IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RADIOTHERAPY IN CERVICAL CANCER: TARGETING THE CXCL12 PATHWAY TO INCREASE TUMOUR CONTROL

The CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway has been shown to promote tumour growth, metastasis and radiochemotherapy resistance in many tumour sites, including in cervical cancer. We hypothesized that the addition of the CXCR4 inhibitor Plerixafor to radiochemotherapy would result in longer tumour growth delay and potentially improve tumour control compared to radiochemotherapy alone, without added toxicity. Two primary orthotopic cervical cancer xenograft models were implanted in the cervices of mice and treated with radiochemotherapy with/without Plerixafor. The addition of Plerixafor to radiochemotherapy resulted in a trend for higher local tumour control in one tumour model, and in faster tumour regression in both tumour models, without evidence of added toxicity. In the late intestinal toxicity study, there was a trend for lower toxicity in mice receiving radiochemotherapy + Plerixafor arm compared to radiochemotherapy. Our work suggests that the addition of Plerixafor to radiochemotherapy results in better primary tumour control, without added toxicity.M.Sc

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Lung Cancer over a 2-Year Period at a Canadian Academic Center

Background: We have recently reported a 35% drop in new lung cancer diagnoses and a 64% drop in lung cancer surgeries during the first year of the pandemic. Methods: The target population was divided into three cohorts: pre-COVID-19 (2019), first year of COVID-19 (2020), and second year of COVID-19 (2021). Results: The number of new lung cancer diagnoses during the second year of the pandemic increased by 75%, with more than 50% being in the advanced/metastatic stage. There was a significant increase in cases with multiple extrathoracic sites of metastases during the pandemic. During the first year of the pandemic, significantly more patients were treated with radiosurgery compared to the pre-COVID-19 year. During the second year, the number of radiosurgery and surgical cases returned to pre-COVID-19 levels. No significant changes were observed in systemic chemotherapy and targeted therapy. No statistical difference was identified in the mean wait time for diagnosis and treatment during the three years of observation. However, the wait time for surgery was prolonged compared to the pre-COVID-19 cohort. Conclusions: The significant drop in new diagnoses of lung cancer during the first year of the pandemic was followed by an almost two-fold increase in the second year, with the increased rate of metastatic disease with multiple extra-thoracic site metastases. Limited access to surgery resulted in the more frequent use of radiosurgery