Adjuvant therapies have been approved for patients with AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) stage III and stage IV cutaneous melanoma (CM) after complete resection. These therapies might also ...be indicated for patients with high-risk stage II CM.
We included patients diagnosed with stage II melanoma between 2000 and 2016 and for which primary tumour tissue was available. The prognostic value of the 11-gene expression profiling score (GEPS) was evaluated as a dichotomized parameter (GEPS ≤0 vs. >0). Endpoints of the analysis were melanoma specific survival (MSS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and relapse-free survival (RFS).
GEPS was determined in 245 patients ranging between −0.7 and 3.53. A total of 111 females and 134 males were included; the median follow-up was 41 months. Kaplan Meier analyses showed statistically significant survival differences between patients with high GEPS (n = 154) and low GEPS (n = 91) for MSS (p = 0.018), DMFS (p = 0.005) and RFS (p = 0.009). The 5-year and 10-year MSS was 92% in the low-GEPS and 82% and 67% in the high-GEPS group, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed independent significance for MSS of GEPS (HR = 1.55; p = 0.006), tumor thickness (HR = 1.21; p < 0.001) and age (HR1.05; p = 0.002).
GEPS was validated as independent prognostic factor for MSS in stage II CM and could be used for therapeutic decisions when systemic therapies become available in stage II CM.
•Regardless of the AJCC classification, GEPS distinguishes between patients with favorable and unfavorable prognosis.•Patients with low GEPS showed a 5-and 10-years melanoma specific survival (MSS) rate of 92%.•Patients with a high GEPS had a 5- and 10-years MSS rate of 82% and 67%, respectively.•Systemic adjuvant therapy may be considered for the high GEPS cohort.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Vitamin D deficiency is common in older adults and has been linked with frailty and obesity, but it remains to be studied whether frail obese older adults are at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency. ...Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the association between frailty, obesity indices and serum 25(OH)D concentrations.
1447 individuals with 65 years or older, participating in a cross-sectional study (Nutrition UP 65) were included. Frailty, according to Fried et al., body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), body roundness index (BRI) and body shape index (ABSI) were evaluated. A stepwise multinomial logistic regression was carried out to quantify the association between 25(OH)D quartiles and independent variables.
Median 25(OH)D levels were lower in individuals presenting both frailty and obesity (p<0.001). In the multivariate analysis, pre-frailty (OR: 2.65; 95% CI: 1.63-4.33) and frailty (OR: 3.77; 95% CI: 2.08-6.83) were associated with increased odds of lower 25(OH)D serum levels (first quartile). Regarding obesity indices, the highest categories of BMI (OR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.06-2.86), WC (OR: 3.46; 95% CI: 1.95-6.15), BRI (OR: 4.35; 95% CI: 2.60-7.29) and ABSI (OR: 3.17 95% CI: 1.86-5.38) were directly associated with lower 25(OH)D serum levels (first quartile).
A positive association between frailty or obesity and lower vitamin D levels was found. Moreover, besides BMI and WC, other indicators of body adiposity, such as BRI and ABSI, were associated with lower 25(OH)D serum concentrations.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Acral and mucosal melanoma are uncommon variants of melanoma. Acral melanoma has an age-adjusted incidence of approximately 1.8 cases per million individuals per year, accounting for about 2% to 3% ...of all melanoma cases. On the other hand, mucosal melanoma, with an incidence of 2.2 cases per million per year, makes up around 1.3% of all melanoma cases. These melanomas, in addition to being biologically and clinically distinct from cutaneous melanoma, share certain clinical and pathologic characteristics. These include a more aggressive nature and a less favorable prognosis. Furthermore, they exhibit a different mutational pattern, with KIT mutations being more prevalent in acral and mucosal melanomas. This divergence in mutational patterns may partially account for the relatively poorer prognosis, particularly to immune checkpoint inhibitors. This review explores various aspects of acral and mucosal melanoma, including their clinical presentation, pathologic features, mutational profiles, current therapeutic approaches, outcomes associated with systemic therapy, and potential strategies to address resistance to existing treatments.
Cutaneous melanoma (CM) and keratinocyte cancer (KC) cause considerable morbidity and mortality. We analysed long-term trends of CM and KC in different white populations.
Age-standardised (European ...Standard Population 2013) incidence and mortality rates (ASIR, ASMR) of CM were extracted from cancer registries in Denmark, New Zealand and the US SEER-Database. ASIRs of KC were sourced from registries of the German federal states Saarland and Schleswig–Holstein, and from Scotland. Age-period-cohort models were used to project melanoma incidence trends.
In Denmark between 1943 and 2016, melanoma ASIR increased from 1.1 to 46.5 in males, and from 1.0 to 48.5 in females, estimated to reach 60.0 and 73.1 in males and females by 2036. Melanoma mortality in Denmark (1951–2016) increased from 1.4 to 6.7 (males) and 1.2 to 3.7 (females). In New Zealand between 1948 and 2016, ASIR increased from 2.7 to 81.0 (males) and from 3.8 to 54.7 (females), slight declines are estimated by 2036 for both genders. Melanoma mortality increased six-fold in New Zealand males between 1950 and 2016; smaller increases were observed in females. We observed three- to four-fold increases in melanoma incidence in US whites, predicted to rise to 56.1 and 36.2 in males and females until 2036. Melanoma mortality also increased among US whites between 1970 and 2017, female melanoma mortality remained stable. Similar trends are shown for KC.
In white populations, incidence of CM and KC significantly increased. CM incidence continues to rise in the short term but is predicted to decline in future.
•Cutaneous melanoma (CM) incidence 73 years of observation and 20 years of projection.•Incidence increase of CM 15–48 times.•Similar trends in keratinocyte cancer.•Age standardised with European standard population 2013 instead of crude rates.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
A unique collaboration of multidisciplinary experts from the European Dermatology Forum, the European Association of Dermato-Oncology and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of ...Cancer (EORTC) was formed to make recommendations on cutaneous melanoma diagnosis and treatment, based on systematic literature reviews and the experts' experience. Cutaneous melanomas are excised with 1- to 2-cm safety margins. Sentinel lymph node dissection shall be performed as a staging procedure in patients with tumour thickness ≥1.0 mm or ≥0.8 mm with additional histological risk factors, although there is as yet no clear survival benefit for this approach. Therapeutic decisions in stage III/IV patients should be primarily made by an interdisciplinary oncology team (“Tumor Board”). Adjuvant therapies in stage III/IV patients are primarily anti–PD-1, independent of mutational status, or dabrafenib plus trametinib for BRAF-mutant patients. In distant metastasis, either resected or not, systemic treatment is indicated. For first-line treatment, particularly in BRAF wild-type patients, immunotherapy with PD-1 antibodies alone or in combination with CTLA-4 antibodies shall be considered. In particular scenarios for patients with stage IV melanoma and a BRAF-V600 E/K mutation, first-line therapy with BRAF/MEK inhibitors can be offered as an alternative to immunotherapy. In patients with primary resistance to immunotherapy and harbouring a BRAF-V600 E/K mutation, this therapy shall be offered in second-line. Systemic therapy in stage III/IV melanoma is a rapidly changing landscape, and it is likely that these recommendations may change in the near future.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
A unique collaboration of multidisciplinary experts from the European Dermatology Forum (EDF), the European Association of Dermato-Oncology (EADO), and the European Organization of Research and ...Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) was formed to make recommendations on cutaneous melanoma diagnosis and treatment, based on the systematic literature reviews and the experts' experience. Cutaneous melanomas are excised with one to 2-cm safety margins. Sentinel lymph node dissection shall be performed as a staging procedure in patients with tumor thickness ≥1.0 mm or ≥0.8 mm with additional histological risk factors, although there is as yet no clear survival benefit for this approach. Therapeutic decisions in stage III/IV patients should be primarily made by an interdisciplinary oncology team (“tumor board”). Adjuvant therapies can be proposed in stage III/completely resected stage IV patients and are primarily anti-PD-1, independent of mutational status, or alternatively dabrafenib plus trametinib for BRAF mutant patients. In distant metastases (stage IV), either resected or not, systemic treatment is always indicated. For first-line treatment particularly in BRAF wild-type patients, immunotherapy with PD-1 antibodies alone or in combination with CTLA-4 antibodies shall be considered. In stage IV melanoma with a BRAF-V600 E/K mutation, first-line therapy with BRAF/MEK inhibitors can be offered as an alternative to immunotherapy. In patients with primary resistance to immunotherapy and harboring a BRAF-V600 E/K mutation, this therapy shall be offered as second-line therapy. Systemic therapy in stage III/IV melanoma is a rapidly changing landscape, and it is likely that these recommendations may change in the near future.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•Sarcopenia frequency varied from 5.0 to 42.1% depending on the method and cut-off point applied.•All surrogate diagnostic criteria had a higher agreement with the DXA ASM over ASM/height2.•BIA is a ...suitable method to evaluate muscle mass in sarcopenia diagnosis when DXA is unavailable.•Calf circumference showed to be a valid indicator to rule in the presence of sarcopenia.
Dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is widely adopted to estimate muscle mass for research, but for daily practice is only available in a limited number of facilities.
To elucidate if it is anthropometry or bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) the method more concordant with DXA in estimating muscle mass for sarcopenia diagnosis among older adults, and to investigate the impact of several cut-off points in sarcopenia frequency.
159 older adults (≥65 years) were included in a cross-sectional analysis. Sarcopenia was identified using the 2018 EWGSOP2 definition, plus previous definitions for muscle mass. Estimation of muscle mass by DXA (appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) and ASM/height2), by BIA (skeletal muscle mass/height2 (SMM/height2) and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI)), and anthropometry (calf and mid-arm muscle circumferences (CC and MAMC, respectively)) was carried out, as well as measurements of handgrip strength and gait speed.
Sarcopenia frequency varied from 5.0 to 42.1% depending on the method and cut-off point applied. All surrogate diagnostic criteria had a higher agreement with the DXA defined criterion ASM over ASM/height2. A substantial agreement was also found with BIA SMM/height2 (κ= 0.67), and with BIA SMI (κ= 0.65), and a moderate agreement with MAMC (κ= 0.42), p<0.001. Using the DXA ASM and ASM/height2 criteria as reference, CC showed a specificity of 100% and 94%, respectively.
BIA is a suitable method to evaluate muscle mass in sarcopenia diagnosis when DXA is unavailable. Furthermore, CC showed to be a valid indicator to rule in the presence of sarcopenia.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Aim
To investigate the association between nutritional and functional status of Alzheimer's disease patients and caregivers' burden.
Methods
A cross‐sectional study was conducted among 79 ...community‐dwelling Alzheimer's disease patients living with their caregivers. Caregivers' burden was assessed using the Zarit Burden‐Interview. Multinomial logistic regressions were carried out using caregivers' burden as the dependent variable.
Results
Caregivers' severe overload was strongly associated with weight loss of more than 3 kg during the previous 3 months (OR = 7.34; 95% CI: 2.02‐26.65), lower values of calf girth (OR = 3.20; 95% CI: 1.03‐9.93), sarcopenia status (OR = 3.50; 95% CI: 1.09‐11.22), and lower gait speed values (OR = 3.83; 95% CI: 1.18‐12.47). Otherwise, overweight or obesity (OR = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.05‐0.83), was related to lower odds of higher caregivers' burden.
Conclusion
In community‐dwelling older adults with Alzheimer's disease, the nutritional and functional status impairments were strongly associated with increasing caregivers' burden, whereas overweight conferred protection.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FSPLJ, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is potentially the most dangerous form of skin tumor and causes 90% of skin cancer mortality. A unique collaboration of multidisciplinary experts from the European Dermatology ...Forum (EDF), the European Association of Dermato-Oncology (EADO), and the European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) was formed to make recommendations on CM diagnosis and treatment, based on systematic literature reviews and the experts' experience. The diagnosis of melanoma can be made clinically and shall always be confirmed through dermatoscopy. If a melanoma is suspected, a histopathological examination is required. Sequential digital dermatoscopy and full-body photography can be used in risk persons to detect the development of melanomas at an earlier stage. Where available, confocal reflectance microscopy can improve clinical diagnosis in special cases. Melanoma shall be classified according to the 8th version of the AJCC classification. Thin melanomas up to 0.8 mm tumor thickness does not require further imaging diagnostics. From stage IB onwards, examinations with lymph node sonography are recommended, but no further imaging examinations. From stage IIC whole-body examinations with CT or PET-CT in combination with brain MRI are recommended. From stage III and higher, mutation testing is recommended, particularly for BRAF V600 mutation. It is important to provide a structured follow-up to detect relapses and secondary primary melanomas as early as possible. There is no evidence to support the frequency and extent of examinations. A stage-based follow-up scheme is proposed, which, according to the experience of the guideline group, covers the minimum requirements; further studies may be considered. This guideline is valid until the end of 2021.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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