Publications by authors named "Amanda Psyrri"

Plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis to track estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) mutations is highly beneficial for the identification of tumor molecular dynamics and the improvement of personalized treatments for patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Plasma-cfDNA is, up to now, the most frequent liquid biopsy analyte used to evaluate ESR1 mutational status. Circulating tumor cell (CTC) enumeration and molecular characterization analysis provides important clinical information in patients with MBC.

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  • The study compares the effectiveness of ultrasensitive real-time PCR and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) in detecting specific mutations associated with breast cancer in primary tumors and liquid biopsy samples.
  • The research involved analyzing genetic material from 42 tumor samples and 29 plasma samples from patients with ER+ metastatic breast cancer, as well as samples from healthy donors.
  • Results showed that both methods provided similar detection rates for certain mutations in tumor samples, with ultrasensitive real-time PCR performing better in plasma-cfDNA samples, indicating potential for non-invasive testing in cancer management.
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Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by interval debulking surgery (IDS) and adjuvant chemotherapy is a therapeutic choice for women with advanced ovarian cancer. Whether NACT affects the tumor's molecular profile has not been determined.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients with advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer treated with NACT at oncology departments affiliated with the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group (HeCOG).

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Introduction: Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is a multifactorial disease involving genetic and environmental factors representing one of the most frequent cancer-related deaths worldwide. Tobacco and alcohol use account for most SCCHN, while a growing subset of oropharyngeal cancers is causally associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Despite improvements in overall survival, patients with HPV-negative locally advanced (LA) SCCHN continue to have a poor prognosis.

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  • Older patients with advanced hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer benefit from combining CDK4/6 inhibitors with standard endocrine therapy, according to recent studies.
  • There is a higher risk of side effects from these inhibitors in older patients, leading to a trend of starting them on lower doses, although this practice lacks strong evidence.
  • The IMPORTANT-trial aims
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  • - Emerging countries are experiencing a rising cancer burden but lack sufficient prevention, monitoring, and research resources to manage it effectively.
  • - Differences in cancer care between emerging and developed countries highlight the need for actions aimed at achieving global health equity.
  • - Establishing cooperative programs in the oncology field, focusing on research, training, and evidence-based practices, can help tackle the global cancer burden.
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  • Robust definitions of time-to-event endpoints are essential for evaluating treatment effects and the clinical value of interventions in trials.
  • The Head and Neck Cancer International Group reviewed 92 phase 3 trials from 2008 to 2021 focused on curative treatments for mucosal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
  • The study found significant variability in how core endpoint components, like overall survival and progression-free survival, were reported, emphasizing the need for standardization and collaboration among stakeholders for clearer endpoint reporting.
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Glioblastoma (GB) is the most common and most aggressive primary brain tumor in adults, with an overall survival almost 14.6 months. Optimal resection followed by combined temozolomide chemotherapy and radiotherapy, also known as Stupp protocol, remains the standard of treatment; nevertheless, resistance to temozolomide, which can be obtained throughout many molecular pathways, is still an unsurpassed obstacle.

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Combinations of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy can eradicate tumors in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (LA SCCHN), but a significant proportion of tumors progress, recur, or do not respond to therapy due to treatment resistance. The prognosis for these patients is poor, thus new approaches are needed to improve outcomes. Key resistance mechanisms to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in patients with LA SCCHN are alterations to the pathways that mediate apoptosis, a form of programmed cell death.

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  • HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has seen rising incidence rates and varies in prognosis within head and neck cancers, notably requiring different treatment approaches primarily involving chemoradiotherapy.
  • There is growing concern about the acute and long-term side effects of treatment in younger survivors compared to HPV-negative patients despite higher cure rates.
  • Smoking status significantly impacts prognosis in HPV-positive OSCC, with smokers generally facing worse outcomes, indicating the need for tailored treatment strategies in this group.*
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The Head and Neck Cancer International Group (HNCIG) has undertaken an international modified Delphi process to reach consensus on the essential data variables to be included in a minimum database for HNC research. Endorsed by 19 research organisations representing 34 countries, these recommendations provide the framework to facilitate and harmonise data collection and sharing for HNC research. These variables have also been incorporated into a ready to use downloadable HNCIG minimum database, available from the HNCIG website.

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Purpose: The prognostic and predictive significance of pathologist-read tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in head and neck cancers have been demonstrated through multiple studies over the years. TILs have not been broadly adopted clinically, perhaps due to substantial inter-observer variability. In this study, we developed a machine-based algorithm for TIL evaluation in head and neck cancers and validated its prognostic value in independent cohorts.

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Background: Selective biomarkers may improve outcomes in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. We investigated three independent biomarkers for association with efficacy in the randomized, phase III KESTREL study (NCT02551159) of first-line durvalumab monotherapy or durvalumab plus tremelimumab versus the EXTREME regimen: programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) immunohistochemistry, blood tumor mutational burden (bTMB) via circulating tumor DNA, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR).

Methods: Tumor or blood samples from patients enrolled in the KESTREL study were analyzed for PD-L1, bTMB, and NLR.

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Human Papillomaviruses have been associated with the occurrence of cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer that affects women globally, while 70% of cases are caused by infection with the high-risk types HPV16 and HPV18. The integration of these viruses' oncogenes and into the host's genome affects a multitude of cellular functions and alters the expression of molecules. The aim of this study was to investigate how these oncogenes contribute to the expression of immune system control molecules, using cell lines with integrated HPV16 genome, before and after knocking out viral gene using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, delivered with a lentiviral vector.

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  • Dose-dense sequential (dds) chemotherapy has positively impacted long-term survival rates in early breast cancer patients, as shown in the observational trial HE 10/10.
  • The study analyzed the role of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and CD8 lymphocytes in predicting outcomes, finding that higher levels are linked to better survival.
  • With a median follow-up of over 10 years, the study reported disease-free survival (DFS) at 78.4% and overall survival (OS) at 81.7%, highlighting the regimen's efficacy and safety.
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Cardio-oncology is a rapidly growing field of cardiovascular (CV) medicine that has resulted from the continuously increasing clinical demand for specialized CV evaluation, prevention and management of patients suffering or surviving from malignant diseases. Dealing with CV disease in patients with cancer requires special knowledge beyond that included in the general core curriculum for cardiology. Therefore, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has developed a special core curriculum for cardio-oncology, a consensus document that defines the level of experience and knowledge required for cardiologists in this particular field.

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  • Persistent high-risk HPV infection is crucial to the development of cervical cancer and increasingly linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), with HPV-positive cases having distinct characteristics compared to HPV-negative ones.
  • This study investigates the epigenetic changes in the HPV16 gene and untranslated region (UTR) using pyrosequencing in HPV16-positive HNSCC biopsies, focusing on DNA methylation patterns.
  • Results show significant methylation at specific sites associated with tumor histological grade, while HPV16 DNA physical status did not relate to methylation or tumor features, highlighting complex interactions between the virus and host in HNSCC patients in Greece.
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  • - The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of the CureCancer platform for Greek cancer patients, focusing on their ability to register and report various personal and health-related information amid increasing cancer care complexity due to new treatments and the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • - Out of 159 invited patients, 144 registered (90.56%), and 114 completed the questionnaire (79.16%), indicating a strong interest and ease of use among participants; most were educated individuals with a median age of 54.5 years.
  • - The demographics revealed that a significant portion had breast and lung cancers, with many undergoing active therapy, highlighting the diverse cancer experiences and reporting trends of those participating in the study.
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Purpose: We conducted a phase II randomized noncomparative window of opportunity (WOO) trial to evaluate the inhibition of cellular proliferation and the modulation of immune microenvironment after treatment with olaparib alone or in combination with cisplatin or durvalumab in patients with operable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Experimental Design: Forty-one patients with HNSCC were randomized to cisplatin plus olaparib (arm A), olaparib alone (arm B), no treatment (arm C) or durvalumab plus olaparib (arm D). The primary endpoint was to evaluate the percentage of patients in each arm that achieved a reduction of at least 25% in Ki67.

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  • The study aimed to assess the prevalence and significance of gene alterations in European prostate cancer patients using a specific genetic testing panel targeting 36 key genes.
  • A total of 196 patients were analyzed, revealing that 61% had gene alterations, with 17.3% specifically showing changes in homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes.
  • The presence of HRR gene alterations did not correlate with factors such as disease stage, age, or overall survival, highlighting the need for further research on their predictive value in treatment approaches.
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Background: Cardiotoxicity restricts anthracycline and trastuzumab treatment of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 positive early breast cancer. Endothelial dysfunction and arteriosclerosis are significant cardiovascular risk factors.

Objectives: We studied the effect of anthracycline-based chemotherapy, with or without trastuzumab, on endothelium and arteriosclerosis in patients with breast cancer.

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The approval of monoclonal antibodies against programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and programmed cell death protein (PD1) has changed the landscape of cancer treatment. To date, many immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of metastatic cancer as well as locally recurrent advanced cancer. However, immune-related adverse events (irAEs) of ICIs highlight the need for biomarker analysis with strong predictive value.

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Background/aim: Nivolumab is an FDA-approved immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) for patients with advanced, pre-treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, treatment profiles and patient outcomes often differ in routine clinical practice while the financial impact of approved therapies is largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the efficacy, tolerability, and economic impact of nivolumab in real-world settings (RWS) in Greece.

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