Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Trabectedin plus pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in relapsed ovarian cancer delays third-line chemotherapy and prolongs the platinum-free interval.
OVA-301 is a large randomized trial that showed superiority of trabectedin plus pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD; CentoCor Ortho Biotech Products L.P., Raritan, NJ, USA). over single-agent PLD in 672 patients with relapsed ovarian cancer, particularly in the partially platinum-sensitive subgroup [platinum-free interval (PFI) of 6-12 months]. This superiority has been suggested to be due to the differential impact of subsequent (platinum) therapy. ⋯ the superiority of trabectedin/PLD over single-agent PLD in OVA-301 cannot be explained by differences in the extent or nature of subsequent therapies administered to these patients. On the other hand, these exploratory analyses support the hypothesis that the enhanced survival benefits in the partially platinum-sensitive subset might be due to an extended PFI leading to longer survival with subsequent platinum.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Trabectedin plus pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in relapsed ovarian cancer: outcomes in the partially platinum-sensitive (platinum-free interval 6-12 months) subpopulation of OVA-301 phase III randomized trial.
OVA-301 is a large randomized trial that showed superiority of trabectedin plus pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) over PLD alone in relapsed ovarian cancer. The optimal management of patients with partially platinum-sensitive relapse [6-12 months platinum-free interval (PFI)] is unclear. ⋯ This hypothesis-generating analysis demonstrates that superior benefits with trabectedin/PLD in terms of PFS and survival in the overall population appear particularly enhanced in patients with partially sensitive disease (PFI 6-12 months).
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In the last few years, several studies have focused on the interpretation of unclassified variants (UVs) of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Analysis of UVs through a unique approach is not sufficient to understand their role in the development of tumors. ⋯ Building reliable integrated models for UV classification requires the joining of many working groups to collaborative consortia, allowing data exchange and improvements of methods. This will lead to improvement in the predictivity of gene testing in BRCA1 and BRCA2 and, consequently, to an increase in the number of families that can be correctly classified as linked or unlinked to these genes, allowing more accurate genetic counseling and clinical management.
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clinical guidelines can improve quality of care summarising available knowledge and proposing recommendations for health care decisions. Being up to date is one of their quality requisites. Little experience is available on when and how guidelines should be updated. We report on the update process of evidence-based clinical recommendations on anticancer drugs. ⋯ accumulation of evidence is an opportunity for guideline panels to refine methodological rigour, clinical relevance and to foster consensus on recommendations. This requires time and resource investments.
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extrathoracic malignancies metastasize to the mediastinum and/or pulmonary hilum. Mediastinoscopy and thoracoscopy are standard to obtain tissue proof of metastatic spread but are invasive. Endobronchial ultrasound with real-time-guided transbronchial fine-needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a minimally invasive alternative for surgical staging of lung cancer. ⋯ EBUS-TBNA is a minimally invasive method for M staging of patients with extrathoracic malignancies to confirm mediastinal or hilar spread. EBUS-TBNA therefore may qualify as an alternative for surgical staging.