Phenotypic and functional analysis in HER2+ targeted therapy of human NK cell subpopulation according to the expression of FcεRIγ and NKG2C in breast cancer patients.

Adaptive NK cells constitute an NK cell subpopulation, which expands after human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection. This subpopulation has stronger production of cytokines after CD16 stimulation, longer life and persistence than conventional NK cells and are, therefore, interesting tools for cancer immunotherapy. Since there is limited information on adaptive NK cells in cancer patients, we described this population phenotypically and functionally, by flow cytometry, in the context of HER2 + breast cancer (BC) directed therapy. We assessed HCMV status in 78 patients with BC. We found that, similarly to healthy donors (HD), a high proportion of BC patients were HCMV-positive, and nearly 72% of them had an adaptive NK cell subpopulation characterized by the loss of FcεRIγ intracellular adaptor protein or the presence of NKG2C receptor. However, in BC patients, FcεRIγ- and NKG2C + NK cell populations overlapped to a lesser extent than in HD. Otherwise, no profound phenotypic differences were found between BC patients and HD. Although FcεRIγ- or NKG2C + NK cell subsets from BC patients produced more IFN-γ than their FcεRIγ + or NKG2C- NK cell counterparts, IFN-γ production increased only when NK cells simultaneously expressed FcεRIγ- and NKG2C + , whereas in HD the presence of NKG2C marker was sufficient to display greater functionality. Furthermore, in a group of patients treated with chemotherapy and Trastuzumab plus Pertuzumab, FcεRIγ-NKG2C + and FcεRIγ-NKG2C- NK cells retained greater functionality after treatment than FcεRIγ + NKG2C- NK cells. These results suggest that the presence or magnitude of adaptive NK cell subsets might serve as a key determinant for therapeutic approaches based on antibodies directed against tumor antigens.

Optimal Therapeutic Strategy for PD-L1 Negative Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Decision-Making Guide Based on Clinicopathological and Molecular Features.

OPINION STATEMENT: Strategies using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), which can enhance antitumor immune responses, have revolutionized the lung cancer therapeutic landscape. The ICI mechanism of action involves the blockade of regulatory cell surface molecules using antibodies against the Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Antigen 4 (CTLA-4) (ipilimumab, tremelimumab); the programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1; nivolumab, pembrolizumab); or the PD ligand-1 (PD-L1; atezolizumab, durvalumab). Notably, anti-PD-1 demonstrated long-term survival benefits, durable objective responses, and a manageable safety profile in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The combination of anti-PD1 or anti-PD-L1 and platinum chemotherapy achieved better survival outcomes than chemotherapy alone, which was observed irrespective of PD-L1 expression on cancer cells. Although promising results have been reported from large clinical trials, especially for patients with high PD-L1 expression, the optimal treatment approach for patients with PD-L1-negative NSCLC has yet to be defined. We propose a guide for clinicians in the therapeutic decision-making process based on the latest data available about treatments, prognostic factors, predictive biomarkers, and real-world evidence in PD-L1-negative NSCLC patients.

Detection of NTRK gene fusions in solid tumors: recommendations from a Latin American group of oncologists and pathologists.

NTRK gene fusions have been detected in more than 25 types of tumors and their prevalence is approximately 0.3% in solid tumors. This low prevalence makes identifying patients who could benefit from TRK inhibitors a considerable challenge. Furthermore, while numerous papers on the evaluation of NTRK fusion genes are available, not all countries have guidelines that are suitable for their setting, as is the case with Latin America. Therefore, a group of oncologists and pathologists from several countries in Latin America (Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay) met to discuss and reach consensus on how to identify patients with NTRK gene fusions in solid tumors. To do so, they developed a practical algorithm, considering their specific situation and limitations.

Outcomes of patients with non-small cell lung cancer and poor performance status treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors in the real-world setting.

BACKGROUND: Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are standard treatments for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients with poor performance status (PS) are underrepresented in clinical trials. We evaluate the efficacy and safety of ICIs in a real-world setting. METHODS: We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective study to assess clinical outcomes of NSCLC treated with ICIs. We categorized pts within two groups (PS 0-1 vs 2) and assessed clinical outcomes and safety. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty nine patients were included, 44 patients (16.4%) had baseline PS 2 and 223 patients (82.9%) PS 0-1. The overall response rate (ORR) was 30.4%, median PFS was 7.26 months (95% CI 5.1-9.4), and median OS was 15.18 months (95% CI 9.5-20.9). Patients with a PS 2 were most likely to received ICIs in the second or later line (84.1% vs 64.6%; p = 0.01), had baseline steroids (21.4% vs 8.2%; p 0.010), lower response rate (16.7% vs 34.5%; p 0.02) and clinical benefit (35.7% vs 71%; p 0.000) compared to PS 0-1 pts. Moreover, PS ≥ 2 patients had shorter PFS, median 2.2 months (95% CI 1.3-3.1) compared to 9.9 months (95% CI 6.7-13.1] and shorter OS, 3.3 months (95% CI 2.6-4.2) versus 24.1 months (95% CI 16.1-32.1), respectively. PS was significantly associated with PFS and OS in multivariate analysis. As it was expected, immunotherapy was well tolerated with a safety profile comparable to the previous published data. CONCLUSION: Based on these retrospective results, patients with poor baseline performance status seem to have poor clinical outcomes with ICIs in the real-world setting.

A comprehensive study of epigenetic alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma identifies potential therapeutic targets.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: A causal link has recently been established between epigenetic alterations and hepatocarcinogenesis, indicating that epigenetic inhibition may have therapeutic potential. We aimed to identify and target epigenetic modifiers that show molecular alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: We studied the molecular-clinical correlations of epigenetic modifiers including bromodomains, histone acetyltransferases, lysine methyltransferases and lysine demethylases in HCC using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data of 365 patients with HCC. The therapeutic potential of epigenetic inhibitors was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. RNA sequencing analysis and its correlation with expression and clinical data in the TCGA dataset were used to identify expression programs normalized by Jumonji lysine demethylase (JmjC) inhibitors. RESULTS: Genetic alterations, aberrant expression, and correlation between tumor expression and poor patient prognosis of epigenetic enzymes are common events in HCC. Epigenetic inhibitors that target bromodomain (JQ-1), lysine methyltransferases (BIX-1294 and LLY-507) and JmjC lysine demethylases (JIB-04, GSK-J4 and SD-70) reduce HCC aggressiveness. The pan-JmjC inhibitor JIB-04 had a potent antitumor effect in tumor bearing mice. HCC cells treated with JmjC inhibitors showed overlapping changes in expression programs related with inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of cell death. JmjC inhibition reverses an aggressive HCC gene expression program that is also altered in patients with HCC. Several genes downregulated by JmjC inhibitors are highly expressed in tumor vs. non-tumor parenchyma, and their high expression correlates with a poor prognosis. We identified and validated a 4-gene expression prognostic signature consisting of CENPA, KIF20A, PLK1, and NCAPG. CONCLUSIONS: The epigenetic alterations identified in HCC can be used to predict prognosis and to define a subgroup of high-risk patients that would potentially benefit from JmjC inhibitor therapy. LAY SUMMARY: In this study, we found that mutations and changes in expression of epigenetic modifiers are common events in human hepatocellular carcinoma, leading to an aggressive gene expression program and poor clinical prognosis. The transcriptional program can be reversed by pharmacological inhibition of Jumonji enzymes. This inhibition blocks hepatocellular carcinoma progression, providing a novel potential therapeutic strategy.

Peripheral changes in immune cell populations and soluble mediators after anti-PD-1 therapy in non-small cell lung cancer and renal cell carcinoma patients.

Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have shown benefit from anti-PD-1 therapies. However, not all patients experience tumor shrinkage, durable responses or prolonged survival, demonstrating the need to find response markers. In blood samples from NSCLC and RCC patients obtained before and after anti-PD-1 treatment, we studied leukocytes by complete blood cell count, lymphocyte subsets using flow cytometry and plasma concentration of nine soluble mediators, in order to find predictive biomarkers of response and to study changes produced after anti-PD-1 therapy. In baseline samples, discriminant analysis revealed a combination of four variables that helped differentiate stable disease-response (SD-R) from progressive disease (PD) patients: augmented frequency of central memory CD4+ T cells and leukocyte count was associated with response while increased percentage of PD-L1+ natural killer cells and naïve CD4+ T cells was associated with lack of response. After therapy, differential changes between responders and non-responders were found in leukocytes, T cells and TIM-3+ T cells. Patients with progressive disease showed an increase in the frequency of TIM-3 expressing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, whereas SD-R patients showed a decrease in these subsets. Our findings indicate that a combination of immune variables from peripheral blood (PB) could be useful to distinguish response groups in NSCLC and RCC patients treated with anti-PD-1 therapy. Frequency of TIM-3+ T cells showed differential changes after treatment in PD vs SD-R patients, suggesting that it may be an interesting marker for monitoring progression during therapy.

[Aggresive angiomyxoma after renal transplantation]. / Angiomixoma agresivo postrasplante renal.

The condition of immunosuppressed increases the risk of cancer in kidney transplant patients, as compared to the general population. The best survival of inmunosupressed patients in recent years has turned both neoplasms and cardiovascular diseases into the main causes of morbidity and mortality. We present the case of a renal transplanted patient who developed an unusual form of mesenchymal tumor such as the aggressive angiomyxoma, four years after the implant and requiring wide surgical resection.

[Dendritic cell-based therapeutic cancer vaccines]. / Vacunas terapéuticas antitumorales basadas en células dendríticas.

In recent years immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of patients with advanced cancer. The increased knowledge in the tumor immune-biology has allowed developing rational treatments by manipulation of the immune system with significant clinical impact. This rapid development has significantly changed the prognosis of many tumors without treatment options up to date. Other strategies have explored the use of therapeutic vaccines based on dendritic cells (DC) by inducing antitumor immunity. DC are cells of hematopoietic origin, constitutively expressing molecules capable to present antigens, that are functionally the most potent inducers of the activation and proliferation of antigen specific T lymphocytes. The CD8+ T cells proliferate and acquire cytotoxic capacity after recognizing their specific antigen presented on the surface of DC, although only some types of DC can present antigens internalized from outside the cell to precursors of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (this function is called cross-presentation) requiring translocation mechanisms of complex antigens. The induction of an effective adaptive immune response is considered a good option given its specificity, and prolonged duration of response. The DC, thanks to its particular ability of antigen presentation and lymphocyte stimulation, are able to reverse the poor antitumor immune response experienced by patients with cancer. The DC can be obtained from various sources, using different protocols to generate differentiation and maturation, and are administered by various routes such as subcutaneous, intravenous or intranodal. The wide variety of protocols resulted in heterogeneous clinical responses.

4-methylumbelliferone inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma growth by decreasing IL-6 production and angiogenesis.

Cirrhosis is characterized by an excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix components including hyaluronic acid (HA) and is widely considered a preneoplastic condition for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). 4-Methylumbelliferone (4MU) is an inhibitor of HA synthesis and has anticancer activity in an orthotopic HCC model with underlying fibrosis. Our aim was to explore the effects of HA inhibition by 4MU orally administered on tumor microenvironment. Hepa129 tumor cells were inoculated orthotopically in C3H/HeJ male mice with fibrosis induced by thioacetamide. Mice were orally treated with 4MU. The effects of 4MU on angiogenesis were evaluated by immunostaining of CD31 and quantification of proangiogenic factors (vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF, interleukin-6, IL-6 and C-X-C motif chemokine 12, CXCL12). IL-6 was also quantified in Hepa129 cells in vitro after treatment with 4MU. Migration of endothelial cells and tube formation were also analyzed. As a result, 4MU treatment decreases tumor growth and increased animal survival. Systemic levels of VEGF were significantly inhibited in 4MU-treated mice. Expression of CD31 was reduced after 4MU therapy in liver parenchyma in comparison with control group. In addition, mRNA expression and protein levels of IL-6 and VEGF were inhibited both in tumor tissue and in nontumoral liver parenchyma. Interestingly, IL-6 production was dramatically reduced in Kupffer cells isolated from 4MU-treated mice, and in Hepa129 cells in vitro. Besides, 4MU was able to inhibit endothelial cell migration and tube formation. In conclusion, 4MU has antitumor activity in vivo and its mechanisms of action involve an inhibition of angiogenesis and IL-6 production. 4MU is an orally available molecule with potential for HCC treatment.

Dabrafenib plus trametinib treatment in patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: an Argentinian experience.

PURPOSE: To present our real-life experience with dabrafenib and trametinib (D-T) treatment in patients with BRAF V600E-mutated ATC in Argentina. PATIENTS Y METHODS: We included five patients from four different hospitals. The median age was 70 years, and 60% were male. The performance status at diagnosis was grade 0 in 60% and grade 2 in 40% of patients. Four patients could undergo total thyroidectomy; in one of them, surgical treatment was amenable due to the indication of D-T as neoadjuvant therapy. From the total cohort, the best response to treatment was complete response in 40%, partial response in 20%, and stable disease in 20%. The median duration of response was 20 weeks, ranging from 16 to 92 weeks. All patients experienced at least one adverse event (AE). Grade ≥3 AEs were observed in two (40%) patients. They were upper gastrointestinal bleeding and subclavian vein thrombosis. The median follow-up was 20 weeks (range: 16 to 92). CONCLUSION: This report contributes to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of D-T treatment in five patients with loco-regionally advanced and metastatic BRAF V600E-mutated ATC in a real-life setting. A multidisciplinary approach and rapid molecular-tailored testing are essential to begin this therapeutic option.

Antitumor effects of hyaluronic acid inhibitor 4-methylumbelliferone in an orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma model in mice.

Liver cirrhosis is characterized by an excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix components, including hyaluronan (HA). In addition, cirrhosis is considered a pre-neoplastic disease for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Altered HA biosynthesis is associated with cancer progression but its role in HCC is unknown. 4-Methylumbelliferone (4-MU), an orally available agent, is an HA synthesis inhibitor with anticancer properties. In this work, we used an orthotopic Hepa129 HCC model established in fibrotic livers induced by thioacetamide. We evaluated 4-MU effects on HCC cells and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in vitro by proliferation, apoptosis and cytotoxicity assays; tumor growth and fibrogenesis were also analyzed in vivo. Our results showed that treatment of HCC cells with 4-MU significantly reduced tumor cell proliferation and induced apoptosis, while primary cultured hepatocytes remained unaffected. 4-MU therapy reduced hepatic and systemic levels of HA. Tumors systemically treated with 4-MU showed the extensive areas of necrosis, inflammatory infiltrate and 2-3-fold reduced number of tumor satellites. No signs of toxicity were observed after 4-MU therapy. Animals treated with 4-MU developed a reduced fibrosis degree compared with controls (F1-2 vs F2-3, respectively). Importantly, 4-MU induced the apoptosis of HSCs in vitro and decreased the amount of activated HSCs in vivo. In conclusion, our results suggest a role for 4-MU as an anticancer agent for HCC associated with advanced fibrosis.

First-line cisplatin, docetaxel, and cetuximab for patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer: A multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The targeted therapy cetuximab [directed at the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)] in combination with 5-fluorouracil and platinum-based chemotherapy (the EXTREME regimen) has shown substantial efficacy for patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M SCCHN). Thus, this scheme has been established as the preferred first-line option for these patients. However, more recently, a new strategy combining platinum, taxanes, and cetuximab (the TPEx regimen) has demonstrated similar efficacy with a more favorable toxicity profile in clinical trials. AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the TPEx scheme as first-line therapy in advanced SCCHN in a multicenter cohort study. METHODS: This retrospective multicenter cohort study included patients with histologically confirmed recurrent or metastatic SCCHN treated with first-line TPEx at five medical centers in Argentina between January 1, 2017 and April 31, 2020. Chemotherapy consisted of four cycles of docetaxel, cisplatin, and cetuximab followed by cetuximab maintenance therapy. Clinical outcomes and toxicity profiles were collected from medical charts. Treatment response was assessed by the investigator in accordance with Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (version 1.1). Adverse events were graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 4.0). RESULTS: Twenty-four patients were included. The median age at diagnosis was 58 years (range: 36-77 years). The majority of patients (83.3%) received at least four chemotherapy cycles in the initial phase. In the included group, the overall response rate was 62.5%, and 3 patients achieved a complete response (12.5%). The median time to response was 2.4 mo [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-3.5]. With a median follow-up of 12.7 mo (95%CI: 8.8-16.6), the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.9 mo (95%CI: 6.5-7.3), and the overall survival rate at 12 mo was 82.4%. Patients with documented tumor response showed a better PFS than those with disease stabilization or progression [8.5 mo (95%CI: 5.5-11.5) and 4.5 mo (95%CI: 2.5-6.6), respectively; P = 0.042]. Regarding the safety analysis, two-thirds of patients reported at least one treatment-related adverse event, and 25% presented grade 3 toxicities. Of note, no patient experienced grade 4 adverse events. CONCLUSION: TPEx was an adequately tolerated regimen in our population, with low incidence of grade 3-4 adverse events. The median PFS were consistent with those in recent reports of clinical trials evaluating this treatment combination. This regimen may be considered an attractive therapeutic strategy due to its simplified administration, decreased total number of chemotherapy cycles, and treatment tolerability.

Lack of Prognostic Value of Pretreatment Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Early Breast Cancer.

Background: Breast cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease with large differences in the risk of recurrence. An elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is correlated with a poor prognosis in a variety of tumors, and although it is still controversial in breast cancer, there are multiple studies, including meta-analysis, suggesting this. The purpose of this study was to analyze the prognostic value of preoperative NLR in an Argentine population of patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer, not exposed to neoadjuvant treatment. Methods: Retrospective multicenter cohort study that includes patients over 18 years of age from three centers in the city and province of Buenos Aires who have had surgery for early breast cancer between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2014. Based on the previous literature, a cutoff value of 2.0 was defined. Results: A total of 791 patients were eligible for the analysis. Median age was 55 years (IQR 45-65). Median NLR was 1.92 (IQR 1.50-2.56). The distribution of groups according to the 8th edition of the AJCC was 54.1% for stage I, 35.6% stage II, and 10.4% stage III. Among the different tumor phenotypes, 79.0% were HR+/HER2-, 11.4% were HR+ or-/HER2+, and 9.2% were HR-/HER2-. With a median follow-up of 5.3 years, 112 patients (14.2%) had disease recurrence. Stage III patients had a higher NLR than stage I and stage II patients (p = 0.002). The rest of the clinical and pathological characteristics did not show differences in the groups according to NLR. There were no differences in relapse-free survival according to the NLR (p = 0.37), and it did not change after adjusting for other prognostic variables. Conclusion: We consider it is important to determine the efficacy of prognostic markers that are easily accessible and of simple, systematic application. However, NLR does not appear to be an independent prognostic factor for recurrence in our population. In this sense, we consider it is important to publish negative results in order to avoid publication bias.

Low molecular weight hyaluronan preconditioning of tumor-pulsed dendritic cells increases their migratory ability and induces immunity against murine colorectal carcinoma.

We have recently shown that systemic administration of low molecular weight hyaluronan (LMW HA) significantly reduces colorectal carcinoma (CRC) growth in vivo. The elicited response is partially mediated by activated dendritic cells (DC). To potentiate the ability of DC loaded with whole tumor lysate (DC/TL) to induce immunity against CRC in mice, we aimed to study the effects of preconditioning DC with LMW HA for therapeutic vaccination. LMW HA improved maturation of ex vivo generated DC, increased IL-12, decreased IL-10 production, and enhanced a MLR activity in vitro. Although TNF-α showed a similar capacity to mature DC, preconditioning of DC/TL with LMW HA increased their ability to migrate in vitro toward CCL19 and CCL-21 in a CD44- and a TLR4-independent manner; this effect was superior to Poly(I:C), LPS, or TNF-α and partially associated with an increase in the expression of CCR7. Importantly, LMW HA dramatically enhanced the in vivo DC recruitment to tumor-regional lymph nodes. When these LMW HA-treated CRC tumor lysate-pulsed DC (DC/TL/LMW HA) were administered to tumor-bearing mice, a potent antitumor response was observed when compared to DC pulsed with tumor lysate alone and matured with TNF-α. Then, we showed that splenocytes isolated from animals treated with DC/TL/LMW HA presented a higher proliferative capacity, increased IFN-γ production, and secreted lower levels of the immunosuppressive IL-10. Besides, increased specific CTL response was observed in DC/TL/LMW HA-treated animals and induced long-term protection against tumor recurrence. Our data show that LMW HA is superior to other agents at inducing DC migration; therefore, LMW HA could be considered a new adjuvant candidate in the preparation of DC-based anticancer vaccines with potent immunostimulatory properties.

Hepatocellular carcinoma cells and their fibrotic microenvironment modulate bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cell migration in vitro and in vivo.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer and the third cause of cancer-related death. Fibrogenesis is an active process characterized by the production of several proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines and growth factors. It involves the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) which accumulate at the site of injury and are the main source of the extracellular matrix deposits. There are no curative treatments for advanced HCC, thus, new therapies are urgently needed. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have the ability to migrate to sites of injury or to remodeling tissues after in vivo administration; however, in several cancer models they demonstrated limited efficacy to eradicate experimental tumors partially due to poor engraftment. Thus, the aim of this work was to analyze the capacity of human MSCs (hMSCs) to migrate and anchor to HCC tumors. We observed that HCC and HSCs, but not nontumoral stroma, produce factors that induce hMSC migration in vitro. Conditioned media (CM) generated from established HCC cell lines were found to induce higher levels of hMSC migration than CM derived from fresh patient tumor samples. In addition, after exposure to CM from HCC cells or HSCs, hMSCs demonstrated adhesion and invasion capability to endothelial cells, type IV collagen and fibrinogen. Consistently, these cells were found to increase metalloproteinase-2 activity. In vivo studies with subcutaneous and orthotopic HCC models indicated that intravenously infused hMSCs migrated to lungs, spleen and liver. Seven days post-hMSC infusion cells were located also in the tumor in both models, but the signal intensity was significantly higher in orthotopic than in subcutaneous model. Interestingly, when orthotopic HCC tumors where established in noncirrhotic or cirrhotic livers, the amount of hMSCs localized in the liver was higher in comparison with healthy animals. A very low signal was found in lungs and spleens, indicating that liver tumors are able to recruit them at high efficiency. Taken together our results indicate that HCC and HSC cells produce factors that efficiently induce hMSC migration toward tumor microenvironment in vitro and in vivo and make MSCs candidates for cell-based therapeutic strategies to hepatocellular carcinoma associated with fibrosis.

Is there a place for optimizing thoracic radiotherapy in limited-stage small cell lung cancer after twenty years?

Thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) is one of the main treatments in limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC). Hyperfractionated TRT (45 Gy, 1.5 Gy twice daily) has been the standard of care (SOC) since Turrisi and colleagues published the results of their clinical trial in 1999. Two meta-analyses have demonstrated the benefits of concurrent chemotherapy and TRT in terms of intrathoracic disease control at 2 years and 3-year overall survival (OS). The phase 2 trial by Grønberg et al (2016) comparing once-daily hypofractionated TRT to twice-daily hyperfractionated TRT in LS-SCLC found similar outcomes in both groups in terms of response rate, progression-free survival (PFS), grade 3-4 adverse effects, and OS. The CONVERT trial, published in 2017, failed to demonstrate the superiority of the conventional scheme (once-daily TRT) vs twice-daily radiotherapy, despite the application of modern radiotherapy techniques and a quality assurance programme, thus confirming the twice-daily hyperfractionated regimen as the SOC. At the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, Grønberg et al reported preliminary findings from a phase 2 trial comparing two different TRT dose regimens (45 Gy vs 60 Gy), both administered twice daily. Those data demonstrated a marked improvement in 2-year survival rates in the high dose arm (70.2% vs 46.1%, P = 0.002), despite similar objective response rates and PFS outcomes. Those findings provide a new treatment alternative to consider: Hyperfractionated, high-dose TRT. However, the results of that trial will need to be validated in a large, randomized phase 3 study. The results of the phase 2 CALCG 30610 trial will help to clarify the optimal dose and regimen. The potential role of upfront immunotherapy, which early data suggest may improve OS, also needs to be determined.

Targeting ADCC: A different approach to HER2 breast cancer in the immunotherapy era.

The clinical outcome of patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) amplified breast carcinoma (BC) has improved with the development of anti-HER2 targeted therapies. However, patients can experience disease recurrence after curative intent and disease progression in the metastatic setting. In the current era of evolving immunotherapy agents, the understanding of the immune response against HER2 tumor cells developed by anti-HER2 antibodies (Abs) is rapidly evolving. Trastuzumab therapy promotes Natural Killer (NK) cell activation in patients with BC overexpressing HER2, indicating that the efficacy of short-term trastuzumab monotherapy, albeit direct inhibition of HER, could also be related with antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). Currently, dual HER2 blockade using trastuzumab and pertuzumab is the standard of care in early and advanced disease as this combination could confer an additive effect in ADCC. In patients with disease relapse or progression, ADCC may be hampered by several factors such as FcγRIIIa polymorphism and an immunosuppressive environment, among others. Hence, new drug development strategies are being investigated aiming to boost the ADCC response triggered by anti-HER2 therapy. In this review, we summarize these strategies and the rationale, through mAbs engineering and combinatorial strategies, focusing on clinical results and ongoing trials.

Overexpression of SPARC obliterates the in vivo tumorigenicity of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Current treatments are extremely disappointing. SPARC (Secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine) is a matricellular glycoprotein with differential expression in several tumors, including HCC, which significance remains unclear. We infected HCC cells (HepG2, Hep3B and Huh7) with an adenovirus expressing SPARC (AdsSPARC) to examine the role of SPARC expression on HCC cells and its effect on tumor aggressiveness. The in vitro HCC cells substrate-dependent proliferation and cell cycle profile were unaffected; however, SPARC overexpression reduced HCC proliferation when cells were grown in spheroids. A mild induction of cellular apoptosis was observed upon SPARC overexpression. SPARC overexpression resulted in spheroid growth inhibition in vitro while no effects were found when recombinant SPARC was exogenously applied. Moreover, the clonogenic and migratory capabilities were largely decreased in SPARC-overexpressing HCC cells, altogether suggesting a less aggressive HCC cell phenotype. Consistently, AdsSPARC-transduced cells showed increased E-cadherin expression and a concomitant decrease in N-cadherin expression. Furthermore, SPARC overexpression was found to reduce HCC cell viability in response to 5-FU-based chemotherapy in vitro, partially through induction of apoptosis. In vivo experiments revealed that SPARC overexpression in HCC cells inhibited their tumorigenic capacity and increased animal survival through a mechanism that partially involves host macrophages. Our data suggest that SPARC overexpression in HCC cells results in a reduced tumorigenicity partially through the induction of mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET). These evidences point to SPARC as a novel target for HCC treatment.

Breast Cancer in Young Women Presents With More Aggressive Pathologic Characteristics: Retrospective Analysis From an Argentine National Database.

PURPOSE: Multiple studies have reported that breast cancer in young patients is associated with aggressive characteristics, and it is suggested that prognosis is worse independently of pathologic variables. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of the Breast Cancer Registry of the Argentinian Society of Mastology, including public and private centers. Patients ≤ 40 years of age at diagnosis were classified as "young," and patients ≤ 35 years of age at diagnosis were classified as "very young." Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to detect differences between groups. RESULTS: Patients ≤ 40 years of age comprised 10.40% (739/7,105) of the participants, with an average age of 35.61 ± 4.04 years. Multivariate analysis showed that human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive tumor phenotype (odds ratio [OR], 1.82), nodal involvement (OR, 1.69), histologic grade (grade 3 OR, 1.41), and tumor size (T2 OR, 1.37; T3-T4, 1.47) were independently associated with younger age at diagnosis. Patients ≤ 35 years of age (n = 286), compared with patients 36 to 40 years of age, had a higher proportion of HER2 tumors (24.58% v 16.94%; P = .021), absence of progesterone receptor expression (29.85% v 22.95%; P = .043), and stage 3 cancer (29.34% v 18.52%; P < .001). Fewer breast-conserving surgeries (75.37% v 62.89%; P < .001) and more adjuvant chemotherapy (59.04% v 36.66%; P < 0.001) were reported in patients ≤ 40 years of age. CONCLUSION: In the population studied, breast cancer in young women was associated with aggressive pathologic features and locally advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Moreover, tumor characteristics in very young patients with breast cancer nested in the population ≤ 40 years of age showed differences in important prognostic factors. More high-quality evidence is needed to improve treatment strategies in these patients.

Efficacy and Safety of Nivolumab in Previously Treated Patients With Non-Small-cell Lung Cancer: Real World Experience in Argentina.

BACKGROUND: Nivolumab was the first anti-programmed cell death 1 drug approved in Argentina for non-small-cell lung cancer treatment in the second-line setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was a multicenter, observational, retrospective study of patients with progression to stage IV NSCLC during platinum-based chemotherapy who had received nivolumab monotherapy in a drug-expanded access program in Argentina. RESULTS: The data from 109 patients were assessed retrospectively for safety and clinical outcomes. The follow-up period was 8.83 months (interquartile range, 3.4-12.67); 57.8% were men, 29.4% were current smokers, and 78.0% had a diagnosis of nonsquamous cell cancer. The median number of chemotherapy lines before nivolumab was 2 (range, 1-4). Also, 59.6% had received radiotherapy and 89% had received platinum-based chemotherapy. The drug-related toxicity rate was 78.9%, the grade 2-3 toxicity rate was 28.4%, and 33.9% of patients had required corticosteroids. The treatment response was evaluated in 104 patients. The best response was a complete response in 2 (2%), partial response in 28 (27%), stable disease in 33 (32%), and progressive disease in 41 (39%). Univariate analysis revealed that the absence of corticosteroid use (P = .034), toxicity grade 1-3 (P = .0025), and performance status of ≤ 1 (P = .049) were associated with longer disease-free survival, performance status of ≤ 1 (P < .001), and toxicity grade 1-3 (P = .001) were associated with longer overall survival. On multivariate Cox regression analysis, toxicity grade 1-3 (hazard ratio [HR], 0.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24-0.81; P = .008) and age ≤ 50 years (HR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.13-0.61; P = .001) were associated with longer progression-free survival and corticosteroid use was associated with shorter progression-free survival (HR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.22-3.48; P = .007). CONCLUSIONS: The use of nivolumab in the real world setting in patients with heavily pretreated NSCLC was well tolerated and showed promising clinical efficacy. The performance status, use of corticosteroids, and immune-mediated toxicity seem to be the conditions that can affect the clinical outcomes.