Publications by authors named "Astha Thakkar"

The treatment landscape of classical Hodgkin lymphoma has changed dramatically over the past decade. Relapsed and refractory mainstay therapeutics such as brentuximab vedotin (BV) and checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) are being moved to earlier lines of therapy. However, the treatment of patients who progress after BV and CPI remains a challenge.

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  • - Cancer patients are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness, making effective vaccination strategies—like booster doses—essential for their protection against the virus and its variants.
  • - A clinical trial showed that a third mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose led to a significant immune response in 57% of previously seronegative cancer patients, and that this response remained strong after 6 months.
  • - Among severely immunocompromised patients who didn't respond well after the third dose, a fourth dose resulted in a sufficient immune boost for 67% of them, though overall neutralization against the Omicron variant was limited.
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  • Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) has poor treatment outcomes, but allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (allo-SCT) shows promise, despite limited data.
  • In a study involving 100 ATLL patients, 17 underwent allo-SCT with notable improvements in 3-year progression-free survival (31%) and overall survival (35%), compared to autologous SCT (ASCT) which had a higher relapse incidence.
  • Factors such as achieving a complete response, a high Karnofsky score, and ethnicity influenced survival outcomes, indicating that allo-SCT may offer long-term survival benefits for select ATLL patients.
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Importance: Patients with cancer have an increased risk of severe disease and mortality from COVID-19, as the disease and antineoplastic therapy cause reduced vaccine immunogenicity. Booster doses have been proposed to enhance protection, and efficacy data are emerging from several studies.

Objective: To evaluate the proportion of COVID-19 primary vaccination non-responders with cancer who seroconvert after a booster dose.

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Anti-COVID-19 immunity dynamics were assessed in patients with cancer in a prospective clinical trial. Waning of immunity was detected 4-6 months post-vaccination with significant increases in anti-spike IgG titers after booster dosing, and 56% of seronegative patients seroconverted post-booster vaccination. Prior anti-CD20/BTK inhibitor therapy was associated with reduced vaccine efficacy.

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Patients with cancer have been identified in several studies to be at high risk of developing severe COVID-19; however, rates of SARS-CoV-2 IgG seroconversion and its association with cancer types and anti-cancer therapy remain obscure. We conducted a retrospective cohort study in patients with cancer that underwent SARS-CoV-2 IgG testing. Two hundred and sixty-one patients with a cancer diagnosis underwent SARS-CoV-2 IgG testing and demonstrated a high rate of seroconversion (92%).

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Background: Adoptive immunotherapy using CD19-targeted Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) has revolutionized the treatment of relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Data is limited on the propensity of infections and lymphohematopoietic reconstitution after Day 30 (D30) following CAR-T cell therapy. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence and nature of infectious complications in an expanded cohort of DLBCL patients treated with CD19 CAR-T therapy and its association with the dynamics of leukocyte subpopulation reconstitution post-CAR-T cell therapy.

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As COVID-19 adversely affects patients with cancer, prophylactic strategies are critically needed. Using a validated antibody assay against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, we determined a high seroconversion rate (94%) in 200 patients with cancer in New York City that had received full dosing with one of the FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines. On comparison with solid tumors (98%), a significantly lower rate of seroconversion was observed in patients with hematologic malignancies (85%), particularly recipients following highly immunosuppressive therapies such as anti-CD20 therapies (70%) and stem cell transplantation (73%).

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Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) is commonly used in various surgical procedures in adults, but with technological and anaesthetic advancements, its use has extended to the paediatric population. The use of IONM in children poses a unique set of challenges considering the anatomical and physiological differences in this group of patients. The use of IONM aids in the localization of neural structures and enables surgeons to preserve the functional neural structures leading to decreased incidence of postoperative neurological deficits and better patient outcomes.

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  • Gonadotropin-secreting pituitary tumors are typically associated with sellar masses and hypogonadism, but cases with active LH secretion and high testosterone levels are rare.
  • A 48-year-old male with a large pituitary tumor exhibited both elevated testosterone and gonadotropin levels.
  • Surgical removal of the tumor led to normal gonadotropin levels and a decrease in testosterone, confirming that the tumor was producing biologically active LH.
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