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Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is the most common malignant neoplasm of mesenchymal origin. GIST spans a wide clinical spectrum that ranges from tumors with essentially no metastatic potential to malignant and life-threatening spread diseases. Gain-of-function mutations in KIT or PDGFRA receptor tyrosine kinases are the crucial drivers of most GISTs, responsible for tumor initiation and evolution throughout the entire course of the disease. The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting these receptors has substantially improved the outcomes in this formerly chemoresistant cancer. As of today, five agents hold regulatory approval for the treatment of GIST: imatinib, sunitinib, regorafenib, ripretinib, and avapritinib. This, in turn, represents a success for a rare neoplasm. During the past two decades, GIST has become a paradigmatic model in cancer for multidisciplinary work, given the disease-specific particularities regarding tumor biology and tumor evolution. Herein, we review currently available evidence for the management of GIST. This clinical practice guideline has been developed by a multidisciplinary expert panel (oncologist, pathologist, surgeon, molecular biologist, radiologist, and representative of patients’ advocacy groups) from the Spanish Group for Sarcoma Research, and it is conceived to provide, from a critical perspective, the standard approach for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.

Early stages are under-represented in studies on the molecular and immune features of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC), and specific studies focused on early-stage HGSOC are required for a better prognostic stratification and to personalize chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic significance of CD8+ and CD4+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), tumoral cell PD-L1 expression, BRCA mutational status and tumor mutation burden (TMB) in early-stage HGSOC. A retrospective study was performed on stage I and II HGSOC from the Molecular Reclassification of Early Stages of Ovarian Cancer (RECLAMO) cohort from the Spanish Group of Ovarian Cancer Research (GEICO). Centralized histological typing was performed based on morphological and immunohistochemical features. Intraepithelial (i) and stromal (s) CD8+ and CD4+ T cells and PD-L1 were evaluated on tissue microarrays by immunohistochemistry. BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation status and TMB were analyzed in tumor DNA using next-generation sequencing. The study included 124 tumors. High iCD8+ (>20 TILs/core), low/intermediate CD4+ (35/core) were associated with favorable outcomes. Tumor cell PD-L1 expression (TPS ≥ 1) was present in only 8% of tumors. In total, 11 (16%) and 6 (9%) out of 69 HGSOC tested carried pathogenic or likely pathogenic BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, respectively. Median TMB of 40 tumors analyzed was 5.04 mutations/Mb and only 6 tumors had 10 or more mutations/Mb. BRCA status and TMB were not associated with TILs or prognosis. When compared with studies on advanced HGSOC, our results suggested that prognostic variables differed according to stage and that more studies focused on early stages of HGSOC are needed to better stratify these tumors.

Ovarian epithelial cancer (OEC) is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. Despite current chemotherapeutic and surgical options, this high lethality can be attributed to multiple factors, including late-stage presentation. In order to optimize OEC treatment, it is important to highlight that it is composed of five main subtypes: high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC), low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (LGSOC), endometrioid ovarian carcinoma (EOC), ovarian clear cell carcinoma (CCOC), and mucinous ovarian carcinoma (MOC). These subtypes differ in their precursor lesions, as well as in epidemiological, morphological, molecular and clinical features. OEC is one of the tumours in which most pathogenic germline mutations have been identified. Accordingly, up to 20% OC show alterations in BRCA1/2 genes, and also, although with a lower frequency, in other low penetrance genes associated with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), mismatch repair genes (Lynch syndrome) and TP53. The most important prognostic factor is the 2014 FIGO staging, while older age is also associated with worse survival. HGSOC in all stages and CCC and MOC in advanced stages have the worse prognosis among histological types. Molecular markers have emerged as prognostic factors, particularly mutations in BRCA1/2, which are associated with a better outcome. Regarding treatment, whereas a proportion of HGSOC is sensible to platinum-based treatment and PARP inhibitors due to HRD, the rest of the histological types are relatively chemoresistant. New treatments based in specific molecular alterations are being tested in different histological types. In addition, immunotherapy could be an option, especially for EOC carrying mismatch repair deficiency or POLE mutations.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women with 85% of the mortality burden occurring in less-developed regions of the world. The Cervix Cancer Research Network (CCRN) was founded by the Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup (GCIG) with a mission to improve outcomes in cervix cancer by increasing access to high-quality clinical trials worldwide, with particular attention to less-developed, underrepresented sites. The CCRN held its second international educational symposium in Mexico City with ninety participants from fifteen Latin America countries in January 2017. The purpose of this symposium was to advance knowledge in cervix cancer therapy, promote recruitment to CCRN clinical trials, and to identify relevant future CCRN clinical trial concepts that could improve global care standards for women with cervical cancer. Keywords: Cervix cancer, Cervical cancer, Radiotherapy, CCRN, Hypofractionation

The aim of this study was to identify an easily reliable prognostic score that selects the subset of advanced soft tissue sarcoma (ASTS) patients with a higher benefit with trabectedin in terms of time to progression and overall survival. A retrospective series of 357 patients with ASTS treated with trabectedin as second- or further-line in 19 centers across Spain was analyzed. First, it was confirmed that patients with high growth modulation index (GMI > 1.33) were associated with the better clinical outcome. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with a GMI > 1.33. Thus, GEISTRA score was based on metastasis free-interval (MFI ≤ 9.7 months), Karnofsky < 80%, Non L-sarcomas and better response in the previous systemic line. The median GMI was 0.82 (0–69), with 198 patients (55%) with a GMI < 1, 41 (11.5%) with a GMI 1–1.33 and 118 (33.1%) with a GMI > 1.33. The lowest GEISTRA score showed a median of time-to-progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) of 5.7 and 19.5 months, respectively, whereas it was 1.8 and 3.1 months for TTP and OS, respectively, for the GEISTRA 4 score. This prognostic tool can contribute to better selecting candidates for trabectedin treatment in ASTS.

Abstract Background Ovarian clear cell carcinomas (OCCCs) are rare, aggressive and chemoresistant tumors. Geographical and ethnic differences in the incidence of OCCC have been reported with a higher incidence in Asiatic countries. There is a paucity of information regarding OCCC in Latin America (LA) and other countries. Methods Here, we characterized two cohorts of 33 patients with OCCC from LA (24 from Brazil and 9 from Costa Rica) and a cohort of 27 patients from Spain. Genomic analysis was performed for 26 OCCC using the OncoScan platform. Tumors were classified according to their genomic landscapes into subgroups. Clinical parameters were related to the frequency of genomic aberrations. Results The median overall survival (OS) was not significantly different between the cohorts. Genomic landscapes were characterized by different homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) levels. No difference in the distribution of genomic landscapes profiles was detected between patients from the different cohorts. OCCCs with MYC-amplified tumors harboring a concomitant loss of a region in chromosome 13q12-q13 that includes the BRCA2 gene had the longest OS. In contrast, patients carrying a high number (> 30) of total copy number (CN) aberrations with no concomitant alterations in MYC and BRCA2 genes presented the shortest OS. Furthermore, amplification of the ASH1L gene was also associated with a shorter OS. Initial-stage OCCCs with early progression were characterized by gains in the JNK1 and MKL1 genes. Conclusions Our results provide new data from understudied OCCC populations and reveal new potential markers for OCCCs.

Abstract Background To determine the state of current practice and to reach a consensus on recommendations for the management of advanced ovarian cancer using a Delphi survey with a group of Spanish gynecologists and medical oncologists specially dedicated to gynecological tumors. Methods The questionnaire was developed by the byline authors. All questions but one were answered using a 9-item Likert-like scale with three types of answers: frequency, relevance and agreement. We performed two rounds between December 2018 and July 2019. A consensus was considered reached when at least 75% of the answers were located within three consecutive points of the Likert scale. Results In the first round, 32 oncologists and gynecologists were invited to participate, and 31 (96.9%) completed the online questionnaire. In the second round, 27 (87.1%) completed the online questionnaire. The results for the questions on first-line management of advanced disease, treatment of patients with recurrent disease for whom platinum might be the best option, and treatment of patients with recurrent disease for whom platinum might not be the best option are presented. Conclusions This survey shows a snapshot of current recommendations by this selected group of physicians. Although the majority of the agreements and recommendations are aligned with the recently published ESMO-ESGO consensus, there are some discrepancies that can be explained by differences in the interpretation of certain clinical trials, reimbursement or accessibility issues.

Abstract The poly (ADP-Ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor olaparib has shown antitumor activity in patients with ovarian or breast cancer with or without BRCA1/2 mutations. Lurbinectedin is an ecteinascidin that generates DNA double-strand breaks. We hypothesized that the combination of olaparib and lurbinectedin maximizes the DNA damage increasing the efficacy. A 3 + 3 dose-escalation study examined olaparib tablets with lurbinectedin every 21 days. The purpose of this phase I study is to determine the dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) of the combination, to investigate the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), the recommended phase II dose (RP2D), efficacy, pharmacokinetics, in addition to genotyping and translational studies. In total, 20 patients with ovarian and endometrial cancers were included. The most common adverse events were asthenia, nausea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, neutropenia, anemia. DLT grade 4 neutropenia was observed in two patients in dose level (DL) 5, DL4 was defined as the MTD, and the RP2D was lurbinectedin 1.5 mg/m2 + olaparib 250 mg twice a day (BID). Mutational analysis revealed a median of 2 mutations/case, 53% of patients with mutations in the homologous recombination (HR) pathway. None of the patients reached a complete or partial response; however, 60% of stable disease was achieved. In conclusion, olaparib in combination with lurbinectedin was well tolerated with a disease control rate of 60%. These results deserve further evaluation of the combination in a phase II trial.

We hypothesized that the combination of olaparib and lurbinectedin maximizes DNA damage, thus increasing its efficacy. The POLA phase 1 trial established the recommended phase 2 dose of lurbinectedin as being 1.5 mg (day 1) and that of olaparib as being 250 mg/12 h (days 1–5) for a 21-day cycle. In phase 2, we explore the efficacy of the combination in terms of clinical response and its correlation with mutations in the HRR genes and the genomic instability (GI) parameters. Results: A total of 73 patients with high-grade ovarian (n = 46), endometrial (n = 26), and triple-negative breast cancer (n = 1) were treated with lurbinectedin and olaparib. Most patients (62%) received ≥3 lines of prior therapy. The overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 9.6% and 72.6%, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.54 months (95% CI 3.0–5.2). Twelve (16.4%) patients were considered long-term responders (LTR), with a median PFS of 13.3 months. No clinical benefit was observed for cases with HRR gene mutation. In ovarian LTRs, although a direct association with GI and a total loss of heterozygosity (LOH) events was observed, the association did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.055). Globally, the total number of LOHs might be associated with the ORR (p =0.074). The most common grade 3–4 toxicities were anemia and thrombocytopenia, in 6 (8.2%) and 3 (4.1%) patients, respectively. Conclusion: The POLA study provides evidence that the administration of lurbinectedin and olaparib is feasible and tolerable, with a DCR of 72.6%. Different GI parameters showed associations with better responses.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, and they have been described as being associated with tumor prognosis. Here, miRNA profiling was planned to explore new molecular prognostic biomarkers in localized intestinal high-risk GIST. Paraffin tumor blocks of 14 and 86 patients were used in the discovery and expansion sets, respectively. GeneChip miRNA v3.0 was employed to identify the miRNAs differentially expressed between relapsed and non-relapsed patient samples, which were validated in the expansion set, by qRT-PCR. RT2 Profiler PCR Array was used for the screening of let-7e targets. Expression levels were correlated with relapse-free survival and overall survival. In the discovery set, 39 miRNAs were significantly deregulated, let-7e and miR-550 being the most underexpressed and overexpressed miRNAs in the relapsed group, respectively. In the expansion set, the underexpression of let-7e or the overexpression of 4 of its target genes (ACVR1B, CASP3, COL3A1, and COL5A2) were statistically associated with worse relapse-free survival. The expression of let-7e and 4 of its target genes are potential prognostic biomarkers in high-risk localized intestinal GIST. The expression of these genes is a potential molecular tool useful for a more accurate prognosis in this subset of GIST patients.

Resumen: Actualmente se han desarrollado diferentes estudios para lograr un aprovechamiento de agregados no convencionales en la preparación de mezclas de concreto debido a que la producción masiva de concreto ha generado un sobreconsumo de agregados naturales (grava y arena). Estudios previos han analizado el efecto en mezclas de concreto de agregados como: fibras de polipropileno, viruta de acero, escoria de fundición, bagazo de caña, estopa de coco y escombros; aprovechando materiales que anteriormente eran desechados y a su vez mejorando las propiedades del concreto. El presente proyecto estudia la influencia del uso de vidrio molido como agregado sobre la resistencia al desgaste en adoquines de hormigón tipo A. Se utiliza las normas EN 1338 e INEN 1488 para caracterizar a los adoquines fabricados. El vidrio es empleado en reemplazo parcial de los agregados tradicionales del hormigón, para conferir propiedades superiores de resistencia al desgaste, empleando diferentes granulometrías y dosificaciones. La principal motivación de este proyecto es brindar una alternativa diferente para el reciclaje de vidrio de fácil aplicación e implementación en las pequeñas y medianas industrias de producción artesanal de adoquines.Abstract: Nowadays, different studies to achieve the utilization of unconventional aggregates in the preparation of concrete have been developed, because mass production of concrete has generated an overconsumption of natural aggregates (gravel and sand). Previous studies have analyzed the effect on concrete mixtures of aggregates such as: polypropylene fibers, steel wool, slag, coconut and sugar cane bagasse and debris, using materials that were previously discarded and at the same time improving the properties of concrete . This work studies the influence of crushed glass as aggregate in concrete paving blocks on their abrasion resistance. Standards EN 1338 and INEN 1488 are used to characterize the obtained blocks. The glass is used as partial substitute of traditional aggregates, to confer superior abrasion resistance properties, using different grain distributions and percentages. The main motivation of this project is to provide an alternative for glass recycling of easy application and implementation in small and medium scale artisanal industries of paving block production.