AGITG MONARCC: A Randomized Phase 2 Study of Panitumumab Monotherapy and Panitumumab Plus 5-Fluorouracil as First-Line Therapy for Older Patients With RAS and BRAF Wild Type Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. A Study by the Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group (AGITG).

Background: Panitumumab (pan) plus chemotherapy is a preferred first-line therapy for unresectable RAS and BRAF wild type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Older patients may not be suitable for combination regimens. We investigated 2 lower intensity pan-containing regimens.

Patient Reported Outcome Measures in cancer care: a hybrid effectiveness-Implementation trial to optimise Symptom control and health service Experience (PROMISE)-protocol for a randomised controlled trial of electronic self-reporting of symptoms versus usual care during and following treatment in patients with cancer.

Introduction: Routine collection of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) has the potential to inform and improve cancer care. It is now feasible for patients to complete PROMs electronically (ePROMs) providing information about their current levels of symptoms, side effects of treatment and other concerns. PROM scores can be tracked over time allowing more timely identification of problems and more appropriate intervention.

A retrospective audit of audiology encounters in patients undergoing Cisplatin treatment at a large Australian tertiary cancer care centre.

Purpose: To identify the number and timing of audiology encounters for adult oncology patients in a tertiary care setting in Australia.

Setting (population): A retrospective case review was completed for 149 patients who received Cisplatin chemotherapy (CT) at a large, publicly funded tertiary hospital in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia between 1st January and 31st December 2019. Patient data was extracted from the Queensland Oncology Repository (QOR) provided by Cancer Alliance Queensland (CAQ).

Management of Skin Toxicities in Cancer Treatment: An Australian/New Zealand Perspective.

Cancer systemic therapeutics and radiotherapy are often associated with dermatological toxicities that may reduce patients' quality of life and impact their course of cancer treatment. These toxicities cover a wide range of conditions that can be complex to manage with increasing severity. This review provides details on twelve common dermatological toxicities encountered during cancer treatment and offers measures for their prevention and management, particularly in the Australian/New Zealand context where skincare requirements may differ to other regions due to higher cumulative sun damage caused by high ambient ultraviolet (UV) light exposure.

Spatial dynamics of tertiary lymphoid aggregates in head and neck cancer: insights into immunotherapy response.

Background: Recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) generally has a poor prognosis for patients with limited treatment options. While incorporating immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has now become the standard of care, the efficacy is variable, with only a subset of patients responding. The complexity of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the role of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) have emerged as critical determinants for immunotherapeutic response.

Spatial resolution of the head and neck cancer tumor microenvironment to identify tumor and stromal features associated with therapy response.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the seventh most common cancer globally, resulting in 440 000 deaths per year. While there have been advancements in chemoradiotherapy and surgery, relapse occurs in more than half of HNCs, and these patients have a median survival of 10 months and a 2-year survival of < 20%. Only a subset of patients displays durable benefits from immunotherapies in metastatic and recurrent HNC, making it critical to understand the tumor microenvironment (TME) underpinning therapy responses in HNC.

A phase Ib study to assess the safety of the human papillomavirus DNA vaccine (AMV002) in combination with durvalumab for HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors have limited efficacy as monotherapy in patients with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). A phase I study of the therapeutic HPV-16 DNA vaccine AMV002 in curatively treated patients with OPSCC demonstrated a measurable immune response against HPV while being associated with high safety and tolerability. This prospective phase Ib single centre pilot study aims to test the safety and tolerability of combined PD-L1 inhibitor, Durvalumab, with AMV002 in 12 patients with recurrent OPSCC.

Long-term outcomes in advanced anterior skull base malignancy: a single quaternary institution experience.

Background: Advanced skull base malignancies are a heterogenous subset of head and neck cancers, and management is often complex. In recent times, there has been a paradigm shift in surgical technique and the advent of novel systemic options. Our goal was to analyse the long-term outcomes of a single quaternary head and neck and skull base service.

Characterisation of circulating tumor-associated and immune cells in patients with advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer.

Objectives: Globally, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most prevalent form of lung cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Tumor-associated circulating cells in NSCLC can have a wide variety of morphological and phenotypic characteristics, including epithelial, immunological or hybrid subtypes. The distinctive characteristics and potential clinical significance of these cells in patients with NSCLC are explored in this study.

Circulating tumour cells predict recurrences and survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients.

Patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are at a high risk of developing recurrence and secondary cancers. This study evaluates the prognostic and surveillance utilities of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in HNSCC. A total of 154 HNSCC patients were recruited and followed up for 4.

Human papillomavirus associated oropharyngeal cancer now the most common mucosal head and neck cancer in Queensland.

Introduction: The profile and outcomes of head and neck cancer throughout Australia has changed over the past decade. The aim of this study was to perform a population-based analysis of incidence, demographics, stage, treatments and outcomes of patients diagnosed with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), with a particular focus on HPV-associated disease.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data within the Queensland Oncology Repository (QOR) and analysed by the Queensland Cancer Control Analysis Team.

Spatial insights into immunotherapy response in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by multiplexed tissue imaging.

The spatial localisation of immune cells within tumours are key to understand the intercellular communications that can dictate clinical outcomes. Here, we demonstrate an analysis pipeline for highly multiplexed CODEX data to phenotype and profile spatial features and interactions in NSCLC patients that subsequently received PD1 axis immunotherapy. We found that regulatory T cells (Tregs) are enriched in non-responding patients and this was consistent with their localization within stromal and peripheral tumour-margins.

Lorlatinib After Alectinib-Induced Pneumonitis: A Case Report.

gene rearrangements are detected in approximately 3% to 5% of NSCLC. tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as third-generation lorlatinib, have exhibited remarkable efficacy in -rearranged NSCLC; however, they have been associated with a low incidence of treatment-limiting and potentially fatal drug-induced interstitial lung disease (ILD). There is concern that this may represent a class effect, a theory that is supported by a number of case reports.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA methylation changes in HPV-associated head and neck cancer.

Despite the rising incidence, currently, there are no early detection methods for HPV-driven HNC (HPV-HNC). Cervical cancer studies suggest that HPV DNA methylation changes can be used as a biomarker to discriminate cancer patients from HPV-infected individuals. As such, this study was designed to establish a protocol to evaluate DNA methylation changes in HPV late genes and long control region (LCR) in saliva samples of HPV-HNC patients and HPV-positive controls.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in Australia: a retrospective real world cohort study.

Objectives: To review the outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment of advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) outside clinical trials.

Study Design: Retrospective observational study; review of patient records in fifteen Australian institutions.

Setting, Participants: All Australian adults with locally advanced or metastatic CSCC not amenable to curative surgery or radiotherapy treated with ICIs, 5 May 2017 - 23 May 2022, through a cemiplimab compassionate access scheme (Therapeutic Goods Administration Special Access Scheme) or who personally covered the cost of pembrolizumab prior to the start of the access scheme.

Audiological ototoxicity monitoring guidelines: a review of current evidence and appraisal of quality using the AGREE II tool.

Objective: The effectiveness of audiological monitoring for detecting early hearing changes in patients receiving ototoxic medication could be limited by the lack of adequate audiological ototoxicity monitoring (OtoM) guidelines. This study aimed to evaluate existing OtoM guidelines using the AGREE II tool for guideline evaluation.

Design: Guideline Review.

Efficacy and safety of cosibelimab, an anti-PD-L1 antibody, in metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1)-blocking antibodies are approved to treat metastatic or locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) cases ineligible for curative surgery or radiation. Notwithstanding, some patients experience inadequate responses or severe immune-related adverse events (AEs), indicating the need for improved therapies. Cosibelimab is a high-affinity programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)-blocking antibody that activates innate and adaptive immunity by blocking PD-L1 interaction with PD-1 and B7-1 receptors.

Deep spatial-omics analysis of Head & Neck carcinomas provides alternative therapeutic targets and rationale for treatment failure.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy has had limited success (<30%) in treating metastatic recurrent Head and Neck Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinomas (OPSCCs). We postulate that spatial determinants in the tumor play a critical role in cancer therapy outcomes. Here, we describe the case of a male patient diagnosed with p16 OPSCC and extensive lung metastatic disease who failed Nivolumab and Pembrolizumab/Lenvatinib therapies.

Cardiac metastases from neuroendocrine neoplasms: complementary role of SSTR PET/CT and cardiac MRI.

Background: Cardiac metastases from neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are being detected with increasing frequency, although the optimal imaging strategy remains unclear. We performed a single-center retrospective study to explore the role of somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography/computed tomography (SSTR PET/CT) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) in NEN cardiac metastases, determine the degree of concordance between the findings of these imaging modalities, and examine the advantages and disadvantages of each imaging technique. A secondary aim was to determine if cardiac metastases were associated with adverse cardiac events during peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT).

Implementing structured pathology reporting protocol for non-melanocytic skin cancers: practical considerations.

Non-melanocytic skin cancers (NMSCs) account for five times the incidence of all other cancers combined and cost US $6 billion annually. These are the most frequent specimens encountered in community pathology practice in many Western countries. Lack of standardised structured pathology reporting protocols (SPRPs) can result in omission of critical information or miscommunication leading to suboptimal patient management.

Salivary micro RNAs as biomarkers for oropharyngeal cancer.

Background: Despite the rising incidence, particularly of the human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated fraction of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC), there are no early detection methods for OPC. Considering the close association between saliva and head and neck cancers, this study was designed to investigate salivary micro RNA (miRNAs) associated with OPC, especially focusing on HPV-positive OPC.

Methods: Saliva was collected from OPC patients at diagnosis and patients were clinically followed up ≤5 years.

How frail is frail in oncology studies? A scoping review.

Aims: The frailty index (FI) is one way in which frailty can be quantified. While it is measured as a continuous variable, various cut-off points have been used to categorise older adults as frail or non-frail, and these have largely been validated in the acute care or community settings for older adults without cancer. This review aimed to explore which FI categories have been applied to older adults with cancer and to determine why these categories were selected by study authors.

Compartmentalized spatial profiling of the tumor microenvironment in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma identifies immune checkpoint molecules and tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily members as biomarkers of response to immunotherapy.

Mucosal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are the seventh most common cancer, with approximately 50% of patients living beyond 5 years. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown promising results in patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) disease, however, only a subset of patients benefit from immunotherapy. Studies have implicated the tumor microenvironment (TME) of HNSCC as a major factor in therapy response, highlighting the need to better understand the TME, particularly by spatially resolved means to determine cellular and molecular components.