When the sense of fluency triggers an attentional bias

Spatial attention can be captured automatically by an exogenous stimulus (e.g., digital interruption) or by an endogenous stimulus (e.g., valence of the stimulus). In this study, we investigated whether a non-perceptual characteristic (e.g., sense of fluency) has an impact on attention. To this end, we used the conceptual fluency paradigm developed by Whittlesea combined with the dot-probe task developed by MacLeod et al. In three experiments, we measured the response times for each experimental situation (i.e., Valid and Non-valid situations). At each trial, participants were presented in three consecutive displays on a screen: (1) an incomplete and predictive sentence stem; (2) a pair of words, one of which was semantically compatible with the previous sentence stem; and (3) a circle appeared at the spatial location of one of the words. Then, participants had to perform a Go (i.e., a filled circle) and No-go (i.e., an empty circle) task. The analysis found that response times were significantly faster when the Go stimulus appeared at the same location as the semantically compatible word (i.e., Valid situations). Overall, our results show that the sense of fluency triggers attentional capture. Thus, they replicate those of Gardner et al. using another experimental paradigm. Our finding might be helpful to better understand the consequences of digital interruptions on behavioural performance.

Circumcision and Risk of Febrile Urinary Tract Infection in Boys with Posterior Urethral Valves: Result of the CIRCUP Randomized Trial

BACKGROUND

Boys with posterior urethral valves (PUVs) have an increased risk of febrile urinary tract infections (fUTIs). Circumcision is believed to reduce the risk of fUTIs in boys, although there are no randomized trials demonstrating this.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effect of circumcision on the risk of fUTIs in boys with PUVs.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A clinical randomized trial that ran between August 2012 and July 2017 was conducted. The trial was multicentric, including 13 referral centers for pediatric urology. Male boys, aged 1-28 d, diagnosed with posterior urethral valves, confirmed by voiding cystogram, were included. The exclusion criteria included presence of a genital malformation contraindicating performing a circumcision.

INTERVENTION

Participants were randomized to neonatal circumcision + antibiotic prophylaxis (CATB) or antibiotic prophylaxis alone (ATB), and followed for 2 yr.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

The primary outcome was a risk of presenting fUTIs in each group. An fUTI was defined as fever (>38.5 °C) with evidence of pyuria and culture-proven infection on urinalysis, obtained by urethral catheterization or suprapubic aspiration. A bivariate analysis of the primary outcome was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

In total, 91 patients were included: 49 in group CATB and 42 in group ATB. The probability of presenting an fUTI was 20% in group ATB versus 3% in group CATB. The hazard ratio of presenting an fUTI within 2 yr in the ATB group compared with that in the CATB group was 10.3 (95% confidence interval: 1.3-82.5). Sixty-four children (70.3%) had a complete follow-up at 2 yr of age.

CONCLUSIONS

Circumcision significantly decreases the risk of presenting an fUTI in boys with PUVs.

PATIENT SUMMARY

In this report, we compared, in a multicentric trial, the number of febrile urinary tract infections (UTIs) in boys with posterior urethral valves who had either antibiotic prophylaxis alone or antibiotic prophylaxis and circumcision. We found that those who had a circumcision had a significantly lower risk of febrile UTIs.

The importance of the body-specificity in the evaluation of visuospatial working memory

This work is rooted in the embodied cognition paradigm applied to the evaluation of visuospatial memory span. We aimed to test whether manuospatial incompatibility affects the evaluation of visuospatial working memory. Older and younger participants were tested under two different spatial field conditions, namely manuospatial incompatibility and manuospatial compatibility, using the standard Corsi Block Tapping Task. The results show that a manuospatial compatibility condition helped both younger and older participants to increase their visuospatial working memory span compared to the traditional manuospatial incompatibility condition. By analyzing the data, our results showed an increase of visuospatial memory span in manuospatial compatibility condition (i.e., the experimenter using his left hand and the participant his right hand) compared to manuospatial incompatibility condition for younger and older adults. We recommend that the interaction between body and cognition would be taken into account in clinical evaluation methods.

RILA blood biomarker as a predictor of radiation-induced sarcoma in a matched cohort study

Purpose

Radiation-induced sarcoma (RIS) is a rare but serious event. Its occurrence has been discussed during the implementation of new radiation techniques and justified appropriate radioprotection requirements. New approaches targeting intrinsic radio-sensitivity have been described, such as radiation-induced CD8 T-lymphocyte apoptosis (RILA) able to predict late radio-induced toxicities. We studied the role of RILA as a predisposing factor for RIS as a late adverse event following radiation therapy (RT).

Patients and methods

In this prospective biological study, a total of 120 patients diagnosed with RIS were matched with 240 control patients with cancer other than sarcoma, for age, sex, primary tumor location and delay after radiation. RILA was prospectively assessed from blood samples using flow cytometry.

Results

Three hundred and forty-seven patients were analyzed (118 RIS patients and 229 matched control patients). A majority (74%) were initially treated by RT for breast cancer. The mean RT dose was comparable with a similar mean (± standard deviation) for RIS (53.7 ± 16.0 Gy) and control patients (57.1 ± 15.1 Gy) (p = .053). Median RILA values were significantly lower in RIS than in control patients with respectively 18.5% [5.5–55.7] and 22.3% [3.8–52.2] (p = .0008). Thus, patients with a RILA >21.3% are less likely to develop RIS (p < .0001, OR: 0.358, 95%CI [0.221–0.599].

Conclusion

RILA is a promising indicator to predict an individual risk of developing RIS. Our results should be followed up and compared with molecular and genomic testing in order to better identify patients at risk. A dedicated strategy could be developed to define and inform high-risk patients who require a specific approach for primary tumor treatment and long term follow-up.

Oxidative stress and the amyloid beta peptide in Alzheimer's disease

Oxidative stress is known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases. In particular, it is linked to the etiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), an age-related neurodegenerative disease and the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. Histopathological hallmarks of AD are intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and extracellular formation of senile plaques composed of the amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) in aggregated form along with metal-ions such as copper, iron or zinc. Redox active metal ions, as for example copper, can catalyze the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) when bound to the amyloid-β (Aβ). The ROS thus produced, in particular the hydroxyl radical which is the most reactive one, may contribute to oxidative damage on both the Aβ peptide itself and on surrounding molecule (proteins, lipids, …). This review highlights the existing link between oxidative stress and AD, and the consequences towards the Aβ peptide and surrounding molecules in terms of oxidative damage. In addition, the implication of metal ions in AD, their interaction with the Aβ peptide and redox properties leading to ROS production are discussed, along with both in vitro and in vivo oxidation of the Aβ peptide, at the molecular level.

•

Oxidative stress plays a role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a multifactorial disease leading to loss of cognitive functions.

•

Metal ions can bind the amyloid beta peptide (Aβ) and are involved in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

•

Oxidation targets neuronal membrane biomolecules and leads to disruption of membrane integrity.

•

Aβ is damaged during ROS production, with consequences regarding aggregation, ROS production and cell toxicity.

A phase IIb multicentre study comparing the efficacy of trabectedin to doxorubicin in patients with advanced or metastatic untreated soft tissue sarcoma: the TRUSTS trial

PURPOSE

To evaluate whether trabectedin as first-line chemotherapy for advanced/metastatic soft tissue sarcoma prolongs progression-free survival (PFS), compared to doxorubicin and, in the phase IIb part here, to select the most appropriate trabectedin treatment schedule (3-hour or 24-hour infusion) in terms of safety, convenience and efficacy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this randomised multicentre prospective dose-selection phase IIb superiority trial, 133 patients were randomised between doxorubicin (n=43), trabectedin (3-hour infusion, T3h) (n=47) and trabectedin (24-hour infusion, T24h) (n=43). PFS was defined as time from random assignment until objective progression by response evaluation criteria in solid tumours (RECIST 1.1), a global deterioration of the health status requiring discontinuation of the treatment, or death from any cause.

RESULTS

The study was terminated due to lack of superiority in both trabectedin treatment arms as compared to the doxorubicin control arm. Median PFS was 2.8months in the T3h arm, 3.1months in the T24h arm and 5.5months in the doxorubicin arm. No significant improvements in PFS were observed in the trabectedin arms as compared to the doxorubicin arm (T24h versus doxorubicin: hazard ratio (HR) 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67-1.90, P=.675; T3h versus doxorubicin: HR 1.50, 95% CI 0.91-2.48, P=.944). Only one toxic death occurred in the T3h arm, but treatment had to be stopped due to toxicity in 7 (15.2%) (T3h), 8 (19.5%) (T24h) and 1 (2.5%) doxorubicin patients.

CONCLUSION

Doxorubicin continues to be the standard treatment in eligible patients with advanced/metastatic soft-tissue sarcoma (STS). Trabectedin 1.5mg/m(2)/24-hour infusion is the overall proven approach to delivering this agent in the second-line setting for patients with advanced or metastatic STS.

Lead selection and characterization of antitubercular compounds using the Nested Chemical Library

Discovering new drugs to treat tuberculosis more efficiently and to overcome multidrug resistance is a world health priority. To find novel antitubercular agents several approaches have been used in various institutions worldwide, including target-based approaches against several validated mycobacterial enzymes and phenotypic screens. We screened more than 17,000 compounds from Vichem's Nested Chemical Library™ using an integrated strategy involving whole cell-based assays with Corynebacterium glutamicum and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and target-based assays with protein kinases PknA, PknB and PknG as well as other targets such as PimA and bacterial topoisomerases simultaneously. With the help of the target-based approach we have found very potent hits inhibiting the selected target enzymes, but good minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against M. tuberculosis were not achieved. Focussing on the whole cell-based approach several potent hits were found which displayed minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against M. tuberculosis below 10 μM and were non-mutagenic, non-cytotoxic and the targets of some of the hits were also identified. The most active hits represented various scaffolds. Medicinal chemistry-based lead optimization was performed applying various strategies and, as a consequence, a series of novel potent compounds were synthesized. These efforts resulted in some effective potential antitubercular lead compounds which were confirmed in phenotypic assays.

[Non-targeted effects (bystander, abscopal) of external beam radiation therapy: an overview for the clinician]

Radiotherapy is advocated in the treatment of cancer of over 50 % of patients. It has long been considered as a focal treatment only. However, the observation of effects, such as fatigue and lymphopenia, suggests that systemic effects may also occur. The description of bystander and abscopal effects suggests that irradiated cells may exert an action on nearby or distant unirradiated cells, respectively. A third type of effect that involves feedback interactions between irradiated cells was more recently described (cohort effect). This new field of radiation therapy is yet poorly understood and the definitions suffer from a lack of reproducibility in part due to the variety of experimental models. The bystander effect might induce genomic instability in non-irradiated cells and is thus extensively studied for a potential risk of radiation-induced cancer. From a therapeutic perspective, reproducing an abscopal effect by using a synergy between ionizing radiation and immunomodulatory agents to elicit or boost anticancer immune responses is an interesting area of research. Many applications are being developed in particular in the field of hypofractionated stereotactic irradiation of metastatic disease.

Guidelines for time-to-event end point definitions in sarcomas and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) trials: results of the DATECAN initiative (Definition for the Assessment of Time-to-event Endpoints in CANcer trials)†

BACKGROUND

The use of potential surrogate end points for overall survival, such as disease-free survival (DFS) or time-to-treatment failure (TTF) is increasingly common in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in cancer. However, the definition of time-to-event (TTE) end points is rarely precise and lacks uniformity across trials. End point definition can impact trial results by affecting estimation of treatment effect and statistical power. The DATECAN initiative (Definition for the Assessment of Time-to-event End points in CANcer trials) aims to provide recommendations for definitions of TTE end points. We report guidelines for RCT in sarcomas and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).

METHODS

We first carried out a literature review to identify TTE end points (primary or secondary) reported in publications of RCT. An international multidisciplinary panel of experts proposed recommendations for the definitions of these end points. Recommendations were developed through a validated consensus method formalizing the degree of agreement among experts.

RESULTS

Recommended guidelines for the definition of TTE end points commonly used in RCT for sarcomas and GIST are provided for adjuvant and metastatic settings, including DFS, TTF, time to progression and others.

CONCLUSION

Use of standardized definitions should facilitate comparison of trials' results, and improve the quality of trial design and reporting. These guidelines could be of particular interest to research scientists involved in the design, conduct, reporting or assessment of RCT such as investigators, statisticians, reviewers, editors or regulatory authorities.

Synthesis of full length and truncated microcin B17 analogues as DNA gyrase poisons

Using a combination of solid-phase peptide synthesis and fragment assembly strategies a library of full-length and truncated analogues of the antibacterial post-translationally modified peptide microcin B17 have been synthesised. Both antibacterial and DNA gyrase poisoning activities are also described for the synthetic analogues.

Fragments of the bacterial toxin microcin B17 as gyrase poisons

Fluoroquinolones are very important drugs in the clinical antibacterial arsenal; their success is principally due to their mode of action: the stabilisation of a gyrase-DNA intermediate (the cleavage complex), which triggers a chain of events leading to cell death. Microcin B17 (MccB17) is a modified peptide bacterial toxin that acts by a similar mode of action, but is unfortunately unsuitable as a therapeutic drug. However, its structure and mechanism could inspire the design of new antibacterial compounds that are needed to circumvent the rise in bacterial resistance to current antibiotics. Here we describe the investigation of the structural features responsible for MccB17 activity and the identification of fragments of the toxin that retain the ability to stabilise the cleavage complex.

PD03-09: Breast Cancer Recurrence Risk Probed by Whole Transcriptome Next Generation Sequencing in 136 Patients

Background: RNA biomarkers discovered by RT-PCR-based gene expression profiling of archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue are the basis for very precise and sensitive clinical diagnostic tests, such as the 21 gene Oncotype DX® breast cancer assay. Both inherent limits of technical scalability and the small amounts of patient FFPE RNA available place practical constraints on the number of transcripts that can be interrogated by RT-PCR. We developed new methods for RNA profiling through massively parallel “next generation” sequencing (RNA-Seq) of archival FFPE specimens. We report here the technical performance of this methodology and compare the results to RT-PCR results obtained in one of the studies that were carried out to develop the 21 gene assay.

Methods: RNA was extracted in 2002 from 136 invasive breast tumors that were formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded between 1990 and 1997. RNA-Seq was carried out using minor modifications to methods we have reported previously (Sinicropi et al., Advances in Genome Biology and Technology Conference, p. 170, 2010 and p. 198, 2011). Briefly, 0.1 mg of total RNA was selectively depleted of ribosomal RNA and sequencing libraries were prepared using a modification of the ScriptSeq™ kit from Epicentre. The libraries were sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq 2000 instrument with multiplexing of two libraries per lane for 50 cycles in one direction. The resulting FASTQ sequences were mapped to version hg19 of the human genome using the Illumina CASAVA pipeline. The total number of sequences (reads) that uniquely mapped to all exons of each RefSeq entry was used for quantification of expression levels.

Results: On average, there were 43 million reads per sample (range 31 - 58 million; SD=4.6 million) of which 69% uniquely mapped to the human genome. Ribosomal RNA was effectively removed and accounted for &lt;0.3% of total counts. Significant coverage of a high proportion of the human genome was obtained, with 40% of RefSeq transcripts represented by a median of more than 100 reads. Using Cox proportional hazards analysis to evaluate the association of quantitative gene expression with breast cancer recurrence, the standardized hazard ratios and p-values for the 21 Oncotype DX genes determined by RNA-Seq were comparable to those originally obtained using RT-PCR. Moreover, whole transcriptome RNA-Seq identified more than 1800 new coding, intronic, and intergenic transcripts that strongly associated with breast cancer recurrence risk (at a false discovery rate &lt;10%) and revealed heretofore unappreciated co-expressed gene networks. Summary: New methodology has been developed for application of next generation sequencing-based whole transcriptome profiling to small amounts of archival FFPE tissue. This technology has sensitivity and selectivity comparable to RT-PCR, can provide a vast increase in the number of interrogated transcripts, can reveal new biological relationships, and has excellent performance suitable for the discovery of RNA biomarkers.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr PD03-09.

Exploiting bacterial DNA gyrase as a drug target: current state and perspectives

DNA gyrase is a type II topoisomerase that can introduce negative supercoils into DNA at the expense of ATP hydrolysis. It is essential in all bacteria but absent from higher eukaryotes, making it an attractive target for antibacterials. The fluoroquinolones are examples of very successful gyrase-targeted drugs, but the rise in bacterial resistance to these agents means that we not only need to seek new compounds, but also new modes of inhibition of this enzyme. We review known gyrase-specific drugs and toxins and assess the prospects for developing new antibacterials targeted to this enzyme.

High frequency of beta-catenin heterozygous mutations in extra-abdominal fibromatosis: a potential molecular tool for disease management

Background:

Fibromatosis comprises distinct clinical entities, including sporadic extra-abdominal fibromatosis, which have a high tendency for recurrence, even after adequate resection. There are no known molecular biomarkers of local recurrence. We searched for β-catenin mutations in a European multicentre series of fibromatosis tumours to relate β-catenin mutational status to disease outcome.

Methods:

Direct sequencing of exon 3 β-catenin gene was performed for 155 frozen fibromatosis tissues from all topographies. Correlation of outcome with mutation rate and type was performed on the extra-abdominal fibromatosis group (101 patients).

Results:

Mutations of β-catenin were detected in 83% of all cases. Among 101 extra-abdominal fibromatosis, similar mutation rates (87%) were observed, namely T41A (39.5%), S45P (9%), S45F (36.5%), and deletion (2%). None of the clinico-pathological parameters were found to be significantly associated with β-catenin mutational status. With a median follow-up of 62 months, 51 patients relapsed. Five-year recurrence-free survival was significantly worse in β-catenin-mutated tumours regardless of a specific genotype, compared with wild-type tumours (49 vs 75%, respectively, P=0.02).

Conclusion:

A high frequency (87%) of β-catenin mutation hallmarks extra-abdominal fibromatosis from a large multicentric retrospective study. Moreover, wild-type β-catenin seems to be an interesting prognostic marker that might be useful in the therapeutic management of extra-abdominal fibromatosis.

Effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on survival in FNCLCC grade 3 soft tissue sarcomas: A multivariate analysis of the French Sarcoma Group database

10504

Background: The SMAC meta-analysis failed to demonstrate that adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) significantly improves overall survival (OS) in adult patients with localised resectable soft-tissue sarcoma (STS). We report here the analysis of the impact of AC in the population of STS patients included in the prospective database of the French Sarcoma Group. Methods: Between 1980 and 1999, 2,029 pts with STS were admitted to one of the 20 tertiary cancer centers of the GSF for the management of a first tumoral event and were included prospectively in a comprehensive database. 152 pts were excluded from the study because of metastatic disease at diagnosis. All the cases were reviewed by the pathology subcommittee of the GSF. Tumor grade was assessed according to the FNCLCC system based on tumor differentiation, mitotic count, and necrosis. Results: 283 pts (14.5%) had grade 1, 736 (39.5%) grade 2 and 858 (46%) grade 3 tumors. 1,102 pts (59%) had extremity tumors. The commonest pathological subtypes were MFH 22.5%, liposarcoma 18%, leiomyosarcoma 13%, and synovial sarcoma 10%. 1,122 pts (60%) received adjuvant radiotherapy. AC was delivered in 16 grade 1 pts (6%), 167 grade 2 pts (23%) and 323 grade 3 pts (38%). The majority of patients who received AC had tumors with a deep topography (91%) and/or > 5 cm (75%) and/or located in the limbs (61%). The median follow-up was 9 years. The 5 year-OS was 90% for grade 1 pts, 63% for grade 2 pts and 46% for grade 3 pts. On multivariate analysis ( table 1 ), AC was strongly associated with improved metastasis-free survival (MFS) (5 year MFS: 53% vs 47%, HR 0.7 [0.5–0.9], p=0.003) and overall survival (OS) (5 year OS: 56% vs 44%, HR 0.7 [0.5–0.8], p=0.004) in grade 3 pts. This association was not observed in grade 2 pts (5 year MFS: 73% vs 72%, HR 0.9 [0.6–1.4], p=0.9; 5 year OS: 73% vs 65%, HR 0.7 [0.5–1.1]). Conclusions: This large cohort-based analysis with long-term follow-up indicates that FNCLCC grade 3 pts are likely to benefit from AC. [Table: see text]

[Table: see text]

Final results of a FNCLCC French Sarcoma Group multicenter randomized phase II study of gemcitabine (G) versus gemcitabine and docetaxel (G+D) in patients with metastatic or relapsed leiomyosarcoma (LMS)

10527

Background: An objective response rate (RR) of 8% and 17% with G and G+D were respectively reported in metastatic soft tissue sarcomas (Maki, J Clin Oncol. 2007). We previously reported a 5% RR in 41 evaluable patients (pts) with ‘non uterus‘ LMS randomized to each arm of this randomized phase II study (Duffaud, ASCO. 2008). We present here the results of G vs G+D in uterine and all LMS. Methods: Patients had histologically proven metastatic or unresectable LMS, one prior anthracycline- based regimen, age ≥18, measurable disease (RECIST), PS ≤ 2. Treatment was G 1,000 mg/m2(over 100 minutes, d1+d8+d15) q28 days (d) or G 900 mg/m2(over 90 min, d1+d8) and docetaxel 100 mg/m2 (over 60 min, d8) q21 days; in the G+D arm, pts received lenograstim d9–15, 25% dose reductions were employed for prior pelvic radiation. The primary endpoint was the objective RR (CR+PR), evaluated every 2 cycles. Stratification was by primary tumor location (uterus vs. non-uterus). The Simon method was used: for “uterus” study, 20 pts per arm for a 74% probability of selecting the arm with a real RR of 50%, expected baseline RR was 40%; for the “non-uterus” study, 20 pts per arm for a 92% probability of selecting the arm with a real RR of 40%, expected baseline RR was 20%. Results: From 02/06 to 12/08, 44 pts were enrolled in the “non-uterus” study, 40 pts in the “uterus” study. Currently 76/82 pts are evaluable for response (41/44 in the “non uterus” and 35/38 in the “uterus” study) and 80/84 for toxicity. In the uterus group the median age is 57 (range 41–80), 24 pts received prior pelvic radiotherapy, the median number of cycles was 5 (range 0–8) and dose received/dose planned (%) were 69% in G arm, 88% of G and 86% of D in G+D arm. No differences in toxicity were observed between both LMS locations: in the G arm, toxicity was moderate except for one pulmonary gr4; in the G+D arm one toxic death was related to gr5 thrombocytopenia and there were 2 non-haemathologic gr4 toxicities; 11 pts stopped for intolerable toxicity (3 in G and 8 in G+D arm) and 1 pt for hypersensitivity (G+D arm). Conclusions: Final tumor response for uterine LMS and updated toxicity and PFS data for all the LMS will be presented during the meeting.

[Table: see text]

Soft tissue sarcomas of the trunk wall (STS-TW): a study of 343 patients from the French Sarcoma Group (FSG) database

BACKGROUND

Soft tissue sarcomas of the trunk wall (STS-TW) are usually studied together with soft tissue sarcomas of other locations. We report a study on STS-TW forming part of the French Sarcoma Group database.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Three hundred and forty-three adults were included. We carried out univariate and multivariate analysis for overall survival (OS), metastasis-free survival (MFS) and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS).

RESULTS

Tumor locations were as follows: thoracic wall, 82.5%; abdominal wall, 12.3% and pelvic wall, 5.2%. Median tumor size was 6.0 cm. The most frequent tumor types were unclassified sarcoma (27.7%) and myogenic sarcoma (19.2%). A total of 44.6% of cases were grade 3. In all, 21.9% of patients had a previous medical history of radiotherapy (PHR). Median follow-up was 7.6 years. The 5-year OS, MFS and LRFS rates were 60.4%, 68.9% and 58.4%, respectively. Multivariate analysis retained PHR and grade for predicting LRFS and PHR, size and grade as prognostic factors of MFS. Factors influencing OS were age, size, PHR, depth, grade and surgical margins. The predictive factors of incomplete response were PHR, size and T3.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest similar classical prognostic factors as compared with sarcomas of other locations. However, a separate analysis of STS-TW revealed a significant poor prognosis subgroup of patients with PHR.

Long-term evolution of CD4 count in patients with a plasma HIV RNA persistently <500 copies/mL during treatment with antiretroviral drugs

BACKGROUND

The increase in CD4 count may reach a plateau after some duration of virological response to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

METHODS

A total of 1281 HIV-infected patients initiating HAART were enrolled in the AntiPROtease (APROCO) cohort. We investigated determinants of increase in CD4 count using longitudinal mixed models in patients who maintained a plasma HIV RNA <500 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL.

RESULTS

A total of 870 patients had a virological response at month 4. The median follow-up time was 57 months. Mean estimated increases in CD4 count in patients with persistent virological response were 29.9 cells/muL/month before month 4, 6.4 cells/microL/month between months 4 and 36, and 0.7 cells/microL/month (not significantly different from 0) after month 36. Three factors were associated with a significantly positive CD4 count slope after month 36: male gender (+0.9), no history of antiretroviral therapy at baseline (+1.7) and baseline CD4 count <100 cells/microL (+2.6). In patients who maintained a virological response after 5 years of HAART, a CD4 count >500 cells/microL was achieved in 83% of those with a baseline CD4 count >or=200 cells/microL and in 45% of those with a baseline CD4 count <200 cells/microL.

CONCLUSION

The increase in CD4 count reaches a plateau after 3 years of virological response. Even if patients initiating HAART with low CD4 counts still show a CD4 count increase after 3 years, it remains insufficient to overcome immune deficiency in all patients.

Phase II study of pazopanib (GW786034) in patients (pts) with relapsed or refractory soft tissue sarcoma (STS): EORTC 62043

10031

Background: Currently, there is no standard treatment for pts with advanced STS who relapse after or during standard chemotherapy. Since VEGF is involved in the pathogenesis of STS subtypes, pazopanib, a multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor of VEGF- receptors 1–3, PDGFR-a and β, and c-kit was explored. Methods: Pts had intermediate or high grade advanced or metastatic STS, were ineligible for chemotherapy or had received no more than one combination or 2 single cytotoxic agents for advanced disease. Pts had WHO performance 0–1 and adequate organ function. Progressive disease had to be documented within the last 6 months. Treatment was oral pazopanib at 800 mg daily. Primary end point was progression-free survival at 12 weeks. Secondary end points included response, safety, and overall survival. 4 different strata were studied: leiomyosarcomas, adipocytic STS, synovial sarcomas, and other types of STS. Simon 2-stage design was applied (P1: 40%; P0: 20%; a=β=0.1). Results: As of 11 October, 2006, 111 pts were enrolled. 98.2% had received prior chemotherapy. In 44 pts with validated data no grade 3–4 hematological toxicities were seen, grade 3–4 bilirubin and creatinine elevations in 2 and 1 pts, respectively. Other toxicities (all grades; grade 3–4) were fatigue (53.6%; 9.7%), hypertension (31.7%; 9.7%), and diarrhea (29.3%; 4.8%). Of 80 pts included in the 1st stages of all 4 strata together, 27 were alive and progression-free at 12 weeks. The 2nd stage was opened for further accrual in 3 strata. Complete accrual is anticipated in February 2007. Conclusions: In relapsed or refractory advanced STS, pazopanib has acceptable toxicity. These preliminary results justify further investigation of pazopanib in STS.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Malignant extraovarian endometriosis: A review

AIMS

Malignant transformation in extra-ovarian endometriosis is a rare but known complication. This distinct pathological entity is reviewed with a specific focus on aetiology and treatment.

METHODS

Studies were identified by searching the English language literature in the MEDLINE database and by an extensive review of bibliographies from articles found through that search.

FINDINGS

Up to 1% of women with endometriosis will develop endometriosis-associated neoplasm. Almost a quarter of the reported cases of malignancy in endometriosis have involved extra-ovarian tissues. In many cases, hormonal factors may play a role in its pathogenesis. Estrogen monotherapy in obese patients significantly increase the risk of malignant extra-gonadal endometrial transformation. Genetic anomalies have also been reported such as loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 5q. For patients with disease confined to the site of origin, a 82-100% 5-year survival has been noted for endometrioid cell type; disseminated intraperitoneal disease, however, has a very poor associated prognosis, with a 0-12% 5-year survival overall.

CONCLUSIONS

Women with endometriosis-associated cancers most likely represent a different class of patients than traditional ovarian cancer patients and may require different therapeutic options.

Sarcomes des tissus mous : données anatomopathologiques actuelles

Over the last fifteen years, pathology underwent significant changes in the field of soft tissue tumours. They were related to considerable advances in molecular biology and genetics. New data led to the revision of the WHO classification. Malignant fibrous histiocytoma is no longer considered as an entity. It has split up into several subgroups belonging to liposarcomas, leiomyosarcomas or undifferentiated sarcomas. Haemangiopericytoma underwent reappraisal and was put in the same category as solitary fibrous tumour. Many tools have improved. Immunohistochemistry performed with new antibodies had its specificity increased, and became appropriate for the prediction of therapeutic response in some cases, e.g. CD117 detecting mutations of the c-kit proto-oncogen in gastro-intestinal stromal tumours. Refinement of the techniques allows accurate diagnoses from core needle biopsies. Surgical specimens are collegially examined by surgeons and pathologists with special attention paid to resection margins. Although bound by some limitations, the grading system of the French Federation of Cancer Centers has currently remained the best predictor of metastasis-free survival and overall survival of patients. It is based on an assessment of three parameters: differentiation, amount of necrosis, and mitotic count of tumours. The pathologist sets up a diagnosis, and actively takes part in the prediction of the prognosis and therapeutic response. He is one of the major participants in decision making for multimodal treatment of sarcomas.

Sarcomes des tissus mous : données moléculaires actuelles

Soft tissue sarcomas are rare and may be a source of problems for diagnosis and treatment. Four types of genetic disorders can be distinguished: translocations, gene amplifications, mutations and complex genetic imbalances. Detection of these disorders may help in diagnosis and in determining prognosis. Detection of specific translocation is recommended in synovial sarcoma, alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma or PNET diagnosis because of therapeutic consequences; in case of rarer histologic type (low grade fibromyxoid sarcoma, clear cell sarcoma, infantile fibrosarcoma...), it may confirm the diagnosis. In some cases, some translocations have a prognostic value (alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma) whereas it is discussed in others (synovial sarcoma). The techniques used to detect these translocations are very sensitive so it may be used to detect microscopical metastasis (bone marrow metastasis of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma for example). Detection of MDM2 and CDK4 genes amplifications (FISH or quantitative PCR) may be sometimes useful in well differentiated and dedifferentiated liposarcomas diagnosis. Mutation detection of KIT or PDGFRA may help in GIST diagnosis and type of mutation is predictive of response to treatment. Study of complex genomic imbalances in sarcomas is not used in routine practice but remains useful in research.

Radical-induced oxidation of metformin

Metformin (1,1-dimethylbiguanide) is an antihyperglycaemic drug used to normalize glucose concentrations in type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, antioxidant benefits have been reported in diabetic patients treated with metformin. This work was aimed at studying the scavenging capacity of this drug against reactive oxygen species (ROS) like *OH and (O2*-)-free radicals. ROS were produced by gamma radiolysis of water. The irradiated solutions of metformin were analyzed by UV/visible absorption spectrophotometry. It has been shown that hydroxyl free radicals react with metformin in a concentration-dependent way. The maximum scavenging activity was obtained for concentrations of metformin > or = 200 micromol.L(-1), under our experimental conditions. An estimated value of 10(7) L.mol(-1).s(-1) has been determined for the second order rate constant k(*OH + metformin). Superoxide free radicals and hydrogen peroxide do not initiate any oxidation on metformin in our in vitro experiments.

The role of surgery and treatment trends in uterine sarcoma

AIMS

To report a series of uterine sarcomas treated in one institution.

METHODS

We report 72 cases of uterine sarcomas treated in a single institution, comparing the periods 1966-1989 and 1990-2001. The parameters studied were histological type, tumour stage and treatment. The control of pelvic, local and/or metastatic disease were also studied.

RESULTS

The histological types consisted in 34 leiomyosarcomas, 25 mixte mullerian tumours, 12 endometrial stromal sarcoma and one angiosarcoma. The median age at diagnosis was 60.5 years. The presenting symptoms were genital bleeding, pelvic or abdominal pain. The proportion, of stage I was lower in 1966-1989 than in 1990-2002. During the 1966-1989 period, surgery was systematically used. The percentage of second-line surgery (post-radiotherapy or -chemotherapy) rose from 2.2% in 1966-1989 to 19.2% in 1990-2002. Radiotherapy was administered in 55.5% of cases. There was no difference between the two periods. Chemotherapy was administered in 37.5% of cases with also no difference between the two periods. The overall 2-year survival was 54.6% and the 5-year survival 36.1%. The median survival was 32.3 months (3 days-25 years). The overall 5-year survival by stage was 47.5% for stage I, 60.6% for stage II and 15.0% for stages III and IV. The median duration of pelvic disease control was 19.2 months. The 5-year pelvic disease control by FIGO stage was 66.6% for stage I, 62.5% for stage II and 18% for the more advanced stages.

CONCLUSION

Surgery remains the reference treatment. Local and regional disease control, as adjuvant therapies do not seem to decrease the risk of metastatic spread or increase survival.

Phase II study of ET-743 in advanced soft tissue sarcomas: a European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) soft tissue and bone sarcoma group trial

PURPOSE

This nonrandomized multicenter phase II study was performed to evaluate the activity and safety of Ecteinascidin (ET-743) administered at a dose of 1.5 mg/m(2) as a 24-hour continuous infusion every 3 weeks in patients with pretreated advanced soft tissue sarcoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with documented progressive advanced soft tissue sarcoma received ET-743 as second- or third-line chemotherapy. Antitumor activity was evaluated every 6 weeks until progression, excessive toxicity, or patient refusal.

RESULTS

One hundred four patients from eight European institutions were included in the study (March 1999 to November 2000). A total of 410 cycles were administered in 99 assessable patients. Toxicity mainly involved reversible grade 3 to 4 asymptomatic elevation of transaminases in 40% of patients, and grade 3 to 4 neutropenia was observed in 52% of patients. There were eight partial responses (PR; objective regression rate, 8%), 45 no change (NC; > 6 months in 26% of patients), and 39 progressive disease. A progression arrest rate (PR + NC) of 56% was observed in leiomyosarcoma and 61% in synovialosarcoma. The median duration of the time to progression was 105 days, and the 6-month progression-free survival was 29%. The median duration of survival was 9.2 months.

CONCLUSION

ET-743 seems to be a promising active agent in advanced soft tissue sarcoma, with no cumulative toxicities. The 6-months progression-free survival observed in advanced soft tissue sarcoma compares favorably with those obtained with other active drugs tested in second-line chemotherapy in previous European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer trials. The median overall survival was unusually long in these heavily pretreated patients mainly due to the high number of patients who benefit from the drug in terms of tumor control.

Oncogenic osteomalacia: diagnostic importance of fibroblast growth factor 23 and F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT scan for the diagnosis and follow-up in one case

A case of oncogenic osteomalacia is reported in a 71-year-old man who presented with bone pain, muscle weakness, and severe hypophosphatemia. The tumor which was localized in the left lower mandible was not detected by tomodensitometry, resonance magnetic imaging, and (111)IN-octreotide scintigraphy, but was easily localized by F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT SCAN (F-18 FDG PET/CT SCAN). To our knowledge, the value of this technique for detecting tumors in oncogenic osteomalacia has never been reported. Secondly, this case provided an opportunity for confirming the usefulness of serum fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) measurement for the diagnosis and follow-up. We conclude that FGF23 measurements combined with F-18 FDG PET/CT SCAN were decisive tools in a case of oncogenic osteomalacia and are likely to be of considerable importance for facilitating early diagnosis and follow-up in the future.