Mirtazapine as Appetite Stimulant in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Anorexia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Currently there is no standard therapy to improve cancer-related anorexia, hampering survival. Mirtazapine has been suggested as a feasible option in this context.

Objectives: To assess the effect of mirtazapine on appetite and energy consumption in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Modifying factors of PD-L1 expression on tumor cells in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Background: Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression predicts immunotherapy utility in nononcogenic addictive lung adenocarcinoma (ADC). However, its reproducibility and reliability may be compromised outside clinical trials. This study aimed to evaluate factors associated with PD-L1 expression in lung ADC.

Financial Toxicity Among Older Mexican Adults With Cancer and Their Families: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Purpose: The financial toxicity (FT) of cancer is common among older adults in high-income countries, but little is known about the financial hardships faced by older patients with cancer living in developing countries. The aim of this study was to explore the financial burden of cancer among older Mexican adults and their relatives, as well as factors that might mitigate such burden.

Methods: This mixed-methods study included patients age 65 years and older with the 10 most common malignancies in Mexico and 3-24 months from diagnosis at two cancer centers in Mexico City and their relatives.

Nitroglycerin Plus Whole Intracranial Radiation Therapy for Brain Metastases in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Randomized, Open-Label, Phase 2 Clinical Trial.

Purpose: Hypoxia has been associated with chemoradioresistance secondary to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor induced by hypoxia-induced factor (HIF). Nitroglycerin (NTG) can reduce HIF-1 in tissues, and this may have antiangiogenic, proapoptotic, and antiefflux effects. Particularly, epidermal growth factor-mutated (EGFRm) tumor cell lines have been shown to overexpress both vascular endothelial growth factor and HIF.

Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation in Patients With High-Risk Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Quality of Life and Neurocognitive Analysis of a Randomized Phase II Study.

Purpose: To this date, studies regarding the use of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) versus standard of care (SoC) for patients with non-small cell lung cancer have shown limited benefit in survival outcomes, in addition to the potential effects on quality of life (QoL) and neurocognitive function (NCF). This randomized, phase II study evaluated the role of PCI in QoL and NCF, in a population comprised of subjects at a high risk for development of brain metastases (BM).

Methods And Materials: Eligible patients had histologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer without baseline BM, harboring epidermal growth factor receptor mutations, anaplastic lymphoma kinase rearrangements, or elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) at diagnosis.

Risk of Developing Checkpoint Immune Pneumonitis and Its Effect on Overall Survival in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Previously Treated With Radiotherapy.

Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis (ICIP) is a potentially life threatening immune-related adverse event (irAE), especially in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Currently, the potential for increased irAE in patients who receive radiotherapy is scarcely known, although a connection between antitumor immune responses and irAEs has been suggested. In this study, we evaluated the development of ICIP in non-small cell lung cancer patients with prior radiotherapy, treated with immunotherapy in the second-line.

Brigatinib in -positive non-small cell lung cancer: real-world data in the Latin American population (Bri-world extend CLICaP).

Brigatinib has demonstrated its efficacy as first-line therapy and in further lines for -positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients; however, real-world data in Latin America are scarce. From January 2018 to March 2020, 46 patients with advanced -positive NSCLC received brigatinib as second or further line of therapy in Mexico and Colombia. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS); secondary end point was time to treatment discontinuation (TTD).

Cost-effectiveness analysis of first and second-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors as first line of treatment for patients with NSCLC harboring EGFR mutations.

Background: Tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have become the cornerstone treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer that harbor oncogenic EGFR mutations. The counterpart of these drugs is the financial burden that they impose, which often creates a barrier for accessing treatment in developing countries. The aim if the present study was to compare the cost-effectiveness of three different first and second generation TKIs.

The Role of a Cachexia Grading System in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Immunotherapy: Implications for Survival.

Objective: The association between cancer-induced weight-loss (CIWL) and poor clinical outcomes in patients treated with immunotherapy is scarcely understood. We evaluated the use of a cachexia-grading system in IO-treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in order to predict clinical outcomes.

Materials: 300 patients with NSCLC, who received immunotherapy during any line of therapy, were included.

Characteristics of non-small cell lung cancer: differences by sex and hormonal status in a Mexican population.

Objective: To analyze the differences in the clinico-pathological and molecular characteristics of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as well as the clinical outcome of patients by sex and hormonal status.

Materials And Methods: We performed a retrospective study among 1 104 NSCLC patients. Clinic-pathologic data was recorded and survival outcomes were compared between male and female sex patients, and further by pre and postmenopausal status in females.

Baseline Dysgeusia in Chemotherapy-Naïve Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients: Association with Nutrition and Quality of Life.

: Dysgeusia can be found in 50% of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Nonetheless, dysgeusia can be present in treatment-naïve patients, and may negatively impact nutrition and quality of life.: Treatment-naïve non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was assessed for dysgeusia using a self-reporting questionnaire and a rinse stimuli technique.

FAACT-Anorexia Cachexia Scale: Cutoff Value for Anorexia Diagnosis in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

Lung cancer (LC) has a high rate of anorexia, which negatively affects quality-of-life and prognosis; however prevalence values may vary as per diagnostic test. There is no standard for anorexia diagnosis, currently the anorexia cachexia scale (A/CS) has been proposed as a tool for diagnosing anorexia with a consensus cutoff value of ≤24, nonetheless a validated cutoff value is required. The A/CS was evaluated in advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients to establish a cutoff value.

Targeted next generation sequencing identified a high frequency genetic mutated profile in wood smoke exposure-related lung adenocarcinoma patients.

Background: Wood smoke exposure (WSE) has been associated with an increased risk of lung cancer development. WSE has been related with high frequency of EGFR mutations and low frequency of KRAS mutations. The aim of this study was to evaluate large scale genomic alterations in lung adenocarcinomas associated with WSE using targeted next generation sequencing.

Levels of peripheral blood polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells and selected cytokines are potentially prognostic of disease progression for patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Polymorphonuclear-MDSC (PMN-MDSC) have emerged as an independent prognostic factor for survival in NSCLC. Similarly, cytokine profiles have been used to identify subgroups of NSCLC patients with different clinical outcomes. This prospective study investigated whether the percentage of circulating PMN-MDSC, in conjunction with the levels of plasma cytokines, was more informative of disease progression than the analysis of either factor alone.

Characteristics of progression to tyrosine kinase inhibitors predict overall survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer harboring an mutation.

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring EGFR-sensitizing mutations has a distinct biology and heterogeneous clinical behavior. We evaluated the characteristics to progression such as clinical patterns of progression (dramatic, gradual, and local) with the prognosis of NSCLC patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).

Methods: We reviewed 123 advanced-NSCLC patients with an EGFR-sensitizing mutation treated with TKIs (gefitinib, erlotinib and afatinib).

The effect of nabilone on appetite, nutritional status, and quality of life in lung cancer patients: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial.

Background: Over one half of the patients diagnosed with advanced lung cancer experience anorexia. In addition to its high incidence, cancer-induced anorexia promotes the development of the anorexia-cachexia syndrome, which is related to poor clinical outcomes. Recently, drugs derived from cannabinoids, such as Nabilone, have been recognized for their appetite improvement properties; however, clinical trials to support their use in cancer patients are necessary.

Expression of PD-1/PD-L1 and PD-L2 in peripheral T-cells from non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Binding of programmed death-1 (PD-1) with its ligands (PD-L1/2) transmits a co-inhibitory signal in activated T-cells that promotes T-cell exhaustion, leading to tumor immune evasion. The efficacy of antibodies targeting PD-1 and PD-L1 has led to a paradigm shift in lung cancer treatment but the prognostic and predictive value of tumor PD-L1 expression remains controversial. Evaluating PD-1, PD-L1/2 expression in peripheral blood cells may serve as a potential biomarker for prognosis and response to therapy.

Survival of Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Enrolled in Clinical Trials.

Background: Up-to-date oncological therapy has been accomplished through the results of clinical trials (CTs). We analyzed the overall survival (OS) of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its relation to CT enrollment.

Methods: The study included 1,042 patients with advanced NSCLC treated at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología.

Randomized, open-label trial evaluating the preventive effect of tetracycline on afatinib induced-skin toxicities in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Background: Afatinib has shown long progression free survival and improvement in quality of life in advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients. Although afatinib causes acneiform rash, it can be manageable. Tetracyclines are usually used to treat it; nonetheless, there is no trial that evaluates their prophylactic efficacy on afatinib induced-skin toxicities (AIST).

Retinoic acid reduces solvent-induced neuropathy and promotes neural regeneration in mice.

In humans, exposure to organic solvents (OS) is frequent in work activities or as a recreational inhalant, inducing severe neuropathy (secondary to demyelization of peripheral nerves). We have previously shown that all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) increases local content of neural growth factor (NGF), improving peripheral neuropathy of diverse origins. In this study, we evaluated the effect of ATRA on OS-induced peripheral neuropathy in experimental mice.

Health-related quality of life in patients with lung cancer: validation of the Mexican-Spanish version and association with prognosis of the EORTC QLQ-LC13 questionnaire.

Introduction: Lung cancer (LC) is the first cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide and health-related quality of life (HRQL) is a fundamental outcome for evaluating treatment results. Our objective was to validate the Mexican-Spanish versions of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality-of-Life QLQ-LC13 disease-specific questionnaire module in Mexican patients with LC; and to explore the possible prognostic role of HRQL data.

Methods: Translation procedures followed EORTC guidelines.

Effectiveness and prognosis of initial pericardiocentesis in the primary management of malignant pericardial effusion.

We retrospectively reviewed the records of 100 patients with malignant disease and symptomatic pericardial effusion initially treated with pericardiocentesis at the National Cancer Institute of Mexico between 1985 and 2009. We analyzed predictive factors for recurrence of pericardial effusion by bi- and multivariate analyses. The group comprised 74 women and 26 men.