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Molecular algorithms may estimate the risk of recurrence and death for patients with endometrial cancer (EC) and may impact treatment decisions. To detect microsatellite instabilities (MSI) and p53 mutations, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and molecular techniques are used. To select the most appropriate method, and to have an accurate interpretation of their results, knowledge of the performance characteristics of these respective methods is essential. The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of IHC versus molecular techniques (gold standard). One hundred and thirty-two unselected EC patients were enrolled in this study. Agreement between the two diagnostic methods was assessed using Cohen's kappa coefficient. Sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) of the IHC were calculated. For MSI status, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 89.3%, 87.3%, 78.1% and 94.1%, respectively. Cohen's kappa coefficient was 0.74. For p53 status, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 92.3%, 77.1%, 60.0% and 96.4%, respectively. Cohen's kappa coefficient was 0.59. For MSI status, IHC presented a substantial agreement with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approach. For the p53 status, the moderate agreement observed between IHC and next generation sequencing (NGS) methods implies that they cannot be used interchangeably.

Background: The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rapid reorganization in all human and hospital activities, with impact on cancer patients., Aim: An analysis of cancer patients fears, and awareness of COVID-19 has been done in this study., Methods and Results: We analyzed cancer patients' reactions to the pandemic and their perception of oncological care reorganization, through a 12-item survey, proposed at the peak of pandemic and 3 months later. Overall, 237 patients were included in the study. During the peak of pandemic 34.6% of patients were more worried about COVID-19 than cancer versus 26.4% in the post-acute phase (p = .013). Although 49.8% of patients in the acute phase and 42.3% in the post-acute phase considered their risk of death if infected ≥50%, and more than 70% of patients thought to be at higher risk of complications, the majority of them did not consider the possibility to stop or delay their treatment. Patients were more interested in following news about COVID-19 than cancer and they complied with all preventive measures in more than 90% of the cases., Conclusions: Although cancer patients worried about COVID-19 and evaluated the risk of complication or death due to COVID-19 as extremely high, they were still asking for the best oncological treatment., (© 2021 The Authors. Cancer Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Hemoglobin (Hb), white blood cell (WBC), and polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) blood counts may be correlated with outcomes in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer., Methods: Hb, WBC, and PMN counts were measured at diagnosis and during concomitant cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in a retrospective sample of 103 patients between 2010 and 2017. Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions were also recorded. The associations between hematological variables and patient overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were assessed by Cox regression models., Results: The 3-year OS and RFS rates were 81.4% and 76.8%, respectively. In addition to tumor size and smoking, OS and RFS were found to be significantly associated with changes in WBC and PMN counts from the first to the last cisplatin cycle. Hb count throughout the treatment and RBC transfusions were not predictive of outcome., Conclusions: This study found no association between Hb count or RBC transfusions and outcome. The daily practice of maintaining the Hb count above 12 g/dL during CCRT should be weighed against the potential risks of transfusions. Drops in WBC and PMN counts during treatment positively impacted OS and RFS and could, therefore, serve as biomarkers during CCRT to adapt the follow-up and consider the need for adjuvant systemic treatments., (© 2020 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Most ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed only at advanced stages when survival outcomes are worse, andwhen therapeutic decisions might prove challenging. The fundamental treatment for women with ovarian cancerincludes debulking surgery whenever possible and appropriate systemic therapy (chemotherapy, targeted andantiangiogenic agents). In the last few years, knowledge about histological and molecular characteristics of ovariancancer subtypes and stages has increased considerably. This has enabled the development and improvement ofseveral options for the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer in a patient-tailored approach. Accordingly,therapeutic decisions are guided by the characteristics of the patient and the tumour, especially the molecularfeatures of the cancer subtype and disease stage. Particularly relevant are the advances in early genetic testing ofgermline and somatic mutations involved in DNA repair, and the clinical development of targeted agents. In orderto implement the best individual medical strategies, in this article, we present an algorithm of treatment options,including recently developed targeted agents, for primary and recurrent ovarian cancer patients in Belgium., Competing Interests: Disclosure statement: Dr. Denys reports consulting fees (advisory role) paid to her institution by Pfizer, Roche, PharmaMar, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Amgen, Tesaro; grants from Research Funding institutional Roche; and other fees (travel, accommodations, expenses) by Pfizer, Roche, PharmaMar, Teva, AstraZeneca; all of these outside the submitted work. Dr. Gennigens reports personal fees for advisory boards from BMS, Pfizer (including travel), MSD, and Ipsen (including travel); all of these outside the submitted work. Dr. Vergote reports personal fees for consulting (paid to his university) from Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Verastem Oncology, MSD Belgium, Roche NV, Genmab A/S - Genmab B.V. - Genmab US, F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd, Pharmamar-DoctaforumServicios SL, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Clovis Oncology, AstraZeneca NV, AstraZeneca UK Ltd, AstraZeneca Belux, Tesaro Inc.,Tesaro Bio GmbH, Oncoinvent AS, Immunogen Inc, Sotio a.s., Amgen Europe, Carrick Therapeutics, Debiopharm International SA, GSK GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, Medical University of Vienna, and Octimet Oncology NV. He also reports grants from Amgen and Roche; other fees (contracted research) from Oncoinvent AS and Genmab; and fees to cover accommodation and travel expenses from Takeda Oncology, Pharma Mar, Genmab, Roche, AstraZeneca, Tesaro, Clovis, and Immunogen. All the Potential Conflicts of Interest reported by Dr. Vergote are outside the submitted work. Dr. Vuylsteke reports advisory board fees and travel grants from AstraZeneca, Roche, MSD, BMS, and Pfizer. Dr. Van de Vijver, Dr. Baurain and Dr. Kerger have nothing to declare. Dr. De Greve reports personal fees as a member of the AstraZeneca Foundation board and institutional clinical trial grants for IIS trials from Roche and AstraZeneca., (Copyright © 2020 Facts, Views & Vision.)

Purpose: Tissue factor (TF) is a potential target in cervical cancer, as it is frequently highly expressed and associated with poor prognosis. Tisotumab vedotin, a first-in-class investigational antibody-drug conjugate targeting TF, has demonstrated encouraging activity in solid tumors. Here we report data from the cervical cancer cohort of innovaTV 201 phase I/II study (NCT02001623)., Patients and Methods: Patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer received tisotumab vedotin 2.0 mg/kg every 3 weeks until progressive disease, unacceptable toxicity, or consent withdrawal. The primary objective was safety and tolerability. Secondary objectives included antitumor activity., Results: Of the 55 patients, 51% had received ≥2 prior lines of treatment in the recurrent or metastatic setting; 67% had prior bevacizumab + doublet chemotherapy. Fifty-one percent of patients had squamous cell carcinoma. The most common grade 3/4 treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) were anemia (11%), fatigue (9%), and vomiting (7%). No grade 5 treatment-related AEs occurred. Investigator-assessed confirmed objective response rate (ORR) was 24% [95% confidence interval (CI): 13%-37%]. Median duration of response (DOR) was 4.2 months (range: 1.0 + -9.7); four patients responded for >8 months. The 6-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 29% (95% CI: 17%-43%). Independent review outcomes were comparable, with confirmed ORR of 22% (95% CI: 12%-35%), median DOR of 6.0 months (range: 1.0 + -9.7), and 6-month PFS rate of 40% (95% CI: 24%-55%). Tissue factor expression was confirmed in most patients; no significant association with response was observed., Conclusions: Tisotumab vedotin demonstrated a manageable safety profile and encouraging antitumor activity in patients with previously treated recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer., (©2019 American Association for Cancer Research.)