Geographical Health District and Distance Traveled Influence on Clinical Status at Admission of Patients with Gestational Trophoblastic Disease

OBJECTIVE

 To assess the potential relationship of clinical status upon admission and distance traveled from geographical health district in women with gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD).

METHODS

 This is a cross-sectional study including women with GTD from the 17 health districts from the São Paulo state (I-XVII), Brazil, referred to the Botucatu Trophoblastic Disease Center (specialized center, district VI), between 1990 and 2018. At admission, hydatidiform mole was assessed according to the risk score system of Berkowitz et al. Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia was evaluated using the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics / World Health Organization (FIGO/WHO) staging/risk score. Data on demographics, clinical status and distance traveled were collected. Multiple regression analyses were performed.

RESULTS

 This study included 366 women (335 hydatidiform mole, 31 gestational trophoblastic neoplasia). The clinical status at admission and distance traveled significantly differed between the specialized center district and other districts. Patients referred from health districts IX (β = 2.38 [0.87-3.88], p = 0.002) and XVI (β = 0.78 [0.02-1.55], p = 0.045) had higher hydatidiform mole scores than those from the specialized center district. Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia patients from district XVI showed a 3.32 increase in FIGO risk scores compared with those from the specialized center area (β = 3.32, 95% CI = 0.78-5.87, p = 0.010). Distance traveled by patients from districts IX (200km) and XVI (203.5km) was significantly longer than that traveled by patients from the specialized center district (76km).

CONCLUSION

 Patients from health districts outside the specialized center area had higher risk scores for both hydatidiform mole and gestational trophoblastic neoplasia at admission. Long distances (>80 km) seemed to adversely influence gestational trophoblastic disease clinical status at admission, indicating barriers to accessing specialized centers.

Predictive validity of American College of Surgeons: National Surgical Quality Improvement Project risk calculator in patients with ovarian cancer undergoing interval debulking surgery

INTRODUCTION

In gynecologic patients, few studies describe the accuracy of the American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (ACS-NSQIP) pre-operative risk calculator for women undergoing surgery for ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the ACS-NSQIP risk calculator accurately predicts post-operative complications and length of stay in patients undergoing interval debulking surgery for advanced stage epithelial ovarian cancer.

METHODS

For this multi-institutional retrospective cohort study, pre-operative risk factors, post-operative complication rates, and Current Procedural Terminology codes were abstracted from records of patients with ovarian cancer managed with open interval debulking surgery from January 2010 to July 2015. A power calculation was done to estimate the minimum number of complications needed to evaluate the accuracy of the ACS-NSQIP risk calculator. Predicted risk compared with observed risk was calculated using logistic regression. The predictive accuracy of the ACS-NSQIP risk calculator in estimating post-operative complications or length of stay was assessed using c-statistics and Briar scores. Complications with a c-statistic of >0.70 and Brier score of <0.01 were considered to have high discriminative ability.

RESULTS

A total of 261 patients underwent interval debulking surgery, encompassing 21 unique Current Procedural Terminology codes. Readmission (n=25), surgical site infection (n=35), urinary tract infection (n=12), and serious post-operative complications (n=57) met the minimum event threshold (n>10). All predicted complication rates fell within the IQR of the observed incidence rates. However, the ACS-NSQIP calculator demonstrated neither discriminative ability nor accuracy for any post-operative complications based on c-statistics and Brier scores. The calculator accurately predicted length of stay within 1 day for only 32% of patients and could not accurately predict which patients were likely to have a prolonged length of stay (c-statistic=0.65).

CONCLUSION

Among patients undergoing interval debulking surgery, the ACS-NSQIP did not accurately discriminate which patients were at increased risk of complications or extended length of stay. The risk calculator should be considered to have limited utility in informing pre-operative counseling or surgical planning.

Impact of residual disease at interval debulking surgery on platinum resistance and patterns of recurrence for advanced-stage ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of size and distribution of residual disease after interval debulking surgery on the timing and patterns of recurrence for patients with advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer.

METHODS

Patient demographics and data on disease treatment/recurrence were collected from medical records of patients with stage IIIC/IV epithelial ovarian cancer who were managed with neoadjuvant chemotherapy/interval debulking surgery between January 2010 and December 2014. Among patients without complete surgical resection but with ≤1 cm of residual disease, the number of anatomic sites (<1 cm single anatomic location vs <1 cm multiple anatomic locations) was used to describe the size and distribution of residual disease.  RESULTS: A total of 224 patients were included. Of these, 70.5% (n=158) had a complete surgical resection, 12.5% (n=28) had <1 cm single anatomic location, and 17.0% (n=38) had <1 cm multiple anatomic locations. Two-year progression-free survival for complete surgical resection, <1 cm single anatomic location, and <1 cm multiple anatomic locations was 22.2%, 17.9% and 7%, respectively (p=0.007). Size and distribution of residual disease after interval debulking surgery did not affect location of recurrence and most patients had recurrence at multiple sites (complete surgical resection: 64.7%, <1 cm single anatomic location: 55.6%, and <1 cm multiple anatomic locations: 71.4%). Controlling for additional factors that may influence platinum resistance and surgical complexity, the rate of platinum-resistant recurrence was similar for patients with complete surgical resection and <1 cm single anatomic location (OR=1.07, 95% CI 0.40 to 2.86; p=0.888), but women with <1 cm multiple anatomic locations had an increased risk of platinum resistance (OR=3.09, 95% CI 1.41 to 6.78 p=0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite current classification as 'optimal,' <1 cm multiple anatomic location at the time of interval debulking surgery is associated with a shorter progression-free survival and increased risk of platinum resistance.

Use of ablation and ultrasonic aspiration at primary debulking surgery in advanced stage ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer

OBJECTIVES

Ovarian cancer patients with miliary disease have the lowest rates of complete surgical resection and poorest survival. Adjunct surgical techniques may potentially increase rates of complete surgical resection. No studies have evaluated the use of these techniques in primary debulking surgery for ovarian cancer patients with miliary disease. The aim of this study was to examine the use of adjunct surgical techniques during primary debulking surgery for patients with advanced epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer with miliary disease.

METHODS

Medical records of patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages IIIC-IVB epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer with miliary disease undergoing primary debulking surgery from January 2010 to December 2014 were reviewed. Adjunct surgical techniques were defined as ultrasonic surgical aspiration, argon enhanced electrocautery, thermal plasma energy, and traditional electrocautery ablation. Patients undergoing surgery with and without these devices were compared with respect to demographics, operative characteristics, postoperative complications, residual disease, progression free survival and overall survival.

RESULTS

A total of 135 patients with miliary disease underwent primary debulking surgery, of which 30 (22.2%) patients used adjunct surgical techniques. The most common devices were ultrasonic surgical aspiration (40%) and argon enhanced electrocautery (36.7%). The most common sites of use were diaphragm (63.3%), pelvic peritoneum (30%), bowel mesentery (20%), and large bowel serosa (20%). There were no differences in age, stage, primary site, histology, operative time, surgical complexity, or postoperative complications for patients operated on with or without these devices. Volume of residual disease was similar (0.1-1 cm: 60% with adjunct techniques versus 68.6% without; complete surgical resection: 16.7% with adjunct techniques versus 13.3% without; p=0.67). For patients with ≤1 cm residual disease, median progression free survival (15 versus 15 months, p=0.65) and median overall survival (40 versus 55 months, p=0.38) were also similar.

CONCLUSION

Adjunct surgical techniques may be incorporated during primary debulking surgery for patients with advanced epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer with miliary disease; however, these do not improve the rate of optimal cytoreduction.

Differential blood count as triage tool in evaluation of pelvic masses

OBJECTIVE

Triaging patients with presumptive ovarian cancer to the appropriate specialist may improve survival. Therefore, there is increasing interest in complementary diagnostic markers to the standard serum CA125. In patients with pelvic masses, we examined the ability of epidemiologic variables and preoperative differential blood counts to improve detection of ovarian cancer over CA125 alone.

METHODS

From pathology reports, patients were classified as having: epithelial ovarian cancer (n=743), including fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancer, non-epithelial ovarian cancers (n=46), non-ovarian cancers (n=122), or benign disease (1,129). From women with epithelial ovarian cancer, we excluded those who received prior neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n=19). Women were also excluded if they did not have a serum CA125 or complete blood count measured within 180 days prior to surgery (n=1099) or did not have both tests within 90 days of each other (n=13). Categorizing patients by menopausal status, we calculated Pearson correlations between differential counts or ratios and CA125, and used t tests to identity univariate predictors of malignancy and stepwise logistic regression and likelihood ratio tests to create models best distinguishing epithelial ovarian cancer from benign disease.

RESULTS

337 women with epithelial ovarian cancer and 365 with benign disease were included in the analysis. Compared with cancers, women with benign disease had lower average: age, 52.5 versus 58.4 years (p<0.0001); serum CA125, 20 versus 239 U/mL (p<0.0001), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, 2.4 versus 3.5 (p<0.0001); and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, 158 versus 222 (p<0.0001); but greater average body mass index, 28.5 versus 26.8 kg/m² (p=0.004), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, 5.6 versus 3.9 (p<0.0001). Correlations between counts and ratios and serum CA125 were seen in both epithelial ovarian cancer and benign disease groups and differed by menopausal status. In premenopausal women, a multivariate model including serum CA125, smoking, family history, lymphocytes, and monocytes performed similarly to the model with lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio replacing counts. In postmenopausal women, a model including body mass index, parity, monocytes, and basophils performed similarly to the model replacing counts with platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio. Models including epidemiologic variables and either counts or ratios were better at fitting data than models with serum CA125 and menopausal status alone. A single model applying to all women overstated performance for premenopausal women and understated performance for postmenopausal women.

CONCLUSIONS

Epidemiologic variables and differential counts or ratios better distinguished between benign and malignant disease when compared with serum CA125 alone using separate models for pre- and postmenopausal women.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes after bowel surgery and ostomy formation at the time of debulking surgery for advanced-stage epithelial ovarian carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

There are limited data on clinical outcomes of patients with advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer who require ostomy formation at the time of either primary cytoreductive surgery or interval cytoreductive surgery. The objective of this study was to evaluate patients undergoing bowel surgery and ostomy formation after primary or interval surgery.

METHODS

Patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIIC-IV epithelial ovarian cancer who underwent cytoreductive surgery between January 2010 and December 2014 were identified retrospectively. Patients with non-epithelial histology, low-grade serous histology or incomplete medical records were excluded. Demographic and clinical data were collected and analyzed. Age, stage, co-morbidity index, pre-operative CA125, pre-operative albumin, and Aletti surgical complexity score were included in a multivariable logistic regression model to assess independent associations with ostomy formation.

RESULTS

A total of 554 patients were included in the study. Of these, 261 (47%) underwent primary cytoreduction and 293 (53%) underwent interval cytoreduction. Patients undergoing primary surgery were more likely to undergo bowel resection, compared with interval surgery patients (37.2% vs 14%, p<0.001). Of the 139 (25.1%) patients who underwent bowel surgery, 25 (18%) underwent ostomy formation (11 ileostomies and 14 colostomies). Rates of ostomy formation were similar between the groups (6.1% primary vs 3.1% interval, p=0.10). Patients undergoing ostomy formation were more likely to have longer mean operative time (335 vs 229 min, p<0.001) and undergo small and large bowel resections at the time of cytoreductive surgery (44% vs 14%, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that a high surgical complexity score was associated with ostomy formation. Of the patients who underwent ostomy formation, 13 (43.3%) underwent stoma reversal including 11 ileostomies and two colostomies. Median time to ostomy reversal was 7 months.

CONCLUSION

Bowel surgery is more common among patients undergoing primary surgery as compared with interval surgery, but this does not result in an increased risk of ostomy formation.

The impact of health insurance status on the stage of cervical cancer diagnosis at a tertiary care center in Massachusetts

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of insurance status on the stage of cervical cancer diagnosed and treated at a tertiary care center in Massachusetts and review the preceding screening history.

METHODS

An IRB approved retrospective cohort study was conducted of patients with a diagnosis of cervical cancer treated at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) between January 2011 and June 2016. Clinical and demographic data was extracted from the longitudinal medical record. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS.

RESULTS

117 cases of cervical cancer met the inclusion criteria during the study period. Most patients (76%) were diagnosed with stage I disease. On univariate analysis, compared to patients with private insurance, patients with public insurance or no documented insurance presented at older ages, were more likely to be non-white races, and present with advanced stage disease. In an adjusted model, the risk of being diagnosed with advanced stage disease persisted among women with public or no documented insurance, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.13 (1.37-12.45). There was no difference in screening history among women with private vs. public insurance, p = 0.30.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite access to insurance, patients with public issued insurance had an increased risk of presenting with advanced stage cervical cancer in this cohort. These data suggest that additional barriers to screening and prevention may exist and are important for future investigation.

Abstract TMEM-032: MULTIDISCIPLINARY CHARACTERIZATION OF OVARIAN CANCER SPHERES

Sphere-forming cultures have been widely used in stem cell biology. Ovarian cancer sphere culture is also a good model to study ovarian cancer ascites spheroids, which propagate without attachment to a substratum. We studied non-adherent ovarian cancer sphere cultures derived from ovarian cancer cell lines and epithelial cancer cells isolated from clinical samples. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence showed that ovarian cancer spheres expressed elevated levels of stem cell markers CD133, c-Myc, Nanog, and Oct4. Metabolically, ovarian cancer sphere cells showed decreased ATP levels and were under constant oxidative stress, with significant depletion of the endogenous antioxidant glutathione. Accordingly, supplementation with antioxidant supplement N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in cancer sphere cultures relieved oxidative stress and improved growth of the sphere cultures in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, adherent cancer cell cultures did not show any significant growth enhancement. Furthermore, microarray gene expression profiling and activity-based proteomic profiling using a sulfonate ester chemical probe revealed that the ovarian cancer spheres demonstrated increased level of FOS/JUN expression, which activated the expression and activity of the omega class of glutathione-S transferase GSTO1, an enzyme involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics and cisplatin resistance. Knockdown of FOS expression using siRNA reduced the levels of GSTO1 and abrogated chemoresistance of the sphere cultures. Separately, gene set enrichment analysis of the cancer sphere expression profiles revealed elevated expression of endosomal pathway genes for exosome secretion in the sphere cultures. Knockdown of one elevated gene, Rab27B, significantly reduced the exosome number in the spent medium of ovarian cancer sphere cultures. Clinically, measurement of the exosome number in patient body fluids using the NanoSight instrument and a flow cytometry method indicated that plasma and urine samples from a panel of ovarian cancer patients had increased number of exosomes compared with samples derived from benign patients.

CONCLUSIONS: Our multidisciplinary studies have discovered a plethora of properties of ovarian cancer spheres that may promote ovarian cancer growth. Elevated expression and activity of GSTO1 in ovarian cancer spheres may represent a novel mechanism by which ovarian cancer spheroids respond to heightened oxidative stress and chemotherapeutic agents. Antioxidant supplements may not have the intended benefits to cancer survivors. Instead, they may promote cancer growth by relieving the oxidative stress of ovarian cancer spheroids. In contrast, inhibitors that target GSTO1 may have better clinical value in prolonging survivorship of ovarian cancer patients with malignant ascites. Ovarian cancer spheres also have increased expression of endosomal pathway genes for exosome secretion, which may promote the establishment of tumor microenvironment for cancer propagation, and is consistent with the increased exosomes in the plasma and urine samples of ovarian cancer patients.

Citation Format: Shubai Liu, Junzheng Yang, Pui-Wah Choi, Jamie Sui-Lam Kwok, Kathleen Hasselblatt, Daniel Nomura, Wing Ping Fong, Stephen KW Tsui, Allison Vitonis, Daniel Cramer, William R. Welch, Benjamin Cravatt, Ross Berkowitz, and Shu-Wing Ng. MULTIDISCIPLINARY CHARACTERIZATION OF OVARIAN CANCER SPHERES [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 11th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; Sep 12-13, 2016; Seattle, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2017;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr TMEM-032.

Abstract 2837: Hitting the target: Dynamic BH3 profiling, a novel functional assay to predict chemotherapy response

Background: Most chemotherapeutic agents kill via the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, but unfortunately there is a lack of effective predictive biomarkers to assess the optimal treatment for each patient. When effective death signaling is initiated by a targeted therapy, an increase in mitochondrial apoptotic sensitivity (or ‘priming for death’) can be observed within hours. We developed a new technique, Dynamic BH3 Profiling, that measures changes in priming induced by chemotherapy in cancer cells, without the requirement for prolonged ex vivo culture, and we assessed if it could be used as predictive assay to personalize cancer therapy in patients.

Hypothesis : Early apoptotic signaling detected via Dynamic BH3 Profiling can predict later cytotoxic cellular response.

Results: Our first test was whether dynamic BH3 profiling performed following only 16 hours of drug exposure could predict cytotoxicity at a much later (72-96 hours) time point. We initiated our studies on a diverse panel of human cancer cell lines treated with a wide range of kinase inhibitors. These cell lines included solid tumors: NSCLC, breast cancer, melanoma and colon carcinoma; and hematological malignancies: multiple myeloma, CML, diffuse large B cell lymphoma and AML. We used different treatments (primary targets): Gefitinib (EGFR inh), Imatinib (BCR-ABL inh), Lapatinib (HER2 inh), TAE-684 (ALK inh), MK-2206 (Akt inh), PLX-4032 (BRaf V600E inh), AZD6244 (MEK inh), BEZ235 (PI3K/mTOR inh) and others. We observed a significant correlation between the increase in priming following short-term exposure to the agents and cell death at 72-96 hours, demonstrating the predicting capacity of dynamic BH3 profiling in different cancer cells.

We then tested if dynamic BH3 profiling can predict clinical response in cancer patients. For that purpose, we used samples from stable phase CML and ovarian adenocarcinoma patients of known clinical outcome to imatinib or carboplatin treatment respectively. In both cases we found that the induction of mitochondrial priming caused by short term (16 hr) ex vivo exposure to treatment predicted clinical response.

Moreover, the ROC curve analysis demonstrated that Dynamic BH3 profiling is an excellent binary predictor of response in vitro and in the clinic.

Conclusions: Our cell line and clinical experiments demonstrate the potential for Dynamic BH3 profiling to be used as a powerful real-time tool to predict chemotherapy response across many cancers and many agents, including combinations of agents. It is an excellent binary predictor in multiple cell lines and different types of primary samples. and could be used to recognize the best agent from a list of possible therapies for an individual tumor and improve cancer therapy.

Citation Format: Joan Montero, Kris A. Sarosiek, Joe D. DeAngelo, Huiying Piao, Neil Horowitz, Ross Berkowitz, Ursula Matulonis, Ronny Drapkin, Anthony Letai. Hitting the target: Dynamic BH3 profiling, a novel functional assay to predict chemotherapy response. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2837. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2837

A prospective feasibility study of radiation and concurrent bevacizumab for recurrent endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVES

To determine the toxicity and survival rates in a trial of concurrent bevacizumab and external beam radiation (EB) for patients with recurrent endometrial or ovarian cancer.

METHODS

Nineteen women with recurrent endometrial (n = 15) or ovarian (n = 4) cancer with gross disease involving the vaginal cuff, and/or pelvic nodes and/or para-aortic nodes, cancer were enrolled between 2008 and 2010. All patients received bevacizumab during radiation. Toxicity was assessed at baseline, weekly during treatment and every 3 months for at least 1 year after treatment.

RESULTS

All patients completed EB on schedule. For the 15 patients with recurrent endometrial cancer, the 1- and 3-year progression-free survival (PFS was) 80%/67% and overall survival (OS) was 93%/80%. Patients that had a vaginal cuff recurrence alone had a 1- and 3-year PFS of 75%/63% and OS of 100%/75%. Two patients with pelvic node involvement did not recur throughout the entire follow-up period. The 5 patients with para-aortic node involvement had a 1- and 3-year PFS of 80%/60% and OS of 80%/80%. Of the 4 ovarian cancer patients 3 relapsed with 1- and 3-year PFS of 80%/40% and OS of 100%/60%. Toxicities included thrombosis and 1 embolic event in the setting of metastatic disease. No gastrointestinal perforations were noted.

CONCLUSIONS

Delivering bevacizumab with concurrent radiation provides excellent local tumor control and survival for women with recurrent endometrioid endometrial cancer, particularly those with unresectable nodes. Caution must be used in those at highest risk of developing metastatic disease given the increased risk of thromboembolic events. This regimen may be considered for recurrent gynecologic malignancies in future trials.

Changes in clinical presentation of postterm choriocarcinoma at the New England Trophoblastic Disease Center in recent years

OBJECTIVE

To review the last 15 year experience of choriocarcinoma following a term gestation at the New England Trophoblastic Disease Center (NETDC) and compare these results to earlier data to determine any changes in the clinical presentation and outcome of this disease.

METHODS

Women with postterm choriocarcinoma from 1996 through 2011 followed by the NETDC were identified by diagnosis codes. Twenty charts were identified and reviewed. These data were then compared to published results from the NETDC of 44 women from 1964 to 1996.

RESULTS

Time from antecedent pregnancy to diagnosis of choriocarcinoma was significantly longer in the current series, 46.1 vs. 19.7 weeks (p = 0.03). Despite this change, patient outcomes remained comparable, with similar overall mortality rates (13% vs. 10%, p = NS). However, patient presentation was notably different. In the early series, five (11%) infants suffered hydrops or stillbirth, while in the recent series there were no adverse infant outcomes (p = 0.08). Six women in the current series presented in the absence of symptoms suspicious for choriocarcinoma (either by an incidental positive pregnancy test without other symptoms or by placental pathology), compared to one woman in the prior series (30% vs. 2%, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In recent years postterm choriocarcinoma is being diagnosed or referred later after the antecedent pregnancy at our regional referral center. Recent patients more commonly have no other symptoms than a question of pregnancy and are less likely diagnosed due to the presence of fetal hydrops or stillbirth. Despite later diagnoses, survival with postterm choriocarcinoma continues to be high.

Reporting of quality measures in gynecologic oncology programs at Prospective Payment System (PPS)-Exempt Cancer Hospitals: an early glimpse into a challenging initiative

OBJECTIVE

The Affordable Care Act mandates the Prospective Payment System (PPS)-Exempt Cancer Hospitals Quality Reporting program. These 11 hospitals (which are paid fee-for-service rather than on a DRG system) began reporting measures (2 general safety, 2 breast, 1 colon) in 2013. Given this reporting mandate, we set out to determine whether the PPS-exempt gynecologic oncology programs could identify quality measures specific to the care of our patients.

METHODS

A list of 12 quality measures specific to gynecologic oncology was created (from sources including the National Quality Forum and the SGO). Measures already in use were not included. The list was ranked by the gynecologic oncology program directors at the PPS-exempt hospitals. Descriptive statistics (including mean and SD for rankings) were utilized.

RESULTS

Despite mandatory reporting of quality measures for PPS-exempt cancer hospitals, little consensus exists regarding specific gynecologic cancer measures. Documentation of debulking status, cancer survival, and offering minimally invasive surgery (for endometrial cancer) and intraperitoneal chemotherapy (for ovarian cancer) are important, but with widely variable responses (when ranked 1-12, standard deviations are 2-3). General issues regarding adherence to guidelines for the use of GCSF, documentation of functional status, and tracking of patient satisfaction scores were ranked the lowest. Three of the directors reported that their compensation is partially linked to quality outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

There is wide variability in ranking of quality measures, and may relate to provider or institutional factors. Despite the mandatory reporting in PPS-exempt cancer hospitals, work remains to define gynecologic cancer quality measures.

The importance of chemotherapy and radiation in uterine papillary serous carcinoma

PURPOSE

To identify prognostic and predictive factors of overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS) and toxicity for patients with uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patient, tumor, treatment and relapse characteristics of 135 women with Stages I-IVA UPSC treated between 1980 and 2006 at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center (DF/BWCC) were analyzed using Cox regression models to determine prognostic and predictive factors for OS, RFS and toxicity.

RESULTS

Mean follow-up was 5.5 years (range, 0.01-25.2). Median 5-year OS was 52%, and RFS was 42% for all patients. On Cox regression analysis, increasing age, stage, and myometrial invasion were prognostic factors associated with shorter OS and RFS. A paclitaxel-platinum chemotherapy regimen was significantly associated with longer OS (hazard ratio [HR]=0.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.15-0.74, p=0.007) and RFS (HR=0.45, 95% CI 0.22-0.92, p=0.03). RFS was improved for patients treated with RT (HR=0.44, 95% CI 0.25-0.77, p=0.004). The 5-year grade 3+ toxicity rate was 3.5% for those who received RT and was 2.9% for those who did not (p=NS).

CONCLUSION

Uterine papillary serous cancer can be an aggressive tumor type with a poor prognosis. RFS was improved by radiation and chemotherapy with few grade 3 or higher complications. Using radiation and paclitaxel-platinum chemotherapy should be attempted whenever feasible for patients with UPSC who do not have distant metastases at diagnosis.

Binge eating, mood, and quality of life in youth with type 2 diabetes: baseline data from the today study

OBJECTIVE

The current study examines the prevalence of binge eating and its association with adiposity and psychosocial functioning in a large, diverse sample of youth with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In the TODAY study, 678 (mean age 14.0 years; 64.9% girls) of the 704 youth randomized to the study completed a self-report measure of eating disorder symptoms and were categorized as nonovereaters, overeaters, subclinical binge eaters, or clinical binge eaters.

RESULTS

Youth with clinical (6%) and subclinical (20%) levels of binge eating had significantly higher levels and rates of extreme obesity, global eating disorder and depressive symptoms, and impaired quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the importance of evaluating youth with type 2 diabetes for the presence of binge eating. Future research is needed to determine the cumulative effects of disordered eating, obesity, and psychosocial distress on adherence to lifestyle change recommendations and longitudinal response to treatment.

The epidemiology of ovarian granulosa cell tumors: a case-control study

OBJECTIVE

This study identified risk factors for ovarian granulosa cell tumors (GCT) through a case-control study comparing women with GCT to women with epithelial ovarian cancers (OC) and general population (GP) controls.

METHODS

Women with GCT and OC were identified from our hospital tumor board and the Massachusetts and New Hampshire Statewide Cancer Registries between January, 1988 and November, 2008. Age, gender and county matched GP controls were identified through town books in Massachusetts and drivers' license lists in New Hampshire. Epidemiologic factors including age, race, obesity, pregnancy history, smoking, and family history were evaluated. Odds ratio (OR) was calculated and adjusted for race and age.

RESULTS

Seventy-two women with GCT, 1578 GP controls, and 1511 OC controls were identified. Patients with GCT were significantly more likely to be non-white (OR 8.49; 4.07, 17.7), obese with a BMI >30 (OR 5.80; 3.01, 11.2), and have a family history of breast (OR 2.13; 1.19, 3.80) or ovarian cancer (OR 2.89; 1.08, 7.72) than GP controls. The risk of developing GCT was significantly decreased in women who smoked (OR 0.46; 0.27, 0.78), used oral contraceptive pills (OR 0.32; 0.17, 0.63) or were parous with 1-2 (OR 0.30; 0.16-0.56) or greater than 2 births (OR 0.50; 0.27, 0.94) when compared to GP controls.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest an independent association between non-white race and obesity as a hyperestrogenic state in the development of GCT while parity and OCP use may be protective. An unknown familial predisposition for GCT may exist.

Longitudinal decline in autopsy-defined frontotemporal lobar degeneration

BACKGROUND

The natural history of patients with pathologically proven frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is important from clinical and biologic perspectives, but is not well documented quantitatively.

METHODS

We examine longitudinal decline in cognitive functioning in an autopsy-proven cohort of patients with the clinical diagnosis of a FTLD spectrum disorder or FTLD pathology using a panel of neuropsychological measures. Patients are categorized according to findings at autopsy into tau-positive FTLD, tau-negative FTLD, and frontal variant-Alzheimer disease (fvAD) subgroups.

RESULTS

Patients decline significantly over time on all neuropsychological measures. Moreover, several measures differentiate between histopathologically distinct subgroups throughout the course of the disease process. This includes a significant double dissociation involving relative difficulty on a visual constructional measure in tau-positive patients compared to relatively impaired visual confrontation naming in tau-negative patients. Longitudinal measures of FAS naming fluency and animal naming fluency also distinguish tau-positive patients and tau-negative patients with FTLD from patients with fvAD. Other measures show significant decline but do not distinguish between histopathologic groups longitudinally.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest different longitudinal patterns of cognitive decline in pathologically defined subgroups of patients. Measures consistently distinguishing between patient subgroups can be used to bolster diagnostic accuracy throughout the course of these diseases, while measures demonstrating undifferentiated longitudinal decline may serve as useful endpoints in treatment trials.

Long-term psychosocial adjustment of older vs younger survivors of breast and endometrial cancer

BACKGROUND

The study's objective was to test whether there were signfiicant differences in adjustment between younger and older breast and endometrial cancer survivors.

METHODS

Two hundred and fifty-two breast and endometrial cancer survivors participated in this study, ranging in age from either 18 to 55 years old or 65 years old or older. Survivors were interviewed by telephone at study entry and 12 months, using a battery of measures to assess their adjustment, physical functioning, and treatment-related physical problems.

RESULTS

With an average of 3.7 years since treatment completion, almost all survivors reported good adjustment to having had cancer. While most differences in psychosocial adjustment between groups were small, younger survivors reported significantly worse adaptation than older survivors, as measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS, p<0.0001), Appearance-Orientation Scale (AOS, body image; p=0.02), Fear of Recurrence (p<0.0001), Distress about Long-term Treatment-Related Cancer Problems (p=0.01), and Number of Sexual Problems Attributed to Cancer (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Survivors reported few cancer-related problems with only a small subset reporting problems in adjustment. Although differences were small, younger cancer survivors reported significantly worse adaptation than older survivors. Much of the adaptation to having had cancer may have already occurred in long-term survivors.

Results of all-intraperitoneal carboplatin and paclitaxel regimen shows good tolerability and efficacy for advanced ovarian cancer

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Background: A phase III trial (GOG 172) demonstrated improved survival for patients (pts) with optimally-debulked ovarian cancer treated with intraperitoneal (IP) cisplatin and paclitaxel, as compared with standard IV dosing. Studies to further enhance efficacy and minimize toxicity of IP platinum/taxane regimens are needed. We present the clinical results of a novel IP regimen in follow-up to the pharmacokinetics (pk) results presented last year. Methods: Carboplatin at an AUC 6 on day 1 and paclitaxel 60 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, 15 was given, IV in cycle 1 and IP in the 5 subsequent 21-day cycles. The initial IV cycle was designed to allow for intra-patient IV vs. IP pk comparison. Pts completing 6 cycles with clinical complete response (CCR) underwent second-look operation (SLO). Results: Accrual is complete with 40 evaluable pts, 8 pts remain on trial. Pts came off study for: port-related complications (7), allergy (2), heme tox (2), vaginal leak (2), and infection (4). Toxicity was mild, with grade 3 or 4 toxicity consisting of neutropenia: 10 (25%), plts: 2 (5%), vomiting: 2 (5%), fatigue: 2 (5%) and anemia: 1 (2.5%). There was no grade 3 or 4 peripheral neuropathy or alopecia. Completion rate was good with 82% of pts completing = 4 cycles, as compared with 52% in GOG 172. All pts completing chemotherapy were judged to be in CCR; there was no progressive disease on trial. Of the pts undergoing SLO, 14 pts were negative, 4 pts were positive, for complete pathological response rate of 78%. Conclusions: Pts were able to complete more cycles of therapy on this regimen as compared with GOG 172. The incidence of gastrointestinal, metabolic, and neurotoxicity is very low. Preliminary SLO rate compares favorably to the 57% seen in GOG 172. Previously reported pk results as well as tolerability and efficacy are encouraging and suggest this regimen should be studied in a larger population. Final toxicity and response data will be available.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy in UPSC

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Purpose: To analyze the impact of chemotherapy (Ch) and radiation therapy (RT) on relapse rates in patients with uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC). Materials and Methods: The outcomes of 160 women with UPSC seen between 1980–2005 at the BW/DFCC were analyzed. Exclusion criteria included stage IVB disease, no hysterectomy, unknown stage, or unknown type of RT. Results: The median age was 67 years (range 31–90). FIGO Stage was IA (21), IB (28), IC (13), IIA (7), IIB (10), IIIA (42), IIIB (2), IIIC (21), and IVA (16). Treatment included none (40), Ch alone (20), Ch and whole abdominal radiation (WA) (11), Ch and pelvic radiation (P) (30), Ch and vaginal brachytherapy (VB) (2), WA alone (24), P alone (19), and VB alone (14). The median dose of RT was WA 30 Gy and P 45 Gy. Ch was given to 63 patients; the median number of cycles of Carboplatin, Adriamycin and Paclitaxel was 3. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) for the entire group were 67% and 57% at 2 years, 62% and 51% at 3 years and 51% and 38% at 5 years. A total of 58 patients relapsed. Among those who received no RT or Ch, 48% (19/40) relapsed; among those treated with Ch only, 50% (10/20) relapsed; in the group treated with RT only, 26% (15/57) relapsed; and, in those treated with Ch and RT, 33% (14/43) relapsed. A significant difference in recurrence rate was seen in patients treated with RT compared to those who received no treatment (OR 0.40, p=0.03). This difference persisted after controlling for Stage, which did significantly affect the relationship between RT treatment and recurrence. Local recurrence (in an RT field) was a component of failure for 14% (14/100) treated with RT, versus 42% (25/59) that received no RT (OR 0.22, p=0.0001). Distant metastases were a component of first failure in 15% (9/61) that received Ch versus 11% (11/97) that did not; there was no significant difference in distant recurrence rate for patients treated with Ch (OR 1.35, p=0.53). Conclusion: This single-institution study represents the largest series of UPSC to date. The use of RT significantly decreases the overall recurrence rate of UPSC in this series and should be considered in patients with stages I-IVA UPSC. Future studies looking at the optimal type, dose and duration of chemotherapy, as well as the use of novel agents, are needed to improve outcomes in this population.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

An evaluation of the vitamin D3 content in fish: Is the vitamin D content adequate to satisfy the dietary requirement for vitamin D?

It has been suggested that the major source of vitamin D should come from dietary sources and not sun exposure. However, the major fortified dietary source of vitamin D is milk which often does not contain at least 80% of what is stated on the label. Fish has been touted as an excellent source of vitamin D especially oily fish including salmon and mackerel. Little is known about the effect of various cooking conditions on the vitamin D content in fish. We initiated a study and evaluated the vitamin D content in several species of fish and also evaluated the effect of baking and frying on the vitamin D content. Surprisingly, farmed salmon had approximately 25% of the vitamin D content as wild salmon had. The vitamin D content in fish varied widely even within species. These data suggest that the tables that list the vitamin D content are out-of-date and need to be re-evaluated.

Gestational trophoblastic diseases: 3. Human chorionic gonadotropin-free β-subunit, a reliable marker of placental site trophoblastic tumors

OBJECTIVES

Placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT) commonly presents with low and variable concentration of hCG immunoreactivity in serum which can be difficult to differentiate from early stage choriocarcinoma/gestational trophoblastic neoplasm (GTN) or quiescent gestational trophoblastic disease (quiescent GTD). Nontrophoblastic malignancies such as germ cell tumors or other tumors secreting low hCG must also be considered in the differential diagnosis. Because treatments for these conditions are different, a means of differentiating PSTT from other diagnoses is important. We investigate the usefulness of hCG-free beta-subunit to make this discrimination.

METHODS

Data collected on cases referred to the USA hCG Reference Service for consultation served as a basis for this retrospective analysis. There were 13 cases with histology proven PSTT and 12 with nontrophoblastic malignancy. hCG-free beta-subunit was measured by immunoassay and reported as a proportion of total hCG (hCG-free beta-subunit(%)). hCG-free beta-subunit(%) results were determined for all histologically proven cases of PSTT and for the nontrophoblastic malignancies. Comparisons of hCG-free beta-subunit(%) were made and compared with those of the 82 choriocarcinoma/GTN cases and 69 quiescent GTD cases. The accuracy of hCG-free beta-subunit(%) to discriminate these malignancies was analyzed by investigating the areas under receiver-operating characteristics curve +/- standard error.

RESULTS

hCG-free beta-subunit(%) was the predominant hCG form in cases of PSTT (mean +/- standard deviation, 60 +/- 19%) and nontrophoblastic malignancies (91 +/- 11%), thus discriminating these diagnoses from choriocarcinoma/GTN (9.3 +/- 9.2%) and from quiescent GTD (5.4 +/- 7.8%). The cutoff of >35% free beta-subunit is proposed. At this cutoff, 100% detection at 0% false-positive is achieved. The accuracy of hCG-free beta-subunit(%) for this discrimination is 100 +/- 0%. At a proposed cutoff of >80%, the free beta-subunit test will also distinguish PSTT from nontrophoblastic malignancy, with 77% detection at 23% false-positive or an accuracy of 92 +/- 3.2%.

CONCLUSION

Measurement of the proportion hCG-free beta-subunit(%) was found to be useful in the diagnosis of PSTT using proposed cutoff values of >35% and >80%. While this finding needs to be confirmed by larger studies, it would be reasonable to measure hCG-free beta-subunit(%) whenever the diagnosis of PSTT is considered.

Ovarian cancer is a heterogeneous disease

The purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate the molecular profiles of different histologic types of epithelial ovarian cancer before the disease has metastasized beyond the ovary. Stage 1 epithelial ovarian cancers were chosen for analysis of early genetic events associated with different cell types. Allelotyping of 47 cases was performed using 224 polymorphic markers. Analysis with Fisher's exact test found markers specific for grade 3 tumors and clear cell histology. Hierarchal clustering analysis using dChip software revealed that the pattern of allele loss in eight regions on four chromosomes led to grouping of grade 3 tumors, endometrioid (grades 1 and 2) tumors, and clear cell tumors. We conclude that ovarian cancer is a heterogeneous disease in which histologic phenotypes correlate with distinct genetic patterns.

Defining and measuring reproductive concerns of female cancer survivors

Although women diagnosed with cancer during their childbearing years are at significant risk for infertility, we know little about the relationship between infertility and long-term quality of life (QOL). To examine these relationships, we assessed psychosocial and reproductive concerns and QOL in 231 female cancer survivors. Greater reproductive concerns were significantly associated with lower QOL on numerous dimensions (P<.001). In a multiple regression model, social support, gynecologic problems, and reproductive concerns accounted for 63% of the variance in QOL scores. Women who reported wanting to conceive after cancer, but were not able to, reported significantly more reproductive concerns than those who were able to reproduce after cancer (P<.001). These preliminary data suggest that at least for vulnerable subgroups, the issue of reproductive concerns is worthy of additional investigation to assist cancer survivors living with the threat or reality of infertility.

Quality of life in long-term cervical cancer survivors

OBJECTIVES

To describe the quality of life (QOL) and long-term psychosocial sequelae of women of childbearing age diagnosed with cervical cancer 5-10 years earlier.

METHODS

Utilizing a cross-sectional descriptive design, 51 cervical cancer survivors and 50 age-matched controls completed a comprehensive QOL interview.

RESULTS

Participants were predominantly married, non-Hispanic White, with a mean age at diagnosis of 37 years and a mean age at interview of 45 years. This disease-free sample enjoys a good QOL, with physical, social, and emotional functioning comparable to or better than comparative norms. However, certain psychological survivorship sequelae and reproductive concerns persist. Participants reporting good QOL were less likely to report ongoing coping efforts related to having had this illness and were more likely to report greater social support, greater sexual pleasure, and less cervical cancer-specific distress. In a multiple-regression model, cancer-specific distress, spiritual well-being, maladaptive coping, and reproductive concerns accounted for 72% of the variance in QOL scores. Fifty-nine percent of respondents expressed that they would likely participate in a counseling program today to discuss psychosocial issues raised by having had cervical cancer, and 69% stated that they would have attended a support group program during the initial treatment if it had been offered.

CONCLUSIONS

This information provides insight into the complex survivorship relationships between QOL and sequelae of cervical cancer for women diagnosed during childbearing years. Therefore, it is important for health care professionals to recognize that aspects of cancer survivorship continue to require attention and possible follow-up care.

A pilot trial of TAC (paclitaxel, doxorubicin, and carboplatin) chemotherapy with filgastrim (r-metHuG-CSF) support followed by radiotherapy in patients with “high-risk” endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVES

To determine the toxicity, tolerability, and feasibility of delivering combination chemotherapy with subsequent radiation therapy to women with high-risk endometrial cancer and to evaluate the long-term bowel toxicity of this regimen.

METHODS

The trial was approved by the Dana Farber/Partners Cancer Care (DFPCC) Institutional Review Board (IRB). Patients with stage 3 or stage 4 endometrial cancer or patients with high-risk histology and any stage disease were prospectively entered. Complete surgical staging and a normal gated blood pool scan were required prior to entry. Patients were treated with three cycles of paclitaxel (160 mg/m(2) ), doxorubicin (45 mg/m(2)) and carboplatin (AUC 5) (TAC) all on day 1 of a 21-day schedule as an outpatient with G-CSF support. At the conclusion of chemotherapy, patients received radiation therapy (4500 cGy to the whole pelvis) commencing within 35 days of the last cycle of chemotherapy. Paraaortic radiation and/or vaginal brachytherapy were allowed at the discretion of the treating radiation oncologist.

RESULTS

Twenty patients were entered onto the trial from November 2000 through February 2003. Eighteen patients successfully completed the trial, and two patients came off trial during chemotherapy (both later completed planned radiation therapy). Patients were initially stage 1 (n = 3), stage 3 (n = 14), and stage 4 (n = 3). Papillary serous was the dominant histology with 13 patients. Chemotherapy was given on average within 32 days of surgery (range 11-63 days) and radiation was initiated on average within 14 weeks of surgery (range 10-18 weeks). Chemotherapy was well tolerated, with 57 total cycles delivered of a planned 60 cycles. Two patients required dose modification in two cycles (two patients in cycle 3 secondary to hematologic toxicity). No grade 3 or grade 4 neurotoxicity was reported. There were six episodes of grade 3 short-term toxicity with radiation therapy reported in a single patient. Late radiotherapy toxicity included bowel obstruction requiring laparotomy in two patients and grade 3 constipation in one patient. Late radiation toxicity data are still being collected as follow-up continues.

CONCLUSIONS

The TAC chemotherapy regimen is well tolerated and three cycles were delivered successfully with G-CSF support without evidence of the neurotoxicity or cardiac toxicity reported with the cisplatin containing TAP regimen. Standard radiation was deliverable following TAC therapy without excessive toxicity. Further study of this regimen with subsequent radiation therapy is warranted in patients at risk for systemic and regional recurrence of their malignancy.

A phase II trial of three sequential doublets for the treatment of advanced müllerian malignancies☆☆Funding provided by Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Company and Amgen

OBJECTIVES

In an effort to improve the results of primary chemotherapy for müllerian malignancies a novel chemotherapy program was piloted that delivered three sequential chemotherapy doublets. The primary endpoints were surgically defined response rates and evaluation of toxicity.

METHODS

After primary cytoreductive surgery patients were treated with three sequential doublets including three initial cycles of carboplatin and paclitaxel (doublet 1) and then two cycles of cisplatin (day 1) and gemcitabine (days 1 and 8; doublet 2), and finally two cycles of doxorubicin (day 1) and topotecan (days 3,4, and 5; doublet 3). Cycles 4 through 7 were given with G-CSF (Neupogen) support at a dose of 5 mcg/kg/day. After therapy, all women were clinically staged and evaluated by second-look laparoscopy/laparotomy (SLO) if clinical staging was negative for residual disease.

RESULTS

A total of 49 eligible patients were enrolled with a median age of 52 (SD 9). Forty-four women had either ovarian cancer or primary peritoneal carcinoma with 3 women diagnosed with fallopian tube carcinoma and 2 with papillary serous carcinoma of the uterus. Eighty-four percent of patients had stage IIIc/IV tumors, with 29% having >1 cm residual disease after primary cytoreductive surgery. Thirty-nine of 49 (80%) patients completed therapy. A total of 283 cycles of chemotherapy were delivered with acceptable toxicities. There were no toxic deaths. Five women were withdrawn from trial (3 for Taxol hypersensitivity, 1 for gemcitabine pulmonary hypersensitivity, and 1 for serious line infection). Neutropenia, typically without fever, was relatively frequent in the first doublet. Nausea and thrombocytopenia were the predominant toxicities in doublet 2. Thirty-nine women completed all cycles of treatment. Thirty-six women had restaging results consistent with a clinical complete response (CR) and underwent SLO. The pathologic CR rate of the patients undergoing SLO was 38%.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with this sequential doublet regimen is feasible with a 38% pathologic CR rate.

Comparison of once-daily mometasone furoate versus once-daily budesonide in patients with moderate persistent asthma

We conducted this study to compare the efficacy and safety of once-daily mometasone furoate (MF) administered by dry powder inhaler (DPI) with once-daily budesonide (BUD)-DPI and placebo in patients with moderate persistent asthma previously using twice-daily inhaled corticosteroids. A total of 262 patients (> or = 12 years of age) with moderate persistent asthma were randomised to once-daily morning treatment with MF-DPI 440 microg (metered dose), BUD-DPI 400 microg (metered dose), or placebo in an eight-week, multicentre, placebo-controlled, double-blind, double-dummy study. The primary efficacy variable was percent change in FEV1 from baseline to endpoint (last evaluable visit). At endpoint, the percent change in FEV1 was significantly greater (p < 0.01) following treatment with MF-DPI 440 microg (8.9%) than with both BUD-DPI 400 microg (2.1%) and placebo (-3.9%). Secondary efficacy variables, including morning and evening peak expiratory flow rates, albuterol use, percentage of asthma symptom-free days, and physician-evaluated response to therapy were also significantly improved at endpoint in the MF-DPI group compared with both the placebo and BUD-DPI groups (p < 0.05). Both active treatments were well tolerated. In conclusion, once-daily treatment in the morning with MF-DPI 440 microg significantly improved pulmonary function and asthma control compared with morning administration of BUD-DPI 400 microg and placebo.

Plasma naltrexone during opioid detoxification

Orogastric naltrexone is used for opioid detoxification, but it is not known how gastric absorption affects plasma concentrations of the drug. We measured plasma naltrexone during orogastric naltrexone, given in repeated doses of 12.5 mg, 25 mg, 50 mg and 50 mg. Plasma naltrexone was measured after each naltrexone dose. The increase in plasma naltrexone was highly variable between patients during orogastric administration. Adequate detoxification was questioned in 4 of 10 patients because plasma naltrexone did not increase above 5 ng/ml. There was a negative correlation between plasma naltrexone and the presence of withdrawal symptoms on the day after the procedure (r = -0.78, P < 0.05). These results show that the increase in plasma naltrexone is variable during orogastric administration and this may impair successful detoxification.

Aspergillus laryngotracheobronchial infection in a 6-year-old girl following bone marrow transplantation

Localised fungal infection of the larynx and tracheobronchial tree is extremely uncommon. We report the case of a 6-year-old girl with acute lymphocytic leukaemia, who developed symptoms of upper airways obstruction 6 months after a cord blood transplant. Bronchoscopy showed a pale plaque lesion in the larynx and tracheobronchial tree. Aspergillus fumigatus was cultured from a biopsy of the lesion. The patient was treated successfully with a prolonged course of amphotericin B and assessed with multiple surveillance bronchoscopies.

Construction and molecular analysis of gene transfer systems derived from bovine immunodeficiency virus

Because lentiviruses are able to infect nondividing cells, these viruses might be utilized in gene therapy applications where the target cell does not divide. However, it has been suggested that the introduction of primate lentivirus sequences, particularly those of human immunodeficiency virus, into human cells may pose a health risk for the patient. To avoid this concern, we have constructed gene transfer systems based on a nonprimate lentivirus, bovine immunodeficiency virus. A panel of vectors and packaging constructs was generated and analyzed in a transient expression system for virion production and maturation, vector expression and encapsidation, and envelope protein pseudotyping. Virion preparations were also analyzed for transduction efficiency in a panel of human and nonhuman primary cells and immortalized cell lines. The virion preparations transduced most of the target cell types, with efficiencies up to 90% and with titers of unconcentrated virus up to 5 x 10(5) infectious doses/ml. In addition, infection of nondividing human cells, including unstimulated hematopoietic stem cells and irradiated endothelial cells, was observed.