Background5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX) is superior to gemcitabine in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer who have a good performance status. We investigated this combination as neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC).MethodsIn this retrospective series, we included patients with unresectable LAPC who received neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX with growth factor support. The primary analysis endpoint was R0 resection rate.ResultsEighteen treatment-naïve patients with unresectable or borderline resectable LAPC were treated with neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX. The median age was 57.5 years and all had ECOG PS of 0 or 1. Eleven (61 %) had tumors in the head of the pancreas and 9 (50 %) had biliary stents placed prior to chemotherapy. A total of 146 cycles were administered with a median of 8 cycles (range 3-17) per patient. At maximum response or tolerability, 7 (39 %) were converted to resectability by radiological criteria; 5 had R0 resections, 1 had an R1 resection, and 1 had unresectable disease. Among the 11 patients who remained unresectable after FOLFIRINOX, 3 went on to have R0 resections after combined chemoradiotherapy, giving an overall R0 resection rate of 44 % (95 % CI 22–69 %). After a median follow-up of 13.4 months, the 1-year progression-free survival was 83 % (95 % CI 59-96 %) and the 1-year overall survival was 100 % (95 % CI 85-100 %). Grade 3/4 chemotherapy-related toxicities were neutropenia (22 %), neutropenic fever (17 %), thrombocytopenia (11 %), fatigue (11 %), and diarrhea (11 %). Common grade 1/2 toxicities were neutropenia (33 %), anemia (72 %), thrombocytopenia (44 %), fatigue (78 %), nausea (50 %), diarrhea (33 %) and neuropathy (33 %).ConclusionsFOLFIRINOX followed by chemoradiotherapy is feasible as neoadjuvant therapy in patients with unresectable LAPC. The R0 resection rate of 44 % in this population is promising. Further studies are warranted.

Introduction: The clinical and biological significance of the newly described SCLC subtypes, SCLC-A, SCLC-N, SCLC-Y, and SCLC-P, defined by the dominant expression of transcription factors ASCL1, NeuroD1, YAP1, and POU2F3, respectively, remain to be established. Methods:We generated new RNA sequencing expression data from a discovery set of 59 archival tumor samples of neuroendocrine tumors and new protein expression data by immunohistochemistry in 99 SCLC cases. We validated the findings from this discovery set in two independent validation sets consisting of RNA sequencing data generated from 51 SCLC cell lines and 81 primary human SCLC samples.Results: We successfully classified 71.8% of SCLC and 18.5% of carcinoid cases in our discovery set into one of the four SCLC subtypes. Gene set enrichment analysis for differentially expressed genes between the SCLC survival outliers (top and bottom deciles) matched for clinically relevant prognostic factors revealed substantial upregulation of interferon-g response genes in long-term survivors. The SCLC-Y subtype was associated with high expression of interferon-g response genes, highest weighted score on a validated 18-gene T-cell-inflamed gene expression profile score, and high expression of HLA and T-cell receptor genes. YAP1 protein expression was more prevalent and more intensely expressed in limited-stage versus extensive-stage SCLC (30.6% versus 8.5%; p ¼ 0.0058) indicating good prognosis for the SCLC-Y subtype. We replicated the inflamed phenotype of SCLC-Y in the two independent validation data sets from the SCLC cell lines and tumor samples.Conclusions: SCLC subtyping using transcriptional signaling holds clinical relevance with the inflamed phenotype associated with the SCLC-Y subset.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Approximately 20% of these patients present with brain metastases (BMs). Surgical resection, stereotactic radiosurgery, and whole-brain radiation therapy have historically been the primary treatment modalities for patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and BMs. The treatments for BMs have become complex with the discovery of targetable molecular drivers and the development of an astonishing number of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Many of these tyrosine kinase inhibitors have robust and durable efficacy against CNS metastases. In many circumstances, these drugs can defer local therapy and even reduce the risk of CNS progression. More recently, immune checkpoint inhibitors have changed the treatment landscape for many patients with NSCLC; however, the role of immunotherapy in patients with BMs is the subject of ongoing investigations. This article will review the current data and our approach to patients with NSCLC and BMs.

Cisplatin-etoposide and carboplatin-paclitaxel regimens were associated with comparable efficacy when used with concurrent definitive radiotherapy for patients with stage III unresectable NSCLC. The toxic effect profiles favored the carboplatin-paclitaxel regimen.