Neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver malignancy worldwide and a major cause of cancer-related mortality for which liver resection is an important curative-intent treatment option. However, many patients present with advanced disease and with underlying chronic liver disease and/or cirrhosis, limiting the proportion of patients who are surgical candidates. In addition, the development of recurrent or de novo cancers following surgical resection is common. These issues have led investigators to evaluate the benefit of neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment strategies aimed at improving resectability rates and decreasing recurrence rates. While high-level evidence to guide treatment decision making is lacking, recent advances in locoregional and systemic therapies, including antiviral treatment and immunotherapy, raise the prospect of novel approaches that may improve the outcomes of patients with HCC. In this review, we evaluate the evidence for various neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies and discuss opportunities for future clinical and translational research.

Metastasized pancreatic carcinoma with neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX therapy and R0 resection

Patients with metastasized carcinoma of the pancreas have a very poor prognosis, and long-term survival cannot be expected. This case report describes two patients with an initial diagnosis of metastatic pancreatic cancer, both with hepatic metastases and one with an additional peritoneal carcinomatosis. Initially, both patients were treated intravenously with the FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy regimen, consisting of 5-FU, folinic acid, irinotecan and oxaliplatin. Surprisingly, the FOLFIRINOX treatment resulted in complete resolution of the hepatic metastases in both patients, with no lesions detectable by computed tomography scan. Furthermore, treatment response included decreased diameter of the primary tumor in the tail of the pancreas and disappearance of the additional peritoneal carcinomatosis. Both patients were discussed by our multidisciplinary tumor board, which recommended surgical resections of the carcinoma. The R0 resection of the primary tumor was successful in both cases and, interestingly, the resected tissues showed no evidence of the hepatic metastases intraoperatively. In the first case, the patient received a postoperative 6-mo course of adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine. In the second case, the patient continued to receive the FOLFIRINOX regimen for an additional 6 mo postoperatively. At 12 mo after the operation, a nonresectable retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis was detected in the first patient, whereas the second patient remained in complete remission at the time of this report(5 mo after the adjuvant therapy was discontinued). This case report is the first of its kind to describe two cases of hepatic metastatic pancreatic carcinoma that were resectable following treatment with FOLFIRINOX. Further studies are required to examine the role of FOLFIRINOX as a neoadjuvant treatment option in subgroups of patients with initially metastasized pancreatic carcinoma.

Early prediction of pathological outcomes to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients using automated breast ultrasound

Objective： Early assessment of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy （NAC） for breast cancer allows therapy to be individualized. The optimal assessment method has not been established. We investigated the accuracy of automated breast ultrasound （ABUS） to predict pathological outcomes after NAC. Methods： A total of 290 breast cancer patients were eligible for this study. Tumor response after 2 cycles of chemotherapy was assessed using the product change of two largest perpendicular diameters （PC） or the longest diameter change （LDC）. PC and LDC were analyzed on the axial and the coronal planes respectively. Receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curves were used to evaluate overall performance of the prediction methods. Youden＇s indexes were calculated to select the optimal cut-off value for each method. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values （PPV and NPV） and the area under the ROC curve （AUC） were calculated accordingly.Results： ypT0/is was achieved in 42 patients （14.5%） while ypT0 was achieved in 30 patients （10.3%） after NAC. All four prediction methods （PC on axial planes, LDC on axial planes, PC on coronal planes and LDC on coronal planes） displayed high AUCs （all〉0.82）, with the highest of 0.89 [95% confidence interval （95% CI）, 0.83-0.95] when mid-treatment ＆BUS was used to predict final pathological complete remission （pCR）. High sensitivities （85.7%-88.1%） were observed across all four prediction methods while high specificities （81.5%-85.1%） were observed in two methods used PC. The optimal cut-off values defined by our data replicate the WHO and the RECIST criteria. Lower AUCs were observed when mid-treatment ABUS was used to predict poor pathological outcomes. Conclusions：ABUS is a useful tool in early evaluation of pCR after NAC while less reliable when predicting poor pathological outcomes.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy vs upfront surgery for gastric signet ring cell carcinoma:A retrospective,propensity score-matched study

BACKGROUND The benefit of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with signet-ring cell carcinoma of the stomach is controversial.AIM To evaluate the perioperative and long-term outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced gastric signet-ring cell carcinoma.METHODS This retrospective study identified patients with locally advanced signet-ring cell carcinomas of the stomach(cT3/4 and cN any)diagnosed from January 2012 to December 2017 by using the clinical Tumor-Node-Metastasis(cTNM)staging system.We performed 1:1 propensity score matching(PSM)to reduce bias in patient selection.The histologic and prognostic effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy were assessed.The overall survival rates were used as the outcome measure to compare the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy vs surgery-first treatment in the selected patients.RESULTS Of the 144 patients eligible for this study,36 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy,and 108 received initial surgery after diagnosis.After adjustment by PSM,36 pairs of patients were generated,and baseline characteristics,including age,sex,American Society of Anesthesiologists score,tumor location,and cTNM stage,were similar between the two groups.The R0 resection rates were 88.9%and 86.1%in the surgery-first and neoadjuvant chemotherapy groups after PSM,respectively(P=1.000).The median follow-up period was 46.4 mo.The 5-year overall survival rates of the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group and surgery-first group were 50.0%and 65.0%(P=0.235),respectively,before PSM and 50%and 64.7%(P=0.192),respectively,after PSM.Multivariate analyses conducted before and after PSM showed that NAC was not a prognostic factor.CONCLUSION Neoadjuvant chemotherapy provides no survival benefit in patients with locally advanced gastric signet-ring cell carcinoma.For resectable gastric signet-ring cell carcinoma,upfront surgery should be the primary therapy.

Neoadjuvant vs adjuvant pelvic radiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer: Which is superior?

The treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer including timing and dosage of radiotherapy, degree of sphincter preservation with neoadjuvant radiotherapy, and short and long term effects of radiotherapy are controversial topics. The MEDLINE, Cochrane Library databases, and meeting proceedings from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, were searched for reports of randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses comparing neoadjuvant and adjuvant radiotherapy with surgery to surgery alone for rectal cancer. Neoadjuvant radiotherapy shows superior results in terms of local control compared to adjuvant radiotherapy. Neither adjuvant or neoadjuvant radiotherapy impacts overall survival. Short course versus long course neoadjuvant radiotherapy remains controversial. There is insufficient data to conclude that neoadjuvant therapy improves rates of sphincter preserving surgery. Radiation significantly impacts anorectal and sexual function and includes both acute and long term toxicity. Data demonstrate that neoadjuvant radiation causes less toxicity compared to adjuvant radiotherapy, and specifically short course neoadjuvant radiation results in less toxicity than long course neoadjuvant radiation. Neoadjuvant radiotherapy is the preferred modality for administering radiation in locally advanced rectal cancer. There are significant side effects from radiation, including anorectal and sexual dysfunction, which may be less with short course neoadjuvant radiation.

Down-staging depth score to predict outcomes in locally advanced rectal cancer achieving ypl stage after neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy versus de novo stage pl cohort:A propensity score-matched analysis

Objective：Prognosis of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer（LARC）but achieving yp T1–2N0 stage after neoadjuvant concurrent chemo-radiotherapy（CRT）has been shown to be favorable.This study aims to determine whether the long-term outcome of yp T1–2N0 cases can be comparable to that of p T1–2N0 cohort that received definitive surgery for early disease.Method：From January 2008 to December 2013,449 consecutive patients with rectal cancer were treated and their outcome maintained in a database.Patients with LARC underwent total mesorectal excision（TME）surgery at4–8 weeks after completion of CRT,and those achieving stage yp I were identified as a group.As a comparison,stage p I group pertains to patients whose initially limited disease was not upstaged after TME surgery alone.After propensity score matching（PSM）,comparisons of local regional control（LC）,distant metastasis-free survival（DMFS）,disease-free survival（DFS）and overall survival（OS）were performed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test between yp I and p I groups.Down-staging depth score（DDS）,a novel method of evaluating CRT response,was used for subset analysis.Results：Of the 449 patients,168 matched cases were generated for analysis.Five-year LC,DMFS,DFS and OS for stage p I vs.yp I groups were 96.7%vs.96.4%（P=0.796）,92.7%vs.73.6%（P=0.025）,91.2%vs.73.6%（P=0.080）and 93.1%vs.72.3%（P=0.040）,respectively.In the DDS-favorable subset of the yp I group,LC,DMFS,DFS and OS resulted in no significant differences in comparison with the p I group（P=0.384,0.368,0.277 and0.458,respectively）.Conclusions：LC was comparable in both groups;however,distant metastasis developed more frequently in down-staged LARC than de novo early stage cases,reflecting the need to improve the efficacy of systemic treatment despite excellent pathologic response.DDS can be an indicator to identify a subset of the yp I group whose longterm oncologic outcomes are as good as those of stage p I cohort.

Selective lateral lymph node dissection after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer

BACKGROUND Lateral lymph node metastasis is one of the leading causes of local recurrence in patients with advanced mid or low rectal cancer.Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy(NCRT)can effectively reduce the postoperative recurrence rate;thus,NCRT with total mesorectal excision(TME)is the most widely accepted standard of care for rectal cancer.The addition of lateral lymph node dissection(LLND)after NCRT remains a controversial topic.AIM To investigate the surgical outcomes of TME plus LLND,and the possible risk factors for lateral lymph node metastasis after NCRT.METHODS This retrospective study reviewed 89 consecutive patients with clinical stage II-III mid or low rectal cancer who underwent TME and LLND from June 2016 to October 2018.In the NCRT group,TME plus LLND was performed in patients with short axis(SA)of the lateral lymph node greater than 5 mm.In the non-NCRT group,TME plus LLND was performed in patients with SA of the lateral lymph node greater than 10 mm.Data regarding patient demographics,clinical workup,surgical procedure,complications,and outcomes were collected.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the possible risk factors for lateral lymph node metastasis in NCRT patients.RESULTS LLN metastasis was pathologically confirmed in 35 patients(39.3%):26(41.3%)in the NCRT group and 9(34.6%)in the non-NCRT group.The most common site of metastasis was around the obturator nerve(21/35)followed by the internal iliac artery region(12/35).In the NCRT patients,46%of patients with SA of LLN greater than 7 mm were positive.The postoperative 30-d mortality rate was 0%.Two(2.2%)patients suffered from lateral local recurrence in the 2-year follow up.Multivariate analysis showed that cT4 stage(odds ratio[OR]=5.124,95%confidence interval[CI]:1.419-18.508;P=0.013),poor differentiation type(OR=4.014,95%CI:1.038-15.520;P=0.044),and SA≥7 mm(OR=7.539,95%CI:1.487-38.214;P=0.015)were statistically significant risk factors associated with LLN metastasis.CONCLUSION NCRT is not sufficient as a stand-alone therapy to eradicate LLN metastasis in lower rectal cancer patients and surgeons should consider performing selective LLND in patients with greater LLN SA diameter,poorer histological differentiation,or advanced T stage.Selective LLND for NCRT patients can have a favorable oncological outcome.

Pathological response measured using virtual microscopic slides for gastric cancer patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy

BACKGROUND Although pathological response is a common endpoint used to assess the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for gastric cancer, the problem of a low rate of concordance from evaluations among pathologists remains unresolved. Moreover, there is no globally accepted consensus regarding the optimal evaluation. A previous study based on a clinical trial suggested that pathological response measured using digitally captured virtual microscopic slides predicted patients’ survival well. However, the pathological concordance rate of this approach and its usefulness in clinical practice were unknown. AIM To investigate the prognostic utility of pathological response measured using digital microscopic slides in clinical practice. METHODS We retrospectively evaluated pathological specimens of gastric cancer patients who underwent NAC followed by surgery and achieved R0 resection between March 2009 and May 2015. Residual tumor area and primary tumor beds were measured in one captured image slide, which contained the largest diameter of the resected specimens. We classified patients with < 10% residual tumor relative to the primary tumorous area as responders, and the rest as non-responders;we then compared overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) between these two groups. Next, we compared the prognostic utility of this method using conventional Japanese criteria. RESULTS Fifty-four patients were evaluated. The concordance rate between two evaluators was 96.2%. Median RFS of 25 responders and 29 non-responders was not reached (NR) vs 18.2 mo [hazard ratio (HR)= 0.35, P = 0.023], and median OS was NR vs 40.7 mo (HR = 0.3, P = 0.016), respectively. This prognostic value was statistically significant even after adjustment for age, eastern cooperative oncology group performance status, macroscopic type, reason for NAC, and T- and Nclassification (HR = 0.23, P = 0.018). This result was also observed even in subgroup analyses for different macroscopic types (Borrmann type 4/non-type 4) and histological types (differentiated/undifferentiated). Moreover, the adjusted HR for OS between responders and non-responders was lower in this method than that in the conventional histological evaluation of Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma criteria (0.23 vs 0.39, respectively). CONCLUSION The measurement of pathological response using digitally captured virtual microscopic slides may be useful in clinical practice.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced gastric cancer:With or without radiation

The role of perioperative chemotherapy for gastric cancer has been established for gastric cancers in their advanced stage.In most parts of the world,even in Japan and Korea,local recurrence of gastric cancer following curative resection remains a problem.Should radiation be added to chemotherapy to achieve better local and regional control? What is the current evidence? What are the concerns regarding neoadjuvant chemoradiation in terms of safety,efficacy and survival benefit? After a serious review of the literature,the authors conclude that it is still too early to get a definitive answer but radiation seems promising.It may bring a higher pathological response rate.Rationally,more high level clinical trials are needed to confirm the role of radiotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting or to ascertain subsets of patients who may benefit from it.It is of note that surgeons should pay attention to possible complicated circumstances following radiotherapy,maintain proper nutrition status and minimize the occurrence of postoperative complications.As few data are available in Japan and Korea,interpretation and implementation of neoadjuvant radiation or chemoradiation should be done with caution.

Imaging response predictors following drug eluting beads chemoembolization in the neoadjuvant liver transplant treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND Drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization(DEB-TACE)is an endovascular treatment to release chemotherapeutic agents within a target lesion,minimizing systemic exposure and adverse effects to chemotherapeutics.Therefore,identifying which patient characteristics may predict imaging response to DEB-TACE can improve treatment results while selecting the best candidates.Predictors of the response after DEB-TACE still have not been fully elucidated.This is the first prospective study performed with standardized DEBTACE technique that aim to identify predictors of radiological response,assessing patients clinical and laboratory characteristics,diagnostic imaging and intraprocedure data of the hepatocellular carcinoma treated in the neoadjuvant context for liver transplantation.AIM To identify pre-and intraoperative clinical and imaging predictors of the radiological response of drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization(DEB-TACE)for the neoadjuvant treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).METHODS This is prospective,cohort study,performed in a single transplant center,from 2011 to 2014.Consecutive patients with HCC considered for liver transplant who underwent DEB-TACE in the first session for downstaging or bridging purposes were recruited.Pre and post-chemoembolization imaging studies were performed by computed tomography or magnetic resonance.The radiological response of each individual HCC was evaluated by objective response using mRECIST and the percentage of necrosis.RESULTS Two hundred patients with 380 HCCs were examined.Analysis of the objective response(nodule-based analysis)demonstrated that HCC with pseudocapsules had a 2.01 times greater chance of being responders than those without pseudocapsules(P=0.01),and the addition of every 1mg of chemoembolic agent increased the chance of therapeutic response in 4%(P<0.001).Analysis of the percentage of necrosis through multiple linear regression revealed that the addition of each 1mg of the chemoembolic agent caused an average increase of 0.65%(P<0.001)in necrosis in the treated lesion,whereas the hepatocellular carcinoma with pseudocapsules presented 18.27%(P<0.001)increased necrosis compared to those without pseudocapsules.CONCLUSION The presence of a pseudocapsule and the addition of the amount of chemoembolic agent increases the chance of an objective response in hepatocellular carcinoma and increases the percentage of tumor necrosis following drug-eluting bead chemoembolization in the neoadjuvant treatment,prior to liver transplantation.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with resectable colorectal cancer liver metastases: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND In recent years,neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)has been increasingly used in patients with resectable colorectal liver metastases.However,the efficacy and safety of NAC in the treatment of resectable colorectal liver metastases(CRLM)are still controversial.AIM To assess the efficacy and application value of NAC in patients with resectable CRLM.METHODS We searched PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,and the Cochrane Library from inception to December 2020 to collect clinical studies comparing NAC with non-NAC.Data processing and statistical analyses were performed using Stata V.15.0 and Review Manager 5.0 software.RESULTS In total,32 studies involving 11236 patients were included in this analysis.We divided the patients into two groups,the NAC group(that received neoadjuvant chemotherapy)and the non-NAC group(that received no neoadjuvant chemotherapy).The meta-analysis outcome showed a statistically significant difference in the 5-year overall survival and 5-year disease-free survival between the two groups.The hazard ratio(HR)and 95%confidence interval(CI)were HR=0.49,95%CI:0.39-0.61,P=0.000 and HR=0.4895%CI:0.36-0.63,P=0.000.The duration of surgery in the NAC group was longer than that of the non-NAC group[standardized mean difference(SMD)=0.41,95%CI:0.01-0.82,P=0.044)].The meta-analysis showed that the number of liver metastases in the NAC group was significantly higher than that in the non-NAC group(SMD=0.73,95%CI:0.02-1.43,P=0.043).The lymph node metastasis in the NAC group was significantly higher than that in the non-NAC group(SMD=1.24,95%CI:1.07-1.43,P=0.004).CONCLUSION We found that NAC could improve the long-term prognosis of patients with resectable CRLM.At the same time,the NAC group did not increase the risk of any adverse event compared to the non-NAC group.

Efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for initially resectable colorectal liver metastases:A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND The liver is the most common metastatic site of colorectal cancer.Hepatectomy is the mainstay of treatment for patients with colorectal liver metastases(CRLMs).However,there are cases of early recurrence after upfront hepatectomy alone.In selected high-risk patients,neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)may improve longterm survival.AIM To determine the efficacy of NAC for initially resectable CRLMs.METHODS Among 644 patients who underwent their first hepatectomy for CRLMs at our institution,297 resectable cases were stratified into an upfront hepatectomy group(238 patients)and a NAC group(59 patients).Poor prognostic factors for upfront hepatectomy were identified using multivariate logistic regression analysis.Propensity score matching was used to compare clinical outcomes between the upfront hepatectomy and NAC groups,according to the number of poor prognostic factors.Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test.RESULTS Preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen levels(≥10 ng/mL)(P=0.003),primary histological type(other than well/moderately differentiated)(P=0.04),and primary lymph node metastases(≥1)(P=0.04)were identified as independent poor prognostic factors for overall survival(OS)in the upfront hepatectomy group.High-risk status was defined as the presence of two or more risk factors.After propensity score matching,50 patients were matched in each group.Among high-risk patients,the 5-year OS rate was significantly higher in the NAC group(13 patients)than in the upfront hepatectomy group(18 patients)(100%vs 34%;P=0.02).CONCLUSION NAC may improve the prognosis of high-risk patients with resectable CRLMs who have two or more risk factors.

Neoadjuvant targeted therapy for apocrine carcinoma of the breast:A case report

BACKGROUND Apocrine carcinoma of the breast is a special type of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast that is rare in clinical practice.Neoadjuvant therapy,especially neoadjuvant targeted therapy,has rarely been reported for apocrine carcinoma of the breast.CASE SUMMARY A 63-year-old woman presented with apocrine carcinoma of the left breast underwent core needle biopsy.The patient was diagnosed with apocrine carcinoma by immunohistochemical staining and negative hormone status(estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor)but showed overexpression of human epidermal factor receptor 2(HER-2).Moreover,positive expression of androgen receptor(approximately 60%)and gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 was observed.The patient was treated with neoadjuvant targeted therapy consisting of the TCH regimen(docetaxel,carboplatin area under curve 6 and trastuzumab)every 21 d.The mass in the left breast was significantly reduced,and pain in the breast and left upper arm also improved.CONCLUSION HER-2 positive apocrine carcinoma of the breast can be improved by neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with targeted therapy.

A Predictive Model for Pathologic Complete Response in Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Using Machine Learning

Background: In patients with breast cancer after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy (NAC), pathological Complete Response (pCR) was associated with better long-term outcomes. We here attempted to predict pCR using machine learning. Patients and Methods: From 2008 to 2017, 1308 breast cancer patients underwent NAC before surgery, of whom 377 patients underwent Cancer SCANTM for gene data. Of 377, 238 were analyzed here, with 139 excluded due to incomplete medical data. Results: The pCR (-) vs. (+) group had 200 vs. 38 patients. In our predictive model with gene data, the Area Under the Curve (AUC) of the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.909 and accuracy was 0.875. In another model without gene data, the AUC of ROC curve was 0.743 and accuracy was 0.800. We also conducted internal validation with 72 patients undergoing NAC and Cancer SCANTM during July 2017 and April 2018. When we applied a 0.4 threshold value, accuracy was 0.806 and 0.778 in the predictive model with vs. without gene profiles, respectively. Conclusion: The present predictive model may be a useful and easy-to-access tool for pCR-prediction in breast cancer patients treated with NAC.

Effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on locally advanced cervical cancer by internal iliac arterial infusion

Objective:To evaluate the effect of preoperative chemotherapy on locally advanced cervical cancer by internal iliac arterial infusion.Methods:Sixty two patients with bulky or locally advanced cervical cancer from 1999 to 2004 were underwent internal iliac arte- rial infusion chemotherapy by using Seldinger technique.Combined regimens were applied in- cluding cisplatin as the major drug.Two weeks later,all patients received radical hysterectomy. Results:The local tumor regression rate was 93.55%.Postoperative pathologic examination showed that no cervical tumor residue in stumps were found in 61 of 62 patients who underwent radical hysterectomy.Large quantity of necrotic tissue appeared on primary tumor.In 16 patients with positive lymph nodes,15 demonstrated necrotic lymph nodes.Conclusion:Internal iliac ar- terial infusion chemotherapy could effectively reduce tumor volume,increase surgical success rate and decrease lymph nodes and subclinical metastasis rates.

《原发性肝癌诊疗指南(2024年版)》解读

2017年6月国家卫生和计划生育委员会发布了《原发性肝癌诊疗规范(2017年版)》,该规范在肝癌的诊断、分期及治疗方面提出推荐性意见具有重要意义,此后国内外在原发性肝癌研究方面不断出现符合循证医学原则的高级别证据。为此,国家卫生健康委员会修订更新颁布了《原发性肝癌诊疗指南(2024年版)》,本文对新版指南的更新要点进行解读,以期更好地指导临床。

鼻咽癌放化疗治疗患者外周血PD-1及免疫指标水平的变化及其临床意义

目的探讨鼻咽癌放化疗治疗患者外周血程序性死亡受体1(PD-1)及免疫指标水平的变化及其临床意义。方法回顾性选取2020年1月至2023年江苏省肿瘤医院收治的90例鼻咽癌患者,所有患者均经病理确诊并接受放化疗治疗,采集其血液样本之后采用流式细胞术对不同时间段(治疗前、新辅助化疗后、放疗后)外周血淋巴细胞亚群比例、外周血PD-1、CD8^(+)CD28^(+)细胞比例的水平变化予以动态监测并比较。结果鼻咽癌患者新辅助化疗后CD3^(+)、CD4^(+)细胞比例、CD4^(+)/CD8^(+)比值分别为(72.28±8.37)%、(39.27±8.58)%、1.58±0.67,均明显高于治疗前,CD3-CD16^(+)CD56^(+)、CD19^(+)细胞比例分别为(18.27±8.38)%、(7.87±4.08)%,均明显低于治疗前,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05);新辅助化疗后与治疗前的CD8^(+)细胞比例比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。鼻咽癌患者新辅助化疗之后CD8^(+)CD28^(+)细胞比例为(10.68±3.87)%,明显高于治疗前,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);新辅助化疗后与治疗前的外周血PD-1水平比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。放疗后与治疗前的CD3^(+)细胞比例比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);鼻咽癌患者放疗后CD4^(+)细胞比例、CD4^(+)/CD8^(+)比值、CD19^(+)细胞比例分别为(26.68±6.09)%、0.88±0.29、(3.69±2.36)%,均明显低于治疗前,CD8^(+)、CD3-CD16^(+)CD56^(+)细胞比例分别为(31.03±8.08)%、(27.39±10.26)%,均明显高于治疗前,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。鼻咽癌患者放疗后CD8^(+)CD28^(+)细胞比例为(7.08±2.57)%,明显低于治疗前,外周血PD-1水平为(13.38±6.27)%,明显高于治疗前,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论新辅助化疗之后鼻咽癌患者外周血T细胞亚群比值处于持续上调趋势,而放疗完成后处于下降趋势,表明鼻咽癌患者于放疗完成后免疫功能受损;放疗完成后鼻咽癌患者T细胞PD-1表达水平明显上调,提示PD-1抑制剂最佳使用时间可能为放化疗完成时,抗PD-1维持治疗可发挥持久、高效的抗肿瘤作用。

基于MRI影像组学构建PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂治疗dMMR/MSI-H直肠癌疗效的预测模型

目的:探讨MRI影像组学模型在程序性细胞死亡蛋白-1(PD-1)/程序性细胞死亡-配体1(PD-L1)抑制剂联合全程新辅助治疗(TNT)局部进展期直肠癌(LARC)的疗效预测价值。方法:收集河南中医药大学第一附属医院PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂联合TNT治疗的80例错配修复基因缺陷(dMMR)/微卫星高度不稳定(MSI-H)基因型中低位LARC患者的临床和影像资料。将入组患者按7∶3比例分为训练集和测试集,提取影像组学特征,从中筛选并构建影像组学模型。描绘影像组学模型的Rad-score与病理金标准之间的受试者工作特征(ROC)曲线,计算曲线下面积(AUC),并评价模型的诊断效能。采用决策曲线分析(DCA)计算风险阈值的范围,并评估临床获益情况。收集湖南省人民医院25例dMMR/MSI-H基因型LARC患者的影像资料作为外部验证集。结果:训练集、测试集及外部验证集三者之间的临床特征无统计学差异(P>0.05)。经过降维处理、t检验及一致性检验以及LASSO交叉验证后,筛选出一阶偏度特征和体积2个特征构建影像组学模型。训练集、测试集和外部验证集的影像组学预测模型ROC曲线的AUC、灵敏度、特异度、阳性预测值和阴性预测值分别为0.920、97.1%、85.7%、91.9%、94.7%;0.885、80.0%、88.9%、92.3%、72.7%;0.875、87.5%、88.9%、93.3%、80.0%。DCA曲线显示,当风险阈值范围为0%~82%时,采用影像组学模型预测LARC患者为病理完全缓解(pCR)的获益大于将所有患者都视为pCR或者无病理完全缓解(npCR)。结论:基于MRI影像组学构建的dMMR/MSI-H型局部进展期直肠癌PD-1/PD-L1抑制剂联合全程新辅助放化疗疗效预测模型,有较大潜力为不同基因分型的直肠癌患者制定个体化治疗策略提供量化依据。

可切除非小细胞肺癌新辅助免疫治疗研究进展

近年来,免疫检查点抑制剂(immune checkpoint inhibitors,ICIs)对晚期非小细胞肺癌(non-small cell lung cancer,NSCLC)患者预后的改善已成为共识,越来越多的临床研究也逐渐证明了免疫治疗对于可切除NSCLC患者的重要价值。然而,目前关于新辅助治疗背景下免疫联合策略的探索、治疗相关副作用、预后生物标志物等问题仍存在争议。本文综述了可切除NSCLC患者新辅助免疫治疗的最新进展,引发了新的思考,并讨论了其在临床应用中的优势及挑战。

多模态MRI联合血清miR-125b对乳腺癌新辅助化疗疗效的预测价值

目的:探讨乳腺癌治疗前多模态MRI联合血清miR-125b水平预测新辅助化疗疗效的价值。方法:研究对象为于我院首次接受全程新辅助化疗并行手术切除治疗的90例女性乳腺癌患者。治疗前对患者进行乳腺MRI检查,记录病灶直径、边缘、形状、平扫T_(2)WI图像上病灶内是否高信号和时间信号强度曲线(TIC)类型、表观扩散系数(ADC)、单纯扩散系数(D)、伪扩散系数(D*)及灌注分数(f)。依据Miller-Payne分级标准对病理学反应进行评估,分为病理反应不佳(NR)组和病理反应良好(R)组。结果:乳腺癌患者新辅助化疗后R组52例(57.78%),NR组38例(42.22%),两组的年龄、临床分期、病理类型、雌激素受体(ER)、孕激素受体(PR)和人表皮生长因子受体2(HER2)表达水平差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。R组中Ki-67>14%的比例显著高于NR组(P<0.05)。R组与NR组的肿瘤直径、边缘、形状、T_(2)WI信号、D值和D*值差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05)。R组的TIC类型为Ⅲ型的比例显著高于NR组,ADC值显著低于NR组,f值显著高于NR组(P<0.05)。R组的血清miR-125b相对表达量显著低于NR组(t=-11.007,P<0.001)。二元Logistic回归分析结果显示,较高的ADC值、血清miR-125b水平和较低的f值是乳腺癌新辅助化疗后疗效为NR的独立危险因素(P<0.05)。ADC值、f值、血清miR-125b水平及三者联合预测乳腺癌新辅助化疗疗效的AUC分别为0.863(95%CI:0.799~0.927,P<0.001)、0.819(95%CI:0.744~0.893,P<0.001)、0.832(95%CI:0.755~0.908,P<0.001)和0.958(95%CI:0.929~0.988,P<0.001)。结论:治疗前多模态MRI联合血清miR-125b水平对乳腺癌患者新辅助化疗疗效具有一定的预测价值。