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Background/Aim: Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy and the first cause of cancer-related death. Thus, finding alternative therapeutic options is crucial. Drug repurposing offers therapeutic options in a simplified and affordable manner, especially to cancer patients in developing countries. Several drugs including antihistamines and beta-adrenergic receptor blockers (beta-blockers) display antiproliferative properties on cancer cells. Interestingly, NSCLC patients who had used either antihistamines or beta-blockers showed improved response to chemotherapy or reduced mortality in comparison to non-users of any of these drugs. However, combination therapy is gaining substantial interest in many cancers including non-EGFR mutated NSCLC. Here, we investigated the antineoplastic effect of the combination of the antihistamine loratadine, the beta-blocker nebivolol, and the tyrosine-kinase inhibitor gefitinib on NSCLC cell lines. Materials and Methods: A-549 and NCI-H1975 cell lines were used. The effect of nebivolol, gefitinib, and loratadine on the metabolic activity was studied using the MTT assay. The inhibitory concentrations (IC20 and IC50) were calculated and used in the drug-combination experiments. Apoptosis was investigated using flow cytometry; and cell survival using the colony formation assay. Results: The combination nebivolol-loratadine-gefitinib produced a significant synergistic effect on inhibiting the metabolic activity and colony formation, as well as on promoting apoptosis in both cell lines. Noteworthy, the effect on the cell line carrying the EGFR mutation (NCI-H1975) was very similar to the cell line that does not exhibit such mutation (A-549 cells). Conclusion: The nebivolol-gefitinib-loratadine combination may be a promising alternative for lung cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical cancer constitutes a significant health burden for women worldwide despite being preventable by vaccination and screening. Advanced stages of the disease are associated with a poor prognosis, and treatment approaches have seen little change over several decades, resulting in an overall survival rate of no more than 17 months. Additionally, there are limited options for second-line treatment. The urgent need for innovative and effective therapies to improve the outlook for this group of patients, along with an enhanced understanding of the interactions between the disease and the host's immune system, has propelled immunotherapy into a rapidly advancing field with notable achievements. Among various immunotherapeutic approaches, immune checkpoint inhibitors emerge as the most advanced treatment option. Clinical trials assessing these inhibitors as single agents or in combination with chemotherapy show promising results. As immunotherapy begins to redefine standards of care for metastatic, recurrent, or persistent cervical cancer, this review addresses recent advances and current recommendations for its management in both first and second-line treatment. The goal is to provide insights into the evolving landscape of cervical cancer treatment, specifically focusing on immunotherapeutic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of accurately distinguishing HER2-low from HER2-negative breast cancer, as novel ADCs have demonstrated activity in a large population of patients with HER2-low-expressing BC. While current guidelines recommend a dichotomous classification of HER2 as either positive or negative, the emergence of the HER2-low concept calls for standardization of HER2 testing in breast cancer, using currently available assays to better discriminate HER2 levels. This review covers the evolution and latest updates of the ASCO/CAP guidelines relevant to this important biomarker in breast cancer, including still-evolving concepts such as HER2 low, HER2 heterogeneity, and HER2 evolution. Our group presents the latest Mexican recommendations for HER2 status evaluation in breast cancer, considering the ASCO/CAP guidelines and introducing the HER2-low concept. In the era of personalized medicine, accurate HER2 status assessment remains one of the most important biomarkers in breast cancer, and the commitment of Mexican pathologists to theragnostic biomarker quality is crucial for providing the most efficient care in oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the acceptability, feasibility, usability, and preliminary effect of an electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) intervention for patients with breast cancer in Mexico., Design: We conducted a multimethod non-randomised pilot study. We used a pre-test/post-test design for quantitative assessment of the intervention's effect on patients' supportive care needs and quality of life. We conducted in-depth interviews (IDIs) with participants and healthcare workers to explore the intervention's benefits and barriers and understand its feasibility., Participants: 50 women aged 20-75 diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer were enrolled within 2 weeks of starting neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. We excluded illiterate women and those with visual impairment, cognitive disability or severe depression. IDIs were conducted with 18 participants and 10 healthcare providers., Setting: Oncology services in three public hospitals of the Mexican Social Security Institute., Intervention: The ePRO intervention consisted of a responsive web application for weekly symptom reporting combined with proactive follow-up by nurses guided by predefined clinical algorithms for 6 weeks., Results: 50 women were enrolled out of 66 eligible patients approached (75.8%). All 50 completed the 4-week follow-up assessment (100% retention). Completion of the symptom registry declined from 100% in week 1 to 66% in week 6. Participants experienced decreases in supportive care needs and increased quality of life. The ePRO application was rated highly usable. Participants and health professionals both perceived intervention benefits. Drawbacks included poor fit for women receiving radiotherapy and challenges using the application for women with low digital literacy or experiencing severe symptoms., Conclusions: This pilot study provided evidence of the high usability and potential efficacy of a web-based ePRO intervention. We revised recruitment during the pilot to include multiple facilities, and we will further revise for the randomised trial to address barriers to successful ePRO implementation., Trial Registration Number: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05925257., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Ovarian cancer is the third most frequent gynaecological malignancy worldwide and in Mexico, with a high mortality rate, due to that in many cases its diagnosis is made in advanced stages. Prognosis is important for determining the subtype and the degree of evolution. During lasts years, the management of ovarian cancer has undergone an important evolution with the incorporation of new therapeutic options, which in turn represent an increase in the survival of these patients. We present recommendations for the management of ovarian cancer developed by an expert panel Mexican based on available evidence so far and the characteristics of health care in the country., (Copyright: © 2021 Permanyer.)

Background: Surgery, radiotherapy or radiotherapy alone (RTA) constitute conventional treatment regimes for advanced stages of squamous cell carcinoma originating in the head and neck mucosa. Nevertheless, the results in advanced regional carcinoma (ARC) are disappointing. The chemotherapy-radiotherapy (CHT-RT) association has shown to be superior to RTA in irresectable disease and in resectable disease it could substitute initial surgery as a rescue alternative., Objective: Our objective is to report the response rate and toxicity of concurrent treatment with Gemcitabine and Radiotherapy (GRT) in patients with ARC. In a prospective design, patients with ARC received concurrent GRT; the global, complete and partial response rate as well as toxicity were assessed., Material and Methods: 15 patients were included, 5 women and 10 men, 73% in stage IVa; 13/15 showed a global response (87%), a complete response was observed in 9 cases (60%) (RC) and 2 showed progress., Results: All patients included showed toxicity, the most frequent one was level 4 mucositis in 46%, of this 40% required nutritional support by catheter or gastrostomy. One patient in RC died due to sepsis. None of them suspended treatment., Conclusion: The GRT association offers a complete response rate of 60%; nevertheless morbidity was not insignificant; randomized studies with a larger number of patients will be required to allow us to outline the optimal therapeutic scheme.