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Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) associated with Xp11.2 translocation (TFE3-RCC) has been recently defined as a distinct subset of RCC classified by characteristic morphology and clinical presentation. The Xp11 translocations involve the TFE3 transcription factor and produce chimeric TFE3 proteins retaining the basic helix–loop–helix leucine zipper structure for dimerization and DNA binding suggesting that chimeric TFE3 proteins function as oncogenic transcription factors. Diagnostic biomarkers and effective forms of therapy for advanced cases of TFE3-RCC are as yet unavailable. To facilitate the development of molecular based diagnostic tools and targeted therapies for this aggressive kidney cancer, we generated a translocation RCC mouse model, in which the PRCC-TFE3 transgene is expressed specifically in kidneys leading to the development of RCC with characteristic histology. Expression of the receptor tyrosine kinase Ret was elevated in the kidneys of the TFE3-RCC mice, and treatment with RET inhibitor, vandetanib, significantly suppressed RCC growth. Moreover, we found that Gpnmb (Glycoprotein nonmetastatic B) expression was notably elevated in the TFE3-RCC mouse kidneys as seen in human TFE3-RCC tumors, and confirmed that GPNMB is the direct transcriptional target of TFE3 fusions. While GPNMB IHC staining was positive in 9/9 cases of TFE3-RCC, Cathepsin K, a conventional marker for TFE3-RCC, was positive in only 67% of cases. These data support RET as a potential target and GPNMB as a diagnostic marker for TFE3-RCC. The TFE3-RCC mouse provides a preclinical in vivo model for the development of new biomarkers and targeted therapeutics for patients affected with this aggressive form of RCC.Implications:Key findings from studies with this preclinical mouse model of TFE3-RCC underscore the potential for RET as a therapeutic target for treatment of patients with TFE3-RCC, and suggest that GPNMB may serve as diagnostic biomarker for TFE3 fusion RCC.

Supplemental Figure S1. Representative images of TFE3 immunohistochemistry of renal papillae and renal pelvis (a, b), ureters (c, d), and bladders (e, f) from a 10-month-old PRCC-TFE3; KSP-Cre- (a, c, e) mouse and a PRCC-TFE3; KSP-Cre+ (b, d, f) mouse. S2, S3, S4, S5. Supplemental Table S1. (a) List of top 50 significantly upregulated (q-value < 0.05, fold change > 2) genes in kidneys from 4 month old PRCC-TFE3; KSP-Cre+ mice. (b) List of significantly downregulated (q-value < 0.05, fold change < 1/2) genes in kidneys from 4 month old PRCC-TFE3; KSP-Cre+ mice. Supplemental Table S2 (a) List of top 50 significantly upregulated (q-value < 0.05, fold change > 2) genes in kidneys from 7 month old PRCC-TFE3; KSP-Cre+ mice. (b) List of top 50 significantly downregulated (q-value < 0.05, fold change < 1/2) genes in kidneys from 7 month old PRCC-TFE3; KSP-Cre+ mice. Supplemental Fig. S2 Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) of microarray data from 4 month old PRCC-TFE3; KSP-Cre+ mouse kidneys (n=4) vs 4 month old PRCC-TFE3; KSP-Cre- mouse kidneys (n=4) (a, b, c, g, h, i) and 7 month old PRCC-TFE3;KSP-Cre+ mouse kidneys (n=4) vs 7 month old PRCC-TFE3; KSP-Cre- mouse kidneys (n=3) (d, e, f, j, k, l). Supplemental Table S3 List of commonly upregulated genes in PRCC-TFE3; KSP-Cre+ mouse kidneys (4 month old and 7 month old) and TFEB overexpressed mouse kidneys (P0 and P14, Calcagni et al. Supplemental Fig. S3 Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) of microarray data from 4 month old PRCC-TFE3; KSP-Cre+ mouse kidneys (n=4) vs 4 month old PRCC-TFE3; KSP-Cre- mouse kidneys (n=4) (a) and 7 month old PRCC-TFE3;KSP-Cre+ mouse kidneys (n=4) vs 7 month old PRCC-TFE3; KSP-Cre- mouse kidneys (n=3) (b). Marginal (a) and significant (b) enrichment of genes associated with KRAS activation in kidneys from PRCC-TFE3; KSP-Cre+ mice. Supplemental Fig. S4. The immunohistochemical staining of Tfe3 (a), Gpnmb (b), and Ret (c) on PRCC-TFE3;KSP-Cre- kidneys and PRCC-TFE3;KSP-Cre+ kidneys was semiquantified and scored as (-), (1+) and (2+). Supplemental Fig. S5. Volcano plot of gene expression changes for 4 month-old (a) and 7 month-old (b) PRCC-TFE3; KSP-Cre- kidneys and PRCC-TFE3; KSP-Cre+ kidneys.

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been widely used for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. However, prognosis and adverse events vary among patients. This study aimed to identify genetic markers able to predict the outcome of ADT. Japanese patients treated with primary ADT for advanced prostate cancer in the KYUCOG-1401 trial were enrolled as a development set. A distinct population of advanced prostate cancer cases treated with ADT was included as a validation set. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with radiographic progression-free survival (PFS) at 1 year and adverse events including de novo diabetes mellitus, arthralgia, and de novo dyslipidemia were identified in the development set by a genome-wide association study (GWAS). The SNPs associated with radiographic PFS in the development study were then genotyped in the validation set. GWAS followed by validation identified SNPs (rs76237622 in PRR27 and rs117573572 in MTAP) that were associated with overall survival in ADT. A genetic prognostic model using these SNPs showed excellent predictive efficacy for PFS and overall survival in ADT. In addition, GWAS showed that several SNPs were associated with de novo diabetes mellitus, arthralgia, and de novo dyslipidemia in ADT. This study identified novel multiple SNPs that correlated with outcomes in ADT. Future studies on correlations affecting the therapeutic efficacy of ADT-based combination therapies would make a valuable contribution to the development of personalized medicine.

Supplementary Data includes Supplementary Methods, Supplementary Results, Supplementary Table S1-S13, Supplementary Figure S1-S7, and Supplementary References.

Penile cancer is a rare cancer for which no medical guidelines have been established before in Japan. These guidelines aim to standardize, as much as possible, the therapeutic modality for penile cancer, for which empirical evidence is limited on a global scale, thereby bolstering therapeutic outcomes for patients with penile cancer. The new guidelines conform to the Minds Guide for Developing Clinical Practice Guidelines (2017) as much as possible. However, virtually no randomized comparative studies and meta-analyses based on such randomized studies have been conducted. Therefore, only the findings available at present were listed after conducting an exhaustive literature review of items with extremely low evidence levels and for which bodies of evidence and grades of recommendation were not evaluated. Clinical questions were set for items with a relatively large number of studies, including retrospective studies. However, since it is virtually impracticable to summarize bodies of evidence by systematic reviews, recommendation grades and evidence levels were discussed and determined by the consensus panel of the Preparatory Committee. The following were outlined: epidemiological, pathological, diagnostic, therapeutic, follow-up, and quality of life-related findings. Additionally, seven clinical questions were established to determine recommendation grades and evidence levels. We hope that these guidelines will prove to be useful to medical professionals engaged in clinical practice related to penile cancer in Japan and anticipate that critical reviews of the guidelines will lead to further refinement of the next edition.

Purpose: Although cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing is expected to drive cancer precision medicine, little is known about the significance of detecting low-frequency variants in circulating cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). We aimed to identify genomic profile including low-frequency variants in ctDNA from patients with CRPC and investigate the clinical utility of detecting variants with variant allele frequency (VAF) below 1%. Experimental Design: This prospective, multicenter cohort study enrolled patients with CRPC eligible for treatment with abiraterone or enzalutamide. We performed targeted sequencing of pretreatment cfDNA and paired leukocyte DNA with molecular barcodes, and ctDNA variants with a VAF ≥0.1% were detected using an in-house pipeline. We investigated progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) after different ctDNA fraction cutoffs were applied. Results: One hundred patients were analyzed (median follow-up 10.7 months). We detected deleterious ATM, BRCA2, and TP53 variants even in samples with ctDNA fraction below 2%. When the ctDNA fraction cutoff value of 0.4% was applied, significant differences in PFS and OS were found between patients with and without defects in ATM or BRCA2 [HR, 2.52; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.24–5.11; P = 0.0091] and TP53 (HR, 3.74; 95% CI, 1.60–8.71; P = 0.0014). However, these differences were no longer observed when the ctDNA fraction cutoff value of 2% was applied, and approximately 50% of the samples were classified as ctDNA unquantifiable. Conclusions: Detecting low-frequency ctDNA variants with a VAF

Management of pelvic node-positive prostate cancer has been challenging and controversial. We conducted a study to evaluate the outcomes of whole-pelvic (WP) simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) combined with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).A total of 67 consecutive patients with cT1c-4N1M0 prostate cancer were definitively treated by WP SIB-IMRT. Neoadjuvant ADT (median: 8.3 months) was administered in all cases. WP SIB-IMRT was designed to simultaneously deliver 78, 66.3, and 58.5 Gy in 39 fractions to the prostate plus seminal vesicles, metastatic lymph nodes (LNs), and the pelvic LN region, respectively. Adjuvant ADT (median: 24.7 months) was administered in 66 patients.The median follow-up period was 81.6 months (range: 30.5-160.7). Biochemical relapse-free, overall, and prostate cancer-specific survival rates at 10 years were 59.8%, 79.6%, and 86.3%, respectively. Loco-regional recurrence was not observed. Being in International Society of Urological Pathology grade group 5 and having a posttreatment detectable nadir prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level (≥0.010 ng/ml) were significantly associated with worse prostate cancer-specific survival and progression of castration resistance. The 10-year cumulative incidence rates of grade 2 and 3 late toxicities were, respectively, 1.5% and 0% for genitourinary, 0% and 1.5% for gastrointestinal events. No grade 4 acute or late toxicities were observed.WP SIB-IMRT can be safely administered to patients with pelvic node-positive prostate cancer. Since grade group 5 and detectable nadir PSA levels are risks for castration resistance, we may need to increase the intensity of treatment for such cases.

Introduction Definitive diagnosis of translocation renal cell carcinoma is challenging. We herein experienced a case of translocation(6;11) renal cell carcinoma, successfully diagnosed by using fluorescence in situ hybridization. Case presentation During the follow-up of a 21-year-old man with Crohn's disease, computed tomography revealed a 40-mm mass in the right kidney. Since imaging could not exclude malignancy, needle biopsy was performed. The histological diagnosis from the biopsy specimen was renal cell carcinoma, but histological typing had not been done adequately. A laparoscopic partial nephrectomy was then performed. Transcription factor EB immunoreactivity was positive, transcription factor EB rearrangement was shown by break apart and fusion fluorescence in situ hybridization. As a result, a definitive diagnosis of t(6; 11) renal cell carcinoma was made. There has been no recurrence for 5 years. Conclusion Transcription factor EB immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization are useful diagnostic tools for renal tumors of young generation.

Objective To report a multicenter experience with the management of urachal abscess treatment in Japan. Methods This was a retrospective study of 263 cases of urachal abscess managed at 12 university hospitals in the Kyushu-Okinawa region over a 10-year period. Age, sex, abscess size, clinical symptoms, type of urachal remnants, and treatment were collected and analyzed. Results The average age was 29.8 ± 18.1 years, with males accounting for approximately two-thirds of the study population. The average abscess size was 1.7 cm (range 0-11 cm). The most common presenting symptom was umbilical secretion (66%), followed by abdominal pain (46%). A total of 127 patients (48.3%) were treated with antibiotics alone, whereas 136 patients (51.7%) received surgical treatment. The surgical approach was laparotomy in 75 patients (61.0%) and laparoscopic surgery in 48 patients (39.0%). Regarding the type of urachal remnant, the urachus sinus (180 patients) accounted for 68.4% of the total. Conclusions To our knowledge, this study represents the first report on urachal abscess treatment in Japan. Our data show that the clinical symptoms might vary depending on the type of urachus remnant. It should be noted that gross hematuria, a characteristic symptom of urachal cancer, is rare in patients with urachal abscess.

Background/aim Expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and II and CD74, which functions as a chaperone of MHC class II, play essential roles in T-cell recognition. The aim of this study was to elucidate the association between the HLAs and CD74, and their correlation with the infiltrated immune cells in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Materials and methods We retrospectively investigated the expression of HLA-A/B/C, HLA-DR, and CD74 in 38 patients with advanced RCC (T3/T4), and evaluated their correlations with CD4 and CD8-positive T-cell infiltration using immunohistochemistry. Results The expression of HLA-A/B/C, HLA-DR, and CD74 on cancer cells was observed in 37, 20, and 31 patients, respectively. The density of CD8- and CD4-positive T cells showed a positive correlation with HLA-DR expression. The density of CD4-positive lymphocytes was significantly associated with CD74 expression. Conclusion The expression of HLA-DR, rather than CD74, on cancer cells was potentially associated with the anti-cancer immune microenvironment.

Clinical success of immune-checkpoint blockade (ICB) cancer immunotherapy is compromised by increased risk of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). However, mechanistic action(s) of immune responses underlying development of irAE remain not fully explored. Here, we found that in tumor-bearing aged, but not young, mice, antiprogrammed death receptor (PD)-1 therapy elicited irAE-like multiorgan dysfunctions with ectopic accumulation of T and B cells in damaged organs. In this preclinical model, the organ toxicities were mediated by immunoglobulin G (IgG) deposition because administration of IG from ICB-treated aged mice induced the pathogenicity specifically in naïve aged hosts. Mechanistically, CD4 T-cell–derived interleukin (IL)-21 upregulated B-cell–homing chemokine, CXCL13, preferentially in irAE organs from aged mice treated with anti–PD-1 therapy. The ICB-induced pathogenicity was alleviated by B-cell depletion or by blockade of IL-21 or CXCL13 activity. These results suggest that age-associated immune regulatory milieu contributes to the formation of tertiary lymphoid structure-like lymphocytic aggregates in irAE organs and irAE-related toxicity employing IL-21-CXCL13-auto-antibody axis. Supporting this, a systemic increase in CXCL13 and Il21 expression in CD4 T cells correlated with irAE incidence in ICB-treated patients. These findings provide rationale for therapeutic usefulness of CXCL13 in irAE management., がん免疫療法の副反応による臓器傷害の原因解明に新たな一歩 --がんに対する免疫応答と、有害事象に関わる免疫応答の違い--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-07-13.

We retrospectively analyzed the effect of lymph node dissection (LND) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Of 151 patients who underwent nephrectomy for RCC, 86 underwent LND. No distant metastasis (M0) was present in 71 patients, although distant metastasis (M1) was present in 15. Three (4.2%) and eight (53%) patients in the M0 and M1 groups, respectively, were clinical N-stage positive. Two (2.8%) and three (20%) patients in the M0 and M1 groups, respectively, were pathological N-stage positive. Both pathological N stage-positive patients in the M0 group were pathologically diagnosed with microphthalmia transcription family translocation RCC. The clinical and pathological positive node areas exhibited concordance in all three pathological N stage-positive patients in the M1 group. Chylous leakage occurred in 16 (19%) patients in the LND group (p＜0.05). Extended LND was a statistically significant risk factor for chylous leakage in the multivariate analysis. Only limited cases should undergo LND, owing to the low frequency of positive pathological lymph node metastasis, and high complication rate.

Background: Since the introduction of Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combination therapy to renal cancer treatment, it has revolutionized the treatment of renal cancer, with many reports of excellent therapeutic effects. However, it is not known which patients will benefit the most. Materials and methods: PBMC(Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells)samples were collected prospectively from patients with advanced and metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) prior to initiation of ICI treatment (baseline) and 2 or 3 weeks after the first cycle of ICI treatment (post-dose 1). We collected PBMCs from 24 patients with a cell count of more than 50,000 were analyzed using antibodies that distinguishCD4 and CD8 cells including Effector, Memory cells population, B cells, Monocyte, NK(Natural Killer) cells, MDSC(Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells ), DC(Dendritic cells), CD4 (Th1, Th2, Th17, Tfh), Immune checkpoint molecules including CD223 (LAG3), CD279 (PD1), TIM3, CD152 (CTLA4), CD278 (ICOS), FOXP3. Results: First, we compared the Fold Change (FC) before and after drug administration in the group that did not respond to treatment (SD: Stable Disease or PD: Progressive disease) and the group that did respond to treatment (PR: Partial Response, CR: Complete Response). The results showed that CD4 positive cells (non-responder Median 0.79 vs responder Median 1.64, p=0.0317, respectively), monocytes: CD56-HLADR+ (non-responder Median 0.87 vs responder Median 1.20, p=0.0159, respectively), but not in other cell populations.Next, we compared the groups that did and did not respond to treatment before and after treatment. We could not identify any biomarker cell population before treatment, the number of CD4 Effector cells (CD4+CD45RO-CD197-) was significantly higher in the post-treatment (PD1) group (PR or CR) than in the non-treatment group (SD or PD). (p=0.0303, respectively) Conclusion: Elevation of CD4 positive cells and monocytes (CD56-HLADR+) before and after treatment and the number of CD4 Effector cells (CD4+CD45RO-CD197-) after treatment may be biomarkers of treatment response. Citation Format: Takanobu Motoshima, Yuji Miura, Toshiki Amami, Shigeyasu Kitano, Masaya Baba, Tomomi Kamba. Predictive biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic renal cell carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 3308.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have recently improved the prognosis of various cancers. In contrast, some immune-related adverse events (irAEs) caused by ICIs are fatal and have become problematic. The pathogenesis of irAEs remains unknown and must be elucidated to establish biomarkers. Materials and Methods: Plasma samples were collected prospectively from patients with advanced and metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) prior to initiation of ICI treatment (baseline) and 2 or 3 weeks after the first cycle of ICI treatment (post-dose 1). Plasma cytokines and chemokines (GRO [CXCL1], IL-17A, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IP-10 [CXCL10], MCP-1 [CCL2], TNFα) were measured by Luminex system, and plasma level of CXCL13 and anti-CD74 autoantibody levels were measured by ELISA. Their association with irAEs was analyzed. Results: In a discovery cohort of 13 patients, plasma levels of CXCL1, IL-17A, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, CXCL10, MCP-1, and TNFα were measured at baseline and post-dose 1. Only CXCL10, at post-dose 1 but not at baseline, was significantly associated with grade 2 or higher irAEs (p=0.0413). Plasma CXCL10 levels were then measured at baseline and post-dose 1 in a validation cohort of 43 RCC patients who received ICI-based treatment. Higher plasma CXCL10 levels both at baseline and post-dose1 were significantly associated with the occurrence of grade 2 or higher irAEs (p=0.0246 and 0.0137, respectively). We evaluated the relationship between plasma levels of CXCL10 and CXCL13, which we measured in a previous study, and the incidence of irAEs. At baseline, the plasma CXCL13 level was positively associated with the CXCL10 level (p=0.0007), but no significant association was observed post-dose 1 (p=0.2678). Plasma CXCL13 levels were significantly higher in patients with grade 2 or higher irAEs at baseline but not at post-dose 1 (p=0.0037 and 0.052, respectively). No significant association between plasma anti-CD74 autoantibody level and both irAE pneumonitis and any grade 2 or higher irAE was observed. Conclusion: Plasma CXCL10 is significantly associated with the occurrence of irAEs in patients with RCC treated with ICIs. CXCL10 is a potential predictive and on-treatment biomarker for irAEs. Citation Format: Yuji Miura, Takanobu Motoshima, Toshiki Anami, Hiromu Yano, Remi Mito, Shinji Urakami, Keiichi Kinowaki, Hirotake Tsukamoto, Ryoma Kurahashi, Yoji Murakami, Junji Yatsuda, Yukio Fujiwara, Tomomi Kamba, Yoshihiro Komohara. Predictive value of CXCL10 for the occurrence of immune related adverse events in patient with renal cell carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4326.

Renal cell carcinoma with Xp11.2 translocation involving the TFE3 gene (TFE3-RCC) is a recently identified subset of RCC with unique morphology and clinical presentation. The chimeric PRCC-TFE3 protein produced by Xp11.2 translocation has been shown to transcriptionally activate its downstream target genes that play important roles in carcinogenesis and tumor development of TFE3-RCC. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we show that in TFE3-RCC cells, PRCC-TFE3 controls heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) expression to confer chemoresistance. Inhibition of HMOX1 sensitized the PRCC-TFE3 expressing cells to genotoxic reagents. We screened for a novel chlorambucil-polyamide conjugate (Chb) to target PRCC-TFE3-dependent transcription, and identified Chb16 as a PRCC-TFE3-dependent transcriptional inhibitor of HMOX1 expression. Treatment of the patient-derived cancer cells with Chb16 exhibited senescence and growth arrest, and increased sensitivity of the TFE3-RCC cells to the genotoxic reagent etoposide. Thus, our data showed that the TFE3-RCC cells acquired chemoresistance through HMOX1 expression and that inhibition of HMOX1 by Chb16 may be an effective therapeutic strategy for TFE3-RCC.

Resistance to the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors, which are a standard treatment for advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), eventually develops in most cases. In this study, we established a patient‐derived xenograft (PDX) model which acquired resistance to the mTOR inhibitor temsirolimus, and explored the underlying mechanisms of resistance acquisition. Temsirolimus was administered to PDX model mice, and one cohort of PDX models acquired resistance after repeated passages. PDX tumors were genetically analyzed by whole‐exome sequencing and detected several genetic alterations specific to resistant tumors. Among them, mutations in ANKRD12 and DNMT1 were already identified in the early passage of a resistant PDX model, and we focused on a DNMT1 mutation as a potential candidate for developing the resistant phenotype. While DNMT1 expression in temsirolimus‐resistant tumors was comparable with the control tumors, DNMT enzyme activity was decreased in resistant tumors compared with controls. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR‐associated protein 9‐mediated heterozygous knockdown of DNMT1 in the temsirolimus‐sensitive ccRCC (786‐O) cell line was shown to result in a temsirolimus‐resistant phenotype in vitro and in vivo. Integrated gene profiles using methylation and microarray analyses of PDX tumors suggested a global shift for the hypomethylation status including promotor regions, and showed the upregulation of several molecules that regulate the mTOR pathway in temsirolimus‐resistant tumors. Present study showed the feasibility of PDX model to explore the mechanisms of mTOR resistance acquisition and suggested that genetic alterations, including that of DNMT1, which alter the methylation status in cancer cells, are one of the potential mechanisms of developing resistance to temsirolimus., This study showed the feasibility of PDX model to explore the mechanisms of mTOR resistance acquisition and suggested that genetic alterations, including that of DNMT1, which alter the methylation status in cancer cells, are one of the potential mechanisms of developing resistance to temsirolimus.

Introduction The safety and efficacy of combination therapy comprising immune checkpoint inhibitors and cancer-specific peptide vaccines have not yet been established. Case presentation A 71-year-old female metastatic renal cell carcinoma patient with multiple lung and pleural metastases. She had been treated with interferon alpha, sunitinib, axitinib, and pazopanib sequentially, but no clinical efficacy was observed. She participated in a clinical trial using cancer-specific peptide vaccine therapy. Initially no antitumor effect was observed, and vaccine therapy was ceased after two courses. But 3 months after the start of nivolumab, remarkable tumor shrinkage was observed at all metastatic sites, which resulted in almost complete response at 6 months. At 10 months, nivolumab was stopped due to cellulitis at the peptide vaccine inoculation site. Intriguingly, even after nivolumab discontinuation, complete response was maintained for more than 1 year. Conclusion We experienced a remarkable antitumor effect by nivolumab in a patient who was previously treated with vaccine therapy.

An 18-year-old male was aware of painless left testicular enlargement. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed a retroperitoneal tumor, multiple liver tumors, and multiple lung tumors. A left testicular tumor was suspected, and left inguinal orchiectomy was performed. The pathological diagnosis was choriocarcinoma, yolk sac tumor, and embryonal carcinoma. Although bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin therapy was performed as first-line chemotherapy and paclitaxel, iphosfamide and cisplatin therapy was performed as second-line chemotherapy, the tumor markers did not become negative. Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection and partial hepatectomy were performed as desperation surgery. However a new brain metastatic lesion appeared; then, radiation therapy (whole brain irradiation, stereotactic radiotherapy) and gemcitabine, oxaliplatin therapy were performed. The tumor marker became negative, and lung metastases were resected followed by right lower lung lobectomy. No recurrence has been observed for one year and six months after the lobectomy.

Lymph nodes are secondary lymphoid organs that appear as bean-like nodules usually

Introduction Clinical recurrence of prostate cancer after curative treatment with a limited number of metastases is often termed as oligorecurrence. We report a case of solitary recurrence of prostate cancer surrounded by epithelium of the seminal vesicle or vas deferens. Case presentation A 54-year-old man diagnosed with localized prostate cancer underwent radiation therapy. Six years later, imaging studies detected a solitary recurrence. We performed metastasectomy, and histopathological examination revealed the metastatic lesion surrounded by the epithelium of the seminal vesicle or vas deferens. Surgical resection achieved a complete biochemical response. Conclusion We presented with a case of prostate cancer metastasis surrounded by the epithelium of the seminal vesicle or vas deferens.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) associated with Xp11.2 translocation (TFE3-RCC) has been recently defined as a distinct subset of RCC classified by characteristic morphology and clinical presentation. The Xp11 translocations involve the TFE3 transcription factor and produce chimeric TFE3 proteins retaining the basic helix–loop–helix leucine zipper structure for dimerization and DNA binding suggesting that chimeric TFE3 proteins function as oncogenic transcription factors. Diagnostic biomarkers and effective forms of therapy for advanced cases of TFE3-RCC are as yet unavailable. To facilitate the development of molecular based diagnostic tools and targeted therapies for this aggressive kidney cancer, we generated a translocation RCC mouse model, in which the PRCC-TFE3 transgene is expressed specifically in kidneys leading to the development of RCC with characteristic histology. Expression of the receptor tyrosine kinase Ret was elevated in the kidneys of the TFE3-RCC mice, and treatment with RET inhibitor, vandetanib, significantly suppressed RCC growth. Moreover, we found that Gpnmb (Glycoprotein nonmetastatic B) expression was notably elevated in the TFE3-RCC mouse kidneys as seen in human TFE3-RCC tumors, and confirmed that GPNMB is the direct transcriptional target of TFE3 fusions. While GPNMB IHC staining was positive in 9/9 cases of TFE3-RCC, Cathepsin K, a conventional marker for TFE3-RCC, was positive in only 67% of cases. These data support RET as a potential target and GPNMB as a diagnostic marker for TFE3-RCC. The TFE3-RCC mouse provides a preclinical in vivo model for the development of new biomarkers and targeted therapeutics for patients affected with this aggressive form of RCC. Implications: Key findings from studies with this preclinical mouse model of TFE3-RCC underscore the potential for RET as a therapeutic target for treatment of patients with TFE3-RCC, and suggest that GPNMB may serve as diagnostic biomarker for TFE3 fusion RCC.

Purpose We recently reported the results from a multi-institutional retrospective outcome study involving 814 patients with renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) who had undergone radical surgery and whose diagnoses were confirmed via a central pathological review. This study aimed to clarify the impact of tumor size on survival outcomes in patients with pT3aN0M0 RCC after radical nephrectomy using this cohort. Methods Using the Kaplan-Meier method, overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) were estimated for 103 pT3aN0M0 patients. The differences in the OS, CSS and RFS according to tumor size were evaluated using the log-rank test. To identify independent prognostic factors that affected each survival outcome, clinicopathological factors were examined using univariate and multivariate analyses, and the Cox proportional hazards model. Results The OS, CSS and RFS rates for 26 patients with pT3a RCCs ≤4 cm were significantly better than those for 77 patients with pT3a RCCs that were 4-7 cm or >7 cm (P = 0.0064, 0.0169 and 0.0001, respectively). Tumor size and venous invasion were independent prognosticators for OS, CSS and RFS. The OS and CSS for patients with pT3a tumors ≤4 cm were comparable with those for patients with pT1 RCCs, and the RFS for patients with pT3a RCCs ≤4 cm was similar to that for patients with pT1b RCCs. Conclusions Tumor size significantly influenced the prognosis for patients with pT3aN0M0 RCC. This study's results suggest that the postoperative management of pT3a RCCs could be individualized according to tumor size.

The therapeutic landscape of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) has rapidly expanded. There is a need to develop noninvasive biomarkers to guide treatment. We established a highly sensitive method for analyzing androgen receptor gene (AR) copy numbers (CN) and mutations in plasma circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and evaluated the AR statuses of patients with CRPC. AR amplification was detectable in VCaP cell line (AR amplified) genomic DNA (gDNA) diluted to 1.0% by digital PCR (dPCR). AR mutation were detectable in LNCaP cell line (AR T878A mutated) gDNA diluted to 0.1% and 1.0% by dPCR and target sequencing, respectively. Next, we analyzed AR status in cfDNA from 102 patients. AR amplification and mutations were detected in 47 and 25 patients, respectively. As a biomarker, AR aberrations in pretreatment cfDNA were associated with poor response to abiraterone, but not enzalutamide. In serial cfDNA analysis from 41 patients, most AR aberrations at baseline diminished with effective treatments, whereas in some patients with disease progression, AR amplification or mutations emerged. The analysis of AR in cfDNA is feasible and informative procedure for treating patients with CRPC. cfDNA may become a useful biomarker for precision medicine in CRPC.

Objectives: To evaluate the management and outcome of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis (iRPF) in Japan, and identify its clinical biomarker. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 129 patients with iRPF treated between January 2008 and May 2018 at 12 university and related hospitals. Patients treated with glucocorticoid were analyzed to identify a predictive biomarker. These patients were classified into three groups according to overall effectiveness (no change: NC, complete response: CR and partial response groups: PR), and each parameter was compared statistically.Results: Male-female ratio was 5: 1, and median age at diagnosis was 69 (33-86) years. Smoking history was reported in 59.6% of the patients. As treatment, 95 patients received glucocorticoid therapy with an overall response rate of 84%. As a result, serum concentration of IgG4 was significantly decreased in NC group compared with the other two groups (56.6mg/dL vs 255mg/dL, 206mg/dL, P=0.0059 and 0.0078). ROC analysis was performed between the non-responder (NC) and responder groups (CR+PR) to identify the cut-off value of serum IgG4 as a predictive marker. As a result, AUC was 0.793 and the values of sensitivity and specificity were 0.85 and 0.64, respectively, under the cut-off values of 67.6mg/dL. Conclusions: In the majority of iRPF patients, glucocorticoid therapy resulted in a favorable response. Pre-treatment serum IgG4 concentration may have potential as a predictive biomarker of steroid treatment.

Background Standard treatments have not been established in metastatic papillary renal-cell carcinoma (PRCC). We aimed to investigate treatment outcomes in patients with mPRCC. Patients and Methods This study included 51 patients who were diagnosed with PRCC at 14 institutions. Pathologic slides were reviewed by pathologists. The associations between clinical factors and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. Results Final pathologic diagnoses could be determined in 50 patients. Thirty-five tumors were diagnosed as PRCC (type 2 PRCC, 91.4%), and 15 were diagnosed as other histologic types. Targeted therapies (TTs) were provided to 25 mPRCC patients. Patients treated with TT survived significantly longer than those treated before the era of TT (median OS, 22.5 vs. 6.3 months; P = .0035). Median OS of patients who experienced stable disease for ≥ 9 months using single TT was 43.1 months. Patients treated with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) as first-line TT survived longer after TT initiation than those treated with an mTOR inhibitor (median, 22.4 vs. 11.7 months; P = .2684). Patients treated with TKIs in both first- and second-line settings had significantly better survival after TT initiation than those treated with a TKI in one therapy line and an mTOR inhibitor in the other (31.4 vs. 12.9 months, P = .0172). Patients treated with a TKI as second-line TT survived significantly longer after second-line TT initiation than did those treated with an mTOR inhibitor (16.2 vs. 7.4 months, P = .0016). Conclusion Prognoses of patients with mPRCC were improved by TT, and TKIs appeared to be the treatment of choice in both the first- and second-line settings.

Targeting the programmed cell death-1 signaling pathway has been approved for the anti-cancer therapy in several cancers including urothelial cancer. To determine predictive factors of the responsiveness to pembrolizumab in urothelial cancer patients, a retrospective study that used clinical information and paraffin-embedded samples obtained from patients diagnosed with urothelial cancer between 2015 and 2020 were performed. Seventeen patients who underwent total cystectomy or nephroureterectomy of the primary lesion and were treated with pembrolizumab for chemo-resistant disease were enrolled, and immunohistochemical analysis was performed. A key difference in the characteristics between the non-responder group and the responder group was the age of the patients (74 vs. 63 years, p = 0.0194). Although there was no statistically significant difference, the histological subtype with sarcomatoid and micropapillary components was only seen in the non-responder group, and squamous differentiation and lymph node metastasis were only seen in cases with a complete response. In the results of immunohistochemistry, the density of CD8-positive T-cells and Tregs was significantly increased in the responder group than in the non-responder group. In conclusion, younger age and a high number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes were predictive factors of a good response to immune checkpoint inhibitors, although further studies with more enrolled patients are necessary.

Pembrolizumab is effective in a limited number of patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC). Therefore, we evaluated the prognostic value of clinical biomarkers following pembrolizumab treatment in patients with advanced UC. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 121 patients with platinum-refractory advanced UC who received pembrolizumab. Inflammation-based prognostic scores before and 6 weeks after the treatment were recorded. The categorical variables influencing overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR) were analyzed. Multivariate analyses showed that pretreatment Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score (PS), presence of only lymph node metastasis (only LN mets), C-reactive protein (CRP), and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were independent prognostic factors for OS (P = 0.0077; RR = 2.42, P = 0.0049; RR = 0.36, P = 0.0047; RR = 2.53, and P = 0.0079; RR = 2.33, respectively). The pretreatment risk stratification using ECOG PS, only LN mets, CRP, and NLR was used for estimating the OS (P

Metastases to the kidney are extremely rare and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is difficult to treat. In this study, we report a case of renal metastasis from ICC. A 72-year-old man who had been followed-up for chronic hepatitis C was diagnosed with ICC in the segment 8 and underwent S8 segmentectomy in 2014. During follow-up, the serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 were slightly elevated, and abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a low-density mass preceded by rim enhancement in the arterial phase measuring 1.5 × 1.5 cm in the segment 6, and a hypovascular mass measuring 2.2 × 2.0 cm in the upper pole of the left kidney in 2017. He underwent partial hepatectomy and partial nephrectomy. Based on postoperative histological findings combined with immunohistochemical analysis, the tumors both in the liver and kidney were diagnosed as recurrent ICC.

We evaluated the safety of laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) during initial phases and its learning curve in a Japanese multicenter cohort by studying 436 patients who underwent LRC with no robot assistance at 10 institutions in Japan. We divided the patients into three groups according to cumulative surgical volume at each institution (first 10 cases, 11-30 cases, after 31 cases in each institution), and compared perioperative and pathologic variables among the three groups. The first, second, and third groups included 100, 166, 170 patients, respectively. The preoperative variables were similar in the three groups except for the rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The methods of LRC procedure, such as urinary diversion, the extent of lymph node dissection, and concomitant urethrectomy or nephroureterectomy, were similar in the three groups. Mean operative time was 629, 562 and 531 minutes, respectively, and mean blood loss was 755, 650 and 435 ml, respectively. Both values decreased over time with the institution's experience. There was no significant difference among the three groups in the rate of positive surgical margin, the number of retrieved lymph nodes, and the rate of intra- and postoperative complications. LRC was safely performed during initial phases with an acceptable complication rate and without compromising oncological results, although operative time was longer and blood loss increased.

99 Background: To investigate a clinical response of GnRH antagonist monotherapy against CAB therapy for mHSPC. Methods: Histopathological confirmed mHSPC patients were randomly assigned to GnRH antagonist monotherapy group (Group A) and CAB group (Group B). A deferred CAB therapy by adding bicalutamide to GnRH antagonist was performed in Group A after PSA progression. The primary endpoint was PSA progression free survival (PSA-PFS). The secondary endpoints were time to CAB treatment failure (CAB-TTF), radiographic progression free survival (rPFS), overall survival (OS), change of PSA, effect on hormone dynamics, change of bone metabolic markers, effect on lipid metabolism, adverse events (AE). This trial was registered with UMIN-CTR (UMIN000014243). Results: A total of 200 patients (101 patients in Group A and 99 in Group B) were registered from June 2014 to June 2017. The PSA-PFS was significantly better in Group B (HR (95% CI) =1.40 (1.01-1.95), p=0.041) as shown in the table. Time to CAB treatment failure (TTF) tended to be better in Group A, but there was no statistically significant difference in CAB-TTF between two groups (Table). rPFS and OS were also not statistically significant difference (Table). Time to PSA nadir was significantly shorter in Group B (HR (95% CI) = 0.72 (0.54 - 0.97), p = 0.028). The proportion of patients whose serum testosterone did not reach or maintain the castration level was more frequent in Group A (significant difference at 60 weeks, p = 0.046). There was no significant difference in the effect of bone metabolic markers and lipid metabolism between two groups. In terms of AE, injection-site-reaction was more frequent in Group A. Conclusions: LH-RH agonist CAB therapy (Group B) prolonged PSA-PFS compared to LH-RH antagonist monotherapy (Group A), probably due to the higher frequency of insufficient achievement of castration level in Group A. However, a deferred CAB therapy by adding bicalutamide to GnRH antagonist resulted in no difference in CAB-TTF, rPFS and OS. Clinical trial information: UMIN000014243.[Table: see text]

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility of highly hypofractionated intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in 15 fractions over 3 weeks for treating localized prostate cancer based on prostate position-based image-guided radiation therapy. Twenty-five patients with National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) very low- to unfavorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer were enrolled in this study from April 2014 to September 2015 to receive highly hypofractionated IMRT (without intraprostatic fiducial markers) delivering 54 Gy in 15 fractions over 3 weeks. Patients with intermediate-risk disease underwent neoadjuvant androgen suppression for 4-8 months. Twenty-four patients were treated with highly hypofractionated IMRT, and one was treated with conventionally fractionated IMRT because the dose constraint of the small bowel seemed difficult to achieve during the simulation. Seventeen percent had very low- or low-risk, 42% had favorable intermediate-risk, and 42% had unfavorable intermediate-risk disease according to NCCN guidelines. The median follow-up period was 31 months (range, 24-42 months). No Grade ≥3 acute toxicity was observed, and the incidence rates of Grade 2 acute genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicities were 21% and 4%, respectively. No Grade ≥2 late toxicity was observed. Biochemical relapse was observed in one patient at 15 months, and the biochemical relapse-free survival rate was 95.8% at 2 years. A prostate-specific antigen bounce of ≥0.4 ng/ml was observed in 11 patients (46%). The highly hypofractionated IMRT regimen is feasible in patients with localized prostate cancer and is more convenient than conventionally fractionated schedules for patients and health-care providers.