Tumor Marker Studies Research Articles

Tumor markers determination in malignant pleural effusion: pearls and pitfalls.

Serum and pleural fluid tumor markers are well-recognized auxiliary diagnostic tools for malignant pleural effusion (MPE). Here, we discuss some pearls andpitfalls regarding the role of tumor markers in MPE management. The following issues are discussed in this article: What is the appropriate clinical scenario for evaluating pleural tumor markers? Which tumor markers should be advocated for diagnosing MPE? Can extremely high levels of tumor markers be employed to establish a diagnosis of MPE? Does the serum-to-pleural fluid ratio of a tumor marker have the same diagnostic efficacy as the measurement of that marker alone in the pleural fluid? Can tumor markers be usedto estimate the risk of specific cancers? What should beconsidered when interpreting the diagnostic accuracy of tumor markers? How should tumor marker studies be performed? We addressed these issues with published works, particularly systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Serum Tumor Markers and Outcomes in Patients With Appendiceal Adenocarcinoma

Serum tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), and cancer antigen 125 (CA125) have been useful in the management of gastrointestinal and gynecological cancers; however, there is limited information regarding their utility in patients with appendiceal adenocarcinoma. To assess the association of serum tumor markers (CEA, CA19-9, and CA125) with clinical outcomes and pathologic and molecular features in patients with appendiceal adenocarcinoma. This is a retrospective cohort study at a single tertiary care comprehensive cancer center. The median (IQR) follow-up time was 52 (21-101) months. Software was used to query the MD Anderson internal patient database to identify patients with a diagnosis of appendiceal adenocarcinoma and at least 1 tumor marker measured at MD Anderson between March 2016 and May 2023. Data were analyzed from January to December 2023. Association of serum tumor markers with survival in patients with appendiceal adenocarcinoma. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were also performed to assess associations between clinical factors (serum tumor marker levels, demographics, and patient and disease characteristics) and patient outcomes (overall survival). A total of 1338 patients with appendiceal adenocarcinoma were included, with a median (range) age at diagnosis of 56.5 (22.3-89.6) years. The majority of the patients had metastatic disease (1080 patients [80.7%]). CEA was elevated in 742 of the patients tested (56%), while CA19-9 and CA125 were elevated in 381 patients (34%) and 312 patients (27%), respectively. Individually, elevation of CEA, CA19-9, or CA125 were associated with worse 5-year survival; elevated vs normal was 81% vs 95% for CEA (hazard ratio [HR], 4.0; 95% CI, 2.9-5.6), 84% vs 92% for CA19-9 (HR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.4-3.4), and 69% vs 93% for CA125 (HR, 4.6; 95% CI, 2.7-7.8) (P < .001 for all). Quantitative evaluation of tumor markers was associated with outcomes. Patients with highly elevated (top 10th percentile) CEA, CA19-9, or CA125 had markedly worse survival, with 5-year survival rates of 59% for CEA (HR, 9.8; 95% CI, 5.3-18.0), 64% for CA19-9 (HR, 6.0; 95% CI, 3.0-11.7), and 57% for CA125 (HR, 7.6; 95% CI, 3.5-16.5) (P < .001 for all). Although metastatic tumors had higher levels of all tumor markers, when restricting survival analysis to 1080 patients with metastatic disease, elevated CEA, CA19-9, or CA125 were all still associated worse survival (HR for CEA, 3.4; 95% CI, 2.5-4.8; P < .001; HR for CA19-9, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2-2.7; P = .002; and HR for CA125, 3.9; 95% CI, 2.4-6.4; P < .001). Interestingly, tumor grade was not associated with CEA or CA19-9 level, while CA-125 was slightly higher in high-grade tumors relative to low-grade tumors (mean value, 18.3 vs 15.0; difference, 3.3; 95% CI, 0.9-3.7; P < .001). Multivariable analysis identified an incremental increase in the risk of death with an increase in the number of elevated tumor markers, with an 11-fold increased risk of death in patients with all 3 tumor markers elevated relative to those with none elevated. Somatic mutations in KRAS and GNAS were associated with significantly higher levels of CEA and CA19-9. In this retrospective study of serum tumor markers in patients with appendiceal adenocarcinoma, CEA, CA19-9, and CA125 were associated with overall survival in appendiceal adenocarcinoma. Given their value, all 3 biomarkers should be included in the initial workup of patients with a diagnosis of appendiceal adenocarcinoma.

Influential factors on urine EV DNA methylation detection and its diagnostic potential in prostate cancer.

The value of Extracellular vesicles (EVs) diagnostic markers is widely recognized. However, current research on EV DNA remains limited. This study investigates the biological properties, preprocessing factors, and diagnostic potential of EV DNA. We found that DNA positive vesicles account for 23.3% ± 6.7% of the urine total EV, with a large amount of DNA attached to the outside. EV DNA fragments are large, there is no significant effect on uEV DNA when store urine less than 6h at 4°C. In addition, the influence of different EV extraction methods on methylation detection is also minor. More importantly, RASSF1A methylation in urine total EV DNA can distinguish between PCa and BPH, with an AUC of 0.874. Our results suggest the potential of urine EV DNA as a novel marker for PCa diagnosis. This provides a new idea for the study of urinary tumor markers.

A comparative study of tumor markers and dynamic contrast-enhanced CT and their combined evaluation in the diagnosis of renal cancer patients

The objectives of this study were to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of dynamic contrast-enhanced Computed Tomography (CT) and tumor markers and their combined evaluation in renal cancer patients. A total of eighty male patients with solid renal lesions were selected from our hospital and categorized into two groups based on pathological examination findings: renal cancer group and benign lesion group. A comparison was made between the findings of dynamic contrast-enhanced CT and tumor markers and the diagnostic efficacy of either mono or combined evaluation were compared. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted to better analyze and compare different diagnostic techniques. The serum concentrations of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), Cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21-1), midkine (MK) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) in renal cancer patients were significantly higher than those with benign lesions (p &lt; 0.05). The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that the combination of dynamic contrast-enhanced CT and tumor markers had the highest area under the curve. This difference was statistically significant (p &lt; 0.05). The analysis of the overall model quality results revealed that the model values for both single and combination indicators exceeded 0.5, with the combined indicators having the highest value of (0.84). The diagnostic efficacy of dynamic contrast-enhanced CT combined with tumor markers for renal cancer is significantly higher than either the dynamic contrast-enhanced CT or tumor markers alone. The combination of dynamic contrast-enhanced CT and tumor markers has a significant therapeutic benefit in diagnosing renal cancer. We envisage that, this approach can offer valuable guidance for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of renal cancer.

Clinical practice guidelines for molecular tumor markers, 2nd edition review part 1.

With advances in gene and protein analysis technologies, many target molecules that may be useful in cancer diagnosis have been reported. Therefore, the "Tumor Marker Study Group" was established in 1981 with the aim of "discovering clinically" useful molecules. Later, the name was changed to "Japanese Society for Molecular Tumor Marker Research" in 2000 in response to the remarkable progress in gene-related research. Currently, the world of cancer treatment is shifting from the era of representative tumor markers of each cancer type used for tumor diagnosis and treatment evaluation to the study of companion markers for molecular-targeted therapeutics that target cancer cells. Therefore, the first edition of the Molecular Tumor Marker Guidelines, which summarizes tumor markers and companion markers in each cancer type, was published in 2016. After publication of the first edition, the gene panel testing using next-generation sequencing became available in Japan in June 2019 for insured patients. In addition, immune checkpoint inhibitors have been indicated for a wide range of cancer types. Therefore, the 2nd edition of the Molecular Tumor Marker Guidelines was published in September 2021 to address the need to revise the guidelines. Here, we present an English version of the review (Part 1) of the Molecular Tumor Marker Guidelines, Second Edition.

CA-125 monitoring in gynecologic cancer patients with COVID-19: A case series (413)

Objectives: CA-125 has long been utilized as a marker for gynecologic malignancies but can be elevated in many other inflammatory conditions, including lung disease. A retrospective study of tumor markers in non-cancer patients saw a rise in CA-125 values during severe COVID-19 infections. Similarly, a case report published on June 17, 2020, described a significant rise in CA-125 values during an ovarian cancer patient’s COVID-19 infection without evidence of disease progression. Given the potential confounding effect this could have on surveillance and treatment planning, we sought to describe the impact of COVID-19 infections on CA-125 trends in a gynecologic oncology patient population.Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients treated at a UPMC hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 through July 2021. Patients were included for analysis if they had a confirmed gynecologic malignancy, a COVID-19 infection, and had more than one CA-125 value drawn. The CA-125 values were plotted against the timeline of their COVID-19 infections to assess for trends in CA-125 values during and after infection.Results: There were 78 individuals identified with a COVID-19 infection and a CA-125 drawn following their positive COVID-19 test. Of these 78 patients, 18 had both gynecologic malignancy and more than one CA-125 drawn. Of these 18 patients, only one had an appreciable rise in their CA-125 values at the time of their COVID-19 diagnosis that resolved following their infection and could not be attributed to disease progression. Four patients were diagnosed with cancer at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis and had elevated CA-125 values. One patient passed before receiving treatment, and the other three had CA-125 values that trended down as they received treatment for their cancer. Two patients were noted to have a mild rise in their CA-125 at the time of their COVID-19 infection that continued to rise as they were diagnosed with the progression of their cancer. Most of the 18 patients (n=11, 61.1%) did not show an increase in CA-125 coinciding with their COVID-19 infection. They had either stable or decreasing CA-125 at the time of and following their COVID-19 diagnosis.Conclusions: This case series illustrates that while CA-125 values may increase during acute COVID-19 infection, cancer remains the most likely cause of a CA-125 increase. Clinical suspicion should remain high for a possible change in cancer status.

Circulating Virus-Host Chimera DNAs in the Clinical Monitoring of Virus-Related Cancers.

Simple SummaryCell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA), the DNA released into circulation from tumors, is a promising tumor marker with versatile applications. The associations of the amount, somatic mutation frequency, and epigenetic modifications of ctDNA with the tumor burden, tumor behavior, and prognosis have been widely investigated in different types of tumors. However, there are still some challenging issues to be resolved before ctDNA can complement or even replace current serum tumor markers. We propose employing exogenous viral DNA integration that produces unique virus–host chimera DNA (vh-DNA) at junction sites. Cell-free vh-DNA may become a new biomarker because it overcomes background interference detection problems, takes advantage of virus tropism to localize the tumor, and acts as a universal marker for monitoring clonal expansion or tumor loads in tumors related to oncogenic viruses.The idea of using tumor-specific cell-free DNA (ctDNA) as a tumor biomarker has been widely tested and validated in various types of human cancers and different clinical settings. ctDNA can reflect the presence or size of tumors in a real-time manner and can enable longitudinal monitoring with minimal invasiveness, allowing it to be applied in treatment response assessment and recurrence monitoring for cancer therapies. However, tumor detection by ctDNA remains a great challenge due to the difficulty in enriching ctDNA from a large amount of homologous non-tumor cell-free DNA (cfDNA). Only ctDNA with nonhuman sequences (or rearrangements) can be selected from the background of cfDNA from nontumor DNAs. This is possible for several virus-related cancers, such as hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC or human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cervical or head and neck cancers, which frequently harbor randomly integrated viral DNA. The junction fragments of the integrations, namely virus–host chimera DNA (vh-DNA), can represent the signatures of individual tumors and are released into the blood. Such ctDNA can be enriched by capture with virus-specific probes and therefore exploited as a circulating biomarker to track virus-related cancers in clinical settings. Here, we review virus integrations in virus-related cancers to evaluate the feasibility of vh-DNA as a cell-free tumor marker and update studies on the development of detection and applications. vh-DNA may be a solution to the development of specific markers to manage virus-related cancers in the future.

T052 Tumor marker study in pleural fluid and tumor heterogeneity

T052 Tumor marker study in pleural fluid and tumor heterogeneity

Genome-wide association study of serum tumor markers in Southern Chinese Han population

BackgroundSerum indicators AFP, CA50, CA125, CA153, CA19-9, CEA, f-PSA, SCC-Ag have been confirmed as tumor markers (TMs). We conducted a genome-wide association study on 8 tumor markers of our 427 Han population in southern China, in order to identify genetic loci that are significantly associated with the level of 8 tumor markers.MethodsWe use Gene Titan multi-channel instrument and Axiom Analysis Suite 6.0 software for genotyping. We used IMPUTE2 software for imputation, and 1000 Genomes Project (Phase 3) was used as haplotype reference. After necessary quality control and statistical analysis, genetic loci genome-wide associated with TMs (p < 5E-8) will be identified. Finally, we selected Top SNPs (p < 5E-7) from the GWAS results for replication test. We used SPSS software to draw the distribution box plots of serum TMs under different genotypes of significant loci.ResultsThe results showed that there were only MUC1 (mucin 1)-rs4072037 significantly genome-wide associated with CA153 (p = 1.28E-18). However, we found that a total of 30 genetic loci have a suggestively significant genome-wide association with the level of 8 serum tumor markers (p < 5E-6). Then 3 Top SNPs (p < 5E-7) were selected for replication verification. The results showed that MUC1-rs4072037 was still significantly associated with CA153 in another population (p = 3.73E-08). Comparing with the TT genotype of rs4072037, the CA153 level was higher under CC or CT genotype of rs4072037.ConclusionMUC1-rs4072037 is significantly genome-wide associated with CA153 level. There are 30 genetic loci suggestively genome-wide associated with level of tumor markers among the Han population from Southern China.

Bilateral Xanthogranulomatous Oophoritis Mimicking Malignancy- A Rare Case Report

Xanthogranulomatous Oophoritis is an uncommon form of chronic inflammation of genitourinary system. The exact aetiology of this entity is unknown, but it shares similar histopathological findings to those occurring in various other organs, including the gallbladder and kidney. It is often mistaken for ovarian malignancy clinically and radiologically. A vigilant histopathological evaluation is important to diagnose the disease. The current case is of 38-year-old, premenopausal female presented with fever and lower abdominal pain. The case was suspected as bilateral malignant adnexal mass by imaging and tumor marker studies. Final diagnosis of bilateral xanthogranulomatous oophoritis was established after histopathological examination.

Research Trends in the Early Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer during 2001–2020: A Bibliometric Analysis

Background: Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most fatal gynecologic malignancy tumor, and early diagnosis is difficult. There are few bibliometric studies on the early diagnosis of OC. This study aims to visualize the research trends on early diagnosis of OC through a bibliometric analysis. Methods: Publications on early diagnosis of OC from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) were downloaded. We used the CiteSpace software for bibliometrics and visualization analysis of publications, authors, cited authors, countries, institutions, references, cited journals, and keywords, etc. Results: 464 institutions in 70 countries published a total of 1015 articles during 2001–2020. The number of articles increased annually. With the United States of America (USA) and China as leading contributors. University College London (UCL) and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center were the major research institutions, with a majority of top 10 institutions located in the USA. Gynecologic Oncology was the most published journal as well as the most co-cite. Usha Menon was the most frequently published author and Ian J. Jacobs was the most frequently cited author. Co-citation cluster labels revealed characteristics of 17 main clusters: CA125, proteomics, diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers, gene expression profiling, BRAF, randomized controlled trial (RCT), exosome, prognosis, epidemiology, salpingectomy, HE4, symptoms, human, ovary, the prognosis of OC, mucinous carcinoma, and tumor-associated antigens. Keywords burst detection showed that HE4, algorithm, pathway, expression, collaborative trial, RCT, serous carcinoma, and prognosis were recent research trends. Conclusions: This study used bibliometrics and visualization methods to illustrate research trends in the early diagnosis of OC during 2001–2020. In-depth study of traditional tumor markers, the discovery of DNA and non-coding RNA and exosomes, as well as gene chip, proteomics, mass spectrometry, immunohistochemistry, liquid biopsy, prophylactic Salpingectomy, and epidemiology in the diagnosis of early stage OC have important research value and application prospects. Finding more accurate biomarkers on the basis of basic and clinical studies, and carrying out larger and multi-center clinical trials, will be the focal points in the future.

Testicular Germ Cell Tumors: Serological and Immunohistochemical Diagnosis.

This review deals with serologic and immunohistochemical tumor markers used in clinical laboratories for the diagnosis of testicular germ cell tumors. Time tested serologic markers such as alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and lactate dehydrogenase are routinely used in the work-up of patients with testicular tumors. Professional organizations regulating the practice of medicine in most countries worldwide require that the laboratory values for these serologic reactants be included in the pathology reports on testicular tumors as part of the tumor staging process. Immunohistochemical markers of testicular germ have been identified and widely tested during the first two decades of the XXI century. We have selected the most useful immunohistochemical markers from a few of these markers and discussed them in this review. CONCLUSION: Published data show that testicular tumor markers are widely used in routine practice. The study of tumor markers has improved the pathologic and clinical diagnosis of testicular germ cell tumors and has thus contributed to their treatment.

M6A RNA methylation regulators play an important role in the prognosis of patients with testicular germ cell tumor

BackgroundN6-methyladenosine (m6A) is found to be associated with promoting tumorigenesis in different types of cancers, however, the function of m6A-related genes in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) development remains to be illuminated. This study aimed to investigated the prognostic value of m6A RNA methylation regulators in TGCT.MethodsWe collected TGCT patients’ information about clinicopathologic parameters and twenty-two m6A regulatory genes expression from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx). We analyzed the differentially expressed m6A RNA methylation regulators between tumor tissues and normal tissues, as well as the correlation of m6A RNA methylation regulators. By using Cox univariate analysis, last absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression algorithm and Cox multivariate proportional hazards regression analysis, a risk score was constructed based on a TCGA training cohort, and further verified in the TCGA testing cohort. Then, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between risk score and progression-free survival (PFS) in TGCT. Finally, the six-gene risk score was further verified by two gene expression profiles (GSE3218 and GSE10783) as an independent external validation cohort.ResultsDistinct expression patterns of m6A regulatory genes were identified between TGCT tissues and normal tissues in TCGA and GTEx datasets. To predict prognosis of TGCT patients, a risk score was calculated based on six selected m6A RNA methylation regulators (YTHDF1, RBM15, IGF2BP1, ZC3H13, METTL3, and FMR1). Additionally, we found significant differences between the high-risk and low-risk groups in serum marker study levels and histologic subtype. Univariate and multivariate analysis indicated that high risk score was associated with unfavorable PFS. Ultimately, the risk score was further verified by two gene expression profiles (GSE3218 and GSE10783).ConclusionsBased on six selected m6A RNA methylation regulators, we developed a m6A methylation related risk score that can independently predict the prognosis of TGCT patients, and verify the prediction efficiency in TCGA and GEO datasets. Patients in high-risk group were associated with serum tumor marker study levels beyond the normal limits, non-seminoma, and unfavorable survival time. However, further prospective experiments should be carried out to verify our results.

Clinical and Experimental Evaluation of Diagnostic Significance of Alpha-Fetoprotein and Osteopontin at the Early Stage of Hepatocellular Cancer.

We evaluated the possibility of using an experimental model of hepatocellular carcinoma to study oncomarkers of primary liver cancer and compared the diagnostic efficacy of alpha-fetoprotein and osteopontin in the experiment and in clinical practice. Experimental studies were performed on a model of hepatocellular carcinoma induced by administration of diethyl nitrosamine to Fisher-344 rats. In addition, the levels of α-fetoprotein and osteopontin were determined in 35 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma detected at stages I-II according to TNM classification. The proposed model of liver cancer in rats reflects the sequence of stages characteristic of hepatocellular carcinoma in humans: liver fibrosis-cirrhosis-cancer. This model is applicable for the study of tumor markers at the early stage of tumor development. Osteopontin was found to have a more powerful diagnostic potential then alpha-fetoprotein.

GCT-66. FINAL REPORT OF THE PROSPECTIVE NEXT/CNS-GCT-4 CONSORTIUM TRIAL (GemPOx FOLLOWED BY MARROW-ABLATIVE CHEMOTHERAPY) IN PATIENTS WITH REFRACTORY/RECURRENT CNS GERM CELL TUMORS

BACKGROUNDWe report the responses, toxicities and long-term outcomes of gemcitabine, paclitaxel and oxaliplatin (GemPOx) regimen administered, in responsive patients, prior to single cycle marrow-ablative chemotherapy (thiotepa, etoposide and carboplatin) with autologous hematopoietic progenitor cell rescue (HDCx+AuHPCR).METHODSSince December 2009, 11 recurrent/refractory patients (10 MMGCT, 1 germinoma; 10 males; mean age 16.5 years, range 7–46 years) have been treated with up to four cycles of gemcitabine (800mg/M2), paclitaxel (170mg/M2) and oxaliplatin (100mg/M2) administered on one day at 14 days intervals.RESULTSAll 11 patients were enrolled on a prospective multi-center trial, which was closed in October 2019. Three patients achieved complete remissions (tumor marker and/or imaging studies), five achieved partial remissions, two developed disease progression (PD), and one was withdrawn after one cycle for severe paclitaxel neurotoxicity followed by rapid tumor progression and death. One patient with PD after one cycle had pathologically-confirmed metastatic transformation to pure embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, and rapidly expired. A second patient, with pure pineal choriocarcinoma, progressed after the second GemPOx cycle, ultimately died of tumor progression. Eight of the 11 responsive patients subsequently underwent HDCx+AuHPCR; five of these received some form of radiotherapy. Seven patients (six MMGCT, one germinoma) are alive and disease-free without recurrence for a mean of 94 months (range 74–118 months) since completion of therapy.CONCLUSIONGemPOx is an effective re-induction regimen for patient with recurrent CNS germ cell tumors, with acceptable toxicities; when followed by marrow-ablative chemotherapy and subsequent irradiation/re-irradiation, the regimen produces encouraging long-term disease-free survival.

Optimization of Intracranial Germinoma Treatment: Radiotherapy Alone with Reduced Volume and Dose

We investigated optimal management for intracranial germinoma, including target volume and dose of radiation therapy (RT) and the combination of RT and chemotherapy (CTx). We retrospectively evaluated 213 patients with intracranial germinoma treated between 1971 and 2017. Treatment policies changed as diagnostic techniques and clinical experience improved. In the 1980s, trial RT and tumor marker study were performed, and craniospinal irradiation was performed to treat patients with presumed germinoma. CTx was introduced in 1991, and RT volume was reduced in patients showing a complete response. In 2012, the policy was changed to a "reduced volume/dose RT alone" approach, involving a smaller target volume (the whole ventricle/whole brain for localized disease) without CTx. RT doses were gradually reduced to 36 Gy for primary tumors and 18 Gy for neuraxis. The median age was 16 years. In total, 118 and 95 patients had pathologically proven and presumed germinoma, respectively, and 151 and 62 patients had localized and multifocal or metastatic diseases, respectively. With a median follow-up of 141 months, the 10-year disease-free and overall survival rates were 91.6% and 95.6%, respectively. Recurrence rates were similar for patients receiving RT-only (9 of 137, 6.6%) and those receiving CTx + RT (4 of 73, 5.5%); all patients receiving CTx-only experienced recurrences (3 of 3, 100%). Rates were the highest in the focal RT group (10 of 29, 34.5%) but were relatively low in the whole ventricle/whole brain RT (3 of 51, 5.9%) and craniospinal irradiation groups (0 of 130, 0%). Infield failure occurred in 3 patients. Fourteen patients died of recurrence (n = 4), secondary malignancy (n = 4), CTx-related toxicity (n = 2), and others (n = 4). Among the 33 patients who received "reduced volume/dose RT alone" treatment, 2 (6.1%) experienced recurrence in the spinal cord and biopsy tract, respectively. The additional benefit of CTx in the treatment of intracranial germinoma seems minimal. An RT-only approach with reduced target volume and dose seems reasonable.

Malignant Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors in Pediatric Age Group: A Clinicopathological Study over 21 Years in Eastern Rajasthan (India)

Background: The aim of this study is to analyze the clinicopathological features, diagnosis and treatment outcome of rare cases of malignant ovarian germ cell tumors in a government tertiary care hospital centre keeping fertility preservation surgery as a goal in young girls below 21 years of age. Methods: This is a retrospective study comprising of 24 patients diagnosed to have malignant ovarian germ cell tumors who attend the department of Radiation Oncology from 1998 to 2019 over 21 years period. The patients were evaluated on the basis of their age, obstetric history, investigations, and serum tumor markers estimation. All patients were staged according to FIGO, ECOG score were noted. Unilateral Salphingo oophorectomy (USO) with or without staging laparotomy surgery was done and BEP chemotherapy regimen was given. Response to treatment was evaluated by regular clinical examination, radiological and tumor marker studies. Results: In our study 17 patients were in FIGO stage III and 6 patients were in stage IV. The size of the primary tumor was 10-20 cm. in 15 patients. The various histology observed was-dysgerminoma -8, malignant teratoma-5, mixed germ cell tumor-5, yok sac tumor-4 and embryonal carcinoma in 2 patients. Eighteen patients underwent fertility preservation surgery i.e. USO - 15, and 3 patients underwent USO with staging laparotomy. In 14 patients 3-4 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy (BEP regimen) was administered and all of them achieved complete remission. Conclusion: Malignant ovarian germ cell tumors carries excellent prognosis in spite of advanced stage disease. Patients should be referred to oncology centre and to be operated by gynecologic oncologist/ oncosurgeon. Adjuvant chemotherapy should be given to achieve complete remission.

Analysis of tumor markers in pleural effusion and serum to verify the correlations between serum tumor markers and tumor size, TNM stage of lung adenocarcinoma.

BackgroundThe study of tumor markers (TM) in pleural effusion (PE) was not extensive.MethodsTM in PE and serum were analyzed to determine whether TM was expressed in intrathoracic and extrathoracic tissues. To further verify the correlations between serum TM and tumor size, TNM stage of lung adenocarcinoma.ResultsSerum AFP was not correlated with tumor size, T stage, N stage, and M stage (P > .05). Serum CEA, serum CA125, serum CA15‐3 were positively correlated with tumor size, T stage, N stage, M stage (P < .05). Serum CA19‐9 was not significantly correlated with tumor size and T stage (P > .05), but was positively correlated with N stage and M stage (P < .05). The levels of PE CEA, PE CA125, PE CA15‐3 were higher than those of serum CEA, serum CA125, serum CA15‐3 (all P < .05). The level of PE AFP was lower than that of serum AFP (P < .05). The level of PE CA19‐9 was not significantly different from that of serum CA19‐9 (P > .05). The positive rates of PE CEA and PE CA125 were higher than those of serum CEA and serum CA125 (P < .05). The positive rates of PE AFP, PE CA15‐3, PE CA19‐9 were not significantly different from those of serum AFP, serum CA15‐3, serum CA19‐9 (P > .05).PE CEA, PE CA125, PE CA15‐3 were moderately positively correlated with serum CEA, serum CA125, serum CA15‐3, respectively (r = 0.597; r = 0.46; r = 0.583, all P < .05). However, PE AFP and PE CA19‐9 were very strongly positively correlated with serum AFP and serum CA19‐9, respectively (r = 0.888; r = 0.874, all P < .05).ConclusionThe expression characteristics of TM in PE and serum supported the correlations between serum TM and tumor size, TNM stage of lung adenocarcinoma.

Optimization of intracranial germinoma treatment: A single institution experience with 213 patients supports radiotherapy alone with reduced volume and dose

Abstract Purpose We investigated optimal management for intracranial germinoma, including target volume and dose of radiotherapy (RT) and the combination of RT and chemotherapy (CTx). Methods We retrospectively evaluated 213 patients with intracranial germinoma treated between 1971 and 2017. Treatment policies changed as diagnostic techniques and clinical experience improved. In the 1980s, trial RT and tumor marker study were performed, and craniospinal irradiation was performed to treat presumed germinoma. CTx was introduced in 1991, and RT volume was reduced in patients showing a complete response. In 2012, the policy was changed to a “reduced volume/dose RT alone” approach, involving a smaller target volume (the whole ventricle/whole brain for localized disease) without CTx. RT doses were gradually reduced to 36 Gy for primary tumors and 18 Gy for neuraxis. Results The median age was 16 years. In total, 118 and 95 patients had pathologically proven and presumed germinoma, respectively, and 151 and 62 patients had localized and multiple diseases, respectively. With a median follow-up of 141 months, the 10-year disease-free and overall survival rates were 91.6% and 95.6%, respectively. Recurrence rates were similar for patients receiving RT-only (9/137, 6.6%) and those receiving CTx+RT (4/73, 5.5%); all patients receiving CTx-only experienced recurrences (3/3, 100%). Rates were the highest in the focal RT group (10/29, 34.5%) but were relatively low in the whole ventricle/whole brain RT (3/51, 5.9%) and craniospinal irradiation groups (0/130, 0%). Infield failure occurred in three patients. Fourteen patients died of recurrence (n=4), secondary malignancy (n=4), CTx-related toxicity (n=2), and others (n=4). Among the 33 patients who received “reduced volume/dose RT alone” treatment, 2 (6.1%) experienced recurrence in the spinal cord and biopsy tract, respectively. Conclusion The additional benefit of CTx in the treatment of intracranial germinoma seems minimal. An RT-only approach with reduced target volume and dose seems reasonable.

Results of a Screening Study of Tumor Markers (REA, CA19-9, PSA, CA15-3) among the Population in South Yakutia

Results of a Screening Study of Tumor Markers (REA, CA19-9, PSA, CA15-3) among the Population in South Yakutia