191. Achieving thoracic oncology data collection in Europe : a precursor study in 35 countriesAnna Rich, David R. Baldwin, Inmaculada Alfageme, Paul Beckett, Thierry Berghmans, Stephen Brincat, Otto Burghuber, Alexandru Corlateanu, Tanja Čufer, Ronald Damhuis, 2018, original scientific article Abstract: Background: A minority of European countries have participated in international comparisons with high level data on lung cancer. However, the nature and extent of data collection across the continent is simply unknown, and without accurate data collection it is not possible to compare practice and set benchmarks to which lung cancer services can aspire. Methods: Using an established network of lung cancer specialists in 37 European countries, a survey was distributed in December 2014. The results relate to current practice in each country at the time, early 2015. The results were compiled and then verified with co-authors over the following months. Results: Thirty-five completed surveys were received which describe a range of current practice for lung cancer data collection. Thirty countries have data collection at the national level, but this is not so in Albania, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. Data collection varied from paper records with no survival analysis, to well-established electronic databases with links to census data and survival analyses. Conclusion: Using a network of committed clinicians, we have gathered validated comparative data reporting an observed difference in data collection mechanisms across Europe. We have identified the need to develop a welldesigned dataset, whilst acknowledging what is feasible within each country, and aspiring to collect high quality data for clinical research.
Keywords: lung neoplasms -- epidemiology -- Europe, lung cancer, studies
Published in DiRROS: 12.11.2020; Views: 1241; Downloads: 563
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192. Sequential treatment with afatinib and osimertinib in patients with EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer : an observational studyMaximilian J Hochmair, Alessandro Morabito, Desiree Hao, Cheng-Ta Yang, Ross A Soo, James C-H Yang, Rasim Gucalp, Balazs Halmos, Lara Wang, Amanda Golembesky, Angela Märten, Tanja Čufer, 2018, original scientific article Abstract: Aim: To assess outcomes in patients with EGFR mutation-positive (Del19, L858R) non-small-cell lung cancer receiving sequential afatinib and osimertinib in a real-world clinical setting. Materials & methods: In this retrospective, observational, multicenter study, patients (n = 204) had T790M-positive disease following first-line afatinib and started osimertinib treatment [>/=]10 months prior to data entry. Primary outcome was time on treatment. Results: Overall median time on treatment was 27.6 months (90% CI: 25.9-31.3), 30.3 months (90% CI: 27.6-44.5) in Del19-positive patients and 46.7 months (90% CI: 26.8-not reached) in Asians. The 2-year overall survival was 78.9%. Conclusion: In real-world clinical practice, sequential afatinib and osimertinib facilitates prolonged, chemotherapy-free treatment in patients with T790M acquired resistance, and is a potentially attractive strategy, especially for Del19-positive tumors.
Keywords: lung neoplasms -- therapy, non-small-cell lung cancer, afatinib, osimertinib, epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR, observational study
Published in DiRROS: 09.11.2020; Views: 1527; Downloads: 929
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193. Expenditures on oncology drugs and cancer mortality-to-incidence ratio in Central and Eastern EuropeEduard Vrdoljak, Gyorgy Bodoky, Jacek Jassem, Razvan A. Popescu, Robert Pirker, Tanja Čufer, Semir Beslija, Alexsandru Eniu, Vladimir Todorović, Katerina Kopečková, 2019, original scientific article Abstract: Background. There is a steady decline in cancer mortality in Western Europe (WE), but this trend is not so obvious in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). One of the largest discrepancies between WE and CEE is the level of investment in cancer care. The objective of our analysis was to examine the correlation between mortality-to-incidence (M/I) ratio and expenditures on oncology drugs in CEE and WE. Materials and Methods. This cross-sectional analysis was done on publicly available data. Data on expenditures for oncology drugs were obtained from QuintilesIMS, and data on M/I ratio from Globocan. The main outcome was mortality-to-incidence ratio, and the primary analysis was performed by Spearman's rank correlation. Results. There is a large discrepancy in expenditure on oncology drugs per cancer case between WE and CEE, and within CEE. Average expenditure on oncology drugs per capita as well as per new cancer case was 2.5 times higher in WE than in CEE. Availability of oncology drugs was highest in Germany (100%), relatively similar in WE (average of 91%), but in CEE it ranged from 37% to 86%, with an average of 70%. Annual expenditures on all oncology drugs per new cancer case was significantly negatively correlated with the M/I ratio (Spearman's p = -0.90, p < .001). Conclusion. There is a financial threshold for oncology drugs per cancer case needed to increase survival. Based on significantly lower expenditures for oncology drugs in CEE in comparison with WE, more investment for drugs as well as better, more organized,value-oriented consumption is needed. Implications for Practice. Cancer is not treated equally successfully in Western Europe (WE) and in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). This study showed that success in treatment of cancer is associated with the amount of money invested in oncology drugs. CEE countries spend on average 2.5 times less than WE countries for oncology drugs per new cancer case. These findings should be used by healthcare providers and oncologists struggling for more resources and better, more organized, evidence-based allocation of these resources as well as better oncology outcomes.
Keywords: neoplasms -- mortality -- epidemiology, incidence, pharmaceutical preparations -- economics, cancer, oncology, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, drug expenditures
Published in DiRROS: 26.10.2020; Views: 1384; Downloads: 339
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194. Increasing the dose intensity of chemotherapy by more frequent administration or sequential scheduling : a patient-level meta-analysis of 37 298 women with early breast cancer in 26 randomised trials2019, original scientific article Abstract: Background: Increasing the dose intensity of cytotoxic therapy by shortening the intervals between cycles, or by giving individual drugs sequentially at full dose rather than in lower-dose concurrent treatment schedules, might enhance efficacy. Methods: To clarify the relative benefits and risks of dose-intense and standard-schedule chemotherapy in early breast cancer, we did an individual patient-level meta-analysis of trials comparing 2-weekly versus standard 3-weekly schedules, and of trials comparing sequential versus concurrent administration of anthracycline and taxane chemotherapy. The primary outcomes were recurrence and breast cancer mortality. Standard intention-to-treat log-rank analyses, stratified by age, nodal status, and trial, yielded dose-intense versus standard-schedule first-event rate ratios (RRs). Findings: Individual patient data were provided for 26 of 33 relevant trials identified, comprising 37,298 (93%) of 40,070 women randomised. Most women were aged younger than 70 years and had node-positive disease. Total cytotoxic drug usage was broadly comparable in the two treatment arms; colony-stimulating factor was generally used in the more dose-intense arm. Combining data from all 26 trials, fewer breast cancer recurrences were seen with dose-intense than with standard-schedule chemotherapy (10-year recurrence risk 28.0% vs 31.4%; RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.82-0.89; p<0.0001). 10-year breast cancer mortality was similarly reduced (18.9% vs 21.3%; RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.83-0.92; p<0.0001), as was all-cause mortality (22.1% vs 24.8%; RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.83-0.91; p<0.0001). Death without recurrence was, if anything, lower with dose-intense than with standard-schedule chemotherapy (10-year risk 4.1% vs 4.6%; RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.78-0.99; p=0.034). Recurrence reductions were similar in the seven trials (n=10,004) that compared 2-weekly chemotherapy with the same chemotherapy given 3-weekly (10-year risk 24.0% vs 28.3%; RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.76-0.91; p<0.0001), in the six trials (n=11,028) of sequential versus concurrent anthracycline plus taxane chemotherapy (28.1% vs 31.3%; RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80-0.94; p=0.0006), and in the six trials (n=6532) testing both shorter intervals and sequential administration (30.4% vs 35.0%; RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.74-0.90; p<0.0001). The proportional reductions in recurrence with dose-intense chemotherapy were similar and highly significant (p<0.0001) in oestrogen receptor (ER)-positive and ER-negative disease and did not differ significantly by other patient or tumour characteristics. Interpretation: Increasing the dose intensity of adjuvant chemotherapy by shortening the interval between treatment cycles, or by giving individual drugs sequentially rather than giving the same drugs concurrently, moderately reduces the 10-year risk of recurrence and death from breast cancer without increasing mortality from other causes.
Keywords: breast neoplasms, women, drug therapy, clinical protocols, meta-analysis, breast cancer, chemotherapy, treatment schedule, randomized trials
Published in DiRROS: 22.10.2020; Views: 1361; Downloads: 1153
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195. CD3+CD4-CD8- mucosal T cells are associated with uncontrolled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polypsTanja Soklič, Mira Šilar, Matija Rijavec, Ana Koren, Izidor Kern, Irena Hočevar-Boltežar, Peter Korošec, 2019, other scientific articles Abstract: Increased mucosal double-negative (DN) CD3+CD4-CD8- T cells were found for the first time in CRS and were much more abundant in uncontrolled CRSwNP than in well-controlled CRSwNP.
Keywords: chronic rhinosinusitis, CD3+ T-cells, CD4- T-cells, CD8- T-cells
Published in DiRROS: 22.10.2020; Views: 1637; Downloads: 539
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196. Prevalence of and factors associated with healthcare-associated infections in Slovenian acute care hospitals : results of the third national surveyIrena Klavs, Mojca Serdt, Aleš Korošec, Tatjana Lejko-Zupanc, Blaž Pečavar, 2019, original scientific article Abstract: Introduction. In the third Slovenian national healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) prevalence survey, conducted within the European point prevalence survey of HAIs and antimicrobial use in acute care hospitals, we estimated the prevalence of all types of HAIs and identified factors associated with them. Methods. Patients were enrolled into a one-day cross-sectional study in November 2017. Descriptive analyses were performed to describe the characteristics of patients, their exposure to invasive procedures and the prevalence of different types of HAIs. Univariate and multivariate analyses of association of having at least one HAI with possible risk factors were performed to identify risk factors. Results. Among 5,743 patients, 4.4% had at least one HAI and an additional 2.2% were still treated for HAIs on the day of the survey, with a prevalence of HAIs of 6.6%. The prevalence of pneumoniae was the highest (1.8%), followed by surgical site infections (1.5%) and urinary tract infections (1.2%). Prevalence of blood stream infections was 0.3%. In intensive care units (ICUs), the prevalence of patients with at least one HAI was 30.6%. Factors associated with HAIs included central vascular catheter (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4.1; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 3.1–5.4), peripheral vascular catheter (aOR 3.0; 95% CI: 2.3–3.9), urinary catheter (aOR 1.8; 95% CI: 1.4–2.3). Conclusions. The prevalence of HAIs in Slovenian acute care hospitals in 2017 was substantial, especially in ICUs. HAIs prevention and control is an important public health priority. National surveillance of HAIs in ICUs should be developed to support evidence-based prevention and control.
Keywords: healthcare-associated infections, prevalence, survey, risk factors, Slovenia
Published in DiRROS: 16.10.2020; Views: 2492; Downloads: 913
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197. Transcription factors gene expression in chronic rhinosinusitis with and without nasal polypsTanja Soklič, Matija Rijavec, Mira Šilar, Ana Koren, Izidor Kern, Irena Hočevar-Boltežar, Peter Korošec, 2019, original scientific article Abstract: Background. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) current therapeutic approaches still fail in some patients with severe persistent symptoms and recurrences after surgery. We aimed to evaluate the master transcription factors gene expression levels of T cell subtypes in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) that could represent new, up-stream targets for topical DNAzyme treatment. Patients and methods. Twenty-two newly diagnosed CRS patients (14 CRSwNP and 8 CRSsNP) were prospectively biopsied and examined histopathologically. Gene expression levels of T-box transcription factor (T-bet, TBX21), GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3), Retinoic acid-related orphan receptor C (RORC) and Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) were analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Results. Eosinophilic CRSwNP was characterized by higher level of GATA3 gene expression compared to noneosinophilic CRSwNP, whereas there was no difference in T-bet, RORC and FOXP3 between eosinophilic and noneosinophilic CRSwNP. In CRSsNP, we found simultaneous upregulation of T-bet, GATA3 and RORC gene expression levels in comparison to CRSwNP; meanwhile, there was no difference in FOXP3 gene expression between CRSwNP and CRSsNP. Conclusions. In eosinophilic CRSwNP, we confirmed the type 2 inflammation by elevated GATA3 gene expression level. In CRSsNP, we unexpectedly found simultaneous upregulation of T-bet and GATA3 that is currently unexplained; however, it might originate from activated CD8+ cells, abundant in nasal mucosa of CRSsNP patients. The elevated RORC in CRSsNP could be part of homeostatic nasal immune response that might be better preserved in CRSsNP patients compared to CRSwNP patients. Further data on transcription factors expression rates in CRS phenotypes are needed.
Keywords: sinusitis, nasal polyps, Th1 cells, Th2 cells, Th17 cells, transcription factors, chronic rhinosinusitis
Published in DiRROS: 09.10.2020; Views: 1573; Downloads: 847
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198. Expression of FGFR1-4 in malignant pleural mesothelioma tissue and corresponding cell lines and its relationship to patient survival and FGFR inhibitor sensitivityGregor Vlačić, Mir Alireza Hoda, Thomas Klikovits, Katharina Sinn, Elisabeth Gschwandtner, Katja Mohorčič, Karin Schelch, Christine Pirker, Barbara Peter-Vörösmarty, Jelena Brankovic, Tanja Čufer, Aleš Rozman, Izidor Kern, 2019, original scientific article Abstract: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a devastating malignancy with limited therapeutic options. Fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR) and their ligands were shown to contribute to MPM aggressiveness and it was suggested that subgroups of MPM patients could benefit from FGFR-targeted inhibitors. In the current investigation, we determined the expression of all four FGFRs (FGFR1-FGFR4) by immunohistochemistry in tissue samples from 94 MPM patients. From 13 of these patients, we were able to establish stable cell lines, which were subjected to FGFR1-4 staining, transcript analysis by quantitative RT-PCR, and treatment with the FGFR inhibitor infigratinib. While FGFR1 and FGFR2 were widely expressed in MPM tissue and cell lines, FGFR3 and FGFR4 showed more restricted expression. FGFR1 and FGFR2 showed no correlation with clinicopathologic data or patient survival, but presence of FGFR3 in 42% and of FGFR4 in 7% of patients correlated with shorter overall survival. Immunostaining in cell lines was more homogenous than in the corresponding tissue samples. Neither transcript nor protein expression of FGFR1-4 correlated with response to infigratinib treatment in MPM cell lines. We conclude that FGFR3 and FGFR4, but not FGFR1 or FGFR2, have prognostic significance in MPM and that FGFR expression is not suffcient to predict FGFR inhibitor response in MPM cell lines.
Keywords: malignant pleural mesothelioma, fibroblast growth factor receptors, azbestos, immunotherapy, chemotherapy, genomic analysis, infigratinib
Published in DiRROS: 07.10.2020; Views: 12184; Downloads: 1040
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199. Cabbage and fermented vegetables : from death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19Jean Bousquet, Josep M. Antò i Boquè, Wienczyslawa Czarlewski, Tari Haahtela, Susana C. Fonseca, Guido Laccarino, Hubert Blain, Alain Vidal, Aziz Sheikh, Cezmi A. Akdis, Torsten Zuberbier, Samo Kreft, Klemen Jenko, Maja Jošt, Peter Kopač, Mitja Košnik, Karmen Kramer Vrščaj, Bojan Madjar, Davor Plavec, Tanja Soklič, Jure Urbančič, Mihaela Zidarn, 2020, original scientific article Abstract: Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage were associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-Cov-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistanceas well as lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID-19. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block the AT1R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. Three examples are given: Kimchi in Korea, westernized foods and the slum paradox. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof-of-concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2-associated antioxidant effects helpful in mitigating COVID-19 severity.
Keywords: COVID-19, diet, sulforaphane, Lactobacillus, Angiotensin converting enzyme 2, kimchi, cabbage, fermented vegetable
Published in DiRROS: 07.10.2020; Views: 1459; Downloads: 341
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200. Priporočila za obravnavo bolnikov s pljučnim rakomMartina Vrankar, Nina Boc, Izidor Kern, Aleš Rozman, Karmen Stanič, Tomaž Štupnik, Mojca Unk, Maja Ebert Moltara, Vesna Zadnik, Katja Adamič, Jernej Benedik, Marko Bitenc, Jasna But-Hadžić, Anton Crnjac, Eva Ćirić, Tanja Čufer, Goran Gačevski, Marta Globočnik Kukovica, Kristina Gornik-Kramberger, Maja Ivanetič Pantar, Staša Jelerčič, Veronika Kloboves-Prevodnik, Mile Kovačević, Luka Ležaič, Mateja Marc-Malovrh, Katja Mohorčič, Bogdan Vidmar, Dušanka Vidovič, Gregor Vlačić, Ana Lina Vodušek, Rok Zbačnik, Ivana Žagar, 2020, professional article Keywords: pljučni rak, priporočila
Published in DiRROS: 22.09.2020; Views: 1955; Downloads: 728
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