Next-generation sequencing of circulating tumor DNA for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: a discussion on its implementation in the Brazilian clinical practice.

The objective of this review is to address the barriers limiting access to next-generation sequencing (NGS) of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) for metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer in Brazil and to propose its implementation in practice. A selected panel of lung cancer experts was provided with relevant prompts to address at a conference; a paper was then compiled on the topic. The authors propose specific and realistic recommendations for implementing access to ctDNA NGS. Further, the authors address all barriers and impediments mentioned within this review. There is a great need to increase ctDNA NGS for cancer care in Brazil. Adapting the current cancer testing framework is essential to expanding the use of this tool.

The impact of sociodemographic factors and health insurance coverage in the diagnosis and clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer in Brazil: AMAZONA III study (GBECAM 0115).

PURPOSE: In Brazil, the available cancer registries are deficient in number and quality and, hence, little information is known regarding sociodemographic, clinicopathological characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of breast cancer (BC) patients. We performed the AMAZONA III/ GBECAM 0115 study and in this analysis, we describe patients' characteristics at diagnosis and their association with health insurance type. METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study developed in 23 sites in Brazil including women with newly diagnosed invasive BC from January 2016 to March 2018. In order to compare healthcare insurance type, we considered patients who were treated under the Brazilian public health system as publicly insured, and women who had private insurance or paid for their treatment as privately insured. RESULTS: A total of 2950 patients were included in the study. Median age at diagnosis was 53.9 years; 63.1% were publicly insured. The majority of patients (68.6%) had stage II-III breast cancer and ductal carcinoma histology (80.9%). The most common breast cancer subtype was luminal A-like (48.0%) followed by luminal B-HER2 positive-like (17.0%) and triple-negative (15.6%). Luminal A was more frequent in private (53.7% vs. 44.2%, p < .0001) than public, whereas Luminal B HER2-positive (19.2% vs. 14.2%, p = 0.0012) and HER2-positive (8.8% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.0009) were more common in patients with public health system coverage. Only 34% of patients were diagnosed by screening exams. Privately insured patients were more frequently diagnosed with stage I disease when compared to publicly insured patients; publicly insured patients had more stage III (33.5% vs. 14.7%; p-value < 0.0001) disease than privately insured ones. Breast cancer was detected by symptoms more frequently in publicly than in privately insured patients (74.2% vs 25.8%, respectively; p-value < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with public health coverage were diagnosed with symptomatic disease, later stages and more aggressive subtypes when compared to privately insured patients.

Combined exercise on fatigue, quality of life and physical functioning in people under chemotherapy with oxaliplatin: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of combined exercise on fatigue, anxiety, depression, quality of life and physical functioning in gastroinstestinal neoplasm in people under chemotherapy with oxaliplatin treatment. METHODS: We searched pubmed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PEDro data base, and SciELO (until Nov 2023) for randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of combined exercise in gastroinstestinal neoplasm people under chemotherapy with oxaliplatin treatment. Two comparisons were made: combined exercise versus usual care, combined aerobic and versus usual care (follow up). The main outcomes were muscle strength, aerobic capacity, fatigue, anxiety, depression and quality of life. Mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: Seven randomized controlled trials met the eligibility criteria, which included 464 people. Compared to usual care, combined aerobic and resistance resulted in decrease of general fatigue (-2.82; IC: 4.92 to -0.69, N = 48), physical fatigue (-5.08; IC: 8.41 to -1.74, N = 48) and improvement of domain physical functioning of quality of life (9.40; IC: 2.74 to 16.06, N = 48). Compared to usual care, combined aerobic and resistance - Follow up resulted in decrease of general fatigue (-2.32; IC: 4.41 to - 0.28, N = 48), physical fatigue (-0.92; IC: 3.31 to -1.47, N = 48) and improvement ofdomain physical functioning of (9.83; IC: 0.66 to 19.01, N = 48). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that combined exercises improves fatigue (general; physical), domain physical functioning of quality of life in gastrointestinal neoplasm people under chemotherapy treatment when compared to usual care.

Health Services Access Inequalities in Brazil Result in Poorer Outcomes for Stage III NSCLC-RELANCE/LACOG 0118.

Introduction: Stage III NSCLC is a heterogeneous disease, representing approximately one-third of newly diagnosed lung cancers. Brazil lacks detailed information regarding stage distribution, treatment patterns, survival, and prognostic variables in locally advanced NSCLC. Methods: RELANCE/LACOG 0118 is an observational, retrospective cohort study assessing sociodemographic and clinical data of patients diagnosed with having stage III NSCLC from January 2015 to June 2019, regardless of treatment received. The study was conducted across 13 cancer centers in Brazil. Disease status and survival data were collected up to June 2021. Descriptive statistics, survival analyses, and a multivariable Cox regression model were performed. p values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results: We recruited 403 patients with stage III NSCLC. Most were male (64.0%), White (31.5%), and smokers or former smokers (86.1%). Most patients had public health insurance (67.5%), had stage IIIA disease (63.2%), and were treated with concurrent chemoradiation (53.1%). The median follow-up time was 33.83 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 30.43-37.50). Median overall survival (OS) was 27.97 months (95% CI: 21.57-31.73), and median progression-free survival was 11.23 months (95% CI: 10.70-12.77). The type of treatment was independently associated with OS and progression-free survival, whereas the types of health insurance and histology were independent predictors of OS only. Conclusions: Brazilian patients with stage III NSCLC with public health insurance are diagnosed later and have poorer OS. Nevertheless, patients with access to adequate treatment have outcomes similar to those reported in the pivotal trials. Health policy should be improved to make lung cancer diagnosis faster and guarantee prompt access to adequate treatment in Brazil.

EGFR Mutation Detection in Brazilian Patients With Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Lessons From Real-World Data Scenario of Molecular Testing.

PURPOSE: There is a paucity of consistent data concerning genetic mutations in Brazilian patients with lung cancer. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations detected in a real-world scenario using a large cohort of Brazilian patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, observational, descriptive study on the basis of a database of EGFR molecular analysis from tumor samples of patients with a confirmatory histopathological diagnosis of primary lung cancer. Specimens were collected from 2013 to 2017 and were tested using cobas, next-generation sequencing, and Sanger sequencing platforms. RESULTS: A total of 7,413 tumor specimens were tested. The patients were predominantly women with a median age of 67.0 years. Patients with at least one mutation represented 24.2% of the total sample. Among the positive patients, the majority had just one mutation, but two or more simultaneous mutations were observed in 1.52% of patients. Exon 19 deletion was the most prevalent alteration in the sample (12.8%), followed by exon 21 L858R (6.9%) and exon 20 insertion (1.6%). All others were considered uncommon mutations and were observed in 18.5% of all mutated patients and 4.0% of the total sample (2.3%-18.7% depending on the sequencing method). CONCLUSION: This study examined the prevalence of EGFR mutations in Brazilian patients with NSCLC using different technologies, suggesting that the type of method used, directed or nondirected against specific mutations, influences the analysis, particularly for uncommon mutations, which will be missed by mutation-specific approaches such as cobas testing. Our estimates are the largest in Latin America and are consistent with previous reports from other parts of the world. Besides the variability in methods described here as technology incorporation advances in a nonhomogeneous manner, it is probably like the real-world clinical setting Brazilian oncologists face in their daily practice.

Electric hand warmer versus observation to avoid discomfort during scalp cooling for chemotherapy-induced alopecia prevention: a randomized study.

Chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) is a challenge in the management of cancer patients. Scalp cooling (SC) leads to reduction in CIA, however it is associated with significant adverse events, leading to 3-13% discontinuation rates. This pilot study evaluated the role of Electric Hand Warmers (EHW) on thermal (TC), sensorial (SCo) and general comfort (GC) in patients with breast cancer (BC) undergoing chemotherapy and SC to reduce CIA. Patients were randomly assigned to EHW use or observation. TC, SCo and GC were evaluated after each chemotherapy infusion. Favorable outcomes in both TC and SCo defined a positive result on GC. We analysed the impact of age, alopecia, chemotherapy regimen and EHW use in the different comfort scales using a Logistic Regression (LR) model. Forty women with early breast cancer were randomly assigned to EHW (n = 20) or observation (n = 20) during neo(adjuvant) chemotherapy. Median age was 53 years. In the EHW arm, favorable thermal response was reported by 79% versus 50% in the control arm (odds ratio [OR] 3.79, p < 0.001). SCo was satisfactory in 82% in the EHW arm versus 74% in the control arm (OR 1.62, p = 0.1). Overall, 73% in the EHW arm had favorable GC versus 44% in the control arm (OR 3.4, p < 0.001). Age, alopecia, and chemotherapy regimen did not impact on comfort measures. Conclusion: Our study suggests that the use of an EHW has a consistent favorable impact on TC and GC of BC patients under SC technology to prevent CIA.

Factors influencing COVID-19 mortality among cancer patients: A Brazilian multi-institutional study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of cancer patients with COVID-19, exploring factors associated with adverse outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study methodically extracted and curated data from electronic medical records (EMRs) of numerous healthcare institutions on cancer patients diagnosed with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between May 2020 and August 2021, to identify risk factors linked to extended hospitalization and mortality. The retrieved information encompassed the patients' demographic and clinical characteristics, including the incidence of prolonged hospitalization, acute complications, and COVID-19-related mortality. RESULTS: A total of 1446 cancer patients with COVID-19 were identified (mean [Standard deviation] age, 59.2 [14.3] years). Most patients were female (913 [63.1%]), non-white (646 [44.7%]), with non-metastatic (818 [56.6%]) solid tumors (1318 [91.1%]), and undergoing chemotherapy (647 [44.7%]). The rate of extended hospitalization due to COVID-19 was 46% (n = 665), which was significantly impacted by age (p = 0.012), sex (p = 0.003), race and ethnicity (p = 0.049), the presence of two or more comorbidities (p = 0.006), hematologic malignancies (p = 0.013), metastatic disease (p = 0.002), and a performance status ≥ 2 (p = 0.001). The COVID-19-related mortality rate was 18.9% (n = 273), and metastatic disease (<0.001), performance status ≥2 (<0.001), extended hospitalization (p = 0.028), renal failure (p = 0.029), respiratory failure (p < 0.001), sepsis (p = 0.004), and shock (p = 0.040) significantly and negatively influenced survival. CONCLUSION: The rate of extended hospitalization and COVID-19-specific death in cancer patients was notably high and could be influenced by comorbidities, cancer treatment status, and clinical fragility. These observations may aid in developing risk counseling strategies regarding COVID-19 in individuals diagnosed with cancer.

Lessons From Implementing a Clinical Research Network in Brazil.

In this article, we discuss the strategy designed by a private oncology group to offer patients access to new technologies and treatments via a recently created research program, and we describe how the patient journey was the motivation for developing standard assistance flows and processes to integrate areas of care. The increase in Brazilians' life expectancy has raised the incidence of cancer, and it is now the second leading cause of death. Because it is a multifactorial disease, cancer treatment has several challenges. We elected to approach cancer research using a strategic program to obtain national attention and visibility. Starting in 2007, the initial project included three phases: phase I, diagnosis of units in major metropolitan areas; phase II, project design, with a central-office operation model; and phase III, implementation, with launch and integration of research activities at selected units. The foundation of the program was the construction of departmental and interdepartmental flows, standard operating processes, and guidelines (regulatory, ethical, legal, and financial). Recruitment of qualified professionals was another critical, successful determinant. The benefits of an additional central office include improved research-project distribution. Another advantage of the program is attracting and retaining trained professionals with alternative direct or indirect sources of revenue. We increased our corporate and academic partnerships, adhered to deadlines and noted an improvement in turnaround times, and we increased clinical staff engagement and motivation. Some barriers continue to challenge the program's continued expansion, including Brazilian regulatory authority approval, tax inefficiency, and a growing demand for qualified professionals. Research sites offering high-quality care are a reality in Brazil; they offer multiple lines of treatment in the public and private sectors.

Assessing Oncologists' Attitudes Concerning Comprehensive Genomic Profiling in Stage IV Lung Adenocarcinoma in Brazil.

Introduction: Advances in comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) of lung adenocarcinomas (LUADs) led to personalized treatment for patients. This study evaluated medical oncologists' attitudes toward CGP in a scenario where sponsored funding for CGP was available. Methods: We designed an online survey assessing CGP use and treating physicians' confidence, composed of three self-confidence domains, which are as follows: confidence in interpreting CGP results, confidence in treating oncogenic-driven LUAD, and confidence in managing tyrosine kinase inhibitor adverse events. The survey was distributed to medical oncologists who treat lung cancer in Brazil. Comparisons between groups were performed using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test. Univariable and multivariable (adjusted OR) analyses were performed. Results: Among 104 respondents who treat patients with lung cancer, 55% were from the Southeast region, 28% had high lung cancer clinical load, and 33% had in-house molecular testing. More than half (51%) of the participants request CGP systematically to stage IV LUAD. As for provider confidence, 67% stated being confident in all three domains: 76% confident in interpreting CGP, 84% confident in treating oncogenic-driven LUAD, and 81% in managing tyrosine kinase inhibitor adverse events. Providers' confidence was associated with systematically requesting CGP to stage IV LUAD (p = 0.013). After controlling for the variables of interest, systematic requesting CGP for stage IV LUAD revealed a significant association with the provider's confidence (adjusted OR = 0.35, p = 0.028, 95% CI: 0.14-0.84). The major challenge for properly requesting CGP was the long turnaround time and the fear of treatment delays. Conclusions: Even though CGP for stage IV LUAD in Brazil is fully sponsored, only half of the oncologists in our survey systematically request it.. Requesting CGP was associated with providers' confidence. Improving access and promoting providers' awareness of CGP utility is necessary to increase CGP use and better inform treatment decisions.

Comprehensive genomic profiling of Brazilian non-small cell lung cancer patients (GBOT 0118/LACOG0418).

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to carry out a descriptive analysis of the somatic genetic profile and co-occurring mutations of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) samples from patients tested with comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP). METHODS: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of patients diagnosed with NSCLC from 2013 to 2018 in Brazil and whose samples were submitted to CGP (FoundationOne or FoundationACT) using either tumor or circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from plasma. RESULTS: We recovered 513 CGP results from patients, 457 (89.1%) of which were from tumors and 56 (10.9%) from plasma. The median age of patients was 64 years old, of which 51.6% were males. TP53 mutations were identified in 53.6% of tumor samples, KRAS mutations in 24.2%, EGFR activating mutations were detected in 22.5%, STK11 mutations in 11.6%, PIK3CA mutations in 8.8%, ALK rearrangements in 5.4%, BRAF mutations in 5.2%, and ERBB2 alterations in 4.9%. The most commonly comutated gene was TP53. TP53 p.R337H was observed in 4.3% of samples and was associated with somatic mutations in EGFR and ERBB2 (P < 0.00001). Tumor mutational burden (TMB) analysis was available for 80.5% of samples tested, and 5.5% of samples had high TMB (≥ 20 mutations/Mb). In conclusion, this retrospective analysis of genomic data from NSCLC patients obtained by CGP showed that common abnormalities such as EGFR mutations and ALK rearrangements had similar frequency to those previously described by other groups using others strategies. Additionally, our data confirm an association between TP53 p.R337H, supposedly germline in nature, and somatic mutations in genes of the HER family. KEY POINTS: SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS OF THE STUDY: This is the first report of the prevalence of driver mutations in Brazilian NSCLC patients using comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP). The frequency of the most common driver mutations in this population was similar to that previously described in Brazil. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: TP53 was the most commonly comutated gene across samples. TP53 p.R337H was associated with somatic mutations in EGFR and ERBB2. Most samples had low TMB; only 5.5% of samples had high TMB.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Oncology Clinical Research in Latin America (LACOG 0420).

PURPOSE: COVID-19 has affected cancer care worldwide. Clinical trials are an important alternative for the treatment of oncologic patients, especially in Latin America, where trials can be the only opportunity for some of them to access novel and, sometimes, standard treatments. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study, in which a 22-question survey regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on oncology clinical trials was sent to 350 representatives of research programs in selected Latin American institutions, members of the Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group. RESULTS: There were 90 research centers participating in the survey, with 70 of them from Brazil. The majority were partly private or fully private (n = 77; 85.6%) and had confirmed COVID-19 cases at the institution (n = 57; 63.3%). Accruals were suspended at least for some studies in 80% (n = 72) of the responses, mostly because of sponsors' decision. Clinical trials' routine was affected by medical visits cancelation, reduction of patients' attendance, reduction of other specialties' availability, and/or alterations on follow-up processes. Formal COVID-19 mitigation policies were adopted in 96.7% of the centers, including remote monitoring and remote site initiation visits, telemedicine visits, reduction of research team workdays or home office, special consent procedures, shipment of oral drugs directly to patients' home, and increase in outpatient diagnostic studies. Importantly, some of these changes were suggested to be part of future oncology clinical trials' routine, particularly the ones regarding remote methods, such as telemedicine. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this was the first survey to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on Latin American oncology clinical trials. The results are consistent with surveys from other world regions. These findings may endorse improvements in clinical trials' processes and management in the postpandemic period.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Care: A Global Collaborative Study.

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic affected health care systems globally and resulted in the interruption of usual care in many health care facilities, exposing vulnerable patients with cancer to significant risks. Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of this pandemic on cancer care worldwide. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study using a validated web-based questionnaire of 51 items. The questionnaire obtained information on the capacity and services offered at these centers, magnitude of disruption of care, reasons for disruption, challenges faced, interventions implemented, and the estimation of patient harm during the pandemic. RESULTS: A total of 356 centers from 54 countries across six continents participated between April 21 and May 8, 2020. These centers serve 716,979 new patients with cancer a year. Most of them (88.2%) reported facing challenges in delivering care during the pandemic. Although 55.34% reduced services as part of a preemptive strategy, other common reasons included an overwhelmed system (19.94%), lack of personal protective equipment (19.10%), staff shortage (17.98%), and restricted access to medications (9.83%). Missing at least one cycle of therapy by > 10% of patients was reported in 46.31% of the centers. Participants reported patient exposure to harm from interruption of cancer-specific care (36.52%) and noncancer-related care (39.04%), with some centers estimating that up to 80% of their patients were exposed to harm. CONCLUSION: The detrimental impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care is widespread, with varying magnitude among centers worldwide. Additional research to assess this impact at the patient level is required.

Lung Cancer and the COVID-19 pandemic: Recommendations from the Brazilian Thoracic Oncology Group.

New cases of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), also known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), continue to rise worldwide following the declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). The current pandemic has completely altered the workflow of health services worldwide. However, even during this critical period, patients with other diseases, like cancer, need to be properly treated. A few reports have shown that mortality due to SARS-CoV-2 is higher in elderly patients and those with other active comorbidities, including cancer. Patients with lung cancer are at risk of pulmonary complications from COVID-19, and as such, the risk/benefit ratio of local and systemic anticancer treatment has to be considered. For each patient, several factors, including age, comorbidities, and immunosuppression, as well as the number of hospital visits for treatment, can influence this risk. The number of cases is rising exponentially in Brazil, and it is important to consider the local characteristics when approaching the pandemic. In this regard, the Brazilian Thoracic Oncology Group has developed recommendations to guide decisions in lung cancer treatment during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Due to the scarcity of relevant data, discussions based on disease stage, evaluation of surgical treatment, radiotherapy techniques, systemic therapy, follow-up, and supportive care were carried out, and specific suggestions issued. All recommendations seek to reduce contagion risk by decreasing the number of medical visits and hospitalization, and in the case of immunosuppression, by adapting treatment schemes when possible. This statement should be adjusted according to the reality of each service, and can be revised as new data become available.

Delivering Cancer Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Recommendations and Lessons Learned From ASCO Global Webinars.

PURPOSE: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ASCO launched a Global Webinar Series to address various aspects of cancer care during the pandemic. Here we present the lessons learned and recommendations that have emerged from these webinars. METHODS: Fifteen international health care experts from different global regions and oncology disciplines participated in one of the six 1-hour webinars to discuss the latest data, share their experiences, and provide recommendations to manage cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic. These sessions include didactic presentations followed by a moderated discussion and questions from the audience. All recommendations have been transcribed, categorized, and reviewed by the experts, who have also approved the consensus recommendations. RESULTS: The summary recommendations are divided into different categories, including risk minimization; care prioritization of patients; health care team management; virtual care; management of patients with cancer undergoing surgical, radiation, and systemic therapy; clinical research; and recovery plans. The recommendations emphasize the protection of patients and health care teams from infections, delivery of timely and appropriate care, reduction of harm from the interruption of care, and preparation to handle a surge of new COVID-19 cases, complications, or comorbidities thereof. CONCLUSION: The recommendations from the ASCO Global Webinar Series may guide practicing oncologists to manage their patients during the ongoing pandemic and help organizations recover from the crisis. Implementation of these recommendations may improve understanding of how COVID-19 has affected cancer care and increase readiness to manage the current and any future outbreaks effectively.

Real-World Prevalence of PD-L1 Expression Among Tumor Samples From Patients With Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: We analyzed the prevalence of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) tumor proportion score (TPS) of ≥ 50% and compared the results with the existing data from clinical trials and databases from other countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group and Grupo Brasileiro de Oncologia Torácica performed a retrospective, cross-sectional study from August 2017 to April 2018. PD-L1 expression was collected from pathology reports from 5 laboratories in Brazil. All tests were sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry on request from the treating medical oncologist. PD-L1 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The variables were summarized as absolute and relative frequencies or the median and interquartile range. Pearson's χ2 test was used to compare the TPS categories stratified by sex, age, and histologic type. All analyses were performed with SAS, version 9.4, and were deemed statistically significant at P < .05. RESULTS: A total of 1512 patients were included in the present study. Their median age was 66 years. Most patients were men (56.02%), and the most common histologic type was adenocarcinoma (58.04%); 109 tumors (11.31%) had EGFR mutations and 34 (3.64%) had ALK gene rearrangements. Overall, 56.54% had a PD-L1 TPS < 1%, 25.63% a TPS of 1% to 49%, and 17.83% a TPS of ≥ 50%. The factors associated with PD-L1 expression were histologic type (with adenocarcinoma samples having a greater proportion of TPS < 1%) and the laboratory that performed the test. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of high PD-L1 expression among the Brazilian NSCLC samples was lower than previously described in other countries, which could affect the number of patients who might be candidates for immunotherapy alone.

The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Global Survey on Molecular Testing in Lung Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Access to targeted therapies for lung cancer depends on the accurate identification of patients' biomarkers through molecular testing. The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) conducted an international survey to evaluate perceptions on current practice and barriers to implementation of molecular testing. METHODS: We distributed the survey to IASLC members and other health care professionals around the world. The survey included a seven-question introduction for all respondents, who then answered according to one of three tracks: (1) requesting tests and treating patients, (2) performing and interpreting assays, or (3) tissue acquisition. Barriers to implementing molecular testing were provided in free-response fields. The chi-square test was used for regional comparisons. RESULTS: A total of 2537 respondents from 102 countries participated. Most respondents who test and treat patients believe that less than 50% of patients with lung cancer in their country receive molecular testing, but reported higher rates within their own practice. Although many results varied by region, the five most frequent barriers cited in all regions were cost, quality and standards, access, awareness, and turnaround time. Many respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of molecular testing for lung cancer, including 41% of those performing and interpreting assays. Issues identified included trouble understanding results (37%) and the quality of the samples (23% reported >10% rejection rate). Despite concerns regarding the quality of testing, 47% in the performing and interpreting track stated there is no policy or strategy to improve quality in their country. In addition, 33% of respondents who request tests and treat patients were unaware of the most recent College of American Pathologists, IASLC, and Association for Molecular Pathology guidelines for molecular testing. CONCLUSIONS: Adoption of molecular testing for lung cancer is relatively low across the world. Barriers include cost, access, quality, turnaround time, and lack of awareness.

Recommendations for detection, prioritization, and treatment of thoracic oncology patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: the THOCOoP cooperative group.

The world currently faces a pandemic due to SARS-CoV-2. Relevant information has emerged regarding the higher risk of poor outcomes in lung cancer patients. As such, lung cancer patients must be prioritized in terms of prevention, detection and treatment. On May 7th, 45 experts in thoracic cancers from 11 different countries were invited to participate. A core panel of experts regarding thoracic oncology care amidst the pandemic gathered virtually, and a total of 60 initial recommendations were drafted based on available evidence, 2 questions were deleted due to conflicting evidence. By May 16th, 44 experts had agreed to participate, and voted on each of the 58 recommendation using a Delphi panel on a live voting event. Consensus was reached regarding the recommendations (>66 % strongly agree/agree) for 56 questions. Strong consensus (>80 % strongly agree/agree) was reached for 44 questions. Patients with lung cancer represent a particularly vulnerable population during this time. Special care must be taken to maintain treatment while avoiding exposure.

Advanced Stage at Diagnosis and Worse Clinicopathologic Features in Young Women with Breast Cancer in Brazil: A Subanalysis of the AMAZONA III Study (GBECAM 0115).

PURPOSE: Breast cancer (BC) in young women is uncommon and tends to present with more aggressive characteristics. To better understand and characterize this scenario in Brazil through real-world data, we performed a subanalysis of AMAZONA III study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02663973). METHODS: The AMAZONA III study (GBECAM 0115) is a prospective registry that included 2,950 women newly diagnosed with invasive BC in Brazil from January 2016 until March 2018 at 22 sites. Valid data were obtained from 2,888 patients regarding age at diagnosis and complete baseline information. To compare epidemiologic and clinicopathological features at the time of diagnosis, patients with BC were divided into two groups according to age: ≤ 40 years and > 40 years. Quantitative variables were described as means, and categorical variables were described as frequencies and percentages and compared using the Pearson's χ2 test. RESULTS: Of 2,888 women diagnosed with BC, 486 (17%) were ≤ 40 years old. Young women had higher educational level, most were employed and a significant number were married (P < .001 for all associations). Younger patients were more symptomatic at BC diagnosis (P < .001), and they also presented more frequently with stage III, T3/T4, grade 3 tumors, HER-2-positive, luminal B, and triple-negative subtypes. CONCLUSION: Brazilian women younger than age 40 years have unfavorable clinicopathological features of BC at diagnosis, with more aggressive subtypes and advanced stage when compared with older women. These differences are not explained by socioeconomic or ethnic imbalances. The causes of a higher prevalence of BC among young women in Brazil deserve additional investigation.

Stage III Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Concurrent Chemoradiation Followed or Not by Consolidation Chemotherapy: A Survival Analysis From a Brazilian Multicentric Cohort.

PURPOSE: Of newly diagnosed patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), stage III accounts for 30%. Most patients are treated with concurrent chemoradiation therapy, but the addition of consolidation chemotherapy (CC) is debatable. We examined the effect of CC in Brazilian patients with stage III NSCLC treated in routine clinical practice. METHODS: We retrospectively collected data for patients from five different Brazilian cancer institutions who had stage III NSCLC and who were treated with chemoradiation therapy followed or not by CC. Eligible patients were age 18 years or older and must have been treated with cisplatin-carboplatin plus etoposide, paclitaxel, or vinorelbine, concurrently with thoracic radiation therapy (RT). Patients treated with surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. The primary end point was overall survival (OS). Associations between CC and clinical variables and demographics were evaluated by using Pearson's χ2 test. Survival curves were calculated by using the Kaplan-Meier method and were compared using the log-rank test. Univariable and multivariable analysis used a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: We collected data from 165 patients. Median age was 60 years. Most patients were male (69.1%), white (77.9%), current or former smokers (93.3%), and had stage IIIB disease (52.7%). Adenocarcinoma was the most common histology (47.9%). Weight loss of more than 5% was observed in 39.1% and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2 was observed in 14.6%. The only variable associated with CC was T stage ( P = .022). We observed no statistically significant difference in OS between patients treated or not with CC ( P = .128). A total delivered RT dose ≥ 61 Gy was the only variable independently associated with improved survival ( P = .012). CONCLUSION: Brazilian patients with locally advanced NSCLC who were treated with standard treatment achieved OS similar to that reported in randomized trials. CC did not improve OS in patients with stage III NSCLC after concurrent chemoradiation therapy. An RT dose of less than 61 Gy had a negative effect on OS.

Lung cancer in Brazil.

Lung cancer is one of the most incident types of cancer and a leading cause of cancer mortality in Brazil. We reviewed the current status of lung cancer by searching relevant data on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in the country. This review highlights several issues that need to be addressed, including smoking control, patient lack of awareness, late diagnosis, and disparities in the access to cancer health care facilities in Brazil. We propose strategies to help overcome these limitations and challenge health care providers, as well as the society and governmental representatives, to work together and to take a step forward in fighting lung cancer.