Welcome to the winter edition of European Oncology and Haematology. At the end of another year in which the field of oncology has reported new standards of care and improved outcomes in numerous types of cancer, we feature a range of topical articles covering several therapeutic areas.
This edition begins with a fascinating editorial from Francesca Vinchi on the role of free haem and iron in shaping macrophage plasticity towards a pro-inflammatory phenotype, which may have important therapeutic implications for patients with sickle cell disease. Haematology is also the subject of one of our popular expert interviews: Maria Domenica Cappellini shares her expertise on the diagnosis and treatment of Gaucher disease. In other interviews, Reinhard Dummer discusses the findings of the landmark COLUMBUS clinical trial and their implications for the treatment of BRAF-mutant melanoma, Miguel Marcao provides an update on the clinical development of lenvatinib for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and Jason Lester explains the benefits and limitations of proton-beam therapy in the treatment of solid tumours.
Case reports are an important addition to scientific journals as they can raise awareness of rare subtypes of common diseases, as well as side effects of frequently used medications. In this issue, Petricevic et al. present a case of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in a patient with small cell lung cancer, an unusual finding as such mutations are generally associated with non-small cell lung cancers.
Despite advances in the treatment of numerous cancers, the prognosis for patients with metastatic or locally advanced, non-resectable bladder cancer remains poor with platinum-based chemotherapy. Jong and Samoi present a much-needed review of the latest advances in immune checkpoint inhibition and other novel therapeutic options in this patient population. By contrast, the treatment landscape of multiple myeloma has been transformed in recent years thanks to the introduction of novel agents and new combination therapies. Minnema and Gavriatopoulou review the remaining challenges and unmet needs in the treatment of this malignancy, with a focus on tailoring treatment to the individual patient. Finally, Janssens and Wakelin present a mini-review that compares centrifugal and membrane therapeutic plasma exchange and the factors influencing treatment decisions.
European Oncology and Haematology would like to thank all authors who contributed their expertise towards this edition. A special thanks goes to our editorial board for their continuing support and guidance. Thanks also go to all organisations and media partners for their ongoing support. We hope that these articles prove thought provoking and useful.