Abemaciclib plus fulvestrant in hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer in premenopausal women: subgroup analysis from the MONARCH 2 trial.

Background: In MONARCH 2, abemaciclib plus fulvestrant significantly improved median progression-free survival (PFS, 16.4 vs 9.3 months, hazard ratio [HR] 0.

Verification of field match lines in whole breast radiation therapy using Cherenkov imaging.

Purpose: In mono-isocentric radiation therapy treatment plans designed to treat the whole breast and supraclavicular lymph nodes, the fields meet at isocenter, forming the match line. Insufficient coverage at the match line can lead to recurrence, and overlap over weeks of treatment can lead to increased risk of healthy tissue toxicity. Cherenkov imaging was used to assess the accuracy of delivery at the match line and identify potential incidents during patient treatments.

Role of norms in variation in cancer centers' end-of-life quality: qualitative case study protocol.

Background: A critical barrier to improving the quality of end-of-life (EOL) cancer care is our lack of understanding of the mechanisms underlying variation in EOL treatment intensity. This study aims to fill this gap by identifying 1) organizational and provider practice norms at major US cancer centers, and 2) how these norms influence provider decision making heuristics and patient expectations for EOL care, particularly for minority patients with advanced cancer.

Methods: This is a multi-center, qualitative case study at six National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and National Cancer Institute (NCI) Comprehensive Cancer Centers.

Imaging radiation dose in breast radiotherapy by X-ray CT calibration of Cherenkov light.

Imaging Cherenkov emission during radiation therapy cancer treatments can provide a real-time, non-contact sampling of the entire dose field. The emitted Cherenkov signal generated is proportional to deposited dose, however, it is affected by attenuation from the intrinsic tissue optical properties of the patient, which in breast, ranges from primarily adipose to fibroglandular tissue. Patients being treated with whole-breast X-ray radiotherapy (n = 13) were imaged for 108 total fractions, to establish correction factors from the linear relationships between Cherenkov light and CT number (HU).

End-of-life quality metrics among medicare decedents at minority-serving cancer centers: A retrospective study.

Background: We calculated the performance of National Cancer Institute (NCI)/National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) cancer centers' end-of-life (EOL) quality metrics among minority and white decedents to explore center-attributable sources of EOL disparities.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries with poor-prognosis cancers who died between April 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016 and had any inpatient services in the last 6 months of life. We attributed patients' EOL treatment to the center at which they received the preponderance of EOL inpatient services and calculated eight risk-adjusted metrics of EOL quality (hospice admission ≤3 days before death; chemotherapy last 14 days of life; ≥2 emergency department (ED) visits; intensive care unit (ICU) admission; or life-sustaining treatment last 30 days; hospice referral; palliative care; advance care planning last 6 months).

The effects of lapatinib on cardiac repolarization: results from a placebo controlled, single sequence, crossover study in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of lapatinib on the QTc interval and ECG parameters in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Methods: This was a multicenter, placebo-controlled study in subjects with advanced solid tumors. Subjects were administered two doses of matching placebo on day 1, 12 h apart and one dose in the morning on day 2.

Phase 1b Study of Trebananib Plus Paclitaxel and Trastuzumab in Patients With HER2-Positive Locally Recurrent or Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Introduction: Trebananib, a peptide-Fc fusion protein, blocks angiogenesis by inhibiting binding of angiopoietin-1/2 to the receptor tyrosine kinase Tie2. Trebananib plus trastuzumab and paclitaxel was evaluated in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer in an open-label phase 1b clinical study.

Patients And Methods: Women with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer received weekly paclitaxel (80 mg/m), trastuzumab (8 mg/m then 6 mg/kg every 3 weeks), and intravenous trebananib (10 mg/kg or 30 mg/kg weekly) beginning week 2.

Evaluating Breast Cancer Care Coordination at a Rural National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center Using Network Analysis and Geospatial Methods.

Background: Variation in cancer care coordination may affect care quality and patient outcomes. We sought to characterize the impact of geographic access to and dispersion of cancer care providers on variation in care coordination.

Methods: Using electronic health record data from 2,507 women diagnosed with breast cancer at a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center from April 2011 to September 2015, a breast cancer patient-sharing physician network was constructed.

Safety and efficacy of nivolumab in combination with sunitinib or pazopanib in advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma: the CheckMate 016 study.

Background: Combination treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors and antiangiogenic drugs has shown encouraging preliminary antitumor activity across various tumor types including advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (aRCC). The open-label, parallel-cohort, dose-escalation, phase I CheckMate 016 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab in combination with antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitors or ipilimumab. Long-term outcomes from this study for the combination of nivolumab plus sunitinib or pazopanib in aRCC are presented.

Integrated Rehabilitation for Breast Cancer Survivors.

The physical and psychological side effects of breast cancer therapies can have substantial impact on survivors' physical and social functioning. Roughly half of the more than 3 million Americans alive with a history of breast cancer report adverse, function-degrading sequelae related to their oncologic treatments. Care delivery models for the timely delivery of rehabilitation services have been proposed yet limitedly vetted or implemented.

Patterns of Treatment and Outcomes for Definitive Therapy of Early Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: Definitive surgical and radiation therapy (RT) treatments are evolving rapidly for stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We hypothesized that utilization of definitive therapies increased between 2000 and 2010 and that survival improved for stage I NSCLC patients over the same time period. Secondary objectives were determining trends in patterns of care and predictors of utilization.

The effects of lapatinib on CYP3A metabolism of midazolam in patients with advanced cancer.

Purpose: The potential inhibition of CYP3A4 by lapatinib was studied using midazolam as a probe substrate in patients with cancer.

Methods: This was a partially randomized, 4-period, 4-sequence, 4-treatment, cross-over study in 24 patients with advanced cancer. Single 1-mg IV and 3-mg oral doses of midazolam were given 2 days apart, in a partially random order, on study days 1, 3, 9, and 11.

Safety and Efficacy of Nivolumab in Combination With Ipilimumab in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: The CheckMate 016 Study.

Purpose Combination treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors has shown enhanced antitumor activity compared with monotherapy in tumor types such as melanoma. The open-label, parallel-cohort, dose-escalation, phase I CheckMate 016 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab plus ipilimumab in combination, and nivolumab plus a tyrosine kinase inhibitor in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Safety and efficacy results from the nivolumab plus ipilimumab arms of the study are presented.

Hypofractionated whole breast radiotherapy in breast conservation for early-stage breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Purpose: Breast conservation therapy (BCT) for early-stage breast cancer involves lumpectomy followed by whole breast radiotherapy, which can involve either standard fractionation (SRT) or accelerated fractionation (ART). This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to determine whether any benefit exists for ART or SRT.

Materials And Methods: We searched MEDLINE (1966-2014), all seven databases of the Cochrane Library (1968-2014), EMBASE (1974-2014), clinicaltrials.

A Pharmacokinetic and Safety Study of Trebananib, an Fc-Fusion Peptibody, in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors and Varying Degrees of Renal Dysfunction.

Clearance of trebananib (AMG 386), a 64-kD antiangiogenic peptibody, has been associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). We prospectively evaluated trebananib pharmacokinetics and safety/tolerability in advanced solid tumor patients with varying degrees of renal function. Patients were assigned to normal renal function, mild, moderate, or severe renal dysfunction cohorts based on eGFR, received trebananib 15 mg/kg i.

The synthetic triterpenoid CDDO-Im inhibits fatty acid synthase expression and has antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in human liposarcoma cells.

Liposarcomas constitute a rare group of tumors of mesenchymal origin that are often poorly responsive to therapy. This study characterizes a novel human liposarcoma cell line (LiSa-2) and defines the mechanism of its response to a synthetic triterpenoid. Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is a key enzyme of de-novo fatty acid synthesis and is highly expressed in both human liposarcoma tissue specimens and LiSa-2 cells.

The total neuropathy score: a tool for measuring chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Purpose/objectives: To describe the psychometric properties, clinical significance, and utility of the Total Neuropathy Score (TNS), a composite measurement tool used to assess chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).

Data Sources: Published articles and abstracts and pertinent article references.

Data Synthesis: CIPN has been quantified inadequately because of the lack of an optimal measurement tool.

Immunological effects of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and autologous tumor vaccine in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Purpose: Biological therapy for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) uses agents that mobilize immune effector cells which are able to recognize and destroy cancer. We evaluated the effects of weekly then monthly autologous tumor vaccine combined with daily granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in patients with RCC as a method of stimulating antigen presenting cells.

Materials And Methods: Eligible patients with pathological stage II to IV RCC were entered into this pilot study.