Shifting the paradigm: engaging multicellular networks for cancer therapy.

Most anti-cancer modalities are designed to directly kill cancer cells deploying mechanisms of action (MOAs) centered on the presence of a precise target on cancer cells. The efficacy of these approaches is limited because the rapidly evolving genetics of neoplasia swiftly circumvents the MOA generating therapy-resistant cancer cell clones. Other modalities engage endogenous anti-cancer mechanisms by activating the multi-cellular network (MCN) surrounding neoplastic cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Atezolizumab Plus Carboplatin and Etoposide in Patients with Untreated Extensive-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Interim Results of the MAURIS Phase IIIb Trial.

Background: MAURIS is an Italian multicenter, open-label, phase IIIb ongoing trial, aiming at evaluating the safety and effectiveness of atezolizumab + carboplatin/etoposide in patients with newly diagnosed, extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). The primary objective is the safety evaluation.

Materials And Methods: Patients received atezolizumab + carboplatin/etoposide Q3W for 4-6 cycles in the induction phase, followed by atezolizumab maintenance Q3W.

Management of Ewing Sarcoma Family of Tumors: A Short Description of a Rare Primitive Uterine pPNET and Literature Review.

Purpose: To describe the outcome of a patient with a rare primitive uterine pPNET and to perform a review of the available data in literature, leading the clinicians to better face this rare disease.

Methods: We have rescued data regarding the multidisciplinary treatment of pPNET from the PUBMED database, highlighting also issues regarding the pathogenesis and the genetic landscape of the ESFTs (Ewing Sarcoma Family of Tumors).

Results: Ewing sarcoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) are small round cell tumors presenting with different degrees of neuroectodermal differentiation.

An international update of the EORTC questionnaire for assessing quality of life in breast cancer patients: EORTC QLQ-BR45.

Background: The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-BR23 was one of the first disease-specific questionnaires developed in 1996 to assess quality of life (QoL) in patients with breast cancer (BC). However, since 1996 major changes in BC treatment have occurred, requiring an update of the EORTC BC module. This study presents the results of the phase I-III update of the QLQ-BR23 questionnaire.

Age and DNA methylation subgroup as potential independent risk factors for treatment stratification in children with atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors.

Background: Controversy exists as to what may be defined as standard of care (including markers for stratification) for patients with atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (ATRTs). The European Rhabdoid Registry (EU-RHAB) recruits uniformly treated patients and offers standardized genetic and DNA methylation analyses.

Methods: Clinical, genetic, and treatment data of 143 patients from 13 European countries were analyzed (2009-2017).

Incidence of T790M in Patients With NSCLC Progressed to Gefitinib, Erlotinib, and Afatinib: A Study on Circulating Cell-free DNA.

Background: Insights into the mechanism of resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) could provide important information for further patient management, including the choice of second-line treatment. The EGFR T790M mutation is the most common mechanism of resistance to first- and second-generation EGFR TKIs. Owing to its biologic relevance in the response of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to the selective pressure of treatment, the present study investigated whether the occurrence of T790M at progression differed among patients receiving gefitinib, erlotinib, or afatinib.

Germline and somatic mutations in patients with multiple primary melanomas: a next generation sequencing study.

Introduction: Multiple primary melanomas (MPM) occur up to 8% of patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM). They are often sporadic harbouring several somatic mutations, but also familial cases harbouring a CDKN2A germline mutation have been describe in Caucasian populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence, the distribution patterns and the impact of known and unknown germline and somatic mutations in patients with MPM from Italy.

Italian Cohort of the Nivolumab EAP in Squamous NSCLC: Efficacy and Safety in Patients With CNS Metastases.

Background/aim: Brain metastases are an additional challenge in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) because most chemotherapy agents cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. Nivolumab has demonstrated efficacy in patients with advanced squamous NSCLC, but because patients with central nervous system (CNS) metastases are typically excluded from registration trials, 'field-practice' data are needed.

Patients And Methods: Patients in the Italian cohort of the Expanded Access Program (EAP) who had CNS metastases at baseline were analyzed.

The Path of Cicely Saunders: The "Peculiar Beauty" of Palliative Care.

This paper is aimed at focusing on the writings and the experience of the Hospice movement Founder, Dame Cicely Saunders. The in-depth analysis carried out had the objective of verifying if "the way" of Cicely to understand, live and propose palliative care was still current and "beautiful", so that we can nowadays refer to her fascinating "Original Palliative Care". With "beauty" we mean, on the one hand, a way able to allow a personal path of research of the meaning of the disease and of the care, both for those who care and for those who are cared for.

Genetics and management of locally advanced carcinomas of the head and neck: role of altered fractionation radiotherapy.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) accounts for 5-7% of all malignancies. About 60% of newly diagnosed SCCHN are detected as locally advanced disease. Chemoradiation is a standard option and response rate to it is variable.

Pediatric lung adenocarcinoma presenting with brain metastasis: a case report.

Background: Diagnosis and treatment of primary lung adenocarcinoma in children remains challenging given its rarity. Here we highlight the clinical history, pathological evaluation, genomic findings, and management of a very young patient with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma.

Case Presentation: A 10-year-old white girl presented with brain metastases due to primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Second Primary Malignancies in Patients with Well-differentiated/Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma.

Background: Well-differentiated/dedifferentiated (WD/DD) liposarcoma is a rare malignancy of putative adipocyte origin. To our knowledge, there have only been isolated case reports describing second primary cancer in patients with this disease. We report on a combined case series of such patients and explore the frequency of this occurrence using a national cancer database.

Fusion status in patients with lymph node-positive (N1) alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is a powerful predictor of prognosis: Experience of the European Paediatric Soft Tissue Sarcoma Study Group (EpSSG).

Background: Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (aRMS) with lymph node involvement (N1 classification) accounts for up to 10% of all cases of RMS. The prognosis is poor, and is comparable to that of distant metastatic disease. In the European Paediatric Soft Tissue Sarcoma Study Group (EpSSG) RMS2005 protocol, patients with a histologic diagnosis of aRMS/N1 received intensified chemotherapy with systematic locoregional treatment.

Thyroid cancer management: from a suspicious nodule to targeted therapy.

Thyroid nodules are very common, and their frequency is four to five times higher in women than in men. Most of them are benign, with only a very little percentage revealing a malignant neoplasm. About 50% of thyroid nodules are detected by self-palpation of neck, whereas the other 50% are diagnosed by neck ultrasonography and following fine-needle aspiration.

Translational Research: A Future Strategy for Managing Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck?

Background: Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (SCCHN) are neoplasms arising from the epithelium of the first aero-digestive tract. They are very heterogeneous both clinically and biologically. Classic and well acknowledged risk factors are alcohol and tobacco consumption and other forms of smokeless tobacco assumption, although lately the incidence of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)-related SCCHN is rapidly increasing.

Pre- and Postoperative Chemotherapy in Localized Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Expert Survey.

Background: The management of localized extremity soft tissue sarcomas (STS) is challenging and the role of pre- and postoperative chemotherapy is unclear and debated among experts.

Materials And Methods: Medical oncology experts of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Group were asked to participate in this survey on the use of pre- and postoperative chemotherapy in STS. Experts from 12 centers in Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, and The Netherlands agreed to participate and provided their treatment algorithm.

Epigenetic control of gene expression: Potential implications for cancer treatment.

Epigenetic changes are defined as inherited modifications that are not present in DNA sequence. Gene expression is regulated at various levels and not only in response to DNA modifications. Examples of epigenetic control are DNA methylation, histone deacetylation and mi-RNA expression.

New Cross-Talk Layer between Ultraconserved Non-Coding RNAs, MicroRNAs and Polycomb Protein YY1 in Bladder Cancer.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are highly conserved elements in mammals, and exert key regulatory functions. Growing evidence shows that miRNAs can interact with another class of non-coding RNAs, so-called transcribed ultraconserved regions (T-UCRs), which take part in transcriptional, post-transcriptional and epigenetic regulation processes. We report here the interaction of miRNAs and T-UCRs as a network modulating the availability of these non-coding RNAs in bladder cancer cells.

Increased Incidence of Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal Women with High Body Mass Index at the Modena Screening Program.

Purpose: We conducted a study to evaluate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the risk of breast cancer (BC) and outcome in a population of 14,684 women aged 55 to 69 years eligible to participate in the Mammography Screening Program (MSP) in the Province of Modena, Italy.

Methods: The study population was drawn from women who underwent mammography screening between 2004 and 2006 in the Province of Modena. Women were subdivided into obese, overweight, and normal-weight categories according to BMI and followed until July 31, 2010, to evaluate the BC incidence.

Human genome meeting 2016 : Houston, TX, USA. 28 February - 2 March 2016.

O1 The metabolomics approach to autism: identification of biomarkers for early detection of autism spectrum disorder A. K. Srivastava, Y.

Afatinib versus methotrexate in older patients with second-line recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: subgroup analysis of the LUX-Head & Neck 1 trial.

Background: In the phase III LUX-Head & Neck 1 (LHN1) trial, afatinib significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) versus methotrexate in recurrent and/or metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients progressing on/after platinum-based therapy. This report evaluates afatinib efficacy and safety in prespecified subgroups of patients aged ≥65 and <65 years.

Patients And Methods: Patients were randomized (2:1) to 40 mg/day oral afatinib or 40 mg/m(2)/week intravenous methotrexate.

Long non-coding RNA containing ultraconserved genomic region 8 promotes bladder cancer tumorigenesis.

Ultraconserved regions (UCRs) have been shown to originate non-coding RNA transcripts (T-UCRs) that have different expression profiles and play functional roles in the pathophysiology of multiple cancers. The relevance of these functions to the pathogenesis of bladder cancer (BlCa) is speculative. To elucidate this relevance, we first used genome-wide profiling to evaluate the expression of T-UCRs in BlCa tissues.

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Pelvic Tumors: Clinical Indications and Protocols Under Investigation.

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) sampling is an attractive alternative to complete lymphadenectomy. Based on the identification and sampling of the first LN draining a primary tumor, SLN biopsy is the most accurate and the only reliable method for microscopic nodal staging for solid tumors including breast cancer and melanoma. Lymph node status in pelvic tumors remains the most important prognostic factor for recurrence and survival and a major decision criterion for adjuvant therapy.