Significance of monocyte counts on tumor characteristics and survival outcome of women with endometrial cancer

Enhanced Diagnostic Efficiency of Endometrial Carcinogenesis and Progression in Women with Abnormal Uterine Bleeding through Peripheral Blood Cytokine Testing: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the role of plasma cytokine detection in endometrial cancer screening and tumor progression assessment in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding. Methods: In this multicenter retrospective cohort study of 287 patients with abnormal uterine bleeding, comprehensive clinical information and laboratory assessments, including cytokines, routine blood tests, and tumor markers, were performed. Associations between the clinical indicators and endometrial carcinogenesis/progression were evaluated. The independent risk factors for endometrial cancer and endometrial cancer with deep myometrial invasion were analyzed using multivariate binary logistic regression. Additionally, a diagnostic model was used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of these identified risk factors. Results: In patients with abnormal uterine bleeding, low IL-4 and high IL-8 levels were independent risk factors for endometrial cancer (p < 0.05). Combining IL-4, IL-8, CA125, and menopausal status improved the accuracy of assessing endometrial cancer risk. The area under curve of the model is 0.816. High IL-6 and IL-8 levels were independent risk factors for deep myometrial invasion in patients with endometrial cancer (p < 0.05). Similarly, combining IL-6, IL-8, and Monocyte counts enhanced the accuracy of assessing endometrial cancer risk with deep myometrial invasion. The area under curve of the model is 0.753. Conclusions: Cytokines such as IL-4, IL-8, and IL-6 can serve as markers for monitoring endometrial cancer and its progression in women with abnormal uterine bleeding.

A nomogram prediction model for the TP53mut subtype in endometrial cancer based on preoperative noninvasive parameters

BACKGROUND

The molecular subtypes of endometrial carcinoma are significantly correlated with survival outcomes and can guide surgical methods and postoperative adjuvant therapy. Among them, the TP53mut subtype has the worst prognosis and can only be determined by detection after surgery. Therefore, identifying preoperative noninvasive clinical parameters for early prediction of the TP53mut subtype would provide important guidance in choosing the appropriate surgical method and early warning for clinicians. Our study aimed to establish a model for the early prediction of the TP53mut subtype by using preoperative noninvasive parameters of endometrial cancer and screen out potential TP53mut patients.

METHODS

Information and pathological specimens of 376 patients who underwent surgery for FIGO stage I-IV endometrial cancer in the Department of Gynecology, Peking University Cancer Hospital, from June 2011 to July 2020 were collected, and 178 cases were finally included in the study as the training dataset (part A). Thirty-six cases from January 2022 to March 2023 were collected as the validation dataset (part B). Molecular subtyping was performed using a one-stop next-generation sequencing (NGS) approach. Compared with the TP53mut subtype, the POLE EDM, MSI-H and TP53 wild-type subtypes were defined as non-TP53mut subtypes. Univariate Cox regression analysis and multivariate logistic analysis were performed to determine the preoperative clinical parameters associated with the TP53mut subtype. A nomogram prediction model was established using preoperative noninvasive parameters, and its efficacy in predicting TP53mut subtype and survival outcomes was verified.

RESULTS

The TP53mut subtype was identified in 12.4% of the part A and 13.9% of the part B. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that HDL-C/LDL-C level, CA125 level, and cervical or lower uterine involvement were independent influencing factors associated with the TP53mut subtype (p = 0.016, 0.047, <0.001). A TP53mut prognostic model (TPMM) was constructed based on the factors identified in the multivariate analysis, namely, TPMM = -1.385 × HDL-C/LDL-C + 1.068 × CA125 + 1.89 × CI or LUI, with an AUC = 0.768 (95% CI, 0.642 to 0.893) in the part A. The AUC of TPMM for predicting TP53mut subtype in the part B was 0.781(95% CI, 0.581 to 0.980). The progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with the TP53mut subtype were significantly worse than those of patients with the non-TP53mut subtype, as predicted by the model in the part A.

CONCLUSIONS

TP53mut prediction model (TPMM) had good diagnostic accuracy, and survival analysis showed the model can identify patients with different prognostic risk.

Are blood parameters assessed before taking frozen sections useful in gynecological oncology?

Background/Aim: Inflammatory processes are often implicated in oncology, and inflammatory markers and indices have been much studied in this context. In gynecological surgery, frozen sections have proven valuable in decision-making. Here we aim to identify laboratory parameters that correlate with frozen section results and thus develop new indices in neoplastic decision-making. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study at Bursa Yüksek İhtisas Training and Research Hospital, we evaluated 139 patients diagnosed with adnexal mass and endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia. We divided the patients whose frozen sections were reported as malignant, borderline, or benign into three groups and compared the pre-operative complete blood parameters. Results: The mean age of our patients was 57.3 (11.5) years, and frozen section reports were benign in 33 (23.7%), borderline in 43 (30.9%), and malignant in 63 (45.3%) patients. The mean corpuscular volume and mean platelet volume values ​​were different, and this difference was significant between borderline and malignant groups in post-hoc analyses (P = 0.04 and P = 0.03, respectively). While the percentage of lymphocytes was lower in malignant groups, the percentage of neutrophils was higher (P = 0.01 and P = 0.03, respectively). According to post-hoc analysis, the percentage of neutrophils differs between benign and malignant groups (P = 0.05). The difference in lymphocyte percentage was significant between benign-borderline and benign-malignant groups (P = 0.02, P = 0.05; respectively). The blood neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio was higher in the malignant groups compared to the other two groups (P = 0.02). We used the Multi Linear Regression Analysis method to analyze the factors that play a role in predicting the frozen outcome as malignant. Accordingly, the model with the best performance used lymphocyte percentage, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, and Ca-125 parameters (P = 0.03). Conclusion: This study indicates that inflammatory markers may give a clue about the character of the neoplastic mass before oncology surgery. Thus, we can make new contributions to the surgical and clinical approach in the literature by developing new malignancy indices.

Systemic Inflammatory Score predicts Overall Survival in patients with Cervical Cancer

Background: To evaluate the prognostic value of the systemic inflammatory score (SIS) in cervical cancer patients.

Methods: A total of 264 patients with FIGO stage (2009) IB-IIA cervical cancer undergoing radical resection from January 2014 to December 2017 were recruited. The optimal cutoff values for inflammatory biomarkers were calculated by X-tile software. The prognostic factors were investigated using univariate and multivariate Cox analyses. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (time-ROC) analysis and the concordance index (C-index) were used to compare the prognostic impact of factors.

Results: In total, 264 patients with cervical cancer were included in the study. The optimal cutoff value for lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) was 4.1. In multivariate analysis, FIGO stage, lymphovascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, preoperative serum albumin (Alb), and LMR were independent prognostic factors (P<0.05). Then, we combined preoperative Alb and LMR to establish the SIS. Multivariate analysis showed that the SIS was an independent factor that affected survival (P<0.05). When stratified by FIGO stage, significant differences in survival were also found for patients with different SISs (P<0.05). When the SIS and FIGO stage were combined, the time-ROC curve was superior to that of FIGO stage only. The C-index of the model combining the SIS and FIGO stage was 0.786 (95% CI 0.699-0.873), which was significantly higher than that of the model with FIGO stage only (0.676, 95% CI 0.570-0.782, P=0.0049).

Conclusions: The preoperative SIS is a simple and useful prognostic factor for postoperative survival in patients with cervical cancer. It might assist in the identification of high-risk patients among patients with the same FIGO stage.

Elevated peripheral absolute monocyte count related to clinicopathological features and poor prognosis in solid tumors: Systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression

BACKGROUND

Absolute monocyte count (AMC) is often used to be assessed in cancer follow-up, which has regained interest as a potential prognostic indicator in many solid tumors, though not consistently or comprehensively. In the present study, we set out to perform a comprehensive meta-analysis of all available data regarding the prognostic significance of AMC in solid tumors. We also evaluated the association between AMC and clinical features in solid tumors.

METHODS

A hazard ratio (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) or a p value (p) from eligible studies were extracted and subsequently pooled analyzed. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression analyses were conducted according to the confounders of included studies. In addition, the relationships between AMC and clinical characteristics were also explored in the meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Overall, ninety-three articles comprising 104 studies with 32229 patients were finally included. The results showed that elevated AMC was associated with worse overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.615; 95% CI: 1.475-1.768; p < 0.001), disease-free survival (DFS) (HR:1.488; 95% CI: 1.357-1.633; p < 0.001), progressive-free survival (PFS) (HR: 1.533; 95% CI: 1.342-1.751; p < 0.001) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) (HR: 1.585; 95% CI: 1.253-2.006; p < 0.001) in non-hematological tumors. Subgroup analyses according to each confounder further proved the consistent prognostic value of AMC in solid tumor outcomes. Moreover, elevated AMC was more likely to be observed in male group and patients with smoking history, and associated with longer tumor length and advanced T stage.

CONCLUSION

In short, the meta-analysis found that elevated AMC might indicate poor long-term outcomes in non-hematologic cancers, thus AMC may be a valuable marker in the prognosis for patients with solid tumors.

Uterine carcinosarcoma: Contemporary clinical summary, molecular updates, and future research opportunity

Uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS) is a biphasic aggressive high-grade endometrial cancer in which the sarcoma element has de-differentiated from the carcinoma element. UCS is considered a rare tumor, but its incidence has gradually increased in recent years (annual percent change from 2000 to 2016 1.7%, 95% confidence interval 1.2-2.2) as has the proportion of UCS among endometrial cancer, exceeding 5% in recent years. UCS typically affects the elderly, but in recent decades patients became younger. Notably, a stage-shift has occurred in recent years with increasing nodal metastasis and decreasing distant metastasis. The concept of sarcoma dominance may be new in UCS, and a sarcomatous element >50% of the uterine tumor is associated with decreased survival. Multimodal treatment is the mainstay of UCS. Lymphadenectomy, chemotherapy, and brachytherapy have increased in the past few decades, but survival outcomes remain dismal: the median survival is less than two years, and the 5-year overall survival rate has not changed in decades (31.9% in 1975 to 33.8% in 2012). Carboplatin/paclitaxel adjuvant chemotherapy improves progression-free survival compared with ifosfamide/paclitaxel, particularly in stages III-IV disease (GOG-261 trial). Twenty-six clinical trials previously examined therapeutic effectiveness in recurrent/metastatic UCS. The median response rate and progression-free survival were 37.5% and 5.9 months, respectively, after first-line therapy, but after later therapies, the outcomes were far worse (5.5% and 1.8 months, respectively). One significant discovery was that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of sarcomatous dedifferentiation in UCS and that heterologous sarcoma is associated with a higher EMT signature compared with homologous sarcoma. Furthermore, next-generation sequencing has revealed that UCS tumors are serous-like and that common somatic mutations include those in TP53, PIK3CA, FBXW7, PTEN, and ARID1A. This contemporary review highlights recent clinical and molecular updates in UCS. A possible therapeutic target of EMT in UCS is also discussed.

Analysis of Systemic Inflammatory Factors and Survival Outcomes in Endometrial Cancer Patients Staged I-III FIGO and Treated with Postoperative External Radiotherapy

BACKGROUND

The causal link between elevated systemic inflammation biomarkers and poor survival has been demonstrated in cancer patients. However, the evidence for this correlation in endometrial cancer (EC) is too weak to influence current criteria of risk assessment. Here, we examined the role of inflammatory indicators as a tool to identify EC patients at higher risk of death in a retrospective observational study.

METHODS

A total of 155 patients surgically diagnosed with EC stage I-III FIGO 2009 and treated with postoperative External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT) ± brachytherapy and chemotherapy according to ESMO-ESTRO-ESGO recommendation for patients at high risk of recurrence at the Gustave Roussy Institut, France, and Hospital Clínic, Spain, between 2008 and 2017 were evaluated. The impact of pre-treatment Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR ≥ 2.2), Monocyte-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (MLR ≥ 0.18), Systemic Immune-Inflammatory Index (SII ≥ 1100) and lymphopenia (<1.0×109/L) on overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival and progression-free survival was evaluated. Subsequently, a cohort of 142 patients within high-advanced risk groups according to ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO classification was evaluated.

RESULTS

On univariate analysis, NLR (HR = 2.2, IC 95% 1.1-4.7), SII (HR = 2.2, IC 95% 1.1-4.6), MLR (HR = 5.0, IC 95% 1.1-20.8) and lymphopenia (HR = 3.8, IC 95% 1.6-9.0) were associated with decreased OS. On multivariate analysis, NLR, MLR, SII and lymphopenia proved to be independent unfavorable prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONS

lymphopenia and lymphocytes-related ratio are associated with poorer outcome in surgically staged I-III FIGO EC patients classified as high risk and treated with adjuvant EBRT and could be considered at cancer diagnosis. External validation in an independent cohort is required before implementation for patients' stratification.

Circulating Transcripts and Biomarkers in Uterine Tumors: Is There a Predictive Role?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Uterine cancer comprises endometrial carcinoma and the uterine sarcoma. Endometrial carcinomas are the most frequent variant and have early symptoms and a solid diagnostic work up, resulting in a rather fair prognosis. However, in case of advanced stage disease and relapse, treatment options are limited and prognosis is impaired. Uterine sarcomas are rare, often lacking symptoms and no diagnostic tool for correct pre-operative diagnosis are available. Prognosis is poor.

RECENT FINDINGS

Circulating biomarkers as a liquid biopsy could be beneficial as a diagnostic tool in uterine sarcomas. For both carcinomas and sarcomas, circulating biomarkers could be of use in predicting early disease recurrence. This review in endometrial carcinoma and uterine sarcoma focus on circulating biomarkers; such as proteins; circulating tumor cells; circulating tumor DNA; microRNA; and immune cells.

Preoperative Circulating Lymphocyte and Monocyte Counts Correlate with Patient Outcomes in Type I and Type II Endometrial Cancer

Tumor-associated macrophages and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are associated with survival in solid malignancies. Given the physiological link to peripheral immune cell counts, we evaluated if peripheral immune cell counts were predictors of outcomes in endometrial cancer. A retrospective study was completed for endometrial cancer cases between 2000 and 2010. Kaplan-Meier, bivariate, and multivariable Cox proportion hazard analyses were performed examining the relations between survival and peripheral immune cell counts. Three hundred ten patients were identified. In bivariate analyses, high monocyte counts (> 0.7 × 10⁹ cells/L) trended with decreased progression free survival (PFS) (p = 0.10) and poorer overall survival (OS) (p = 0.16). By contrast, high lymphocyte level (> 1.5 × 10⁹ cells/L) was associated with improved PFS (p = 0.008) and OS (p = 0.006). These findings were consistent for type I and type II endometrial cancers. In a multivariable Cox model, high monocyte level was associated with a greater risk of disease recurrence (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.63, p < 0.035). Other significant predictors of recurrence were age, non-endometrioid histology, and the presence of lymph vascular space invasion (LVSI). In a multivariable Cox model, high lymphocyte count trended with a lower risk of death (HR = 0.66, p = 0.07). Age, surgical stage, non-endometrioid histology, and LVSI were also associated with death in this model. In this sample of endometrial cancer patients, we found that high preoperative lymphocyte counts were associated with improved overall improved survival. High monocyte counts were associated with poorer disease-free survival outcomes. Further studies that focused on understanding tumor-antagonizing and pro-tumoral effects of lymphocytes and monocytes, respectively, in endometrial cancer are recommended.

Prognostic values of pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios in endometrial cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose

Elevated inflammatory markers, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), have been identified as poor predictors of survival in several malignancies. This meta-analysis was performed to quantify the effect of pretreatment NLR and PLR on the survival of patients with endometrial cancer (EC).

Methods

This review systematically searched for relevant publications in databases of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Pooled hazard ratios (pHRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were determined and used to explore the association between inflammatory markers and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in a random-effects model. Subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias were also conducted in this meta-analysis.

Results

Nine articles comprising 3390 patients were included. NLR higher than the cutoff was associated with a shorter OS (pHR = 2.22, 95% CI 1.77–2.78) and poorer PFS (pHR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.35–2.41). Patients with elevated PLR had high risk of decreased OS (pHR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.51–2.61) and unfavorable PFS (pHR = 2.02, 95% CI 1.45–2.80).

Conclusions

Elevated NLR and PLR during pretreatment are biomarkers of poor prognosis in patients with EC.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s00404-019-05372-w) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Tumor-associated macrophages predict prognosis in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and correlation with peripheral absolute monocyte count

Background

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is characterized by its clinical and biological heterogeneity. The clinical prognostic implications of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in DLBCL remain controversial and the correlation between TAMs and peripheral absolute monocyte count (AMC) has not yet been elucidated.

Methods

In 221 untreated, newly diagnosed patients with DLBCL, we evaluated the prognostic value of TAMs using immunohistochemical analysis, as well as the association of TAMs and AMC.

Results

We found that high CD68 or high CD163 expression was correlated with clinicopathological characteristics, high CD163 expression was an adverse predictor for both overall survival (OS) [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.265, P = 0.005] and progression- free survival (PFS) (HR = 1.925, P = 0.017) in patients with DLBCL. Patients with high CD68 or high CD163 expression had significantly poorer OS and PFS than those with low CD68 or low CD163 expression, respectively (CD68: OS: P<0.001, PFS: P<0.001; CD163: OS: P<0.001, PFS: P<0.001), even in the rituximab era. Moreover, high-risk patients could be further identified by the expression of CD68 or CD163, especially in those classified as low/intermediate risk by International Prognostic Index (IPI). Furthermore, the significant positive correlation was also detected between CD68 expression or CD163 expression and AMC (r = 0.256, P<0.001; r = 0.303, P<0.001).

Conclusions

Patients with high expression of TAMs tend to have poorer OS and PFS, even in the rituximab era, and have positive correlation with AMC. Therefore, the peripheral AMC is a useful prognostic marker reflecting the status of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in DLBCL.

Systemic inflammation score is a prognostic marker after curative resection in gastric cancer

Background

The systemic inflammation score (SIS), as calculated from preoperative serum albumin level and lymphocyte‐to‐monocyte ratio, has been demonstrated to be a prognostic marker in cancer. The present study intended to investigate the prognostic role of SIS in gastric cancer patients after curative gastrectomy in comparison with other prognostic markers.

Methods

Preoperative SIS was retrospectively calculated in patients who underwent curative gastrectomy between 2007 and 2011 in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. The prognostic accuracy of each score was compared utilizing time‐dependent receiver operating characteristics analysis.

Results

The higher SIS score was associated with older age, larger tumour size, a more advanced tumour‐nodes‐metastasis stage and lymph node status, deeper tumour invasion, the presence of lymphovascular invasion and a poorer overall survival and disease‐free survival. In time‐dependent receiver operating characteristics analysis, the SIS had a higher area under the curve for the prediction of 5‐year overall survival than the neutrophil lymphocyte ratio. The SIS maintained the predictive accuracy superiority throughout the observation period.

Conclusion

The SIS is a useful prognostic marker in gastric cancer patients after curative gastrectomy.

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of oncologic outcomes in stage IVB, persistent, or recurrent cervical cancer patients treated by chemotherapy

Background

Cervical cancer patients with stage IVB, persistent, or recurrent disease after complete primary treatment are usually treated with systemic chemotherapy. Circulating blood components have been a target of study relative to their ability to predict cancer outcomes; however, no previous study has focused on patients with advanced, persistent, or recurrent cervical carcinoma who were treated by chemotherapy, which adversely affects hematopoietic and immune activity. The predictive value of complete blood cell differential counts in patients with stage IVB, persistent, or recurrent cervical cancer treated by chemotherapy, may be able to triage these patients.

Methods

This retrospective chart review was conducted in cervical cancer patients with stage IVB disease, persistent disease, or recurrent disease who were treated by chemotherapy during January 2006 to January 2017 were reviewed. Follow-up data were collected through July 2017.

Results

A total of 355 cervical carcinoma patients were included. Of those, 63 patients received chemotherapy as primary treatment, and 292 patients received chemotherapy for persistent or recurrent disease. Mean age was 52.5 ± 10.3 years, median age was 51.9 years (IQR: 45.0–59.7), and mean BMI was 23.3 ± 4.9 kg/m². Overall response rate was 37.5%, with a median progression free survival (PFS) of 5.7 months, and with a median overall survival (OS) of 38.1 months. Multivariate analysis revealed elevated platelet count (> 400,000/mm³), squamous cell carcinoma subtype, and distant metastasis to be associated with poorer PFS. Elevated neutrophil count (> 7000/mm³), elevated platelet count (> 400,000/mm³), squamous cell carcinoma subtype, and distant metastasis were found to be associated with poorer OS. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio ≥ 3.6 was the most valuable predictor of poor oncologic outcome relative to overall response rate (odds ratio = 1.642, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.048–2.572, P = 0.030), PFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.676, 95% CI: 1.334–2.107, P < 0.001), and OS (HR = 2.544, 95% CI: 1.672–3.870, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio ≥ 3.6 was identified as an independent predictor of poor oncologic outcome relative to overall response rate, PFS and OS.

Recruitment of CCR2+ tumor associated macrophage to sites of liver metastasis confers a poor prognosis in human colorectal cancer

The tumor microenvironment (TME) represents a significant barrier to creating effective therapies for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). In several malignancies, bone marrow derived CCR2+ inflammatory monocytes (IM) are recruited to the TME by neoplastic cells, where they become immunosuppressive tumor associated macrophages (TAM). Here we report that mCRC expression of the chemokine CCL2 facilitates recruitment of CCR2+ IM from the bone marrow to the peripheral blood. Immune monitoring of circulating monocytes in patients with mCRC found this influx was a prognostic biomarker and correlated with worse clinical outcomes. At the metastatic site, mCRC liver tumors were heavily infiltrated by TAM, which displayed a robust ability to dampen endogenous anti-tumor lymphocyte activity. Using a murine model of mCRC that recapitulates these findings from human disease, we show that targeting CCR2 reduces TAM accumulation in liver metastasis and restores anti-tumor immunity. Additional quantitative analysis of hepatic metastatic tumor burden and treatment efficacy found that administration of a small molecule CCR2 inhibitor (CCR2i) improves chemotherapeutic responses and increases overall survival in mice with mCRC liver tumors. Our study suggests that targeting the CCL2/CCR2 chemokine axis decreases TAM at the metastatic site, disrupting the immunosuppressive TME and rendering mCRC susceptible to anti-tumor T-cell responses.

Independent predictors of survival in endometrium cancer: platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet/neutrophil/monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio

Objective:

To evaluate the association between ratios of inflammatory markers and survival in endometrium cancer (EC).

Material and Methods:

Four hundred ninety-seven patients with epithelial EC were included. The evaluated ratios were neutrophil (N)/lymphocyte (L), neutrophil count divided by the lymphocyte count; platelet (P)/lymphocyte, platelets divided by the lymphocyte count; lymphocyte/monocyte (M), lymphocytes divided by the monocyte count; NM/L, neutrophil plus monocyte divided by the lymphocyte count; PNM/L, the sum total counts of platelets, neutrophils and monocytes divided by the lymphocyte count.

Results:

The median follow-up time was 24 months (1-129). Recurrence and exitus occurred in 34 (7%) and 18 (3.7%) patients, respectively. Metastasis in pelvic or para-aortic lymph nodes were significantly related only with low L/M. None of the inflammatory ratios were associated with disease-free survival. In multi-variant analysis, only high P/L (>168) and high PNM/L (>171) were related with a statistically significant hazard ratio for death of 2.91 (p=0.024) and 2.93 (p=0.023), respectively.

Conclusion:

The P/L and PNM/L were in relation with worse overall survival and also independent prognostic factors for OS.

The predictive value and the correlation of peripheral absolute monocyte count, tumor-associated macrophage and microvessel density in patients with colon cancer

The tumor microenvironment plays a pivotal role in cancer progression. The purpose of the present study was designed to evaluate the predictive value of peripheral absolute monocyte count, tumor-associated macrophage, microvessel density, and to clarify the correlation between them in patients with colon cancer.A series of 216 patients with colon cancer were enrolled in this study. The peripheral absolute monocyte count was obtained from preoperative routine blood test. Tumor-associated macrophage and microvessel density were assessed on tissue microarray by immunohistochemistry.The one, three, five-year overall survival rate for the low absolute monocyte count group was 98.4%, 91.1%, 87.1%, respectively; and for the high absolute monocyte count group was 94.6%, 83.7%, 77.2%, respectively (P = .046). The one, three, five-year progression-free survival rate for the low absolute monocyte count group was 94.4%, 87.1%, 85.5%, respectively; and for the high absolute monocyte count group was 90.2%, 75.0%, 73.9%, respectively (P = .024). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that there was a strong association between peripheral monocyte count and clinical outcome. The correlation between peripheral absolute monocyte count, tumor-associated macrophage, and microvessel density were not observed.The peripheral absolute monocyte count was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival and progression-free survival in colon cancer. The high absolute monocyte count was significantly associated with poor outcome.

Preoperative Monocyte Count as a Mirror of Tumor Characteristics and Likelihood of Recurrence in Endometrial Carcinoma Cases

Background: Recently preoperative hematologic parameters have attracted attention for their capacity to predict tumor characteristics and recurrence. Considering the established role of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) in the tumor microenvironment, we evaluated the role of the preoperative monocyte count as a surrogate for TAM. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 166 patients with histopathologically proven endometrial cancers from January 2011 to March 2015 and assessed any association of preoperative monocyte count with tumor characteristics and recurrence. Results: The majority of patients had tumors with the following characteristics: endometrioid histology (83.1%), low grade (grade I-II, 71.7%) and stage I disease (68.1%). The mean ± SD monocyte, neutrophil and platelet counts were 8.23 x 109/L ± 3.56 x 109/L, 64.0 x 109/L ± 11.3 x 109/L and 261.6 x 109/L ± 74.6 x 109. Statistically significant associations were noted with between preoperative monocyte count and tumor stage (p value=0.044), recurrence (p value<0.001) and omentum involvement (p value< 0.001) but not with tumor grade (p value=0.897), depth of myometrium involvement (p value=0.479), lymphovascular space invasion (p value=0.269) and lymph node involvement (p value=0.377). Conclusion: An elevated preoperative monocyte count is related to more aggressive tumors and a higher recurrence rate in patients with endometrial cancer.

Contributing factors for menopausal symptoms after surgical staging for endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to examine contributing factors associated with developing menopausal symptoms after surgical staging in women with endometrial cancer.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study examining patients with endometrial cancer who were premenopausal at the time of hysterectomy-based surgical staging including bilateral oophorectomy between January 2000 and October 2013. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate demographics, medical comorbidity, liver function tests, tumor factors, and medication history for menopausal symptoms.

RESULTS

There were 269 premenopausal women who were eligible. Mean age was 44.5 years, and the majority had endometrioid histology (91.1%), grade 1 tumor (60.2%), and stage I disease (65.8%). Postoperatively, 73 (27.1%) women developed menopausal symptoms, with hot flushes (20.1%) being the most common symptom followed by night sweats (4.1%). On multivariate analysis, younger age was independently associated with increased risk of developing menopausal symptoms (hazard ratio per unit 0.91, 95% CI 0.88-0.94, P < 0.01). In addition, lower albumin level remained an independent predictor for decreased risk of developing menopausal symptoms (hazard ratio per unit 2.16, 95% CI 1.19-3.93, P = 0.012). Lower albumin level was associated with medical comorbidity (hypertension and diabetes mellitus), use of antihypertensive/glycemic agents (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or receptor blocker, hydrochlorothiazide, sulfonylurea, and insulin), aggressive tumor (high cancer antigen 125 level, nonendometrioid histology, and advanced stage), and abnormal liver function (high alkaline phosphatase level and low total protein level; all, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Assessing albumin level, medical comorbidity, and medication type for the development of postoperative menopausal symptoms is a valuable step in the preoperative management of women with endometrial cancer.

Significance of Monocyte Counts at Recurrence on Survival Outcome of Women With Endometrial Cancer

OBJECTIVE

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are known to have adverse effects on the survival of women with endometrial cancer. Because monocytes function as progenitors of macrophages, this study examined the association between monocyte count at the first recurrence/progression of endometrial cancer and survival time after recurrence/progression (SAR).

METHODS

This is a retrospective study evaluating 141 consecutive cases of recurrent endometrial cancer after surgical staging (n = 114) and progression after nonsurgical management (n = 27). Complete blood cell counts with cell differentiation at the time of the first recurrence/progression were correlated to SAR.

RESULTS

Median time of SAR was 7.8 months, and there were 97 (68.8%) patients who died from endometrial cancer with 1-, 2-, and 5-year SAR rates being 51.0%, 32.9%, and 14.2%, respectively. Median monocyte counts at recurrence/progression were 0.5 × 10/L. The strongest correlation to monocyte counts was seen in neutrophil counts (r = 0.57, P < 0.01) followed by platelet counts (r = 0.43, P < 0.01). An elevated monocyte count at recurrence/progression was significantly associated with decreased SAR (hazard ratio per unit, 3.97; 95% confidence interval, 2.00-7.90; P < 0.01). On multivariate analysis controlling for patient demographics, complete blood cell counts, tumor factors, and treatment types for recurrent/progressed disease, higher monocyte counts at recurrence/progression remained an independent predictor for decreased SAR (hazard ratio per unit, 3.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.52-6.67; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that the increased monocyte counts at recurrence/progression may be a useful biomarker for predicting decreased survival outcome of women with endometrial cancer.

Monitoring of the Immune Dysfunction in Cancer Patients

Immunotherapy shows promising clinical results in patients with different types of cancer, but its full potential is not reached due to immune dysfunction as a result of several suppressive mechanisms that play a role in cancer development and progression. Monitoring of immune dysfunction is a prerequisite for the development of strategies aiming to alleviate cancer-induced immune suppression. At this point, the level at which immune dysfunction occurs has to be established, the underlying mechanism(s) need to be known, as well as the techniques to assess this. While it is relatively easy to measure general signs of immune suppression, it turns out that accurate monitoring of the frequency and function of immune-suppressive cells is still difficult. A lack of truly specific markers, the phenotypic complexity among suppressive cells of the same lineage, but potentially with different functions and functional assays that may not cover every mechanistic aspect of immune suppression are among the reasons complicating proper assessments. Technical innovations in flow and mass cytometry will allow for more complete sets of markers to precisely determine phenotype and associated function. There is, however, a clear need for functional assays that recapitulate more of the mechanisms employed to suppress the immune system.

Relationship of blood monocytes with chronic lymphocytic leukemia aggressiveness and outcomes: a multi-institutional study

Monocyte-derived cells, constituents of the cancer microenvironment, support chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cell survival in vitro via direct cell-cell interaction and secreted factors. We hypothesized that circulating absolute monocyte count (AMC) reflects the monocyte-derived cells in the microenvironment, and that higher AMC is associated with increased CLL cell survival in vivo and thus inferior CLL patient outcomes. We assessed the extent to which AMC at diagnosis of CLL is correlated with clinical outcomes, and whether this information adds to currently used prognostic markers. We evaluated AMC, clinically used prognostic markers, and time to event data from 1,168 CLL patients followed at the Mayo Clinic, the Duke University Medical Center, and the Durham VA Medical Center. Elevated AMC was significantly associated with inferior clinical outcomes, including time to first therapy (TTT) and overall survival (OS). AMC combined with established clinical and molecular prognostic markers significantly improved risk-stratification of CLL patients for TTT. As an elevated AMC at diagnosis is associated with accelerated disease progression, and monocyte-derived cells in the CLL microenvironment promote CLL cell survival and proliferation, these findings suggest that monocytes and monocyte-derived cells are rational therapeutic targets in CLL. Am. J. Hematol. 91:687-691, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

High Absolute Monocyte Count Predicts Poor Clinical Outcome in Patients with Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Treated with Docetaxel Chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

The association of peripheral monocyte count and prostate cancer progression is not well characterized.

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to investigate the prognostic value of absolute monocyte count (AMC), which is thought to modulate immune response in the tumor microenvironment, in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients treated with docetaxel chemotherapy.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 214 CRPC patients who received docetaxel therapy and were used as the training and validation set. Docetaxel at a dose of 75 mg/m² was administered every 3 or 4 weeks. Clinicopathological factors and laboratory data were collected to assess the prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

In the training set, the median age was 73.0 years, and the median prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value was 31.7 ng/ml at initial treatment. The median OS and PFS were 23.0 months (range 1.20-84.0) and 11.2 months (range 3.6-78.0), respectively. According to multivariable Cox regression analysis, AMC ≥400/uL, PSA level ≥20 ng/ml, and Hb <10 mg/dL were associated with increased risk of PSA progression [hazard ratio (HR) 2.06, p = 0.005; HR 2.39, p = 0.002; and HR 2.38, p = 0.024, respectively]. Moreover, multivariate analysis for OS indicated that AMC ≥400/uL, pretreatment PSA level ≥20 ng/ml, presence of visceral metastasis, and alkaline phosphatase ≥284 U/L were independent prognostic factors for shortened OS (HR 2.07, p = 0.004; HR 2.18, p = 0.007; HR 2.11, p = 0.011; and HR 1.67, p = 0.048, respectively). According to the validation set, high AMC remained an independent prognostic factor for PFS and OS (HR 2.26, p = 0.001; and HR 3.10, p < 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated monocyte counts were associated with aggressive tumor features and poor survival outcomes of patients with CRPC treated with docetaxel chemotherapy.

Weight Change Pattern and Survival Outcome of Women with Endometrial Cancer

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine the association between weight change patterns and survival outcomes of women with endometrial cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective study examined surgically-staged endometrial cancer cases with available weight information between 1999 and 2013 (n = 665). Proportional body mass index (delta-BMI) change at 6 months, 1 and 2 years after hysterectomy was compared with baseline BMI and correlated to patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment type, and disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Mean BMI was 35.6, and 69 % of cases were obese. At 6 months, 1 and 2 years after surgery, 39.1, 51.6, and 57.0 % of the study population, respectively, gained weight compared with pre-treatment baseline. In univariate analysis, 6-month delta-BMI change was significantly associated with DFS and OS, demonstrating bidirectional effects (both p < 0.001): 5-year rates, ≥15.0 % delta-BMI loss (33.5 and 59.1 %), 7.5-14.9 % loss (67.3 and 70.0 %), <7.5 % loss (87.8 and 95.7 %), <7.5 % gain (87.2 and 90.3 %), 7.5-14.9 % gain (64.6 and 67.6 %), and ≥15.0 % gain (32.5 and 66.7 %). In multivariable analysis controlling for age, ethnicity, baseline BMI, histology, grade, stage, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, 6-month delta-BMI change remained an independent prognostic factor for DFS and OS (all p < 0.05): adjusted hazard ratios, ≥15 % delta-BMI loss (3.35 and 5.39), 7.5-14.9 % loss (2.35 and 4.19), 7.5-14.9 % gain (2.58 and 3.33), and ≥15.0 % gain (2.50 and 3.45) compared with <7.5 % loss. Similar findings were observed at a 1-year time point (p < 0.05). Baseline BMI was not associated with survival outcome (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrated that endometrial cancer patients continued to gain weight after hysterectomy, and post-treatment weight change had bidirectional effects on survival outcome.

The Lymphocyte-Monocyte Ratio Predicts Patient Survival and Aggressiveness of Endometrial Cancer

OBJECTIVE

We assessed the prognostic implications of preoperative lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) in patients with endometrial cancer (EC).

METHODS

We retrospectively examined the LMR as a prognostic variable in a cohort of 255 patients with EC who underwent surgical resection. Patients were categorized into two groups according to the LMR (LMR-low and LMR-high) using cutoff points determined by receiving operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The primary objective was to correlate the LMR to clinicopathological factors; the secondary objective was to determine the survival significance of the LMR in patients with EC.

RESULTS

Using data from the entire cohort, the most discriminative LMR cutoff value selected on the ROC curve was 3.28 for both disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The LMR-low and LMR-high groups included 33 (12.9%) and 222 patients (87.1%), respectively. The 5-year DFS rates in the LMR-low and LMR-high groups were 64.5 and 93.9% (P < 0.0001), respectively, and the 5-year OS rates in the two groups were 76.7 and 96.5% (P < 0.0001), respectively. On multivariate analysis, we identified histologic grade, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, and LMR levels as the strongest prognostic factors affecting DFS (P = 0.0037, P < 0.0001, and P < 0.0001, respectively), and FIGO stage and the LMR as the strongest prognostic factors predicting OS (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The LMR is an independent prognostic factor for both DFS and OS after surgical resection, and it provides additional prognostic value beyond standard clinicopathological parameters.

Tumor Characteristics and Survival Outcome of Endometrial Cancer Arising in Adenomyosis: An Exploratory Analysis

BACKGROUND

Endometrial cancer arising in adenomyosis (EC-AIA) is a rare entity of endometrial cancer, and its clinical significance has not been well studied. This study aimed to examine the tumor characteristics and survival outcomes of EC-AIA.

METHODS

An exploratory analysis was performed to compare EC-AIA and historical control cases. For this study, EC-AIA cases were identified via a systematic literature search using PubMed/MEDLINE with entry keywords "endometrial cancer OR uterine cancer" AND "adenomyosis" (n = 46). The control group comprised consecutive non-EC-AIA cases from four institutions that had hysterectomy-based surgical staging (n = 1294). Patient demographics, pathology results, and survival outcomes were evaluated between the two groups.

RESULTS

The EC-AIA group was significantly older than the control group (58.9 vs. 55.3 years; P = 0.032). In terms of tumor characteristics, 56.5% of the EC-AIA cases showed tumor within the myometrium without endometrial extension, and the EC-AIA group was significantly more likely to have tumors with more than 50% myometrial invasion (51.6 vs. 26.6%; P = 0.002) and serous/clear cell histology (22.2 vs. 8.2%, P = 0.002) while less likely to express estrogen receptor (14.3 vs. 84.6%; P < 0.001). Grade and stage distributions were similar (P > 0.05). In the univariate analysis, the EC-AIA group had a significantly poorer disease-free survival than the control group (5-year rate: 71.4 vs. 80.6%; P = 0.014). In the multivariate analysis, with control for age, ethnicity, histology, grade, and stage, EA-CIC remained an independent prognostic factor for decreased disease-free survival (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.07; 95% confidence interval 1.55-6.08; P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The study suggested that endometrial cancer arising in adenomyosis may be an aggressive variant of endometrial cancer.

Impact of depth and extent of lymphovascular space invasion on lymph node metastasis and recurrence patterns in endometrial cancer

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

To determine the significance of depth and extent of lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) on lymph node metastasis and recurrence in endometrial cancer.

METHODS

A case-control study was conducted to examine LVSI-positive (n = 70) and LVSI-negative (n = 641) stage I-III endometrial cancer cases that underwent hysterectomy-based surgical staging. The risk of lymph node metastasis and distant recurrence was estimated based on LVSI patterns.

RESULTS

In multivariate analysis, deep (>50% invasion), and extensive (≥7 foci/slide) LVSI patterns had a significantly increased risk of lymph node metastasis (incidence 57.6% and 72.7%, odds ratio 33.8 and 49.9, respectively, P < 0.001) as compared to other traditional uterine factors (>50% myometrial tumor invasion, cervical stromal invasion, and adnexal involvement: incidence range 30.4-37.9%, odds ratio range 3.80-7.03). Deep and extensive of LVSI patterns were both significantly correlated to distant recurrence (P < 0.001). Among women who received postoperative chemotherapy, deep and extensive LVSI patterns did not have increased risks for distant recurrence compared to no LVSI (P = 0.47 and 0.32, respectively). Among women who received postoperative radiotherapy, the depth of LVSI was significantly associated with recurrence outside the radiated field (P = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Depth and extent of LVSI are important predictors for lymph node metastasis and distant recurrence in endometrial cancer.

Timing of Intrauterine Manipulator Insertion During Minimally Invasive Surgical Staging and Results of Pelvic Cytology in Endometrial Cancer

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Considering the hypothetical concern of retrograde tumor spread to the peritoneal cavity by insertion of an intrauterine manipulator, we examined the correlation between the timing of manipulator insertion and the results of pelvic cytology during total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) in endometrial cancer.

DESIGN

Case-control study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

SETTING

University-based hospitals.

PATIENTS

Stage I to IV endometrial cancer patients who underwent TLH in which an intrauterine manipulator was used. Medical records were reviewed for patient demographics, surgical details, and tumor characteristics.

INTERVENTIONS

Archived medical record review.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

A total of 333 patients was identified. Cases were divided into those with intrauterine manipulator insertion after pelvic cytology sampling (Group 1, n = 103) and those with intrauterine manipulator insertion before pelvic cytology sampling (Group 2, n = 230). Types of intrauterine manipulator were similar across the 2 groups (p = .77). There was no statistical difference in the results of pelvic cytology between the 2 groups: Group 1 versus 2, atypical cells 2.9% versus 4.8% and malignant cells 5.8% versus 9.6% (p = .36). Uterine perforation related to intrauterine manipulator insertion was seen in 1.0% and .4% of each group (p = .52). In a multivariate analysis controlling for demographics and tumor characteristics, advanced-stage disease remained an independent risk factor associated with increased risk of atypical and malignant cells (adjusted odds ratio, 10.3; 95% confidence interval, 4.44-23.8; p < .001).

CONCLUSION

Our study suggested that the timing of intrauterine manipulator insertion during TLH for endometrial cancer is not associated with the results of pelvic cytology.