Anaemia is defined by the presence of haemoglobin (Hb) levels < 13 g/dL in men and 12 g/dL in women. Up to 39% of cancer patients present it at the time of diagnosis and up to 40% have iron deficiency. Anaemia causes fatigue, functional deterioration and a reduction in the quality of life; it has also been associated with a poorer response to anti-tumour treatment and lower survival. Basic diagnostic tests for anaemia are simple and should be a routine part of clinical practice. These guidelines review the available evidence on the use of different therapies for treating anaemia: erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, iron supplements, and transfusion of blood products.

Plasma samples from 72 EGFR‐mutant advanced NSCLC patients, collected upon progression to first‐line TKI, were analyzed by seven methodologies (two NGS‐based methods, three high‐sensitivity PCR‐based platforms, and two FDA‐approved methods). Our study demonstrates a good to excellent agreement between methodologies and supports the use of liquid biopsies for therapy decision‐making.

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The main objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of dabrafenib alone or combined with trametinib for compassionate use in patients with metastatic melanoma.This retrospective, observational study involved 135 patients with unresectable stage IIIC or stage IV melanoma from an expanded-access program at 30 Spanish centers.Forty-eight patients received dabrafenib monotherapy and 87 received combination dabrafenib and trametinib; 4.4% and 95.6% of the patients had stage IIIC and IV melanoma, respectively. All patients showed BRAF mutations in their primary or metastatic lesions; 3 were positive for V600K while the remainder had V600E or V600+. A positive response to treatment was reported in 89.3% of the patients. Overall survival rates at 12 and 24 months were 59.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 52.5-68.9%) and 36.4% (95% CI, 27.8-45%), respectively. Progression-free survival rates at 12 and 24 months were 39.3% (95% CI, 31.1-47.5%) and 21.6% (95% CI, 14.5-28.7%), respectively. Fifty-seven patients (42.2%) reported cutaneous toxicity of any type, mainly hyperkeratosis (14.8%) and rash (11.9%). The most frequent adverse events were pyrexia (27.4%), asthenia (19.3%), arthralgia (16.9%), and diarrhoea (13.2%).Our results suggest that both dabrafenib alone or in combination with trametinib are effective for compassionate use in terms of response and/or survival rates. However, differences in patients' prognostic features ought to be considered. No new findings were revealed regarding the safety profiles of either regimen. This is the first study to evaluate the efficacy of these 2 selective BRAF and mitogen-activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase inhibitors in a real-world setting in Spain.

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