Surgical navigation for targeted retroperitoneal lymph-node removal: a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial.

Background: Metastatic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (LND) for nodal recurrence is applied for a variety of cancers, such as urological, gynaecological and rectal cancer. Precise localisation and resection of these lymph nodes (LNs) during surgery can be challenging, especially after previous radiotherapy or surgery. The objective of this study was to assess the added value of surgical navigation for targeted LND in the retroperitoneum.

Intensified alkylating chemotherapy for patients with oligometastatic breast cancer harboring homologous recombination deficiency: Primary outcomes from the randomized phase III OLIGO study.

Background: Oligometastatic breast cancer (OMBC) is a clinical entity with a prospect of long-term survival, but uncertainty remains on its optimal treatment. We studied whether intensified alkylating chemotherapy (IACT) improves long-term outcome compared to conventional-dose chemotherapy (CDCT) as part of a multimodality approach for patients with OMBC harboring homologous recombination deficiency (HRD).

Patients And Methods: Eligible patients had HER2-negative OMBC, harboring HRD, with ≤ 3 distant metastases, pathologic proof of distant disease and a favorable response to three cycles CDCT.

Neoadjuvant nivolumab and relatlimab in locally advanced MMR-deficient colon cancer: a phase 2 trial.

Mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) is found in approximately 15% of non-metastatic colon cancers (CCs) and is characterized by a defective DNA mismatch repair system, resulting in hypermutated and highly immunogenic tumors. Although patients with dMMR CC have limited benefit from chemotherapy, these tumors have been shown to respond exceptionally well to neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 plus anti-CTLA-4, with high rates of pathologic responses. Here, based on data from melanoma studies, we postulated a high efficacy and favorable toxicity profile of anti-PD-1 plus anti-LAG-3.

Identifying the primary tumour in patients with cancer of unknown primary (CUP) using [F]FDG PET/CT: a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.

Purpose: In this systematic review and individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis, we analysed the diagnostic performance of [F]FDG PET/CT in detecting primary tumours in patients with CUP and evaluated whether the location of the predominant metastatic site influences the diagnostic performance.

Methods: A systematic literature search from January 2005 to February 2024 was performed to identify articles describing the diagnostic performance of [F]FDG PET/CT for primary tumour detection in CUP. Individual patient data retrieved from original articles or obtained from corresponding authors were grouped by the predominant metastatic site.

Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Patients With Stage I Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Untreated With Chemotherapy.

Importance: The absolute benefit of chemotherapy for all patients with stage I triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is unclear, and biomarkers are not currently available for selecting patients with an excellent outcome for whom neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy may have negligible benefit. High levels of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) are associated with favorable survival in TNBC, but data solely in stage I TNBC are lacking.

Objective: To examine the outcomes of patients of all ages with stage I TNBC solely and who received neither neoadjuvant nor adjuvant chemotherapy, according to centrally reviewed sTIL levels at prespecified cutoffs.

Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Locally Advanced Mismatch Repair-Deficient Colon Cancer.

Background: Mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) tumors can be found in 10 to 15% of patients with nonmetastatic colon cancer. In these patients, the efficacy of chemotherapy is limited. The use of neoadjuvant immunotherapy has shown promising results, but data from studies of this approach are limited.

Neoadjuvant atezolizumab plus chemotherapy in gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma: the phase 2 PANDA trial.

Gastric and gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) cancers carry a poor prognosis, and despite recent advancements, most patients die of their disease. Although immune checkpoint blockade became part of the standard-of-care for patients with metastatic G/GEJ cancers, its efficacy and impact on the tumor microenvironment (TME) in early disease remain largely unknown. We hypothesized higher efficacy of neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy in patients with nonmetastatic G/GEJ cancer.

Healthcare outcomes assessed with observational study designs compared with those assessed in randomized trials: a meta-epidemiological study.

Background: Researchers and decision-makers often use evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to determine the efficacy or effectiveness of a treatment or intervention. Studies with observational designs are often used to measure the effectiveness of an intervention in 'real world' scenarios. Numerous study designs and their modifications (including both randomised and observational designs) are used for comparative effectiveness research in an attempt to give an unbiased estimate of whether one treatment is more effective or safer than another for a particular population.

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.

Induction therapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab followed by consolidative chemoradiation as organ-sparing treatment in urothelial bladder cancer: study protocol of the INDIBLADE trial.

Introduction: Studies that assessed the efficacy of pre-operative immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in locally advanced urothelial cancer of the bladder showed encouraging pathological complete response rates, suggesting that a bladder-sparing approach may be a viable option in a subset of patients. Chemoradiation is an alternative for radical cystectomy with similar oncological outcomes, but is still mainly used in selected patients with organ-confined tumors or patients ineligible to undergo radical cystectomy. We propose to sequentially administer ICB and chemoradiation to patients with (locally advanced) muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Metastatic site patterns by intrinsic subtype and HER2DX in early HER2-positive breast cancer.

Background: Even with contemporary treatment strategies, more than 10% of HER2-positive early stage breast cancer patients may experience distant metastasis as first event during follow-up. Tools for predicting unique patterns of metastatic spread are needed to plan personalized surveillance. We evaluated how molecular heterogeneity affects the pattern of distant relapse in HER2-positive breast cancer.

Unleashing NK- and CD8 T cells by combining monalizumab and trastuzumab for metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer: Results of the MIMOSA trial.

The large majority of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) will eventually develop resistance to anti-HER2 therapy and die of this disease. Despite, relatively high levels of stromal tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs), PD1-blockade has only shown modest responses. Monalizumab targets the inhibitory immune checkpoint NKG2A, thereby unleashing NK- and CD8 T cells.

Immune landscape of breast tumors with low and intermediate estrogen receptor expression.

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is currently approved for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), whereas responses to ICB are also observed in a small subgroup of Estrogen Receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. The cut-off for ER-positivity (≥1%) is based on likelihood of endocrine treatment response, but ER-positive breast cancer represents a very heterogeneous group. This raises the question whether selection based on ER-negativity should be revisited to select patients for ICB treatment in the context of clinical trials.

PD-L1 blockade in combination with carboplatin as immune induction in metastatic lobular breast cancer: the GELATO trial.

Invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC) is the second most common histological breast cancer subtype, but ILC-specific trials are lacking. Translational research revealed an immune-related ILC subset, and in mouse ILC models, synergy between immune checkpoint blockade and platinum was observed. In the phase II GELATO trial ( NCT03147040 ), patients with metastatic ILC were treated with weekly carboplatin (area under the curve 1.

Type of adjuvant endocrine therapy and disease-free survival in patients with early HR-positive/HER2-positive BC: analysis from the phase III randomized ShortHER trial.

The optimal adjuvant endocrine therapy for HR-positive/HER2-positive breast cancer patients is unknown. We included in this analysis 784 patients with HR-positive/HER2-positive BC from the randomized ShortHER trial of adjuvant trastuzumab (1 year vs 9 weeks) + chemotherapy. At a median follow-up of 8.

Pediatric Bilateral Vocal Cord Immobility: New Treatment With Preservation of Voice.

Objectives: Pediatric bilateral vocal cord immobility (BVCI) represents a severe life-threatening condition that often causes severe dyspnea. Endoscopic arytenoid lateral abduction (EALA) is a relatively new, secure, minimal-invasive surgical technique. The present prospective observational study aims to evaluate the effects of EALA in terms of respiratory function, voice quality, and swallowing capabilities.

Reactogenicity, safety and disease flares following BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in patients with chronic immune-inflammatory arthritis treated with biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.

Objectives: The safety of COVID-19 vaccination in rheumatic patients treated with biological (b) and targeted synthetic (ts) disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) remains poorly explored.

Methods: Reactogenicity, safety and disease flares following each of the two doses of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine was evaluated in 186 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis treated with b/tsDMARDs, who discontinued anti-rheumatic treatments around vaccination. A group of 53 healthy controls was used for comparison.

Single agent Talimogene Laherparepvec for stage IIIB-IVM1c melanoma patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Single-agent Talimogene Laherparepvec (T-VEC) was developed for treatment of unresectable and injectable stage III-IV melanoma. Since its approval and reimbursement, studies have reported varying response rates. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the efficacy and safety of T-VEC.

Evaluating agreement between bodies of evidence from randomized controlled trials and cohort studies in medical research: a meta-epidemiological study.

Background: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies are the most common study design types used to assess the treatment effects of medical interventions. To evaluate the agreement of effect estimates between bodies of evidence (BoE) from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies and to identify factors associated with disagreement.

Methods: Systematic reviews were published in the 13 medical journals with the highest impact factor identified through a MEDLINE search.

Disparities in the prevalence of clinical features between systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis and adult-onset Still's disease.

Objective: To compare clinical features and treatments of patients with systemic JIA (sIJA) and adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD).

Methods: The clinical charts of consecutive patients with sJIA by International League of Association of Rheumatology criteria or AOSD by Yamaguchi criteria were reviewed. Patients were seen at a large paediatric rheumatology referral centre or at 10 adult rheumatology academic centres.

Impact of smoking habit on adult-onset Still's disease prognosis, findings from a multicentre observational study.

The objective of this study is to describe the possible prognostic impact of smoking habit on adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) patients, by the assessment of clinical characteristics, life-threatening complications occurrence, and mortality in smokers than non-smokers. A multicentre retrospective study of prospectively followed-up AOSD patients included in Gruppo Italiano di Ricerca in Reumatologia Clinica e Sperimentale (GIRRCS) cohort was conducted. Out of 185 AOSD assessed patients, 45 smokers were identified.