Toxoplasmosis is a well-recognized opportunistic disease in HIV-infected individuals that is caused by the reactivation of a previous infection, primarily in the central nervous system, during profound immunodeficiency. Toxoplasmosis has been described more rarely in patients with cancer and chemotherapy. We report a case of a patient with a history of chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma who developed pain and progressive paresthesia of the right arm 6 weeks after remission. Relapsing lymphoma was suspected, and steroid and radiation treatment were initiated, but the patient died 5 days later due to multiple organ failure. Autopsy revealed disseminated toxoplasmosis. This case illustrates that toxoplasmosis should be suspected in patients with neoplastic disease, especially lymphomas, who present with unexplained neurologic, pulmonary, or febrile symptoms during or after chemotherapy.
Background: Advanced androgen signaling inhibition, a prevailing therapy approach in advanced prostate cancer, incurs variable response. Therapy selection guided by predictors is an unmet need.Methods: We reviewed MDACC GU department and Hellenic Sister Institute records for Abiraterone Acetate (AA) treated mCRPC patients (pts) with extraordinary response (absence of radiographic/clinical progression for 3 years). We compared to reported findings for COU-AA-302 and real world experience to identify candidate predictors of outcome. We applied a previously proposed COU-AA-302 response prognostic model. Archived diagnostic and subsequent tumor specimens were retrieved for molecular characterization.Results: Forty four of 430 reviewed mCRPC pts had extraordinary response. Table depicts features. Median time to AA discontinuation was 5.8 yr (range 3-12.5+) and 20 pts are on treatment. Safety profile is acceptable with no overt increase in fractures or cardiovascular, metabolic morbidity. All pts experienced >50% PSA decline with nadir 0.1 in 80%, occurring within 5mo (median) (range <1-57). Median time to PSA progression 5.9 yr (95% CI 4.4-7.5), median rPFS 11.5 yr. Median OS 9.4 yr (95% CI 8.1-10.7). Pretreatment features differed significantly from other datasets for: Longer time from cancer diagnosis (median 8.5 yr), longer time to CRPC (median 3.1 yr), bone metastatic burden (63% 3 lesions), and PSA (median 5.5 yr). We applied the model to the cohort and it predicted only 7/44 (16%). Tissue analyses to be reported at meeting due to COVID19 research shutdown.Conclusions: Extraordinary response to enhanced androgen signaling inhibition in mCRPC appears linked to androgen signaling 'addiction' and limited disease volume. Available prognostic models are not sensitive enough to guide selection. Routine biopsy derived predictors will help guide therapeutic strategies and improve curative fraction in advanced prostate cancer. Ref:
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.