Physical and Psychological Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Healthcare Workers, Including End of Life Care Providers.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has not only caused unprecedented distress in the community but has also resulted in significant physical and psychological exhaustion among healthcare workers (HCWs). This exhaustion could potentially lead to serious effects on our healthcare system.

Objective: The aim of this study was to gain more insight on the effect of COVID-19 on burnout among oncologists and other healthcare professionals at a large academic center.

Therapeutic strategies for BRAF mutation in non-small cell lung cancer: a review.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths. Among the two broad types of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer accounts for 85% of the cases. The study of the genetic alteration has facilitated the development of targeted therapeutic interventions.

Efficacy and outcomes of ramucirumab and docetaxel in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer after disease progression on immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: Results of a monocentric, retrospective analysis.

Current first-line standard therapy for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer without driver mutations involves chemotherapy and immunotherapy combination. Prior to the advent of immune checkpoint inhibition, REVEL, a randomized phase III trial demonstrated improved progression-free and overall survival with ramucirumab and docetaxel (ram+doc) in patients who failed platinum-based first-line therapy. Long-term outcomes related to second-line ramucirumab and docetaxel after first-line immunotherapy exposure remain unknown.

Therapeutic strategies in METex14 skipping mutated non-small cell lung cancer.

METex14 skipping mutations occur in about 3-4% of lung adenocarcinoma patients and 1-2% of patients with other lung cancer histology. The MET receptor tyrosine kinase and its ligand hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) are established oncogenic drivers of NSCLC. A mutation that results in loss of exon 14 in the MET gene leads to dysregulation and inappropriate signaling that is associated with increased responsiveness to MET TKIs.

Therapeutic strategies in RET gene rearranged non-small cell lung cancer.

The recent approvals by the Food and Drug Administration several tumor-agnostic drugs have resulted in a paradigm shift in cancer treatment from an organ/histology-specific strategy to biomarker-guided approaches. RET gene fusions are oncogenic drivers in multiple tumor types and are known to occur in 1-2% of non-squamous NSCLC patients. RET gene fusions give rise to chimeric, cytosolic proteins with constitutively active RET kinase domain.

Secondary gliosarcoma with extra-cranial metastases: a report and review of the literature.

Objective: To describe a unique case of secondary gliosarcoma (SGS) with widespread extra-cranial metastases that developed more than 5 years after the initial diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). This interval is the longest among the cases reported to date.

Methods: A PUBMED search using the key words "secondary gliosarcoma" and "extra-cranial metastases" was performed followed by a review of cited literature.

The emerging role of lenalidomide in the management of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is considered an aggressive and incurable B-cell malignancy despite current available treatments that include the incorporation of rituximab, bortezomib, high-dose cytarabine, and for those eligible, high dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow transplant (HDC-ASCT). Patients with relapsed/refractory MCL represent a challenge for the treating physician stressing the need to develop therapeutic agents. Lenalidomide, a novel inmmunomodulatory drug (IMiD), is a promising therapeutic strategy for patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma.