Publications by authors named "Elise Nassif Haddad"

Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are a group of rare cancers, among which nuclear protein in testis (NUT) sarcomas represent an ultra-rare subset driven by gene fusions. This article presents two unique cases of NUT sarcomas and conducts a comprehensive review of the literature to include an additional 61 cases. Our review reveals that NUT sarcoma exhibits a slightly higher incidence among women (male-to-female ratio of 1:1.

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Background: The efficacy of immunotherapies in soft-tissue sarcomas (STSs) is limited, and biomarkers of response are lacking. The lung immune prognostic index (LIPI) is a prognostic biomarker used with immunotherapy across cancer types. This study investigates the association of LIPI with the disease control rate (DCR) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with STS treated with immunotherapy versus other therapies in early-phase trials.

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Article Synopsis
  • - This study evaluated the outcomes of patients with low grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LG-ESS), particularly focusing on recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) associated with different hormonal therapies during treatment from 2000 to 2023.
  • - Among 221 patients, surgery was the primary treatment, and while there was no significant difference in RFS and OS between the hormonal therapies Megace and Letrozole, Megace showed better OS during recurrence.
  • - Factors like negative status of estrogen, smooth muscle actin, and desmin were linked to poorer survival rates, suggesting the need for further research to optimize treatment strategies for LG-ESS.
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Background: Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas (UPSs) are amongst the most common subtypes of soft-tissue sarcomas. Few real-world data on the use of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in UPS patients and other high-grade pleomorphic STS patients are available.

Purpose: The purpose of our study is to describe the efficacy and toxicity of ICB in patients with advanced UPSs and other high-grade pleomorphic sarcomas treated at our institution.

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The vast majority of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are driven by activating mutations in , , or components of the succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) complex (, , , and genes). A small fraction of GISTs lack alterations in , , and . We aimed to further characterize the clinical and genomic characteristics of these so-called "triple-negative" GISTs.

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Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is an aggressive subtype of soft tissue sarcoma that arises from smooth muscle cells, most commonly in the uterus and retroperitoneum. LMS is a heterogeneous disease with diverse clinical and molecular characteristics that have yet to be fully understood. Molecular profiling has uncovered possible targets amenable to treatment, though this has yet to translate into approved targeted therapies in LMS.

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Ripretinib and avapritinib have demonstrated activity in the late-line treatment of gastrointestinal stomal tumors (GISTs). We investigated whether patients previously treated with ripretinib benefit from avapritinib, and vice versa. Patients diagnosed with metastatic/unresectable GIST and treated with both drugs at two institutions in 2000-2021 were included.

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Article Synopsis
  • A randomized phase 2 trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies (nivolumab and nivolumab/ipilimumab) in patients with resectable retroperitoneal DDLPS and extremity/truncal UPS.
  • The primary endpoint of pathologic response showed a median hyalinization of 8.8% in DDLPS and 89% in UPS, with secondary endpoints focusing on immune changes and survival rates over time.
  • Results indicated that lower pre-treatment regulatory T cell densities correlated with better pathological outcomes, and that neoadjuvant ICB led to significant immune changes and benefits, particularly in patients with UPS when combined with radiation therapy
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