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Summary We report a case of metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma associated with paraneoplastic Cushing’s syndrome, successively treated with five lines of treatment (platin-etoposide, LV5FU2-dacarbazine, FOLFIRINOX, pembrolizumab, and paclitaxel) and anti-secretory treatment. Circulating-free DNA (cfDNA) was analysed at each morphological evaluation starting from the second-line treatment. cfDNA changes were well correlated with the disease course, and cfDNA may be used as a predictive marker and/or as an early marker of response. In addition, the absolute count of atypical cells was elevated upon disease progression. Learning points cfDNA changes were well correlated with the Cushing’s syndrome course and with the tumour burden changes assessed by laboratory markers and by RECIST criteria. cfDNA analysis was used to determine the pharmacogenetic patterns of the present patient. An elevated number of atypical circulating cells was noticed upon disease progression.

AIMS Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection have a better prognosis than those without HPV infection. Although p16INK4a overexpression is used as a surrogate marker for HPV infection, 5-20% of p16-positive OPSCC are described as being unrelated to HPV infection, with worse overall survival compared to OPSCC-related HPV. There is therefore a risk of undertreating a proportion of OPSCC patients falsely considered to be HPV-driven because of p16 positivity. TP53 mutations are highly prevalent in OPSCC driven by mutagens in tobacco and alcohol. We describe herein a combined p16/p53 algorithm to predict HPV tumour status in OPSCC. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 110 OPSCC were identified in the database of the pathology department and were studied using p16 and p53 immunohistochemistry. For p16-positive or p16-negative/wild-type patterns-p53 (WT-p53) cases (n = 63), DNA in-situ hybridisation for high-risk HPV was performed, and if negative the HPV status was controlled by HPV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (n = 19). A significant association between TP53 mutation and pattern of p53 expression was found (WT-p53, seven of 16, P

Lipofibromatosis-like neural tumors (LPF-NT) are soft tissue tumors characterized by a lipofibromatosis-like pattern, CD34/PS100 positivity, and recurrent NTRK1 gene rearrangement. It occurs mainly in pediatric patients or young adults. We report here, the first case of LPF-NT in a middle-aged adult initially misdiagnosed as a myoepithelial tumor. LPF-NT may have a locally aggressive course but no recurrence was seen after complete surgeries, whereas metastatic diseases remain exceptional.

Poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC) refers to a malignant tumour that displays an intermediate prognosis between well-differentiated carcinomas and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas (ATC). In the thyroid, pleomorphic giant cells are observed in ATC or in some non-neoplastic thyroid diseases. We described the case of a 43-year-old woman with a 34-mm nodule in her thyroid right lobe. Microscopic examination revealed an encapsulated tumour with a main solid growth pattern and extensive capsular invasion. Multiple images of angioinvasion were observed. There was neither necrosis nor inflammation. Most of the tumour cells were medium-sized and intermingled with pleomorphic giant tumour cells with bizarre features. The immunoprofile (keratins +, TTF1+, Pax 8+) proved their thyroid origin. By NGS, no molecular alteration was identified. The patient was treated by surgery and radioiodine therapy and she has no recurrence after a follow-up of 24 months. Our case meets all the histological criteria of the Turin proposal for PDTC but with pleomorphic giant cells and is very different from ATC according to clinical, histological and immunohistochemical features. Pleomorphic tumour giant cells in thyroid carcinomas could be present in PDTC and do not always represent dedifferentiation and more aggressive carcinoma, thyroid neoplasm.

Introduction: Preoperative functional MRI (fMRI) and intraoperative awake cortical mapping are established strategies to identify and preserve critical language structures during neurosurgery. There is growing appreciation for the need to similarly identify and preserve eloquent tissue critical for music production. Case Report: A 19-year-old female musician, with a 3- to 4-year history of events concerning for musicogenic seizures, was found to have a right posterior temporal tumor, concerning for a low-grade glial neoplasm. Preoperative fMRI assessing passive and active musical tasks localized areas of activation directly adjacent to the tumor margin. Cortical stimulation during various musical tasks did not identify eloquent tissue near the surgical site. A gross total tumor resection was achieved without disruption of singing ability. At 9-month follow-up, the patient continued to have preserved musical ability with full resolution of seizures and without evidence of residual lesion or recurrence. Conclusion: A novel strategy for performing an awake craniotomy, incorporating preoperative fMRI data for music processing with intraoperative cortical stimulation, interpreted with the assistance of a musician expert and facilitated gross total resection of the patient’s tumor without comprising her musical abilities.

Objective To determine if tumor genetics are associated with overall survival (OS) after concurrent resection of colorectal liver metastases (CLM) and extrahepatic disease (EHD). Summary background data The prognosis for patients who undergo concurrent resection of CLM/EHD is unclear and the impact of somatic mutations has not been reported. Methods Patients undergoing concurrent resection of CLM and EHD from 2007-2017 were identified from two academic centers. From 1 center, patients were selected from a pre-existing database of patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The Kaplan-Meier method was used to construct survival curves, compared using the log-rank test. Multivariable Cox analysis for OS was performed. Results One hundred nine patients were included. Most common EHD sites included lung (33 patients), peritoneum (32), and portal lymph nodes (14). TP53 mutation was the most common mutation, identified in 75 patients (69%), and RAS/TP53 co-mutation was identified in 31 patients (28%). The median OS was 49 months (IQR, 24-125), and 3- and 5-year OS rates were 66% and 44%, respectively. Compared to patients without RAS/TP53 co-mutation, patients with RAS/TP53 co-mutation had lower median OS: 39 vs. 51 months (P = .02). On multivariable analysis, lung EHD (hazard ratio [HR], 0.7; 95% CI, 0.3-1.4), peritoneal EHD (HR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.1-4.2) and RAS/TP53 co-mutation (HR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.1-7.2) were independently associated with OS. Conclusions RAS/TP53 co-mutation is associated with worse OS after concurrent CLM/EHD resection. Mutational status and site of EHD should be included in the evaluation of patients considered for concurrent resection.

INTRODUCTION The cytological diagnosis of follicular-patterned thyroid lesions is challenging, especially since the World Health Organisation classification has recognised non-invasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like features. These entities are often classified as indeterminate on cytology. Molecular testing has been proposed to help classify indeterminate nodules. RAS and K601E BRAF mutations are mostly encountered in follicular-patterned lesions, but their diagnostic value is not well established. Nuclear scores have also been proposed to help classify indeterminate lesions. OBJECTIVE To investigate the correlation between cytological features and histology and to assess nuclear scores in a series of indeterminate RAS or BRAF K601E positive thyroid nodules. METHODS The cytological parameters of 69 indeterminate RAS or BRAF K601E-positive thyroid nodules were evaluated. The Strickland and Maletta scores and a new nuclear score were assessed. Diagnosis of malignant, benign or indolent neoplasms was confirmed in each case by histology. Malignant and indolent nodules were considered surgical nodules, and adenomas non-surgical nodule. RESULTS Surgical nodules were associated with the presence of ground glass nuclei (P = .001), grooves (P

Introduction: Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (GEPNEC) are characterized by a heterogeneous molecular profile and a poor prognosis. Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) analysis may be useful for NEC management. This study aimed at describing ctDNA mutations, to assess their predictive value for response to chemotherapies, and their change according to disease progression. Methods: The CIRCAN-NEC study included patients with GEPNEC or NEC from an unknown primary, scheduled to begin first- or second-line chemotherapy. Blood samples were collected prior to chemotherapy initiation, at first evaluation, and during disease progression. ctDNA was sequenced by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Molecular response was defined as a decrease of at least 30% of the mutant allele fraction. Results: All 24 patients included received platinum-etoposide first-line chemotherapy; 19 received a FOLFIRI-based post-first-line regimen. Twenty-two patients had at least one driver mutation: TP53 (n = 21), RB1 (n = 2), KRAS (n = 4), and BRAF (n = 3). Ten (42%) had an “adenocarcinoma-like” profile. Five of 6 patients with matching ctDNA/tissue NGS harboured at least one concordant mutation (44% concordance at the gene level). The concordance rate between ctDNA mutation/immunohistochemistry profile was 64% (7/11) for TP53/p53+ and 14% (1/7) for RB1/pRb−. In this pilot study including few patients by subgroups, patients with KRAS (HR = 3.60, 95% CI [1.06–12.04]) and BRAF (HR = 4.25, 95% CI [1.11–16.40]) mutations had shorter progression-free survival (PFS) under platinum-etoposide, while the 2 patients with RB1 mutations had shorter PFS under FOLFIRI-based chemotherapy. Twenty-eight periods of treatment were assessed: 10 patients had a molecular response (7/10 had a morphological response), which was associated with longer PFS (HR = 0.37, 95% CI [0.15; 0.91]). Conclusion: This pilot study shows a high sensitivity of ctDNA assessment, which is encouraging for the future management of GEPNEC (tumour molecular diagnosis and evaluation of disease progression).

RAS and K601E BRAF mutations are not a reliable indicator of malignancy in fine-needle aspirations (FNA) of thyroid indeterminate cytologic nodules. We aimed to evaluate the histologic characteristics, the risk of malignancy associated with such mutations in FNA and their potential interest for preoperative clinical management of nodules. We evaluated 69 indeterminate thyroid nodules with RAS or K601E BRAF mutations with available histopathologic follow-up. All FNA specimens were indeterminate according to the thyroid Bethesda system. Diagnosis of malignant, benign or indolent neoplasms was classified according to 2017 WHO classification. Carcinoma, NIFTP (noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like features) and WDTUMP (well-differentiated tumor of uncertain malignant potential) were considered “surgical,” as they require surgical excision. Adenoma was considered “non-surgical.” The risk of malignancy and the risk of “surgical disease” were evaluated. Pathologic evaluation of the 69 mutated nodules demonstrated benign, indolent and malignant histology in 17 cases (25%), 21 cases (30%) and 31 cases (45%), respectively. The risk of malignancy was 45%, and the risk of surgical disease was 75%. The majority of carcinomas were a follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma. On follow-up, there have been no recurrences to date. Preoperative RAS or BRAF K601E mutations detection in cytologic indeterminate thyroid nodules carries a high risk of surgical disease and may benefit from surgical management. Most surgical lesions harboring those mutations are low-risk tumors, which may be in favor of an initial lobectomy.

We report the case of an 11-year-old patient diagnosed with a solid variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common thyroid cancer, representing 80-90% of all newly diagnosed thyroid cancers. Among the many variants described, solid/trabecular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma is a rare entity and account for 3% of thyroid cancers. It is more common in children and young adults, and it is seen in higher proportion in post radiation papillary thyroid carcinoma cases. Histologically, solid variant papillary carcinoma is characterized by a predominantly solid, trabecular or insular growth pattern, and the presence of cytological features typical of PTC. Its main differential diagnosis is poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma. It has a less favorable prognosis than the classical papillary type, with a higher risk of distant metastasis, extrathyroidal extension and lympho-vascular invasion. It is associated with a slightly lower long-term survival in adult cases, but not in children. The management of solid variant PTC includes surgery, associated or not with postoperative radioiodine ablation, according to the aggressiveness criteria. Our patient had a DICER1 somatic mutation. Carriers of germline DICER1 mutations are predisposed to a rare cancer syndrome, the DICER1 syndrome, with a higher risk of numerous tumors and infrequently differentiated thyroid carcinomas.

Objective Liquid-based (LB)-FNA is widely recognized as a reliable diagnostic method to evaluate thyroid nodules. However, up to 30% of LB-FNA remain indeterminate according to the Bethesda system. Use of molecular biomarkers has been recommended to improve its pathological accuracy but implementation of these tests in clinical practice may be difficult. Here, we evaluated feasibility and performance of molecular profiling in routine practice by testing LB-FNA for BRAF, N/HRAS and TERT mutations. Methods We studied a large prospective cohort of 326 cases, including 61 atypia of undetermined significance, 124 follicular neoplasms, 72 suspicious for malignancy and 69 malignant cases. Diagnosis of malignancy was confirmed by histology on paired surgical specimen. Results Mutated LB-FNAs were significantly associated with malignancy regardless of the cytological classification. Overall sensitivity was 60% and specificity 89%. Importantly, in atypia of undetermined significance and follicular neoplasm patients undergoing surgery according to the Bethesda guidelines, negative predictive values were 85.4% and 90% respectively. TERT promoter mutation was rare but very specific for malignancy (5.5%) suggesting that it could be of interest in patients with indeterminate cytology. Conclusions Mutation profiling can be successfully performed on thyroid LB-FNA without any dedicated sample in a pathology laboratory. It is an easy way to improve diagnostic accuracy of routine LB-FNA and may help to better select patients for surgery and to avoid unnecessary thyroidectomies.

Background: Urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) is characterised by a high risk of recurrence. Patient monitoring is currently based on iterative cystoscopy and on urine cytology with low sensitivity in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is frequently reactivated in UBC by promoter mutations. Methods: We studied whether detection of TERT mutation in urine could be a predictor of UBC recurrence and compared this to cytology/cystoscopy for patient follow-up. A total of 348 patients treated by transurethral bladder resection for UBC were included together with 167 control patients. Results: Overall sensitivity was 80.5% and specificity 89.8%, and was not greatly impacted by inflammation or infection. TERT remaining positive after initial surgery was associated with residual carcinoma in situ. TERT in urine was a reliable and dynamic predictor of recurrence in NMIBC (P

Background Determining the optimal biological dose (OBD) has been described as an alternative strategy to the maximum tolerated doses (MTDs) for identifying the recommended phase II trial doses (RP2Ds) of phase I anti-cancer therapies. However, the clinical relevance is still unknown. An extensive review was performed to assess if the OBDs defined in early-phase trials were useful for subsequent drug development and approvals. Methods All the molecular targeted therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in solid oncology or in haematological malignancies before July 2018 were listed through the National Cancer Institute Database. The early-phase trial publications investigating these drugs as single agents were retrieved and analysed to identify the drugs for which OBDs were reported. The publications of subsequent pivotal efficacy clinical trials leading to the approvals were retrieved, and OBDs compared with the final labelled doses and dosing schedules. Results A total of 87 early-phase trial publications were analysed, corresponding to 81 FDA-approved targeted therapies. OBDs were reported for 40% (32/81) of these drugs (19 small molecules, 13 monoclonal antibodies). MTDs were not identified for 59% (19/32) of molecules. When the OBDs were selected as the RP2Ds (18/32 molecules), the final FDA-approved doses were consistent with the OBDs for 83% of the drugs, which is much higher than the previously reported 58% rate when MTDs were chosen as the RP2Ds. Conclusion Although still poorly investigated, the OBD may be a relevant and complementary end-point for early-phase trials of targeted therapies.

TERT promoter mutations are associated with adverse clinicopathological characteristics in thyroid carcinomas and considered as a major indicator of poor outcomes. Nevertheless, most studies have pooled heterogeneous types of thyroid carcinomas and have been conducted retrospectively. We investigated the association between TERT promoter mutations and recurrence in a prospective series of 173 intermediate- to high-risk patients with thyroid cancer.Patients referred for radioiodine treatment after thyroidectomy for intermediate- to high-risk differentiated thyroid carcinoma were included in a prospective observational study and tested for TERT promoter, BRAF, and RAS mutations of their primary tumours. We analysed the relationship between TERT promoter mutations and outcomes.The prevalence of TERT promoter mutations was 20.2% (35/173) in the total population. It was significantly higher in tumours harbouring aggressive histological features (poorly differentiated carcinoma, tall cell variant of papillary cancer or widely invasive follicular cancer) than in non-aggressive tumours: 32.7% (16/49) versus 15.3% (19/124; p = 0.020). TERT promoter mutations were also strongly associated with age ≥45 years (p = 0.005), pT4 stage (p = 0.015), metastatic disease (p = 0.014), and extrathyroidal extension (p = 0.002). TERT promoter mutations were associated with poor outcomes in the total population (p 0.001) but not in the subgroup of non-metastatic patients (p = 0.051). However, they were associated with a worse outcome in patients both free of metastases and devoid of aggressive histological features. Neither BRAF nor RAS mutations were associated with event-free survival in non-metastatic patients.Although their prognostic value does not seem to overcome that of histology, TERT promoter mutations may help to better define the prognosis of localized thyroid cancer patients without aggressive histology.

Hospital-based neuropsychologists in comprehensive epilepsy centers work as an integral part of a large interdisciplinary team. In pediatric epilepsy surgery settings, in addition to their traditional role in assessing children’s cognitive skills, neuropsychologists help to provide some of the data upon which decisions to operate may be based. Several procedures that require patient cooperation may help to identify critical brain areas to avoid during neurosurgery (functional MRI, intracarotid amobarbital procedure or Wada test, and cortical stimulation mapping). Neuropsychologists are involved in teaching, coaching, and managing pediatric patients through these procedures, coordinating and collaborating with other team members. Their roles require nuanced understanding of the effects of perturbations on brain development, a firm grasp of the practice of pediatric psychology with children and their parents in a hospital setting, and ability to communicate with others who interact with these children in their everyday environments.

Ovarian tumor is the gynecological cancer associated with the highest mortality. Most diseases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, which impairs the chances of prolonged complete remission. The standard front-line treatment of advanced stages combines surgery in an expert center with platinum-based chemotherapy. Most patients experience a relapse in the years following the initial treatment. During the last decade, anti-angiogenic agents used in the maintenance setting improved progression free survival (PFS) over chemotherapy alone. More recently, PARP inhibitors demonstrated substantial efficacy, mainly in patients with germinal or somatic BRCA mutations or other homologous recombination deficiencies (HRD), all involved in double strand DNA Damage Repair (DDR). Other therapeutic paradigms are currently being explored, including combinations of immune-checkpoints inhibitors, chemotherapy, bevacizumab and PARP inhibitors. In addition to these clinical advances, molecular characterization of the tumors and their correlations with drugs efficacy are needed to better understand which patient will benefit the most from the various treatments available to date.

Objectives: Defining the optimal doses & dosing schedules of combined targeted drugs is a challenge. Blocking both the PI3K-AKT-mTor and RAS-RAF-ERK pathways is a rationale therapeutic strategy in solid tumors. However, the phase 1 trials of everolimus (EVE) and sorafenib (SOR) failed to define the recommended phase II trial doses (RP2D) of both drugs, due to the toxicity when given continuously; and the combination was abandoned. The academic multi-parameter EVESOR trial (NCT01932177) was designed to assess alternative doses & dosing schedules of EVE & SOR, and to provide data that would be used to define the optimal doses & dosing schedules of both drugs associated with the best efficacy/toxicity ratio by modeling/simulation. Methods: EVESOR is an open dose-escalation phase 1 trial assessing the combination of EVE and SOR in patients with multi-treated advanced solid tumors. Enrolled patients were allocated to 1 of the 4 arms: A) EVE 5 mg QD for 2 weeks followed by continuous EVE + SOR 200 mg BID; B) SOR 200 mg BID for 2 weeks followed by continuous EVE 5 mg QD + SOR; C) alternating EVE 5-10 mg QD with SOR 200-400 mg BID every week; D) continuous EVE 5-10 mg QD + SOR 200-400 mg BID for 3 days on-4 days off. Multiple tumor & blood pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) parameters were sampled at baseline and during treatment (Nanostring panels). The 1st endpoint was the RP2D of both drugs in each arm A+B; C; and D. Results: 43 patients were included from 2013 to 2019: arm A n= 7; arm B n= 7; arm C n= 16; arm D n = 13. Most of them had gynecological (25.6%), cholangiocarcinomas (23.2%), colorectal (14%), and breast cancers (11.6%). Dose escalations to EVE 10 mg QD and SOR 400 mg BID were possible in both arms C and D. Five dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were observed (1; 3; and 1 in arms B, C and D respectively). Dose reductions were needed in 40% patients, stabilizing at EVE 5 mg and SOR 200 mg BID for the majority of them (58%). The overall response rate was 7%, and the disease control rate (DCR) was 73%. No relationships between dose levels and efficacy were found. However, the intermittent dosing schedules (arms C and D) were associated with better DCR. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.6 months (2.7; 6.3; 2.7; and 3.6 months in arms A, B, C and D). Longer PFS were observed with cholangiocarcinomas (9.8 months) and gynecological cancers (3.7 months). Baseline activation of RAS-RAF-ERK was associated with higher non-progression rates at 4 months (50% vs 10%, P=0.12) and longer PFS (4.2 vs 2.1 months, P = 0.016). Decreases in S6K and AKT phosphorylations were observed in 89% and 70% of patients, respectively, with no significant impact on efficacy. Conclusions: EVE 5 mg QD and SOR 200 mg BID combination is the RP2D in solid tumor patients, in both intermittent arms C & D. Intermittent dosing was associated with higher efficacy. Long responses were found in cholangiocarcinomas. Adequately designed multi-schedules phase 1 trials can help for drug development, and avoid abandon of effective targeted drug combinations. Modeling/simulation will be used to optimize dose & dosing schedules of EVE and SOR based on collected data, and then tested. Citation Format: Benoit You, Michel Tod, Lea Payen, Jonathan Lopez, Jerome Guitton, Pascal Rousset, Juliette Fontaine, Julien Peron, Denis Maillet, Sophie Tartas, Nathalie Bonnin, Veronique Trillet-Lenoir, Olivier Colomban, Diane Augu-Denechere, Gilles Freyer, Alicja Puszkiel. Clinical results of the multiparameter phase 1 trial EVESOR meant to optimize the doses and dosing schedules of the combination EVErolimus and SORafenib in solid tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr CT148.

Background The Transforming growth factorβ (TGFβ) signaling has a paradoxical role in cancer development and outcome. It protects against tumorigenesis by inhibiting cell growth and promoting apoptosis, but at advanced stages, it promotes tumor progression. Besides, the prognostic significance of the TGFβ1, SMAD4 in breast cancer patients is also an area of many contradictions. Transcriptional intermediary factor 1γ (TIF1γ) is thought to interact with the TGFβ/SMAD signaling through different mechanisms. Our study aimed at defining the prognostic significance of TGFβ1, SMAD4 and TIF1γ expression in breast cancer patients in addition to detection of possible interactions among those markers that might affect the outcome and explain the contradictory results. Methods Immunohistochemistry was performed on TMA blocks prepared from samples of 248 operable breast cancer patients who presented at CLB between 1998 and 2001 using. The intensity and the percentage of stained tumor cells were integrated into a single score (0-6) and a cutoff was defined for high or low expression for each marker. Correlation was done between the TGFβ1, SMAD4 and TIF1γ expression with the clinico-pathologic parameters using Pearson’s chi-square test. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate distant metastasis free survival (DMFS), disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) and the difference between the groups was evaluated with log-rank test. Results 223 cases were assessable for TIF1γ, 204 for TGFβ1 and 173 for SMAD4. Median age at diagnosis was 55.8 years (range: 27 to 89 years). Tumors were larger than 20 mm in 49.2% and 45.2% had axillary lymph node (LN) metastasis (N1a to N3). 19.4% of the patients had SBR grade I tumors, 46.8% grade II tumors and 33.9% grade III tumors. ER was positive in 85.4%, PR in 75.5% and Her2-neu was over-expressed in 10% of the cases. Nuclear TIF1γ, cytoplasmic TGFβ1, nuclear and cytoplasmic SMAD4 staining was high in 35.9%, 30.4%, 27.7% and 52.6% respectively. TIF1γ expression was associated with younger age (p=0.006), higher SBR grade (p TGFβ1 expression in tumor cells was a marker of poor prognosis regarding DMFS (HR=2.28; 95%CI: 1.4 to 3.8; p=0.002), DFS (HR=2.00; 95% CI: 1.25 to 3.5; p=0.005) and OS (HR=1.89; 95%CI: 1.04 to 3.43; p=0.037). TIF1γ expression carried a tendency towards poorer DMFS (p=0.091), DFS (p=0.143) and OS (p=0.091). In the multivariate analysis TGFβ1 remained an independent predictor of shorter DMFS, DFS and OS after adjustment for age, tumor size, SBR grade and LN invasion. Moreover, the prognostic significance of TGFβ1 was more obvious in the TIF1γ high patient subgroup than in the patients with TIF1γ low expression. The subgroup expressing both markers had the worst DMFS (HR=3.2; 95%CI: 1.7 to 5.9; p Conclusion There is a crosstalk between the TIF1γ and the TGFβ1/SMAD4 signaling that deteriorate the outcome of operable breast cancer patients and when combined together they can serve as an effective prognostic tool for those patients. Citation Format: Loay Kassem, Laurent Fattet, Jonathan Lopez, Goulvent Thibault, Emilie Lavergne, Sylvie Chabaud, Nicolas Carrabin, Nicolas Chopin, Thomas Bachelot, Germain Gillet, Isabelle Treilleux, Ruth Rimohk. TIF1[gamma] interacts with the TGFβ1/SMAD4 signaling leading to poorer outcome in operable breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-11-24.

Background The prognosis of poorly differentiated thyroid carcinomas (PDTC) is heterogeneous though generally poor. The objectives of this study were to identify clinical and molecular factors of poor prognosis. Methods One hundred four consecutive patients treated for a PDTC between 01/01/2000 and 31/12/2010 were included in this study. A pathological review was done for all cases (blinded to clinical data and outcome). Results All patients underwent thyroidectomy. Adjuvant radioactive-iodine was administered in 95.2% of them. Tumours were pT3 or pT4 in 68.3% of cases and metastatic in 38.5% of patients. Extrathyroidal extension (ETE) was observed in 40% of patients. At the end of the initial treatment, only 37% of patients were considered in remission. Fifty-two patients (50%) became refractory to radioiodine during follow-up. The 5-year overall survival was 72.8% and the 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 45.3%. Remission after initial treatment was an independent factor of RFS (HR = 0.22; [0.10–0.49]). ETE was the only significant parameter influencing the overall survival in multivariate analysis. TERT promoter mutations at positions −124 (C228T) and −146 (C250T) were present in 38.1% of analysed patients and significantly associated with radioiodine resistance but not with overall survival. Half of TERT promoter mutant tumours harboured also RAS or BRAF mutations. Conclusion PDTC form a heterogeneous group of patients with usual late-stage diagnosis, low radioactive iodine avidity and frequent metastatic spread. TERT promoter mutations could help to identify patients with high risk of radio-iodine refractoriness.

3060 Background: The determination of the optimal biological dose (OBD) defined as the lowest safe dose associated with biological efficacy, appears to be a promising endpoint for defining the recommended phase 2 trial dose (RP2D) of novel oncologic targeted therapies in early-phase clinical trials. However, the clinical relevance of OBD is still unknown. We conducted a review to assess if the OBDs of molecular targeted therapies defined during early phase trials were useful during subsequent drug development and for oncologic drug approvals. Methods: A systematic review was conducted to identify all the molecular targeted therapies approved by FDA in solid and hematological malignancies, and for which early phase trials defined OBDs. The publications of efficacy trials leading to the first FDA approvals were reviewed, as were the FDA approved doses and dosing schedules, which were compared to OBDs found in the early phase trials. Results: OBDs were reported in the early phase trial articles of 39.5% (32/81) FDA approved targeted therapies from 1999 to 2017 (19 small molecules and 13 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)). The maximum tolerated doses (MTD) had not been reached for 59.4% (19/32) of these drugs. When both MTD and OBD had been defined, OBD were lower than MTD in 84.6% of cases, and equal for the others. The OBDs were chosen as the RP2Ds for 56.3% of the molecules. In that case, the final FDA approved doses were consistent with the OBDs for 83.3% of the drugs. These percentages did not differ in between small molecules and mAbs. OBDs mainly relied on indirect effects on the involved signaling pathway elements for small molecules (11/19, 57.9%), and on involved receptor occupancies for mAbs (6/13, 46.2%). In total, 23.5% of all FDA approved molecular targeted therapies were approved at their OBDs. Conclusions: Although still poorly investigated, OBD may represent a relevant complementary endpoint in in early phase trials of novel anti-cancer targeted therapies, as OBDs are selected as the final FDA approved doses in 83.3 % of cases when chosen as the RP2Ds, which is much higher than the previously reported 58.0 % when MTDs are chosen as the RP2Ds (Fontes-Jardim et al. JNCI 2015).

The acute phase of influenza infection is rarely associated with significant cognitive dysfunction. We describe a case of a 24 year-old man who developed global amnesia in the acute phase of influenza A infection. His deficits resolved over the course of several weeks. Transient abnormalities of diffusion and T2-weighted imaging were seen in the bilateral hippocampi. We review cerebral complications of influenza and discuss the possible role of previously proposed mechanisms in our patient’s case.

Sturge–Weber syndrome is a neurocutaneous disorder associated with vascular abnormalities in the skin, eye, and brain leading to both acute and chronic cerebral hypoperfusion and, in some affected children, brain injury. Aspirin can reduce stroke-like events and seizure episodes and prevent further brain injuries in these patients. Although a few cases of intracranial hemorrhage in patients with Sturge–Weber syndrome have been reported, prior reports have not discussed this complication with regard to particular therapies. The authors present a toddler with Sturge–Weber syndrome who developed a subdural hematoma in the setting of a mechanical fall with minor head trauma. They discuss the possible role of aspirin in contributing to, or perhaps protecting against, intracranial hemorrhage in patients with Sturge–Weber syndrome. Further data are needed to establish the utility of aspirin in Sturge–Weber syndrome.

Whether mutation status should be used to guide therapy is an important issue in many cancers. We correlated mutation profile in radioiodine-refractory (RAIR) metastatic thyroid cancers (TCs) with patient outcome and response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), and discussed the results with other published data. Outcome in 82 consecutive patients with metastatic RAIR thyroid carcinoma prospectively tested for BRAF, RAS and PI3KCA mutations was retrospectively analyzed, including 55 patients treated with multikinase inhibitors. Papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) were the most frequent histological subtype (54.9 %), followed by poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma [PDTC] (30.5 %) and follicular thyroid carcinoma [FTC] (14.6 %). A genetic mutation was identified in 23 patients (28 %) and BRAF was the most frequently mutated gene (23 %). Median progression-free survival (PFS) on first-line TKI treatment was 14.6 months (95% CI 9.9–18.4). BRAF mutation positively influenced median PFS, both in the entire TKI-treated cohort (median PFS 34.7 months versus 11.6 months; hazard ratio [HR] 0.29; 95% CI 0.09–0.98; p = 0.03) and in the TKI-treated PTC cohort (n = 22) [log-rank p = 0.086; HR 2.95; 95 % CI 0.81–10.70). However, in TKI-treated patients, PDTC histologic subtype was the only independent prognostic factor for PFS identified in the multivariate analysis (HR 2.36; 95% CI 1.01–5.54; p = 0.048). Patients with BRAF-mutant PTC had a significantly longer PFS than BRAF wild-type when treated with TKIs. However, due to the small number of BRAF-mutant patients, further investigations are required, especially to understand the potential positive effect of BRAF mutations in RAIR TC patients while having a negative prognostic impact in RAI-sensitive PTC patients.

Background The Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling has a paradoxical role in cancer development and outcome. Besides, the prognostic significance of the TGFβ1, SMAD4 in breast cancer patients is an area of many contradictions. The transcriptional intermediary factor 1γ (TIF1γ) is thought to interact with the TGFβ/SMAD signaling through different mechanisms. Our study aims to define the prognostic significance of TGFβ1, SMAD4 and TIF1γ expression in breast cancer patients and to detect possible interactions among those markers that might affect the outcome. Methods Immunohistochemistry was performed on tissue microarray (TMA) blocks prepared from samples of 248 operable breast cancer patients who presented at Centre Léon Bérard (CLB) between 1998 and 2001. The intensity and the percentage of stained tumor cells were integrated into a single score (0–6) and a cutoff was defined for high or low expression for each marker. Correlation was done between TGFβ1, SMAD4 and TIF1γ expression with the clinico-pathologic parameters using Pearson’s chi-square test. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate distant metastasis free survival (DMFS), disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) and the difference between the groups was evaluated with log-rank test. Results 223 cases were assessable for TIF1γ, 204 for TGFβ1 and 173 for SMAD4. Median age at diagnosis was 55.8 years (range: 27 to 89 years). Tumors were larger than 20 mm in 49.2 % and 45.2 % had axillary lymph node (LN) metastasis (N1a to N3). 19.4 % of the patients had SBR grade I tumors, 46.8 % grade II tumors and 33.9 % grade III tumors. ER was positive in 85.4 %, PR in 75.5 % and Her2-neu was over-expressed in 10 % of the cases. Nuclear TIF1γ, cytoplasmic TGFβ1, nuclear and cytoplasmic SMAD4 stainings were high in 35.9 %, 30.4 %, 27.7 % and 52.6 % respectively. TIF1γ expression was associated with younger age (p = 0.006), higher SBR grade (p

Biology, epidemiology, presentation, optimal management, and outcomes of brain tumors change throughout the lifespan. The most rapid changes occur in the first two decades of life. Brain tumors have a lower incidence in children than adults, but represent a higher overall proportion of childhood cancer. Despite a relatively low incidence of high-grade primary tumors and metastases, brain and other central nervous system tumors account for a substantial burden of childhood cancer morbidity and mortality. Seizures are an equally common manifestation of supratentorial tumors in children and adults, but tumors are a less common cause of seizures and epilepsy in childhood. Initial presentation with seizures portends a longer survival. Thus, seizures are often among the primary considerations for management. Optimal management strategies that account for the unique challenges of these combined diagnoses in the pediatric patient are evolving.

The quantity of bone marrow collected for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is based on collecting 10 to 15 cc of bone marrow/kg of recipient weight. We hypothesized that the percentage of CD34+ cells collected during a bone marrow harvest decreased at the end of the harvest because of increasing amounts of peripheral blood contamination. We performed a prospective, blinded study in which we measured CD34+ percentages and cell counts at 200-cc intervals during bone marrow harvests from 11 consecutive human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched sibling bone marrow donors. We observed that the percentage of CD34+ cells in aspirated bone marrow did not vary significantly from the start to the end of the bone marrow harvest, and the total number of CD34+ cells/kg increased in a linear fashion, thus disproving our original hypothesis. In conclusion, the percentage of CD34+ cells in aspirated bone marrow will remain constant throughout a bone marrow harvest.

Background Inherited leukodystrophies are progressive, debilitating neurological disorders with few treatment options and high mortality rates. Our objective was to determine national variation in the costs for leukodystrophy patients and to evaluate differences in their care. Methods We developed an algorithm to identify inherited leukodystrophy patients in deidentified data sets using a recursive tree model based on International Classification of Disease, 9th Edition, Clinical Modification, diagnosis and procedure charge codes. Validation of the algorithm was performed independently at two institutions, and with data from the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) of 43 US children's hospitals, for a 7-year period between 2004 and 2010. Results A recursive algorithm was developed and validated, based on six International Classification of Disease, 9th Edition, Clinical Modification, codes and one procedure code that had a sensitivity up to 90% (range 61-90%) and a specificity up to 99% (range 53-99%) for identifying inherited leukodystrophy patients. Inherited leukodystrophy patients comprise 0.4% of admissions to children's hospitals and 0.7% of costs. During 7 years, these patients required $411 million of hospital care, or $131,000/patient. Hospital costs for leukodystrophy patients varied at different institutions, ranging from two to 15 times more than the average pediatric patient. There was a statistically significant correlation between higher volume and increased cost efficiency. Increased mortality rates had an inverse relationship with increased patient volume that was not statistically significant. Conclusions We developed and validated a code-based algorithm for identifying leukodystrophy patients in deidentified national datasets. Leukodystrophy patients account for $59 million of costs yearly at children's hospitals. Our data highlight potential to reduce unwarranted variability and improve patient care.

Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) is widely recognised as an important factor that regulates many steps of normal mammary gland (MG) development, including branching morphogenesis, functional differentiation and involution. Tif1γ has previously been reported to temporally and spatially control TGFβ signalling during early vertebrate development by exerting negative effects over SMAD4 availability. To evaluate the contribution of Tif1 γ to MG development, we developed a Cre/LoxP system to specifically invalidate the Tif1g gene in mammary epithelial cells in vivo. Tif1g-null mammary gland development appeared to be normal and no defects were observed during the lifespan of virgin mice. However, a lactation defect was observed in mammary glands of Tif1g-null mice. We demonstrate that Tif1 γ is essential for the terminal differentiation of alveolar epithelial cells at the end of pregnancy and to ensure lactation. Tif1 γ appears to play a crucial role in the crosstalk between TGFβ and prolactin pathways by negatively regulating both PRL receptor expression and STAT5 phosphorylation, thereby impairing the subsequent transactivation of PRL target genes. Using HC11 cells as a model, we demonstrate that the effects of Tif1g knockdown on lactation depend on both SMAD4 and TGFβ. Interestingly, we found that the Tif1γ expression pattern in mammary epithelial cells is almost symmetrically opposite to that described for TGFβ. We propose that Tif1γ contributes to the repression of TGFβ activity during late pregnancy and prevents lactation by inhibiting SMAD4.

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is widely recognized as a reliable diagnostic method to evaluate thyroid nodules. Recently use of molecular biomarkers was proposed to improve pathologic accuracy. We evaluated feasibility and performance of molecular analysis in liquid-based FNA (LB-FNA) with indeterminate cytology. Mutation profiling of NRAS, HRAS and BRAF was performed on residual material from LB-FNA of 215 cases including 83 atypia of undetermined significance (AUS), 72 follicular neoplasms (FN), 46 suspicious for malignancy (SM), and 14 malignant (M). Forty-eight (22%) cases were mutated. Twenty-four cases presented a RAS mutation (19 NRAS and 5 HRAS) (11 AUS, 6 FN, and 7 SM) and 24 were carrying a BRAF mutation (1FN, 11 SM, and 12M). Surgical samples were available for 38 cases: 3 AUS, 14 FN, 13 SM and 8M. In the AUS category, 1 was a papillary carcinoma (PC) with NRAS mutation and 2 were benign (1 with NRAS mutation). In the FN category, 3 were malignant (1 with BRAF and 1 with HRAS mutation) and 11 benign (1 with HRAS and 1 with NRAS mutation). In the SM group, 10 were PC (3 with NRAS mutation and 5 with BRAF mutation) and 3 benign (no mutation). In the M group, all were PC with BRAF mutation. In conclusion, mutation profiling of BRAF and RAS can be successfully performed on residual material of thyroid LB-FNA and could improve the diagnostic accuracy of FNA.