Current Opinion in Oncology最新文献

Purpose of review: To analyze whether pregnancy could play a role in the higher prevalence of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) in women. Estrogens strongly modify thyroid economy by increasing iodine clearance, thyroid hormone requirement and production. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) contributes to the increased thyroid hormone synthesis. Both estrogens and hCG can interfere with the regulation of thyroid volume and with thyroid nodule development and progression. The potential effect of hCG is exclusively related to its weak agonistic activity on TSH receptor. Estrogen implication on normal and nodule-derived thyrocyte growth has been demonstrated in vitro and in animal models. Furthermore, there is solid clinical evidence showing a promoting effect of pregnancy on thyroid volume and nodule development. Two metaanalyses, one including retrospective and another prospective observational studies, failed to show an association between pregnancy and DTC.

Recent findings: A large pooled prospective analysis using multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard models did not demonstrate an association between DTC and parity. Similarly, no association between PTC occurrence and parity was observed in a prospective cohort analysis by linkage to the statewide Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER).

Summary: The presently available evidence does not support an involvement of pregnancy in DTC etiology.

Purpose of review: To evaluate and summarize the current clinical efficacy, safety, treatment patterns, and potential biomarkers, to guide future treatment strategies for nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), improve patient prognosis, and provide a scientific basis for personalized therapy.

Recent findings: In recent years, the class of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), with programmed death-1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitors at the helm, has catalyzed groundbreaking advancements within the perioperative treatment milieu for NSCLC. With the positive results of several phase III clinical trials, perioperative immunotherapy has been confirmed to significantly reduce the risk of postoperative recurrence in resectable NSCLC, becoming the new standard for perioperative treatment of stages II to III NSCLC. With the advent of the perioperative immunotherapy era, clinical issues such as the selection of the treatment population, the choice of regimen, the duration of treatment, whether patients with pCR need further adjuvant therapy, and the comprehensive management of patients throughout the perioperative period have attracted widespread attention.

Summary: The perioperative treatment of NSCLC has fully entered the era of immunotherapy. Multiple clinical studies have confirmed that perioperative immunotherapy can significantly improve the survival benefit of resectable stages II to III NSCLC, establishing a new standard for the perioperative treatment of stages II to III NSCLC.

Purpose of review: Recent years have witnessed significant advancements in the treatment of lung cancer with immunotherapy, primarily centered on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Numerous clinical studies have evaluated or are currently evaluating the clinical benefits of neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and perioperative use of ICIs. These findings have notably reshaped the landscape of perioperative treatment for nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).

Recent findings: Comparing different treatment modes, adding ICIs in the adjuvant phase to neoadjuvant treatment with ICIs and chemotherapy may not improve survival outcomes for patients with resectable NSCLC and may be associated with increased adverse events. For prognostic factors, ctDNA minimal residual disease (MRD) status might serve as an early predictor of achieving pathological remission. For study endpoints, a positive result with PFS as the primary endpoint may not necessarily translate into overall survival benefits.

Summary: For perioperative immunotherapy, challenges persist, including the current lack of sensitive and reliable biomarkers, the effect of neoadjuvant therapy on surgical risk as well as the selection of the appropriate study endpoint. In this review, we discuss recent and ongoing trials investigating strategies of neoadjuvant, adjuvant and perioperative immunotherapy in NSCLC, while also proposing considerations for future directions in this continuously evolving field.

Purpose of review: Despite recent advances in immunotherapy treatment for metastatic, early-stage nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), palliative, adjuvant, neoadjuvant, and perioperative treatment options, further development is needed. Exploring new frontiers of immuno-oncology is necessary. Researchers are interested in a therapeutic vaccination model.

Recent findings: In this paper, we provide a review of the latest lung cancer therapeutic vaccines.We describe strategies for antigen selection and delivery platforms. As of 5 th of August 2024, we have reviewed ongoing clinical trials and results.We summarize most of the important clinical trials of novel vaccines, the way of action, and available clinical data. We also discuss the pros and cons of various types of therapeutic vaccines.

Summary: Until recently, clinical trial results were mixed regarding the efficacy of therapeutic vaccines in lung cancer.Developing next-generation sequencing and bioinformatic technologies has helped identify suitable antigens. New personalized vaccines are based on neoantigens specific to unique tumor mutations.Neoantigens, instead of tumor-associated antigens, better delivery systems and adjuvants will improve antigen presentation and immune system activation.Combining these therapeutic vaccines with other therapeutic approaches will improve and prolong the response.

Purpose of review: To analyze the reciprocal influences between female reproductive life and DTC management.

Recent findings: Data on pregnancy outcome in DTC patients indicate that after conceiving, these women may need an increased L-T4 dose to maintain suppressed serum TSH levels. Nevertheless, this does not determine major harm in terms of pregnancy outcome. Analogously, the most recent findings obtained with the propensity score matching approach have confirmed that pregnancy does not significantly affect DTC clinical course and eventually tumor prognosis. A recent metanalysis and a large case-control study excluded a significant effect of radioactive iodine treatment (RAIT) on several reproductive variables in DTC patients, providing reassuring evidence that the current recommendations on RAIT for women of childbearing age are sufficiently well tolerated and do not affect fertility nor pregnancy rate. Nonetheless, it seems reasonable to recommend special attention for older than 35 years women requiring higher RAIT activities.

Summary: Overall, the most recent studies have provided sufficiently reassuring evidence that the occurrence of pregnancy and DTC management are of no reciprocal harm for adverse outcome in affected women of childbearing age. Thus, female DTC patients should be managed according to the individual response to treatment before pregnancy. When DTC diagnosis is made after conception, delaying surgery does not represent a harm in most patients.

Purpose of review: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and targeted therapies have changed the landscape of management of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) dramatically. Whereas ICIs in NSCLC without specific driver mutations are well established it is unclear what the place of ICIs in driver mutation-positive NSCLC is. This review summarizes the current view on the use of ICIs in driver mutation-positive NSCLC.

Recent findings: Immune checkpoint inhibition in combination with chemotherapy (and antiangiogenesis) in recurrent driver mutation-positive NSCLC after tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy may be effective.

Summary: Currently the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in driver mutation-positive NSCLC is limited. They can in combination be applied in second and later line settings if no specific therapy is available.

Purpose of review: In this review, our aim is to highlight the latest novel immunotherapeutic approaches for advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) beyond anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and anti- cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated Protein-4 (CTLA4).

Recent findings: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) revolutionized the treatment of advanced NSCLC. Despite that, patients develop primary or acquired resistance to ICIs. The discovery of novel approaches represents both an unmet need and an opportunity to improve outcomes in these patients.

Summary: We summarized the most relevant novel immune checkpoints, many of them in their early phase of testing, to provide a comprehensive overview of the state of the art of immunotherapy in NSCLC beyond PD-1/PD-L1 and CTL-4 inhibitors.

Purpose of review: Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are a diverse group of malignancies that include thymomas (T), thymic carcinomas (TC), and thymic neuroendocrine tumors. Given the rarity of this disease, evidence defining the optimal treatment approach in the advanced/metastatic setting is limited. This article reviews the latest advances in systemic therapy for TETs, with a special focus on immunotherapy and targeted therapy strategies.

Recent findings: Multiple recent efforts have been made to integrate novel immunotherapies and targeted therapy approaches into the current treatment algorithm for T and TC. In addition to trials of checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy, combinatorial approaches with novel immunotherapies or targeted therapies are being explored. Molecular profiling may help identify druggable targets, further optimizing outcomes in this population.

Summary: Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy has shown promising activity in TETs patients. However, toxicity in an unselected cohort, particularly in T patients, can be substantial, and therefore it is not recommended outside of clinical trials. Until additional research validates biomarkers to safely select patients for immunotherapy, targeted therapies remain a reasonable second-line option. Contemporary next-generation sequencing panels may be applied to identify druggable targets in the absence of standard treatment.