The effects of season and devil facial tumour disease on the reproductive physiology of the male Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 999 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Keeley ◽  
P. D. McGreevy ◽  
J. K. O'Brien

Devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) is the cause of the rapid decline of wild Tasmanian devils. Female devils are seasonal breeders with births peaking during autumn (i.e. March) but the degree of reproductive seasonality in male devils is unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the potential effects of season and DFTD on reproductive function in male devils (n = 55). Testicular (1.90 ± 0.23 g) and epididymal (0.90 ± 0.06 g) weights were maximal during autumn and spring (P < 0.05), whereas prostate (3.71 ± 0.74 g) and Cowper’s gland (0.68 ± 0.22; 0.52 ± 0.21 g) weights peaked during autumn (P < 0.001). The motility of spermatozoa from the cauda epididymides extracted post-mortem was similar (P > 0.05) across season and disease state (31.5 ± 13.1% total motility). Testicular and epididymal weights were no different between animals displaying late or early-stage DTFD signs or disease-free animals (P > 0.1). The accessory sex glands were larger in late-stage DFTD animals than in animals with early-stage disease signs or which were disease-free (P < 0.01) but effects of season on this result can’t be excluded. Serum testosterone concentrations peaked during summer (0.25 ± 0.18 ng mL–1) but values were not different from the preceding and subsequent seasons (P > 0.05), nor influenced by disease stage (P > 0.1). Seasonal and DFTD-related changes in serum cortisol concentrations were not evident (P > 0.1). Male devil reproduction does not appear to be restricted by season nor inhibited by DFTD.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 8517-8517
Author(s):  
Davina Gale ◽  
Katrin Heider ◽  
Malcolm Perry ◽  
Giovanni Marsico ◽  
Andrea Ruiz-Valdepeñas ◽  
...  

8517 Background: Liquid biopsies based on circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis are being investigated for detection of residual disease and recurrence. Conclusive evidence for utility of ctDNA in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is awaited. Due to low ctDNA levels in early-stage disease or post-treatment, effective methods require high analytical sensitivity to detect mutant allele fractions (MAF) below 0.01%. Methods: We analysed 363 plasma samples from 88 patients with NSCLC recruited to the LUng cancer CIrculating tumour DNA (LUCID) study, with disease stage I (49%), II (28%) and III (23%). 62% were adenocarcinomas. Plasma was collected before and after treatment, and at 3, 6 and 9 months after surgery (N = 69) or chemoradiotherapy (N = 19). Additional plasma was collected at disease relapse for 17 patients. Median follow-up was 3 years, and 40 patients progressed or died of any cause. We employed the RaDaR™ assay, a highly sensitive personalized assay using deep sequencing of up to 48 tumor-specific variants. Variants identified by tumor exome analysis were tested by deep sequencing of tumor tissue and buffy coat DNA to verify somatic mutations and exclude clonal hematopoiesis. The RaDaR assay demonstrated 90% sensitivity at 0.001% MAF in analytical validation studies. Results: ctDNA was detected in 26% of samples, at median MAF of 0.047% (range: 0.0007% to > 2%), and prior to treatment in 87%, 77% and 24% for disease stage III, II and I respectively. For 62 patients, plasma was collected at a landmark timepoint, between 2 weeks and 4 months after initial treatment. ctDNA detection at the landmark timepoint was strongly predictive of clinical disease relapse, with Hazard Ratio of 20.7 (CI: 7.7-55.5, p-value < 0.0001). All 11 cases with ctDNA detected at landmark had disease progression, a median of 121 days after detection, and these included all 8 patients that relapsed within 300 days of treatment. Across 27 patients whose disease progressed during the study, ctDNA was detected at any timepoint post-treatment in 17 cases, with a median lead time of 203 days, and up to 741 days prior to clinical progression. ctDNA was detected post-treatment, in 13 of the 15 patients that progressed and had ctDNA detected prior to treatment. Conclusions: Our results support an emerging paradigm shift, by demonstrating that liquid biopsies can reliably detect recurrence of NSCLC at a preclinical stage, many months before clinical progression, thereby offering the opportunity for earlier therapeutic intervention. Clinical trial information: NCT04153526.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 915-924 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer J. Mueller ◽  
Henrik Lajer ◽  
Berit Jul Mosgaard ◽  
Slim Bach Hamba ◽  
Philippe Morice ◽  
...  

ObjectiveWe sought to describe a large, international cohort of patients diagnosed with primary mucinous ovarian carcinoma (PMOC) across 3 tertiary medical centers to evaluate differences in patient characteristics, surgical/adjuvant treatment strategies, and oncologic outcomes.MethodsThis was a retrospective review spanning 1976–2014. All tumors were centrally reviewed by an expert gynecologic pathologist. Each center used a combination of clinical and histologic criteria to confirm a PMOC diagnosis. Data were abstracted from medical records, and a deidentified dataset was compiled and processed at a single institution. Appropriate statistical tests were performed.ResultsTwo hundred twenty-two patients with PMOC were identified; all had undergone primary surgery. Disease stage distribution was as follows: stage I, 163 patients (74%); stage II, 8 (4%); stage III, 40 (18%); and stage IV, 10 (5%). Ninety-nine (45%) of 219 patients underwent lymphadenectomy; 41 (19%) of 215 underwent fertility-preserving surgery. Of the 145 patients (65%) with available treatment data, 68 (47%) had received chemotherapy—55 (81%) a gynecologic regimen and 13 (19%) a gastrointestinal regimen. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 80% (95% confidence interval [CI], 73%–85%) for patients with stage I to II disease and 17% (95% CI, 8%–29%) for those with stage III to IV disease. The 5-year PFS rate was 73% (95% CI, 50%–86%) for patients who underwent fertility-preserving surgery.ConclusionsMost patients (74%) presented with stage I disease. Nearly 50% were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy using various regimens across institutions. The PFS outcomes were favorable for those with early-stage disease and lower but acceptable for those who underwent fertility preservation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koung Jin Suh ◽  
Ki Hwan Kim ◽  
Jin Lim ◽  
Jin Hyun Park ◽  
Jin-Soo Kim ◽  
...  

Introduction. To characterize the demographic and clinical features, outcomes, and treatment costs of lung cancer in homeless people. Methods. Medical records of 22 homeless patients with lung cancer at Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center in Seoul, South Korea, were retrospectively analyzed. Results. All patients were men (median age, 62 years). Most patients (78%) had advanced disease (stage IIIB, n=2; stage IV, n=15). Seven died during initial hospitalization (median survival, 1.5 months). Six were lost to follow-up after initial outpatient visits or discharges from initial admission (median follow-up, 13 days). Only 4 received appropriate treatment for their disease and survived for 1, 15, 19, and 28 months, respectively. Conversely, 4 of 5 patients with early stage disease (stage I, n=4; stage IIA, n=1) received curative surgery (median follow-up 25.5 months). The median treatment cost based on 29 days of hospitalization and 2 outpatient visits was $12,513, constituting 47.3% of the 2013 per capita income. Inpatient treatment accounted for 90% of the total costs. The National Health Insurance Service paid 82% of the costs. Conclusion. Among the homeless, lung cancer seems to be associated with poor prognosis and substantial costs during a relatively short follow-up and survival period.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 170053 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren C. White ◽  
Jeremy J. Austin

Today, the Tasmanian devil ( Sarcophilus harrisii ) is found only on the island of Tasmania, despite once being widespread across mainland Australia. While the devil is thought to have become extinct on the mainland approximately 3000 years ago, three specimens were collected in Victoria (south-eastern Australia) between 1912 and 1991, raising the possibility that a relict mainland population survived in the area. Alternatively, these devils may have escaped captivity or were deliberately released after being transported from Tasmania, a practice that has been strictly controlled since the onset of devil facial tumour disease in the early 1990s. Such quarantine regimes are important to protect disease-free, ‘insurance populations’ in zoos on the mainland. To test whether the three Victorian devils were members of a relict mainland population or had been recently transported from Tasmania we identified seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the mitochondrial genome that can distinguish between Tasmanian and ancient mainland populations. The three Victorian devil specimens have the same seven SNPs diagnostic of modern Tasmanian devils, confirming that they were most likely transported from Tasmania and do not represent a remnant population of mainland devils.


Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (11) ◽  
pp. 4680-4680
Author(s):  
Farouk Meklat ◽  
Yana Zhang ◽  
Zhiqing Wang ◽  
Jian Zhang ◽  
Sukhrob Mustalov ◽  
...  

Abstract Despite advances in modern chemotherapy, CLL remains incurable. CLL is an indolent disease. It expresses a panel of Cancer-Testis (CT) antigens. CLL leukemia cells are susceptible to the cytotoxicity of T cells. CLL is, therefore, an ideal disease for immunotherapeutic approaches. Immunotherapy, in addition to being less toxic and more specific than chemotherapy, provides a different mode of cytotoxicity that may synergize with that induced by chemotherapeutic agents. Immunotherapy also offers the prospect of inducing immune memory that may be important for long term disease-free survival of patients with CLL. However, there are obstacles that may prevent successful immunotherapy. CLL patients are generally immunosuppressed even before any therapy is given and the immunosuppression increases as the disease progresses. Therefore, any immunotherapeutic approaches for CLL should be aplied in early disease when immunosuppression is least encountered. We previously demonstrated the expression of a CT antigen, SEMG 1, in 3/9 patients with CLL. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that the presence of high titer IgG in the serum of patients expressing SEMG 1, suggesting the in vivo immunogenicity of SEMG 1 in the cancer-bearing autologous host. We have also recently used SEMG 1 as the bait in a yeast two-hybrid system of testicular cDNA library and identified that Protamine 1 is the interacting ligand of SEMG 1 and that Protamine 1 is also a novel CT antigen, suggesting that both SEMG 1 and Protamine 1 may be suitable antigens for tumor vaccine development. However, the expression of SEMG 1 and Protamine 1 in early CLL is unknown. We have in this study set out to determine whether or not SEMG 1 and/or Protamine 1 could be used for the design of tumor vaccine for the targeting of patients with early CLL, in particular, those with poor risk disease, as predicted by Zap 70 expression. Using pairs of sequence-specific primers in RT-PCR on a cohort of CLL (41 Stage 0/I and 6 Stage II/III), we found that SEMG 1 gene is expressed in 24/47 (51%) and Protamine 1 in 16/47 (34%) of CLL patients. Gene expression in most cases was associated with the detection by immunocytochemistry of SEMG 1 and/or Protamine 1 in the CLL cells. The expression frequency of SEMG1 and Protamine 1 in CLL did not appear to differ between early and late stage disease. 19/41 of patients with early stage disease and 5/6 of patients with late disease expressed SEMG 1; 12/41 of patients with early stage disease and 4/6 patients with late disease expressed Protamine 1. Furthermore, the expression of these antigens was equally distributed between Zap 70+ and Zap 70− CLL. SEMG 1 was expressed in 4/6 of Zap 70+ CLL (all 6 had early disease) and 2/9 of Zap 70− CLL (1/8 early disease and 1/1 late disease). Interestingly, although Protamine 1 expression in CLL predicted for SEMG 1 co-expression, only 67% of SEMG 1+ CLL expressed Protamine 1. Our results, therefore, suggest that both SEMG 1 and Protamine 1 are suitable targets for tumor vaccine development for some patients with early CLL, especially those with high risk disease, as predicted by Zap 70 expression.


Blood ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 5410-5410
Author(s):  
Peng Liu ◽  
Ying Han ◽  
Jianliang Yang ◽  
Xiaohui He ◽  
Changgong Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have a worse prognosis compared to the younger population, since older age is associated with comorbidity and suboptimal performance status leading to intolerance of chemo-immunotherapy. The outcome of DLBCL in the older patients (> 60 years) was well described in clinical trials with reported 5-year overall survival (OS) of 50-80% (Coiffier et al., N Engl J Med 2002). Since this group is often precluded from clinical trials and population-based studies are limited, optimal treatment strategy for the old patients with DLBCL remains controversial. Here, we describe a Chinese real-world experience of management of elderly DLBCL patients treated at National Cancer Hospital, China. Methods: This is a single-center, retrospective analysis of consecutive DLBCL patients aged ≥60 who planned to receive chemotherapy +/- rituximab. The standard regimens included 3-4 cycles (early stage disease) or 6 cycles (advanced) of R-CHOP like regimens (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisolone) followed by two rituximab doses in fit patients; R-miniCHOP for unfit and R-CE(etoposide)OP for frail elder patients. Patient data including baseline characteristics, histology, clinical parameters, and treatment outcomes were extracted from hospital medical records. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS); secondary endpoint was OS. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and Kaplan Meier estimates. Results: From June 2006 to December 2012, 349 patients aged ≥60 years were included, in which 204 patients were aged <70 years (Table 1). 326 patients received chemotherapy or chemo-immunotherapy with rituximab. Median follow up was 82 months. Five year PFS and OS of the elder patients were 45.8% and 51.9%, respectively. Significant difference was seen between patients < 70 years and those ≥70 years in terms of PFS (51.0% vs 38.6%, p=0.030) and OS (58.3% vs 42.8%, p=0.007) (Figure 1). Patients with early-stage disease (Ann Arbor StageⅠ/Ⅱ) had better 5-year PFS (60.1% vs 23.5%, p<0.001) and OS (65.3% vs 30.9%, p<0.001) than patients with advanced disease stage (Ann Arbor Stage III/IV) (Figure2). In addition, regimen including rituximab significantly improved the survival than chemotherapy alone (5-year PFS: 37.3% vs 64.0%, p<0.001; 5-year OS: 44.5% vs 69.3%, p<0.001), especially in patients ≥70 years, which almost doubled 5-year PFS and OS (5-year PFS: 25.4% vs 50.7%, p<0.001; 5-year OS: 28.8% vs 56.0%, p<0.001) (Figure3). Conclusions: Elder age (≥70 years) and advanced disease stage (Ann Arbor Stage III/IV) are associated with poor PFS and OS in Chinese elder DLBCL patients. The addition of rituximab significantly improves the survival compared to chemotherapy alone, especially in patients aged ≥70 years. These findings underscore the importance of personalized evaluation and treatment in elder patients with DLBCL. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


F1000Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 331
Author(s):  
Patrick M. Brunner ◽  
Constanze Jonak ◽  
Robert Knobler

Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) comprise a heterogeneous group of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphomas involving primarily the skin and mycosis fungoides is its most frequent entity. Whereas most patients show an indolent course in early disease (clinical stages IA to IIA), some patients progress to advanced disease (stage IIB or higher), and the 5-year survival rate is unfavorable: only 47% (stage IIB) to 18% (stage IVB). Except for allogeneic stem cell transplantation, there is currently no cure for CTCL and thus treatment approaches are palliative, focusing on patients’ health-related quality of life. Our aims were to review the current understanding of the pathogenesis of CTCL, such as the shift in overall immune skewing with progressive disease and the challenges of making a timely diagnosis in early-stage disease because of the lack of reliable positive markers for routine diagnostics, and to discuss established and potential treatment modalities such as immunotherapy and novel targeted therapeutics.


2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e19552-e19552
Author(s):  
I. N. Nabil ◽  
W. Allam ◽  
K. Alaoui ◽  
H. Errihani

e19552 Background: Primary nasopharyngeal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NNHL) was uncommon. In this retrospective study we report our experience dealing with this disease at the National Institute of Oncology. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed various characteristics of Primary NNHL: patient demographics, clinical and histological diagnosis, disease stage, treatment effects and outcome, in 26 patients treated at our institution between January 2001 and December 2007. Results: The average age of our patients was 52.7 years (range: 31 - 87 years). The male/female ratio was equal to 1.5/1. The major symptoms at first diagnosis were: nasal obstruction (88.6%), hypoacousia (88.4%), epistaxis (33.3%) and rhinorrhea (15.3%). Clinical examination founded bilateral cervical lymph nodes in 17 cases (65%). Histological analysis showed follicular lymphoma in 7 cases (26.9%), large B-cell lymphoma in 11 cases (42,3%) and T lymphoma in 4 cases ( 15,3%). Four (15.4%) of the patients were at stage I, 15 (57.6%) were at stage II, and 7 (27%) were at stage III/IV. At early stage, the patients were managed with chemo-radiotherapy and were managed with CHOP based chemotherapy at advanced stage. At the end of total treatment, 18 patients (69.2%) achieved complete response and remained disease free while 4 (15.4%) achieved partial response (>70%) and 4 (15.4%) were progressive (these patients received second line chemotherapy). After 110 months median flow-up, median disease free and overall survival were not reached. Overall, the treatment was well tolerated. Conclusions: From our study and from the literature, we conclude that histological characteristics, principle of treatment and outcome of primary NNHL patients are similar to that of patients with nodal lymphoma. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 524-524
Author(s):  
Elena Martinez Stoffel ◽  
Julie Ruterbusch ◽  
Laura S. Rozek ◽  
Michele L. Cote

524 Background: Despite overall reductions in morbidity and mortality from colorectal cancer (CRC), racial disparities persist. In addition, incidence among individuals age <50 is rising. Our aim was to compare survival of young onset CRC cases diagnosed in black and white individuals. Methods: Using data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program we identified individuals with CRC between the ages of 20 to 49, diagnosed in 2000-2008. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare stage-specific 5 year survival between black and white individuals with young onset CRC. Results: A total of 26,236 incident young onset CRC cases (22,121 white, 4,115 black) were identified during the 9 year study period. Overall survival at 5 years following CRC diagnosis was 54.8% among blacks and 67.4% among whites (p<0.001), with blacks having a significantly higher hazard of death after adjusting for age, sex, stage, tumor site, and treatment history (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.26-1.43). Stratifying by stage at CRC diagnosis, blacks had worse survival at every disease stage compared with whites, with the greatest racial disparities observed among stage II cancers of colon (HR 1.68 95% CI 1.38-2.04) and stage II and III cancers of the rectum (HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.51-2.09, and HR 1.86, 95% CI 1.54-2.24, respectively). Conclusions: Survival after diagnosis of CRC at young age is significantly worse among blacks compared to whites, even among individuals with early stage disease. These findings suggest that differences in tumor biology may play a role in racial disparities in CRC outcomes, which may have implications for adjuvant treatment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e18237-e18237
Author(s):  
Antoine Harb ◽  
Adam Curtis ◽  
Laura Skacel ◽  
Michael Babcock ◽  
Marek Skacel

e18237 Background: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is the most common malignancy worldwide and the leading cause of malignancy-related mortality in the United States. The state of Maine in particular, has one of the highest rates of lung cancer in the country. Methods: We reviewed all NSCLC patients (adenocarcinoma (AC) and squamous cell (SC) histology) diagnosed between January 2017 and June 2018 at Northern Light Cancer Institute. 261 patients with clinical follow-up were identified. We correlated their clinical characteristics with molecular abnormalities identified by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and Fluorescence in situ hybridization, PD-L1 status by immunohistochemistry, disease-free and overall survival. Results: 210 patients had AC and 51 SC. They were evenly split between men and women. The median age at diagnosis was 68 years. 99% of patients were Caucasian. 15 patients were never smokers, the rest were equally divided between active and previous smokers. 44% had early stage disease (I/II) and 56% had late stage disease (III/IV) on presentation. 36.4% had a PD-L1 high status. The frequencies of the molecular aberrations identified in AC and SC are listed in the table below: Treatment differed by stage, including surgery/Radiation +/- adjuvant chemotherapy for early stage disease, definitive chemo-radiation followed by immunotherapy for stage III disease. Stage IV patients were treated with immunotherapy, combination chemo-immunotherapy, targeted therapy, palliative radiation and hospice referral. After a median follow-up of 10.6 months, overall survival (OS) was 66%. Disease free survival (DFS) was 33%. Using univariate (chi-square), multivariate (logistic regression) and Kaplan-Meier (log rank) analyses, we identified that in addition to a high clinical stage, which was associated with shorter OS and DFS, high PD-L1 status, and the presence of p53 mutation, were independent predictors of shorter OS, and p53 mutation of shorter DFS. Conclusions: NGS-based molecular testing deployed in real-time non-academic setting proved to be a valuable tool to identify therapeutic and prognostic targets in NSCLC. Besides those endorsed by the NCCN guidelines, p53 mutation is a common abnormality associated with adverse outcomes. While high PD-L1 expression is a desirable immunotherapy marker, its presence also predicted adverse overall outcomes in our patients.[Table: see text]


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