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Background: Extensive resections in low-grade glioma (LGG) are associated with improved overall survival (OS). However, World Health Organization (WHO) classification of gliomas has been completely revised and is now predominantly based on molecular criteria. This requires reevaluation of the impact of surgery in molecularly defined LGG subtypes., Methods: We included 228 adults who underwent surgery since 2003 for a supratentorial LGG. Pre- and postoperative tumor volumes were assessed with semiautomatic software on T2-weighted images. Targeted next-generation sequencing was used to classify samples according to current WHO classification. Impact of postoperative volume on OS, corrected for molecular profile, was assessed using a Cox proportional hazards model., Results: Median follow-up was 5.79 years. In 39 (17.1%) histopathologically classified gliomas, the subtype was revised after molecular analysis. Complete resection was achieved in 35 patients (15.4%), and in 54 patients (23.7%) only small residue (0.1-5.0 cm3) remained. In multivariable analysis, postoperative volume was associated with OS, with a hazard ratio of 1.01 (95% CI: 1.002-1.02; P = 0.016) per cm3 increase in volume. The impact of postoperative volume was particularly strong in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutated astrocytoma patients, where even very small postoperative volumes (0.1-5.0 cm) already negatively affected OS., Conclusion: Our data provide the necessary reevaluation of the impact of surgery in molecularly defined LGG and support maximal resection as first-line treatment for molecularly defined LGG. Importantly, in IDH mutated astrocytoma, even small postoperative volumes have negative impact on OS, which argues for a second-look operation in this subtype to remove minor residues if safely possible., (© The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com)

Purpose: Primary endometrioid stromal sarcomas (ESS) of the ovary are rare mesenchymal tumors with scarce data on their behavior and optimal treatment. We aimed to describe the clinicopathologic features and outcome among patients with primary ovarian ESS., Results: The age of the patients ranged from 34 to 61 years (mean: 49.1 years, median: 51.5 years). The most common symptoms were abdominal distention or pain or both. Nine (64.3%) and five patients (35.7%) had low-grade and high-grade disease, respectively. The median duration of follow-up was 65 months (range, 8-311 months). All 9 patients with low-grade ESS were alive, of these, 3 (33.3%) of them developed recurrence after surgery. Only 1 patient (20%) with high-grade ESS was alive with no evidence of disease in a short-term follow-up visit; the remaining 4 (80%) developed recurrence after surgery, and 2 (40%) died of progressive disease., Methods: Medical records of 14 patients with primary ovarian ESS in our institution were collected and analyzed., Conclusions: The behavior of primary ovarian ESS is similar to that of their uterine counterparts. Low-grade ESS is an indolent tumor with a propensity for late recurrences. The prognosis of high-grade ESS is poor., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Purpose: To assess the clinical outcomes and fertility of young women with stage I low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) treated with fertility-sparing surgery., Results: Seventeen patients with stage I low-grade ESS (stage IA, n = 6; stage IB, n = 11) were entered into this study. Adjuvant hormone therapy was administered to 15 (88.2%) patients. At a median follow-up of 39 months (range, 4-106 months), 10 (58.8%) patients developed recurrence. All 10 patients had stage IB disease; among them, the first recurrence limited to the uterus was observed in 6 patients. All 17 patients were alive and disease-free at the time of last contact. After treatment, five of eight (62.5%) patients who attempted pregnancy conceived. No offspring had congenital anomalies., Methods: Patients with stage I low-grade ESS who underwent fertility-sparing surgery between April 2001 and November 2015 were retrospectively reviewed., Conclusions: Fertility-sparing surgery may be considered for young patients with stage IA low-grade ESS who wish to preserve their fertility.

Patients with low-grade glioma frequently have brain tumor-related epilepsy, which is more common than in patients with high-grade glioma. Treatment for tumor-associated epilepsy usually comprises a combination of surgery, anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Response to tumor-directed treatment is measured primarily by overall survival and progression-free survival. However, seizure frequency has been observed to respond to tumor-directed treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. A review of the current literature regarding seizure assessment for low-grade glioma patients reveals a heterogeneous manner in which seizure response has been reported. There is a need for a systematic approach to seizure assessment and its influence on health-related quality-of-life outcomes in patients enrolled in low-grade glioma therapeutic trials. In view of the need to have an adjunctive metric of tumor response in these patients, a method of seizure assessment as a metric in brain tumor treatment trials is proposed., (© The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Study Design: Retrospective series., Purpose: Assess results of decompression-only surgery for low-grade degenerative spondylolisthesis with consideration of instability., Overview of Literature: There is no consensus on whether fusion or decompression-only surgery leads to better outcomes for patients with low-grade degenerative spondylolisthesis. Current trends support fusion but many studies are flawed due to over-generalization without consideration of radiological instability and their variable presentations and natural history., Methods: Patients with surgically treated degenerative spondylolisthesis from 1990-2013 were included. Clinical and radiological instability measures were included. Any residual or recurrence of symptoms, revision surgery performed and functional outcome scores including the numerical global rate of change scale, visual analogue scale, and modified Barthel index were measured. Follow-up periods for patients were divided into short-term (<5 years), mid-term (5-10 years) and long-term (>10 years)., Results: A total of 64 patients were recruited. Mechanical low back pain was noted in 48 patients and most (85.4%) had relief of back pain postoperatively. Radiological instability was noted in 4 subjects by flexion-extension radiographs and 12 subjects with prone traction radiographs by increased disc height and reduction of olisthesis and slip angle. From the results of the short-term, mid-term and long-term follow-up, reoperation only occurred within the first 5-year follow-up period. All functional scores improved from preoperative to postoperative 1-year follow-up., Conclusions: Decompression-only for low-grade degenerative spondylolisthesis has good long-term results despite instability. Further higher-level studies should be performed on this patient group with radiological instability to suggest the superior surgical option.

Prognosis of endometrial adenocarcinoma is favorable; however, the risk of recurrence ranges from 7% to 13%. Recurrence has been related to age, tumor type, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics grade, depth of invasion, and lymphovascular invasion (LVI); however, morphologic features that would predict the site of recurrence have not been established. In this multi-institutional study, we reviewed 589 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics grades 1 or 2 endometrial adenocarcinoma, endometrioid type. Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to identify univariate and multivariate risk factors for recurrence and survival. Univariate analysis revealed features of tumors that recurred only in the vagina: low nuclear grade; superficial myoinvasion; minimal to no LVI; and minimal myoinvasion with microcystic, elongated, and fragmented (MELF) pattern; low nuclear grade and superficial myoinvasion persisted on multivariate analysis. Features of tumors that recurred at other sites included large size, deep myoinvasion, tumor necrosis, 1 or more LVI foci, LVI foci distant/deeper than invasive tumor front, MELF myoinvasion pattern, lower uterine segment and cervical stromal involvement, pelvic and/or paraaortic lymph node metastases at presentation, and higher grade of tumor in the metastatic foci, whereas increased percentage of solid component and lower percentage of mucinous features were marginally associated. Tumors with recurrences only in vagina had different features than tumors that recurred at other sites. The presence of tumor necrosis, MELF foci at the invasive tumor front, and the percentage of solid component and mucinous features could be helpful in grading endometrioid adenocarcinomas, if a 2-tier rather than a 3-tier grading system is accepted in the future., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We report a rare case of primary pulmonary low-grade angiosarcoma on dynamic contrast-enhanced CT and (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT imaging. A 38-year-old, asymptomatic woman was hospitalized because of an abnormality on chest radiography. A dynamic contrast-enhanced chest CT showed a 1.2 cm-sized irregular-margined nodule with strong and persistent enhancement in the right lower lobe. The lesion had low metabolic activity on an (18)F-FDG PET/CT scan. The patient underwent a wedge resection for the lesion, and pathology revealed a primary pulmonary low-grade angiosarcoma.

Introduction: Central nervous system (CNS) tumors are the most common solid tumors in children. Among these, the low-grade gliomas are the most common type, accounting for up to 30-50% of them., Patients and Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out on the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, tumor location, histology, treatment, outcome and long-term sequelae of 111 patients diagnosed with low-grade glioma in the Niño Jesús Children's Hospital of Madrid from January 2002 to December 2011., Results: Of the 111 patients, there were 57 boys and 54 girls. The mean age was 7.26 years (range, 2 months - 19 years). The most common symptoms of presentation were headache (27%) and vomiting (19%). The most common locations were the cerebral hemispheres (38%), followed by the brainstem (27.4%), and cerebellum (18.5%). Histological examination was performed in 89 patients (80.18%). Pilocytic astrocytoma was the most common histological type. Diagnostic biopsy was performed in 20 patients (22.5%), partial resection in 38 patients (42.7%), and total resection in 31 patients (34.8%). Sixteen patients received chemotherapy (14%), and eighteen patients received radiotherapy (16%). Overall survival was 88.3%. Long term hearing, visual and endocrine sequelae were note in 1, 5, and 4 patients, respectively., Conclusions: The most common histological type is pilocytic astrocytoma. Overall survival was 88.3%. Only 9% of patients had some kind or auditory, visual or endocrine sequelae., (Copyright © 2013 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes in pediatric low-grade gliomas managed in a multidisciplinary setting. Methods and Materials: We conducted a single-institution retrospective study of 181 children with Grade I–II gliomas. Log-rank and stepwise Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze freedom from progression (FFP) and overall survival (OS). Results: Median follow-up was 6.4 years. Thirty-four (19%) of patients had neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) and because of their favorable prognosis were evaluated separately. In the 147 (81%) of patients without NF1, actuarial 7-year FFP and OS were 67 ± 4% (standard error) and 94 ± 2%, respectively. In this population, tumor location in the optic pathway/hypothalamus was associated with worse FFP (39% vs. 76%, p < 0.0003), but there was no difference in OS. Age ≤5 years was associated with worse FFP (52% vs. 75%, p < 0.02) but improved OS (97% vs. 92%, p < 0.05). In those with tissue diagnosis, gross total resection (GTR) was associated with improved 7-year FFP (81% vs. 56%, p < 0.02) and OS (100% vs. 90%, p < 0.03). In a multivariate model, only location in the optic pathway/hypothalamus predicted worse FFP (p < 0.01). Fifty patients received radiation therapy (RT). For those with less than GTR, adjuvant RT improved FFP (89% vs. 49%, p < 0.003) but not OS. There was no difference in OS between patient groups given RT as adjuvant vs. salvage therapy. In NF1 patients, 94% of tumors were located in the optic pathway/hypothalamus. With a conservative treatment strategy in this population, actuarial 7-year FFP and OS were 73 ± 9% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: Low-grade gliomas in children ≤5 years old with tumors in the optic pathway/hypothalamus are more likely to progress, but this does not confer worse OS because of the success of salvage therapy. When GTR is not achieved, adjuvant RT improves FFP but not OS. Routine adjuvant RT can be avoided and instead reserved as salvage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Low-grade gliomas compose 5-20% of all glial tumors. The prognosis of the disease can be anticipated by specific clinical factors determined during diagnosis. For this purpose, our study investigated the clinical prognostic factors for low-grade gliomas., Methods: Patients diagnosed with histopathologically confirmed low-grade glioma, followed by Akdeniz University and Süleyman Demirel University School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology between 1999 and 2013 were included in the study. The examination of survival by single variable analyses were performed by log rank test. For the multivariate analysis, independent factors for the prediction of survival by using possible factors determined by previous analyses were examined by using Cox regression analysis., Results: Fifty-five patients were included in the study. The mean follow-up period was determined as 60 ± 57 (4.5-168.1) months. Five-year overall survival was determined as 69% and 10-year overall survival was determined as 40%. When the potential prognostic factors were studied in Cox regression model, pre-radiotherapy age below 40 and gross-total excision were determined as good prognostic factors., Conclusion: We demonstrated that the aggressive surgical resection provided a better survival advantage both in single variable analyses and multivariate analyses. Consequently, although the low number of patients was the most important limitation in our study, we consider that patient age and extent of resection are the most important clinical prognostic factors in low-grade gliomas.

The descriptive epidemiology of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (1984-1988) in parts of England and Wales is described by low grade (LG) and high grade (HG) subtypes. Major differences in age specific incidence are evident particularly in those under 35 years where LG-NHL is virtually absent in childhood and rare in young adulthood. Over the 5 year period of registration of cases significant increases in incidence were noted for males with both HG and LG disease. The geographical analyses demonstrate clear epidemiological differences between LG-NHL and HG-NHL. The SMRs for 22 English and Welsh counties are not correlated for LG and HG-NHL disease, whose distributions are significantly different. Regression analyses at the electoral ward level show a strong association between LG-NHL and high-socio economic status and there is a weaker link between HG-NHL and residence in an urban area. Formal comparison of LG and HG-NHL shows significant differences for the effect of socio-economic grouping but not for urban-rural status. There is strong evidence to show that major differences exist in patterns of LG and HG-NHL for age specific incidence, geographical distribution and area risk factors. Interpretation of these epidemiological features are highly suggestive of differing aetiologies.