Pembrolizumab Retreatment in Patients with Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma Who Responded to First-course Pembrolizumab-based Therapy.

Patients with metastatic solid tumors who previously had stable disease or a response with immunotherapy may derive benefit from immunotherapy retreatment. This post hoc analysis evaluated pembrolizumab retreatment in patients with advanced/metastatic urothelial carcinoma who received pembrolizumab in KEYNOTE-045, KEYNOTE-052, or KEYNOTE-361, and either stopped pembrolizumab after a complete response (CR) or completed pembrolizumab (35 cycles [∼2 yr]) with an objective response or stable disease. Upon disease progression, protocol-specified pembrolizumab retreatment (200 mg intravenously every 3 wk) was administered for ≤17 cycles.

Pembrolizumab With or Without Maintenance Olaparib for Metastatic Squamous NSCLC That Responded to First-Line Pembrolizumab Plus Chemotherapy.

Introduction: Poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitors can up-regulate programmed cell death-ligand 1 expression and promote immune-mediated responses and may improve efficacy of first-line anti‒programmed cell death protein 1‒based therapies in patients with metastatic squamous NSCLC.

Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, phase 3 trial (NCT03976362), adults with previously untreated stage IV squamous NSCLC received four cycles of induction therapy (pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks plus carboplatin and paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel). Patients with disease control were randomized to 31 cycles of pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks plus olaparib 300 mg orally twice daily or placebo.

heredERA Breast Cancer: a phase III, randomized, open-label study evaluating the efficacy and safety of giredestrant plus the fixed-dose combination of pertuzumab and trastuzumab for subcutaneous injection in patients with previously untreated HER2-positive, estrogen receptor-positive locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

Background: HER2-positive, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer (HER2+, ER+ BC) is a distinct disease subtype associated with inferior response to chemotherapy plus HER2-targeted therapy compared with HER2+, ER-negative BC. Bi-directional crosstalk leads to cooperation of the HER2 and ER pathways that may drive treatment resistance; thus, simultaneous co-targeting may optimize treatment impact and survival outcomes in patients with HER2+, ER+ BC. First-line (1L) treatment for patients with HER2+ metastatic BC (mBC) is pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and taxane chemotherapy.

SKYSCRAPER-02: Tiragolumab in Combination With Atezolizumab Plus Chemotherapy in Untreated Extensive-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: The phase III SKYSCRAPER-02 study determined whether the benefits of atezolizumab plus carboplatin and etoposide (CE) could be enhanced by the addition of tiragolumab in untreated extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). We report final progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) analyses.

Methods: Patients received tiragolumab 600 mg/placebo, plus atezolizumab 1,200 mg and CE (four cycles), then maintenance tiragolumab/placebo plus atezolizumab.

Efficacy and safety of the proposed bevacizumab biosimilar BAT1706 compared with reference bevacizumab in patients with advanced nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer: A randomized, double-blind, phase III study.

Background: BAT1706 is a proposed biosimilar of bevacizumab (Avastin®). We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of BAT1706 with that of EU-sourced reference bevacizumab (EU-bevacizumab) in patients with advanced nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Patients were randomized 1:1 to BAT1706 plus paclitaxel and carboplatin (BAT1706 arm) or EU-bevacizumab plus paclitaxel and carboplatin (EU-bevacizumab arm) given every 3 weeks for six cycles, followed by maintenance therapy with BAT1706 or EU-bevacizumab.

Thoracic Radiotherapy Effect on the Outcome in Extensive Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of thoracic radiotherapy to primary site in patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) who had responded completely to systemic chemotherapy.

Study Design: Observational study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Departments of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Baskent University and Dr.

nextMONARCH Phase 2 randomized clinical trial: overall survival analysis of abemaciclib monotherapy or in combination with tamoxifen in patients with endocrine-refractory HR + , HER2- metastatic breast cancer.

Purpose: Resistance to endocrine therapy poses a major clinical challenge for patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR +), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (MBC). We present the preplanned 24-month final overall survival (OS) results, alongside updated progression-free survival (PFS), and objective response rate (ORR) results.

Methods: nextMONARCH is an open-label, controlled, randomized, Phase 2 study of abemaciclib alone or in combination with tamoxifen in women with endocrine-refractory HR + , HER2- MBC previously treated with chemotherapy.

Efficacy and safety of trifluridine/tipiracil in older and younger patients with metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer: subgroup analysis of a randomized phase 3 study (TAGS).

Background: Trifluridine and tipiracil (FTD/TPI) demonstrated survival benefit vs placebo and manageable safety in previously treated patients with metastatic gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer (mGC/GEJC) in the randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 3 TAGS study. This subgroup analysis of TAGS examined efficacy/safety outcomes by age.

Methods: In TAGS, patients with mGC/GEJC and ≥ 2 prior therapies were randomized (2:1) to receive FTD/TPI 35 mg/m or placebo, plus best supportive care.

Cardiotoxicity of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1): a single-center experience.

Objective: New anti-cancer drugs promise to increased survival benefits and reduce adverse events. Trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) is a novel anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 agent that has shown minimal cardiotoxicity in clinical trials. However, data on real-life outcomes are required.

Prechemoradiotherapy Systemic Inflammation Response Index Stratifies Stage IIIB/C Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients into Three Prognostic Groups: A Propensity Score-Matching Analysis.

Purpose: We explored the prognostic influence of the systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) on the survival outcomes of stage IIIB/C non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Methods: Present propensity score-matching (PSM) analysis comprised 876 stage IIIB/C NSCLC patients who received 1-3 cycles of platinum-based doublets concurrent with thoracic radiotherapy from 2007 to 2017. The primary and secondary objectives were the relationships between the SIRI values and overall (OS) and progression-free survival, respectively.

nextMONARCH: Abemaciclib Monotherapy or Combined With Tamoxifen for Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Background: Abemaciclib is a selective cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitor administered continuously for hormone receptor-positive (HR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2) advanced breast cancer. Abemaciclib is associated with dose-dependent early-onset diarrhea. nextMONARCH evaluated abemaciclib monotherapy (with or without prophylactic loperamide) and combined with tamoxifen for endocrine refractory metastatic breast cancer (MBC) after chemotherapy.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the treatment of metastatic renal cell cancer patients with early cytokine intolerance: TURCOS, a Turkish national, prospective observational study.

Objective: Cytokines have been the mainstay of treatment in metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC) for decades before the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), which dramatically changed the therapeutic landscape in these patients. This observational study was designed to evaluate use of TKIs in the treatment of cytokine-intolerant mRCC patients.

Methods: A total of 151 cytokine-intolerant mRCC patients who were treated with TKIs (sunitinib, pazopanib and sorafenib) were enrolled in this prospective, non-interventional, multi-center observational study at 16 oncology centers across Turkey.

Prognostic Usefulness Of Advanced Lung Cancer Inflammation Index In Locally-Advanced Pancreatic Carcinoma Patients Treated With Radical Chemoradiotherapy.

Background/aims: Previously advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) has been demonstrated to have prognostic utility in the stratification of patients into distinctive survival groups, but the prognostic value of ALI has never been explored in the setting of locally advanced pancreatic carcinomas (LAPC) treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Hence, we aimed to investigate the prognostic value of pre-treatment ALI in LAPC patients who underwent radical CCRT.

Methods: Present retrospective cohort analysis incorporated 141 LAPC patients who received radical CCRT.

Addition of taxanes to combination chemotherapy in distal intestinal gastric cancer is more beneficial than proximal ones: A multicenter retrospective study of Turkish Oncology Group.

Purpose: Advanced gastric cancer has a dismal prognosis. Platin/5-fluorouracil (PF) combination chemotherapy is the main treatment modality for metastatic gastric cancer patients. Third drug addition to PF is a controversial issue.

Risk Factors for Fatal Pulmonary Hemorrhage following Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Stage 3B/C Squamous-Cell Lung Carcinoma Patients.

We aimed to identify the fatal pulmonary hemorrhage- (FPH-) related risk factors in stage 3B/C squamous-cell lung carcinoma (SqCLC) patients treated with definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (C-CRT). Medical records of 505 stage 3B/C SqCLC patients who underwent 66 Gy radiotherapy plus 1-3 cycles of concurrent chemotherapy with available pretreatment thoracic computerized tomography scans were retrospectively analyzed. Primary end-point was the identification of FPH-related risk factors.

Perspective of Turkish Medicine Students on Cancer, Cancer Treatments, Palliative Care, and Oncologists (ARES Study): a Study of the Palliative Care Working Committee of the Turkish Oncology Group (TOG).

Cancer is one of the most common causes of death all over the World (Rahib et al. in Cancer Res 74(11):2913-2921, 2014; Silbermann et al. in Ann Oncol 23(Suppl 3):iii15-iii28, 2012).

Incidence and Impact of Pretreatment Tumor Cavitation on Survival Outcomes of Stage III Squamous Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Radical Concurrent Chemoradiation Therapy.

Purpose: To investigate the incidence and influence of tumor cavitation (TC) on survival outcomes of locally advanced squamous cell lung cancer (LA-SqCLC) patients treated with concurrent chemoradiation therapy (C-CRT).

Methods And Materials: Records of 789 stages IIIA/B squamous cell lung cancer (SqCLC) patients treated with C-CRT who received 1 to 3 cycles of platinum-based doublet chemotherapy during 60 to 66 Gy radiation therapy (RT) were analyzed retrospectively. Primary endpoint was the association between overall survival (OS) and pretreatment TC status.

A national, multicenter, non-interventional, observational study on treatment patterns in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma in Turkey - NOTES study.

Introduction: The introduction of targeted therapies in renal cell carcinoma has significantly improved its prognosis and treatment outcomes in recent years. Such treatment options are targeted therapies of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway and the mammalian target of the rapamycin pathway. With the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and mammalian target of the rapamycin inhibitors, overall survival has increased up to 2 years.

Prognostic value of procalcitonin in infection-related mortality of cancer patients.

Purpose: Infectious diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. Tumor-induced inflammatory responses may increase the value of classical inflammatory markers in blood, so these markers may not be as useful in cancer patients as in non-cancer patients. Serum procalcitonin (PCT) is a sensitive and specific biomarker for severe infection, and has been shown to be unaffected by tumor-induced inflammatory response.

An old enemy not to be forgotten during PET CT scanning of cancer patients: tuberculosis.

Aim Of The Study: Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET CT) scan is commonly used in current medical oncology practice as an imaging method. In this study we present data from cancer patients who were followed at our clinic and suspected of having tuberculosis during PET CT scanning. After the biopsy, they were diagnosed with concomitant tuberculosis.

Multifocal soft tissue Langerhans' cell histiocytosis treated with PET-CT based conformal radiotherapy.

Introduction: Langerhans' cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a proliferative disorder of Langerhans cells, which is seen extremely rarely in adults. Conventional imaging modalities, such as skeletal surveys and bone scans, were accepted to be standard methods for diagnosis; however, 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET-CT) has been increasingly used.

Methods: We report on a 33-year-old female patient with disseminated LCH treated with radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy where PET-CT has been used for defining the extent of the disease, RT planning and assessment of treatment response during follow-up.

Procalcitonin as a biomarker for infection-related mortality in cancer patients.

Purpose Of Review: Infectious diseases are the second leading cause of death following direct cancer-related complications in the field of oncology. Clinical studies using the classic inflammatory biomarkers, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, leukocytosis, and thrombocytosis fail to show a significant correlation between these biomarkers and infection-related mortality. It is therefore crucial to define new biomarkers that are not affected by the primary cancer and precisely show the severity of the infection to help in the decision-making process.

Epidemiology of colorectal cancer in Turkey: A cross-sectional disease registry study (A Turkish Oncology Group trial).

Background/aims: This study aimed to determine the epidemiological characteristics of colorectal cancer in Turkey.

Materials And Methods: In this multicenter, prospective, and cross-sectional registry study, data for 968 patients with colorectal cancer from 21 centers in 7 geographic regions were analyzed.

Results: Diagnosis was colon cancer in 662 (68.