Expert review of anticancer therapy
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Expert Rev Anticancer Ther · Jan 2015
ReviewPanobinostat: a novel pan-deacetylase inhibitor for the treatment of relapsed or relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma.
Outcomes for patients with multiple myeloma (MM) have improved significantly over the past decade. Despite these advances, MM remains incurable and an unmet medical need remains for patients who are relapsed and/or refractory. Panobinostat is a potent, oral pan-deacetylase inhibitor that elicits anti-myeloma activity through epigenetic modulation of gene expression and disruption of protein metabolism. ⋯ In a Phase III clinical trial evaluating bortezomib and dexamethasone in combination with panobinostat or placebo in patients with relapsed or relapsed and refractory MM (PANORAMA 1), panobinostat led to a significant increase in median progression-free survival. Panobinostat is currently under regulatory review with a recent accelerated approval granted for the treatment of relapsed disease, in which both bortezomib and immunomodulatory drugs have failed. Here, we summarize the preclinical, pharmacokinetic and clinical data for panobinostat in MM.
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Expert Rev Anticancer Ther · Jan 2015
ReviewNivolumab and pembrolizumab as immune-modulating monoclonal antibodies targeting the PD-1 receptor to treat melanoma.
Malignant melanoma is an important issue in oncology due to its high incidence, high mortality, and resistance to systemic therapy; however, targeted immunotherapy has noticeably improved the survival rates of melanoma patients. Promising targeted immunotherapies for malignant melanoma include the blockade of immune checkpoints with antibodies targeting cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 and the programmed cell death protein 1 pathway. The US FDA-approved antibody ipilimumab targets cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4; however, it was limited by toxicity and a low response. Nivolumab and pembrolizumab (formerly lambrolizumab), the two FDA-approved anti-programmed death-1 monoclonal antibodies, show highly durable response rates and long-term safety, validating the importance of the programmed cell death protein 1 pathway blockade for treatment of malignant melanoma.
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Expert Rev Anticancer Ther · Jan 2015
ReviewAdvanced dual-energy CT for head and neck cancer imaging.
Dual energy computed tomography (DECT) is an advanced form of computed tomography (CT) in which simultaneous or near-simultaneous acquisitions are performed at two different peak energy levels, enabling material density and spectral attenuation characterization beyond what is possible with conventional CT scans. This article is a review of the current applications of DECT for the evaluation of head and neck cancer. ⋯ This will be followed by a review of the use of different DECT reconstructions for improving head and neck squamous cell carcinoma visualization, evaluation of tumor extent, and invasion of critical structures. The article will conclude with a brief review of other emerging applications of DECT for evaluation of different head and neck cancers and advanced tumor analysis.