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PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of Immunoscore in patients with stage III colon cancer (CC) and to analyze its association with the effect of chemotherapy on time to recurrence (TTR). METHODS An international study led by the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer evaluated the predefined consensus Immunoscore in 763 patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer/Union for International Cancer Control TNM stage III CC from cohort 1 (Canada/United States) and cohort 2 (Europe/Asia). CD3+ and cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocyte densities were quantified in the tumor and invasive margin by digital pathology. The primary end point was TTR. Secondary end points were overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), prognosis in microsatellite stable (MSS) status, and predictive value of efficacy of chemotherapy. RESULTS Patients with a high Immunoscore presented with the lowest risk of recurrence, in both cohorts. Recurrence-free rates at 3 years were 56.9% (95% CI, 50.3% to 64.4%), 65.9% (95% CI, 60.8% to 71.4%), and 76.4% (95% CI, 69.3% to 84.3%) in patients with low, intermediate, and high immunoscores, respectively (hazard ratio [HR; high v low], 0.48; 95% CI, 0.32 to 0.71; P = .0003). Patients with high Immunoscore showed significant association with prolonged TTR, OS, and DFS (all P < .001). In Cox multivariable analysis stratified by participating center, Immunoscore association with TTR was independent (HR [high v low], 0.41; 95% CI, 0.25 to 0.67; P = .0003) of patient’s sex, T stage, N stage, sidedness, and microsatellite instability status. Significant association of a high Immunoscore with prolonged TTR was also found among MSS patients (HR [high v low], 0.36; 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.62; P = .0003). Immunoscore had the strongest contribution χ2 proportion for influencing survival (TTR and OS). Chemotherapy was significantly associated with survival in the high-Immunoscore group for both low-risk (HR [chemotherapy v no chemotherapy], 0.42; 95% CI, 0.25 to 0.71; P = .0011) and high-risk (HR [chemotherapy v no chemotherapy], 0.5; 95% CI, 0.33 to 0.77; P = .0015) patients, in contrast to the low-Immunoscore group ( P > .12). CONCLUSION This study shows that a high Immunoscore significantly associated with prolonged survival in stage III CC. Our findings suggest that patients with a high Immunoscore will benefit the most from chemotherapy in terms of recurrence risk.

Our results show peripheral blood levels of TGF beta and VEGF were significantly increased in colorectal patients and changes in cellular anticancer immunity in comparison to control group. These results will be compared with results from Immunoscore.

Geotourism is a new phenomenon, which has emerged in the tourism literature during the past two decades, and whose meaning suffered from global census. Geotourism is still a new discipline and relatively little has been written about its demand side, demonstrated by a lack of studies in the literature This article studies the recreational value of geotourism areas, and focuses on the first geopark in the Czech Republic, namely the Czech Paradise Geopark. To assess the recreational value the travel cost method is applied, specifically the individual travel cost model. The necessary research data was gathered through intensive tourist surveys conducted in the study area. Data gathered in the respondents’ survey served to determine the consumer surplus as a measure of recreational value and to develop the single site travel cost model. The dependent variable in the conducted model is the number of visits in the area and among the independent variables, studied age, education, travel cost, family status, economic activity and income. The results were subsequently compared to findings in the available literature, research works and case studies.

The composition, sizes and shapes of particles in the clouds of Venus have previously been studied with a variety of in situ and remote sensor measurements. A number of major questions remain unresolved, however, motivating the development of an exploratory mission that will drop a small probe, instrumented with a single-particle autofluorescence nephelometer (AFN), into Venus’s atmosphere. The AFN is specifically designed to address uncertainties associated with the asphericity and complex refractive indices of cloud particles. The AFN projects a collimated, focused, linearly polarized, 440 nm wavelength laser beam through a window of the capsule into the airstream and measures the polarized components of some of the light that is scattered by individual particles that pass through the laser beam. The AFN also measures fluorescence from those particles that contain material that fluoresce when excited at a wavelength of 440 nm and emit at 470–520 nm. Fluorescence is expected from some organic molecules if present in the particles. AFN measurements during probe passage through the Venus clouds are intended to provide constraints on particle number concentration, size, shape, and composition. Hypothesized organics, if present in Venus aerosols, may be detected by the AFN as a precursor to precise identification via future missions. The AFN has been chosen as the primary science instrument for the upcoming Rocket Lab mission to Venus, to search for organic molecules in the cloud particles and constrain the particle composition.

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Analysis of B and T cell responses in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients enrolled in a phase II trial of cyclophosphamide with allogenic DRibble vaccine (DPV-001

Despite progress in primary treatment of patients with advanced ovarian cancer, the majority develop recurrence of the disease. A platinum salt treatment, either as monotherapy or in combination with another cytostatic agent, is indicated for patients who have relapsed 6 or more months after primary treatment and thus have platinum-sensitive relapse. Because repeated use of paclitaxel treatment may lead to substantial neurotoxicity, the combination of gemcitabine with carboplatin represents a suitable treatment option, which is widely used in common clinical practice in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.This non-interventional, prospective study observed the effectiveness and tolerability of second-line treatment with gemcitabine and carboplatin in patients with platinum-sensitive relapse of ovarian cancer in routine clinical practice. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the survival and secondary endpoints were to evaluate time to disease progression, objective tumor response rate, and treatment toxicity.Patients were enrolled to planned second-line treatment with gemcitabine and carboplatin (gemcitabine 1000 mg/m 2 and carboplatin AUC 5 on Day 1, and gemcitabine 1000 mg/m 2 on Day 8 of a 21-day cycle) for platinum-sensitive relapse of ovarian cancer as a part of routine clinical practice and followed for 12 months. The events (death, tumor progression), tumor response, and maximal grades of toxicity were recorded according to common clinical practice. Survival time (using Kaplan-Meier analysis) and objective tumor response rate were calculated using data forms, and a subgroup analysis was performed using log rank tests for time-to-event endpoints; p-values were also calculated. Response rates were calculated for the whole population; for the subgroups, the Fisher's exact test was performed and only p-values were calculated.Between January 2004 and June 2005, 53 patients were enrolled in the study. The median age was 57 years and 96% of patients had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG-PS) of 0 and 1 at baseline. Approximately 91% of patients were originally diagnosed with stage III or IV; 60% of patients had disease free intervals (DFIs) of 12 or more months from previous therapy, and the additional 40% less than 12 months. The 1-year survival rate was 83%. Median survival time was not determined within the 12-month period following the start of the treatment study due to the limited duration of follow-up. Objective tumour response rate was 67.3%. Most common reasons for discontinuation of therapy were "Planned treatment completed" (53%) and "Tumor progression" (11%). Most common toxicities were leukopenia, anaemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia; grades 3 and 4 of these toxicity types did not exceed 30%. Febrile neutropenia was recorded in two patients. Most common non-haematological toxicities were nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and neuropathy; grades 3 and 4 of these were below 6%. Results on time to disease progression are not published due to inconsistent statistical analysis of...