Cancer investigation
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Cancer investigation · Feb 2021
ReviewLoose Regulatory Standards Portend a New Era of Imprecision Oncology.
Precision oncology has revolutionized the therapeutic landscape of oncology and is a goal for cancer drug development. However, lenient drug approvals by the United States Food and Drug Administration under the auspices of precision oncology are setting up this therapeutic approach to fail. In this commentary, I review two recent FDA drug approvals (pembrolizumab for tumor mutation burden-high solid tumors and olaparib for castration-resistant prostate cancer with deleterious homologous recombination repair mutations) where the FDA indication is broader than the studied population. I explain how these broad approvals stray from principles of precision oncology and can cause harm to patients.
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Cancer investigation · Jan 2021
Review Case ReportsCourse of Sars-CoV2 Infection in Patients with Cancer Treated with anti-PD-1: A Case Presentation and Review of the Literature.
The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemia is a major health worldwide concern. Patients with cancer might have a worse outcome, because of the immunosuppression determined by the tumor itself and anti-cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy. ⋯ A critical review of literature was performed. Limited data available in literature support the possibility to continue the immunotherapy in patients with cancer under control.
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Cancer investigation · Mar 2020
Meta Analysis Comparative StudySafety of Combination Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Compared to Monotherapy; A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Combination immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) achieved higher efficacy than monotherapy in many types of cancers. We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases for randomized phase II/III trials in cancer patients receiving combination ICIs vs. Monotherapy. ⋯ Eight studies were found to be eligible for meta-analysis recruiting 2544 patients. Combined immunotherapy nivolumab plus ipilimumab was associated with statistically significant higher risk of all grade adverse events (AE), and discontinuation due to all grade AEs as compared to both ipilimumab or nivolumab. Although combination ICIs showed better oncological activity, it carried a higher risk of all grade irAEs.
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Sirtuins are involved in the control of the cell cycle and regulation of gene transcription. While some sirtuins have tumor suppressor effects, others regulate tumors metabolism. ⋯ Sirtuins show strong potential to become a valuable predictive and prognostic marker for cancer and are eligible as therapeutic targets for a variety of tumors. Investigation of new molecules able to modulate sirtuins activity must be encouraged.
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Cancer investigation · May 2012
ReviewTreatment of adult soft tissue sarcoma: old concepts, new insights, and potential for drug discovery.
Soft tissue sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of mesenchymal tumors that vary in their behavior as well as treatment. Certain histologic subtypes predict for response to particular chemotherapy drugs, while molecular genetics not only increasingly aid in the diagnosis but also has an emerging role in the identification of potential targets for drug therapy. Herein we review the varying soft tissue sarcoma subtypes, their staging, and management. Furthermore, improvement in the understanding of novel mechanisms involved in soft tissue sarcomas lends insight into the compelling role of the use of newer agents with promising results that are discussed.