Adjuvant taxane-based chemotherapy treatment in older patients with early breast cancer: A pooled analysis of five phase III trials from the Hellenic Oncology Research Group.

Introduction: The use of taxanes in the adjuvant setting of early breast cancer (BC) confers survival benefits, however, their role in older patients merits further study. This retrospective pooled analysis of randomized controlled trials conducted by the Hellenic Oncology Research Group (HORG) aims to assess the efficacy and safety of taxane-based adjuvant chemotherapy in older women with BC.

Materials And Methods: Five phase III trials containing a taxane, conducted by HORG between 1995 and 2013, were included in a patient-data pooled analysis.

Inflammation-related biomarkers as predictors of pathological complete response in early-stage breast cancer.

Background: Neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAT) represents an attractive option for improved outcomes of early-stage breast cancer (BC) patients, as it can significantly reduce tumor burden thus permitting breast-conserving resections. Equally important, the eradication of viable cancer cells post-NAT, also known as pathological complete response (pCR), has emerged as a strong prognostic biomarker, reflecting tumor's biology and subsequent treatment responses. Yet to date, no validated markers predictive of pCR have been identified.

Emerging Therapies in Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Virus (+) Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) is the most frequently found oncogene in human cancers, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). For many years, KRAS was considered "undruggable" due to its structure and difficult targeting. However, the discovery of the switch II region in the KRAS-G12C-mutated protein has changed the therapeutic landscape with the design and development of novel direct KRAS-G12C inhibitors.

Efficacy of NSCLC Rechallenge with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors following Disease Progression or Relapse.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are at the forefront of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. Still, only 27-46% of patients respond to initial therapy with ICIs, and of those, up to 65% develop resistance within four years. After disease progression (PD), treatment options are limited, with 10% Objective Response Rate (ORR) to second or third-line chemotherapy.