Establishing a Common Lexicon for Circulating Tumor DNA Analysis and Molecular Residual Disease: Insights From the BLOODPAC Consortium.

The use of a liquid biopsy to assess molecular residual disease (MRD) of solid tumors holds significant promise for improving outcomes for patients with cancer. Liquid biopsies are a minimally invasive approach for the identification of circulating tumor biomarkers through a simple blood sample. Assays capable of detecting MRD through analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) are rapidly evolving for clinical study applications and therapeutic interventions.

Prenatal Identification of Intracardiac Mass Expedites Surgical Management of Capillary-Venous Malformation.

Fetal and neonatal cardiac tumors are rare and often benign. Clinical presentation is primarily related to mass effect, pericardial effusion or arrhythmia. Prenatal detection can assist with risk assessment and inform optimal delivery plan and postnatal management.

COPD and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Cancer: A Literature Review.

Purpose: Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a standard treatment option for many patients with cancer and are most frequently used to treat lung cancer. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the most common comorbidity of patients with lung cancer. As the cancer-specific survival of patients with lung cancer continues to increase with modern treatments, it is critical to optimize comorbidities to improve overall survival.