Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic factor for patients with metastatic or recurrent breast cancer treated using capecitabine: a retrospective study

Background Eribulin or capecitabine monotherapy is the next cytotoxic chemotherapy option for patients with metastatic or recurrent breast cancer who have previously received an anthracycline or a taxane. However, it is unclear what factors can guide the selection of eribulin or capecitabine in this setting, and prognostic factors are needed to guide appropriate treatment selection. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a prognostic factor for eribulin-treated patients, although it is unclear whether it is a prognostic factor for capecitabine-treated patients. Therefore, we analysed the ability of the NLR to predict oncological outcomes among patients who received capecitabine after previous anthracycline or taxane treatment for breast cancer. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with metastatic or recurrent breast cancer who had previously received anthracycline or taxane treatment at the National Cancer Center Hospital between 2007 and 2015. Patients were included if they received eribulin or capecitabine monotherapy as first-line, second-line, or third-line chemotherapy. Analyses of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were performed according to various factors. Results Between 2007 and 2015, we identified 125 eligible patients, including 46 patients who received only eribulin, 34 patients who received only capecitabine, and 45 patients who received eribulin and capecitabine. The median follow-up period was 19.1 months. Among eribulin-treated patients, an NLR of <3 independently predicted better OS. Among capecitabine-treated patients, an NLR of <3 independently predicted better PFS but not better OS. In addition, a lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio of ≥5 was associated with better PFS and OS. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate whether the NLR is a prognostic factor for capecitabine-treated patients with metastatic or recurrent breast cancer. However, the NLR only independently predicted PFS in this setting, despite it being a useful prognostic factor for other chemotherapies.

The Prognostic Value of the Prognostic Nutritional Index in Operable High-Grade Glioma Patients and the Establishment of a Nomogram

BackgroundStudies confirmed the predictive value of the prognostic nutrition index (PNI) in many malignant tumors. However, it did not reach a consensus in glioma. Therefore, this study investigated the prognostic value of preoperative PNI in operable high-grade glioma and established a nomogram.MethodsClinical data of high-grade glioma patients were retrospectively analyzed. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Survival analysis was conducted by the Kaplan–Meier method, log-rank test, and Cox regression analysis. A nomogram was established. The prediction effect of the nomogram covering PNI was verified by area under the curve (AUC).ResultsA total of 91 operable high-grade glioma patients were included. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that among grade IV gliomas (n = 55), patients with higher PNI (&gt;44) showed a trend of OS benefit (p = 0.138). In grade III glioma (n = 36), patients with higher PNI (&gt;47) had longer OS (p = 0.023). However, the intersecting Kaplan–Meier curve suggested that there may be some confounding factors. Cox regression analysis showed that higher PNI was an independent prognostic factor for grade IV glioma (HR = 0.388, p = 0.040). In grade III glioma, there was no statistically relationship between PNI levels and prognosis. When evaluating the prognostic ability of PNI alone by ROC, the AUC in grade III and IV gliomas was low, indicating that PNI alone had poor predictive power for OS. Interestingly, we found that the nomogram including preoperative PNI, age, extent of resection, number of gliomas, and MGMT methylation status could predict the prognosis of patients with grade IV glioma well.ConclusionThe PNI level before surgery was an independent prognostic factor for patients with grade IV glioma. The nomogram covering PNI in patients with grade IV glioma also proved the value of PNI. However, the value of PNI in grade III glioma needs to be further evaluated. More prospective studies are needed to verify this conclusion.

Factors Predicting Oncological Outcomes of Radical Nephroureterectomy for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma in Taiwan

BackgroundTaiwan is one of the endemic regions where upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) accounts for approximately a third of all urothelial tumors. Owing to its high prevalence, extensive experience has been accumulated in minimally invasive radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). Although a variety of predictive factors have been explored in numerous studies, most of them were on a single-center or limited institutional basis and data from a domestic cohort are lacking.ObjectiveThis study aims to identify significant predicting factors of oncological outcomes, including overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), disease-free survival (DFS), and intravesical recurrence-free survival (IVRFS), following RNU for UTUC in Taiwan.MethodsA multicenter registry database, Taiwan UTUC Collaboration Group, was utilized to analyze oncological outcomes of 3,333 patients undergoing RNU from 1988 to 2021 among various hospitals in Taiwan. Clinicopathological parameters were recorded according to the principles established by consensus meetings. The Kaplan-Meier estimator was utilized to estimate the survival rates, and the curves were compared using the stratified log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with the Cox proportional hazard model to explore potential predicting factors.ResultsWith a median follow-up of 41.8 months in 1,808 patients with complete information, the 5-year IVRFS, DFS, CSS, and OS probabilities were 66%, 72%, 81%, and 70%, respectively. In total, 482 patients experienced intravesical recurrence, 307 died of UTUC, and 583 died of any cause. Gender predominance was female (57%). A total of 1,531 patients (84.7%) had high-grade tumors; preoperative hydronephrosis presented in 1,094 patients (60.5%). Synchronous bladder UC was identified in 292 patients (16.2%). Minimally invasive procedures accounted for 78.8% of all surgeries, including 768 hand-assisted laparoscopic (42.5%) and 494 laparoscopic (27.3%) approaches. Synchronous bladder UC was the dominant adverse predicting factor for all survival outcomes. Other independent predicting factors for OS, CSS, and DFS included age ≧70, presence of preoperative hydronephrosis, positive surgical margin, LVI, pathological T and N staging, and laparoscopic RNU.ConclusionSynchronous UC of the urinary bladder is an independent adverse prognostic factor for survival in UTUC. The presence of preoperative hydronephrosis was also corroborated as a disadvantageous prognostic factor. Our multivariate analysis suggested that laparoscopic RNU might provide better oncological control.

Clinical impact of C-reactive protein to albumin ratio of the 7th postoperative day on prognosis after laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery

Background/Aim: C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) has been utilized as a prognostic factor in various carcinomas. We investigated the relationship between preoperative, first postoperative day (POD1), and seventh postoperative day (POD7) CARs and the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Patients and Methods: 320 patients with CRC who underwent laparoscopic radical resection between May 2011 and December 2016 were enrolled. Patients were selected into two groups, high CAR and low CAR, based on preoperative, POD1, and POD7 CARs. The relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between groups using propensity score matching. Results The high CAR group had a significantly worse RFS and OS (n=72/group, RFS: p<0.001; OS: p=0.002) at POD7 than those in the low CAR group. However, in preoperative and POD1 analysis, no differences were observed. Conclusion In patients with colorectal cancer, CAR of POD7 was a significant prognostic factor.

“Double-Hit” Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Involving the TP53 and MYC Genes

Although the 17p deletion [del(17p)] is rare in cases of treatment-naive chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), its frequency is higher in refractory/relapsed CLL – particularly in patients undergoing chemo(immuno)therapy. TP53 disruption (deletion and/or mutation) is the strongest prognostic factor for refractoriness to chemotherapy; the use of Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors and BCL2 inhibitors is then indicated. Rare cases of CLL can also harbor translocation or gain of the MYC oncogene. “Double-hit CLL” (with del(17p) and MYC gain) is associated with a very poor prognosis. The prognostic impact of TP53 disruption with MYC aberrations in patients receiving targeted therapies must now be evaluated.

Ki-67 and breast cancer prognosis: does it matter if Ki-67 level is examined using preoperative biopsy or postoperative specimen?

Purpose This study aimed to identify the association between Ki-67 level and the prognosis of patients with breast cancer, regardless of the timing of Ki-67 testing (using preoperative biopsy vs. postoperative specimen). Methods A total of 4177 patients underwent surgery between January 2008 and December 2016. Immunohistochemical Ki-67 levels, using either preoperative (1673) or postoperative (2831) specimens, were divided into four groups using cutoff points of 10%, 15%, and 20%. Results Groups with higher-Ki-67 levels, in both the pre- and postoperative periods, showed significantly larger tumor size, higher grade, more frequent hormone receptor-negativity and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 overexpression, and active adjuvant treatments than groups with lower-Ki-67 levels. High-Ki-67 levels were also significantly associated with poor survival, irrespective of the timing of specimen examination. Conclusion Despite the problems associated with Ki-67, Ki-67 level is an important independent prognostic factor, regardless of the timing of Ki-67 testing, i.e., preoperative or postoperative testing.

Prognostic Value of The Ratio of Maximum To Minimum Diameter of Primary Tumor In Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Background: Several models and markers were developed and found to predict outcome of advanced renal cell carcinoma. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the ratio of maximum to minimum tumor diameter (ROD) in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC).Methods: Patients with mccRCC (n=213) treated with sunitinib from January 2008 to December 2018 were identified. Cut-off value for ROD was determined using receiver operating characteristic. Patients with different ROD scores were grouped and evaluated. Survival outcomes were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method.Results: The optimal ROD cutoff value of 1.34 was determined for progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Patients in ROD≥1.34 group had shorter PFS (9.6 versus 17.7 months, p<0.001) and OS (25.5 versus 32.6 months, p<0.001) than patients in ROD<1.34 group. After adjustment for other factors, multivariate analysis showed ROD≥1.34 was an independent prognostic factor for PFS (p<0.001) and OS (p=0.006). Patients in ROD³1.34 group presented higher proportions of T3/4 stage (92.9% versus 7.1%, p=0.012), WHO/ISUP grade III/IV (72.0% versus 28.0%, p=0.010), tumor necrosis (71.0% versus 29.0%, p=0.039), sarcomatoid differentiation (79.1% versus 20.9%, p=0.007), poor MSKCC risk score (78.4% versus 21.6%, p<0.001) and poor IMDC risk score (74.4% versus 25.6%, p<0.001) than ROD<1.34 group.Conclusion: Primary tumor with higher ROD was an independently prognostic factor for both PFS and OS in patients with mccRCC who received targeted therapy. Higher ROD was also associated with high T stage, high WHO/ISUP grade, sarcomatoid features, tumor necrosis, poor MSKCC and IMDC risk score.