0000000000235856
AUTHOR
A. Scimone
Central nervous system involvement in ALK-rearranged NSCLC : promising strategies to overcome crizotinib resistance
ABSTRACT: Introduction: ALK rearranged Non Small Cell Lung Cancers (NSCLCs) represent a distinct subgroup of patients with peculiar clinic-pathological features. These patients exhibit dramatic responses when treated with the ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor Crizotinib, albeit Central Nervous System (CNS) activity is much less impressive than that observed against extracranial lesions. CNS involvement has become increasingly observed in these patients, given their prolonged survival. Several novel generation ALK inhibitors have been developing to increase CNS penetration and to provide more complete ALK inhibition. Areas covered: The CNS activity of Crizotinib and novel generation ALK inhibito…
Baseline absolute neutrophil count (ANC), derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and outcome in non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with nivolumab or docetaxel: a preliminary analysis
Nivolumab (N) is a novel therapeutic option in NSCLC, with a significant survival gain compared with Docetaxel (D). However, predictive biomarkers are lacking and no strategies have been adopted to date for optimal patients (pts) selection. The presence of systemic inflammation has been correlated with poor outcome in many cancer types. We aimed to evaluate whether there is a correlation between some indicators of inflammation and response in pts treated with N or D.
Pietro Mengoli and the six-square problem
The aim of this paper is to analyze a little known aspect of Pietro Mengoli's (1625-1686) mathematical activity: the difficulties he faced in trying to solve some problems in Diophantine analysis suggested by J. Ozanam. Mengoli's recently published correspondence reveals how he cherished his prestige as a scholar. At the same time, however, it also shows that his insufficient familiarity with algebraic methods prevented him, as well as other Italian mathematicians of his time, from solving the so-called “French” problems. Quite different was the approach used for the same problems by Leibniz, who, although likewise partially unsuccessful, demonstrated a deeper mathematical insight which led…
Gefitinib in lung cancer therapy. Clinical results, predictive markers of response and future perspectives.
Over the past few years, epidermal growth factor receptor has emerged as one of the most important targets in tumorgenesis and several drugs targeting signal transduction pathways have been developed. The first among these agents to be approved for the treatment of NSCLC was gefitinib, a potent, selective and reversible inhibitor of HER1/EGFR tyrosine kinase activity. The review summarizes its clinical development and the new therapeutic options, with particular focus on predictive markers of susceptibility to this drug.