CAR T-cell therapy in cancer: Integrating nursing perspectives for enhanced patient care.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy represents a significant advancement in cancer treatment, particularly for hematologic malignancies. Various cancer immunotherapy strategies are presently being explored, including cytokines, cancer vaccines, immune checkpoint inhibitors, immunomodulators monoclonal antibodies, etc. The therapy has shown impressive efficacy in treating conditions such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and multiple myeloma, often leading to complete remission in refractory cases.

The future of cancer treatment: combining radiotherapy with immunotherapy.

Radiotherapy (RT) and immunotherapy (IT) are the powerful tools for cancer treatment which act through the stimulation of immune response, and evidence suggest that combinatorial actions of these therapies may augment each other's beneficial effect through complex synergistic mechanisms. These molecular strategies are designed to target rapidly dividing cancer cells by either directly or indirectly inducing DNA damage. However, when cells detect DNA damage, they activate a range of signalling pathways known as the DNA damage response (DDR) to repair.

Cancer Trials Ecosystem in India-Ready for Prime Time?

Executing global clinical trials for cancer is a long, expensive, and complex undertaking. While selecting countries global studies, sponsors must consider several aspects including patient pool, quality of trained investigators, competing trials, availability of infrastructure, and financial investment versus returns. With a large, often treatment-naïve, and diverse patient pool, relatively low cost, good quality health care facilities in urban areas, and a robust and well-trained workforce, India offers several advantages for conducting oncology clinical trials.

Mapping recommendations towards an Asian Code Against Cancer (ACAC) as part of the World Code Against Cancer Framework: an Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance (ANCCA) initiative.

This paper outlines the process undertaken by Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance (ANCCA) members in working towards an Asian Code Against Cancer (ACAC). The process involves: (i) identification of the criteria for selecting the existing set of national recommendations for ACAC (ii) compilation of existing national codes or recommendations on cancer prevention (iii) reviewing the scientific evidence on cancer risk factors in Asia and (iv) establishment of one or more ACAC under the World Code Against Cancer Framework. A matrix of national codes or key recommendations against cancer in ANCCA member countries is presented.

Applications of Quantum Dots in Preventive Oncology.

QDs are semiconductor nanocrystalline materials with distinct optical and electronic characteristics due to their microscopic size and quantum mechanical properties. They are often composed of materials such as cadmium selenide (CdSe), cadmium telluride (CdTe), or indium phosphide (InP) and are typically in the size range of 2 to 10 nanometers in diameter. These tiny particles are used in various scientific and technological applications.

Unveiling HPV's hidden link: Cardiovascular diseases and the viral intrigue.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain a major global health challenge, with an escalating impact on mortality despite advancements in managing conventional risk factors. This review investigates the intricate relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) and CVD, shedding light on a novel aspect of cardiovascular health. Despite significant progress in understanding and managing traditional CVD risk factors, a substantial proportion of CVD cases lack these conventional markers.

Management of cancer cachexia towards optimizing care delivery and patient outcomes.

Cancer cachexia is a complex syndrome characterized by progressive weight loss, muscle mass depletion, and systemic inflammation, profoundly affecting the well-being and treatment outcomes of cancer patients. Effective management of cancer cachexia demands a coordinated, multifaceted approach involving various healthcare disciplines and operational strategies. Streamlining care processes is crucial to ensure timely interventions and support, reducing delays in diagnosis and treatment initiation.

CAR-T-Cell Therapy in Multiple Myeloma: B-Cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA) and Beyond.

Significant progress has been achieved in the realm of therapeutic interventions for multiple myeloma (MM), leading to transformative shifts in its clinical management. While conventional modalities such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy have improved the clinical outcomes, the overarching challenge of effecting a comprehensive cure for patients afflicted with relapsed and refractory MM (RRMM) endures. Notably, adoptive cellular therapy, especially chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, has exhibited efficacy in patients with refractory or resistant B-cell malignancies and is now also being tested in patients with MM.

Towards elimination of cervical cancer - human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and cervical cancer screening in Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance (ANCCA) member countries.

About 95% of cervical cancers worldwide are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). Cervical cancer is preventable and curable if it is detected and treated early. We reviewed the latest national cervical cancer indicators, and barriers to HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening in 21 Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance (ANCCA) member countries.

The issues and challenges with cancer biomarkers.

A biomarker is a measurable indicator used to distinguish precisely/objectively either normal biological state/pathological condition/response to a specific therapeutic intervention. The use of novel molecular biomarkers within evidence-based medicine may improve the diagnosis/treatment of disease, improve health outcomes, and reduce the disease's socio-economic impact. Presently cancer biomarkers are the backbone of therapy, with greater efficacy and better survival rates.

Operations Management Interventions in Cancer Care Delivery in LMICs: The Way Forward.

Cancer care sector has received significant attention worldwide after an increase in cancer incidence and related mortality every year. There is a large disparity in access to care for cancer patients in view of increasing case number, limited and urban centric cancer care facilities and resource intensive management of cancer along with many other sociodemographic factors. Cancer care delivery is facing many operational challenges at different steps of care globally and it is more pronounced in LMICs.

Advancing Tobacco Cessation in LMICs.

Tobacco kills more than 8 million people worldwide every year. Over 80% of the world's 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the future burden is projected to grow.

Cancer prevention and control in India can get a boost through primary health care-based approach: A review.

India has a rising burden of cancer with an estimated 70% of the cancers caused by modifiable and preventable risk factors. This review was conducted to document the status, analyse the situation and propose the way forward for cancer prevention in India. A desk review of the online databases and reports from the government websites was conducted.

Understanding the Trauma of Menstrual Irregularity After COVID Vaccination: A Bird's-Eye View of Female Immunology.

The intricacies in various signaling routes involved in the menstrual cycle can be impacted by internal as well as external stimuli, and the role of stress, be it physical, psychological, or social, in disturbing the process could be debilitating for a woman. The global endeavor of vaccination rose to protect individuals from the severity of COVID-19, but a conjunction of a short-lived menace of menstrual disturbance in the female population came out as an unsettling side effect. An understanding of the immunological panorama in the female reproductive tract (FRT) becomes important to fathom this issue.

Translation and reliability of the caregiver quality of life index-cancer (CQOLC) Scale in Hindi and it's association with the Kessler psychological distress scale (K10) for cancer caregivers at a tertiary radiotherapy centre in India.

Background: With increasing incidence of cancer worldwide and increasing burden of treatment over the patients with cancer, the caregivers of those patients with cancer also suffer from psychological distress which ultimately affects their Quality of Life (QOL). This aspect is often overlooked which may ultimately lead to compromised patient care.

Purpose: To translate the Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer (CQOLC) Scale in Hindi and assess its association with Kesslers's psychological distress scale (K-10) for determining the quality of life (QoL) of caregivers of patients with cancer in India.

Development of management strategies for immune-related adverse effects of immunotherapies used in oncological treatment.

Development of immunotherapy agents has changed the cancer treatment paradigm with better outcomes and lesser side effects. Yet, there are adverse events associated with them. Owing to the increased stimulation of the immune system, the normal homeostatic mechanisms protecting the body from its own immune response can become disrupted, leading to a variety of side effects termed immune-related adverse effects (irAEs).

Interim Analysis of Impact of Adding Low Dose Pulmonary Radiotherapy to Moderate COVID-19 Pneumonia Patients: IMpaCt-RT Study.

Background: Treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia remains largely supportive till date and multiple clinical trials took place within the short span of time to evaluate the role of investigational therapies. The anti-inflammatory effect of low dose whole lung radiation in treating pneumonia has been documented earlier. This clinical trial analyzed the effect of low dose radiation therapy (LDRT) in a moderately affected COVID-19 pneumonia patient cohort and has evaluated its effect in stopping the conversion of moderate disease into severe disease.

Publication Charges Associated with Quality Open Access (OA) Publishing and Its Impact on Low Middle Income Countries (LMICs), Time to Reframe Research Policies.

Dissemination of the scientific literature is as paramount as scientific studies. Scientific publishing has come a long way from localized distribution of few physical copies of journal to widespread and rapid distribution via internet in the 21st century. The evolution of open excess (OA) publishing which has rapidly evolved in last two decades has its heart at the right place with the ultimate goal being timely, and rapid distribution of published scientific work to a wider scientific community around the world and thus ultimately promoting scientific knowledge in global sense.