11 research outputs found
Synergistic combination of cytotoxic chemotherapy and cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors in biliary tract cancers
Background and aims:Ā Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are uncommon, but highly lethal, gastrointestinal malignancies. Gemcitabine/cisplatin is a standard-of-care systemic therapy, but has a modest impact on survival and harbors toxicities, including myelosuppression, nephropathy, neuropathy, and ototoxicity. Whereas BTCs are characterized by aberrations activating the cyclinD1/cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4/6/CDK inhibitor 2a/retinoblastoma pathway, clinical use of CDK4/6 inhibitors as monotherapy is limited by lack of validated biomarkers, diffident preclinical efficacy, and development of acquired drug resistance. Emerging studies have explored therapeutic strategies to enhance the antitumor efficacy of CDK4/6 inhibitors by the combination with chemotherapy regimens, but their mechanism of action remains elusive.Approach and results:Ā Here, we report in vitro and in vivo synergy in BTC models, showing enhanced efficacy, reduced toxicity, and better survival with a combination comprising gemcitabine/cisplatin and CDK4/6 inhibitors. Furthermore, we demonstrated that abemaciclib monotherapy had only modest efficacy attributable to autophagy-induced resistance. Notably, triplet therapy was able to potentiate efficacy through elimination of the autophagic flux. Correspondingly, abemaciclib potentiated ribonucleotide reductase catalytic subunit M1 reduction, resulting in sensitization to gemcitabine.Conclusions:Ā As such, these data provide robust preclinical mechanistic evidence of synergy between gemcitabine/cisplatin and CDK4/6 inhibitors and delineate a path forward for translation of these findings to preliminary clinical studies in advanced BTC patients.</p
Therapeutic Targeting Strategies of Cancer Stem Cells in Gastrointestinal Malignancies
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are thought to be a distinct population of cells within a tumor mass that are capable of asymmetric division and known to have chemoresistant characteristics. The description and identification of CSC models in cancer growth and recurrence has inspired the design of novel treatment strategies to overcome treatment resistance by targeting both CSCs and non-CSC tumor cells. Several cellular signaling pathways have been described as playing a role in the induction and maintenance of stemness in CSCs, such as the Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, STAT3, and Hedgehog pathways. In this review, we aim to review some of the ongoing CSC therapeutic targeting strategies in gastrointestinal malignancies
The effect of neutropenic diets on infection and mortality rates in cancer patients: An updated systematic review and meta- analysis.
How to read a published clinical trial: a practical guide for clinicians
Over the last 5 years, there have been more than 140 new drug approvals in the field of Oncology alone, all based on newly published clinical trials. These approvals have led to an ongoing change in clinical practice, offering new therapeutic options for patients. Therefore, it is important for healthcare providers to be able to appraise a clinical trial and determine its validity, understand its results, and be able to apply such results to their patients. In this guide, we provide a simplified approach tailored to practicing clinicians and trainees. The same concepts and principles apply to other medical specialties
A Case of DonorāTransmitted NonāSmall Cell Lung Cancer After Liver Transplantation: An Unwelcome Guest
A systematic review and network meta-analysis comparing azacitidine and decitabine for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome
Abstract Background Hypomethylating agents (HMA), azacitidine, and decitabine are frequently used in the management of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). However, there are no clinical trials that have directly compared these agents. We conducted a systematic review and indirectly compared the efficacy of azacitidine to decitabine in MDS. Methods We conducted a comprehensive search of several databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus) through June 28, 2018, without language or time restrictions. Studies were screened by two independent reviewers, and differences were resolved by consensus. The fixed effect model and adjusted indirect comparison methods were used to pool relative risks (RR) of major outcomes of interest (mortality, response rate, quality of life, hematologic improvement, hospitalization, leukemia transformation, transfusion independence). Results Only four trials met the eligibility criteria. Two trials compared azacitidine to the best supportive care (BSC) and included 549 patients, and the other two compared decitabine to BSC and included 403 patients. The risk of bias was unclear overall. Compared to BSC, azacitidine was significantly associated with lower mortality (RRā=ā0.83, 95% CI 0.74ā0.94, I 2Ā =ā89%) whereas decitabine did not significantly reduce mortality (RRā=ā0.88, 95% CI 0.77ā1.00, I 2Ā =ā53%). Both drugs were associated with higher partial and complete response compared to BSC. Indirect comparisons were not statistically significant for all the studied outcomes, except for complete response where azacitidine was less likely to induce complete response compared to decitabine (RRā=ā0.11, 95% CIā=ā0.01ā0.86, very low-certainty evidence). Conclusions Azacitidine and decitabine are both associated with improved outcomes compared to BSC. The available indirect evidence comparing the two agents warrants very low certainty and cannot reliably confirm the superiority of either agent. Head-to-head trials are needed. In the meantime, the choice of agent should be driven by patient preferences, adverse effects, drug availability, and cost
Elevated soluble IL-2RĪ±, IL-8, and MIP-1Ī² levels are associated with inferior outcome and are independent of MIPI score in patients with mantle cell lymphoma
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a unique type of lymphoma with a prognosis intermediate between indolent and aggressive types. The purpose of this study was to study blood cytokine levels in newly diagnosed and relapsed MCL patients with respect to patterns of abnormalities and relationship to the MCL International Prognostic Index (MIPI) score. We analyzed blood levels of 30 cytokines using a multiplex ELISA in 88 patients with newly diagnosed MCL (pre-treatment levels) and 20 with relapsed MCL and compared them with controls without known lymphoma. Elevated cytokine levels were compared with clinical outcome and the MIPI score. In the 88 newly diagnosed MCL patients, we found significantly elevated levels compared with controls of IL-12, IP-10, sIL-2RĪ±, MIG, IL-1RA, IL-8, MIP-1Ī±, and MIP-1Ī² (all P\u3c0.05). Of these elevated cytokines, sIL-2RĪ±, IL-8, MIG, MIP-1Ī±, and MIP-1Ī² were predictive of inferior event-free survival, and sIL-2RĪ± (HR=1.94; P=0.038), IL-8 (HR=2.17; P=0.015), and MIP-1Ī² (HR=2.10; P=0.016) were independent of MIPI score; only sIL-2RĪ± (HR=2.35; P=0.041) was associated with overall survival after adjustment for MIPI. In the relapsed MCL patient group, the only significantly elevated plasma cytokines that predicted EFS were sIL-2RĪ± (HR=2.90; P=0.04) and IL-8 (HR=3.75; P=0.02). Elevated blood levels of sIL-2RĪ± and the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-8 and MIP-1Ī² are poor prognostic factors in MCL patients and independent of MIPI score. These factors, if validated, will provide important additions to the MIPI and guide the development of new therapies for patients with elevated levels of these cytokines
Coronavirus disease 2019 in patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms:Preliminary results of the INTENSIVE study
BACKGROUND: Specific data regarding COVID-19 in patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) are lacking. This aim of this study is to describe the characteristics of NEN patients who tested SARS-CoV-2 positive. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a worldwide study collecting cases of NEN patients with a positive nasopharyngeal swab RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 between June 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021. Centers treating NEN patients were directly contacted by the principal investigator. Patients with NEN of any primary site, grade, and stage were included, excluding small-cell lung carcinoma and mixed adeno-neuroendocrine carcinoma. RESULTS: Among 81 centers directly contacted 88.8% responded and 48.6% of them declined due to lack of cases or interest. On March 31(st), 2021, eight recruiting centers enrolled 89 patients. Median age was 64 years at the COVID-19 diagnosis. Most patients had metastatic, non-functioning, low/intermediate grade gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) NEN, on treatment with somatostatin analogs (SSA) and radioligand therapy (RLT). Most of them had comorbidities. Only 8% of patients had high grade NEN and 12% were receiving chemotherapy. Most patients had symptoms or signs of COVID-19, mainly fever and cough. Only 3 patients underwent sub-intensive treatment, whereas the majority received medical therapies, mostly antibiotics. In two third of cases, no changes occurred for the anti-NEN therapy. More than 80% of patients completely recovered without sequelae whereas 7.8% patients died due to COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Patients included in this study reflect the typical NEN population regardless of SARS-CoV-2. In the majority of cases they overcome COVID-19 without need of intensive care, short-term sequelae and discontinuation of systemic oncological therapy
Coronavirus disease 2019 in patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms: Preliminary results of the INTENSIVE study
Background: Specific data regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
in pa-tients with neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are lacking. The aim
of this study is to describe the characteristics of patients with NENs
who tested severe acute respiratory syndrome cor-onavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
positive.
Material and methods: This is a worldwide study collecting cases of
patients with NENs along with a positive nasopharyngeal swab reverse
transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for SARS-CoV-2
between June 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021. Centres treating pa-tients
with NENs were directly contacted by the principal investigator.
Patients with NENs of any primary site, grade and stage were included,
excluding small-cell lung carcinoma and mixed adenoneuroendocrine
carcinoma.
Results: Among 81 centres directly contacted, 88.8% responded and
48.6% of them declined due to lack of cases or interest. On March 31st,
2021, eight recruiting centres enrolled 89 pa-tients. The median age was
64 years at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis. Most patients had
metastatic, non-functioning, low-/intermediate-grade
gastroenteropancreatic NENs on treat-ment with somatostatin analogues
and radioligand therapy. Most of them had comorbidities. Only 8% of
patients had high-grade NENs and 12% were receiving chemotherapy. Most
pa-tients had symptoms or signs of COVID-19, mainly fever and cough.
Only 3 patients under-went sub-intensive treatment, whereas most of them
received medical therapies, mostly antibiotics. In two third of cases,
no changes occurred for the anti-NEN therapy. More than 80% of patients
completely recovered without sequelae, whereas 7.8% patients died due
to COVID-19.
Conclusions: Patients included in this study reflect the typical NEN
population regardless of SARS-CoV-2. In most cases, they overcome
COVID-19 without need of intensive care, short-term sequelae and
discontinuation of systemic oncological therapy. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd.
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