engleski

New Biomarkers in Oncology in the COVID-19 Era

Cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed diseases with increasing incidence worldwide. The treatment of cancer requires a multidisciplinary methodology due to the complexity of the disease, the therapeutic possibilities of personalized medicine and the peculiarities of carcinogenesis, which is essential for the selection of an appropriate therapy. Extensive evidence has been published on the molecular background of cancer development and progression, which can help tailor therapy to individual patients and improve their survival prognosis. Drug-specific therapeutic methodologies for cancer have contributed to substantial enhancements in overall survival and general quality of life for patients. However, there remains a pronounced need to expand the personalization of treatments based on genetic and epigenetic tumor profiles in order to maximize quality and efficiency while limiting the cytotoxicity of the oncological treatment. The emerging pandemic caused by COVID-19 poses a significant threat to lung cancer patients because of the specificity of the respiratory infection it causes. Although significant improvements in survival have been achieved in recent years through earlier detection, improved surgical and radiation techniques, and a dramatic paradigm shift in systemic therapy, new biomarkers are critical in cancer research to predict and improve therapeutic outcome. To our knowledge, our study was the first to investigate the lung immune prognostic index in patients treated with a combination of immune-checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy and in patients who had recovered from COVID-19 infection.

cancer, oncology, biomarkers, COVID-19

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