BJMO - volume 15, issue 6, october 2021
L. Decoster MD, PhD
The identification of clinically relevant driver mutations has reshaped the therapeutic landscape of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the past year, the activation of the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) pathway has gained importance because of the recent development of selective and effective MET inhibitors. In NSCLC, MET dysregulation may be caused either by mutation or amplification and is associated with poor prognosis. In addition, the optimal first-line treatment is currently undetermined since data from different trials suggest limited activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors, indicating a high medical need. In phase II trials, MET inhibitors have shown promising response rates (41–65%) and duration of response in MET exon 14 mutated NSCLC. First-line trials are currently ongoing. In de novo MET amplified NSCLC, the activity of these inhibitors seems limited to tumours with a high level amplification. As in other oncogene driven NSCLC, resistance mechanisms do appear ultimately and future research should focus on this in order to optimise treatment options for MET dysregulated NSCLC.
(BELG J MED ONCOL 2021;15(6):278-82)
Read moreBJMO - volume 14, issue 5, september 2020
J. Blokken PhD, PharmD, Tom Feys MBA, MSc, L. Decoster MD, PhD, H. Wildiers MD, PhD
Cancer is primarily a disease of older adults, and as a result improving the care for older patients with cancer is becoming increasingly important. In this respect, the 2020 virtual ASCO meeting featured a fascinating and very important session entitled “You’re only old once: improving outcomes for older adults with cancer.” In this session, positive results were presented of four randomised controlled trials evaluating whether or not geriatric assessment has the potential to improve treatment outcomes in older patients with cancer. Three of these trials focused on the geriatric management of patients receiving chemotherapy or other cytotoxic agents, while a fourth study evaluated to what extent perioperative oncogeriatric management could improve the outcome of patients undergoing surgery for gastrointestinal cancer. Overall, all these studies indicate that an integrated geriatric oncology assessment provides an important clinical benefit to older cancer patients.
(BELG J MED ONCOL 2020;14(5):218-21)
Read moreBJMO - volume 14, issue 3, may 2020
L. Decoster MD, PhD, C. Kenis RN, PhD, H. Wildiers MD, PhD, J. De Grève MD, PhD
As the cancer population ages, treatment decisions in the older patients should not only be guided by the tumour characteristics but also by patient characteristics. The performance of a comprehensive geriatric assessment as well as a health related quality of life evaluation are important in order to deliver the optimal personalised care in older patients with cancer. The current PhD thesis focused on the use of screening tools, geriatric assessment and interventions as well as on health-related quality of life in older patients with cancer.
(BELG J MED ONCOL 2020;14(3):106–8)
Read moreBJMO - volume 14, issue 3, may 2020
L. Decoster MD, PhD, C. Kenis RN, PhD
The 2019 annual conference of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology took place in Geneva, Switzerland from November 14–16th. This year, the International Society of Geriatric Oncology and the International Federation on Ageing also jointly hosted a meeting at the United Nations on the development and preparation of health care professionals for the ageing population with cancer.
(BELG J MED ONCOL 2020;14(3):114–5)
Read moreBJMO - volume 13, issue 2, march 2019
L. Decoster MD, PhD, H. Rouvière MD, C. Kenis RN, PhD
The 2018 annual conference of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology took place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands from November 16–18th. More than 500 delegates from 41 countries with a special interest in the care for older patients with cancer attended this conference. The meeting provided an overview of current advances in geriatric oncology.
(BELG J MED ONCOL 2019;13(2):60–62)
Read moreBJMO - volume 12, issue 3, may 2018
L. Decoster MD, PhD, H. Rouvière MD, C. Kenis RN, PhD
The 2017 annual conference of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology took place in Warsaw, Poland from November 9–11th. More than 300 delegates from 42 countries with a special interest in the care for older patients with cancer attended this conference. The meeting provided an overview of current advances in geriatric oncology.
(BELG J MED ONCOL 2018:12(3):142–144)
Read moreBJMO - volume 11, issue 8, december 2017
L. Decoster MD, PhD, K. Vekens MD, S. Mignon MD, D. Schallier MD, PhD, J. De Grève MD, PhD
Antibodies against programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) have become standard-of-care in the second-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer after failure of first-line chemotherapy. The observed durable responses as well as the favourable toxicity profile have moved these agents to first-line studies for advanced non-small cell lung cancer. In tumours with high PD-L1 expression, pembrolizumab is registered as the preferred first-line treatment. Further studies are currently focusing on combination strategies. The major future challenge will be selecting the optimal treatment strategy for the patient.
(BELG J MED ONCOL 2017;11(8):380–385)
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