CDH1 mutation carriers have a strongly increased risk of developing gastric cancer (GC) and lobular breast cancer (LBC). Clinical data of GC cases and surgical and histological data of prophylactic ...gastrectomies and mastectomies of all 10 Dutch CDH1 mutation families were collected. In vitro functional assays were performed to analyze the nature of the newly found missense mutation c.1748T>G (p.Leu583Arg). Ten different CDH1 mutations were found. Functional assays gave strong arguments for the pathogenic nature of the p.Leu583Arg mutation. The pedigrees comprised 36 GC cases (mean age 40 years, range 20–72 years) and one LBC case. Twenty‐nine/37 carriers alive, aged 18–61 years, underwent prophylactic gastrectomy. Invasive GC‐foci and premalignant abnormalities were detected in 2 and 25 patients, respectively. In four patients GC/signetring cell (SRC) foci were diagnosed at preoperative gastroscopy. Long‐standing presence of SRCs without progression to invasive carcinoma was shown in two others. Multifocal LBC/LCIS was found in the two prophylactic mastectomy specimens. Clefts of lip and/or palate (CL/P) were reported in seven individuals from three families. The age at onset and aggressiveness of GC is highly variable, which has to be included in counseling on planning prophylactic gastrectomies. The incidence of LBC is expected to increase and prophylactic mastectomy needs to be considered. The relationship between CL/P and CDH1 needs further study to inform future parents from hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) families adequately.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Background
Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) are the most commonly reported complications after esophagectomy. The aim of this study was to examine the effect and feasibility of ...preoperative inspiratory muscle training-high intensity (IMT-HI), and IMT-endurance (IMT-E) on the incidence of PPCs in patients following esophagectomy for esophageal cancer (EC).
Method
A single-blind, randomized, clinical pilot study was conducted between 2009 and 2012. Forty-five participants were assigned to either IMT-HI or IMT-E. Effectiveness was assessed by analyzing PPCs, length of hospital stay (LOS), duration of mechanical ventilation, stay on the intensive care unit, and number of reintubations. Maximal inspiratory pressure and lung function changes were recorded pre- and post-training. Feasibility was assessed by IMT-related adverse events, training compliance, and patients’ satisfaction.
Results
Thirty-nine patients could be analyzed, 20 patients in the IMT-HI arm and 19 patients in the IMT-E arm. The incidence of PPCs differed significantly between groups and was almost three times lower for the IMT-HI group (4 vs. 11 patients;
p
= 0.015). Other differences in favor of the IMT-HI group were LOS (13.5 vs. 18 days;
p
= 0.010) and number of reintubations (0 vs. 4 patients;
p
= 0.030). Both interventions proved to be equally feasible.
Conclusion
Preoperative IMT-HI showed to be a promising, effective, and feasible intervention to reduce PPCs in EC patients undergoing esophagectomy. Further research with a larger sample size is recommended.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Weekly chemotherapy and concurrent radiotherapy for 5 weeks before curative resection in patients with esophageal or esophagogastric-junction cancer resulted in a pathologically complete response in ...29% of patients and doubled the median overall survival to 4 years.
With new diagnoses in more than 480,000 patients annually, esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer worldwide.
1
It is a highly lethal disease, causing more than 400,000 deaths per year.
2
The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma is rapidly rising, whereas that of squamous-cell carcinoma remains unchanged.
3
Despite adequate preoperative staging, 25% of patients treated with primary surgery have microscopically positive resection margins (R1), and the 5-year survival rate rarely exceeds 40%.
4
The role of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy has been debated for several decades. In most randomized trials, no survival benefit could be shown, and the trials were criticized for inadequate trial . . .
The RET gene encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase that is expressed in neural crest-derived cell lineages. The RET receptor plays a crucial role in regulating cell proliferation, migration, ...differentiation, and survival through embryogenesis. Activating mutations in RET lead to the development of several inherited and noninherited diseases. Germline point mutations are found in the cancer syndromes multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2, including MEN 2A and 2B, and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma. These syndromes are autosomal dominantly inherited. The identification of mutations associated with these syndromes has led to genetic testing to identify patients at risk for MEN 2 and familial medullary thyroid carcinoma and subsequent implementation of prophylactic thyroidectomy in mutation carriers. In addition, more than 10 somatic rearrangements of RET have been identified from papillary thyroid carcinomas. These mutations, as those found in MEN 2, induce oncogenic activation of the RET tyrosine kinase domain via different mechanisms, making RET an excellent candidate for the design of molecular targeted therapy. Recently, various kinds of therapeutic approaches, such as tyrosine kinase inhibition, gene therapy with dominant negative RET mutants, monoclonal antibodies against oncogene products, and nuclease-resistant aptamers that recognize and inhibit RET have been developed. The use of these strategies in preclinical models has provided evidence that RET is indeed a potential target for selective cancer therapy. However, a clinically useful therapeutic option for treating patients with RET-associated cancer is still not available.
Introduction
The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in therapy response and modulation of immunologic surveillance. Adjuvant immunotherapy has recently been introduced in post-surgery ...treatment of locally advanced esophageal cancer (EC) with residual pathological disease after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT). F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (
18
F-FDG-PET/CT) remains a valuable imaging tool to assess therapy response and to visualize metabolic TME; however, there is still a paucity in understanding the interaction between the TME and nCRT response. This systematic review investigated the potential of TME biomarkers and
18
F-FDG-PET/CT features to predict pathological and clinical response (CR) after nCRT in EC.
Methods
A literature search of the Medline and Embase electronic databases identified 4190 studies. Studies regarding immune and metabolic TME biomarkers and
18
F-FDG-PET/CT features were included for predicting pathological response (PR) and/or CR after nCRT. Separate analyses were performed for
18
F-FDG-PET/CT markers and these TME biomarkers.
Results
The final analysis included 21 studies—10 about immune and metabolic markers alone and 11 with additional
18
F-FDG-PET/CT features. High CD8 infiltration before and after nCRT, and CD3 and CD4 infiltration after nCRT, generally correlated with better PR. A high expression of tumoral or stromal programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) after nCRT was generally associated with poor PR. Moreover, total lesion glycolysis (TLG) and metabolic tumor volume (MTV) of the primary tumor were potentially predictive for clinical and PR.
Conclusion
CD8, CD4, CD3, and PD-L1 are promising immune markers in predicting PR, whereas TLG and MTV are potential
18
F-FDG-PET/CT features to predict clinical and PR after nCRT in EC.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
The primary aim was to study the risk of cardiovascular mortality in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). Secondary aims were to evaluate all-cause mortality and explore the relation ...between thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH; also known as thyrotropin) level and these outcome parameters.
Subjects from two cohorts were retrospectively compared by Cox regression analyses; 524 patients with DTC and 1,572 sex- and age-matched controls from a large population-based study in the same geographic region.
Mean age plus or minus standard deviation was 49 ± 14 years. Median follow-up was 8.5 years (interquartile range IQR, 4.1 to 15.9 years) for patients with DTC and 10.5 years (IQR, 9.9 to 10.9 years) for controls. One hundred patients with DTC (19.1%) died, 22 (4.2%) as a result of cardiovascular disease, 39 (7.4%) as a result of DTC, and 39 (7.4%) as a result of other/unknown causes. Eighty-five controls (5.4%) died, 24 (1.5%) as a result of cardiovascular disease and 61 (3.9%) as a result of other/unknown causes. Patients with DTC had an increased risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality (hazard ratios HRs, 3.35 95% CI, 1.66 to 6.74 and 4.40 95% CI, 3.15 to 6.14, respectively, adjusted for age, sex, and cardiovascular risk factors). Within the DTC group, TSH level was predictive for cardiovascular mortality; the adjusted HR was 3.08 (95% CI, 1.32 to 7.21) for each 10-fold decrease in geometric mean TSH level.
The risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality is increased in patients with DTC, independent of age, sex, and cardiovascular risk factors. A lower TSH level is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality, supporting the current European Thyroid Association and the American Thyroid Association guidelines of tempering TSH suppression in patients with low risk of cancer recurrence. Furthermore, patients with DTC may benefit from assessment and treatment of cardiovascular risk factors.
The extent of lymph node dissection appropriate for gastric cancer is still under debate. We have conducted a randomized trial to compare the results of a limited (D1) and extended (D2) lymph node ...dissection in terms of morbidity, mortality, long-term survival and cumulative risk of relapse. We have reviewed the results of our trial after follow-up of more than 10 years.
Between August 1989 and June 1993, 1,078 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were randomly assigned to undergo a D1 or D2 lymph node dissection. Data were collected prospectively, and patients were followed for more than 10 years.
A total of 711 patients (380 in the D1 group and 331 in the D2 group) were treated with curative intent. Morbidity (25% v 43%; P <.001) and mortality (4% v 10%; P =.004) were significantly higher in the D2 dissection group. After 11 years there is no overall difference in survival (30% v 35%; P =.53). Of all subgroups analyzed, only patients with N2 disease may benefit of a D2 dissection. The relative risk ratio for morbidity and mortality is significantly higher than one for D2 dissections, splenectomy, pancreatectomy, and age older than 70 years.
Overall, extended lymph node dissection as defined in this study generated no long-term survival benefit. The associated higher postoperative mortality offsets its long-term effect in survival. For patients with N2 disease an extended lymph node dissection may offer cure, but it remains difficult to identify patients who have N2 disease. Morbidity and mortality are greatly influenced by the extent of lymph node dissection, pancreatectomy, splenectomy and age. Extended lymph node dissections may be of benefit if morbidity and mortality can be avoided.
To compare diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography (CT), endoscopic ultrasonography (US), and fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) for assessment of response to ...neoadjuvant therapy in patients with esophageal cancer by using a systematic review of the literature.
MEDLINE and EMBASE databases and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched for relevant studies. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of each study. Summary receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to summarize and compare the diagnostic accuracy of the three modalities.
Four studies with CT, 13 with endoscopic US, and seven with FDG PET met inclusion criteria. Percentages of the maximum score in regard to methodological quality ranged from 15% to 100%. Summary ROC analysis could be performed for three studies with CT, four with endoscopic US, and four with FDG PET. The maximum joint values for sensitivity and specificity were 54% for CT, 86% for endoscopic US, and 85% for FDG PET. Accuracy of CT was significantly lower than that of FDG PET (P < .006) and of endoscopic US (P < .003). Accuracy of FDG PET and that of endoscopic US were similar (P = .839). In all patients, CT was always feasible, whereas endoscopic US was not feasible in 6% of the patients, and FDG PET was not feasible in less than 1%.
CT has poor accuracy for assessment of response to neoadjuvant therapy in patients with esophageal cancer. Endoscopic US and FDG PET have equivalent good accuracy, but endoscopic US is not always feasible after chemotherapy and radiation therapy. FDG PET seems to be a promising noninvasive tool for assessment of neoadjuvant therapy in patients with esophageal cancer.
Nearly one third of patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) for locally advanced esophageal cancer have a pathologic complete response (pCR) of the primary tumor upon ...histopathological evaluation of the resection specimen. The primary aim of this study is to develop a model that predicts the probability of pCR to nCRT in esophageal cancer, based on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI), dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and
F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography (
F-FDG PET-CT). Accurate response prediction could lead to a patient-tailored approach with omission of surgery in the future in case of predicted pCR or additional neoadjuvant treatment in case of non-pCR.
The PRIDE study is a prospective, single arm, observational multicenter study designed to develop a multimodal prediction model for histopathological response to nCRT for esophageal cancer. A total of 200 patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer - of which at least 130 patients with adenocarcinoma and at least 61 patients with squamous cell carcinoma - scheduled to receive nCRT followed by esophagectomy will be included. The primary modalities to be incorporated in the prediction model are quantitative parameters derived from MRI and
F-FDG PET-CT scans, which will be acquired at fixed intervals before, during and after nCRT. Secondary modalities include blood samples for analysis of the presence of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) at 3 time-points (before, during and after nCRT), and an endoscopy with (random) bite-on-bite biopsies of the primary tumor site and other suspected lesions in the esophagus as well as an endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) with fine needle aspiration of suspected lymph nodes after finishing nCRT. The main study endpoint is the performance of the model for pCR prediction. Secondary endpoints include progression-free and overall survival.
If the multimodal PRIDE concept provides high predictive performance for pCR, the results of this study will play an important role in accurate identification of esophageal cancer patients with a pCR to nCRT. These patients might benefit from a patient-tailored approach with omission of surgery in the future. Vice versa, patients with non-pCR might benefit from additional neoadjuvant treatment, or ineffective therapy could be stopped.
The article reports on a health care intervention on human participants and was prospectively registered on March 22, 2018 under ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03474341 .
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK