Usefulness and applicability of next generation sequencing in neuroendocrine neoplasms.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 626-626
Author(s):  
Sorrapong Manyanont ◽  
Kyle Winter ◽  
Nikolaos Trikalinos

626 Background: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are rare tumors that can arise anywhere in the body and treatment options are limited due to their rarity. Knowledge of their mutational status might allow for tumor agnostic treatments or aid in enrollment in clinical trials, especially in the metastatic setting. Methods: Eligible NEN patients on an institutional, IRB approved protocol, who had NGS as standard of care and were treated in the past 24 months were included. Tumors were categorized by location and histologic grade. We explored the actual and theoretical eligibility for tumor agnostic treatments and enrollment in clinical trials as available on clinicaltrials.gov. Results: Between August 2017 and July 2019 a total of 107 patients were eligible. Globally 102 clinical trials included patients with NEN and specific mutations.NGS detected one (1%) case of MSI high and one (1) TRK fusion positive tumor, eligible for checkpoint inhibitor and TRK inhibitor therapy respectively. Moreover, NGS identified 16 (15%) cases of MEN1, 1 (1%) of RET, 2 (2%) of NF1 and 3 (2.8%) of MUTYH, 2 (2%) TSC or TSC2, BRCA in 1(1%). These patients were appropriately referred to genetic counseling. About 51.5% of patients would in theory be eligible for an investigational treatment based on mutations and clinical trial availability. Fifty two of 107 patients (48.5%) would not have been eligible for a clinical trial with reasons varying between no mutations (24%), sample failure (8.4%) or nonactionable mutations (15.9%). Conclusions: NGS can point to clinical trial eligibility and guide genetic counseling and should probably be a standard approach in the evaluation of new metastatic NEN patients.

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Brinda Balasubramanian ◽  
Simran Venkatraman ◽  
Kyaw Zwar Myint ◽  
Tavan Janvilisri ◽  
Kanokpan Wongprasert ◽  
...  

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a group of malignancies that originate from the biliary tract, is associated with a high mortality rate and a concerning increase in worldwide incidence. In Thailand, where the incidence of CCA is the highest, the socioeconomic burden is severe. Yet, treatment options are limited, with surgical resection being the only form of treatment with curative intent. The current standard-of-care remains adjuvant and palliative chemotherapy which is ineffective in most patients. The overall survival rate is dismal, even after surgical resection and the tumor heterogeneity further complicates treatment. Together, this makes CCA a significant burden in Southeast Asia. For effective management of CCA, treatment must be tailored to each patient, individually, for which an assortment of targeted therapies must be available. Despite the increasing numbers of clinical studies in CCA, targeted therapy drugs rarely get approved for clinical use. In this review, we discuss the shortcomings of the conventional clinical trial process and propose the implementation of a novel concept, co-clinical trials to expedite drug development for CCA patients. In co-clinical trials, the preclinical studies and clinical trials are conducted simultaneously, thus enabling real-time data integration to accurately stratify and customize treatment for patients, individually. Hence, co-clinical trials are expected to improve the outcomes of clinical trials and consequently, encourage the approval of targeted therapy drugs. The increased availability of targeted therapy drugs for treatment is expected to facilitate the application of precision medicine in CCA.


Author(s):  
Suresh Victor ◽  
Eridan Rocha-Ferreira ◽  
Ahad Rahim ◽  
Henrik Hagberg ◽  
David Edwards

AbstractAround 0.75 million babies worldwide suffer from moderate or severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) each year resulting in around 400,000 babies with neurodevelopmental impairment. In 2010, neonatal HIE was associated with 2.4% of the total Global Burden of Disease. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH), a treatment that is now standard of care in high-income countries, provides proof of concept that strategies that aim to improve neurodevelopment are not only possible but can also be implemented to clinical practice. While TH is beneficial, neonates with moderate or severe HIE treated with TH still experience devastating complications: 48% (range: 44–53) combined death or moderate/severe disability. There is a concern that TH may not be effective in low- and middle-income countries. Therapies that further improve outcomes are desperately needed, and in high-income countries, they must be tested in conjunction with TH. We have in this review focussed on pharmacological treatment options (e.g. erythropoietin, allopurinol, melatonin, cannabidiol, exendin-4/exenatide). Erythropoietin and allopurinol show promise and are progressing towards the clinic with ongoing definitive phase 3 randomised placebo-controlled trials. However, there remain global challenges for the next decade. Conclusion: There is a need for more optimal animal models, greater industry support/sponsorship, increased use of juvenile toxicology, dose-ranging studies with pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling, and well-designed clinical trials to avoid exposure to harmful medications or abandoning putative treatments. What is Known:• Therapeutic hypothermia is beneficial in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.• Neonates with moderate or severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treated with therapeutic hypothermia still experience severe sequelae. What is New:• Erythropoietin, allopurinol, melatonin, cannabidiol, and exendin-4/exenatide show promise in conjunction with therapeutic hypothermia.• There is a need for more optimal animal models, greater industry support/sponsorship, increased use of juvenile toxicology, dose-ranging studies with pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling, and well-designed clinical trials.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chantelle C. Lachance ◽  
Khai Tran ◽  
Elizabeth Carson ◽  
Joanne Kim ◽  
David Palma ◽  
...  

Oligometastatic cancer (cancer with a limited number of metastases) represents an intermediate state between cancer confined to a single location in the body and cancer that has metastasized — or spread — widely. One treatment option, for which there is growing interest, is stereotactic ablative radiotherapy, also known as SABR. SABR precisely delivers a high dose of radiation to ablate tumours at specific sites while minimizing the radiation dose to surrounding normal tissues. SABR may be used independently or alongside other treatment options in the management of oligometastatic cancer. This CADTH clinical review evaluated the evidence regarding the clinical effectiveness and safety of SABR with or without standard of care (SOC) for people with oligometastatic cancer and found the following: SABR in addition to SOC may offer a benefit in terms of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The findings for the effectiveness of SABR alone compared with SOC were mixed and deemed inconclusive. There are insufficient data related to adverse events (AEs) at the present time to draw conclusions regarding the safety of SABR relative to SOC alternatives. Note that the CADTH Clinical Review Report will be updated every 3 months to ensure the findings remain up-to-date as new evidence emerges.


2018 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaume Capdevila ◽  
Lisa Bodei ◽  
Philippa Davies ◽  
Vera Gorbounova ◽  
Robert T. Jensen ◽  
...  

Unmet medical needs are not infrequent in oncology, and these needs are usually of higher magnitude in rare cancers. The field of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) has evolved rapidly during the last decade, and, currently, a new WHO classification is being implemented and several treatment options are available in the metastatic setting after the results of prospective phase III clinical trials. However, several questions are still unanswered, and decisions in our daily clinical practice should be made with limited evidence. In the 2016 meeting of the advisory board of the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS), the main unmet medical needs in the metastatic NENs setting were deeply discussed, and several proposals to try to solve them are presented in this article, including biomarkers, imaging, and therapy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e14004-e14004
Author(s):  
Albert Eusik Kim ◽  
GI-Ming WANG ◽  
Kristin A Waite ◽  
Scott Elder ◽  
Avery Fine ◽  
...  

e14004 Background: Brain metastases (BM) is one of the most feared complications of cancer due to substantial neurologic sequalae, neuro-cognitive morbidity and grim prognosis. In the past decade, targeted therapies and checkpoint inhibitors have resulted in meaningfully improved overall survival for a minority of these patients. Accordingly, there is a growing need to identify issues surrounding patient survivorship and to standardize physician practice patterns for these patients. To date, there has not been a well-conducted formal study to specifically explore these questions of survivorship and practice standardization for BM patients. Methods: Here, we present results from a cross-sectional survey in which we analyzed responses from 237 BM patients, 209 caregivers, and 239 physicians. Surveys contained questions about BM symptoms, discussion of BM diagnosis by the clinician, psychosocial concerns, available treatment options for BM, BM patient advocacy resources, and BM-specific clinical trials. Results: Our survey revealed compelling findings about current care of BM patients. There were discrepancies in the perceived discussion of the implications of the diagnosis of BM, from the patient/caregiver and physician perspective. Important topics, such as prognosis and worrisome symptoms, were felt to have been discussed more frequently by physicians than by patients or caregivers. In our physician survey, private practice physicians, compared to academic physicians, were significantly more likely to recommend whole brain radiotherapy (61.1 vs 39.7%; p = 0.009). Participation in a clinical trial was one of the least recommended treatment options. Many physicians (59.1% private; 71.9% academic) stated that BM patients in their care are denied participation in a clinical trial, specifically due to the presence of BM. The consensus among physicians, patients and caregivers was that the highest yield area for federal assistance is increased treatment and research funding for BM. Conclusions: Our hope is that these findings will serve as a basis for future quality improvement measures to enhance patient-physician communication and patient well-being, continuing medical education activities detailing latest advances in BM for oncologists, and lobbying efforts to the federal government in prioritizing BM research, clinical trials, and patient survivorship.


Author(s):  
Elizabeth Cartwright ◽  
Florence K. Keane ◽  
Peter C. Enzinger ◽  
Theodore Hong ◽  
Ian Chau

Esophagogastric cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The prognosis for patients with locally advanced disease is poor and the majority of patients with operable tumors treated with surgery alone will have recurrent disease. A multimodal approach to treatment with adjunctive chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy is therefore the standard of care for these patients. However, there is no global consensus on the optimal treatment strategy and international guidelines vary. National clinical trials inform local practice: neoadjuvant, perioperative, and adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy combinations are all possible treatment options in the management of resectable esophagogastric cancer. A number of clinical trials are ongoing, which seek to directly compare multimodal treatment options and hope to provide clarity in this area. Furthermore, increased understanding of the molecular and genetic features of esophagogastric cancer may help to guide management of operable disease by determining optimal patient selection through identification of predictive biomarkers of response and the application of novel targeted agents.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 314-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith G Warshaw ◽  
Vincent J Carey ◽  
Elizabeth J McFarland ◽  
Liza Dawson ◽  
Elaine Abrams ◽  
...  

Introduction: Equipoise is usually discussed as an ethical issue in clinical trials. However, it also has practical implications. Background: Clinical equipoise is usually construed to mean uncertainty or disagreement among the expert clinician community. However, an individual physician’s sense of equipoise may vary by location, based on the local standard of care or availability of specific treatment options, and these differences can affect providers’ willingness to enroll participants into clinical trials. There are also logistical barriers to enrollment in international trials due to prolonged timelines for approvals by government agencies and ethical review boards. Case Study: A multinational clinical trial of bridging strategies for treatment of non-adherent HIV-infected youth, experienced differing perceptions of equipoise due to disparities in availability of treatment options by country. Unfortunately, the countries with most demand for the trial were those where the approval process was most delayed, and the study was closed early due to slow accrual. Discussion: When planning multicenter clinical trials, it is important to take into account heterogeneity among research sites and try to anticipate differences in equipoise and logistical factors between sites, in order to plan to address these issues at the design stage.


2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Chua ◽  
Stephen J. Clarke

Participation in clinical trials enables patients to access new treatment options. Evidence shows improved outcomes in participants compared with nonparticipants in non–small-cell, lung, breast, colorectal, and testicular cancers.


Author(s):  
Оксана Кашинцева ◽  
Микита Трохименко

The article concerns the issues of legal protection of data obtained as a result of off-label drugs therapy of COVID-19 and of data obtained of the compassionate use of medicines in treatment of COVID-19. The authorsargue that neither data on the use of off-label or on the basis of a compassionate use in the treatment of coronavirus (data obtained in solidarity clinical trials) are not determined as the information that should be protected from unfair commercial use.Regarding to the use of off-label for a new purpose of drag it is not be considered as a «new chemical substance», because the drug is already registered, and therefore known, and in the case of obtaining data in compassionate use, this information is removed from the trade secret regime by the WHO and EMA opinion. Such information is opened to use from the beginning. Therefore, in both of the above cases, it could notbe considered as an «unfair use» in the meaning of Art. 39 TRIPS Agreements.The WHO apply to the world community and informed about the «Solidarity» clinical trial for COVID-19 treatments». Solidified clinical trials of COVID-19 treatment compare four treatment options to evaluate their efficacy in COVID-19 therapy. Solidarity-based clinical trials aim to quickly identify which of the drugs tested slows disease progression or improves survival. New drugs can be added to solidarity studiesbased on new data.On April 3, 2020, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of European Medicines Agency (EMA) issued recommendations for compassionate use for remdesivir as the most promising treatment for COVID-19. The EMA explicitly states that the compassionate use is not part of the clinical trial in its usual meanings.IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) also wrote an open letter to WIPO urging WIPO to use all available flexible intellectual property mechanisms to maximize worldwide access to information (research data) on COVID-19 treatment.Thus, the legal regime of «Solidarity clinical trials and the WHO and EMA declarations lead us to conclude that all data obtained in the Solidarity clinical trials should not be monopolized by intellectual property, either as objects of patenting for a new scope / new purpose of treatment, or like an object of data exclusivity protection.


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