Background Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an infrequent neoplasia with a poor prognosis and the majority of patients already have advanced disease at the time of presentation. Exposure to asbestos is the most important risk factor for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a neoplasia with a long preclinical stage that can span from 15 to 40 years. Methods This was a descriptive, observational, retrospective study of 136 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of mesothelioma, which compared histological subtypes, immunohistochemical biomarkers, concomitant chronic degenerative diseases, tobacco use, age at the time of diagnosis, clinical stage and chemotherapy agents used or other treatments such as radiotherapy and surgery to identify all the factors that impact in the prognosis of overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS). Results A total of 136 patients were included in the study. In the total study population, 84 patients were male (61.8%) and 52 were female (38.2%). Median PFS was nine months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.4–9.5 months) and median OS was 12 months (95% CI: 11.3–12.6). The results indicated that the most determining prognostic factors for OS and PFS were cell differentiation measured by immunohistochemical biomarkers, the treatment chosen, and that RECIST was the most significant in the evaluation of patient response to treatment. Conclusions Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a cancer with a poor prognosis usually diagnosed at an advanced stage of disease. Our study revealed that the prognostic factors for OS and PS were cell differentiation, the treatment chosen and RECIST.

Background: Immunotherapy has demonstrated an improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) as second-line treatment and subsequent lines compared with chemotherapy.  Materials and methods: This was a retrospective review among eight medical centers comprising 100 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of non-small-cell lung carcinoma, in their second-line treatment or beyond with immune checkpoints inhibitors treatment. The current study aimed to analyze effectiveness of immunotherapy in second-line treatment or further in the Mexican population, using PFS rate, OS rate and the best objective response to treatment by RECIST 1.1 as a surrogate of effectiveness. Results: In total, 100 patients met the criteria for enrollment in the current study. From the total study population, 49 patients (49.0%) were male and 51 (51.0%) were female, with an average age of 60 years and stage IV as the most prevalent clinical stage at the beginning of the study. A total of 61 patients (61.0%) had partial response; 11 (11.0%) stable disease; 2 (2.0%), complete response, 4 (4.0%), progression; and 22 (22.0%) were nonevaluable. We found a median PFS of 4 months (95% CI: 3.2–4.7 months) and an OS of 9 months (95% CI: 7.2–10.7 months). Conclusion: The response to immunotherapy is similar, with an improvement in OS and PFS, independent of which drug is used. Patients using nivolumab had a better survival, although that was not statistically significant.

Aim: Extragonadal Germ Cell Tumors (EGGCT) are rare malignancies which represent a unique entity because their biology and behavior is substantially different from the tumors whose source is the gonads. Methods: All cases of Extragonadal Germ Cell Tumors diagnosed and treated at the Department of Oncology of the General Hospital in Mexico City between 2015 and 2020 were retrospectively evaluated to determine the clinical and pathological characteristics of the tumors as well as the different treatments utilized and follow-up. Results: Among a total of 50 patients, the mediastinum was the most frequent location, being found in 46 patients followed by 2 in the retroperitoneal space, 1 in the ethmoidal air cells, and 1 in the pineal gland. The predominant histopathology was a mixed germinal tumor in 82% of the cases with the rest being pure seminomas. All patients received first-line systemic treatment followed by surgery or second-line treatment according to their initial response to therapy. Conclusions: Extragonadal Germ Cell Tumors require a multidisciplinary approach to achieve an adequate diagnosis and treatment. The clinical and pathological differences like tumor site, histopathological type, and tumor stage influence the progression-free survival and the global overall survival.

Primary sarcomas of the thorax are rare. They are classified according to their histologic features and constitute a large group of tumors that occur in the lung, mediastinum, pleura, and chest wall. Although primary thoracic sarcomas commonly manifest as large, heterogeneous masses, they have a wide spectrum of radiologic manifestations, including solitary pulmonary nodules, central endobronchial tumors, and intraluminal masses within the pulmonary arteries. Angiosarcomas are rare, malignant vascular tumors, representing about 2% of all soft tissue sarcomas. The most frequently primarily affected sites include the heart, liver, breast, skin, and scalp, and they have a high rate of metastases to the lungs and, less commonly, liver, regional lymph nodes, and bone. Definitive diagnosis is made based on histopathological and immunohistochemical findings. No standard treatment regimen has been established for pulmonary angiosarcoma. Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgical resection, and immunotherapy have been attempted. The use of radiation therapy in conjunction with surgery has resulted in local control and excellent functional and cosmetic outcome, for patients with angiosarcoma of the head and neck, but not the lung. For advanced-stage disease, other than the combination of doxorubicin and ifosfamide-based regimens, there have been few other chemotherapeutic options for the treatment of local or metastatic angiosarcoma.

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