Results of a survey on the treatment of adolescents and young adult (AYA) sarcoma patients in Spain at present time

Introduction We aimed to analyse health care services for adolescents and young adults (AYA) with sarcomas in Spain. Methods A survey was sent to all Spanish cancer centres, including questions about demographic, facilities, and treatment strategies for AYAs with sarcomas in the last 2 years. Results Thirty-five units participated in the survey, 17 paediatric and 15 adult units. There were three specialized AYA units. First line regimen varied depending on whether the treating unit was paediatric or not, for osteosarcomas, rhabdomyosarcomas, and non-rhabdomyosarcomas. By contrast, 91.4% of Ewing sarcomas were treated according to EE2012. In the relapse setting, differences between units were higher in all tumours. Additionally, 48% of the units reported not having trials for this population. Conclusion There are major differences in the treatment of AYAs with sarcomas between adult and paediatric units. Enormous efforts are needed to homogenize treatments and increase the access to innovation. (AU)

Results of a survey on the treatment of adolescents and young adult (AYA) sarcoma patients in Spain at present time.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to analyse health care services for adolescents and young adults (AYA) with sarcomas in Spain. METHODS: A survey was sent to all Spanish cancer centres, including questions about demographic, facilities, and treatment strategies for AYAs with sarcomas in the last 2 years. RESULTS: Thirty-five units participated in the survey, 17 paediatric and 15 adult units. There were three specialized AYA units. First line regimen varied depending on whether the treating unit was paediatric or not, for osteosarcomas, rhabdomyosarcomas, and non-rhabdomyosarcomas. By contrast, 91.4% of Ewing sarcomas were treated according to EE2012. In the relapse setting, differences between units were higher in all tumours. Additionally, 48% of the units reported not having trials for this population. CONCLUSION: There are major differences in the treatment of AYAs with sarcomas between adult and paediatric units. Enormous efforts are needed to homogenize treatments and increase the access to innovation.

Epigenetic profiling to classify cancer of unknown primary: a multicentre, retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cancer of unknown primary ranks in the top ten cancer presentations and has an extremely poor prognosis. Identification of the primary tumour and development of a tailored site-specific therapy could improve the survival of these patients. We examined the feasability of using DNA methylation profiles to determine the occult original cancer in cases of cancer of unknown primary. METHODS: We established a classifier of cancer type based on the microarray DNA methylation signatures (EPICUP) in a training set of 2790 tumour samples of known origin representing 38 tumour types and including 85 metastases. To validate the classifier, we used an independent set of 7691 known tumour samples from the same tumour types that included 534 metastases. We applied the developed diagnostic test to predict the tumour type of 216 well-characterised cases of cancer of unknown primary. We validated the accuracy of the predictions from the EPICUP assay using autopsy examination, follow-up for subsequent clinical detection of the primary sites months after the initial presentation, light microscopy, and comprehensive immunohistochemistry profiling. FINDINGS: The tumour type classifier based on the DNA methylation profiles showed a 99·6% specificity (95% CI 99·5-99·7), 97·7% sensitivity (96·1-99·2), 88·6% positive predictive value (85·8-91·3), and 99·9% negative predictive value (99·9-100·0) in the validation set of 7691 tumours. DNA methylation profiling predicted a primary cancer of origin in 188 (87%) of 216 patients with cancer with unknown primary. Patients with EPICUP diagnoses who received a tumour type-specific therapy showed improved overall survival compared with that in patients who received empiric therapy (hazard ratio [HR] 3·24, p=0·0051 [95% CI 1·42-7·38]; log-rank p=0·0029). INTERPRETATION: We show that the development of a DNA methylation based assay can significantly improve diagnoses of cancer of unknown primary and guide more precise therapies associated with better outcomes. Epigenetic profiling could be a useful approach to unmask the original primary tumour site of cancer of unknown primary cases and a step towards the improvement of the clinical management of these patients. FUNDING: European Research Council (ERC), Cellex Foundation, the Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Cancer Australia, Victorian Cancer Agency, Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, the Health and Science Departments of the Generalitat de Catalunya, and Ferrer.

Quimioterapia neoadyuvante en el cáncer de mama localmente avanzado / Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancer

La quimioterapia neoadyuvante (QTN) es el tratamiento de elección en las pacientes con cáncer de mama localmente avanzado e inflamatorio. Los objetivos de este tratamiento son mejorar las opciones quirúrgicas (convertir tumores inoperables en operables, así como obtener mejores resultados estéticos), determinar la respuesta a la quimioterapia (respuesta patológica completa [pCR, en sus siglas en inglés]) y aumentar la supervivencia libre de enfermedad. La QTN es una situación clínica ideal para investigar predictores moleculares de respuesta, predecir los pacientes que conseguirán una pCR y los pacientes con un pronóstico favorable, aunque no alcancen una pCR. Los estudios actuales definirán mejor el esquema óptimo de quimioterapia (nuevos fármacos) y los pacientes que más se beneficiarán de este tratamiento(AU)

Neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) has become widely accepted as the treatment of choice for patients with locally advanced and inflammatory breast cancer. In general, NST is used to improve the surgical options (induction of tumour shrinkage that may render inoperable tumours amenable to surgery and may allow smaller resection and better cosmetic outcome for patients with operable tumours), to determine the response to NST (pCR: pathologic complete response), and to obtain long-term disease-free survival. NST is an ideal clinical setting to discover molecular predictors of response to therapy, to predict patients who will achieve a pCR, and patients who will have a favourable prognosis despite not achieving a pCR. Current trials will better define the optimal NST (new drugs) and those patients who might best benefit from this therapy(AU)