Prognostic Significance of EGFR, HER2, and c-Met Overexpression in Surgically Treated Patients with Adenocarcinoma of the Ampulla of Vater.

Adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater (AAC) is a rare malignancy with heterogeneous tumors arising from various histologic subtypes, necessitating new therapeutic strategies. This study examines epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and c-Met expression in AAC, given their potential as druggable targets. Among 87 patients who underwent curative resection, EGFR overexpression was found in 87.

A plain language summary of the results from the phase 2b HERIZON-BTC-01 study of zanidatamab in participants with HER2-amplified biliary tract cancer.

What Is This Summary About?: Researchers wanted to study whether the research drug zanidatamab could help people with a type of cancer called biliary tract cancer. In some people, biliary tract cancer cells make extra copies of a gene called HER2 (also called ERBB2). This is known as being HER2-amplified.

The Role of Pretreatment Serum Interleukin 6 in Predicting Short-Term Mortality in Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is notorious for its aggressive progression and dismal survival rates, with this study highlighting elevated interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels in patients as a key marker of increased disease severity and a potential prognostic indicator. Analyzing pre-treatment serum from 77 advanced PDAC patients via ELISA, the research determined optimal cutoff values for IL-6 and the IL-6:sIL-6Rα ratio using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, which then facilitated the division of patients into low and high IL-6 groups, showing significantly different survival outcomes. Notably, high IL-6 levels correlated with adverse features such as poorly differentiated histology, higher tumor burden, and low albumin levels, indicating a stronger likelihood of poorer prognosis.

Histologic subtype-based evaluation of recurrence and survival outcomes in patients with adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater.

Patients with ampulla of Vater adenocarcinoma exhibit diverse outcomes, likely since these malignancies can originate from any of the three converging epithelia at this site. Such variability presents difficulties in clinical decision-making processes and in devising therapeutic approaches. In this study, the potential clinical value of histomolecular phenotypes was determined by integrating histopathological analysis with protein expression (MUC1, CDX2, CK20, and MUC2), in a cohort of 87 patients diagnosed with stage IB to III ampulla of Vater adenocarcinoma who underwent curative surgical resection.

Clinicopathological Features and Prognosis of Resected Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Patients with Claudin-18 Overexpression.

Claudin-18.2 (CLDN18.2) is specifically expressed in pancreatic precancerous lesions and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Zanidatamab for HER2-amplified, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer (HERIZON-BTC-01): a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2b study.

Background: HER2 is overexpressed or amplified in a subset of biliary tract cancer. Zanidatamab, a bispecific antibody targeting two distinct HER2 epitopes, exhibited tolerability and preliminary anti-tumour activity in HER2-expressing or HER2 (also known as ERBB2)-amplified treatment-refractory biliary tract cancer.

Methods: HERIZON-BTC-01 is a global, multicentre, single-arm, phase 2b trial of zanidatamab in patients with HER2-amplified, unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic biliary tract cancer with disease progression on previous gemcitabine-based therapy, recruited at 32 clinical trial sites in nine countries in North America, South America, Asia, and Europe.

Clinical significance of serum-derived exosomal PD-L1 expression in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Background: Interactions between the programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) lead to immune evasion in various tumors and are associated with poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic cancer; however, the roles of PD-L1-containing exosomes in pancreatic cancer is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the correlation between circulating exosomal PD-L1 (exoPD-L1) and PD-L1 expression in tumor tissue, and survival outcomes in patients with advanced PDAC.

Methods: Exosomes were derived from pre-treatment serum samples isolated using ExoQuick kit from 77 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Role of adjuvant chemotherapy on recurrence and survival in patients with resected ampulla of Vater carcinoma.

Background: Owing to rarity of disease and lack of prospective studies, data supporting the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in ampulla of Vater (AoV) carcinoma is limited.

Aim: To evaluate whether adjuvant chemotherapy cases for AoV carcinoma had better disease-free survival (DFS) rates than cases of observation following curative surgery.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the association between adjuvant chemotherapy and DFS and overall survival (OS) in patients with stage IBIII AoV carcinoma who underwent curative surgical resection.

Prospective, open-label, and observational study of cetuximab for metastatic colorectal carcinoma: The OPTIM1SE study.

Aim: The OPTIM1SE study observed long-term real-world outcomes of cetuximab-based infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) regimens for first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) across Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions, aiming to characterize their use, effectiveness, and safety in routine practice.

Methods: OPTIM1SE was a prospective, open-label, observational study. Patients with untreated KRAS wild-type mCRC and distant metastases were treated per locally approved labels and monitored for 3 years via electronic medical records.

Safety and effectiveness of aflibercept in combination with FOLFIRI in Korean patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who received oxaliplatin-containing regimen.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of aflibercept in combination with fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) in Korean patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who progressed with oxaliplatin-containing regimen.

Methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted at 22 sites across Korea between February 2018 and September 2019. Patients aged > 19 years with a diagnosis of mCRC who were prescribed aflibercept plus FOLFIRI, after progression with an oxaliplatin-containing regimen were included.

Phase II study of durvalumab monotherapy in patients with previously treated microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair-deficient or POLE-mutated metastatic or unresectable colorectal cancer.

The aim of our study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy of durvalumab in patients with microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair-deficient (MSI-H/dMMR) or polymerase epsilon (POLE)-mutated metastatic or unresectable colorectal cancer (mCRC) who had disease progression after standard chemotherapy. This prospective, open-label, multicenter, phase II study enrolled patients with mCRC harboring MSI-H/dMMR or POLE mutations treated with at least one prior line of therapy. The participants received durvalumab (1500 mg) every 4 weeks intravenously.

Sotorasib for previously treated colorectal cancers with KRAS mutation (CodeBreaK100): a prespecified analysis of a single-arm, phase 2 trial.

Background: Sotorasib, a specific, irreversible KRAS protein inhibitor, has shown monotherapy clinical activity in KRAS-mutated solid tumours, including colorectal cancer, in the CodeBreaK100 phase 1 trial. We aimed to investigate the activity and safety of sotorasib in phase 2 of the trial.

Methods: In this single-arm, phase 2 trial, adult patients with KRAS-mutated advanced solid tumours were enrolled, from 59 medical centres in 11 countries, if they were aged 18 years or older, had at least one measurable lesion according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST) version 1.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 as prognostic markers for advanced pancreatic cancer patients receiving first-line chemotherapy.

Background: A decline in serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) levels during systemic chemotherapy is considered as a prognostic marker for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been extensively studied as a simple and useful indicator of prognosis in various cancers including pancreatic cancer.

Aim: To assess the prognostic significance of NLR and CA19-9 in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma received first-line chemotherapy according to CA19-9 positivity.

Metabolic Evidence Rather Than Amounts of Red or Processed Meat as a Risk on Korean Colorectal Cancer.

The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) has increased in Korea, a newly- Asian country, with the dramatic increase of meat intake. To assess the risks of red or processed meat consumption on CRC, we performed a case-control study with biological monitoring of urinary1-OHP, PhIP, and MeIQx for the meat exposure; dG-C8 MeIQx and dG-C8 PhIP for HCA-induced DNA adducts; and homocysteine and C-reactive protein (CRP) in blood as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) and 31fatty acids in urine for inflammation and lipid alteration. We further analyzed global DNA methylation and expression of 15 CRC-related genes.

Association between absolute lymphocyte count and overall mortality in patients with surgically resected gastric cancer.

Background/aims: Lymphocytes are an important component of the cell-mediated immune system. As lymphopenia is reportedly associated with poor prognoses in patients with various cancers, we investigated this notion in patients who underwent curative gastrectomy.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the association between absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and prognosis in patients with stage I-III gastric cancer who underwent curative surgical resection.

Systemic Treatment of Advanced Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors in Korea: Literature Review and Expert Opinion.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are a group of malignancies arising from neuroendocrine cells and frequently originate in the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas. Although curative resection is the main treatment for localized disease, systemic therapy is needed for relapsed or metastatic/unresectable gastroenteropancreatic NETs (GEP-NETs). Although there are several NET treatment guidelines from various countries, the geographical discrepancies between patient clinical characteristics, the regulatory approval status for therapeutic agents, and medical practices necessitate specific guidelines for Korean patients.

Pharmacokinetics and safety of olaparib in patients with advanced solid tumours and mild or moderate hepatic impairment.

Aims: Olaparib, a potent oral poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, is partially hepatically cleared. We investigated the pharmacokinetics (PK) and safety of olaparib in patients with mild or moderate hepatic impairment to provide dosing recommendations.

Methods: This Phase I open-label study assessed the PK, safety and tolerability of single doses of olaparib 300-mg tablets in patients with advanced solid tumours.

Exploring the Adaptability of Tai Chi to Stroke Rehabilitation.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility, safety, and preliminary estimates of effectiveness of Tai Chi on functional outcomes in stroke survivors.

Design: A mixed-method study with a single-group repeated-measure design and in-depth interviews.

Methods: Fourteen stroke survivors with hemiplegia were recruited to participate in a Tai Chi program, twice weekly for 12 months.

Vernet's Syndrome Associated with Internal Jugular Vein Thrombosis.

Our objective is to present a case of Vernet's syndrome (cranial nerve (CN) IX, X, and XI palsy) associated with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) in an internal jugular vein. The patient presented with acutely developed dysphagia. The weakness of the left sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles was observed.

Phase I/II study of first-line combination therapy with sorafenib plus resminostat, an oral HDAC inhibitor, versus sorafenib monotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in east Asian patients.

Purpose: Resminostat is an oral inhibitor of class I, IIB, and IV histone deacetylases. This phase I/II study compared the safety and efficacy of resminostat plus sorafenib versus sorafenib monotherapy as first-line therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Experimental Design: In phase I, resminostat (400 mg or 600 mg/day on days 1 to 5 every 14 days) was administered with sorafenib (800 mg/day for 14 days) to determine the recommended dose for phase II.