Purpose: The current standard-of-care management of locally advanced triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is based on neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy with pembrolizumab, surgery, radiation therapy (RT), and adjuvant pembrolizumab. However, the safety of combining pembrolizumab with adjuvant breast RT has never been evaluated. This study evaluated the tolerance profile of concurrent pembrolizumab with adjuvant RT in patients with locally advanced TNBC. Methods and Materials: This bicentric ambispective study included all the patients with early and locally advanced TNBC who received neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy with pembrolizumab and adjuvant RT as part of their treatment. The tolerance profile of adjuvant RT was evaluated and compared in patients who received concurrent pembrolizumab and in patients for whom pembrolizumab was withheld. Results: Fifty-five patients were included between July 2021 and March 2023. Twenty-eight patients received adjuvant RT with concurrent pembrolizumab (RT+P group), and 27 patients had pembrolizumab withheld while receiving adjuvant RT (RT-only group). Two patients developed grade ≥3 toxicity (1 grade 3 pain in the RT+P group and 1 grade 3 radiodermatitis in the RT-only group), and there were no differences in terms of toxicity between the RT-only and the RT+P groups. No cardiac or pulmonary adverse event was reported during RT. With a median follow-up of 12 months (10-26), no patient relapsed. Conclusions: In this study of limited size, the authors did not find a difference between the RT-only and RT+P groups in terms of toxicity. More studies and longer follow-up may add to the strength of this evidence.
During the last decade, major improvements have been made in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with the development and use of multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Brain metastases in RCC patients (BM-RCC) is associated with poor outcome and their management represents a challenge for clinicians. In most of case, brain metastases in this context require local intervention such as radiotherapy, stereotactic radiotherapy/stereotactic radiosurgery and whole brain radiation therapy. Despite efficacy in extracranial metastases, systemic therapies have modest antitumoral effect on cerebral lesions. In this review, we highlight the benefits and pitfalls of the available therapies in BM-RCC.
Brain Neoplasms , Carcinoma, Renal Cell , Kidney Neoplasms , Radiosurgery , Brain Neoplasms/pathology , Carcinoma, Renal Cell/pathology , Humans , Kidney Neoplasms/pathology , Radiosurgery/adverse effects , Retrospective Studies
A 72-year-old woman was diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer and treated with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy and bevacizumab. One week after the second administration of chemotherapy, she presented acute-onset dysphagia and rapidly progressing proximal muscle weakness, associated with elevation of the creatinine phosphokinase enzymes. Magnetic resonance imaging raised suspicion of polymyositis. Etiology remained unclear but paraneoplastic origin or immune modulation by chemotherapy was considered. High-dose methylprednisolone and intravenous immunoglobulins were started with continuation of chemotherapy. Although there was rapid normalization of muscle enzyme, the general status deteriorated rapidly with aggravation of dysphagia, complete immobilization and death. This case highlights the importance of considering muscle weakness as paraneoplastic syndrome or drug-induced toxicity in colorectal cancer patients. Despite aggressive management, prognosis remains poor.
