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Future Oncology: best of 2018

Written by Rachel Jenkins, Commissioning Editor

Welcome to Future Oncology’s round up of the top content from 2018. Here we will review five of the most-read articles from the last year. The hot topic of the year was non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with the top three articles being centered around this subjectKey questions in this area included: EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC – which tyrosine kinase inhibitor and when? Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapywhich NSCLC patients will benefit most? Read on to find out more about these papers and the rest of Future Oncology’s top picks for 2018. 

To start things off, Future Oncology’s most-read article from 2018 was an observational multicenter study investigating the treatment of EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC patients with the sequential use of afatinib (Giotrif®) and osimertinib (Tagrisso™).  

The aim of the trial was to assess the outcomes in NSCLC patients with T790M-positive disease in a real-world clinical setting. T790M-positive disease can complicate NSCLC treatment decisions  as it causes resistance to most clinically available EGFR TKIs. The authors discovered that first-line afatinib followed by osimertinib in EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC patients who have acquired T790M resistance is a feasible treatment sequence. You can access the full article here. 

Following on nicely, the top review published by Future Oncology last year was entitled ‘Optimizing outcomes in EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC: which tyrosine kinase inhibitor and when?’

Following on nicely, the top review published by Future Oncology last year was entitled ‘Optimizing outcomes in EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC: which tyrosine kinase inhibitor and when?’ The review authored by Nicolas Girard (University of Lyon, France) and colleagues discussed the many factors that influence first-line treatment decisions to get the best treatment outcome for EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC patients.  

Girard considers data that supports the use of the available first- and second-generation EGFR TKIs and comments that over the next decade research will focus on outcomes and tolerability of various sequences of TKIs to prolong patient survival whilst maintaining quality of life. View the video abstract as well as the full paper here 

A second review that generated a lot of interest was entitled: ‘Patient selection for anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in advanced NSCLC: implications for clinical practice’. This paper by Califano (The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK) and colleagues discussed the available evidence on the use of clinical characteristics to help clinicians select patients with advanced NSCLC who were most likely to benefit from single-agent anti-PD1/PD-L1 therapy. The authors of the popular review also gave recommendations on the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in clinically challenging populations.  

The penultimate paper entitled ‘Bevacizumab biosimilars: scientific justification for extrapolation of indications’ considers what it takes to demonstrate biosimilarity for bevacizumab biosimilars, focusing on the rationale for extrapolation across different cancer types.  

Melosky (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada) and colleagues concluded that to consider the extrapolated use of bevacizumab biosimilars, biosimilarity needs to be seen for efficacy, safety and immunogenicity. Mechanisms of action and target receptors should also be considered.  

The authors hope that the results of this upcoming trial will lead to the availability of a new treatment option for these cancers. 

The fifth and final paper in Future Oncology’s collection of most-read articles is a clinical trial protocol entitled: ‘Avelumab (anti-PD-L1) in platinum-resistant/refractory ovarian cancer: JAVELIN Ovarian 200 Phase III study design’ by Pujade-Lauraine and colleagues. View the graphical abstract as well as the full paper here.

This protocol states the patient criteria and end points necessary to compare avelumab administration alone and in combination with a chemotherapy drug in patients with platinum-resistant/refractory recurrent ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer. The authors hope that the results of this upcoming trial will lead to the availability of a new treatment option for these cancers. 

That is it for Future Oncology’s top picks of 2018! All five articles are free to read for Oncology Central members, so if you are interested in any of the topics mentioned above, please log in or register and click through to read the full articles below. 

To find out Oncology Central’s top content for 2018 check out the note from the Editor of Oncology Central- Jade Parker – here.