Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitors in Lung Neuroendocrine Tumors - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Lung neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are well-differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms of lung origin, including typical and atypical carcinoids (ACs). Therapeutic options for this rare disease are limited in daily clinical practice. Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are under clinical investigation.

Venous Thromboembolism in Patients with Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: A Systematic Review of Incidence, Types, and Clinical Outcomes.

: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are a heterogeneous group of tumors with unique biological characteristics and complications, including thromboembolism. This systematic review evaluates the incidence, types, and clinical outcomes of venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) in NEN patients. : A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Embase was conducted to identify studies on TEs in NENs.

Investigating the Pathogenicity of Uncommon KRAS Mutations and Their Association with Clinicopathologic Characteristics in Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) somatic mutations occur in 30% to 40% of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). These were thought to equally affect prognosis and resistance to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor agents; however, recent data show the activity of KRAS-G12C and pan-RAS inhibitors. The effects of uncommon KRAS (uKRAS) variants are largely unexplored.

A Comparative Study of Methyl-BEAMing and Droplet Digital PCR for Gene Promoter Hypermethylation Detection.

is responsible for the direct repair of O6-methylguanine lesions induced by alkylating agents, including temozolomide. promoter hypermethylation is a well-established biomarker for temozolomide response in glioblastoma patients, also correlated with therapeutic response in colorectal cancer. The ARETHUSA clinical trial aims to stratify colorectal cancer patients based on their mismatch repair status.

The Role of Liquid Biopsy in Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms incidence has been increasing, arising the need for precise and early diagnostic tools. Liquid biopsy (LB) offers a less invasive alternative to tissue biopsy, providing real-time molecular information from circulating tumour components in body fluids. The aim of this review is to analyse the current evidence concerning LB in NENs and its role in clinical practice.

Prognostic and Predictive Roles of HER2 Status in Non-Breast and Non-Gastroesophageal Carcinomas.

The oncogene , also known as or , is located on chromosome 17 (q12). It encodes a tyrosine kinase receptor, the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), involved in neoplastic proliferation, tumor angiogenesis, and invasiveness. Over the past years, the introduction of various anti-HER2 therapies has significantly improved outcomes for patients with HER2-positive breast and gastroesophageal carcinomas.

Comparison of Khorana vs. ONKOTEV predictive score to individualize anticoagulant prophylaxis in outpatients with cancer.

Background: Based on the Khorana score, guidelines recommend anticoagulation for primary prophylaxis (PP) in outpatients with cancer with an intermediate-to-high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). ONKOTEV score has been prospectively externally validated as novel risk assessment model (RAM) with good discriminatory performances but no direct comparisons with Khorana Score are available.

Methods: Using the ONKOTEV validation dataset (n = 425), we applied generalized decision curve analysis (gDCA) which integrates the principles of evidence-based medicine with treatment effects, model accuracy and patient preferences (weighted as the relative value [RV] of avoiding VTE versus major bleeding [MB]).

Circulating tumor DNA in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with multimodal treatment.

Background: The management of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) relies on a multimodal approach. Neither instrumental work-up nor molecular biomarkers are currently available to identify a risk-adapted strategy.

Objectives: We aim to investigate the role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and its clearance at different timepoints during chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) and correlate them with clinical outcomes.

Textbook outcome as indicator of surgical quality in a single Western center: results from 300 consecutive gastrectomies.

Textbook outcome (TO) has been proposed as a tool to evaluate surgical quality. Textbook oncological outcome (TOO) adds chemotherapeutic compliance to TO. This study was conducted to analyze the TO and TOO of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent surgery at our center.

Efficacy and safety of systemic chemotherapy for radically resectable esophago-gastric adenocarcinoma in older patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: A significant proportion of locally-advanced esophago-gastric adenocarcinoma (EGA) is diagnosed in patients ≥70 years old (y.o.) who are commonly underrepresented in clinical trials.

Risk of thromboembolic events in patients with metastatic solid tumors treated with PARP inhibitors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of phase 3 randomized controlled trials.

Background And Scope: Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) have revolutionized cancer treatment in recent years. These drugs present a favorable safety profile, even though the potential risk of thromboembolic events (TEs) during their use has not been addressed yet. In addition, PARPi have been involved in an active scientific debate regarding non-oncologic indications, particularly during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic, including potential anti-thromboembolic effect.

Multimodal treatment for resectable neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix.

Non-metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix (NECC) is a rare and aggressive disease. Lacking prospective studies, the optimal multimodal treatment approach has not yet been clearly defined. This study aims to assess the clinical outcomes of patients with non-metastatic NECC treated with surgery and (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy, according to pathologic prognostic factors and multimodal treatments received.

Hereditary Gastric Cancer: Single-Gene or Multigene Panel Testing? A Mono-Institutional Experience.

Gastric cancer (GC) has long been a 'Cinderella' among hereditary cancers. Until recently, single-gene testing (SGT) was the only approach to identify high-risk individuals. With the spread of multigene panel testing (MGPT), a debate arose on the involvement of other genes, particularly those pertaining to homologous recombination (HR) repair.

Role of microsatellite instability and HER2 positivity in locally advanced esophago-gastric cancer patients treated with peri-operative chemotherapy.

Purpose: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) significantly improved the prognosis of patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC). Several biomarkers, including HER2 and MMR/MSI are crucial for treatment decisions in the advanced stage but, currently, no biomarkers can guide the choice of NAC in clinical practice. Our aim was to evaluate the role of MSI and HER2 status on clinical outcomes.

COVID-19 in patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms: 2-year results of the INTENSIVE study.

We conducted a retrospective/prospective worldwide study on patients with neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) and a molecularly proven SARS-CoV-2 positivity. Preliminary results regarding 85 patients of the INTENSIVE study have been published in 2021. Now we are reporting the 2-year analysis.

Observational Study on Antibody Response to COVID-19 Vaccines in PAtients with Gastro-Entero-PanCreatic Cancers and NeuroendocrIne NeoplAsms on Systemic TreatmEnts (VACCINATE).

The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic dramatically impacted oncological patients' care. Since the introduction of vaccines and the demonstration of their benefit on frail patients, COVID-19 vaccinations were indicated to also be beneficial to oncological population. However, data about the impact of anticancer-treatments and the timing between vaccinations and systemic therapy delivery were not available.

Validation of the ONKOTEV Risk Prediction Model for Venous Thromboembolism in Outpatients With Cancer.

Importance: The assessment of the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among outpatients with cancer represents an unsolved topic. Current international guidelines recommend primary prophylaxis for patients at intermediate to high risk of VTE, indicated by a Khorana score of 2 or more. A previous prospective study developed the ONKOTEV score, a 4-variable risk assessment model (RAM) consisting of a Khorana score of more than 2, metastatic disease, vascular or lymphatic compression, and previous VTE event.

Metronomic chemotherapy in patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors: A single-center retrospective analysis.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are more commonly slow-growing, therefore patients often receive chronic systemic therapies for tumor growth control and preservation of quality of life. Metronomic chemotherapy (mCT) is in line with this goal as it leads to stabilization of tumor growth over time without severe systemic toxicity. This is a retrospective analysis of patients with metastatic NETs receiving metronomic capecitabine (mCAP) or temozolomide (mTEM), at a NET-referral center.

Nodal Merkel Cell Carcinoma with Unknown Primary Site and No Distant Metastasis: A Single-Center Series.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a very rare and aggressive neuroendocrine carcinoma originating from Merkel cells, typically with a skin nodule; however, it exceptionally presents with only a basin lymph node localization, with neither a cutaneous primary site nor distant metastases. From 1996 to 2020, among patients with histologically confirmed MCC managed at a neuroendocrine neoplasm-referral center, we selected those with an exclusive nodal basin, no distant metastasis, and an unknown primary site defined by cross-sectional and physical examination. A total of 55 out of 310 patients fulfilled the selection criteria.

Addressing the Role of Angiogenesis in Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors Treated with Everolimus: A Biological Prospective Analysis of Soluble Biomarkers and Clinical Outcomes.

Background: The success of targeted therapies in the treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors has emphasized the strategy of targeting angiogenesis and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. However, the major challenge in the targeted era remains the early identification of resistant tumors especially when the efficacy is rarely associated to a clear tumor shrinkage at by imaging assessment.

Methods: In this prospective study (NCT02305810) we investigated the predictive and prognostic role of soluble biomarkers of angiogenesis turnover (VEGF, bFGF, VEGFR2, TSP-1) circulating endothelial cells and progenitors, in 43 patients with metastatic panNET receiving everolimus.