This month’s stories cover a mixed bag of tumor types, including a case report of metastatic renal cell carcinoma that spread to the pulmonary vein and left atrium. Tolay and colleagues report in, “Metastastic Renal Cell Carcinoma Invading the Pulmonary Vein and Left Atrium: An Extremely Rare Occurrence Treated With Temsirolimus,” that this is a rare occurrence, with only four articles cited in the literature. Traditionally managed surgically, the authors report on the use of temsirolimus, which led to tumor regression and the relief of symptoms for the patient.
In an update of olaparib data, Previs and colleagues note in, “New Biologic Frontiers in Ovarian Cancer: Olaparib Update,” that olaparib and PARP inhibition, are an exciting addition to currently available treatment options for patients with ovarian cancer. They emphasize the need to determine optimal settings and combinations in which to administer olaparib, and which will be further investigated in future trials.
Lobe and Pasquale studied 23 patients with monoclonal gammopathies in their article, “Freelite for Measurement of Urine-Free Light Chains in Monoclonal Gam- mopathies.” They note that the Freelite assay could be used to measure free light chains (FLCs) from a spot urine. The researchers conclude that the measurement of spot urine FLCs using Freelite may replace 24-hour urine total protein and immunofixation electrophoresis.
The utilization of immunotherapy in advanced non–small cell lung cancer has completely altered the approach to treating this disease, says Sanikommu and Mileham in their article, “Immunotherapeutic Advances in the Treatment of Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.” They note that multiple immunotherapeutics are being evaluated in combinations, sequences, and various stages in the treatment of all lung cancer. The result is a shift in the long-term paradigm in lung cancer treatment. In this month’s CME article, David A. Reardon, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute discusses the current and emerging treatment approaches in patients with glioblastoma.
Michael J. Hennessy, Sr
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
