Targeting CDK2 to circumvent treatment resistance in HR breast cancer.

Genetic and epigenetic defects of the p53 system have previously been associated with resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors in women with HR breast cancer. Recent data from Kudo et al. demonstrate that CDK2-targeting agents may offer an effective strategy to circumvent such resistance by enforcing cellular senescence downstream of RBL2 dephosphorylation.

Prognostic value of atypical B cells in breast cancer.

The impact of tumor-infiltrating B cells on breast cancer (BRCA) outcomes remains poorly understood. Recent findings from Yang et al. identify an atypical, clonally expanded population of activated Fc receptor-like 4 (FCRL4) B cells that is associated with improved overall survival in patients affected by various tumor types, including BRCA.

Immunotherapy in Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: A Diamond to Cut.

A raise in the incidence of NENs is expected. Therefore, the identification of new therapeutic strategies, such as immunotherapy, remains crucial. To date, immune checkpoint inhibitors as monotherapy have shown modest activity in unselected NENs.

Thrombosis and infections associated with PICC in onco-hematological patients, what is their relevance?

Purpose: Peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICC) in the onco-hematological patients may be associated with thrombosis or infections that may have short- to medium-term repercussions.

Material And Methods: Single-centre retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected cohort. Primary objective was to establish the PICC-thrombosis and infections incidence.

Deconstructing neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in early breast cancer: lack of prognostic utility and biological correlates across tumor subtypes.

Purpose: The prognostic utility and biological correlates of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a potential biomarker of the balance between immune response and the inflammatory status, are still uncertain in breast cancer (BC).

Methods: We analysed a cohort of 959 women with early breast cancer, mostly treated with neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy. Clinical and pathological data, survival, NLR (continuous and categorical) and stromal tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (sTIL) were evaluated.

Toxicities and Quality of Life during Cancer Treatment in Advanced Solid Tumors.

The purpose of the study was to identify subgroups of advanced cancer patients who experienced grade 3-4 toxicities as reported by their oncologists as well as identify the demographic, clinical, and treatment symptom characteristics as well as QoL outcomes associated with distinct profiles of each patient. A prospective, multicenter, observational study was conducted with advanced cancer patients of 15 different hospitals across Spain. After three months of systemic cancer treatment, participants completed questionnaires that evaluated psychological distress (BSI-18), quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30) and fatigue (FAS).

Clinical Meaning of Stromal Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (sTIL) in Early Luminal B Breast Cancer.

Luminal breast cancer (BC) is associated with less immune activation, and the significance of stromal lymphocytic infiltration (sTIL) is more uncertain than in other BC subtypes. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive and prognostic value of sTIL in early luminal BC. The study was performed with an observational design in a prospective cohort of 345 patients with predominantly high-risk luminal (hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative) BC and with luminal B features ( = 286), in which the presence of sTIL was analyzed with validated methods.

A new prognostic model including immune biomarkers, genomic proliferation tumor markers ( and ) and clinical-pathological features optimizes prognosis in neoadjuvant breast cancer patients.

Background: Up to 30% of breast cancer (BC) patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) will relapse. Our objective was to analyze the predictive capacity of several markers associated with immune response and cell proliferation combined with clinical parameters.

Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective cohort study of BC patients treated with NCT (2001-2010), in whom pretreatment biomarkers were analyzed: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in peripheral blood, CD3+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and gene expression of AURKA, MYBL2 and MKI67 using qRT-PCR.

Uncertainty and hope in relation to anxiety and depression in advanced lung cancer.

Objectives: Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) has been linked to greater psychological distress, whereas hope appears to act as a protective factor against in patients with cancer. The aim of this study is to analyse the modifying effect of uncertainty in the presence of anxiety and depression in patients with advanced lung cancer.

Methods: Multicentre, prospective, observational, cross-sectional study of 145 individuals with advanced lung cancer.

Prognostic and Predictive Effects of Tumor and Plasma miR-200c-3p in Locally Advanced and Metastatic Breast Cancer.

While the role of miR-200c in cancer progression has been established, its expression and prognostic role in breast cancer is not completely understood. The predictive role of miR-200c in response to chemotherapy has also been suggested by some studies, but only limited clinical evidence is available. The purpose of this study was to investigate miR-200c-3p in the plasma and primary tumor of BC patients.

Persistent Large Granular Lymphocyte Clonal Expansions: "The Root of Many Evils"-And of Some Goodness.

Large granular lymphocyte leukemia (LGLL) is a chronic disease of either mature phenotype cytotoxic CD3+ T lymphocytes or CD3- NK cells. LGLL diagnosis is hampered by the fact that reactive persistent clonal LGL expansions may fulfill the current criteria for LGLL diagnoses. In addition to the presence of characteristic clinical and hematological signs such as anemia or neutropenia, LGLL/LGL clonal expansions have been associated with an array of conditions/disorders.

Protective ostomies in ovarian cancer surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To assess the benefit of protective ostomies on anastomotic leak rate, urgent re-operations, and mortality due to anastomotic leak complications in ovarian cancer surgery.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in MEDLINE, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for all studies on anastomotic leak and ostomy formation related to ovarian cancer surgery.

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in metastatic breast cancer is not an independent predictor of survival, but depends on other variables.

The prognostic impact of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) has been previously evaluated in early and metastatic mixed breast cancer cohorts or without considering other relevant prognostic factors. Our aim was to determine whether NLR prognostic and predictive value in MBC was dependent on other clinical variables. We studied a consecutive retrospective cohort of patients with MBC from a single centre, with any type of first line systemic treatment.