Browsing by Author "Lockley, Michelle"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Adolescent and Young Adult Germ Cell Tumors: Epidemiology, Genomics, Treatment, and Survivorship
    (American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2024) Travis, Lois B.; Feldman, Darren R.; Fung, Chunkit; Poynter, Jenny N.; Lockley, Michelle; Frazier, A. Lindsay; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Innovations in the care of adolescent and young adult (AYA) germ cell tumors (GCTs) are needed for one of the most common AYA cancers for which treatment has not significantly changed for several decades. Testicular GCTs (TGCTs) are the most common cancers in 15- to 39-year-old men, and ovarian GCTs (OvGCTs) are the leading gynecologic malignancies in women younger than 25 years. Excellent outcomes, even in widely metastatic disease using cisplatin-based chemotherapy, can be achieved since Einhorn and Donohue's landmark 1977 study in TGCT. However, as the severity of accompanying late effects (ototoxicity, neurotoxicity, cardiovascular disease, second malignant neoplasms, nephrotoxicity, and others) has emerged, efforts to deintensity treatment and find alternatives to cisplatin have taken on new urgency. Current innovations include the collaborative design of clinical trials that accrue GCTs across all ages and both sexes, including adolescents (previously on pediatric trials), and OvGCT (previously on gynecologic-only trials). Joint trials accrue larger sample sizes at a faster rate and therefore evaluate new approaches more rapidly. These joint trials also allow for biospecimen collection to further probe GCT etiology and underlying mechanisms of tumor growth, thus providing new therapeutic options. This AYA approach has been fostered by The Malignant Germ Cell International Consortium, which includes over 115 GCT disease experts from pediatric, gynecologic, and genitourinary oncologies in 16 countries. Trials in development incorporate, to our knowledge, for the first time, molecular risk stratification and precision oncology approaches on the basis of specific GCT biology. This collaborative AYA approach pioneering successfully in GCT could serve as a model for impactful research for other AYA cancer types.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Consensus and controversy in the management of paediatric and adult patients with ovarian immature teratoma: the Malignant Germ Cell International Consortium perspective
    (Elsevier, 2024-02-06) Pashankar, Farzana; Murray, Matthew J.; Gell, Joanna; MacDonald, Nicola; Shamash, Jonathan; Billmire, Deborah F.; Klosterkemper, Lindsay; Olson, Thomas; Hirsch, Michelle S.; Lockley, Michelle; Stoneham, Sara; Frazier, A. Lindsay; Surgery, School of Medicine
    Ovarian immature teratoma (IT) is a rare neoplasm comprising ∼3% of ovarian cancers, occurring primarily in young females. Management presents several challenges, including those with elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein, potential confusion regarding pathology interpretation, and paucity of data to support decision-making. MaGIC (https://magicconsortium.com/) is an interdisciplinary international consortium of GCT experts from multiple subspecialties, with members receiving frequent queries regarding IT patient management. With evidence from published literature where available, we summarise consensus management of such patients. Given lack of published data, controversy in certain areas remains. The most obvious variance in practice is between paediatric and adult teams, despite very similar outcomes. Paediatric teams typically employ a surgery-only approach, whereas in adult practice, all patients, except those with stage IA, grade 1 (low-grade) tumours, still generally receive adjuvant chemotherapy. Given the rarity of ovarian IT and lack of published data, discussion with GCT experts and/or national advisory panels is recommended.