Tumor Volume on PSMA PET as a Prognostic Biomarker in Prostate Cancer Patients Treated With Cabazitaxel.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of 68 Ga-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients receiving second-line chemotherapy with cabazitaxel.

Methods: All patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who underwent a PSMA PET/CT within 8 weeks before initiating the cabazitaxel treatment were retrospectively evaluated. The whole-body PSMA total tumor volume (PSMA-TV) was measured for each patient.

Efficacy of Cabozantinib in Metastatic MiT Family Translocation Renal Cell Carcinomas.

Background: MiT family translocation renal cell carcinoma (TRCC) is a rare and aggressive subgroup of renal cell carcinoma harboring high expression of c-MET. While TRCC response rates to VEGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immune checkpoint inhibitors are limited, efficacy of cabozantinib (a VEGFR, MET, and AXL inhibitor) in this subgroup is unclear.

Methods: We performed a multicenter, retrospective, international cohort study of patients with TRCC treated with cabozantinib.

A Rare Case of Hepatic Vanishing Bile Duct Syndrome Occurring after Combination Therapy with Nivolumab and Cabozantinib in a Patient with Renal Carcinoma.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) significantly improve the outcomes of patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC); however, high-grade toxicities can occur, particularly during combination therapy. Herein, we report a patient with advanced metastatic ccRCC, who developed grade 4 cholestasis during combined therapy with nivolumab and cabozantinib. After the exclusion of common disorders associated with cholestasis and a failure of corticosteroids (CS), a liver biopsy was performed that demonstrated severe ductopenia.

Avelumab as neoadjuvant therapy in patients with urothelial non-metastatic muscle invasive bladder cancer: a multicenter, randomized, non-comparative, phase II study (Oncodistinct 004 - AURA trial).

Introduction: Cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by surgery is the standard treatment for patients with non-metastatic muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Unfortunately, many patients are not candidates to receive cisplatin due to renal impairment. Additionally, no predictive biomarkers for pathological complete response (pCR) are currently validated in clinical practice.

Ga-PSMA PET/CT for Response Assessment and Outcome Prediction in Metastatic Prostate Cancer Patients Treated with Taxane-Based Chemotherapy.

We aimed to evaluate the role of PET targeting the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) for response assessment in metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) patients treated with taxane-based chemotherapy (docetaxel or cabazitaxel) and its predictive value on patient outcome. We retrospectively evaluated 37 patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive PCa or metastatic castration-resistant PCa (mCRPC) who underwent Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT at baseline and after the last cycle of taxane-based chemotherapy (docetaxel or cabazitaxel) without treatment modification between scans. Biochemical response (BR) was defined as an undetectable or at least 50% decreased level of prostate-specific antigen, compared with baseline.

Oligometastatic Disease Detection with Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer Patients (HSPC) with Biochemical Recurrence after Radical Prostatectomy: Predictive Factors and Clinical Impact.

Metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) in oligometastatic prostate cancer has the potential of delaying the start of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and disease progression. We aimed to analyze the efficacy of PSMA-PET/CT in detecting oligometastatic disease (OMD), to look for predictive factors of OMD, and to evaluate the impact of PSMA-PET/CT findings on clinical management. We retrospectively analyzed a homogeneous population of 196 hormone-sensitive prostate cancer patients (HSPC), considered potential candidates for MDT, with a PSMA-PET/CT performed at biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP).

Digital Implementation of Oscillatory Neural Network for Image Recognition Applications.

Computing paradigm based on von Neuman architectures cannot keep up with the ever-increasing data growth (also called "data deluge gap"). This has resulted in investigating novel computing paradigms and design approaches at all levels from materials to system-level implementations and applications. An alternative computing approach based on artificial neural networks uses oscillators to compute or Oscillatory Neural Networks (ONNs).

How Frequency Injection Locking Can Train Oscillatory Neural Networks to Compute in Phase.

Brain-inspired computing employs devices and architectures that emulate biological functions for more adaptive and energy-efficient systems. Oscillatory neural networks (ONNs) are an alternative approach in emulating biological functions of the human brain and are suitable for solving large and complex associative problems. In this work, we investigate the dynamics of coupled oscillators to implement such ONNs.

Prevalence and clinical impact of tumor BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in patients presenting with localized or metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.

Background: The appropriate management of localized or metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (HSPC) patients harboring tumor BRCA mutations (tBRCAm) is not well-characterized. We sought to evaluate the prevalence and clinical outcomes of patients with tBRCAm and localized or de novo metastatic HSPC.

Methods: We performed a multicenter, international, retrospective cohort study of localized (cohort 1) and de novo metastatic (cohort 2) HSPC patients who underwent tumor BRCA1 and BRCA2 sequencing from 2013 to 2019.

Prostate Cancer and Reactive Haemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis.

Unlabelled: We report the case of a 76-year-old man presenting with reactive haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (rHLH) in the setting of disseminated prostate cancer. This often fatal syndrome must be diagnosed early in order to maximize survival. Treatment should be initiated whenever the clinical diagnosis is suspected, even if the HLH-2004 criteria are not met.

Feasibility and clinical impact of routine molecular testing of gastrointestinal cancers at a tertiary centre with a multi-gene, tumor-agnostic, next generation sequencing panel.

Background: High-throughput sequencing technologies are increasingly used in research but limited data are available on the feasibility and value of these when routinely adopted in clinical practice.

Material And Methods: We analyzed all consecutive cancer patients for whom genomic testing by a 48-gene next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel (Truseq Amplicon Cancer Panel, Illumina) was requested as part of standard care in one of the largest Belgian cancer networks between 2014 and 2019. Feasibility of NGS was assessed in all study patients, while the impact of NGS on the decision making was analyzed in the group of gastrointestinal cancer patients.

COVID-19 Pneumonia Mimicking Immunotherapy-Induced Pneumonitis on 18F-FDG PET/CT in a Patient Under Treatment With Nivolumab.

Within a few months, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a pandemic with more than 2 million patients infected and a high mortality rate. Early detection of COVID-19 in oncologic patients is crucial in order to rapidly apply isolation measures and avoid nosocomial spread. However, early diagnosis may be challenging, especially in cancer patients under treatment with immunotherapy as drug-induced pneumonitis can present similar clinical and radiological features.

Outcomes based on age in the phase III METEOR trial of cabozantinib versus everolimus in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Background: Cabozantinib improved progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR) compared with everolimus in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after prior antiangiogenic therapy in the phase III METEOR trial (NCT01865747). Limited data are available on the use of targeted therapies in older patients with advanced RCC.

Methods: Efficacy and safety in METEOR were retrospectively analysed for three age subgroups: <65 (n = 394), 65-74 (n = 201) and ≥75 years (n = 63).

Early Detection of Metastatic Prostate Cancer Relapse on 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in a Patient Still Exhibiting Biochemical Response.

Prostate cancer (PCa) treatment monitoring usually relies on prostate-specific antigen to detect disease progression or relapse. PET/CT with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) ligands has shown high accuracy in detecting metastatic PCa lesions and could help assess response to therapy. We describe herein the early relapse detection of a hormone-sensitive metastatic upfront PCa treated with docetaxel on Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT before biochemical progression.

Evaluation of PSMA expression changes on PET/CT before and after initiation of novel antiandrogen drugs (enzalutamide or abiraterone) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients.

Objective: To investigate the association between Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) expression changes on positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) and the response to treatment following the start of enzalutamide or abiraterone in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients.

Methods: All consecutive Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT scans routinely performed at our institution during more than 4 years were retrospectively screened for inclusion. We included mCRPC patients with a baseline PSMA PET/CT performed less than 2 months before the start of either enzalutamide or abiraterone, and a follow-up PSMA PET/CT performed no more than a year after, while still under those novel antiandrogen drugs (NAD).

Triptorelin for the relief of lower urinary tract symptoms in men with advanced prostate cancer: results of a prospective, observational, grouped-analysis study.

Background: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) may develop in men with prostate cancer (PCa) and can impact quality of life (QoL). Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists as androgen deprivation therapy are standard treatment for PCa, however, data are limited on their effects on LUTSs. A grouped analysis of national observational, non-interventional studies initiated in clinical practice was performed to assess the effectiveness of triptorelin in reducing moderate or severe LUTSs, measured using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) in men with advanced or metastatic PCa.

Which Factors Predict Overall Survival in Patients With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Treated With Abiraterone Acetate Post-Docetaxel?

Background: Abiraterone acetate (AA) increases overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) previously treated with docetaxel. However, survival time varies substantially between individuals. Our goal was to identify prognostic factors that better estimate OS.

Clinical impact of Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in patients with prostate cancer with rising prostate-specific antigen after treatment with curative intent: preliminary analysis of a multidisciplinary approach.

Objective: To assess the impact of a novel molecular imaging technique, Ga-(HBED-CC)-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), in the clinical management of patients with prostate cancer with rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) after treatment with curative intent.

Patients And Methods: In all, 131 consecutive patients were referred to our centre for a Ga-PSMA PET/CT in the setting of recurring prostate cancer. Of these patients, 11/131(8%) presented with persistent PSA after radical prostatectomy, while 120/131 (92%) were referred for biochemical recurrence after surgery, radiotherapy or both.

Testicular germ cell tumor: Short and long-term side effects of treatment among survivors.

Long-term prognosis of germ cell tumor (GCT) types is excellent, however, treatment is associated with non-negligible complication rates and a negative impact on quality of life. The present study described treatment results in terms of survival, both short and long-term toxicity, and paternity rates in a cohort of patients treated at Jules Bordet Institute, University ULB of Brussels (Brussels, Belgium). The present study analyzed the data of a cohort of patients with GCT types.

Efficacy of weekly paclitaxel treatment as a single agent chemotherapy following first-line cisplatin treatment in urothelial bladder cancer.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of paclitaxel following a first-line cisplatin regimen in patients with metastatic bladder cancer. The present study retrospectively evaluated the clinical effects and toxicities of second-line paclitaxel regimens following first-line cisplatin treatment in metastatic bladder cancer. A total of 42 patients with progressing metastatic urothelial bladder cancer following cisplatin-based chemotherapy were enrolled.

Results of the Belgian expanded access program of eribulin in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer closely mirror those of the pivotal phase III trial.

Background: Eribulin is a non-taxane microtubule dynamics inhibitor that showed a survival benefit versus treatment of physician's choice in a phase III trial enrolling patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

Methods: The E7389-G000-398 trial was designed to provide eribulin to MBC patients pre-treated with anthracylines, taxanes and capecitabine. Patient characteristics, efficacy and safety data were collected prospectively.

Efficacy and safety of mitotane in the treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma: A retrospective study in 34 Belgian patients.

Objectives: Evaluation of patient characteristics and mitotane use in the treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) over a 4-year period in Belgium.

Material And Methods: This was a multicentre retrospective review of the outcome of 34 patients treated with mitotane for ACC during the period [01/2008-12/2011] (12 diagnosed before and 22 diagnosed during the study period) and evaluated up to 06/2013.

Results: Patient and tumour characteristics were consistent with those generally described for ACC.

Abiraterone acetate post-docetaxel for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in the Belgian compassionate use program.

Background: Abiraterone acetate (AA) is licensed for treating metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Real-world data on oncological outcome after AA are scarce. The current study assesses efficacy and safety of AA in mCRPC patients previously treated with docetaxel who started treatment during the Belgian compassionate use program (January 2011-July 2012).