Salivary gland carcinomas are rare, characterized by a diversity of histological subtypes associated with variable clinical behavior and prognosis with usually a poor response to chemotherapy. In this context, molecular alterations have been identified and represent potential therapeutic targets: overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and androgen receptors in salivary duct cancer, NOTCH mutations in adenoid cystic carcinoma, NTRK gene fusion in secretory carcinoma. Screening for these molecular alterations is mandatory in all patients with recurrent or metastatic salivary gland cancer as it may allow an individualized treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe past year has brought several innovations in medical oncology, opening up promising new options for many solid tumors, both localized and metastatic. Immunotherapy, a real spearhead of emerging therapies in metastatic diseases, is seeing its use extend to adjuvant and neoadjuvant modalities, particularly in colon and lung cancers. 2022 also sees a great deal of focus on targeted therapies, as well as on antibody-drug conjugates, which creates new standards in both breast and lung cancers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The safety of bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and digestive and nondigestive cancers is poorly documented.
Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patient records of all adult cancer patients with IBD at our institution from April 2007 to May 2016 with an update in November 2019.
Results: Twenty-seven patients with a history of IBD (Crohn's disease, = 22; ulcerative colitis, = 5) who were treated with bevacizumab and chemotherapy for metastatic solid tumors were identified.
Serous carcinoma of the uterine cervix (SCUC) is now believed to be a morphological variant of an HPV-associated endocervical adenocarcinoma or a metastasis from a serous carcinoma of the upper tract. In terms of mutational status as detected by next-generation sequencing (NGS), this controversial entity has not been characterized yet. We describe the case of a patient with a carcinoma categorized as stage IVB SCUC, initially treated with carboplatin, paclitaxel, and bevacizumab, followed by maintenance with bevacizumab.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCrit Rev Oncol Hematol
November 2021
Non-cutaneous melanomas (mucosal, uveal, leptomeningeal, unknown primaries) represent around 5-10 % of all melanoma diagnoses. Non-cutaneous melanomas demonstrate differences in tumour biology, generally present with more advanced stages and have an overall poorer prognosis compared to skin melanomas. The cornerstone of their treatment is surgery followed by radiotherapy in some cases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is among the most aggressive cancers with a median overall survival of 4 months and a disease-specific mortality of close to 100%. As soon as the diagnosis is suspected or established, urgent referral to an experienced multidisciplinary center is imperative. Chemotherapy has limited efficacy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To compare the prognostic value of imaging biomarkers derived from a quantitative analysis of baseline 18F-FDG-PET/CT in patients with mucosal melanoma (Muc-M) or cutaneous melanoma (Cut-M) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).
Methods: In this retrospective monocentric study, we included 56 patients with non-resectable Muc-M (n = 24) or Cut-M (n = 32) who underwent baseline 18F-FDG-PET/CT before treatment with ICIs between 2011 and 2017. Parameters were extracted from (i) tumoral tissues: SUVmax, SUVmean, TMTV (total metabolic tumor volume), and TLG (total lesion glycolysis) and (ii) lymphoid tissues: BLR (bone marrow-to-liver SUVmax ratio) and SLR (spleen-to-liver SUVmax ratio).
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is often diagnosed at an advanced stage and has a dismal prognosis. Nearly 10 years after the approval of cetuximab, anti-PD1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors are the first drugs that have shown any survival benefit for the treatment on platinum-refractory recurrent/metastatic (R/M) HNSCC. Furthermore, checkpoint inhibitors are better tolerated than chemotherapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Cancer
November 2019
Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are active in patients with recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M SCCHN). Recent data suggest that exposure to ICI improves response to salvage chemotherapy (SCT) in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. We evaluated response to chemotherapy in patients who had progressed on ICI in patients with R/M SCCHN.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWell-designed randomized trials provide the highest level of scientific evidence to guide clinical decision making. In chemoradiotherapy of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), data support the use of three cycles of 100 mg/m cisplatin given every 3 weeks concurrently with conventionally fractionated external beam radiotherapy, although a full compliance with all three cycles is reserved to only about two thirds of initially eligible cases. On an individual patient level, practicing oncologists have to determine whether the patient is a suitable candidate for this treatment or whether contraindications exist.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Immune checkpoint inhibitors are now standard-of-care treatments for metastatic cutaneous melanoma. However, for rare sub-groups, such as mucosal melanomas, few published data are available, and with no established therapeutic guidelines. Our objective was to assess the response to anti-CTLA4 and anti-PD1 immunotherapy in patients with mucosal melanomas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cetuximab is crucial in the management of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck of patients. Grade 3-4 cetuximab-induced infusion reactions (CI-IRs) occur in 2% of patients with colorectal cancer. Despite the 2.
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