Publications by authors named "Massarelli E"

Purpose: Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We describe our clinical experience in evaluating the use of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-derived circulating tumor cells (CTCs) for the diagnosis of LMD and the detection of genomic alterations in CSF cell-free DNA (cfDNA).

Methods: Patients with NSCLC who had CSF collection as part of routine clinical care for suspected LMD were included in the study.

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Introduction: To bring cultivated beef to the market, a scalable system that can support growth of bovine satellite cells (bSCs) in a serum-free and preferably also animal-free medium is of utmost importance. The use of microcarriers (MCs) is, at the moment, one of the most promising technologies for scaling up. MCs offer a large surface to volume ratio, they can be used in scalable stirred tank bioreactors, where the culture conditions can be tightly controlled to meet the cells' requirements (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen).

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  • A study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of cabozantinib in combination with atezolizumab compared to cabozantinib alone in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had previously received an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI).
  • The phase 1b COSMIC-021 trial included stage IV non-squamous NSCLC patients who progressed on an ICI, assessing treatment response and safety profiles for both groups.
  • Results showed a modest objective response rate of 20% for the combination therapy and 6% for the single-agent treatment, with high rates of treatment-related adverse events but manageable toxicity overall.
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  • Tobacco use significantly increases cancer-related mortality, yet the prevalence and factors influencing smoking among cancer clinical trial participants are not well understood.
  • A study involving 4,326 patients from SWOG cancer trials (2016-2022) found that 48.1% reported a history of smoking, with certain demographics more likely to have smoked, including older males and those with lower socioeconomic status.
  • The findings emphasize the need for routine assessment of smoking status in clinical trials to address health disparities and mitigate the adverse effects of smoking in cancer patients.
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Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the US and globally. The mortality from lung cancer has been declining, due to a reduction in incidence and advances in treatment. Although recent success in developing targeted and immunotherapies for lung cancer has benefitted patients, it has also expanded the complexity of potential treatment options for health care providers.

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Lung cancer continues to contribute to the highest percentage of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Advancements in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer like immune checkpoint inhibitors have dramatically improved survival and long-term disease response, even in curative and perioperative settings. Unfortunately, resistance develops either as an initial response to treatment or more commonly as a progression after the initial response.

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  • Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, but recent advancements in treatment are linked to discoveries from Next Generation Sequencing, particularly the identification of mutations like RBM10.
  • A study of 50 patients with NSCLC and RBM10 mutations showed that those with the mutation had a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 6.7 months, significantly lower than the 13.9 months observed in those without the mutation.
  • RBM10 mutations were linked to aggressive disease; however, the presence of concurrent mutations such as ZFHX3 and EGFR was associated with a more stable disease state, while mutations like KRAS and TP53 indicated a more aggressive progression.
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  • This phase II trial investigated the effectiveness of cabozantinib combined with nivolumab and ipilimumab (CaboNivoIpi) in patients with radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer who had previously received treatment.
  • The study involved 11 patients, with a median age of 69, and showed an objective response rate of only 10% after 6 months, along with a median progression-free survival of 9 months and overall survival of 19.2 months.
  • Despite some signs of activity, the trial encountered a significant rate of severe adverse events (55% grade 3/4 and 18% grade 5), and did not meet its predefined efficacy goals.
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Background: The study summarizes the potential use of immunotherapy for mutated papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) by analyzing the immune profile of City of Hope PTC patient samples and comparing them to the thyroid dataset available in the TCGA database.

Materials And Methods: PTC cases with available formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded archived tumor tissue were identified. RNA was extracted from the tumor tissue and analyzed by NanoString to evaluate their immune gene expression profile.

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We conducted spatial immune tumor microenvironment (iTME) profiling using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples of 25 KRAS-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including 12 responders and 13 non-responders. An eleven-marker panel (CD3, CD4, CD8, FOXP3, CD68, arginase-1, CD33, HLA-DR, pan-keratin (PanCK), PD-1, and PD-L1) was used to study the tumor and immune cell compositions. Spatial features at single cell level with cellular neighborhoods and fractal analysis were determined.

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Background: This study characterized the impact of baseline symptom burden on long-term quality-of-life in patients receiving head and neck radiation therapy (RT).

Methods: The Vanderbilt Head and Neck Symptom Survey was collected prior to head and neck RT and at follow-up visits. Responses were divided into symptom clusters of toxicities and scored from 0 (asymptomatic) to 10 (severe).

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  • The NCCN Guidelines for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer offer comprehensive recommendations for diagnosing and managing NSCLC, including ongoing monitoring and treatment options.
  • Recent updates include new targeted therapies approved by the FDA, reflecting the latest clinical data.
  • The guidelines specifically highlight treatment strategies for advanced or metastatic NSCLC that have actionable molecular biomarkers.
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  • Activating RET alterations have been found in various solid tumors, including pheochromocytoma, which can occur sporadically or in familial cases linked to MEN2 syndromes.
  • Selpercatinib, a potent RET kinase inhibitor, showed significant anti-tumor effects in the LIBRETTO-001 study, specifically in six pheochromocytoma patients treated with it.
  • Out of these patients, four experienced a partial or complete response while two had stable disease, indicating that selpercatinib is a promising therapy for RET-mutant pheochromocytoma.
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  • * Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type, accounting for about 85% of all cases.
  • * The NCCN Guidelines for Mesothelioma: Pleural provide updated recommendations on diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up, with recent revisions focusing on disease classification and systemic therapy options.
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Objectives: NTRK fusions result in constitutively active oncogenic TRK proteins responsible for ∼ 0.2 % of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases. Approximately 40 % of patients with advanced NSCLC develop CNS metastases; therefore, treatments with intracranial (IC) efficacy are needed.

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KRAS G12C mutation is prevalent in ~4% of colorectal cancer (CRC) and is associated with poor prognosis. Divarasib, a KRAS G12C inhibitor, has shown modest activity as a single agent in KRAS G12C-positive CRC at 400 mg. Epidermal growth factor receptor has been recognized as a major upstream activator of RAS-MAPK signaling, a proposed key mechanism of resistance to KRAS G12C inhibition in CRC.

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Inherent or acquired resistance to sotorasib poses a substantialt challenge for NSCLC treatment. Here, we demonstrate that acquired resistance to sotorasib in isogenic cells correlated with increased expression of integrin β4 (ITGB4), a component of the focal adhesion complex. Silencing ITGB4 in tolerant cells improved sotorasib sensitivity, while overexpressing ITGB4 enhanced tolerance to sotorasib by supporting AKT-mTOR bypass signaling.

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Background And Purpose: The role of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in oligoprogressive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is controversial. We evaluated whether SBRT in a subset of patients with oligoprogressive or oligorecurrent NSCLC offers a durable response, obviating the need to change systemic therapy.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 168 NSCLC patients who underwent SBRT for oligoprogressive or oligorecurrent disease was performed.

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Purpose: Patritumab deruxtecan, or HER3-DXd, is an antibody-drug conjugate consisting of a fully human monoclonal antibody to human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) attached to a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload via a stable tetrapeptide-based cleavable linker. We assessed the efficacy and safety of HER3-DXd in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor ()-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: This phase II study (ClinicalTrials.

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Mesothelioma is a rare cancer originating in mesothelial surfaces of the peritoneum, pleura, and other sites. These NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) focus on peritoneal mesothelioma (PeM). The NCCN Guidelines for PeM provide recommendations for workup, diagnosis, and treatment of primary as well as previously treated PeM.

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Purpose: With increased adoption of next-generation sequencing, tailored therapy on the basis of molecular status is being delivered for patients with early-stage resectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The purpose of this narrative review was to focus on recent developments of targeted therapies in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant/adjuvant setting for early-stage disease.

Methods: A systematic search of the MEDLINE/PubMed database was performed, focusing on studies published within the past 10 years.

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Background: Divarasib (GDC-6036) is a covalent KRAS G12C inhibitor that was designed to have high potency and selectivity.

Methods: In a phase 1 study, we evaluated divarasib administered orally once daily (at doses ranging from 50 to 400 mg) in patients who had advanced or metastatic solid tumors that harbor a G12C mutation. The primary objective was an assessment of safety; pharmacokinetics, investigator-evaluated antitumor activity, and biomarkers of response and resistance were also assessed.

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We have developed and validated a novel LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantification of LB-100 and its active metabolite, endothall, in human plasma following solid-phase extraction. LB-105 and endothall-D6 were used as internal standards. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Hypercarb™ column using 5 mM (NH)CO and 30:70 (v/v) 100 mM (NH)CO:acetonitrile as mobile phases.

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  • * Both ITGB4 and SOX2 are expressed highly in all LUSC subtypes, with ITGB4's influence on patient survival varying by subtype; CSCs from LUSC patients showed resistance to cisplatin but became sensitive when ITGB4 or SOX2 was knocked down.
  • * Carfilzomib (CFZ) enhances the effectiveness of cisplatin by reducing CSC growth and suppressing ITGB4 and SOX2 expression, while also inhibiting SOX2
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