Neoadjuvant Pembrolizumab Plus Chemotherapy in Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Nationwide Retrospective Turkish Oncology Group Study.

Following the results of the phase 3 KEYNOTE-522 trial, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved pembrolizumab, a humanized IgG4 kappa monoclonal antibody, in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy as a new standard of care for high-risk early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Management of the Axilla After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Can Axillary Needle Biopsy Replace Sentinel Node Biopsy?

Background/aim: The aim of the study was to investigate whether it is possible to evaluate the axilla after treatment without performing sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in breast cancer patients with biopsy-proven axillary lymph node metastases who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

Patients And Methods: This prospective, randomized, clinically designed study included patients with clinical T and biopsy-proven N breast cancer. Prior to the surgery scheduled after NAC, the patients were randomized into two groups.

Adjuvant Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) plus Docetaxel-Cisplatin-Fluorouracil (DCF) versus CRT plus Fluorouracil-Folinic Acid (FUFA) in Stage III Gastric Cancer.

Introduction: Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is the optimal management strategy in resectable gastric cancer. There is a debate about the efficacy of more aggressive CRT plus chemotherapy regimens in adjuvant setting. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of adjuvant CRT plus docetaxel-cisplatin-fluorouracil (DCF) versus CRT plus fluorouracil-folinic acid (FUFA) in stage III gastric cancer.

Predictive significance of inflammatory markers and mGPS in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with abiraterone or enzalutamide.

Background: Prostate cancer is a prevalent cancer in men worldwide, and castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is characterized by disease progression despite androgen deprivation therapy. While clinical and prognostic biomarkers have been identified in CRPC, the significance of serum inflammatory markers remains unclear.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 79 CRPC patients treated with abiraterone or enzalutamide.

Impact of SPARC expression on treatment response of pembrolizumab and brain metastasis in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) often exhibits elevated Secreted Protein Acidic and Cysteine-Rich (SPARC) expression. In this study, we investigated the impact of SPARC expression on clinicopathologic features, pembrolizumab response, and prognosis in metastatic NSCLC patients.

Methods: Thirty-six patients diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC without actionable driver mutation and who received pembrolizumab with or without chemotherapy were included in this study.

The Prognostic Role of Mismatch Repair Status and CDX-2 Expression with Inflammatory Markers and Pathological Risk Factors in Stage II and III Colon Cancer: Multicenter Real-Life Data.

Objective: Colorectal cancer is common worldwide, and adjuvant treatment's benefit is still controversial. We designed this study to determine the role of MSI and CDX-2 status determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) combined with the inflammatory markers and pathological parameters in predicting disease recurrence in stage II and III colon cancer.

Methods: A total of 226 stage II/III colon cancer patients with a median age of 59 years who underwent initial surgery were included in this retrospective study.

Worse patient-physician relationship is associated with more fear of cancer recurrence (Deimos Study): A study of the Palliative Care Working Committee of the Turkish Oncology Group (TOG).

Objective: Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is an important psychological trauma associated with reduction in the quality of life, disruptions in the level of adjustment, emotional distress and anxiety. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of patient-physician relationship on FCR.

Methods: The study was designed as a multicentre survey study.

Posttraumatic growth and death anxiety in caregivers of cancer patients: PHOENIX study.

Background/aim: Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is defined as positive psychological changes following a challenging or traumatic life event. The purpose of this study is to define the predictors of PTG and death anxiety (DAN) in caregivers of cancer patients and evaluate the impact of DAN on PTG.

Materials And Methods: The caregivers of cancer patients were evaluated using structured questionnaires, including a validated PTG scale and Templer death anxiety scale.

Perspective of Turkish Medicine Students on Cancer, Cancer Treatments, Palliative Care, and Oncologists (ARES Study): a Study of the Palliative Care Working Committee of the Turkish Oncology Group (TOG).

Cancer is one of the most common causes of death all over the World (Rahib et al. in Cancer Res 74(11):2913-2921, 2014; Silbermann et al. in Ann Oncol 23(Suppl 3):iii15-iii28, 2012).

Diagnostic serum vitamin D level is not a reliable prognostic factor for resectable breast cancer.

Aim: There are inconsistent results about the effects of vitamin D level on breast cancer prognosis. We aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin D levels on the prognosis of resectable breast cancer in a patient group with highly different clothing styles.

Patients & Methods: A total of 186 breast cancer patients were enrolled in the study.

Is Change in Hemoglobin Level a Predictive Biomarker of Tyrosine Kinase Efficacy in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma? A Turkish Oncology Group Study.

Background: There are insufficient predictive markers for renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Methods: A total of 308 metastatic RCC patients were analyzed retrospectively.

Results: The increased hemoglobin (Hb) group had significantly higher progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) compared with the decreased Hb group at 11.

Vaccination in oncology practice and predictors.

Purpose: Despite, vaccination is a highly effective and widely recommended for prevention of certain infections, vaccination coverage is very low. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the attitudes of medical oncologists towards vaccination and to identify predictors of intention to recommend vaccination in patients with cancer.

Methods: A structured questionnaire is formed to evaluate the daily practice of vaccination.

Radiation-Induced Tumor Lysis Syndrome in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is an important oncological emergency that is usually observed with hematological malignancies and rarely with solid tumors. It can be induced either by therapy or spontaneously. Radiotherapy-induced TLS has been rarely reported in the literature.

Breast cancer survivors suffer from persistent postmastectomy pain syndrome and posttraumatic stress disorder (ORTHUS study): a study of the palliative care working committee of the Turkish Oncology Group (TOG).

Purpose: Persistent postmastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS) is one of the most important disturbing symptoms. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder which is characterized by reactions to reminders of the trauma that has been experienced. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the predictors of PMPS and PTSD in Turkish breast cancer survivors and the correlation between PMPS and PTSD.

An unusual case of recurrent endometrial cancer presented with isolated cervical lymph node metastasis.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract. Lymph node involvement is one of the major prognostic factors. Therefore, pelvic and paraaortic lymph nodes dissection is a part of the surgical management of these patients.