Oncologists and scientists in the field of head and neck cancer exchanged their research findings and clinical experiences in the Sino-USA Symposium on Head and Neck Cancer, which was held January 6-7, 2012 in Guangzhou, China. The symposium was jointly organized by Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC). The Guangdong Provincial Anti-Cancer Association and the Chinese Journal of Cancer also helped in organizing the conference. Speakers were from China (SYSUCC, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, and Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center) and the United States (MDACC). The presentations covered most kinds of head and neck cancers and included both basic and clinical research progress. In particular, NPC was discussed in depth. The symposium explored the reality that cancer is complex and numerous questions remain to be answered, even though there has already been an enormous effort into research. International exchanges of experience and in-depth cooperation are definitely needed to improve our capability of caring for cancer patients. In this article, we provide highlights of the presentations.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; etiology ; genetics ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; therapy ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; epidemiology

BRAF is one of the most important pro-oncogenes, which is mutated in approximately 8% of human tumors. The most common BRAF mutation is a valine-to-glutamate transition (V600E) that is expressed primarily in melanoma, colorectal cancer and thyroid carcinoma. MEK/ERK is constitutively activated in the cells expressing BRAFV600E, leading to tumor development, invasion, and metastasis. Therefore, BRAFV600E is a therapeutic target for melanoma and some other BRAFV600E tumors. Vemurafenib, a BRAFV600E inhibitor, which was approved by FDA for the treatment of late-stage melanoma in 2011, produces improved rates of overall and progression-free survival in patients with the BRAFV600E mutation, making a dramatic breakthrough in melanoma treatment. Vemurafenib is also an individual target drug based on genetic diagnosis. However, its therapeutic success is limited by the emergence of drug resistance. Therefore, it is important to explore the mechanisms underlying the resistance for developing new inhibitor drugs and for preventing or delaying the resistance evolution to BRAF inhibitor drugs. In this review, we described the role of BRAFV600E as an anti-tumor drug target and the development of BRAF inhibitors. We also discussed the mechanisms leading to resistance of BRAFV600E inhibitors. Furthermore, therapeutic strategies that might be employed to overcome acquired resistance were proposed.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Humans ; Imidazoles ; therapeutic use ; Indoles ; therapeutic use ; Melanoma ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases ; metabolism ; Mutation ; Oximes ; therapeutic use ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Sulfonamides ; therapeutic use ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism

We evaluated the efficacy of recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone (rhTSH) versus thyroid hormone withdrawal (THW) prior to radioiodine remnant ablation (RRA) in thyroid cancer. A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and SCOPUS was performed. Randomized controlled trials that compared ablation success between rhTSH and THW at 6 to 12 months following RRA were included in this study. Six trials with a total of 1,660 patients were included. When ablation success was defined as a thyroglobulin (Tg) cutoff of 1 ng/mL (risk ratio, 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.96-1.03) or a Tg cutoff of 1 ng/mL plus imaging modality (RR 0.97; 0.90-1.05), the results of rhTSH and THW were similar. There were no significant differences when ablation success was defined as a Tg cutoff of 2 ng/mL (RR 1.03; 0.95-1.11) or a Tg cutoff of 2 ng/mL plus imaging modality (RR 1.02; 0.95-1.09). When a negative 131I-whole body scan was used solely as the definition of ablation success, the effects of rhTSH and THW were not significantly different (RR 0.97; 0.93-1.02). Therefore, ablation success rates are comparable when RRA is prepared by either rhTSH or THW.
Catheter Ablation ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Databases, Factual ; Humans ; Iodine Radioisotopes/*therapeutic use ; Radiopharmaceuticals/*therapeutic use ; Recombinant Proteins/biosynthesis/genetics/therapeutic use ; Risk ; Thyroglobulin/analysis/metabolism ; Thyroid Neoplasms/*drug therapy/ultrasonography ; Thyrotropin/genetics/metabolism/*therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Whole Body Imaging

No abstract available.
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18/diagnostic use ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Individualized Medicine/*methods ; Iodine Radioisotopes/*therapeutic use ; Molecular Imaging/methods ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Symporters/biosynthesis/*metabolism ; Thyroid Neoplasms/*drug therapy/*genetics ; Tumor Microenvironment