Oncology Research and Treatment最新文献

{"title":"Management of Advanced Germ Cell Tumours.","authors":"Fabrizio Di Costanzo, Pasquale Rescigno, Christoph Seidel, Thomas Morrall, Pedro Oliveira, Marcus Hentrich, Christoph Oing","doi":"10.1159/000546798","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000546798","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Male germ cell tumours are an exemplar of a highly curably malignancy and represent the most frequent solid malignancy among men under the age of 40. The majority of cases are detected while the tumour is confined to the testicle where cure rates exceed 99%. Even in cases of metastatic disease expansion, cure rates remain extraordinary compared to other malignancies, owing to the unique sensitivity of most germ cell tumour components to cisplatin-based chemotherapy.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>The treatment of metastatic germ cell tumours is adapted to (i) primary histology (seminoma versus non-seminoma or mixed germ cell tumour), (ii) disease spread (clinical stage IIA/B versus IIC/III), and (iii) clinical risk according to the International Germ Cell Cancer Collaborative Group classification. Across all metastatic stages, the combination of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin is most commonly used. In non-seminomas, post-chemotherapy residual mass resection is the second cornerstone of treatment. Among patients who relapse after first-line chemotherapy, platinum-based conventional dose or high-dose chemotherapy regimens can still achieve cure in 50% of patients. Outcomes for patients with multiple relapses, however, remain dissatisfactory and novel treatment approaches are urgently needed. High cure rates demand cautious consideration of possible long-term side effects. Novel strategies are being explored to mitigate the risk of long-term morbidity without lowering the outstanding cure rates.</p><p><strong>Key messages: </strong>(i) Advanced germ cell tumours are highly curable with cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy and often surgical post-chemotherapy residual mass resection. (ii) Novel de-escalation strategies and survivorship programs aim to mitigate the risk of long-term treatment side effects. A lack of effective molecularly targeted treatment approaches pinpoints the need for novel treatments for multiply relapsed, platinum-resistant disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":19543,"journal":{"name":"Oncology Research and Treatment","volume":" ","pages":"35-47"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144266872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Machine Learning-Based Prognostic Modeling of Seven Signatures Associated with Lysosomes for Predicting Prognosis and Immune Status in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.","authors":"Jie Chen, Bo Chen, Mengli Zhu, Yin Huang, Shu Ning, Jinze Li, Jin Li, Zeyu Chen, Puze Wang, Biao Ran, Jiahao Yang, Qiang Wei, Jianzhong Ai, Liangren Liu, Dehong Cao","doi":"10.1159/000548124","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000548124","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common subtype of kidney cancer and is associated with poor prognosis in advanced stages. This study aims to develop a prognostic model for patients with ccRCC based on a lysosome-related gene signature.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The clinical and transcriptomic data of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) patients were downloaded from TCGA, cBioportal, and GEO databases, and lysosome-related gene sets were acquired in the previous study. TCGA data were used as a training set to investigate the prognostic role of lysosomal-related genes in ccRCC, and cBioportal and GEO databases were used for validation. After the lysosome-related differentially expressed genes were found, machine learning method was used to construct a risk model, and Kaplan-Meier (K-M) and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the performance of the model.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Machine learning methods were utilized to identify seven gene signatures related to lysosome, which accurately predict the prognosis of ccRCC. Patients with higher risk scores demonstrate poorer overall survival (OS; HR: 2.467, 95% CI: 1.642-3.706, p < 0.001), and significant disparities in immune infiltration, immune score, and response to anticancer drugs are observed between the high-risk group and the low-risk group (p < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The prognostic model developed in this study demonstrates a high efficacy in accurately predicting the OS of ccRCC patients, thereby offering a novel perspective for the advancement of ccRCC treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":19543,"journal":{"name":"Oncology Research and Treatment","volume":" ","pages":"62-78"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145023881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lynch Syndrome in Context of the Updated German S3 Guideline Colorectal Cancer: Implementation of Universal MMR/MSI Testing.","authors":"Deepak B Vangala, Thomas Seufferlein, Robert Hüneburg","doi":"10.1159/000547331","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000547331","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>With 1:280 carriers, Lynch syndrome (LS) is the most prevalent tumor predisposition syndrome and the most important cause for hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC). Tumors from affected individuals usually present with a deficient expression of mismatch repair (MMR) proteins leading to a high microsatellite instability (MSI).</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>With the update of the German S3 guideline CRC, universal MSI/MMR testing is going to be implemented, thus leading to a fundamental change in detection of patients belonging to the risk group of LS. From now on, there is a strong recommendation for performing MMR/MSI diagnostics for every CRC patient regardless of tumor stage not only in the surgical specimen but in the initial tumor biopsy. The subsequent algorithm for germline mutational testing is simplified. For CRC patients under the age of 50 years, multigene panel testing is recommended regardless of MSI/MMR status. Therapeutic considerations leading to MMR/MSI testing in other entities should warrant the same diagnostic approach. Surveillance measures are individualized, especially regarding upper and lower GI endoscopy considering mutational status.</p><p><strong>Key messages: </strong>Universal MMR/MSI testing is recommended for any CRC patient in the tumor biopsy. Subsequent germline mutational testing should be performed automatically in case of suspicious findings. The detection rate of LS carriers thus will be improved compared to current clinical criteria.</p>","PeriodicalId":19543,"journal":{"name":"Oncology Research and Treatment","volume":" ","pages":"165-173"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144659739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Patient-Reported Outcome in Metastatic Breast Cancer and Platinum-Resistant Recurrent Ovarian Cancer Patients Treated with Metronomic Cyclophosphamide ± Methotrexate: PROmetronomic.","authors":"Slavomir Krajnak, Marco Johannes Battista, Ina Shehaj, Anne-Sophie Heimes, Timo Schinköthe, Walburgis Brenner, Annette Hasenburg, Marcus Schmidt","doi":"10.1159/000547766","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000547766","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Maintenance of subjective well-being and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) play a crucial role in the treatment of metastatic cancer. The metronomic chemotherapy (MCT) may be a favorable treatment option in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the HRQoL of MBC and ROC patients treated with MCT.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>PROmetronomic was a prospective, monocentric study evaluating the HRQoL in MBC and ROC patients treated with oral cyclophosphamide 50 mg daily (+ oral methotrexate 2.5 mg every other day for MBC) from August 2020 to August 2022. The data were obtained using EORTC QLQ-C30, BR23, OV28, and HADS-D via the eHealth-based platform CANKADO. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 5 MBC patients and 9 ROC patients were evaluated. The mean global health status was 47.2 at baseline and 36.1 at the end of MCT (p = 0.350). Functional scales and symptoms remained stable during MCT except for the significant increase of fatigue (51.9 vs. 77.8, p = 0.038). Anxiety and depression were without significant alteration (9.1 and 8.1 at baseline vs. 9.3 and 8.1 after MCT). The median PFS and OS were 10.0 weeks and 28.0 weeks, respectively. No ≥grade 3 toxicities were reported.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>MCT had no significant impact on HRQoL of our small cohort of heavily pretreated MBC and ROC patients and may represent a valuable treatment option for maintaining HRQoL in selected patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":19543,"journal":{"name":"Oncology Research and Treatment","volume":" ","pages":"116-125"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144817165","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Palliative Care for the Management of Patients with Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Comprehensive Cancer Centers.","authors":"Anne Pralong, Marco Herling, Udo Holtick, Berenike Schoerger, Alinda Reimer, Sukhvir Kaur, Christof Scheid, Michael Hallek, Jithmi Weliwitage, Martin Hellmich, Raymond Voltz, Steffen T Simon","doi":"10.1159/000547899","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000547899","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Specialist palliative care (SPC) is rarely integrated into the management of patients with an allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation, despite considerable symptom burden and mortality. We aimed to assess hematologists' and nurses' views on SPC integration.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Multi-center cross-sectional survey with exploratory character. We asked when to best integrate SPC, with three vignettes of patients with good (90% chance of cure/10% risk of death), \"fifty-fifty,\" or poor (10%/90%) prognosis, and assessed preferences regarding integration models and support. We calculated descriptive statistics and associations with chi2/Fisher's exact tests and non-parametric tests.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were 80 respondents (56% females; mean age: 36.2 years, SD = 7.7; 47 physicians and 33 nurses; 42 in transplant setting, 28 in general oncology/hematology, 9 in intensive care unit, 1 unknown; mean experience: 6 years, SD = 0-25). Participants, regardless of profession, highly agreed to integrate SPC for patients with poor prognosis (Yes = 96%), but a majority would not do so for good prognosis patients (No = 63%). In \"fifty-fifty\" prognosis, there was no agreement among physicians, whereas nurses would mostly integrate SPC. The preferred integration model for patients with poor or \"fifty-fifty\" prognosis was a co-management for specific patients' needs. Participants primarily wanted palliative care specialists to support them in addressing life threat with patients.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study highlights the need to develop accurate integration criteria of SPC in the transplant trajectory, taking multi-professional perspectives into account.</p>","PeriodicalId":19543,"journal":{"name":"Oncology Research and Treatment","volume":" ","pages":"126-133"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144963705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ovarian Cancer and Its Association with Endometriosis: A Narrative Review.","authors":"Ismini Kyriacou, Dionysios Vaidakis, Constantina Constantinou","doi":"10.1159/000548022","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000548022","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ovarian cancer is a prevalent and highly lethal gynaecological cancer. Among its various subtypes, epithelial ovarian cancer predominates, comprising ten distinct subtypes and contributing significantly to the overall burden of ovarian malignancies. Concurrently, endometriosis, characterized by the ectopic growth of endometrial tissue within the pelvis, affects a substantial number of women of reproductive age.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>Notably, atypical endometriosis serves as the precursor lesion to endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer, with endometrioid and clear-cell ovarian cancers being the most common prevalent histologic subtypes in this context. These exhibit a more favourable prognosis compared to ovarian cancers unrelated to endometriosis. The progression from endometriosis to atypical endometriosis and ultimately to ovarian cancer is influenced by multiple factors, including mutations in tumour suppressor genes and oncogenes, hyperestrogenism, ovarian inflammation resulting from cyclical bleeding of the ectopic endometrium, and oxidative stress from accumulated iron of ruptured erythrocytes. Conventional treatment for endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer involves macroscopic resection of the tumour combined with chemotherapy. The emergence of targeted therapies including immunotherapy has notably improved outcomes, particularly in cases of chemotherapy-resistant tumours. Despite these advancements, management poses numerous challenges, necessitating the development of more effective treatments.</p><p><strong>Key message: </strong>The current review provides an overview of our current knowledge regarding the intricate relationship between ovarian cancer and endometriosis, illuminating the multifaceted aspects of their interplay and underscoring the imperative for continued research in this field.</p>","PeriodicalId":19543,"journal":{"name":"Oncology Research and Treatment","volume":" ","pages":"218-235"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145006489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Safety and Preliminary Activity of Neoadjuvant Trastuzumab Deruxtecan plus 5-Fluorouracil and Folinic Acid for HER2-Positive, Resectable Esophagogastric Adenocarcinoma: Results from the Safety Run-In Cohort of the Phase Ib/II UCCL-AIO-STO0124-IKF072 NeoART Trial.","authors":"Gertraud Stocker, Jack Chater, Thomas J Ettrich, Thorsten O Goetze, Reinhard U Lindig, Sylvie Lorenzen, Alexander Stein, Sabine Junge, Claudia Pauligk, Salah-Eddin Al-Batran, Florian Lordick","doi":"10.1159/000552693","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000552693","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><p>Introduction: Despite advances in the multimodal treatment of resectable esophagogastric adenocarcinoma (EGA), relapse rates remain high. No human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted treatment is yet established in the perioperative setting. While trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) has compelling efficacy and is now a well-established drug in the treatment of advanced HER2-positive EGA, safety and efficacy data from the perioperative setting are still lacking.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>NeoART is a phase Ib/II platform trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant T-DXd-containing combination regimens for patients with HER2-positive EGA. We report about the safety, feasibility, and preliminary antitumor activity from the safety run-in cohort of the NeoART trial in which patients with locally advanced resectable EGA received three cycles of preoperative T-DXd (5.4 mg/kg, Q3W) combined with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU; 2,600 mg/m2 24 h, Q2W) and folinic acid (FA; 200 mg/m2, Q2W).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the preplanned safety analysis of the first 6 patients recruited to NeoART, no serious adverse events (SAEs) or dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were reported during neoadjuvant treatment. Relevant treatment-related adverse events of grades 1-3 were diarrhea, mucositis, and nausea, but none fulfilled the criteria of DLTs. No relevant hematologic toxicity was observed. Five of six patients underwent curative-intent oncologic resection. In one patient, peritoneal carcinomatosis was detected at the time of surgery; therefore, the tumor was not resected. Two patients experienced grade 3 postoperative complications according to Clavien-Dindo classification, including one anastomotic leakage which was classified as an SAE. R0 resection was accomplished in four out of five resected patients. Histopathological complete remission (pCR; ypT0 N0) was observed in two patients.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Neoadjuvant treatment with T-DXd plus 5-FU/FA was found to be well tolerated and showed preliminary signs of activity during the safety run-in period of the NeoART study. </p>.</p>","PeriodicalId":19543,"journal":{"name":"Oncology Research and Treatment","volume":" ","pages":"341-348"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13399942/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148055927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical Prognostic Significance of LRG1 in Metastatic Breast Cancer.","authors":"Axel Muendlein, Eva Maria Brandtner, Christine Heinzle, Kathrin Geiger, Andreas Leiherer, Magdalena Benda-Beck, Patrick Reimann, Tobias Dechow, Thomas Decker","doi":"10.1159/000550608","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000550608","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Leucine-rich α-2 glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) is a multifunctional pro-inflammatory signaling molecule that has been proposed as a promising biomarker and potential therapeutic target across various types of cancer. Prospective studies investigating LRG1 in breast cancer patients are scarce. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether circulating LRG1 levels are associated with overall survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The present study encompassed 47 individuals with ER-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer who were scheduled to receive treatment with CDK4/6 inhibitors in combination with endocrine therapy as a first or second line of treatment. The primary endpoint was 3-year overall survival. Plasma LRG1 levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>LRG1 levels were significantly associated with advanced age, C-reactive protein, invasive lobular carcinoma, and the presence of lung metastases. During the 3-year follow-up period, 30% of participants died. Kaplan-Meier analysis based on the optimal cutoff indicated that patients with elevated LRG1 levels had a significantly higher risk of mortality compared to those with lower concentrations (log-rank p = 0.008), with a hazard ratio (HR) of 3.22 [95% CI: 1.32-11.05]; p = 0.013. This association remained significant after adjustment for potential confounders. Similarly, when modeled as a log₂-transformed continuous variable, LRG1 levels were also significantly associated with overall survival (HR per doubling = 5.82 [95% CI: 1.35-25.13]; p = 0.018).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>LRG1 significantly predicted 3-year overall survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer, supporting its potential as a prognostic biomarker.</p>","PeriodicalId":19543,"journal":{"name":"Oncology Research and Treatment","volume":" ","pages":"262-269"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146086588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"KRAS Inhibition in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with Central Nervous System Involvement: Current Evidence and Future Directions.","authors":"Rafael Alvim Pereira, Christian Oliveira, Milena Tumelero, Humberto Fernandes, Gabriel Lenz","doi":"10.1159/000550885","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000550885","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>KRAS mutations, particularly G12C, frequently cause non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Due to the protective nature of the blood-brain barrier and the paucity of clinical data specifically about CNS involvement, brain metastases - which occur in up to 40% of patients with advanced KRAS-mutant NSCLC - present unique therapeutic challenges.</p><p><strong>Summary: </strong>The changing role of KRAS-targeted treatments in NSCLC with metastases to the central nervous system (CNS) is examined in this review. It highlights new clinical findings on KRAS G12C inhibitors, including sotorasib and adagrasib, and discusses the challenges in delivering medications across the blood-brain barrier. Along with outlining important resistance mechanisms, such as bypass signaling pathways, secondary KRAS mutations, and SHP2-mediated feedback, the review also examines new combination strategies that utilize SHP2 inhibitors, immunotherapy, and radiation.</p><p><strong>Key messages: </strong>Even with recent progress in treatment, brain metastases continue to pose a significant challenge in managing KRAS-mutant NSCLC. Among currently available agents, adagrasib has shown encouraging intracranial activity and CNS penetration, and rational combination strategies are being explored to overcome resistance. Ongoing research should prioritize CNS-specific endpoints and integrated treatment approaches tailored to patients with brain involvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":19543,"journal":{"name":"Oncology Research and Treatment","volume":" ","pages":"277-287"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146207350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vulnerability to Infections and Secondary Immunodeficiencies in Patients with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas Starting Anti-CD20 Antibody-Containing Therapies.","authors":"Rudolf Weide, Johannes Mohm, Michael Gärtner, Stefan Fuxius, Ursula Vehling-Kaiser, Helmut Forstbauer, Jörg Lipke, Achim Rothe, Karl Verpoort, Stefan Feiten","doi":"10.1159/000551018","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000551018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Only limited data exist about immune status, secondary immunodeficiencies, and vulnerability to infections in correlation to anti-CD20 antibody-containing therapies (CD20CT) in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients. Morbidity, mortality, and hospitalisation rates in routine care are not known.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Multicentre prospective observational study of 101 unselected NHL patients who were about to start CD20CT between April, 2021 and December, 2023 in nine haematology/oncology group practices in Germany. With the help of patient diaries, infections and hospitalisations over the course of 1 year were captured and compared to the 3-month period before receiving therapy. Additionally, demographics, treatment data, data on immune status, and death rates were extracted from medical records retrospectively. Data were statistically analysed using IBM SPSS 29 Statistics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 101 patients with a median age of 68 years (28-90) at the time of enrolment could be analysed. Among them, 58% were male and 42% were female. Of total, 30% suffered from diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, 24% from follicular lymphoma, 20% from chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, and 27% from other NHL. Eight patients died during the observation period. Cause of death was lymphoma in 4 patients, infection/sepsis in 3, and not evaluable in 1. The most frequently used treatment protocols were rituximab/cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine/prednisone in 35%, bendamustine/rituximab in 24%, rituximab in 10%, and others in 31%. A quantitative determination of T-helper cells (CD4 lymphocytes) was carried out in only 21 patients (21%). CD4 T-cell count was significantly different before and after initiation of CD20CT (1,048.9/µL vs. 459.7/µL) (p = 0.022). A quantitative determination of the IgG serum trough level was carried out in 22 patients (22%). The difference in mean IgG values before (875.4 mg/dL) and after the start of therapy (738.8 mg/dL) was statistically not significant (p = 0.068). Standardised to 1,000 days, the mean number of infections before treatment was 3.15 compared to 7.00 across all measurement points after the start of therapy (p < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Compared to the period before receiving CD20CT, serum IgG levels and T-helper cells decreased and patients suffered from increased infection rates. Immune monitoring is only performed in a minority of patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":19543,"journal":{"name":"Oncology Research and Treatment","volume":" ","pages":"270-276"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146207340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}