OBJECTIVE Poor pain control has a negative impact on postoperative recovery and patient satisfaction. However, overzealous pain management, particularly with opioids, can confound serial neurological assessments, increase morbidity, and predispose patients to long-term dependence. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are effective in treating postoperative pain and can limit opioid intake, but their use has been limited in patients undergoing craniotomy for brain tumor resection due to concerns of an increased hemorrhage risk. Herein, the authors aim to 1) address the safety of NSAID use in the immediate postoperative setting and 2) determine whether NSAID administration decreases opioid use following craniotomy for tumor resection in adult patients. METHODS The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients 18 years and older with an estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥ 60 ml/min/body surface area who had undergone craniotomy for tumor resection at their institution between 2019 and 2021. NSAID use in the first 48 hours following surgery was recorded. Primary outcomes were postoperative hemorrhage requiring a return to the operating room before hospital discharge and within 30 days of surgery. Secondary outcomes were more-than-minimal hemorrhage that did not require reoperation, acute kidney injury, and total opioid use within 48 hours after craniotomy. RESULTS Among 1765 reviewed patient records, 1182 were eligible for inclusion in this analysis. Amid these records were 114 patients (9.6%) who had received at least one dose of an NSAID within 48 hours of their craniotomy. Four (0.3%) patients experienced bleeding requiring a return to operating room, one of whom was from the NSAID-treated group (RR 3.12, 95% CI 0.33–29.77, p = 0.30). No significant difference in nonoperative intracranial hemorrhage (RR 1.34, 95% CI 0.54–3.35, p = 0.53), postoperative acute kidney injury, or clinically significant extracranial bleeding was found between the NSAID and no-NSAID groups. Patients in the NSAID group had significantly higher oral morphine equivalent use (median 68 vs 30, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Postoperative NSAID use following craniotomy for tumor resection was not associated with an increased risk of hemorrhage requiring a return to the operating room. The authors noted higher opioid use in the patients treated with NSAIDs, which may reflect underlying reasons for the decision to treat patients with NSAIDs in the immediate postoperative period. These data warrant further investigation of NSAIDs as a safe, opioid-sparing postoperative pain management strategy in patients with normal kidney function who are undergoing intracranial tumor resection.
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis with primary vaginal involvement and ureteral obstruction: A case report and systematic review of the literature
Background: Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a vasculitis with multi-organ involvement. Some cases of gynecologic involvement have been described, but there are no systematic reviews in the literature. Objectives: to provide a systematic review of the literature of GPA patients with gynecological involvement. Search Strategy: PubMed and Embase, were searched from inception to July 2012 for GPA patients with gynecological involvement Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and free-text terms. Selection Criteria: Patients with GPA and primary gynecologic involvement, and/or genital recurrence. Exclusion criteria were other language, review articles, pregnancy, fertility or male patients. Data Collection and Analysis: Data were extracted on clinical evolution, symptoms, examinations findings, diagnosis delay, treatment, outcome, patient status, and follow-up. The main limitation of the studies was the high heterogeneity, which resulted in a narrative review and could lead to publication bias. Main Results: Seventeen studies included data from patients with GPA and primary or relapsed gynecological involvement. In GPA patients, the genitourinary system is affected in <1%. 61% of the authors of this review thought the patient had cancer. The main gynecological symptom is bleeding, but exclusive gynecologic symptomatology is rare (ENT: 63%, lungs: 44%, kidneys-urinary tract: 53%). GPA could affect all areas of the genital tract, but the most frequent location is the uterine cervix. Medical treatment for GPA is effective. Conclusions: GPA of the female genital tract must be considered when biopsies of an ulcerated malignant-appearing cervical or vaginal mass are negative for malignancy even when they are unspecific. Rheumatology consultation is indicated.
AMBASSADOR Alliance A031501: Phase III randomized adjuvant study of pembrolizumab in muscle-invasive and locally advanced urothelial carcinoma (MIUC) vs observation.
LBA531 Background: Muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma (MIUC) is an aggressive disease with high relapse rates. Neoadjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy (NAC) is the standard of care in patients (pts) who are cisplatin (Cis)-eligible. However, many pts are Cis-ineligible or have persistent muscle-invasive disease after NAC and surgery. We evaluated pembrolizumab (Pembro) as adjuvant therapy in pts with high-risk MIUC following surgical resection. Methods: The AMBASSADOR study is an open-label, randomized, phase III trial that enrolled pts with histologically confirmed MIUC of the bladder, upper tract, or urethra who (1) had ≥ pT2 and/or pN+ or margins+ at surgery (radical cystectomy, nephrectomy, nephroureterectomy, or ureterectomy) following NAC or (2) ≥ pT3 and/or pN+ or margins+ at surgery without NAC and were either Cis-ineligible or declined adjuvant Cis-based therapy. Pts were registered ≥4 to 16 weeks after surgery and randomized 1:1 to receive Pembro 200 mg every 3 weeks for 1 year or observation (Obs). Randomization was stratified by pathologic stage, centrally tested PD-L1 status, and prior NAC. The dual primary endpoints were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) with a target sample size of 739 pts and required 387 DFS and 320 OS events for final analysis. Secondary objectives included evaluation of DFS and OS in PD-L1-positive and -negative pts and assessing safety. Here we present the interim DFS and OS results. Results: Between 09/2017 and 08/2021 a total of 702 pts were randomized prior to early closure due to US FDA approval of nivolumab for MIUC pts: 354 pts to Pembro and 348 pts to Obs; 13.0% vs 21.6% withdrew from study without event in the Pembro vs Obs arms, respectively. 74 pts (21%) in the Obs arm received an immune checkpoint inhibitor. Median follow-up was 22.3 months (mos) for DFS and 36.9 mos for OS. The DFS endpoint (based on 319 events needed for interim analysis) crossed the efficacy boundary. Median DFS was 29.0 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 21.8‒not evaluable (NE)) with Pembro and 14.0 months (95% CI 9.7‒20.20) with Obs (hazard ratio (HR) 0.69 [95% CI 0.55–0.87]; p=0.0013). At the interim analysis (n = 257 events), median OS was 50.9 months (95% CI 43.9‒NE) with Pembro and 55.8 months (95% CI 53.3‒NE) with Obs (HR 0.98 [95% CI 0.76–1.26]; p=0.88). Grade 3+ adverse events occurred in 48.4% and 31.8% of pts in the Pembro and Obs arms, respectively. Conclusions: Adjuvant Pembro demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in DFS vs Obs for high-risk MIUC pts after radical surgery. The OS endpoint may have been impacted by pts on the Obs arm receiving a checkpoint inhibitor. Pembro was tolerable with no new safety signals. These results support adjuvant Pembro as a new therapeutic option for pts with MIUC with high risk for recurrence. Additional follow-up is ongoing for the final DFS/OS, PD-L1 subgroups, and ctDNA analyses. Clinical trial information: NCT03244384 .
BCAS1 defines a heterogeneous cell population in diffuse gliomas
PURPOSE Multidisciplinary molecular tumor boards (MTBs) decode complex genomic data into clinical recommendations. Although MTBs are well-established in the oncology practice in developed countries, this strategy needs to be better explored in developing countries. Herein, we describe the possible benefits and limitations of the first MTB established in Colombia. METHODS Demographic, clinical, and genomic information was collected between August 2020 and November 2021. By mid-2020, an MTB strategy was created to discuss clinical cases with one or more genomic alterations identified by next-generation sequencing using an open-access virtual platform. We characterized the patient population as benefiting from the recommended treatment option. We assessed the benefits and access to available targeted therapies that have the potential to change clinical management by making recommendations to treating oncologists on the basis of genomic profiling. However, we did not assess the treatment oncologists' compliance with MTB recommendations because they were not intended to replace clinical judgment/standard of care. RESULTS A total of 146 patients were included in the discussions of the MTB. The median age was 59 years, and 59.6% were women. Genomic results prompting a change in therapeutic decisions were obtained in 53.1% of patients (95% CI, 44.9 to 61.3). The most prevalent malignancy was non–small-cell lung cancer (51%). Other malignancies represented 60%, 50%, and 30% of patients with soft-tissue sarcomas, brain tumors, and breast cancer, respectively. CONCLUSION Using an open-access virtual platform, MTBs were feasible in low- and middle-income countries on the basis of the capability to provide the benefits and access to available targeted therapies that are not standard of care. Furthermore, MTB recommendations were made available to the treating oncologist in different locations across Colombia, providing the option to modify clinical management in most of these patients.
Endocrine-Sensitive Disease Rate in Postmenopausal Patients With Estrogen Receptor–Rich/ERBB2-Negative Breast Cancer Receiving Neoadjuvant Anastrozole, Fulvestrant, or Their Combination
Importance Adding fulvestrant to anastrozole (A+F) improved survival in postmenopausal women with advanced estrogen receptor (ER)–positive/ERBB2 (formerly HER2)–negative breast cancer. However, the combination has not been tested in early-stage disease. Objective To determine whether neoadjuvant fulvestrant or A+F increases the rate of pathologic complete response or ypT1-2N0/N1mic/Ki67 2.7% or less residual disease (referred to as endocrine-sensitive disease) over anastrozole alone. Design, Setting, and Participants A phase 3 randomized clinical trial assessing differences in clinical and correlative outcomes between each of the fulvestrant-containing arms and the anastrozole arm. Postmenopausal women with clinical stage II to III, ER-rich (Allred score 6-8 or &gt;66%)/ERBB2-negative breast cancer were included. All analyses were based on data frozen on March 2, 2023. Interventions Patients received anastrozole, fulvestrant, or a combination for 6 months preoperatively. Tumor Ki67 was assessed at week 4 and optionally at week 12, and if greater than 10% at either time point, the patient switched to neoadjuvant chemotherapy or immediate surgery. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the endocrine-sensitive disease rate (ESDR). A secondary outcome was the percentage change in Ki67 after 4 weeks of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) (week 4 Ki67 suppression). Results Between February 2014 and November 2018, 1362 female patients (mean [SD] age, 65.0 [8.2] years) were enrolled. Among the 1298 evaluable patients, ESDRs were 18.7% (95% CI, 15.1%-22.7%), 22.8% (95% CI, 18.9%-27.1%), and 20.5% (95% CI, 16.8%-24.6%) with anastrozole, fulvestrant, and A+F, respectively. Compared to anastrozole, neither fulvestrant-containing regimen significantly improved ESDR or week 4 Ki67 suppression. The rate of week 4 or week 12 Ki67 greater than 10% was 25.1%, 24.2%, and 15.7% with anastrozole, fulvestrant, and A+F, respectively. Pathologic complete response/residual cancer burden class I occurred in 8 of 167 patients and 17 of 167 patients, respectively (15.0%; 95% CI, 9.9%-21.3%), after switching to neoadjuvant chemotherapy due to week 4 or week 12 Ki67 greater than 10%. PAM50 subtyping derived from RNA sequencing of baseline biopsies available for 753 patients (58%) identified 394 luminal A, 304 luminal B, and 55 nonluminal tumors. A+F led to a greater week 4 Ki67 suppression than anastrozole alone in luminal B tumors (median [IQR], −90.4% [−95.2 to −81.9%] vs −76.7% [−89.0 to −55.6%]; P &lt; .001), but not luminal A tumors. Thirty-six nonluminal tumors (65.5%) had a week 4 or week 12 Ki67 greater than 10%. Conclusions and Relevance In this randomized clinical trial, neither fulvestrant nor A+F significantly improved the 6-month ESDR over anastrozole in ER-rich/ERBB2-negative breast cancer. Aromatase inhibition remains the standard-of-care NET. Differential NET response by PAM50 subtype in exploratory analyses warrants further investigation. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01953588
Follow-up from the A041202 study shows continued efficacy of ibrutinib regimens for older adults with CLL
Abstract A041202 (NCT01886872) is a phase 3 study comparing bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) with ibrutinib and the combination of ibrutinib plus rituximab (IR) in previously untreated older patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The initial results showed that ibrutinib-containing regimens had superior progression-free survival (PFS) and rituximab did not add additional benefits. Here we present an updated analysis. With a median follow-up of 55 months, the median PFS was 44 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 38-54) for BR and not yet reached in either ibrutinib-containing arm. The 48-month PFS estimates were 47%, 76%, and 76% for BR, ibrutinib, and IR, respectively. The benefit of ibrutinib regimens over chemoimmunotherapy was consistent across subgroups of patients defined by TP53 abnormalities, del(11q), complex karyotype, and immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (IGHV). No significant interaction effects were observed between the treatment arm and del(11q), the complex karyotype, or IGHV. However, a greater difference in PFS was observed among the patients with TP53 abnormalities. There was no difference in the overall survival. Notable adverse events with ibrutinib included atrial fibrillation (afib) and hypertension. Afib was observed in 11 patients (pts) on BR (3%) and 67 pts on ibrutinib (18%). All-grade hypertension was observed in 95 pts on BR (27%) and 263 pts on ibrutinib (55%). These data show that ibrutinib regimens prolong PFS compared with BR for older patients with treatment-naïve CLL. These benefits were observed across subgroups, including high-risk groups. Strikingly, within the ibrutinib arms, there was no inferior PFS for patients with abnormalities in TP53, the highest risk feature observed in CLL. These data continue to demonstrate the efficacy of ibrutinib in treatment-naïve CLL.
Ultrasonic- and Ultrasound-assisted Improvement of Silhouette of the Torso: Bone Structure High-definition Remodeling (Part I)
Background: High-definition liposculpture allowed plastic surgeons to achieve better aesthetic results by carving the underlying muscles and contours in a new way. Several authors have improved the original technique by adding other procedures and new technologies. We designed a new improvement by incorporating bone transformation surgery to overcome the lack of silhouette at the waist and, as a result, optimize the breast-waist-hip ratios. Methods: We carried out a prospective multicenter study, with five different surgeons performing the same rib remodeling technique for waist definition. We used an ultrasonic piece for costal corticotomy and real-time ultrasound imaging to perform green-stick fractures over the last two or three floating ribs. Ours is a new technique based on the prior one described by Kudzaev. Results: We reported 131 consecutive patients who were enrolled in this study. Waistline diameter decreased an average of 8 cm after surgery ( P < 0.05). Most patients were women (n = 125, 95.4%). No major complications were reported. Most common complication was prolonged pain, with only three cases of contour asymmetry, all of which were attributable to noncompliance of constantly wearing the corset + compressive garments. Patients reported a high satisfaction rate and fast recovery (Body-QoL survey). Conclusions: Ultrasonic- and ultrasound- assisted indentation surgery of the thorax is a safe and reliable technique for waistline definition, with a high satisfaction rate, almost-invisible scars, and minimal risk for complications. Incorporation of high-definition liposculpture to rib remodeling opens up a new horizon for bone structure modification surgery (S-high-definition remodeling) that can be safely performed for patients who seek better aesthetic outcomes in body contouring.