Publications by authors named "D M Kowalski"
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated the impact of venous thromboembolic events (VTE) on overall survival in patients with ALK-positive lung cancer who received treatment with ALK inhibitors.
- A total of 54 patients were analyzed, finding that 22.2% experienced VTE, which significantly reduced their overall survival compared to those without VTE (median of 11.7 vs. 37.4 months).
- The findings highlighted that active treatment with certain ALK inhibitors, as well as specific clinical factors like liver metastases and higher leukocyte counts, increased the risk of VTE and negatively affected patient survival.
Background: Poly (ADP-ribose) inhibitors, including olaparib, upregulate programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), which may increase efficacy of anti-PD-(L)1 therapies.
Methods: In the phase 3 KEYLYNK-006 trial (NCT03976323), eligible adults with previously untreated metastatic nonsquamous NSCLC without targetable genetic alterations who had complete response (CR), partial response (PR), or stable disease (SD) following induction therapy with 4 cycles of pembrolizumab 200 mg Q3W, pemetrexed 500 mg/m , and carboplatin AUC5 or cisplatin 75 mg/m were randomized 1:1 to olaparib 300 mg orally twice daily or pemetrexed Q3W, both given with ≤31 cycles of pembrolizumab Q3W. Dual primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).
Article Synopsis
- The POL-MOL study aimed to assess the use of molecular testing in Polish patients diagnosed with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as its extent was previously unknown.
- Oncologists completed questionnaires about molecular testing for various genetic mutations and PD-L1 assessment, collecting data from 1001 patients receiving systemic treatment.
- Results indicated that molecular tests were conducted in 78% of NSCLC patients, with higher testing rates in more advanced disease stages, and about 30% of tests in squamous cell carcinoma patients were positive for specific mutations.
Article Synopsis
- Many patients with advanced cancer, like tracheal cancers, can't be cured, making palliative care vital.
- Existing studies mostly look at palliative care as part of broader cancer treatments and don't focus solely on tracheal tumors.
- This review presents the first detailed clinical guidelines for palliative treatment specifically for tracheal cancer, addressing unique challenges not covered by other cancer treatment guidelines.
Article Synopsis
- IMbrella A is a Phase III study that allowed patients from earlier atezolizumab trials, like IMpower133, to continue receiving treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with atezolizumab plus chemotherapy after the initial trials closed.
- In IMbrella A, 18 out of 26 eligible patients rolled over for further treatment, and results showed that median follow-up was 59.4 months with estimated three-, four-, and five-year overall survival rates of 16%, 13%, and 12%, respectively.
- The study reported that 16.7% of patients experienced serious adverse events, with only one grade two hypothyroidism noted,