Primary Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection as Treatment for Low-volume Metastatic Seminoma in a Population-based Cohort: The Swedish Norwegian Testicular Cancer Group Experience.

Background And Objective: There is an unmet need to avoid long-term morbidity associated with standard cytotoxic treatment for low-volume metastatic seminoma. Our aim was to assess the oncological efficacy and surgical safety of retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) as treatment in a population-based cohort of metastatic seminoma patients with limited retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy.

Methods: Sixty-two seminoma patients in Norway and Sweden were included in the cohort from 2019 to 2022.

A delayed diagnosis of iatrogenic ureteral injury results in increased morbidity.

This study aimed to register and analyse outcomes after iatrogenic ureteral injuries (IUI) with special emphasis on potential consequences of a delayed diagnosis, and further to analyse if the incidence of IUI has changed during the study period. 108 patients treated for an IUI during 2001-2021 were included. Injuries due to endourological procedures, planned tumour resection and traumatic injuries were excluded.

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty for the treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction - How should success be determined?

Background: Ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) is characterised by stenosis of the ureteral lumen at the level of the renal pelvis and proximal ureter. At Haukeland University Hospital, robotic-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty (RLP) for UPJO has been performed since 2014. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of the treatment and consider what determines treatment success.

A preoperative magnetic resonance imaging can aid in staging and treatment choice for upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

Objectives: The aim was to investigate the predictive abilities of a preoperative diffusion-weighted MRI (dwMRI) among patients with surgically treated upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

Materials And Methods: Written consent was obtained from all participants in this prospective and ethically approved study. Thirty-five UTUC patients treated with radical surgery were examined with a preoperative dwMRI and prospectively included during 2017-2022.

Initial surveillance in men with marker negative clinical stage IIA non-seminomatous germ cell tumours.

Objectives: To assess whether extended surveillance with repeated computed tomography (CT) scans for patients with clinical stage IIA (CS IIA; <2 cm abdominal node involvement) and negative markers (Mk-) non-seminomatous germ cell tumours (NSGCTs) can identify those with true CS I. To assess the rate of benign lymph nodes, teratoma, and viable cancer in retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) histopathology for patients with CS IIA Mk- NSGCT.

Patients And Methods: Observational prospective population-based study of patients diagnosed 2008-2019 with CS IIA Mk- NSGCT in the Swedish and Norwegian Testicular Cancer Group (SWENOTECA) registry.

A Federated Learning Approach to Breast Cancer Prediction in a Collaborative Learning Framework.

Breast cancer continues to pose a substantial worldwide public health concern, necessitating the use of sophisticated diagnostic methods to enable timely identification and management. The present research utilizes an iterative methodology for collaborative learning, using Deep Neural Networks (DNN) to construct a breast cancer detection model with a high level of accuracy. By leveraging Federated Learning (FL), this collaborative framework effectively utilizes the combined knowledge and data assets of several healthcare organizations while ensuring the protection of patient privacy and data security.

Early menarche and other endocrine disrupting effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in adolescents from Northern Norway. The Fit Futures study.

Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) comprise a large group of chemicals that are ubiquitous in the environment and include recognized persistent organic pollutants. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate possible endocrine disrupting effects of different PFAS in adolescents.

Methods: Serum concentrations of PFAS, thyroid, parathyroid and steroid hormones were measured in 921 adolescents aged 15-19 years in the Fit Futures study, Northern Norway.

Vitamin D Status During Adolescence and the Impact of Lifestyle Changes: 2 Years' Follow-up From the Fit Futures Study.

Context: Longitudinal data regarding vitamin D status in adolescence is scarce. This study presents population-based data from an Arctic adolescent population (n = 589) at 16 and 18 years.

Objective: The aims of this study were to investigate changes in vitamin D status during 2 years in adolescence, and whether lifestyle changes were associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (s-25(OH)D) at follow-up.

Validation of a prediction model for post-chemotherapy fibrosis in nonseminoma patients.

Objective: To validate Vergouwe's prediction model using the Swedish and Norwegian Testicular Cancer Group (SWENOTECA) RETROP database and to define its clinical utility.

Materials And Methods: Vergouwe's prediction model for benign histopathology in post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (PC-RPLND) uses the following variables: presence of teratoma in orchiectomy specimen; pre-chemotherapy level of alpha-fetoprotein; β-Human chorionic gonadotropin and lactate dehydrogenase; and lymph node size pre- and post-chemotherapy. Our validation cohort consisted of patients included in RETROP, a prospective population-based database of patients in Sweden and Norway with metastatic nonseminoma, who underwent PC-RPLND in the period 2007-2014.

A phase I prospective, non-randomized trial of autologous dendritic cell-based cryoimmunotherapy in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is an immunologically cold disease with dismal outcomes. Cryoablation destroys cancer tissue, releases tumor-associated antigens and creates a pro-inflammatory microenvironment, while dendritic cells (DCs) activate immune responses through processing of antigens. Immunotherapy combinations could enhance the anti-tumor efficacy.

EHHR: an efficient evolutionary hyper-heuristic based recommender framework for short-text classifier selection.

With various machine learning heuristics, it becomes difficult to choose an appropriate heuristic to classify short-text emerging from various social media sources in the form of tweets and reviews. The No Free Lunch theorem asserts that no heuristic applies to all problems indiscriminately. Regardless of their success, the available classifier recommendation algorithms only deal with numeric data.

Circulating sex-steroids and nasal carriage in a general male population.

Male sex is associated with higher risk of both colonisation and infection with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). However, the role of sex-steroids in colonisation among men is largely unknown.

Reference Curves for Pediatric Endocrinology: Leveraging Biomarker Z-Scores for Clinical Classifications.

Context: Hormone reference intervals in pediatric endocrinology are traditionally partitioned by age and lack the framework for benchmarking individual blood test results as normalized z-scores and plotting sequential measurements onto a chart. Reference curve modeling is applicable to endocrine variables and represents a standardized method to account for variation with gender and age.

Objective: We aimed to establish gender-specific biomarker reference curves for clinical use and benchmark associations between hormones, pubertal phenotype, and body mass index (BMI).

Simultaneous Quantification of Aromatase Inhibitors and Estrogens in Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Patients.

Context: Currently there are no assays that can simultaneously quantify serum levels of the third-generation aromatase inhibitors (AIs): letrozole, anastrozole, and exemestane, and the ultra-low levels of estrogens in postmenopausal breast cancer patients on AI treatment. Such measurements may be pivotal for the determination of optimal and individualized treatment regimens. We aimed at developing a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) method for simultaneous assessment of letrozole, anastrozole, exemestane, and 17-hydroxyexemestane as well as subpicomolar levels of estradiol and estrone.

Bedtime Salivary Cortisol as a Screening Test for Cushing Syndrome in Children.

Background: Diagnosing Cushing syndrome (CS) can be challenging. The 24-hour urine free cortisol (UFC) measurement is considered gold standard. This is a laborious test, dependent on correct urine collection.

Unilateral or Bilateral Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection in Nonseminoma Patients with Postchemotherapy Residual Tumour? Results from RETROP, a Population-based Mapping Study by the Swedish Norwegian Testicular Cancer Group.

Background: The distribution of retroperitoneal lymph node metastases for patients with nonseminoma and a residual tumour of 10-49 mm in a population-based setting is unknown. This information is needed to justify selection of patients for a unilateral template resection.

Objective: To describe the location of retroperitoneal metastases and recurrences in patients with nonseminoma germ cell tumour (NSGCT) with a residual tumour of 10-49 mm.

Preoperative predictors of pathological tumour stage and prognosis may be used when selecting candidates for intensified treatment in upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

Purpose: Intensified treatment such as extended lymph node dissection (LND) and/or perioperative chemotherapy in addition to radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) has been suggested for high-risk cases of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). We aimed to identify preoperative predictors of tumour stage and prognosis in the diagnostic work-up before RNU. Further to evaluate if our findings could be used in selecting patients for intensified treatment.

Circulating sex-steroids and Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage in a general female population.

Objective: Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen, and nasal carriers have an increased risk for infection and disease. The exploration of host determinants for nasal carriage is relevant to decrease infection burden. Former studies demonstrate lower carriage prevalence in women and among users of progestin-only contraceptives.

Higher than expected and significantly increasing incidence of upper tract urothelial carcinoma. A population based study.

Purpose: To register all cases of urothelial cancer and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in Norway during 1999-2018 to obtain the contemporary incidence of UTUC and UTUC incidence relative to other urothelial cancers and RCC. Further to analyse possible changes over time regarding UTUC incidence, UTUC patient characteristics, tumour characteristics and survival.

Methods: 3502 cases registered with ICD code C65 and C66 during 1999-2018 at the Norwegian cancer registry were entered into a database.

Hormone References for Ultrasound Breast Staging and Endocrine Profiling to Detect Female Onset of Puberty.

Context: Application of ultrasound (US) to evaluate attainment and morphology of glandular tissue provides a new rationale for evaluating onset and progression of female puberty, but currently no hormone references complement this method. Furthermore, previous studies have not explored the predictive value of endocrine profiling to determine female puberty onset.

Objective: To integrate US breast staging with hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal hormone references and test the predictive value of an endocrine profile to determine thelarche.

An Ultrasensitive Routine LC-MS/MS Method for Estradiol and Estrone in the Clinically Relevant Sub-Picomolar Range.

Background: Current analytical routine methods lack the sensitivity to monitor plasma estrogen levels in breast cancer patients treated with aromatase inhibitors. Such monitoring is warranted for premenopausal patients treated with an aromatase inhibitor and an LH-releasing hormone analogue in particular. Therefore, we aimed to develop a routine tandem mass spectroscopy combined with liquid chromatography (LC-MS/MS) method for estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1) for use in the sub-picomolar range.

Blood steroid levels predict survival in endometrial cancer and reflect tumor estrogen signaling.

Objective: Blood-based biomarkers are attractive due to ease of sampling and standardized measurement technology, reducing obstacles to clinical implementation. The objective of this study was to evaluate a clinically available method of steroid hormone measurement for its prognostic potential in endometrial cancer.

Methods: We quantified seven steroid hormones by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in 100 endometrial cancer patients from a prospective cohort.