Proceedings of the 2021 National Toxicology Program Satellite Symposium

The 2021 annual National Toxicology Program (NTP) Satellite Symposium, entitled “Pathology Potpourri,” was the 20th anniversary of the symposia and held virtually on June 25th, in advance of the Society of Toxicologic Pathology’s 40th annual meeting. The goal of this symposium was to present and discuss challenging diagnostic pathology and/or nomenclature issues. This article presents summaries of the speakers’ talks along with select images that were presented to the audience for voting and discussion. Various lesions and topics covered during the symposium included differentiation of canine oligodendroglioma, astrocytoma, and undefined glioma with presentation of the National Cancer Institute’s updated diagnostic terminology for canine glioma; differentiation of polycystic kidney, dilated tubules and cystic tubules with a discussion of human polycystic kidney disease; a review of various rodent nervous system background lesions in control animals from NTP studies with a focus on incidence rates and potential rat strain differences; vehicle/excipient-related renal lesions in cynomolgus monkeys with a discussion on the various cyclodextrins and their bioavailability, toxicity, and tumorigenicity; examples of rodent endometrial tumors including intestinal differentiation in an endometrial adenocarcinoma that has not previously been reported in rats; a review of various rodent adrenal cortex lesions including those that represented diagnostic challenges with multiple processes such as vacuolation, degeneration, necrosis, hyperplasia, and hypertrophy; and finally, a discussion of diagnostic criteria for uterine adenomyosis, atypical hyperplasia, and adenocarcinoma in the rat.

Don’t let it disappear: new opportunities to prolong the life of HR+ HER2- advanced breast cancer patients. Event review of the satellite symposium. RUSSCO Big Conference «Breast Cancer» (online). January 28th, 2021

Increasing life expectancy and maintaining its quality are the main goals of the hormone-dependent HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (HR+ HER2- аBC) therapy. A Satellite Symposium of Novartis Pharma was held on January 28th, 2021, within the framework of the RUSSCO Big Conference Breast Cancer. It was dedicated to the benefits of Risarg (ribociclib) therapy in combination with hormone therapy (HT). Experts-oncologists shared current data and their experience with ribociclib. The combination of CDK4/6 inhibitors with HT became a gold standard for the 1st line therapy for HR+ HER2- aBC. And the choice of a specific drug is based on the data of clinical studies and is made taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient. The results of ribociclib studies (MONALEESA-3 and MONALEESA-7) demonstrate a significant increase in the median overall survival and a decrease in the risk of death by 28 and 30%. The tolerance profile of ribociclib is well studied and controlled, therefore the risks of adverse events can be reduced by the competent monitoring, and the necessary dose modification can be made, which allows most patients to maintain highly effective therapy. The use of ribociclib allows to achieve the main goals of therapy to prolong the patients life and maintain or improve its quality.

Piqray – basic questions at the start: whom to test? whom to treat? how to treat? Event review of the satellite symposium. RUSSCO Big Conference «Breast Cancer» (online). January 29th, 2021

A Satellite Symposium of Novartis Pharma was held on January 29th, 2021, within the framework of the RUSSCO Big Conference Breast Cancer. It was dedicated to the diagnostics and treatment of patients with hormone-dependent HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (HR+ HER2- aBC) with a PIK3CA mutation using target drug Piqray (alpelisib). Experts-oncologists discussed the diagnostics of the PIK3CA mutation, data from clinical studies of alpelisib, characteristics of patients who may benefit from the alpelisib, prevention and control of adverse events that may develop during therapy with alpelisib. For planning anticancer therapy using alpelisib in combination with fulvestrant, all patients with HR+ HER2- aBC should be tested for PIK3CA mutation at the first signs of a metastatic process. Data from clinical trials demonstrate that this combination provides approximately 2-fold increase in median progression free survival compared to a placebo + fulvestrant combination. Alpelisib can be prescribed to patients with HR+ HER2- aBC with a PIK3CA mutation after progression on endocrine therapy, in a combined mode. The main adverse events hyperglycemia and rash are associated with the mechanism of alpelisib action, and are predictable and manageable.

Artificial Organs 2000 ESAO

Artificial Organs 2000 Satellite Symposium of European Society for Artificial Organs (ESAO) was organized by the Macedonian Society for Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation and Artificial Organs (MSNDTAO) and the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MASA) on November 25-26, 2000 on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Department of Nephrology of the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, R. Macedonia.The main topics of this symposium were: Blood-purification techniques, Artificial Kidney, Metabolic- and Cardiac-Assist Systems as well as Biomaterials to be used for Artificial Organs.H. Klinkmann (Glasgow, United Kingdom), D. Falkenhagen (Krems, Austria), U. Baurmeister (Wuppertal, Germany), V. Bonomini, S. Stefoni (Bologna, Italy), R. Vanholder (Ghent, Belgium), S. Stiller (Aachen, Germany), H. Mann, H. Melzer (Aachen, Germany), J. Pop-Jordanov, N. Pop-Jordanova (Skopje, R. Macedonia), B. Stegmayr (Umea, Sweden), M. Mydlik, K. Derzisova, O. Racz, A. Sipulova, J. Boldizsar, E. Lovasova, M. Hribikova (Kosice, Slovak Republic), A. Jörres (Berlin, Germany), M. Polenakovic (Skopje, R. Macedonia), J. Vienken (Bad Homburg, Germany), S. Bowry (Bad Homburg, Germany), E. Piskin (Ankara, Turkey), J. Klinkmann, W. Schimmelpfennig, H. Lantow, W. Rigger. (Teterow, Germany), A. Sikole (Skopje, R. Macedonia), A. Oncevski, P. Dejanov, V. Gerasimovska, M. Polenakovic (Skopje, R. Macedonia), J. Wojcicki (Warsaw, Poland), K. Affeld (Berlin, Germany), G. Rakhorst et al. (Groningen, The Netherlands), Z. Mitrev (Skopje, R. Macedonia), S. Kedev, G. Guagliumi, O. Valsecchi, M. Tespili (Skopje, R. Macedonia, Bergamo, Italy) have presented their papers at the Symposium. The presentations provoked a fruitful discussion and it was concluded that they should be published.The papers were published in the International Journal of Artificial Organs of the European Society for Artificial Organs (ESAO) as a special issue on “Artificial Organs 2000 ESAO Satellite Symposium -Skopje, R. Macedonia”, Guest Editors: M. H. Polenakovic, Skopje and J. Vienken, Bad Homburg; Vol. 25, No. 5, 2002.