Citations

Abstract Background: Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death globally. Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include common genetic variants and potentially heavy alcohol consumption. We assessed if genetic variants modify the association between heavy alcohol consumption and pancreatic cancer risk. Methods: We conducted a genome-wide interaction analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) by heavy alcohol consumption (more than three drinks per day) for pancreatic cancer in European ancestry populations from genome-wide association studies. Our analysis included 3,707 cases and 4,167 controls from case–control studies and 1,098 cases and 1,162 controls from cohort studies. Fixed-effect meta-analyses were conducted. Results: A potential novel region of association on 10p11.22, lead SNP rs7898449 (interaction P value (Pinteraction) = 5.1 × 10−8 in the meta-analysis; Pinteraction = 2.1 × 10−9 in the case–control studies; Pinteraction = 0.91 in the cohort studies), was identified. An SNP correlated with this lead SNP is an expression quantitative trait locus for the neuropilin 1 gene. Of the 17 genomic regions with genome-wide significant evidence of association with pancreatic cancer in prior studies, we observed suggestive evidence that heavy alcohol consumption modified the association for one SNP near LINC00673, rs11655237 on 17q25.1 (Pinteraction = 0.004). Conclusions: We identified a novel genomic region that may be associated with pancreatic cancer risk in conjunction with heavy alcohol consumption located near an expression quantitative trait locus for neuropilin 1, a protein that plays an important role in the development and progression of pancreatic cancer. Impact: This work can provide insights into the etiology of pancreatic cancer, particularly in heavy drinkers.

11508 Background: Trabectedin(T) is a marine-derived minor groove DNA binding compound that alters transcription factor activity. Preclinical data suggests that T suppresses the oncogenic driver of ES, EWS::FLI1. This suppression requires a threshold concentration of T and is potentiated by low doses of Irinotecan(I). Preliminary clinical activity and reversal of the EWS::FLI1 transcriptome was seen in patients (pts) in the phase I portion of SARC037. Here we report the phase II results of T with I at the recommended dose in pts with relapsed/refractory ES. Methods: In this open-label multicenter study, T was given at 1 mg/m2 as a 1-h infusion on day(D)1 with I at 25 mg/m2 intravenously on D2 and D4 of a 21D cycle. Key eligibility criteria were EWS::FLI1 fusion transcript, age ≥6 years, ECOG ≤2, adequate organ function, and willing to have a research biopsy if safely accessible. The primary objective was to determine the objective response rate (ORR) assessed by RECIST v1.1. Secondary objectives were progression-free survival (PFS), duration of response (DOR), and safety. This study used a Simon two-stage design that required 4 or more responses (CR or PR) at the final analysis to establish treatment activity. Results: 18 pts enrolled from 12/2022-12/2023 across 6 sites, 8F/10M, median age 21y (9-43). Pts had a median of 3 (1-7) prior therapy lines, including I in 67% of pts. Of 16 pts evaluable for response at the cutoff date, 5 pts had a PR, and 2 pts had SD. Two pts have evaluations pending and two pts were removed for toxicity before the first evaluation. Median time to response was 2.6 months(m), 6-month PFS was 37.7% (95% CI 18.3%, 77.7%), and all responses were sustained at the time of data cutoff at 10.4+, 7.5+, 5.5+, 5.0+ and 4.6+ m. There were no G5 AEs. Most pts had molecular profiling, translocation testing, as well as ctDNA collection, quantitation, and analysis. A subset of pts had pre- and post-treatment biopsies for RNA sequencing and evaluation of the impact of drug exposure on the EWS::FLI1 transcriptome. Conclusions: T+I exhibited anti-tumor activity in heavily pretreated pts with ES and met its prespecified ORR with 5 PRs in 16 evaluable patients, all of which are ongoing at data cutoff. There were no unexpected safety signals. The combination of T given as a 1h infusion and low-dose I demonstrated meaningful clinical benefit and is worthy of further study in ES pts. Analysis of biological correlates is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT04067115 .

11504 Background: Surgery & radiation therapy (RT) yield high local control rates for soft tissue sarcoma (STS) of the extremity and limb girdle. However, patients (pts) with high-grade stage III STS are at significant risk for developing metastasis. Median survival for pts with metastatic STS is < 2 years. SARC028 (NCT02301039) evaluated the efficacy of pembrolizumab (pembro) for metastatic STS, showing 20% and 8.7% response rates in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) and pleomorphic/dedifferentiated liposarcoma (LPS), respectively. We hypothesized that neoadjuvant pembro with concurrent RT followed by surgery and adjuvant pembro for stage III UPS, including myxofibrosarcoma, or LPS would stimulate an anti-tumor immune response to eliminate micrometastatic disease & improve disease-free survival (DFS). SU2C-SARC032 (NCT03092323) is a multi-institutional, international, randomized phase 2 trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of adding pembro to standard of care (SOC) RT & surgery for pts with stage III UPS or LPS. Methods: Pts aged > 12 yo with stage III (FNCLCC grade 2 or 3) UPS or LPS of the extremity and limb girdle were enrolled. Pts were randomized (1:1, stratified by grade) to neoadjuvant RT (50 Gy/25 fx) then surgery (SOC arm) or neoadjuvant pembro and RT then surgery & adjuvant pembro (EXP arm). Pembro was given 200 mg IV Q3 wk for 3 doses (before, during & after RT) & up to 14 adjuvant cycles. The primary endpoint was 2-yr DFS. Secondary endpoints included local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), distant disease-free survival (DDFS), & overall survival (OS). Target enrollment of 126 evaluable patients (max 144 total) provided 80% power (1-sided α = 0.05) to distinguish between a null hypothesis of 50% 2-yr DFS rate & alternative hypothesis of 75% 2-yr DFS rate by log-rank test, with initial analysis at 45 DFS events. Cox models were stratified by grade; primary analysis was a one-sided stratified log-rank test. Results: Between July 2017-November 2023, 143 patients were enrolled, predominantly with UPS (85%) & grade 3 (64%) histology. Median follow-up for alive patients is 24.1 mo. DFS in the EXP arm is significantly higher than the SOC arm (p = 0.023; HR 0.57, 90% CI: 0.35, 0.91). Estimated 2-yr DFS is 53% (90% CI: 43, 66%) for SOC vs 70% (90% CI: 61, 81%) for EXP arm. Currently, there is no statistically significant difference in LRFS (HR 0.55, 95% CI: 0.21, 1.42), DDFS (HR 0.57, 95% CI: 0.32, 1.01), or OS (HR 0.39, 95% CI: 0.14, 1.12). Pts with grade 3 sarcomas had improved DFS with pembro (HR 0.47, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.89), but no difference in DFS was observed in grade 2 tumors (HR 1.21, 95% CI: 0.35, 4.18). The proportion of patients with grade 3+ adverse events was significantly higher in EXP (52%) vs SOC arm (26%) (p = 0.002). Conclusions: Theaddition of neoadjuvant & adjuvant pembro to RT and surgery significantly improves DFS for pts with stage III UPS and LPS of the extremity and limb girdle. Clinical trial information: NCT03092323 .

Background A national survey of general surgery residents revealed significant self-assessed deficits in preparation for independent practice, with only 7.7% of graduating postgraduate year 5 residents (n=1145) reporting self-efficacy for all 10 commonly performed operations surveyed. Objective We sought to understand why this phenomenon occurs. We hypothesized that self-efficacy would be positively correlated with both operative independence and case volume. Methods We compared 3 independent datasets: case information for the same 10 previously surveyed operations for residents graduating in 2020 (dataset 1), operative independence data obtained through the SIMPL OR app, an operative self-assessment tool (dataset 2), and case volume data obtained through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education National Data Report (dataset 3). Operations were categorized into high, middle (mid), and low self-efficacy tiers; analysis of variance was used to compare operative independence and case volume per tier. Results There were significant differences in self-efficacy between high (87.7%), mid (68.3%), and low (25.4%) tiers ( P =.008 [95% CI 6.2, 32.7] for high vs mid, P <.001 for high vs low [49.1, 75.6], and P <.001 for mid vs low [28.7, 57.1]). The percentage of cases completed with operative independence followed similar trends (high 32.7%, mid 13.8%, low 4.9%, P =.006 [6.4, 31.4] for high vs mid, P <.001 [15.3, 40.3] for high vs low, P =.23 [-4.5, 22.3] for mid vs low). The total volume of cases decreased from high to mid to low self-efficacy tiers (average 91.8 to 20.8 to 11.1) but did not reach statistical significance on post-hoc analysis. Conclusions In this analysis of US surgical residents, operative independence was strongly correlated with self-efficacy.

Abstract Background Delirium is a common complication of older people in hospitals, rehabilitation and long-term facilities. Objective To assess the worldwide use of validated delirium assessment tools and the presence of delirium management protocols. Design Secondary analysis of a worldwide one-day point prevalence study on World Delirium Awareness Day, 15 March 2023. Setting Cross-sectional online survey including hospitals, rehabilitation and long-term facilities. Methods Participating clinicians reported data on delirium, the presence of protocols, delirium assessments, delirium-awareness interventions, non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions, and ward/unit-specific barriers. Results Data from 44 countries, 1664 wards/units and 36 048 patients were analysed. Validated delirium assessments were used in 66.7% (n = 1110) of wards/units, 18.6% (n = 310) used personal judgement or no assessment, and 10% (n = 166) used other assessment methods. A delirium management protocol was reported in 66.8% (n = 1094) of wards/units. The presence of protocols for delirium management varied across continents, ranging from 21.6% (on 21/97 wards/units) in Africa to 90.4% (235/260) in Australia, similar to the use of validated delirium assessments with 29.6% (29/98) in Africa to 93.5% (116/124) in North America. Wards/units with a delirium management protocol [n = 1094/1664, 66.8%] were more likely to use a validated delirium test than those without a protocol [odds ratio 6.97 (95% confidence interval 5.289–9.185)]. The presence of a delirium protocol increased the chances for valid delirium assessment and, likely, evidence-based interventions. Conclusion Wards/units that reported the presence of delirium management protocols had a higher probability of using validated delirium assessments tools to assess for delirium.

Mastocytosis is a heterogeneous group of disorders comprising cutaneous mastocytosis, systemic mastocytosis, and mast cell sarcoma. It is associated with a variety of symptoms related to the release of mast cell mediators and mast cell tissue infiltration. Referral to specialized centers with expertise in the management of mastocytosis and multidisciplinary collaboration with subspecialists (eg, allergists for the management of anaphylaxis and drug hypersensitivities, anesthesiologists for invasive procedures or surgery, high-risk obstetrician for pregnancy) is recommended. The NCCN Guidelines for Systemic Mastocytosis provide evidence- and consensus-based recommendations for the diagnosis and comprehensive care of patients with systemic mastocytosis. The multidisciplinary panel of experts convenes at least once a year to review requested changes to the guidelines from both internal and external entities as well as to discuss data on existing and new therapies. These NCCN Guidelines Insights focus on some of the recent updates to the guidelines.

Summary: Despite concerns from 1980s case reports, oral isotretinoin, a derivative of vitamin A, has largely proven to be safe in surgical procedures, with the exception of deep skin resurfacing. Isotretinoin modulates thinning skin and internal scarring in select rhinoplasty patients who may otherwise have poor definition and excessive scarring. A review of patients undergoing surgical interventions, including rhinoplasty, in the setting of concomitant isotretinoin use was performed to examine safety and therapeutic potential. A total of 49 studies were reviewed. Isotretinoin use appears to be safe in a wide variety of surgical procedures relying on internal scar formation. In rhinoplasty, oral isotretinoin was used to thin skin and improve appearance, and resulted in patient and surgeon satisfaction. As such, the clinical potential for using oral isotretinoin in select rhinoplasty candidates—such as those with thick, glaborous, sebaceous skin; male sex; certain races or ethnicities; or revision cases—could mitigate internal scarring processes. Further studies examining the optimal dosing regimen and long-term benefits are warranted.

7561 Background: Pts with TCE RRMM have poor outcomes and a high unmet need, with no established SOC tx. LINKER-MM1 (NCT03761108) is a single-arm, Phase 1/2 study investigating linvoseltamab, a B-cell maturation antigen × CD3 bispecific antibody, in pts with RRMM who were previously treated with a proteasome inhibitor, immunomodulatory drug, and anti-CD38 antibody, or were triple-class refractory (TCR) to these tx. The aim of this study was to contextualize LINKER-MM1 by comparing outcomes with linvoseltamab vs a real-world (RW) external control arm (ECA). Methods: A RW ECA was derived from 2 US electronic health record databases (COTA, Guardian Research Network) of pts who started a new line of therapy (LOT) after classification as TCE or TCR and met key eligibility criteria for LINKER-MM1. Eligibility was assessed at the initiation of each new LOT, and all eligible LOTs were included in the ECA. Data in Phase 2 pts who received linvoseltamab 200 mg in LINKER-MM1 were included (data cutoff: Sep 8, 2023). Inverse probability of tx weighting (IPTW) was used to reduce imbalances between the RW and LINKER-MM1 cohorts. Key prognostic factors were identified using a systematic review and rank ordered by an international committee of MM experts (Kumar et al., 2023). Outcomes included overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), time to next treatment (TTNT), and overall survival (OS). An independent committee of epidemiology and oncology experts reviewed the comparability of the cohorts and endpoint assessments prior to conducting comparative analyses. Results: Comparative analyses were performed in 105 pts in the linvoseltamab cohort and 101 RW pts (137 LOTs). Following IPTW, the distribution of cytogenetic risk, age, TCR status, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, and platelet count were balanced between the 2 cohorts (absolute standardized mean difference <0.10). After adjustment, pts receiving linvoseltamab had significantly improved ORR, PFS, TTNT, and OS vs the RW ECA (see table). Conclusions: Linvoseltamab significantly improved outcomes vs RW SOC in the US, highlighting its potential as a highly effective tx in pts with TCE RRMM. [Table: see text]

Abstract Intracellular trafficking involves an intricate machinery of motor complexes, including the dynein complex, to shuttle cargo for autophagolysosomal degradation. Deficiency in dynein axonemal chains, as well as cytoplasmic light and intermediate chains, have been linked with ciliary dyskinesia and skeletal dysplasia. The cytoplasmic dynein 1 heavy chain protein (DYNC1H1) serves as a core complex for retrograde trafficking in neuronal axons. Dominant pathogenic variants in DYNC1H1 have been previously implicated in peripheral neuromuscular disorders (NMD) and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). As heavy-chain dynein is ubiquitously expressed, the apparent selectivity of heavy chain dyneinopathy for motor neuronal phenotypes remains currently unaccounted for. Here, we aimed to evaluate the full DYNC1H1-related clinical, molecular and imaging spectrum, including multisystem features and novel phenotypes presenting throughout life. We identified 47 cases from 43 families with pathogenic heterozygous variants in DYNC1H1 (aged 0–59 years) and collected phenotypic data via a comprehensive standardized survey and clinical follow-up appointments. Most patients presented with divergent and previously unrecognized neurological and multisystem features, leading to significant delays in genetic testing and establishing the correct diagnosis. Neurological phenotypes include novel autonomic features, previously rarely described behavioral disorders, movement disorders and periventricular lesions. Sensory neuropathy was identified in nine patients (median age of onset 10.6 years), of which five were only diagnosed after the second decade of life, and three had a progressive age-dependent sensory neuropathy. Novel multisystem features included primary immunodeficiency, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, organ anomalies and skeletal manifestations, resembling the phenotypic spectrum of other dyneinopathies. We also identified an age-dependent biphasic disease course with developmental regression in the first decade and, following a period of stability, neurodegenerative progression after the second decade of life. Of note, we observed several cases in whom neurodegeneration appeared to be prompted by intercurrent systemic infections with double-stranded DNA viruses (Herpesviridae) or single-stranded RNA viruses (Ross River fever, SARS-CoV-2). Moreover, the disease course appeared to be exacerbated by viral infections regardless of age and/or severity of neurodevelopmental disorder manifestations, indicating a role of dynein in anti-viral immunity and neuronal health. In summary, our findings expand the clinical, imaging and molecular spectrum of pathogenic DYNC1H1 variants beyond motor neuropathy disorders and suggest a life-long continuum and age-related progression due to deficient intracellular trafficking. This study will facilitate early diagnosis and improve counselling and health surveillance of affected patients.

Abstract Rationale Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Our previous studies have identified that nocturnal hypoxemia causes skeletal muscle loss (i.e., sarcopenia) in in vitro models of COPD. Objectives We aimed to extend our preclinical mechanistic findings by analyzing a large sleep registry to determine whether nocturnal hypoxemia is associated with sarcopenia in patients with COPD. Methods Sleep studies from patients with COPD (n = 479) and control subjects without COPD (n = 275) were analyzed. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea, as defined by apnea–hypopnea index ⩾ 5, were excluded. Pectoralis muscle cross-sectional area (PMcsa) was quantified using computed tomography scans performed within 1 year of the sleep study. We defined sarcopenia as less than the lowest 20% residuals for PMcsa of control subjects, which was adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI) and stratified by sex. Youden’s optimal cut-point criteria were used to predict sarcopenia based on mean oxygen saturation during sleep. Additional measures of nocturnal hypoxemia were analyzed. The pectoralis muscle index (PMI) was defined as PMcsa normalized to BMI. Results On average, males with COPD had a 16.6% lower PMI than control males (1.41 ± 0.44 vs. 1.69 ± 0.56 cm2/BMI; P &lt; 0.001), whereas females with COPD had a 9.4% lower PMI than control females (0.96 ± 0.27 vs. 1.06 ± 0.33 cm2/BMI; P &lt; 0.001). Males with COPD with nocturnal hypoxemia had a 9.5% decrease in PMI versus COPD with normal O2 (1.33 ± 0.39 vs. 1.47 ± 0.46 cm2/BMI; P &lt; 0.05) and a 23.6% decrease compared with control subjects (1.33 ± 0.39 vs. 1.74 ± 0.56 cm2/BMI; P &lt; 0.001). Females with COPD with nocturnal hypoxemia had an 11.2% decrease versus COPD with normal O2 (0.87 ± 0.26 vs. 0.98 ± 0.28 cm2/BMI; P &lt; 0.05) and a 17.9% decrease compared with control subjects (0.87 ± 0.26 vs. 1.06 ± 0.33 cm2/BMI; P &lt; 0.001). These findings were largely replicated using multiple measures of nocturnal hypoxemia. Conclusions We defined sarcopenia in the pectoralis muscle using residuals that take into account age, BMI, and sex. We found that patients with COPD have a lower PMI than patients without COPD and that nocturnal hypoxemia was associated with an additional decrease in the PMI of patients with COPD. Additional prospective analyses are needed to determine a protective threshold of oxygen saturation to prevent or reverse sarcopenia due to nocturnal hypoxemia in COPD.