The impact was assessed of clinical and nutritional factors on prognosis of 107 oesophageal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CHRT) and surgery. Individualised nutritional support, according to grade of dysphagia was carried out in all the patients. Serum leptin, soluble leptin receptors (SLR), TNF, IGF and fatty acid (FA) profiles in plasma phosphatidylcholine (PC) were studied as well. Addition of paclitaxel to carboplatin and continual fluorouracil significantly increased toxicity without influencing efficacy of the treatment. Post-operative node negativity, grade of dysphagia, weight loss and serum albumin were proved to be prognostic factors of survival and time to progression. CHRT led to decrease of SLR, palmitoleic and oleic acid and increase of n-3 polyunsaturated FA in PC. Lower concentrations of SLR were associated with improved survival of the patients. Key words: oesophageal cancer, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, weight loss, paclitaxel, albumin, soluble leptin receptor, fatty acids

Objetivos: Determinar a expressão imunohistoquímica do fator indutor de hipóxia 1-alfa (HIF-1-alfa) e suas variáveis associadas em pacientes com câncer de mama localmente avançado. Pacientes e método: Vinte e sete mulheres foram biopsiadas para diagnóstico histopatológico do carcinoma mamário e submetidas a tratamento quimioterápico pré-cirúrgico. Analisou-se a associação do HIF-1-alfa com idade, tamanho tumoral, grau histológico, estadio clínico, status hormonal e axilar, resposta clínica e patológica após tratamento quimioterápico, expressão do receptor de estrogênio, progesterona e cerbB2. Resultados: A expressão de HIF-1-alfa foi presente em 66,7% das pacientes. O único fator associado à sua presença foi o status axilar positivo (p=0,02), tendo permanecido durante a análise univariada. As demais variáveis não apresentaram associação estatisticamente significante. Conclusão: Existe uma associação estatisticamente significante entre o acometimento linfonodal e a presença de HIF-1-alfa em pacientes com câncer de mama localmente avançado. / Objectives: To assess the expression of HIF-1 and its associated variables with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) patients. Methods: Twenty-seven women were submitted to incisional biopsy for histopathological diagnosis of breast carcinoma and undertaken to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). It was studied the association of HIF-1 with age, tumoral size, histological grade, clinical stage, hormonal and axillary status, clinical and pathological response after NACT, expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors, as well as the presence of cerbB2 antigen. Results: HIF-1-alpha expression was found in 66.7% of patients. Only axillary status was the associated factor with its presence (p=0.02), and remained after univariate analysis. The others did not present any significant statistically difference. Conclusion: There is a significant statistically association between axillary status and HIF-1-alpha expression in LABC patients.

Introdução: De acordo com a União Internacional Contra o Câncer um mínimo de 12 linfonodos (LN) deve ser obtido no espécime cirúrgico para o estadiamento do câncer colorretal (CCR). Estudos recentes reportaram que o uso da quimioirradioterapia neoadjuvante (QRN) pode resultar na não obtenção do número mínimo de LN na peça em 30-52% dos pacientes. Objetivo: Identificar os fatores relacionados à redução do número de LN ressecados em pacientes submetidos à neoadjuvancia e a excisão total do mesorreto. Pacientes e métodos: De janeiro de 2012 a março de 2013, 160 pacientes com câncer de reto foram submetidos à QRN (5-FU e 5040 Gys) seguida de excisão total de mesorreto com ligadura dos vasos mesentéricos inferiores nas suas raízes. Foram incluídos pacientes com estadiamento T3, T4 e/ou N+ que distavam até 10cm da borda anal e T2N0 que distavam até 7 cm da borda anal. Foram excluídos pacientes cujo tratamento com quimiorradioterapia neoadjuvante foi incompleto, ou que tiveram atrasos significativos para re-estadiamento e/ou realização da cirurgia. Todos foram estadiados através de toque retal, colonoscopia, TC de tórax e de abdome, e RM de pelve e igualmente re-estadiados 8 semanas após o término da neoadjuvância, operados e submetidos a excisão total do mesorreto. Os pacientes foram divididos em 2 grupos: A) menos de 12 LN, e B) 12 ou mais LN. Foram estudadas as possíveis variáveis relacionadas ao número de LN obtidos: sexo, idade, presença de LN acometidos, tamanho do tumor, localização da altura do tumor no reto, comprimento da peça, preservação esfincteriana, via de acesso, estadiamento inicial, grau de resposta tumoral e resposta patológica à quimiorrradioterapia neoadjuvante. Resultados: Noventa e cinco pacientes (60 masculinos) preencheram os critérios de inclusão e conseguiram ser tratados, re-estadiados e operados dentro das datas pré-estabelecidas. A média de LN ressecados foi 23,2 (3-67). Resposta patológica completa foi obtida em 18 pacientes (19%). Um mínimo de 12 LN foram obtidos em 81 pacientes (85%). Dentre os 14 doentes que obtiveram menos de 12 LN, 7 (50%) eram respostas patológicas completas. De todas as variáveis estudadas apenas resposta patológica completa na peça foi fator associado à não obtenção do número mínimo de 12 LN (p=0,002). Conclusões: Em pacientes submetidos à QRN e ETM, a resposta patológica completa foi o único fator associado a não obtenção de um mínimo de 12 de LN na peça / INTRODUCTION: According to the International Union against Cancer a minimum of 12 lymph nodes (LN) must be obtained from the surgical specimen for staging colorrectal cancer. However, recent studies reported that neoadjuvant chemoradiation may result in failure to obtain a minimum number of LN in 30-52 % of patients. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with decreased number of LN resected in patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy followed by total mesorectal excision (TEM). METHODS: From January/2012 to March/2013, 160 patients with rectal cancer underwent CRT (5 - FU and Gys 5040) followed by TEM and ligation of inferior mesenteric vessels in the roots. Patients with stage T3, T4 and/or N + within 10cm from anal verge were included. Patients with T2N0 located within 7cm from the anal verge were also included. Patients who were not able to complete the chemoradiation treatment or who presented significant delay on restaging and/or surgery were excluded from analyses. All patients were staged by digital rectal examination, colonoscopy, CT of the abdomen and chest, and MRI of the pelvis. Patients were re-staged 8 weeks after completion of neoadjuvant therapy, and submitted to total mesorectal excision right after that. Patients were stratified according to LN retrieval in two groups: A) less than 12 LN, B) 12 or more LN. Possible factors associated with the decreased number of LN were evaluated: gender, age, presence of metastatic LN, tumor size, tumor location, and length of the specimen, sphincter preservation, surgical access, initial staging, tumor regression grade and pathological response to chemoradiation. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients (60 male) met the inclusion criteria and were able to be treated, re-staged and operated within the pre-established intervals. The mean number of resected LN was 23.2 (3-67). Pathological complete response was achieved in 18 patients (19%). A minimum of 12 LN were obtained from 81 patients (85%). Half of the 14 patients with less than 12 LN presented pathologic complete response. Of all the variables studied only pathologic complete response was associated with less than 12 LN yield (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: In patients submitted to chemoradiation followed by TME the complete pathological response was the only factor associated with failure to obtain a minimum of 12 LN in the specimen

Orientador: Luiz Carlos Zeferino / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T23:00:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Silva_LeonardoRobertoda_M.pdf: 1256988 bytes, checksum: f80a4677bb94a6755e6004d6c8021f20 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: Introdução: Os carcinomas luminais de mama apresentam resposta variável à quimioterapia neoadjuvante. A identificação precoce das pacientes que se beneficiarão desse tratamento é importante para se evitar tratamento desnecessário e suas decorrentes toxicidades. O objetivo desse estudo é identificar preditores de resposta à quimioterapia neoadjuvante no carcinoma luminal de mama. Metodologia: Nós incluímos pacientes com carcinoma luminal de mama tratadas com quimioterapia pré-operatória em nosso serviço, no anos de 2013 e 2014. Dados demográficos, clínicos e patológicos foram coletados. Análises de imunoistoquímica para receptores de estrogênio e progesterona, HER2 e Ki67 foram realizadas em amostras obtidas antes do tratamento. A quimioterapia foi composta por esquema baseado em antraciclinas e taxanos. Resposta patológica completa (RPC) foi definida como ausência de doença invasora nas peças cirúrgicas da mama e da axila. Resultados: Foram incluídas cento e vinte pacientes, totalizando 131 tumores. As taxas de RPC foram de 6,11% na amostra geral, 5,26% para tumores luminais B-like (HER2-negativos) e 12,9% para luminais B-like (HER2-positivos). Nenhum preditor independente de RPC foi identificado. Cinquenta e dois tumores (39,7%) apresentaram resposta clínica completa, e grau histológico III (OR=9,05; IC95% 1,07-7,98; p=0,04), status pré-menopausal (OR=9,05; IC95% 2,01-40,87; p=0,004), e índice de Ki67 ? 20% (OR=2,71; IC95% 1,04-6,99; p=0,04) foram preditores independentes desse desfecho. A análise da curva ROC mostrou que o índice de Ki67 pré-tratamento tem baixo desempenho na identificação de pacientes que apresentarão resposta clínica completa (área sob a curva=0,660; IC95% 0,563-0,758). Pacientes com resposta clínica completa apresentaram maior chance de serem submetidas a cirurgia conservadora. Conclusões: A taxa de RPC é baixa entre os carcinomas luminais de mama submetidos a quimioterapia neoadjuvante. No entanto, parâmetros clinico-patológicos podem ajudar a identificar pacientes que apresentarão resposta clínica completa / Abstract: Purpose: Luminal breast cancers show a variable response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The early determination of those patients who will benefit from this treatment is important to avoid overtreatment and the resulting toxicity. The purpose of this study is to identify predictors of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in luminal breast cancer. Methods: We included patients with luminal breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy at the institution in 2013 and 2014. Demographic, clinical, and pathological data were collected. Immunohistochemistry analyses of estrogen and progesteron receptors, HER2 and Ki67 were conducted in samples obtained before treatment. Chemotherapy consisted in anthracycline/taxane-based scheme. Pathologic complete response was defined as the absence of invasive disease in the breast and axilla surgical specimens. Results: One hundred and twenty patients, totaling 131 tumors were included. Pathologic complete response rates were 6.11% in the overall sample, 5.26% for luminal B-like (HER2-negative) tumors and 12.9% for luminal B-like (HER2-positive) tumors. None independent predictor of pathologic complete response was identified. Fifty-two tumors (39,7%) showed complete clinical response, and histologic grade III (OR=2.92; 95% CI 1.07-7.98; p = 0.04), premenopausal status (OR=9.05, 95% CI 2.01-40.87; p = 0.004), Ki67 index ? 20% (OR=2.71, 95% CI 1.04 to 6,99; p = 0.04) were independent predictors for this outcome. ROC curve analysis showed that Ki67 index has a poor performance in identifying patients who will present complete clinical response (area under the curve=0.660, 95% CI 0.563-0.758). Patients with complete clinical response were more likely to be submitted to conservative surgery. Conclusions: Pathologic complete response rate is low among luminal tumors undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. However, clinicopathological parameters can help identify patients who will present complete clinical response / Mestrado / Oncologia Ginecológica e Mamária / Mestre em Ciências da Saúde

No description available.

The impact was assessed of clinical and nutritional factors on prognosis of 107 oesophageal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CHRT) and surgery. Individualised nutritional support, according to grade of dysphagia was carried out in all the patients. Serum leptin, soluble leptin receptors (SLR), TNF, IGF and fatty acid (FA) profiles in plasma phosphatidylcholine (PC) were studied as well. Addition of paclitaxel to carboplatin and continual fluorouracil significantly increased toxicity without influencing efficacy of the treatment. Post-operative node negativity, grade of dysphagia, weight loss and serum albumin were proved to be prognostic factors of survival and time to progression. CHRT led to decrease of SLR, palmitoleic and oleic acid and increase of n-3 polyunsaturated FA in PC. Lower concentrations of SLR were associated with improved survival of the patients. Key words: oesophageal cancer, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, weight loss, paclitaxel, albumin, soluble leptin receptor, fatty acids

Devant le grand nombre de tumeurs du sein triple négatif résistant aux traitements, il est essentiel de comprendre les mécanismes de résistance et de trouver de nouvelles molécules efficaces. En premier lieu, nous analysons deux ensembles de données pharmacogénomiques à grande échelle. Nous proposons une nouvelle classification basée sur des profils transcriptomiques de lignées cellulaires, selon un processus de sélection de gènes basé sur des réseaux biologiques. Notre classification moléculaire montre une plus grande homogénéité dans la réponse aux médicaments que lorsque l’on regroupe les lignées cellulaires en fonction de leur tissu d'origine. Elle permet également d’identifier des profils similaires de réponse aux traitements. Dans un second travail, nous étudions une cohorte de patients atteints d’un cancer du sein triple négatif ayant résisté à la chimiothérapie néoadjuvante. Nous effectuons des analyses moléculaires complètes basées sur du RNAseq et WES. Nous constatons une forte hétérogénéité moléculaire des tumeurs avant et après traitement. Bien que nous observons une évolution clonale sous traitement, aucun mécanisme récurrent de résistance n’a pu être identifié. Nos résultats suggèrent fortement que chaque tumeur a un profil moléculaire unique et qu'il est important d'étudier de grandes séries de tumeurs. Enfin, nous améliorons une méthode pour tester la surreprésentation de motifs connus de protéines de liaison à l'ARN, dans un ensemble donné de séquences régulées. Cet outil utilise une approche innovante pour contrôler la proportion de faux positifs qui n'est pas réalisé par l'algorithme existant. Nous montrons l'efficacité de notre approche en utilisant deux séries de données différentes. / Given the large number of treatment-resistant triple-negative breast cancers, it is essential to understand the mechanisms of resistance and to find new effective molecules. First, we analyze two large-scale pharmacogenomic datasets. We propose a novel classification based on transcriptomic profiles of cell lines, according to a biological network-driven gene selection process. Our molecular classification shows greater homogeneity in drug response than when cell lines are grouped according to their original tissue. It also helps identify similar patterns of treatment response. In a second analysis, we study a cohort of patients with triple-negative breast cancer who have resisted to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We perform complete molecular analyzes based on RNAseq and WES. We observe a high molecular heterogeneity of tumors before and after treatment. Although we highlighted clonal evolution under treatment, no recurrent mechanism of resistance could be identified Our results strongly suggest that each tumor has a unique molecular profile and that that it is increasingly important to have large series of tumors. Finally, we are improving a method for testing the overrepresentation of known RNA binding protein motifs in a given set of regulated sequences. This tool uses an innovative approach to control the proportion of false positives that is not realized by the existing algorithm. We show the effectiveness of our approach using two different datasets.

<p>Karcinomi pluća su najče&scaron;ći uzrok oboljevanja i umiranja od malignih tumora u Svetu. Neodjuvantna terapija kod bolesnika sa lokalno uznapredovalim (IIIA-IIIB) karcinomom pluća i zahvaćenim N2 limfnim čvorovima jedan je od modusa multimodalnog lečenja bolesnika sa nemikrocelularnim karcinomima pluća (NSCLC) u cilju pobolj&scaron;anja ishoda njihovog lečenja. Ovakav pristup podrazumeva prevođenje bolesnika iz vi&scaron;eg u niži stadijum bolesti - &bdquo;downstaging&rdquo;. Do danas nije utvrđena povezanost između pojedinih obrazaca tumorskog odgovora i vrste terapije. S obzirom na značaj kompletnog patolo&scaron;kog odgovora i tumorske regresije u prognozi ishoda lečenja, iznalaženje ove povezanosti je od značaja za dizajniranje budućih neoadjuvantnih trajala. Prilikom utvrđivnja histolo&scaron;ke slike tumorske regresije veoma je važno i merenje areje rezidualnog tumora (ART). Kako je veličina tumora jedan od prognostičkih faktora za bolesnike sa NSCLC koji nisu primali neoadjuvantnu terapiju tako je i merenje ART, za razliku od makroskopske veličine tumora, jedan od prognostičkih faktora za bolesnike sa NSCLC koji su primali neoadjuvantnu terapiju. Krajnji cilj neoadjuvantne terapije trebalo bi da bude resektabilnost i &bdquo;downstaging&rdquo; koji bi mogao da obezbedi u specifičnim kliničkim situacijama i sveukupni onkolo&scaron;ki benefit. Osnovni ciljevi ove doktorske disertacije su bili: da se objektivizira procena veličine ART u tumorskom tkivu pluća i limfnih čvorova; da se proceni povezanost povr&scaron;ine ART sa veličinom tumora na postoperativnom hirur&scaron;kom materijalu posle neoadjuvantne terapije; da se analizira i proceni povezanost histomorfolo&scaron;kih parametara kod tumorske regresije indukovane neoadjuvantnom terapijom i spontane tumorske regresije u tumorima pluća i limfnih čvorova na&nbsp; postoperativnom hirur&scaron;kom materijalu i u zavisnosti od histolo&scaron;kog tipa karcinoma; da se proceni povezanost kliničkog odgovora na neoadjuvantnu terapiju prema kriterijumima Svetske Zdravstvene Organizacije i histolo&scaron;kih parametara u tumorima pluća i limfnim čvorovima na postoperativnom hirur&scaron;kom materijalu nakon neoadjuvantne terapije; da se proceni povezanost patolo&scaron;kog ypTN sa kliničkim ycTN stadijumom bolesti i stepena tumorske regresije indukovane neoadjuvantnom terapijom i patolo&scaron;kog ypTN i da se proceni povezanosti između kliničke i patolo&scaron;ke zahvaćenosti N2 limfnih čvorova posle neoadjuvantne terapije. Merenje ukupne veličine očuvanih ART je najznačajniji objektivni parametar u proceni stepena tumorske regresije. Veličina rezidualnog tumora nije u korelaciji sa veličinom tumora posle neoadjuvantne terapije. Postoji signifikantna razlika u patohistolo&scaron;koj slici tumorske regresije indukovane neoadjuvantnom terapijom i spontane tumorske regresije. Ne postoji signifikantna razlika između histolo&scaron;kog tipa tumora i histolo&scaron;ke slike tumorske regresije. Ne postoji signifikantna povezanost između kliničkog odgovora i stepena tumorske regresije nakon neoadjuvantne terapije. Ne postoji korelacija između kliničkog i patolo&scaron;kog stadijuma bolesti posle neoadjuvantne terapije. Ne postoji korelacija između stepena tumorske regresije indukovane neoadjuvantnom terapijom i ypTN stadijuma bolesti. Ne postoji korelacija između kliničke i patolo&scaron;ke zahvaćenosti N2 limfnih čvorova posle neoadjuvantne terapije. Stepen regresije tumora i merenje ART posle neoadjuvantne terapije određen histopatolo&scaron;kom analizom reseciranog tumora je najobjektivniji kriterijum za procenu hemioterapijskog odgovora i predviđanja ishoda lečenja pacijenata.</p> / <p>Lung cancers are the most common cause of morbidity and mortality from malignant tumors in the World. The neodjuvant therapy in patients with locally advanced (IIIA-IIIB) lung cancer and affected N2 lymph nodes is one of the modes of multimodal treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in order to improve the outcome of their treatment. This involves converting patients from a higher to a lower stage of the disease - &quot;downstaging&quot;. There has been no significant connection between some forms of tumor response and types of therapy. Given the importance of complete pathological responses and tumor regression in the prediction of treatment outcomes, finding this relationship is of importance for the design of future neoadjuvant trails. In determining the histological tumor regression is very important measurement of area of residual tumor (ART). As the size of the tumor is one of the prognostic factors in patients with NSCLC who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy so the measurement of ART, as opposed to the macroscopic size of the tumor, one of the prognostic factors in patients with NSCLC, who had received neoadjuvant therapy. The ultimate goal of neoadjuvant therapy should be resectability and &quot;downstaging&quot; that could provide overall oncology benefit in specific clinical situations. The main objectives of this thesis were: to objectively estimate the size of ART in tumor tissue of lung and lymph nodes; to estimate the relation between the surface of ART with the size of the tumor on postoperative surgical material after neoadjuvant therapy; to analyze and estimate the relation between histomorphological parameters in tumor regression induced by neoadjuvant therapy and spontaneous tumor regression in tumors of the lung and lymph nodes in the postoperative surgical material and depending on the histological type of cancer; to estimate the relation between clinical response to neoadjuvant therapy according to criteria of the World Health Organization and histological parameters in lung tumors and lymph nodes in the postoperative surgical material after neoadjuvant therapy; to estimate the correlation of the pathological ypTN with clinical ycTN stage of the disease and the degree of tumor&nbsp; regression induced by neoadjuvant therapy and pathological ypTN and estimation of the relation between clinical and pathological involvement of N2 lymph nodes after neoadjuvant therapy. Measurement of the total size of the preserved ART is the most important objective parameter in the assessment of the grade of tumor regression. Size of residual tumor did not correlate with the size of the tumor after neoadjuvant therapy. There was a significant difference in the histological picture of tumor regression induced by neoadjuvant therapy and spontaneous tumor regression. There was no significant difference between the histologic type of tumor and histological tumor regression. There is no significant correlation between clinical response and the grade of tumor regression after neoadjuvant therapy. There is no correlation between clinical and pathological staging of the disease after neoadjuvant therapy. There is no correlation between the grade of tumor regression induced by neoadjuvant therapy and ypTN stage of the disease. There is no correlation between the clinical and the pathological involvement of the N2 lymph nodes to neoadjuvant therapy. The grade of tumor regression and measurement ART after neoadjuvant therapy determined by histopathological analysis of the resected tumor is the most objective criterion for evaluation of chemotherapeutic response and prediction of treatment outcome in patients.</p>

Les tumeurs stromales gastrointestinales (GIST) sont les néoplasies mésenchymateuses les plus complexes du système gastrointestinal. Le traitement curatif standard de cette pathologie est la chirurgie avec l'obtention de marges microscopiques négatives. Les résultats impressionnants obtenus sur la prolongation de la survie avec l'administration d'imatinib (IM) chez les patients atteints de maladie métastatique et non-réséquable ont suggéré aux cliniciens que ce même médicament pourrait aussi collaborer à l'obtention de marges négatives plus aisément lors de cancer avancé. Jusqu'à présent, aucune étude prospective n'a caractérisée l'effet d'une thérapie néoadjuvante prolongée à l'IM sur la qualité de la résection chirurgicale subséquente. L'objectif de ce projet de maîtrise était d'évaluer l'efficacité de l'imatinib utilisé avant la chirurgie (néoadjuvant) jusqu'à l'obtention d'une réponse maximale, en vue d'augmenter le taux de résection microscopique complète (R0) dans le traitement chirurgical des GIST à haut risque de résection microscopique incomplète (R1) ou impossible (R2). Pour ce faire, une étude prospective multicentrique de phase II a été réalisée. Le traitement néoadjuvant à l'IM a été instauré chez des patients porteurs d'une GIST localement avancée ou métastatique. Au total, quatorze patients ont reçu une dose de 400-600 mg/d d'IM pour une durée de 6-12 mois avant la chirurgie. Quatorze patients ont été inclus dans l'étude. Onze ont eu une chirurgie à visée curative, un patient a démontré une maladie non-réséquable suite à une laparotomie exploratrice et deux patients ont refusé la chirurgie. Après un suivi moyen de 48 mois, tous les patients opérés étaient vivants et sept sans évidence de récidive. L'utilisation prolongée (12 mois) d'IM dans un contexte néoadjuvant est faisable, sécuritaire, efficace et comporte peu de toxicité. De plus, cette approche est associée à des hauts taux de résection complète (R0), tout en permettant une chirurgie moins extensive. Des études de phase III actuellement en cours sont nécessaires afin de confirmer nos résultats. / Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is the most common mesenchymal malignancy of the GI tract. The current standard of care for GIST is surgical complete resection with negative margins. The agent response rate as well as survival advantages obtained with imatinib mesylate in patients with metastatic and/or non-resectable GIST has lead clinicians to evaluate this therapy as neoadjuvant treatment in patients with locally advanced or metastatic but potentially resectable GIST. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant use of imatinib mesylate until maximal clinical response in potentially resectable GIST patients (locally advanced or metastatic), in order to provide preliminary data regarding the efficacy of this approach in the surgical treatment of GIST at high-risk of incomplete microscopic (R1) or macroscopic (R2) margins. A prospective multicenter phase II trial was designed. Fourteen consecutive patients diagnosed with advanced GIST received imatinib at dose of 400 mg/d to 600 mg/d, given from 6 to 12 months prior to surgery. Amoung the 14 patients included, 11 underwent surgery and had a complete microscopic resection (R0). After a median follow-up of 48 months, all operated patients were alive and 7 without evidence of recurrence. The prolonged use (12 months) of neoadjuvant imatinib is feasible, safe, eficient ans associated with low toxicity. Furthermore, it is associated with a high rate of microscopic resection (R0) and a less extensive surgical approach. Phase III study with higher cohorts are necessary to confirm our primary results.

As imagens de ressonância magnética (RM) ponderadas em Difusão são conhecidas como uma técnica funcional capaz de refletir alterações estruturais e celulares de neoplasias. No câncer de mama, a difusão e sua quantificação através dos valores do coeficiente de difusão aparente (CDA) têm sido utilizados para avaliar resposta tumoral após quimioterapia neoadjuvante (QTN). Os variados desfechos clínicos do câncer de mama, incluindo as diferentes respostas ao tratamento quimioterápico podem estar relacionados à heterogeneidade da doença. A presença das células tronco tumorais (CTT) é uma das hipóteses aceitas para explicar os diferentes comportamentos biológicos dos tumores. Este estudo buscou avaliar uma possível associação entre os valores de CDA nas neoplasias invasivas da mama e a presença de marcadores de CTT e os principais marcadores prognósticos da doença em pacientes tratadas com QTN. Foram avaliadas prospectiva e consecutivamente as imagens de RM pré-tratamento de 27 pacientes com câncer da mama que realizaram QTN seguida de cirurgia. Os valores de CDA média, p10, p25 e p50 foram obtidos através de duas mensurações, uma com único ROI e outra com múltiplos ROIs envolvendo toda extensão tumoral. Esses valores de CDA foram correlacionados: à quantificação por citometria de fluxo de CTT com fenótipos ESA+/CD44+/CD24-, células ESA+ com alta atividade ALDH1 e células ESA+/ABCG2+, à capacidade de formação de mamoesferas, e aos principais fatores prognósticos do câncer de mama, incluindo estágio clínico, doença axilar linfonodal, grau tumoral, receptores de estrógeno (RE), receptores de progesterona (RP) e superexpressão do HER2. Também foi realizada correlação dos valores de CDA com a resposta patológica completa após QTN. A presença de CTT, a capacidade de formação de mamoesferas e a resposta patológica completa não se correlacionaram aos valores de CDA. Para ambas as medidas e todos os parâmetros avaliados de CDA (x10-3mm2/s), os valores foram significantemente menores nos tumores com estágio clínico III e IV vs II (0,90±0,16; 1,02±0,18); com doença linfonodal após QTN vs axila livre (0,89±0,16; 1,01±0,17); RE+ vs RE- (0,90±0,16; 1,00±0,18); RP+ vs RP- (0,91±0,16; 0,98±0,18) e HER2+ vs HER2- (0,92±0,17;0,97±0,18). Tumores grau 1 apresentaram CDA com valores significativamente maiores em relação aos tumores grau 2 (diferença 0,18; CI: 0,03-0,33, p=0,02). Os valores de CDA dos tumores de mama pré-QTN não predizem a presença de CTT, a capacidade de formação de mamoesferas ou a resposta patológica completa, porém se correlacionam com o estágio clínico da doença, doença linfonodal axilar após QTN, grau tumoral e expressão das proteínas RE, RP e HER2, sendo um promissor marcador de agressividade tumoral / The diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWMRI) is a functional technique able to reflect structural and cellular changes in the tumors. In the breast cancer, the diffusion-weighted images and its numeric value known as the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) has been applied to evaluate pathologic response in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NC). The difference in the clinical results after breast cancer treatment, including different rates of responses to the NC has been associated to the heterogeneity of the disease. The presence of the breast cancer stem cells (BCSC) is an accepted hypothesis to explain the different biologic breast cancers behaviors. The aim of this study was to correlate the ADC value of invasive breast cancer with the presence of cancer stem cells markers and the major prognostic factors in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Prospectively, the MRI pre-treatment of twenty-seven consecutive patients with invasive breast cancer posteriorly treated with NC followed by surgery were evaluated. The ADC values mean, 10th percentile, 25th percentile, 50th percentile were obtained from two measurements, one of them with a unique ROI and the other with multiple ROIs encompassing the entire lesion. The ADC values were correlated to: presence of BCSCs (cell surface markers CD44+/CD24-, ABCG2 and ALDH1) identified by flow cytometric analysis, tumor grade, breast cancer staging, lymph nodal involvement, expression of estrogen receptors (ER), expression of progesterone receptors (PR) and expression of HER2. The assay mammospheres (Mammocult ®) were analyzed in 18 samples. Additionally, the ADC values were correlated to the pathologic complete response after QN treatment. There were no correlations between ADC values and breast cancer stem cells markers or mammospheres formation efficiency. For all parameters calculated, the ADC values (x10- 3 mm 2 /s) were lower in: breast cancer stage III and IV than stage II (0,90±0,16; 1,02±0,18), tumors with lymph node metastasis than without lymph node metastasis (0,89±0,16; 1,01±0,17), ER expression than ER negative (0,90±0,16; 1,00±0,18), PR expression than PR 10 negative (0,91±0,16; 0,98±0,18) and HER2 expression than HER2 negative (0,92±0,17; 0,97±0,18). The ADC values were significantly higher in grade-1 tumors (difference 0,18; CI: 0,03-0,33) compared to grade-2 tumors (p=0,02). The tumors values of ADC pretreatment were not correlated to the pathologic complete response after NC. The ADC values in pre-treatment invasive breast cancers are not a predictor of BCSC presence, mammospheres formation efficiency or pathologic complete response to QN. However it is correlated to the tumor grade, breast cancer staging, lymph nodal involvement, expression of ER, PR and HER2 and may represent a promising marker of tumor aggressiveness