Talal El Zarif
he/him/his
Hospital ResidentAbout
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Safety and efficacy of immune checkpoint therapy for the treatment of patients with cardiac metastasis: a multicenter international retrospective study
Nassar A, Alaiwi S, Zarif T, Denu R, Macaron W, Abdel-Wahab N, Freeman D, Vasbinder A, Hayeck S, Anderson E, Goodman R, Johnson D, Grynberg S, Shapira R, Kwan J, Woodford R, Long G, Haykal T, Dent S, Kojima Y, Yonemor K, Tandon A, Trevino A, Akhter N, Yang E, Hui G, Drakaki A, El-Am E, Kozaily E, Al-Hader A, Farhat E, Babu P, Mittra A, Li M, Jones N, Baena J, Herrera M, Foderaro S, Nana F, Kim C, Sackstein P, Parikh K, Desai A, Smith C, Cortellini A, Pinato D, Korolewicz J, Lopetegui-Lia N, Funchain P, Choudhary A, Asnani A, Navani V, Meyers D, Stukalin I, Gallegos J, Trent J, Nusrat S, Malvar C, McKay R, Neilan T, Choueiri T, Naqash A. Safety and efficacy of immune checkpoint therapy for the treatment of patients with cardiac metastasis: a multicenter international retrospective study. Journal For ImmunoTherapy Of Cancer 2025, 13: e009364. PMID: 40032601, PMCID: PMC11877189, DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2024-009364.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsImmune checkpoint inhibitor initiationImmune checkpoint inhibitorsTreatment-related adverse eventsObjective response rateProgression-free survivalCardiac metastasisOverall survivalRetrospective studyAnti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4Dose of immune checkpoint inhibitorsEfficacy of immune checkpoint therapyAnti-programmed death-1International multicenter retrospective studyMulticenter international retrospective studyT-lymphocyte antigen-4Non-small cell lung cancerMedian follow-up timeClinical outcomes of patientsICI-based regimensMultiple cardiac metastasesSolid Tumors V.1.1Immune checkpoint therapyResponse Evaluation CriteriaInternational retrospective studyMulticenter retrospective studyHow to Use Imaging: Complex Cases of Atherosclerosis, Myocardial Inflammation, and Cardiomyopathy in Cardio-Oncology
Khattab M, Baig M, Zarif T, Barac A, Ferencik M, Henry M, Lopez-Mattei J, Redheuil A, Salem J, Scherrer-Crosbie M, Yang E, Baldassarre L. How to Use Imaging: Complex Cases of Atherosclerosis, Myocardial Inflammation, and Cardiomyopathy in Cardio-Oncology. Circulation Cardiovascular Imaging 2025, 18: e015981. PMID: 39772610, DOI: 10.1161/circimaging.124.015981.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCardio-oncologyCases of atherosclerosisCardiac magnetic resonance imagingCoronary computed tomography angiographySingle-photon emission computed tomographyImmune checkpoint inhibitorsLeft ventricular dysfunctionMultimodality cardiac imagingTyrosine kinase inhibitorsCardiac imaging modalitiesComputed tomography angiographyRisk of cardiovascular diseaseEmission computed tomographyPositron emission tomographyMagnetic resonance imagingCheckpoint inhibitorsVentricular dysfunctionMyocardial inflammationCoronary vasospasmAccelerated atherosclerosisKinase inhibitorsPatient populationDiagnosing such pathologiesCancer therapyCardiac imagingFirst-line Systemic Therapy Following Adjuvant Immunotherapy in Renal Cell Carcinoma: An International Multicenter Study
El Zarif T, Semaan K, Xie W, Eid M, Zarba M, Issa W, Zhang T, Nguyen C, Alva A, Fahey C, Beckermann K, Karam J, Campbell M, Procopio G, Stellato M, Buti S, Zemankova A, Melichar B, Massari F, Mollica V, Venugopal B, Ebrahimi H, de Velasco G, Gurney H, De Giorgi U, Parikh O, Winquist E, Master V, Garcia A, Cutuli H, Ferguson T, Gross-Goupil M, Baca S, Pal S, Braun D, McKay R, Heng D, Choueiri T. First-line Systemic Therapy Following Adjuvant Immunotherapy in Renal Cell Carcinoma: An International Multicenter Study. European Urology 2024, 86: 503-512. PMID: 39147674, DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2024.07.016.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRenal cell carcinomaProgression-free survivalInternational Metastatic RCC Database ConsortiumRecurrent renal cell carcinomaTreatment-related adverse eventsSystemic therapyAdjuvant pembrolizumabOverall survivalCell carcinomaClinical outcomesIO therapyAdjuvant immunotherapyAdverse eventsVascular endothelial growth factor-targeted therapyDetect occult metastatic diseaseOutcomes of first-lineFirst-line systemic therapyFavorable-risk diseaseIO-based regimensOccult metastatic diseaseMedian follow-upKaplan-Meier methodShort follow-up periodFollow-up periodInternational multicenter studyGastrointestinal Cancer Therapy and Cardiotoxicity
Leiva O, Zarif T, Alvarez-Cardona J. Gastrointestinal Cancer Therapy and Cardiotoxicity. Current Treatment Options In Oncology 2024, 25: 1203-1209. PMID: 39102169, DOI: 10.1007/s11864-024-01236-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTyrosine kinase inhibitorsGastrointestinal cancerAnti-vascular endothelial growth factorHeterogeneous group of cancersCancer-specific outcomesEndothelial growth factorGroup of cancersConventional chemotherapyCardiotoxic therapiesTargeted therapyPotential cardiotoxicityKinase inhibitorsRisk factorsCardiovascular diseaseGrowth factorCancerHeterogeneous groupTherapyCardiotoxicityImmunotherapyChemotherapyPatientsDetecting small cell transformation in patients with advanced EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinoma through epigenomic cfDNA profiling
Zarif T, Meador C, Qiu X, Seo J, Davidsohn M, Savignano H, Lakshminarayanan G, McClure H, Canniff J, Fortunato B, Li R, Banwait M, Semaan K, Eid M, Long H, Hung Y, Mahadevan N, Barbie D, Oser M, Piotrowska Z, Choueiri T, Baca S, Hata A, Freedman M, Berchuck J. Detecting small cell transformation in patients with advanced EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinoma through epigenomic cfDNA profiling. Clinical Cancer Research 2024, 30: 3798-3811. PMID: 38912901, PMCID: PMC11369616, DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-24-0466.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEGFR mutant lung adenocarcinomaSmall cell lung cancerSmall cell transformationLung cancer patient-derived xenograftPatient-derived xenograftsLung adenocarcinomaEGFR mutantsChIP-seqEpigenomic featuresMeDIP-seqImmunoprecipitation sequencingCell transformationHistological transformation to small cell lung cancerTransformation to small cell lung cancerMethylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencingTransposase-accessible chromatin sequencingH3K27ac ChIP-seqMechanisms of treatment resistanceChromatin immunoprecipitation sequencingHistone modification H3K27acMutant lung adenocarcinomaCell lung cancerChromatin accessibilityChromatin sequencingEpigenomic landscapeEpigenomic signatures of sarcomatoid differentiation to guide the treatment of renal cell carcinoma
El Zarif T, Semaan K, Eid M, Seo J, Garinet S, Davidsohn M, Sahgal P, Fortunato B, Canniff J, Nassar A, Abou Alaiwi S, Bakouny Z, Lakshminarayanan G, Savignano H, Lyons K, Matar S, Ali A, Saad E, Saliby R, Cordeiro P, Zhang Z, El Ahmar N, Laimon Y, Labaki C, Shah V, Freeman D, O'Toole J, Lee G, Hwang J, Pomerantz M, Signoretti S, Van Allen E, Xie W, Berchuck J, Viswanathan S, Braun D, Choueiri T, Freedman M, Baca S. Epigenomic signatures of sarcomatoid differentiation to guide the treatment of renal cell carcinoma. Cell Reports 2024, 43: 114350. PMID: 38870013, PMCID: PMC11929466, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114350.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchImmune checkpoint inhibitorsRenal cell carcinomaSarcomatoid differentiationCell carcinomaResponse to immune checkpoint inhibitorsGene regulatory programsAssociated with poor survivalTreatment of renal cell carcinomaLow diagnostic yieldRandomized clinical trialsCheckpoint inhibitorsTumor histologyEpigenomic signaturesTranscription factor FOSL1Healthy volunteersPatient plasmaPoor survivalLiquid biopsyFOSL1 expressionClinical trialsProfiling histone modificationsDiagnostic approachImprove outcomesRegulatory programsPlasma samplesAnticoagulants or antiplatelets for secondary prevention of cryptogenic stroke: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis
Chi K, Zarif T, Varrias D, Lee P, Chang Y, Song J, Osabutey A, Borkowski P, Chiang C, Chang Y, Lin Y, Nanna M, Nanna M. Anticoagulants or antiplatelets for secondary prevention of cryptogenic stroke: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Heart 2025, heartjnl-2024-325288. PMID: 39915077, DOI: 10.1136/heartjnl-2024-325288.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPresence of patent foramen ovaleOral anticoagulantsRandomised controlled trialsCryptogenic strokeAtrial cardiopathyIschaemic strokeIschaemic stroke riskSafety of oral anticoagulantsRisk factorsSecondary prevention of cryptogenic strokeStroke riskMeta-analysisOptimal antithrombotic strategyRisk of recurrent ischaemic strokePatent foramen ovaleInteraction p valuePersonalised treatment strategiesSystematic reviewRecurrent ischaemic strokePreventing ischaemic strokeBleeding riskNo significant differenceAntithrombotic strategiesClinical characteristicsForamen ovaleClinical Outcomes Among Immunotherapy-Treated Patients With Primary Cardiac Soft Tissue Sarcomas A Multicenter Retrospective Study
Nassar A, El-Am E, Denu R, Alaiwi S, Zarif T, Macaron W, Abdel-Wahab N, Desai A, Smith C, Parikh K, Abbasi M, Farhat E, Williams J, Collins J, Al-Hader A, McKay R, Malvar C, Sabra M, Zhong C, Alam R, Chehab O, Lima J, Phan M, Pria H, Trevino A, Neilan T, Kwan J, Ravi V, Deshpande H, Demetri G, Choueiri T, Naqash A. Clinical Outcomes Among Immunotherapy-Treated Patients With Primary Cardiac Soft Tissue Sarcomas A Multicenter Retrospective Study. JACC CardioOncology 2024, 6: 71-79. PMID: 38510282, PMCID: PMC10950431, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaccao.2023.11.007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMedian progression-free survivalProgression-free survivalImmune checkpoint inhibitorsSoft tissue sarcomasOverall survivalMedian OSTissue sarcomasClinical outcomesCommon Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events versionTreatment-related adverse eventsClinical outcomes of patientsMulti-institutional cohort studyResponse rateICI-based regimensObjective response rateSolid Tumors versionAdverse Events versionLocally advanced diseaseResponse Evaluation CriteriaImmunotherapy-treated patientsSecond-line therapyEstimate overall survivalFirst-line therapyMulticenter retrospective studyKaplan-Meier methodSafety and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in advanced penile cancer: report from the Global Society of Rare Genitourinary Tumors.
El Zarif T, Nassar AH, Pond GR, Zhuang TZ, Master V, Nazha B, Niglio S, Simon N, Hahn AW, Pettaway CA, Tu SM, Abdel-Wahab N, Velev M, Flippot R, Buti S, Maruzzo M, Mittra A, Gheeya J, Yang Y, Rodriguez PA, Castellano D, de Velasco G, Roviello G, Antonuzzo L, McKay RR, Vincenzi B, Cortellini A, Hui G, Drakaki A, Glover M, Khaki AR, El-Am E, Adra N, Mouhieddine TH, Patel V, Piedra A, Gernone A, Davis NB, Matthews H, Harrison MR, Kanesvaran R, Giudice GC, Barata P, Farolfi A, Lee JL, Milowsky MI, Stahlfeld C, Appleman L, Kim JW, Freeman D, Choueiri TK, Spiess PE, Necchi A, Apolo AB, Sonpavde GP. Safety and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in advanced penile cancer: report from the Global Society of Rare Genitourinary Tumors. J Natl Cancer Inst 2023, 115: 1605-1615. PMID: 37563779, DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djad155.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchLiquid biopsy epigenomic profiling for cancer subtyping.
Baca SC, Seo JH, Davidsohn MP, Fortunato B, Semaan K, Sotudian S, Lakshminarayanan G, Diossy M, Qiu X, El Zarif T, Savignano H, Canniff J, Madueke I, Saliby RM, Zhang Z, Li R, Jiang Y, Taing L, Awad M, Chau CH, DeCaprio JA, Figg WD, Greten TF, Hata AN, Hodi FS, Hughes ME, Ligon KL, Lin N, Ng K, Oser MG, Meador C, Parsons HA, Pomerantz MM, Rajan A, Ritz J, Thakuria M, Tolaney SM, Wen PY, Long H, Berchuck JE, Szallasi Z, Choueiri TK, Freedman ML. Liquid biopsy epigenomic profiling for cancer subtyping. Nat Med 2023, 29: 2737-2741. PMID: 37865722, DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02605-z.Peer-Reviewed Original Research