Phase II randomized trial comparing metronomic anthracycline-containing chemotherapy versus standard schedule in untreated HER2 negative advanced breast cancer: activity and quality of life results of the GOIM 21003 trial.

Background: Optimizing chemotherapy to achieve disease and symptoms control is a noteworthy purpose in advanced breast cancer (ABC). We reported the activity and quality of life of a phase II study, comparing metronomic regimen with standard schedule as first line chemotherapy for ABC.

Methods: Patients with HER2 negative ABC were randomized to non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (NPLD, 60 mg/m2 every 3 weeks) and cyclophosphamide (CTX, 600 mg/m2 every 3 weeks) (Arm A) or NPLD (20 mg/m2 day, on day 1, 8 and 15 every 4 weeks) and metronomic daily oral CTX 50 mg (ARM B).

APOLLO 11 Project, Consortium in Advanced Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Innovative Therapies: Integration of Real-World Data and Translational Research.

Introduction: Despite several therapeutic efforts, lung cancer remains a highly lethal disease. Novel therapeutic approaches encompass immune-checkpoint inhibitors, targeted therapeutics and antibody-drug conjugates, with different results. Several studies have been aimed at identifying biomarkers able to predict benefit from these therapies and create a prediction model of response, despite this there is a lack of information to help clinicians in the choice of therapy for lung cancer patients with advanced disease.

Nine-Week Versus One-Year Trastuzumab for Early Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Positive Breast Cancer: 10-Year Update of the ShortHER Phase III Randomized Trial.

JCO We present the final analysis of the phase III noninferiority, randomized ShortHER trial comparing 9 weeks versus 1 year of adjuvant trastuzumab with chemotherapy in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) early breast cancer (BC). Women with HER2+ BC were randomly assigned to anthracycline-taxane combinations plus 1-year trastuzumab (arm A, long) or 9-week trastuzumab (arm B, short). Here, we report the second coprimary end point overall survival (OS), updated disease-free survival (DFS), and outcomes according to hormone receptor status, age, and nodal status.

Role of IL-6/STAT3 Axis in Resistance to Cisplatin in Gastric Cancers.

Gastric cancer, the second most common cause of death worldwide, is characterized by poor prognosis and low responsiveness to chemotherapy. Indeed, multidrug resistance, based mainly on cellular and molecular factors, remains one of the most limiting factors of the current approach to gastric cancer (GC) therapy. We employed a comprehensive gene expression analysis through data mining of publicly available databases to assess the role of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in gastric cancer drug efficiency.

Potential Role of Tumor-Derived Exosomes in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer in the Era of Immunotherapy.

Lung cancer, of which non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents about 80% of all cases, is the second most common cancer diagnosed in the general population and one of the major causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Overall, the outcomes of patients with advanced NSCLC are still disappointing despite advances in diagnosis and treatment. In recent years immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), administered alone or in combination with chemotherapy, have revolutionized the treatment landscape of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Addition of Niraparib to Best Supportive Care as Maintenance Treatment in Patients with Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma Whose Disease Did Not Progress After First-line Platinum-based Chemotherapy: The Meet-URO12 Randomized Phase 2 Trial.

Background: Platinum-based chemotherapy (PBCT) is the standard first-line treatment for advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC). Potential cross-sensitivity can be hypothesized between platinum drugs and poly-ADP ribose-polymerase (PARP) inhibitors.

Objective: To compare maintenance treatment with the PARP inhibitor niraparib plus best supportive care (BSC) versus BSC alone in patients with advanced UC without disease progression after first-line PBCT.

First-line treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: the real-world Italian cohort of the Prostate Cancer Registry.

Background: With the availability of multiple treatment options for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), new real-world data on disease management and drugs' performance are needed.

Methods: We described characteristics, management and clinical outcomes of patients receiving first-line mCRPC treatment within the Italian cohort of the real-world, prospective, international Prostate Cancer Registry. Patients were enrolled consecutively (2013-2016) in 32 Italian sites and followed for 3 years.

Therapeutic management of a symptomatic Kaposi's sarcoma patient with renal failure undergoing haemodialysis: A case report.

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a rare inflammation- based vascular cancer involving the skin. The viral aetiology of KS is the Human Herpesvirus 8. KS may be frequently diagnosed in immunosuppressed kidneytransplanted patients, while is less common in patients with dialysis.

CHIR99021, trough GSK-3β Targeting, Reduces Epithelioid Sarcoma Cell Proliferation by Activating Mitotic Catastrophe and Autophagy.

Epithelioid sarcoma (ES) is a rare disease representing <1% of soft tissue sarcomas. Current therapies are based on anthracycline alone or in combination with ifosfamide or other cytotoxic drugs. ES is still characterized by a poor prognosis with high rates of recurrence.

Docetaxel and prednisone with or without enzalutamide as first-line treatment in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: CHEIRON, a randomised phase II trial.

Background: Pre-clinical data suggest that docetaxel and enzalutamide interfere with androgen receptor translocation and signalling. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of their concurrent administration in the first-line treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

Methods: In this open-label, randomised, phase II trial, previously untreated mCRPC patients were randomised 1:1 to receive eight 21-d courses of docetaxel 75 mg/m, oral prednisone 5 mg twice daily and oral enzalutamide 160 mg/d (arm DE), or the same treatment without enzalutamide (arm D).

Prognostic Role of Circulating Tumor Cells in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Large, Multicenter, Prospective Trial.

Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) correlate with adverse prognosis in patients with breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer. Little data are available for renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Materials And Methods: We designed a multicenter prospective observational study to assess the correlation between CTC counts and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with metastatic RCC treated with an antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor as a first-line regimen; overall survival (OS) and response were secondary objectives.

A fully automated assay to detect the expression of pan-cytokeratins and of EML4-ALK fusion protein in circulating tumour cells (CTCs) predicts outcome of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Background: In advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) a recent meta-analysis confirms circulating tumour cells (CTCs) as an independent prognostic indicator of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). However, further investigations are necessary to predict and dynamically monitor the therapy in NSCLC patients using CTCs. To this aim, we combined the classical standard assay (SA) with an expanded cytokeratins profile (EA) and quantified the expression of EML4-ALK fusion protein in CTCs.

Novel Epigenetic Eight-Gene Signature Predictive of Poor Prognosis and MSI-Like Phenotype in Human Metastatic Colorectal Carcinomas.

Epigenetics is involved in tumor progression and drug resistance in human colorectal carcinoma (CRC). This study addressed the hypothesis that the DNA methylation profiling may predict the clinical behavior of metastatic CRCs (mCRCs). The global methylation profile of two human mCRC subgroups with significantly different outcome was analyzed and compared with gene expression and methylation data from The Cancer Genome Atlas COlon ADenocarcinoma (TCGA COAD) and the NCBI GENE expression Omnibus repository (GEO) GSE48684 mCRCs datasets to identify a prognostic signature of functionally methylated genes.

A Vismodegib Experience in Elderly Patients with Basal Cell Carcinoma: Case Reports and Review of the Literature.

Cutaneous basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of human tumor, and its incidence rate is increasing worldwide. Up until a few years ago, therapeutic options have been limited for patients with advanced BCC (including metastatic and locally-advanced BCC). Over the last few years, promising systemic therapies have been investigated for the treatment of advanced BCC.

Association between neutropenia and survival to nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Neutropenia is a common side effect associated with nab-paclitaxel gemcitabine (Nab-Gem) therapy. We retrospectively investigated the association between neutropenia induced by first-line Nab-Gem and survival in metastatic pancreatic carcinoma patients. Metastatic pancreatic patients treated with first-line Nab-Gem were included in this retrospective analysis.

Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on cancer immunotherapy in Italy: a survey of young oncologists.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has overwhelmed the health systems worldwide. Data regarding the impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients (CPs) undergoing or candidate for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are lacking. We depicted the practice and adaptations in the management of patients with solid tumors eligible or receiving ICIs during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a special focus on Campania region.

Focus on lung cancer screening.

Poor survival of lung cancer (LC) patients depends on several factors first of all the delay in the diagnosis, considering that the majority of patients have an advanced-stage disease at the time of diagnosis. In this context, use of screening to increase the percentage of early LC detection can play a crucial role. After the preliminary unsatisfactory experiences with chest X-rays and sputum cytology, low dose computed tomography (LDCT) has become the best method for LC screening.

Targeting Immunometabolism Mediated by CD73 Pathway in -Mutated Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A New Hope for Overcoming Immune Resistance.

Despite the relevant antitumor efficacy of immunotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the results in patients whose cancer harbors activating epidermal growth factor receptor () mutations are disappointing. The biological mechanisms underlying immune escape and both unresponsiveness and resistance to immunotherapy in -mutant NSCLC patients have been partially investigated. To this regard, lung cancer immune escape largely involves high amounts of adenosine within the tumor milieu with broad immunosuppressive effects.

Metronomic oral chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide plus capecitabine combined with trastuzumab (HEX) as first line therapy of HER-2 positive advanced breast cancer: A phase II trial of the Gruppo Oncologico Italia Meridionale (GOIM).

Background: The combination of chemotherapy plus anti HER-2 agents is the mainstay of HER-2 positive advanced breast cancer (ABC) therapy. We conducted a phase II trial testing activity and safety of trastuzumab and metronomic capecitabine/cyclophosphamide (HEX) as first-line therapy in HER-2 positive ABC.
Methods.

Bevacizumab in Combination With Either FOLFOX-4 or XELOX-2 in First-line Treatment of Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Multicenter Randomized Phase II Trial of the Gruppo Oncologico dell'Italia Meridionale (GOIM 2802).

Introduction: Biweekly schedule of XELOX-2 (capecitabine plus oxaliplatin) showed interesting results in first-line therapy of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Bevacizumab plus FOLFOX-4 (oxaliplatin, folinic acid, and infusional 5-fluorouracil) is among standard first-line treatment options in this setting. We performed a phase II randomized trial in order to evaluate the activity of bevacizumab plus either FOLFOX-4 or XELOX-2 in first-line therapy of patients with mCRC.

Association between neutropenia and response to ramucirumab and paclitaxel in patients with metastatic gastric cancer.

The aim of this study was to evaluate if the occurrence of neutropenia is correlated with response to ramucirumab plus paclitaxel for metastatic gastric cancer. This is a retrospective study of patients treated with ramucirumab plus paclitaxel. Fifty-three patients were evaluated.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), and Outcomes with Nivolumab in Pretreated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): A Large Retrospective Multicenter Study.

Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have provided substantial benefit in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with unprecedented results in terms of survival. However, the identification of reliable predictive biomarkers to these agents is lacking and multiple clinicopathological factors have been evaluated. The aim of this study was to analyze the potential role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in patients with pretreated NSCLC receiving nivolumab.

Gene Copy Number and Post-Transductional Mechanisms Regulate TRAP1 Expression in Human Colorectal Carcinomas.

Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Protein 1 (TRAP1) is a heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) molecular chaperone overexpressed in 60-70% human colorectal carcinomas (CRCs) and the co-upregulation of TRAP1 and associated 6-related proteins identifies metastatic CRCs with poor prognosis. Since the molecular mechanisms responsible for TRAP1 regulation are still unknown, the significance of gene copy number (CN) and the role of post-transductional protein modifications were addressed. gene aneuploidy accounted for 34.