Immune checkpoint inhibitors in driver mutation-positive nonsmall cell lung cancer: is there a role?
This article aimed to comprehensively review the currently available data on the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) for patients with driver mutation-positive lung cancer.
Recent findings
Despite the positive interaction between activation of oncogenic pathways and upregulated PD-L1 expression demonstrated in preclinical studies, the efficacy of single-agent ICB in patients with oncogenic mutation has largely been discouraging, except for those with KRAS mutations. The combination therapies using ICB with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for EGFR/ALK alteration raised a concern for the high inc...
Source: Current Opinion in Oncology - December 5, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: LUNG AND MEDIASTINUM: Edited by Robert Pirker and Caicun Zhou Source Type: research
Neoadjuvant immunotherapy in nonsmall cell lung cancer
Purpose of review
Immune-checkpoint inhibitors have improved treatment outcomes for metastatic nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Whether this therapeutic potential might also translate into survival gains in earlier stages is an area of active research. Based on preclinical rationale the neoadjuvant administration of immunotherapeutic agents is of special interest. This review is intended to summarize the existing background, published early clinical evidence, and provide perspective on future developments regarding neoadjuvant immunotherapy in NSCLC.
Recent findings
Preclinical data and early clinical trials s...
Source: Current Opinion in Oncology - December 5, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: LUNG AND MEDIASTINUM: Edited by Robert Pirker and Caicun Zhou Source Type: research
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors as induction therapy in nonsmall-cell lung cancer
Purpose of review
TKI therapy has shown excellent efficacy and favorable tolerability in patients with mutation-positive nonsmall cell lung cancer. However, there is no clear consensus on the role of TKI as induction therapy. In this article, we reviewed recently published studies to analyze the benefits of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, in particular, EGFR TKIs and ALK TKIs, as inducible treatments for NSCLC.
Recent findings
Several clinical trials have recently presented their latest data, giving analysis of patient's survival benefits and adverse events. Initial results have demonstrated promising efficacy and s...
Source: Current Opinion in Oncology - December 5, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: LUNG AND MEDIASTINUM: Edited by Robert Pirker and Caicun Zhou Source Type: research
Adjuvant therapy of operable nonsmall cell lung cancer: an update
Purpose of review
The current status of postoperative adjuvant therapy for nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is reviewed.
Recent findings
Cisplatin-based postoperative chemotherapy is a current standard of care for patients with stage II–III NSCLC who underwent complete resection. However, its benefit is limited. In these 20 years, the introduction of targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors has dramatically changed the treatment of metastatic lung cancer. The accumulated knowledge is now being applied in the adjuvant setting and many clinical trials are underway. Recently, postoperative osimertinib...
Source: Current Opinion in Oncology - December 5, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: LUNG AND MEDIASTINUM: Edited by Robert Pirker and Caicun Zhou Source Type: research
Lung cancer in China: current and prospect
Purpose of review
To describe the current status of lung cancer in China, including incidence, prevention, molecular testing and treatment.
Recent findings
Lung cancer presents a major public health issue and an enormous burden on society in China, because of its increasing incidence and high mortality. Several distinct gene profiles were associated with lung cancer in China: high EGFR mutation rate, low KRAS mutation rate and more comorbidity of HBV infection. Thus, local Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology Guidelines with more consideration of drug accessibility, regional development differences were highly r...
Source: Current Opinion in Oncology - December 5, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: LUNG AND MEDIASTINUM: Edited by Robert Pirker and Caicun Zhou Source Type: research
131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine and peptide receptor radionuclide therapy in pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma
Purpose of review
Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas are rare tumors arising, respectively, from the adrenal medulla and extra-adrenal sympathetic or parasympathetic paraganglia. The main therapeutic objectives in case of metastatic disease are the reduction of tumor burden and the control of symptoms resulting from excessive catecholamine secretion. Treatment choices constitute not only a wait and see attitude, locoregional approaches, chemotherapy regiments but also radiopharmaceutical agents, and they should be discussed in a specialized multidisciplinary board. This review will briefly discuss the radiopharmaceut...
Source: Current Opinion in Oncology - December 5, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: ENDOCRINE TUMORS: Edited by Christiane Jungels Source Type: research
An update on adult forms of hereditary pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas
Purpose of review
Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGL) display a strong genetic determinism with 40% of inherited forms. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on current knowledge on adult forms of hereditary PPGL and their management.
Recent findings
PPGL are genetically-driven in 70% of cases, with germline and/or somatic mutations identified in more than 20 genes. Although eight new susceptibility genes have recently emerged, mutations on SDHx genes remain the most frequent. In addition to SDHB, mutations in SLC25A11, FH and MDH2 may predispose to a metastatic disease and somatic alteratio...
Source: Current Opinion in Oncology - December 5, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: ENDOCRINE TUMORS: Edited by Christiane Jungels Source Type: research
Adrenocortical carcinoma: current treatment options
Purpose of review
In this article, we focus on the current and future treatment options for adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC).
Recent findings
Radical surgery remains the only curative treatment for ACC. Recent reports showed a longer overall survival (OS) in patients with high risk of recurrence treated with adjuvant mitotane; the time in target range (14–20 mg/l) is related to low risk of relapse both in adjuvant and in palliative setting. In patients who experience disease progression after etoposide, doxorubicin, cisplatin with mitotane (EDP-M), gemcitabine and metronomic capecitabine, or the less used stre...
Source: Current Opinion in Oncology - December 5, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: ENDOCRINE TUMORS: Edited by Christiane Jungels Source Type: research
Epigenetic in medullary thyroid cancer: the role of microRNA in tumorigenesis and prognosis
Purpose of review
MicroRNAs emerged as pivotal regulators of cell differentiation, growth, and cell death, suggesting their implication in tumorigenesis and prognosis of cancer. In the last decades, knowledge about the alterations of microRNAs in medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) is increasing. In this review, we try to summarize the most relevant findings regarding microRNA dysregulation in MTC.
Recent findings
A literature analysis was performed in MEDLINE for studies published up to August 2020. Comprehensively, at least 27 different microRNAs have been investigated in MTC showing evidence for overexpression or ...
Source: Current Opinion in Oncology - December 5, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: ENDOCRINE TUMORS: Edited by Christiane Jungels Source Type: research
Multikinase inhibitors for the treatment of radioiodine refractory thyroid cancer: what have we learned from the ‘real-world’ experience?
Purpose of review
Several molecularly targeted drugs for treating radioiodine resistant differentiated thyroid carcinomas (RAIR-DTC) have been identified. Among these, sorafenib and lenvatinib have been approved for clinical use in many countries. The present review will analyze efficacy and safety ‘real-world’ data (RWD) emerging after their commercialization.
Recent findings
RWDs confirmed sorafenib and lenvatinib efficacy in terms of progression-free survival and, perhaps, overall survival improvement in patients with RAIR-DTC. Lenvatinib performance in RWDs appeared somehow lower than in randomized clini...
Source: Current Opinion in Oncology - December 5, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: ENDOCRINE TUMORS: Edited by Christiane Jungels Source Type: research
Editorial: Endocrine tumors, rare tumors
No abstract available (Source: Current Opinion in Oncology)
Source: Current Opinion in Oncology - December 5, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: ENDOCRINE TUMORS: Edited by Christiane Jungels Source Type: research
Editorial introductions
No abstract available (Source: Current Opinion in Oncology)
Source: Current Opinion in Oncology - December 5, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: EDITORIAL INTRODUCTIONS Source Type: research
Immunotherapy in multiple myeloma: when, where, and for who?
Purpose of review
Immunotherapy is transforming treatment of multiple myeloma patients in all stages of their disease. This review will discuss recent developments in immunotherapy in multiple myeloma with a focus on antibodies, antibody–drug conjugates, and T-cell-redirection strategies.
Recent findings
CD38-targeting antibodies have single agent activity in multiple myeloma, and especially when combined with other drugs, are improving the clinical outcome of patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Also the SLAMF7-targeting antibody, elotuzumab, improves the survival of relapsed/refra...
Source: Current Opinion in Oncology - October 17, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: HEMATOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES: Edited by Miguel A. Sanz Source Type: research
Practical approach to the management of smoldering myeloma
Purpose of review
The aim of this article is to review the diagnosis and risk stratification of smoldering myeloma (SMM), describe recently published data regarding the early treatment of SMM, and to provide practical strategies on how to manage patients with SMM in the clinic.
Recent findings
Recently published data from the ECOG E3A06 and GEM-CESAR studies supporting early intervention for certain subsets of high-risk SMM patients will be presented, and the relevance of these findings in relation to real-life application will be explored.
Summary
Accurate risk-stratification and standard of care for SMM is evolvi...
Source: Current Opinion in Oncology - October 17, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: HEMATOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES: Edited by Miguel A. Sanz Source Type: research
A precision medicine approach to management of acute myeloid leukemia in older adults
Purpose of review
Therapy selection in older adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) can be challenging because of a higher incidence of high-risk cytogenetic and molecular features conferring chemoresistance and poor functional status leading to increased treatment-related toxicities. The purpose of this review is to highlight the recent advances in precision medicine in AML that have shown promise to improve outcomes of older adults.
Recent findings
The utilization of next generation sequencing to identify and target actionable mutations can influence therapy selection in one-third of patients and can result in hig...
Source: Current Opinion in Oncology - October 17, 2020 Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: HEMATOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES: Edited by Miguel A. Sanz Source Type: research
