Evaluation of the effects of red blood cell distribution width on survival in lung cancer patients

WOS: 000382525900010PubMed: 27358595Aim of the study: Data are available indicating that red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is higher in cancer patients compared to healthy individuals or benign events. In our study, we aimed to investigate the influence of different RDW levels on survival in lung cancer patients. Material and methods: Clinical and laboratory data from 146 patients with lung cancer and 40 healthy subjects were retrospectively studied. RDW was recorded before the application of any treatment. Patients were categorised according to four different RDW cut-off values (median RDW, RDW determined by ROC curve analysis, the upper limit at the automatic blood count device, and RDW cut of value which used in previous studies). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to examine the effect of RDW on survival for each cut-off level. Results: The median age of patients was 56.5 years (range: 26-83 years). The difference in median RDW between patients and the control group was statistically significant (14.0 and 13.8, respectively, p = 0.04). There was no difference with regard to overall survival when patients with RDW = 14.0 were compared to those with RDW = 14.2 (p = 0.34), >= 14.5 (p = 0.25), >= 15 (p = 0.59), although no results were statistically significant. Discussion: We consider that the difference between low and high RDW values according to certain cut-off values may reflect the statistics of larger studies although there is a statistically negative correlation between RDW level and survival

Treatment And Outcomes Of Ewing Sarcoma In Turkish Adults: A Single Centre Experience

Background: Ewing sarcoma is a small round cell tumor arising from soft tissue and bone that predominantly affects children and adolescents. The most unfavorable prognostic factor is the presence of distant metastasis at the time of diagnosis. Materials and Methods: The records of 26 Ewing sarcoma patients (14 male, 12 female) were re-evaluated retrospectively. Results: The median age was 26.5 (19-42) years. Eight patients (31%) showed a primary tumor in their extremities, 8 (31%) in the thorax, 4 (15%) at the vertebra, 4 (15%) in the head and neck, and 2 (8%) in the abdomen. Five patients (19%) had distant metastasis at diagnosis. The median progression-free survival was 72 months and 10 months in localized and metastatic disease, respectively (p=0.005). The overall survival rate was 19 months in metastatic disease, and the 5-year overall survival rate was 64% in localized disease (p=0.006). Patients who had localized disease in the extremities and were under age 30 had a favorable prognosis. Conclusions: Although Ewing sarcoma is a tumor affecting children and adolescents, it may be seen in adults, where the prognosis is generally worse. Although it is a highly malignant tumor, it is possible to achieve improved survival with combined modality treatments.WoSScopu

Is There an Association Between Blood Group and Survival in Pancreatic Cancer?

Background: An association between the ABO groups and pancreatic cancer has been shown previously, group A being significantly commoner in affected patients. We conducted the present study to investigate the prognostic effect of ABO blood group on overall survival of pancreas cancer patients. Methods: Patients who were diagnosed between 2005 and 2010 with pancreas cancer at Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Patient demographics and ABO blood groups were obtained from medical charts. Results: Fifty pancreas cancer patients with known ABO blood group were included, 26 (52%) group A, 12 patients (24%) group 0, 9 (18%) group B, and 3 (6%) group AB. Blood group A pancreas cancer patient median age was 61.5 (39-80) years, with the median age of the other blood groups (B,AB,O) being 55.5 (32-74) years (p=0.14). 18% of patients with blood group A and11% of the other blood group patients had metastasis (p=0.17) at the time of diagnosis. The median overall survival of blood group A pancreas patients was significantly lower than the other blood group patients, 7.6 (95% CI: 5.0-10.2) months versus 29.0 (95% CI: 0.0-68.8) months (p=0.05). Conclusions: Acccording to previously published cohort studies a relation may exist between ABO blood groups and cancer of pancreas. In this study we observed that pancreas cancer patients with blood group A have significantly worse overall survival than other blood groups.WoSScopu

Long Term Survivors with Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Treated with Gemcitabine Alone or Plus Cisplatin: a Retrospective Analysis of an Anatolian Society of Medical Oncology Multicenter Study

Background: The majority of patients with pancreatic cancer present with advanced disease. Systemic chemotherapy has limited impact on overall survival (OS) so that eligible patients should be selected carefully. The aim of this study was to analyze prognostic factors for survival in Turkish advanced pancreatic cancer patients who survived more than one year from the diagnosis of recurrent and/or metastatic disease and receiving gemcitabine (Gem) alone or gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GemCis). Methods: This retrospective evaluation was performed for patients who survived more than one year from the diagnosis of recurrent and/or metastatic disease and who received gemcitabine between December 2005 and August 2011. Twenty-seven potential prognostic variables were chosen for univariate and multivariate analyses to identify prognostic factors associated with survival. Results: Among the 27 variables in univariate analysis, three were identified to have prognostic significance: sex (p = 0.04), peritoneal dissemination (p = 0.02) and serum creatinine level (p = 0.05). Multivariate analysis by Cox proportional hazard model showed only peritoneal dissemination to be an independent prognostic factor for survival. Conclusion: In conclusion, peritoneal metastasis was identified as an important prognostic factor in metastatic pancreatic cancer patients who survived more than one year from the diagnosis of recurrent and/or metastatic disease and receiving Gem or GemCis. The findings should facilitate pretreatment prediction of survival and can be used for selecting patients for treatment