Performing a Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Multicenter retrospective studies can provide a pragmatic approach to evaluating uncommon pediatric conditions and are less expensive than prospective research. A well-executed retrospective multicenter study, with rigorous study design, systematic data collection, and robust statistical analysis, can produce clinically important and generalizable findings A variety of observational designs can be employed, including cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies. Selection bias, ascertainment bias, and confounding are common issues in retrospective research.

External Validation of Two Clinical Prediction Models for Pediatric Pneumonia.

Objective: To externally validate two prediction models for pediatric radiographic pneumonia.

Methods: We prospectively evaluated the performance of two prediction models (Pneumonia Risk Score [PRS] and Catalyzing Ambulatory Research in Pneumonia Etiology and Diagnostic Innovations in Emergency Medicine [CARPE DIEM] models) from a prospective convenience sample of children 90 days - 18 years of age from a pediatric emergency department undergoing chest radiography for suspected pneumonia between January 1, 2022, and December 31st, 2023. We evaluated model performance using the original intercepts and coefficients and evaluated for performance changes when performing recalibration and re-estimation procedures.

[Prophylactic surgery for hepatic and biliary tumors].

Benign tumors of the liver and biliary tract are rare entities, and some of them require surgical management to prevent their malignant transformation. Tumors from the biliary tract with malignant potential are treated either by hepatic resection, for mucinous cystic neoplasm and ciliated hepatic foregut cysts, or by biliary resections, for biliary papillary neoplasm and type I and IV choledochal cysts. The pathologies requiring prophylactic cholecystectomy are polyps larger than 10 mm, porcelain gallbladder and pancreaticobiliary maljunction.

Aberrant Methylation of the Imprinted C19MC and MIR371-3 Clusters in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Epigenetic mechanisms have emerged as an important contributor to tumor development through the modulation of gene expression. Our objective was to identify the methylation profile of the imprinted C19MC and MIR371-3 clusters in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to find their potential target genes, as well as to study their prognostic role. DNA methylation status was analyzed in a NSCLC patient cohort ( = 47) and compared with a control cohort including COPD patients and non-COPD subjects ( = 23) using the Illumina Infinium Human Methylation 450 BeadChip.

Developing Consensus on Clinical Outcomes for Children with Mild Pneumonia: A Delphi Study.

Background: The absence of consensus for outcomes in pediatric antibiotic trials is a major barrier to research harmonization and clinical translation. We sought to develop expert consensus on study outcomes for clinical trials of children with mild community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

Methods: Applying the Delphi method, a multispecialty expert panel ranked the importance of various components of clinical response and treatment failure outcomes in children with mild CAP for use in research.

Feasibility and reliability of telemedicine examinations for respiratory distress in children: A pilot study.

Respiratory disorders are a leading cause of acute care visits by children. Data establishing the reliability of telemedicine in evaluating children with respiratory concerns are limited. The overall objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the use of telemedicine to evaluate children with respiratory concerns.

Evaluation of intervertebral body implant performance using active surveillance of electronic health records.

Objectives: To assess the feasibility of using electronic health record (EHR) derived clinical data within an active surveillance setting to evaluate the safety of a novel intervertebral body implant (IVBI) stabilization device.

Design: Retrospective, longitudinal observational cohort study comparing clinical outcomes for patients seen through 1 year following spinal fusion surgery.

Setting: Lahey Health network, which includes academic tertiary hospitals, outpatient clinics, and independent provider offices in the New England region of the USA.

Real-World Analysis of Nivolumab and Atezolizumab Efficacy in Previously Treated Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Nivolumab (anti-PD-1 antibody) and atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1 antibody) have shown superior survival outcomes and improved adverse effects compared to standard chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. However, the efficacy of both treatments has not been directly compared in clinical trials. This retrospective, single-centre study was performed from June 2015 to December 2020 and included a cohort of 158 previously treated patients with stage IV or recurrent NSCLC who received PD-1 (nivolumab) (n = 89) or PD-L1 (atezolizumab) (n = 69) inhibitors at the Virgen del Rocío Hospital in Seville.

Erratum: Hindi, N., et al. Trabectedin Plus Radiotherapy for Advanced Soft-Tissue Sarcoma: Experience in Forty Patients Treated at a Sarcoma Reference Center. 2020, , 3740.

The authors noticed that content of "Conflicts of Interest" in the original version [...

Trabectedin Plus Radiotherapy for Advanced Soft-Tissue Sarcoma: Experience in Forty Patients Treated at a Sarcoma Reference Center.

Symptomatic control and tumoral shrinkage is an unmet need in advanced soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) patients beyond first-line. The combination of trabectedin and radiotherapy showed activity in a recently reported clinical trial in this setting. This retrospective series aims to analyze our experience with the same regimen in the real-life setting.

The Roles of Imprinted and Gene Overexpression Caused by Promoter CpG Island Hypomethylation as Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

Genomic imprinting is a process that involves one gene copy turned-off in a parent-of-origin-dependent manner. The regulation of imprinted genes is broadly dependent on promoter methylation marks, which are frequently associated with both oncogenes and tumor suppressors. The purpose of this study was to assess the DNA methylation patterns of the imprinted solute-carrier family 22 member 18 ( and antisense genes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients to study their relevance to the disease.

Smoke load prognostic impact on bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) treated non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Purpose: Smoking habit is the major risk factor for bladder cancer (BC), related to about 50% of these tumors; however, the tobacco dose-effect impact on BC immune treatment is underexplored. This study evaluates the impact of smoke load on non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) prognosis after intravesical BCG.

Methods: Smoke load, recurrence, progression and disease-specific survival were evaluated in a retrospective study including NMIBC patients treated with intravesical BCG between 2006 and 2015.

Light-Induced Length Shrinkage of Rod Photoreceptor Outer Segments.

Purpose: This study was designed to verify light-induced outer segment (OS) length shrinkage of rod photoreceptors and to characterize its anatomic source at disc-level resolution.

Methods: Frog () retinas were used for this study. Time-lapse light microscopy of freshly isolated OSs was employed to test transient rod OS changes at 10 ms temporal resolution.

Hospitalizations and deaths due to pertussis in children from 1996 to 2013.

Objectives: To assess temporal trends of hospitalizations and deaths from pertussis in Brazilian children in the period of 1996-2013.

Methods: This was a descriptive ecological study of temporal trends, based on the DATASUS database. The number of hospitalizations and deaths from pertussis in children up to 19 years of age from January 1996 to December 2013 was obtained.

Dermatologic conditions in internationally adopted children.

Over 200,000 children have been adopted into United States (US) families from abroad since the year 2000. Health care providers who care for children adopted internationally should be aware of the spectrum of illnesses seen in this population, and should be prepared to encounter potentially unusual situations. An appreciation for the unique pre-adoption exposures and vulnerabilities inherent in international adoption is critical for proper diagnosis and treatment of this heterogeneous group of children.

Pharmacogenetic Analysis of INT 0144 Trial: Association of Polymorphisms with Survival and Toxicity in Rectal Cancer Patients Treated with 5-FU and Radiation.

Purpose: We tested whether 18 polymorphisms in 16 genes (GSTP1, COX2, IL10, EGFR, EGF, FGFR4, CCDN1, VEGFR2, VEGF, CXCR2, IL8, MMP3, ICAM1, ERCC1, RAD51, and XRCC3) would predict disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity in the INT0144 trial, which was designed to investigate different postoperative regimens of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemoradiation (CRT) in locally advanced rectal cancers: Arm 1 consisted of bolus 5-FU followed by 5-FU protracted venous infusion (PVI) with radiotherapy; arm 2 was induction and concomitant PVI 5-FU with radiotherapy and arm 3 was induction and concomitant bolus 5-FU with radiotherapy.

Experimental Design: DNA from 746 stage II/III rectal patients enrolled in the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) S9304 phase III trial was analyzed. Genomic DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue.

Polymorphisms in folate-metabolizing enzymes and response to 5-fluorouracil among patients with stage II or III rectal cancer (INT-0144; SWOG 9304).

Background: Recurrence and toxicity occur commonly among patients with rectal cancer who are treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The authors hypothesized that genetic variation in folate-metabolizing genes could play a role in interindividual variability. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the associations between genetic variants in folate-metabolizing genes and clinical outcomes among patients with rectal cancer treated with 5-FU.

Dual blockade of epidermal growth factor receptor and insulin-like growth factor receptor-1 signaling in metastatic pancreatic cancer: phase Ib and randomized phase II trial of gemcitabine, erlotinib, and cixutumumab versus gemcitabine plus erlotinib (SWOG S0727).

Background: Targeting a single pathway in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PC) is unlikely to affect its natural history. We tested the hypothesis that simulataneous targeting of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and insulin-like growth factor receptor-1 (IGF-1R) pathways would significantly improve progression-free survival (PFS) by abrogating reciprocal signaling that promote drug resistance

Methods: This was a phase Ib/II study testing cixutumumab, combined with erlotinib and gemcitabine (G) in patients with untreated metastatic PC. The control arm was erlotinib plus G.

Disease-free survival as a surrogate for overall survival in adjuvant trials of gastric cancer: a meta-analysis.

Background: In investigations of the effectiveness of surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancers, overall survival (OS) is considered the gold standard endpoint. However, the disadvantage of using OS as the endpoint is that it requires an extended follow-up period. We sought to investigate whether disease-free survival (DFS) is a valid surrogate for OS in trials of adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer.

Aphanomyces euteiches cell wall fractions containing novel glucan-chitosaccharides induce defense genes and nuclear calcium oscillations in the plant host Medicago truncatula.

N-acetylglucosamine-based saccharides (chitosaccharides) are components of microbial cell walls and act as molecular signals during host-microbe interactions. In the legume plant Medicago truncatula, the perception of lipochitooligosaccharide signals produced by symbiotic rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi involves the Nod Factor Perception (NFP) lysin motif receptor-like protein and leads to the activation of the so-called common symbiotic pathway. In rice and Arabidopsis, lysin motif receptors are involved in the perception of chitooligosaccharides released by pathogenic fungi, resulting in the activation of plant immunity.

Comparison of outcomes after fluorouracil-based adjuvant therapy for stages II and III colon cancer between 1978 to 1995 and 1996 to 2007: evidence of stage migration from the ACCENT database.

Purpose: With improved patient care, better diagnosis, and more treatment options after tumor recurrence, outcomes after fluorouracil (FU) -based treatment are expected to have improved over time in early-stage colon cancer. Data from 18,449 patients enrolled onto 21 phase III trials conducted from 1978 to 2002 were evaluated for potential differences in time to recurrence (TTR), time from recurrence to death (TRD), and overall survival (OS) with regard to FU-based adjuvant regimens.

Methods: Trials were predefined as old versus newer era using initial accrual before or after 1995.

Assessment of HER2 gene amplification in adenocarcinomas of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction in the INT-0116/SWOG9008 clinical trial.

Background: Trastuzumab has been approved for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic gastric carcinoma; however, relatively little is known about the role of HER2 in the natural history of this disease.

Patients And Methods: Patients enrolled in the INT-0116/SWOG9008 phase III gastric cancer clinical trial with available tissue specimens were retrospectively evaluated for HER2 gene amplification by FISH and overexpression by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The original trial was designed to evaluate the benefit of postoperative chemoradiation compared with surgery alone.

Updated analysis of SWOG-directed intergroup study 0116: a phase III trial of adjuvant radiochemotherapy versus observation after curative gastric cancer resection.

Purpose: Surgical resection of gastric cancer has produced suboptimal survival despite multiple randomized trials that used postoperative chemotherapy or more aggressive surgical procedures. We performed a randomized phase III trial of postoperative radiochemotherapy in those at moderate risk of locoregional failure (LRF) following surgery. We originally reported results with 4-year median follow-up.

Cetuximab plus cisplatin, irinotecan, and thoracic radiotherapy as definitive treatment for locally advanced, unresectable esophageal cancer: a phase-II study of the SWOG (S0414).

Introduction: The specific aims of the study were to evaluate the 2-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), toxicity profile, and best objective response rate in patients with locally advanced, clinically unresectable esophageal cancer receiving cetuximab, cisplatin, irinotecan, and thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) within a multi-institutional cooperative-group setting.

Methods: Eligible patients (cT4 M0 or medically unresectable, biopsy proven, and noncervical esophageal cancer) were to receive four 21-day cycles of cetuximab 400 mg/m (day 1, cycle 1), cetuximab 250 mg/m (day 8, 15, cycle 1; then days 1, 8, and 15 for subsequent cycles), cisplatin 30 mg/m (days 1 and 8, all cycles), and irinotecan 65 mg/m (days 1 and 8, all cycles). TRT was administered at 1.