Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are a relatively rare type of thoracic tumor, accounting for less than 1% of all tumors. The incidence of TETs is about 3.93/10000 in China, slightly higher than that of European and American countries. For resectable TETs, complete surgical resection is recommended. Radiotherapy or chemotherapy may be used as postoperative adjuvant treatment. Treatment for advanced, unresectable TETs consist mainly of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but there is a lack of standard first‐ and second‐line treatment regimens. Recently, targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown promising outcomes in TETs. Based on the currently available clinical evidences and the opinions of the national experts, the Thymic Oncology Group of Yangtze River Delta Lung Cancer Cooperation Group (East China LUng caNcer Group, ECLUNG; Youth Committee) established this Chinese expert consensus on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of TETs, covering the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and follow‐up of TETs.

Introduction: Amplification of the 11q13.3 locus has been observed in various tumors. This study sought to determine the correlation of gene amplification at the 11q13.3 locus with the immune status and survival of breast cancer. Methods: Amplification of the 11q13.3 locus was characterized by analyzing a publicly available database from the cBioPortal platform (TCGA). The correlation of amplified genes with immune cell infiltration in breast cancer was further analyzed using the TIMER2.0 platform. Immunohistochemical staining was used to determine the expression levels of Cyclin D1 (CCND1), Fas-associated death domain (FADD) and P53 in 156 clinical breast cancer samples. Results: This study revealed that amplification of the 11q13.3 amplicon in breast cancer is likely more frequently detected in luminal B breast cancer. Moreover, high expression or amplification of CCND1, fibroblast growth factor 3 (FGF3), fibroblast growth factor 4 (FGF4), fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) and FADD was inversely correlated with the abundance of CD4+ T cells and dendritic cell infiltration in breast cancer (P < 0.05). Data analysis also demonstrated that high expression of CCND1, FGF4 and FADD mRNA levels was closely correlated with shorter recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with breast cancer (P < 0.05). The results of immunohistochemical staining from clinical samples further confirmed that high expression of CCND1 and FADD was frequently detected in luminal B and high-grade breast cancer with shorter metastasis-free survival times (P < 0.05). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that coamplification of genes located on the 11q13.3 amplicon is frequently detected in luminal B subtype breast cancer and is closely associated with worse survival in patients with breast cancer. Moreover, coamplification of the CCND1-FGF locus might decrease antitumor immune activity in breast cancer, indicating that coamplification of the 11q13.3 amplicon is likely to be a key determinant of therapeutic resistance and accelerate the aggressive evolution of breast cancer.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a malignant tumor originating from the pleura, and its incidence has been increasing in recent years. Due to the insidious onset and strong local invasiveness of MPM, most patients are diagnosed in the late stage and early screening and treatment for high‐risk populations are crucial. The treatment of MPM mainly includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Immunotherapy and electric field therapy have also been applied, leading to further improvements in patient survival. The Mesothelioma Group of the Yangtze River Delta Lung Cancer Cooperation Group (East China LUng caNcer Group, ECLUNG; Youth Committee) developed a national consensus on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of MPM based on existing clinical research evidence and the opinions of national experts. This consensus aims to promote the homogenization and standardization of MPM diagnosis and treatment in China, covering epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and follow‐up.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have successfully treated a number of different types of cancer, which is of great significance for cancer treatment. With the widespread use of ICIs in clinical practice, the increasing checkpoint inhibitor pneumonia (CIP) will be a challenge to clinicians. To guide the diagnosis and treatment of CIP, we conducted in‐depth discussions based on the latest evidence, forming a consensus among Chinese experts on the multidisciplinary management of CIP.

The BRAF gene is an important signaling molecule in human cells that is involved in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation, and survival. When the BRAF gene mutates, it can lead to abnormal activation of the signaling pathway, which promotes cell proliferation, inhibits cell apoptosis, and ultimately contributes to the occurrence and development of cancer. BRAF mutations are widely present in various cancers, including malignant melanoma, thyroid cancer, colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and hairy cell leukemia, among others. BRAF is an important target for the treatment of various solid tumors, and targeted combination therapies, represented by BRAF inhibitors, have become one of the main treatment modalities for a variety of BRAF-mutation-positive solid tumors. Dabrafenib plus trametinib, as the first tumor-agnostic therapy, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients aged 6 years and older harboring a BRAF V600E mutation with unresectable or metastatic solid tumors that have progressed following prior treatment and who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options. This is also the first time a BRAF/MEK inhibitor combination has been approved for use in pediatric patients. As research into the diagnosis and treatment of BRAF mutations advances, standardizing the detection of BRAF mutations and the clinical application of BRAF inhibitors becomes increasingly important. Therefore, we have established a universal and systematic strategy for diagnosing and treating solid tumors with BRAF mutations. In this expert consensus, we (1) summarize the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of BRAF mutations in different solid tumors, (2) provide recommendations for the selection of genetic testing methods and platforms, and (3) establish a universal strategy for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with solid tumors harboring BRAF mutations.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) possesses tyrosine kinase activity and participates in cell growth, differentiation and migration, and survival. Its alterations, mainly including mutations, amplifications, and overexpression are associated with poor prognosis and are one of the major drivers in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Several clinical trials had been investigating on the treatments of HER2‐altered NSCLC, including conventional chemotherapy, programmed death 1 (PD‐1) inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and antibody‐drug conjugates (ADCs), however, the results were either disappointing or encouraging, but inconsistent. Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T‐DXd) was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration as the first targeted agent for treating HER2‐mutant NSCLC. Effective screening of patients is the key to the clinical application of HER2‐targeted agents such as TKIs and ADCs. Various testing methods are nowadays available, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR), next‐generation sequencing (NGS), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), immunohistochemistry (IHC), etc. Each method has its pros and cons and should be reasonably assigned to appropriate patients for diagnosis and guiding treatment decisions. To help standardize the clinical workflow, our expert group reached a consensus on the clinical management of HER2‐altered NSCLC, focusing on the diagnosis and treatment strategies.