Oncology

Review Oncology

The role of ROS in tumour development and progression

Eric C. Cheung, Karen H. Vousden

Summary: Eukaryotic cells have complex systems to regulate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are deregulated in cancer cells. ROS also modulate the tumor environment and affect stromal cells supporting metabolism, blood supply, and immune responses. The response to ROS is complex and depends on multiple factors, including ROS characteristics and tumor characteristics. Understanding the complexity of ROS in cancers is key to developing ROS-targeting therapies for cancer treatment.

NATURE REVIEWS CANCER (2022)

Review Oncology

Enhancing immunotherapy in cancer by targeting emerging immunomodulatory pathways

Lukas Kraehenbuehl, Chien-Huan Weng, Shabnam Eghbali, Jedd D. Wolchok, Taha Merghoub

Summary: The discovery and clinical implementation of immune-checkpoint inhibitors like CTLA4, PD-1, and PD-L1 have significantly improved outcomes for patients with advanced-stage cancers. However, a majority of patients do not respond to these agents, emphasizing the need for further research into alternative immunomodulatory pathways and targeting tumor metabolism to enhance treatment efficacy.

NATURE REVIEWS CLINICAL ONCOLOGY (2022)

Article Oncology

Current and future burden of breast cancer: Global statistics for 2020 and 2040

Melina Arnold, Eileen Morgan, Harriet Rumgay, Allini Mafra, Deependra Singh, Mathieu Laversanne, Jerome Vignat, Julie R. Gralow, Fatima Cardoso, Sabine Siesling, Isabelle Soerjomataram

Summary: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, with over 2.3 million new cases and 685,000 deaths in 2020. There is significant geographic variation in incidence rates, with lower rates in some Asian and African countries and higher rates in countries like Australia, New Zealand, Northern America, and parts of Europe. Mortality rates show less variation, but transitioning countries still bear a disproportionate burden of breast cancer deaths. By 2040, the burden of breast cancer is predicted to increase further due to population growth and ageing. Global efforts are needed to address this growing burden, especially in transitioning countries where incidence rates are rising rapidly and mortality rates remain high.

BREAST (2022)

Article Oncology

First-Line Nivolumab Plus Low-Dose Ipilimumab for Microsatellite Instability-High/Mismatch Repair-Deficient Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: The Phase II CheckMate 142 Study

Heinz-Josef Lenz, Eric Van Cutsem, Maria Luisa Limon, Ka Yeung Mark Wong, Alain Hendlisz, Massimo Aglietta, Pilar Garcia-Alfonso, Bart Neyns, Gabriele Luppi, Dana B. Cardin, Tomislav Dragovich, Usman Shah, Sandzhar Abdullaev, Joseph Gricar, Jean-Marie Ledeine, Michael James Overman, Sara Lonardi

Summary: Nivolumab plus low-dose ipilimumab demonstrated robust and durable clinical benefit and was well tolerated as a first-line treatment for MSI-H/dMMR mCRC.

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY (2022)

Review Oncology

Natural products targeting the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway in cancer: A novel therapeutic strategy

Devesh Tewari, Pooja Patni, Anusha Bishayee, Archana N. Sah, Anupam Bishayee

Summary: This article emphasizes the role of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway in different cancer conditions and the importance of natural products as potential targets for cancer therapy. Additionally, it summarizes and analyzes various preclinical and clinical studies on bioactive compounds derived from natural products that target the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway.

SEMINARS IN CANCER BIOLOGY (2022)

Article Oncology

Pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy for microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair-deficient metastatic colorectal cancer (KEYNOTE-177): final analysis of a randomised, open-label, phase 3 study

Luis A. Diaz, Kai-Keen Shiu, Tae-Won Kim, Benny Vittrup Jensen, Lars Henrik Jensen, Cornelis Punt, Denis Smith, Rocio Garcia-Carbonero, Manuel Benavides, Peter Gibbs, Christelle de la Fourchardiere, Fernando Rivera, Elena Elez, Dung T. Le, Takayuki Yoshino, Wen Yan Zhong, David Fogelman, Patricia Marinello, Thierry Andre

Summary: The final overall survival analysis of the KEYNOTE-177 study showed that while pembrolizumab continued to demonstrate durable antitumor activity and fewer treatment-related adverse events compared to chemotherapy in patients with microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair-deficient metastatic colorectal cancer, there was no statistically significant difference in overall survival between the two treatment groups.

LANCET ONCOLOGY (2022)

Review Oncology

Immune-checkpoint inhibitors: long-term implications of toxicity

Douglas B. Johnson, Caroline A. Nebhan, Javid J. Moslehi, Justin M. Balko

Summary: Immune-checkpoint inhibitors have improved outcomes for advanced-stage solid tumour patients, but they also carry the risk of chronic toxicities that can affect patients' quality of life. While evidence on chronic toxicities is limited, emerging evidence suggests that they may be more common than previously thought. These toxicities can affect various organ systems and may even lead to fatal outcomes. Research on the effects of immune-checkpoint blockade on other immune processes is also important for cancer survivors.

NATURE REVIEWS CLINICAL ONCOLOGY (2022)

Meeting Abstract Oncology

Phase 3 randomized, open-label, multicenter study of tremelimumab (T) and durvalumab (D) as first-line therapy in patients (pts) with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC): HIMALAYA

Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, Stephen Lam Chan, Masatoshi Kudo, George Lau, Robin Kate Kelley, Junji Furuse, Wattana Sukeepaisarnjaroen, Yoon-Koo Kang, Tu V. Dao, Enrico N. De Toni, Lorenza Rimassa, Valeriy Vladimirovich Breder, Alexander Vasilyev, Alexandra Heurgue, Vincent Tam, Kabir Mody, Satheesh Chiradoni Thungappa, Philip He, Alejandra Negro, Bruno Sangro

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY (2022)

Article Oncology

Organ Preservation in Patients With Rectal Adenocarcinoma Treated With Total Neoadjuvant Therapy

Julio Garcia-Aguilar, Sujata Patil, Marc J. Gollub, Jin K. Kim, Jonathan B. Yuval, Hannah M. Thompson, Floris S. Verheij, Dana M. Omer, Meghan Lee, Richard F. Dunne, Jorge Marcet, Peter Cataldo, Blase Polite, Daniel O. Herzig, David Liska, Samuel Oommen, Charles M. Friel, Charles Ternent, Andrew L. Coveler, Steven Hunt, Anita Gregory, Madhulika G. Varma, Brian L. Bello, Joseph C. Carmichael, John Krauss, Ana Gleisner, Philip B. Paty, Martin R. Weiser, Garrett M. Nash, Emmanouil Pappou, Jose G. Guillem, Larissa Temple, Iris H. Wei, Maria Widmar, Sabrina Lin, Neil H. Segal, Andrea Cercek, Rona Yaeger, J. Joshua Smith, Karyn A. Goodman, Abraham J. Wu, Leonard B. Saltz

Summary: This study demonstrates that organ preservation is achievable in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with total neoadjuvant therapy, without a decrease in survival.

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY (2022)

Review Oncology

First-Line Immunotherapy for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Martin Reck, Jordi Remon, Matthew D. Hellmann

Summary: The past decade has seen significant progress in the treatment of metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer, with the development of specific antibodies leading to improved survival for many patients. Currently, nearly all mNSCLC patients receive PD-1 or PD-L1 therapy in the first-line setting, except those with targetable oncogenes.

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY (2022)

Article Oncology

Spatiotemporal Immune Landscape of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis at Single-Cell Level

Yingcheng Wu, Shuaixi Yang, Jiaqiang Ma, Zechuan Chen, Guohe Song, Dongning Rao, Yifei Cheng, Siyuan Huang, Yifei Liu, Shan Jiang, Jinxia Liu, Xiaowu Huang, Xiaoying Wang, Shuangjian Qiu, Jianmin Xu, Ruibin Xi, Fan Bai, Jian Zhou, Jia Fan, Xiaoming Zhang, Qiang Gao

Summary: This study presents a single-cell and spatial atlas of colorectal liver metastasis, revealing highly metabolically activated MRCP+ CCL18(+) M2-like macrophages at the metastatic sites. Effective neoadjuvant chemotherapy can slow down this metabolic activation, raising the possibility of targeting metabolic pathways in metastasis.

CANCER DISCOVERY (2022)

Article Oncology

Lactic acid promotes PD-1 expression in regulatory T cells in highly glycolytic tumor microenvironments

Shogo Kumagai, Shohei Koyama, Kota Itahashi, Tokiyoshi Tanegashima, Yi-tzu Lin, Yosuke Togashi, Takahiro Kamada, Takuma Irie, Genki Okumura, Hidetoshi Kono, Daisuke Ito, Rika Fujii, Sho Watanabe, Atsuo Sai, Shota Fukuoka, Eri Sugiyama, Go Watanabe, Takuya Owari, Hitomi Nishinakamura, Daisuke Sugiyama, Yuka Maeda, Akihito Kawazoe, Hiroki Yukami, Keigo Chida, Yuuki Ohara, Tatsuya Yoshida, Yuki Shinno, Yuki Takeyasu, Masayuki Shirasawa, Kenta Nakama, Keiju Aokage, Jun Suzuki, Genichiro Ishii, Takeshi Kuwata, Naoya Sakamoto, Masahito Kawazu, Toshihide Ueno, Taisuke Mori, Naoya Yamazaki, Masahiro Tsuboi, Yasushi Yatabe, Takahiro Kinoshita, Toshihiko Doi, Kohei Shitara, Hiroyuki Mano, Hiroyoshi Nishikawa

Summary: In highly glycolytic tumors, regulatory T (Treg) cells have higher PD-1 expression compared to effector T cells. Under low-glucose conditions, Treg cells actively absorb lactic acid through monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), promoting the expression of PD-1, while PD-1 expression by effector T cells is dampened. PD-1 blockade invigorates PD-1-expressing Treg cells, resulting in treatment failure.

CANCER CELL (2022)

Review Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Glioma targeted therapy: insight into future of molecular approaches

Keyang Yang, Zhijing Wu, Hao Zhang, Nan Zhang, Wantao Wu, Zeyu Wang, Ziyu Dai, Xun Zhang, Liyang Zhang, Yun Peng, Weijie Ye, Wenjing Zeng, Zhixiong Liu, Quan Cheng

Summary: Gliomas are common brain tumors originating from glial cells. Treatment and prognosis differ significantly depending on the type of glioma. Traditional targeted therapy approaches have faced challenges, while new methods such as immunotherapy and the tumor microenvironment are gaining interest. More clinical trials are needed to evaluate the feasibility of personalized targeted therapy.

MOLECULAR CANCER (2022)

Article Oncology

Nivolumab plus chemotherapy versus placebo plus chemotherapy in patients with HER2-negative, untreated, unresectable advanced or recurrent gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction cancer (ATTRACTION-4): a randomised, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial

Yoon-Koo Kang, Li-Tzong Chen, Min-Hee Ryu, Do-Youn Oh, Sang Cheul Oh, Hyun Cheol Chung, Keun-Wook Lee, Takeshi Omori, Kohei Shitara, Shinichi Sakuramoto, Ik-Joo Chung, Kensei Yamaguchi, Ken Kato, Sun Jin Sym, Shigenori Kadowaki, Kunihiro Tsuji, Jen-Shi Chen, Li-Yuan Bai, Sung-Yong Oh, Yasuhiro Choda, Hisateru Yasui, Kentaro Takeuchi, Yoshinori Hirashima, Shunsuke Hagihara, Narikazu Boku

Summary: This study investigated the efficacy of nivolumab plus oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for HER2-negative, unresectable, advanced or recurrent gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction cancer, showing a significant improvement in progression-free survival but not overall survival in Asian patients. The combination therapy may potentially serve as a new first-line treatment option for these patients.

LANCET ONCOLOGY (2022)

Review Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Ferroptosis in cancer therapy: a novel approach to reversing drug resistance

Chen Zhang, Xinyin Liu, Shidai Jin, Yi Chen, Renhua Guo

Summary: Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death, plays a crucial role in tumor suppression and has the potential to reverse cancer therapy resistance.

MOLECULAR CANCER (2022)

Review Oncology

Harnessing cytokines and chemokines for cancer therapy

David J. Propper, Frances R. Balkwill

Summary: Cytokines play a crucial role in cancer development and progression. While cytokines have been studied for their therapeutic potential in oncology, clinical trials have shown limited efficacy. However, the advent of immunotherapies and a better understanding of the tumor microenvironment have opened up new possibilities for harnessing cytokine networks in cancer treatment.

NATURE REVIEWS CLINICAL ONCOLOGY (2022)

Article Oncology

Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy Versus Upfront Surgery for Resectable and Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: Long-Term Results of the Dutch Randomized PREOPANC Trial

Eva Versteijne, Jacob L. van Dam, Mustafa Suker, Quisette P. Janssen, Karin Groothuis, Janine M. Akkermans-Vogelaar, Marc G. Besselink, Bert A. Bonsing, Jeroen Buijsen, Olivier R. Busch, Geert-Jan M. Creemers, Ronald M. van Dam, Ferry A. L. M. Eskens, Sebastiaan Festen, Jan Willem B. de Groot, Bas Groot Koerkamp, Ignace H. de Hingh, Marjolein Y. Homs, Jeanin E. van Hooft, Emile D. Kerver, Saskia A. C. Luelmo, Karen J. Neelis, Joost Nuyttens, Gabriel M. R. M. Paardekooper, Gijs A. Patijn, Maurice J. C. van der Sangen, Judith de Vos-Geelen, Johanna W. Wilmink, Aeilko H. Zwinderman, Cornelis J. Punt, Geertjan van Tienhoven, Casper H. J. van Eijck

Summary: This study investigates the impact of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy on the survival of patients with resectable and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. The results demonstrate that neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy improves overall survival compared to upfront surgery in these patients.

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY (2022)

Review Oncology

Clinical relevance of tumour-associated macrophages

Mikael J. Pittet, Olivier Michielin, Denis Migliorini

Summary: The interaction of tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) with cancer and stromal cells in the tumour microenvironment enables and sustains most of the hallmarks of cancer. The authors of this Review examine the diversity of TAMs in various cancer indications, which is being revisited with the advent of single-cell technologies, and discuss the functional roles of different TAM states, the prognostic and predictive value of TAM-related signatures as well as approaches involving TAMs that are currently being or will soon be tested in clinical trials.

NATURE REVIEWS CLINICAL ONCOLOGY (2022)

Article Oncology

Breast Cancer, Version 3.2022

William J. Gradishar, Meena S. Moran, Jame Abraham, Rebecca Aft, Doreen Agnese, Kimberly H. Allison, Bethany Anderson, Harold J. Burstein, Helen Chew, Chau Dang, Anthony D. Elias, Sharon H. Giordano, Matthew P. Goetz, Lori J. Goldstein, Sara A. Hurvitz, Steven J. Isakoff, Rachel C. Jankowitz, Sara H. Javid, Jairam Krishnamurthy, Marilyn Leitch, Janice Lyons, Joanne Mortimer, Sameer A. Patel, Lori J. Pierce, Laura H. Rosenberger, Hope S. Rugo, Amy Sitapati, Karen Lisa Smith, Mary Lou Smith, Hatem Soliman, Erica M. Stringer-Reasor, Melinda L. Telli, John H. Ward, Kari B. Wisinski, Jessica S. Young, Jennifer Burns, Rashmi Kumar

Summary: This article discusses the complex therapeutic options for patients with noninvasive or invasive breast cancer, as well as the recommendations provided by the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines for Breast Cancer. It focuses on the overall management of ductal carcinoma in situ and the workup and locoregional management of early stage invasive breast cancer.

JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER NETWORK (2022)

Review Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology

Key chemokines direct migration of immune cells in solid tumors

Karan Kohli, Venu G. Pillarisetty, Teresa S. Kim

Summary: Immune cell infiltration into solid tumors and their interactions with chemokine receptors play a crucial role in tumor growth and the balance between effector and immunosuppressive cells. This review discusses the implications of dysregulated chemokine signaling in the tumor microenvironment and the potential for targeting chemokine signaling in cancer immunotherapy.

CANCER GENE THERAPY (2022)