Citations

Background: Conflicting results from studies of Lewy-type α−synucleinopathy (LTS) in colonic biopsies of subjects with Parkinson’s disease (PD) prompted a two-part multicenter assessment. The first assessment, now published (Acta Neuropathol Commun 4 : 35, 2016), examined archived colonic biopsies and found that none of the tested methods was adequately sensitive or specific. Objective: As the amount of nervous tissue in typical colonic biopsies may be insufficient, and the clinical diagnosis of PD not completely accurate, the objective of the current study was to use instead full-thickness sections of sigmoid colon from autopsy-proven PD and normal subjects. Methods: Seven different immunohistochemical (IHC) methods were used, employing five different primary antibodies and four different combinations of epitope exposure and signal development protocols. Specific staining was defined as being restricted to morphological features consistent with neuronal elements. Stained slides from each subject were independently categorized as being positive or negative for LTS, and their density semi-quantitatively graded, by four raters blinded to diagnosis. Results: Agreement and mean diagnostic performance varied markedly between raters. With the two most accurate raters, 5 methods achieved diagnostic accuracies of 70% or greater; one method had 100% accuracy and 100% inter-rater agreement. The submucosa had the highest prevalence of pathological LTS staining, followed by the muscularis and mucosa. Conclusions: The major conclusion of this study is that, when sufficient submucosa and LTS is present, and when specific staining is defined as being consistent with neuronal morphology, adequately-trained raters may reliably distinguish PD colon from control using suitable IHC methods.

Abstract Background: The strongest known risk factor for endometrial cancer is obesity. To determine whether SNPs associated with increased body mass index (BMI) or waist–hip ratio (WHR) are associated with endometrial cancer risk, independent of measured BMI, we investigated relationships between 77 BMI and 47 WHR SNPs and endometrial cancer in 6,609 cases and 37,926 country-matched controls. Methods: Logistic regression analysis and fixed effects meta-analysis were used to test for associations between endometrial cancer risk and (i) individual BMI or WHR SNPs, (ii) a combined weighted genetic risk score (wGRS) for BMI or WHR. Causality of BMI for endometrial cancer was assessed using Mendelian randomization, with BMIwGRS as instrumental variable. Results: The BMIwGRS was significantly associated with endometrial cancer risk (P = 3.4 × 10−17). Scaling the effect of the BMIwGRS on endometrial cancer risk by its effect on BMI, the endometrial cancer OR per 5 kg/m2 of genetically predicted BMI was 2.06 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.89–2.21], larger than the observed effect of BMI on endometrial cancer risk (OR = 1.55; 95% CI, 1.44–1.68, per 5 kg/m2). The association attenuated but remained significant after adjusting for BMI (OR = 1.22; 95% CI, 1.10–1.39; P = 5.3 × 10−4). There was evidence of directional pleiotropy (P = 1.5 × 10−4). BMI SNP rs2075650 was associated with endometrial cancer at study-wide significance (P < 4.0 × 10−4), independent of BMI. Endometrial cancer was not significantly associated with individual WHR SNPs or the WHRwGRS. Conclusions: BMI, but not WHR, is causally associated with endometrial cancer risk, with evidence that some BMI-associated SNPs alter endometrial cancer risk via mechanisms other than measurable BMI. Impact: The causal association between BMI SNPs and endometrial cancer has possible implications for endometrial cancer risk modeling. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(11); 1503–10. ©2016 AACR.

Background In every field of medicine, comprehensive education should be delivered at the graduate level. Currently, no single specialty routinely provides a standardized comprehensive curriculum in venous and lymphatic disease. Method The American Board of Venous & Lymphatic Medicine formed a task force, made up of experts from the specialties of dermatology, family practice, interventional radiology, interventional cardiology, phlebology, vascular medicine, and vascular surgery, to develop a consensus document describing the program requirements for fellowship medical education in venous and lymphatic medicine. Result The Program Requirements for Fellowship Education in Venous and Lymphatic Medicine identify the knowledge and skills that physicians must master through the course of fellowship training in venous and lymphatic medicine. They also specify the requirements for venous and lymphatic training programs. The document is based on the Core Content for Training in Venous and Lymphatic Medicine and follows the ACGME format that all subspecialties in the United States use to specify the requirements for training program accreditation. The American Board of Venous & Lymphatic Medicine Board of Directors approved this document in May 2016. Conclusion The pathway to a vein practice is diverse, and there is no standardized format available for physician education and training. The Program Requirements for Fellowship Education in Venous and Lymphatic Medicine establishes educational standards for teaching programs in venous and lymphatic medicine and will facilitate graduation of physicians who have had comprehensive training in the field.

Purpose We aimed to update a previously published, multi-institutional nomogram of outcomes for salvage radiotherapy (SRT) following radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer, including patients treated in the contemporary era. Methods Individual data from node-negative patients with a detectable post-RP prostate-specific antigen (PSA) treated with SRT with or without concurrent androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) were obtained from 10 academic institutions. Freedom from biochemical failure (FFBF) and distant metastases (DM) rates were estimated, and predictive nomograms were generated. Results Overall, 2,460 patients with a median follow-up of 5 years were included; 599 patients (24%) had a Gleason score (GS) ≤ 6, 1,387 (56%) had a GS of 7, 244 (10%) had a GS of 8, and 230 (9%) had a GS of 9 to 10. There were 1,370 patients (56%) with extraprostatic extension (EPE), 452 (18%) with seminal vesicle invasion (SVI), 1,434 (58%) with positive surgical margins, and 390 (16%) who received ADT (median, 6 months). The median pre-SRT PSA was 0.5 ng/mL (interquartile range, 0.3 to 1.1). The 5-yr FFBF rate was 56% overall, 71% for those with a pre-SRT PSA level of 0.01 to 0.2 ng/mL (n = 441), 63% for those with a PSA of 0.21 to 0.50 ng/mL (n = 822), 54% for those with a PSA of 0.51 to 1.0 ng/mL (n = 533), 43% for those with a PSA of 1.01 to 2.0 ng/mL (n = 341), and 37% for those with a PSA > 2.0 ng/mL (n = 323); P < .001. On multivariable analysis, pre-SRT PSA, GS, EPE, SVI, surgical margins, ADT use, and SRT dose were associated with FFBF. Pre-SRT PSA, GS, SVI, surgical margins, and ADT use were associated with DM, whereas EPE and SRT dose were not. The nomogram concordance indices were 0.68 (FFBF) and 0.74 (DM). Conclusion Early SRT at low PSA levels after RP is associated with improved FFBF and DM rates. Contemporary nomograms can estimate individual patient outcomes after SRT in the modern era.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Ineffective and inefficient patient transfer processes can increase the chance of medical errors. Improvements in such processes are high-priority local institutional and national patient safety goals. At our institution, nonintubated postoperative pediatric patients are first admitted to the postanesthesia care unit before transfer to the PICU. This quality improvement project was designed to improve the patient transfer process from the operating room (OR) to the PICU. METHODS: After direct observation of the baseline process, we introduced a structured, direct OR-PICU transfer process for orthopedic spinal fusion patients. We performed value stream mapping of the process to determine error-prone and inefficient areas. We evaluated primary outcome measures of handoff error reduction and the overall efficiency of patient transfer process time. Staff satisfaction was evaluated as a counterbalance measure. RESULTS: With the introduction of the new direct OR-PICU patient transfer process, the handoff communication error rate improved from 1.9 to 0.3 errors per patient handoff (P = .002). Inefficiency (patient wait time and non–value-creating activity) was reduced from 90 to 32 minutes. Handoff content was improved with fewer information omissions (P &lt; .001). Staff satisfaction significantly improved among nearly all PICU providers. CONCLUSIONS: By using quality improvement methodology to design and implement a new direct OR-PICU transfer process with a structured multidisciplinary verbal handoff, we achieved sustained improvements in patient safety and efficiency. Handoff communication was enhanced, with fewer errors and content omissions. The new process improved efficiency, with high staff satisfaction.

Adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have a poorer prognosis than children due to a high risk of relapse. One explanation may be variable adherence to dose‐intense chemotherapy. However, little is known about risk factors for delays in therapy and their impact on survival. We conducted an analysis of ECOG 2993/UKALLXII trial to study delays in postremission chemotherapy in adults with newly diagnosed ALL. Logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for a very long delay (VLD, >4 weeks) in start of intensification therapy. Cox regression was used to evaluate the impact of delays on overall survival (OS) and event‐free survival (EFS). We evaluated 1076 Philadelphia chromosome negative (Ph−) patients who completed induction chemotherapy, achieved complete remission, and started intensification. Factors independently associated with VLD included duration of hospitalization (odds ratio [OR] = 1.2, P < 0.001) during Phase I; thrombocytopenia during Phase I (OR = 1.16, P = 0.004) or Phase II (OR 1.13, P = 0.001); chemotherapy dose reductions during Induction Phase I (OR = 1.72, P < 0.014); female sex (OR = 1.53, P = 0.010); Black (OR = 3.24, P = 0.003) and Asian (OR = 2.26, P = 0.021) race; and increasing age (OR = 1.31, P < 0.001). In multivariate Cox regression, patients who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplant (alloHCT) had significantly worse OS (HR 1.4, P = 0.03) and EFS (HR 1.4, P = 0.02) after experiencing a VLD compared to alloHCT patients who experienced ≤4 weeks delay. Specific populations (female, older, Black, and Asian patients) were more likely to experience delays in chemotherapy, as were those with significant toxicity during induction. VLDs in therapy negatively affected outcomes in patients undergoing allografting. Am. J. Hematol. 91:1107–1112, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Abstract Background: Pathologic complete response (pCR) is an established prognostic biomarker for aggressive HER2+ breast cancer (BC). Improving pCR rates may identify new therapies that improve survival. Pertuzumab (P) has established survival benefit in the metastatic setting, and received accelerated approval in the neoadjuvant setting when combined with trastuzumab (H) and docetaxel(D) as part of a complete treatment regimen for early breast cancer. We tested its ability, when combined with standard therapy (paclitaxel, T, and H) to improve pCR (ypT0ypN0) over TH in the adaptively randomized, phase II, I-SPY 2 neoadjuvant trial. Methods: Enrolled patients (pts) had invasive BC ?2.5 cm in HER2-positive subsets. Pts were adaptively randomized to control (TH, qwk x 12) or THP (P, q3wk x 4) followed by doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (AC) x 4 and surgery. To compare THP to TH we utilized all control pts accrued over the course of the trial, adjusting for potential differences due to time period treated, which were informed by the several other treatment arms that have been in the trial. Adaptive assignment to the experimental arms was based on current Bayesian probabilities of superiority over control. “Graduation” by signature and futility stopping were based upon Bayesian predictive probability of success in a 2-arm, N = 300 phase III randomized 1:1 trial of THP vs. TH with pCR endpoint. Results: THP met the predictive probability criterion and graduated in 3 signatures: all HER2+, HER2+/HR+, and HER2+/HR- (See Table 1). Final accrual: 44 THP and 31 TH. Safety data will be shown. Conclusions: I-SPY 2's standing platform trial efficiently evaluates agents in biomarker-defined pt subsets. THP -&gt; AC substantially improves pCR rates over standard TH -&gt; AC in all 3 HER2+ signatures, including HR+ and HR- subsets. APHINITY, a trial of adjuvant pertuzumab with a primary outcome of invasive disease-free survival, is ongoing. Table 1Signature*Estimated pCR Rate (95% probability interval)Signature*THPControl (TH)Probability THP Is Superior to ControlPredictive Probability of Success in Phase IIIHER2+54% (38%-70%)22% (5%-39%)99.8%96%HER2+/HR+44% (24%-63%)17% (0%-34%)99%91%HER2+/HR-74% (53%-95%)33% (6%-59%)99.8%98%*HR = Hormone Receptor Citation Format: Meredith Buxton, Angela M. DeMichele, Stephen Chia, Laura van't Veer, Jo Chien, Anne Wallace, Henry Kaplan, Julie Lang, Douglas Yee, Claudine Isaacs, Stacy Moulder, Kathy Albain, Judy Boughey, Kathleen Kemmer, Barbara Haley, Susan Minton, Andres Forero, Rita Nanda, Anthony Elias, Larissa Korde, Rebecca Viscuzi, Hope Rugo, Richard Schwab, Fraser Symmans, Melissa Paoloni, Nola Hylton, Michael Hogarth, Julia Lyandres, Jane Perlmutter, Ashish Sanil, Christina Yau, Laura Esserman, Don Berry, I-SPY 2 TRIAL Investigators. Efficacy of pertuzumab/trastuzumab/paclitaxel over standard trastuzumab/paclitaxel therapy for HER2+ breast cancer: Results from the neoadjuvant I-SPY 2 TRIAL. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr CT106.

Abstract Background: Pathologic complete response (pCR) is an established prognostic biomarker for aggressive HER2+ breast cancer (BC). Improving pCR rates may identify new therapies that improve survival. T-DM1 and pertuzumab have established benefits in metastatic HER2+ BC. We tested their ability when combined, without paclitaxel, to improve pCR rates (ypT0ypN0) over standard therapy in the randomized, phase 2, I-SPY 2 neoadjuvant trial. Methods: Enrolled patients (pts) had invasive breast cancer ?2.5 cm in HER2-positive subsets. Pts were adaptively randomized to 12 wkly cycles of paclitaxel+trastuzumab (TH, control) or T-DM1+pertuzumab (T-DM1+P) without T, followed by doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (AC) x 4 and surgery. We utilized all TH control pts accrued over the course of the trial, adjusting for potential differences due to time period treated, which were informed by the several other treatment arms that have been in the trial. Adaptive assignment to the various experimental arms in the trial was based on current Bayesian probabilities of superiority vs. control. “Graduation” by signature and futility stopping were based upon Bayesian predictive probability of success in a future 2-arm, N = 300 neoadjuvant Phase 3 randomized 1:1 trial of T-DM1+P vs. control with pCR endpoint. Results: T-DM1+P met the predictive probability criterion and graduated from I-SPY 2 in 3 signatures: all HER2+, HER2+/HR+, HER2+/HR- (Table 1). Final accrual: 52 T-DM1+P and 31 TH. Safety data will be shown. Conclusions: I-SPY 2's standing platform trial mechanism efficiently evaluates agents in biomarker-defined pt subsets. T-DM1+P (w/o T) -&gt; AC substantially improves pCR rates over standard TH -&gt; AC in all 3 HER2+ signatures, including HR+ and HR- subsets. These findings warrant further investigation of these agents without paclitaxel in a neoadjuvant trial powered for survival endpoints. Table 1Signature*Estimated pCR Rate (95% probability interval)Probability T-DM1+P Is Superior to Control**Predictive Probability of Success in Phase 3T-DM1+PControl (TH)HER2+52% (36%-68%)22% (5%-39%)99.5%94%HER2+/HR+46% (26%-66%)17% (0% - 34%)99.1%93%HER2+/HR-64% (39%-88%)33% (6%-59%)98%90%*HR = Hormone Receptor Citation Format: Angela M. DeMichele, Stacy Moulder, Meredith Buxton, Douglas Yee, Anne Wallace, Jo Chien, Claudine Isaacs, Kathy Albain, Judy Boughey, Kathleen Kemmer, Barbara Haley, Julie Lang, Henry Kaplan, Susan Minton, Andres Forero, Anthony Elias, Rita Nanda, Larissa Korde, Richard Schwab, Michelle Melisko, Ashish Sanil, Michael Hogarth, Nola Hylton, Melissa Paoloni, Fraser Symmans, Jane Perlmutter, Julia Lyandres, Christina Yau, Don Berry, Laura Esserman, I-SPY 2 TRIAL Investigators. Efficacy of T-DM1+pertuzumab over standard therapy for HER2+ breast cancer: Results from the neoadjuvant I-SPY 2 TRIAL. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr CT042.