Is the frequency of primary cutaneous melanoma increasing in Turkey? An evaluation of the experiences of two dermatology centers

Introduction and purpose: Since there are only a few population-based studies about the incidence of melanoma in Turkey which do not cover the whole population, we aimed to contribute the data regarding the current situation and the changes in the frequency of primary cutaneous melanoma (PCM) diagnosis in our country by evaluating our results and comparing them with national literature from Turkey. Methods: Consecutive PCM lesions diagnosed at the Dermatovenereology Departments of the Istanbul Medical Faculty (first center) between 1997 and 2016 and of the Ankara Medical Faculty (second center) between 2007 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. The yearly number of PCMs diagnosed in each clinic over study period were compared about any change in the frequency of melanoma diagnosis. Results: There were 239 and 183 PCMs diagnosed in the two centers in twenty and ten years study period and the mean PCM diagnosis per year was 11.9 and 18.3, respectively. The number of PCM diagnosis markedly increased over time in both centers: 36, 45, 75 and 83 diagnosis for the subsequent five-year periods in the first center and 51 and 132 diagnosis for the subsequent five-year periods, in the second center. Discussion: It was striking that the number of PCM diagnosis increased steadily in both dermatovenereology centers. As several large melanoma series have been reported from various disciplines all over Turkey in the last two decades and numerous of them have also drawn attention to the increasing frequency of PCM diagnosis similar to our results, supporting data about increasing incidence of melanoma diagnosis for our country have been obtained. Keywords: Melanoma, Incidence, Frequency, Primary cutaneous melanoma, Turke

Paraneoplastic significance of keratinization defects

Although most of the keratinization disorders are congenital diseases, there are also acquired forms of keratinization disorders. Among their multiple causes systemic malignancies deserve special attention. Acquired ichthyosis, Bazex syndrome and tripe palms are among diseases with highest ratio of paraneoplastic association. On the other hand, acanthosis nigricans has very severe and atypical presentations when associated with malignancy. Acquired palmoplantar keratoderma without any detectable cause could rarely have paraneoplastic origin. The early and correct diagnosis of these diseases is important to disclose the malignancies early

The percentage of ALK-positive cells and the efficacy of first-line alectinib in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: is it a novel factor for stratification? (Turkish Oncology Group Study)

Introduction Alectinib is an effective second-generation ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) used in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced ALK-positive NSCLC. Recent studies demonstrated that the percentage of ALK-positive tumor cells in patient groups receiving crizotinib might affect outcomes. This study aimed to investigate whether the percentage of ALK-positive cells had a predictive effect in patients with advanced NSCLC who received first-line Alectinib as ALK-TKI. Materials and methods This retrospective study included patients with advanced-stage NSCLC who received alectinib as a first-line ALK-TKI and whose percentage of ALK-positive cells was determined by FISH at 27 different centers. Patients who received any ALK-TKI before alectinib were not included in the study. Patients were separated into two groups according to the median (40%) value of the percentage of ALK-positive cells (high-positive group >= 40% and low-positive group = 60%, the median PFS was 4.5, 17.1, and 26 months, respectively, and could not be reached in the >= 60% group. Conclusion Our study demonstrated that the efficacy of alectinib varies significantly across patient subgroups with different percentages of ALK-positive cells. If these findings are prospectively validated, the percentage of ALK-positive cells may be used as a stratification factor in randomized trials comparing different ALK-TKIs