The Role of Lymphocytic Infiltrates in the Tumor Microenvironment as a Predictive Factor for the Response to Immunotherapy in Solid Tumors: A Single-Center Experience From Romania.

The correlation between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and immunotherapy responses is an evolving field with significant clinical implications. Immunotherapy has revolutionized antineoplastic therapies, offering promising results for patients diagnosed with solid tumors. Integrating biomarkers, refining imaging techniques, and developing non-invasive methods may enhance personalized medicine, optimizing treatment strategies while minimizing adverse effects.

The Importance of Predictive Biomarkers and Their Correlation with the Response to Immunotherapy in Solid Tumors-Impact on Clinical Practice.

: Immunotherapy has changed the therapeutic approach for various solid tumors, especially lung tumors, malignant melanoma, renal and urogenital carcinomas, demonstrating significant antitumor activity, with tolerable safety profiles and durable responses. However, not all patients benefit from immunotherapy, underscoring the need for predictive biomarkers that can identify those most likely to respond to treatment. The integration of predictive biomarkers into clinical practice for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) holds great promise for personalized cancer treatment.

A Complete Response in a Metastatic Melanoma Patient After a Single Dose of Dual Checkpoint Inhibitors Blockade Could Be Predictable: A Case Report.

Cutaneous malignant melanoma is one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer and thus, a high mortality has been reported over decades. The prognosis for melanoma varies widely based on several factors, including the stage at which it is diagnosed, the location and thickness of the tumor, the patient's age and overall health, and specific genetic factors associated with melanoma. Therapeutic options include checkpoint inhibitors, regardless of V-Raf Murine Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog B status (BRAF), and targeted therapy (anti-BRAF) in the adjuvant or metastatic setting.

Long-Term Survival in BRCA1 Mutant Advanced Ovarian Cancer: Unveiling the Impact of Olaparib.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most frequent malignancies in women. The treatment landscape underwent significant changes as new agents were introduced in ovarian cancer management over the last decade. We present two cases of long responses to Olaparib in BRCA (BReast CAncer gene) mutant ovarian cancer patients.

Breast Reconstruction following Mastectomy for Breast Cancer or Prophylactic Mastectomy: Therapeutic Options and Results.

(1) Importance of problem: Breast cancer accounted for 685,000 deaths globally in 2020, and half of all cases occur in women with no specific risk factor besides gender and age group. During the last four decades, we have seen a 40% reduction in age-standardized breast cancer mortality and have also witnessed a reduction in the medium age at diagnosis, which in turn means that the number of mastectomies performed for younger women increased, raising the need for adequate breast reconstructive surgery. Advances in oncological treatment have made it possible to limit the extent of what represents radical surgery for breast cancer, yet in the past decade, we have seen a marked trend toward mastectomies in breast-conserving surgery-eligible patients.

RediScore: Prospective validation of a pipeline for homologous recombination deficiency analysis.

Tumors harboring homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) are considered optimal candidates for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP) inhibitor treatment. Such deficiency can be detected by analyzing breast cancer type ( gene mutations, as well as mutations in other genes of the homologous recombination pathway. The algorithmic measurement of the HRD effect by identifying genomic instability (GI) has been used as biomarker.

Indocyanine Green (ICG) and Colorectal Surgery: A Literature Review on Qualitative and Quantitative Methods of Usage.

: Due to its many benefits, indocyanine green (ICG) has gained progressive popularity in operating rooms (ORs) globally. This literature review examines its qualitative and quantitative usage in surgical treatment. : Relevant terms were searched in five international databases (1.

A Decade of Therapeutic Challenges in Synchronous Gynecological Cancers from the Bucharest Oncological Institute.

The aim of our study is to present the particularities of a specific subset of gynecological cancer patients in Romania. We present a review of synchronous gynecological neoplasia (SGN) treated in the Bucharest Oncological Institute's surgery departments over a decade. Between 2012 and 2022, 7419 female patients with genital malignancies were treated.

Homologous Recombination Deficiency Score Determined by Genomic Instability in a Romanian Cohort.

The Homologous Recombination Deficiency (HRD) Score, determined by evaluating genomic instability through the assessment of loss of heterozygosity (LOH), telomeric allelic imbalance (TAI), and large-scale state transitions (LST), serves as a crucial biomarker for identifying patients who might benefit from targeted therapies, such as PARP inhibitors (PARPi). This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of HRD testing in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, tubal, and peritoneal cancer patients who are negative for somatic BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations and to evaluate the impact of HRD status on Bevacizumab and PARPi therapy response. A cohort of 100 Romanian female patients, aged 42-77, was initially selected.

The Bidirectional Relationship between Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer and pulmonary tuberculosis are two significant public health problems that continue to take millions of lives each year. They may have similar symptoms and, in some cases, are diagnosed simultaneously or may have a causal relationship. In tuberculosis disease, the chronic inflammation, different produced molecules, genomic changes, and fibrosis are believed to be important factors that may promote carcinogenesis.

New Targeted Therapies and Combinations of Treatments for Cervical, Endometrial, and Ovarian Cancers: A Year in Review.

This review of the meaningful data from 2021 on cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers aims to provide an update of the most clinically relevant studies presented at important oncologic congresses during the year (the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress and the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting). Despite the underlying existence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the last year has been notable in terms of research, with significant and promising advances in gynecological malignancies. Several major studies reporting the effects of innovative therapies for patients with cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers might change the medical practice in the future.

Biochemical and Metabolical Pathways Associated with Microbiota-Derived Butyrate in Colorectal Cancer and Omega-3 Fatty Acids Implications: A Narrative Review.

Knowledge regarding the influence of the microbial community in cancer promotion or protection has expanded even more through the study of bacterial metabolic products and how they can modulate cancer risk, which represents an extremely challenging approach for the relationship between intestinal microbiota and colorectal cancer (CRC). This review discusses research progress on the effect of bacterial dysbiosis from a metabolic point of view, particularly on the biochemical mechanisms of butyrate, one of the main short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) with anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties in CRC. Increased daily intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) significantly increases the density of bacteria that are known to produce butyrate.

Revisiting the Implications of Positive Germline Testing Results Using Multi-gene Panels in Breast Cancer Patients.

Background/aim: The use of multi-gene panels for germline testing in breast cancer enables the estimation of cancer risk and guides risk-reducing management options. The aim of this study was to present data that demonstrate the different levels of actionability for multi-gene panels used in genetic testing of breast cancer patients and their family members.

Materials And Methods: We performed an analysis in our clinical database to identify breast cancer patients undergoing genetic testing.

Highlights from the IOB Conference on Cancer, 20-22 May 2021 and the new research vision of The Institute of Oncology Prof. Dr. Alexandru Trestioreanu, Bucharest, Romania.

The latest edition of the Bucharest Institute of Oncology (IOB) Conference was held between 20 and 22 May 2021, in the capital of Romania. The conference was a hybrid event, with live and virtual participation and was attended by more than 1000 participants. The central theme was the value added by the tumor boards, underlining the significance of teamwork and collaboration between the different disciplines and oncology centers in the country.

The Management of Axillary Lymph Nodes in Breast Cancer - A Retrospective Single-Centre Study.

We are presenting the experience of our centre with the surgical treatment of breast cancer, by comparing the use of axillary node dissection with sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNLB). We have made a retrospective analysis of breast cancer cases in the Surgical Oncology Clinic no. 1, "Alexandru Trestioreanu" Oncology Institute, Bucharest, in the period between December 2019 and December 2020.

Highlights from the Romanian National Congress of Oncology: challenges in oncology in 2020, 15-17 October 2020 Poiana Brasov, Romania.

In a fast-moving world of change and adaptation, the first conference of the three oncology societies from Romania had as its main topic "The challenges in oncology in 2020". It proved to successfully replace a traditional conference by a virtually held event. Also, for the first time it united all oncology and radiotherapy societies under the same umbrella connected by the same aspirations of collaboration and sharing innovative ideas and progress for better cancer care and outcome in Romania.

Possible Influence of Weight Gain and Creatinine Levels in Predicting Response to Nivolumab: A Multicenter Analysis.

Literature suggests that high body mass index can be correlated with better response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. On the other hand, sarcopenia seems to be a negative predictive marker. The present analysis is a retrospective, multicenter trial that included patients with metastatic melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and renal cell carcinoma treated with nivolumab between 2018 and 2020.

Analysis of hereditary cancer syndromes by using a panel of genes: novel and multiple pathogenic mutations.

Background: Hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes are responsible for approximately 5-10% of all diagnosed cancer cases. In the past, single-gene analysis of specific high risk genes was used for the determination of the genetic cause of cancer heritability in certain families. The application of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology has facilitated multigene panel analysis and is widely used in clinical practice, for the identification of individuals with cancer predisposing gene variants.

APPLY: A prospective observational study of clinical practice patterns of darbepoetin alfa use in patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia in Romania.

Purpose: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the compliance of Romanian physicians with the national therapeutic protocol and international guidelines on treatment with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in anemic cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. The secondary objective was to assess the hemoglobin (Hb) level change due to anemia treatment and safety of darbepoetin alfa.

Methods: This was a single-arm, prospective, longitudinal, multicenter, observational study in patients with nonmyeloid malignancies and symptomatic chemotherapy-induced anemia treated concomitantly with darbepoetin alfa.

Adenocarcinoma versus pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor - case report.

Pancreatic cancer represents one of the most aggressive types of cancer, resulting in a late diagnosis and rapid death (poor overall survival). After adenocarcinoma (counting almost 80% of cases of pancreatic cancer), the second category, as frequency, is represented by the family of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). Pancreatic cancer is characterized by genetic heterogeneity and may results in different evolution among metastases, which may acquire driver mutations with the ability to transform under the action of several cancer treatments.

Cutaneous Toxicities of Molecular Targeted Therapies.

Antineoplastic targeted therapies, such as EGFR inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and BRAF inhibitors, frequently lead to systemic and cutaneous side effects, significantly affecting patient's quality of life. Patients with new targeted therapies have an increased risk of developing skin reactions. The new molecular target therapies developed in the last decades can induce severe skin reactions, which may require dose reduction or discontinuation of treatment and consequently, a decrease in patient's quality of life.

KRAS, NRAS and BRAF mutations in Greek and Romanian patients with colorectal cancer: a cohort study.

Objectives: Treatment decision-making in colorectal cancer is often guided by tumour tissue molecular analysis. The aim of this study was the development and validation of a high-resolution melting (HRM) method for the detection of KRAS, NRAS and BRAF mutations in Greek and Romanian patients with colorectal cancer and determination of the frequency of these mutations in the respective populations.

Setting: Diagnostic molecular laboratory located in Athens, Greece.

Therapy of small cell lung cancer with emphasis on oral topotecan.

Systemic chemotherapy plays the major role in the management of patients with small cell lung cancer. Cisplatin plus etoposide is the most widely used regimen and is considered as standard in patients with limited disease. Cisplatin plus irinotecan improved survival compared to cisplatin plus etoposide in a Japanese trial but failed to do so in two trials in Caucasians.