Rapid, complete and sustained tumour response to the TRK inhibitor larotrectinib in an infant with recurrent, chemotherapy-refractory infantile fibrosarcoma carrying the characteristic ETV6-NTRK3 gene fusion.

Background: The ETV6-NTRK3 gene fusion is present in the majority of cases of infantile fibrosarcoma (IFS) and acts as a potent oncogenic driver. We report the very rapid, complete, and sustained response of an advanced, chemotherapy-refractory, recurrent IFS to targeted treatment with the oral tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) inhibitor larotrectinib.

Patient And Methods: A male infant born with a large congenital IFS of the tongue had the tumour surgically resected at age 4 days.

Rapid, complete and sustained tumour response to the TRK inhibitor larotrectinib in an infant with recurrent, chemotherapy-refractory infantile fibrosarcoma carrying the characteristic ETV6-NTRK3 gene fusion.

Background: The ETV6-NTRK3 gene fusion is present in the majority of cases of infantile fibrosarcoma (IFS) and acts as a potent oncogenic driver. We report the very rapid, complete, and sustained response of an advanced, chemotherapy-refractory, recurrent IFS to targeted treatment with the oral tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) inhibitor larotrectinib.

Patient And Methods: A male infant born with a large congenital IFS of the tongue had the tumour surgically resected at age 4 days.

Comparison of tumor- and comorbidity-related predictors of mortality after radical prostatectomy.

Objectives: To identify and compare tumor- and non-tumor-related predictors of survival after radical prostatectomy and to incorporate the latter into the tumor node metastasis classification of prostate cancer.

Material And Methods: A total of 402 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (mean follow-up period 6.9 years) were stratified according to postoperative tumor stage, Gleason score, prostate-specific antigen level, age and five comorbidity classifications.

[Regression of germ cell tumors after chemotherapy].

Today the treatment of gonadal germ cell tumors is standardized. The cisplatin containing chemotherapy and the multi-modal therapy strategies have increased the rate of successful treatment enormously. Germ cell tumors are almost always treated surgically.

[Intratesticular cysts in infancy - case report and review of the literature].

Introduction: Intratesticular cysts in neonates and infants are rare findings compared to other cystic lesions of the testes and can be diagnosed by high-power ultrasonography. In contrast to simple epithelial cysts seen in adults, which are usually small and incidental findings, intratesticular cysts in infants are often diagnosed because of an increase in scrotal size.

Case Report: We report the case of a 6-month-old child with painless swelling of the right scrotum and the ultrasonographic finding of an intratesticular cyst.

Identification of an HLA-A*0201-restricted T-cell epitope derived from the prostate cancer-associated protein trp-p8.

Background: New concepts for the immunotherapy of prostate carcinoma (PCa) largely depend on the identification of suitable target antigens that are present in a high percentage of prostate tumors. Their expression in normal tissues should be restricted to the prostate and they should be immunogenic in vivo. The number of antigens displaying these properties is still limited.

Multiple tumor marker analyses (PSA, hK2, PSCA, trp-p8) in primary prostate cancers using quantitative RT-PCR.

The identification of new diagnostic markers and potential treatment targets for prostate carcinoma (PCa) necessitates the evaluation of expression patterns in both malignant and non-malignant tissue specimens. In this study, we compared the mRNA expression of recently identified prostate-associated genes, prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) and transient receptor potential p8 (trp-p8), to the mRNA expression of the most commonly used markers for PCa, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and human kallikrein 2 (hK2). For these four candidates we performed highly specific quantitative real-time LightCycler RT-PCR assays with cDNA originating from matched tissue specimens of 40 patients with primary PCa.

Identification of a novel human organic anion transporting polypeptide as a high affinity thyroxine transporter.

Transport of various amphipathic organic compounds is mediated by organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs in humans, Oatps in rodents), which belong to the solute carrier family 21A (SLC21A/Slc21a). Several of these transporters exhibit a broad and overlapping substrate specificity and are expressed in a variety of different tissues. We have isolated and functionally characterized OATP-F (SLC21A14), a novel member of the OATP family.

FISH analysis of gene aberrations (MYC, CCND1, ERBB2, RB, and AR) in advanced prostatic carcinomas before and after androgen deprivation therapy.

Genetic mechanisms leading to androgen-independent growth in advanced prostatic carcinomas (PC) are still poorly understood. Analysis of genes potentially involved in the regulation of tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis might confer better insight into this process and might lead to improved therapeutic strategies. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of dissociated nuclei with DNA probes for MYC (8q24)/#8, cyclin D1 gene (CCND1; 11q13)/#11, ERBB2 (17q13)/#17, the androgen receptor gene (AR; Xq12)/#X, and the retinoblastoma gene (RB; 13q14) was applied to formalin-fixed tissue from 63 patients with advanced PC after androgen deprivation therapy (ADT); matched tumor tissue before ADT was also available in 22 of these cases.

Proliferation- and apoptosis-associated factors in advanced prostatic carcinomas before and after androgen deprivation therapy: prognostic significance of p21/WAF1/CIP1 expression.

The molecular mechanisms leading to androgen-independent growth in prostate cancer (PC) are poorly understood. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) results physiologically in a decrease in proliferation and an increase in programmed cell death (PCD)/apoptosis. The aim of our study was to get more insight into these processes in prostatic carcinomas before and after ADT.