Introduction: Giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) is a rare, typically benign neoplasm that primarily affects long bones in adults, with clival involvement being extremely rare, particularly in pediatric cases: a mini-review shows a total of 28 described cases, of which only 5 were truly pediatric (within 14 years of age). Surgery is the treatment of choice, and Denosumab is reported to be the most effective drug therapy. To date, the GCTB's molecular hallmark is the somatic mutation p.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Patient navigation is an evidence-based intervention for reducing delays in cancer care for underserved populations. There are limited economic evaluations of patient navigation in the US health care system and few have considered costs at various phases along the implementation spectrum. Having economic data, including costs and cost savings, can support sustainability of patient navigation programs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Ongoing care after pregnancy is recommended. Health-related social needs (HRSNs) are recognized barriers to care, yet their pregnancy-related prevalence and associations with care are unknown. Researchers sought to assess (1) the prevalence of HRSNs during pregnancy-based care, and (2) their associations with ongoing care after pregnancy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To understand how Long COVID is impacting the health and social conditions of the Black and Latinx communities.
Background: Emerging research on Long COVID has identified three distinct characteristics, including multi-organ damage, persistent symptoms, and post-hospitalization complications. Given Black and Latinx communities experienced significantly higher COVID rates in the first phase of the pandemic they may be disproportionately impacted by Long COVID.
Purpose: The treatment efficacy of nivolumab was evaluated in patients with advanced, treatment-refractory solid mismatch repair deficiency/microsatellite-instable (dMMR/MSI) tumors, and in-depth biomarker analyses were performed to inform precision immunotherapy approaches.
Patients And Methods: Patients with dMMR/MSI tumors who exhausted standard-of-care treatment options were enrolled in the Drug Rediscovery Protocol, a pan-cancer clinical trial that treats patients with cancer based on their tumor molecular profile with off-label anticancer drugs (NCT02925234). Patients received nivolumab (four cycles of 240 mg every 2 weeks, thereafter 480 mg every 4 weeks).
Background: Social needs inhibit receipt of timely medical care. Social needs screening is a vital part of comprehensive cancer care, and patient navigators are well-positioned to screen for and address social needs. This mixed methods project describes social needs screening implementation in a prospective pragmatic patient navigation intervention trial for minoritized women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFN Engl J Med
September 2024
Despite recommendations for ongoing care after pregnancy, many individuals do not see a primary care clinician within the first postpartum year, missing a critical window to engage reproductive-age individuals in primary care. We administered an anonymous, cross-sectional, trilingual survey at a large urban safety-net hospital to assess postpartum individuals' preferences, health concerns, and anticipated barriers to primary care during the year after pregnancy. While 90% of respondents preferred a visit within one year, most individuals - including those with complicated pregnancies - did not recall a primary care recommendation from their pregnancy care team.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Unmet social needs pose barriers to cancer care, contributing to adverse outcomes and health inequities. A better understanding of how social needs change after cancer diagnosis can inform more effective, equity-focused interventions.
Methods: In this study, we examined self-reported social needs at 0, 3, and 6 months after a breast cancer diagnosis in a racially diverse, multilingual sample (n = 222) enrolled in patient navigation intervention at an urban safety-net hospital.
In the Drug Rediscovery Protocol (DRUP), patients with cancer are treated based on their tumor molecular profile with approved targeted and immunotherapies outside the labeled indication. Importantly, patients undergo a tumor biopsy for whole-genome sequencing (WGS) which allows for a WGS-based evaluation of routine diagnostics. Notably, we observed that not all biopsies of patients with dMMR/MSI-positive tumors as determined by routine diagnostics were classified as microsatellite-unstable by subsequent WGS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe prioritization of English language in clinical research is a barrier to translational science. We explored promising practices to advance the inclusion of people who speak languages other than English in research conducted within and supported by NIH Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) hubs. Key informant interviews were conducted with representatives ( = 24) from CTSA hubs ( = 17).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk for underinsurance and health insurance-related financial burden. Interventions targeting health insurance literacy (HIL) to improve the ability to understand and use health insurance are needed.
Methods: We codeveloped a four-session health insurance navigation tools (HINT) intervention, delivered synchronously by a patient navigator, and a corresponding booklet.
Background: Community advisory boards (CABs) are an established approach to ensuring research reflects community priorities. This paper examines two CABs that are part of the HEALing Communities Study which aims to reduce overdose mortality. This analysis aimed to understand CAB members' expectations, experiences, and perspectives on CAB structure, communication, facilitation, and effectiveness during the first year of an almost fully remote CAB implementation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRadiotherapy (RT) is considered immunogenic, but clinical data demonstrating RT-induced T cell priming are scarce. Here, we show in a mouse tumor model representative of human lymphocyte-depleted cancer that RT enhanced spontaneous priming of thymus-derived (FOXP3+Helios+) Tregs by the tumor. These Tregs acquired an effector phenotype, populated the tumor, and impeded tumor control by a simultaneous, RT-induced CD8+ cytotoxic T cell (CTL) response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite their documented benefits, the widespread adoption of community-engaged and participatory approaches among health researchers remains limited. Institutional practices and policies influence the uptake of community engagement and participatory approaches. We examine the role of financial arrangements between university researchers and community partners, by exploring efforts to bridge the gap between research administration and researchers at two research-intensive institutions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Racial Ethn Health Disparities
February 2025
Background: Data from diverse populations are needed to inform interventions for maternal health equity. However, research recruitment of postpartum individuals is challenging, especially in minoritized and structurally marginalized populations.
Materials And Methods: We developed a recruitment strategy for a cross-sectional survey among postpartum individuals at an urban safety-net hospital in New England, inclusive of those with a language preference other than English (LPOE) and those not attending scheduled postpartum visits.
J Am Coll Radiol
November 2023
This document discusses the appropriate initial imaging in both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients with breast implants. For asymptomatic patients with saline implants, no imaging is recommended. If concern for rupture exists, ultrasound is usually appropriate though saline rupture is often clinically evident.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Little research exists on how risk scores are used in counselling. We examined (a) how Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (BCRAT) scores are presented during counselling; (b) how women react and (c) discuss them afterwards.
Design: Consultations were video-recorded and participants were interviewed after the consultation as part of the NRG Oncology/National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project Decision-Making Project 1 (NSABP DMP-1).