[Correspondence] Go, no-go decision making for phase 3 clinical trials: ACT IV revisited
We read with great interest the Article by Michael Weller and colleagues1 and the Comment by Elizabeth R Gerstner2 regarding the negative phase 3 study of rindopepimut in newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Gerstner notes that the ACT IV trial did not confirm the previous results of three phase 2 studies (ACTIVATE, ACT II, and ACT III), which were compared with a historical control that served as the basis for the phase 3 study. Her thoughtful speculation that temozolomide-induced lymphopenia or heterogeneity of EGFRvIII expression, or both,2 might provide a partial explanation of the failure of the ACT IV study. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - November 30, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Huy Tram N Nguyen, Patrick Grogan, H Ian Robins Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
[Correspondence] Cancer in two Renaissance families
We read with great interest the letter published by Raffaele Gaeta and colleagues1 describing a supposed concentration of cancer cases in the Renaissance court of Naples. However, this short report lacks important physiopathological and bibliographical data. First, more than five cases of malignant tumours have been published in the paleopathological literature.2 The authors focused exclusively on soft-tissue tumours in mummified human remains1,3 without mentioning bone cancer cases,2 therefore giving a biased view of cancer frequencies in past populations. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - November 30, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Philippe Charlier, Saudamini Deo, Raffaella Bianucci, Donatella Lippi Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research
[Comment] Checkpoint inhibitors and aspergillosis in AML: the double hit hypothesis
Despite improvements in outcomes, mortality due to invasive aspergillosis remains high in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). The poorer survival of patients with invasive aspergillosis and AML is partly due to the suboptimal diagnostic tools available and the relative ineffectiveness of existing antifungal drugs in the setting of ongoing immunosuppression. Because no new antifungals have been commercialised since 2001, the need to develop novel strategies to enhance immune function and synergise with existing antifungal drugs is pressing. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - November 30, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Naval Daver, Dimitrios P Kontoyiannis Tags: Comment Source Type: research
[Comment] Lung cancer in Asian women and health system implications for Australia
In 2017, an estimated 12 434 Australians will be diagnosed with lung cancer and 9012 will die from the disease. Tobacco smoking remains the largest single cause of lung cancer in Australia, being responsible for approximately 90% of cases in men and 65% in women. Globally, lung cancer accounts for 13% of all cancer diagn oses and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in men overall and in women in developed countries.1 (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - November 30, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Jon David Emery, Paul L Mitchell Tags: Comment Source Type: research
[Editorial] Clinical decision making: more than just an algorithm
November, 2017, has seen two seemingly contradictory stories in the headlines: in the UK, the Government has unveiled plans to accelerate access to medicines under a new Accelerated Access pathway; while a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA) has shown that more than 70% of clinicians override e-prescribing alerts when being warned of potential drug –drug interactions. This somewhat ironic paradox—in which more drugs are being pushed through to the market, only to be bottlenecked through a system that relies on an automated system of prescription—has potentiall...
Source: The Lancet Oncology - November 30, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: The Lancet Oncology Tags: Editorial Source Type: research
[News] Soft-tissue sarcoma risk in childhood cancer survivors
The risks of developing soft-tissue sarcomas are substantially increased in survivors of childhood cancer, according to new research. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - November 30, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Manjulika Das Tags: News Source Type: research
[News] Upfront resection of pancreatic intraductal neoplasms
Early upfront resection of pancreatic branch duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms compares favourably with long-term surveillance, according to a modelling study. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - November 30, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Elizabeth Gourd Tags: News Source Type: research
[News] Identifying precursor lesions of pancreatic cancer
Researchers in Sweden have developed a targeted proteomic analysis to identify potential cystic precursors to pancreatic adenocarcinomas. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - November 30, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Priya Venkatesan Tags: News Source Type: research
[Articles] Neoadjuvant trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and chemotherapy versus trastuzumab emtansine plus pertuzumab in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer (KRISTINE): a randomised, open-label, multicentre, phase 3 trial
Traditional neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy plus dual HER2-targeted blockade (docetaxel, carboplatin, and trastuzumab plus pertuzumab) resulted in significantly more patients achieving a pathological complete response than HER2-targeted chemotherapy plus HER2-targeted blockade (trastuzumab emtansine plus pertuzumab); however, numerically more grade 3 –4 and serious adverse events occurred in the chemotherapy plus trastuzumab and pertuzumab group. Further efforts to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy without imparting more toxicity are warranted. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - November 23, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Sara A Hurvitz, Miguel Martin, W Fraser Symmans, Kyung Hae Jung, Chiun-Sheng Huang, Alastair M Thompson, Nadia Harbeck, Vicente Valero, Daniil Stroyakovskiy, Hans Wildiers, Mario Campone, Jean-Fran çois Boileau, Matthias W Beckmann, Karen Afenjar, Rodrig Tags: Articles Source Type: research
[News] Lenalidomide plus dexamethasone in multiple myeloma
In transplant-ineligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, continuous treatment with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone improves survival outcomes, according to new research. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - November 23, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Manjulika Das Tags: News Source Type: research
[News] Durvalumab boosts progression-free survival in NSCLC
Durvalumab might significantly improve progression-free survival in patients with locally advanced, unresectable, non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) previously treated with chemoradiotherapy, according to interim results from a randomised phase 3 trial. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - November 23, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Elizabeth Gourd Tags: News Source Type: research
[News] Osimertinib improves progression-free survival in NSCLC
Osimertinib, a third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), increases progression-free survival in patients with EGFR-mutated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared with other EGFR TKIs, according to the results of a new study. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - November 23, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Robert Stirrups Tags: News Source Type: research
[News] 131I radiation exposure and thyroid cancer
A new study has established a dose –response relation between exposure to radiation and the predominance of gene fusions in thyroid cancer. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - November 23, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Talha Khan Burki Tags: News Source Type: research
[Comment] Early HER2-positive breast cancers: time for a new revolution?
The first results from trials of trastuzumab in patients with adjuvant HER2-positive breast cancers were rightly stated as revolutionary.1 Because of a striking improvement in the prognosis of this population, anti-HER2 drugs were regarded as the treatment backbone for this disease. The second revolution was to integrate the neoadjuvant setting as a model for the rapid and relevant assessment of new anti-HER2 treatment strategies in HER2-positive breast cancers.2 Therefore, next-generation trials have evolved in two directions addressing different questions: on one hand, the possibility to optimise HER2 blockade and improv...
Source: The Lancet Oncology - November 23, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Joseph Gligorov Tags: Comment Source Type: research
[Articles] Gefitinib versus vinorelbine plus cisplatin as adjuvant treatment for stage II –IIIA (N1–N2) EGFR-mutant NSCLC (ADJUVANT/CTONG1104): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 study
Adjuvant gefitinib led to significantly longer disease-free survival compared with that for vinorelbine plus cisplatin in patients with completely resected stage II –IIIA (N1–N2) EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Based on the superior disease-free survival, reduced toxicity, and improved quality of life, adjuvant gefitinib could be a potential treatment option compared with adjuvant chemotherapy in these patients. However, the duration of benefit with gefitinib after 24 m onths might be limited and overall survival data are not yet mature. (Source: The Lancet Oncology)
Source: The Lancet Oncology - November 21, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Wen-Zhao Zhong, Qun Wang, Wei-Min Mao, Song-Tao Xu, Lin Wu, Yi Shen, Yong-Yu Liu, Chun Chen, Ying Cheng, Lin Xu, Jun Wang, Ke Fei, Xiao-Fei Li, Jian Li, Cheng Huang, Zhi-Dong Liu, Shun Xu, Ke-Neng Chen, Shi-Dong Xu, Lun-Xu Liu, Ping Yu, Bu-Hai Wang, Hai-T Tags: Articles Source Type: research
