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Lung cancer is the principal cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The use of targeted therapies, especially tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), in specific groups of patients has dramatically improved the prognosis of this disease, although inevitably some patients will develop resistance to these drugs during active treatment. The most common cancer-associated acquired mutation is the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) Thr790Met (T790M) mutation. During active treatment with targeted therapies, histopathological transformation to small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) can occur in 3-15% of patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) tumors. By definition, SCLC is a high-grade tumor with specific histological and genetic characteristics. In the majority of cases, a good-quality hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain is enough to establish a diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is used to confirm the diagnosis and exclude other neoplasia such as sarcomatoid carcinomas, large-cell carcinoma, basaloid squamous-cell carcinoma, chronic inflammation, malignant melanoma, metastatic carcinoma, sarcoma, and lymphoma. A loss of the tumor-suppressor protein retinoblastoma 1 (RB1) is found in 100% of human SCLC tumors; therefore, it has an essential role in tumorigenesis and tumor development. Other genetic pathways probably involved in the histopathological transformation include neurogenic locus notch homolog (NOTCH) and achaete-scute homolog 1 (ASCL1). Histological transformation to SCLC can be suspected in NSCLC patients who clinically deteriorate during active treatment. Biopsy of any new lesion in this clinical setting is highly recommended to rule out a SCLC transformation. New studies are trying to assess this histological transformation by noninvasive measures such as measuring the concentration of serum neuronspecific enolase.

BackgroundMetastatic germ cell tumor (mGCT) patients receiving chemotherapy have increased risk of life‐threatening venous thromboembolism (VTE). Identifying VTE risk factors may guide thromboprophylaxis in this highly curable population.MethodsData were collected from mGCT patients receiving first‐line platinum‐based chemotherapy at 22 centers. Predefined variables included International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group (IGCCCG) risk classification, long‐axis diameter of largest retroperitoneal lymph node (RPLN), Khorana score, and use of indwelling vascular access device (VAD). VTE occurring at baseline, during chemotherapy and within 90 days, was analyzed.ResultsData from 1135 patients were collected. Median age was 31 years (range 10‐74). IGCCCG risk was 64% good, 20% intermediate, and 16% poor. VTE occurred in 150 (13%) patients. RPLN >3.5 cm demonstrated highest discriminatory accuracy for VTE (AUC 0.632, P < .001) and was associated with significantly higher risk of VTE in univariable analysis (22% vs 8%, OR 3.0, P < .001) and multivariable analysis (OR 1.8, P = .02). Other significant risk factors included, Khorana score ≥3 (OR 2.6, P = .008) and VAD use (OR 2.7, P < .001).ConclusionsLarge RPLN and VAD use are independent risk factors for VTE in mGCT patients receiving chemotherapy. VAD use should be minimized in this population and thromboprophylaxis might be considered for large RPLN.

Prognosis in patients with lung cancer is poor. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) are proteins involved in the invasion and metastases of cancer. The objective of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between tumor expression of NGAL and MMP-9 in lung adenocarcinoma patients with prognosis and overall survival. Retrospective analysis was made of patients with lung adenocarcinoma treated at Medica Sur Hospital between 2005 and 2013. Tumor tissue was analyzed for NGAL and MMP-9 expression by immunohistochemistry. We identified 41 patients. Mean overexpression in tumoral tissue of NGAL was 70 % and 30 % for MMP-9. Univariate analysis revealed that prognostic factors associated with overall survival (OS) were NGAL expression and stage at diagnosis. Median OS for NGAL expression < 70 % was 45.7 months (95 % CI; 15.2-76.2) and for patients with ≥ 70 % 4.6 months (95 % CI; 0.5-18.8; P < 0.0001), and for stage at diagnosis (stages I and II mean not reached), stage III mean OS 15.57 months (95 % CI; 9.8-21.2) and stage IV 9.6 months (95 % CI; 0.8-18.4. P = 0.002). No differences in OS were found for expression of MMP-9. Multivariate analysis revealed significance for OS in NGAL expression (HR 5.01 [95 % CI; 1.68-14.93] P = 0.004) and stage at diagnosis (HR 2.05 [95 % CI 1.30-3.22] P = 0.002). Tumoral tissue expression of NGAL ≥ 70 % confers a worse prognosis compared to those who did not. NGAL is an independent prognostic factor of stage at diagnosis.

Abstract:The treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) is rapidly changing. During first-line treatment with targeted therapy, patients ultimately develop resistance to therapy and the disease progresses. Recently, cabozantinib has demonstrated a better response rate, progression-free survival and overall survival compared with everolimus after failure of prior targeted therapy in patients with advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Cabozantinib is a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). It exerts inhibition of MET, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor type 2, AXL, and many other receptor tyrosine kinases that are also implicated in tumor pathobiology, including RET, KIT, and FLT3. MET drives tumor survival, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis through several downstream signaling pathways. AXL has recently been described as an essential mediator of cancer metastasis that mediates crosstalk and resistance to TKIs. MET and AXL are thought to be anti-vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF) resistance pathways and thus cabozantinib represents a logical choice after progression on initial VEGF therapy. Subgroup analyses examining those with good performance status or visceral and bone metastases indicate that the hazard ratios may be better when using cabozantinib versus everolimus. However, there were no clear statistically significant differences between any subgroups.

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are the most frequent type of cancer in young adults. An exceptional event is the spontaneous regression (SR) of the primary tumor. Herein, we describe a burned-out non-seminomatous TGCT case and relevant literature review. A 34-year-old male presenting with low back pain was found to have a retroperitoneal mass upon urotomography. During workup, a heterogeneous testicular mass was evident, and its biopsy showed findings that support the diagnosis of spontaneous tumoral regression. The patient underwent unilateral orchiectomy and a chemotherapy protocol was later initiated, with 85% regression of the retroperitoneal metastatic mass. No progression of the primary tumor has been found. The etiology of SR across different cancer types appears to be associated with the host’s immune response and an angiogenic disturbance of the tumor microenvironment. The burned-out phenomenon is a rare event that needs further research into its molecular sequencing.

Abstract. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is overexpressed in >60% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases. In combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy, first-line treatments with antibodies against EGFR, including cetuximab and necitumumab, have demonstrated benefits by increasing overall survival (OS), particularly in patients who overexpress EGFR. The present study evaluated the interobserver agreement among three senior pathologists, who were blinded to the clinical outcomes and assessed tumor samples from 85 patients with NSCLC using the H-score method. EGFR immunohistochemistry was performed using a qualitative immunohistochemical kit. The reported (mean ± standard deviation) H-scores from each pathologist were 111±102, 127±103 and 128.53±104.03. The patients with average H-scores ≥1, ≥100, ≥200 and between 250-300 were 85.9, 54.1, 28.2 and 12.9, respectively. Patients who had an average H-score >100 had a shorter OS time compared with those with lower scores. Furthermore, patients with EGFR mutations who were treated with EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and had an average H-score >100 had a longer OS time compared with those with an average H-score <100. The interobserver concordance for the total H-scores were 0.982, 0.980 and 0.988, and for a positive H-score ≥200, the interobserver concordance was 0.773, 0.710 and 0.675, respectively. The determination of EGFR expression by the H-score method is highly reproducible among pathologists and is a prognostic factor associated with a poor OS in all patients. Additionally, the results of the present study suggest that patients with EGFR mutations that are treated with EGFR-TKIs and present with a high H-score have a longer OS time.

BACKGROUND It remains unclear which patients with metastatic germ cell tumours (mGCTs) need prophylactic anticoagulation to prevent venous thromboembolic events (VTEs). OBJECTIVE To assess the risk and onset of VTEs stratified by risk factors. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICI-PANTS This multi-institutional retrospective dataset included mGCT patients treated with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. INTERVENTION Patients with prophylactic anticoagulation were excluded. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS A regression analysis was performed to select risk factors for VTEs. The simulated number needed to treat (NNT) and the number needed to harm (NNH) with prophylactic anticoagulation were calculated based on the cumulative incidences retrieved from this study and hazard rates of recently published trials describing the efficacy of prophylactic anticoagulation to prevent VTEs and the risk of bleeding events. RESULTS AND LIMI-TATIONS From 1120 patients, 121 (11%) had a VTE, which occurred prior to chemotherapy in 49 (4%) and on or after chemotherapy in 72 (6%). Six patients (<1%) had a bleeding event without anticoagulation. After backward regression, the one risk factor for a VTE during or after chemotherapy was the use of a venous access device. The simulated cumulative VTE incidence from prophylactic anticoagulation for patients on or after chemotherapy would translate into an NNT of 45 (95% confidence interval [CI] 36-56) and an NNH of 186 (95% CI 87-506). Limitations are mainly related to the retrospective nature of the study. CONCLUSIONS The mGCTs associated VTEs are most common before and during, but not after, chemotherapy. Avoiding venous access device and/or prophylactic anticoagulation with an acceptable risk-benefit profile may decrease VTE occurring on chemotherapy. PATIENT SUM-MARY We found that venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) occur rarely after chemotherapy. Based on experience of prophylactic anticoagulation in other cancers, we conclude that the risk of VTE in men undergoing chemotherapy for metastatic germ cell tumours can be decreased by thromboprophylaxis with a reasonable risk-benefit profile and by avoidance of venous access devices.