Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive form of breast cancer with limited options of targeted therapy. Recent findings suggest that the clinical course of TNBC may be modified by the presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and chemokine's expression, such as CCL5. Diverse studies have shown that CCL5 suppresses anti-tumor immunity and it has been related to poor outcome in different types of cancer while in other studies, this gene has been related with a better outcome. We sought to determine the association of CCL5 with the recruitment of TILs and other immune cells. With this aim we evaluated a retrospective cohort of 72 TNBC patients as well as publicly available datasets. TILs were correlated with residual tumor size after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and CCL5 expression. In univariate analysis, TILs and CCL5 were both associated to the distant ...

The ALK receptor tyrosine kinase (ALK) gene encodes a transmembrane protein rearranged in 2-7% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases. This gene has become the second most studied therapeutic target after EGFR due to the implied therapeutic opportunities. While the diagnostic of ALK rearrangements is well established, small molecules targeting ALK are in constant evolution because tumor cells eventually will develop mechanisms of resistance. In this review we describe the biology of the ALK gene, alterations, epidemiology, diagnostic tests as well as strategies of treatment.

Background: Currently, the detection of PIK3CA mutations is of special interest in personalized medicine because it is frequently found in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The PI3KCA mutation is an independent negative prognostic factor for survival in metastatic breast cancer, and its prognostic value in liquid biopsy as a biomarker of treatment and early relapse is under investigation, both for metastatic disease and neoadjuvant scenario with curative intent. Case summary: A 54-year-old female patient with TNBC clinical stage IIIA, who, after receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (based on anthracyclines and taxanes), surgery, radiotherapy, and adjuvant capecitabine, was detected with a PI3KCA mutation in tissue and peripheral blood (ctDNA in liquid biopsy). After 10 mo, the patient had disease relapse of left cervical node disease. Conclusion: The detection of PIK3CA mutation in TNB...

Background: PIK3CA is a gene frequently mutated in breast cancer. With the FDA approval of alpelisib, the evaluation of PIK3CA for activating mutations is becoming routinely. Novel platforms for gene analysis as digital PCR (dPCR) are emerging as a potential replacement for the traditional Sanger sequencing. However, there are still few studies on chip-based dPCR to detect mutations in tumor samples. Thus, this cross-sectional study aimed to assess the sensibility of a chip-based dPCR to detect and quantify PIK3CA mutations and compare its performance with Sanger sequencing. Materials and Methods: Tumor samples from 57 breast cancer patients (22 pre-treatment samples, 32 tumors after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and three lymph nodes) were collected and analyzed by Sanger sequencing and dPCR for the three PIK3CA most relevant mutations (p.E545K, p. H1047R, and p. H1047L). Digital PCR sensit...

Background: Promoter hypermethylation is one of the enabling mechanisms of hallmarks of cancer. Tumor suppressor genes like RARB and GSTP1 have been reported as hypermethylated in breast cancer tumors compared with normal tissues in several populations. This case–control study aimed to determine the association between the promoter methylation ratio (PMR) of RARB and GSTP1 genes (separately and as a group) with breast cancer and its clinical-pathological variables in Peruvian patients, using a liquid biopsy approach. Methods: A total of 58 breast cancer patients and 58 healthy controls, matched by age, participated in the study. We exacted cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from blood plasma and converted it by bisulfite salts. Methylight PCR was performed to obtain the PMR value of the studied genes. We determined the association between PMR and breast cancer, in addition to other clinicopathologi...

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common cause of cancer deaths around the world and the first cause of cancer deaths in Peru