Circulating free tumor-derived DNA to detect mutations in patients with advanced NSCLC: French subset analysis of the ASSESS study.

Background: The non-interventional ASSESS study (NCT01785888) evaluated the utility of circulating free tumor-derived DNA (ctDNA) from plasma for epidermal growth factor receptor () mutation testing in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), in a real-world setting across 56 centers in Europe and Japan. The high mutation status concordance between 1162 matched tissue/cytology and plasma samples (89%, sensitivity =46%, specificity =97%) suggested that ctDNA is a feasible sample for mutation analysis. We report data for the French subset of patients (pre-planned analysis).

Prediagnosis weight loss, a stronger factor than BMI, to predict survival in patients with lung cancer.

Objectives: Recent studies have demonstrated that elevated BMI is associated with improved survival in patients with lung cancer. According to the authors, this "obesity paradox" could be a true benefit or a spurious relationship. In this context, data from the French KBP-2010-CPHG cohort (7,051 patients followed up for primary lung cancer diagnosed in 2010 in the respiratory medicine departments of 104 nonacademic hospitals) were analyzed.

Anti-tumour effect of low molecular weight heparin in localised lung cancer: a phase III clinical trial.

The anti-tumour and anti-metastatic properties of heparins have not been tested in patients with early stage cancer. Whether adjuvant low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) tinzaparin impacts the survival of patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was investigated.Patients with completely resected stage I, II or IIIA NSCLC were randomly allocated to receive subcutaneous tinzaparin 100 IU·kg once a day for 12 weeks or no treatment in addition to standard of care.

Erlotinib versus carboplatin and paclitaxel in advanced lepidic adenocarcinoma: IFCT-0504.

The IFCT-0504 phase II trial evaluated the efficacy of erlotinib versus carboplatin-paclitaxel (CP) as first-line treatment in 130 cases of advanced lepidic-predominant adenocarcinoma (ADC).The primary objective of the study was treatment efficacy, evaluated based on an end-point of disease control at 16 weeks.The primary objective was met, with a disease control in 35 (53%) out of 66 patients treated with CP and in 25 (39.

Prospective screening for ALK: clinical features and outcome according to ALK status.

The aim of this study was to analyse the clinico-pathological characteristics and outcomes of a cohort of French patients who were prospectively screened for Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) rearrangement. One hundred and sixteen consecutive patients screened for ALK rearrangement to be recruited into a crizotinib registration trial were included from eight French centres. ALK rearrangement was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Assessment of palliative care for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer in France: a prospective observational multicenter study (GFPC 0804 study).

Introduction: Few studies assessed, in real life, symptoms, specific interventions and factors influencing palliative care (PC) initiation for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The objective of this study was to examine, in a prospective cohort of advanced NSCLC patients, PC use and factors associated with early (≤3 months after diagnosis) PC initiation.

Methods: It was an observational multicenter study.