Local consolidative therapy for oligometastatic patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer may improve survival, but unanswered questions remain.
Local consolidative therapy for oligometastatic patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer may improve survival, but unanswered questions remain.
Project description:BackgroundResection of the primary tumor is recommended for symptom relief in de novo stage IV breast cancer. We explored whether local surgery could provide a survival benefit in these patients and attempted to characterize the population that could benefit from surgery.MethodsMetastatic Breast cancer patients (N = 313) with intact primary tumor between January 2006 and April 2013 were separated into two groups according to whether or not they had undergone surgery. The difference in characteristics between the two groups was analyzed using chi-square test, Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney test. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression and stratified survival analysis were used to assess the effect of surgery on survival.ResultsOf the 313 patients, 188 (60.1%) underwent local surgery. Patients with local surgery had a 47% reduction in mortality risk vs. those with no surgery (median survival 78 months vs. 37 months; HR = 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36-0.78) after adjustment for clinical and tumor characteristics. Stratified survival analysis showed that patients with bone metastasis alone (and primary tumor ≤5 cm), soft tissue metastasis, or ≤ 3 metastasis sites benefit from surgery.ConclusionSurgical resection of the primary tumor can improve survival in selected de novo stage IV breast cancer patients.
Project description:In the last 20 years, significant strides have been made in our understanding of the biological mechanisms driving disease pathogenesis in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Notably, the development and application of predictive biomarkers as well as refined treatment regimens in the form of chemoimmunotherapy and novel targeted agents have led to substantial improvements in survival. Parallel to these remarkable advancements in modern systemic therapy has been a growing recognition of "oligometastatic disease" as a distinct clinical entity-defined by the presence of a controlled primary tumor and ≤5 sites of metastatic disease amenable to local consolidative therapy (LAT), with surgery or stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR). To date, three randomized studies have provided clinical evidence supporting the use of LAT/SABR in the treatment of oligometastatic NSCLC. In this review, we summarize clinical evidence from these landmark studies and highlight ongoing trials evaluating the use of LAT/SABR in a variety of clinical contexts along the oligometastatic disease spectrum. We discuss important implications and caveats of the available data, including considerations surrounding patient selection and application in routine clinical practice. We conclude by offering potential avenues for further investigation in the oligometastatic disease space.
Project description:Experiments on model systems have revealed that cytokinesis in cells with contractile rings (amoebas, fungi, and animals) depends on shared molecular mechanisms in spite of some differences that emerged during a billion years of divergent evolution. Understanding these fundamental mechanisms depends on identifying the participating proteins and characterizing the mechanisms that position the furrow, assemble the contractile ring, anchor the ring to the plasma membrane, trigger ring constriction, produce force to form a furrow, disassemble the ring, expand the plasma membrane in the furrow, and separate the daughter cell membranes. This review reveals that fascinating questions remain about each step.
Project description:OBJECTIVE:The epidemiology of heart failure (HF) is changing. This study aimed to describe questions that arise during the routine care of HF patients that are unanswered by the current literature and describe how the type and focus of these questions has changed over time. METHODS:Investigators from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-sponsored Heart Failure Apprentice Network collected and categorized questions from 5 academic hospitals over 12 months. A total of 174 unanswered questions were collected and analyzed. RESULTS:Compared with 2004, there were more unanswered questions about "whether" to use therapies and fewer about "how" to use therapies. There were fewer questions about what therapeutic targets, therapy adjustment, and combination therapies. There were more questions about whether or how to stop therapies and how to add therapies back. Newly prominent topics, not observed in 2004, including novel therapeutics, refractory ventricular tachycardia, right heart failure, and nutrition/frailty, accounted for 24% of questions. CONCLUSIONS:Compared with 2004, there are fewer unanswered questions about how to use, adjust, and combine therapies. There were more unanswered questions about whether and how to stop therapies. Almost 25% of unanswered questions dealt with topics indicative of more advanced disease which were not observed in 2004.
Project description:Several new therapies for hemophilia have emerged in recent years. These strategies range from extended half-life factor replacement products and non-factor options with improved pharmacokinetic profiles to gene therapy aiming for phenotypic cure. While these products have the potential to change hemophilia care dramatically, several challenges and questions remain regarding broader applicability, long-term safety, and which option to pursue for each patient. Here, we review these emerging therapies with a focus on controversies and unanswered questions in each category.