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Tumor spheroids in the ascites of high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) are poorly described. Our objective was to describe their morphological features, cellular composition, PD-1 and PD-L1 expression, and survival correlation of these parameters. The density and size of spheroids were assessed in Giemsa-stained smears; the cell composition of spheroids, including tumor cells, immune cells, capillaries, and myofibroblasts, as well as PD-1 and PD-L1 expression on tumor and immune cells was assessed in immunocytochemically stained cell block sections. Forty-seven patients with primary HGSC and malignant ascites were included. A cut-off value for a spheroid density of 10% was established, which significantly predicted overall survival. However, spheroid size did not correlate with survival outcomes. Spheroids were primarily composed of tumor cells, but the presence of lymphocytes and macrophages was also confirmed. Moreover, capillaries were present in the spheroids of three patients, but the presence of myofibroblasts was not confirmed. PD-1 was expressed on lymphocytes but not on tumor cells. PD-L1 expression was seen on both tumor and immune cells, assessed by 22C3 and SP263 antibody clones but not by the SP142 clone. Our results highlight the potential of routine cytopathological techniques to analyze spheroids in HGSC ascites as a valuable tool to investigate their potential as prognostic markers.

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Abstract Background In a patient with a germline BRCA2 pathogenic variant with breast cancer, an adnexal mass can represent either a metachronous primary tumor or a metastasis of the breast cancer. A clear distinction between those two possibilities is crucial since treatments differ substantially and so does survival of the patient. Case presentation We present a case of a 47-year-old patient with bilateral breast carcinoma with a germline BRCA2 pathogenic variant. The first manifestation of the disease was a lump in her left breast in 1998, histological report was invasive ductal carcinoma, triple-negative. She was treated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In 2011 a new occult carcinoma was found in her right axilla, however the specimen was estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) positive. She was treated as a new primary occult carcinoma of the right breast with surgery, radiotherapy and adjuvant hormonal treatment. In 2016 a mass in the left adnexa was found with imaging techniques. She underwent surgery as if it was primary ovarian cancer, yet histology revealed it was a metastasis of a triple-negative breast carcinoma in the fimbrial part of the left Fallopian tube. She received adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery and is now in complete remission. Conclusion We present an interesting and quite rare case of two primary breast carcinomas in a patient with a known BRCA2 pathogenic variant with metastasis in the fimbrial part of the left Fallopian tube. We conclude that there were two primary breast tumours and the one from 2011 spread into the fimbrial part of the left Fallopian tube in 2016. Despite the fact that molecular analyses could not confirm the joint tumour origin, we believe that there was a receptor status conversion over time explaining different receptor status. The possibility of a triple-negative metastasis from the tumour treated in 1998 is less probable. With both of aforementioned possibilities being prognostically unfavourable, the patients’ outcome is so far excellent and she was in complete remission at the time of writing this article.

Izhodišče: Zadnjih nekaj let se v genetskih ambulantah soočamo s pogostejšimi napotitvami bolnikov z rakom na genetsko obravnavo. Izvid genetskega testiranja je namreč pri bolnicah z epitelijskim nemucinoznim rakom jajčnikov/jajcevodov/primarnim peritonealnim seroznim karcinomom (PPSC) in bolnikih z metastatskim rakom prostate/pankreasa/dojk lahko zelo pomemben za načrtovanje zdravljenja z zaviralci poli(ADP-riboza)-polimeraze (PARP). Ker se z obravnavo običajno mudi, smo izdelali dve klinični poti, ki omogočita tem bolnikom prednostno obravnavo. Namen: Namen raziskave je bil ugotoviti, ali se število prednostnih napotitev pri bolnikih z rakom, ki potrebujejo genetski izvid za načrtovanje zdravljenja, s časom spreminja. Na primeru raka jajčnikov smo želeli oceniti stopnjo odkrivanja patogenih različic/verjetno patogenih različic (PR/VPR) v pregledovanih genih in raziskati razlike med nosilkami genetskih okvar in tistimi, ki zarodnih PR/VPR nimajo. Metode: Na Oddelku za onkološko klinično genetiko na Onkološkem inštitutu Ljubljana (OIL) smo opravili analizo podatkov o številu vseh prednostnih napotitev na genetsko svetovanje in testiranje od leta 2016 do leta 2020. Analizirali smo tudi podatke vseh napotenih bolnic z epitelijskim nemucinoznim rakom jajčnikov/jajcevodov/PPSC, ki so bile testirane med letoma 2016 in 2020. Za analizo podatkov smo uporabili program MS Excel, Joinpoint Regression in IBM SPSS. Rezultati: Raziskava je pokazala, da število prednostnih napotitev bolnikov, ki potrebujejo genetski izvid za načrtovanje zdravljenja, z leti narašča. Napotitve bolnic z epitelijskim nemucinoznim rakom jajčnikov/jajcevodov/PPSC so začele naraščati marca 2019 s trendom 7,7-odstotnega letnega prirastka. Od vseh 772 bolnic z epitelijskim nemucinoznim rakom jajčnikov/jajcevodov/PPSC, napotenih med letoma 2016 in 2020, smo testirali 735 žensk in pri 206 (28 %) odkrili PR/VPR v panelu pregledovanih genov. Stopnja detekcije PR/VPR, gledano le za gena BRCA1/2, je 23-odstotna. Med vsemi diagnosticiranimi PR/VPR predstavljajo okvare na genih BRCA1/2 83 % vseh najdb. Ženske, ki so nosilke PR/VPR, v povprečju zbolijo v starosti 56,4 leta in zbolijo povprečno 4,4 leta prej kot nenosilke (p < 0,001). V preteklosti, torej pred uvedbo testiranja za zdravljenje, 26,5 % nosilk z negativno družinsko anamnezo ne bi zaznali, saj so smernice testiranje priporočale le pri bolnicah s pozitivno družinsko anamnezo. Zaključek: Pričujoča analiza potrjuje pomen prednostnega genetskega presejanja bolnikov, ki potrebujejo izvid za načrtovanje zdravljenja. Nove klinične poti, ki jih opisujemo v članku, omogočajo hitro in kakovostno obravnavo ter pravočasno in strokovno predajo rezultatov. Prav tako pri bolnikih z rakom omogočajo informirano odločanje o genetskem testiranju in soodločanje o preventivnih ukrepih pri njihovih krvnih sorodnikih.

ni abstrakta

Izhodišče: Zdravilo olaparib uporabljamo za vzdrževalno peroralno zdravljenje recidivnega epitelijskega raka jajčnikov z mutacijami v genih BRCA 1 in BRCA 2 pri bolnicah, ki se odzovejo na kemoterapijo s preparati platine. Namen: Prikazati varnost in učinkovitost zdravljenja s poli-ADP riboza polimeraznim (PARP) inhibitorjem olaparibom v redni klinični praksi v sklopu vzdrževalnega zdravljenja recidivnega epitelijskega raka jajčnikov z mutacijami v genih BRCA 1 in BRCA 2. Metode: V retrospektivno analizo smo vključili bolnice z recidivnim epitelijskim rakom jajčnikov z mutacijami v genih BRCA 1 in BRCA 2, ki so se začele zdraviti z olaparibom na Onkološkem inštitutu Ljubljana v obdobju od 1. novembra 2015 do 31. decembra 2020. Cilja raziskave sta bila oceniti varnost in učinkovitost zdravila olaparib (preživetje brez ponovitve bolezni, celokupno preživetje). Raziskavo je odobrila etična komisija na Onkološkem inštitutu Ljubljana. Rezultati: V opazovanem obdobju je bilo z olaparibom zdravljenih 88 bolnic z recidivnim epitelijskim rakom jajčnikov z mutacijami v genih BRCA 1 in BRCA 2. Mediana starost bolnic je bila 60 let. Večina (61 %) je imela prvi recidiv bolezni, prav tako večina (74 %) je imela tudi zarodno mutacijo v genu BRCA 1. Večina bolnic (85 %) je nadalje imela vsaj en neželeni učinek zdravljenja z olaparibom. Najpogostejši (vse stopnje) so bili: slabost (59 %), utrujenost (59 %), anemija (25 %), dispepsija (14 %), tekoče blato (11 %), spremembe okusa (10 %), nevtropenija (6 %) in aritmija (1 %). Resne neželene učinke (stopnje 3/4) je imelo 10 % bolnic: pojavljali sta se anemija (9 %) in slabost (1 %). Mediani čas sledenja je bil 40 mesecev. Mediano preživetje brez ponovitve bolezni je bil 14,3 meseca, mediano celokupno preživetje pa 20,4 meseca. Preživetje brez napredovanja bolezni je bilo odvisno od vrste mutacije v genih BRCA: pri somatski mutaciji v genih BRCA 1/2 je bilo 80 % bolnic brez progresa bolezni, pri zarodni mutaciji BRCA 2 je bilo teh 55 % bolnic, pri zarodni mutaciji BRCA 1 pa 32 % (p = 0,021). Vrsta mutacije v genih BRCA 1/2 ni imela vpliva na celokupno preživetje bolnic.

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Smernice za obravnavo bolnic z rakom jajčnikov, jajcevodov in s primarnim peritonealnim seroznim rakom so izšle v samostojni obliki prvič po letu 2002. Tistega daljnega leta so bile smernice za vse ginekološke rake še združene v eni knjižici, dandanes pa nova dejstva in spoznanja ter razvoj novih zdravil terjajo bolj poglobljen pristop k obravnavi teh bolnic. Avtorji smo še posebej veseli dejstva, da so prve samostojne smernice izšle ob 1. Ginekološki šoli z naslovom Rak jajčnikov, 13. novembra 2015, nekoliko dopolnjena 2. izdaja smernic pa je izšla ob ponovitvi šole 18. marca 2016. Namenoma smo iz teh smernic izpustili redke vrste raka jajčnikov (kot na primer germinalni in stromalni rak), saj sta klinična pot in potek bolezni pri teh oblikah drugačni. Smernice so na voljo v dveh knjižnih izdajah, v velikem formatu in žepni obliki, v spletni obliki pa so dostopne na spletni strani Onkološkega inštituta, kjer se bodo tudi sproti posodabljale. Slovenskih smernic nismo želeli le povzeti po vzoru tujih, temveč smo v njih vnesli tudi naše izkušnje z zdravljenjem teh bolezni.

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Pred kratkim je bilo v EU registrirano novo tarčno zdravilo LynparzaTM (olaparib) za zdravljenje bolnic z recidivnim seroznim karcinomom jajčnikov, jajcevodov ali primarnim peritonealnim seroznim karcinomom (PPSC), ki imajo znano mutacijo v genih BRCA1/2 (somatsko mutacijo ali mutacijo zarodnih celic). Olaparib je bil registriran na osnovi podanalize raziskave faze II (9), v kateri so imele bolnice z mutacijov genih BRCA1/2, ki so bile zdravljene z olaparibom, za 7 mesecev daljše preživetje brez napredovanja bolezni, kot bolnice, ki niso bile zdravljene z olaparibom (11 mesecev proti 4 mesecem); razlika je bila statistično značilna (HR 0,18;p < 0,00001). Razlik v celokupnem preživetju bolnic med skupinama ni bilo. Olaparib je peroralno zdravilo v obliki kapsul, kar omogoča, da ga lahko bolnice jemljejo doma. Po doslej znanih podatkih sta bila najpogostejša neželena učinka blaga slabost in utrujenost. Pri tem je 25 % bolnic prejemalo olaparib dve leti ali več, prekinitev zdravljenja zaradi neželenih učinkov pa je bila redka (le pri 9 % bolnic), kar kaže na to, da je zdravljenje z olaparibom večinoma dobro prenosljivo, to pa predstavlja izrazito prednost v primerjavi s kemoterapijo, ki je bila doslej edina možnost zdravljenja recidivnega raka jajčnikov (9).

Približno desetina bolnic z rakom dojk ima v tumorju izražene hormonske receptorje (HR) in hkrati čezmerno izražen protein in/ali pomnožen gen HER2. Čeprav pozitivni HR napovedujejo dober odgovor na hormonsko zdravljenje, pa izsledki predkliničnih in tudi kliničnih raziskav kažejo, da hkratna čezmerna izraženost HER2 in HR ustvari odpornost proti hormonskemu zdravljenju. Dve randomizirani klinični raziskavi sta dokazali, da dodatek zdravila anti-HER2 k hormonskemu zdravljenju pri teh bolnicah značilno izboljša uspešnost zdravljenja v primerjavi s hormonsko terapijo. Izsledki kliničnih raziskav posredno kažejo, da je pri kombinaciji zdravila anti-HER2 in kemoterapije več odgovorov in daljši čas do napredovanja bolezni kot pri kombinaciji zdravila antiHER2 in hormonskega zdravljenja, razlik v celotnem preživetju pa ni opaziti. Neposredna primerjava med obema vrstama zdravljenja še ni bila narejena, zato ni mogoče z gotovostjo povedati, katera kombinacija je ustreznejša. Odločitev je odvisna od hitrosti napredovanja bolezni, lokalizacije zasevkov, zmogljivosti bolnice, spremljajočih bolezni in bolničinih želja. Potrebne so translacijske raziskave, ki bodo podrobneje opredelile molekularno biologijo HER2-pozitivnega raka dojk in odgovorile na vprašanje, katero zdravljenje je za posamezno bolnico optimalno.

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Due to the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, a preventive tool in the form of vaccination was introduced. Thoracic cancer patients had one of the highest rates of morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19 disease, but the lack of data about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines in this population triggered studies like ours to explore these parameters in a cancer population. Out of 98 patients with thoracic malignancies vaccinated per protocol, 60–75% experienced some adverse events (AE) after their first or second vaccination, most of them were mild and did not interfere with their daily activities. Out of 17 severe AEs reported, all but one were resolved shortly after vaccination. No significant differences were noted considering AE occurrence between different cancer therapies received after the first or second vaccination dose, p = 0.767 and p = 0.441, respectively. There were 37 breakthrough infections either after the first (1), second (13) or third (23) vaccine dose. One patient died as a direct consequence of COVID-19 infection and respiratory failure, and another after disease progression with simultaneous severe infection. Eight patients had moderate disease courses, received antiviral therapies and survived without consequences. Vaccination did not affect the time to disease progression or death from underlying cancer.

Background: The recommended booster third dose of vaccination against COVID-19 in cancer patients seems reasonable to protect them against a severe disease course. A prospective study was designed to assess the immunogenicity, efficacy, and safety of COVID-19 vaccination in this cohort. Methods: Patients with solid malignancies on active treatment were followed up after the primary course and booster third dose of vaccination to assess their anti-SARS-CoV-2 S1 IgG levels, efficacy in the case of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and safety. Results: Out of 125 patients receiving the primary course of vaccination, 66 patients received a booster third dose of mRNA vaccine, with a 20-fold increase in median anti-SARS-CoV-2 S1 IgG levels compared to Ab levels six months post-primary course of vaccination (p < 0.0001). After the booster third dose, anti-SARS-CoV-2 S1 IgG levels were comparable to healthy controls (p = 0.113). There was a decline in Ab levels 3 (p = 0.0003) and 6 months (p < 0.0001) post-third booster dose. No patients had either a severe disease course or a lethal outcome in the case of SARS-CoV-2 infection after the third booster dose. Conclusion: The third booster vaccination dose against COVID-19 in solid cancer patients triggers substantial immunogenicity and is safe and effective for preventing a severe COVID-19 disease course.

Abstract Background High-grade serous ovarian cancer is a detrimental disease. Treatment options in patients with a recurrent disease are dependent on BRCA1/2 mutation status since only patients with known BRCA mutation are eligible for treatment with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi). The aim of this study was to compare concordance of BRCA mutation analyses from cytological samples (CS) with BRCA mutation analyses from histological formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) samples. Methods Mutation analysis of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes was performed in 44 women diagnosed with primary or recurrent high-grade ovarian cancer from three different samples: blood, cytological sample (ascites, pleural effusion and enlarged lymph nodes) and tumor tissue. Results from all three samples were compared. Results Among 44 patients, there were 15 germline mutations and two somatic mutations. A 100% concordance was found between cytological and histologic samples. Conclusion There is a 100% concordance in BRCA mutation testing between cytological and histologic samples. BRCA mutation testing from CS could replace testing from FFPE tissue in clinical decision making in ovarian cancer patients. Trial registration The study was retrospectively registered at ISRCTN registry on 24/11/2015 - ISRCTN42408038.