A real‑world study of clinical characteristics, treatment sequence and outcomes of patients with non-small cell lung cancer and EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations.

Objectives: EGFR exon 20 insertion (EGFRex20ins) mutations are found in up to 4% of all patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These patients are often insensitive to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and have worse prognosis than patients with more common EGFR mutations. In this multicenter, retrospective, real-world study, we sought to determine whether the administration of recently approved treatments that specifically target EGFRex20ins mutations could significantly improve outcomes in this patient population.

Biomarker Discovery and Outcomes for Comprehensive Cell-Free Circulating Tumor DNA Versus Standard-of-Care Tissue Testing in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: Treatment guidelines for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) recommend broad molecular profiling for targeted therapy selection. This study prospectively assessed comprehensive next-generation sequencing (NGS) of cell-free circulating tumor DNA (cfDNA) compared with standard-of-care (SOC) tissue-based testing to identify guideline-recommended alterations in aNSCLC.

Patients And Methods: Patients with treatment-naïve aNSCLC were tested using a well-validated NGS cfDNA panel, and results were compared with SOC tissue testing.

Soluble Biomarkers with Prognostic and Predictive Value in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Immunotherapy.

Numerous targeted therapies have been evaluated for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To date, however, only a few agents have shown promising results. Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy, most notably immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), have transformed the treatment scenario for these patients.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy: A good dance partner of oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer to the sound of SINDAS study.

The European Organization for Research on Treatment of Cancer Research published a consensus statement to establish the key criteria to define oligometastatic disease (OMD). According to those criteria, all lesions (both primary and metastatic) should be amenable to radical intent treatment with acceptable toxicity. Several retrospective studies have shown that adding local ablative therapy to the treatment of OMD improves outcomes; however, due to the diverse selection criteria and treatment strategies used in those studies, it is difficult to compare directly results to draw definitive conclusions.

Inclusion of non-inferiority analysis in superiority-based clinical trials with single-arm, two-stage Simon's design.

Introduction: Non-inferiority (NI) analysis is not usually considered in the early phases of clinical development. In some negative phase II trials, a post-hoc NI analysis justified additional phase III trials that were successful. However, the risk of false positive achievements was not controlled in these early phase analyses.

Deep diving in the PACIFIC: Practical issues in stage III non-small cell lung cancer to avoid shipwreck.

After publication of the PACIFIC trial results, immune checkpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapy was included in the treatment algorithm of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The PACIFIC trial demonstrated that 12 mo of durvalumab consolidation therapy after radical-intent platinum doublet chemotherapy with concomitant radiotherapy improved both progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC. This is the first treatment in decades to successfully improve survival in this clinical setting, with manageable toxicity and without deterioration in quality of life.

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection on Patients with Cancer: Retrospective and Transversal Studies in Spanish Population.

Background: Studies of patients with cancer affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are needed to assess the impact of the disease in this sensitive population, and the influence of different cancer treatments on the COVID-19 infection and seroconversion.

Material And Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients hospitalized with RT-PCR positive for COVID-19 in our region to assess the prevalence of cancer patients and describe their characteristics and evolution (Cohort 1). Concurrently, a transversal study was carried out in patients on active systemic cancer treatment for symptomatology and seroprevalence (IgG/IgM by ELISA-method) against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Cohort 2).

The Challenge of Managing Bladder Cancer and Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: A Review with Treatment Recommendations from the Spanish Oncology Genitourinary Group (SOGUG).

Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men and the ninth most common in women in the Western world. The management of bladder carcinoma requires a multidisciplinary approach. Optimal treatment depends on several factors, including histology, stage, patient status, and possible comorbidities.

Role of RAS mutation status as a prognostic factor for patients with advanced colorectal cancer treated with first-line chemotherapy based on fluoropyrimidines and oxaliplatin, with or without bevavizumab: A retrospective analysis.

The role of Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) and neuroblastoma RAS viral oncogene homolog (NRAS) mutations as negative predictors for anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapies in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) has been firmly established. However, whether the RAS mutation status plays a role as a biomarker for anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment remains controversial. Data from 93 CRC patients who received first-line cytotoxic chemotherapy with fluoropyrimidines and oxaliplatin, with or without bevacizumab, were analyzed.

Randomized Phase III Trial of Erlotinib versus Docetaxel in Patients with Advanced Squamous Cell Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Failing First-Line Platinum-Based Doublet Chemotherapy Stratified by VeriStrat Good versus VeriStrat Poor. The European Thoracic Oncology Platform (ETOP) EMPHASIS-lung Trial.

Introduction: Docetaxel and erlotinib are registered second-line treatments for wild-type EGFR NSCLC. Previous studies suggested a predictive value of the VeriStrat test in second-line therapy of NSCLC, classifying patients as either VeriStrat good or VeriStrat poor. EMPHASIS-lung aimed at exploring this predictive effect in patients with squamous cell NSCLC.

Quantification of circulating endothelial cells as a predictor of response to chemotherapy with platinum and pemetrexed in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung carcinoma.

Introduction: Circulating endothelial cells (CEC) play an important role in tumor neovascularization and may have prognostic value in cancer patients. This study was designed to investigate the role of CEC as a marker for predicting platinum plus pemetrexed first-line chemotherapy efficacy in advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: A prospective study was performed whose main objective was to study whether the numbers of CEC at baseline and prior to the second and third cycle of chemotherapy were response predictors.

Phase II trial of concomitant neoadjuvant chemotherapy with oxaliplatin and capecitabine and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in rectal cancer.

Introduction And Purpose: The purposes of this study are to evaluate the activity and safety of preoperative intensity-modulated radiotherapy and concurrent capecitabine and oxaliplatin (Xelox), the accuracy of preoperative magnetic resonance (MRI) for predicting pathologic results, and the correlation between carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and the existence of a pathologic complete response (pCR).

Patients And Methods: Twenty-seven patients (pt) with T3/T4N0/N+ rectal cancer were included. Capecitabine was administered at 825 t.

[Euthanasia in patients with cancer and the continuous-care providers].

During the clinical evolution of patients with cancer there are many occasions, or phases of the disease, when there are no specific treatments and, as such, we need to provide maximum comfort following appropriate symptom control; in this stage it is fundamental to respect personal autonomy together with the option to reject futile treatment. With appropriate control of symptoms it is possible to reach the stage where the majority of the patients do not continue to suffer. Continuous-care providers for cancer patients are those who are responsible for providing help to resolve these situations.