{"title":"Complications following small-molecule inhibitors for non-small cell lung cancer.","authors":"Caroline Kamali, Simon Ekman","doi":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2665836","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2665836","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Targeted therapies for oncogene-driven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have transformed precision oncology by enabling treatment tailored to specific molecular alterations and substantially improving outcomes in advanced disease. However, these agents are associated with distinct patterns of treatment-related toxicities affecting multiple organ systems and may impact long-term treatment success.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This review summarizes the spectrum of toxicities associated with the treatment of EGFR, ALK, BRAF, ROS1, MET, RET, KRAS, HER2, and NTRK. Evidence from pivotal clinical trials and real-world studies is discussed to describe toxicity incidence, underlying mechanisms, and current management strategies. Emphasis is placed on hepatic, gastrointestinal, dermatologic, neurologic, cardiovascular, and pulmonary adverse events, as well as on structured monitoring and multidisciplinary toxicity management approaches. A structured literature search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science, including peer-reviewed publications.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Early recognition and proactive management of toxicity are essential to maintain treatment adherence, optimize safety, and preserve quality of life. Emerging biomarkers of toxicity and resistance are expected to refine individualized management and guide the development of next-generation inhibitors with improved tolerability. Integrating precision toxicity management into routine clinical practice will be critical to maximizing the therapeutic benefit of targeted therapies in oncogene-driven NSCLC.</p>","PeriodicalId":12099,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy","volume":" ","pages":"1113-1129"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147867426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An evaluation of avutometinib in combination with defactinib for <i>KRAS</i>-mutated recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer.","authors":"Vivek Podder, Brian M Slomovitz, Robert L Coleman","doi":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2665840","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2665840","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC) is a rare, biologically distinct subtype of epithelial ovarian cancer characterized by relative genomic stability, frequent activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, and limited sensitivity to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Activating alterations in <i>KRAS</i>, <i>NRAS</i>, and <i>BRAF</i> mutations occur in 70% of cases, with <i>KRAS</i> being the predominant driver in recurrent disease, for which effective and durable treatment options remain limited.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This article reviews the mechanistic rationale for combined RAF/MEK and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibition in LGSOC, focusing on avutometinib (a first-in-class RAF/MEK clamp) and defactinib (a selective FAK inhibitor). A structured review of preclinical and clinical evidence was conducted, including key findings from phase I FRAME and phase II RAMP-201 trials. Efficacy outcomes, safety and tolerability profiles, and the current regulatory landscape, including accelerated approval in the United States and ongoing phase III evaluation, are discussed.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Avutometinib plus defactinib represents a promising targeted therapeutic strategy for recurrent LGSOC, particularly in patients with <i>KRAS</i>-mutant tumors. If confirmed in phase III trials, this combination may establish a molecularly informed disease-specific treatment paradigm with the potential for more durable disease control than existing therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":12099,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy","volume":" ","pages":"1079-1092"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147766623","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anas Hamad, Ahmed El-Sheashaey, Ahmed S Alanazi, Fahmeeda Khan, Mansoor Ahmed Khan, Mohammed Alfar, Osama Abu Tabar, Rana Aljaber, Shereen Elazzazy
{"title":"Expert consensus on the role of immunotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: clinical and economic perspectives from the GCC region.","authors":"Anas Hamad, Ahmed El-Sheashaey, Ahmed S Alanazi, Fahmeeda Khan, Mansoor Ahmed Khan, Mohammed Alfar, Osama Abu Tabar, Rana Aljaber, Shereen Elazzazy","doi":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2671249","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2671249","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare malignancy globally but poses a disproportionate clinical and economic burden in endemic regions, including parts of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Patients with recurrent or metastatic NPC (RM-NPC) often present with advanced disease and limited therapeutic options, historically relying on platinum-based chemotherapy with modest survival benefit and substantial toxicity. Recent advances in immunotherapy have begun to reshape the treatment landscape.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This position paper reviews the evolving role of immunotherapy in RM-NPC, with a particular focus on toripalimab. An advisory board meeting was convened to review disease burden, unmet needs, clinical outcomes associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, and economic considerations relevant to formulary decision-making. A literature review was conducted from January 2015 to October 2025, focusing on clinical trials, guidelines, and economic evaluations related to immunotherapy in NPC.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Toripalimab in combination with chemotherapy should be adopted as the new standard of care for RM-NPC. Beyond efficacy, its potential value in the GCC extends to health system efficiency and resource allocation. Experts emphasized that value-based assessment frameworks, supported by local, real-world, and economic data, are essential to guide sustainable adoption and equitable patient access to immunotherapy in the region.</p>","PeriodicalId":12099,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy","volume":" ","pages":"1131-1137"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147835357","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Artificial intelligence in retinoblastoma and uveal melanoma - a narrative review.","authors":"Bharat Gurnani, Kirandeep Kaur","doi":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2671252","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2671252","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping diagnostic paradigms across oncology. In ophthalmic oncology encompassing conditions like retinoblastoma and uveal melanoma, AI has immense potential due to the specialty's reliance on advanced imaging and the importance of early and accurate diagnosis.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This review explores recent developments in AI applications for ophthalmic oncology, particularly in imaging-based detection, prognostication, and treatment planning. A structured search of PubMed and Web of Science from 2010-2025 identified key studies focusing on AI's use in diagnosing retinoblastoma from fundus photography and differentiating uveal melanoma from benign lesions. Additionally, AI models trained on multimodal inputs such as Optical Coherence Tomography, Ultrasound B scan, and histopathology have demonstrated promise in outcome prediction and therapy stratification.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>AI algorithms have achieved diagnostic performance comparable to ophthalmic oncology experts and, in some cases, outperformed them in detecting subtle malignancies. While promising, clinical adoption remains limited by the need for large, diverse datasets and prospective validation. Multicenter collaborations and integration of multimodal imaging are essential to move from proof-of-concept to real-world application. With continued development, AI can significantly enhance diagnostic precision, personalize care, and serve as a scalable model for cancer imaging in ophthalmology and beyond.</p>","PeriodicalId":12099,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy","volume":" ","pages":"1139-1155"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147835075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The primary care-oncology interface is now a patient safety frontier.","authors":"Waseem Jerjes","doi":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2724118","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2724118","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12099,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-4"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148790105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Access is not enough: the deliverability gap in modern oncology.","authors":"Waseem Jerjes","doi":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2723473","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2723473","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12099,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-5"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148790100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annalisa Trama, Giuseppe Lo Russo, Monica Ganzinelli, Laura Abate-Daga, Tommaso Martino De Pas, Paolo Mendogni, Rossana Berardi, Davide Franceschini, Lorenzo Rosso, Giovannella Palmieri, Iacopo Petrini, Giulia Pasello, Fiorella Calabrese, Giovanni Maria Comacchio, Fabiana Letizia Cecere, Mirella Marino, Enrico Ruffini, Marina Chiara Garassino, Paraskevas Lyberis, Andrea Dell'Amore, Giulia Galli, Paolo Andrea Zucali
{"title":"From fragmentation to focus: building collaborative networks for rare cancer research - the Italian TYME network as a model for care and innovation?","authors":"Annalisa Trama, Giuseppe Lo Russo, Monica Ganzinelli, Laura Abate-Daga, Tommaso Martino De Pas, Paolo Mendogni, Rossana Berardi, Davide Franceschini, Lorenzo Rosso, Giovannella Palmieri, Iacopo Petrini, Giulia Pasello, Fiorella Calabrese, Giovanni Maria Comacchio, Fabiana Letizia Cecere, Mirella Marino, Enrico Ruffini, Marina Chiara Garassino, Paraskevas Lyberis, Andrea Dell'Amore, Giulia Galli, Paolo Andrea Zucali","doi":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2723471","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2723471","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Rare cancers, individually uncommon but collectively significant, pose major challenges due to their heterogeneity, low incidence, and fragmented expertise. This review addresses the complexities of managing and researching rare cancers, highlighting the necessity for collaborative networks.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed to identify peer-reviewed articles from 2010 to 2025 focusing on rare cancers, collaborative clinical networks, European Reference Networks (ERNs), and thymic malignancies. The review examines key obstacles such as limited patient populations, uneven expertise distribution, funding challenges, and explores models of collaboration including ERNs and the Italian TYME network. These networks exemplify integrated efforts to improve clinical care, research efficiency, and patient involvement through coordinated governance, registries, and multidisciplinary approaches.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Sustainable, transparent, and inclusive collaborative networks like TYME and ERNs are essential to overcoming rare cancer research barriers. They enable standardized care, robust data sharing, and enhanced clinical trials, ultimately improving outcomes. Continued investment, policy support, and expansion of interoperable digital infrastructures are critical to fully realize the transformative potential of these network models in rare cancer care.</p>","PeriodicalId":12099,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148808355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Conversion surgery for advanced biliary tract cancer in the era of molecularly targeted therapy and immunotherapy: from unresectable disease to multidisciplinary curative strategy.","authors":"Takehiro Okabayashi, Motoyasu Tabuchi, Teppei Tokumaru, Sunao Uemura, Shuta Tamura","doi":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2724123","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2724123","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is a heterogeneous and highly lethal malignancy, with many patients presenting with locally advanced or metastatic disease unsuitable for upfront curative resection. Advances in chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and molecularly targeted therapy have created opportunities for conversion surgery in selected patients, but its role and optimal selection criteria remain uncertain.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This review examines conversion surgery for initially unresectable BTC, focusing on modern systemic therapy, candidate selection, timing, subtype-specific surgery, locoregional therapy, liver transplantation, and perioperative management. Conversion rates, R0 resection, postoperative outcomes, and survival are critically evaluated, together with selection, responder, and immortal-time biases and the lack of prospective evidence. Emerging roles of molecular profiling and circulating tumor DNA are also discussed.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Conversion surgery should be regarded as a dynamic, multidisciplinary treatment continuum integrating systemic therapy, biological selection, reassessment of resectability, individualized surgery, and postoperative management. The optimal candidate is identified by the convergence of technical resectability, durable disease control, favorable tumor biology, and adequate physiological reserve. Molecular alterations may guide systemic therapy but should not independently indicate surgery. The goal is to identify the right patient, at the right biological moment, for the right operation.</p>","PeriodicalId":12099,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148790037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"AA amyloidosis as a renal immune-related adverse event of immune checkpoint inhibitors: mechanisms, diagnosis, and management.","authors":"Ozgur Tanriverdi","doi":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2720033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/14737140.2026.2720033","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed cancer therapy but produced immune-related adverse events across multiple organs. Renal toxicities are uncommon yet significant, and secondary serum amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis has emerged as a rare, underrecognized complication reflecting sustained systemic inflammation rather than direct immune-mediated kidney injury.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This review summarizes evidence on AA amyloidosis as a renal adverse event of checkpoint inhibition, drawing on case reports, a systematic pharmacovigilance (FAERS) analysis, and mechanistic extrapolation from AA amyloidosis biology and cytokine signaling. Proposed mechanisms linking PD-1/PD-L1 blockade to cytokine activation, hepatic amyloid A production, and deposition are discussed as hypotheses rather than confirmed pathways. Clinical features, diagnostic challenges, and outcomes are characterized, emphasizing limits of creatinine-based monitoring, biopsy's importance, and limited reversibility once nephrotic syndrome develops.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>ICI-associated AA amyloidosis is a severe, inflammation-driven toxicity likely underdiagnosed. Management remains empirical, grounded in mechanistic rationale and case experience rather than trials, often ineffective once nephrotic syndrome is established. Greater awareness, early nephrology referral, and a low threshold for biopsy should become routine for ICI-treated patients with unexplained proteinuria. Evidence remains scarce (11 cases, 26 pharmacovigilance reports), so recommendations reflect expert opinion pending validation; causality with amyloidogenesis remains unestablished.</p>","PeriodicalId":12099,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148758840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elhadi Iich, Bavani Kannan, Yi Chye Law, Jason Yongsheng Chan
{"title":"Angiosarcoma: adaptive designs leveraging vascular biology and antiangiogenic repurposing.","authors":"Elhadi Iich, Bavani Kannan, Yi Chye Law, Jason Yongsheng Chan","doi":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2715407","DOIUrl":"10.1080/14737140.2026.2715407","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Angiosarcoma is a rare and aggressive vascular malignancy characterized by substantial clinical and molecular heterogeneity. Grouping UV-associated cutaneous, radiation-associated, and visceral tumors within unselected clinical trials may obscure treatment effects in biologically distinct subgroups.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This narrative review examines cytotoxic and anti-angiogenic therapy, immunotherapy, oncolytic virotherapy, non-canonical vascular targets, and advances in multiomic, spatial, and proteomic profiling. It also evaluates adaptive and Bayesian trial designs as strategies for biomarker-enriched development. Literature was identified through PubMed and AI-assisted discovery, with relevant clinical trial reports, conference abstracts, and regulatory guidance included through July 2026.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Current systemic therapies provide modest population-level benefit and generally limited durability. Emerging evidence supports biologically distinct treatment-responsive subsets, including selected UV-associated cutaneous and secondary angiosarcomas, although validated predictive biomarkers remain lacking. Progress will require integration of molecular, immune, spatial, and protein-level features into patient selection. Adaptive and enrichment-based trial designs may reduce dilution of subgroup-specific signals and support the transition from histology-defined cohorts toward mechanistically stratified treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":12099,"journal":{"name":"Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-14"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148677816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}