Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) LINC00173 has been previously shown to promote chemoresistance and progression of small-cell lung cancer. Herein, we examine the clinical significance and biological function of LINC00173 in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Quantitative PCR analysis was performed to determine the expression of LINC00173 in TNBC and adjacent breast tissues (n = 84). The associations of LINC00173 expression with cancer features and survival of TNBC patients were analyzed. The function of LINC00173 in TNBC cell proliferation, colony formation, and invasion was explored. TNBCs expressed increased levels of LINC00173 relative to normal breast tissues. TNBC patients with high tumoral LINC00173 levels had a lower recurrence-free survival and overall survival rate than those with low LINC00173 expression. Silencing of LINC00173 inhibited the proliferation, colony formation, and invasion of TNBC cells, whereas overexpression of LINC00173 exerted opposite effects. In vivo studies confirmed the reduction of tumor growth by LINC00173 depletion. Mechanistic investigation revealed that LINC00173 suppressed miR-490-3p to promote aggressive phenotype in TNBC cells. There was an inverse correlation between miR-490-3p and LINC00173 in TNBC (r = -0.2647, P = 0.0149). Altogether, LINC00173 functions as an oncogene in TNBC through antagonization of miR-490-3p. Upregulation of LINC00173 is associated with poor prognosis in TNBC. Targeting LINC00173 provides a potential therapeutic strategy for TNBC.

Background: The impact of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) based treatments on non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) with RET fusions remains poorly understood. Methods: We screened patients with RET fusions at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and included those who were treated with ICIs based regimens for further analysis. We evaluated clinical indicators including objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Results: A total of 232 patients with RET fusions were included in the study. Of these, 129 patients had their programmed death-ligand 1 (PDL1) expression levels tested, with 22 patients (17.8%) having a PDL1 level greater than or equal to 50%. Additionally, tumor mutational burden (TMB) status was evaluated in 35 patients, with the majority (30/35, 85.8%) having a TMB of less than 10 mutations per megabase. Out of the 38 patients treated with ICI based regimens, the median PFS was 5 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.4–7.6 months) and the median OS was 19 months (95% CI: 9.7–28.3 months) at the time of data analysis. Stratification based on treatment lines did not show any significant differences in OS (18 vs. 19 months, p = 0.63) and PFS (6 vs. 5 months, p = 0.86). The ORR for patients treated with ICIs was 26.3%. Furthermore, no significant differences were found for PFS (p = 0.27) and OS (p = 0.75) between patients with positive and negative PDL1 expression. Additionally, there was no significant difference in PD-L1 levels (p = 0.10) between patients who achieved objective response and those who did not. Conclusions: Patients with RET fusion positive NSCLCs may not benefit from ICI based regimens and therefore should not be treated with ICIs in clinical practice.

Background: Taxane-based regimens that are frequently used in adjuvant chemotherapy in early triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) include a three-drug regimen (TAC and AC-T) and a two-drug regimen (TA and TC). Whether pathological lymph node stage guides taxane-based de-escalating chemotherapies in TNBC in adjuvant setting is still unclear.

Background: The effectiveness of combining immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) with chemotherapy in treating non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) with BRAF mutations has not been sufficiently explored.Methods: We compiled data from 306 NSCLC patients with identified BRAF mutations. We looked at efficacy by assessing the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR), as well as survival through measuring progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).Results: Out of the patient pool, 44 were treated with a regimen of immune-chemotherapy. Patients undergoing ICI in combination with chemotherapy had a median PFS of 4 months, and the median OS was recorded at 29 months. There was a notable increase in OS in patients receiving first-line treatment versus subsequent lines (29 vs 9.75 months, p=0.01); however, this was not the case with PFS (9 vs 4 months, p=0.46). The ORR for patients on ICIs was 36.3%. PFS and OS rates did not significantly differ between patients with the BRAF-V600E mutation and those with non-V600E mutations (p=0.75 and p=0.97, respectively). Additionally, we found a significant variation in PD-L1 expression between those who responded to treatment and those who didn’t (p=0.04).Conclusion: Our findings indicate that chemo-immunotherapy as an initial treatment may lead to improved OS in patients with BRAF-mutated NSCLC when compared to its use in subsequent lines of therapy. Further studies are needed to validate these results and to delve deeper into how specific types of BRAF mutations and PD-L1 expression levels might predict a patient’s response to treatments in NSCLC.

Background: Furmonertinib is the standard treatment option in the first-line setting for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with sensitive epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in China. However, there are limited real-world data available.Methods: We conducted a retrospective study at a single center, analyzing a cohort of 73 NSCLC patients who tested positive for EGFR mutations and were treated with furmonertinib as their initial therapy between August 2022 and December 2023. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), with secondary endpoints including objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), and safety profile.Results: The median observation period was 9 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 8.0–20.0). The median PFS was 19.5 months (95% CI, 14.6–24.4). OS data were not yet mature. Univariate analysis showed no significant correlation between PFS and factors such as Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) score, presence of brain or liver metastases, sex, age, EGFR mutation status, or number of metastatic sites. However, multivariate analysis indicated a potential trend toward extended PFS in patients younger than 65 years (p = 0.053, 95% CI, 0.10–1.02), although the p-value was only marginally significant. The most common adverse events were diarrhea (24%), anemia (36%), and liver injury (32%); however, only four cases experienced severe adverse events.Conclusion: In a real-world setting, furmonertinib appears to be a favorable treatment option for EGFR-mutated patients. The manageable nature of adverse events further supports its use in clinical practice.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1331128.].