Phase II study of nivolumab in patients with genetic alterations in DNA damage repair and response who progressed after standard treatment for metastatic solid cancers (KM-06).

Background: Immune-modulating antibodies targeting programmed cell death protein 1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) have demonstrated promising antitumor efficacy in various types of cancers, especially highly mutated ones. Genetic alterations in DNA damage response and repair (DDR) genes can lead to genetic instability, often accompanied by a high tumor mutation burden (TMB). However, few studies have validated the aberration of DDR genes as a predictive biomarker for response to immune-modulating antibodies.

Genetic Characteristics Associated With Drug Resistance in Lung Cancer and Colorectal Cancer Using Whole Exome Sequencing of Cell-Free DNA.

Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) can be used to characterize tumor genomes through next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based approaches. We aim to identify novel genetic alterations associated with drug resistance in lung cancer and colorectal cancer patients who were treated with EGFR-targeted therapy and cytotoxic chemotherapy through whole exome sequencing (WES) of cfDNA. A cohort of 18 lung cancer patients was treated with EGFR TKI or cytotoxic chemotherapy, and a cohort of 37 colorectal cancer patients was treated with EGFR monoclonal antibody or cytotoxic chemotherapy alone.

Blood transfusion has an adverse impact on the prognosis of patients receiving chemotherapy for advanced colorectal cancer: experience from a single institution with a patient blood management program.

Purpose: Perioperative blood transfusion in early stage cancer patients had a negative effect on the prognosis of patients, but the prognostic impact of transfusion in advanced cancer patients remains unclear. To minimize and guide rational transfusion, an institutional patient blood management (PBM) program was launched, and we evaluated the new program that has changed the practice and impacted on the prognosis of advanced cancer patients.

Methods: We investigated the medical records of colorectal cancer patients who received chemotherapy from 2015 to 2020.

Clinical Implication of Liquid Biopsy in Colorectal Cancer Patients Treated with Metastasectomy.

Background & Aims: The application of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has been studied for predicting recurrent disease after surgery and treatment response during systemic treatment. Metastasectomy can be curative for well-selected patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). This prospective study investigated the ctDNA level before and after metastasectomy in patients with mCRC to explore its potential as a predictive biomarker.

Comparison of the Data of a Next-Generation Sequencing Panel from K-MASTER Project with That of Orthogonal Methods for Detecting Targetable Genetic Alterations.

Purpose: K-MASTER project is a Korean national precision medicine platform that screened actionable mutations by analyzing next-generation sequencing (NGS) of solid tumor patients. We compared gene analyses between NGS panel from the K-MASTER project and orthogonal methods.

Materials And Methods: Colorectal, breast, non-small cell lung, and gastric cancer patients were included.

The Clinical Significance of RAS, PIK3CA, and PTEN Mutations in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Using Cell-Free DNA.

Mutations in the EGFR gene downstream signaling pathways may cause receptor-independent pathway activation, making tumors unresponsive to EGFR inhibitors. However, the clinical significance of RAS, PIK3CA or PTEN mutations in NSCLC is unclear. In this study, patients who were initially diagnosed with NSCLC or experienced recurrence after surgical resection were enrolled, and blood samples was collected.

Clinical Implication of Concordant or Discordant Genomic Profiling between Primary and Matched Metastatic Tissues in Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the concordant or discordant genomic profiling between primary and matched metastatic tumors in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and to explore the clinical implication.

Materials And Methods: Surgical samples of primary and matched metastatic tissues from 158 patients (335 samples) with CRC at Korea University Anam Hospital were evaluated using the Ion AmpliSeq Cancer Hotspot Panel. We compared genetic variants and classified them as concordant, primary-specific, and metastasis-specific variants.

Efficacy of a Decision Aid Consisting of a Video and Booklet on Advance Care Planning for Advanced Cancer Patients: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Context: Few randomized controlled trials of advance care planning (ACP) with a decision aid (DA) show an effect on patient preferences for end-of-life (EOL) care over time, especially in racial/ethnic settings outside the U.S.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the effect of a decision aid consisting of a video and an ACP booklet for EOL care preferences among patients with advanced cancer.

Efficacy and safety of cisplatin and weekly docetaxel in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Background/aims: We investigated the efficacy and toxicity of a weekly schedule of docetaxel and cisplatin as a first-line treatment in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC).

Methods: In this study, 18 patients with previously diagnosed R/M HNSCC were treated with combination chemotherapy of weekly docetaxel 35 mg/m2 (day 1 and 8) and cisplatin 70 mg/m2 (day 1) as first-line chemotherapy, repeated every 3 weeks.

Results: Partial response and stable disease were observed in six patients (33.

Detection of somatic variants and mutations in cell-free DNA from non-small cell lung cancer patients by ultra-deep sequencing using the ion ampliseq cancer hotspot panel and droplet digital polymerase chain reaction.

Highly sensitive genotyping assays can detect mutations in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from cancer patients, reflecting the biology of each patient's cancer. Because circulating tumor DNA comprises a small, variable fraction of DNA circulating in the blood, sensitive parallel multiplexing tests are required to determine mutation profiles. We prospectively examined the clinical utility of ultra-deep sequencing analysis of cfDNA from 126 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients using the Ion AmpliSeq Cancer Hotspot Panel v2 (ICP) and validated these findings with droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR).

Clinicopathological Features and Prognostic Factors Affecting Survival Outcomes in Isolated Locoregional Recurrence of Breast Cancer: Single-Institutional Series.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinicopathologic features and prognostic factors affecting outcome in patients with isolated locoregional recurrence of breast cancer (ILRR).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 104 patients who were diagnosed with ILRR and underwent curative surgery from January 2000 to December 2010 at Samsung Medical Center.

Results: Among 104 patients, 43 (41%) underwent total mastectomy and 61 (59%) underwent breast-conserving surgery for primary breast cancer.

The prognostic role of serum C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 in patients with metastatic or recurrent colorectal cancer.

Background: C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) is involved in tumor progression including angiogenesis, metastasis, and survival. However, whether serum CXCR4 levels in metastatic or recurrent colorectal cancer have a prognostic role, have not been evaluated.

Methods: We analyzed serum samples from 55 patients with advanced colorectal cancer diagnosed between March 2008 and July 2011.

MCT4 as a potential therapeutic target for metastatic gastric cancer with peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) play a major role in up-regulation of glycolysis and adaptation to acidosis. However, the role of MCTs in gastric cancer (GC) is not fully understood. We investigated the potential utilization of a new cancer therapy for GC.

A phase II trial of gefitinib monotherapy in pretreated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer not harboring activating EGFR mutations: implications of sensitive EGFR mutation test.

Purpose: Efficacy of gefitinib therapy strongly depends on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, cumulative data from many clinical studies demonstrated that some patients with wild-type (WT) EGFR also responded to gefitinib with durable disease control rate (DCR). The aim of this trial was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of gefitinib in NSCLC patients with WT EGFR who failed previous chemotherapy.

Can Serum be Used for Analyzing the KRAS Mutation Status in Patients with Advanced Colorectal Cancer?

Purpose: KRAS mutations have been used widely as prognostic or predictive marker in patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). However, it may be difficult to obtain a tumor tissue for analyzing the status of KRAS mutation in large proportion of patients with advanced disease.

Materials And Methods: We obtained pairs of tumor and serum samples from 65 patients with advanced CRC, between March 2008 and July 2011.

The role of chemotherapy and/or octreotide in patients with metastatic gastroenteropancreatic and hepatobiliary neuroendocrine carcinoma.

Background: Neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) of the gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) and hepatobiliary (HB) tract are rare and a heterogenous group of malignancies. Octreotide showed the anti-tumor activity in functional and nonfunctional well differentiated metastatic midgut neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). However, the effect of octreotide on survival has not been evaluated.

Prognostic relevance of biological subtype overrides that of TNM staging in breast cancer: discordance between stage and biology.

Recently, we faced difficult treatment decisions regarding appropriate adjuvant systemic treatment, especially for patients who show discordance between stage and tumor biology. The aim of this study was to compare the prognostic relevance of the TNM staging system with that of intrinsic subtype in breast cancer. We retrospectively identified women patients who received curative surgery for stage I-III breast cancer with available data on immunohistochemistry profiles including hormone receptor (HR) status, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status, and Ki 67 staining at the Samsung Medical Center from January 2004 to September 2008.

Thalidomide, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone induction therapy: feasibility for myeloma patients destined for autologous stem cell transplantation.

This study explored the effect of thalidomide and cyclophosphamide on stem cell collection, in addition to assessing their efficacy as induction therapy for myeloma patients destined for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). We analyzed newly diagnosed myeloma patients who received TCD (thalidomide 100 mg/day for 28 days, oral cyclophosphamide 150 mg/m 2 /day and dexamethasone 40 mg/day on days 1–4) as induction therapy prior to ASCT. Peripheral stem cells were mobilized with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and cyclophosphamide.

Is there any predictor for clinical outcome in EGFR mutant NSCLC patients treated with EGFR TKIs?

Background: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have demonstrated some dramatic response rate and prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with activating EGFR mutation. However, PFS and overall survival (OS) among those patients who were treated with EGFR TKIs are inconsistent and unpredictable. In this study, we evaluated predictors of clinical outcome in EGFR mutant NSCLC patients treated with EGFR TKIs.

A retrospective comparison of adjuvant chemotherapeutic regimens for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): paclitaxel plus carboplatin versus vinorelbine plus cisplatin.

Background: Adjuvant chemotherapy with vinorelbine plus cisplatin (NP) has been demonstrated to increase overall survival in patients with stage II or IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although paclitaxel plus carboplatin (PC) failed to demonstrate efficacy in patients with stage IB NSCLC, an exploratory analysis suggested that patients with large tumors can benefit from adjuvant PC therapy.

Methods: Clinical outcomes of patients who received adjuvant NP or PC regimens after complete resection for their NSCLC were retrospectively compared.

Positive correlation between baseline PET or PET/CT findings and clinical parameters in multiple myeloma patients.

Recently, positron emission tomography (PET) has been incorporated into a series of prospective studies as a predictor of outcomes in multiple myeloma (MM), and the number of (18)F-fluorodeoxuglucose (FDG)-avid focal lesions (FLs) and the intensity of tumor metabolism have been designated as important surrogate markers for predicting prognosis. Here, we compared initial clinical characteristics of MM patients with baseline PET parameters: the number of FLs and the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax). A total of 59 patients diagnosed with MM between August 2004 and February 2012 were reviewed.

A prospective phase II trial of induction chemotherapy with docetaxel/cisplatin for Masaoka stage III/IV thymic epithelial tumors.

Background: Initial complete resection is a powerful prognostic indicator of survival in thymic epithelial tumors (TETs), but is obviously related to tumor stage. Here, we report the results of a prospective study of neoadjuvant docetaxel/cisplatin in locally advanced TETs.

Methods: Patients with histologically proven, Masaoka stage III/IV TETs at presentation were enrolled in this open-label, phase II, nonrandomized study.