University of Cologne

About: University of Cologne is a education organization based out in Cologne, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Gene. The organization has 32050 authors who have published 66350 publications receiving 2210092 citations. The organization is also known as: Universität zu Köln & Universitatis Coloniensis.

Adjuvant Nivolumab in Resected Esophageal or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer.

Abstract: Background No adjuvant treatment has been established for patients who remain at high risk for recurrence after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery for esophageal or gastroesophageal...

German Multicenter Study Investigating 177Lu-PSMA-617 Radioligand Therapy in Advanced Prostate Cancer Patients.

Abstract: 177Lutetium labeled PSMA-617 is a promising new therapeutic agent for radioligand therapy (RLT) of patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Initiated by the German Society of Nuclear Medicine a retrospective multicenter data analysis was started in 2015 to evaluate efficacy and safety of 177Lu-PSMA-617 in a large cohort of patients. Methods: 145 patients (median age 73 years, range 43-88) with mCRPC were treated with 177Lu-PSMA-617 in 12 therapy centres between February 2014 and July 2015 with one to four therapy cycles and an activity range of 2 to 8 GBq per cycle. Toxicity was categorized by the common toxicity criteria for adverse events (CTCAE 4.0) based on serial blood tests and the attending physician’s report. Primary endpoint for efficacy was biochemical response as defined by a PSA decline ≥ 50% from baseline to at least two weeks after start of RLT. Results: A total of 248 therapy cycles were performed in 145 patients. Data for biochemical response were available in 99 patients and data for physician-reported/lab-based toxicity in 145/121 patients. The median follow-up was 16 weeks (range 2-30 weeks). Nineteen patients died during the observation period. Grade 3 to 4 hematotoxicity occurred in 18 patients: 10%, 4% and 3% of the patients experienced anemia, thrombocytopenia and leukopenia, respectively. Xerostomia occurred in 8%. Overall biochemical response rate was 45% following all therapy cycles, while 40% of patients already responded after a single cycle. Elevated alkaline phosphatase and presence of visceral metastases were negative predictors and the total number of therapy cycles positive predictors of biochemical response. Conclusion: The present retrospective multicenter study of 177Lu-PSMA-617 RLT demonstrates favorable safety and high efficacy exceeding those of other third line systemic therapies in mCRPC patients. Future Phase II/III studies are warranted to elucidate the survival benefit of this new therapy in patients with mCRPC.

Longer-term effects of cardiac resynchronization therapy on mortality in heart failure [the CArdiac REsynchronization-Heart Failure (CARE-HF) trial extension phase].

Abstract: Aims The CArdiac REsynchronization-Heart Failure study randomized patients with left ventricular ejection fraction � 35%, markers of cardiac dyssynchrony, and persistent moderate or severe symptoms of heart failure despite pharmacological therapy, to implantation of a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device or not. The main study observed substantial benefits on morbidity and mortality during a mean follow-up of 29.4 months [median 29.6, interquartile range (IQR) 23.6–34.6]. Prior to study closure, an extension phase lasting a further 8 months (allowing time for data analysis and presentation) was declared during which cross-over was discouraged. Methods and results This was an extension of the already reported open-label randomized trial described above. The primary outcome of the extension phase was all-cause mortality from the time of randomization to completion of the extension phase. The secondary outcome was mode of death. The mean follow-up was 37.4 months (median 37.6, IQR 31.5–42.5, range 26.1–52.6 months). There were 154 deaths (38.1%) in 404 patients assigned to medical therapy and 101 deaths (24.7%) in 409 patients assigned to CRT (hazard ratio 0.60, 95% CI 0.47–0.77, P , 0.0001) without evidence of heterogeneity in pre-specified subgroups. A reduction in the risk of death due to heart failure (64 vs. 38 deaths; hazard ratio 0.55, 95% CI 0.37–0.82, P ¼ 0.003) and sudden death was observed (55 vs. 32; hazard ratio 0.54, 95% CI 0.35–0.84, P ¼ 0.005). Conclusion The benefits of CRT observed in the main trial persist or increase with longer follow-up. Reduction in mortality was due to fewer deaths both from worsening heart failure and from sudden death.

Current Trends in the Epidemiology of Nosocomial Bloodstream Infections in Patients with Hematological Malignancies and Solid Neoplasms in Hospitals in the United States

Abstract: A total of 2340 patients with underlying malignancy were identified among 22,631 episodes of nosocomial bloodstream infections (BSIs) in a prospectively collected database for 49 hospitals in the United States (Surveillance and Control of Pathogens of Epidemiologic Importance [SCOPE] Project). Data were obtained for the period of March 1995 through February 2001. Gram-positive organisms accounted for 62% of all BSIs in 1995 and for 76% in 2000 (P<.001), and gram-negative organisms accounted for 22% and 14% of all BSIs for these years, respectively. Neutropenia was observed in 30% of patients, so neutropenic and nonneutropenic patients were compared. In both, the predominant pathogens were coagulase-negative staphylococci (32% of isolates recovered from neutropenic patients and 30% of isolates recovered from nonneutropenic patients). The source of BSI was not determined for 57% of patients. The crude mortality rate was 36% for neutropenic patients and 31% for nonneutropenic patients.

Hodgkin disease: Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells picked from histological sections show clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangements and appear to be derived from B cells at various stages of development.

Abstract: Hodgkin disease (HD) is characterized by a small number of putative malignant cells [Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells] among a background of lymphocytes and histiocytes. The lineage of HRS cells is still elusive and a clonal origin of these rare cells has not formally been demonstrated. We isolated HRS cells by micromanipulation from histological sections of three cases of Hodgkin lymphoma (each representing a distinct subtype of the disease) and analyzed individual cells for immunoglobulin variable (V) gene rearrangements by PCR. In each of the three cases a single heavy-chain V (VH) (and in one case, in addition, a kappa light-chain) gene rearrangement was amplified from the HRS cells, identifying these cells as members of a single clone. A potentially functional VH rearrangement was obtained from a case of nodular sclerosis HD. Somatic mutations and intraclonal diversity in the VH genes indicate a germinal center B-cell origin of the HRS cells in a case of lymphocyte-predominant HD, whereas in a case of mixed-cellularity HD the sequence analysis revealed only nonfunctional V gene rearrangements, suggesting a pre-B-cell origin. This indicates that HRS cells can originate from B-lineage cells at various stages of development.