European journal of cancer : official journal for European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) [and] European Association for Cancer Research (EACR)
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To evaluate the frequency and the factors associated with the use of chemotherapy and artificial nutrition near the end of life in hospitalised patients with metastatic oesophageal or gastric cancer. ⋯ Our study shows that in hospitalised patients with metastatic oesophageal or gastric cancer, the use of chemotherapy decreases while the use of artificial nutrition increases as death approaches. This raises important questions, as clinical guidelines clearly recommend to limit the use of artificial nutrition in contexts of limited life expectancy.
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To assess the role of first-line Molecular Targeted Therapies (MTTs) in Advanced chordoma (AC) patients. ⋯ The prognostic factors identified require validation in an independent database but are potently useful to guide treatment decisions and design further clinical trials.
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Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are antibodies that target key signalling pathways such as programmed death 1 (PD1)/programmed death-ligands 1 and 2 (PDL1 and PDL2) to improve anti-tumour immune responses. Until recently, nivolumab was the only ICI validated for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a second-line treatment setting. Results from recent phase II and phase III randomised trials testing other ICIs have been presented. ⋯ An encouraging report of the efficacy of pembrolizumab in addition to CT in first-line treatment in unselected NSCLC was also presented (Keynote-021) with an ORR of 55% versus 29% with CT alone (P = 0.0016). Atezolizumab, an anti-PDL1 antibody, showed efficacy for second-line treatment compared with docetaxel (OAK phase III study) with an OS (median) of 13.8 months versus 9.6 months with docetaxel. These results suggest a new paradigm for the treatment of advanced NSCLC using pembrolizumab for the first-line treatment of PDL1 ≥ 50% tumours.
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Multicenter Study
Volume-outcome relation in palliative systemic treatment of metastatic oesophagogastric cancer.
Palliative systemic therapy has been shown to improve survival in metastatic oesophagogastric cancer. Administration of palliative systemic therapy in metastatic oesophagogastric cancer varies between hospitals. We aimed to explore the association between the annual hospital volume of oesophagogastric cancer patients and survival. ⋯ Improved survival in patients undergoing palliative systemic therapy for oesophagogastric cancer was associated with treatment in high-volume treatment and surgical centres. Further research should be implemented to explore which specific factors of high-volume centres are associated with improved outcomes.
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Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) represents a valid option for selected early breast cancer (BC). We recently published the 5-year results of the APBI-IMRT-Florence phase 3 randomised trial (NCT02104895), showing a very low rate of disease failure, with acute and early-late toxicity in favour of APBI. We present the early and 2-year follow-up health-related quality of life (HRQoL) results. ⋯ Early BC treated with APBI showed an improved short-term, and 2-year follow-up HRQoL outcome as compared with WBI. Early BC treated with APBI showed an improved short-term, and 2-year follow-up HRQoL outcome as compared with WBI. APBI should be strongly considered in the treatment choice for selected low-risk patients. Mature local control results from ongoing adequately powered randomised trials are awaited.