@article{LichthardtKerscherDietzetal.2016, author = {Lichthardt, Sven and Kerscher, Alexander and Dietz, Ulrich A. and Jurowich, Christian and Kunzmann, Volker and von Rahden, Burkhard H. A. and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Wiegering, Armin}, title = {Original article: role of adjuvant chemotherapy in a perioperative chemotherapy regimen for gastric cancer}, series = {BMC Cancer}, volume = {16}, journal = {BMC Cancer}, number = {650}, doi = {10.1186/s12885-016-2708-0}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-147743}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background Multimodal treatment strategies - perioperative chemotherapy (CTx) and radical surgery - are currently accepted as treatment standard for locally advanced gastric cancer. However, the role of adjuvant postoperative CTx (postCTx) in addition to neoadjuvant preoperative CTx (preCTx) in this setting remains controversial. Methods Between 4/2006 and 12/2013, 116 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer were treated with preCTx. 72 patients (62 \%), in whom complete tumor resection (R0, subtotal/total gastrectomy with D2-lymphadenectomy) was achieved, were divided into two groups, one of which receiving adjuvant therapy (n = 52) and one without (n = 20). These groups were analyzed with regard to survival and exclusion criteria for adjuvant therapy. Results Postoperative complications, as well as their severity grade, did not correlate with fewer postCTx cycles administered (p = n.s.). Long-term survival was shorter in patients receiving postCTx in comparison to patients without postCTx, but did not show statistical significance. In per protocol analysis by excluding two patients with perioperative death, a shorter 3-year survival rate was observed in patients receiving postCTx compared to patients without postCTx (3-year survival: 71.2 \% postCTx group vs. 90.0 \% non-postCTx group; p = 0.038). Conclusion These results appear contradicting to the anticipated outcome. While speculative, they question the value of post-CTx. Prospectively randomized studies are needed to elucidate the role of postCTx.}, language = {en} } @article{HefnerBerberichLanversetal.2018, author = {Hefner, Jochen and Berberich, Sara and Lanvers, Elena and Sanning, Maria and Steimer, Ann-Kathrin and Kunzmann, Volker}, title = {Patient-doctor relationship and adherence to capecitabine in outpatients of a German comprehensive cancer center}, series = {Patient Preference and Adherence}, volume = {12}, journal = {Patient Preference and Adherence}, doi = {10.2147/PPA.S169354}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-177143}, pages = {1875—1887}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Purpose: The prescribing of oral chemotherapy agents has introduced the new challenge of ensuring patients' adherence to therapy. Aspects of a close patient-doctor relationship are reported to be correlated with adherence to oral anticancer drugs, but data on capecitabine are scarce. Patients and methods: Sixty-four outpatients with a diagnosis of cancer and prescribed capecitabine were recruited from a German Comprehensive Cancer Center. We used the Patient-Doctor Relationship Questionnaire (PDRQ-9), the Medical Adherence Rating Scale (MARS), the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), and the Satisfaction with Information about Medicines Scale (SIMS) to assess patients' perceptions and behavior. Medical data were extracted from the charts. Results: Non-adherence was reported by 20\% of the 64 participants. The perceived quality of the patient-doctor relationship was high in general, but it did not emerge as a predictor of adherence in our survey (odds ratio [OR]=0.915, P=0.162, 95\% CI=0.808-1.036). However, beliefs about medicine (OR=1.268, P<0.002; 95\% CI=1.090-1.475) as well as satisfaction with information about medicine (OR=1.252, P<0.040, 95\% CI=1.010-1.551) were predictors of adherence and the quality of the patient-doctor relationship was correlated with both variables (r=0.373, P=0.002 for SIMS sum score; r=0.263, P=0.036 for BMQ necessity/concern difference). Overall, adherence to capecitabine was high with a conviction that the therapy is necessary. However, concerns were expressed regarding the long-term effect of capecitabine use. Patients have unmet information needs regarding interactions of capecitabine with other medicines and the impairment of their intimate life. Conclusions: In order to ensure adherence to capecitabine, our results seem to encourage the default use of modern and perhaps more impersonal means of information brokerage (eg, email, internet). However, the contents of some of patients' informational needs as well as the associations of patients' beliefs and satisfaction about the information received suggest a benefit from a trustful patient-doctor relationship.}, language = {en} } @article{MetzenmacherVaraljaiHegeduesetal.2020, author = {Metzenmacher, Martin and V{\´a}raljai, Ren{\´a}ta and Heged{\"u}s, Balazs and Cima, Igor and Forster, Jan and Schramm, Alexander and Scheffler, Bj{\"o}rn and Horn, Peter A. and Klein, Christoph A. and Szarvas, Tibor and Reis, Hennig and Bielefeld, Nicola and Roesch, Alexander and Aigner, Clemens and Kunzmann, Volker and Wiesweg, Marcel and Siveke, Jens T. and Schuler, Martin and Lueong, Smiths S.}, title = {Plasma Next Generation Sequencing and Droplet Digital-qPCR-Based Quantification of Circulating Cell-Free RNA for Noninvasive Early Detection of Cancer}, series = {Cancers}, volume = {12}, journal = {Cancers}, number = {2}, issn = {2072-6694}, doi = {10.3390/cancers12020353}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-200553}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Early detection of cancer holds high promise for reducing cancer-related mortality. Detection of circulating tumor-specific nucleic acids holds promise, but sensitivity and specificity issues remain with current technology. We studied cell-free RNA (cfRNA) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC; n = 56 stage IV, n = 39 stages I-III), pancreatic cancer (PDAC, n = 20 stage III), malignant melanoma (MM, n = 12 stage III-IV), urothelial bladder cancer (UBC, n = 22 stage II and IV), and 65 healthy controls by means of next generation sequencing (NGS) and real-time droplet digital PCR (RT-ddPCR). We identified 192 overlapping upregulated transcripts in NSCLC and PDAC by NGS, more than 90\% of which were noncoding. Previously reported transcripts (e.g., HOTAIRM1) were identified. Plasma cfRNA transcript levels of POU6F2-AS2 discriminated NSCLC from healthy donors (AUC = 0.82 and 0.76 for stages IV and I-III, respectively) and significantly associated (p = 0.017) with the established tumor marker Cyfra 21-1. cfRNA yield and POU6F2-AS transcript abundance discriminated PDAC patients from healthy donors (AUC = 1.0). POU6F2-AS2 transcript was significantly higher in MM (p = 0.044). In summary, our findings support further validation of cfRNA detection by RT-ddPCR as a biomarker for early detection of solid cancers.}, language = {en} } @article{WilhelmSmetakSchaeferEckartetal.2014, author = {Wilhelm, Martin and Smetak, Manfred and Schaefer-Eckart, Kerstin and Kimmel, Brigitte and Birkmann, Josef and Einsele, Hermann and Kunzmann, Volker}, title = {Successful adoptive transfer and in vivo expansion of haploidentical γδ T cells}, series = {Journal of Translational Medicine}, volume = {12}, journal = {Journal of Translational Medicine}, number = {45}, doi = {10.1186/1479-5876-12-45}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-117290}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Background: The primary aim of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility and safety of an adoptive transfer and in vivo expansion of human haploidentical gamma delta T lymphocytes. Methods: Patients with advanced haematological malignancies who are not eligible for allogeneic transplantation received peripheral blood mononuclear cells from half-matched family donors. For that, a single unstimulated leukapheresis product was incubated with both the anti-CD4 and anti-CD8 antibodies conjugated to paramagnetic particles. The depletion procedure was performed on a fully automated CliniMACS (R) device according to the manufacturer's instructions. On average, patients received 2.17 x 10(6)/kg (range 0.9-3.48) γδ T cells with <1\% CD4-or CD8-positive cells remaining in the product. All patients received prior lymphopenia-inducing chemotherapy (fludarabine 20-25 mg/m(2) day -6 until day -2 and cyclophosphamide 30-60 mg/kg day -6 and -5) and were treated with 4 mg zoledronate on day 0 and 1.0x10(6) IU/m(2) IL-2 on day +1 until day +6 for the induction of gamma delta T cell proliferation in vivo. Results: This resulted in a marked in vivo expansion of donor γδ T cells and, to a lower extent, natural killer cells and double-negative αβ T cells (mean 68-fold, eight-fold, and eight-fold, respectively). Proliferation peaked by around day +8 and donor cells persisted up to 28 days. Although refractory to all prior therapies, three out of four patients achieved a complete remission, which lasted for 8 months in a patient with plasma cell leukaemia. One patient died from an infection 6 weeks after treatment. Conclusion: This pilot study shows that adoptive transfer and in vivo expansion of haploidentical γδ T lymphocytes is feasible and suggests a potential role of these cells in the treatment of haematological diseases.}, language = {en} } @article{WiegeringRiegelWagneretal.2017, author = {Wiegering, Armin and Riegel, Johannes and Wagner, Johanna and Kunzmann, Volker and Baur, Johannes and Walles, Thorsten and Dietz, Ulrich and Loeb, Stefan and Germer, Christoph-Thomas and Steger, Ulrich and Klein, Ingo}, title = {The impact of pulmonary metastasectomy in patients with previously resected colorectal cancer liver metastases}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {12}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0173933}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-158036}, pages = {e0173933}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Background 40-50\% of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) will develop liver metastases (CRLM) during the course of the disease. One third of these patients will additionally develop pulmonary metastases. Methods 137 consecutive patients with CRLM, were analyzed regarding survival data, clinical, histological data and treatment. Results were stratified according to the occurrence of pulmonary metastases and metastases resection. Results 39\% of all patients with liver resection due to CRLM developed additional lung metastases. 44\% of these patients underwent subsequent pulmonary resection. Patients undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy showed a significantly better five-year survival compared to patients not qualified for curative resection (5-year survival 71.2\% vs. 28.0\%; p = 0.001). Interestingly, the 5-year survival of these patients was even superior to all patients with CRLM, who did not develop pulmonary metastases (77.5\% vs. 63.5\%; p = 0.015). Patients, whose pulmonary metastases were not resected, were more likely to redevelop liver metastases (50.0\% vs 78.6\%; p = 0.034). However, the rate of distant metastases did not differ between both groups (54.5 vs.53.6; p = 0.945). Conclusion The occurrence of colorectal lung metastases after curative liver resection does not impact patient survival if pulmonary metastasectomy is feasible. Those patients clearly benefit from repeated resections of the liver and the lung metastases.}, language = {en} }