Browsing by Author "Ruiz, R"

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Characteristics and outcomes of thymomas in Latin America: Results from over 10 years of experience (CLICaP-LATimus)
(International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, 2021) Martín, C; Enrico, D; Mas Lopez, Luis; Patane, AK; Arrieta, O; Soria, T; Cardona, AF; Ruiz-Patiño, A; Ruiz, R; Rioja, P; Lozano, S; Zatarain-Barrón, ZL; Barrón, F; Puparelli, C; Tsou, F; Corassa, MP; Freitas, HC; Cordeiro de Lima, VC; Rojas, L; Ordóñez-Reyes, C; Corrales, L; Sotelo, C; Rodríguez, J; Ricaurte, L; Ávila, J; Archila, P; Rosell, R; Cuello, M; Remon, J
Background: Thymomas are a group of rare neoplasms of the anterior mediastinum. The objective of this study was to describe the demographics, clinical characteristics and treatment approaches in Latin America.Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter cohort study including patients with histologically proven thymomas diagnosed between 1997 and 2018. Demographics, clinicopathological characteristics and therapeutic outcomes were collected locally and analyzed in a centralized manner. Results: A total of 135 patients were included. Median age at diagnosis was 53 years old (19-84), 53.3% (n = 72) of patients were female and 87.4% had an ECOG performance score ranging from 0-1. A total of 47 patients (34.8%) had metastatic disease at diagnosis. Concurrent myasthenia gravis occurred in 21.5% of patients. Surgery was performed in 74 patients (54.8%), comprising 27 (20%) tumorectomies and 47 (34.8%) thymectomies. According to the Masaoka-Koga system, overall survival (OS) at five-years was 73.4%, 63.8% and 51%, at stages I-II, III-IVA and IVB, respectively (p = 0.005). Furthermore, patients with low lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (≤373 IU/L) at baseline and myasthenia gravis concurrence showed significantly better OS (p = 0.001 and p = 0.008, respectively). In multivariate analysis, high LDH levels (HR 2.8 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-7.8]; p = 0.036) at baseline and not performing a surgical resection (HR 4.1 [95% CI: 1.3-12.7]; p = 0.016) were significantly associated with increased risk of death. Conclusions: Our data provides the largest insight into the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with thymomas in Latin America. Survival in patients with thymomas continues to be very favorable, especially when subjected to adequate local control.
Impact of Concurrent Genomic Alterations on Clinical Outcomes in Patients With ALK-Rearranged NSCLC
(Elsevier Inc., 2024) Lara-Mejía, L; Cardona, AF; Mas, L; Martin, C; Samtani, S; Corrales, L; Cruz-Rico, G; Remon, J; Galvez-Nino, M; Ruiz, R; Rios-Garcia, E; Tejada, F; Lozano-Vazquez, N; Rosell, R; Arrieta, O
Introduction: ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors have exhibited promising activity against advanced ALK-rearranged NSCLC. However, co-occurring genetic alterations, such as CDKN2A/B or TP53, may negatively affect the efficacy of targeted therapies. Methods: From December 2017 to December 2022, this study cohort analyzed next-generation sequencing data of 116 patients with metastatic ALK-rearranged NSCLC from five Latin American cancer centers. Clinicopathologic and molecular features were associated with clinical outcomes and risk of brain metastasis (BrM) in patients with and without concurrent somatic alterations. Results: All patients (N = 116) received a second-generation ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and alectinib was selected in 87.2% of cases. Coalterations occurred in 62% of the cases; the most frequent were TP53 mutations (27%) and CDKN2A/B loss (18%). The loss of CDKN2A/B was associated with an increased risk of BrM, with a cumulative incidence of 33.3% versus 7.4% in the non-coaltered subgroup. Compared with patients without coalterations, patients with concurrent CDKN2A/B loss (n = 21) had a shorter median progression-free survival (10.2 versus 34.2 mo, p < 0.001) and overall survival (26.2 versus 80.7 mo, p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, co-occurring CDKN2A/B loss was associated with poorer progression-free survival and OS despite the presence of other somatic coalterations, TP53 mutations, BrM, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status. Conclusions: This study confirmed the worse prognostic value, which depicted co-occurring alterations in patients with ALK rearrangement. CDKN2A/B loss was substantially associated with worse outcomes and a higher risk of brain metastases. The evidence presented in our study may help select patients with ALK-positive tumors suitable for treatment escalation and closer brain follow-up.
Latin America and the Caribbean Code Against Cancer 1st Edition: Medical interventions including hormone replacement therapy and cancer screening
(Elsevier Ltd, 2023) Baena, A; Paolino, M; Villarreal-Garza, C; Torres, G; Delgado, L; Ruiz, R; Canelo-Aybar, C; Song, Y; Feliu, A; Maza, M; Jeronimo, J; Espina, C; Almonte, M
Prostate, breast, colorectal, cervical, and lung cancers are the leading cause of cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) accounting for nearly 50% of cancer cases and cancer deaths in the region. Following the IARC Code Against Cancer methodology, a group of Latin American experts evaluated the evidence on several medical interventions to reduce cancer incidence and mortality considering the cancer burden in the region. A recommendation to limit the use of HRT was issued based on the risk associated to develop breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer and on growing concerns related to the over-the-counter and without prescription sales, which in turn bias estimations on current use in LAC. In alignment with WHO breast and cervical cancer initiatives, biennial screening by clinical breast examination (performed by trained health professionals) from the age of 40 years and biennial screening by mammography from the age of 50 years to 74, as well as cervical screening by HPV testing (either self-sampling or provider-sampling) every 5–10 years for women aged 30–64 years, were recommended. The steadily increasing rates of colorectal cancer in LAC also led to recommend colorectal screening by occult blood testing every two years or by endoscopic examination of the colorectum every 10 years for both men and women aged 50–74 years. After evaluating the evidence, the experts decided not to issue recommendations for prostate and lung cancer screening; while there was insufficient evidence on prostate cancer mortality reduction by prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, there was evidence of mortality reduction by low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) targeting high-risk individuals (mainly heavy and/or long-term smokers) but not individuals with average risk to whom recommendations of this Code are directed. Finally, the group of experts adapted the gathered evidence to develop a competency-based online microlearning program for building cancer prevention capacity of primary care health professionals.
Real-world outcomes of anti-EGFR therapy in advanced non–small cell lung cancer EGFR mutated in Peru
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2023) Galvez-Nino, M; Ruiz, R; Roque, K; Coanqui, O; Valdivieso, N; Olivera, M; Ganti, A; Kmas, L
Background: Despite the advances in the management of advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the access to genetic profiling and target therapies remains a challenge in Latin America, even in countries with a higher rate of targetable mutations. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical outcomes of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) treatment in a Peruvian real-world setting. Methods: This is a retrospective study of recurrent or advanced NSCLC EGFR mutated patients diagnosed and treated with anti-EGFR TKI at Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplásicas (INEN) between January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2020. The outcomes were objective response rate (ORR), progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Results: We identify 613 stage IV or recurrent NSCLC patients who were tested for EGFR mutations and found a pathogenic mutation in 39.5% of patients. Only 51.2% of them received anti-EGFR TKI as institutional treatment. ORR was 58%, after median follow-up of 32 months, the estimated median PFS was 13.9 months (11.1–16.7 months), and the estimated median OS was 21.7 months (18.5–24.9 months). No differences were found in PFS according to line of treatment or brain metastases at diagnosis (p = 0.46 and p = 0.07, respectively), respect to OS there were no differences line of treatment (p = 0.12), significant difference were found in presence of brain metastases (p = 0.006). Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that erlotinib for advanced NSCLC harboring EGFR-activating mutations is effective even in patients usually excluded from clinical trial, like those previously exposed to one or more lines of chemotherapy or with brain metastases.
Retos y avances del cáncer de pulmón de células no pequeñas metastásico EGFR mutado
(Universidad Ricardo Palma, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Biomedicas, Facultad de Medicina Humana, 2024) Castro-Mollo, M; Ruiz, R; Roque, K; Mas, L
Introduction: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors have dramatically changed the clinical outcomes for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer with epidermal growth factor receptor mutations. However, there are still challenges in the management of patients with this mutation in a metastatic setting, such as intrinsic and acquired resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors. We will discuss the latest advances and new strategies in first-line treatment, osimertinib resistance, and exon 20 mutation treatment. © 2024 Universidad Ricardo Palma, Facultad de Medicina Humana. All rights reserved.
Update in Immunotherapy for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Optimizing Treatment Sequencing and Identifying the Best Choices
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2023) Roque, K; Ruiz, R; Mas, L; Pozza, DH; Vancini, M; Silva-Junior, JA; de-Mello, RA
The introduction of immunotherapy has brought about a paradigm shift in the management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It has not only significantly improved the prognosis of patients but has also become a cornerstone of treatment, particularly in those without oncogenic driver mutations. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) play a crucial role in the treatment of lung cancer and can be classified into two main groups: Anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (Anti-CTLA-4) and anti-T-cell receptor programmed cell death-1 or its ligand (Anti-PD-1 and Anti-PD-L1). Certainly, the landscape of approved first line immunotherapeutic approaches has expanded to encompass monotherapy, immunotherapy-exclusive protocols, and combinations with chemotherapy. The complexity of decision-making in this realm arises due to the absence of direct prospective comparisons. However, a thorough analysis of the long-term efficacy and safety data derived from pivotal clinical trials can offer valuable insights into optimizing treatment for different patient subsets. Moreover, ongoing research is investigating emerging biomarkers and innovative therapeutic strategies that could potentially refine the current treatment approach even further. In this comprehensive review, our aim is to highlight the latest advances in immunotherapy for advanced NSCLC, including the mechanisms of action, efficacy, safety profiles, and clinical significance of ICI.