Mechanical forces inducing oxaliplatin resistance in pancreatic cancer can be targeted by autophagy inhibition.

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal malignancies, with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. A common characteristic among pancreatic cancer patients is the biomechanically altered tumor microenvironment (TME), which among others is responsible for the elevated mechanical stresses in the tumor interior. Although significant research has elucidated the effect of mechanical stress on cancer cell proliferation and migration, it has not yet been investigated how it could affect cancer cell drug sensitivity.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of patient-relevant outcomes in comprehensive cancer centers versus noncomprehensive cancer centers.

This systematic review describes difference in patient-relevant outcomes between comprehensive cancers (CCCs) versus non-CCCs. Studies were identified in PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, Epistemonikos, and gray literature from January 2002 to May 2024. Data were extracted and appraised by two authors.

Excess Mortality and its Determinants During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 21 Countries: An Ecological Study from the C-MOR Project, 2020 and 2021.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed health systems, resulting in a surge in excess deaths. This study clustered countries based on excess mortality to understand their response to the pandemic and the influence of various factors on excess mortality within each cluster.

Materials And Methods: This ecological study is part of the COVID-19 MORtality (C-MOR) Consortium.

Improving cancer outcomes through enhanced leadership and strategy training for cancer healthcare professionals - A course developed by the European School of Oncology (ESO), the European Cancer Organization (ECO) and Sharing Progress in Cancer Care (SPCC).

Leadership as a key building block of a health system plays a crucial role in achieving high performance and helps deliver change and shape the policy agenda and its implementation. Echoing the emerging need for effective leaders in Oncology, the "Improving Cancer Outcomes and Leadership Course" was developed jointly by the European School of Oncology (ESO), the European Cancer Organization (ECO) and Sharing Progress in Cancer Care (SPCC). The course was offered as a hybrid event online and in Warsaw in June 2022.

The use of immersive virtual reality for managing physical and psychological distress in children and adolescents with cancer undergoing chemotherapy via implanted vascular access device needle insertion: A systematic review.

Purpose: Children and adolescents undergoing cancer treatment often endure distressing procedures, leading to pain and anxiety. Immersive virtual reality (VR) is a novel distraction technique for distress management, but research in pediatric oncology remains limited. This systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness of IVR intervention utilizing advanced head-mounted displays, in alleviating physical and psychological distress among Children and Adolescents diagnosed with malignancies undergoing chemotherapy treatment via Implantable Venous Access Device/Port (IVAD/P) (P) needle insertion.

Artificial Intelligence for Optimizing Cancer Imaging: User Experience Study.

Background: The need for increased clinical efficacy and efficiency has been the main force in developing artificial intelligence (AI) tools in medical imaging. The INCISIVE project is a European Union-funded initiative aiming to revolutionize cancer imaging methods using AI technology. It seeks to address limitations in imaging techniques by developing an AI-based toolbox that improves accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, interpretability, and cost-effectiveness.

Modulating cancer mechanopathology to restore vascular function and enhance immunotherapy.

Solid tumor pathology, characterized by abnormalities in the tumor microenvironment (TME), challenges therapeutic effectiveness. Mechanical factors, including increased tumor stiffness and accumulation of intratumoral forces, can determine the success of cancer treatments, defining the tumor's "mechanopathology" profile. These abnormalities cause extensive vascular compression, leading to hypoperfusion and hypoxia.

A cross-cultural study of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment for people with hearing impairment.

Background: Cognitive screening tools enable the detection of cognitive impairment, facilitate timely intervention, inform clinical care, and allow long-term planning. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment for people with hearing impairment (MoCA-H) was developed as a reliable cognitive screening tool for people with hearing loss. Using the same methodology across four languages, this study examined whether cultural or linguistic factors affect the performance of the MoCA-H.

Magnitude and determinants of excess total, age-specific and sex-specific all-cause mortality in 24 countries worldwide during 2020 and 2021: results on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic from the C-MOR project.

Introduction: To examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality, we estimated excess all-cause mortality in 24 countries for 2020 and 2021, overall and stratified by sex and age.

Methods: Total, age-specific and sex-specific weekly all-cause mortality was collected for 2015-2021 and excess mortality for 2020 and 2021 was calculated by comparing weekly 2020 and 2021 age-standardised mortality rates against expected mortality, estimated based on historical data (2015-2019), accounting for seasonality, and long-term and short-term trends. Age-specific weekly excess mortality was similarly calculated using crude mortality rates.

A synergistic approach for modulating the tumor microenvironment to enhance nano-immunotherapy in sarcomas.

The lack of properly perfused blood vessels within tumors can significantly hinder the distribution of drugs, leading to reduced treatment effectiveness and having a negative impact on the quality of life of patients with cancer. This problem is particularly pronounced in desmoplastic cancers, where interactions between cancer cells, stromal cells, and the fibrotic matrix lead to tumor stiffness and the compression of most blood vessels within the tumor. To address this issue, two mechanotherapy approaches-mechanotherapeutics and ultrasound sonopermeation-have been employed separately to treat vascular abnormalities in tumors and have reached clinical trials.

Perceived Barriers Toward Patient-Reported Outcome Implementation in Cancer Care: An International Scoping Survey.

Purpose: Implementation of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) collection is an important priority in cancer care. We examined perceived barriers toward implementing PRO collection between centers with and without PRO infrastructure and administrators and nonadministrators.

Patients And Methods: We performed a multinational survey of oncology practitioners on their perceived barriers to PRO implementations.

The effectiveness of oral bovine lactoferrin compared to iron supplementation in patients with a low hemoglobin profile: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Background: Patients with a low serum blood hemoglobin concentration suffer from a pathologic state that contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality figures worldwide. Oral iron supplementation, the most common method of treatment, is reported to have poor patient adherence, due to its unwanted side effects. Lactoferrin is a globular glycoprotein of the transferrin family that has shown promising results in patients with a low hemoglobin profile.

Virtual versus in-person physiotherapy following total knee arthroplasty: a comparative analysis.

Purpose: At our centre, we developed and implemented a video-based post-operative physiotherapy program for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Our aims were to analyse and compare the outcomes of this program to in-person physiotherapy.

Methods: We reviewed the outcomes of 112 patients and captured range-of-motion (ROM) measurements and pain scores (P4 questionnaire).

Effectiveness of an educational intervention to increase professional nurses' person-centred care competence in long-term care of older people-Quasi-experimental study.

Background: Based on previous evidence person-centred care (PCC) as a quality indicator is important in long-term care (LTC) settings for older people. Effective ways to increase nurses' person-centred care competence are missing.

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of a continuing education (CE) intervention named 'Person First-Please' (PFP) for improving nurses' PPC competence and its connection to PPC climate.

Pirfenidone-Loaded Polymeric Micelles as an Effective Mechanotherapeutic to Potentiate Immunotherapy in Mouse Tumor Models.

Ongoing research is actively exploring the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat solid tumors by inhibiting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis and reactivating the function of cytotoxic T effector cells. Many types of solid tumors, however, are characterized by a dense and stiff stroma and are difficult to treat. Mechanotherapeutics have formed a recent class of drugs that aim to restore biomechanical abnormalities of the tumor microenvironment, related to increased stiffness and hypo-perfusion.

Cancer care pathways across seven countries in Europe: What are the current obstacles? And how can artificial intelligence help?

Background: Cancer poses significant challenges for healthcare professionals across the disease pathway including cancer imaging. This study constitutes part of the user requirement definition of INCISIVE EU project. The project has been designed to explore the full potential of artificial intelligence (AI)-based technologies in cancer imaging to streamline diagnosis and management.

Changes in unmet care needs, social support and distress from initial diagnosis to post-surgery in patients with gynecological cancer: A longitudinal study.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the changes in unmet care needs, perceived social support, and levels of distress experienced by newly diagnosed Greek patients with gynecological cancer during the phase after diagnosis and before surgical treatment (T0), and 4 months after surgical treatment at the first postoperative follow-up visit (T1).

Methods: This was a prospective, longitudinal, descriptive study based on the framework of stress and coping theory. The Needs Evaluation Questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and a demographic and clinical data questionnaire were distributed to a convenience sample of 86 patients.