Maria José Juan Fita

Dr. Maria José Juan Fita

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

12Years (2015-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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11 July 2015 in Breast Cancer Research
Verified
Journal Article
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TCTeresa Ramon y Cajal
Teresa Ramon y Cajal
ICIsabel Chirivella
Isabel Chirivella
JMJosefa Miranda
Josefa Miranda
ATAlexandre Teule
Alexandre Teule
ÁIÁngel Izquierdo
Ángel Izquierdo
MPMarina Pollán
Marina Pollán
Introduction: Mammographic density (MD) is one of the strongest determinants of sporadic breast cancer (BC). In this study, we compared MD in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and non-carriers from BRCA1/2 mutation-positive families and investigated the association between MD and BC among BRCA1/2 mutation carriers per type of mutation and tumor subtype. Methods: The study was carried out in 1039 female members of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation-positive families followed at 16 Spanish Genetic Counseling Units. Participants’ density was scored retrospectively from available mammograms by a single blinded radiologist using a 5-category scale (75 %). In BC cases, we selected mammograms taken prior to diagnosis or from the contralateral breast, whereas, in non-cases, the last screening mammogram was evaluated. MD distribution in carriers and non-carriers was compared using ordinal logistic models, and the association between MD and BC in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers was studied using logistic regression. Huber-White robust estimators of variance were used to take into account correlations between family members. A similar multinomial model was used to explore this association by BC subtype. Results: We identified and scored mammograms from 341 BRCA1, 350 BRCA2 mutation carriers and 229 non-carriers. Compared to non-carriers, MD was significantly lower among BRCA2 mutation carriers (odds ratio (OR) =0.71; P-value=0.04), but not among BRCA1 carriers (OR=0.84; P-value=0.33). MD was associated with subsequent development BC (OR per category of MD=1.45; 95 % confidence interval=1.18-1.78, P-value<0.001), with no significant differences between BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers (P-value=0.48). Finally, no statistically significant differences were observed in the association of MD with specific BC subtypes. Conclusions: Our study, the largest to date on this issue, confirms that MD is an independent risk factor for all BC subtypes in either BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, and should be considered a phenotype risk marker in this context.

17 February 2025 in Clinical Cancer Research
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Journal Article
Closed access
XMXavier Garcia Del Muro
Xavier Garcia Del Muro
BVBegoña P. Valderrama
Begoña P. Valderrama
ACAna Medina Colmenero
Ana Medina Colmenero
OUOLATZ ETXANIZ ULAZIA
OLATZ ETXANIZ ULAZIA
RSRegina Gironés Sarrió
Regina Gironés Sarrió
RARamon Alemany
Ramon Alemany
Purpose: The combination of radiation and immunotherapy potentiated antitumor activity in preclinical models. The purpose of this study is to explore the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a bladder-preserving approach, including dual immune checkpoint blockade and radiotherapy, in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Patients and Methods: Patients with localized MIBC underwent transurethral resection, followed by durvalumab (1,500 mg) plus tremelimumab (75 mg) every 4 weeks for three doses and concurrent radiotherapy (64–66 Gy to bladder). Patients with residual or relapsed MIBC underwent salvage cystectomy. The primary endpoint was complete response, defined as the absence of MIBC at posttreatment biopsy. Secondary endpoints were bladder-intact disease-free survival, distant metastasis–free survival, and overall survival. Results: Thirty-two patients were enrolled at six centers. Complete response was documented in 26 (81%) patients. Two patients had residual MIBC, and four patients were not evaluated. After a median follow-up of 27 months, 2 patients underwent salvage cystectomy. The 2-year rates for bladder-intact disease-free survival, distant metastasis–free survival, and overall survival were 65%, 83%, and 84%, respectively. The 2-year estimates of non–muscle-invasive bladder relapse, MIBC, and distant metastasis were 3%, 19%, and 16%, respectively. Grade 3 to 4 toxicities were reported in 31% of patients, with diarrhea (6%) and acute kidney failure (6%) being the most frequent. Conclusions: This multimodal approach including durvalumab plus tremelimumab with concurrent radiotherapy is feasible and safe, showing high efficacy in terms of response and eliciting bladder preservation in a large number of patients. Further research on this approach as an alternative to cystectomy is warranted.

18 January 2019 in Hereditary Cancer in Clinical Practice
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Journal Article
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MRMarta Ramírez-Calvo
Marta Ramírez-Calvo
ZGZaida García-Casado
Zaida García-Casado
AFAntonio Fernández
Antonio Fernández
IJInmaculada de Juan Jiménez
Inmaculada de Juan Jiménez
SPSarai Palanca
Sarai Palanca
JOSE ANTONIO LOPEZ-GUERREROJOSE ANTONIO LOPEZ-GUERRERO
JOSE ANTONIO LOPEZ-GUERRERO
Approximately 5 to 10% of all cancers are caused by inherited germline mutations, many of which are associated with different Hereditary Cancer Syndromes (HCS). In the context of the Program of Hereditary Cancer of the Valencia Community, individuals belonging to specific HCS and their families receive genetic counselling and genetic testing according to internationally established guidelines. The current diagnostic approach is based on sequencing a few high-risk genes related to each HCS; however, this method is time-consuming, expensive and does not achieve a confirmatory genetic diagnosis in many cases. This study aims to test the level of improvement offered by a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) gene-panel compared to the standard approach in a diagnostic reference laboratory setting. A multi-gene NGS panel was used to test a total of 91 probands, previously classified as non-informative by analysing the high-risk genes defined in our guidelines. Nineteen deleterious mutations were detected in 16% of patients, some mutations were found in already-tested high-risk genes (BRCA1, BRCA2, MSH2) and others in non-prevalent genes (RAD51D, PALB2, ATM, TP53, MUTYH, BRIP1). Overall, our findings reclassify several index cases into different HCS, and change the mutational status of 14 cases from non-informative to gene mutation carriers. In conclusion, we highlight the necessity of incorporating validated multi-gene NGS panels into the HCSs diagnostic routine to increase the performance of genetic diagnosis.

18 October 2024 in Journal of Clinical Medicine
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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ALAlicia López-Abad
Alicia López-Abad
MBMario Belmonte
Mario Belmonte
MBMiguel Ramírez Backhaus
Miguel Ramírez Backhaus
GGGerardo Server Gomez
Gerardo Server Gomez
EAEnrique Cao Avellaneda
Enrique Cao Avellaneda
PGPedro Ángel López González
Pedro Ángel López González
Background/Objectives: Androgen receptor-targeted agents have significantly improved the prognosis of metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels are key prognostic markers, with rapid and deep reductions associated with better outcomes. This study aims to assess the association between the new PSA cut-offs and survival in mHSPC patients treated with Apalutamide. Methods: We conducted a multicentre, retrospective analysis of mHSPC patients treated with Apalutamide between March 2021 and January 2023. Overall survival (OS) and radiographic progression-free survival (rFPS) were analyzed and stratified by the following PSA ranges: 0.2 ng/mL. Cox regression was applied to identify variables associated with OS and rPFS. Results: Among 193 patients, 34.2% had de novo mHSPC, with the majority classified as M1b. A total of 58.2% (110) of our cohort achieved ultralow PSA levels, with 20.6% between 0.02 and 0.2 ng/mL, and 21.2% of PSA levels > 0.2 ng/mL. Most patients reached ultralow PSA within six months. Low-volume, metachronous, and M1a subgroups displayed a higher prevalence of patients reaching ultralow PSA levels. At 18 months, OS was 100% in the ultralow PSA group, 94.4% for the 0.02–0.2 ng/mL group, and 67.7% in the >0.2 ng/mL group. Similarly, rPFS at 18 months was 100%, 93.5%, and 50.7%, respectively. Cox regression revealed that both ultralow PSA levels and ISUP grade had a significant impact on OS (HR of 8.256 and 0.164, respectively). For rPFS, only ultralow PSA levels had a significant impact (HR = 0.085). Conclusions: This real-world study of mHSPC patients treated with Apalutamide plus ADT revealed that achieving ultralow PSA levels is strongly associated with better oncological outcomes.


1 October 2025 in JCO Global Oncology
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
Francesco MassariFrancesco Massari
Francesco Massari
MRMatteo Rosellini
Matteo Rosellini
BMBohuslav Melichar
Bohuslav Melichar
EGEnrique Grande
Enrique Grande
MBMaria T. Bourlon
Maria T. Bourlon
MSMatteo Santoni
Matteo Santoni
PURPOSE: Sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma (sRCC) represents a kidney malignancy with a sarcomatoid component associated with poor prognosis. Immunotherapy (IO)-based combinations demonstrated promising activity in sRCC, yet real-world evidence (RWE) remains limited. We aimed to characterize the clinicopathologic features and outcomes of patients with metastatic sRCC treated with first-line immune-based combinations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective analysis from the ARON-1 study included 350 patients with histologically confirmed metastatic sRCC treated with first-line IO + IO, or IO + tyrosine kinase inhibitor across 66 centers in 21 countries (2016-2024). Overall survival (OS) was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods. Correlations between 2-year OS and clinical variables were assessed using Pearson's coefficient. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 19.1 months, median OS was 26.9 months (95% CI, 21.6 to 43.3). OS was longer in males (43.3 v 15.3 months in females; P < .001), in whom underwent nephrectomy (32.3 v 20.7 months; P = .002), and in patients without hepatic (32.3 v 15.3 months; P < .001), without skeletal (41.0 v 20.0 months; P = .007), or without lymph node metastases (43.3 v 24.6 months; P = .037). Median OS varied by International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium (IMDC) risk group: 66.5, 29.4, and 11.7 months in favorable-, intermediate-, and poor-risk patients, respectively ( P < .001). Different IO regimens showed variable outcomes by risk subgroup. Limitations include retrospective design and lack of central pathology review. CONCLUSION: First-line IO-based combinations provide clinically meaningful survival in sRCC, with outcomes affected by sex, metastatic sites, and IMDC risk. This RWE may support a tailored therapeutic approach on the basis of baseline prognostic factors.