Pembrolizumab for First-Line Treatment of Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Analysis of Prognostic Factors of Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: In advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, without activating mutations and with PD-L1≥50%, Pembrolizumab monotherapy is the therapeutic standard in Europe. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate retrospectively the safety and efficacy of this drug and to investigate potential prognostic factors in daily clinical practice. METHODS: From September 2017 to September 2019, 205 consecutive patients from 14 Italian Medical Oncology Units were enrolled in the study. Gender, Age (> or <70 years), ECOG-PS (0-1 or 2), histology (squamous or nonsquamous), presence of brain, bone and liver metastases at baseline, PD-L1 score (>90% or <90%), smoking status (never or former or current) were applied to the stratified log-rank. Cox's proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 15.2 months, median progression-free and overall survival (mPFS and mOS) were 9.2 months (95% C.I., 4.8-13.5) and 15.9 months (95% C.I., not yet evaluable), respectively. Patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS) 2 had mPFS of 2.8 months (95% C.I., 2.1-3.4) and mOS of 3.9 months (95% C.I., 2.5-5.3). Patients with liver metastases at diagnosis had an mPFS of 3.2 months (95% C.I., 0.6-5.8) and an mOS of 6.0 months (95% C.I., 3.7-8.4). At multivariate analysis for OS gender, ECOG-PS 2, and presence of liver metastases were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: Patients with ECOG-PS 2 derived little benefit from the use of first-line pembrolizumab. In patients with liver metastases, the association of pembrolizumab with platinum-based chemotherapy could be a better option than pembrolizumab alone.

Management of anemia in patients with cancer: 2019 Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM) guidelines.

This article summarizes the latest Italian Medical Oncology Association (AIOM) guidelines on the management of cancer-related and chemotherapy-related anemia with a particular attention to the use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and iron supplementation.

Management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in patients with cancer: 2019 guidelines of the Italian Medical Oncology Association (AIOM).

Neutropenia is the most frequent side effect of commercially available myelosuppressive drugs and its most significant complication is febrile neutropenia. It is associated with increased hospital admissions and higher probability of death. Prophylaxis with the administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor can prevent neutropenia caused by anticancer drugs. The correct administration of these drugs and the management of febrile neutropenia are extremely important in the treatment of patients with cancer.

An uncommon clinical presentation of retroperitoneal non-Hodgkin lymphoma successfully treated with chemotherapy: a case report.

We report the case of a patient affected by an extra-nodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma presenting as a unique, large retroperitoneal mass with an unusual clinical presentation mimicking gastric peptic or neoplastic disease. The patient was successfully treated with a first generation therapy, CHOP modified regimen (cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 intravenously on d 1, epirubicin 55 mg/m2 intravenously on d 1, vincristine 1.2 mg/m2 intravenously on d 1, prednisone 60 mg/m2 on d 1-5), and a complete response was achieved. The (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography was used to assess the therapy outcome. A brief review of literature is provided.