Immunotherapy-associated symptoms, distress, financial toxicity and unmet supportive care needs of patients with cancer.

Purpose: To examine the unmet care needs (i.e., overall needs and need subdomains [physical and daily living needs, psychological and emotional needs, care and support needs, and health-system and informational needs]) of patients with cancer undergoing immunotherapy alone or in combination with other anticancer therapies, as well as related influencing factors.

Decisional conflict and its determinants among patients with cancer undergoing immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy or targeted therapy: a cross-sectional study.

Decisional conflict might occur during shared decision-making (SDM) because immunotherapy is a rather novel treatment option for patients with cancer. To explore the prevalence and severity of physical and psychological symptoms and the effort invested in SDM in relation to decisional conflict among patients with cancer undergoing immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy or targeted therapy. This was a cross-sectional survey study.

Treatment outcome comparisons of first-line targeted therapy in patients with KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer: A nationwide database study.

Background: The first-line systemic therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is a combination of one targeted therapy agent and a chemotherapy doublet. Whether bevacizumab or anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) monoclonal antibody (mAb) is the more effective addition to a chemotherapy doublet as the first-line treatment for inoperable KRAS wild-type mCRC remains controversial in prior clinical trials. Moreover, the association between the sidedness of primary tumors and the efficacy of anti-EGFR mAb needs to be addressed.

Novel prognostic implications of complement activation in the tumour microenvironment for de novo metastatic BRAF V600E mutant colorectal cancer.

Background: Prognosis of metastatic BRAF V600E mutant colorectal cancer (CRC) is poor, and the prognostic implications of immune contextures in the tumour microenvironment (TME) for CRC remain elusive.

Methods: We collected the primary tumour specimens and clinicopathological characteristics of patients with de novo metastatic microsatellite-stable BRAF V600E mutant CRC from two medical centres. Gene expression analysis was performed using the nCounterⓇ PanCancer Immune Profiling Panel.

Ramucirumab plus triplet chemotherapy as an alternative salvage treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Background: Ramucirumab is indicated for salvage treatment after failure of first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, the application of ramucirumab at later-line treatment in real-world practice has not received much discussion.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we enrolled 70 patients with mCRC who received ramucirumab plus chemotherapy at National Taiwan University Hospital between 2018 and 2019.

Proteasome inhibitors restore the STAT1 pathway and enhance the expression of MHC class I on human colon cancer cells.

Background: A new strategy, particularly a novel combination, for immunotherapy in microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treatment needs to be formulated. Studies on the interferon-γ (IFN-γ)/ Janus kinase (JAK)/ signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)1 pathway provide new directions in this regard.

Methods: Our study applies three colon cancer cell lines, including microsatellite stable (MSS) cell lines, which are SW480 and SW620, and microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) cell line, which is DLD-1.

Chemotherapy agents stimulate dendritic cells against human colon cancer cells through upregulation of the transporter associated with antigen processing.

Single immunotherapy fails to demonstrate efficacy in patients with microsatellite stable (MSS) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Research on immune reactions before and after systemic agents for mCRC is warranted. Our study examined cell line models to compare the expression of immune surface markers on colon cancer cells before and after chemotherapy agents.

Association between risk factors, molecular features and CpG island methylator phenotype colorectal cancer among different age groups in a Taiwanese cohort.

Background: CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) represents a carcinogenesis pathway of colorectal cancer (CRC) and the association between CIMP CRC, molecular features and risk factors in East Asian population is less studied.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled newly diagnosed CRC patients at the National Taiwan University Hospital. Clinicopathological data and risk factors for CRC were collected during interview.

Irinotecan and Oxaliplatin Might Provide Equal Benefit as Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Patients with Resectable Synchronous Colon Cancer and Liver-confined Metastases: A Nationwide Database Study.

Background: Although irinotecan and oxaliplatin are both standard treatments for advanced colon cancer, it remains unknown whether either is effective for patients with resectable synchronous colon cancer and liver-confined metastasis (SCCLM) after curative surgery.

Patients And Methods: A population-based cohort of patients diagnosed with de novo SCCLM between 2004 and 2009 was established by searching the database of the Taiwan Cancer Registry and the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. Patients who underwent curative surgery as their first therapy followed by chemotherapy doublets were classified into the irinotecan group or oxaliplatin group accordingly.

Do-not-resuscitate consent signed by patients indicates a more favorable quality of end-of-life care for patients with advanced cancer.

Purpose: Do-not-resuscitate (DNR) consent is crucial in end-of-life (EOL) care for patients with advanced cancer. However, DNR consents signed by patients (DNR-P) and surrogates (DNR-S) reflect differently on patient autonomy and awareness.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled advanced cancer patients treated at National Taiwan University Hospital, Hsin-Chu Branch between 2012 and 2014.

Cytotoxic Chemotherapy as First-Line Therapy for Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer in Taiwan: Daily Practice.

Aim: Cytotoxic chemotherapy is the standard first-line therapy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without specific gene alterations. This study examined the prescription pattern and the survival outcome of cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens in daily practice in Taiwan.

Methods: We established a population-based cohort of patients diagnosed with advanced NSCLC between 2005 and 2009 using the databases of Taiwan Cancer Registry and National Health Insurance in Taiwan.

Young patients with colorectal cancer have increased risk of second primary cancers.

Objective: Because the number of long-term survivors of colorectal cancer has increased, second primary cancer has become an important issue. However, previous studies were heterogeneous in design, and few data for Asia-Pacific area were available.

Methods: This was a retrospective population-based study conducted using the national database of the Taiwan Cancer Registry.

Cetuximab Might Be Detrimental to Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients with KRAS Codon 12 Mutations.

Background: Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies benefit patients with wild-type KRAS exon 2 metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, their effect in KRAS-mutant mCRC remains unclear.

Patients And Methods: This was a retrospective study enrolling 163 patients with unresectable KRAS-mutant mCRC diagnosed at the National Taiwan University Hospital between 2007 and 2011.

Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy is more beneficial in KRAS mutant than in KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

To identify better regimens in currently available chemotherapy would be beneficial to KRAS mutant metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients because they have fewer treatment options than KRAS wild-type mCRC patients. Clinicopathologic features and overall survival (OS) of KRAS mutant and wild-type mCRC patients who had used oxaliplatin-based, irinotecan-based, bevacizumab-based, as well as cetuximab-based regimens were compared to those who had never-used oxaliplatin-based, irinotecan-based, bevacizumab-based, as well as cetuximab-based regimens respectively. Between 2007 and 2012, a total of 394 mCRC patients, in whom 169 KRAS mutant and 225 KRAS wild-type, were enrolled.

Modern prospection for hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy in malignancies with liver metastases.

Malignancy with liver metastasis plays an important role in daily oncology practice, especially for primary cancers of the gastrointestinal tract and hepatopancreatobiliary system. On account of the dual vascular supply system and the fact that most metastatic liver tumors are supplied by the hepatic artery, hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) is an appealing method for the treatment of liver metastases. Herein, we summarize recent study results reported in the literature regarding the use of HAIC for metastatic liver tumors, with special focus on colorectal cancer.

Disseminated microvascular pulmonary tumor embolism from non-small cell lung cancer leading to pulmonary hypertension followed by sudden cardiac arrest.

Disseminated microvascular pulmonary tumor embolism (DMPTE) is extremely rare and invariably fatal. Typical symptoms and signs of DMPTE include shortness of breath and inadequate oxygenation. Here we demonstrate a patient with unexplained progressive pulmonary hypertension followed by sudden cardiac arrest, who finally diagnosed of DMPTE pathologically under veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) system support.