Clinical Tumor Characteristics Research Articles

A comparative analysis of surgically excised hereditary and sporadic pheochromocytomas: Insights from a single-center experience.

Pheochromocytoma is a tumor that usually originating from adrenal medullary chromaffin cells and producing one or more catecholamines, can manifest as hereditary or sporadic. While the majority pheochromocytomas are sporadic, hereditary forms are often associated with genetic syndromes such as von Hippel-Lindau, multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2, and neurofibromatosis type 1. This study aims to analyze data from our series of surgically excited pheochromocytoma patients and compare the characteristics between hereditary and sporadic cases. We retrospectively evaluated 33 diagnosed pheochromocytoma patients, documenting clinical features, surgical complications, and tumor characteristics in both hereditary and sporadic cases. Among the patients, 21% (7 individuals) had hereditary pheochromocytoma, while 79% (26 individuals) had sporadic cases. During diagnosis, hereditary pheochromocytoma patients exhibited a significantly lower mean age compared to the sporadic group (26.4 ± 9.9 years vs. 50.4 ± 14.0 years; p < 0.001). The maximum tumor size was also lower in hereditary cases compared to sporadic cases (p = 0.004). Adrenal tumor localization analysis showed that 63.6% were right-sided, 24.2% were left-sided, and 12.1% were bilateral. Laboratory analysis revealed significantly higher urinary norepinephrine levels in hereditary pheochromocytoma patients (p = 0.021). Our findings suggest that hereditary pheochromocytoma cases are characterized by a younger age at diagnosis, smaller tumor size, and a higher prevalence of multiple bilateral adrenal adenomas. We recommend genetic testing for all pheochromocytoma patients, particularly those with early-onset disease and bilateral adrenal tumors.

Primary mucinous tumors of the renal pelvis: Clinical, histopathological, and molecular analysis of three cases

Primary mucinous tumors of the renal pelvis are extremely rare and pose challenges in terms of diagnosis and treatment. This study reviewed the clinical and pathological characteristics of mucinous tumors of the renal pelvis, including mucinous cystadenocarcinomas and mucinous cystadenomas. Immunohistochemical analysis was conducted in three cases, along with KRAS gene detection using the Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS) method. The results revealed mucinous epithelium with acellular mucinous pools in all cases, and acellular mucinous pools were observed in the renal parenchyma and perirenal fat capsules. All tumors expressed CK20 and CDX2, and one case showed KRAS gene mutation. The study suggests that mucinous cystadenomas of the renal pelvis may exhibit borderline biological behaviors. This study is the first to report a KRAS gene mutation in a mucinous cystadenoma of the renal pelvis, offering valuable insights into the diagnosis and treatment of this rare condition.

Abstract PO5-16-02: Investigating survivin as a novel target for immunotherapy in diverse breast cancer patients

Abstract Background: The BIRC5 gene encodes survivin, a tumor-specific antigen associated with aggressive tumor features, Black race and poor prognosis in breast cancer (BC). Recent studies have shown that anti-survivin vaccines stimulate a strong anti-tumor immune response in multiple tumor types. However, the relationship between BIRC5/survivin and immune response in BC is poorly understood, particularly among diverse patients. In this analysis, we sought to investigate the relationship between BIRC5/survivin and the BC immune microenvironment across clinical tumor features and RNA-based risk scores for genomic instability. Methods: We leveraged the Carolina Breast Cancer Study (CBCS), a large population-based study that oversampled young (≤50 years) and Black women with invasive BC. NanoString mRNA expression profiling was used to evaluate breast tumor expression for 10 major immune cell types, adaptive and innate immune response, TP53 and homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) pathways, and BIRC5/survivin from 1952 BC patients, including 1,030 (53%) Black and 922 (47%) non-Black women from the CBCS, with additional comparison in The Cancer genome Atlas (TCGA) (n=1,095 breast tumors). BIRC5 was evaluated both as a continuous and categorical variable, using the third expression quartile as a cut point for BIRC5-high, with the lower three quartiles categorized as BIRC5-low. We used generalized linear models to estimate beta values and adjusted p-values as the measure of association between BIRC5 status and immune-related expression in strata defined by estrogen receptor (ER) status, tumor stage, TP53 and HRD status. All analyses were adjusted for multiple comparisons with the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure. Results: In an analysis of continuous BIRC5 expression and global classes of immune response, BIRC5 mRNA expression was highest among tumors with an adaptive-enriched immune class (p&amp;lt; 0.001) in both CBCS and TCGA. However, when investigating immune gene expression according to BIRC5 status (i.e., BIRC5-high relative to BIRC5-low), multivariate differential expression analysis revealed significantly decreased immune cell-related expression scores among BIRC5-high tumors relative to BIRC5-low, and this relationship persisted in analysis stratified on stage (I/II vs III/IV), ER status, TP53 and HRD status. Across all strata, the strongest relationship between BIRC5-high and the immune microenvironment was observed for adaptive immune response (Beta: -0.14; p=0.005), with decreased immune gene expression related to B cells (Beta: -0.16; p=0.01), T cells (Beta: -0.14; p=0.007), Cytotoxic cells (Beta: -0.14; p=0.005), and PD-L1 (Beta: -0.15; p=0.005), relative to BIRC5-low. Conclusion: High BIRC5/survivin expression is associated with decreased immune-related gene expression in both ER-positive and ER-negative disease, and across all tumor stages. Anti-survivin therapies may be beneficial for boosting immune response in breast tumors with low immunogenicity, offering promise for BC subtypes previously ineligible for immunotherapy. Citation Format: Alina Hamilton, Qichen Wang, Sarah Soppe, Melissa Troester, Yara Abdou. Investigating survivin as a novel target for immunotherapy in diverse breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-16-02.

Abstract PO5-03-03: Nomogram for predicting brain metastasis in early-stage breast cancer patients

Abstract Nomogram for predicting brain metastasis in early-stage breast cancer patients Background: Brain metastasis is a significant concern for patients with early-stage breast cancer, as it can have a detrimental impact on survival and quality of life. Clinical and pathological characteristics of the primary tumor may be modeled into a nomogram that can predict the risk of brain metastasis. The goal is to create a nomogram and clinical calculator to assist in selection of patients with high risk of brain metastasis to enrich patient population for accrual on clinical trials for the purpose of preventing or delaying emergence of brain metastasis, at an early stage of their disease. Methods: We reviewed all early-stage breast cancer patients (stages I to III) N=40290 from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, from 1/1/1997 to 5/8/2020. We utilized multiple predictive statistical models to identify the most relevant variables and optimal predictive criteria. Variables for the model included patient age, tumor characteristics (such as grade,hormone receptor and HER2 status) and medical treatment (such as chemotherapy and endocrine therapy). The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC), and its AUC (area under the curve) was used to demonstrate the performance of the multivariate model to predict the occurrence of brain metastasis at different time points (1 year, 2 years, and 5 years), distinguishing between patients who develop brain metastasis in a time-dependent manner and those who do not. Results: The results showed the following clinical variables to be statistically significant in predicting brain metastasis: younger age, high estrogen and progesterone receptor percentage, higher tumor size; use of aromatase inhibitor therapy, and use of selective estrogen receptor modulator therapy were associated with a decreased risk of brain metastasis. Higher grade, Ki-67 levels, HER2-positive status, lymphovascular invasion and the use of chemotherapy was associated with an increased risk. The AUC values for the prediction of brain metastasis at different time points are as follows: 0.85 at 1 year, 0.83 at 2 years, and 0.82 at 5 years. These values indicate that the multivariate model has good discriminative ability, with higher values indicating a better predictive performance. An AUC of 0.85 suggests that the model has a high probability of correctly distinguishing between patients who will develop brain metastasis and those who will not at 1 year. Conclusions: Our predictive tool holds promise in assisting clinicians when making informed, personalized care decisions for patients at risk of developing brain metastasis. The model will be validated using independent patient cohorts from Institut Jules Bordet, Brussel, Belgium, to assess their accuracy and reproducibility. Continued research and validation will further refine these models, increasing their reliability and their clinical/clinical research applicability. Citation Format: Akshara Singareeka Raghavendra, Nuria Kotecki, Kristofer Jennings, Ottavia Amato, Debu Tripathy, Ahmad Awada, Nuhad Ibrahim. Nomogram for predicting brain metastasis in early-stage breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-03-03.

Abstract PO3-05-04: Characteristics and clinical outcome of patients with HR positive HER2 low metastatic breast cancer treated with CDK 4/6 inhibitors

Abstract Introduction Breast cancer (BC) is a disease characterized by significant intra- and intertumoral heterogeneity. Hence, it is not surprising that new subtypes with distinct biological features are being discovered, even among previously well-defined BC groups. Recently, HER2-low BC emerged as a new entity with specific clinical behavior, response to treatment and prognosis. HER2-low is a subset of HER2-negative BC, with HER2 immunohistochemical (IHC) score of 1+ or 2+, without HER2 gene amplification measured by in situ hybridization (ISH). As new therapeutic options become available for HER2-low patients, the best treatment sequence is yet to be determined. Furthermore, it is important to distinguish whether there is a difference in the response to standard treatment lines, such as CDK 4/6 inhibitors in metastatic HR positive BC patients, depending on HER2-low status. Methods A retrospective study of 369 metastatic BC (mBC) cases who started CDK 4/6 inhibitor therapy from January 2018 through December 2022 at University Hospital Centre Zagreb was conducted, with prior Ethics Committee approval. All patients with HR positive HER2 negative mBC, determined by standard IHC and ISH, were included in the research. Patient demographics and clinical presentation, tumor characteristics and treatment information were collected. Progression-free survival (PFS) analysis was done with the final data cut-off date being June 1st, 2023. Type 1 right censoring was performed. The data was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional-hazards regression for clinically relevant covariates (age, line of treatment, de novo metastatic disease, endocrine resistance, liver metastases, and detected PIK3CA mutation). Results Median follow-up was 23 months. Of the 283 patients included, 146 (51.59%) had HER2-low disease. A change in HER2 expression between primary tumor and metastasis was found in 16.96% (N=48) patients. Of them,10.25% (N=29) who were initially HER2-low, were found to be HER2-0 in metastatic disease. Meanwhile, 6.71% (N=19) of patients had a change in HER2 expression from 0 to low upon becoming metastatic. In the HER2-low group, 47.06% (N=45) patients had a PIK3CA mutation as opposed to 33.33% (N=30) in the HER2-0 group. Odds ratio for a PIK3CA mutation in HER2-low patients was 1.86 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-3.43, p-value 0.046). Median PFS in the HER2-low group was 18 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 14-24) versus 23 (95% CI: 18-30) in the HER2-0 group. Using multivariable analysis an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.15 (95% CI:0.84-1.57; p-value 0.389) was calculated. Covariates associated with a statistically significant increased risk of disease progression were a higher line of therapy (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.36-1.71, p-value 0.002) and the presence of liver metastases (HR 2.17, 95% CI 1.42-3.32, p-value 0.0004). A covariate associated with a statistically significant longer PFS was de novo metastatic disease (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.41-0.97, p-value 0.034). Conclusion There was a trend toward worse PFS in HER2-low mBC that did not reach statistical significance. HER2-low patients were more likely to harbor PIK3CA mutations than HER2-0 patient group. Longer follow-up and a larger cohort are needed in order to make definitive conclusions. Citation Format: Katarina Čular, Kristina Kanceljak, Ana Magdalena Glas, Dora Gudelj, Marija Križić, Marina Popović, Natalija Dedić Plavetić, Maja Sirotković-Skerlev, Stjepko Pleština, Tajana Silovski. Characteristics and clinical outcome of patients with HR positive HER2 low metastatic breast cancer treated with CDK 4/6 inhibitors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO3-05-04.

Clinical Presentation, Tumour Characteristics, Sociodemographic, And Lifestyle-Related Factors of Oral Cancer In Patients Visiting Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi Pakistan

Clinical Presentation, Tumour Characteristics, Sociodemographic, And Lifestyle-Related Factors of Oral Cancer In Patients Visiting Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi Pakistan

Predictive model for iris melanoma

AimTo develop a predictive model for the diagnosis of iris melanoma.MethodsRetrospective consecutive case series that included 100 cases of pathologically confirmed iris melanoma and 112 cases of Iris naevus, either...

A three-gene expression score for predicting clinical benefit to anti-PD-1 blockade in advanced renal cell carcinoma.

In the advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) scenario, there are no consistent biomarkers to predict the clinical benefit patients derived from immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Taking this into consideration, herein, we conducted a retrospective study in order to develop and validate a gene expression score for predicting clinical benefit to the anti-PD-1 antibody nivolumab in the context of patients diagnosed with advanced clear cell RCC enrolled in the CheckMate-009, CheckMate-010, and CheckMate-025 clinical trials. First, a three-gene expression score (3GES) with prognostic value for overall survival integrating HMGA1, NUP62, and ARHGAP42 transcripts was developed in a cohort of patients treated with nivolumab. Its prognostic value was then validated in the TCGA-KIRC cohort. Second, the predictive value for nivolumab was confirmed in a set of patients from the CheckMate-025 phase 3 clinical trial. Lastly, we explored the correlation of our 3GES with different clinical, molecular, and immune tumor characteristics. If the results of this study are definitively validated in other retrospective and large-scale, prospective studies, the 3GES will represent a valuable tool for guiding the design of ICB-based clinical trials in the aRCC scenario in the near future.

En-bloc spondylectomy in the lumbar spine: indications, results and complications in a series of 47 patients affected by primary malignant bone tumors

IntroductionWide Surgery is the reference treatment for malignant and aggressive benign primary bone tumors in the spine. When located in the lumbar spine, En-Bloc Spondylectomy (EBS) remains a complex challenge. Moreover, surgery is complicated by the presence of the diaphragm in the thoracolumbar junction and the hinderance of the iliac wings at the lumbosacral levels. Therefore, EBS in the lumbar spine frequently requires combined approaches.The purpose of this study is to describe clinical presentation, tumor characteristics and results of a series of 47 consecutive patients affected by malignant primary bone tumors of the lumbar spine who underwent EBS.Materials and methods47 patients were reviewed. Complications were distinguished in early and late whether they occurred before or after 30 days from surgery.Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) were calculated by the Kaplan–Meier product-limit method from surgery until relapse or death.Results27 patients presented to observation after a first intralesional approach in a non-specialized center. Chordoma was the most represented histotype. Vertebrectomies were: 23 one-level, 10 two-level, 12 three-level and 2 four-level. Reconstructions were always carried out with screws and rods. The main postoperative complication was blood loss, while hardware failure was the main long-term complication.The 5-year LRFS was 75.5%, the 5-year DFS was 54.3%, and 5-year OS was 63.6%.ConclusionsThe surgical margin obtained during the index surgery was statistically associated with Local Recurrence, DFS and OS, underlining the importance of treating patients in reference centers.

The Prognostic Role of the Number of Involved Structures in Thymic Epithelial Tumors: Results from the ESTS Database.

The role of the number of involved structures (NIS) in thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) has been investigated for inclusion in future staging systems, but large cohort results still are missing. This study aimed to analyze the prognostic role of NIS for patients included in the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) thymic database who underwent surgical resection. Clinical and pathologic data of patients from the ESTS thymic database who underwent surgery for TET from January 2000 to July 2019 with infiltration of surrounding structures were reviewed and analyzed. Patients' clinical data, tumor characteristics, and NIS were collected and correlated with CSS using Kaplan-Meier curves. The log-rank test was used to assess differences between subgroups. A multivariable model was built using logistic regression analysis. The final analysis was performed on 303 patients. Histology showed thymoma for 216 patients (71.3%) and NET/thymic carcinoma [TC]) for 87 patients (28.7%). The most frequently infiltrated structures were the pleura (198 cases, 65.3%) and the pericardium in (185 cases, 61.1%), whereas lung was involved in 96 cases (31.7%), great vessels in 74 cases (24.4%), and the phrenic nerve in 31 cases (10.2%). Multiple structures (range, 2-7) were involved in 183 cases (60.4%). Recurrence resulted in the death of 46 patients. The CSS mortality rate was 89% at 5 years and 82% at 10 years. In the univariable analysis, the favorable prognostic factors were neoadjuvant therapy, Masaoka stage 3, absence of metastases, absence of myasthenia gravis, complete resection, thymoma histology, and no more than two NIS. Patients with more than two NIS presented with a significantly worse CSS than patients with no more than two NIS (CSS 5- and 10-year rates: 9.5% and 83.5% vs 93.2% and 91.2%, respectively; p = 0.04). The negative independent prognostic factors confirmed by the multivariable analysis were incomplete resection (hazard ratio [HR] 2.543; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.010-6.407; p = 0.048) and more than two NIS (HR 1.395; 95% CI 1.021-1.905; p = 0.036). The study showed that more than two involved structures are a negative independent prognostic factor in infiltrative thymic epithelial tumors that could be used for prognostic stratification.

Benign Lipomatous Soft Tissue Tumors in Nigerians: An Analysis of the Clinical and Morphological Features of a Common but Important Entity.

Introduction Benign lipomatous tumors are soft tissue tumors that exhibit a predominant adipocytic phenotype. Lipomas are the archetype and are the most common benign soft tissue tumors in adults but relatively uncommon in children. Their sex incidence is equivocal. They sometimes occur in combination with other mesenchymal elements, giving rise to variants including fibrolipoma, angiolipoma, myolipoma, spindle cell lipoma, chondroid lipoma, osteolipoma, and chondrolipoma. Their clinical significance is mainly due to the cosmetic disfigurement of patients and the differential diagnosis of malignant soft tissue tumors. Occasionally, due to their large size or presence near vital organs, they may cause life-threatening and/or excruciating pressure symptoms. This study was purposed to address the dearth of local studies on the clinical and morphological characteristics of benign lipomatous tumors in Nigerians, to compare these with those of other populations, and to establish baseline data. Materials and methods This was a retrospective study of all benign lipomatous tumors seen in the anatomic pathology and forensic medicine department of Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, over an eight-year period. Surgical pathology reports were retrieved for patients' biodata and clinical information. The appropriate slides were retrieved, and reviewed, and new sections were cut where necessary. The tumors were classified according to the 2020 World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and categorized based on size as small, medium, or giant. The data obtained were analyzed, and the results were presented as tables, bar charts, ratios, and percentages. Results Four hundred and eighteen cases met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 58.4% (244/418), occurred in females, while 41.6% (174/418) occurred in males. The age range was six to 91 years, while the median age was 42 years. The least number of cases, 0.5% (2/418), were seen in patients aged less than 10 years, while the majority, 35.4% (148/418), occurred in the fifth decade, followed by 27.8% (116/418) in the fourth. Size-wise, the majority of tumors, 60% (253/418), were medium, followed by small, 22.8% (95/418). Giant-sized tumors significantly accounted for 16.7% (70/418) of the cases. The diagnostic spectrum comprised conventional lipoma and variants such as fibrolipoma, spindle cell lipoma, pleomorphic lipoma, angiolipoma, chondrolipoma, intramuscular lipoma, and osteolipoma. Lipoma and fibrolipoma dominated with 87.1% (364/418) and 10.0% (42/418), respectively, while the rest accounted for <3%. The majority, 31.8% (133/418), occurred in the back/shoulder region, followed by the lower limb with 18.2% (76/418). Only two cases occurred in the abdominal/pelvic region. More tumors occurred in females in all the regions except the head and neck, which had a male-to-female ratio of 1.5:1. Multiple site tumors were more common in males in a ratio of 2.5:1. Most, 41.1% (39/95), of the small-sized tumors, occurred in the head/neck region, largely involving the face, 48.7% (19/39). Conclusion Our study showed many similarities in the clinical and morphological features of benign lipomatous tumors between Nigerians and other regions of the world. A notable finding, however, was the significantly higher proportion of giant benign lipomatous tumors when compared tostudies from other regions, a finding that warrants further studies.

Effect of iodized oil embolization on temperature change during cryoablation for renal cell carcinoma

Introduction We aimed to evaluate the effect of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) with iodized oil (Lipiodol) on temperature change during cryoablation (CA) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Material and methods We retrospectively reviewed patients receiving CA for RCC from February 2020 to July 2021, including those who received Lipiodol TAE prior to CA (TAE group) and those who underwent only CA with comparable clinical and tumor characteristics (non-TAE group). Clinical data and tumor characteristics of both groups were recorded. The temperature readings of each cryoprobe at every 15 s and ‘time to −100 °C’ were compared between the groups. Results A total of 17 patients with 18 RCCs were recruited (seven in the TAE group and 11 in the non-TAE group). The ‘time to −100 °C’ was significantly longer in the TAE group than in the non-TAE group (64.5 ± 24.3 s vs. 48.8 ± 9.7 s, p = 0.018). Positive correlation between ‘time to −100 °C’ and tumor maximal diameter, RENAL nephrometry and PADUA score were observed in the non-TAE group, while no corresponding correlation was found in the TAE group. Conclusions Pre-embolization with iodized oil influences the temporal temperature changes during cryoablation by disrupting the positive correlation between the time to reach the target temperature and tumor characteristics.

Impact of Micronutrient Profiles on the Pathological Features and Clinical Outcomes of Colorectal Tumors with Microsatellite Instability

We assessed the role of nutritional factors in conjunction with pathological and clinical characteristics of colorectal tumors with microsatellite instability. Data from 1,135 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer were analyzed, employing immunohistochemistry for mismatch repair protein detection and polymerase chain reaction-capillary electrophoresis for microsatellite instability gene detection. To explore potential correlations with microsatellite instability status, we evaluated patients’ dietary habits and micronutrient levels, particularly folate and selenium. We discovered that 10.84% of the patients had mismatch repair protein deletions, with MLH1 and PMS2 double deletions being the most prevalent. Notable differences were identified in serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels, tumor location, tumor-node-metastasis stage, tumor differentiation, mucous composition, gross type, size, nodules, nerve invasion, and lymph node ratio between deficient mismatch repair and proficient mismatch repair patients. The deficient mismatch repair group had lower carcinoembryonic antigen levels, a higher incidence of right-sided colon cancer, earlier tumor-node-metastasis stage, poorer differentiation, more mucinous components, larger tumors, and fewer nodules and nerve invasions. High concordance (98.59%) was observed between immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction-capillary electrophoresis techniques in microsatellite instability detection, underscoring the reliability of these methods. Integrating the nutritional parameters with conventional clinical assessments offers a nuanced understanding of the heterogeneity of colorectal cancer, with significant implications for diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Evaluation of the prognostic significance of clinical features of tumoral lesions in an extensive series of mycosis fungoides.

Tumors indicating the advanced stage of mycosis fungoides (MF) have a rich clinical spectrum. Although it is known that the prognosis of MF generally worsens following the development of tumors, some cases may have a relatively indolent course, and the role of clinical characteristics regarding prognosis has still not been well understood. MF patients were retrospectively evaluated regarding the development of tumors. Besides demographic characteristics, data of the subtype and stage of the disease were recorded. The clinical features of tumors, including number (<5, 5-10, 11-20, or >20), location, dimension (diameter of ≥5 cm), presence of ulceration, and surrounding inflammation, were noted. Univariate and multivariate analyses evaluated the relationship between overall survival (OS) with demographic and clinical features. Among 730 consecutive MF patients, tumors developed in 8.2% (n = 60), of whom 46.7% were diagnosed with advanced-stage MF from the beginning. The most common subtype was folliculotropic MF (53.3%). Most patients (55%) had multiple tumors, and the most frequent localization was the trunk (71.7%). Most tumors presented as smooth-surfaced, indurated papules and/or nodules (70%), while others were reddish-purple, occasionally accompanied by ulceration (50%), perilesional inflammation (23.3%), and attaining large dimensions (25%). Mortality was recorded in 51.7% of patients, and the 5-year OS rate from the diagnosis of tumors was 49%. Independent poor prognostic factors for OS in multivariate analysis included older age at the time of diagnosis, presence of tumors at the initial MF diagnosis, presence of over 20 tumors, and the existence of large tumors. Tumoral MF seen in older patients, the first diagnosis of MF in this stage, presenting with generalized and large tumors, seems to be a predictive factor for OS.

Surgeon experience influence lymphadenectomy during VATS lobectomy: National VATS database results

ObjectivesAim of this study is to identify the factors that may influence the lymphadenectomy during VATS anatomical lung resection with particular interest on operator experience. Materials and methodsClinical and pathological data from the prospective VATS Italian nationwide registry were reviewed and analysed. Patients with incomplete data regarding tumor and surgical characteristics, GGO, or with distant metastases were excluded. Patients clinical data, tumor characteristics, operation information and surgeon experience were collected and compared to resected lymph nodes number (#RN), resected N2 nodes number (#N2RN) and resected N2 stations number. A multivariable model was built using logistic regression analysis. Surgeon experience was categorized considering the number of VATS major anatomical resection and years after residency. ResultsThe final analysis was conducted on 3727 patients. The median #RN and #N2RN were 11 (1–51) and 5 (0–41). Regarding the analysed outcomes, #N2RN > 6 resulted in 1812 (48.8%)cases, #RN > 10 in 2124 (57.0%)cases and more than 3 N2 stations were harvested in 1447 (38.8%)patients.First operator experience with number of VATS lobectomies>50 (p < 0.001), operator seniority after residency5-10years (p < 0.001), cTNM II/III(p = 0.017), lobectomy/bilobectomy vs segmentectomy (p < 0.001), and upper/middle lobe tumor location (p < 0.005)resulted significantly associated to #N2RN > 6 at the multivariable analysis. First operator experience with number of VATS lobectomies>50 (p < 0.001), operator seniority after residency5-10years (p < 0.001) and lobectomy/bilobectomy (p < 0.001) resulted significantly associated to #RN > 10 at the multivariable analysis. ConclusionsOur study showed that lymphadenectomy during VATS lobectomy is influenced by tumor factors such as cTstage and tumor location but also by operator experience, with a higher number of resected lymph nodes in surgeons with a high number of VATS procedures and years after residency compared to surgeons with less experience.

Locoregional therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma: Thecurrent status and future perspectives.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Locoregional therapies (LRTs) play a crucial role in HCC management and are selectively adopted in real-world practice across various stages. Choosing the best form of LRTs depends on technical aspects, patient clinical status and tumour characteristics. Previous studies have consistently highlighted the efficacy of combining LRTs with molecular targeted agents in HCC treatment. Recent studies propose that integrating LRTs with immune checkpoint inhibitors and molecular targeted agents could provide substantial therapeutic benefits, a notion underpinned by both basic and clinical evidence. This review summarised the current landscape of LRTs in HCC and discussed the anticipated outcomes of combinations with immunotherapy regimens.

En Bloc Surgery in the Thoracic Spine: Indications, Results, and Complications in a Series of Eighty-Five Patients Affected by Primary and Secondary Malignant Bone Tumors

BackgroundEn-bloc resection remains the cornerstone treatment for malignant bone tumors affecting the spine. The thoracic spine poses unique challenges due to the proximity of crucial structures. This study assesses outcomes of patients who underwent en-bloc spondylectomy for malignant bone tumors at the thoracic level. MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 85 cases of primary and secondary bone tumors in the thoracic spine, undergoing en-bloc spondylectomy from 1996 to 2016. Evaluation encompassed clinical presentation, tumor characteristics, surgical outcomes, complications, survival rates, and recurrence. ResultsOf 85 patients, 40 presented directly, while 45 had undergone prior intralesional surgery. Chondrosarcoma and chordoma comprised the most prevalent primary histological types; thyroid and kidney carcinomas were the most frequent secondary tumors. Pain was reported in 75 patients at diagnosis. Margins were adequate in 54 cases and intralesional in 31. Immediate postoperative deaths amounted to four. Major complications included substantial blood loss, neurological deterioration, and paraplegia. The 5-year Local Recurrence-Free Survival rate was 58.7%, significantly influenced by the surgical margin: patients with wide margins experienced a 5-year LRFS of 85.7%, while those with marginal and intralesional margins had rates of 56.7% and 45.6%, respectively; overall recurrence was 22.3% with no notable disparities between previously treated and untreated patients. The 5-year Overall Survival (OS) rates were 63.2% and 56.2% for primary and secondary tumors, respectively. The OS was not significantly influenced by surgical margins. ConclusionsManaging malignant thoracic bone tumors poses significant challenges. This study underscores the criticality of achieving adequate margins, particularly following previous intralesional approaches.

Revealing Orbital Tumors: A 2-Year Evaluation in Clinical Profile, Histopathological Features and Surgical Technique

Abstract&#x0D; Introduction &amp; Objectives : Incidence of orbital tumors is relatively low, but the delay in diagnosis, even if benign, can lead to vision loss and deformity. This study aims to review clinical and demographic information of orbital tumors in Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta.&#x0D; Methods : We retrospectively reviewed clinical data of 138 patients who diagnosed with orbital tumors during July 2021 - March 2023. Data extracted included clinical characteristics, operative procedures, and histopathologic characteristics of orbital tumors.&#x0D; Results : There were 138 orbital tumors managed at hospital during a 2-year period. Among 138 patients, 82 patients (59%) were female and 56 patients (40%) were male. Twenty-one patients (15%) were in childhood age and 117 patients (84.8%) were in adulthood age. The common clinical manifestations were proptosis (83.3%) and decreased vision (10.4%). The main procedure used was anterior orbitotomy (54.34%). Eighty-eight patients (63.7%) have primary tumors and 51.4% of the orbital tumors were malignant. The most common orbital tumor in childhood age was a cyst (15%). On the other hand, in adult patients, the most common orbital tumor was meningioma (18%) and Non- Hodgkin Lymphoma (15.7%). There was an overall 8% complication rate after orbitotomy tumor removal, including decrease in vision (3.3%), ptosis (2.6%), and strabismus (1.3%).&#x0D; Conclusion : Orbital tumors are challenging group of tumors with proptosis become the most frequent clinical characteristic that found. The orbital tumors in childhood and adulthood differ significantly in their incidence and tumor type with the percentage of malignant tumors increasing with age.

REVEALING ORBITAL TUMORS: 2-YEAR EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PROFILE, HISTOPATHOLOGICAL FEATURES AND SURGICAL TECHNIQUE

Introduction: Incidence of orbital tumors is relatively low, but the delay in diagnosis, even if benign, can lead to vision loss and deformity. Purposes: This study aims to review clinical and demographic information of orbital tumors in Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta. Method: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data of 138 patients who diagnosed with orbital tumors during July 2021 - March 2023. Data extracted included clinical characteristics, operative procedures, and histopathologic characteristics of orbital tumor. Result: There were 138 orbital tumors managed at hospital during 2-year period. Among 138 patients, 82 patients (59%) were female and 56 patients (40%) were male. Twenty-one patients (15%) were in childhood age and 117 patients (84.8%) were in adulthood age. The common clinical manifestations were proptosis (83.3%) and decreased vision (10.4%). The main procedure used was anterior orbitotomy (54.34%). Eighty-eight patients (63.7%) have primary tumors and 51.4% of the orbital tumors were malignant. The most cases in children were benign tumors (61.9%) meanwhile in adults were malignant (54.7%). The main orbital tumor in childhood age was a Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) (19%) and cyst (14.3%). On the other hand, in adult patient, the most common orbital tumor was meningioma (18%) and NHL (15.7%). Conclusion: Orbital tumors are challenging group of tumors with proptosis become the most frequent clinical characteristic that found. The orbital tumors in childhood and adulthood differ significantly in their incidence and tumor type with the percentage of malignant tumors increasing with age.

Clinical and Imaging Characteristics of Metastatic Orbital Tumours in North China.

This study was designed to review the primary sites, clinical manifestations, imaging features, treatments, and outcomes of 36 patients with orbital metastasis in North China. This was a retrospective review of 36 patients with orbital metastasis at Tianjin Eye Hospital between January 2010 and December 2020 in North China as well as a review of the literature. Thirty-six patients were included in the study; 17 were male, and 19 were female, with an age range of 1-82 years (average 54.9 ± 19.8 years). All the tumours were unilateral. The mean duration from the onset of orbital signs to presentation at the hospital was 2.4 months (range 1-10 months). Breast carcinoma, gastrointestinal tract carcinoma, and lung carcinoma were the most common histological types. Proptosis, ocular pain, and diplopia were the most common clinical manifestations. The superior orbit was the most common quadrant involved. All patients received comprehensive therapy, including surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. The average follow-up time was 2.45 years (range 7 months to 5.5 years). Ten patients in this study died as a result of disseminated metastasis from the primary tumour. In North China, the most common primary cancer that metastasizes to the orbit is breast cancer, followed by gastrointestinal tract carcinoma and lung cancer. The increasing trend of orbital gastrointestinal tract metastases in North China in recent years is noteworthy. The survival rate of patients with orbital metastasis of neuroblastoma is low.