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World Journal of Urology Dec 2022To present the current evidence and the development of studies in recent years on the management of extragonadal germ cell tumors (EGCT).
PURPOSE
To present the current evidence and the development of studies in recent years on the management of extragonadal germ cell tumors (EGCT).
METHODS
A systematic literature search was conducted in Medline and the Cochrane Library. Studies within the search period (January 2010 to February 2021) that addressed the classification, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and follow-up of extragonadal tumors were included. Risk of bias was assessed and relevant data were extracted in evidence tables.
RESULTS
The systematic search identified nine studies. Germ cell tumors (GCT) arise predominantly from within the testis, but about 5% of the tumors are primarily located extragonadal. EGCT are localized primarily mediastinal or retroperitoneal in the midline of the body. EGCT patients are classified according to the IGCCCG classification. Consecutively, all mediastinal non-seminomatous EGCT patients belong to the "poor prognosis" group. In contrast mediastinal seminoma and both retroperitoneal seminoma and non-seminoma patients seem to have a similar prognosis as patients with gonadal GCTs and metastasis at theses respective sites. The standard chemotherapy regimen for patients with a EGCT consists of 3-4 cycles (good vs intermediate prognosis) of bleomycin, etoposid, cisplatin (BEP); however, due to their very poor prognosis patients with non-seminomatous mediastinal GCT should receive a dose-intensified or high-dose chemotherapy approach upfront on an individual basis and should thus be referred to expert centers Ifosfamide may be exchanged for bleomycin in cases of additional pulmonary metastasis due to subsequently planned resections. In general patients with non-seminomatous EGCT, residual tumor resection (RTR) should be performed after chemotherapy.
CONCLUSION
In general, non-seminomatous EGCT have a poorer prognosis compared to testicular GCT, while seminomatous EGGCT seem to have a similar prognosis to patients with metastatic testicular seminoma. The current insights on EGCT are limited, since all data are mainly based on case series and studies with small patient numbers and non-comparative studies. In general, systemic treatment should be performed like in testicular metastatic GCTs but upfront dose intensification of chemotherapy should be considered for mediastinal non-seminoma patients. Thus, EGCT should be referred to interdisciplinary centers with utmost experience in the treatment of germ cell tumors.
Topics: Male; Humans; Follow-Up Studies; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal; Testicular Neoplasms; Seminoma; Mediastinal Neoplasms; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Neoplasms, Second Primary; Bleomycin
PubMed: 35554637
DOI: 10.1007/s00345-022-04009-z -
Cancers Dec 2021Cardiotoxicity represents the most frequent cause with higher morbidity and mortality among long-term sequelae affecting classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) and diffuse... (Review)
Review
Late Cardiological Sequelae and Long-Term Monitoring in Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma and Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Survivors: A Systematic Review by the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi.
Cardiotoxicity represents the most frequent cause with higher morbidity and mortality among long-term sequelae affecting classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients. The multidisciplinary team of Fondazione Italiana Linfomi (FIL) researchers, with the methodological guide of Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", conducted a systematic review of the literature (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane database) according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, in order to analyze the following aspects of cHL and DLBCL survivorship: (i) incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD); (ii) risk of long-term CVD with the use of less cardiotoxic therapies (reduced-field radiotherapy and liposomal doxorubicin); and (iii) preferable cardiovascular monitoring for left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, coronary heart disease (CHD) and valvular disease (VHD). After the screening of 659 abstracts and related 113 full-text papers, 23 publications were eligible for data extraction and included in the final sample. There was an increased risk for CVD in cHL survivors of 3.6 for myocardial infarction and 4.9 for congestive heart failure (CHF) in comparison to the general population; the risk increased over the years of follow-up. In addition, DLBCL patients presented a 29% increased risk for CHF. New radiotherapy techniques suggested reduced risk of late CVD, but only dosimetric studies were available. The optimal monitoring of LV function by 2D-STE echocardiography should be structured according to individual CV risk, mainly considering as risk factors a cumulative doxorubicine dose >250 mg per square meter (m) and mediastinal radiotherapy >30 Gy, age at treatment <25 years and age at evaluation >60 years, evaluating LV ejection fraction, global longitudinal strain, and global circumferential strain. The evaluation for asymptomatic CHD should be offered starting from the 10th year after mediastinal RT, considering ECG, stress echo, or coronary artery calcium (CAC) score. Given the suggested increased risks of cardiovascular outcomes in lymphoma survivors compared to the general population, tailored screening and prevention programs may be warranted to offset the future burden of disease.
PubMed: 35008222
DOI: 10.3390/cancers14010061 -
Annals of the New York Academy of... Jul 2021Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is involved in energy dissipation and has been linked to weight loss, insulin sensitivity, and reduced risk of atherosclerotic disease. BAT is...
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is involved in energy dissipation and has been linked to weight loss, insulin sensitivity, and reduced risk of atherosclerotic disease. BAT is found most often in the supraclavicular region, as well as mediastinal and paravertebral areas, and it is predominantly seen in young persons. BAT is activated by cold temperature and the sympathetic nervous system. In humans, BAT was initially detected via 2-deoxy-2-[ F]fluoro-d-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), a high-resolution molecular imaging modality used to identify and stage malignancies. Recent studies have shown that BAT can be localized using conventional imaging modalities, such as CT or magnetic resonance imaging, as well as radiotracers used for single-photon emission CT. In this systematic review, we have summarized the evidence for BAT detection in humans using various imaging techniques.
Topics: Adipocytes, Brown; Adipose Tissue, Brown; Blood Glucose; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Obesity; Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
PubMed: 33604891
DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14579 -
Annals of Palliative Medicine Feb 2021The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging pandemic of global public health concern. We aimed to summarize the characteristics of COVID-19 patients in the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging pandemic of global public health concern. We aimed to summarize the characteristics of COVID-19 patients in the early stage of the pandemic and explore the risk factors of disease progression.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis, searching three databases for studies published between January 1, 2020, and March 18, 2020. We used random-effects models to calculate the 95% confidence intervals of pooled estimated prevalence and the odds ratio between the severe and nonsevere cases.
RESULTS
Ninety studies involving 16,526 COVID-19 patients were included. Hypertension (19.1%) and diabetes (9.5%) were the most common comorbidities. The most prevalent clinical symptoms were fever (78.4%), cough (58.5%), and fatigue (26.4%). Increased serum ferritin (74.2%), high C-reactive protein (73.3%), and high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (72.2%) were the most frequently reported laboratory abnormalities. Most patients had bilateral lung involvement (82.2%) and showed peripheral (66.9%) and subpleural (62.1%) distribution, with multifocal involvement (73.1%). And the most common CT features were vascular enlargement (64.3%), ground-glass opacity (GGO) (60.7%), and thickened interlobular septa (55.1%). Respiratory failure was the most common complication (30.7%) and the overall case-fatality rate (CFR) was 4.2%. Moreover, male, history of smoking, and comorbidities might influence the prognosis. Most clinical symptoms such as fever, high fever, cough, sputum production, fatigue, shortness of breath, dyspnoea, and abdominal pain were linked to the severity of disease. Some specific laboratory indicators implied the deterioration of disease, such as leucocytosis, lymphopenia, platelet, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin, creatinine, creatine kinase (CK), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein, procalcitonin (PCT), and D-dimer. Besides, the risk of bilateral pneumonia, consolidation, pleural effusion, and enlarged mediastinal nodes was higher in severe cases.
CONCLUSIONS
Most COVID-19 patients have fever and cough with lymphopenia and increased inflammatory indices, and the main CT feature is GGO involved bilateral lung. Patients with comorbidities and worse clinical symptoms, laboratory characteristics, and CT findings tend to have poor disease progression.
Topics: Biomarkers; COVID-19; Comorbidity; Cough; Fever; Humans; Inflammation; Lung; Lymphopenia; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 33548996
DOI: 10.21037/apm-20-1863 -
Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery Oct 2020The standard for clinical staging of lung cancer is the use of CT and PET scans, however, these may underestimate the burden of the disease. The use of serum tumor... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Elevated preoperative CEA is associated with subclinical nodal involvement and worse survival in stage I non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
The standard for clinical staging of lung cancer is the use of CT and PET scans, however, these may underestimate the burden of the disease. The use of serum tumor markers might aid in the detection of subclinical advanced disease. The aim of this study is to review the predictive value of tumor markers in patients with clinical stage I NSCLC.
METHODS
A comprehensive search was performed using the Medline, EMBASE, Scopus data bases. Abstracts included based on the following inclusion criteria: 1) adult ≥18 years old, 2) clinical stage I NSCLC, 3) Tumor markers (CEA, SCC, CYFRA 21-1), 4) further imaging or procedure, 5) > 5 patients, 6) articles in English language. The primary outcome of interest was utility of tumour markers for predicting nodal involvement and oncologic outcomes in patients with clinical stage I NSCLC. Secondary outcomes included sub-type of lung cancer, procedure performed, and follow-up duration.
RESULTS
Two hundred seventy articles were screened, 86 studies received full-text assessment for eligibility. Of those, 12 studies were included. Total of 4666 patients were involved. All studies had used CEA, while less than 50% used CYFRA 21-1 or SCC. The most common tumor sub-type was adenocarcinoma, and the most frequently performed procedure was lobectomy. Meta-analysis revealed that higher CEA level is associated with higher rates of lymph node involvement and higher mortality.
CONCLUSION
There is significant correlation between the CEA level and both nodal involvement and survival. Higher serum CEA is associated with advanced stage, and poor prognosis. Measuring preoperative CEA in patient with early stage NSCLC might help to identify patients with more advanced disease which is not detected by CT scans, and potentially identify candidates for invasive mediastinal lymph node staging, helping to select the most effective therapy for patients with potentially subclinical nodal disease. Further prospective studies are needed to standardize the use of CEA as an adjunct for NSCLC staging.
Topics: Biomarkers, Tumor; Carcinoembryonic Antigen; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Neoplasm Staging; Predictive Value of Tests; Survival Analysis
PubMed: 33059696
DOI: 10.1186/s13019-020-01353-2 -
Respiratory Investigation Jul 2020Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology. Diagnosis of sarcoidosis is made by correlating clinical and radiological features along with...
Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology. Diagnosis of sarcoidosis is made by correlating clinical and radiological features along with the histopathological demonstration of non-necrotizing granulomas in tissue samples. Diagnosis is often challenging as the clinical profile may mimic other granulomatous disorders, including infections, inflammatory diseases, and lymphoid malignancies. Differentiation from tuberculosis is especially crucial in endemic regions where exclusion of mediastinal tuberculosis is necessary before any immunosuppressant treatment can be initiated for symptomatic sarcoidosis. Identification of biomarkers, which can aid in diagnosis as well as prognosis, can be helpful in clinical decision making. MicroRNAs are small non-coding regulatory RNAs that serve as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and have been studied as emerging biomarkers in many other respiratory diseases, including lung cancer, asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In the context of sarcoidosis, miRNA expression has been studied in the lungs, lymph nodes, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. A comprehensive search of the PubMed database was performed by two authors independently, and relevant studies were retrieved for review. This systematic review summarizes the current information on miRNAs in sarcoidosis, the biological mechanisms involved in CD4 T-helper 1 and macrophage polarization, and the use of exhaled breath condensate as an alternative, noninvasive and potential source of miRNAs.
Topics: Biomarkers; Breath Tests; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Diagnosis, Differential; Gene Expression; Humans; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Lung; Lymph Nodes; Macrophages; MicroRNAs; Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer
PubMed: 32305227
DOI: 10.1016/j.resinv.2020.02.008 -
Innovations (Philadelphia, Pa.) Aug 2019The management of concomitant mild-to-moderate aortic stenosis (AS) at the time of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is controversial. Here we perform a systematic... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
The management of concomitant mild-to-moderate aortic stenosis (AS) at the time of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is controversial. Here we perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of CABG and aortic valve replacement (AVR) versus CABG alone in patients with mild-moderate AS.
METHODS
We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE databases until July 2018 for studies comparing CABG & AVR versus CABG in patients with mild-moderate AS undergoing coronary bypass. Data were extracted by 2 independent investigators. The main outcomes were operative mortality, long-term survival, and reintervention for AS.
RESULTS
There were 6 unmatched retrospective observational studies with 1,172 patients (median follow-up 4.7 [interquartile range: 4.3 to 5.3] years). Patients undergoing CABG & AVR had less severe coronary artery disease. There were no differences in operative mortality (relative risk [RR]: 1.07; 95% CI, 0.59 to 1.94; = 0.8). CABG & AVR was associated with greater incidence of stroke, bleeding, renal failure, and mediastinitis. At median follow-up of 5 years, there was no difference in long-term mortality (incidence rate ratio [IRR]:1.44; 95% CI, 0.83 to 2.51; = 0.19), but CABG & AVR was associated with 73% lower risk of reoperation for AS ( = 13/485 versus = 71/702; IRR: 0.27; 95% CI, 0.14 to 0.51; < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
In patients undergoing CABG with mild-moderate AS, combining AVR with CABG was associated with no difference in operative mortality but with increased risk of stroke, bleeding, renal failure, and mediastinitis. Long-term mortality was not different, but a risk of reoperation for AS at 5 years was 73% lower. Given the increasingly wide availability and safety of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), one may consider a conservative approach toward concomitant mild-moderate AS.
Topics: Aortic Valve Stenosis; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Artery Disease; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; Humans; Mediastinitis; Postoperative Complications; Postoperative Hemorrhage; Renal Insufficiency; Severity of Illness Index; Stroke
PubMed: 31185776
DOI: 10.1177/1556984519849639