Tomáš Brtnický

Occupational therapy in oncogynecology – a pilot study

Objective: Overview of the possibilities of using non-medical occupational therapy in oncogynecology, description of the role of an occupational therapist in prehabilitation, and evaluation of data from a pilot study. Methods: The study cohort consisted of 18 patients enrolled between November 2023 and October 2024. The prospective study was conducted over a period of nine months. Patients were admitted for a 3-week intensive multimodal prehabilitation program scheduled on a 4/7 basis prior to elective surgery for primary or recurrent malignant ovarian, endometrial, or cervical cancer. In addition to the physicians, patients received prehabilitation by a physiotherapist, psychologist, nutritionist, and occupational therapist. Clinical work of the occupational therapist was measured upon examination and subsequent therapy in the areas of cognitive function, fine motor skills of the upper limbs, self-sufficiency, and quality of life. The occupational therapist applied selected functional tests and questionnaires (MKF classification, Hand grip test, MoCA test, 5× Sit-to-Stand test, WHODAS 2.0) to determine the effect of the rehabilitation intervention. Results and conclusions: Important indicators were selected functional abilities that have a significant impact on the quality of life of patients. The results of functional tests showed a significant improvement of key parameters due to intensive prehabilitation, confirming the essential role of occupational therapist intervention in oncogynecological prehabilitation. Key words: occupational therapy – oncogynecology – prehabilitation – quality of life

Tertiary lymphoid structures and B cells determine clinically relevant T cell phenotypes in ovarian cancer

AbstractIntratumoral tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) have been associated with improved outcome in various cohorts of patients with cancer, reflecting their contribution to the development of tumor-targeting immunity. Here, we demonstrate that high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) contains distinct immune aggregates with varying degrees of organization and maturation. Specifically, mature TLSs (mTLS) as forming only in 16% of HGSOCs with relatively elevated tumor mutational burden (TMB) are associated with an increased intratumoral density of CD8+ effector T (TEFF) cells and TIM3+PD1+, hence poorly immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-sensitive, CD8+ T cells. Conversely, CD8+ T cells from immunologically hot tumors like non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) are enriched in ICI-responsive TCF1+ PD1+ T cells. Spatial B-cell profiling identifies patterns of in situ maturation and differentiation associated with mTLSs. Moreover, B-cell depletion promotes signs of a dysfunctional CD8+ T cell compartment among tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes from freshly isolated HGSOC and NSCLC biopsies. Taken together, our data demonstrate that – at odds with NSCLC – HGSOC is associated with a low density of follicular helper T cells and thus develops a limited number of mTLS that might be insufficient to preserve a ICI-sensitive TCF1+PD1+ CD8+ T cell phenotype. These findings point to key quantitative and qualitative differences between mTLSs in ICI-responsive vs ICI-irresponsive neoplasms that may guide the development of alternative immunotherapies for patients with HGSOC.