Thymoma and thymic carcinoma in children and adolescents: The EXPeRT/PARTNER diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations

Thymic tumors are epithelial tumors arising from the anterior mediastinum and constitute 0.2-1.5% of all adult malignancies but are exceptional in pediatric population. Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) encompass a variety of histologic subtypes associated with different clinical outcomes. Due to its rarity in children, TETs' management requires a multidisciplinary approach. However, prognosis remains still poor, especially among patients with thymic carcinoma. This study presents the internationally recognized recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of thymic tumors in children and adolescents, established by the European Cooperative Study Group for Pediatric Rare Tumors (EXPeRT) group within the EU-funded project Paediatric Rare Tumours Network - European Registry (PARTNER)

Thymoma and thymic carcinoma in children and adolescents: The EXPeRT/PARTNER diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations

Thymic tumors are epithelial tumors arising from the anterior mediastinum and constitute 0.2-1.5% of all adult malignancies but are exceptional in pediatric population. Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) encompass a variety of histologic subtypes associated with different clinical outcomes. Due to its rarity in children, TETs' management requires a multidisciplinary approach. However, prognosis remains still poor, especially among patients with thymic carcinoma. This study presents the internationally recognized recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of thymic tumors in children and adolescents, established by the European Cooperative Study Group for Pediatric Rare Tumors (EXPeRT) group within the EU-funded project Paediatric Rare Tumours Network - European Registry (PARTNER)

Prediction of the molecular status in non-small cell lung cancer based on metastatic pattern: A free webtool powered by artificial intelligence.

International audienc

RET-MAP: An International Multicenter Study on Clinicobiologic Features and Treatment Response in Patients With Lung Cancer Harboring a RET Fusion

Nearly 1% to 2% of NSCLCs harbor RET fusions. Characterization of this rare population is still incomplete

Gut microbiome influences efficacy of PD-1–based immunotherapy against epithelial tumors

International audienceImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis induce sustained clinical responses in a sizable minority of cancer patients. We found that primary resistance to ICIs can be attributed to abnormal gut microbiome composition. Antibiotics inhibited the clinical benefit of ICIs in patients with advanced cancer. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from cancer patients who responded to ICIs into germ-free or antibiotic-treated mice ameliorated the antitumor effects of PD-1 blockade, whereas FMT from nonresponding patients failed to do so. Metagenomics of patient stool samples at diagnosis revealed correlations between clinical responses to ICIs and the relative abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila Oral supplementation with A. muciniphila after FMT with nonresponder feces restored the efficacy of PD-1 blockade in an interleukin-12-dependent manner by increasing the recruitment of CCR9+CXCR3+CD4+ T lymphocytes into mouse tumor beds

Targeting RET in Patients With RET-Rearranged Lung Cancers: Results From the Global, Multicenter RET Registry

Purpose In addition to prospective trials for non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) that are driven by less common genomic alterations, registries provide complementary information on patient response to targeted therapies. Here, we present the results of an international registry of patients with RET-rearranged NSCLCs, providing the largest data set, to our knowledge, on outcomes of RET-directed therapy thus far. Methods A global, multicenter network of thoracic oncologists identified patients with pathologically confirmed NSCLC that harbored a RET rearrangement. Molecular profiling was performed locally by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, fluorescence in situ hybridization, or next-generation sequencing. Anonymized data-clinical, pathologic, and molecular features-were collected centrally and analyzed by an independent statistician. Best response to RET tyrosine kinase inhibition administered outside of a clinical trial was determined by RECIST v1.1. Results By April 2016, 165 patients with RET-rearranged NSCLC from 29 centers across Europe, Asia, and the United States were accrued. Median age was 61 years (range, 29 to 89 years). The majority of patients were never smokers (63%) with lung adenocarcinomas (98%) and advanced disease (91%). The most frequent rearrangement was KIF5B-RET (72%). Of those patients, 53 received one or more RET tyrosine kinase inhibitors in sequence: cabozantinib (21 patients), vandetanib (11 patients), sunitinib (10 patients), sorafenib (two patients), alectinib (two patients), lenvatinib (two patients), nintedanib (two patients), ponatinib (two patients), and regorafenib (one patient). The rate of any complete or partial response to cabozantinib, vandetanib, and sunitinib was 37%, 18%, and 22%, respectively. Further responses were observed with lenvantinib and nintedanib. Median progression-free survival was 2.3 months (95% CI, 1.6 to 5.0 months), and median overall survival was 6.8 months (95% CI, 3.9 to 14.3 months). Conclusion Available multikinase inhibitors had limited activity in patients with RET-rearranged NSCLC in this retrospective study. Further investigation of the biology of RET-rearranged lung cancers and identification of new targeted therapeutics will be required to improve outcomes for these patients. (C) 2017 by American Society of Clinical Oncolog