Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2, also known as ERBB2) signaling promotes cell growth and differentiation, and is overexpressed in several tumor types, including breast, gastric and colorectal cancer. HER2-targeted therapies have shown clinical activity against these tumor types, resulting in regulatory approvals. However, the efficacy of HER2 therapies in tumors with HER2 mutations has not been widely investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this clinical case, we describe the cardio-oncological history and the complexity of the management of a patient presenting a breast cancer diasgnosed during pregnancy followed by a postpartum cardiomyopathy. A multidisciplinary approach is mandatory.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExpert Rev Anticancer Ther
March 2022
Introduction: Locally advanced basal cell carcinoma (laBCC) represents approximatively 1% of all BCCs. Metastatic BCC (mBCC) is even more rare. Most cases are observed in immunocompromised patients, particularly solid organ transplant recipients (OTRs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rapid reorganization in all human and hospital activities, with impact on cancer patients.
Aim: An analysis of cancer patients fears, and awareness of COVID-19 has been done in this study.
Methods And Results: We analyzed cancer patients' reactions to the pandemic and their perception of oncological care reorganization, through a 12-item survey, proposed at the peak of pandemic and 3 months later.
The management of melanoma is a typical example of a pluridisciplinary approach, in order to provide the patient with a rapid and adequate treatment plan after the initial diagnosis. Both in the domains of dermatology, pathology and oncology, enormous progress has been made. Recent advances permit a rapid access to diagnostic techniques using teledermoscopy, an improved diagnostic accuracy using dermoscopy, pre-interventional high-frequency ultrasound and optical coherence tomography, a determination of risk factors using immunohistochemistry and genetic analyses on the pathology samples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (lacSCC) is rare. Approximately one-fourth of the cases are observed among immunocompromised patients, in particular in solid organ transplant recipients (OTRs). LacSCC has a very poor prognosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report the case of a 47-year-old woman with unexplained inflammatory syndrome and asthenia. Imaging findings show bilateral abnormalities of femurs and tibias, suggesting an Erdheim-Chester disease, which is confirmed by a bone marrow biopsy of the left femur. The BRAF V600E mutation is detected, allowing the administration of targeted therapies such as BRAF and MEK inhibitors that lead to the improvement of symptoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe treatment of locally advanced or metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) essentially relies on surgery and eventually radiotherapy of the treated site and afferent lymph nodes. Unfortunately, some cases are no candidates for surgery or radiotherapy and a systemic treatment may be indicated. Chemotherapies are only partially efficacious and associated with potential toxicities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBRAF inhibitors may present several cutaneous adverse effects, including actinic keratosis, squamous cell carcinoma, keratoacanthoma, rashes, increased photosensitivity, panniculitis, palmoplantar and capillary involvement, pruritus and xerosis as well as granulomatous reactions. A 30-year-old patient with multiple tattoos received dabrafenib and trametinib for metastatic melanoma. After 4 months, he developed an induration and thickening strictly limited to several tattoos.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFReprogramming of mRNA translation has a key role in cancer development and drug resistance . However, the molecular mechanisms that are involved in this process remain poorly understood. Wobble tRNA modifications are required for specific codon decoding during translation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRadiotherapy is known for its action on local tumoral control. However, it is also able to induce immunomodulatory effects at a systemic level. The abscopal effect (from latin ab scopus which means «away from the target») is an illustration of this phenomenon.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIncreased awareness among dermatologists as well as the development of dermoscopy and sequential dermoscopy have contributed significantly toward an increase in the diagnostic accuracy of pigmented melanoma and even of amelanotic melanoma. However, the dermatologist's nightmare is the small group of melanomas that present as common skin diseases, often associated with a significant delay in diagnosis and hence a poor prognosis. The study was carried out to prospectively assess the number of melanomas lacking any clinical suspicion of melanoma and to describe their clinical and histological features over a 6-year observation period in an University Tertiary Skin Cancer Center.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiscordances between hormone receptors and HER2 status in primary and metastatic breast cancer have been reported by several studies. In this context, systematic biopsies could be clinically relevant in breast cancer to confirm the biological characteristics of a suspicious lesion. In this article, illustrated by 2 case reports and based on a recent review on this topic, we discuss the clinical significance of receptor discordances and possible diagnosis of a secondary primary tumor.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: To investigate the efficacy of sunitinib in patients with advanced melanoma and to correlate angiogenic biomarkers with response and survival.
Patients And Methods: We performed a phase II study in patients with advanced pre-treated melanoma. The primary endpoint was tumor response.
The authors review the principles of systemic therapy in breast cancer. They analyze the degree of treatment individualization in our current approach. New technologies allow the detection of genomic alterations in cancer cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe identification of additional chemotherapy agents for anthracycline- and taxane-pretreated advanced breast cancer (ABC) is an urgent medical need. Single agent chemotherapy is most times administered because combined therapy is only associated with modest, if any, improvement in median progression-free survival. Randomized trials failed to show overall survival benefit compared with single agent chemotherapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRev Med Liege
September 2014
Sequential endocrine treatments are recommended for estrogen receptor (ER) positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER 2) negative metastatic breast cancers except in the case of symptomatic visceral disease. However, patients who suffer from disease progression while receiving a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor (NSAI) have a very poor prognosis with standard endocrine therapy alone. Recently, based onthe results of the BOLERO 2 trial, the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor everolimus, combined with exemestane, a steroidal aromatase inhibitor, has been approved in Europe and the US for patients suffering from ER positive HER2 negative advanced breast cancer previously treated by a NSAI.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBreast Cancer (Dove Med Press)
June 2014
Many systemic treatment options are available for advanced breast cancer, including endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) therapy, and other targeted agents. Recently, everolimus, a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, combined with exemestane, an aromatase inhibitor, has been approved in Europe and the USA for patients suffering from estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer previously treated by a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor, based on the results of BOLERO-2 (Breast cancer trials of OraL EveROlimus). This study showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in median progression-free survival.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDermatol Ther (Heidelb)
June 2014
Background: Treatment options for melanoma in situ (MIS) include imiquimod, radiation therapy, cryotherapy, excisional and Mohs surgery. Ingenol mebutate is a new topical treatment option recognized for actinic keratosis. Although in vitro effectiveness has been demonstrated on melanoma cell lines, its therapeutic potential for in vivo melanomas is unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Exp Dermatol
April 2013
Ipilimumab blocks cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen (CTLA)-4, potentiating the antimelanoma T-cell host response. Ipilimumab has been shown to improve overall survival in patients with previously treated metastatic melanoma. CTLA-4 antibodies generate immune responses to the melanoma-associated antigens Melan-A, NY-ESO-1 and glycoprotein (gp)100 in metastatic melanoma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere is no standard of care for breast cancer treatment in the elderly patient. Given the heterogeneity of this population, the treatment of both localized and metastatic disease, requires to take into account not only the characteristics of this cancer but also factors related to the patient such as co-morbidities, life expectancy and the social environment.
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