1,721,159 research outputs found
Clinical potential of necitumumab in non-small cell lung carcinoma
Full text linkDespite significant progress, new therapeutic approaches for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are highly needed, particularly for the treatment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is often overexpressed in NSCLC and represents a relevant target for specific treatments. Although EGFR mutations are more frequent in non-squamous histology, the receptor itself is more often overexpressed in squamous NSCLC. Necitumumab is a human monoclonal antibody that is able to inhibit the EGFR pathway and cause antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity. This drug has been studied in combination with first-line chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC in two Phase III trials, and a significant survival benefit was reported in squamous NSCLC (SQUIRE trial); by contrast, necitumumab did not prove itself beneficial in non-squamous histotype (INSPIRE trial). On the basis of the SQUIRE results, necitumumab was approved in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine as a first-line treatment for advanced squamous NSCLC, both in the US and Europe, where its availability is limited to patients with EGFRexpressing tumors. The aim of this review is to describe the tolerability and the efficacy of necitumumab by searching the available published data and define its potential role in the current landscape of NSCLC treatment
Tumor microenvironment as a potential source of clinical biomarkers in non-small cell lung cancer: can we use enemy territory at our advantage?
Full text linkHematopoietic growth factors in lung cancer
No full textPurpose of review Most patients affected by lung cancer are treated with chemotherapy, and hence are at risk of myelosuppression. Hematopoietic growth factors have a relevant role in this setting, as they can improve quality of life, reduce the rate of chemotherapy-induced complications and allow the administration of full-dose chemotherapy. Recent findings Most data of hematologic growth factors in lung cancer come from dated publications or large trials involving different malignancies, thus limiting specific information for lung neoplasms. Nonetheless, most studies consistently identified myeloid growth factors as effective on specific end-points such as the duration and severity of neutropenia, or complications such as hospitalizations and febrile neutropenia; on the other hand, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) consistently improved anemia-specific end-points including hemoglobin values, transfusions rate and fatigue, although some specific safety issues characterized this drug class. The most recent international guidelines address these characteristics and include the main indications for hematologic growth factors in solid neoplasms, including lung cancer. Summary Myeloid growth factors and ESAs have a relevant role in selected patients undergoing chemotherapy for nonsmall cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Notably, a comprehensive risk-benefit assessment is required in the specific case of ESAs
Looking for results in non-small-cell lung cancer: is bio-chemotherapy the right answer?
No full textRecent advances in squamous non-small cell lung cancer: evidence beyond predictive biomarkers
No full textSquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has always been characterized by a limited number of therapeutic options and by the lack of actionable biomarkers compared to its non-squamous counterpart. Recent clinical trials have led to the approval of new anti-neoplastic drugs available to both non-squamous and squamous NSCLC, consisting in a vascular-disrupting agent and two immune check-point inhibitors; additionally, a monoclonal antibody targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is currently under evaluation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While predictive molecular biomarkers have not been identified with consistency and are still highly demanded, these agents proved themselves noteworthy and can be considered a powerful addition to the available treatments for squamous NSCLC
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Prognostic and predictive relevance of circulating tumor cells in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer
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