Seeing the Trees From the Forest: Challenges in Subgroup Analysis-Based Guidelines in Oncology.

As clinical trials in oncology require substantial efforts, maximizing the insights gained from them by conducting subgroup analyses is often attempted. The goal of these analyses is to identify subgroups of patients who are likely to benefit, as well as the subgroups of patients who are unlikely to benefit from the studied intervention. International guidelines occasionally include or exclude novel medications and technologies for specific subpopulations based on such analyses of pivotal trials without requiring confirmatory trials.

Converging survival trends in non-small cell lung cancer patients with and without brain metastasis receiving state-of-the-art treatment.

Introduction: Historically, patients with brain metastasis (BM) have been excluded from clinical trials investigating treatments for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) due to their unfavorable prognosis. Advanced treatments have increased survival prospects for NSCLC patients with BM. This study evaluated the life expectancy of NSCLC patients with and without BM in the context of contemporary treatments.

Nivolumab in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Real World Long-Term Survival Results and Blood-Based Efficacy Biomarkers.

Objectives: We aimed to examine clinical data and baseline blood test results as potential predictive biomarkers for benefit from nivolumab, in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients (NSCLC).

Materials And Methods: A chart review was performed of 108 advanced NSCLC patients who commenced treatment with nivolumab between 2015-6 at three Israeli cancer centers, and for whom laboratory tests results were available. Data collected included sex, age, ECOG-PS, histology and number of previous lines of treatment.

Rechallenge Strategy in Cancer Therapy.

Drug resistance is one of the most important factors limiting the success of systemic anticancer therapy in achieving cure or prolonged overall survival. In clinical practice, resistant disease describes cancer that is found to have progressed since the time of treatment initiation. The term "drug resistant" is often used synonymously with "progressive disease" when referring to a treated tumour.

Effectiveness and safety of nivolumab in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: The real-life data.

Objectives: Nivolumab has recently received regulatory approval as a 2nd-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The data regarding its effectiveness and safety in real life setting is lacking.

Materials And Methods: 260 consecutive patients with advanced NSCLC treated with nivolumab at five Israeli cancer centers between January 2015 and March 2016 were evaluated for overall survival (OS) and toxicity.

Perception of prognosis of cancer patients by non-oncologists.

Background: Data are lacking regarding the perception of cancer patients' prognosis by physicians who are not oncologists.

Methods: This was a multicenter survey of seven university-affiliated hospitals, assessing physicians' perception of the median survival of patients with seven advanced malignancies. The study cohort included physicians from all 73 internal medicine, surgery, emergency medicine and critical care departments in the participating hospitals.

Activity of cabazitaxel after docetaxel and abiraterone acetate therapy in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Background: Cabazitaxel and AA have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use after docetaxel in mCRPC. Recently, CAB appeared to be active when given after AA. AA is capable of inducing AR splice variants that confer ligand-independent AR transactivation.

Does sunitinib-induced hypothyroidism play a role in the activity of sunitinib in metastatic renal cell carcinoma?

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate if hypothyroidism developing during sunitib therapy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) is associated with a better outcome.

Methods: Thirty-one consecutive patients with clear cell mRCC were retrospectively analyzed. Thyroid function was assessed prior to therapy, every 6 weeks during the first 6 months and every 2-4 months thereafter.