Aberrant FGFR signaling mediates resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors in ER+ breast cancer.

Using an ORF kinome screen in MCF-7 cells treated with the CDK4/6 inhibitor ribociclib plus fulvestrant, we identified FGFR1 as a mechanism of drug resistance. FGFR1-amplified/ER+ breast cancer cells and MCF-7 cells transduced with FGFR1 were resistant to fulvestrant ± ribociclib or palbociclib. This resistance was abrogated by treatment with the FGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) lucitanib.

Clinical Implications of Circulating Tumor DNA Tumor Mutational Burden (ctDNA TMB) in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: Tissue tumor mutational burden (TMB) has emerged as a potential biomarker predicting response to anti-programmed cell death-1 protein receptor (PD-1)/programmed cell death-1 protein ligand (PD-L1) therapy, but few studies have explored using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) TMB in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials And Methods: A total of 136 patients with NSCLC with ctDNA testing were retrospectively evaluated from a single institution, along with a validation cohort from a second institution. ctDNA TMB was derived using the number of detected mutations over the DNA sequencing length.

Current landscape and future of dual anti-CTLA4 and PD-1/PD-L1 blockade immunotherapy in cancer; lessons learned from clinical trials with melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Immunotherapy is among the most rapidly evolving treatment strategies in oncology. The therapeutic potential of immune-checkpoint inhibitors is exemplified by the recent hail of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals for their use in various malignancies. Continued efforts to enhance outcomes with immunotherapy agents have led to the formulation of advanced treatment strategies.

A Rare Case of Glioblastoma Multiforme with Osseous Metastases.

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common malignant primary central nervous system neoplasm in adults. It has a very aggressive natural history with a median overall survival estimated at 14.6 months despite multimodality treatment.

Targeting Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in triple negative breast cancer: New discoveries and practical insights for drug development.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 10-20% of cases in breast cancer. Despite recent advances in the treatment of hormonal receptor+ and HER2+ breast cancers, there are no targeted therapies available for TNBC. Evidence supports that most patients with TNBC express the transmembrane Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR).

Chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer in the elderly population.

Background:: Approximately 50% of patients with newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are over 70 years of age at diagnosis. Despite this fact, these patients are underrepresented in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). As a consequence, the most appropriate regimens for these patients are controversial, and the role of single-agent or combination therapy is unclear.

BRAZILIAN CONSENSUS FOR MULTIMODAL TREATMENT OF COLORECTAL LIVER METASTASES. MODULE 3: CONTROVERSIES AND UNRESECTABLE METASTASES.

In the last module of this consensus, controversial topics were discussed. Management of the disease after progression during first line chemotherapy was the first discussion. Next, the benefits of liver resection in the presence of extra-hepatic disease were debated, as soon as, the best sequence of treatment.

Chemotherapy for Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer in Elderly Patients.

Clinical Question: Do patients above 70 years of age with newly diagnosed advanced non-small-cell lung cancer benefit from platinum-based combination or should they receive non-platinum agents either as single-agent or in combination?

Bottom Line: For fit elderly patients platinum-based combination is associated with better overall survival, progression-free survival, and objective response rate, however this improvement should be counter balanced against the higher risk of major adverse events (AE).

Chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer in the elderly population.

Background: Approximately 50% of patients with newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are over 70 years of age at diagnosis. Despite this fact, these patients are underrepresented in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). As a consequence, the most appropriate regimens for these patients are controversial, and the role of single-agent or combination therapy is unclear.

Combination of afatinib with cetuximab in patients with EGFR-mutant non-small-cell lung cancer resistant to EGFR inhibitors.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have shown effectiveness for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with activating mutations in the EGFR gene. However, resistance to the EGFR TKIs develops mostly secondary to T790M mutation in exon 20. The use of afatinib associated with cetuximab represents a new possibility of therapy following progression on gefitinib or erlotinib.

VEGF-A levels in bevacizumab-treated breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Bevacizumab may improve outcomes of patients with breast cancer, but the absence of an established biomarker hampers patient selection and researchers´ ability to demonstrate a clear survival benefit. Its putative target, circulating VEGF-A, emerged as the main candidate and we sought to identify the relationship between VEGF-A levels and outcomes through systematic review. We searched electronic databases and meeting proceedings for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the addition of bevacizumab to standard chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Meningeal carcinomatosis in solid tumors.

The involvement of the leptomeninges by metastatic tumors can be observed in solid tumors, in which case it is termed meningeal carcinomatosis (MC), and in lymphoproliferative malignant disease. It is more common in breast and lung cancer, as well as melanoma, with adenocarcinoma being the most frequent histological type. MC is usually a late event, with disseminated and progressive disease already present and, it is characterized by multifocal neurological signs and symptoms.

Meningeal carcinomatosis in breast cancer: prognostic factors and outcome.

Meningeal carcinomatosis (MC) occurs in up to 5% of breast cancer patients. Few studies have evaluated prognostic markers in breast cancer patients with MC. Our aim was to describe the treatment of breast cancer patients with MC, and identify prognostic factors related to survival.

Factors correlated with peritoneal carcinomatosis and survival in patients with gastric cancer treated at a single institution in Brazil.

Background: Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of death due to cancer worldwide and is particularly prevalent in Brazil. Promising new therapeutic agents have already shown activity in some gastrointestinal malignancies and their role in gastric cancer will need to be evaluated. Determining the prognostic factors of survival for patients with gastric cancer can help in identifying patients with a worse prognosis after treatment with the current chemotherapeutic regimens.

Predictors of peritoneal carcinomatosis in patients with gastric cancer treated at a single institution in Brazil.

Background: Peritoneal carcinomatosis is a common pattern of recurrence in gastric cancer and is associated with a poor prognosis. Determining predictive factors for peritoneal recurrence can help the selection of patients suitable for more aggressive treatment strategies.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of 162 patients diagnosed with gastric cancer with no peritoneal carcinomatosis and treated at a single institution in Brazil from January 1994 to December 2004 was carried out.

Fertility preservation in women with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy: a systematic review.

Objective: To investigate methods of fertility preservation in younger women exposed to adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Design: Systematic review of literature.

Setting: Academic Department of Medical Oncology.