Publications by authors named "Sheima Farag"

Article Synopsis
  • Immune checkpoint inhibitor gastrointestinal toxicity (IRIGItox) commonly occurs in patients undergoing cancer treatment and can lead to serious health issues, particularly when steroids fail to manage the symptoms.
  • A study analyzed 78 patients, mostly male and with melanoma, to explore treatment outcomes after two doses of infliximab failed to alleviate their gastrointestinal symptoms.
  • The results indicated that calcineurin inhibitors were most effective for symptom resolution, achieving positive outcomes in 74% of cases, while other therapies showed lower success rates, confirming the need for effective management of infliximab-refractory cases.
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Background: Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma (DDCS) is a rare subset of chondrosarcoma. It is an aggressive neoplasm characterized by a high rate of recurrent and metastatic disease with overall poor outcomes. Systemic therapy is often used to treat DDCS; however, the optimal regimen and timing are not well defined, with current guidelines recommending following osteosarcoma protocols.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Patients with blood cancers have a weakened immune response to the Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2.
  • - The study shows that Sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody treatment, continues to effectively neutralize all examined Omicron subvariants.
  • - These findings highlight the need for close monitoring and potential treatment strategies for immunocompromised patients during the pandemic.
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Aims: We systematically studied the presence of hyperglycaemia during treatment with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICPI) for cancer, in those with and without diabetes at baseline, and determined the cause of new-onset hyperglycaemia, METHODS: Retrospective review of electronic records of those receiving an ICPI for melanoma, lung or renal cancer.

Results: Overall, 959 participants were included. In this study, 103 had diabetes at baseline (10.

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Patients with blood cancer continue to have a greater risk of inadequate immune responses following three COVID-19 vaccine doses and risk of severe COVID-19 disease. In the context of the CAPTURE study (NCT03226886), we report immune responses in 80 patients with blood cancer who received a fourth dose of BNT162b2. We measured neutralizing antibody titers (NAbTs) using a live virus microneutralization assay against wild-type (WT), Delta, and Omicron BA.

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Article Synopsis
  • The CAPTURE study evaluated COVID-19 immunity in 585 cancer patients after receiving two doses of either BNT162b2 or AZD1222 vaccines, revealing seroconversion rates of 85% for those with solid tumors and 59% for those with hematological malignancies.
  • Patients with hematological cancers had significantly lower levels of detectable neutralizing antibodies (NAbT) against SARS-CoV-2 variants compared to those with solid tumors and healthy individuals.
  • Previous COVID-19 infections increased NAb responses, particularly against variants, but treatment with anti-CD20 medications correlated with undetectable NAbT, highlighting important considerations for cancer patient management during the pandemic.
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CAPTURE (NCT03226886) is a prospective cohort study of COVID-19 immunity in patients with cancer. Here we evaluated 585 patients following administration of two doses of BNT162b2 or AZD1222 vaccines, administered 12 weeks apart. Seroconversion rates after two doses were 85% and 59% in patients with solid and hematological malignancies, respectively.

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Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of F-FDG-PET/CT on treatment decision making in metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) patients.

Methods: This study retrospectively evaluated F-FDG-PET/CT scans to monitor response of metastatic GIST patients treated with palliative intent. Data from the Dutch GIST Registry was used.

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Background: Oesophageal gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) account for ≤1% of all GISTs. Consequently, evidence to guide clinical decision-making is limited.

Methods: Clinicopathological features and outcomes in patients with primary oesophageal GIST from seven European countries were collected retrospectively.

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Sarcomas are rare cancers with a spectrum of clinical needs and outcomes. We investigated care experiences and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in sarcoma patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients with appointments during the first two months of the UK lockdown were invited to complete a survey.

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Purpose: Many patients with cancer, often those with rare cancers such as sarcomas, travel long distances to access expert care. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated widespread changes in delivery of cancer care, including rapid adoption of telemedicine-based care. We aimed to evaluate the impact of telemedicine on patients, clinicians, and care delivery at the Royal Marsden Hospital (RMH) Sarcoma Unit during the pandemic.

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The treatment of advanced GIST is rapidly evolving with the development of novel molecular compounds such as avapritinib and ripretinib, but also promising results have been achieved with cabozantinib in a phase II trial. The availability of over five lines of treatment for patients with advanced GIST is likely to completely shift the current second-line and third-line treatment options, and will also potentially enable a personalised approach to treatment. Imatinib will most likely remain as the first-line treatment of choice for the vast majority of GIST patients.

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Background: Regorafenib is a multi-kinase inhibitor approved as third line treatment for metastatic GIST. Dose limiting toxicities are frequently seen and many patients require dose reductions. This study aimed to evaluate regorafenib toxicities and their management in a real-world GIST population.

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Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are characterized by oncogenic mutations that cluster in two exon 11 hotspots. The aim of this study was to develop a single, sensitive, quantitative digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) assay for the detection of common exon 11 mutations in both GIST tumor tissue and in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) isolated from GIST patients' plasma.

Methods: A ddPCR assay was designed using two probes that cover both hotspots.

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Objective: Although gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) predominantly occur in older patients, data on treatment patterns in elderly GIST patients are scarce.

Methods: Patients registered in the Dutch GIST Registry (DGR) from January 2009 until December 2016 were included. Differences in treatment patterns between elderly (≥75 years) and younger patients were compared.

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F-FDG PET has previously been proven effective as an early way to evaluate the response of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) to imatinib treatment. However, it is unclear whether early evaluation of response affects treatment decisions in GIST patients treated with neoadjuvant intent. We retrospectively scored changes in management based on early evaluation of response by F-FDG PET in patients in the Dutch GIST registry treated with neoadjuvant imatinib.

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Purpose: Patients, platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) D842V-mutated gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are known for their insensitivity to imatinib. However, in clinical practice responses have been observed in some patients. We describe the natural history and treatment outcomes in a cohort of PDGFRA exon 18 mutated GIST patients.

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Background: Low trough imatinib concentration (C ) values have been associated with poor clinical outcomes in gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) patients. This study describes the pharmacokinetics of imatinib in a large cohort of GIST patients in routine clinical care.

Methods: An observational study was performed in imatinib-treated GIST patients.

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Agranulocytosis is a rare but serious side effect of imatinib in gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) patients. Imatinib is an inhibitor of the proto-oncogene tyrosine kinase (c-kit) and the first-line agent in patients with locally advanced and metastatic GIST. Little evidence is available on the management of this adverse event, and consensus-based guidelines are lacking.

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Background: Malignant pleural effusion is a common complication in end-stage cancer patients and can cause severe dyspnea. Therapeutic thoracentesis is often limited to 1 to 1.5 L.

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