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BackgroundBrain metastases (BM) are rare in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and little data exists concerning these patients and their outcomes.AimWe aimed to analyze the management, practices, and outcomes of patients presenting BM from PDAC both in our institution and in all cases reported in the literature.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective, monocentric analysis using a data mining tool (ConSoRe) to identify all patients diagnosed with PDAC and BM in our comprehensive cancer center (Paoli-Calmettes Institute), from July 1997 to June 2022 (cohort 1). Simultaneously, we reviewed and pooled the case reports and case series of patients with PDAC and BM in the literature (cohort 2). The clinical characteristics of patients in each cohort were described and survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method.ResultsIn cohort 1, 19 patients (0.3%) with PDAC and BM were identified with a median age of 69 years (range: 39-81). Most patients had metastatic disease (74%), including 21% with BM, at diagnosis. Lung metastases were present in 58% of patients. 68% of patients had neurological symptoms and 68% were treated by focal treatment (surgery: 21%, radiotherapy: 42%, Gamma Knife radiosurgery: 5%). In cohort 2, among the 61 PDAC patients with BM described in the literature, 59% had metastatic disease, including 13% with BM at diagnosis. Lung metastases were present in 36% of patient and BM treatments included: surgery (36%), radiotherapy (36%), radiosurgery (3%), or no local treatment (25%). After the pancreatic cancer diagnosis, the median time to develop BM was 7.8 months (range: 0.0-73.9) in cohort 1 and 17.0 months (range: 0.0-64.0) in cohort 2. Median overall survival (OS) in patients of cohort 1 and cohort 2 was 2.9 months (95% CI [1.7,4.0]) and 12.5 months (95% CI [7.5,17.5]), respectively.ConclusionBM are very uncommon in PDAC and seem to occur more often in younger patients with lung metastases and more indolent disease. BM are associated with poor prognosis and neurosurgery offers the best outcomes and should be considered when feasible.

Abstract Background Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men and the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Although major progress has been achieved in the last years for patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), thanks to next-generation androgen receptor axis targeted drugs, taxanes, and bone-targeted agents, immunotherapy has not been widely approved and used for the treatment of prostate cancer. Two large studies with ipilimumab, an anti-CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4) antibody reported improved progression-free survival, but not statistically improved overall survival at the primary analysis (CA184 043 and CA184 095). Case presentation Here, we report on two patients who received ipilimumab in these trials and are still in long-term complete remission with a follow-up of 64 and 52 months respectively after the initiation of ipilimumab. Immunohistochemical staining for hMLH1, hMSH2, hMSH6 and PMS2 was performed on archival prostate biopsy samples from one of the two patients; they exhibited normal protein expression. Interestingly for this patient, a high CD3+ and CD8+ T cell infiltration was observed on archival prostate biopsies as well as Treg FoxP3+ T cells. Conclusion Ipilimumab produces clinical activity in patients with CRPC, including very long responders with no detectable residual disease.