Focus & Scope

Commentary On SwissMTB: Establishing Comprehensive Molecular Cancer Diagnostics In Swiss Clinics

Franziska Singer^1,2, Daniel J. Stekhoven^1,2*

¹NEXUS Personalized Health Technologies, ETH Zurich, Otto-Stern-Weg 7, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland

²SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 4058 Basel, Switzerland

Commentary: Comprehensive Treatment with Chinese Medicine in Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Yingtian Wang, Ying Zhang, Jie Liu, Huiting Fan, Xueqian Wang, Hong-sheng Lin*

Department of Oncology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China

Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Older Patients: Are We Ready for This Population?

Shinji Atagi

Kinki-chuo Chest Medical Center, Osaka, Japan

As of now, concurrent chemoradiotherapy is the treatment of choice for locally advanced stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Older adults continue to be underrepresented in clinical trials, and studies designed specifically for this age group are rare. Prospective elderly-specific trials for locally advanced stage III NSCLC provide little evidence. Older patients are more susceptible to adverse events. A key question is whether elderly patients can receive the same treatments and derive the same benefit as their younger counterparts. The JCOG0301 demonstrated the clinically significant benefits of concurrent daily low-dose carboplatin and thoracic radiotherapies in elderly patients in comparison with those of radiotherapy alone. Recently, durvalumab therapy improved the progression-free survival of patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC whose disease had not progressed after concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Therefore, immune checkpoint inhibitors will also play an increasing role for elderly patients with stage III NSCLC. There are great differences between elderly individuals. Geriatric assessment is recommended to be incorporated in clinical trials. Furthermore, pragmatic clinical trials are required to establish clinical evidence for older patients with a broad range of conditions.

Physical Activity and Sociodemographic Variables Related to Global Health, Quality of Life, and Psychological Factors in Breast Cancer Survivors

Efrossini D. Patsou¹, George T. Alexias¹, Fotios G. Anagnostopoulos¹, Michalis V. Karamouzis²*

¹Department of Psychology, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Athens, Greece

²Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women worldwide. Women have many disturbing feelings and psychological side effects during diagnosis, treatment and survivorship which include depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and poor quality of life. The aim of the study was to examine the associations between physical activity, global health, quality of life, depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and anxiety in breast cancer survivors after finishing cancer treatment and through survivorship. Demographic variables such as marital status, education, and income, as well as cancer stage and level of physical activity were tested as predictors of depressive mood, anxiety, self-esteem and quality of life in 171 Greek breast cancer survivors.

We are presenting a commentary on the paper in order to highlight the most important conclusions of the study and suggest areas for further investigation.