Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Systemic Therapies in Loco-Regional Treatments for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Are We at the Dawn of a New Era?

Despite maximizing techniques and patient selection, liver resection and ablation for HCC are still associated with high rates of recurrence. To date, HCC is the only cancer with no proven adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy used in association to potentially curative treatment. Perioperative combination treatments are urgently needed to reduce recurrence rates and improve overall survival. Immunotherapy has demonstrated encouraging results in the setting of adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatments for non-hepatic malignancies. Conclusive data are not yet available in the context of liver neoplasms. However, growing evidence suggests that immunotherapy, and in particular immune checkpoint inhibitors, could represent the cornerstone of an epochal change in the treatment of HCC, improving recurrence rates and overall survival through combination treatments. Furthermore, the identification of predictive biomarkers of treatment response could drive the management of HCC into the era of a precision medicine. The purpose of this review is to analyze the state of the art in the setting of adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapies for HCC in association with loco-regional treatments in patients not eligible for liver transplantation and to hypothesize future scenarios.

Sodium-Glucose Co-Transporters Family: Current Evidence, Clinical Applications and Perspectives

Sodium-glucose co-transporters (SGLTs) family members are involved in several vital biological functions. Except for SGLT3, they are involved in the mechanisms of active transport of sodium and glucose and several micromolecules. The discovery of functions and mechanisms of SGLT1 inhibition and, in particular, of SGLT2 has radically changed the natural history of some pathologies. SGLT2 inhibitors have revolutionized the therapeutic approach not only of type 2 diabetes mellitus but also of heart failure and chronic kidney failure. Considering the role played by the other SGLTs and the functions still unknown to date, clinical implications of the inhibition of SGLT2 could represent the prelude for a wider modulation of these cotransporters. A better understanding of the role and function of SGLTs could represent a revolution in the therapeutic approach in the hepatological, metabolic, neurological and oncological fields. The purpose of this review is to illustrate the knowledge currently available on SGLTs, its clinical implications and future perspectives.

HBV Infection and Host Interactions: The Role in Viral Persistence and Oncogenesis

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major cause of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite the advent of vaccines and potent antiviral agents able to suppress viral replication, recovery from chronic HBV infection is still an extremely difficult goal to achieve. Complex interactions between virus and host are responsible for HBV persistence and the risk of oncogenesis. Through multiple pathways, HBV is able to silence both innate and adaptive immunological responses and become out of control. Furthermore, the integration of the viral genome into that of the host and the production of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) represent reservoirs of viral persistence and account for the difficult eradication of the infection. An adequate knowledge of the virus-host interaction mechanisms responsible for viral persistence and the risk of hepatocarcinogenesis is necessary for the development of functional cures for chronic HBV infection. The purpose of this review is, therefore, to analyze how interactions between HBV and host concur in the mechanisms of infection, persistence, and oncogenesis and what are the implications and the therapeutic perspectives that follow.

Mortality and risk factors of vaccinated and unvaccinated COVID-19 frail patients treated with anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies. A real-world study

BACKGROUND

There is a scarcity of data on outcomes and predictors of therapeutic failure of mAbs in frail COVID-19 patients.

METHODS

Prospective study including consecutive COVID-19 outpatients referred by primary care physicians for mAbs treatment. Outcomes evaluated were 60-day mortality, time to SARS-CoV-2 clearance, need for hospitalization, and O₂-therapy.

RESULTS

Among 1026 COVID-19 patients enrolled, 60.2% received casirivamab/imdevimab and 39.8% sotrivimab. Median age was 63 years, 52.4% were males and median time from positive nasopharyngeal swab to mAbs administration was 3 days [IQR, 2-5]. 78.1% were vaccinated. Overall, 60-day mortality was 2.14%. No differences in outcomes were observed between the two mAbs used. No difference was observed in mortality between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients (p=0.925), although lower rate of hospitalization (p<0.005), less need for O₂-therapy (p<0.0001) and reduced nasopharyngeal swab negativity time (p<0.0001) were observed in vaccinated. Early administration of mAbs was associated with lower mortality (p<0.007), while corticosteroid use worsened prognosis (p<0.004). Independent predictors associated with higher mortality were older age (p<0.0001), presence of active haematological malignancies (p<0.0001), renal failure (p<0.041) and need for O₂-therapy (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

This study shows similar effectiveness among mAbs used regardless of vaccination status and identifies COVID-19 patients in whom mAbs have poor activity.

Predictors of early and late hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent liver neoplasm, and its incidence rates are constantly increasing. Despite the availability of potentially curative treatments (liver transplantation, surgical resection, thermal ablation), long-term outcomes are affected by a high recurrence rate (up to 70% of cases 5 years after treatment). HCC recurrence within 2 years of treatment is defined as “early” and is generally caused by the occult intrahepatic spread of the primary neoplasm and related to the tumor burden. A recurrence that occurs after 2 years of treatment is defined as “late” and is related to de novo HCC, independent of the primary neoplasm. Early HCC recurrence has a significantly poorer prognosis and outcome than late recurrence. Different pathogenesis corresponds to different predictors of the risk of early or late recurrence. An adequate knowledge of predictive factors and recurrence risk stratification guides the therapeutic strategy and post-treatment surveillance. Patients at high risk of HCC recurrence should be referred to treatments with the lowest recurrence rate and when standardized to combined or adjuvant therapy regimens. This review aimed to expose the recurrence predictors and examine the differences between predictors of early and late recurrence.

Impact of chronic liver disease on SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes: Roles of stage, etiology and vaccination

Since the first identification in December of 2019 and the fast spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, it has represented a dramatic global public health concern. Though affecting mainly the respiratory system, SARS-CoV-2 disease, defined as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), may have a systemic involvement leading to multiple organ dysfunction. Experimental evidence about the SARS-CoV-2 tropism for the liver and the increasing of hepatic cytolysis enzymes during infection support the presence of a pathophysiological relationship between liver and SARS-CoV-2. On the other side, patients with chronic liver disease have been demonstrated to have a poor prognosis with COVID-19. In particular, patients with liver cirrhosis appear extremely vulnerable to infection. Moreover, the etiology of liver disease and the vaccination status could affect the COVID-19 outcomes. This review analyzes the impact of the disease stage and the related causes on morbidity and mortality, clinical outcomes during SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as the efficacy of vaccination in patients with chronic liver disease.

214 THE IMPACT OF ARRHYTHMIA ON PROGNOSIS IN HOSPITALIZED COVID-19 PATIENTS. A CARDIAC TELEMETRIC MONITORING STUDY

Background

Cardiovascular abnormalities have been largely reported in patients with COVID-19. Among these, myocardial injury and rhythm disorders represent one of the most important complications in patients affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Moreover, a poorer prognosis has been documented in COVID-19 patients when complicated by arrhythmias, independently by age and sex.

Objectives

The aims of the present study were to identify some of non-cardiac and cardiac comorbidities and some myocardial electrical features (including QT dispersion) associated with arrhythmia in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Moreover, another objective was to contribute in analyzing the impact of arrhythmias on outcome in this setting of patients.

Methods

At admission, each patient underwent cardiac telemetry monitoring through entire hospitalization period. In all the subjects, laboratory analyses, standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (both at admission and on discharge), and lung imaging examination (by means of both ultrasound scans and computed tomography) were performed. Patients exhibiting arrhythmia during in-hospital period were divided into three groups: i, with brady-arrhythmias; ii, with tachy-arrhythmias; and, iii, with tachy- and brady-arrhythmias.

Results

Two-hundred patients completed the study (males, 123; mean age, 70.1 years); of these, 80 patients (40%) exhibited rhythm disorders on cardiac telemetry. Patients with arrhythmia resulted to be older (p&lt;0.0001) than patients without arrhythmia. Moreover, patients with arrhythmia showed: i, greater number of comorbidities (p&lt;0.0001); ii, higher values of creatinine (p=0.007), B-type natriuretic peptide (p&lt;0.0001), troponin (p&lt;0.0001), c-reactive protein (p=0.01), ferritin (p=0.001), d-dimer (p&lt;0.0001), and procalcitonin (p=0.0008); iii, QT interval (p=0.002), QTc interval (p=0.04), and QTc dispersion (p=0.01); and, iiii, lower values of sodium (p=0.03), magnesium (p=0.04), glomerular filtration rate (p&lt;0.0001), and hemoglobin (p=0.008) as compared to patients without arrhythmia. By comparing the three subgroups of patients, no significant differences were found. Multivariate analysis showed that age (OR=1.14 [95% CI: 1.07-1.22]; p=0.0004), coronary artery disease (OR=12.7 [95% CI: 2.38-68.01]; p=0.005), and circulating troponin (OR=1.05 [95% CI: 1.003-1.10]; p=0.04) represented risk factors independently associated with arrhythmia. By analyzing all-cause in-hospital mortality, it resulted a ∼forty-fold higher among patients with arrhythmia (OR=39.66 [95% CI: 5.20-302.51]; p=0.0004) when compared to patients without rhythm disorders.

Conclusion

In the present study, arrhythmias have been to be associated with ageing, coronary artery disease, subtle myocardial injury, hyperinflammatory status, coagulative unbalance, and abnormalities in myocardial electrical impulse propagation in patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection. In alignment with previous reports, the presence of arrhythmia seems to be associated with a worse in-hospital prognosis. Given its usefulness, routinary use of cardiac telemetric monitoring should be encouraged in COVID wards.

Non-invasive respiratory support in SARS-CoV-2 related acute respiratory distress syndrome: when is it most appropriate to start treatment?

BACKGROUND

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is one of the most severe complications of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Non-Invasive Respiratory Support (NRS) as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) and/or Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV) has been proven as effective in the management of SARS-CoV-2-related ARDS. However, the most appropriate timing for start NRS is unknown.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective pilot study including all consecutive patients who developed moderate SARS-CoV-2-related ARDS during hospitalization. Patients were randomly divided into two intervention groups according to ARDS severity (assessed by PaO₂/FiO₂-P/F) at NRS beginning: group A started CPAP/NIV when P/F was ≤ 200 and group B started CPAP/NIV when P/F was ≤ 150. Eligible patients who did not give their consent to CPAP/NIV until the severe stage of ARDS and started non-invasive treatment when P/F ≤ 100 (group C) was added. The considered outcomes were in-hospital mortality, oro-tracheal intubation (OTI) and days of hospitalization.

RESULTS

Among 146 eligible patients, 29 underwent CPAP/NIV when P/F was ≤ 200 (Group A), 68 when P/F was ≤ 150 (Group B) and 31 patients agreed to non-invasive treatment only when P/F was ≤ 100 (Group C). Starting NRS at P/F level between 151 and 200 did not results in significant differences in the outcomes as compared to treatment starting with P/F ranging 101-150. Conversely, patients undergone CPAP/NIV in a moderate stage (P/F 101-200) had a significantly lower in-hospital mortality rate (13.4 vs. 29.0%, p = 0.044) and hospitalization length (14 vs. 15 days, p = 0.038) than those in the severe stage (P/F ≤ 100). Age and need for continuous ventilation were independent predictors of CPAP/NIV failure.

CONCLUSIONS

Starting CPAP/NIV in patients with SARS-CoV-2-related ARDS in moderate stage (100 > P/F ≤ 200) is associated to a reduction of both in-hospital mortality and hospitalization length compared to the severe stage (P/F ≤ 100). Starting CPAP/NIV with a P/F > 150 does not appear to be of clinical utility.

Tumor characteristics and prognosis in familial breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Approximately 5-10% of breast cancers are hereditary and their biology and prognosis appear to differ from those of sporadic breast cancers. In this study we compared the biological features and clinical characteristics of non metastatic breast cancer in patients with BRCA mutations versus patients with a family history suggesting hereditary breast cancer but without BRCA mutations (BRCA wild type) versus patients with sporadic disease, and correlated these findings with clinical outcome.

METHODS

We retrieved the clinical and biological data of 33 BRCA-positive, 66 BRCA-wild type and 1826 sporadic breast cancer patients contained in a single institution clinical database between 1980 and 2012. Specifically, we recorded age, tumor size, nodal status, treatment type, pattern of relapse, second primary incidence, outcome (disease-free survival and overall survival), and biological features (estrogen receptor [ER], progesterone receptor [PgR], tumor grade, proliferation and c-erbB2 status). Median follow-up was 70 months.

RESULTS

BRCA-positive patients were significantly younger than sporadic breast cancer patients, and less likely to be ER-, PgR- or c-erbB2-positive than women with BRCA-wild type or sporadic breast cancer. Tumor size and grade, nodal status and proliferation did not differ among the three groups. Rates of radical mastectomy were 58, 42 and 37%, and those of conservative surgery were 42, 58 and 63% in women with BRCA-positive, BRCA-wild type and sporadic breast cancer (p = 0.03), respectively. The incidence of contralateral breast cancer was 12, 14 and 0% (p <0.0001) and the incidence of second primary tumors (non breast) was 9, 1 and 2% (p <0.0001) in BRCA-positive, BRCA-wild type and sporadic breast cancer, respectively. Median disease-free survival in years was 29 in BRCA-wild type, 19 in BRCA-positive and 14 in sporadic breast cancer patients (log-rank = 0.007). Median overall survival in years was not reached for BRCA-wild type, 19 for BRCA-positive and 13 for sporadic breast cancer patients (log-rank <0.0001). At multivariate analyses only BRCA-wild type status was related to a significant improvement in overall survival versus the sporadic breast cancer group (HR = 0,51; 95% CI (0,28-0,93) p = 0.028).

CONCLUSIONS

The biology and outcome of breast cancer differ between patients with BRCA mutations, patients with a family history but no BRCA mutations and patients with sporadic breast cancer.

New hypothesis on pathogenesis of ovarian cancer lead to future tailored approaches

In the last decades, management of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has been based on the staging system of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), and different classifications have been proposed for EOC that take account of grade of differentiation, histological subtype, and clinical features. However, despite taxonomic efforts, EOC appears to be not a unique disease; its subtypes differ for epidemiological and genetic risk factors, precursor lesions, patterns of spread, response to chemotherapy, and prognosis. Nevertheless, carboplatin plus paclitaxel combination represents the only standard treatment in adjuvant and advanced settings. This paper summarizes theories about the classification and origin of EOC and classical and new prognostic factors. It presents data about standard treatment and novel agents. We speculate about the possibility to create tailored therapy based on specific mutations in ovarian cancer and to personalize prevention.