Muharrem Kocar

Role of increased mean platelet volume (MPV) and decreased MPV/platelet count ratio as poor prognostic factors in lung cancer

In this study, they investigated whether mean thrombocyte volume (MPV) and MPV/platelet count ratio have a prognostic significance in advanced NSCLC or not.

Pretreatment Serum Albumin Level is an Independent Prognostic Factor in Patients with Stage IIIB Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Study of the Turkish Descriptive Oncological Researches Group

BACKGROUND Several prognostic factors have been studied in NSCLC, although it is unknown which is most useful. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether pre-treatment serum albumin level has prognostic value in patients with Stage IIIB NSCLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS This cross-sectional study included a total of 204 patients with Stage IIIB NSCLC who met the inclusion criteria. Pre-treatment serum albumin levels and demographic, clinical, and histological characteristics, as well as laboratory variables were recorded. A cut-off value was defined for serum albumin level and the patients were stratified into four groups on thios basis. RESULTS The majority of the patients was males and smokers, with a history of weight loss, and squamous histological type of lung cancer. The mean serum albumin level was 3.2±1.7 g/dL (range, 2.11-4.36 g/dL). A cut-off value 3.11 g/dL was set and among the patients with a lower level, 68% had adenocarcinoma and 82% were smokers. The patients with low serum albumin levels had a lower response rate to e first-line chemotherapy with a shorter progression-free survival and overall survival. Multivariate analysis showed that low serum albumin level was an independent poor prognostic factor for NSCLC. CONCLUSIONS This study results suggest that low serum albumin level is an independent poor prognostic factor in patients with Stage IIIB NSCLC, associated with reduction in the response rate to first-line therapy and survival rates.

Clinical/pathologic characteristics of diabetic patients with early breast cancer (BC) and their survival outcome.

e11019 Background: Diabetes mellitus is thought to be associated with adverse outcomes in BC and it might adversely affect decisions regarding treatment. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the early BC patients (pts) who were treated at Marmara University Hospital between 1999 and 2007. We noted the patient, tumor, treatment-related characteristics and information on comorbidities from the medical charts. We investigated whether patient and tumor related parameters were different between diabetic and non-diabetic BC patients and whether diabetes has a negative impact on survival outcome. RESULTS We identified 33 diabetic early BC pts among 456 pts (7%) who had received their adjuvant therapy in our center. All diabetic BC pts were on oral antidiabetics. The median age of our study group was 51 (23-85) and median follow up was 48 months. Most diabetic BC pts were postmenopausal (p:0.004); diabetic pts were older (p:0.04) and have smaller tms compared to non-diabetic early BC pts (p:0.00). Diabetic pts have higher grade tumors (p:0.03) and multifocal tumors were more common in diabetic pts compared to non-diabetic BC patients (p:0.02). T size, stage, nodal involvement, LVI, ER/PR and Her-2 status and diabetes were found to have significant impact on DFS in the univariate analyses. Only stage of the disease retained its significant impact on DFS in the multivariate analysis. Stage, LVI and nodal status were found to have significant impact on OS in the univariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS Either more frequent hospital visits or improvements in diabetes care might be responsible from smaller tumors and less relapses in diabetic early BC pts.