Patients with metastatic malignant melanoma have a survival rate of less than one year. Nivolumab, a monoclonal antibody against programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) receptor, has improved survival in patients without BRAF mutations. The HALP score, calculated from hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet levels, provides information about a patient immune and nutritional status. High HALP scores have been associated with a better prognosis in various cancers. This study aimed to investigate the effect of high HALP scores on response to nivolumab treatment in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma. A retrospective study was conducted on 44 patients with metastatic malignant melanoma treated with nivolumab at Adana City Training and Research Hospital between 2014 and 2021. Patients who received dabrafenib-trametinib before nivolumab treatment were excluded. The HALP scores were calculated using laboratory parameters before the first nivolumab treatment. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 25.0. The study included 22 female and 22 male patients with a mean age of 61.4 ± 15.6 years. Of the patients, 10 (27.2%) had a positive BRAF mutation, whereas 34 (77.3%) did not. The HALP score cutoff value was determined as 30.1. Patients with high HALP scores had significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to those with low HALP scores (PFS: median 5.8 vs 3.1 months, P = .041; OS: median 54.9 vs 14.4 months, P = .005). In this study, we found that high HALP scores were significantly associated with longer PFS and OS in metastatic malignant melanoma patients receiving nivolumab treatment. HALP score was associated with both PFS and OS in patients with metastatic malignant melanoma treated with nivolumab. This immuno-nutritional parameter may be useful in various cancers; however, further prospective studies with larger patient cohorts are needed for clinical application.

Aim: Lung cancer (LC) is the most common among malignant tumors. Cure is not possible in patients with stage-4. These patients receive palliative radiotherapy (RT), chemotherapy and supportive care. This study aims to examine the relationship between survival time and some biochemical features in stage-4 patients who received palliative RT to their lungs. Methods: 51 patients who applied to our hospital for palliative RT to their lungs between July 2016 and May 2022 were included in the study. All patients; age, survival rate, gender and type of carcinoma [non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC)]; alanine aminotransferase, aspartate amino transferase, sodium, potassium, hematocrit, hemoglobin, lymphocyte, neutrophil, platelet, urea and lactate dehydrogenase values were measured. Correlation coefficients along with descriptive statistics were computed for these features. Resuls: All patients have stage-4 LC. 13 (25.49%) patients are female and 38 (74.50%) patients are male. NSCLC had 41(80.39%) of all patients, SCLC pathology had 10 (19.60%) of all patients.All patients received palliative RT to their lungs. While the median survival time for patients diagnosed with NSCLC was 18 weeks, the median survival time for patients with SCLC pathology was found 4 weeks. Conclusion:The overall survival time for both groups was found 16 weeks. Relationships between survival time and some biochemical properties were determined in patients with stage-4 LC who received palliative RT to the lungs. Survival time in NSCLC group patients was found to be approximately 4 times higher than in SCLC group patients.

Pancreatic cancer is still fatal despite effective treatment. Due to the special anatomy of the pancreas, symptoms do not occur in the early period and metastases occur frequently. The majority of pancreatic cancers have adenocarcinoma histology. Cystic neoplasm and neuroendocrine tumors are primary malignancies with a more indolent course. There is a complicated relationship between pancreatitis and pancreatic cancers. The risk factors, and clinical and radiological appearances of the two entities share common features. Moreover, with the progress in genetic science, it has been revealed that common genetic factors may play a role in the development of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancers. In this section, common pancreatic malignancies will be defined and their relationship with pancreatitis will be examined.

Introduction: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a mediator of cancer-related inflammation and may affect glioma biology. Clinical information on longitudinal TNF-α dynamics during chemoradiation (CRT) and their prognostic relevance in high-grade glial tumors (HGGT) is limited. This study examines serum TNF-α levels in patients with HGGT undergoing CRT. Material and methods: In this prospective, single-center cohort, 31 adults with HGGT who underwent gross-total resection received standardized IMRT/VMAT with concomitant/adjuvant temozolomide. Serum TNF-α levels were assessed at three predetermined intervals: prior to radiotherapy (RT0), upon completion (RT1), and three months following radiotherapy (RT2). The principal outcome was the variation in TNF-α from RT0 to RT2. Results: The systemic inflammatory response decreased progressively, with TNF-α levels declining by 33% from RT0 to RT2. Multivariable analysis showed that elevated baseline TNF-α levels were associated with poorer overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] 1.50; 95% CI 1.04–2.16). Patients with elevated baseline lymphocyte counts (HR 0.10; 95% CI 0.03–0.32) and higher neutrophil counts at RT2 (HR 0.35; 95% CI 0.18–0.69) experienced lower mortality rates, within the constraints of sample size and event number. Conclusions: TNF-α decreases during CRT, and elevated baseline TNF-α levels are associated with increased mortality risk in HGGT. Higher baseline lymphocyte counts and higher neutrophil counts at RT2 are associated with better outcomes, although these findings are hypothesis-generating and require external validation. Any ROC-derived TNF-α cut-off is exploratory and should not be used for clinical decisions without independent validation.