Publications by authors named "Razmig Babikian"

Purpose: Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We describe our clinical experience in evaluating the use of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-derived circulating tumor cells (CTCs) for the diagnosis of LMD and the detection of genomic alterations in CSF cell-free DNA (cfDNA).

Methods: Patients with NSCLC who had CSF collection as part of routine clinical care for suspected LMD were included in the study.

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Background: rearrangements are infrequently observed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Advanced genomic detection techniques have unveiled such infrequent genomic variations, particularly fusions in approximately 0.5% of NSCLC patients.

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In recent decades, cancer biology and medicine have ushered in a new age of precision medicine through high-throughput approaches that led to the development of novel targeted therapies and immunotherapies for different cancers. The availability of multifaceted high-throughput omics data has revealed that cancer, beyond its genomic heterogeneity, is a complex system of microenvironments, sub-clonal tumor populations, and a variety of other cell types that impinge on the genetic and non-genetic mechanisms underlying the disease. Thus, a systems approach to cancer biology has become instrumental in identifying the key components of tumor initiation, progression, and the eventual emergence of drug resistance.

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A small percentage of patients have multiple synchronous primary cancers at presentation. In the last five years, many regimens associated with immunotherapy and chemotherapy were approved for first-line metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and other solid tumors, but the study of immunotherapy when multiple cancers are present in one patient remains incomplete. Next-generation sequencing biomarkers and immunotherapy markers including PD-L1 can be effectively utilized in the diagnosis and treatment plan for multiple synchronous primary cancers.

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Drug resistance remains one of the major impediments to treating cancer. Although many patients respond well initially, resistance to therapy typically ensues. Several confounding factors appear to contribute to this challenge.

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Non-small cell lung cancer is a devastating disease and with the advent of targeted therapies and molecular testing, the decision-making process has become complex. While established guidelines and pathways offer some guidance, they are difficult to utilize in a busy community practice and are not always implemented in the community. The rationale of the study was to identify a cohort of patients with lung adenocarcinoma at a City of Hope community site (n = 11) and utilize their case studies to develop a decision-making framework utilizing fast-and-frugal tree (FFT) heuristics.

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Healthcare disparities are prevalent throughout the United States of America, particularly among low socioeconomic communities and minority groups. As primary care providers in Bronx, New York, the authors have noted that African American males often decline colonoscopy screening measures more frequently than other minorities. Ironically, the same cohort of African American men has the highest incidence of colon cancer and less favorable outcomes from chemotherapy intervention.

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