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BACKGROUND:Antiangiogenic therapies for glioblastoma (GBM) such as bevacizumab (BVZ), have been unable to extend survival in large patient cohorts. However, a subset of patients having angiogenesis-dependent tumors might benefit from these therapies. Currently, there are no biomarkers allowing to discriminate responders from non-responders before the start of the therapy. METHODS:40 patients from the randomized GENOM009 study complied the inclusion criteria (quality of images, clinical data available). Of those, 23 patients received first line temozolomide (TMZ) for eight weeks and then concomitant radiotherapy and TMZ. 17 patients received BVZ+TMZ for seven weeks and then added radiotherapy to the treatment. Clinical variables were collected, tumors segmented and several geometrical measures computed including: Contrast enhancing (CE), necrotic, and total volumes; equivalent spherical CE width; several geometric measures of the CE 'rim' geometry and a set of image texture measures. The significance of the results was studied using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards analysis. Correlations were assessed using Spearman correlation coefficients. RESULTS:Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that total, CE and inner volume (p = 0.019, HR = 4.258) and geometric heterogeneity of the CE areas (p = 0.011, HR = 3.931) were significant parameters identifying response to BVZ. The group of patients with either regular CE areas (small geometric heterogeneity, median difference survival 15.88 months, p = 0.011) or those with small necrotic volume (median survival difference 14.50 months, p = 0.047) benefited substantially from BVZ. CONCLUSION:Imaging biomarkers related to the irregularity of contrast enhancing areas and the necrotic volume were able to discriminate GBM patients with a substantial survival benefit from BVZ. A prospective study is needed to validate our results.

Las instituciones del Espacio Iberoamericano del Conocimiento (EIC) colaboran en proyectos educativos. Siendo la competencia comunicativa imprescindible para el desarrollo profesional y la colaboración del propio EIC. Este trabajo analiza los resultados de un proyecto educativo de colaboración entre ocho universidades y cinco países Iberoamericanos sobre la construcción de una rúbrica común validada con Delphi para evaluar las competencias orales en la exposición de proyectos por los estudiantes. La rúbrica se aplicó en tres grupos de estudiantes de tres instituciones y países distintos (Cuba, Ecuador y España), con modalidades de evaluación formativa (docente, autoevaluación y pares), analizando 788 evaluaciones totales (90 docentes, 61 autoevaluaciones y 637 pares). Los resultados confirman un “alfa de Cronbach” (.934) para las 22 variables analizadas. Con la prueba de Post-Hoc de Tukey en todos los ítems las evaluaciones de pares obtienen peores resultados que evaluación docente, mientras que las autoevaluaciones son mejores. La opinión de los estudiantes con un instrumento validado de satisfacción obteniendo una propuesta significativa de reedición de la rúbrica. El artículo ofrece como producto una rúbrica base validada y experimentada exitosamente en contextos geográficamente diferenciados del EIC.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of certain single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in cabazitaxel activity and toxicity in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Patients & methods: 56 SNPs in five genes ( CYP3A4 , CYP3A5 , ABCB1 , TUBB1 and CYP2C8 ) were genotyped in 67 mCRPC patients and their correlation with outcomes analyzed. Results: TUBB1 -rs151352 (hazard ratio: 0.52) and CYP2C8 -rs1341164 (hazard ratio: 0.53) were associated with better overall survival, and CYP2C8 -rs1058932 with biochemical progression (odds ratio: 6.60) in multivariate analysis. ABCB1 -rs17327624 correlated with severe toxicity ≥grade 3 (odds ratio: 8.56) and CYP2C8 -rs11572093 with asthenia (odds ratio: 8.12). Conclusion: Genetic variants in mCRPC patients could explain different outcomes with cabazitaxel. Nonetheless, the small sample size and the high number of SNPs analyzed mean that the results are only hypothesis-generating and require further validation.