Correlation of p16 immunohistochemistry with clinical and epidemiological features in oropharyngeal squamous-cell carcinoma

Background Oropharyngeal cancer is an important public health problem. The aim of our study was to correlatep16 immunohistochemistry in oropharynx squamous cell carcinomas(OPSCC) with clinical and epidemiological features. Material and methods We conducted across-sectional study on patients with OPSCC treated at a single institution from 2014 to 2019. Epidemiological and clinical-pathological data were collected from medical records and a questionnaire was applied to determine alcohol consumption, smoking, and sexual behavior. The HPV status was determined by p16 immunohistochemistry. Results A total of 252 patients participated in the study, of these 221 (87.7%) were male. There were 81 (32.14%) p16 positive cases and 171 (67.85%) p16 negative cases. The p16positive group was significantly associated with younger patients (50–59 years), higher education level, lower clinical stage and patients who never drank or smoked. Through univariate logistic regression, we observed that female sex (OR, 3.47; 95% CI, 1.60–7.51) and higher education level (OR, 9.39; 95% CI, 2, 81–31,38) were significantly more likely to be p16 positive. Early clinical stage (AJCC8ed) was more associated with p16 positivity both in univariate (OR, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.07–0.26, p<0.001) and multivariate analysis (OR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.06–0.49, p = 0.001). Conclusion This study showed that drinkers and current smokers were less likely to be p16+. Female sex, higher education level and younger age at diagnosis were associated with a higher probability of being p16+. Additionally, there was a higher proportion of patients with early clinical stage (I or II) in the p16 positive group when compared to the p16 negative group.

The impact of radiotherapy on the quality of life in patients with early-stage clinical head and neck cancer

Radiotherapy (RT) for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) affects vital functions related to the irradiation volume of the head and neck region and, in addition, has a negative impact on social functioning, thereby significantly impairing patients’ quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to assess changes in the quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer treated with curative RT at 12 months after completion of RT. The aim of this study was to assess the differences between the baseline QoL of patients with early clinical stage HNSCC and at 12 months after curative/radical RT. The prospective clinical study included 92 patients in good general condition (ECOG 0–1 – Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status), without regional or distant metastases, diagnosed with pathomorphologically confirmed early-stage head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated with definitive RT. All patients participating in the study signed an informed consent form. QoL was assessed using the standard EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQH&N35 questionnaires. In addition, information on clinical aspects and data relating to socio-demographic factors were obtained from each patient. Statistical analysis was performed using a statistical package (SPSS 17.0). T-test was used for dependent and independent samples. A general linear model was used for repeated measures. Patients’ QoL deteriorated significantly after definitive RT. Worse QoL Core-30 scores in patients 12 months after the end of RT, compared with baseline QoL, before the start of RT, were observed in domains such as physical performance, fulfillment of life roles, cognitive functioning, loss of appetite, fatigue and constipation. For the QLQ-H&N35 questionnaires, patients 12 months after the end of RT reported problems in relation to aspects of life such as senses, mouth opening, dry mouth, thick saliva, pain, and weight loss. RT, even in early clinical stage head and neck cancer, has a negative impact on QoL, despite modern treatment techniques.

A Pilot Study of Changes in the Level of Catecholamines and the Activity of α-2-Macroglobulin in the Tear Fluid of Patients with Parkinson’s Disease and Parkinsonian Mice

Development of differential and early (preclinical) diagnostics of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is among the priorities in neuroscience. We searched for changes in the level of catecholamines and α-2-macroglobulin activity in the tear fluid (TF) in PD patients at an early clinical stage. It was shown that TF in patients is characterized by an increased level of noradrenaline mainly on the ipsilateral side of pronounced motor symptoms (72%, p = 0.049), a decreased level of adrenaline on both sides (ipsilateral—53%, p = 0.004; contralateral—42%, p = 0.02), and an increased α-2-macroglobulin activity on both sides (ipsilateral—53%, p = 0.03; contralateral—56%, p = 0.037) compared to controls. These changes are considered as potential biomarkers for differential diagnosis. Similar changes in the TF were found in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated mice when modeling clinical and preclinical stages of PD. These data show the adequacy of models to the pathogenesis of PD along the selected metabolic pathways, and also suggest that the found TF changes can be considered as potential biomarkers for preclinical diagnosis of PD. In Parkinsonian mice, the level of catecholamines also changes in the lacrimal glands, which makes it possible to consider them as one of the sources of catecholamines in the TF.

Planning deficits in Huntington’s disease: A brain structural correlation by voxel-based morphometry

Introduction Early Huntington’s disease (HD) patients begin to show planning deficits even before motor alterations start to manifest. Generally, planning ability is associated with the functioning of anterior brain areas such as the medial prefrontal cortex. However, early HD neuropathology involves significant atrophy in the occipital and parietal cortex, suggesting that more posterior regions could also be involved in these planning deficits. Objective To identify brain regions associated with planning deficits in HD patients at an early clinical stage. Materials and methods Twenty-two HD-subjects genetically confirmed with incipient clinical manifestation and twenty healthy subjects were recruited. All participants underwent MRI T1 image acquisition as well as testing in the Stockings of Cambridge (SOC) task to measure planning ability. First, group comparison of SOC measures were performed. Then, correlation voxel-based morphometry analyses were done between gray matter degeneration and SOC performance in the HD group. Results Accuracy and efficiency planning scores correlated with gray matter density in right lingual gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, anterior cingulate gyrus, and paracingulate gyrus. Conclusions Our results suggest that planning deficits exhibited by early HD-subjects are related to occipital and temporal cortical degeneration in addition to the frontal areas deterioration.

327 IS LOCAL ENDOSCOPIC RESECTION A VIABLE THERAPEUTIC OPTION FOR EARLY CLINICAL STAGE T1A AND T1B OESOPHAGEAL ADENOCARCINOMA? A PROPENSITY-MATCHED ANALYSIS

The role of endoscopic resection (ER) in the management of subsets of clinical T1N0 oesophageal adenocarcinoma is controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of ER versus oesophagectomy in node negative cT1a and cT1b oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Methods Data from the National Cancer Database (2010-2015), was used to identify patients with clinical T1aN0 (n = 2,545) and T1bN0 (n = 1,281) oesophageal adenocarcinoma that received either ER (cT1a, n = 1,581; cT1b, n = 335) or oesophagectomy (cT1a, n = 964; cT1b, n = 946). Propensity score matching (PSM) and Cox multivariable analyses were used to account for treatment selection bias. Results ER for cT1a and cT1b disease was performed more commonly over time. The rates of node-positive disease in patients with cT1a and cT1b oesophageal adenocarcinoma were 4% and 15%, respectively. In the matched cohort for cT1a cancers, ER had similar survival to oesophagectomy (HR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.70-1.04, p = 0.1). The corresponding 5-year survival for ER and oesophagectomy were 70% and 74% (p = 0.1), respectively. For cT1b cancers, there was no statistically significant difference in overall survival between the treatment groups (HR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.66-1.14, p = 0.3). The corresponding 5-year survival for ER and oesophagectomy were 53% vs. 61% (p = 0.3), respectively. Conclusion This study demonstrates ER has comparable long-term outcomes for clinical T1aN0 and T1bN0 oesophageal adenocarcinoma. However, 15% of patients with cT1b oesophageal cancer were found to have positive nodal disease. Future research should seek to identify the subset of T1b cancers at high risk of nodal metastasis and thus would benefit from oesophagectomy with lymphadenectomy.