Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yasushi Sato, Koichi Okamoto, Tomoyuki Kawaguchi, Fumika Nakamura, Hiroshi Miyamoto, Tetsuji Takayama
Summary: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is an effective therapeutic option for locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC), but its therapeutic effect is unpredictable due to tumor heterogeneity and a lack of predictive biomarkers. Researchers are focusing on biomarkers such as metabolic enzymes, nucleotide excision repair, and microsatellite instability, as well as noninvasive liquid biopsy detection methods such as miRNA and exosome detection, to guide the choice of preoperative treatment.
Review
Oncology
Wen-Long Guan, Ye He, Rui-Hua Xu
Summary: Gastric cancer is a common malignancy diagnosed at advanced stages due to subtle symptoms and low screening rates. Systemic therapies like chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy have advanced significantly. Perioperative chemotherapy is the standard for resectable GC. Targeted therapy and immunotherapy are being investigated for perioperative or adjuvant settings. Notable advancements have been made in immunotherapy and biomarker-directed therapies for metastatic disease. Molecular biomarkers like PD-L1, MSI, and HER2 help identify patients who may benefit from immunotherapy or targeted therapy. Molecular diagnostics enable the characterization of GC genetic profiles and the identification of potential targets. This review summarizes research progress, discusses individualized strategies, and presents future perspectives in systemic treatment for GC.
JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY & ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Xin Jin, Zhaorui Liu, Dongxiao Yang, Kai Yin, Xusheng Chang
Summary: Gastric carcinoma is a common form of solid tumor and is the third leading cause of death worldwide. The lack of obvious symptoms makes it difficult to detect gastric cancer at earlier stages, leading to a poor prognosis. However, recent advances in understanding the microenvironment of cancer have significantly promoted the development of immunotherapy for advanced gastric cancer. Immunotherapy has shown robust efficacy and tolerable toxicity compared to traditional therapies, making it a popular novel strategy for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Oncology
G. Roviello, M. Catalano, L. F. Iannone, L. Marano, M. Brugia, G. Rossi, G. Aprile, L. Antonuzzo
Summary: This article reviews the application and challenges of HER2-targeted therapy in gastric cancer, including the development of resistance and research on novel treatment strategies.
CLINICAL & TRANSLATIONAL ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Yasushi Sato, Koichi Okamoto, Yutaka Kawano, Akinari Kasai, Tomoyuki Kawaguchi, Tamotsu Sagawa, Masahiro Sogabe, Hiroshi Miyamoto, Tetsuji Takayama
Summary: Gastric cancer's heterogeneity makes it difficult to demonstrate treatment efficacy, but efforts have been made to identify molecular biomarkers to better understand this heterogeneity and develop targeted therapies. HER2 overexpression, HER2/neu amplification, MSI-H, and PD-L1+ are predictive biomarkers in gastric cancer, and clinical trials have shown the efficacy of targeted therapies. Enrichment design clinical trials have also demonstrated efficacy in unresectable advanced gastric cancer. Continuous validation and introduction of promising biomarkers into clinical practice are essential for optimal treatment selection and improved patient outcomes.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Teresa Giandola, Cesare Maino, Giuseppe Marrapodi, Michele Ratti, Maria Ragusi, Vittorio Bigiogera, Cammillo Talei Franzesi, Rocco Corso, Davide Ippolito
Summary: Gastric cancer is a common cause of death worldwide. Accurate staging is crucial for optimal treatment, and endoscopy ultrasound (EUS) has been the reference standard for tumor and nodal statuses. However, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have gained importance in assessing distant metastases and primary gastric tumors. Positron emission tomography (PET) is also useful for nodal metastases and may play a future role in treatment. This review summarizes the advantages and pitfalls of these imaging techniques in TNM staging of gastric cancer patients.
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Jiaxin Yong, Yuan Li, Sihan Lin, Zhenning Wang, Yan Xu
Summary: Gastric cancer is a common global cancer, and dysregulation of the Hippo signaling pathway may be related to its development and drug resistance. YAP, as a crucial co-transcription factor, is a potential drug target for treating gastric cancer, and various drugs inhibiting YAP have been developed.
DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Robert J. Walsh, David S. P. Tan
Summary: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are considered a potential option for the treatment of cervical cancer, but the majority of patients do not benefit from their use. Challenges in clinical application include the role of biomarkers in selecting ICI use, mechanisms of resistance, and strategies to overcome resistance.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Amusa S. Adebayo, Kafilat Agbaje, Simeon K. Adesina, Oluwabukunmi Olajubutu
Summary: Colorectal cancer is the fourth deadliest cancer in the US and its global incidence is projected to more than double by 2035. The disease progression is usually slow, making early detection and diagnosis difficult. Current treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, but there are still significant challenges. Further research and future perspectives are important in the management of this disease.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Rita Tabanelli, Simone Brogi, Vincenzo Calderone
Summary: This article discusses the issue of low bioavailability of curcumin and introduces strategies to improve its bioavailability, including the use of adjuvants, complexed/encapsulated curcumin, specific curcumin formulations, and curcumin nanoparticles. Clinical trial results show that improved bioavailability leads to increased therapeutic efficacy, and advancements in nanoparticle technology hold great promise for developing curcumin-based therapeutic agents.
Review
Oncology
Weiling Li, Xiaoling Zhang, Yunyi Du, Ying Zhang, Jing Lu, Wenqing Hu, Jun Zhao
Summary: The incidence of gastric/gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) cancer remains high globally, especially in China. Patients with early-stage G/GEJ adenocarcinoma have a better prognosis after surgery, while those with advanced metastatic G/GEJ adenocarcinoma have a less optimistic long-term survival outlook. The identification of various biomarkers, particularly microsatellite instability (MSI), programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), tumor mutational burden (TMB), and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), has significantly improved the clinical efficacy of treatments for G/GEJ adenocarcinoma by identifying targeted populations. HER2-targeted therapy has shown excellent clinical outcomes for patients with advanced HER2-positive G/GEJ adenocarcinoma, although some patients develop resistance.
BIOMARKER RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Souhaila H. El Moukhtari, Carlos Rodriguez-Nogales, Maria J. Blanco-Prieto
Summary: Oral anticancer drugs play a crucial role in cancer treatment, and lipid nanoparticles are proposed to overcome the main obstacle in oral chemotherapy delivery. Lipid nanoparticles have unique characteristics that allow efficient drug absorption and protection from early degradation.
ADVANCED DRUG DELIVERY REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Pathology
Fatma Sogutlu, Mert Pekerbas, Cigir Biray Avci
Summary: Early diagnosis of gastric cancer is crucial for prognosis, and epigenetic alterations, which occur before most genetic aberrations, play a significant role in its pathogenesis. These alterations can serve as biomarkers for risk calculation, early diagnosis, prognosis evaluation, and treatment targets.
EXPERT REVIEW OF MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Mangala Hegde, Nikunj Naliyadhara, Jyothsna Unnikrishnan, Mohammed S. Alqahtani, Mohamed Abbas, Sosmitha Girisa, Gautam Sethi, Ajaikumar B. Kunnumakkara
Summary: Metastasis is the main cause of cancer-related deaths, and despite advancements in treatment methods, it remains difficult to treat. Nanotechnology has shown promising applications in the diagnosis and treatment of metastatic cancer, with nanoparticles demonstrating the ability to target specific cells within metastatic regions. This review summarizes the current state of nanotechnology in the field and discusses its potential in various imaging techniques and combination therapies.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sen Liu, Xu Chen, Tianxin Lin
Summary: This review presents current evidence for enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapy in bladder cancer. The combination of chemotherapy with other treatments, such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy, is discussed. Studies have shown that these combination therapies can improve the response rate and survival of patients receiving chemotherapy. Additionally, potential targets and approaches that may enhance chemosensitivity are explored.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCED RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Nicholas Pavlidis, Fedro Peccatori, Matti Aapro, Alexandru Eniu, Rolf Stahel, Andres Cervantes, Franco Cavalli, Alberto Costa
Summary: Masterclass in Clinical Oncology (MCO) is a key educational event of European School of Oncology (ESO) aimed at providing multidisciplinary and clinical oriented education to young oncologists worldwide in collaboration with European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). The Learning Self-Assessment Test (LSAT) consists of 45 multiple choice questions on an electronic platform related to the material taught during the MCO, with the goal of helping participants reflect on the information learned and prepare for their National Boards or ESMO examination. This article analyzes and evaluates the results of LSAT from Central European MCOs, focusing on participants' knowledge level, oncology specialty, country of origin, and faculty teaching quality.
JOURNAL OF CANCER EDUCATION
(2021)
News Item
Oncology
J. M. Cejalvo, V. Gambardella, T. Fleitas, A. Cervantes
Article
Oncology
Antoine Italiano, Philippe A. Cassier, Chia-Chi Lin, Tuomo Alanko, Katriina J. Peltola, Anas Gazzah, Her-Shyong Shiah, Emiliano Calvo, Andres Cervantes, Desamparados Roda, Diego Tosi, Bo Gao, Michael Millward, Lydia Warburton, Minna Tanner, Stefan Englert, Stacie Lambert, Apurvasena Parikh, Daniel E. Afar, Gregory Vosganian, Victor Moreno
Summary: This study presents the safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic data of budigalimab in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer patients. Results showed that the drug's profiles are similar to other PD-1 inhibitors, and development in combination with novel anticancer agents is ongoing. The objective response rates and median progression-free survival varied slightly between the HNSCC and NSCLC cohorts.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY IMMUNOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Yolanda Andreu, Paula Martinez, Ana Soto-Rubio, Silvia Fernandez, Carles Bosch, Andres Cervantes
Summary: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of distress and unmet supportive care needs in post-treatment colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors. Findings showed that one in five CRC survivors had clinical distress and 86% expressed at least one unmet need. The risk factors associated with this included lower socioeconomic status, younger age, and a primary treatment that includes more than surgery.
SUPPORTIVE CARE IN CANCER
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Tenna Vesterman Henriksen, Noelia Tarazona, Amanda Frydendahl, Thomas Reinert, Francisco Gimeno-Valiente, Juan Antonio Carbonell-Asins, Shruti Sharma, Derrick Renner, Dina Hafez, Desamparados Roda, Marisol Huerta, Susana Rosello, Anders Husted Madsen, Uffe S. Love, Per Vadgaard Andersen, Ole Thorlacius-Ussing, Lene Hjerrild Iversen, Kare Andersson Gotschalck, Himanshu Sethi, Alexey Aleshin, Andres Cervantes, Claus Lindbjerg Andersen
Summary: The study demonstrates the strong prognostic value of serial postoperative ctDNA analysis in predicting recurrence and assessing tumor growth rate. The novel combination of ctDNA detection and growth rate assessment provides unique opportunities for guiding treatment decisions.
CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Paula Montero, Martin Perez-Leal, Jose Alejandro Perez-Fidalgo, Celia Sanz, Cristina Estornut, Ines Roger, Javier Milara, Andres Cervantes, Julio Cortijo
Summary: Skin toxicity caused by paclitaxel could be underestimated as the adverse events may appear asymptomatic. This study found that paclitaxel alters gene and protein expression related to skin markers, and impairs the physical, physiological, and biomechanical properties of the skin in gynecological cancer patients. Prophylactic measures should be taken to prevent these subclinical alterations and potential adverse reactions.
News Item
Oncology
C. Montagut, V. Gambardella, M. Cabeza-Segura, T. Fleitas, A. Cervantes
Correction
Oncology
A. Vogel, A. Cervantes, I. Chau, B. Daniele, J. M. Llovet, T. Meyer, J. -C. Nault, U. Neumann, J. Ricke, B. Sangro, P. Schirmacher, C. Verslype, C. J. Zech, D. Arnold, E. Martinelli
ANNALS OF ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Fortunato Ciardiello, Davide Ciardiello, Giulia Martini, Stefania Napolitano, Josep Tabernero, Andres Cervantes
Summary: This review summarizes the progress in the clinical management of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in the era of precision medicine. Molecular stratification, based on the current treatment algorithm, has been a significant step towards implementing more effective therapeutic approaches. Integrating tumor gene alterations with tumor and microenvironment gene and protein expression profiling, host immune competence, and applying dynamic changes to precision medicine-based continuum of care, could lead to the identification of individual prognostic and predictive parameters for choosing the most appropriate therapeutic program for each patient.
CA-A CANCER JOURNAL FOR CLINICIANS
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Enriqueta Felip, Victor Moreno, Daniel Morgensztern, Giuseppe Curigliano, Piotr Rutkowski, Jose Manuel Trigo, Aitana Calvo, Dariusz Kowalski, Diego Cortinovis, Ruth Plummer, Michele Maio, Paolo A. Ascierto, Vladimir Vladimirov, Andres Cervantes, Enrique Zudaire, Anasuya Hazra, Huybrecht T'jollyn, Nibedita Bandyopadhyay, James G. Greger, Edward Attiyeh, Hong Xie, Emiliano Calvo
Summary: This study assessed the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary efficacy of cetrelimab in patients with advanced/refractory solid tumors. The results showed that cetrelimab had favorable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics, as well as clinical activity, in immune-sensitive advanced cancers.
CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY AND PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Tessa Suzanne van Schooten, Sarah Derks, Elena Jimenez-Marti, Fatima Carneiro, Ceu Figueiredo, Erika Ruiz, Maria Alsina, Cristina Molero, Marcelo Garrido, Arnoldo Riquelme, Carmelo Caballero, Eva Lezcano, Juan Manuel O'Connor, Federico Esteso, Judith Farres, Jose Manuel Mas, Florian Lordick, Jeannette Vogt, Antonella Cardone, Charis Girvalaki, Andres Cervantes, Tania Fleitas
Summary: The LEGACy study is a multi-institutional research project aimed at filling the knowledge gap on gastric cancer in European and Latin American countries. It will generate novel knowledge on tumor biology characteristics by integrating epidemiological, multi-omics, and clinical data, and develop and validate cost-effective clinical decision-making methods.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Federica Papaccio, Manuel Cabeza-Segura, Blanca Garcia-Mico, Noelia Tarazona, Desamparados Roda, Josefa Castillo, Andres Cervantes
Summary: Precision medicine approaches for solid tumors, mainly based on genomics, have shown limited success. Factors such as gene expression, genomic alterations, and the tumor microenvironment can all influence the response, making a genomics-only approach insufficient. However, the implementation of patient-derived organoids shows promise in predicting patient response to drug treatment.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Jorge Sancho-Muriel, Francisco Giner, Hanna Cholewa, Alvaro Garcia-Granero, Susana Rosello, Blas Flor-Lorente, Andres Cervantes, Eduardo Garcia-Granero, Matteo Frasson
Summary: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of a novel variable, the percentage of mesorectal infiltration (PMI), in pT3 rectal cancer. The results showed that PMI was significantly associated with oncological outcomes such as local recurrence, overall recurrence, and overall survival. A PMI >60% can be used as a cut-off value for subclassifying pT3 rectal tumors and may impact decision-making in adjuvant treatment and follow-up schedule.
COLORECTAL DISEASE
(2023)
News Item
Oncology
V. Gambardella, F. Gimeno-Valiente, S. Rosello, A. Cervantes
Article
Oncology
Marta Albanell-Fernandez, Sara S. Oltra, Marta Orts-Arroyo, Maider Ibarrola-Villava, Fany Carrasco, Elena Jimenez-Marti, Andres Cervantes, Isabel Castro, Jose Martinez-Lillo, Gloria Ribas
Summary: To overcome limitations of platinum-based chemotherapy, new active metallodrugs based on other transition metals are being researched. Runat-BI, a ruthenium-based compound, showed selectivity for tumoral cells and reduced tumor growth and migration in three cancer cell lines. Its mechanism of action is related to DNA synthesis and it also increases expression of proapoptotic genes. Runat-BI has potential as an anticancer therapy, but further studies are needed to understand its full potential and mechanism of action.
