Jacobo Muñoz del Toro

Outcomes of elderly patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiation and adjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer in a retrospective cohort.

e15145Background: Data of outcomes of elderly patients ( ≥ 70) with stage II and III rectal cancer treated with multimodal treatment (neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, surgery and adjuvant chemotherap...

Rectal adenocarcinoma: Surveillance and timing of surgical resection after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in a retrospective cohort.

737 Background: There is some evidence relating delay of surgery (DS) by more than 8 weeks after the end of chemoradiotherapy and achievement of complete pathological response (ypCR). However, the relationship with overall survival (OS) seems to be negative. Methods: Records of 171 patients diagnosed from January 2003 to December 2011 with rectal adenocarcinoma T3/T4 and/or positive node staged by ultrasound or MRI were collected retrospectively from the Pathology Department database. Results: Of the 171 patients, 62% were male, median age at diagnosis 69.3 years (31.3 years -85.3 years). All of them received 50.4 Gy with different concomitant regimens (capecitabine, continuous infusion of fluoracil or bolus of fluoracil-leucovorin). 72.5% of the cohort received adjuvant chemotherapy. 13% of patients achieved ypCR, independently of DS (13.7% in DS vs 11.8%, p 0.722). OS was significantly worse among DS patients (67.9 months vs 54.8 months, p 0.016). In addition, more sphincter preservations (SP) were not ...

Cancer Stem Cells in Melanoma

The Cancer Stem Cells (CSC) are a subpopulation of tumoral cells characterized by the ability to self-renew and to establish tumours upon transplantation, to remain quiescent for long time and to have an innate resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These features suggest that they are responsible for relapse and metastasis. In melanoma, subsets of tumoral cells with these characteristics have been identified using CSC markers such as ALDH1, CD133, ABCB5. Wnt, Notch and Hegdohog are signaling pathways involved in the biology of CSC, which are highly conserved through evolution. Although the available evidence is limited, it seems to be equally important for melanoma stem cells. Many studies have associated high levels of CSC biomarkers expression with adverse prognosis of melanoma. Knowledge of the CSC biomarkers and its signaling pathways has opened research pathway for the development of new therapies targeted to CSC. The anti-CD20 antibody, Rituximab, and immunotherapy with dendritic cells immunized against antigens of the CSC, have documented the first positive results of efficacy in melanoma. The current evidence on their CSC biomarkers, major molecular pathways involved in its biology, prognostic value and potential utility as a therapeutic target will be reviewed in this chapter.