Given the increasing complexity of cancer care,multidisciplinary tumor boards have become essential in daily clinical oncology practice.The Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes(ECHO)initiative developed...Given the increasing complexity of cancer care,multidisciplinary tumor boards have become essential in daily clinical oncology practice.The Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes(ECHO)initiative developed an innovative telementoring model using a"hub and spoke"design consisting of a team of experts(hub)that offers a full service to multiple participants(the spokes)during regularly scheduled sessions discussing patients'clinical cases.The Alexander Fleming Cancer Institute in Buenos Aires was the first hub in Latin America to implement Project ECHO for gastrointestinal tumors.In our 3-year experience,80 patients from 37 centers were evaluated within Project ECHO and a range of three to five cases were discussed in each meeting.From our perspective,the impact of this novel approach was a remarkable strategy to reduce care disparities by equalizing access to high-quality medical knowledge in a multidisciplinary environment for medical discussions.Additionally,it was shown to have a cost-effective impact directly on the patients and the local health system,since relevant costs were saved after unnecessary treatments,studies and travel expenses were avoided.展开更多
Intravesical Bacillus Calmette Guerin(BCG)is the gold standard therapy for intermediate/high-risk nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer(NMIBC).However,the response rate is~60%,and 50%of non-responders will progress to mus...Intravesical Bacillus Calmette Guerin(BCG)is the gold standard therapy for intermediate/high-risk nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer(NMIBC).However,the response rate is~60%,and 50%of non-responders will progress to muscle-invasive disease.BCG induces massive local infiltration of inflammatory cells(Th1)and ultimately cytotoxic tumor elimination.We searched for predictive biomarker of BCG response by analyzing tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte(TIL)polarization in the tumor microenvironment(TME)in pre-treatment biopsies.Pre-treatment biopsies from patients with NMIBC who received adequate intravesical instillation of BCG(n=32)were evaluated retrospectively by immunohistochemistry.TME polarization was assessed by quantifying the T-Bet+(Th1)and GATA-3+(Th2)lymphocyte ratio(G/T),and the density and degranulation of EPX+eosinophils.In addition,PD-1/PD-L1 staining was quantified.The results correlated with BCG response.In most non-responders,Th1/Th2 markers were compared in pre-and post-BCG biopsies.ORR was 65.6%in the study population.BCG responders had a higher G/T ratio and a greater number of degranulated EPX+cells.Variables combined into a Th2-score showed a significant association with higher scores in responders(p=0.027).A Th2-score cut-off value>48.1 allowed discrimination of responders with 91%sensitivity but lower specificity.Relapse-free survival was significantly associated with the Th2-score(p=0.007).In post-BCG biopsies from recurring patients,TILs increased Th2-polarization,probably reflecting BCG failure to induce a pro-inflammatory status and,thus,a lack of response.PD-L1/PD-1 expression was not associated with the response to BCG.Our results support the hypothesis that a preexisting Th2-polarized TME predicts a better response to BCG,assuming a reversion to Th1 polarization and antitumor activity.展开更多
文摘Given the increasing complexity of cancer care,multidisciplinary tumor boards have become essential in daily clinical oncology practice.The Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes(ECHO)initiative developed an innovative telementoring model using a"hub and spoke"design consisting of a team of experts(hub)that offers a full service to multiple participants(the spokes)during regularly scheduled sessions discussing patients'clinical cases.The Alexander Fleming Cancer Institute in Buenos Aires was the first hub in Latin America to implement Project ECHO for gastrointestinal tumors.In our 3-year experience,80 patients from 37 centers were evaluated within Project ECHO and a range of three to five cases were discussed in each meeting.From our perspective,the impact of this novel approach was a remarkable strategy to reduce care disparities by equalizing access to high-quality medical knowledge in a multidisciplinary environment for medical discussions.Additionally,it was shown to have a cost-effective impact directly on the patients and the local health system,since relevant costs were saved after unnecessary treatments,studies and travel expenses were avoided.
基金supported by grants from CONICET,Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Técnica(PICT 201800990,FONCYT)de Argentina,Fundación Sales,Fundación Pedro Mosoteguy and Fundación Cáncer FUCA.
文摘Intravesical Bacillus Calmette Guerin(BCG)is the gold standard therapy for intermediate/high-risk nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer(NMIBC).However,the response rate is~60%,and 50%of non-responders will progress to muscle-invasive disease.BCG induces massive local infiltration of inflammatory cells(Th1)and ultimately cytotoxic tumor elimination.We searched for predictive biomarker of BCG response by analyzing tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte(TIL)polarization in the tumor microenvironment(TME)in pre-treatment biopsies.Pre-treatment biopsies from patients with NMIBC who received adequate intravesical instillation of BCG(n=32)were evaluated retrospectively by immunohistochemistry.TME polarization was assessed by quantifying the T-Bet+(Th1)and GATA-3+(Th2)lymphocyte ratio(G/T),and the density and degranulation of EPX+eosinophils.In addition,PD-1/PD-L1 staining was quantified.The results correlated with BCG response.In most non-responders,Th1/Th2 markers were compared in pre-and post-BCG biopsies.ORR was 65.6%in the study population.BCG responders had a higher G/T ratio and a greater number of degranulated EPX+cells.Variables combined into a Th2-score showed a significant association with higher scores in responders(p=0.027).A Th2-score cut-off value>48.1 allowed discrimination of responders with 91%sensitivity but lower specificity.Relapse-free survival was significantly associated with the Th2-score(p=0.007).In post-BCG biopsies from recurring patients,TILs increased Th2-polarization,probably reflecting BCG failure to induce a pro-inflammatory status and,thus,a lack of response.PD-L1/PD-1 expression was not associated with the response to BCG.Our results support the hypothesis that a preexisting Th2-polarized TME predicts a better response to BCG,assuming a reversion to Th1 polarization and antitumor activity.
