T cell engagers in solid tumors kick the door down.

Tebentafusp, a T cell-redirecting, bispecific-antibody-targeting, HLA02:01-restricted gp100 peptide and CD3, induces T cells to kill glycoprotein 100 (gp100)-expressing tumor cells. Tebentafusp is the first T cell engager to show a statistically significant overall survival improvement for the treatment of patients with solid tumors, and this has been reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

SAUL, a single-arm study of atezolizumab for chemotherapy-pretreated locally advanced or metastatic carcinoma of the urinary tract: outcomes by key baseline factors, PD-L1 expression and prior platinum therapy.

Background: The impact of pretreatment factors on immune checkpoint inhibition in platinum-refractory advanced urothelial cancer (aUC) deserves further evaluation. The aim was to study the association of Bellmunt risk factors, time from last chemotherapy (TFLC), previous therapy and PD-L1 expression with atezolizumab efficacy in platinum-refractory aUC.

Patients And Methods: This was a post-hoc analysis of patients who had received prior cisplatin or carboplatin in the prospective, single-arm, phase IIIb SAUL study (NCT02928406).

Tumor mutational burden assessment in non-small-cell lung cancer samples: results from the TMB harmonization project comparing three NGS panels.

Background: Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is a recently proposed predictive biomarker for immunotherapy in solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Available assays for TMB determination differ in horizontal coverage, gene content and algorithms, leading to discrepancies in results, impacting patient selection. A harmonization study of TMB assessment with available assays in a cohort of patients with NSCLC is urgently needed.

Upfront pembrolizumab as an effective treatment start in patients with PD-L1 ≥ 50% non-oncogene addicted non-small cell lung cancer and asymptomatic brain metastases: an exploratory analysis.

Introduction: The efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with brain metastases (BMs) from non-oncogene addicted non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is under investigation. Here, we sought to determine the optimal management of NSCLCs with PD-L1 ≥ 50% and asymptomatic BMs who were treated with first-line pembrolizumab.

Methods: Thirty patients from 15 institutions with PD-L1 ≥ 50% NSCLC had asymptomatic BMs, and met inclusion criteria.

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) for morbid obesity: how effective is it?

Introduction: ESG is an effective treatment for classes I and II obesity. However, the benefit of ESG in patients with morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m) who decline surgery is not known. The study aims to compare the effectiveness and safety of ESG in all three obesity classes at 1 year.

Endoscopic gastroplasty: an effective solution in a high-risk patient with morbid obesity.

A 61-year-old man was referred to the bariatric endoscopy unit for the management of morbid obesity (BMI 47 kg/m). He had multiple obesity-related medical comorbidities. His weight gain started 8 years after suffering smoke inhalation syndrome following an industrial accident.

T-cell-engaging Therapy for Solid Tumors.

T-cell engagers (TCE) are a rapidly evolving novel group of treatments that have in common the concurrent engagement of a T-cell surface molecule and a tumoral cell antigen. Bispecific antibodies and genetically engineered adoptive cell therapies, as chimeric antigen receptors or T-cell receptors, have similarities and differences among their mechanisms of action, toxicity profiles, and resistance pathways. Nevertheless, the success observed in the hematologic field has not been obtained with solid tumors yet, as they are biologically more complex and have few truly tumor-specific cell surface antigens that can be targeted with high avidity T cells.

Prognostic Value of Lymph Node Status for Actual Long-Term Survival in Resected Pancreatic Cancer.

Background: The prognostic factors for long-term survival after curative resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma are still poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to identify the prognostic factors of long-term survival after resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma based on actual 5-year survival including different lymph node status classifications.

Method: A total of 106 patients who underwent pancreatectomy were enrolled at our institution and retrospectively analyzed according to actual survival (> vs < 5 years), as well as several currently available node classifications: N0/N1, N0/N1/N2, and lymph-node ratio (LNR) including multivariate logistic regression.

Liver prometastatic reaction: Stimulating factors and responsive cancer phenotypes.

Cancer is first a localized tissue disorder, whose soluble and exosomal molecules and invasive cells induce a host response providing the stromal components of the primary tumor microenvironment (TME). Once the TME is developed, cancer-derived molecules and cells can more efficiently spread out and a whole-body response takes place, whose pathophysiological changes may result in a paraneoplastic syndrome. Remote organ-specific prometastatic reactions may also occur at this time, facilitating metastatic activities of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) through premetastatic niche development at targeted organs.

A noninterventional, multinational study to assess PD-L1 expression in cytological and histological lung cancer specimens.

Background: The diagnosis of advanced lung cancer is made with minimally invasive procedures. This often results in the availability of cytological material only for subtype determination and companion diagnostic testing, with the latter being technically and clinically validated on histological material only. Thus, the primary objective of the MO29978 clinical study was to assess programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) protein expression on cytology samples as surrogates for histology samples in patients with lung cancer.

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, and laparoscopic greater curve plication: do they differ at 2 years?

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is an effective treatment option for obesity. However, data comparing its efficacy to bariatric surgery are scarce. We aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of ESG with laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and laparoscopic greater curve plication (LGCP) at 2 years.

IFSO Endoscopy Committee Position Statement on the Practice of Bariatric Endoscopy During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) caused by SARS-CoV-2 has become a global pandemic. Obesity is a risk factor for severe disease, and the practice of endoscopy poses special challenges and risks of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to patients and providers given the evolving role of the gastrointestinal tract in viral transmission and aerosol generation during endoscopic procedures. It is therefore necessary to distinguish between urgent interventions that cannot be postponed despite the risks during the pandemic and, in contrast, purely elective interventions that could be deferred in order to minimize transmission risks during a time of infection surge and limited access.

Re-suturing after primary endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) for obesity.

Introduction: Although primary endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (P-ESG) is effective, some patients may require revision procedures to augment weight loss. We hypothesized that a non-surgical approach using redo ESG (R-ESG) might be a viable option in such patients. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of R-ESG following P-ESG to treat obesity.

Increased vulnerability of clinical research units during the COVID-19 crisis and their protection.

Currently, the complexity of clinical trial development in oncology is being further complicated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which is reducing the resources needed to comply with protocol-specific procedures while putting patients in units, who are already vulnerable, at increased general risk not only for COVID-19 infection but also with respect to their baseline disease. Individualizing the management of patients while ensuring their safety and adherence to the study protocol, establishing specific staff contingency plans, and maintaining sponsor and contract research organization (CRO) alignment are some of the key issues for maintaining the continuity of cancer patients' investigational treatment and minimizing their infection risk as well as the risk to staff members of the unit, sponsors, and CROs while maintaining the integrity of data quality and compliance with good clinical practice.

Robotic-assisted right colectomy versus laparoscopic approach: case-matched study and cost-effectiveness analysis.

Aim: The aim of this study is to compare clinical and oncological outcomes of robot-assisted right colectomy with those of conventional laparoscopy-assisted right colectomy, reporting for the first time in literature, a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Methods: This is a case-matched prospective non-randomized study conducted from October 2013 to October 2017 at Sanchinarro University Hospital, Madrid. Patients with right-sided colonic adenocarcinoma or adenoma, not suitable endoscopic resection were treated with robot-assisted right colectomy and a propensity score-matched (1:1) was used to balance preoperative characteristics of a laparoscopic control group.

Gut and Metabolic Hormones Changes After Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG) Vs. Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG).

Introduction: ESG reduces gastric lumen similar to LSG and induces significant weight loss. However, the metabolic and physiological alteration after ESG is not fully understood. We aim to study the gastrointestinal hormone changes after ESG and compared it with LSG.

Bariatric endoscopy procedure type or follow-up: What predicted success at 1 year in 962 obese patients?

 It is uncertain if the difference in weight loss outcomes between different endoscopic bariatric therapies (EBTs) is technique-related or multidisciplinary team (MDT) follow-up-related. We hypothesized that at 1 year, the weight loss is determined more by adherence to MDT follow-up than by procedure type. We aimed to compare 1 year weight loss outcomes of four different EBTs at a single center with a standardized MDT follow-up.

Complications with Over the Scope Clip: How Can We Prevent It?

The over-the-scope clip is safe and efficacious and has become the preferred device of choice for the treatment of complex gastrointestinal bleeding, perforation, and gastrointestinal leaks. With its widespread adoption in clinical practice, information on complications associated with over-the-scope clip use is emerging. Nonetheless, the overall complication rate is still very low.