Publications by authors named "Elizabeth Griffiths"

Article Synopsis
  • Cancer patients, particularly those with melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), show higher rates of clonal hematopoiesis, which could influence their treatment and outcomes.
  • The study examines how immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy impacts the hematopoietic clonal architecture and whether changes in clonal expansion affect hematopoietic health in these patients.
  • Findings suggest that mutations within the hematopoietic system increase with extended ICB therapy, raising questions about the potential for clonal hematopoiesis to predict therapy responses and the long-term risks of developing myeloid malignancies.
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Article Synopsis
  • The WHO and International Consensus Classification 2022 aim to improve diagnosis and treatment decisions for myelodysplastic syndromes, but disparities in their implementation exist.
  • A panel of experts used a data-driven method and the Delphi consensus process to align the two classifications, focusing on genomic features to create harmonized labels for distinct clusters.
  • Key findings identified nine genomic clusters, with the most significant linked to biallelic TP53 inactivation, and highlighted the inadequacy of traditional morphological assessments in capturing the complexity of these diseases.
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Article Synopsis
  • Myelodysplastic neoplasms/syndromes (MDS) are a diverse set of diseases marked by ineffective blood cell production.
  • Recent classification systems by the World Health Organization and the International Consensus have provided more detailed categorizations of MDS based on morphology and genetics.
  • A comprehensive and systematic approach is essential for the accurate diagnosis and classification of MDS, as outlined by the International Consortium for MDS (icMDS).
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Background: In 2022, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education updated its competencies for residents in all specialties to include health policy advocacy. A recent systematic review shows that while a growing number of residency curricula include policy advocacy, few programs join in policy advocacy efforts with community partners.

Aim: To create a community-engaged advocacy curriculum for residents that is part of a mutually beneficial partnership with community-based organizations (CBOs).

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Background: Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare, chronic blood disorder. Symptoms such as fatigue can have a substantial impact on patients' physical activity levels, sleep, quality of life, and work productivity. Ravulizumab treatment can reduce thrombosis risk, improve survival and quality of life, and reduce fatigue in PNH, but information is limited on how it impacts sleep and physical activity.

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Clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS) represents a distinct disease entity characterized by myeloid-related somatic mutations with a variant allele fraction of ≥2% in individuals with unexplained cytopenia(s) but without a myeloid neoplasm (MN). Notably, CCUS carries a risk of progressing to MN, particularly in cases featuring high-risk mutations. Understanding CCUS requires dedicated studies to elucidate its risk factors and natural history.

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Introduction:: Patients with thoracic cancers have one of the highest mortality rates among patients with cancer and COVID-19. Data evaluating the impact of recent anti-cancer therapies on COVID-19 outcomes in patients with thoracic cancers are confined to heterogenous studies with limited follow-up data. We leveraged data from the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19) (NCT04354701) to analyze the impact of recent anti-cancer therapies on the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with thoracic cancers.

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Article Synopsis
  • COVID-19 severely impacts cancer patients, particularly those with metastatic cancer, and this study explored the relationship between cancer metastasis and COVID-19 outcomes.
  • Using data from the CCC19 registry, researchers analyzed over 10,000 cancer patients with COVID-19 to assess hospitalization rates and mortality based on the presence and site of metastasis.
  • Findings showed that patients with metastases had higher hospitalization rates (59% vs. 49%) and 30-day mortality (18% vs. 9%), with those having lung metastases experiencing the highest risk of death in that timeframe.
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Marie Skłodowska-Curie Symposia on Cancer Research and Care (MSCS-CRC) promote collaborations between cancer researchers and care providers in the United States, Canada and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC), to accelerate the development of new cancer therapies, advance early detection and prevention, increase cancer awareness, and improve cancer care and the quality of life of patients and their families. The third edition of MSCS-CRC, held at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, in September 2023, brought together 137 participants from 20 academic institutions in the US, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Croatia and Hungary, together with 16 biotech and pharma entities. The key areas of collaborative opportunity identified during the meeting are a) creating of a database of available collaborative projects in the areas of early-phase clinical trials, preclinical development, and identification of early biomarkers; b) promoting awareness of cancer risks and efforts at cancer prevention; c) laboratory and clinical training; and d) sharing experience in cost-effective delivery of cancer care and improving the quality of life of cancer patients and their families.

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Guadecitabine is a novel hypomethylating agent (HMA) resistant to deamination by cytidine deaminase. Patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were randomly assigned to guadecitabine or a preselected treatment choice (TC) of high-intensity chemotherapy, low-intensity treatment with HMAs or low-dose cytarabine, or best supportive care (BSC). The primary end point was overall survival (OS).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the safety and pharmacokinetics of oral decitabine combined with cedazuridine versus intravenous decitabine in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes or chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia.
  • It involved a phase 3 multicentre trial with participants randomly assigned to receive either oral or IV treatment in a crossover design, allowing for direct comparison of the two methods.
  • The primary goal was to measure and compare total decitabine exposure over a 5-day period for both formulations to determine the effectiveness of the oral treatment option.
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Purpose Of Review: Myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS) are diseases of stem cell aging associated with complications from inadequate hematopoiesis (red cells, neutrophils and platelets) and variable risk for transformation to acute myeloid leukemia. Those with low-risk disease also suffer and die from MDS-related complications. Among the most challenging is development of anemia and transfusion dependence, which impacts quality of life and is associated with reduced survival.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The International Consortium for MDS has updated guidelines on classification, prognostication, and response assessment for myelodysplastic syndromes/neoplasms (MDS), focusing on recent changes in the WHO and ICC classifications.
  • - The report compares traditional risk assessment tools with newer molecular approaches, addressing the limitations of existing criteria in measuring treatment effectiveness.
  • - Emphasizing patient-centered care, the review highlights the importance of quality-of-life assessments and presents how the latest IWG response criteria improve the evaluation of therapeutic outcomes.
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Importance: Systematic data on the association between anticancer therapies and thromboembolic events (TEEs) in patients with COVID-19 are lacking.

Objective: To assess the association between anticancer therapy exposure within 3 months prior to COVID-19 and TEEs following COVID-19 diagnosis in patients with cancer.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This registry-based retrospective cohort study included patients who were hospitalized and had active cancer and laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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Acute myeloid leukemias (AMLs) frequently harbor activating mutations in (). The use of FLT3 inhibitors (FLT3i) is the standard of care for treatment of newly diagnosed and relapsed patients with AML. Differentiation responses including clinical differentiation syndrome have been previously reported with FLT3i when used as single agents in relapsed disease.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study examined outcomes of cancer patients who got COVID-19, focusing on those with and without existing cardiovascular disease (CVD) or risk factors (CVRF).
  • The research found that over half of the 10,876 patients had CVD/CVRF, which linked to more severe COVID-19 symptoms and complications.
  • Notably, patients without recent cancer treatment experienced worse COVID-19 severity related to CVD/CVRF compared to those under active treatment.
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This phase 3 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of the new hypomethylating agent guadecitabine (n = 408) vs a preselected treatment choice (TC; n = 407) of azacitidine, decitabine, or low-dose cytarabine in patients with acute myeloid leukemia unfit to receive intensive induction chemotherapy. Half of the patients (50%) had poor Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (2-3). The coprimary end points were complete remission (19% and 17% of patients for guadecitabine and TC, respectively [stratified P = .

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Objectives: Value-based agreements (VBAs) link access, reimbursement, or price to the real-world usage and impact of a medicine, thereby enabling patient access while reducing clinical or financial uncertainty for the payer. VBAs have the potential to support improved patient outcomes, given the value-oriented approach to care, and lead to overall savings, while enabling payers to share risk and reduce uncertainty.

Methods: This commentary outlines the key challenges, enablers, and a framework for successful implementation by comparing the experience of two VBAs for AstraZeneca medicines, aiming to increase confidence in their future use.

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Article Synopsis
  • Recent research on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is advancing our understanding of their biological causes and leading to new treatment strategies.
  • The first International Workshop on MDS highlighted discoveries related to genetics, immune system dysfunction, and how MDS develops from clonal hematopoiesis.
  • While new therapies targeting specific molecular issues have been developed and tested in clinical trials, none have yet received approval, emphasizing the need for further research to personalize MDS treatment.
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Article Synopsis
  • Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections post-vaccination are a major concern, particularly for cancer patients who are at higher risk of severe outcomes.
  • A study analyzed 2,486 cancer patients with confirmed infections, focusing on the impact of receiving 2 or 3 doses of mRNA vaccines, looking at mortality and hospitalization rates.
  • Results showed that vaccinated individuals had significantly lower 30-day mortality and hospitalization rates compared to unvaccinated patients, with those receiving 3 doses having the best outcomes.
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Myelodysplastic syndromes/myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS) are associated with variable clinical presentations and outcomes. The initial response criteria developed by the International Working Group (IWG) in 2000 have been used in clinical practice, clinical trials, regulatory reviews, and drug labels. Although the IWG criteria were revised in 2006 and 2018 (the latter focusing on lower-risk disease), limitations persist in their application to higher-risk MDS (HR-MDS) and their ability to fully capture the clinical benefits of novel investigational drugs or serve as valid surrogates for longer-term clinical end points (eg, overall survival).

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