Serum cancer antigen 125 (CA125) is widely used in ovarian cancer to monitor the effectiveness of therapy both in first line and recurrence. It is also widely used during follow-up, where it is able to identify a percentage of patients with asymptomatic recurrence. Although a recent Medical Research Council (UK)/European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer trial has demonstrated that early chemotherapy in asymptomatic patients based only on CA125 increase does not prolong survival, we still believe that CA125 monitoring should be prescribed to patients during follow-up. In fact, it can help to identify patients who should undergo radiology in order to select those that can benefit from surgery or from early treatment before the onset of symptoms, which are usually related to an excessive disease burden. The delay of disease symptoms, such as those associated with the appearance of ascites or bowel occlusion, is in our view an important goal of our treatment of recurrence. Moreover, research should be done in patients with asymptomatic CA125 increase in order to identify more effective therapies that will improve survival. Finally, the reliability of CA125 as a surrogate of response under treatment with biological agents should be validated in prospective trials.

CAP-OX-RT as preoperative treatment for rectal cancer induces a remarkable rate of complete or near-complete pathologically documented response and is well tolerated.

Chondrosarcomas (CHS) are malignant cartilaginous neoplasms with diverse morphological features, characterized by resistance to chemo- and radiation therapies. In this study, we investigated the role of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM)s in tumor tissues from CHS patients by immunohistochemistry. Three-dimensional organotypic co-cultures were set up in order to evaluate the contribution of primary human CHS cells in driving an M2-like phenotype in monocyte-derived primary macrophages, and the capability of macrophages to promote growth and/or invasiveness of CHS cells. Finally, with an in vivo model of primary CHS cells engrafted in nude mice, we tested the ability of a potent peptide inhibitor of cell migration (Ac-d-Tyr-d-Arg-Aib-d-Arg-NH2, denoted RI-3) to reduce recruitment and infiltration of monocytes into CHS neoplastic lesions. We found a significant correlation between alternatively activated M2 macrophages and intratumor microvessel density in both conventional and dedifferentiated CHS human tissues, suggesting a link between TAM abundance and vascularization in CHS. In 3D and non-contact cu-culture models, soluble factors produced by CHS induced a M2-like phenotype in macrophages that, in turn, increased motility, invasion and matrix spreading of CHS cells. Finally, we present evidence that RI-3 successfully prevent both recruitment and infiltration of monocytes into CHS tissues, in nude mice.

Purpose: Pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is a favorable prognosticator in rectal cancer patients. We investigated whether the biological features of the primary tumor affect pCR. Materials and Methods:Forty-six patients treated with capecitabine-oxaliplatin and pelvic conformal radiotherapy were considered. Forty-three patients underwent surgery, and the pathologic response was scored according to the tumor regression grade (TRG) scale. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor, poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase-1, X-ray cross-complimenting, thymidylate synthase (TS) and Ki67 expression were evaluated by immunohistochemistry on rectal biopsies obtained before chemoradiotherapy, and scored as the percentage of positive cells. Cutoffs were selected based on ROC analysis. The correlation between the biological factors and the TRG coded as TRG1 (pCR) versus TRG ≧2 (no pCR) was assessed by the χ² test and logistic regression analysis. Results: Low EGFR (p = 0.007), high TS (p = 0.002), and high Ki67 (p = 0.05) were strongly associated with pCR. Upon univariate analysis, TRG significantly affected disease-free survival (p = 0.03). Conclusions: pCR was significantly associated with high TS, high Ki67 and low EGFR expression. Patients with pCR have a significantly lower incidence of relapse.

Retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPS) are rare cancers whose management can be challenging due to various presentation patterns, multiple organ involvement, and a high local and distant recurrence rate. Histopathology and prognostic factors analysis are essential to predict the behaviour of the disease and plan the best therapeutic strategy. To date, surgery is still the main therapeutic option that guarantees a chance of cure from the primary disease. While chemotherapy and radiotherapy seem to be good options for controlling metastatic and recurrent irresectable disease, their role in the treatment of primary RPS remains unclear. This literature review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the multidisciplinary aspects of RPS management in high-volume centres, summarising the diagnostic path, the prognostic factors, and the most suitable therapeutic options.