Infection with C. jejuni often precedes the Guillain-Barré syndrome and is associated with axonal degeneration, slow recovery, and severe residual disability.

Background Outcome of low-grade glioma (LGG, WHO grade II) is highly variable reflecting molecular heterogeneity of the disease. We compared two different single modality treatment strategies: standard radiotherapy (RT) versus primary temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy with the aim of tailoring treatment and identifying predictive molecular factors. Methods 477 patients (2005 – 2012, median FU 48 months) with a low-grade glioma (astrocytoma, oligoastrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, WHO grade II) with at least one high-risk feature (age > 40 years, progressive disease, tumor > 5 cm or crossing the midline, neurological symptoms (e.g. focal or mental deficits, increased intracranial pressure or intractable seizures)) were, after stratification by chromosome 1p-status, randomized to either conformal RT (50.4 Gy/28 fractions) or dose-dense TMZ (75 mg/m2 daily × 21 days, q28 days, max. 12 cycles). Random treatment allocation was performed online using a minimization technique. A planned analysis was performed after 246 progression events. All analyses are intent to treat. Primary clinical endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), correlative analyses included molecular markers (1p/19q co-deletion, MGMT methylation status, IDH1+2 mutations). The trial has been registered at the European Trials Registry (EudraCT 2004-002714-11) and at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00182819). Findings Four hundred seventy-seven patients were randomized. Severe hematological toxicity occurred in 14% of TMZ-treated patients, infections in 3% of TMZ-treated patients, and 1% of RT-treated patients. Moderate to severe fatigue was recorded in 3% of patients in the RT group and 7% in the TMZ group. At a median follow-up of 48 months (IQR:31–56), median PFS was 39 months (IQR:16–46) in the TMZ arm and 46 months (IQR:19–48) in the RT group (hazard ratio 1.16, 95% CI, 0.9–1.5; p=0.22). Median OS has not been reached. Exploratory analyses identified treatment-dependent variation in outcome of molecular LGG subgroups (n=318). Interpretation There was no significant difference in outcome of the overall patient population treated with either radiotherapy alone or TMZ chemotherapy alone. Further data maturation is needed for overall survival analyses and evaluation of the full predictive impact of the molecular subtypes for individualized treatment choices. Funding Merck & Co, Swiss-Bridge Award 2011, Swiss Cancer League.

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is defined clinically as a peripheral neuropathy causing limb weakness that progresses for up to 4 weeks before reaching a plateau. The symptoms may be caused by inflammatory demyelination, axonal degeneration, or both. GBS occurs throughout the world, with a median incidence of 1.3 cases/100,000 population (range, 0.4-4.0). Males are more commonly affected than females, and there are peaks in young adults and the elderly. There is no clear seasonal association in Western countries, although this may be because the most frequent antecedent events, respiratory and enteric infections, have opposite seasonality. The most frequently identified cause of GBS is Campylobacter jejuni infection, which has been identified in up to 41% of patients and is associated with more severe disease and prolonged disability. Summer epidemics of GBS occur among children and young adults in Northern China and are particularly likely to be associated with C. jejuni infection.

Background: Diffuse infiltrative low-grade gliomas of the cerebral hemispheres in the adult are a group of tumors with distinct clinical, histological and molecular characteristics, and there are still controversies in management. Methods: The scientific evidence of papers collected from the literature was evaluated and graded according to EFNS guidelines, and recommendations were given accordingly. Results and conclusions: WHO classification recognizes grade II astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas and oligoastrocytomas. Conventional MRI is used for differential diagnosis, guiding surgery, planning radiotherapy and monitoring treatment response. Advanced imaging techniques can increase the diagnostic accuracy. Younger age, normal neurological examination, oligodendroglial histology and 1p loss are favorable prognostic factors. Prophylactic antiepileptic drugs are not useful, whilst there is no evidence that one drug is better than the others. Total/near total resection can improve seizure control, progression-free and overall survival, whilst reducing the risk of malignant transformation. Early post-operative radiotherapy improves progressionfree but not overall survival. Low doses of radiation are as effective as high doses and better tolerated. Modern radiotherapy techniques reduce the risk of late cognitive deficits. Chemotherapy can be useful both at recurrence after radiotherapy and as initial treatment after surgery to delay the risk of late neurotoxicity from large-field radiotherapy. Neurocognitive deficits are frequent and can be caused by the tumor itself, tumor-related epilepsy, treatments and psychological distress.

Background: Several commercial and academic autologous chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) products targeting CD19 have been approved in Europe for relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, high-grade B-cell lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma. Products for other diseases such as multiple myeloma and follicular lymphoma are likely to be approved by the European Medicines Agency in the near future. Design: The European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)-Joint Accreditation Committee of ISCT and EBMT (JACIE) and the European Haematology Association collaborated to draft best practice recommendations based on the current literature to support health care professionals in delivering consistent, high-quality care in this rapidly moving field. Results: Thirty-six CAR-T experts (medical, nursing, pharmacy/laboratory) assembled to draft recommendations to cover all aspects of CAR-T patient care and supply chain management, from patient selection to long-term followup, post-authorisation safety surveillance and regulatory issues.