Your browser doesn't support javascript.
loading
Show: 20 | 50 | 100
Results 1 - 17 de 17
Filter
1.
Future Oncol ; : 1-8, 2024 Jun 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38861293

ABSTRACT

Treatment options for patients with biliary tract cancer are limited, and the prognosis is poor. CTX-009, a novel bispecific antibody targeting both DLL4 and VEGF-A, has demonstrated antitumor activity in patients with advanced cancers as both a monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy. In a phase II study of patients with advanced biliary tract cancer who had received one or two prior therapies, CTX-009 with paclitaxel demonstrated a 37.5% overall response rate (ORR). Described here is the design of and rationale for COMPANION-002, a randomized phase II/III study, which will evaluate the safety and efficacy of CTX-009 in combination with paclitaxel versus paclitaxel alone as second-line treatment for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer. The primary end point is ORR, and crossover is allowed.Clinical Trial Registration: NCT05506943 (ClinicalTrials.gov).


Looking for new options for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer? Explore COMPANION-002, Compass Therapeutics' phase II/III study of CTX-009 + paclitaxel as a second line treatment.#CMPX #biotech #healthcare #rarecancer.

2.
Curr Probl Cancer ; 47(4): 100960, 2023 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37285606

ABSTRACT

The addition of antiepidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies, cetuximab or panitumumab, to conventional chemotherapy has improved clinical outcomes for rat sarcoma virus (RAS) wild-type advanced colorectal cancer patients, however, durable responses and 5-year overall survival rates remain limited. BRAF V600E somatic mutation and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) amplification/overexpression have been separately implicated in primary resistance to anti-EGFR therapeutic strategies via aberrant activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, resulting in poorer outcomes. In addition to being a negative predictive biomarker for anti-EGFR therapy, BRAF V600E mutation and HER2 amplification/overexpression serve as positive predictors of response to therapies targeting these respective tumor promoters. This review will highlight key clinical studies that support the rational use of v-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) and HER2-targeted therapies, often in combination with other targeted agents, cytotoxic chemotherapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. We discuss current challenges with BRAF and HER2-targeted therapies in metastatic colorectal cancer and potential opportunities for improvement.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents , Colorectal Neoplasms , Animals , Mice , Humans , Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf/genetics , Mutation , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Panitumumab/therapeutic use , Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy , Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics , Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology
3.
Genome Med ; 15(1): 33, 2023 05 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37138315

ABSTRACT

Epigenetic characterization of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is an emerging approach for detecting and characterizing diseases such as cancer. We developed a strategy using nanopore-based single-molecule sequencing to measure cfDNA methylomes. This approach generated up to 200 million reads for a single cfDNA sample from cancer patients, an order of magnitude improvement over existing nanopore sequencing methods. We developed a single-molecule classifier to determine whether individual reads originated from a tumor or immune cells. Leveraging methylomes of matched tumors and immune cells, we characterized cfDNA methylomes of cancer patients for longitudinal monitoring during treatment.


Subject(s)
Cell-Free Nucleic Acids , Nanopore Sequencing , Neoplasms , Humans , Cell-Free Nucleic Acids/genetics , Neoplasms/genetics , DNA , DNA Methylation
4.
J Patient Rep Outcomes ; 5(1): 91, 2021 Sep 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34524558

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Patient reported outcomes (PROs) have been associated with improved symptom management and quality of life in patients with cancer. However, the implementation of PROs in an academic clinical practice has not been thoroughly described. Here we report on the execution, feasibility and healthcare utilization outcomes of an electronic PRO (ePRO) application for cancer patients at an academic medical center. METHODS: We conducted a randomized trial comparing an experimental ePRO arm to standard of care in patients with advanced cancer in the thoracic, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary oncology groups at Stanford Cancer Center from March 2018 to November 2019. We describe the pre-implementation, implementation, and post-implementation phases of the ePRO arm, technological barriers, electronic health record (EHR) integration, clinician burden, and patient data privacy and security. Feasibility was pre-specified to be at least 70% completion of all questionnaires. Acceptability was based on patient and clinician feedback. Ambulatory healthcare utilization was assessed by reviewing numbers of phone messages, electronic portal messages, and referrals for supportive care. RESULTS: Of 617 ePRO questionnaires sent to 72 patients, 445 (72%) were completed. Most clinicians (87.5%) and patients (93%) felt neutral or positive about the ePRO tool's ease of use. Exposure to ePRO did not cause a measurable change in ambulatory healthcare utilization, with a median of less than two phone messages and supportive care referrals, and 5-6 portal messages. CONCLUSIONS: Web-based ePRO tools for patients with advanced cancer are feasible and acceptable without increasing clinical burden. Key lessons include the importance of pilot testing, engagement of stakeholders at all levels, and the need for customization by disease group. Future directions for this work include completion of EHR integration, expansion to other centers, and development of integrated workflows for routine clinical practice.

5.
Radiother Oncol ; 143: 101-107, 2020 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32044168

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The optimal neoadjuvant approach in patients with resectable pancreas cancer is unclear. We investigated outcomes after preoperative chemotherapy alone, chemotherapy with conventionally-fractionated radiation (CFRT), or chemotherapy with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The NCDB was queried for patients with resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma (pretreatment stage T1-3, N0-1, M0) who received preoperative, multiagent chemotherapy and definitive surgery from 2010 to 2015. CFRT was 40-60 Gy in 20-35 fractions. SBRT was 20-25 Gy in 1 fraction or 30-50 Gy using at least 5 Gy per fraction. Multivariable regression and propensity score matching were used to adjust for potential confounders, including age, comorbidity score, and pretreatment extent of disease. The primary outcome was overall survival measured from surgery. RESULTS: In total, 1355 patients received preoperative chemotherapy alone, 552 patients received preoperative chemotherapy with CFRT, and 175 patients received preoperative chemotherapy with SBRT. Receipt of SBRT was associated with significantly improved overall survival compared to chemotherapy alone (median 30 vs 21 months, p = 0.02; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47-0.90, p = 0.01). Similarly, SBRT was associated with significantly improved overall survival compared to CFRT (median 29 vs 16 months, p = 0.002; adjusted HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.37-0.76, p = 0.001). Additionally, SBRT was associated with significantly increased rates of pathological complete response and margin-negative resection. Rates of postoperative readmissions and mortality were comparable. CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with SBRT is associated with favorable survival and pathological outcomes, warranting consideration for prospective validation.


Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma , Pancreatic Neoplasms , Radiosurgery , Adenocarcinoma/therapy , Humans , Neoadjuvant Therapy , Pancreatic Neoplasms/surgery , Prospective Studies
6.
Gastric Cancer ; 23(1): 175-183, 2020 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31230228

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancers can be treated with equipoise using neoadjuvant chemoradiation (NACRT) or chemotherapy alone (NAC), but the comparative outcomes are unclear. METHODS: Patients with non-metastatic T2-4 or N1-3 GEJ adenocarcinoma who underwent definitive surgery and NAC or NACRT were selected from the National Cancer Database. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Multivariable regression and propensity score analysis were used to adjust for age, comorbidity, and other characteristics. RESULTS: We identified 2435 patients treated with NACRT and 648 patients treated with NAC. OS was not significantly different between NACRT and NAC (51% versus 54% at 3 years, respectively, P = 0.11). Extent of pathological downstaging (complete, partial/mixed, none) after NACRT or NAC was highly prognostic of survival. Patients with no response did equally poorly after either preoperative regimen, and NAC was significantly less likely than NACRT to produce any response (adjusted odds ratio 0.62, P < 0.0001). Rate of adjuvant chemotherapy usage was significantly lower after NACRT than after NAC (12% versus 34%, P < 0.0001). In patients with residual tumor and nodal disease, adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with higher OS after NACRT (adjusted hazard ratio 0.81, P = 0.05), but not after NAC. These results were further validated by propensity score analysis. CONCLUSIONS: NACRT had similar survival to NAC despite superior pathological downstaging. Adjuvant chemotherapy is relatively underused after NACRT and warrants further study as a risk-adapted means to improve survival, especially in patients with larger burden of residual disease.


Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma/mortality , Adenocarcinoma/therapy , Esophageal Neoplasms/mortality , Esophageal Neoplasms/therapy , Adenocarcinoma/pathology , Aged , Chemoradiotherapy/methods , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant , Esophageal Neoplasms/pathology , Esophagogastric Junction/pathology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neoadjuvant Therapy , Treatment Outcome
7.
J Mol Diagn ; 22(2): 247-261, 2020 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31837432

ABSTRACT

As a high-performance solution for longitudinal monitoring of patients being treated for metastatic cancer, a single-color digital PCR (dPCR) assay that detects and quantifies specific cancer mutations present in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) was developed. This customizable assay has a high sensitivity of detection. One can detect a mutation allelic fraction of 0.1%, equivalent to three mutation-bearing DNA molecules among 3000 genome equivalents. The objective of this study was to validate the use of personalized dPCR mutation assays to monitor patients with metastatic cancer. The dPCR results were compared with serum biomarkers indicating disease progression or response. Patients had metastatic colorectal, biliary, breast, lung, and melanoma cancers. Mutations occurred in essential cancer drivers such as BRAF, KRAS, and PIK3CA. Patients were monitored over multiple cycles of treatment for up to a year. All patients had detectable ctDNA mutations. The results correlated with serum markers of metastatic cancer burden, including carcinoembryonic antigen, CA-19-9, and CA-15-3, and qualitatively corresponding to imaging studies. Corresponding trends were observed among these patients receiving active treatment with chemotherapy or targeted agents. For example, in one patient under active treatment, increasing quantities of ctDNA molecules were detected over time, indicating recurrence of tumor. This study demonstrates that personalized dPCR enables longitudinal monitoring of patients with metastatic cancer and may be a useful indicator for treatment response.


Subject(s)
Biomarkers, Tumor , Cell-Free Nucleic Acids , Circulating Tumor DNA , Mutation , Precision Medicine , Alleles , Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics , DNA Mutational Analysis/methods , Female , Humans , Liquid Biopsy/methods , Male , Neoplasm Metastasis , Neoplasm Staging , Precision Medicine/methods , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Tomography, X-Ray Computed
8.
Oncologist ; 23(5): 586-593, 2018 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29487225

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Because imaging has a high sensitivity to diagnose hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and tissue biopsies carry risks such as bleeding, the latter are often not performed in HCC. Blood-derived circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis can identify somatic alterations, but its utility has not been characterized in HCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 14 patients with advanced HCC (digital ctDNA sequencing [68 genes]). Mutant relative to wild-type allele fraction was calculated. RESULTS: All patients (100%) had somatic alterations (median = 3 alterations/patient [range, 1-8]); median mutant allele fraction, 0.29% (range, 0.1%-37.77%). Mutations were identified in several genes: TP53 (57% of patients), CTNNB1 (29%), PTEN (7%), CDKN2A (7%), ARID1A (7%), and MET (7%); amplifications, in CDK6 (14%), EGFR (14%), MYC (14%), BRAF (7%), RAF1 (7%), FGFR1 (7%), CCNE1 (7%), PIK3CA (7%), and ERBB2/HER2 (7%). Eleven patients (79%) had ≥1 theoretically actionable alteration. No two patients had identical genomic portfolios, suggesting the need for customized treatment. A patient with a CDKN2A-inactivating and a CTNNB1-activating mutation received matched treatment: palbociclib (CDK4/6 inhibitor) and celecoxib (COX-2/Wnt inhibitor); des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin level decreased by 84% at 2 months (1,410 to 242 ng/mL [normal: ≤7.4 ng/mL]; alpha fetoprotein [AFP] low at baseline). A patient with a PTEN-inactivating and a MET-activating mutation (an effect suggested by in silico molecular dynamic simulations) received sirolimus (mechanistic target of rapamycin inhibitor) and cabozantinib (MET inhibitor); AFP declined by 63% (8,320 to 3,045 ng/mL [normal: 0-15 ng/mL]). CONCLUSION: ctDNA derived from noninvasive blood tests can provide exploitable genomic profiles in patients with HCC. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This study reports that blood-derived circulating tumor DNA can provide therapeutically exploitable genomic profiles in hepatocellular cancer, a malignancy that is known to be difficult to biopsy.


Subject(s)
Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics , Circulating Tumor DNA/genetics , High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods , Adult , Aged , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies
9.
Mol Cancer Ther ; 17(1): 297-305, 2018 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29133621

ABSTRACT

We aimed to assess the utility of a novel, noninvasive method of detecting genomic alterations in patients with gastrointestinal malignancies, i.e., the use of liquid biopsies to obtain blood-derived circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) through an analysis of the genomic landscape of ctDNA (68 genes) from 213 patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancers. The most common cancer types were colorectal adenocarcinoma (N = 55; 26%), appendiceal adenocarcinoma (N = 46; 22%), hepatocellular carcinoma (N = 31; 15%), and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (N = 25; 12%). The majority of patients (58%) had ≥1 characterized alteration (excluded variants of unknown significance). The median number of characterized alterations was 1 (range, 0-13). The number of detected alterations per patient varied between different cancer types: in hepatocellular carcinoma, 74% of patients (23/31) had ≥1 characterized alteration(s) versus 24% of appendiceal adenocarcinoma patients (11/46). The median percent ctDNA among characterized alterations was 2.50% (interquartile range, 0.76%-8.96%). Overall, 95% of patients (117/123) had distinct molecular portfolios with 143 unique characterized alterations within 56 genes. Overall, concordance rates of 96%, 94%, 95%, and 91%, respectively, were found between ctDNA and tissue biopsy (N = 105 patients) in the four most common alterations (KRAS amplification, MYC amplification, KRAS G12V, and EGFR amplification). Of 123 patients with characterized alterations, >99% (122/123; 57% of entire population tested; 122/213) had one or more alterations potentially actionable by experimental or approved drugs. These observations suggest that many patients with gastrointestinal tumors, including difficult-to-biopsy malignancies like hepatocellular cancers, frequently have discernible and theoretically pharmacologically tractable ctDNA alterations that merit further studies in prospective trials. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(1); 297-305. ©2017 AACR.


Subject(s)
Circulating Tumor DNA/genetics , Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/genetics , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cell Line, Tumor , Female , Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/pathology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Mutation , Retrospective Studies
10.
Eur J Cancer ; 83: 80-87, 2017 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28728050

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Topoisomerase I (TOPO1) and topoisomerase IIα (TOP2A) are specific targets of multiple chemotherapy drugs. Increased expression of TOPO1 protein and amplification of the TOP2A gene have been associated with treatment response in colorectal and breast cancers, respectively. TOPO1 and TOP2A may be potential therapeutic targets in other malignancies as well. SUMMARY OF METHODS: We analysed TOPO1 protein expression and TOP2A gene amplification in patients (n = 24,262 specimens) with diverse cancers. Since HER2 and TOP2A co-amplification have been investigated for predictive value regarding anthracycline benefit, we analysed specimens for HER2 amplification as well. RESULTS: Overexpressed TOPO1 protein was present in 51% of the tumours. Four percent of the tumours had TOP2A amplification, with gallbladder tumours and gastroesophageal/oesophageal tumours having rates over 10%. Overall, 4903 specimens were assessed for both TOP2A and HER2 amplification; 129 (2.6%) had co-amplification. High rates (>40%) of HER2 amplification were seen in patients with TOP2A amplification in breast, ovarian, gastroesophageal/oesophageal and pancreatic cancer. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that increased TOPO1 expression and TOP2A amplification, as well as HER2 co-alterations, are present in multiple malignancies. The implications of these observations regarding sensitivity to chemotherapy not traditionally administered to these tumour types merits investigation.


Subject(s)
Antigens, Neoplasm/metabolism , Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism , DNA Topoisomerases, Type II/metabolism , DNA Topoisomerases, Type I/metabolism , DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Neoplasms/metabolism , Female , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , Male , Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins
11.
J Transl Med ; 14(1): 339, 2016 12 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27974047

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: About 10-15% of adult, and most pediatric, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) lack mutations in KIT, PDGFRA, SDHx, or RAS pathway components (KRAS, BRAF, NF1). The identification of additional mutated genes in this rare subset of tumors can have important clinical benefit to identify altered biological pathways and select targeted therapies. METHODS: We performed comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) for coding regions in more than 300 cancer-related genes of 186 GISTs to assess for their somatic alterations. RESULTS: We identified 24 GIST lacking alterations in the canonical KIT/PDGFRA/RAS pathways, including 12 without SDHx alterations. These 24 patients were mostly adults (96%). The tumors had a 46% rate of nodal metastases. These 24 GIST were more commonly mutated at 7 genes: ARID1B, ATR, FGFR1, LTK, SUFU, PARK2 and ZNF217. Two tumors harbored FGFR1 gene fusions (FGFR1-HOOK3, FGFR1-TACC1) and one harbored an ETV6-NTRK3 fusion that responded to TRK inhibition. In an independent sample set, we identified 5 GIST cases lacking alterations in the KIT/PDGFRA/SDHx/RAS pathways, including two additional cases with FGFR1-TACC1 and ETV6-NTRK3 fusions. CONCLUSIONS: Using patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and CGP, we show that GIST lacking alterations in canonical genes occur in younger patients, frequently metastasize to lymph nodes, and most contain deleterious genomic alterations, including gene fusions involving FGFR1 and NTRK3. If confirmed in larger series, routine testing for these translocations may be indicated for this subset of GIST. Moreover, these findings can be used to guide personalized treatments for patients with GIST. Trial registration NCT 02576431. Registered October 12, 2015.


Subject(s)
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors/metabolism , Mutation/genetics , Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1/metabolism , Receptor, trkC/metabolism , Adult , Demography , Female , Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors/genetics , Genome, Human , Humans , Male , Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/metabolism
12.
PLoS One ; 11(1): e0147995, 2016.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26808546

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: NCIC Clinical Trials Group PA.3 was a randomized control trial that demonstrated improved overall survival (OS) in patients receiving erlotinib in addition to gemcitabine for locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. Prior to therapy, patients had plasma samples drawn for future study. We sought to identify biomarkers within these samples. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Using the proximity ligation assay (PLA), a probe panel was built from commercially available antibodies for 35 key proteins selected from a global genetic analysis of pancreatic cancers, and used to quantify protein levels in 20 uL of patient plasma. To determine if any of these proteins levels independently associated with OS, univariate and mulitbaraible Cox models were used. In addition, we examined the associations between biomarker expression and disease stage at diagnosis using Fisher's exact test. The correlation between Erlotinib sensitivity and each biomarkers was assessed using a test of interaction between treatment and biomarker. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Of the 569 eligible patients, 480 had samples available for study. Samples were randomly allocated into training (251) and validation sets (229). Among all patients, elevated levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1 alpha), and interleukin-6 were independently associated with lower OS, while IL-8, CEA, platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha and mucin-1 were associated with metastatic disease. Patients with elevated levels of receptor tyrosine-protein kinase erbB-2 (HER2) expression had improved OS when treated with erlotinib compared to placebo. In conclusion, PLA is a powerful tool for identifying biomarkers from archived, small volume serum samples. These data may be useful to stratify patient outcomes regardless of therapeutic intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00040183.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Biomarkers, Tumor/blood , Deoxycytidine/analogs & derivatives , Erlotinib Hydrochloride/therapeutic use , Pancreatic Neoplasms/drug therapy , Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage , Deoxycytidine/administration & dosage , Deoxycytidine/therapeutic use , Double-Blind Method , Erlotinib Hydrochloride/administration & dosage , Humans , Placebos , Gemcitabine
13.
J Clin Oncol ; 33(16): 1770-8, 2015 Jun 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25918279

ABSTRACT

The poors outcomes associated with pancreatic cancer clearly reflect the advanced stage of disease at diagnosis for most patients. Through this lens, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that roughly 50% of patients with pancreatic cancer have no clinically detectable metastases at presentation. Herein, we discuss how patients with localized pancreatic cancer are currently managed. The primary goal of care for patients with resectable and borderline-resectable tumors is cure, facilitated by achieving margin-negative resection of the primary disease and delivering effective adjuvant and/or neoadjuvant therapy. For patients with locally advanced disease, the focus is on limiting local progression and outgrowth of metastatic disease and maintaining quality of life. Although it was once a centerpiece of therapy for localized pancreatic cancer, the value and place of radiation therapy in the treatment algorithm is now under increased scrutiny. In contrast, given its value as demonstrated in multiple prospective trials, chemotherapy is an established part of the treatment paradigm for all patients. With the demonstration that cytotoxic combinations such as fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin as well as gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel are active in the metastatic setting, these agents are now being studied in patients with localized disease. The neoadjuvant setting provides a particularly favorable setting for evaluating new systemic strategies. Given the array of new targets, including immunomodulatory approaches, there is reason for optimism that we can markedly improve survival for all patients with pancreatic cancer and enter an era in which surgery with curative intent actually fulfills this goal on a much more regular basis.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Neoadjuvant Therapy , Pancreatectomy , Pancreatic Neoplasms/therapy , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant , Critical Pathways , Humans , Neoadjuvant Therapy/adverse effects , Neoadjuvant Therapy/mortality , Pancreatectomy/adverse effects , Pancreatectomy/mortality , Pancreatic Neoplasms/mortality , Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology , Patient Selection , Predictive Value of Tests , Radiotherapy, Adjuvant , Risk Factors , Treatment Outcome
14.
Oncotarget ; 6(7): 4553-61, 2015 Mar 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25714017

ABSTRACT

Despite recent improvements, overall survival for advanced adenocarcinoma of the pancreas continues to be poor. In comparison to other tumor types that have enjoyed marked survival benefit by targeting aberrant cell signaling pathways, standard of care treatment for pancreatic cancer is limited to conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy. Multiple pathway aberrations have been documented in pancreatic cancer. A review of the COSMIC database reveals that most pancreatic cancers contain somatic mutations, with the five most frequent being KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, SMAD4, and ARID1A, and multiple other abnormalities seen including, but not limited to, mutations in STK11/LKB1, FBXW7, PIK3CA, and BRAF. In the era of tumor profiling, these aberrations may provide an opportunity for new therapeutic approaches. Yet, searching clinicaltrials.gov for recent drug intervention trials for pancreatic adenocarcinoma, remarkably few (10 of 116 (8.6%)) new study protocols registered in the last three years included a molecular/biomarker stratification strategy. Enhanced efforts to target subsets of patients with pancreatic cancer in order to optimize therapy benefit are warranted.


Subject(s)
Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics , Clinical Trials as Topic , Pancreatic Neoplasms/classification , Pancreatic Neoplasms/genetics , Humans , Pancreatic Neoplasms/diagnosis , Pancreatic Neoplasms/therapy
15.
J Natl Cancer Inst ; 105(23): 1814-20, 2013 Dec 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24231453

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Black patients with metastatic colorectal cancer have inferior survival compared to white patients. The purpose of this study was to examine disparity in specialist consultation and multimodality treatment and the impact that treatment inequality has on survival. METHODS: We identified 9935 non-Hispanic white and 1281 black patients with stage IV colorectal cancer aged 66 years and older from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database. Logistic regression models identified race-based differences in consultation rates and subsequent treatment with surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. Multivariable Cox regression models identified potential factors that explain race-based survival differences. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: Black patients had lower rates of consultation with surgery, medical oncology, and radiation oncology. Among patients seen in consultation, black patients received less surgery directed at the primary tumor, liver- or lung-directed surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Unadjusted survival analysis found a 15% higher chance of dying for black patients compared with white patients (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.15; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08 to 1.22; P < .001). Adjustment for patient, tumor, and demographic variables marginally reduced the risk of death (HR = 1.08; 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.15; P = .03). After adjustment for differences in treatment, the increased risk of death for black patients disappeared. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows racial disparity in specialist consultation as well as subsequent treatment with multimodality therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer, and it suggests that inferior survival for black patients may stem from this treatment disparity. Further research into the underlying causes of this inequality will improve access to treatment and survival in metastatic colorectal cancer.


Subject(s)
Black or African American/statistics & numerical data , Colorectal Neoplasms/mortality , Colorectal Neoplasms/therapy , Combined Modality Therapy/statistics & numerical data , Healthcare Disparities/statistics & numerical data , Referral and Consultation/statistics & numerical data , White People/statistics & numerical data , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant/statistics & numerical data , Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology , Female , Humans , Kaplan-Meier Estimate , Male , Medical Oncology/statistics & numerical data , Medical Record Linkage , Medicare , Neoplasm Staging , Radiotherapy, Adjuvant/statistics & numerical data , SEER Program , Treatment Outcome , United States/epidemiology
16.
Am Surg ; 72(4): 303-6, 2006 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-16676851

ABSTRACT

Multiple reports in the literature confirm that retained gallstones spilled during laparoscopic cholecystectomy perpetuate chronic inflammation and suppuration long after the initial operation. Two patients who had previously undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy presented to our institution with complications of retained stones. Patient 1 presented with right upper quadrant pain and a mass involving the right hepatic lobe. Patient 2 presented with a draining right flank abscess. Both underwent exploratory laparotomy at which time multiple abscess cavities were found, many of which contained retained gallstones. Patient 1 required reoperation for recurrent abscesses 7 months after the initial procedure and has been disease free for 6 months. Patient 2 had abscess recurrence that required percutaneous drainage 1 year after the original procedure and has not had recurrence for 4 years.


Subject(s)
Abdomen/pathology , Abdominal Abscess/etiology , Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic/adverse effects , Gallstones/surgery , Staphylococcal Infections/etiology , Streptococcal Infections/etiology , Aged , Female , Fibrosis , Humans , Treatment Failure
17.
Am Surg ; 69(11): 933-40, 2003 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-14627251

ABSTRACT

The incidence of splenic artery aneurysm (SAA) in patients with cirrhosis ranges from 7 per cent to 17 per cent. SAA rupture after liver transplantation (LT) is reported to result in significant morbidity and mortality. We report our experience with SAA in LT candidates. From September 1995 through August 2002, 14 LT candidates were diagnosed with SAA. Twenty SAA occurred in 14 patients with an average diameter of 20 mm. Eleven patients qualified for LT; to date, seven have been transplanted. No intervention for SAA occurred prior to LT. Of the seven patients transplanted, four had SAA identified prior to LT. Three were treated at LT and are alive; the fourth had postoperative splenic artery embolization followed by splenectomy and expired on day 109 from duodenal ulcer complications. Three of seven patients had undiagnosed SAA at LT. One required emergency splenectomy for SAA rupture and is alive at 44 months. The remaining two received no treatment; one suffered a late septic death and one is alive at 15 months. No ruptures occurred in our pre-LT population, suggesting that definitive management can await LT. We recommend that all patients undergo four-phase computed tomography or magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) as part of the LT evaluation and that identified SAA be resected at transplantation.


Subject(s)
Aneurysm/diagnosis , Aneurysm/therapy , Liver Transplantation , Splenic Artery , Adult , Aged , Aneurysm/complications , Embolization, Therapeutic , Female , Humans , Liver Cirrhosis/complications , Liver Cirrhosis/surgery , Magnetic Resonance Angiography , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , Splenectomy , Tomography, X-Ray Computed
SELECTION OF CITATIONS
SEARCH DETAIL
...