Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is known to have a poor prognosis and limited treatment options, namely chemotherapy. Different molecular studies have recently classified TNBC into different subtypes opening the door to potential new-targeted treatment options. In this review, we discuss the current standard of care in the treatment of TNBC in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant and metastatic settings. In addition, we summarize the ongoing phase III clinical trials evaluating different associations between the 3 pillars of anticancer treatment: chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
governments are imposing confinement rules, limiting all kinds of transportation. This has led to the reliance on telecommunications, from online education and remote working from home, to telemedicine. Many medical societies and physicians are adopting this option as the safest, both for the patient and the medical staff. This new perspective has led us to wonder whether telemedicine is a threat to oncology patient care or an opportunity that could revolutionize our clinical practice. "
The evolution of precision medicine in the field of oncology has led to a radical change in the course of malignancies. PARP inhibitors are drugs that block the activity of the PARP enzyme responsible for base excision repair and have shown significant positive response when used for tumors lacking homologous recombination, namely high efficacy among BRCA-mutated tumors. Since 2014, when olaparib received an accelerated US FDA approval in ovarian cancer, we witnessed many other FDA approvals for olaparib, rucaparib, niraparib and talazoparib. Additionally, many Phase I, II and III trials were published presenting revolutionizing results. Other ongoing trials combined PARP inhibitors with checkpoint inhibitors. We aimed in this review to state the FDA approvals for PARP inhibitors in breast, ovarian, fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancers, report the major published trials in high impact medical journals, and mention the ongoing trials combining these drugs with checkpoint inhibitors.
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), a heterogeneous group of upper aerodigestive tract malignancies, is the seventh most common cancer worldwide. Tobacco use and alcohol consumption were the most identified risk factors of HNSCC. However, human papilloma virus, a sexually transmitted infection, has been determined as another primary cause of HNSCC. Early-stage disease is treated with surgery or radiotherapy. Recurrent or metastatic HNSCC is associated with poor prognosis with a median overall survival of 10 months. The EXTREME protocol is commonly used in first-line setting. Recently, pembrolizumab, an anti-programmed death-1 agent, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck with disease progression on or after a platinum-based therapy. It demonstrated a durable objective response rate with a good safety profile and quality of life. Many ongoing trials are evaluating the use of pembrolizumab for the treatment of HNSCC in various indications such as adjuvant and neoadjuvant setting, maintenance and recurrent disease, alone or in combination with chemotherapy, radiation and targeted therapy. Finding those biomarkers predictive of response to immune checkpoints inhibitors has been a major concern. However, markers have been identified, such as PD-L1 expression, human papilloma virus infection, interferon-γ signature score, microsatellite instability and neoantigen production.
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