Low grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC) is a slowly growing, relatively chemoresistant neoplasm that is associated with a more favorable prognosis, especially compared to the disease's high-grade serous counterpart. We recount a case involving a 47-year-old, heavily pretreated LGSOC patient who presented with an elevated CA-125 of 1047 U/mL during her recent course of pemetrexed therapy. Thereafter, she underwent molecular profiling, which revealed a BRAF V600E mutation; accordingly, the patient was administered dabrafenib and trametinib combination therapy, a regimen that resulted in a precipitous decline of her CA-125 to 35 U/mL following the 6th cycle. The patient's favorable response to BRAF and MEK 1/2 inhibitor therapy underscores the significance of molecular profile testing and the use of targeted therapy regardless of tissue origin, especially in cases for whom standard management is limited or ineffective.

Heavily pretreated ovarian cancer patients become progressively chemoresistant, and thereafter, only scant treatments potentially accord reasonable, albeit limited clinical efficacy. We describe a case involving a 67-year-old ovarian cancer patient who underwent multiple lines of chemotherapy and presented with recurrent disease and a CA-125 of 4112 U/mL. Thenceforth, she was treated with GL-ONC1 oncolytic viral therapy that was administered laparoscopically in accordance with a clinical trial. The patient subsequently received chemotherapy and during the fourth cycle, her CA-125 decreased to 99 U/mL; moreover, a computed tomography scan of the pelvis exhibited significant disease reduction. Viral therapy hypothetically confers significant promise in the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer, especially in patients who remain unresponsive to traditional medications.

No abstract

Dysgerminomas are aggressive germ cell tumors that typically have a favorable prognosis, especially in patients diagnosed with early stage disease. We recount the history of a 23-year-old woman who was treated for a stage IA ovarian dysgerminoma in November 2017. Postoperatively, the patient was noncompliant insofar as obtaining routine lab evaluations; ten months later, she was diagnosed with a cranial metastasis that extended into the meninges. The patient subsequently underwent a craniotomy and adjuvant etoposide, bleomycin and cisplatin chemotherapy to which she initially responded; however, during cycle 4, she developed pancytopenia whereupon the chemotherapy was summarily discontinued. Thereafter, the patient was surveilled and currently, she remains in clinical remission. Early stage ovarian dysgerminoma, albeit rarely, has the capacity to metastasize to the cranium or brain, further underscoring the significance of employing active follow-up with these patients.

15 normal subjects took lithium carbonate for 10 days in dosage sufficient to attain plasma lithium concentrations in the range of 0.7-1.4 mEq/1. Periodic blood specimens were analyzed for both plasma and RBC lithium. Subjects completed Profile of Mood States questionnaires every other day, and listed side effects. Just prior to beginning and ending the lithium trial, 10 subjects completed three tests of psychomotor function. Results indicate that such a course of lithium in normals induces dysphoric mood change and psychomotor slowing, without significant relationship to either plasma or RBC lithium concentrations.