follow-up durations, size >2 cm, and being of a younger age were associated with increased OS. This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests a survival and DFS benefit for postoperative radiation of MCCs. Intermediate stage MCCs derive the maximum benefit with local and regional relapses reduced by 80% and 70%, respectively. Conversely, distant metastases were not significantly prevented.

The role of automated cytometry in the new era of cancer immunotherapy

The introduction in the clinical practice of several new approaches to cancer immunotherapy has greatly increased the interest in analytical methodologies that can define the immunological profile of patients in the clinical setting. This requires huge effort to obtain reliable monitoring tools that could be used to improve the patient's clinical outcome. The clinical applications of flow cytometry (FCM) in oncology started with the measurement of DNA content for the evaluation of both ploidy and cell cycle profile as potential prognostic parameters in the majority of human solid cancer types. The availability of monoclonal antibodies widely broadened the spectrum of clinical applications of this technique, which rapidly became a fundamental tool for the diagnosis and prognosis of malignant hematological diseases. Among the emerging clinical applications of FCM, the study of minimal residual disease in hematological malignancies, the quantification of blood dendritic cells in various types of tumors, the study of metastatic spread in solid tumors throughout both the analysis of circulating endothelial progenitor cells and the identification and characterization of circulating tumor cells, all appear very promising. More recently, an advanced single cell analysis technique has been developed that combines the precision of mass spectrometry with the unique advantages of FCM. This approach, termed mass cytometry, utilizes antibodies conjugated to heavy metal ions for the analysis of cellular proteins by a mass spectrometer. It provides measurement of over 100 simultaneous cellular parameters in a single sample and has evolved from a promising technology to a high recognized platform for multi-dimensional single-cell analysis. Should a careful standardization of the analytical procedures be reached, both FCM and mass cytometry could effectively become ideal tools for the optimization of new immunotherapeutic approaches in cancer patients.

Validation of ICTERUS, a Knowledge-based Expert System for Jaundice Diagnosis

The study aimed to describe an example of the assessment and validation of knowledge-based clinical expert systems. The paper focuses on ICTERUS, an expert system for jaundice diagnosis. It describes system design, the methodology applied for upgrading and validating the program, and the most important outcomes of the validation procedure. The clinical validation of the system on a very large European database (Euricterus Project) shows that diagnostic conclusions are reliable in about 70% of eligible cases. This figure appears acceptable for a system which provides decision support only on the basis of clinical data, assuming that the final decision is achieved under user responsibility. Expected biases, limitations and inconsistencies in the practical application of the system are discussed.

Synchronous Presentation of Hepatoid Alpha-Fetoprotein-Producing Lung Cancer and Colorectal Adenocarcinoma

We describe the synchronous presentation of hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the lung and colorectal adenocarcinoma in a patient with elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) serum levels. Our patient was treated after surgery with a conventional chemotherapy regimen including bevacizumab, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibody, which was demonstrated to improve the clinical results in the treatment of colorectal and lung cancer compared with chemotherapy alone, and is today approved both for colon and lung cancer.

Besides the unconventional association of the two cancer types in our patient and the unsatisfactory clinical benefit obtained with the medical treatment administered, we report on the significance of AFP serum levels as a tumor marker in this peculiar situation. In our patient these levels, monitored from the first clinical symptoms through the last chemotherapy course, did not show any correlation with the response to treatment or with the patient's overall outcome. In particular, the serum marker remained essentially unchanged after the surgical removal of the lung mass and the subsequent chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy to induce T-cell subpopulation changes in advanced breast cancer patients

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Background: Recent data suggest that some anti-cancer agents may generate a stimulation of the immune system that can account for additional clinical responses. In breast cancer (BC) the immunomodulation via chemotherapy (CT) opens possible clinical applications, but: a) the variability in the immune response requires a careful pt selection and b) monitoring immunocompetence in clinical routine still represents a technical challenge.Changes in sub-populations of cytotoxic (CD8+) T-cells (as reported in aging) are not well documented in cancer pts. Methods: We utilized multi-color immunophenotyping by flow cytometry (FCM) using a high-resolution whole-blood assay in 39 pts (median age 53; 34 - 74 yrs) with advanced BC undergoing first-line, standard-dose anthracycline/taxane-based CT and in 12 older healthy women, during a 6-months study, to analyze variations in CD8+ T-cells and the effects of CT on different T-cell sub-populations. Results: In all BC pts there was a consistent decrease in absolute numbers of lymphocytes, T-cells and CD8+ T-cells, starting from the first course and persisting during all the CT program. Among the T-cells, there was a lower CD8-/CD8+ ratio, persisting over 6 months, in pts compared to controls. The proportion of CD28-CD57+ cells also remained higher among pts throughout the sampling duration. The number of CD28+CD57- and CD28-CD5- cells decreased faster during CT than CD28+CD57+ and CD28-CD57+ cells, while only CD28-CD57- cells showed a significant reconstitutive capacity after 6 months.Anti-tumor CT in BC pts can produce clinical benefits also by restoring the responsiveness of T cells and by increasing the frequency and activation of tumor specific T-cells already present in blood before CT. Conclusions: Anthracycline/taxane-based CT is able to elicit changes in the pts immune system. These changes appeared to be pronounced in BC pts, with senescent CD8+ T-cells playing an important role. The pre-treatment condition was not restored after 6 months of CT. Multi-parameter FCM is a powerful tool for detailed analysis of the immune dysfunctions during CT and it will also help the development of combined schedules of CT plus new immunotherapeutic agents.

Use of procalcitonin in clinical oncology: a literature review

The use of procalcitonin (PCT) as an early marker of infectious episodes in cancer patients is still controversial. We performed a MEDLINE search of peer-reviewed articles published between January 1990 and December 2015, and finally we analysed 15 articles. PCT seems to have a good diagnostic value of infectious episodes in cancer patients and its accuracy seems greater if we consider major events, such as bloodstream infections and sepsis. Serial evaluations of this protein seem to be more accurate in the diagnostic phase and useful to predict outcome and response to antibacterial treatment. On the other hand, some issues have yet to be solved, such as the use of a validated method of determination, the definition of a standard cut-off, and the heterogeneity among different settings of patients (e.g. early versus advanced-stage cancer, or haematological versus solid tumours). However, it is credible to think that PCT use in everyday clinical practice, preferably in combination with other clinical or laboratory tests, might be of help in finding and detecting early infectious complications in cancer patients.

Flow cytometric analysis of circulating endothelial cells and endothelial progenitors for clinical purposes in oncology: A critical evaluation

Malignant tumors are characterized by uncontrolled cell growth and metastatic spread, with a pivotal importance of the phenomenon of angiogenesis. For this reason, research has focused on the development of agents targeting the vascular component of the tumor microenvironment and regulating the angiogenic switch. As a result, the therapeutic inhibition of angiogenesis has become an important component of anticancer treatment, however, its utility is partly limited by the lack of an established methodology to assess its efficacy in vivo. Circulating endothelial cells (CECs), which are rare in healthy subjects and significantly increased in different tumor types, represent a promising tool for monitoring the tumor clinical outcome and the treatment response. A cell population circulating into the blood also able to form endothelial colonies in vitro and to promote vasculogenesis is represented by endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). The number of both of these cell types is extremely low and they cannot be identified using a single marker, therefore, in absence of a definite consensus on their phenotype, require discrimination using combinations of antigens. Multiparameter flow cytometry (FCM) is ideal for rapid processing of high numbers of cells per second and is commonly utilized to quantify CECs and EPCs, however, remains technically challenging since there is as yet no standardized protocol for the identification and enumeration of these rare events. Methodology in studies on CECs and/or EPCs as clinical biomarkers in oncology is heterogeneous and data have been obtained from different studies leading to conflicting conclusions. The present review presented a critical review of the issues that limit the comparability of results of the most significant studies employing FCM for CEC and/or EPC detection in patients with cancer.

3D Silicon Microstructures: A New Tool for Evaluating Biological Aggressiveness of Tumor Cells

In this work, silicon micromachined structures (SMS), consisting of arrays of 3- μ m-thick silicon walls separated by 50- μm-deep, 5- μ m-wide gaps, were applied to investigate the behavior of eight tumor cell lines, with different origins and biological aggressiveness, in a three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment. Several cell culture experiments were performed on 3D-SMS and cells grown on silicon were stained for fluorescence microscopy analyses. Most of the tumor cell lines recognized in the literature as highly aggressive (OVCAR-5, A375, MDA-MB-231, and RPMI-7951) exhibited a great ability to enter and colonize the narrow deep gaps of the SMS, whereas less aggressive cell lines (OVCAR-3, Capan-1, MCF7, and NCI-H2126) demonstrated less penetration capability and tended to remain on top of the SMS. Quantitative image analyses of several fluorescence microscopy fields of silicon samples were performed for automatic cell recognition and count, in order to quantify the fraction of cells inside the gaps, with respect to the total number of cells in the examined field. Our results show that higher fractions of cells in the gaps are obtained with more aggressive cell lines, thus supporting in a quantitative way the observation that the behavior of tumor cells on the 3D-SMS depends on their aggressiveness level.

Neutrophil CD64 expression: a reliable diagnostic marker of infection in advanced cancer patients?

Infection and sepsis are major health problems in cancer patients. There is a need for the identification and validation of biomarkers to improve their early diagnosis and treatment. Emerging evidence showed that neutrophil CD64 is a highly sensitive and specific marker for systemic infection and sepsis in critically ill patients with various diseases but data on patients bearing solid tumors are still lacking. Using a dedicated flow cytometric assay we evaluated neutrophil CD64 expression in patients with advanced cancer without active infections to verify if it could be utilized as a reliable biomarker of early infections also in oncologic patients.

Circulating endothelial cells and their subpopulations: role as predictive biomarkers in antiangiogenic therapy for colorectal cancer

Several anticancer therapies have been developed to block angiogenesis, a key mechanism in tumor growth and metastasis. The predominantly cytostatic action of these compounds makes an assessment of their clinical activities inadequate if based only on the reduction of the tumor dimensions, as this may not reflect their true biologic efficacy. Thus, it is crucial to identify biomarkers that permit the recognition of potentially responsive subjects and to spare toxicity in those who are unlikely to benefit from treatment. Circulating endothelial cells (CECs) have been recently indicated as potential surrogate biomarkers of angiogenesis in several types of cancer. The possibility of rapidly quantifying these cells represents a promising tool for monitoring the clinical outcome of tumors with the potential to assess response to various treatments. However, the identification and quantification of CECs is technically difficult and not well standardized. A variety of methods to detect CECs in patients with solid tumors have been used; these are based on different technical approaches, combinations of surface markers, sample handling, and staining protocols. With an expanding interest in the field of potential clinical applications for CECs in oncology, the development of standardized protocols for analysis is mandatory. The aim of this review was to critically summarize the available data concerning the clinical value of CECs and their subpopulations as biomarkers of antiangiogenic therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Diabetes and cancer: A critical appraisal of the pathogenetic and therapeutic links

Diabetes and cancer represent two common, multifactorial, chronic and potentially fatal diseases, not infrequently co-diagnosed in the same patient. Epidemiological data demonstrate significant increases of the cancer incidence in patients with obesity and diabetes, which is more evident for certain site-specific cancers. Although there is increasing evidence that strongly indicates an augmented risk of cancer in diabetic patients, several confounding factors complicate the ability to precisely assess the risk. Mainly in insulin-resistant states (such as in type 2 diabetes mellitus and in metabolic syndrome), direct associations between obesity-related hyperinsulinemia and increasing circulating insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels have been implicated as key factors in the mechanisms involved in carcinogenesis. Whilst anti-diabetic drugs can increase the cancer risk, anti-proliferative drugs may cause diabetes or aggravate pre-existing diabetes. Additionally, an increasing number of targeted anti-cancer therapies may interfere with the pathways shared by IGF-1 and insulin receptors, showing a adverse effect on glucose metabolism through various mechanisms. Although there is a requirement for large-scale randomized evidence, the present review summarizes the majority of the epidemiological association studies between diabetes and various types of cancer, discussing the pathophysiological mechanisms that may be involved in promoting carcinogenesis in diabetes and the potential impact of different anti-diabetic therapies on cancer risk.

Late-onset sarcoidosis in a patient with gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue non-Hodgkin lymphoma: A case report

The simultaneous presence of hematological malignancies and sarcoidosis, defined as sarcoidosis-lymphoma syndrome, has been reported in 79 patients in the literature to date. The majority of these patients were affected by sarcoidosis and developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma or acute leukemia after 1–2 years; however, in <20 cases the malignancy developed first. This report presents the case of an 83-year-old male with a clinical history of Helicobacter pylori-positive gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. The patient developed sarcoidosis 10 years after the first diagnosis, which caused the diagnostic work-up and differential diagnosis between a lymphoma relapse and de novo sarcoidosis to be challenging.

Chemotherapy-associated thrombosis in cancer outpatients: Risk factors and decision making of a prophylactic approach

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Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), is a negative predictor of survival in pts with advanced cancer. International guidelines don’t recommend routine prophlaxis but suggest to consider pts, undergoing chemotherapy (CT), with high risk of VTE. Many clinical risk factors for cancer-associated VTE have been evaluated in a 5 parameter-based (body mass index, platelet and leucocyte counts, hemoglobin value and tumor site) scoring system, the Khorana score, utilized to indicate a prophylactic approach. We prospectively applied this score in cancer outpts beginning CT and an implementation based on 6 addictional factors analysis (sex, age, central venous catheter, CT-agents, antiangiogenetic drugs, erithropoiesis stimulating agent) to evaluate their impact in pts assignment into risk groups. Methods: We studied adult pts, followed at our Department from August 2011 to December 2012, with advanced cancers (breast, NSCLC, colorectal, pancreatic/gastric, urogenital, LNH, Hodgkin's disease, HD, and MM), receiving a first or second line standard CT. We stratified pts into three risk groups (score 0= low; score 1-2=intermediate; score 3-4-5=high) considering both the Khorana scoring system and its implementation. Results: We analyzed 169 pts (103F/66M, median age 62.3, range 35-80 yrs), pt population included: 38 breast, 32 colorectal, 31 LNH, HD and MM, 27 urogenital, 22 NSCLC and 19 pancreatic/gastric. With the Khorana score 49 pts were assigned to the low risk, 87 pts to the intermediate risk (57 with score=1, 28 with score=2), 16 pts (9.4%) to the high risk group (9 with score=3, 4 with score=4, 3 with score=5). When we considered 11 parameters 37 pts (21.8%) were assigned to the high risk group. Conclusions: A more comprehensive quantification of VTE risk, also considering new independent factors, is mandatory for a correct decision making of an antithrombotic-prophylactic approach.

Synchronous presentation of hepatoid alpha-fetoprotein-producing lung cancer and colorectal adenocarcinoma

We describe the synchronous presentation of hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the lung and colorectal adenocarcinoma in a patient with elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) serum levels. Our patient was treated after surgery with a conventional chemotherapy regimen including bevacizumab, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibody, which was demonstrated to improve the clinical results in the treatment of colorectal and lung cancer compared with chemotherapy alone, and is today approved both for colon and lung cancer. Besides the unconventional association of the two cancer types in our patient and the unsatisfactory clinical benefit obtained with the medical treatment administered, we report on the significance of AFP serum levels as a tumor marker in this peculiar situation. In our patient these levels, monitored from the first clinical symptoms through the last chemotherapy course, did not show any correlation with the response to treatment or with the patient's overall outcome. In particular, the serum marker remained essentially unchanged after the surgical removal of the lung mass and the subsequent chemotherapy.

Genotypes and haplotypes in the 3' untranslated region of the HLA-G gene and their association with clinical outcome of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for beta-thalassemia

Polymorphisms in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of HLA-G, an important player in immunological tolerance, could be involved in post-transcriptional expression control, and their association with different clinical immune-related conditions including autoimmunity and transplantation is of mounting interest. Most studies have focused on a 14 base pair (bp) insertion/deletion (ins/del), while additional single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the HLA-G 3'UTR have been described but not extensively investigated for their clinical relevance. Here we have comparatively studied the association between 3'UTR haplotypes of HLA-G, or the 14 bp ins/del, with clinical outcome of HLA-identical sibling hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in 147 Middle Eastern beta-thalassemia patients. Sequence based typing of 3'UTR HLA-G polymorphisms in the patients and in 102 healthy Italian blood donors showed strong linkage disequilibrium between the 14 bp ins/del and five 3'UTR SNPs, which together could be arranged into eight distinct haplotypes based on expectation-maximization studies, with four predominant haplotypes (UTRs1-4). After HSCT, we found a moderate though not significant association between the presence of UTR-2 in double dose and protection from acute graft versus host disease (hazard ratio (HR) 0.45, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.14-1.45; P = 0.18), an effect that was also seen when the corresponding 14 bp ins/ins genotype was considered alone (HR 0.42, 95% CI: 0.16-1.06; P = 0.07). No association was found with rejection or survival. Taken together, our data show that there is no apparent added value of considering entire 3'UTR HLA-G haplotypes for risk prediction after allogeneic HSCT for beta-thalassemia.

Isolation of rare circulating tumor cells in cancer patients: technical aspects and clinical implications

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may be detected in the blood of patients with epithelial tumors using different analytical approaches. The relative number of CTCs is low and they include a heterogeneous population of cells with diverse biological and molecular characteristics, often different from those of the respective primary tumor. Until recently, they have been difficult to detect and, even though discordant results have been reported when different methods of detection were used, they may provide prognostic and predictive information. Several antibody- or molecular-based CTC detection methods have been developed, offering hope for individualized risk assessment by utilizing CTCs as biomarkers of disease progression and drug response. Pilot studies have also shown that by utilizing methods that permit, besides enumeration, a molecular characterization of CTCs, one could better identify high-risk patients, predict response to targeted therapies, analyze gene expression profiles (in order to identify new potential drug targets) and increase our knowledge of the metastatic process. In this article we review the techniques currently utilized for isolation and characterization of CTCs and we discuss their potential utility in clinical oncology focusing on the future perspectives in this field.