Search

Background/Aim: In the CheckMate-141 trial regarding head and neck cancer (HNC), nivolumab conferred a survival benefit to patients. However, the best treatment sequence of chemotherapy and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in these cancers is unclear. Patients and Methods: This was an observational study using data collected prospectively from 97 HNC patients treated with nivolumab at our institutions. Twenty-two HNC patients who received paclitaxel-based chemotherapy before (pre-PTX, n=12) and after (post-PTX, n=10) nivolumab were evaluated. Results: The median follow-up time was 15.9 months (range=6.9-35.9 months). There was a significant difference in the overall response rate (ORR) between pre-PTX (17%) and post-PTX (70%) (p=0.027). Similarly, time to progression (TTP) was significantly longer after nivolumab than before nivolumab (post-PTX, 7.4 months; pre-PTX, 4.9 months, p=0.020). Conclusion: Paclitaxel-based chemotherapy had a better ORR and TTP after nivolumab than before nivolumab for HNC. The sequential administration of anti-PD-1 therapy followed by paclitaxel-based chemotherapy could be a better strategy for HNC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: Lenvatinib is one of the few options for patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). However, tumor markers for ATC treated with lenvatinib is lacking. The aim of this study was to explore whether the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) can be a tumor marker for ATC treated with lenvatinib. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the prognostic significance of the NLR in 13 ATC patients treated with lenvatinib. Results: The disease control rate was better in patients with lower NLR (<8; 89%) than higher NLR (≥8; 25%) (p=0.05). Median progression-free survival and overall survival were longer in patients with lower NLR than higher NLR (4.0 vs. 1.6 months, p<0.05; and 10.2 vs. 3.8 months, p<0.05, respectively). Patients whose NLR on day 14 decreased compared to baseline had a slightly higher overall response rate than patients without NLR decrease (42.9% vs. 0%, p=0.19). Conclusion: The baseline NLR is a potential prognostic marker, and the change of NLR can be an early indicator of response for ATC patients treated with lenvatinib. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been reported to be associated with poor prognosis for radioactive iodine ablation refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RR-DTC). Little is known whether NLR can be a tumor marker for RR-DTC patients treated with lenvatinib. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed RR-DTC patients treated with lenvatinib. NLR was calculated at 4 points before and during lenvatinib treatment. Results: The median NLR value increased at the start of lenvatinib treatment, compared to 6 months prior to initiation of lenvatinib treatment. The median overall survival was significantly longer in patients with the lower NLR (<3) at the start of lenvatinib treatment. The median NLR values decreased when the patients achieved best tumor response, and increased again upon disease progression. Conclusion: NLR values vary before and during lenvatinib treatment, suggesting that this ratio can reflect disease activity of RR-DTC. NLR can supportively be used as a tumor marker of RR-DTC and an indicator for starting lenvatinib treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The REGARD trial demonstrated that ramucirumab monotherapy improved both overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared with best supportive care plus placebo as second-line treatment for patients with advanced gastric cancer. However, the efficacy and safety of ramucirumab monotherapy for previously treated Japanese patients with advanced gastric cancer remains unknown. Methods Previously treated Japanese patients with advanced gastric cancer who received ramucirumab monotherapy between June 2015 and March 2016 at the Cancer Institute Hospital were enrolled in the study. OS, PFS, best overall response, and safety profiles were retrospectively evaluated. Results Nineteen patients were enrolled in this study. Ramucirumab monotherapy was generally administered as third-line therapy. After a median follow-up period of 7.4 months, the median PFS was 2.1 months (95% CI 1.0-3.5), and median OS was 12.9 months (95% CI 2.3, not reached). In 13 patients who had measurable lesions on radiologic examination, partial response was observed in one patient (7.7%) and stable disease was observed in five patients (38.5%). A total of 12 patients (63.2%) had adverse events (AEs). Common AEs included hypertension (8 patients, 42.1%), fatigue (6 patients, 31.6%), and bleeding (5 patients, 26.3%). Grade 3 AEs included gastrointestinal bleeding and aspiration pneumonia (1 patient each, 5.3%). Conclusions Our data suggest that ramucirumab monotherapy in Japanese patients with previously treated advanced gastric cancer has comparable efficacy and safety profiles as reported in the REGARD trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monochromatic high-energy X-rays (37 keV) focused into a microbeam (3.8 × 1.3 μm2) with a Kirkpatrick-Baez mirror allows us for the first time to reveal the striking sub-cellular distribution and the chemical form of cadmium in the cadmium hyperaccumulating plant, Arabidopsis halleri ssp. gemmifera, by detecting the Cd Kα line. Micro X-ray fluorescence analysis (μ-XRF) and micro X-ray absorption near-edge structure analysis (μ-XANES) were used for the nondestructive analysis of the Cd distribution and chemical form of Cd at a cellular level in the plant in order to investigate the Cd accumulation mechanism. It was clearly observed by two-dimensional μ-XRF imaging that Cd was highly accumulated in a part of the trichomes, epidermal hairs existing on the surface of the leaves. The bases of the trichomes contained Cd, Zn and Mn at high concentrations and their distribution patterns were similar to each other. These elements were located near the surface of the trichome in the form of a ring. The μ-XANES analysis revealed that the majority of the Cd exists in the divalent state and bound to the O and/or N ligands. This study has demonstrated the potential of the Cd K-edge μ-XANES spectroscopy, which was applied here for the first time to plant samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]