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Background and objectives Cognitive function deficits are considered the most significant symptom in the course of many mental and somatic diseases. The aim of this work is to assess the intensity of cognitive deficits in patients diagnosed with lung cancer, treated using antineoplastic chemotherapy. An attempt has also been made to link the applied treatment methods with the intensification of cognitive deficits. Methods 68 people were qualified to take part in the experiment. The subjects were divided into two groups: the affected with diagnosed lung cancer and healthy subjects from the comparative group. The evaluation of cognitive functioning was conducted using the following neuropsychological methods: the Trail Making Test A & B (TMT), the Stroop Color-Word Interference Test, and the Verbal Fluency Test (VFT). Results The treated subjects with a diagnosed malignant disease during the first stage of treatment recorded significantly worse results of the tests used to evaluate cognitive efficiency than the comparative group during each task. The hypothesis regarding statistically significant differences in the cognitive functioning between subsequent examination stages in the group of patients with cancer was not confirmed. Conclusions (1) In the people diagnosed with a malignant disease, subject to chemotherapy, it was possible to observe significant deterioration of cognitive efficiency in the scope of information processing speed, working memory, executive functions and verbal fluency. (2) No statistically significant differences in cognitive functioning were found between subsequent stages of the examination.

Background First-line pembrolizumab monotherapy improves overall and progression-free survival in patients with untreated metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer with a programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) tumour proportion score (TPS) of 50% or greater. We investigated overall survival after treatment with pembrolizumab monotherapy in patients with a PD-L1 TPS of 1% or greater. Methods This randomised, open-label, phase 3 study was done in 213 medical centres in 32 countries. Eligible patients were adults (≥18 years) with previously untreated locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer without a sensitising EGFR mutation or ALK translocation and with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status score of 0 or 1, life expectancy 3 months or longer, and a PD-L1 TPS of 1% or greater. Randomisation was computer generated, accessed via an interactive voice-response and integrated web-response system, and stratified by region of enrolment (east Asia vs rest of world), ECOG performance status score (0 vs 1), histology (squamous vs non-squamous), and PD-L1 TPS (≥50% vs 1-49%). Enrolled patients were randomly assigned 1:1 in blocks of four per stratum to receive pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks for up to 35 cycles or the investigator's choice of platinum-based chemotherapy for four to six cycles. Primary endpoints were overall survival in patients with a TPS of 50% or greater, 20% or greater, and 1% or greater (one-sided significance thresholds, p=0·0122, p=0·0120, and p=0·0124, respectively) in the intention-to-treat population, assessed sequentially if the previous findings were significant. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02220894. Findings From Dec 19, 2014, to March 6, 2017, 1274 patients (902 men, 372 women, median age 63 years [IQR 57-69]) with a PD-L1 TPS of 1% or greater were allocated to pembrolizumab (n=637) or chemotherapy (n=637) and included in the intention-to-treat population. 599 (47%) had a TPS of 50% or greater and 818 patients (64%) had a TPS of 20% or greater. As of Feb 26, 2018, median follow-up was 12·8 months. Overall survival was significantly longer in the pembrolizumab group than in the chemotherapy group in all three TPS populations (≥50% hazard ratio 0·69, 95% CI 0·56-0·85, p=0·0003; ≥20% 0·77, 0·64-0·92, p=0·0020, and ≥1% 0·81, 0·71-0·93, p=0·0018). The median surival values by TPS population were 20·0 months (95% CI 15·4-24·9) for pembrolizumab versus 12·2 months (10·4-14·2) for chemotherapy, 17·7 months (15·3-22·1) versus 13·0 months (11·6-15·3), and 16·7 months (13·9-19·7) versus 12·1 months (11·3-13·3), respectively. Treatment-related adverse events of grade 3 or worse occurred in 113 (18%) of 636 treated patients in the pembrolizumab group and in 252 (41%) of 615 in the chemotherapy group and led to death in 13 (2%) and 14 (2%) patients, respectively. Interpretation The benefit-to-risk profile suggests that pembrolizumab monotherapy can be extended as first-line therapy to patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer without sensitising EGFR or ALK alterations and with low PD-L1 TPS. Funding Merck Sharp & Dohme.

Summary R‐CVP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone) and R‐CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone + rituximab) are immunochemotherapy regimens frequently used for remission induction of indolent non‐Hodgkin lymphomas (iNHLs). Rituximab maintenance (RM) significantly improves progression‐free survival (PFS) in patients with complete/partial remission (CR/PR). Here we report the final results of a randomized study comparing R‐CVP to R‐CHOP both followed by RM. Untreated patients in need of systemic therapy with symptomatic and progressive iNHLs including follicular (FL) and marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), small lymphocytic (SLL), and lymphoplasmacytic (LPL) lymphoma were eligible. Patients were randomized to receive R‐CVP or R‐CHOP for eight cycles or until complete response (CR). All patients with CR/PR (partial response) received RM 375 mg/m2 q 2 months for 12 cycles. Primary endpoint was event‐free survival (EFS). Two‐hundred and fifty patients [FL 42%, MZL/MALT 38%, LPL/ Waldenström Macroglobulinaemia (WM) 11%, SLL 9%] were enrolled and randomized (R‐CHOP: 127, R‐CVP: 123). Median age was 56 years (21–85), 44% were male, 90% were in stage III–IV, 43% of FL patients had a Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) score ≥3, and 33·4% of all patients had an IPI score ≥3. At the end of induction treatment, the CR/PR rate was 43·6/50·9% and 36·3/60·8% in the R‐CHOP and R‐CVP groups (P = 0·218) respectively. After a median follow‐up of 67, 66, and 70 months, five‐year EFS was 61% vs. 56% (not significant), progression‐free survival (PFS) was 71% vs. 69% (not significant) and overall survival (OS) was 84% vs. 89% in the R‐CHOP vs. the R‐CVP arm respectively. Grade III/IV adverse events (65 vs. 22) occurred in 40 (33·1%) and 18 (15·3%) patients, P = 0·001; neutropenia in 16 (11·6%) and 4 (3·4%) patients, P = 0·017; infection in 14 (10·7%) and 3 (2·5%) patients,; P = 0·011; and a second neoplasm in three versus seven patients., in the R‐CHOP and the R‐CVP groups respectively. This multicentre randomized study with >five‐year follow‐up shows similar outcome in patients with indolent lymphoma in need of systemic therapy treated with R‐CVP or R‐CHOP immunochemotherapy and rituximab maintenance in both arms. The minor toxicity of the R‐CVP regimen makes it a reasonable choice for induction treatment, leaving other active agents like doxorubicin or bendamustin for second‐line therapy.

Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are routinely used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients with common activating mutations of the EGFR gene. The aim of the study was to compare the efficacies of EGFR-TKIs in patients with common (exon 19 deletions and exon 21 p.Leu858Arg) and rare EGFR mutations. A retrospective analysis of 180 NSCLC patients with common (n=167) and rare (n=13) EGFR mutations treated with erlotinib (n=98), gefitinib (n=66) and afatinib (n=16) was performed. EGFR mutations were determined using RT-PCR and the EntroGen EGFR Mutations Analysis kit. Partial and complete response (PR and CR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. Demographic and clinical factors had no impact on PFS or OS in patients treated with EGFR-TKIs. Erlotinib, gefitinib, and afatinib showed similar efficacies based on treatment response, median PFS, and OS. The type of EGFR mutation had no impact on median OS; however, median PFS was significantly longer in patients with the exon 19 deletion compared to patients with the exon 21 p.Leu858Arg substitution and rare EGFR gene mutations (P=0.013). Patients with common EGFR mutations showed significantly longer median PFS than those with rare EGFR mutations (10 vs. 5 months; P=0.009). Erlotinib, gefitinib, and afatinib show similar efficacies in NSCLC patients with both common and rare EGFR mutations. When undergoing EGFR-TKI treatment, patients with rare EGFR mutations showed similar OS but poorer PFS. Further investigation into the associations between particular rare EGFR mutations and EGFR-TKIs treatment outcomes is required.

This paper presents the most interesting, according to the author’s opinion, trial results presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in 2016. Many study results were presented, most of them important for diagnostics, treatment and prognosis of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma and others.

We retrospectively analyzed long-term disease outcome of 350 elderly Hodgkin Lymphoma (eHL) patients treated with ABVD/ABVD-like regimen enrolled in the PLRG-R9 study between 2001 and 2013 in Poland. Complete remission was reported for 73% of early (ES) and 61% advanced stage (AS) patients. Nine (10%) ES and 56 (20%) AS patients have died. With the median follow-up of 36 (1-190) months, 3-year EFS and OS was 0.74 (95%CI: 0.63-0.85) and 0.90 (95%CI: 0.82-0.98) for ES; 0.51 (95%CI: 0.44-0.57), and 0.81 (95%CI: 0.75-0.86) for AS patients, respectively. For ES patients, Cox regression revealed ECOG2 and age70 as predictive for inferior OS and EFS. For AS patients, the most predictive for OS was the presence of cardiovascular disorders (CVD) (p = .00044), while for EFS four factors were significantly associated with a poor outcome: ECOG 2, age70 years, CVD and extranodal disease. In conclusion, CVD significantly impacts outcomes of ABVD-treated advanced eHL patients.

Introduction. Melanoma is a heterogeneous group of tumours with poor prognosis if the disease is metastatic. More than half of patients with melanoma of the skin have detectable mutations in the BRAF gene. Vemurafenib is the BRAF kinase inhibitor used in the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma with the BRAF mutation. This improves time to progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with this diagnosis. The aim of the study was to analyse the results of treatment and safety of vemurafenib in patients treated during the Polish drug programme. Materials and methods .Between October 2013 and April 2015 a total of 189 patients were treated, 90 women and 99 men, who had previously been diagnosed with unresectable/metastatic melanoma with BRAF V600 mutation. Patients received vemurafenib in 960 mg dose twice per day. The estimated progression-free survival, overall survival and adverse events were assessed. For the survival analysis the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test (log-rank) for multi-factor analysis were used. Results. In the first evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment, 8 patients (4.3%) had a complete response, 75 patients (39.7%) partial response, 62 patients (32.8%) had stable disease, and 44 patients (23.2%) had progression of the disease. The disease was controlled in 76.7% of patients. After progression during the therapy with vemurafenib 27% of the patients received subsequent lines of systemic therapy. Twenty-eight patients received chemotherapy and 22 patients immunotherapy with ipilimumab. During the last analysis dated 5 September 2015, the median observation time for still living patients was 8 months (range 3–26). Median progression-free survival was 6.7 months. The median overall survival was 12 months. 146 patients (77%) had adverse events, mostly in the form of dermal toxicity of Grades 1 and 2. Thirty-two patients (17%) presented with side effects of the 3rd and 4th grades of toxicity. Two patients had to stop the treatment due to the toxicity. There were no deaths reported due to the toxicity of treatment. Conclusions. The multicentre analysis confirmed the efficacy and safety of vemurafenib in routine clinical practice in a heterogeneous group of advanced melanomas with BRAF mutation. We confirmed the importance of the known prognostic factors for overall survival in this group of patients, such as lactate dehydogenaze activity (LDH) and ECOG performance status. The current survival of patients with the metastatic melanomas with BRAF mutations are longer than those observed in historical groups.

Podstawą klinicznej diagnostyki roznicowej czerniakow skory i kwalifikacji do biopsji wycinającej jest obecnie dermoskopia. Dla ustalenia rozpoznania i określenia najwazniejszych czynnikow rokowniczych podstawowe znaczenie ma biopsja wycinająca podejrzanych w kierunku wczesnego czerniaka zmian barwnikowych skory (wyciecie calej grubości skory i powierzchownej warstwy tkanki tluszczowej). Wczesne rozpoznanie i chirurgiczne usuniecie czerniaka nie tylko poprawia rokowanie, ale daje szanse wyleczenia okolo 90% chorych. Kolejne etapy postepowania terapeutycznego obejmują kwalifikacje chorych do radykalnego wyciecia blizny po biopsji wycinającej z wlaściwymi marginesami oraz wykonania biopsji wezla wartowniczego. W przypadku przerzutow do regionalnych wezlow chlonnych postepowaniem z wyboru jest wykonanie radykalnej limfadenektomii. Zaleca sie wlączanie chorych na czerniaki skory o wysokim ryzyku nawrotu (przerzuty do wezlow chlonnych i/lub owrzodzenie pierwotnej zmiany) do prospektywnych badan klinicznych nad leczeniem uzupelniającym. Obecnośc przerzutow odleglych wiąze sie ze zlym rokowaniem. W sytuacji uogolnienia nowotworu konieczne jest wykonanie badania w kierunku mutacji genu BRAF . Dlugoletnie przezycia dotyczą glownie chorych poddanych resekcji pojedynczych ognisk przerzutowych. W systemowym leczeniu — przede wszystkim pierwszej linii — u chorych z obecnością mutacji BRAF V600 znajduje zastosowanie inhibitor BRAF — wemurafenib lub dabrafenib (preferencyjnie w skojarzeniu z inhibitorem MEK) oraz — niezaleznie od statusu mutacji BRAF — immunoterapia przeciwcialami anty-PD-1 (niwolumab lub pembrolizumab), ewentualnie ipilimumab (przeciwcialo anty-CTLA4).

Dermoscopy is currently the standard method for clinical differential diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma and for qualifying a lesion for excisional biopsy. Full thickness excisional biopsy of suspicious melanomatous skin lesions likely to be diagnosed as early melanomas is crucial in establishing the diagnosis and defining prognostic factors. Early diagnosis and surgical removal of cutaneous melanoma not only improves patients’ prognosis but is also associated with approximately 90% likelihood of cure. The next steps in the therapeutic management of cutaneous melanoma following excisional biopsy are radical scar excision with adequate margins and sentinel lymph node biopsy. Radical lymph node dissection is recommended in the case of regional lymph node metastases. High-risk patients (lymph node involvement and/or ulcerated primary lesion) should be advised to participate in prospective clinical trials on adjuvant therapy. Melanoma patients with distant metastases are still characterized by poor outcomes. In patients with metastatic disease testing for the presence of BRAF gene mutation is mandatory. Patients with metastatic disease should be considered for participation in clinical trials. Long-term survival is confined to a selected group of patients undergoing resection of isolated metastatic lesions. In systemic – mainly first-line – therapy of patients with BRAF V600 mutation the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib or dabrafenib (preferentially in combination with a MEK inhibitor) may be employed and independently of mutational status immunotherapy with anti-PD-1 antibodies (nivolumab or pembrolizumab) and eventually ipilimumab (anti-CTLA4 antibody) may be used.

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) is usually diagnosed in the metastatic stage, when chemotherapy and molecularly-targeted therapies, instead of surgery, play the most important therapeutic role. Application of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapy requires the analysis of RAS mutation status and only RAS wild-type (wt) patients are qualified for the therapy. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to analyze driver mutations in KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA genes in CRC patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS We assessed the KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA genes in 102 inoperable, locally advanced and advanced CRC patients. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and high resolution melt PCR (HRM-PCR) techniques with DNA intercalating dye were applied in the study. RESULTS Forty-six patients demonstrated the presence of examined mutations (45.1%). No significant differences in driver mutation occurrence between men and women, as well as between younger (

In NSCLC, second-line chemotherapy using pemetrexed or docetaxel has limited efficacy and should be dedicated to selected groups of patients. Pemetrexed is an antifolate compound with the ability to inhibit enzymes (TS, DHFR and GARFT) involved in pyrimidine and purine synthesis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between polymorphisms of TS and MHFR genes and clinical outcomes in NSCLC patients treated with pemetrexed monotherapy. DNA was isolated from peripheral blood of 72 non-squamous NSCLC patients treated with pemetrexed. Using PCR and RFLP methods, the variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR), the G > C SNP in these repeats and insertion/deletion polymorphism of TS gene as well as 677C > T SNP in MTHFR gene were analyzed and correlated with disease control rate, progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) of NSCLC patients. Carriers of 2R/3R(G), 3R(C)/3R(G), 3R(G)/3R(G) genotypes showed significantly more frequent early progression than carriers of 2R/2R, 2R/3R(C), 3R(C)/3R(C) genotypes of TS gene (p T SNP in MTHFR (HR = 3.85; p

This paper discusses the vital advances made for patient diagnosis and treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphomas, which in particular includes follicular lymphoma, Waldenstrom macroglobulinaemia, mantle cell lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma and peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Recent studies demonstrating key improvements in early and long-lasting therapy were specially considered.

HER2 overexpression is an unfavorable prognostic factor in patients with breast cancer, but it is also a target for the monoclonal antibody trastuzumab, which is effective in adjuvant and palliative settings. HER2 positivity is an inclusion criterion for immunotherapy, but it is not a positive predictive factor, and only half of patients benefit from the treatment.The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic and predictive value of HER3, PTEN and phosphorylated HER2 (p-HER2) expression in primary breast tumors of patients treated with trastuzumab in an adjuvant or palliative regimen.Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis with 3 antibodies specific to the proteins was performed in tumor specimens obtained from 81 HER2-positive patients treated with trastuzumab.HER3 overexpression was present in 55.6% of the examined tumors, and PTEN or pHER2 positivity was present in 32.0% and 34.6% of them, respectively. HER3 overexpression and PTEN positivity correlated with larger tumor size (p=0.016 and p=0.008, respectively). p-HER2 positivity correlated with more advanced clinical stage of the disease (p=0.032). There was no correlation between the proteins' expression and survival for 31 patients treated with trastuzumab in the palliative regimen.HER3 overexpression, PTEN positivity and p-HER2 positivity in tumor cells of HER2-positive patients correlate with more advanced clinical stage of breast cancer. Expression of these proteins does not predict outcome of trastuzumab treatment.

The role of HLA-G is extensively studied in cancer due to its inhibition of the immune response. Several polymorphisms in the HLA-G gene have been reported to significantly affect its expression. We, therefore, investigated whether functionally relevant HLA-G polymorphisms, HLA-G-725C/G/T, and HLA-G 14-base pair, have any influence on the susceptibility to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and its clinical course. The polymorphisms were genotyped in 207 previously untreated patients with DLBCL and 150 unrelated controls. A significant difference in genotype distribution of HLA-G polymorphic genotypes between the patients and controls was found. The frequencies of the HLA-G2725GG or the HLA-G2725GC genotype were lower, and those of the HLA-G ins/ins genotype were higher in the patients compared with the controls. Patients carrying the HLA-G-725CC genotype presented a higher probability of overall survival (OS) than subjects with other genotype combinations of HLA-G-725C/G/T (P50.003). The homozygous HLA-G del/del had a lower probability of OS than subjects carrying the HLA-G deletion/insertion (del/ins) or the HLA-G ins/ins genotype (P50.009). Two HLA-G genotype-based risk groups were defined according to the genotype distribution. The high-risk (HR) group presented a shorter OS than low-risk (LR) patients (P50.001). In a multivariate analysis adjusted for International Prognostic Index (IPI) factors, both the intermediate high/high IPI-risk group (P

In the rapidly ageing society in Poland, osteoporosis is a growing epidemiological problem, and osteoporosis-related fractures are a cause of chronic disability and considerable increase of death risk. It turns out that 80 to 90% of patients suffering from osteoporosis, including osteoporosis accompanied by fractures, do not receive adequate pharmacotherapy. In this paper, a Guideline Working Group of experts from the Multidisciplinary Osteoporosis Forum update the existing Polish guidelines concerning the diagnosis and management of osteoporosis (last revised in 2013), taking account of the latest literature, availability and reimbursement of drugs, and current health care organisation. In the revised guidelines, we still postulate that tasks are divided between primary care doctors (stage I) and specialists in osteoporosis management (stage II). We emphasise the necessity of early initiation of pharmacotherapy and rehabilitation in all patients with low-energy fractures. We recommend that the 10-year fracture risk should be estimated in all patients (including those without fractures) who are over 50 years of age, and that the Polish threshold for therapeutic intervention should be adopted: ≥ 10% for FRAX PL calculator. We add strategies of drug choice and therapy monitoring with imaging, and densitometric and biochemical diagnostics. We define basic guidelines concerning prevention of falls, rehabilitation, and dietary procedures, and elimination of environmental and other fracture risk factors. We point to two vital elements for improving osteoporosis management: 1) strategy of supervision over fractures management - Fracture Liaison Service (FLS), and, optimally, 2) strategies of short-term monitoring of the therapeutic efficacy with the use of biochemical markers.

Introduction Testing for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations requires considerable multidisciplinary experience of clinicians (for appropriate patient selection), pathologists (for selection of appropriate cytological or histological material) and geneticists (for performing and reporting reliable molecular tests). We present our experience on the efficacy of routine EGFR testing in various types of tumor samples and the frequency of EGFR mutations in a large series of Polish non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods Deletions in exon 19 and substitution L858R in exon 21 of EGFR gene were assessed using real-time PCR techniques in 1,138 small biopsies or cytological specimens and in 1,312 surgical samples. Results Out of 2,450 diagnostic samples (containing >10 % of tumor cells), the occurrence of EGFR gene mutations was 9 %; more frequently in women (13.9 %) and adenocarcinoma patients (10 %), particularly with accompanying expression of TTF1 (13.0 %). The frequency of EGFR gene mutations was similar in cytological and histological specimens, and in primary and metastatic lesions, and did not depend on the percentage of tumor cells and quality of isolated DNA. Cytological or small biopsy, compared to surgical specimens showed lower percentage of tumor cells, with no impact on the quality of real-time PCR assay. Conclusion Cytological and small biopsy samples with low (10–20 %) content of tumor cells and specimens from metastatic lesions are a sufficient source for EGFR mutation testing in NSCLC patients. The incidence of EGFR gene mutations in examined population was similar to those reported in other Caucasian populations.

Purpose We presented retrospective analysis of up to five polymorphisms in TS, MTHFR and ERCC1 genes as molecular predictive markers for homogeneous Caucasian, non-squamous NSCLC patients treated with pemetrexed and platinum front-line chemotherapy. Methods The following polymorphisms in DNA isolated from 115 patients were analyzed: various number of 28-bp tandem repeats in 5′-UTR region of TS gene, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within the second tandem repeat of TS gene (G>C); 6-bp deletion in 3′-UTR region of the TS (1494del6); 677C>T SNP in MTHFR; 19007C>T SNP in ERCC1. Molecular examinations’ results were correlated with disease control rate, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival. Results Polymorphic tandem repeat sequence (2R, 3R) in the enhancer region of TS gene and G>C SNP within the second repeat of 3R allele seem to be important for the effectiveness of platinum and pemetrexed in first-line chemotherapy. The insignificant shortening of PFS in 3R/3R homozygotes as compared to 2R/2R and 2R/3R genotypes were observed, while it was significantly shorter in patients carrying synchronous 3R allele and G nucleotide. The combined analysis of TS VNTR and MTHFR 677C>T SNP revealed shortening of PFS in synchronous carriers of 3R allele in TS and two C alleles in MTHFR. The strongest factors increased the risk of progression were poor PS, weight loss, anemia and synchronous presence of 3R allele and G nucleotide in the second repeat of 3R allele in TS. Moreover, lack of application of second-line chemotherapy, weight loss and poor performance status and above-mentioned genotype of TS gene increased risk of early mortality. Conclusion The examined polymorphisms should be accounted as molecular predictor factors for pemetrexed- and platinum-based front-line chemotherapy in non-squamous NSCLC patients.

The incidence of cutaneous melanoma is constantly increasing. The primary treatment in early stage of disease re­mains surgery. New therapeutic strategies such as immunotherapy or selective BRAF inhibitors — vemurafenib and dabrafenib, have improved outcomes of treatment in the group of patients with stage IV melanoma. In Poland still only vemurafenib is available in routine clinical practice. In this article we present clinical experiences in treating of BRAF-positive metastatic melanoma patients with use of vemurafenib.

This analysis provides long-term follow-up in patients with BRAF wild-type advanced melanoma receiving first-line therapy based on anti-programmed cell death 1 receptor inhibitors.To compare the 3-year survival with nivolumab vs that with dacarbazine in patients with previously untreated BRAF wild-type advanced melanoma.This follow-up of a randomized phase 3 trial analyzed 3-year overall survival data from the randomized, controlled, double-blind CheckMate 066 phase 3 clinical trial. For this ongoing, multicenter academic institution trial, patients were enrolled from January 2013 through February 2014. Eligible patients were 18 years or older with confirmed unresectable previously untreated stage III or IV melanoma and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1 but without a BRAF mutation.Patients were treated until progression or unacceptable toxic events with nivolumab (3 mg/kg every 2 weeks plus dacarbazine-matched placebo every 3 weeks) or dacarbazine (1000 mg/m2 every 3 weeks plus nivolumab-matched placebo every 2 weeks).Overall survival.At minimum follow-ups of 38.4 months among 210 participants in the nivolumab group (median age, 64 years [range, 18-86 years]; 57.6% male) and 38.5 months among 208 participants in the dacarbazine group (median age, 66 years [range, 25-87 years]; 60.1% male), 3-year overall survival rates were 51.2% (95% CI, 44.1%-57.9%) and 21.6% (95% CI, 16.1%-27.6%), respectively. The median overall survival was 37.5 months (95% CI, 25.5 months-not reached) in the nivolumab group and 11.2 months (95% CI, 9.6-13.0 months) in the dacarbazine group (hazard ratio, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.36-0.59; P .001). Complete and partial responses, respectively, were reported for 19.0% (40 of 210) and 23.8% (50 of 210) of patients in the nivolumab group compared with 1.4% (3 of 208) and 13.0% (27 of 208) of patients in the dacarbazine group. Additional analyses were performed on outcomes with subsequent therapies. Treatment-related grade 3/4 adverse events occurred in 15.0% (31 of 206) of nivolumab-treated patients and in 17.6% (36 of 205) of dacarbazine-treated patients. There were no deaths due to study drug toxic effects.Nivolumab led to improved 3-year overall survival vs dacarbazine in patients with previously untreated BRAF wild-type advanced melanoma.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01721772.

Introduction: ALK gene rearrangement is observed in a small subset (3–7%) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The efficacy of crizotinib was shown in lung cancer patients harbouring ALK rearrangement. Nowadays, the analysis of ALK gene rearrangement is added to molecular examination of predictive factors. Aim of the study: The frequency of ALK gene rearrangement as well as the type of its irregularity was analysed by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) in tissue samples from NSCLC patients. Material and methods: The ALK gene rearrangement was analysed in 71 samples including 53 histological and 18 cytological samples. The analysis could be performed in 56 cases (78.87%), significantly more frequently in histological than in cytological materials. The encountered problem with ALK rearrangement diagnosis resulted from the scarcity of tumour cells in cytological samples, high background fluorescence noises and fragmentation of cell nuclei. Results: The normal ALK copy number without gene rearrangement was observed in 26 (36.62%) patients ALK gene polysomy without gene rearrangement was observed in 25 (35.21%) samples while in 3 (4.23%) samples ALK gene amplification was found. ALK gene rearrangement was observed in 2 (2.82%) samples from males, while in the first case the rearrangement coexisted with ALK amplification. In the second case, signet-ring tumour cells were found during histopathological examination and this patient was successfully treated with crizotinib with partial remission lasting 16 months. Conclusions: FISH is a useful technique for ALK gene rearrangement analysis which allows us to specify the type of gene irregularities. ALK gene examination could be performed in histological as well as cytological (cellblocks) samples, but obtaining a reliable result in cytological samples depends on the cellularity of examined materials.

Skeletal-related events represent a substantial burden for patients with advanced cancer. Randomized, controlled studies suggested superiority of denosumab over zoledronic acid in the prevention of skeletal-related events in metastatic cancer patients, with a favorable safety profile. Experts gathered at the 2012 Skeletal Care Academy in Istanbul to bring forward practical recommendations, based on current evidence, for the use of denosumab in patients with bone metastases of lung cancer. Based on current evidence, use of denosumab in lung cancer patients with confirmed bone metastases is recommended. It is important to note that clinical judgment should take into consideration the patient’s general performance status, overall prognosis, and live expectancy. Currently, the adverse event profile reported for denosumab includes hypocalcemia and infrequent occurrence of osteonecrosis of the jaw. Therefore, routine calcium and vitamin D supplementation, along with dental examination prior to denosumab initiation are recommended. There is no evidence for renal function impairment due to denosumab administration. At present, there is no rationale to discourage concomitant use of denosumab and surgery or radiotherapy.

Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are routinely used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients with common activating mutations of the EGFR gene. The aim of the study was to compare the efficacies of EGFR-TKIs in patients with common (exon 19 deletions and exon 21 p.Leu858Arg) and rare EGFR mutations. A retrospective analysis of 180 NSCLC patients with common (n=167) and rare (n=13) EGFR mutations treated with erlotinib (n=98), gefitinib (n=66) and afatinib (n=16) was performed. EGFR mutations were determined using RT-PCR and the EntroGen EGFR Mutations Analysis kit. Partial and complete response (PR and CR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. Demographic and clinical factors had no impact on PFS or OS in patients treated with EGFR-TKIs. Erlotinib, gefitinib, and afatinib showed similar efficacies based on treatment response, median PFS, and OS. The type of EGFR mutation had no impact on median OS; however, median PFS was significantly longer in patients with the exon 19 deletion compared to patients with the exon 21 p.Leu858Arg substitution and rare EGFR gene mutations (P=0.013). Patients with common EGFR mutations showed significantly longer median PFS than those with rare EGFR mutations (10 vs. 5 months; P=0.009). Erlotinib, gefitinib, and afatinib show similar efficacies in NSCLC patients with both common and rare EGFR mutations. When undergoing EGFR-TKI treatment, patients with rare EGFR mutations showed similar OS but poorer PFS. Further investigation into the associations between particular rare EGFR mutations and EGFR-TKIs treatment outcomes is required.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks expression of steroid hormone receptors (estrogen receptor α and progesterone) and epidermal growth factor receptor type 2. This phenotype shows high metastatic potential, with particular predilection to lungs and brain. Determination of TNBC transcriptomic profiles associated with high risk of brain metastasis (BM) might identify patients requiring alternative, more aggressive, or specific preventive and therapeutic approaches.Using a cDNA-mediated annealing, selection, extension, and ligation assay, we investigated expression of 29,369 gene transcripts in primary TNBC tumor samples from 119 patients-71 in discovery cohort A and 48 in independent cohort B-that included best discriminating genes. Expression of mRNA was correlated with the occurrence of symptomatic BM.In cohort A, the difference at the noncorrected P .005 was found for 64 transcripts (P = .23 for global test), but none showed significant difference at a preset level of false-discovery rate of 10%. Of the 30 transcripts with the largest differences between patients with and without BM in cohort A, none was significantly associated with BM in cohort B.Analysis based on the primary tumor gene transcripts alone is unlikely to predict BM development in advanced TNBC. Despite its negative findings, the study adds to the knowledge on the biology of TNBC and paves the way for future projects using more advanced molecular assays.

Background A better understanding of immune response in breast cancer brain metastases (BCBM) may prompt new preventive and therapeutic strategies. Methods Immunohistochemical expression of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs: CD4, CD8, CTLA4), macrophage/microglial cells (CD68), programmed cell death protein 1 receptor (PD-1), programmed cell death protein 1 receptor ligand (PD-L)1, PD-L2 and glial fibrillary acid protein was assessed in 84 BCBM and their microenvironment. Results Median survival after BCBM excision was 18.3 months (range 0–99). Median number of CD4+, CD8+ TILs and CD68+ was 49, 69 and 76 per 1 mm2, respectively. PD-L1 and PD-L2 expression in BCBM was present in 53 % and 36 % of cases, and was not related to BCBM phenotype. PD-1 expression on TILs correlated positively with CD4+ and CD8+ TILs (r = 0.26 and 0.33), and so did CD68+ (r = 0.23 and 0.27, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, survival after BCBM excision positively correlated with PD-1 expression on TILs (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.3, P = 0.003), CD68+ infiltration (HR = 0.2, P

BACKGROUND. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of 3 regimens, cladribine alone, cladribine and cyclophosphamide combination, or cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone combination in previously untreated patients with low-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (LGNHL). METHODS. For this 3-arm, phase 3 study, 197 patients were randomly allocated to receive 6 monthly courses of cladribine alone, cladribine and cyclophosphamide combination, or cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone combination. Patients for whom all clinical data were available and 162 patients who completed scheduled chemotherapy were analyzed for the endpoints of this study. RESULTS. Compared with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone combination regimen, cladribine alone or cladribine and cyclophosphamide combination induced higher probability of overall response (odds ratio [OR] = 4.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7–9,3; P = .002, and OR = 8.5; 95% CI, 3.2–22.7; P < .0001, respectively), complete remission (OR = 5.8; 95% CI, 1.8–18.5; P = .003; and OR = 14; 95% CI, 4.4–44; P < .0001, respectively), progression-free survival (log-rank test P < .0001), but not overall survival. After incorporating the International Prognostic Index in multivariate analysis, treatment with cladribine-containing regimens remained an independent prognostic factor for progression-free survival (χ2 = 35.94; hazard ratio = 2.38; P < .0002). Incidences of infections were similar in the randomized groups, whereas cladribine and cyclophosphamide combination, but not cladribine alone, induced more frequent neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia compared with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone combination (P < .05 for each). This resulted in a higher frequency of prolongation of intervals between cladribine and cyclophosphamide combination and cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone combination cycles (P < .05), but dose reductions due to hematological or other toxicity did not differ significantly in cladribine alone, cladribine and cyclophosphamide combination, and cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone combination groups. CONCLUSIONS. For patients with LGNHL, first-line cladribine alone or cladribine and cyclophosphamide combination regimens both provided similar treatment responses, acceptable toxicity, and better response rates than cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone combination. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess humoral response to influenza vaccine in patients (pts) with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) as compared to healthy subjects (ctrl). Patients and methods: In two epidemic seasons, 2003/2004 and 2004/2005, 163 pts and 92 ctrl were vaccinated. Antibody titers to hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) were measured in serum samples collected before vaccination, and 1 and 6 months apart. Changes in antibody titers were assessed by comparing geometric mean titers (GMT), mean fold increases (MFI), and seroprotection and seroresponse rates to baseline values. Results: Pts vaccinated in 2003/2004 had, after 1 month, increase in GMT by a factor of 8.64–26.60 for antihemagglutinin antibodies (HI) and 6.93–12.66 for antineuraminidase antibodies (NI), as compared to factor of 9.12–24.41 for HI and 4.83–10.31 for NI in ctrl. At 1 month after vaccination, seroprotection and seroresponse rates were similar in both groups, ranging from 68.42 to 84.21% and 71.93 to 94.74% in NHL, and 66.67–82.22% and 62.22–86.67% in ctrl, respectively. Pts vaccinated in 2004/2005 had increase in the GMT by a factor of 38.76–41.49 for HI and 26.59–30.31 for NI, as compared to factor of 81.19–104.32 for HI and 52.16–54.52 for NI in ctrl. Seroprotection and seroresponse rates were lower in the former group, ranging from 62.11 to 65.26% and 74.47 to 77.66%, respectively. In both seasons, pts achieved titres of antibodies greater than the protective threshold, irrespective of the previous chemotherapy administration. Conclusions: The results indicate that influenza vaccination induces sufficient immune response in pts with NHL, irrespective of previous chemotherapy.

Previous reports have implicated the tumor necrosis factor (TNF� 308) locus to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) outcome. The purpose of the study was to examine other chromosome components of the HLA 8.1 ancestral haplotype (AH) and their relation to the clinical course of NHL. HLA class I, II, TNF� 308, and lymphotoxin alpha (LTA+252) alleles were analyzed in 154 newly diagnosed NHL patients. Three locus haplotypes were inferred from the unphased genotypes by a Bayesian implementation of the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm using the PHASE 2.1 program. TNF� 308A was the only allele associated with fever, poor performance status, elevated b2-microglobulin, TNF and its p75 receptor plasma levels. Although TNF� 308A was in strong linkage disequilibrium with the remaining alleles of 8.1 AH, only HLA-A*01 and HLA-B*08 showed association with prognostic variables. A part of 8.1 AH (A*01-B*08-TNF� 308A) was predictive for shorter freedom from progression and overall survival (RR ¼ 2.47, P ¼ 0.041; RR ¼ 3.15; P ¼ 0.0049), an association that was stronger than TNF� 308A alone and independent from International Prognostic Index (RR ¼ 1.55, P < 0.001; RR ¼ 2.36; P < 0.0001). A*01-B*08-TNF� 308A fragment of 8.1AH remained an independent predictive factor in a multivariate model. We conclude that 8.1 AH is an important contributor to NHL outcome. In contrast to A*01-B*08-TNF� 308A, the remaining alleles (Cw*07, DRB1*03, LTA+252G) associated with the 8.1 AH seem to be its passive components. V C 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Breast cancer is the second most likely malignancy to metastasize to the brain, with up to 30% of patients showing signs of metastases at autopsy.1,2 This occurrence is particularly common in some subsets of advanced breast cancer, including tumors positive for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and triple-negative (hormone receptor [HR]–negative and HER2-negative) tumors.3–8 Paradoxically, more effective treatment of advanced breast cancer allows more time for the development of brain metastasis (BM), and the relative incidence of BM is increasing.6,7 In HER2-positive advanced breast cancer, approximately half of the patients treated with trastuzumab, a recombinant humanized anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody (mAb), will relapse in the brain.6,7 With the emergence of investigational targeted therapies to treat or delay BM, it is increasingly important to understand the relationship between biomarker expression in the primary and metastatic lesions in the brain.8 Anti-HER2 therapies seem to effectively delay the development of BM,8–11 yet little is known about HER2 expression in BM and its relation to HER2 expression in primary tumors. Recent data suggest that quantitating HER2-total (H2T) levels (measured by HER mark and other methods) in HER2-positive breast cancers may be important in predicting response to HER2-directed therapies, at least in the neoadjuvant setting.12–14 Further, elevated expression of p95HER2 (p95) has been found to be a resistance marker for trastuzumab in advanced HER2-positive breast cancer15–18 and to play a role in the development of metastasis.19,20 Thus far, p95 has only been measured in primary breast cancer samples. In the current study, including breast cancers with various phenotypes, we compared quantitative p95 and HER2 expression in primary tumors and in matched BM and assessed clinical implications of these alterations.

The hazard ratio (HR) for death was 0.42 (99.79% CI 0.25–0.73; P < 0.0001) in favor of nivolumab, with 1year OS rate 73% (95% CI, 66%–79%) for nivolumab vs 42% (95% CI, 33%–51%) for dacarbazine. Median OS was not reached for nivolumab and was 10.8 months for dacarbazine. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.1 months for nivolumab and 2.2 months for dacarbazine (HR for death or progression 0.43, 95% CI 0.34–0.56; P < 0.0001). Objective response rate was 40% (84/210) vs 14% (29/208) for nivolumab and dacarbazine, respectively (P < 0.0001). Median duration of response was not reached for nivolumab and 6 months for dacarbazine. At the time of data cutoff, responses were ongoing in 86% (72/84) of nivolumab and 52% (15/29) of dacarbazine responders. PD-L1 positivity (using a 5% tumor cell surface staining cutoff) appeared to be associated with improved OS in the nivolumab arm (85% of PD-L1+ and 71% of PD-L1-/ indeterminate patients alive at the time of last followup). Both PD-L1+ and PD-L1-/indeterminate patients receiving nivolumab had improved OS vs dacarbazine (un-stratified HR 0.30, 95% CI, 0.15–0.60 in PD-L1+ patients; 0.48, 95% CI, 0.32–0.71 in PD-L1-/indeterminate patient, both in favor of the nivolumab arm). The most common nivolumab-related adverse events (AEs) were fatigue, pruritus, and nausea. Drug-related grade 3–4 AEs were reported in 12% vs 18% of patients receiving nivolumab vs dacarbazine, respectively. AEs led to discontinuation in 7% and 12% of dacarbazinevs nivolumab-treatment patients, respectively. Conclusions Compared to dacarbazine, nivolumab significantly improved OS and PFS in previously untreated patients with BRAF wild-type metastatic melanoma with an acceptable safety profile.

Aim of the study PROFIL was a prospective observational study conducted to investigate physicians’ evaluation of febrile neutropenia (FN) risk and reasons for giving pegfilgrastim primary prophylaxis (PP) in routine clinical practice in Poland. Material and methods Adult cancer patients treated with chemotherapy (CT), assessed by investigators as having high overall FN risk, and who received pegfilgrastim in cycle 1 were enrolled between 03/2009 and 09/2010. Investigators assessed FN risk of the CT regimen, individual risk factors, and overall FN risk, and were asked to provide the most important reasons for providing pegfilgrastim PP. Investigator-assessed CT FN risk was compared with guideline classification. Results Data were analysed from 1006 breast, ovarian, and lung cancer, and non-Hodgkin (NHL) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients. The most important reasons for using pegfilgrastim PP were high CT FN risk and advanced disease; these were consistent across tumour types and treatment intent. The investigators generally assessed high CT FN risk in agreement with guideline classification. Febrile neutropenia occurred in 4% of patients, most commonly in HL, NHL, and patients with advanced disease. Conclusions High CT FN risk and advanced stage of disease were found to be the most important reasons for providing pegfilgrastim PP by physicians in Poland.

Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a potentially fatal complication of chemotherapy. This prospective, observational study describes physicians' approaches toward assessing FN risk in patients receiving chemotherapy regimens with an intermediate (10-20 %) FN risk. In the baseline investigator assessment, physicians selected factors considered important when assessing overall FN risk and deciding on granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) primary prophylaxis (PP). Physicians then completed patient assessments using the same lists of factors. The final FN risk scores and whether G-CSF PP was planned were reported. The final analysis included 165 physicians and 944 patients. The most frequently considered factor in both assessments was chemotherapy agents in the backbone (88 % of investigator and 93 % of patient assessments). History of FN (83 %), baseline laboratory values (76 %) and age (73 %) were commonly selected at baseline, whereas tumor type (72 %), guidelines (62 %) and tumor stage (43 %) were selected most during patient assessments. Median investigator-reported FN risk threshold for G-CSF PP was 20 % (range 10-85 %). G-CSF PP was planned in 82 % of patients with an FN risk at or above this threshold; therefore, almost one-fifth of qualifying patients would not receive G-CSF PP. Physicians generally follow guidelines, but also consider individual patient characteristics when assessing FN risk and deciding on G-CSF PP. A standardized FN risk assessment may optimize the use of G-CSF PP, which may minimize the incidence of FN in patients undergoing chemotherapy with an intermediate FN risk. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01813721. Funding for this support was provided by Amgen (Europe) GmbH.

BACKGROUND: Nivolumab was associated with higher rates of objective response than chemotherapy in a phase 3 study involving patients with ipilimumab-refractory metastatic melanoma. The use of nivolumab in previously untreated patients with advanced melanoma has not been tested in a phase 3 controlled study.METHODS: We randomly assigned 418 previously untreated patients who had metastatic melanoma without a BRAF mutation to receive nivolumab (at a dose of 3 mg per kilogram of body weight every 2 weeks and dacarbazine-matched placebo every 3 weeks) or dacarbazine (at a dose of 1000 mg per square meter of body-surface area every 3 weeks and nivolumab-matched placebo every 2 weeks). The primary end point was overall survival.RESULTS: At 1 year, the overall rate of survival was 72.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 65.5 to 78.9) in the nivolumab group, as compared with 42.1% (95% CI, 33.0 to 50.9) in the dacarbazine group (hazard ratio for death, 0.42; 99.79% CI, 0.25 to 0.73; PCONCLUSIONS: Nivolumab was associated with significant improvements in overall survival and progression-free survival, as compared with dacarbazine, among previously untreated patients who had metastatic melanoma without a BRAF mutation. (Funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb; CheckMate 066 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01721772.).

5028 Background: The Prostate Cancer Registry is a prospective, international observational study that began in June 2013 and will assess the characteristics and management of > 3000 mCRPC patients (pts) in routine clinical practice for ≤ 3 years. Methods: Data were collected from men with mCRPC irrespective of treatment (tx). This interim analysis reports baseline characteristics, txs and outcomes in pts with ≥ 12-month follow-up receiving second-line mCRPC tx following docetaxel as the only prior mCRPC tx. Results: The most commonly initiated second-line mCPRC txs (n ≥ 50) were abiraterone acetate + prednisone (AAP, n = 177), enzalutamide (ENZ, n = 94), or cabazitaxel (CAB, n = 70). Characteristics and outcomes are shown in the table below. TTP was not significantly different for AAP vs ENZ, AAP vs CAB or ENZ vs CAB (propensity score adjusted p = 0.5954, p = 0.5888 and p= 0.4808, respectively). Conclusions: In this real-world study, clinical outcomes reveal that, in pts receiving second-line mCRPC tx after docetaxel, TTP was similar across tx groups; QoL improved most in AAP and ENZ groups and no deterioration was observed most in AAP and CAB groups. Clinical trial information: NCT02236637. [Table: see text]

4526 Background: CheckMate 275 (NCT02387996), a phase II, single-arm study of nivolumab (3 mg/kg every 2 weeks) treatment in platinum-refractory patients (pts) with metastatic urothelial carcinoma, showed an objective response rate of 19.6% (95% CI, 15.0%–24.9%) with manageable toxicity. The objective of this analysis was to examine the impact of nivolumab on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the study. Methods: HRQoL was measured using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and three-level EQ-5D (EQ-5D-3L) and visual analog scale (VAS). Questionnaires were completed at baseline and every 8 weeks thereafter for the first 48 weeks. The analysis cohort included pts with scores recorded at baseline and ≥1 postbaseline assessments while on treatment. Data were analyzed using mixed models, adjusting for baseline score. Results: Of the 270 patients treated with nivolumab, 168 (62%) had an assessment at baseline and ≥1 postbaseline assessment and were included in HRQoL analyses. Completion rates at baseline were 97% for both questionnaires. Statistically significant ( P< 0.05) improvements in mean scores for the EORTC QLQ-C30 subscales measuring role, emotional, and social functioning; global health status/quality of life; nausea/vomiting; pain; dyspnea; insomnia; appetite loss; constipation; and diarrhea were observed at ≥1 time points. With the exception of cognitive functioning, no significant worsening in subscale scores was observed in the EORTC QLQ-C30. Statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement (based on a minimally important difference of 7) in EQ-5D VAS was noted between weeks 17 and 41. EQ-5D-3L utility index scores based on the UK tariff remained stable during treatment. Conclusions: Results of CheckMate 275 indicate that pts with metastatic or unresectable urothelial carcinoma whose disease progressed or recurred after treatment with a platinum agent exhibited stable, or in some cases statistically significantly improved, HRQoL while being treated with nivolumab, as measured by EORTC QLQ-C30 and EQ-5D-3L. Clinical trial information: NCT02387996.

e16537Background: The Prostate Cancer Registry is a prospective study of >3000 men with mCRPC in routine care. These patients (pts) have a high level of comorbidities which are often underrepresented in RCTs. Methods: Data were collected from pts with mCRPC irrespective of treatment (tx). Outcomes in pts with comorbidities were assessed. Results: At study entry, 16.6% of pts had a cardiac disorder, 9.7% hypertension only, 17.7% diabetes. Characteristics, first txs and outcomes are shown in the table below. Conclusions: In this real-life setting, AAP, ENZ, or DOC tx was feasible in pts with cardiac disorders, hypertension or diabetes; proportions treated with each drug were similar to the overall mCRPC population. Regardless of tx PFS was shorter than TTP, which may reflect the impact of pts’ comorbidities in real life. Pts with cardiac disorders had poorer outcomes vs the overall population. Clinical trial information: NCT02236637.Cardiac disorder(n = 316)Hypertension(n = 185)Diabetes(n = 338)Overall(N = ...

212 Background: The Prostate Cancer Registry is the first prospective, international observational study in mCRPC documenting characteristics and management in routine clinical practice, independent of treatment used. The study began in June 2013 enrolling > 3000 mCRPC patients (pts) followed for ≤ 3 years. Methods: Source-verified data were collected from men with documented mCRPC initiating a new mCRPC treatment or in surveillance. A history of disease progression despite surgical or chemical ADT was confirmed in all pts. This interim analysis reports baseline characteristics, treatments and outcomes in pts with no prior mCRPC treatment. To evaluate comparative effectiveness between treatments, propensity scoring (PS) methods were used to reduce effects of confounding. Results: Of 1906 evaluable pts with ≥ 12-month follow-up, the most commonly initiated first-line mCPRC treatments (n ≥ 50) were abiraterone acetate + prednisone (AA, n = 472), enzalutamide (ENZ, n = 98) or docetaxel (DOC, n = 382). Baseline characteristics, time to progression (TTP) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response ( ≥ 50% decrease within 6 months) are shown in the table below. Conclusions: In this real-world study, pts receiving DOC as their first mCRPC treatment had more severe disease at entry and a trend for shorter TTP vs androgen inhibitors. TTP results are consistent with those in randomised clinical trials for AA and ENZ. Clinical trial information: NCT02236637. [Table: see text]

The role of HLA-G is extensively studied in cancer due to its inhibition of the immune response. Several polymorphisms in the HLA-G gene have been reported to significantly affect its expression. We, therefore, investigated whether functionally relevant HLA-G polymorphisms, HLA-G-725C/G/T, and HLA-G 14-base pair, have any influence on the susceptibility to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and its clinical course. The polymorphisms were genotyped in 207 previously untreated patients with DLBCL and 150 unrelated controls. A significant difference in genotype distribution of HLA-G polymorphic genotypes between the patients and controls was found. The frequencies of the HLA-G-725GG or the HLA-G-725GC genotype were lower, and those of the HLA-G ins/ins genotype were higher in the patients compared with the controls. Patients carrying the HLA-G-725CC genotype presented a higher probability of overall survival (OS) than subjects with other genotype combinations of HLA-G-725C/G/T (P = 0.003). The homozygous HLA-G del/del had a lower probability of OS than subjects carrying the HLA-G deletion/insertion (del/ins) or the HLA-G ins/ins genotype (P = 0.009). Two HLA-G genotype-based risk groups were defined according to the genotype distribution. The high-risk (HR) group presented a shorter OS than low-risk (LR) patients (P = 0.001). In a multivariate analysis adjusted for International Prognostic Index (IPI) factors, both the intermediate high/high IPI-risk group (P 0.0001) and the HR genotype group (P = 0.004) independently increased the risk of death. This is the first study indicating an important role of HLA-G polymorphisms for the clinical course of DLBCL. The potential influence of HLA-G polymorphisms on the susceptibility to DLBCL thus deserves further study.

TS, MTHFR and ERCC1 polymorphisms may have implications for effectiveness of pemetrexed and platinium chemotherapy and the impact on outcomes of mesothelioma patients. Studied polymorphism were analyzed in 59 mesothelioma patients and correlated with clinical data, disease control rate and survival rate. Different variants of 1494del6 in the 3 0 UTR of the TS gene were associated with differences in disease control rate and PFS of studied patients. Introduction: The combination of pemetrexed and platinum compound represents the standard regimen for first-line chemotherapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma patients. Pemetrexed is a multitarget antifolate agent that inhibits folate-dependent enzymes (eg, thymidylate synthase (TS)) and thus synthesis of nucleotides and DNA. Expression of TS and folate availability, regulated by gene polymorphisms, have implications for effectiveness of chemotherapy and the outcome of mesothelioma patients. The aim of this retrospective multicenter study was to assess the correlation between TS, 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and excision repair cross-complementing group 1 (ERCC1) gene polymorphisms and the efficacy of pemetrexed-based first-line chemotherapy of mesothelioma pa- tients. Patients and Methods: Fifty-nine mesothelioma patients (31 men with a median age of 62 years) treated in first- line chemotherapy with platinum in combination with pemetrexed or pemetrexed monotherapy were enrolled. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood. Using polymerase chain reaction and high resolution melt methods, the variable number of tandem repeat, the G>C single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in these repeats, and 6-base pair (bp) insertion/deletion polymorphism of the TS gene, the SNP of 677C> Ti nMTHFR, and 19007C> Ti n theERCC1 gene were analyzed and correlated with disease control rate, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) of meso- thelioma patients. Results: Greater risk of early disease progression (PD), and shortening of PFS and OS were asso- ciated with several clinical factors (eg, anemia for early PD and OS), weight loss (for PFS and OS), and previous surgical treatment (for early PD, PFS, and OS). Insertion of 6-bp in both alleles of the TS gene (1494del6) was the only genetic factor that increased the incidence of early progression (P ¼ .028) and shortening of median PFS (P ¼ .06) in patients treated with pemetrexed-based chemotherapy. In multivariate analysis, the 1494del6 in the 3 0 untranslated region (UTR) of the TS gene also had a predictive role for PFS (P ¼ .0185; hazard ratio, 2.3258 for þ6/þ6 homozygotes) in analyzed

Dear Colleagues, Dear Readers, In the middle of the sunny summer, we would like to give you the opportunity to gain new knowledge useful for all endocrinologists, both those focused on research and clinical practitioners. Our journal is increasingly useful and recognizable, which is reflected by an increase in the International Impact Factor for Endokrynologia Polska (EP), which currently is 1,341. We are happy to inform you that this is the highest score in the last 5 years and we thank all those who contributed to this success.

Aim of the study: The Patient Assistance Program, a type of expanded access pro gram, was initiated for compassionate purposes to provide ipilimumab to patients with unresectable stage III or IV melanoma with failed previous treat ment. The aim of this analysis is to eval uate efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ipil imumab therapy in daily clinical practice. Material and methods: We analyzed 50 patients (29 males, 21 females) aged 21 to 76 years (median: 49 years). An ipil imumab dose of 3 mg/kg was adminis tered intravenously every 3 weeks for a total of 4 doses. Patients were assessed for response rate, progression-free sur vival and overall survival, and monitored for adverse events. Results: The objective response (com plete or partial response) rate was 12%. Median overall survival was 8 months and median progression-free survival was 3 months. In patients with ECOGPS 0, the median overall survival was 16 months. Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) occurred in 48% of the patients, grade 3 or 4 irAEs were reported in 8% of the patients, and there were no toxic deaths. Conclusions: Ipilimumab demonstrat ed clinical benefit in previously treated advanced melanoma patients. Although clinical benefit is limited to a minority of the patients, there is a benefit in terms of overall survival in this group of pa tients.

Platinum-based chemotherapy with third genera- tion drugs (such as gemcitabine) is an efficacious regimen of first-line treatment of patients with advanced, unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), without activating EGFR mutations. Mechanism of action of cytostatics are distortions in the DNA. ERCC1 and RRM1 are key proteins involved in the repair of DNA, thus, they may be responsible for the ineffectiveness of therapy. We investigated whether ERCC1 (19007C>T) and RRM1 (-37C>A) polymorphisms impact response to chemotherapy and survival in 62 patients with NSCLC treated with platinum and gemcitabine. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were assessed using a PCR-RFLP method in DNA isolated from PBLs. There were no statistically significant relationships between ERCC1 genotypes and response to therapy (P=0.581, χ 2 =1.09) as well as patient overall survival (OS). Carriers of the RRM1 AC genotype showed disease progression significantly more frequently (P=0.019, χ 2 =5.473) compared to carriers of the AA or CC genotypes. Carriers of the ERCC1/RRM1TT/CC genotype combination showed disease control significantly more frequently (P=0.047, χ 2 =3.95) compared to carriers of other genotype combinations. Patients with AA or CC geno- types of RRM1 showed significantly higher progression-free survival probability (P=0.0001, HR=0.39, 95% CI, 0.22-0.70) and OS probability (P=0.0104, HR=0.39, 95% CI, 0.18-0.82) compared to those with the AC genotype. In Cox regression model, poor performance status (P=0.0016, HR=4.78, 95% CI, 1.82-12.56), AC genotype of RRM1 gene (P=0.0414, HR=2.47, 95% CI, 1.04-5.87), lack of prior surgical treatment (P=0.0425, HR=4.71, 95% CI, 1.06-20.92) and lack of subsequent lines of treatment (P=0.0127, HR=3.23, 95% CI, 1.29-8.11) were signif- icantly associated with shortening of patient survival. The analysis of RRM1 (-37C>A) more than ERCC1 (19007C>T) polymorphism may be a promising tool in the qualification of NSCLC patients for chemotherapy containing platinum compounds and gemcitabine.