Solute carrier family 16 member 1 as a potential prognostic factor for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and its influence on tumor immunity.

Background: Solute carrier family 16 member 1 () serves as a biomarker in numerous types of cancer. Tumor immune infiltration has drawn increasing attention in cancer progression and treatment. The objective of our study was to explore the association between and the tumor immune microenvironment in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Upregulated expression of is associated with progression of pancreatic cancer.

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is an aggressive disease with a very poor prognosis. The insidious onset, rapid progression, and resistance to conventional therapies mark the imperious need for novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. The pituitary tumor transforming gene 1 (), implicated in tumorigenesis and cellular transformation, has been studied in various cancers, however, its role and mechanisms in PC remain to be elucidated for better understanding the disease pathology and in enhancing patient management strategies.

Surgical and local control outcomes after sequential short-course radiation therapy and chemotherapy for rectal cancer.

Background: Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) is an accepted approach for the management of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) and is associated with a decreased risk of development of metastatic disease compared to standard neoadjuvant therapy. However, questions remain regarding surgical outcomes and local control in patients who proceed to surgery, particularly when radiation is given first in the neoadjuvant sequence. We report on our institution's experience with patients who underwent short-course radiation therapy, consolidation chemotherapy, and surgery.

Long-Term Prognosis and Predictors of Mortality in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Retrospective Analysis.

Background: Aortic valve disease is a common and impactful disorder that imposes significant health burdens and is associated with increased mortality rates. Particularly noteworthy is the emergence of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive procedure that has revolutionized the management of aortic valve disease. However, there remain certain unresolved questions and ongoing research regarding the long-term effectiveness and suitability of TAVR in various patient populations, underscoring the need for further investigation and clinical scrutiny.

Effectiveness of the nutrition referral system in a multidisciplinary pancreatic cancer clinic.

Purpose: Proactive nutrition screening and intervention is associated with improved outcomes for patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). To better optimize nutrition amongst our PDAC population, we implemented systematic malnutrition screening in the Johns Hopkins pancreas multidisciplinary clinic (PMDC) and assessed the effectiveness of our nutrition referral system.

Methods: This was a single institution prospective study of patients seen in the PMDC, screened for malnutrition using the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) (score range=0 to 5, score > 2 indicates risk of malnutrition), and offered referrals to the oncology dietitian.

POU2AF3-rearranged sarcomas: A novel tumor defined by fusions of EWSR1 or FUS to a gene formerly designated COLCA2.

Gene fusions involving EWSR1 or FUS as the 5' partner have been reported in a diverse array of sarcomas. Here, we characterize the histopathology and genomics of six tumors harboring a gene fusion between EWSR1 or FUS and POU2AF3, an understudied, putative colorectal cancer predisposition gene. Striking morphologic features reminiscent of synovial sarcoma were observed including a biphasic appearance with variable fusiform to epithelioid cytomorphology and staghorn-type vasculature.

The Timing of Surgery Following Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Impacts Local Control for Borderline Resectable or Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer.

We aimed to evaluate the impact of time from stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to surgery on treatment outcomes and post-operative complications in patients with borderline resectable or locally advanced pancreatic cancer (BRPC/LAPC). We conducted a single-institutional retrospective analysis of patients with BRPC/LAPC treated from 2016 to 2021 with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by SBRT and surgical resection. Covariates were stratified by time from SBRT to surgery.

A safety study of intraoperative radiation therapy following stereotactic body radiation therapy and multi-agent chemotherapy in the treatment of localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma: study protocol of a phase I trial.

Background: Localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma carries a poor prognosis even after aggressive therapy. Up to 40% of patients may develop locoregional disease as the first site of failure. As such, there may be a role for intensification of local therapy such as radiation therapy.

Exploration of hub genes, lipid metabolism, and the immune microenvironment in stomach carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the 5th most common cause of cancer in the world and the 3rd largest cause of cancer-related death. It is usually associated with a variety of cancers, of which cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) combined with GC accounts for about 1.6%.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy for the treatment of locally recurrent pancreatic cancer after surgical resection.

Background: To report on a cohort of radiation-naïve patients with pancreatic cancer who developed isolated local recurrence following surgical resection and were subsequently treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Methods: Patients with pancreatic cancer who were treated with SBRT for isolated local recurrence after surgical resection were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical outcomes were calculated from completion of SBRT and included overall survival (OS), local progression-free survival (LPFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and progression-free survival (PFS).

Post-radiation neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is a prognostic marker in patients with localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma treated with anti-PD-1 antibody and stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Purpose: To investigate the role of pre- and post-stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with localized pancreatic cancer treated with anti-PD-1 (programmed cell death protein-1) antibody and SBRT.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective review of 68 patients with borderline resectable or locally advanced pancreatic cancer treated with anti-PD-1 antibody and SBRT after multi-agent chemotherapy. Immunotherapy was administered with 5-fraction SBRT in the neoadjuvant, concurrent, or adjuvant/maintenance setting.

Nonoperative Management Following Complete Response in Rectal Cancer After Short-course Radiation Therapy and Consolidation Chemotherapy: Clinical Outcomes and Quality of Life Measures.

Purpose: The purpose of his study was to report on a cohort of patients managed with nonoperative management (NOM) with a watch-and-wait strategy after achieving complete response (CR) to sequential short-course radiation therapy (SCRT) and consolidation chemotherapy.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients treated SCRT and chemotherapy who achieved a CR and were managed with NOM. Bowel function was assessed with European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30, EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire-Colorectal Cancer 29, and the low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) questionnaires.

High neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio following stereotactic body radiation therapy is associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Background: The purpose of this study is to report on the prognostic role of pre- and post-stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in a cohort of patients with borderline resectable (BRPC) and locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) who was treated with multi-agent induction chemotherapy followed by five-fraction SBRT.

Methods: Patients treated with multi-agent induction chemotherapy followed by SBRT from August 2016 to January 2019 and who had laboratory values available for review were included in the study. Univariate (UVA) and multivariate analyses (MVA) were performed to determine associations between pre-/post-SBRT NLR and overall survival (OS), local progression-free survival (LPFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and progression-free survival (PFS).

Location, Location, Location: What Should be Targeted Beyond Gross Disease for Localized Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma? Proposal of a Standardized Clinical Tumor Volume for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma of the Head: The "Triangle Volume".

Purpose: In patients with borderline resectable or locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (BRPC/LAPC), local failure rates after resection remain significant, even in the setting of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation. Suboptimal local control may relate to variable radiation target delineation, as no consensus exists around clinical tumor volume (CTV) design in this context. In the surgical literature, recent attention has been given to the "triangle" volume (TV) as a source of subclinical, residual disease.

High local failure rates despite high margin-negative resection rates in a cohort of borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy following multi-agent chemotherapy.

Background: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for patients with borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (BRPC/LAPC) remains controversial. Herein, we report on surgical, pathologic, and survival outcomes in BRPC/LAPC patients treated at a high-volume institution with induction chemotherapy (CTX) followed by 5-fraction SBRT.

Methods: BRPC/LAPC patients treated between 2016 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed.

Upfront Chemotherapy Followed by Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy with or without Surgery in Older Patients with Localized Pancreatic Cancer: A Single Institution Experience and Review of the Literature.

Objective: To report on clinical outcomes and toxicity in older (age ≥ 70 years) patients with localized pancreatic cancer treated with upfront chemotherapy followed by stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) with or without surgery.

Methods: Endpoints included overall survival (OS), local progression-free survival (LPFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and toxicity.

Results: A total of 57 older patients were included in the study.

Impact of somatic mutations on clinical and pathologic outcomes in borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and stereotactic body radiotherapy followed by surgical resection.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if somatic mutations are associated with clinical and pathologic outcomes in patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC) or locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) who were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT).

Materials And Methods: Patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and SBRT followed by surgical resection from August 2016 to January 2019 and who underwent next generation sequencing of their primary tumor were included in the study. Next-generation sequencing was performed either in-house with a Solid Tumor Panel or with FoundationOne CDx.

Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Versus Cervical Disc Arthroplasty: A Comparison of National Trends and Outcomes.

Objective: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) has been considered the standard treatment for degenerative cervical disc disease; however, recent trials have shown comparable outcomes with cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA). This study aimed to observe disparities in treatment paradigms of single-level cervical disc diseases and compare inpatient outcomes between procedures.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of patients treated for single-level cervical disc herniation or degeneration without myelopathy was queried from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample spanning 2012-2015.

Vertebral body and splenic irradiation are associated with lymphopenia in localized pancreatic cancer treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine if vertebral body and splenic dosimetry was associated with the development of lymphopenia in patients with borderline resectable (BRPC) and locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Methods: Patients with BRPC/LAPC who were treated with SBRT and who had lymphocyte counts and radiation treatment plans available for review were included in the study. Vertebral body levels T11-L3 and the spleen were retrospectively contoured for each patient.

Former Inpatient Psychiatric Patients' Past Experiences With Traditional Frontline Staff and Their Thoughts on the Benefits of Peers as Part of Frontline Staff.

Little is known about how integrating peers into frontline staff might improve the quality of inpatient psychiatric care. In the current study, we interviewed 18 former adult patients of inpatient psychiatric facilities using semi-structured interviews. We first asked about positive and negative past experiences with traditional staff.

Pediatric cerebral cysts: comparison of early complications following fenestration versus shunting procedures.

: Characterize practice patterns and acute (30-day) surgical complications following fenestration and shunt procedures for the treatment of cerebral cysts in pediatric patients.: This study utilized the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) Pediatric database. Patients were identified by International Classification of Disease codes for cerebral cysts and Current Procedural Terminology codes for shunting or fenestration.

Distinct genomic subclasses of high-grade/progressive meningiomas: NF2-associated, NF2-exclusive, and NF2-agnostic.

Background: Genomic studies of high-grade/progressive meningiomas have reported a heterogeneous mutation spectrum, identifying few recurrently mutated genes. Most studies have been underpowered to detect genomic subclasses of aggressive meningiomas due to relatively small number of available samples. Here, we present a genomic survey of one of the largest multi-institutional cohorts of high-grade/progressive meningiomas to date.

Disparities in Rates of Fusions in Lumbar Disc Pathologies.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To identify disparities in surgical decision making for lumbar disc pathologies based on patient demographics, hospital characteristics, and temporal characteristics of admission.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients admitted for surgical intervention of disc herniation or degeneration was performed to observe the effect of demographic, hospital, and admission-related factors on the decision to perform an isolated decompression or decompression with single level fusion using the National Inpatient Sample.