Lung cancer in never smokers from the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

Introduction: Lung cancer in never smokers represents a distinct epidemiological, clinical, and molecular entity.

Results: Most 712 never smoking lung cancer patients were female (72%) with a median age at diagnosis of 62.2 years (18-94).

Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) IND211: A randomized trial of pelareorep (Reolysin) in patients with previously treated advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer receiving standard salvage therapy.

Objectives: Pelareorep (reolysin), a Dearing strain of reovirus serotype 3, has demonstrated oncolytic activity as single agent and synergy with chemotherapy. We evaluated pelareorep, combined with standard second-line chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials And Methods: This randomized phase II trial enrolled patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC after first line chemotherapy.

A Randomized Phase II Study of FOLFOX6/Bevacizumab With or Without Pelareorep in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: IND.210, a Canadian Cancer Trials Group Trial.

Background: Oncolytic reovirus pelareorep might preferentially infect and destroy rat sarcoma (RAS)-activated cells, and has preclinical and early clinical activity against colorectal cancer (CRC).

Patients And Methods: After a 6-patient safety run-in, 103 patients with metastatic CRC were randomly assigned to standard first-line leucovorin/5-FU/oxaliplatin (FOLFOX6)/bevacizumab (FOLFOX/BEV) every 2 weeks with (n = 51) or without (n = 52) pelareorep 3 × 10 tissue culture infective dose 50 on days 1 to 5 (cycles 1, 2, 4, and alternate cycles thereafter). The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS).

Prognostic and predictive effects of TP53 co-mutation in patients with EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Introduction: TP53 mutations are common in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and have been reported as prognostic of poor outcome. The impact of TP53 co-mutations in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated NSCLC is unclear.

Materials And Methods: Tissue from 105 patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre was analyzed by next-generation or Sanger sequencing to determine TP53 mutational status.

Association of BRM promoter polymorphisms and esophageal adenocarcinoma outcome.

Purpose: Brahma (BRM) is a critical catalytic subunit of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex; expression of BRM is commonly lost in various cancer types. BRM promoter polymorphisms (BRM-741; BRM-1321) are associated with loss of BRM expression, and with cancer risk/survival. We evaluated these two polymorphisms in the overall survival (OS) of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) patients.

Treatment options for patients with brain metastases from EGFR/ALK-driven lung cancer.

Introduction: Brain metastases in EGFR/ALK-driven NSCLC frequently pose treatment dilemmas. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) can control extracranial disease, but radiotherapy is often required for intracranial control. We aimed to evaluate the impact of first-line whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), stereotactic radiotherapy (SRS) or TKI alone on outcomes of patients with brain metastases from EGFR/ALK-driven NSCLC.

ALK-Rearranged Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Is Associated With a High Rate of Venous Thromboembolism.

Background: Patients with lung cancer are at increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), particularly those receiving chemotherapy. It is estimated that 8% to 15% of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) experience a VTE in the course of their disease. The incidence in patients with specific molecular subtypes of NSCLC is unknown.

Biomarkers That Currently Affect Clinical Practice in Lung Cancer: EGFR, ALK, MET, ROS-1, and KRAS.

Lung cancer remains the most lethal malignancy in the world. Despite improvements in surgical treatment, systemic therapy, and radiotherapy, the 5-year survival rate for all patients diagnosed with lung cancer remains between 15 and 20%. Newer therapeutic strategies rely on specific molecular alterations, or biomarkers, that provide opportunities for a personalized approach to specific patient populations.