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Objectives: The objectives of this study are to evaluate the relationship between authorship networking, socioeconomic factors, and scientific productivity across Latin America. Methods: In a bibliometric analysis of cancer-related Latin-American publications, the relationship between authorship network indicators, sociodemographic factors, and number of peer-reviewed indexed publications per country was explored. A systematic review of the literature for cancer publications between 2000 and 2018 using the Scopus database limited to Latin-American authors was used for the construction of coauthorship and publication networks and their respective metrics. Sociodemographic variables including percentage of invested gross domestic product in research, population, and cancer incidence were also estimated. Multiple linear regression models were constructed to determine the relationship between productivity and the aforementioned variables. Results: A total of 8,528 articles across nine countries were included. Brazil was the most productive nation with 41.8% of identified references followed by Mexico (16.6%) and Argentina (12.9%). Latin America experienced a 9% growth in number of publications across the studied time frame. After analyzing networking and sociodemographic variables, number of authors in a collaboration network and percentage of invested gross domestic product were associated with high productivity yielding a multiple regression model with an R2 value of 0.983. Conclusions: This study indicates that extensive authorship networking and a high investment in research strongly predict cancer-related productivity. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Here we report a case of a young, never-smoker Hispanic woman with a hereditary familial overlap syndrome (Li-Fraumeni plus CDH1). The patient developed multiple synchronous primary lung adenocarcinomas related to Intra-Alveolar Tumor Spread (STAS) several years after the diagnosis of a locally advanced lower limb osteosarcoma. Comprehensive genomic profiling by next generation sequencing (NGS) was performed on 90 cancer-related genes over each lung lesion (including two nodules of acinar adenocarcinoma, one lepidic spread tumor and in the STAS area). Likewise, the broad genomic analysis was performed on archival tissue from the previous bone tumor. Lung tumors were found to harbor PIK3CA (invasive lesions) and a rare in-frame insertion of nucleotides in exon 19 of EGFR (lepidic tumor). STAS area showed KRAS and BRAF mutations in two different segments, and osteosarcoma tested positive for well known PIK3CA, KRAS and CDH1 alterations. This unique case raises practical questions as to the challenges of molecular testing and highlights the potential association of germline TP53 and CDH1 mutations with concurrent somatic alterations that elucidate the basis of tumor heterogeneity.

Fetal adenocarcinoma of the lung (FLAC) is a rare tumor. It accounts for ~0.1%–0.5% of all pulmonary neoplasms. Due to its rarity, much of the world literature regarding FLAC comes from case reports and case series. FLAC is an adenocarcinoma resembling developing fetal lung in its pseudoglandular stage (8–16 weeks of gestation). It is distinguishable from pulmonary blastoma (PB) because it lacks the mesenchymal component which is a hallmark finding in PB. Due to differences in histopathology and clinical course, FLAC has been further categorized into low-grade (L-FLAC) and high-grade (H-FLAC) forms. L-FLAC displays low nuclear atypia and prominent morule formation and has a pure pattern. H-FLAC typically presents with at least 50% fetal morphology, and is often associated with other conventional types of lung adenocarcinoma. FLAC expresses neuroendocrine markers and thyroid transcription factor 1 in most cases. L-FLAC has an aberrant nuclear/cytoplasmic expression of β-catenin and presents mutations in this gene. H-FLAC overexpresses p53. These tumors have a very low frequency of mutations in KRAS and EGFR; it is thought that they are different from a molecular point of view to conventional lung adenocarcinomas. Approximately 25%–40% of patients are asymptomatic at presentation; most of them are incidental findings on chest radiographs. H-FLAC is more common in elderly male patients, with a heavy smoking history. L-FLAC tends to occur in young females. Patients with L-FLAC are usually diagnosed with stage I–II disease, while patients with H-FLAC usually present with a more advanced-stage disease. Poor prognostic factors for FLAC are thoracic lymphadenopathy, metastases at diagnosis, and tumor recurrence; however, the 10-year survival for FLAC is estimated at 75%.

The advent of immunotherapy has undoubtedly changed the current standard for cancer treatment. Immunotherapy offers the possibility of achieving excellent results-a new alternative for patients with advanced-stage or relapsed disease. Nowadays, the progress made in tumour biology has led to multiple advances in clinical and translational cancer research. Many oncogenic pathways responsible for tumour growth and metastases have been described and, consequently, multiple new cancer therapeutic agents have been developed and are under current investigation. Due to this rapid increase in knowledge and pharmaceutical development, traditional clinical trials designs have encountered major limitations. The pharmacological differences (in toxicity profiles and effectiveness patterns) between immunotherapy and chemotherapy have caused traditional clinical trials to evolve in order to meet this emerging need. This review focuses on the different options pertaining to clinical trial design that have arisen in the field of immuno-oncology, as well as the challenges of accurately interpreting traditional survival analyses within this novel area of cancer medicine.

Purpose To compare the effectiveness of octreotide/everolimus vs. sunitinib for the systemic treatment of recurrent aggressive meningiomas. Methods 31 patients with recurrent or refractory WHO II or WHO III meningiomas were examined in two reference centers in Colombia. Patients who had systemic treatment (sunitinib, everolimus/octreotide) and a complete follow-up were included. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and toxicities were evaluated. Additionally, tissue samples were examined for PDGFR beta and VEGFR2, their expression was correlated with outcomes. Results Twenty-two patients (72%) were female with a median age of 55 years (SD +/- 15.3). The most prevalent histology was anaplastic meningioma in 20 patients (65%) with 48% of patients suffering from three previous relapses before the start of systemic treatment. A total of 14 patients received combination therapy with octreotide/everolimus, 11 received sunitinib and the remaining 6 received other second-line agents. Median OS was 37.3 months (95% CI 28.5-42.1) and the PFS during the treatment with everolimus/octreotide (EO) and sunitinib (Su) was 12.1 months (95% CI 9.2-21.1) and 9.1 months (95% CI 6.8-16.8); p = 0.43), respectively. The OS of the group treated with the EO -> Su -> Bev sequence (1st/2nd/3rd line) was 6.5 months longer than the Su -> EO -> Bev sequence (36.0 vs. 29.5 months) (p = 0.0001). When analyzing molecular markers, the positive PDGFR beta and negative VEGFR2 expression were associated with longer survival both in OS and PFS. Conclusion Sunitinib and octreotide/everolimus have similar efficacy and safety in the systemic management of refractory meningioma. VEGFR2 and PDGFR beta expression are associated with better outcomes.

Background: Cancer is a global problem. Estimates for 2018 expect around 18.1 million new cases and 9.6 related deaths worldwide. Interestingly, there is significant geographical variation in cancer research that has an inverse correlation with cancer-specific mortality. In Latin America (LATAM), the percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) invested in research is below 1% in the majority of countries. The region has been a participant in only 4.6% of clinical trials in cancer worldwide and produced only 4% of all scientific publications. Methods: This study, a bibliometric analysis of cancer-related publications in LATAM establishes the relationship between sociodemographic factors and countries, taking into account authors and their networking efforts. We implemented a high sensitivity search strategy for cancer publications between 2000 and 2018 using the Scopus database, limited to LATAM nations. We constructed collaboration networks for both authors and citations for LATAM and each country in the region, calculated correlations between the number of included publications, author and national indicators. Findings: The search included 8528 articles across 9 countries. Brazil was the most productive nation with 41.8% of the included references. Mexico (16.6%), Argentina (12.9%), and Chile (9.7%) followed. LATAM experienced a 9% growth in publications. Peru had the greatest percentage growth (23%). Number of publications by country highly correlated with author network size (r = 0.75, p = 0.019). Percentage of invested GDP in research and development correlated positively with the number of publications for most nations. Interpretation: LATAM has experienced a significant growth in cancer related publications. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of scientific networking as a strategy for increasing scientific productivity. Hopefully, these results will serve to bolster oncology related publications in the region, further contributing with cancer research and leading to progress in the scientific field. Funding Statement: This study was self-funded. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no potential conflict of interest related to this article. Ethics Approval Statement: Due to the nature of the study, no approval of an institutional Ethics and Research board was required.

El cáncer de pulmón de células no pequeñas (CPCNP) es responsable del 85% de los casos de cáncer de pulmón (CP). Por lo tanto, se desarrollaron inhibidores de la tirosina quinasa del receptor del factor de crecimiento epitelial (EGFR-TKI) y han mejorado los resultados clínicos de los pacientes con NSCLC con mutación en EGFR. Sin embargo, estos pacientes inevitablemente desarrollan resistencia a esos medicamentos. Algunos de los mecanismos de resistencia son la mutación T790M y la transformación de adenocarcinoma de pulmón a cáncer de pulmón de células pequeñas (CPCP). Por el contrario, solo unos pocos casos de NSCLC con mutación en EGFR informaron una supervivencia a largo plazo de más de 5 años. El presente caso se trata de una mujer de 53 años de edad, nunca fumadora, de origen hispano, que debutó con tos seca sin disnea y dolor intermitente de alta intensidad en hemitórax izquierdo y columna. Fue diagnosticada con CPNM metastásico e inició tratamiento con doble quimioterapia basada en platino. Después de que se identificara una mutación de EGFR, el paciente comenzó la terapia dirigida. A lo largo de los años, el tratamiento se intensificó debido a la resistencia que desarrolló contra los inhibidores de la tirosina quinasa. Se informó la mutación de resistencia T790M y persistió en el tiempo; además años después se constató la aparición de la mutación TP53R213. Se administró tratamiento con osimertinib con éxito durante 10 meses y posteriormente se constató progresión meníngea. Al mismo tiempo, se confirmó la transdiferenciación a SCLC mediante análisis histológico. Posteriormente se administró sin éxito carboplatino/etopósido/osimertinib. El paciente falleció en enero de 2020, tras 12,5 años de supervivencia global (SG) y 10 líneas de tratamiento. Hasta donde sabemos, este artículo presenta una de las supervivencias más largas reportadas de un paciente con LC metastásico con mutación de EGFR. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is responsible of 85% of lung cancer (LC) cases. Therefore, epithelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) were developed and have improved clinical outcomes of EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients. However, these patients inevitably develop resistance to those medications. Some of the resistance mechanisms are T790M mutation and transformation of lung adenocarcinoma to small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Conversely, only a few EGFR-mutant NSCLC cases reported a long-term survival of more than 5 years. The present case concerns a 53-year-old never smoker woman of Hispanic origin, that debuted with dry cough without dyspnea and intermittent high-intensity pain in the left chest and spine. She was diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC and started treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy double. After an EGFR-mutation was identified, the patient started target therapy. Over the years, treatment was escalated because of the resistance she developed against TKIs. T790M resistance mutation was reported and persisted over time; additionally the appearance of TP53R213 mutation was found years later. Treatment with osimertinib was successfully administered for 10 months and after that meningeal progression was found. At the same time, transdifferentiation to SCLC was confirmed by histological analysis. Carboplatin/etoposide/osimertinib was then unsuccessfully administered. The patient died in January 2020, after 12.5 years of overall survival (OS) and 10 lines of treatment. To our knowledge, this article presents one of the longest reported survivals of a metastatic LC patient with EGFR mutation.

Objectives: Lung cancer is a heterogeneous disease. Presentation and prognosis are known to vary according to several factors, such as genetic and demographic characteristics. Small-cell lung cancer incidence is increasing in never-smokers. However, the disease phenotype in this population is different compared with patients who have a smoking history. Material and Methods: To further investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of this patient subgroup, a cohort of small cell lung cancer patients was divided into smokers (n = 10) and never/ever-smokers (n = 10). A somatic mutation profile was obtained using a comprehensive NGS assay. Clinical outcomes were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional models. Results: Median age was 63 years (46–81), 40% were men, and 90% had extended disease. Smoker patients had significantly more cerebral metastases (p = 0.04) and were older (p = 0.03) compared to their non-smoker counterparts. For never/ever smokers, the main genetic mutations were TP53 (80%), RB1 (40%), CYLD (30%), and EGFR (30%). Smoker patients had more RB1 (80%, p = 0.04), CDKN2A (30%, p = 0.05), and CEBPA (30%, p = 0.05) mutations. Response rates to first-line therapy with etoposide plus cisplatin/carboplatin were 50% in smokers and 90% in never/ever smokers (p = 0.141). Median overall survival was significantly longer in never smokers compared with smokers (29.1 months [23.5–34.6] vs. 17.3 months [4.8–29.7]; p = 0.0054). Never/ever smoking history (HR 0.543, 95% CI 0.41–0.80), limited-stage disease (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.40–0.91) and response to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy (HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.60–0.92) were independently associated with good prognosis. Conclusion: Our data supports that never/ever smoker patients with small-cell lung cancer have better prognosis compared to their smoker counterparts. Further, patients with never/ever smoking history who present with small-cell lung cancer have a different mutation profile compared with smokers, including a high frequency of EGFR, MET, and SMAD4 mutations. Further studies are required to assess whether the differential mutation profile is a consequence of a diverse pathological mechanism for disease onset.

Background Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has a 5-year survival of 5-16%. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, in most cases, confer sensitivity to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. Nonetheless, it is still unclear why clinical outcomes vary among patients with identical EGFR mutations. The amplification of the EGFR gene (EGFRamp) may play a significant role. Objective Compare the complete (CR) and partial response (PR) rates, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) in Hispanic patients with lung adenocarcinoma treated with erlotinib with EGFR mutations (L858R or exon 19 deletion [Del19]) with and without concomitant EGFRamp. Patients and Methods Seventy-two EGFR-positive lung adenocarcinoma patients of Hispanic origin, who underwent first-line treatment with erlotinib, were evaluated for EGFRamp by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The clinical outcomes were analyzed according to EGFR mutations and EGFRamp status. Results 30.6% of samples showed EGFRamp, more frequently present in patients with Del19 (p = 0.05). Patients with EGFRamp had a longer PFS (in months) [(28.5, 95% CI 22.3-34.6) vs. (11.0, 95% CI 8.2-16.7); p = 0.002] and OS [(37.8, 95% CI 30.9-44.7) vs. (27.1, 95% CI 12.8-41.3); p = 0.009] than those without. EGFRamp significantly influenced the response to erlotinib (p = 0.0001). EGFRamp+/Del19 had a longer OS, 37.8 (95% CI 31.0-44.6), compared to EGFRamp+/L8585R, 27.5 (95% CI 12.4-42.5) (p < 0.001) and longer PFS (p = 0.043). Conclusion Among Hispanic patients, EGFRamp was present in 30% of patients with EGFR mutations. EGFR mutations and EGFRamp are associated with better OS, PFS, CR, and PR to erlotinib and, hence, could aid in the correct selection of patients that benefit from EGFR TKI treatment.

Background Age, CKD risk factors, and kidney function are associated with larger glomerular volume and a higher percentage of globally sclerotic glomeruli. Knowledge of how these associations may differ by cortical depth is limited. Methods To investigate glomerular volume and glomerulosclerosis across different depths of cortex, we studied wedge sections of the renal parenchyma from 812 patients who underwent a radical nephrectomy (for a tumor), separately characterizing glomeruli in the superficial (subcapsular), middle, and deep (juxtamedullary) regions. We compared the association of mean nonsclerotic glomerular volume and of glomerulosclerosis (measured as the percentage of globally sclerotic glomeruli) with age, obesity, diabetes, smoking, kidney function, and structural pathology in the superficial, middle, and deep regions. Results The superficial, middle, and deep regions showed significant differences in glomerular volume (0.0025, 0.0031, and 0.0028 µm3, respectively) and in glomerulosclerosis (18%, 7%, and 11%, respectively). There was a marked increase in glomerulosclerosis with age in the superficial region, but larger glomerular volume was not associated with age at any cortical depth. Glomerulosclerosis associated more strongly with arteriosclerosis and ischemic-appearing glomeruli in the superficial region. Hypertension, lower eGFR, and interstitial fibrosis associated with glomerulosclerosis and glomerular volume to a similar extent at any depth. Diabetes and proteinuria more strongly associated with glomerulosclerosis in the deep and middle regions, respectively, but neither associated with glomerular volume differently by depth. Obesity associated more strongly with glomerular volume in the superficial cortex. Conclusions Most clinical characteristic show similar associations with glomerulosclerosis and glomerulomegaly at different cortical depths. Exceptions include age-related glomerulosclerosis, which appears to be an ischemic process and is more predominant in the superficial region.

Objetivo. Revisar el estado del arte en relación con la información actual sobre el cáncer de pulmón de células escamosas (CPCE) y describir las anomalías genéticas reportadas, su efecto y los agentes terapéuticos más prometedores. Material y métodos. Se realizó una revisión de artículos publicados en revistas indizadas, así como las guías de tratamiento publicadas por instancias locales e internacionales. Resultados. El CPCE representa una proporción menor de la carga mundial de la enfermedad por cáncer pulmonar en comparación con su presentación más frecuente, el adenocarcinoma. Sin embargo, más de 400 000 casos son reportados anualmente, una población sustancial para quienes las opciones terapéuticas son escasas y con una eficacia limitada. Diversos grupos se han dado a la tarea de elucidar los mecanismos que conllevan al desarrollo del CPCE, incluyendo anomalías moleculares que puedan servir como blancos para el diseño de fármacos. Conclusiones. Existen blancos terapéuticos potenciales para el CPCE que deben ser estudiados en ensayos clínicos para ser validados. Objective. To review the state-of-the-art in relation to the current information on squamous cell lung cancer (SCLC). We describe the genetic anomalies reported, their effect, and fi­nally the most promising therapeutic agents. Materials and methods. We reviewed published articles in peer-reviewed journals as well as current treatment guidelines from local and international resources. Results. SCLC represents a smaller proportion of the global burden of disease for lung cancer compared to its more frequent presentation, the ade­nocarcinoma. However, more than 400 000 cases are reported annually, a substantial population for whom therapeutic op­tions are scarce and with limited efficacy. Several groups have been given the task of elucidating the mechanisms that lead to the development of SCLC, including molecular anomalies that can be used as targets for drug design. Conclusion. There are potential therapeutic targets for SCLC, which must be studied in clinical trials for validation.

e20637 Background: To compare survival outcomes of patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC who received immunotherapy at first, second or beyond versus matched patients receiving standard chemotherapy. Methods: A retrospective multicenter international cohort study of 296 patients with unresectable/ metastatic NSCLC treated with immunotherapy either as first, second, third or fourth line was conducted. A matched comparison with a historical cohort of first line chemotherapy was conducted. Results: Median age was 64 years (Range 34-90) and 40.2% were female patients. 91.2% of patients had an ECOG performance score ≤ 1. Immunotherapy as first line was given to 39 patients (13.7%), second line to 140 (48.8%), and as third line and beyond to 108 (37.6%). Median overall survival was 12.7 months (95% CI 9.67-14 months) and progression-free survival was 4.27 months (95% CI 3.97-5.0). Factors associated with increased survival included treatment as first-line (p < 0.001), type of response (p < 0.001) and PD-L1 status (p = 0.0039). Compared to the historical cohort, immunotherapy proved to be superior in terms of OS (p = 0.05) but not PFS (p = 0.2). Conclusions: Patients who receive immune checkpoint inhibitors as part of their treatment for NSCLC have better OS compared with matched patients treated with standard chemotherapy, regardless treatment line.