Quality of life in women with early-stage and metastatic hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer receiving endocrine therapy.

Introduction: Early discontinuation of endocrine therapy (ET) is higher among patients with early breast cancer (EBC) compared to patients with metastatic hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer (MBC). In our clinical experience the reasons for this may include a significant burden of ET side effects impacting quality of life (QOL) in patients with EBC. We hypothesized that QOL is lower in patients with HR + EBC compared to patients with HR + MBC on ET.

The impact of expanded access programs for systemic anticancer therapy in an Irish cancer centre.

Background: Expanded access programs (EAPs) allow cancer patients with unmet clinical need to obtain access to pre-authorisation treatments. There is no standardised process for implementing these programs nationally, and real-world data on their impact is lacking.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of such EAPs and their impact in a cancer centre.

Room to Improve: An Audit of In-Hospital End-of-Life Care for Oncology Patients in a Tertiary Cancer Centre in Ireland During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic compounded isolation for patients through social distancing measures and staff shortages. We were concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on the quality of care provided at end-of-life in 2021 in a national cancer centre, and instigated the first ever review of the care of the dying. Quality of care was assessed retrospectively using a validated instrument developed by the United Kingdom's National Quality Board.

Cost and public reimbursement of cancer medicines in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Introduction/aims: There are disparities in the availability of systemic anticancer therapies (SACTs) globally. We set out to investigate the cost and reimbursement of SACTs in the United Kingdom (UK) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI) in conjunction with efficacy and licensing authority decisions in the United States (US) and the European Union (EU).

Methods: We sought data pertaining to licensing in the EU, reimbursement in ROI/UK and cost/efficacy of SACTs licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between January 2015 and May 2021.

Impact of MET inhibitors on survival among patients with non-small cell lung cancer harboring MET exon 14 mutations: a retrospective analysis.

Objectives: Although dramatic responses to MET inhibitors have been reported in patients with MET exon 14 (METex14) mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the impact of these treatments on overall survival in this population is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective analysis of patients with METex14 NSCLC to determine if treatment with MET inhibitors impacts median overall survival (mOS). Event-time distributions were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log-rank test.

Tumour vasculature immaturity, oxidative damage and systemic inflammation stratify survival of colorectal cancer patients on bevacizumab treatment.

Despite treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) with bevacizumab plus chemotherapy, response rates are modest and there are no biomarkers available that will predict response. The aim of this study was to assess if markers associated with three interconnected cancer-associated biological processes, specifically angiogenesis, inflammation and oxidative damage, could stratify the survival outcome of this cohort. Levels of angiogenesis, inflammation and oxidative damage markers were assessed in pre-bevacizumab resected tumour and serum samples of mCRC patients by dual immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry and ELISA.

Baseline and On-Treatment Characteristics of Serum Tumor Markers in Stage IV Oncogene-Addicted Adenocarcinoma of the Lung.

Introduction: The role of serum tumor markers in the modern management of advanced NSCLC remains poorly described.

Methods: A single-center retrospective analysis of available carcinoembryonic antigen, CA125, CA19.9, and CA27.

Transient Asymptomatic Pulmonary Opacities Occurring during Osimertinib Treatment.

Introduction: Osimertinib is an EGFR inhibitor licensed for the treatment of EGFR-mutant, T790M-positive NSCLC. Previously unreported, frequent transient asymptomatic pulmonary opacities were noted in patients during osimertinib therapy at the University of Colorado.

Methods: Computed tomography imaging and clinical notes on patients with NSCLC who had been treated with osimertinib at the University of Colorado were retrospectively reviewed.

Identifying the Appropriate FISH Criteria for Defining MET Copy Number-Driven Lung Adenocarcinoma through Oncogene Overlap Analysis.

Introduction: Mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor gene (MET) gene copy number gain may be a predictive biomarker for mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) inhibition in lung cancer, but the most appropriate method and criteria for defining MET positivity are uncertain.

Methods: MET copy number was assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization in lung adenocarcinoma. Positivity criteria included mean MET per cell values greater than 5 (low [≥5 to <6], intermediate [≥6 to <7], and high [≥7]) and mean MET-to-chromosome 7 centromere ratios (MET/CEP7) of at least 1.

Malignant pleural disease is highly associated with subsequent peritoneal metastasis in patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer independent of oncogene status.

Introduction: Peritoneal metastasis from lung cancer is an uncommon clinical event and there are limited data on what factors predict peritoneal progression. This study retrospectively investigated whether patterns of metastatic spread and oncogene status in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are associated with peritoneal metastasis.

Methods: Patients with metastatic non-squamous NSCLC (n=410) were identified at the University of Colorado Cancer Center.

PROFILE 1014: lessons for the new era of lung cancer clinical research.

PROFILE 1014 compared crizotinib to up to six cycles of standard platinum-pemetrexed chemotherapy as the first line treatment of advanced anaplastic lymphoma kinase positive (ALK+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Overall, PROFILE 1014 has taught us many valuable lessons about the natural history of ALK+ NSCLC, the effectiveness of key therapies and the positive ways in which clinical research in oncogene addicted subtypes of cancer continue to evolve. These lessons include (I) confirming the benefit of using personalized medicine approaches compared to chemotherapy that had already been established in EGFR mutant disease and in ALK+ disease in later lines of therapy; (II) demonstrating that molecular preselection can also affect outcomes from standard chemotherapy in addition to from targeted therapy.