Atypical cancer risk profile in carriers of Italian founder BRCA1 variant p.His1673del: Implications for classification and clinical management.

Background: BRCA1:c.5017_5019del (p.His1673del) is a founder variant relatively frequent in Northern Italy.

Case report: Immune response characterization of a pseudoprogression in a PD-L1-negative, TMB-low, co-mutated metastatic NSCLC.

A patient with a PD-L1-negative, TMB-low, co-mutated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) experienced a multisite radiological progression at 3 months after initiation of chemoimmunotherapy as first-line treatment for metastatic disease. After the radiological progression, while she was not undergoing treatment, the patient had spontaneous lesions shrinkage and further achieved a prolonged complete response. Genomic and transcriptomic data collected at baseline and at the time of pseudoprogression allowed us to biologically characterize this rare response pattern.

Advancing precision oncology through systematic germline and tumor genetic analysis: The oncogenetic point of view on findings from a prospective multicenter clinical trial of 666 patients.

Introduction: With the emergence of targeted therapies, there is a need to accurately identify more tumor biomarkers. The EXOMA trial was designed to offer tumor and germline exome sequencing (ES) to patients with solid malignant tumors and facing therapeutic failure. As hereditary cancer predispositions could be identified, with genetic counseling and health management implications, a genetic consultation was systematically established.

Custom multi‑tumor next‑generation sequencing panel for routine molecular diagnosis of solid tumors: Validation and results from three‑year clinical use.

Molecular testing is extremely important in cancer care, starting as early as at diagnosis. In order to address the challenge of providing reliable results within the timeframe adapted to patient management and suitable to guide clinical decisions, a capture‑based next‑generation sequencing (NGS) panel focusing on ten genes known to harbor genetic variations which may be targeted by approved drugs in patients with cancer was designed and validated. Very favorable analytical performances were obtained for both solid and liquid biopsies.

Parallel evolution and differences in seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody between patients with cancer and health care workers in a tertiary cancer centre during the first and second wave of COVID-19 pandemic: canSEROcov-II cross-sectional study.

Background: Patients with cancer are a population at high risk of severe infection from SARS-CoV-2. Patients with cancer regularly attend specialised healthcare centres for management and treatment, where they are in contact with healthcare workers (HCWs). Numerous recommendations target both patients with cancer and HCWs to minimise the spread of SARS-CoV-2 during these interactions.

A novel POLD1 pathogenic variant identified in two families with a cancer spectrum mimicking Lynch syndrome.

The POLD1 gene is involved in DNA proofreading to ensure accurate DNA replication. Some germline alterations in its exonuclease domain are associated with predisposition to cancers and colonic polyps. Only a few pathogenic variants have been clearly identified so far.

Classification of 101 BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants of uncertain significance by cosegregation study: A powerful approach.

Up to 80% of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic variants remain of uncertain clinical significance (VUSs). Only variants classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic can guide breast and ovarian cancer prevention measures and treatment by PARP inhibitors. We report the first results of the ongoing French national COVAR (cosegregation variant) study, the aim of which is to classify BRCA1/2 VUSs.

Does large NGS panel analysed using exome tumour sequencing improve the management of advanced non-small-cell lung cancers?

Introduction: Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common and deadly cancers. Several molecular drivers of oncogene addiction are now known to be strong predictive biomarkers for target therapies. Advances in large Next Generation Sequencing (LNGS) have improved the ability to detect potentially targetable mutations.

TCR Clonality and Genomic Instability Signatures as Prognostic Biomarkers in High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer.

Purpose: Immune infiltration is a prognostic factor in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC) but immunotherapy efficacy is disappointing. Genomic instability is now used to guide the therapeutic value of PARP inhibitors. We aimed to investigate exome-derived parameters to assess the tumor microenvironment according to genomic instability profile.

TUMOSPEC: A Nation-Wide Study of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Families with a Predicted Pathogenic Variant Identified through Multigene Panel Testing.

Assessment of age-dependent cancer risk for carriers of a predicted pathogenic variant (PPV) is often hampered by biases in data collection, with a frequent under-representation of cancer-free PPV carriers. TUMOSPEC was designed to estimate the cumulative risk of cancer for carriers of a PPV in a gene that is usually tested in a hereditary breast and ovarian cancer context. Index cases are enrolled consecutively among patients who undergo genetic testing as part of their care plan in France.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among the staff and patients of a French cancer centre after first lockdown: The canSEROcov study.

Background: In view of the potential gravity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection for patients with cancer, epidemiological data are vital to assess virus circulation among patients and staff of cancer centres. We performed a prospective study to investigate seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among staff and patients with cancer at a large cancer centre, at the end of the period of first national lockdown in France and to determine factors associated with the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods: After the first lockdown, all medical and non-medical staff, as well as all patients attending the medical oncology department were invited to undergo serological testing for SARS-CoV-2 between 11 May and 30 June 2020.

Incidental findings in a series of 2500 gene panel tests for a genetic predisposition to cancer: Results and impact on patients.

With next generation sequencing, physicians are faced with more complex and uncertain data, particularly incidental findings (IF). Guidelines for the return of IF have been published by learned societies. However, little is known about how patients are affected by these results in a context of oncogenetic testing.

Secondary findings from whole-exome/genome sequencing evaluating stakeholder perspectives. A review of the literature.

With the development of next generation sequencing, beyond identifying the cause of manifestations that justified prescription of the test, other information with potential interest for patients and their families, defined as secondary findings (SF), can be provided once patients have given informed consent, in particular when therapeutic and preventive options are available. The disclosure of such findings has caused much debate. The aim of this work was to summarize all opinion-based studies focusing on SF, so as to shed light on the concerns that this question generate.

[CA 125 assay in the extension assessment of newly diagnosed breast cancers: why and how?].

CA 125 assay is sometimes combined in practice with the one of CA 15-3 and CEA in the extension assessment of breast cancers. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the contribution of the initial CA 125 as an indicator of distant metastases (DM) or of serous inflammation (SI). This retrospective study concerns a population of 620 patients with breast cancer without metastatic extension (n=325) or metastatic breast cancer (n=295) diagnosed at the Georges-François Leclerc center from 1998 to 2014.

Clinical value of CEA for detection of distant metastases in newly diagnosed breast cancer: comparison with CA 15-3.

The aim of the study is to investigate the clinical value of CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) for detection of distant metastases (DM) in newly diagnosed breast cancer. This retrospective study focuses on a population of 929 patients with locally advanced breast cancer (n=521) or metastatic breast cancer (n=408) diagnosed at the CGFL (Centre Georges Francois Leclerc) from 1998 to 2014. These patients underwent a measurement of CA 15-3, a measurement of CEA and an assessment of extension before any treatment.

Clinical value of CA 15-3 for detection of distant metastases in newly diagnosed breast cancer.

The aim of the study is to investigate the clinical value of CA 15-3 for detection of distant metastases (DM) in newly diagnosed breast cancer. This retrospective study focuses on a population of 1,007 patients with locally advanced breast cancer (n=561) or metastatic breast cancer (n=446) diagnosed at the CGFL (Centre Georges Francois Leclerc) from March 1998 to October 2013. These patients underwent a measurement of CA 15-3 and an assessment of extension before any treatment.

Identification and validation of a factor of commutability between platelet counts performed on EDTA and citrate.

The anticoagulant mostly employed for platelet count is EDTA. The Francophone Group of Cellular Hematology recommends checking of blood smear stained with May-Grünwald Giemsa any thrombocytopenia less than 100 G/L without medical history or whether an alarm is generated by the cell counter. The pseudo-thrombocytopenia (PTP) with EDTA is the best known artifact in platelet count.

[Validation steps for the detection of L858R mutation in EGFR gene by real time quantitative PCR].

Since January 16(th) 2010, the French legislation requires that the medical laboratories must be accredited according to ISO 15189 standards. This concerned all the biological medical technics, including molecular biology technics. In this work, we described the validation steps by real time quantitative PCR of L858R mutation in EGFR gene, frequently detected in non-small lung cancers (NSCLC).

[CEA and early detection of relapse in breast cancer subtypes: Comparison with CA 15-3].

This retrospective study evaluates the interest of CEA measurement for early detection of breast cancer recurrences. Among 804 patients with invasive breast cancer, we selected 97 patients without recurrence (WR) for 5 years or more, 32 with a local recurrence (LR) and 131 with at least one distant metastasis (DM). Elevated CEA and CA 15-3 levels (>3.

Restoring Anticancer Immune Response by Targeting Tumor-Derived Exosomes With a HSP70 Peptide Aptamer.

Background: Exosomes, via heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expressed in their membrane, are able to interact with the toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) on myeloid-derived suppressive cells (MDSCs), thereby activating them.

Methods: We analyzed exosomes from mouse (C57Bl/6) and breast, lung, and ovarian cancer patient samples and cultured cancer cells with different approaches, including nanoparticle tracking analysis, biolayer interferometry, FACS, and electron microscopy. Data were analyzed with the Student's t and Mann-Whitney tests.

[Clinical value of CA 15-3 for early detection of relapse in locally advanced breast cancer].

This retrospective study evaluates the interest of CA 15-3 measurement for early detection of breast cancer recurrences. Among 804 patients with invasive breast cancer we selected 117 patients without recurrence (WR) for 5 years or more, 33 with a local recurrence (LR) and 149 with at least one distant metastasis (DM). The sensitivity of CA 15-3 depends on the type of recurrence ([LR] or [DM]), the localization of unique DM, the presence and the number of metastatic sites, on hormonal receptor status and tumor subtypes.