Early changes of peripheral circulating immune subsets induced by PD-1 inhibitors in patients with advanced malignant melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including those targeting PD-1, are currently used in a wide range of tumors, but only 20-40% of patients achieve clinical benefit. The objective of our study was to find predictive peripheral blood-based biomarkers for ICI treatment.

Methods: In 41 patients with advanced malignant melanoma (MM) and NSCLC treated with PD-1 inhibitors, we analyzed peripheral blood-based immune subsets by flow cytometry before treatment initialization and the second therapy dose.

FoxP3 Expression in Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes as Potential Predictor of Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Patients with Advanced Melanoma and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are the main therapy currently used in advanced malignant melanoma (MM) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite the wide variety of uses, the possibility of predicting ICI efficacy in these tumor types is scarce. The aim of our study was to find new predictive biomarkers for ICI treatment.

PET/CT-tailored treatment of locally advanced oesophago-gastric junction adenocarcinoma: a report on the feasibility of the multicenter GastroPET study.

Background: Perioperative chemotherapy is a recommended treatment approach for localised oesophago-gastric junction adenocarcinoma, but not all patients respond to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Early identification of non-responders and treatment adaptation in the preoperative period could improve outcomes. GastroPET is a national, multicentre phase II trial evaluating a FDG-PET/CT-guided preoperative treatment strategy with the R0 resection rate as a primary endpoint.

Effects of Early and Systematic Integration of Specialist Palliative Care in Patients with Advanced Cancer: Randomized Controlled Trial PALINT.

A broad consensus on the optimal structure, intensity, and timing of early specialist palliative care (SPC) intervention is lacking. To evaluate the benefit of an early and systematic palliative intervention alongside standard oncology care compared with standard oncology care alone in patients with advanced solid tumors. PALINT, a single-center RCT, conducted at the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, the largest comprehensive cancer center in the Czech Republic (CR).

Oncology Case Report - When Is the Appropriate Time to Integrate Palliative Care?

Many patients with advanced, non-curable cancer experience disease progression to a stage requiring symptomatic care alone. The integration of palliative care into oncology practice is therefore important, with many studies showing the benefits of early introduction of palliative care. In addition to symptom relief, palliative care can include psychological, social, and spiritual support.

Effectiveness of Neoadjuvant Therapy with Platinum-Based Agents for Patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 Germline Mutations - A Retrospective Analysis of Breast Cancer Patients Treated at MMCI Brno.

Background: Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are associated with a high risk of developing breast cancer. Tumors arising from this mutation are expected to be more sensitive to platinum-based drugs. The role of platinum-based drugs in systemic neoadjuvant BRCA1/2 breast cancer therapy, and its efficacy in increasing the probability of pathological complete remission (pCR) are discussed repeatedly; however, there are no clear recommendations.

Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression and Their Impact on the Quality of Life of Cancer Patients Treated with Palliative Antineoplasic Therapy - Results of the PALINT Trial.

Background: Anxiety, depression, and psychological distress are common syndromes of advanced cancer; all have a negative impact on overall quality of life. However, these symptoms are not monitored explicitly and they are managed only by pharmacotherapy. Given the complex etiology of these symptoms, this biomedical approach is inadequate and inefficient.

Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer.

Background: With advancements in diagnostic techniques, oligometastatic prostate cancer is diagnosed in patients who were, in the past, considered to have localized disease. Moreover, evidence of the effectiveness of treatment intensification for this disease is increasing, focusing on primary tumors as well as metastatic lesions. Thus, we can delay the start of systemic palliative treatment and improve overall survival.

Afatinib in the Treatment of Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with Rare EGFR (in exon 18-T179X) Mutation - a Case Report.

Introduction: Exon 18-T719X EGFR mutation in non-small cell lung cancer is rare, only 1-5% of all EGFR mutations. The efficacy of EGFR tyrosin kinase inhibitors in tumours with uncommon mutations is still unclear and the prediction of response of such tumours to therapy remains unexplored.

Case: A 71-year-old woman with no previous smoking history with disseminated lung adenocarcinoma with exon 18-T719X EGFR mutation was treated with afatinib.

Second cancers in Hodgkin's lymphoma long-term survivals: A 60-year single institutional experience with real-life cohort of 871 patients.

Background And Purpose: Appropriate surveillance guidelines for patients after successful treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) are needed to reduce mortality of iatrogenic secondary cancers (SC). This large single institutional retrospective study analyses the risk of SC in HL patients treated outside of clinical trials over past decades.

Material And Methods: Consecutive series of HL patients were analysed with median follow-up 12 years.

Circulating PIWI-Interacting RNAs piR-5937 and piR-28876 Are Promising Diagnostic Biomarkers of Colon Cancer.

The early detection of colon cancer is one of the main prerequisites for successful treatment and mortality reduction. Circulating PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNA) were recently identified as novel promising biomarkers. The purpose of the study was to assess the profiles of piRNAs in blood serum of colon cancer patients with the aim to identify those with high diagnostic potential.

Tumor Expression of and Is Related to Clinicopathological Features of Gastric Cancer in a Central European Population.

Background/aim: In Western countries, most patients with gastric cancer (GC) present in advanced stages. Therefore, there is imminent clinical need for novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Deregulation of microRNAs has been reported as a frequent event in GC development in a number of studies.

Utilization and efficacy of second-line targeted therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: data from a national registry.

Background: It is well known that patient characteristics and survival outcomes in randomized trials may not necessarily be similar to those in real-life clinical practice. The aim of the present study was to analyse second line treatment strategies in the real-world practice and to estimate the outcomes of patients treated with second-line targeted therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

Methods: This is a retrospective, registry-based study using data from the national registry of targeted therapies for mRCC.

MiR-215-5p is a tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer targeting EGFR ligand epiregulin and its transcriptional inducer HOXB9.

Growing evidence suggests that microRNAs are involved in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). In the present study, deregulation and functioning of tumor-suppressive miR-215-5p was evaluated in CRC. In total, 448 tumor tissues and 325 paired adjacent healthy tissues collected from Czech and Spain cohorts of CRC patients have been used for miR-215-5p expression analyses.

Outcomes of Patients With Long-Term Treatment Response to Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-Targeted Therapy for Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer.

Background: Although targeted therapies with inhibitors of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are the mainstay of treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma, there are limited data on the outcome of patients with long-term response to this treatment.

Patients And Methods: In a retrospective, registry-based study, patients continuously treated with first-line anti-VEGF agents for at least 24 months were included. In total, 219 patients had evaluable data and were included in the outcome analysis.

MicroRNAs as outcome predictors in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with bevacizumab in combination with FOLFOX.

Bevacizumab is a humanized anti-vascular endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibody, used in combination with a oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The aim of the present study was to identify microRNA (miRNA)-based predictive biomarkers of therapy response in order to avoid unnecessary and costly therapy to non-responding patients. High-throughput miRNA microarray profiling (Affymetrix miRNA array) was performed on a discovery cohort of patients with mCRC.

[Can we Observe Ethnic Difference in Basic Blood Tests? Single-institution Data from Cancer Prevention Programme in the Czech Republic].

Background: Laboratory tests are standard part of a routine check-up of current medical status and an important tool in diagnostic workup, in planning or evaluation of treatment, and disease monitoring. To reduce misdiagnosis, accurate reference intervals reflecting age, sex, ethnicity and other relevant clinical parameters must be established. We aimed to explore ethnic difference in basic blood parameters relevant for the Czech Republic.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated microRNA/mRNA signature is linked to metastasis and prognosis in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma.

Clear-cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs) are genetically heterogeneous tumors presenting diverse clinical courses. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial process involved in initiation of metastatic cascade. The aim of our study was to identify an integrated miRNA/mRNA signature associated with metastasis and prognosis in ccRCC through targeted approach based on analysis of miRNAs/mRNAs associated with EMT.

Efficacy of Sunitinib in Elderly Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: Data from Real-World Clinical Practice.

Background: Although a significant proportion of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) are elderly, the data on the outcomes of targeted therapies in this population are limited. The aim of the present retrospective registry-based study was to analyse efficacy and toxicity of sunitinib as the first-line targeted therapy of elderly mRCC patients.

Patients And Methods: The national RENal information system registry of mRCC patients treated with targeted agents in the Czech Republic was used as the data source.

[News in Adjuvant Therapy of Non-seminomatous Germ Cell Testicular Tumors of Stage I].

Thanks to a multidisciplinary approach, testicular germinative tumors are now assigned to a group of highly curable oncologic diseases with favorable prognoses. Despite the gradual increase in the incidence of this type of cancer in recent years, mortality remains low. Yet, guidelines for postoperative treatment of stage I non-seminomatous germ cell testicular tumors remain inconsistent due to the low number of randomized studies.

Outcomes for Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Achieving a Complete Response on Targeted Therapy: A Registry-based Analysis.

Background: It is currently not known whether treatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) can be safely discontinued in patients achieving a complete response (CR).

Objective: To assess outcomes for patients with mRCC achieving CR on targeted therapy (TT) and the survival of patients discontinuing TT after CR.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A national registry was used to identify patients achieving CR during first-line TT using bevacizumab, sunitinib, sorafenib, or pazopanib.

[Triple Negative Breast Cancer].

Background: In the Czech Republic, around 6,500 women get breast cancer each year; out of this number, nearly 1,000 women are triple negative subtype. Triple negative breast cancer is characterized by lack of expression of α-estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors. Vast majority of these cases are low-differentiated carcinomas, majority belonging to the basal-like subgroup defined originally by DNA chips.

MicroRNA expression profiling identifies miR-31-5p/3p as associated with time to progression in wild-type RAS metastatic colorectal cancer treated with cetuximab.

The aim of our study was to investigate whether microRNAs (miRNAs) could serve as predictive biomarkers to anti-EGFR therapy (cetuximab, panitumumab) in patients with RAS wild-type (wt-RAS) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Historical cohort of 93 patients with mCRC (2006-2009) was included and further divided into exploratory and validation cohorts. MiRNAs expression profiling was performed on the exploratory cohort of 41 wt-KRAS mCRC patients treated with cetuximab to identify miRNAs associated with time to progression (TTP).

Time-course pattern of blood 25-hydroxycholecalciferol is a significant predictor of survival outcome in metastatic colorectal cancer: a clinical practice-based study.

Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in the epidemiology of common malignancies including colorectal cancer. We studied consecutive blood levels of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OHD) in relation to other clinical and laboratory variables in metastatic colorectal cancer patients to ascertain whether their variations may be prognostic or predictive parameters of survival outcomes. Eighty four patients treated with first-line oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab were included.