Publications by authors named "Grace Li Smith"
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents a significant financial burden on patients and families, compounded by both direct and indirect healthcare costs. The increasing prevalence of CVD, coupled with the rising costs of treatment, exacerbates financial toxicity-defined as the economic strain and associated physical, emotional, and behavioral consequences on patients. This review explores the scope of financial toxicity in CVD care, detailing its prevalence, associated risk factors, and the complex interplay with social determinants of health such as income, insurance status, and comorbidities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe identification of transcriptomic and protein biomarkers prognosticating recurrence risk after chemoradiation of localized squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA) has been limited by a lack of available fresh tissue at initial presentation. We analyzed archival FFPE SCCA specimens from pretreatment biopsies prior to chemoradiation for protein and RNA biomarkers from patients with localized SCCA who recurred (N = 23) and who did not recur (N = 25). Tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME) were analyzed separately to identify biomarkers with significantly different expression between the recurrent and non-recurrent groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAtezolizumab plus bevacizumab has become frontline therapy for unresectable HCC. The compatibility of atezolizumab/bevacizumab with liver-directed RT has not been reported. Methods: HCC patients treated with liver-directed RT and atezolizumab/bevacizumab between 1/2020−11/2021 were included.
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- Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a major cause of cancer deaths, and while radiation therapy helps manage it, delivering effective doses without harming nearby healthy tissue is difficult.
- A 66-year-old male with unresectable PDAC participated in a clinical trial using NBTXR3, a novel radioenhancer, which was delivered directly to the tumor prior to radiation treatment.
- The treatment was well-tolerated with no acute side effects, and initial follow-up showed the tumor remained stable, indicating that local endoscopic delivery of NBTXR3 combined with radiation might be a feasible option for PDAC patients who cannot undergo surgery.
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has replaced whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) as standard therapy for most patients with four or fewer brain metastases due to improved cognitive outcomes and more favorable health related quality of life (QoL). Whether SRS or WBRT is the optimal radiation modality for patients with five to fifteen brain metastases remains an open question. Efforts are underway to develop prospective evidence to answer this question.
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- The study aimed to investigate the risk of developing Lhermitte's sign (LS) in lymphoma patients treated with chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy.
- Researchers interviewed 106 patients who received radiation to the mediastinum, finding that 29% developed LS; however, no significant correlations were found with radiation dose or treatment variations.
- The conclusion emphasizes that LS occurrence appears to be an idiosyncratic reaction to treatment rather than influenced by radiation dosage, potentially highlighting the effectiveness of structured interviews in assessing symptoms.