Publications by authors named "Atkins M"

Background: While allografts are commonly used for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), evidence to guide specific allograft selection is lacking.

Purpose: To compare clinical and graft failure rates after ACLR using soft tissue-only allografts and bone-soft tissue allografts in adults.

Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis; Level of evidence, 4.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • CheckMate 204 study found that the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab resulted in high intracranial objective response rates (icORRs) for patients with melanoma brain metastases (MBMs), prompting a need for standardized response criteria.
  • Different assessment criteria (like mRECIST and volumetric measurements) showed higher icORRs and stronger correlations with progression-free survival (icPFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to RANO-BM and RECIST.
  • The analysis suggests that mRECIST and volumetric criteria are reliable scales for future MBM trials, and response can be effectively measured even in patients with small lesions (<10 mm).
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Context: Approximately 11% of cancer survivors smoke postdiagnosis.

Objectives: Understanding the relationship between smoking and perceived cancer-related symptoms may inform tobacco treatment interventions for this population.

Methods: From 2017 to 2021, 740 adults in 9 ECOG-ACRIN trials provided baseline data.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Latinas suffer disproportionately from breast cancer, partially due to lower uptake of guideline-concordant breast cancer screening. We describe the design of a study to compare two approaches addressing this important public health problem.

Design/methods: We are conducting a 5-year randomized controlled trial.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: In the phase 3 JAVELIN Renal 101 trial (NCT02684006), first-line treatment with avelumab + axitinib resulted in significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) and a higher objective response rate (ORR) vs sunitinib in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC). We report the final analysis, including the primary analysis of overall survival (OS).

Patients And Methods: Patients with untreated aRCC (any prognostic risk score) were enrolled.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Ileostomy and colostomy patients benefit from more nutrition education than patients who receive bowel resections without ostomy creation. Nutrition can influence the adaptation to a stoma and may help manage complications. The impact of nutrition education on health outcomes is known, but a gap exists for the type and timing of nutrition information for patients with newly formed ostomies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Prior studies suggest lymphopenia following radiation therapy may impact toxicity and cancer control. Chronic radiation-related lymphopenia (RRL) has been noted in prostate cancer patients treated with conventionally fractionated pelvic radiation therapy. The impact of utilizing hypofractionated high integral dose therapies such as stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) on RRL is less well characterized.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for high surgical risk patients with severe native aortic regurgitation (AR) presents unique challenges. Dedicated devices such as the JenaValve (JenaValve Technology) and J-Valve (JC Medical Inc) show promising results in addressing these challenges.

Objectives: This study compares the safety and efficacy of dedicated vs off-label devices among high surgical risk patients with pure native AR.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The impact of mitral annular calcification (MAC) on the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (MTEER) remains unclear. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes of MTEER among patients with moderate to severe MAC compared to those with mild or no MAC.

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases through March 31st, 2024, comparing clinical outcomes of MTEER among patients with moderate/severe (MAC+) versus no/mild MAC (MAC-).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Indoor tanning increases the risk of skin cancer and can become addictive. There is little research on indoor tanning cessation interventions.

Methods: From 2019-2022, we conducted a clinical trial (n=265) testing a tailored mobile messaging cessation intervention in 18-30-year-old females screened for indoor tanning addiction.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Thyroid cancer (TC) remains a significant clinical challenge worldwide, with a subset of patients facing aggressive disease progression and therapeutic resistance. Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) have emerged as promising therapeutic approaches for various malignancies, yet their efficacy in TC remains uncertain. The objective of this study was to investigate PD-L1 expression in aggressive TC and its association with histological subtypes, molecular mutation, and progression-free survival.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study explored the impact of residual transmitral mean pressure gradient (TMPG) after mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) on patient outcomes, focusing on all-cause mortality and hospitalizations related to heart failure.
  • Higher baseline TMPG was found to predict increased residual TMPG post-procedure, with patients in the highest quartile experiencing significantly worse outcomes, including higher risks of mortality and heart failure hospitalization over three years.
  • The findings suggest that efforts should be made to minimize residual TMPG after M-TEER, particularly in patients with primary mitral regurgitation (MR).
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Nivolumab (NIVO) combined with ipilimumab (IPI) shows better long-term overall survival (OS) in patients with unresectable/metastatic melanoma than NIVO alone, based on pooled data from major trials.
  • Patients treated with the combination therapy had a median follow-up OS of 45.0 months, with 6-year survival rates at 52%, compared to 41% for NIVO monotherapy after a median follow-up of 35.8 months.
  • Clinical factors affecting survival include elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, age over 65 with the combination therapy, and presence of liver metastases with NIVO alone.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Organogenesis is a complex process that relies on a dynamic interplay between extrinsic factors originating from the microenvironment and tissue-specific intrinsic factors. For pancreatic endocrine cells, the local niche consists of acinar and ductal cells as well as neuronal, immune, endothelial, and stromal cells. Hematopoietic cells have been detected in human pancreas as early as 6 post-conception weeks, but whether they play a role during human endocrinogenesis remains unknown.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We present one of the inaugural transcatheter aortic valve implantation procedures using the latest Medtronic platform, Evolut FX+. Successful coronary angiography was achieved within 28 seconds and 1 minute 49 seconds for the left and right coronary arteries, respectively. Postoperative cardiac computed tomography scan demonstrated optimal commissural and diamond-coronary alignment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Context: Sport and physical activity (PA) programs are an important developmental resource for youth with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Disruptive Behavior Disorders. The purpose of this study is to assess sport participation rates, PA participation, and after-school supervision rates among African American children with ADHD and/or Disruptive Behavior Disorders.

Design: In this cross-sectional study, parents of African American children with elevated symptoms of ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, and/or conduct disorder (N = 175, 6- to 12-y-old, 31% female) reported after-school program participation over the past year.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the significance of measuring pulmonary venous flow (PVF) patterns during mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) to predict patient outcomes, focusing on systolic dominant-PVF (SD-PVF) morphology.
  • Researchers analyzed data from 187 patients and found that those with SD-PVF had lower rates of severe residual mitral regurgitation (MR) and were less likely to experience all-cause mortality or heart failure hospitalization within one year.
  • The findings suggest that post-TEER PVF morphology could serve as an effective and straightforward prognostic tool, but more large-scale studies are needed to validate its impact further.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Belzutifan is a first-in-class hypoxia-inducible factor subunit 2α (HIF-2α) inhibitor approved at a dose of 120 mg once daily for certain adults with VHL disease and adults with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) following therapy with a programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) [or programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)] inhibitor and a vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. However, whether the belzutifan dose could be optimized is unclear.

Patients And Methods: The phase II LITESPARK-013 study (NCT04489771) enrolled patients with advanced clear cell RCC whose disease progressed after one to three prior systemic therapies, including an anti-PD-(L)1 regimen.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Mass casualty events (MASCALs) in the combat environment, which involve large numbers of casualties that overwhelm immediately available resources, are fundamentally chaotic and dynamic and inherently dangerous. Formal triage systems use diagnostic algorithms, colored markers, and four or more named categories. We hypothesized that formal triage systems are inadequately trained and practiced and too complex to successfully implement in true MASCAL events.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Little is known about the experience of adolescents and young adults (AYA) with disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) who transition from pediatric to adult gastroenterology care. In this two-part study, we used quantitative and qualitative methods to: (1) assess incidence of optimal versus suboptimal transitions of care for AYA with DGBI, (2) characterize health and quality of life effects of the transition, and (3) identify barriers and facilitators for optimal transition of care.

Methods: In Part 1, we conducted a retrospective review of AYA referrals to our adult neurogastroenterology clinic who had transitioned from pediatric gastroenterology care (N = 109, 17-23 years, 72% female).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In mice, the first liver-resident macrophages, known as Kupffer cells (KCs), are thought to derive from yolk sac (YS) hematopoietic progenitors that are specified prior to the emergence of the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC). To investigate human KC development, we recapitulated YS-like hematopoiesis from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and transplanted derivative macrophage progenitors into NSG mice previously humanized with hPSC-liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs). We demonstrate that hPSC-LSECs facilitate stable hPSC-YS-macrophage engraftment for at least 7 weeks.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Nivolumab plus ipilimumab (NIVO+IPI) has demonstrated superior overall survival (OS) and durable response benefits versus sunitinib (SUN) with long-term follow-up in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC). We report updated analyses with 8 years of median follow-up from CheckMate 214.

Patients And Methods: Patients with aRCC (N = 1096) were randomized to NIVO 3 mg/kg plus IPI 1 mg/kg Q3W × four doses, followed by NIVO (3 mg/kg or 240 mg Q2W or 480 mg Q4W); or SUN (50 mg) once daily for 4 weeks on, 2 weeks off.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Yolk sac macrophages are the first to seed the developing heart, however we have no understanding of their roles in human heart development and function due to a lack of accessible tissue. Here, we bridge this gap by differentiating human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into primitive LYVE1 macrophages (hESC-macrophages) that stably engraft within contractile cardiac microtissues composed of hESC-cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts. Engraftment induces a human fetal cardiac macrophage gene program enriched in efferocytic pathways.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Immunotherapy, like the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab (NIVO+IPI), can lead to prolonged disease control and treatment-free survival (TFS) for cancer patients, even after stopping treatment, which is not accounted for by standard survival measures.
  • A study analyzed data from 1,096 advanced renal cell carcinoma patients to estimate TFS, comparing those treated with NIVO+IPI against sunitinib (SUN), focusing on both survival time and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs).
  • Results showed that 48% of patients on NIVO+IPI were alive after 5 years, with a significant difference in mean TFS compared to SUN, particularly in favorable-risk patients, highlighting the importance of considering
View Article and Find Full Text PDF