Article
Dermatology
Chang Gon Kim, Miso Kim, Jieon Hwang, Seung Tae Kim, Minkyu Jung, Kyoo Hyun Kim, Kyung Hwan Kim, Jee Suk Chang, Woong Sub Koom, Mi Ryung Roh, Kee Yang Chung, Tae Min Kim, Sang Kyum Kim, Jeeyun Lee, Sang Joon Shin
Summary: This study compared the outcomes of first-line pembrolizumab and dabrafenib/trametinib treatment for patients with advanced melanoma with BRAF mutations. The results showed that first-line pembrolizumab treatment resulted in longer overall survival, suggesting it may be a better treatment option.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Lili Mao, Ya Ding, Xue Bai, Xinan Sheng, Jie Dai, Zhihong Chi, Chuanliang Cui, Yan Kong, Yun Fan, Yanjun Xu, Xuan Wang, Bixia Tang, Bin Lian, Xieqiao Yan, Siming Li, Li Zhou, Xiaoting Wei, Caili Li, Jun Guo, Xiaoshi Zhang, Lu Si
Summary: The combination treatment of dabrafenib and trametinib shows long-term survival benefits in Chinese patients with BRAF V600-mutant, unresectable or metastatic acral/cutaneous melanoma. The study found a high objective response rate and overall survival rate in these patients.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Carola Berking, Elisabeth Livingstone, Dirk Debus, Carmen Loquai, Michael Weichenthal, Ulrike Leiter, Felix Kiecker, Peter Mohr, Thomas K. Eigentler, Janina Remy, Katharina Schober, Markus V. Heppt, Imke von Wasielewski, Dirk Schadendorf, Ralf Gutzmer
Summary: The outcome of advanced melanoma patients has greatly improved over the past 15 years. Targeted therapies blocking BRAF or inhibiting immune checkpoints have shown significant efficacy in improving overall survival. The COMBI-r study confirms the efficacy of dabrafenib plus trametinib in routine clinical practice and provides additional data in patients with brain metastases or previous treatments.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ernesto Rossi, Giovanni Schinzari, Francesco Cellini, Mario Balducci, Mariangela Pasqualoni, Brigida Anna Maiorano, Bruno Fionda, Silvia Longo, Francesco Deodato, Alessandro Di Stefani, Ketty Peris, Maria Antonietta Gambacorta, Giampaolo Tortora
Summary: BRAF and MEK inhibitors have changed the clinical management of metastatic melanoma, but their combination with radiotherapy needs careful monitoring for potential toxicity. This study reports the successful use of fractionated radiotherapy in metastatic melanoma patients receiving BRAF and MEK inhibitors, without significant adverse events. These results suggest that interruption of targeted therapy during radiotherapy for oligoprogressive disease can be avoided.
Article
Oncology
Caroline A. Nebhan, Douglas B. Johnson, Ryan J. Sullivan, Roda N. Amaria, Keith T. Flaherty, Jeffrey A. Sosman, Michael A. Davies
Summary: This study found that trametinib showed significant clinical activity in non-V600 BRAF mutation and BRAF fusion metastatic melanoma, suggesting that all patients with metastatic melanoma should undergo sequencing of the BRAF gene. The study concluded that trametinib had considerable activity in a small population of patients, highlighting the importance of sequencing to identify genomic alterations.
Article
Oncology
Philippe Saiag, Caroline Robert, Jean -Jacques Grob, Laurent Mortier, Olivier Dereure, Celeste Lebbe, Sandrine Mansard, Florent Grange, Eve-Marie Neidhardt, Thierry Lesimple, Laurent Machet, Christophe Bedane, Herve Maillard, Sophie Dalac-Rat, Alexandra Szenik, Charlee Nardin, Amine Denden, Caroline Dutriaux
Summary: This large prospective study in France investigated the treatment outcomes of BRAF V600-mutant melanoma patients receiving dabrafenib and trametinib combination therapy. The study confirmed previous findings that factors such as lactate dehydrogenase levels, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, number of metastatic sites, and presence of brain metastasis are associated with progression-free survival in these patients.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Xue Bai, Ahmed Shaheen, Charlotte Grieco, Paolo D. d'Arienzo, Florentia Mina, Juliane A. Czapla, Aleigha R. Lawless, Eleonora Bongiovanni, Umberto Santaniello, Helena Zappi, Dominika Dulak, Andrew Williamson, Rebecca Lee, Avinash Gupta, Caili Li, Lu Si, Martina Ubaldi, Naoya Yamazaki, Dai Ogata, Rebecca Johnson, Benjamin C. Park, Seungyeon Jung, Gabriele Madonna, Juliane Hochherz, Yoshiyasu Umeda, Yasuhiro Nakamura, Christoffer Gebhardt, Lucia Festino, Mariaelena Capone, Paolo Antonio Ascierto, Douglas B. Johnson, Serigne N. Lo, Georgina L. Long, Alexander M. Menzies, Kenjiro Namikawa, Mario Mandala, Jun Guo, Paul Lorigan, Yana G. Najjar, Andrew Haydon, Pietro Quaglino, Genevieve M. Boland, Ryan J. Sullivan, Andrew J. S. Furness, Ruth Plummer, Keith T. Flaherty
Summary: In patients with stage III BRAF V600-mutant melanoma, adjuvant D/T therapy yielded better relapse-free survival (RFS) than PD-1 therapy, with higher transient toxicity and lower persistent toxicity, while maintaining comparable overall survival (OS). Larger prospective trials with longer follow-up are needed to further evaluate the outcomes of D/T compared to PD-1.
Article
Dermatology
Tomoaki Kaizuka, Ryohei Kurihara, Miki Harumiya, Takayuki Kimura, Naoko Ushida
Summary: This study investigated the safety and efficacy of combination therapy with dabrafenib and trametinib for Japanese patients with malignant melanoma. The results showed that this treatment approach was safe and effective in a real-world clinical setting in Japan.
JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Paolo A. Ascierto, Brigitte Dreno, James Larkin, Antoni Ribas, Gabriella Liszkay, Michele Maio, Mario Mandala, Lev Demidov, Daniil Stroyakovskiy, Luc Thomas, Luis de la Cruz-Merino, Victoria Atkinson, Caroline Dutriaux, Claus Garbe, Jessie Hsu, Surai Jones, Haocheng Li, Edward McKenna, Athina Voulgari, Grant A. McArthur
Summary: The long-term follow-up of the coBRIM study confirmed the extended clinical benefit and safety profile of cobimetinib plus vemurafenib compared to vemurafenib monotherapy in patients with BRAF(V600) mutation-positive advanced melanoma. The study showed improved progression-free survival and overall survival in the cobimetinib plus vemurafenib group, with the safety profile remaining consistent with previous reports.
CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Walid Shalata, Rachel Steckbeck, Ilya Polishchuk, Ahron Yehonatan Cohen, Keren Rouvinov, Margarita Tokar, Ashraf Abu Jama, Omar Abu Saleh, Kim Sheva, Alexander Yakobson
Summary: This case report presents a patient with metastatic melanoma complicated by hyperbilirubinemia. The patient had BRAF V600E-mutated melanoma with metastases in various organs. Due to a lack of guidelines for treating melanoma patients with hyperbilirubinemia, a panel of specialists discussed between treatment initiation and supportive care. The patient eventually received combination therapy with dabrafenib and trametinib, resulting in a significant therapeutic and radiological response.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Alexander Schulz, Jennifer Raetz, Paula C. Karitzky, Lisa Dinter, Julia K. Tietze, Isabell Kolbe, Theresa Kaeubler, Bertold Renner, Stefan Beissert, Friedegund Meier, Dana Westphal
Summary: In the past, metastatic melanoma was often considered incurable, but with the introduction of new therapies, such as BRAF and MEK inhibitors, significant progress has been made in the treatment of this disease. This study compared different combinations of BRAF and MEK inhibitors, with encorafenib/trametinib showing the highest anti-tumor activity in both BRAF- and NRAS-mutated melanoma cells. These findings suggest that this particular combination may be more effective than current standard treatments and warrants further investigation in clinical trials to potentially improve overall responses in melanoma patients.
Article
Oncology
Nora Isberner, Anja Gesierich, David Balakirouchenane, Bastian Schilling, Fatemeh Aghai-Trommeschlaeger, Sebastian Zimmermann, Max Kurlbaum, Alicja Puszkiel, Benoit Blanchet, Hartwig Klinker, Oliver Scherf-Clavel
Summary: This study analyzed the exposure of dabrafenib and trametinib in melanoma patients and its association with adverse events and patient characteristics. The study found that drug exposure was not associated with age, sex, body mass index, or toxicity. Additionally, self-sampling of capillary blood was feasible and a conversion model was developed to estimate serum exposure.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Sang Jae Lee, Si-Youn Song, Min Kyoung Kim, Hyung Gyun Na, Chang Hoon Bae, Yong-Dae Kim, Yoon Seok Choi
Summary: Adjuvant chemotherapy with dabrafenib plus trametinib is highly effective for the treatment and prevention of recurrent anaplastic thyroid cancer with BRAF mutation following surgery.
WORLD JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CASES
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Ines Gonzalez-Barrallo, Victoria Eugenia Castellon Rubio, Javier Medina, Sofia Espana, Karmele Mujika, Margarita Majem, Carlos Aguado, Miguel Angel Cabrera Suarez, Isabel Palacio, Lisa Osterloh, Alejandro Martinez-Fernandez, Almudena Garcia-Castano
Summary: The study found that the expression levels of fatty acid transport protein 4 (FATP4) were associated with a high-fat diet, particularly in white adipose tissue. It was also found that FATP4 gene expression was correlated with insulin resistance. By using a FATP4 knockout mouse model, it was discovered that FATP4 deletion could improve insulin resistance and fat accumulation caused by a high-fat diet. These findings suggest that FATP4 may serve as a potential new target for the treatment and prevention of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Article
Oncology
Victoria G. Atkinson, Pietro Quaglino, Massimo Aglietta, Michele Del Vecchio, Roberta Depenni, Francesca Consoli, Dimitrios Bafaloukos, Pier Francesco Ferrucci, Skaiste Tulyte, Ivana Krajsova, Paolo A. Ascierto, Rossana Gueli, Ana Arance, Helen Gogas, Hiya Banerjee, Teddy Saliba, Egbert de Jong, Bart Neyns
Summary: Compassionate-use programs allow for retrospective evaluation of treatment patterns and clinical outcomes in real-world settings to validate results from controlled trials. DESCRIBE III study identified lower LDH levels and fewer metastatic sites as baseline characteristics associated with long-term benefit in patients treated with dabrafenib + trametinib.
Article
Rehabilitation
Renske Peters, Maarten Schmitt, Bert Mutsaers, Ronald Buyl, Arianne Verhagen, Annelies Pool-Goudzwaard, Bart Koes
Summary: This study compares the prevalence rates of serious and non-serious adverse events after manipulation and mobilization and identifies risk factors for these events in patients with neck pain undergoing different manual therapy treatments. The results indicate that non-serious adverse events are common after manual therapy treatments and are associated with factors such as sex, smoking, and comorbidity.
ARCHIVES OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
(2023)
Article
Anesthesiology
Eva Huysmans, Lisa Goudman, Wouter Van Bogaert, Jo Nijs, Koen Putman, Maarten Moens, Ronald Buyl, Kelly Ickmans, Guillermo Garcia Barajas, Josue Fernandez-Carnero, Iris Coppieters
Summary: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the associations between pain intensity, cognitions, and quantitative sensory testing in patients scheduled for surgery for lumbar radiculopathy. The study found evidence of impaired inhibitory response to nociceptive stimuli and maladaptive pain cognitions in this population. However, there were no significant relationships between electrical detection thresholds and pain cognitions or pain intensity in these patients.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Giuseppe Fasolino, Gil Awada, Laura Moschetta, Jorgos Socrates Koulalis, Bart Neyns, Bert Verhelst, Peter Van Elderen, Pieter Nelis, Paul Cardon de Lichtbuer, Wilfried Cools, Marcellinus Ten Tusscher
Summary: In the past two decades, the use of molecular-targeted therapies for advanced malignancies has increased. These therapies, including inhibitors of proteins in the MAPK pathway, show distinct toxic effects. MEK inhibitors, in particular, can cause retinal alterations known as MEKAR, which mimic central serous chorioretinopathy. The mechanisms behind these retinal alterations and their predictive parameters for retinal toxicity are still unclear.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Anesthesiology
Eva Huysmans, Lisa Goudman, Iris Coppieters, Wouter Van Bogaert, Maarten Moens, Ronald Buyl, Jo Nijs, Adriaan Louw, Tine Logghe, Koen Putman, Kelly Ickmans
Summary: This study compared the effectiveness of perioperative pain neuroscience education (PPNE) and traditional biomedical education (PBE) in patients undergoing lumbar radiculopathy surgery. The results showed that PPNE was more effective than PBE in terms of pain, quality of life, pain cognition, surgical experience, healthcare use, work resumption, and cost-effectiveness.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF ANAESTHESIA
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Iris Dirven, An-Sofie Vander Mijnsbrugge, Sacha Mignon, Jens Tijtgat, Nicolas Kint, Bart Neyns
Summary: Auto-immune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) are rare immune-related adverse events (irAEs) after immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment. Treatment guidelines for these conditions are lacking. We present two cases of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who developed AIHA and HLH along with AIHA during treatment for metastatic melanoma with the PD-1 immune checkpoint blocking mAb nivolumab. Additionally, we review published cases of immune-related AIHA and HLH and their correlation with CLL.
Review
Immunology
Johnny Duerinck, Sandra Tuyaerts, Kiavash Movahedi, Bart Neyns
Summary: Despite efforts to improve outcomes, glioblastoma prognosis remains poor. Immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibition, has limited efficacy in glioblastoma due to its low immunogenicity and strong immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. This review discusses strategies to overcome immune suppression in glioblastoma, highlighting the potential advantages of incorporating surgical resection in immunotherapy clinical trials and the use of combination strategies for an effective immunological response.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Jens Tijtgat, Evan Calliauw, Iris Dirven, Manon Vounckx, Randa Kamel, Anne Marie Vanbinst, Hendrik Everaert, Laura Seynaeve, Dirk Van Den Berge, Johnny Duerinck, Bart Neyns
Summary: Focal radiation necrosis of the brain (fRNB) is a potential adverse event following stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) or stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), with higher incidence in cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. A low-dose regimen of bevacizumab (BEV) was found to be effective in improving clinical symptoms and reducing edema volume in fRNB patients, without significant adverse effects. This fixed low-dose BEV regimen may serve as a well-tolerated and cost-effective alternative treatment option for fRNB, warranting further investigation.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Joeri Vermeulen, Maaike Fobelets, Valerie Fleming, Ans Luyben, Lara Stas, Ronald Buyl
Summary: This study aims to explore the views of Belgian midwives on their current and future autonomy. A total of 312 midwives from different regions and professional settings in Belgium participated in an online survey. The majority of respondents believe that they have a high level of autonomy, but desire more autonomy in the future. Additionally, they express a need for recognition and respect from society and other health professionals in maternity care. It is recommended to prioritize efforts in enhancing midwives' autonomy and addressing the need for increased recognition and respect.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Joeri Vermeulen, Ronald Buyl, Ans Luyben, Valerie Fleming, Maaike Fobelets
Summary: This study aimed to explore the views of maternity care stakeholders on the professional autonomy of Belgian midwives. Focus group interviews were conducted with a heterogeneous group of 27 stakeholders. The analysis resulted in five themes, including the importance of education, competence, experience, safe and quality care, and collaboration. Establishing a collaborative framework and implementing interprofessional education are crucial for ensuring safe and quality care while supporting midwives' professional autonomy and professionalisation.
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
N. Vanlaer, I. Dirven, M. Vounckx, J. Tijtgat, M. Verhaert, S. Aspeslagh, L. Decoster, A. Rogiers, B. Neyns
ANNALS OF ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Paolo A. Ascierto, Antonio Avallone, Carlo Bifulco, Sergio Bracarda, Joshua D. Brody, Leisha A. Emens, Robert L. Ferris, Silvia C. Formenti, Omid Hamid, Douglas B. Johnson, Tomas Kirchhoff, Christopher A. Klebanoff, Gregory B. Lesinski, Anne Monette, Bart Neyns, Kunle Odunsi, Chrystal M. Paulos, Daniel J. Powell Jr, Katayoun Rezvani, Brahm H. Segal, Nathan Singh, Ryan J. Sullivan, Bernard A. Fox, Igor Puzanov
Summary: The discovery and development of novel immunotherapy treatments have greatly improved patient outcomes in various types of cancer. However, not all patients respond to immunotherapy and acquired resistance remains a challenge. New approaches, such as adoptive cell transfer, therapeutic vaccines, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, have shown promise in patients with inadequate response to current treatments.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Anne Rogiers, Laurence Willemot, Laura McDonald, Hilde Van Campenhout, Guy Berchem, Celine Jacobs, Nathalie Blockx, Andree Rorive, Bart Neyns
Summary: This study confirms the real-world effectiveness and safety of nivolumab as an adjuvant treatment for patients with completely resected stage III or stage IV melanoma. Cancer-specific, disease-specific, and generic health-related quality of life were maintained during and after treatment. The percentage of patients reporting emotional and cognitive impairment increased after treatment cessation, emphasizing the need for further investigation and tailored supportive care in these patients.
Article
Oncology
Ine Dirks, Marleen Keyaerts, Iris Dirven, Bart Neyns, Jef Vandemeulebroucke
Summary: This study developed an automated analysis model based on whole-body [F-18]FDG PET/CT to predict the survival outcome of patients treated with PD-1 receptor inhibitors. The model showed high accuracy in predicting patient outcomes based on baseline TMTV in both the development and internal validation sets.
Article
Surgery
E. Van Eetvelde, S. Violon, N. Poortmans, J. Stijns, M. Duinslaeger, M. Vanhoeij, R. Buyl, D. Jacobs-Tulleneers-Thevissen
Summary: This study demonstrates that robotic right colectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis can be safely implemented without increasing morbidity, although it requires a learning phase with longer procedure times compared to laparoscopy. The conversion rate from laparoscopy to robotic surgery is significantly reduced.
JOURNAL OF ROBOTIC SURGERY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Adriana Hepner, Judith M. Versluis, Roslyn Wallace, Clara Allayous, Lauren Julia Brown, Claudia Trojanielloh, Camille Lea Gerardi, Yanina J. L. Jansenj, Prachi Bhave, Bart Neyns, Andrew Haydon, Olivier Michielin, Joanna Manganan Oliver Klein, Alexander N. Shoushtari, Allison Betof Warner, Paolo Antonio Ascierto, Jennifer Leigh McQuade, Matteo S. Carlino, Lisa Zimmer, Celeste Lebbe, Douglas B. Johnson, Shahneen Sandhu, Victoria Atkinson, Christian U. Blank, Serigne N. Lo, Georgina V. Long, Alexander M. Menzies
Summary: Acquired resistance to PD-1 therapy in melanoma is mainly oligometastatic, and patients may have a favorable survival outcome following salvage treatment.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2024)