Expression of tyrosine kinase receptor AXL is associated with worse outcome of metastatic renal cell carcinomas treated with sunitinib

Expression of tyrosine kinase receptor AXL is associated with worse outcome of metastatic renal cell carcinomas treated with sunitinibBackground: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents 2%-3% of all cancers of the Western countries. Currently, sunitinib, a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, particularly of PDGF and VEGF receptors, is the first-line therapy for metastatic RCC (mRCC), with significant improvement in clinical outcome. However, there is a lack of predictive biomarkers of sunitinib response. Recently, others and our group suggested that the receptor tyrosine kinase AXL may modify the response to sunitinib. Objective: To study the expression of AXL in a series patients with of mRCC treated with sunitinib and to correlate it with patient's clinic-pathological features and therapeutic response. Material and methods: Sixty-four patients with mRCC (51 clear cell carcinomas (CCCs) and 13 non-CCCs) were evaluated for AXL expression by immunohistochemistry in the primary tumor. Results: AXL positivity was observed in 47% (30/64) of cases, namely in 43% (22/51) of CCCs and 61% (8/13) of non-CCC. Considering only the clear cell subtype, the univariate analysis showed that AXL expression was statistically associated with a poor prognosis, with a median overall survival of 13 months vs. 43 months in patients with negative AXL. In this subtype, along with the AXL positivity, other prognostic factors were absence of nephrectomy, Karnofsky performance status, more than 1 site of metastasis and liver metastasis. Moreover, AXL expression was associated with shorter progression to sunitinib. Overall, the multivariate survival analysis showed that absence of nephrectomy (HR = 4.85, P = 0.001), more than 1 site of metastasis (HR = 2.99, P = 0.002), bone metastasis (HR = 2.95, P = 0.001), together with AXL expression (HR = 2.01, P = 0.048) were independent poor prognostic factor in patients with mRCC. Conclusion: AXL expression was associated with worse clinical outcome and may be an important prognostic biomarker in sunitinibtreated patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.this study was supported by Barretos Cancer Hospital Internal Research Funds (PAIP) of participant authors. Rui Manuel Reis is recipient of a National Council of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq) scholarship.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effect of crossover from placebo to darolutamide on overall survival in men with non-metastatic prostate cancer : sensitivity analyses from the randomised phase 3 ARAMIS study

Background: In the phase 3 ARAMIS study (NCT02200614), darolutamide significantly improved metastasis-free survival in patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC). Following the primary analysis, the study was unblinded, and placebo recipients were permitted to cross over to open-label darolutamide. Despite crossover, darolutamide significantly improved overall survival (OS). We conducted sensitivity analyses to estimate the effect of placebo–darolutamide crossover on OS. Methods: Patients with nmCRPC were randomised to oral darolutamide 600 mg twice daily (n = 955) or placebo (n = 554). Prespecified (rank-preserving structural failure time [RPSFT] and iterative parameter estimation [IPE]) and post hoc (OS-adjusted censoring and inverse probability of censoring weighting [IPCW], with weightings for baseline testosterone and prostate-specific antigen) sensitivity analyses were conducted. Results: After unblinding, 170 of 554 placebo recipients (30.7%) crossed over to darolutamide. At the final OS intention-to-treat analysis (median 11.2 months after unblinding), darolutamide significantly improved OS by 31% versus placebo (hazard ratio [HR] 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.53–0.88; P = 0.003). The benefit increased in the analyses adjusting for crossover is as follows: RPSFT HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.51–0.90; P = 0.007; IPE HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.51–0.84; P < 0.001; OS-adjusted censoring HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.45–0.76; IPCW HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.48–0.81. The favourable safety profile of darolutamide was maintained, including in crossover patients. Conclusions: After adjusting for crossover, darolutamide reduced the risk of death by up to 41% in patients with nmCRPC. The effect of darolutamide on OS may have been underestimated in the original intention-to-treat analysis.Peer reviewe

Quimioterapia à base de ciclofosfamida metronômica no tratamento de pacientes com câncer de próstata resistente à castração

O câncer de próstata é o sexto tipo de câncer mais comum no mundo e cerca de três quartos dos casos ocorrem a partir dos 65 anos. O tratamento paliativo inicial para doença avançada contempla a castração, mas invariavelmente, metástases e resistência é desenvolvida em algum momento, quando então a quimioterapia é oferecida. Entretanto, a busca por tratamentos menos tóxicos se faz necessária para atender uma população cada vez mais idosa e com comorbidades que limitam o uso de drogas convencionais. As combinações à base de Ciclofosfamida oral metronômica têm sido uma opção atraente e merecem melhor avaliação. Objetiva-se avaliar aqui, os fatores prognósticos e o melhor perfil de pacientes para receber este tipo de tratamento. Para isso, dados de pacientes com câncer de próstata metastáticos e resistentes à castração foram recuperados, nos quais tinham utilizado quimioterapia metronômica à base de Ciclofosfamida entre os anos de 2004 e 2009 no Hospital de Câncer de Barretos. Os dados de sobrevivência foram analisados pelo método de Kaplan Meier e o modelo de regressão proporcional de riscos de Cox foi aplicado para avaliar os fatores prognósticos. Cento e quatro pacientes foram avaliados e dois terços deles receberam quimioterapia metronômica à base de Ciclofosfamida como uma primeira linha de tratamento. A taxa de resposta do PSA foi de 32% e a mediana da sobrevivência livre de progressão foi de 6,3 meses (IC 95%, 5,1 - 7,4). A sobrevivência global mediana foi 14,4 meses (IC 95%, 11,1 -17,7). Performance Status (HR 2,4 e IC 95% 1,32 - 4,34; p= 0,004) e PSA pré-tratamento (HR 2,5 e IC 95% 1,33 - 4,81; p= 0,005) foram os fatores prognósticos mais significativos. Três grupos foram identificados com sobrevivências medianas de 8,0 meses (IC 95%, 5,0 - 11,1), 13,3 meses (IC 95%, 10,0 - 16,6) e 23,4 meses (IC 95%, 22,7 - 24,1), respectivamente...Prostate cancer is the sixth more common worldwide and about two-thirds occurs in men of sixty-five or older. Palliative treatment of advanced disease has been initially done by castration, but invariably the disease become resistant anytime and standard-based chemotherapies are delivered. However, low-toxicity chemotherapies are aimed to treat a scenario of elderly frail. Metronomic cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapies has been attractive option and deserves better assessment. It aimed to assess prognostic factors and better profile to get this therapy. It was requested data of one hundred four metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer patients that had received metronomic cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapies between 2004 to 2009 at Barretos Cancer Hospital. Kaplan Meier method was applied to analyze survivals and Cox hazard regression model analysis was done to assess prognostic factors. Two-thirds of the study subjects have done first line metronomic cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapy. PSA response rate was 32% and median progression free-survival was 6,3 months (95% CI, 5,1 - 7,4). Median overall survival was 14,4 months (95% CI, 11,1 -17,7). Performance Status (HR 2,4 and 95% CI 1,32 - 4,34; p= 0,004) and baseline pretreatment PSA (HR 2,5 and 95% CI 1,33 - 4,81; p= 0,005) were the better prognostic factors. Three risk groups were identified achieving median survivals of 8,0 months (95% CI, 5,0 - 11,1), 13,3 months (95% CI, 10,0 - 16,6) and 23,4 months (95% CI, 22,7 - 24,1), respectively (log rank, p< 0,001). Intermediate group got also benefit with more actives drugs in selected cases of rescue proposes. In conclusion, metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer patients unfit to receive standard-based chemotherapies can get benefit with metronomic cyclophosphamide-based therapy. Performance Status and baseline pretreatment PSA have prognostic value in this setting. Is first ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below

Immune-checkpoint gene expression and BCG response in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

Methods: One-hundred-six patients diagnosed with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and treated with intravesical BCG were included and divided into two groups, BCG-responsive (n = 47) and -unresponsive (n = 59). Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate PD-L1 expression and MSI was assessed by a commercial multiplex PCR kit. The mRNA expression profile of 15 immune checkpoints was performed using the nCounter technology. For in silico validation, two distinct cohorts sourced from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were used. Results: Among the 106 patients, only one (<1 %) exhibited MSI instability. PD-L1 expression was present in 9.4 % of cases, and no association was found with BCG-responsive status. We found low gene expression of canonic actionable immune checkpoints PDCD1 (PD-1), CD274 (PD-L1), and CTLA4, while high expression was observed for CD276 (B7-H3), CD47, TNFRSF14, IDO1 and PVR (CD155) genes. High IDO1 expression levels was associated with worst overall survival. The PDCD1, CTLA4 and TNFRSF14 expression levels were associated with BCG responsiveness, whereas TIGIT and CD276 were associated with unresponsiveness. Finally, CD276 was validated in silico cohorts. Conclusion: In NMIBC, MSI is rare and PD-L1 expression is present in a small subset of cases. Expression levels of PDCD1, CTLA4, TNFRSF14, TIGIT and CD276 could constitute predictive biomarkers of BCG responsiveness

Somatic Copy Number Alterations and Associated Genes in Clear-Cell Renal-Cell Carcinoma in Brazilian Patients

Somatic copy number aberrations (CNAs) have been associated with clear-cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) pathogenesis and are a potential source of new diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers. Recurrent CNAs include loss of chromosome arms 3p, 14q, 9p, and gains of 5q and 8q. Some of these regional CNAs are suspected of altering gene expression and could influence clinical outcomes. Despite many studies of CNAs in RCC, there are currently no descriptions of genomic copy number alterations in a Brazilian ccRCC cohort. This study was designed to evaluate the chromosomal profile of CNAs in Brazilian ccRCC tumors and explore clinical associations. A total of 92 ccRCC Brazilian patients that underwent nephrectomy at Barretos Cancer Hospital were analyzed for CNAs by array comparative genomic hybridization. Most patients in the cohort had early-stage localized disease. The most significant alterations were loss of 3p (87.3%), 14q (35.8%), 6q (29.3%), 9p (28.6%) and 10q (25.0%), and gains of 5q (59.7%), 7p (29.3%) and 16q (20.6%). Bioinformatics analysis revealed 19 genes mapping to CNA significant regions, including SETD2, BAP1, FLT4, PTEN, FGFR4 and NSD1. Moreover, gain of 5q34-q35.3 (FLT4 and NSD1) and loss of 6q23.2-q23.3 (MYB) and 9p21.3 (MLLT3) had gene expression levels that correlated with TCGA data and was also associated with advanced disease features, such as larger tumors, Fuhrman 3, metastasis at diagnosis and death. The loss of region 14q22.1 which encompasses the NIN gene was associated with poor overall survival. Overall, this study provides the first CNA landscape of Brazilian patients and pinpoints genomic regions and specific genes worthy of more detailed investigations. Our results highlight important genes that are associated with copy number changes involving large chromosomal regions that are potentially related to ccRCC tumorigenesis and disease biology for future clinical investigations

Hotspot TERT promoter mutations are rare events in testicular germ cell tumors

The abnormal activation of telomerase, codified by the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene, is related to one of cancer hallmarks. Hotspot somatic mutations in the promoter region of TERT, specifically the c.-124:C > T and c.-146:C > T, were recently identified in a range of human cancers and have been associated with a more aggressive behavior. Testicular germ cell tumors frequently exhibit a good prognosis; however, the development of refractory disease is still a clinical challenge. In this study, we aim to evaluate for the first time the presence of the hotspot telomerase reverse transcriptase gene promoter mutations in testicular germ cell tumors. A series of 150 testicular germ cell tumor cases and four germ cell tumor cell lines were evaluated by PCR followed by direct Sanger sequencing and correlated with patient's clinical pathological features. Additionally, we genotyped the telomerase reverse transcriptase gene promoter single nucleotide polymorphism rs2853669 (T > C) located at -245 position. We observed the presence of the TERT promoter mutation in four patients, one exhibited the c.-124:C > T and three the c.-146:C > T. No association between TERT mutation status and clinicopathological features could be identified. The analysis of the rs2853669 showed that variant C was present in 22.8 % of the cases. In conclusion, we showed for the first time that TERT promoter mutations occur in a small subset (similar to 3 %) of testicular germ cell tumors.This work was supported by the Barretos Cancer Hospital internal research funds (PAIP): Project “Microenvironment, metabolism and cancer” that was partially supported by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2 – O Novo Norte), under the Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional (QREN), and through the Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER). R.M.R. has a National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq) scholarship.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio