Impact of COVID-19 on Management and Outcomes of Oncology Patients: Results of MENA COVID-19 and Cancer Registry (MCCR).

Introduction: Despite extensive studies of the impact of COVID-19 on patients with cancer, there is a dearth of information from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Our study aimed to report pertinent MENA COVID-19 and Cancer Registry (MCCR) findings on patient management and outcomes. Methods: MCCR was adapted from the American Society of Clinical Oncology COVID-19 Registry to collect data specifically from patients with cancer and SARS-CoV-2 infection from 12 centers in eight countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, Algeria, United Arab Emirates, and Morocco. The Registry included data on patients and disease characteristics, treatment, and patient outcomes. Logistic regression was used to assess associations with mortality. Results: Between November 29, 2020, and June 8, 2021, data were captured on 2008 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from the beginning of the pandemic. Median age was 56 years (16-98), 56.4% were females, and 26% were current or ex-smokers. Breast cancer (28.5%) was the leading diagnosis and 50.5% had metastatic disease. Delays of planned treatment (>14 days) occurred in 80.3% for surgery, 48.8% for radiation therapy, and 32.9% for systemic therapy. Significant reduction in the delays of all three treatment modalities occurred after June 1, 2020. All-cause mortality rates at 30 and 90 days were 17.1% and 23.4%, respectively. All-cause mortality rates at 30 days did not change significantly after June 1, 2020; however, 90-day mortality increased from 33.4% to 42.9% before and after that date (p = 0.015). Multivariable regression analysis showed the following predictors of higher 30- and 90-day mortality: age older than 70 years, having metastatic disease, disease progression, and being off chemotherapy. Conclusion: Patients with cancer in the MENA region experienced similar risks and outcome of COVID-19 as reported in other populations. Although there were fewer treatment delays after June 1, 2020, 90-day mortality increased, which may be attributed to other risk factors such as disease progression or new patients who presented with more advanced disease.

Treatment Patterns and Recommendations for Improving the Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Saudi Arabia.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common type of cancer in the world associated with high morbidity and mortality. Despite being a significant healthcare burden there is limited information on the unmet needs and current treatment practices for intermediate and advanced-stage HCC in Saudi Arabia. This article analyzes the gaps and provides expert consensus on the management strategies for unresectable HCC in Saudi Arabia. A pre-meeting online questionnaire, comprising 20 objective questions about the treatment landscape and diagnosis of HCC in Saudi Arabia, was distributed to experts in the field of HCC management. An advisory board meeting including a panel of 13 experts was held in September 2022 where the responses to the survey questionnaire were reviewed and discussed. The survey results and experts' discussion highlighted the growing incidence of liver cancer in Saudi Arabia. HCC comprised the majority of all liver cancer cases due to rising rates of chronic viral infections and lifestyle-related risk factors. Most physicians in Saudi Arabia follow the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer guidelines as a prognostic tool for the detection and staging of patients with HCC. Most of the patients with HCC in Saudi Arabia are diagnosed in the intermediate or advanced stages with poor prognoses and limited therapeutic options. Establishing evidence-based surveillance techniques, a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis, and better accessibility of treatment options is vital for the management of HCC in Saudi Arabia.

Plain language review: what are biosimilar medicines and how can they be used to treat people with cancer?

WHAT IS THIS SUMMARY ABOUT?: The aim of this plain language review article is to help you to understand biosimilar medicines (called biosimilars) by giving a summary of biologic medicines and biosimilars. It is based on the experience of an international panel of physicians with expertise on biosimilars who discussed and agreed on the topics and information included in this review article. Biologic medicines are medicines that come from living organisms such as bacteria and animal or plant cells. Biosimilars are a group of approved biologic medicines that are similar to original biologic medicines that are already available. This review explains how biosimilars are developed and approved, and how they are used to treat people with cancer. It also answers some common important questions people with cancer might have when taking biosimilars. The purpose of this plain language review is to help you to understand the findings from recent research. This review reports information from peer-reviewed literature and other sources available in the public domain (e.g., regulatory documents or product information labels). The findings may differ from those of other review articles. Health professionals should make treatment decisions based on all available evidence.

Metastatic Type II Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma With Recurrent Complete Responses to Sunitinib: A Case Report With a Literature Review.

Papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) is a less common subtype of kidney cancer and is typically more resistant to systemic treatments. This report describes a patient with metastatic type II PRCC who experienced two complete responses (CR) to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) sunitinib. The patient remains on sunitinib with durable control of the disease. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of metastatic type II PRCC with CR to sunitinib.

The first Middle East and North Africa expert consensus recommendations for the management of advanced colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is ranked as the third most prevalent and the second deadliest cancer worldwide. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the number of CRC cases increased over the past decades and will nearly double by 2030. The lack of clear MENA guidelines for the management of patients with CRC represents a step backwards in the fight against this burden. Therefore a panel of 24 MENA experts in the field of gastrointestinal oncology developed, using a Delphi process, the first consensus recommendations for the management of patients with advanced CRC. Forty-seven different statements were formulated in the areas of epidemiology, screening, biomarkers and treatment. These recommendations will guide, standardize and unify the management of this cancer in the MENA region.

Gemcitabine and Cisplatin as Neo-Adjuvant for Cholangiocarcinoma Patients Prior to Liver Transplantation: Case-Series.

BACKGROUND: The management of cholangiocarcinoma is continually reviewed on a current evidence basis to develop practice guidelines and consensus statements. However, the standardized treatment guidelines are still unclear for cholangiocarcinoma patients who are listed for liver transplantation. We aimed to validate and evaluate the potential efficacy of chemotherapy combination of Gemcitabine and Cisplatin as a neo-adjuvant treatment for cholangiocarcinoma patients before liver transplantation. METHODS: In this prospective case series, patients with locally advanced, unresectable, hilar, or intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with no evidence of extrahepatic disease or vascular involvement were treated with a combination of neoadjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin with no radiation. All patients included received chemotherapy prior to being listed for liver transplantation at a single cancer center according to an open-labeled, and center-approved clinical management protocol. The primary endpoints were the overall survival and recurrence-free survival after liver transplantation. RESULTS: Between 1 March 2016, and 15 March 2022, 10 patients (8 males and 2 females) with a median age of 62.71(interquartile range: 60.02-71.87) had a confirmed diagnosis of intrahepatic or hilar cholangiocarcinoma and underwent liver transplantation. Median days of neoadjuvant therapy for a given combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin were 181 (IRQ: 120-250). Nine patients (90%) were reported with no recurrence or metastasis, and only 1 patient had confirmed metastasis (10%); days for metastasis after transplantation were 612 for this patient. All patients received a combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin as neo-adjuvant while awaiting liver transplantation. The median days of follow-up were 851 (813-967). Overall survival was 100% (95% CI 100-100%) at both years one and two; 75% (95% CI 13-96%) at years three to five. One patient died at eight hundred and eighty-five days. No adverse events were reported after liver transplantation including the patient who was confirmed with recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding demonstrated that neo-adjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin with no radiation prior to liver transplantation resulted in excellent outcomes for patients with cholangiocarcinoma.