Publications by authors named "Elias Athanasiadis"
Ischemic bowel disease is considered a high-risk factor for infection from anaerobic bacteria, as the ischemic bowel is the perfect ground for their development. Herein, we present the case of an advance stage colon cancer patient with a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding and bacteremia due to , a rare anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium. The patient had presented with several episodes of hematochezia in the context of chronic superior mesenteric-portal vein tumor thrombosis and rupture of ectopic varices, and the bacteremia was an unexpected complication of the bowel ischemia due to a combination of arterial ischemia and venous congestion.
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- The study aimed to gather real-world data on the EGFR mutational profile and treatment strategies for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients after first/second-generation EGFR-TKI treatment.
- Ninety-six patients were enrolled in Greece, with re-biopsies conducted for some who were negative for the T790M mutation.
- Results showed that 21.9% of patients were T790M-positive, and those receiving third-generation EGFR-TKIs had better outcomes, highlighting the importance of mutational status and treatment choices in improving response rates and progression-free survival.
To retrospectively characterize real-world therapeutic strategies, clinical outcomes and attrition rates with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), before first-line osimertinib approval, in -mutated advanced/metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer patients in Greece. Among 160 patients, the discontinuation rate for first-line first- or second-generation EGFR-TKIs was 85%; among these patients, 43% did not receive any second-line therapy and 9.4% died during an 18.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer in Europe, with 1.931.590 people newly diagnosed in 2020.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA Real-World, Observational, Prospective Study to Assess the Molecular Epidemiology of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor () Mutations upon Progression on or after First-Line Therapy with a First- or Second-Generation EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor in Mutation-Positive Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: The 'LUNGFUL' Study.
Cancers (Basel)
June 2021
Article Synopsis
- A study in Greece investigated resistance mutations in advanced NSCLC patients treated with EGFR-TKIs, focusing on real-world data for T790M mutations at disease progression.* -
- Out of 96 enrolled patients, 98% were tested with plasma samples, revealing a T790M mutation rate of 16.0% in liquid biopsies, with a total positivity rate of 21.9% across both testing methods.* -
- Findings indicated a lower T790M positivity rate than previous studies, and highlighted challenges in routine care, as fewer than 25% of patients with negative plasma results underwent necessary tissue re-biopsies.*
Background: Analysis of circulating tumor nucleic acids in plasma of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients is the most widespread and documented form of "liquid biopsy" and provides real-time information on the molecular profile of the tumor without an invasive tissue biopsy.
Methods: Liquid biopsy analysis was requested by the referral physician in 121 NSCLC patients at diagnosis and was performed using a sensitive Next Generation Sequencing assay. Additionally, a comparative analysis of NSCLC patients at relapse following EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor (TKIs) treatment was performed in 50 patients by both the cobas and NGS platforms.
Non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer and a tumor with a broad spectrum of targeted therapies already available or in clinical trials. Thus, molecular characterization of the tumor using next generation sequencing (NGS) technology, has become a key tool for facilitating treatment decisions and the clinical management of NSCLC patients. The performance of a custom 23 gene multiplex amplification hot spot panel, based on Ion AmpliSeq™ technology, was evaluated for the analysis of tumor DNA extracted from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: 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.