La régression tumorale n'est pas un facteur de risque d'atteinte du ganglion sentinelle dans les mélanomes fins (indice de Breslow < or = 1 mm) [Tumour regression is not predictive for higher risk of sentinel node involvement in thin melanomas (Breslow thickness < or = 1 mm)]

Background: Thin melanomas (Breslow thickness &lt;= 1 mm) are considered highly curable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between histological tumour regression and sentinel lymph node (SLN) involvement in thin melanomas. Patients and methods: This was a retrospective single-centre study of 34 patients with thin melanomas undergoing SLN biopsy between April 1998 and January 2005. Results: The study included 14 women and 20 men of mean age 56.3 years. Melanomas were located on the neck (n = 3), soles (n = 4), trunk (n = 13) and extremities (n = 14). Pathological examination showed 25 SSM, four acral lentiginous melanomas, three in situ melanomas, one nodular melanoma and one unclassified melanoma with a mean Breslow thickness of 0.57 mm. Histological tumour regression was observed in 26 over 34 cases and ulceration was found in one case. Clark levels were as follows: I (n = 3), II (n = 20), III (n = 9), IV (n = 2). Growth phase was available in 15 cases (seven radial and eight vertical). Mitotic rates, available in 24 cases, were: 0 (n = 9), 1 (n = 11), 2 (n = 2), 3 (n = 1), 6 (n = 1). One patient with histological tumour regression (2.9% of cases and 3.8% of cases with regressing tumours) had a metastatic SLN. One patient negative for SLN had a lung relapse and died of the disease. Mean follow-up was 26.2 months. Conclusion: The results of the present study and the analysis of the literature show that histological regression of the primary tumour does not seem predictive of higher risk of SLN involvement in thin melanomas. This suggests that screening for SLN is not indicated in thin melanomas, even those with histological regression

Supplementary Material for: Complete Penetrance and Absence of Intrafamilial Variability in a Large Family with Hereditary Leiomyomatosis and Renal Cell Carcinoma

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma (HLRCC) is an autosomal dominant familial disorder due to <i>FH</i> mutation. Despite a considerable increase in information about the genetic background, inter- and intrafamilial phenotypic variability/penetrance are not well documented. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> To describe a large French HLRCC family and provide new data on penetrance and intrafamilial variability. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> The whole family was contacted for clinical examination, skin biopsy, uterine and kidney imagery and molecular analysis. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The family included 22 members in 3 generations. The second generation consisted of 13 members who were older than the expected age of onset of disease manifestations. Of the 12 available members of this second generation, 6 (1 man and 5 women, aged 44-57 years) had a novel <i>FH</i> mutation. All had the same mild phenotype with cutaneous asymptomatic leiomyomas, uterine fibroids (if women) and no kidney tumor. The other 6 members not bearing the familial mutation had normal clinical and radiological findings. In this second generation, the penetrance was therefore complete, and there was no intrafamilial variability in the clinical expression of the mutation. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> This study provides additional data on genotype/phenotype correlation, intrafamilial variability and penetrance that should help to improve prognosis and genetic counseling

Population Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics of Dabrafenib Plus Trametinib in Patients with BRAF-Mutated Metastatic Melanoma.

Patients treated with dabrafenib/trametinib (DAB/TRA) exhibit a large interindividual variability in clinical outcomes. The aims of this study were to characterize the pharmacokinetics of DAB, hydroxy-dabrafenib (OHD), and TRA in BRAF-mutated patients and to investigate the exposure-response relationship for toxicity and efficacy in metastatic melanoma (MM) patients. Univariate Fisher and Wilcoxon models including drug systemic exposure (area under the plasma concentration curve, AUC) were used to identify prognostic factors for the onset of dose-limiting toxicities (DLT), and Cox models for overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Seventy-three BRAF-mutated patients were included in pharmacokinetic (n = 424, NONMEM) and 52 in pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic analyses. Age and sex were identified as determinants of DAB and OHD clearances (p &lt; 0.01). MM patients experiencing DLT were overexposed to DAB compared to patients without DLT (AUC: 9624 vs. 7485 ng∙h/mL, respectively, p &lt; 0.01). Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) ≥ 2 and plasma ratio AUC &lt;sub&gt;OHD&lt;/sub&gt; /AUC &lt;sub&gt;DAB&lt;/sub&gt; ≥ 1 were independently associated with shorter OS (HR: 6.58 (1.29-33.56); p = 0.023 and 10.61 (2.34-48.15), p = 0.022, respectively). A number of metastatic sites ≥3 and cerebral metastases were associated with shorter PFS (HR = 3.25 (1.11-9.50); p = 0.032 and HR = 1.23 (1.35-10.39), p = 0.011; respectively). TRA plasma exposure was neither associated with toxicity nor efficacy. Our results suggest that early drug monitoring could be helpful to prevent the onset of DLT in MM patients, especially in fragile patients such as the elderly. Regarding efficacy, the clinical benefit to monitor plasma ratio AUC &lt;sub&gt;OHD&lt;/sub&gt; /AUC &lt;sub&gt;DAB&lt;/sub&gt; deserves more investigation in a larger cohort of MM patients