CLINICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGIC EVALUATION OF DESMOID TUMORS IN A BRAZILIAN SARCOMA REFERENCE CENTER.

Introduction: Desmoid Tumors (DT) are rare neoplasms with higher incidence in younger women.

Methods: Retrospective, single-center analysis of patients with DT. Variables were age, sex, biopsy, treatment and recurrence.

A Case Study of a Rare Undifferentiated Spindle Cell Sarcoma of the Penis: Establishment and Characterization of Patient-Derived Models.

Rare sarcomas present significant treatment challenges compared to more prevalent soft tissue sarcomas due to limited treatment options and a poor understanding of their biology. This study investigates a unique case of penile sarcoma, providing a comprehensive morphological and molecular analysis. Through the creation of experimental patient-derived models-including patient-derived xenograft (PDX), 3D, and monolayer primary cultures-we successfully replicated crucial molecular traits observed in the patient's tumor, such as smooth muscle actin and CD99 expression, along with specific mutations in genes like and .

Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) polymorphisms knocking on the door.

Identifying polymorphisms in the dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPYD) genes is gaining importance as predictors of fluoropyrimidine-associated toxicity. The recommendation of dose adjustment for chemotherapy guided by the presence of polymorphisms of the gene can potentially improve treatment safety for a large number of patients, saving lives, avoiding complications and reducing health care costs. This article discusses how personalisation of fluoropyrimidine treatment based on the identification of DPYD variants can mitigate toxicities and be cost effective.

Molecular and Dynamic Evaluation of Proteins Related to Resistance to Neoadjuvant Treatment with Chemoradiotherapy in Circulating Tumor Cells of Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

The heterogeneity of response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) is still a challenge in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). The evaluation of thymidylate synthase (TYMS) and RAD23 homolog B (RAD23B) expression in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) provides complementary clinical information. CTCs were prospectively evaluated in 166 blood samples (63 patients) with LARC undergoing NCRT.

Baseline and Kinetic Circulating Tumor Cell Counts Are Prognostic Factors in a Prospective Study of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

The discovery of predictive biomarkers in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is essential to improve clinical outcomes. Recent data suggest a potential role of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as prognostic indicators. We conducted a follow-on analysis from a prospective study of consecutive patients with mCRC.

The prognostic influence of tumour budding in Western patients with stage II colorectal cancer.

Background: Tumour budding (TB) refers to loss of tumour cohesiveness and is defined as isolated cells or a cell cluster of up to four tumour cells at the microscopic analysis. The International Tumour Budding Consensus Conference (ITBCC) in 2016 proposed a scoring system to standardise the pathology evaluation of TB in colorectal cancer (CRC) as high (H), intermediate (I) and low (L) TB.

Objective: To evaluate the recurrence-free survival (RFS) of stage II CRC patients as per the ITBCC 2016 classification and associations between TB and clinical pathological features.

Clinical factors related to severe enterocolitis after adjuvant CAPOX for colorectal cancer: a retrospective analysis.

Background: CAPOX regimen is a standard option in stage III adjuvant colon cancer. Gastrointestinal toxicity is well described with fluoropyrimidine regimens and can be life-threatening. Identification of risk factors associated with severe gastrointestinal toxicity may help clinicians when choosing the adjuvant regimen.

Primary Tumor Location Is a Predictor of Poor Prognosis in Patients with Locally Advanced Esophagogastric Cancer Treated with Perioperative Chemotherapy.

Background: Esophagogastric cancer (EGC) is a leading neoplasm worldwide. Perioperative chemotherapy (periCT) is currently a standard of care for most patients (pts). Prevalence of esophagogastric junction (EGJ) tumors is increasing over the last years.

Treatment outcomes of patients with localized anal squamous cell carcinoma according to HIV infection: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Definitive chemoradiation (CRT) is the standard treatment for localized squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA). Because most phase III trials in SCCA have excluded patients with HIV, the evidence on treatment outcomes of these patients is lacking. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy and toxicity profiles of HIV-positive SCCA patients treated with definitive CRT.

EGFR expression in circulating tumor cells from high-grade metastatic soft tissue sarcomas.

Introduction: Soft tissue Sarcomas (STS) are rare malignances, with high mortality rates. Half of patients develop metastasis. The presence of isolated Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) and Circulating Tumor Microemboli (CTM) in the blood may be early markers of tumor invasion.

Prognostic implications of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT signaling pathway activation in gastric carcinomas.

Introduction: Activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway plays a critical role in carcinogenesis and resistance to anticancer drugs. In this study, gastric carcinomas (GC) were investigated and statistical analyses were performed concerning the correlation between the clinicopathological features and activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway.

Material And Methods: Immunohistochemistry for p-AKT, p-mTOR and PTEN was performed in 239 GC and 200 non-neoplastic gastric tissues.

Early detection of poor outcome in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: tumor kinetics evaluated by circulating tumor cells.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent cancer worldwide. New prognostic markers are needed to identify patients with poorer prognosis, and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) seem to be promising to accomplish this.

Patients And Methods: A prospective study was conducted by blood collection from patients with metastatic CRC (mCRC), three times, every 2 months in conjunction with image examinations for evaluation of therapeutic response.

Is early response by (18)F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography a predictor of long-term outcome in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer?

Background: Identify in advance responder patients to chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) would allow prompt interruption of ineffective therapies in non-responder patients. Hence, predictive markers are sought in numerous trials to detect responder patients, including tumor shrinkage measured by imaging methods. Usually, Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) is used to evaluate tumor response in metastatic CRC, but these criteria are questionable with use of biological agents associated to chemotherapy.

Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy after Secondary Cytoreduction in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Single-center Comparative Analysis.

Background: Although the standard of care after recurrence of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is chemotherapy, increasing data suggest that combining cytoreductive surgery with intraoperative hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a promising option for patients with recurrent EOC. Our aim was to determine the prognostic value of the addition of HIPEC to secondary cytoreductive surgery (SCR) in recurrent EOC.

Methods: We analyzed a series of 79 patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent EOC who were treated from May 2000 to January 2014.

RAS mutations vary between lesions in synchronous primary colorectal cancer: testing only one lesion is not sufficient to guide anti-EGFR treatment decisions.

Introduction: Mutations in KRAS and NRAS genes are negative predictors of anti-EGFR therapies response in metastatic colorectal cancer. There are few reports on RAS testing in synchronous primary colorectal cancer (SP-CRC) and a lack of recommendations on which tissue should be tested for the mutation in this disease. This study analyzed the RAS status of both lesions in SP-CRC patients and in their metastasis.

Pathologic complete response with neoadjuvant imatinib for locally advanced pelvic GIST.

There are few data that show pathologic complete response (pCR) to imatinib treatment in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). We describe a case of a patient with pCR of a pelvic, locally advanced, high-risk GIST who was treated with neoadjuvant imatinib and ultimately underwent a conservative procedure. A 48-year-old male presented with a pelvic mass 10 cm in diameter.