Platinum-containing regimens for triple-negative metastatic breast cancer.

Background: In a previous Cochrane Review, we found that for women with metastatic breast cancer unselected for triple-negative disease, there is little or no survival benefit and excess toxicity from platinum-based regimens. In subgroup analyses, however, we found preliminary low-quality evidence of a survival benefit from platinum-based regimens for women with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC). This review updates the evidence from the mTNBC subgroup analyses in the previous Cochrane Review.

Metastasis-specific patterns of response and progression with anti-PD-1 treatment in metastatic melanoma.

This study evaluated patterns of response as discerned by comprehensive metastasis-specific analysis in metastatic melanoma patients receiving anti-PD-1 antibodies. Bi-dimensional measurements of every metastasis in patients enrolled in the KEYNOTE-001 trial at a single institution were obtained at baseline and throughout treatment. Twenty-seven evaluable patients had 399 baseline metastases measurable on CT imaging.

Clinicopathologic features associated with efficacy and long-term survival in metastatic melanoma patients treated with BRAF or combined BRAF and MEK inhibitors.

Background: The degree of response and the duration of survival of patients treated with mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors are highly variable. Whether baseline clinicopathologic factors can predict the clinical course with treatment is largely unknown.

Methods: For 142 consecutive immunotherapy- and MAPK inhibitor-naive patients with BRAF-mutant metastatic melanoma who were treated during clinical trials with BRAF inhibitors (n = 111) or a combination of dabrafenib and trametinib (n = 31), clinicopathologic factors were correlated with the response to MAPK inhibitors and survival.

Taxane-containing regimens for metastatic breast cancer.

Background: It is generally accepted that taxanes are among the most active chemotherapy agents in the management of metastatic breast cancer. This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in 2003.

Objectives: The objective of this review was to compare taxane-containing chemotherapy regimens with regimens not containing a taxane in the management of women with metastatic breast cancer.

Arthritis and tenosynovitis associated with the anti-PD1 antibody pembrolizumab in metastatic melanoma.

We report the acute onset of polyarticular inflammatory arthritis in 2 patients receiving the immune check-point inhibitor, pembrolizumab (MK-3475), anti-PD1 drug for metastatic melanoma after 14 and 11 months therapy, respectively. The first patient had severe tenosynovitis, synovitis, bone marrow edema, and myositis, whereas the second patient had predominantly synovitis and tenosynovitis. Good symptomatic control was obtained with bisphosphonates and salazopyrin, avoiding the use of T-cell immunosuppressants.

The nature and management of metastatic melanoma after progression on BRAF inhibitors: effects of extended BRAF inhibition.

Background: The v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (BRAF) inhibitor (BRAFi) drugs dabrafenib and vemurafenib have high response rates in BRAF-mutant, metastatic melanoma; however, 50% of patients progress by 7 months. In this study, the authors examined the nature and management of disease progression (PD) on BRAFi treatment, including characteristics and outcomes of patients who received continued BRAFi treatment beyond disease progression (TBP).

Methods: Clinicopathologic data at baseline and at the time of PD were collected for all patients with BRAF-mutant metastatic melanoma who received BRAFi monotherapy within clinical trials between July 2009 and September 2012.

Apocynin but not allopurinol prevents and reverses adrenocorticotropic hormone-induced hypertension in the rat.

Background: Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-induced hypertension in the rat is accompanied by increased oxidative stress. This study examines the enzymatic source of reactive oxygen species in ACTH-hypertension.

Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 10 groups of 10-20 rats per group.