Clinical trials demonstrate that screening can reduce lung cancer mortality by over 20%. However, lung cancer screening effectiveness (reduction in lung cancer specific mortality) may vary by personal risk-factors. Here we evaluate heterogeneity in lung cancer screening effectiveness through traditional sub-group analyses, predictive modelling approaches and machine-learning in individual-level data from the Dutch-Belgian lung cancer screening trial (NELSON; 14,808 participants, 12,429 men, 2377 women, 2 persons with an unknown sex) and the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST; 53,405 participants, 31,501 men, 21,904 women). We find that screening effectiveness varies by pack-years (screening effectiveness ranges across trials: lowest groups = 26.8-50.9%, highest groups = 5.5-9.5%), smoking status (screening effectiveness ranges across trials: former smokers = 37.8-39.1%, current smokers = 16.1-22.7%) and sex (screening effectiveness ranges across trials: women = 24.6-25.3%; men = 8.3-24.9%). Furthermore, screening effectiveness varies by histology (screening effectiveness ranges across trials: adenocarcinoma = 17.8-23.0%, other lung cancers = 24.5-35.5%, small-cell carcinoma = 9.7%-11.3%). Screening is ineffective for squamous-cell carcinoma in NLST (screening effectiveness = 27.9% (95% confidence interval: 69.8% increase to 4.5% decrease) mortality increase) but effective in NELSON (screening effectiveness = 52.2% (95% confidence interval: 25.7-69.1% decrease) mortality reduction). We find that variations in screening effectiveness across pack-years, smoking status, and sex are primarily explained by a greater prevalence of histologies with favourable screening effectiveness in these groups. Our study shows that heterogeneity in lung screening effectiveness is primarily driven by histology and that relaxing smoking-related screening eligibility criteria may enhance screening effectiveness.

The efficacy, safety and ideal treatment duration of an adjuvant epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) for patients with resected EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were not known until 2014, when this study was initiated. In this phase 3 ICTAN trial (GASTO1002, NCT01996098), patients with completely resected, EGFR-mutated, stage II-IIIA NSCLC after adjuvant chemotherapy were assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive icotinib (125 mg, three times daily) for 12 months, to receive icotinib for 6 months, or to undergo observation. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). This trial was terminated early. A total of 251 patients were randomized. Adjuvant icotinib for 12 months significantly improved DFS (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27-0.61; P < 0.001) and overall survival (OS; HR: 0.55, 95% CI, 0.32-0.96; P = 0.032) compared with observation. Adjuvant icotinib of 6 months also significantly improved DFS (HR: 0.41, 95% CI, 0.27-0.62; P < 0.001) and OS (HR: 0.56, 95% CI, 0.32-0.98; P = 0.038) compared with observation. Adjuvant icotinib for 12 months did not improve DFS (HR: 0.97; P = 0.89) or OS (HR: 1.00; P = 0.99) compared with 6 months of this drug. Rates of adverse events of grade 3 or higher were 8.3%, 6.0% and 2.4% for the 12-month icotinib, 6-month icotinib, and observation groups, respectively. Adjuvant icotinib for 12 months or 6 months following adjuvant chemotherapy improved DFS and OS compared with observation in patients with resected EGFR-mutated stage II-IIIA NSCLC with a manageable safety profile, supporting it as a potential treatment option.

This study investigated prognostic biomarkers in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), with a focus on tumors related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and potential molecular effects of tobacco smoking, as smokers with HPV+ OPSCC often have poorer outcomes.

The clinical use of indocyanine green (ICG) in laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer remains at an exploratory stage.

Single-agent maintenance poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition may represent an effective strategy in patients with advanced/metastatic endometrial cancer responding to platinum-based chemotherapy, including for molecular subtypes with suboptimal options. To explore this approach, we initiated the randomized phase IIb UTOLA trial (NCT03745950). Female patients without progression following front-line platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced/metastatic endometrial cancer were randomized 2:1 to twice-daily maintenance oral olaparib 300 mg or placebo until progression or intolerance, stratified by p53 status, mismatch repair status, and response to initial chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) in the intention-to-treat population. Secondary endpoints were PFS in subgroups, time to second progression or death, time to first and second subsequent therapy, objective response rate, overall survival, patient-reported outcomes, and safety. In the intention-to-treat population (n = 145), there was no PFS difference between olaparib and placebo (median 5.6 vs. 4.0 months, respectively; hazard ratio 0.94, 95% confidence interval 0.65-1.35; p = 0.74). However, intriguing numerical PFS effects were observed in exploratory analyses of pre-specified subgroups (p53-abnormal, complete response to initial chemotherapy, chromosomal instability). There was no overall survival difference between treatments. Grade 3/4 adverse events occurred in 36% versus 10% of olaparib- versus placebo-treated patients and were consistent with the olaparib safety profile in other cancers. Maintenance olaparib did not improve PFS, but promising numerical effects in subsets of patients warrant prospective evaluation.

Anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) immunotherapy and platinum-based chemotherapy are key components of first-line treatment for advanced Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction (G/GEJ) cancer. However, the role of immune cells infiltrating the tumor microenvironment (TME) in predicting both therapy responses is still unclear.

This post-hoc analysis of the LASRE trial aims to evaluate the impact of body mass index (BMI) on surgical difficulty and oncological outcomes in patients undergoing laparoscopic or open resection for low rectal cancer.

Goal-concordant care is achieved when treatment is aligned with goals. This study describes patient-reported concordance between care goals and treatment intent in advanced cancer compared to other serious illnesses.

An increasing number of early-stage breast cancer (EBC) survivors and limited health care resources have raised interest in developing digital methods for communication between patients and health care personnel. In 2015, Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) launched a digital solution called Noona (Helsinki University Hospital; Noona Healthcare) for patients with cancer, which allows patients to report their symptoms or side effects and ask questions with a computer or smart mobile device.

Geriatric assessment (GA)-guided supportive care (GAIN-S) may improve decision-making in older adults with cancer, but its effects on prognostic awareness remain unclear. The authors evaluated whether GAIN-S enhances prognostic awareness among older adults with metastatic cancer in Brazil.

The efficacy and safety of conventional first-line chemotherapeutic regimens for the treatment of advanced biliary tract carcinomas (ABTCs) have been unsatisfactory.

Qu-yu-jie-du (QYJD) decoction is an established traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulation. For over ten years, there has been empirical evidence in support of its benefits for colorectal cancer patients, yet RCT validation for it as a postoperative maintenance therapy is lacking. Despite achieving no evidence of disease (NED) status after curative-intent resection in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), up to 60 % of patients relapse within five years, with no guideline-recommended maintenance therapy.

This study investigates factors affecting symptom severity at discharge in patients who have undergone lobectomy and sublobar resection via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for pulmonary nodules, including both benign and malignant cases.

To investigate the early effect of esketamine on the tumor metastatic microenvironment in patients with lung cancer.

The textbook outcome has emerged as a valuable metric for quality assessment in oncological surgery. However, its application and impact within randomized controlled trials involving patients with low rectal cancer remain underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and predictors of textbook outcome in patients with low rectal cancer undergoing laparoscopic or open resection.

Metastatic recurrence of colorectal cancer (mCRC) after adjuvant therapy may differ biologically from recurrence in untreated mCRC. We examined first-line treatment outcomes of patients within the phase III CALGB/SWOG 80405 (CALGB 80405) and FIRE-3 trials according to previous exposure to oxaliplatin-based adjuvant treatment.

In the phase 3 FRESCO (NCT02314819) and FRESCO-2 (NCT04322539) studies, fruquintinib vs placebo, plus best supportive care, significantly improved overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). These studies were conducted in temporally and geographically diverse populations that received distinct prior therapies; FRESCO patients were less pretreated than FRESCO-2 patients. This analysis assessed the efficacy and safety of fruquintinib in a less pretreated global population than the FRESCO-2 intention-to-treat (ITT) population.

OCTAVA (NCT05732805) was an international, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, phase III study evaluating the fixed-dose combination of nurulimab (anti-CTLA-4) and prolgolimab (anti-PD-1) (BCD-217, Nuru+Prolgo) followed by prolgolimab maintenance versus prolgolimab monotherapy as first-line treatment for unresectable or metastatic melanoma (un/mM). We present the primary analysis results.

To investigate IPD regimen effect on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in elderly patients with recurrent multiple myeloma (MM).

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype with poor prognosis, especially in patients with residual disease post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This phase II MIRINAE trial (KCSG-BR18-21) evaluates the efficacy and safety of atezolizumab combined with capecitabine versus capecitabine monotherapy as adjuvant treatment in TNBC patients with residual invasive cancer. The primary endpoint is the 5-year invasive disease-free survival (IDFS) rate. Secondary endpoints include IDFS in PD-L1 positive patients, distant relapse-free survival (DRFS), and overall survival (OS). This study addresses the limitations of KEYNOTE-522 by providing data on post-neoadjuvant therapies, potentially establishing a new standard of care for TNBC.Trial registration This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03756298).