Lack of Response to Vemurafenib in Melanoma Carrying BRAF K601E Mutation

Vemurafenib has been developed to target common BRAF mutation V600E. It also exerts activity towards some but not all rare BRAF substitutions. Proper cataloguing of drug-sensitive and -insensitive rare mutations remains a challenge, due to low occurrence of these events and inability of commercial PCR-based diagnostic kits to detect the full spectrum of BRAF gene lesions. We considered the results of BRAF exon 15 testing in 1872 consecutive melanoma patients. BRAF mutation was identified in 1,090 (58.2%) cases. While drug-sensitive codon 600 substitutions constituted the majority of BRAF gene lesions (V600E: 962 [51.4%]; V600K: 86 [4.6%]; V600R: 17 [0.9%]), the fourth common BRAF allele was K601E accounting for 9 (0.5%) melanoma cases. The data on BRAF inhibitor sensitivity of tumors with K601E substitution are scarce. We administered single-agent vemurafenib to a melanoma patient carrying BRAF K601E mutation as the first-line treatment. Unfortunately, this therapy did not result in a tumor response. Taken together with already published data, this report indicates lack of benefit from conventional BRAF inhibitors in patients with BRAF K601E mutated melanoma

ПИТАННЯ РОЗРОБКИ ОСВІТНІХ СТАНДАРТІВ ПІДГОТОВКИ ФАХІВЦІВ У ЛІКАРСЬКІЙ РЕЗИДЕНТУРІ

Ukrainian law “On higher education” has implemented a new form of postgraduate education – doctor residency. Specialists’ training must follow the educational program, but according to this law residency must follow the postgraduate educational program. For this reason we have the next problem – there are no requirements to program’s content and form at the moment. There is non-compliance between Ukrainian higher education law and traditional system of medical specialists training. According to the analysis of requirements to educational program, International Federation of medical education offerings and different residency programs in Europe and other countries, the project of typical postgraduate educational program for training doctors in Ukraine is proposed in this article. We offer such elements of this typical program as: aim and results of studying for listeners and heads; electronic portfolio for results monitoring; self check and self estimation; requirements to educational institutions; requirements to heads in resident-doctors trainings; requirements to department’s clinical base; project construction and principles of its estimation; attitude; behavior; personal characteristics of resident-doctor. We have come to a conclusion that it is necessary to construct a two-component standard in higher medical education including competency models for graduates of internship and magistracy.Закон України “Про вищу освіту” ввів нову форму післядипломної освіти – лікарську резидентуру. Підготовка фахівців повинна відбуватися за освітньою програмою, але для резидентури Закон зазначив програму післядипломної освіти. У зв’язку з тим виникла проблема – на даний момент немає вимог до формату та змісту програми навчання в лікарській резидентурі. Показано неузгодженість між вимогами Закону України “Про вищу освіту” та традиційною системою підготовки медичних кадрів. На основі аналізу вимог до освітньої програми, пропозицій Всесвітньої федерації медичної освіти та різних програм підготовки в лікарській резидентурі Європи та інших країн у статті запропоновано проект типової програми післядипломної освіти для підготовки лікарів-резидентів в Україні. Запропоновано такі складові типової програми, як: мета та результати навчання для слухачів і керівників; електронне портфоліо для моніторингу результатів; самоаналіз і самооцінка; вимоги до навчальних закладів; вимоги до керівництва підготовкою лікаря-резидента; вимоги до клінічної бази кафедри; побудова проекту і принципи його оцінювання; ставлення, поведінка, особистісні характеристики лікаря-резидента. Зроблений висновок про необхідність побудови двокомпонентного стандарту вищої медичної освіти з компетентнісними моделями випускника магістратури та інтернатури

Incidence of Synchronous Multiple Primary Melanoma in Patients with Solitary Melanoma: a Prospective Comparative Study

Background. Malignant melanoma is steadily exaggerating over the recent decades. Nonetheless, improved systemic therapies have substantially increased life expectancy in patients with a locally advanced or disseminated disease. Higherincidence recurrent melanocytic skin lesions become essentially problematic and require more attention and control.Aim. Cross-survey on the incidence of synchronous multiple primary melanomas in patients with solitary melanoma and those with other operable solid tumours.Materials and methods. A total of 289 patients with suspected malignant pigmented skin melanoma were included in the survey. Patients were divided in two cohorts by the presence of primary skin melanoma and its tractability for radical excision. Patients with operable melanoma comprised the study cohort, and those with other solid tumours were the control.Results and discussion. The survey covered 289 patients, with 148 in the study and 141 in the control cohort. The study148 patients revealed 112 malignant pigmented melanomas, but none in the control cohort. A chi-square statistical analysis of clinical values in single and multiple melanoma cases showed a slightly higher prevalence of first-visit melanomas in patients with synchronous tumours (30% pT4 — p = 0.007).Conclusion. The observed 10% rate of second melanoma in the study cohort and a zero melanoma incidence in the control support the alternative hypothesis of a higher rate of newly detected melanomas in primarily diagnosed melanoma patients vs. those with solid tumours

Efficacy of Videoendoscopic Inguinal Femoral Lymphadenectomy for Management of Metastatic Skin Melanoma

Aim. Assessment of the utility and advantage of videoendoscopic inguinal femoral lymphadenectomy (VE-LAD) over the standard open technique (OLAD) in patients with malignant skin melanoma and metastatic lesions of regional inguinal and/or femoral lymph nodes.Materials and methods. The Saint-Petersburg Clinical Research Centre for Specialty Medical Aid in Oncology managed 86 inguinal femoral LADs in melanoma patients over 2013–2016. VE-LAD was rendered in 48 (54.7 %) cases, and OLAD otherwise.Results and discussion. A total of 72 patients were included in the study. VE-LAD was performed in 48 (54.7 %) cases, and OLAD otherwise. An average VE-LAD duration was 90 (60 to 160) min. Severe complications were observed in 4/48 (8 %) VE-LAD and 16/24 (66 %) OLAD cases, which reveals a significantly lower complication rate in the study cohort (chi-square p > 0.000). Lymphorrhoea was shorter in the study cohort (> 7 days in 5 patients vs. 3/24 and > 14 days only in 11/24 OLAD cases; chi-square p > 0.000). No significant differences in relapse-free survival were observed between the cohorts, with higher absolute values of 22.6 months in the VE-LAD (95 % CI 14.8–30.4, p = 0.087) vs. 9.4 months (95 % CI 0.0–18.9, p = 0.087) in OLAD cohort. A median OS was 52.3 months (95 % CI 30.5–74.1, p = 0.996) in the VE-LAD vs. 39.9 months (95 % CI 30.6–49.2, p = 0.996) in OLAD cohort.Conclusion. Videoendoscopic inguinal femoral lymphadenectomy allows a radical inguinal femoral lymph node removal alike in conventional surgical dissection. Our results indicate the method performance towards reduced postoperative wound complications. The oncological indicators are comparable to the traditional surgery cohort

Comprehensive Screening for COVID-19 at St. Petersburg Oncology Centre

Background. Clinical reports on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) suggest its higher incidence and worse outcomes in cancer patients. Considering a rapid pace of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, more data on the risk of contagion and syndrome course is required with this patient group.Aim. Estimation of the infection rate in cancer patients managed at the Oncology Centre.Materials and methods. This retrospective study included cancer patients managed at the Oncology Centre between 9 April 2020 and 27 May 2020 and routinely tested for SARS-CoV-2 in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays and/or COVID-19 in chest computed tomography (CT).Results and discussion. A total of 2,628 patients were included in the study, with 119 (4.5 %) confirmed to have COVID-19; 45/119 were PCR-positive, 95/119 had viral pneumonia in CT, 21/119 were positive for both tests. A total of 47.9 % cases were asymptomatic, 11.8 % revealed a mild single-symptom disease. COVID-19 ended in death in 2 (2.5 %) of 80 cases with a known outcome. In PCR results of both patient and staff screening, the virus detection rate was 3.0 % and 2.4 %, respectively (p = 0.33).Conclusion. A COVID-19 screening revealed no significant difference in the risk of contagion between cancer patients and staff of the Oncology Centre. PCR tests may perform false negative for COVID-19 in cancer patients and should be coupled with CT scanning. The infection is asymptomatic or clinically mild in most other cases

A randomised phase II multicentre trial of irinotecan (CPT-11) using four different schedules in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

The purpose of this phase II trial was to compare the efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics of four irinotecan schedules for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. In total, 174 5-fluorouracil pretreated patients were randomised to: arm A (n=41), 350 mg m(-2) irinotecan as a 90-min i.v. infusion q3 weeks; arm B (n=38), 125 mg m(-2) irinotecan as a 90-min i.v. infusion weekly x 4 weeks q6 weeks; arm C (n=46), 250 mg m(-2) irinotecan as a 90-min i.v. infusion q2 weeks; or arm D (n=49), 10 mg m(-2) day(-1) irinotecan as a 14-day continuous infusion q3 weeks. No significant differences in efficacy across the four arms were observed, although a shorter time to treatment failure was noted for arm D (1.7 months; P=0.02). Overall response rates were in the range 5-11%. Secondary end points included median survival (6.4-9.4 months), and time to progression (2.7-3.8 months) and treatment failure (1.7-3.2 months). Similarly, there were no significant differences in the incidence of grade 3-4 toxicities, although the toxicity profile between arms A, B, and C and D did differ. Generally, significantly less haematologic toxicity, alopecia and cholinergic syndrome were observed in arm D; however, there was a trend for increased gastrointestinal toxicity. Irinotecan is an effective and safe second-line treatment for colorectal cancer. The schedules examined yielded equivalent results, indicating that there is no advantage of the prolonged vs short infusion schedule

Результаты применения иммунотерапевтических препаратов при немелкоклеточном раке легкого в реальной клинической практике

The evolution of drug therapy in solid tumors primarily leads to the increase in cancer specific survival, but inevitably raises financial burden. So far, none of the countries can venture total reimbursement with all necessary contemporary drugs for all patients. Doubling of expenses for cancer drug therapy in Russia in 2019 allowed oncologists using the most expensive treatments in more than 70 % of patients.Purpose: To evaluate efficacy of various treatment types of non‑small cell lung cancer in real clinical setting.Material and methods. We included patients with histologically verified metastatic non‑small cell lung cancer without activating mutations treated with first or second line therapy in 2018 – 2019. In total 287 patients were included: 230 — for the first line efficacy analysis, 100 — for the second. Time to disease progression, overall survival and objective response rate were evaluated.Results. The use of checkpoint inhibitors in accordance with all actual recommendations (first line pembrolizumab monotherapy in PD-L1 > 50 %, chemoimmunotherapy in first line or monotherapy in the second line irrespectively to PD-L1 status) decreased one‑year mortality from 61 % in 2018 to 33 % in 2019, but significantly increased financial cost (p < 0.000). Moreover, checkpoint inhibitors in combination with chemotherapy irrespectively of PD-L1 expression increased response rate (from 10 % and 21 % for monotherapy and platinum doublet, respectively, to 33,2 % for chemoimmunotherapy). PD‑1 inhibitors as monotherapy increased median time to disease progression (4,1 and 6,2 months for monotherapy with chemotherapy and platinum doublet, respectively, to 6,5 months and not achieved for chemoimmunotherapy and monotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors).Conclusion. More than doubling of financial costs spent for non‑small cell lung cancer treatment allowed access to contemporary treatment for all patients. Such unprecedented measures significantly improved efficacy, including double decrease of one‑year mortality. Nevertheless, rational design of regional clinical guidelines interpretation is of great importance in accurate and effective use of the healthcare budget.Совершенствование лекарственной терапии злокачественных опухолей позволяет существенно увеличить продолжительность жизни пациентов, но неминуемо ведет на ранних этапах внедрения к повышению затрат на лекарственное обеспечение. Ни одна из стран мира на настоящий момент не может позволить себе полное обеспечение новейшими лекарственными препаратами всех больных. Двукратное увеличение расходов на лекарственное лечение на территории РФ в течение 2019 года позволило обеспечить современными препаратами 70 % нуждавшихся пациентов немелколеточным раком легкого (НМРЛ).Цель. Оценить клиническую эффективность различных методов лекарственной терапии рака легкого в реальной клинической практике.Материалы и методы. В анализ включались пациенты с гистологически верифицированным неоперабельным НМРЛ, получавшие первую или вторую линию терапии в 2018–2019 гг. В исследование были включены 287 пациентов с НМРЛ: 230 больных для оценки эффективности первой линии, 100 — второй. Были оценены: время без прогрессирования, общая выживаемость, частота объективных ответов.Результаты. Применение ингибиторов контрольных точек в любом из зарегистрированных вариантов (первая линия при PD-L1 > 1 %, химиоиммунотерапия независимо от статуса PD-L1, вторая линия независимо от статуса PD-L1) позволяет снизить одногодичную летальность с 61 % до 33 %, однако приводит к достоверному увеличению затрат на лекарственное обеспечение (р< 0,000). Кроме того, использование ингибиторов контрольных точек в монорежиме у больных с высоким уровнем экспрессии PD-L1 или в комбинации с цитостатическими препаратами позволяло увеличить частоту объективных ответов (10 % и 21 % для монотерапии и платиновых дуплетов против 33,2 % для химиоиммунотерапии), медиану времени без прогрессирования (4,1 и 6,2 месяца для монотерапии и платиновых дуплетов против 6,5 месяцев для химиоиммунотерапии, тогда как медиана для монотерапии ингибиторами контрольных точек не достигнута).Выводы. Более чем 2-кратное повышение финансирования лекарственного лечения позволило обеспечить современными препаратами всех нуждавшихся пациентов НМРЛ. Подобные меры позволили достоверно увеличить продолжительность жизни больных НМРЛ. Тем не менее, рациональное использование подобных ресурсов требует выработки жестких критериев для того или иного дорогостоящего метода лечения

Оценка токсичности и эффективности терапии комбинацией FOLFIRI и афлиберцепта при метастатическом раке толстой кишки в РФ: первые результаты многоцентрового ретроспективного исследования

oai:oai.tumors.elpub.ru:article/629Purpose. To assess the incidence and severity of adverse events; to explore clinical factors associated with grade 3–4 non-hematologic toxicity; to assess the immediate efficacy and progression-free survival during treatment with the FOLFIRI regimen in combination with aflibercept in Russia.Materials and Methods. A retrospective multicenter study has been conducted with data collected from 20 clinics in 15 regions of Russia. There was no statistical hypothesis. Progression-free survival was the main efficacy criterion. The statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPPS Statistics v. 20 software.Results. FOLFIRI and Aflibercept combination was administered to 264 patients. The mean number of treatment cycles was 6 (1 to 29). The toxicity of aflibercept was addressed by dose reduction and dosing delay in 10.1 % and 11.4 % of patients, respectively, and dose reductions and dosing delays in any of FOLIFRI components were reported in 20.1 % of participants. The objective response rate was 20.3 %. The median progression-free survival in patients receiving second-line treatment was 6 months (95 % CI: 5.3–6.6 months). Seventy-two percent of patients experienced any grade of adverse events most of which were limited to grade 1–2 (62.1 %). Non-hematologic toxicity was reported in 64 % of patients (grade 3–4 in 17.9 %). Hematologic events were detected in only 17.9 % of patients. Multifactorial analysis has shown that drug therapy for concomitant diseases (OR 1.98, 95 % CI: 1.04–3.78, p = 0.037) and the number of chemotherapy lines prior to aflibercept (ОR 1.5, 95 % CI: 1.06–2.11, p = 0.02) were independent predictors of grade 3–4 non-hematologic toxicity.Conclusions. Objective response rate, progression-free survival, and frequency of toxicity-related aflibercept discontinuations in the Russian study with patients receiving aflibercept in combination with FOLFIRI regimen as a second-line treatment has shown the results that were comparable with VELOUR study. Comorbidities requiring drug treatment and the number of prior chemotherapy lines appear to be risk factors for grade 3–4 nonhematological toxicity events. Цель исследования. Оценить частоту развития и тяжесть нежелательных явлений; изучить клинические факторы, ассоциированные с развитием негематологической токсичности 3-4 степени; оценить непосредственную эффективность выживаемость без прогрессирования при применении комбинации FOLFIRI с афлиберцептом в РФ.Материалы и методы. Проведено ретроспективное многоцентровое исследование. Собраны данные 20 клиник 15 регионов РФ. Статистическая гипотеза отсутствовала. В качестве основного критерия эффективности рассматривалась выживаемость без прогрессирования. Статистический анализ проводился с помощью программ статистического пакета SPSS (IBM SPPS Statistics v. 20).Результаты. Режим FOLFIRI афлиберцепт был назначен у 264 пациентов. Среднее число составило 6 (от 1 до 29). В связи с токсичностью доза афлиберцепта в процессе терапии была редуцирована у 10,1% пациентов, задержали очередное введение афлиберцепта — у 11,4%; отсрочка и редукция доз химиопрепаратов в режиме FOLFIRI описана у 20,1 %. Частота объективных эффектов составила 20,3%. Во второй линии терапии медиана выживаемости без прогрессирования составила 6 месяцев (95% ДИ 5,3-6,6 месяцев). Нежелательные явления любой степени зарегистрированы у 72 % пациентов и чаще были ограничены 1-2 степенью (62,1%). Негематологические осложнения развились у 64% (3-4 степень — у 17,9%). Гематологические осложнения представлены только у 17,9 % пациентов. По результатам многофакторного анализа лекарственная терапия по поводу сопутствующей патологии (ОШ 1,98, 95%ДИ 1,04-3,78, р=0,037) и число линий терапии (ОШ 1,5, 95%ДИ 1,06-2,11, р=0,02), предшествующих афлиберцепту, явились независимыми предсказывающими факторами развития нежелательных явлений негематологического профиля 3-4 степени.Выводы. Частота объективных эффектов, выживаемость без прогрессирования и частота отмены афлиберцепта в связи с токсическими реакциями при применении комбинации FOLFIRI + афлиберцепт во второй линии среди пациентов в РФ аналогична результатам исследования VELOUR. Сопутствующая патология, требующая медикаментозной коррекции, и число линий терапии предшествующих афлиберцепту, по-видимому, являются факторами риска развития негематологических явлений 3-4 степени