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Here we report a case of a young, never-smoker Hispanic woman with a hereditary familial overlap syndrome (Li-Fraumeni plus CDH1). The patient developed multiple synchronous primary lung adenocarcinomas related to Intra-Alveolar Tumor Spread (STAS) several years after the diagnosis of a locally advanced lower limb osteosarcoma. Comprehensive genomic profiling by next generation sequencing (NGS) was performed on 90 cancer-related genes over each lung lesion (including two nodules of acinar adenocarcinoma, one lepidic spread tumor and in the STAS area). Likewise, the broad genomic analysis was performed on archival tissue from the previous bone tumor. Lung tumors were found to harbor PIK3CA (invasive lesions) and a rare in-frame insertion of nucleotides in exon 19 of EGFR (lepidic tumor). STAS area showed KRAS and BRAF mutations in two different segments, and osteosarcoma tested positive for well known PIK3CA, KRAS and CDH1 alterations. This unique case raises practical questions as to the challenges of molecular testing and highlights the potential association of germline TP53 and CDH1 mutations with concurrent somatic alterations that elucidate the basis of tumor heterogeneity.

Objective: This study describes the real-world characteristics, treatment sequencing, and outcomes among Hispanic patients with locally advanced/metastatic ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with crizotinib. Methods: A retrospective patient review was conducted for several centers in Latin America. Clinicians identified ALK-positive NSCLC patients who received crizotinib and reported their clinical characteristics, treatments, and survival. Overall survival and progression-free survival (PFS) were described. A Random Forest Tree (RFT) model was constructed to predict brain progression. Results: A total of 73 patients were included; median age at diagnosis was 58 years, 60.3% were female, and 93.2% had adenocarcinoma. Eighty-nine percent of patients were never smokers/former smokers, 71.1% had ≥2 sites of metastasis, and 20.5% had brain metastases at diagnosis. The median PFS on first-line crizotinib was 7.07 months (95% CI 3.77–12.37) and the overall response rate was 52%. Of those who discontinued crizotinib, 55.9% progressed in the central nervous system (CNS). The RFT model reached a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 88% for prediction of CNS progression. Conclusions: The overall response rate and the PFS observed in Hispanic patients with ALK-positive NSCLC treated with first-line crizotinib were similar to those in previous reports. An RFT model is helpful in predicting CNS progression and can help clinicians tailor treatments in a resource-limited practice.

Background Congestion in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) leads to the formation of waiting queues for patients being transferred after surgery, negatively affecting hospital resources. As patients recover in the operating room, incoming surgeries are delayed. The purpose of this study was to establish the impact of this phenomenon in multiple settings. Methods An operational mathematical study based on the queuing theory was performed. Average queue length, average queue waiting time, and daily queue waiting time were evaluated. Calculations were based on the mean patient daily flow, PACU length of stay, occupation, and current number of beds. Data was prospectively collected during a period of 2 months, and the entry and exit time was recorded for each patient taken to the PACU. Data was imputed in a computational model made with MS Excel. To account for data uncertainty, deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses for all dependent variables were performed. Results With a mean patient daily flow of 40.3 and an average PACU length of stay of 4 hours, average total lost surgical opportunity time was estimated at 2.36 hours (95% CI: 0.36-4.74 hours). Cost of opportunity was calculated at $1592 per lost hour. Sensitivity analysis showed that an increase of two beds is required to solve the queue formation. Conclusions When congestion has a negative impact on cost of opportunity in the surgical setting, queuing analysis grants definitive actions to solve the problem, improving quality of service and resource utilization.

The advent of immunotherapy has undoubtedly changed the current standard for cancer treatment. Immunotherapy offers the possibility of achieving excellent results-a new alternative for patients with advanced-stage or relapsed disease. Nowadays, the progress made in tumour biology has led to multiple advances in clinical and translational cancer research. Many oncogenic pathways responsible for tumour growth and metastases have been described and, consequently, multiple new cancer therapeutic agents have been developed and are under current investigation. Due to this rapid increase in knowledge and pharmaceutical development, traditional clinical trials designs have encountered major limitations. The pharmacological differences (in toxicity profiles and effectiveness patterns) between immunotherapy and chemotherapy have caused traditional clinical trials to evolve in order to meet this emerging need. This review focuses on the different options pertaining to clinical trial design that have arisen in the field of immuno-oncology, as well as the challenges of accurately interpreting traditional survival analyses within this novel area of cancer medicine.

Purpose To compare the effectiveness of octreotide/everolimus vs. sunitinib for the systemic treatment of recurrent aggressive meningiomas. Methods 31 patients with recurrent or refractory WHO II or WHO III meningiomas were examined in two reference centers in Colombia. Patients who had systemic treatment (sunitinib, everolimus/octreotide) and a complete follow-up were included. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and toxicities were evaluated. Additionally, tissue samples were examined for PDGFR beta and VEGFR2, their expression was correlated with outcomes. Results Twenty-two patients (72%) were female with a median age of 55 years (SD +/- 15.3). The most prevalent histology was anaplastic meningioma in 20 patients (65%) with 48% of patients suffering from three previous relapses before the start of systemic treatment. A total of 14 patients received combination therapy with octreotide/everolimus, 11 received sunitinib and the remaining 6 received other second-line agents. Median OS was 37.3 months (95% CI 28.5-42.1) and the PFS during the treatment with everolimus/octreotide (EO) and sunitinib (Su) was 12.1 months (95% CI 9.2-21.1) and 9.1 months (95% CI 6.8-16.8); p = 0.43), respectively. The OS of the group treated with the EO -> Su -> Bev sequence (1st/2nd/3rd line) was 6.5 months longer than the Su -> EO -> Bev sequence (36.0 vs. 29.5 months) (p = 0.0001). When analyzing molecular markers, the positive PDGFR beta and negative VEGFR2 expression were associated with longer survival both in OS and PFS. Conclusion Sunitinib and octreotide/everolimus have similar efficacy and safety in the systemic management of refractory meningioma. VEGFR2 and PDGFR beta expression are associated with better outcomes.

Background: Cancer is a global problem. Estimates for 2018 expect around 18.1 million new cases and 9.6 related deaths worldwide. Interestingly, there is significant geographical variation in cancer research that has an inverse correlation with cancer-specific mortality. In Latin America (LATAM), the percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) invested in research is below 1% in the majority of countries. The region has been a participant in only 4.6% of clinical trials in cancer worldwide and produced only 4% of all scientific publications. Methods: This study, a bibliometric analysis of cancer-related publications in LATAM establishes the relationship between sociodemographic factors and countries, taking into account authors and their networking efforts. We implemented a high sensitivity search strategy for cancer publications between 2000 and 2018 using the Scopus database, limited to LATAM nations. We constructed collaboration networks for both authors and citations for LATAM and each country in the region, calculated correlations between the number of included publications, author and national indicators. Findings: The search included 8528 articles across 9 countries. Brazil was the most productive nation with 41.8% of the included references. Mexico (16.6%), Argentina (12.9%), and Chile (9.7%) followed. LATAM experienced a 9% growth in publications. Peru had the greatest percentage growth (23%). Number of publications by country highly correlated with author network size (r = 0.75, p = 0.019). Percentage of invested GDP in research and development correlated positively with the number of publications for most nations. Interpretation: LATAM has experienced a significant growth in cancer related publications. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of scientific networking as a strategy for increasing scientific productivity. Hopefully, these results will serve to bolster oncology related publications in the region, further contributing with cancer research and leading to progress in the scientific field. Funding Statement: This study was self-funded. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no potential conflict of interest related to this article. Ethics Approval Statement: Due to the nature of the study, no approval of an institutional Ethics and Research board was required.

Objectives: Lung cancer is a heterogeneous disease. Presentation and prognosis are known to vary according to several factors, such as genetic and demographic characteristics. Small-cell lung cancer incidence is increasing in never-smokers. However, the disease phenotype in this population is different compared with patients who have a smoking history. Material and Methods: To further investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of this patient subgroup, a cohort of small cell lung cancer patients was divided into smokers (n = 10) and never/ever-smokers (n = 10). A somatic mutation profile was obtained using a comprehensive NGS assay. Clinical outcomes were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional models. Results: Median age was 63 years (46–81), 40% were men, and 90% had extended disease. Smoker patients had significantly more cerebral metastases (p = 0.04) and were older (p = 0.03) compared to their non-smoker counterparts. For never/ever smokers, the main genetic mutations were TP53 (80%), RB1 (40%), CYLD (30%), and EGFR (30%). Smoker patients had more RB1 (80%, p = 0.04), CDKN2A (30%, p = 0.05), and CEBPA (30%, p = 0.05) mutations. Response rates to first-line therapy with etoposide plus cisplatin/carboplatin were 50% in smokers and 90% in never/ever smokers (p = 0.141). Median overall survival was significantly longer in never smokers compared with smokers (29.1 months [23.5–34.6] vs. 17.3 months [4.8–29.7]; p = 0.0054). Never/ever smoking history (HR 0.543, 95% CI 0.41–0.80), limited-stage disease (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.40–0.91) and response to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.60–0.92) were independently associated with good prognosis. Conclusion: Our data supports that never/ever smoker patients with small-cell lung cancer have better prognosis compared to their smoker counterparts. Further, patients with never/ever smoking history who present with small-cell lung cancer have a different mutation profile compared with smokers, including a high frequency of EGFR, MET, and SMAD4 mutations. Further studies are required to assess whether the differential mutation profile is a consequence of a diverse pathological mechanism for disease onset.

El cáncer de pulmón de células no pequeñas (CPCNP) es responsable del 85% de los casos de cáncer de pulmón (CP). Por lo tanto, se desarrollaron inhibidores de la tirosina quinasa del receptor del factor de crecimiento epitelial (EGFR-TKI) y han mejorado los resultados clínicos de los pacientes con NSCLC con mutación en EGFR. Sin embargo, estos pacientes inevitablemente desarrollan resistencia a esos medicamentos. Algunos de los mecanismos de resistencia son la mutación T790M y la transformación de adenocarcinoma de pulmón a cáncer de pulmón de células pequeñas (CPCP). Por el contrario, solo unos pocos casos de NSCLC con mutación en EGFR informaron una supervivencia a largo plazo de más de 5 años. El presente caso se trata de una mujer de 53 años de edad, nunca fumadora, de origen hispano, que debutó con tos seca sin disnea y dolor intermitente de alta intensidad en hemitórax izquierdo y columna. Fue diagnosticada con CPNM metastásico e inició tratamiento con doble quimioterapia basada en platino. Después de que se identificara una mutación de EGFR, el paciente comenzó la terapia dirigida. A lo largo de los años, el tratamiento se intensificó debido a la resistencia que desarrolló contra los inhibidores de la tirosina quinasa. Se informó la mutación de resistencia T790M y persistió en el tiempo; además años después se constató la aparición de la mutación TP53R213. Se administró tratamiento con osimertinib con éxito durante 10 meses y posteriormente se constató progresión meníngea. Al mismo tiempo, se confirmó la transdiferenciación a SCLC mediante análisis histológico. Posteriormente se administró sin éxito carboplatino/etopósido/osimertinib. El paciente falleció en enero de 2020, tras 12,5 años de supervivencia global (SG) y 10 líneas de tratamiento. Hasta donde sabemos, este artículo presenta una de las supervivencias más largas reportadas de un paciente con LC metastásico con mutación de EGFR. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is responsible of 85% of lung cancer (LC) cases. Therefore, epithelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) were developed and have improved clinical outcomes of EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients. However, these patients inevitably develop resistance to those medications. Some of the resistance mechanisms are T790M mutation and transformation of lung adenocarcinoma to small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Conversely, only a few EGFR-mutant NSCLC cases reported a long-term survival of more than 5 years. The present case concerns a 53-year-old never smoker woman of Hispanic origin, that debuted with dry cough without dyspnea and intermittent high-intensity pain in the left chest and spine. She was diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC and started treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy double. After an EGFR-mutation was identified, the patient started target therapy. Over the years, treatment was escalated because of the resistance she developed against TKIs. T790M resistance mutation was reported and persisted over time; additionally the appearance of TP53R213 mutation was found years later. Treatment with osimertinib was successfully administered for 10 months and after that meningeal progression was found. At the same time, transdifferentiation to SCLC was confirmed by histological analysis. Carboplatin/etoposide/osimertinib was then unsuccessfully administered. The patient died in January 2020, after 12.5 years of overall survival (OS) and 10 lines of treatment. To our knowledge, this article presents one of the longest reported survivals of a metastatic LC patient with EGFR mutation.

e21569 Background: Human papilloma virus (HPV) is associated with the development of several primary tumors. Recent studies have shown that HPV-positive tumors tend to be sensitive to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), owing to the presence of xenobiotic genomes in cancer cells. The objective of this study was to explore this relationship in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma treated in a reference center in Bogota, Colombia was conducted. Demographic as well as treatment variables were collected between January 2018 and December 2019. Besides clinical outcomes, HPV infection status was determined by PCR amplification and reverse line hybridization directly on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor samples. Statistical analyses included stratified survival analysis based on HPV status and response. Results: A total of 133 patients were included. Male predominance (51.1%) with Karnofsky performance scores (KPS) greater than 80, and 19% of prior cigarette exposure (26 patients) was identified in the cohort. HPV positivity was identified in 25.6% of patients (33 cases, [95%CI 17.5-32.2%]), in addition to 29.8% EGFR mutation positivity (29 cases [[95%CI 14.8-28.8%]), 6% ALK positivity (8 cases [95%CI 1.9-10]) and positive PD-L1 expression in 49 samples (36.8% [95%CI 28.6-45%]). In immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) exposed patients, HPV+ patients had significantly higher PD-L1 expression compared with HPV- individuals (p < 0.001). In terms of overall survival, ICI treated patients achieved an OS of 27.1 months (95%CI 22.1-NA) and a PFS of 19.4 months (95%CI 18-24.5 months). HPV infection status was associated with prolonged OS (median OS not reached, [95%CI 27.7 months – no reached], p = 0.0089) and better response to ICI (p < 0.001). Conclusions: HPV infection is prevalent in patients with lung adenocarcinoma and is associated with better response to ICIs as well as better survival outcomes. Its identification could serve as a prognostic marker, especially in female non-smoker patients.

e21566 Background: Several histopathological markers have been associated with immune system activity and its relationship with clinical outcomes in lung cancer. Determination of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes as well as specific subpopulations could reveal cytotoxic potential. Additionally, changes in stromal composition and fibrosis could also reflect potential cellular interactions with the tumor lesions. In this study we validate these two findings as potential prognostic factors. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma treated in a reference center in Bogota, Colombia was conducted. Demographic as well as treatment variables were collected between January 2018 and December 2019. In addition to clinical outcomes, the percentage of stromal fibrosis and immunoscore were estimated for all biopsy samples by a trained oncological pathologist. Results: A total of 133 patients were included. Male predominance (51.1%) with Karnofsky performance scores (KPS) greater than 80 and 19% of prior cigarette exposure (26 patients) was identified in the cohort. Median overall survival of the cohort was 27.1 months (95%CI 22.1-NA) and progression free survival of 19.4 months (95%CI 18-24.5 months). Percentage of fibrous stroma and immunoscore were associated with a benefit in both OS and PFS. For patients who presented with a low stromal fibrosis, defined as harboring less than 10%, OS reached a median of 25.1 months (95%CI 21.5- 40.5 months) compared to 38.7 months for patients with high fibrosis (95%CI 27.7 months – NA), (p = 0.02). In terms of immunoscore, values under 40% were associated with a longer median OS (38.7 months, [95%CI 31.3- 58.6 months] vs 22.1 months [95%CI19.8- 42.3 months], p < 0.001). Immunoscore and stromal fibrosis were not codependent variables (p < 0.001), suggesting that these markers offer independent prognostic value with regards to OS. Conclusions: Stromal fibrosis and immunoscore serve as prognostic factors that could be easily interpreted and evaluated in order to offer prognostic classification of patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung.

Background Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has a 5-year survival of 5-16%. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, in most cases, confer sensitivity to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. Nonetheless, it is still unclear why clinical outcomes vary among patients with identical EGFR mutations. The amplification of the EGFR gene (EGFRamp) may play a significant role. Objective Compare the complete (CR) and partial response (PR) rates, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) in Hispanic patients with lung adenocarcinoma treated with erlotinib with EGFR mutations (L858R or exon 19 deletion [Del19]) with and without concomitant EGFRamp. Patients and Methods Seventy-two EGFR-positive lung adenocarcinoma patients of Hispanic origin, who underwent first-line treatment with erlotinib, were evaluated for EGFRamp by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The clinical outcomes were analyzed according to EGFR mutations and EGFRamp status. Results 30.6% of samples showed EGFRamp, more frequently present in patients with Del19 (p = 0.05). Patients with EGFRamp had a longer PFS (in months) [(28.5, 95% CI 22.3-34.6) vs. (11.0, 95% CI 8.2-16.7); p = 0.002] and OS [(37.8, 95% CI 30.9-44.7) vs. (27.1, 95% CI 12.8-41.3); p = 0.009] than those without. EGFRamp significantly influenced the response to erlotinib (p = 0.0001). EGFRamp+/Del19 had a longer OS, 37.8 (95% CI 31.0-44.6), compared to EGFRamp+/L8585R, 27.5 (95% CI 12.4-42.5) (p < 0.001) and longer PFS (p = 0.043). Conclusion Among Hispanic patients, EGFRamp was present in 30% of patients with EGFR mutations. EGFR mutations and EGFRamp are associated with better OS, PFS, CR, and PR to erlotinib and, hence, could aid in the correct selection of patients that benefit from EGFR TKI treatment.

Objectives Contrasting other EGFR mutations (EGFRm) in lung adenocarcinomas, insertions in exon 20 (exon20ins) are generally associated with resistance to targeted therapy, limiting therapeutic options and impoverishing the prognosis compared to other EGFRm. We sought to extensively characterize exon20ins from a large cohort of lung adenocarcinomas in Hispanic patients. Materials and methods This was a region-wide, observational longitudinal cohort study to evaluate characteristics and outcomes of patients with exon20ins in lung adenocarcinoma, based on a secondary analysis of electronic records from the Geno1.2-CLICaP Platform and extended genotype testing. Patients from six Latin-American countries were included (Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Mexico). Data obtained included the molecular spectrum (extended genotyping for mutations in BRAF, NRAS, PIK3CA, Her2 and MEK1, as well as for EGFR amplification, ALK and PD-L1 protein expression), clinic-pathologic characteristics, prevalence and outcomes to therapeutic approach. Results and conclusions 4.005 patients diagnosed with stage III/IV lung adenocarcinoma from 2011 to 2016 were initially screened. Among these, 88 patients had a confirmed exon20 in. and were included; median age was 66-years, 62.5% were females, 64% were never smokers and 39% presented with brain metastases. The H773insH variant was the most frequent, making up 21.6% of cases. A common EGFRm was concomitantly found in 36.4% (del19/L858R), and 8% (G719X/L861Q/S768I) of cases. Five cases had additional mutations in PI3K, KRAS and MEK1, 26% had EGFR amplification and 81.7% had PD-L1 expression 1–50%. Overall response rate to first-line therapy was 28% and overall survival was 16.4 months. Prognosis was positively influenced by the concomitant presence of common EGFRm and response to first-line. Our results suggest that patients with EGFR exon20ins have similar clinical characteristics to those with common EGFRm but a poorer prognosis. Last, the mean PD-L1 expression in this population seems higher than for patients with common EGFRm.

Background: Heavily treated patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have few treatment options, while irinotecan and bevacizumab have proven synergistic action in preclinical studies. Patients and Methods: A total of 49 patients with heavily treated NSCLC were enrolled from 2011-2014 and treated with irinotecan and bevacizumab. Treatment response along with mutational status of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP1) and EGFR expression were evaluated. Progression-free (PFS) and overall (OS) survival were monitored. Results: Median follow-up was 13.2 months. Twenty-three patients had received three or more prior therapy lines. Overall response rate was 32% [95% confidence interval (CI)=22%-39%] and 26% of patients achieved stable disease. Median PFS was 4.4 (95% CI=2.8-8.3) months and median OS 18.0 (95% CI=16.2-30.7) months. Nine patients harboring EGFR mutations had a long-lasting partial response. A shorter OS was found in patients with a higher TIMP1 expression (p=0.006). Conclusion: Irinotecan combined with bevacizumab had favorable antitumor activity in heavily pretreated patients with NSCLC. These results suggest this is a reasonable strategy, particularly for patients with low TIMP1 expression.

Epilepsy is a common symptom in patients with glioblastoma (GB). 213 patients with GB from RedLANO follow-up registry were included. All patients underwent surgery, if feasible, followed by chemoradiation based on temozolomide (Stupp platform). Information was recorded regarding demographics, seizure timing, anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), dosage, time to next seizure, total seizures in 6 months, and main side effects of AEDs. The relationship between epilepsy treatment and overall survival (OS) was evaluated. Mean age was 53 years old and 56.8% were male. Seventy-eight patients (37%) were treated with levetiracetam (LEV), 27% were given another AED and 36% did not require any AED. Choice of AED was not associated with age (p = 0.67), performance status (p = 0.24) or anatomic tumor site (p = 0.34). Seizures and AED requirement were greater in those having primary GB (p = 0.04). After starting an AED, the mean time until next crisis was 9.9 days (SD +/- 6.3), which was shorter in those receiving LEV (p = 0.03); mean number of seizures during the first 3 and 6 months were 2.9 and 4, respectively. Most patients treated with LEV (n = 46) required less than two medication adjustments compared to those treated with other AEDs (p = 0.02). Likewise, less patients exposed to LEV required a coadjuvant drug (p = 0.04). Additionally, patients receiving LEV had significantly less adverse effects compared to patients treated with another AED. OS was significantly higher in the group treated with LEV compared to other AEDs (25.5 vs. 17.9 months; p = 0.047). Patients treated with LEV had better seizure control and longer OS compared to other AEDs.

Introduction: Survival for patients with Glioblastoma Multiforme despite novel therapies remains poor. Accurate prediction tools can identify patients who can benefit from intensive treatment and others in whom the risks outweigh the gains. The rationale of this present study is to conceive a decision making tool to help clinicians determine the prognosis of patients with the most frequent central nervous system tumor in the adult. Materials and Methods: Data from a retrospective cohort of 41 patients was employed to train and validate a machine learning tool based on artificial neural networks. Training variables were: Age at diagnosis, Karnofsky Performance Index, MGMT methylation status and EGRF expression status. Primary prediction endpoint was survival status at 12 months. 70% of patients were randomly selected to the training of the tool and the remaining 30% to the validation. Once the tool was constructed with the training data, data from the validation patients was inputed and the results compared against the cohort data. Operational characteristics and a ROC were calculated. Finally, to further validate the tool, a survival analysis in the validation set between the patients, expected to be survivors and non-survivors at 12 months by the tool, was conducted. Results: The overall performance of the prediction tool reached a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 93% with an Area Under the Curve of 0.988 for the accurate prediction of survival status at 12 months. When survival between the expected survivors and non-survivors identified by the tool was compared, a statistical significant result (p &lt 0.001) between the two groups favoring the expected survivors was obtained. Conclusions: Machine learning algorithms can be a very helpful and powerful tool to predict survival in patients with glioblastoma multiforme. A larger prospective cohort could be analyzed to obtain robust findings that can be incorporated into clinical practice and help decision making.

Colombia is a developing nation in need for efficient resource administration in fields such as health care, where innovation is constant. Since the introduction of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA), direct costs have been increasing without definitive results in terms of clinical outcomes. The objective of this study is to determine the cost-effectiveness of open appendectomy (OA) versus LA and thereby help surgeons in clinical decision-making in a limited resource setting.A retrospective cost-effectiveness analysis comparing OA versus multiport LA during 2013 in a third-level university hospital (Hospital Universitario San Ignacio) in Bogota, Colombia was performed. Effectiveness was determined as the number of days in additional length of stay (LOS) due to the complications saved. A total of 377 clinical histories were collected by the authors and analyzed for the following variables: surgery type, conversion to open laparotomy, complications (surgical site infection, reintervention, and readmission), hospital LOS, and total cost of hospitalization for initial surgery and subsequent complications-related hospitalizations. The total accumulative costs and LOS for OA and LA plus complications were estimated. The cost-effectiveness threshold was set at US $46 (139,000 Colombian Peso [COP]), the cost of an additional day in LOS. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated for OA as the comparator and LA as the intervention.The number of LA was 130 and of OA was 247. The two groups were balanced in terms of population characteristics. Complication rate was 13.7 % for OA and 10.4% for LA (P 0.05), and LOS was 2 days for LA and OA (P = 0.9). No conversions from LA to OA were recorded. The total costs for complications for OA were US $8523 (25,569,220 COP) and US 3385 (10,157,758 COP) for LA. Cumulative costs including cost of surgery and complications and LOS for OA were US $65,753 (197,259,310 COP) and 297, respectively. Similarly, for LA were US $66,425 (199,276,948 COP) and 271, respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was US $25.86 (77,601 COP) making LA a cost-effective alternative with a difference of US $20.76 (62,299 COP) under the cost-effectiveness threshold.LA is a cost-effective alternative over OA with an increasing cost of $25.85 per day of additional hospitalization due to complications saved. This is accounting the low cost of surgical interventions and complications in developing nations such as Colombia.

RESUMEN Antecedentes La espectrometria de masas en tandem permite procesar muchas muestras de sangre seca, enviadas por correo ordinario, para detectar anomalias congenitas. En varios paises, estas pruebas se hacen de manera rutinaria. En este trabajo se estudia la posibilidad de instaurar un programa nacional de tamizacion neonatal de cobertura universal. Objetivos Estimar los costos y el empleo de recursos involucrados en un programa de tamizacion universal y, asi, estimar el costo por caso detectado en Colombia. Materiales y metodos Se realizo una busqueda de la literatura junto con una evaluacion de costos de la tamizacion en neonatos de fenilcetonuria, galactosemia, deficiencia de biotinidasa, hiperplasia suprarrenal congenita, deficiencia de acil-CoA deshidrogenasa de cadena media y acidemias organicas mediante espectrometria de masas en tandem. Los costos se encuentran en pesos colombianos de 2012. Resultados Los costos de los equipos de espectrometria se estimaron entre $ 700 y $ 1.100 millones y pueden realizar hasta 4.000 pruebas por mes con una vida util de 8 anos. El costo de los insumos y el transporte de las muestras totalizaron en $ 21.600 por prueba. Si se asumen 12 maquinas con una productividad inicial del 50% en el primer ano, 80% en el segundo y 90% a partir del tercer ano, a un precio por prueba de $ 33.459 (incluyendo pruebas confirmatorias), y con una cobertura del 75% de los neonatos, se lograria obtener utilidades a partir del segundo ano, y se recuperaria el valor de la inversion en el cuarto ano. Conclusiones Al tamizar anualmente 518.400 neonatos, se podrian detectar unos 50 casos a un costo aproximado de $ 330 millones por caso correctamente detectado.

Introduction: High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem-cell transplantation (auto-HCT) is standard of care for patients with relapsed or primary refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). Brentuximab vedotin (BV) consolidation after auto-HCT improves progression-free survival of cHL patients with primary refractory disease and high risk for relapse as seen in the AETHERA trial. There are no published reports of BV consolidation post auto-HCT in cHL patients treated in developing countries. The aim of this study is to determine the clinical outcomes and safety of BV consolidation after auto-HSCT in a cohort of Colombian patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) cHL. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at ten tertiary referral centers in five cities in Colombia. Data from patients with R/R cHL who underwent auto-HCT followed by BV consolidation was collected and analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze patient's demographic characteristics. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates and log-rank test was used to compare survival between groups. All data were analyzed by R Studio software. Results: Fifty-three patients with a confirmed diagnosis of cHL were included, 49,1% were women. Median of age at auto-HCT was 29 years (range 17 - 66). The most frequently used frontline regimen was ABVD 90,6%. Median number of treatment lines including auto-HCT was 3 (range 2 to 7). 83% of patients had BV consolidation after 1stAUtoHCT and 17% after 2 auto-HCT. The most common high-risk feature before auto-HCT was primary refractory cHL (54,7%). Responses were determined by Lugano criteria. However, unconfirmed complete responses (uCR) per 2007 IWC criteria were used due to lack of PET-CT availability of evaluation in some centers, where CT scan were used. The overall rate (ORR) before auto-HCT was 94,4% with complete response (CR) in 28,3%, uCR 20,8% and partial response (PR) in 45,3% of patients. The ORR after auto-HCT was 90,5% with CR in 52,8%, uCR in 22,6%, and PR 15,1%. Table1. A total of 531 BV cycles were administered as post auto-HCT consolidation with a median of 11 cycles (range 1-16). A median of 23 days between each cycle was documented (range 7-210 days). The most common grade 3-4 toxicities were peripheral neuropathy (18,8%), fatigue (9,4%), weight loss (5,6%). OS at 132 months was 92,5% (CI95%: 4,9 - NR) (Figure A), and the median PFS was not reached (CI 95%: 36.5 months - Not reached) with 75,5% PFS at 132 months, with a mean of follow-up of 23,5 months (Range: 4,2 - 133,2 months) (Figure B). There was a trend towards worse PFS in patients treated with ≥ 3 regimens before auto-HCT Median: 38.7 months, (CI 95%: 36.5 - NA) Vs. 2 lines: Median: NR (CI 95%: 4,2-NR) P= 0.4.(Figure C). Also patients that required a second transplant followed by BV consolidation had a worse PFS, compared to the ones that underwent BV consolidation post first auto-HCT: median: 13.6 months (CI 95%: 6.7- NR)Vs. median: NR (CI95%: 38,7 - NR) respectively p=0,009 (Figure D). Twelve patients relapsed and 4 patients died form disease progression. Conclusions: BV consolidation after auto-HCT in high-risk R/R cHL patients treated in a developing country setting seems to be a safe and effective treatment. Although OS and PFS were slightly superior to the ones reported in the AETHERA trial, the mean of follow-up in our analysis is shorter. Another shortcoming of our analysis are the inherit limitation of a retrospective cohort. These retrospective results need to be assessed in prospective trials that specifically includes Latin-American with high-risk patients with R/R cHL. Disclosures Patiño: Amgen: Speakers Bureau. Enciso-Olivera:Takeda: Speakers Bureau. Otero-de la Hoz:Takeda: Speakers Bureau. Martínez Cordero:Takeda: Speakers Bureau. Karduss:Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Abello:Takeda: Other: Participation in advisory board meeting. Sandoval-Sus:Seattle Genetics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Introducción: la relación entre mortalidad y productividad científica en cáncer aún no ha sida explorada en Colombia. Nuestro objetivo fue estimar y caracterizar la productividad científica y su relación con la mortalidad por cáncer en general y según localizaciones específicas con mayor mortalidad para población adulta en Colombia entre los años 2000 a 2015. Métodos: se realizó un estudio ecológico de tendencia temporal en el marco de un análisis bibliométrico de registros de publicaciones con afiliaciones a instituciones colombianas registradas en Scopus, utilizando técnicas de búsqueda sistemática y evaluando la calidad del proceso. Se estimó y comparó la relación entre las variables mediante modelamiento econométrico. Resultados: se identificaron 2.645 registros de publicaciones, de los cuales 1.464 (55,3%) fueron seleccionados y caracterizados como producción científica colombiana (concordancia interobservador 92,96%; K = 0,859; IC95% 0,800-0,918). La mediana de autores, instituciones y citaciones por registro fue de 5, 3 y 2, respectivamente. El 52,7% de los registros tuvieron participación de al menos un autor con afiliación internacional. Las tres localizaciones específicas con mayor número de registros fueron cérvix, mama y estómago. Para el período estudiado, se observó una tendencia creciente en la producción científica frente a una disminución de la mortalidad por cáncer en general, constituyendo una relación proporcional inversa en el modelo de regresión lineal (coeficiente r = -0,958; p = 0,000; R2 = 0,911). Conclusión: la productividad científica colombiana en cáncer ha venido en aumento, en contraste con una disminución progresiva de la mortalidad. Sin embargo, esta producción tiene un componente predominantemente descriptivo, con relativamente baja participación interinstitucional y bajo impacto en la comunidad científica.

e20637 Background: To compare survival outcomes of patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC who received immunotherapy at first, second or beyond versus matched patients receiving standard chemotherapy. Methods: A retrospective multicenter international cohort study of 296 patients with unresectable/ metastatic NSCLC treated with immunotherapy either as first, second, third or fourth line was conducted. A matched comparison with a historical cohort of first line chemotherapy was conducted. Results: Median age was 64 years (Range 34-90) and 40.2% were female patients. 91.2% of patients had an ECOG performance score ≤ 1. Immunotherapy as first line was given to 39 patients (13.7%), second line to 140 (48.8%), and as third line and beyond to 108 (37.6%). Median overall survival was 12.7 months (95% CI 9.67-14 months) and progression-free survival was 4.27 months (95% CI 3.97-5.0). Factors associated with increased survival included treatment as first-line (p < 0.001), type of response (p < 0.001) and PD-L1 status (p = 0.0039). Compared to the historical cohort, immunotherapy proved to be superior in terms of OS (p = 0.05) but not PFS (p = 0.2). Conclusions: Patients who receive immune checkpoint inhibitors as part of their treatment for NSCLC have better OS compared with matched patients treated with standard chemotherapy, regardless treatment line.

Introducción y objetivos. Evaluar la capacidad instalada, los tiempos de espera para inicio y el tiempo de ingreso de pacientes en tratamiento en la Unidad de Quimioterapia del Centro Javeriano de Oncología (CJO).

Objective Antibodies against water channel protein aquaporin 4 (AQP4) in astrocytes play a role in the etiology and physiopathology of neuromyelitis optica (NMO); detection of this immunoglobulin in serum is highly suggestive of this diagnosis. There are several immunoassays to detect the antibody with different sensitivities and specificities. We conducted a meta-analysis to determine the overall diagnostic accuracy from these tests. Methods We conducted a systematic review in five different electronic databases: Pubmed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Scopus, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effect (DARE) and Lilacs. We included both case control and consecutive enrollment studies that evaluated the performance of the immunoassays in patients with suspected NMO in comparison with the 2006 Wingerchuk diagnostic criteria. Articles were assessed by two different reviewers, who also extracted data. Results 30 studies for three different immunoassays were included in the meta-analysis. To obtain a summary estimate for the sensitivity and specificity with 95% confidence interval a bivariate random effect model was used. The approximated sensitivity for the cell based assay (CBA), the tissue-based assay (TBA) and the ELISA test were 0.76(95% CI 0.67–0.82), 0.59(95% CI 0.50–0.67), and 0.65(95% CI 0.53–0.75) respectively. The mean specificity of the CBA was 0.99 (95% CI 0.97–0.99), TBA 0.98 (95% CI 0.97–0.99) and ELISA 0.97(95% CI 0.96–0.99). Conclusions AQP4 detection in serum with immunoassay is a great tool for the diagnosis of patients with NMO, due to the high specificity, allowing the clinician to differentiate this disease from other neurological conditions that resemble NMO.