Mehmet Sitki Copur, MD | Authors

A New Horizon in Cancer Care: Liquid Biopsy

December 24, 2021

Mehmet Sitki Copur, MD, gives his perspective on liquid biopsies and how they can be utilized in gastrointestinal cancer.

Mucinous Adenocarcinoma of the Appendix With Histologic Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Review of Histologic and Clinical Spectrum of Epithelial Neoplastic Mucinous Lesions of the Appendix

June 23, 2021

Mehmet Sitki Copur, MD, and colleagues examine the case of a 65-year-old patient with appendiceal mucinous neoplasms of the appendix who was treated with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Messenger RNA Vaccines: Beckoning of a New Era in Cancer Immunotherapy

April 21, 2021

A review of mRNA vaccine technology by ONCOLOGY® editorial board member Mehmet Sitki Copur, MD, FACP, explains the basis for progress in this field and reviews a number of new trials using this technology.

A 65-Year-Old Man With Back Pain and Imaging Findings of Spinal Cord Compression

March 18, 2021

Mehmet S. Copur, MD, and colleagues examine the case of a 65-year-old who presented with back pain and a large T8 spinal mass, leading to a diagnosis of multiple myeloma with spinal cord compromise.

Recurrent EGFR-Mutated Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Discovered by Abnormal Mammogram: Adjuvant/Frontline Metastatic Management Options

September 21, 2020

ABSTRACT: Breast metastasis from extramammary malignancy is rare, with a reported incidence rate of 0.4% to 1.3% in the published literature. The primary malignancies that most commonly metastasize to the breast are leukemia, lymphoma, and malignant melanoma. Here, we report a very rare case of metastatic EGFR-mutated non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the breast detected by screening mammography. The patient had initially been diagnosed with a clinical stage IIIA NSCLC and had been treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by curative-intent surgery. Several interesting aspects of the case, along with a discussion of evolving adjuvant and frontline metastatic management options in EGFR-mutated NSCLC, will be presented.

Locally Advanced Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor in a 33-Year-Old Woman Seeking to Conceive

August 11, 2020

ABSTRACT Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract. They commonly present with nonspecific symptoms and thus are often discovered incidentally. They are best identified by CT scan and most stain positive for CD117 (C-Kit), CD34, and/or DOG-1. Several risk stratification classification systems have been developed based on tumor size, mitotic rate, location, and perforation. Traditional chemotherapy and radiation therapy have been very ineffective, making surgery the mainstay of treatment. The discovery of mutations associated with these tumors has revolutionized the treatment approach. Imatinib mesylate, a selective tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor, used as adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy, has greatly improved the morbidity and mortality associated with GISTs. As the survival of patients has increased with the long-term use of targeted therapies, quality-of-life issues now have become much more relevant and have come to the forefront of care. We present a young woman who was successfully treated for GIST but now faces associated long-term adverse effects of imatinib, including the challenge of preserving fertility and the potential for childbearing.

Ineptitude of Clinical Trials System Highlighted by COVID-19 Pandemic

July 15, 2020

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has permanently changed many aspects of clinical care, including clinical trials. A short list of the challenges faced by the entire research community during this pandemic include (but aren’t limited to) enrollment and protocol adherence difficulties, needing to reduce patient visits, staffing constraints, and limited availability of ancillary services.