Germline genetic variability might contribute, at least partially, to the survival of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients. Two recently performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on PDAC overall survival (OS) suggested (P < 10(-5)) the association between 30 genomic regions and PDAC OS. With the aim to highlight the true associations within these regions, we analyzed 44 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 30 candidate regions in 1722 PDAC patients within the PANcreatic Disease ReseArch (PANDoRA) consortium. We observed statistically significant associations for five of the selected regions. One association in the CTNNA2 gene on chromosome 2p12 [rs1567532, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19-2.58, P = 0.005 for homozygotes for the minor allele] and one in the last intron of the RUNX2 gene on chromosome 6p21 (rs12209785, HR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.80-0.98, P = 0.014 for heterozygotes) are of particular relevance. These loci do not coincide with those that showed the strongest associations in the previous GWAS. In silico analysis strongly suggested a possible mechanistic link between these two SNPs and pancreatic cancer survival. Functional studies are warranted to confirm the link between these genes (or other genes mapping in those regions) and PDAC prognosis in order to understand whether these variants may have the potential to impact treatment decisions and design of clinical trials.

The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of a combination of intravenous (iv) busulfan (Bu) and continuous infusion Idarubicin (IDA) as a conditioning regimen to autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). The protocol included IDA at 20 mg/sqm daily as 3 days continuous infusion (from day -13 to -11) and intravenous BU at 3.2 mg/kg daily from day -5 to -2. Patients aged over 60 years received a reduced schedule (2 days IDA and 3 days BU at the same dose). Twenty-five patients with a median age of 51 years (28-72) were enrolled. All patients received peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC). The median interval between diagnosis and ASCT was 4 months. The median number of CD34+ cells infused was 5.9 x 10E6/kg. The median number of days to PMN >500/cmm and platelets >20000/cmm was 10 and 13, respectively. In order to perform a comparison in terms of haematological and non haematological toxicity, a group of 30 patients, who were previously autografted after conditioning with IDA and oral Bu was considered. Selection of factors for a matched pair analysis included median age, percentage of subjects aged over 60 years, median CD34+ cell received, cytogenetic and molecular findings and per cent of secondary AML. As compared to previous series, the occurrence of severe mucositis was dramatically reduced (80% vs. 12%, p < 0.0001). In addition, need and duration of total parenteral nutrition (TPN), iv antibiotic therapy and hospitalization were also significantly reduced. We conclude that replacement of oral with intravenous BU results in a more favourable toxicity profile. A longer follow-up is required to assess a potential advantage in terms of disease free survival (DFS).

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Different studies have suggested the potential utility of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) of the elderly with encouraging results in selected patients. However, while the introduction of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) has consistently reduced morbidity and mortality of the procedure, relapse still represents the major cause of ASCT failure. One possibility to ameliorate therapeutic results could rely on the adoption of conditioning regimens specifically designed for AML. We report therapeutic results from a series of 40 AML patients older than 60 years (median age 67 years) autografted in first complete remission (CR), after conditioning with continuous infusion (c.i.) high dose idarubicin and busulphan. Fourty patients (median age: 67 years) received 2 days c.i. idarubicin at 20 mg/m 2 /day, followed by 3 days oral or intravenous busulphan (4 mg/kg/day) as conditioning. No case of transplant-related mortality occurred. Cardiac toxicity was absent, while 31 patients (77%) had grade 3-4 mucositis. After a median follow-up of 25 months, median disease free and overall survival (OS) for the whole patient population were 13 and 22 months, respectively. Three patients died while in CR from causes unrelated to AML. Better results were achieved in patients with intermediate karyotype as opposed to those with adverse cytogenetics. Our data confirm the feasibility of a conditioning regimen based on high-dose idarubicin plus busulphan in older selected AML patients and suggest clinical improvement in patients with normal cytogenetics.

Expression of the solute carrier (SLC) transporter SLC22A3 gene is associated with overall survival of pancreatic cancer patients. This study tested whether genetic variability in SLC22A3 associates with pancreatic cancer risk and prognosis. Twenty four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tagging the SLC22A3 gene sequence and regulatory elements were selected for analysis. Of these, 22 were successfully evaluated in the discovery phase while six significant or suggestive variants entered the validation phase, comprising a total study number of 1,518 cases and 3,908 controls. In the discovery phase, rs2504938, rs9364554, and rs2457571 SNPs were significantly associated with pancreatic cancer risk. Moreover, rs7758229 associated with the presence of distant metastases, while rs512077 and rs2504956 correlated with overall survival of patients. Although replicated, the association for rs9364554 did not pass multiple testing corrections in the validation phase. Contrary to the discovery stage, rs2504938 associated with survival in the validation cohort, which was more pronounced in stage IV patients. In conclusion, common variation in the SLC22A3 gene is unlikely to significantly contribute to pancreatic cancer risk. The rs2504938 SNP in SLC22A3 significantly associates with an unfavorable prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients. Further investigation of this SNP effect on the molecular and clinical phenotype is warranted.