Prognostic factors affecting the survival of patients with multiple myeloma A retrospective analysis of 86 patients

A retrospective analysis of data concerning 86 patients with multiple myeloma was carried out in order to evaluate factors affecting survival. The overall median survival was 621 days. In a univariate analysis the follOWing factors were significantly associated with poor survival: serum creatinine ≥ 150 mmol/l, haemoglobin < 11 g/dl and serum calcium values> 2,75 mmol/l; and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 3 - 4. However, age, sex, Durie and Salmon staging, lytic lesions, serum immunoglobulin concentration, urine Bence Jones protein, percentage of plasma cells in the bone marrow, proteinuria, and type of chemotherapy given were not significantly associated with survival. A strong prediction of survival was found by grouping the serum creatinine and haemoglobin levels of patients at presentation

The tale of TILs in breast cancer : a report from The International Immuno-Oncology Biomarker Working Group

The advent of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in modern oncology has significantly improved survival in several cancer settings. A subgroup of women with breast cancer (BC) has immunogenic infiltration of lymphocytes with expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). These patients may potentially benefit from ICI targeting the programmed death 1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 signaling axis. The use of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) as predictive and prognostic biomarkers has been under intense examination. Emerging data suggest that TILs are associated with response to both cytotoxic treatments and immunotherapy, particularly for patients with triple-negative BC. In this review from The International Immuno-Oncology Biomarker Working Group, we discuss (a) the biological understanding of TILs, (b) their analytical and clinical validity and efforts toward the clinical utility in BC, and (c) the current status of PD-L1 and TIL testing across different continents, including experiences from low-to-middle-income countries, incorporating also the view of a patient advocate. This information will help set the stage for future approaches to optimize the understanding and clinical utilization of TIL analysis in patients with BC

Patient-reported symptom monitoring: using (big) data to improve supportive care at the macro-, meso-, and micro-levels

Purpose This paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the need for continued development of symptom monitoring (SM) implementation, utilization, and data usage at the macro-, meso-, and micro-levels. Methods Discussions from a patient-reported SM workshop at the MASCC/ISSO 2022 annual meeting were analyzed using a macro-meso-micro analytical framework of cancer care delivery. The workshop categories “initiation and implementation, barriers to adoption and utilization, and data usage” were integrated for each level. Results At the macro-level, policy development could encourage data sharing and international collaboration, including the exchange of SM methods, supportive care models, and self-management modules. At the meso-level, institutions should adjust clinical workflow and service delivery and promote a thorough technical and clinical integration of SM. At the micro-level, SM should be individualized, with timely feedback for patients, and should foster trust and understanding of AI decision support tools amongst clinicians to improve supportive care. Conclusions The workshop reached a consensus among international experts on providing guidance on SM implementation, utilization, and (big) data usage pathways in cancer survivors across the cancer continuum and on macro-meso-micro levels