The Role of Growth Differentiation Factor 15 in Energy Metabolism.

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is receiving great interest beyond its role as an aging and disease-related biomarker. Recent discovery of its receptor, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family receptor α-like (GFRAL), suggests a central role in appetite regulation. However, there is also considerable evidence that GDF15 may have peripheral activity through an as-of-yet undiscovered mode of action.

BRAF Mutations Define a Clinically Distinct Molecular Subtype of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Purpose Molecular diagnostic testing has become an integral part of the evaluation of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). Expanded mutational testing, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), often identifies mutations with unclear clinical or prognostic implications. One such example is BRAF mutations that occur outside of codon 600 ( BRAF mutations).

Lack of Caudal-Type Homeobox Transcription Factor 2 Expression as a Prognostic Biomarker in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Background: Although the lack of CDX2 expression has recently been proposed as a potential biomarker for a high risk of relapse in patients with stage II and III colon cancer after complete surgical resection, its prognostic role in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear and warrants investigation.

Materials And Methods: We identified 145 patients treated at our institution from 2006 to 2016, including 66 patients with CDX2-negative metastatic CRC and a comparison cohort of 79 patients with CDX2-positive metastatic CRC. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for first-line systemic therapy were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Common Genetic Variation in CYP17A1 and Response to Abiraterone Acetate in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Treatment with abiraterone acetate and prednisone (AA/P) prolongs survival in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. We evaluated the genetic variation in CYP17A1 as predictive of response to AA/P. A prospective collection of germline DNA prior to AA/P initiation and follow-up of a mCRPC cohort was performed.

Germline genetic variation in JAK2 as a prognostic marker in castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic significance of germline variation in candidate genes in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

Methods: Germline DNA was extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with CRPC enrolled in a clinically annotated registry. Fourteen candidate genes implicated in either initiation or progression of prostate cancer were tagged using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from HapMap with a minor allele frequency of >5%.

Impact of Rhabdoid Differentiation on Prognosis for Patients with Grade 4 Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with rhabdoid differentiation is thought to portend a poor prognosis, similar to RCC with sarcomatoid differentiation. Both features are currently classified as grade 4 RCC based on the most recent International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grading system. We reviewed a large series of patients with grade 4 RCC to determine the differential effects of rhabdoid and sarcomatoid differentiation on patient outcome.

Impact of BRAF mutation and BRAF inhibition on melanoma brain metastases.

The impact of BRAF mutations in metastatic melanoma on the incidence of brain metastases and melanoma prognosis and the effect of BRAF inhibitors on the incidence of brain metastases has not been defined. Therefore, a retrospective analysis of patients with metastatic melanoma treated at three institutions was carried out to examine the impact of BRAF mutations and a BRAF inhibitor, vemurafenib, on the incidence of brain metastases. A retrospective review of 436 records revealed no difference in the incidence of brain metastases between patients with BRAF-mutated tumors versus those without (incidence rate ratio=1.

A novel prognostic model for patients with sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma.

Objective: To demonstrate sarcomatoid differentiation is an independent prognostic feature for patients with grade 4 renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with or without distant metastases. To identify independent predictors of survival, evaluate the correlation between the amount of sarcomatoid differentiation and cancer-specific survival (CSS), and to design a multivariate prognostic model for patients with sarcomatoid RCC.

Patients And Methods: We used the Mayo Clinic Nephrectomy Registry to identify 204 post-nephrectomy patients with sarcomatoid-variant RCC, as well as 207 patients with unilateral grade 4 RCC without sarcomatoid features for comparison.

Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) is not an independent predictor of outcome in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) after long-term follow-up.

Objective: To evaluate carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) expression as an independent prognostic marker for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). With recent smaller studies showing conflicting results, we aimed to update our initial analysis in 2007 with an additional 5-year follow-up.

Patients And Methods: We provided long-term follow-up of the same cohort used in our 2007 study (730 patients with unilateral, sporadic ccRCC treated surgically between 1990 and 1999).