Risk factors for metastatic disease at presentation with chordoma and its prognostic value.

Background: Chordoma is a rare bone cancer arising from the embryonic notochord with special predilection to the axial skeleton. The locally destructive nature and metastatic potential of chordomas can lead to devastating outcomes in terms of survival. The purpose of this study was to examine potential risk factors predictive of metastatic disease at presentation and prognostic factors in patients with metastasis.

A proposed framework of strategies to overcome challenges to surgical quality assurance in oncology trials (SQA-Onc.).

Introduction: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with surgical interventions frequently lack a framework to ensure surgical quality. We aimed to investigate surgical quality assurance (SQA) in oesophagogastric oncology trials and to develop a translatable framework of strategies to overcome challenges in the design and implementation of SQA.

Methods: Seventy-one peer-nominated, international, expert trial stakeholders included surgeons; oncologists; trial managers and trial methodologists.

PD-L1 testing patterns in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) in the U.S.

Background: Pembrolizumab with/without platinum + 5-FU is approved for the first-line (1L) treatment of R/M HNSCC, and its monotherapy use requires PD-L1 Combined Positive Score (CPS) ≥ 1. We aimed to understand PD-L1 testing patterns and associations with patient characteristics and treatment choice in R/M HNSCC.

Methods: Adults with R/M HNSCC initiating 1L systemic therapy were included from a U.

Topological functional network analysis of cortical blood flow in hyperacute ischemic rats.

Acute cerebral ischemia alters brain network connectivity, leading to notable increases in both anatomical and functional connectivity while observing a reduction in metabolic connectivity. However, alterations of the cerebral blood flow (CBF) based functional connectivity remain unclear. We collected continuous CBF images using laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) technology to monitor ischemic occlusion-reperfusion progression through occlusion of the left carotid artery.