Special Issue "Tailored Treatments for Lung Cancer: From Early Diagnosis to Resistance Approaches in Advanced Stages"

A special issue of Current Oncology (ISSN 1718-7729). This special issue belongs to the section "Thoracic Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2023 | Viewed by 4777

Special Issue Editor

Division of Thoracic Oncology, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milan, Italy
Interests: lung cancer; NSCLC; EGFR; tyrosine kinase inhibitors; targeted therapy; immunotherapy; oncogene addiction; co-mutation patterns; resistance mechanisms

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Molecular advancements in the field of lung cancer have rapidly led to increased knowledge of tumor biology and a subsequent expansion of the horizons for the treatment of the biggest cancer-related killer worldwide.

In particular, the portfolio of actionable gene alterations that may function as potential therapeutic targets (so-called targetable gene alterations) is rapidly growing. In parallel, the emerging data regarding immunotherapy applicability in oncogene-addicted lung cancer make it mandatory to have complete molecular profiles together with PD-L1 statuses to better tailor treatment options. Of note, the impact of targeted and immune-based treatments is also being investigated in early-stage disease, with positive results. This knowledge requires the prompt improvement of testing, from early diagnosis to advanced disease, to allow patients to receive the best therapeutic option at any stage of their disease.

This Special Issue will highlight the current knowledge and future opportunities to tailor the treatment of lung cancer through clinical and translational research as a key to improve survival.

Dr. Antonio Passaro
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Current Oncology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • EGFR
  • ALK
  • ROS1
  • RET
  • KRAS
  • MET
  • BRAF
  • HER2
  • NTRK
  • PD-L1
  • NSCLC
  • lung cancer
  • immunotherapy
  • immune checkpoint inhibitors
  • targeted therapy
  • tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI)
  • resistance mechanisms
  • resectable
  • next-generation sequencing
  • molecular oncology
  • liquid biopsy
  • adjuvant treatment

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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Article
Advanced Lung Cancer Patients’ Use of EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Overall Survival: Real-World Evidence from Quebec, Canada
Curr. Oncol. 2022, 29(11), 8043-8073; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol29110636 - 26 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1357
Abstract
EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are breakthrough palliative treatments for advanced lung cancer patients with tumors harboring mutations in the EGFR gene. Using healthcare administrative data, three cohorts were created to describe the use of three EGFR-TKIs that are publicly funded in Quebec [...] Read more.
EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are breakthrough palliative treatments for advanced lung cancer patients with tumors harboring mutations in the EGFR gene. Using healthcare administrative data, three cohorts were created to describe the use of three EGFR-TKIs that are publicly funded in Quebec for specific indications (i.e., 1st-line gefitinib, 1st-line afatinib, and post-EGFR-TKI osimertinib). The main objective was to compare overall survival (OS) among patients receiving these treatments to those in previous experimental and real-world studies. The patients who received EGFR-TKIs for indications of interest between 1 April 2001, and 31 March 2019 (or 31 March 2020, for post-EGFR-TKI osimertinib) were included to estimate the Kaplan-Meier-based median OS for each cohort. An extensive literature search was conducted to include comparable studies. For the gefitinib 1st-line (n = 457), the afatinib 1st-line (n = 80), and the post-EGFR-TKI osimertinib (n = 119) cohorts, we found a median OS (in months) of 18.9 (95%CI: 16.3–21.9), 26.6 (95%CI: 13.7-NE) and 19.9 (95%CI: 17.4-NE), respectively. Out of the 20 studies that we retained from the literature review and where comparisons were feasible, 17 (85%) had similar OS results, which further confirms the value of these breakthrough therapies in real-world clinical practice. Full article
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Review

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Review
Sustained Improvement in the Management of Patients with Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Harboring ALK Translocation: Where Are We Running?
Curr. Oncol. 2023, 30(5), 5072-5092; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30050384 - 16 May 2023
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Abstract
ALK translocation amounts to around 3–7% of all NSCLCs. The clinical features of ALK+ NSCLC are an adenocarcinoma histology, younger age, limited smoking history, and brain metastases. The activity of chemotherapy and immunotherapy is modest in ALK+ disease. Several randomized trials have proven [...] Read more.
ALK translocation amounts to around 3–7% of all NSCLCs. The clinical features of ALK+ NSCLC are an adenocarcinoma histology, younger age, limited smoking history, and brain metastases. The activity of chemotherapy and immunotherapy is modest in ALK+ disease. Several randomized trials have proven that ALK inhibitors (ALK-Is) have greater efficacy with respect to platinum-based chemotherapy and that second/third generation ALK-Is are better than crizotinib in terms of improvements in median progression-free survival and brain metastases management. Unfortunately, most patients develop acquired resistance to ALK-Is that is mediated by on- and off-target mechanisms. Translational and clinical research are continuing to develop new drugs and/or combinations in order to raise the bar and further improve the results attained up to now. This review summarizes first-line randomized clinical trials of several ALK-Is and the management of brain metastases with a focus on ALK-I resistance mechanisms. The last section addresses future developments and challenges. Full article
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Review
Drug Repurposing in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma: Old Solutions for New Problems
Curr. Oncol. 2023, 30(1), 704-719; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30010055 - 05 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2099
Abstract
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in 2022. The majority (80%) of lung cancer cases belong to the non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) subtype. Despite the increased screening efforts, the median five-year survival of [...] Read more.
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in 2022. The majority (80%) of lung cancer cases belong to the non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) subtype. Despite the increased screening efforts, the median five-year survival of metastatic NSCLC remains low at approximately 3%. Common treatment approaches for NSCLC include surgery, multimodal chemotherapy, and concurrent radio and chemotherapy. NSCLC exhibits high rates of resistance to treatment, driven by its heterogeneity and the plasticity of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Drug repurposing offers a faster and cheaper way to develop new antineoplastic purposes for existing drugs, to help overcome therapy resistance. The decrease in time and funds needed stems from the availability of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs to be repurposed. This review provides a synopsis of the drug-repurposing approaches and mechanisms of action of potential candidate drugs used in treating NSCLC, including but not limited to antihypertensives, anti-hyperlipidemics, anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-diabetics, and anti-microbials. Full article
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