BJMO - volume 17, issue 2, march 2023
L. Lippens PhD, K. Vandecasteele MD, PhD, A. Hendrix PhD, H. Denys MD, PhD
Immune checkpoint blockade has shown great potential in oncology. However, only a fraction of patients benefits from this therapy. Furthermore, severe immune-related adverse events occur in a part of the patients, and financial toxicity cannot be underestimated. It is therefore important to develop predictive biomarkers to differentiate responders from non-responders. Tumour tissue samples offer a large amount of information as anti-tumour immunity is regulated through multiple factors in the tumour microenvironment. The potential of tumour-infiltrating immune cells was investigated to predict response to therapy and survival. In contrast to tissue biopsies, liquid biopsies allow for collection in a less invasive manner, allow for repetitive sampling during therapy, and offer information on all cancer cells in the tumour as well as metastases at distinct locations in the body. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) present in the circulation are a spatiotemporal fingerprint of the cell of origin. Therefore, EV-derived information has the potential to be used for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment selection and evaluating treatment response. However, the clinical application of EVs is currently hampered by a lack of sensitive, high-throughput and fast EV analysis techniques.
(BELG J MED ONCOL 2023;17(2):63–5)
Read moreBJMO - volume 13, issue 7, november 2019
Ir A. Hébrant PhD, M. Lammens MD, PhD, C. Van den Broecke MD, N. D’Haene MD, PhD, J. Van den Oord MD, PhD, A. Vanderstichele MD, PhD, A. Dendooven MD, PhD, P. Neven MD, PhD, K. Punie MD, G. Floris MD, PhD, J. Van der Meulen MD, HA. Poirel MD, PhD, C. Dooms MD, PhD, S. Rottey MD, PhD, T. Boterberg MD, PhD, L. Brochez MD, PhD, M.C. Burlacu MD, G. Costante MD, D. Creytens MD, PhD, P. De Paepe MD, PhD, R. De Pauwn MD, B. Decallonne MD, PhD, F. Dedeurwaerdere MD, H. Denys MD, PhD, L. Ferdinande MD, PhD, R. Forsyth MD, PhD, M. Garmyn MD, PhD, T. Gevaert MD, PhD, J. De Grève MD, PhD, E. Govaerts MD, E. Hauben MD, PhD, J. Kerger MD, O. Kholmanskikh Van Criekingen MD, PhD, V. Kruse MD, PhD, Y. Lalami MD, L. Lapeire MD, PhD, P. Lefesvre MD, PhD, J.P. Machiels MD, PhD, B. Maes MD, PhD, G. Martens MD, PhD, M. Remmelink MD, PhD, I. Salmon MD, PhD, R. Sciot MD, PhD, S. Tejpar MD, PhD, K. Van de Vijver MD, PhD, L. Van de Voorde MD, I. Van den Berghe MD, A. Van den Bruel MD, K. Vandecasteele MD, PhD, L. Vanwalleghem MD, K. Vermaelen MD, PhD, R. Salgado MD, PhD, E. Wauters MD, PhD, B. Weynand MD, PhD, E. Van Valckenborgh PhD, G. Raicevic PhD, M. Van den Bulcke PhD, P. Pauwels MD, PhD
In order to advise the Federal Government on the reimbursement of molecular tests related to Personalised Medicine in Oncology, the Commission of Personalised Medicine (ComPerMed), represented by Belgian experts, has developed a methodology to classify molecular testing in oncology. The different molecular tests per cancer type are represented in algorithms and are annotated with a test level reflecting their relevance based on current guidelines, drug approvals and clinical data. The molecular tests are documented with recent literature, guidelines and a brief technical description. This methodology was applied on different solid tumours for which molecular testing is a clear clinical need.
(BELG J MED ONCOL 2019;13(7):286–95)
Read moreBJMO - 2017, issue 3, february 2017
K. Couvreur , K. Vandecasteele MD, PhD, P. Tummers , A. Makar , R. Van Den Broecke , H. Denys MD, PhD
BJMO - volume 8, issue 3, july 2014
S. Jeurissen MD, S. Bral MD, PhD, K. Vandecasteele MD, PhD, G. De Meerleer MD, PhD, H. Denys MD, PhD
A 53-year old woman presented with an ovarian cancer, FIGO stage IIIc, for which she received a (suboptimal) debulking. Chemotherapy was started, consisting of three-weekly carboplatin-paclitaxel. After four cycles, an interval-debulking was done, which revealed one positive lymph node (out of 21) located interaortocaval. Chemotherapy was resumed, until seven cycles. She had a complete remission, but after four years, she developed positive mediastinal and interaortocaval lymph nodes. She was treated with stereotactic radiotherapy, which resulted in resolution of the lesions and normalisation of the tumour marker. She has no signs of relapse after nearly two years.
This case illustrates that radiotherapy can be an important treatment option in selected patients with oligometastases.
(BELG J MED ONCOL 2014;8(3):87–90)
Read moreBJMO - volume 7, issue 2, may 2013
K. Vandecasteele MD, PhD, G. De Meerleer MD, PhD
The need for an efficient, fast technique to irradiate large concave targets lead to the introduction of intensity-modulated arc therapy in the multimodality treatment of pelvic gynaecological tumours. Postoperatively irradiated cervical and endometrial cancer patients benefit by reduced toxicity rates. In locally advanced cervical cancer the use of intensity-modulated arc therapy with a simultaneously integrated boost allows for a safe hysterectomy, resulting in promising control and survival rates. In chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis, the use of intensity-modulated arc therapy facilitates a safe whole abdominopelvic irradiation, one of the few effective solutions for patients with bowel obstruction. Continuing efforts should be made to further decrease toxicity and increase response rates and survival in the multimodality treatment of pelvic gynaecological tumours.
(BELG J MED ONCOL 2013;7(2):53–56)
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