The fate of the rectum in ulcerative colitis at index surgery and beyond-a contemporary cohort.

Purpose: Proctectomy is frequently deferred at index colectomy for ulcerative colitis due to acuity or immunosuppressive treatments. The retained rectum remains symptomatic in over 50% with associated cancer risk. Management options include index or delayed proctectomy with or without restoration of continuity or surveillance.

SATB2 Expression Affects Chemotherapy Metabolism and Immune Checkpoint Gene Expression in Colorectal Cancer.

Background: Special AT-rich binding protein-2 (SATB2) is a nuclear matrix associated protein regulating gene expression which is normally expressed in colonic tissue. Loss of SATB2 expression in colorectal cancer (CRC) has negative implications for prognosis and has been associated with chemotherapy resistance. Furthermore, recent evidence suggests SATB2 may influence immune checkpoint (IC) expression.

Preoperative anorectal manometry as a predictor of function after ileal pouch anal anastomosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Since the ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) was first described, anorectal manometry (ARM) has been used to study its physiology and function. Few studies have investigated if preoperative ARM can predict pouch function.

Methods: Pubmed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched.

Rapid and Robust Identification of Sepsis Using SeptiCyte RAPID in a Heterogeneous Patient Population.

SeptiCyte RAPID is a transcriptional host response assay that discriminates between sepsis and non-infectious systemic inflammation (SIRS) with a one-hour turnaround time. The overall performance of this test in a cohort of 419 patients has recently been described [Balk et al., J Clin Med 2024, 13, 1194].

Mechanism of injury, resource utilisation and outcomes for patients admitted with head injuries under General Surgery.

Background: There has been a noticeable change in Irish hospitals in the demographics of patients sustaining head injuries that now includes many older patients suffering head injuries from low impact trauma.

Aims: This study sought to define the demographic nature of patients admitted with head injuries over a 3-month period to Beaumont Hospital and to determine the mechanisms of head injuries sustained, resource utilisation during the inpatient admission and the outcomes for these patients.

Methods: All head injuries admitted between December 1, 2023, and February 29, 2024, were captured and data pertaining to patient demographics, mechanism of injury, resource utilisation and outcomes were assessed.

Spatial transcriptomic analysis reveals local effects of intratumoral fusobacterial infection on DNA damage and immune signaling in rectal cancer.

Mucinous colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common histological subtype of colorectal adenocarcinoma, associated with a poor response to chemoradiotherapy. The commensal facultative anaerobes fusobacteria, have been associated with poor prognosis specifically in mesenchymal CRC. Interestingly, fusobacterial infection is especially prevalent in mucinous CRC.

Transanal ileal pouch-anal anastomosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of technical approaches and clinical outcomes.

Purpose: Transanal minimally invasive surgery has theoretical advantages for ileal pouch-anal anastomosis surgery. We performed a systematic review assessing technical approaches to transanal IPAA (Ta-IPAA) and meta-analysis comparing outcomes to transabdominal (abd-IPAA) approaches.

Methods: Three databases were searched for articles investigating Ta-IPAA outcomes.

Meta-analysis of SATB2 immunohistochemical expression in colorectal cancer versus primary ovarian mucinous neoplasms.

Background: Reliably distinguishing primary ovarian mucinous neoplasms (POMNs) from metastatic colorectal cancers (CRCs) is both challenging to the histopathologist and of great clinical importance. Special AT-rich sequence binding protein-2 (SATB2) has emerged as a useful diagnostic immunohistochemical marker of colorectal cancer. This meta-analysis compares SATB2 expression in POMNs and CRC.

The effect of implementing a transanal minimally invasive surgical programme for the local excision of early rectal neoplasia on outcomes in a tertiary referral rectal cancer centre.

Transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) is a surgical alternative to proctectomy in the management of complex rectal polyps and early rectal cancers. In 2016, our institution introduced a TAMIS programme. The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in practice and outcomes in our institution in the 3 years before and after the implementation of TAMIS.

Prolonged interval to surgery following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Long-course neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT), followed by surgery after an interval of 6-8 weeks, represents standard of care for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Increasing this interval may improve rates of complete pathological response (pCR) and tumour downstaging. We performed a meta-analysis comparing standard (SI, within 8 weeks) versus longer (LI, after 8 weeks) interval from NCRT to surgery.

Contemporary perioperative outcomes after total abdominal colectomy for ulcerative colitis in a tertiary referral centre.

Objective: Colectomy for ulcerative colitis (UC) is common despite therapeutic advances. Post-operative morbidity and mortality demonstrate an association between hospital volumes and outcomes. This single-centre retrospective study examines outcomes after emergency colectomy for UC.

Transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) for local excision of benign and malignant rectal neoplasia: a 7-year experience.

Purpose: Transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) is an advanced transanal platform that can be utilised to perform high-quality local excision (LE) of rectal neoplasia. This study describes clinical and midterm oncological outcomes from a single unit's 7-year experience with TAMIS.

Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent TAMIS LE at our institution between January 1st, 2016, and December 31st, 2022, were identified from a prospectively maintained database.

Descriptive, real-world treatment patterns, resource use, and total cost of care among eculizumab- and ravulizumab-treated members with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare, genetic, chronic, and life-threatening blood disease with an estimated prevalence of 13 per 1,000,000 persons reported in the United States. Available at analysis, PNH treatment included the use of C5 inhibitors (C5is), which prevent formation of membrane attack complex and consequently intravascular hemolysis. Limited real-world evidence suggests some individuals with PNH continue to experience anemia and breakthrough hemolysis (BTH) after C5i treatment, indicating unmet needs.

Corrigendum: Mucinous adenocarcinoma of the rectum: a whole genome sequencing study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.

Increased Fusobacterium tumoural abundance affects immunogenicity in mucinous colorectal cancer and may be associated with improved clinical outcome.

There is currently an urgent need to identify factors predictive of immunogenicity in colorectal cancer (CRC). Mucinous CRC is a distinct histological subtype of CRC, associated with a poor response to chemotherapy. Recent evidence suggests the commensal facultative anaerobe Fusobacterium may be especially prevalent in mucinous CRC.

A prospective evaluation of the effect of transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) on low anterior resection syndrome.

Purpose: Transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) is a surgical alternative to transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM), transanal excision and proctectomy in the management of benign rectal polyps and early rectal cancers. Low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) describes the constellation of symptoms which result from and are common after distal colorectal resection. Symptoms include incontinence, frequency, urgency and evacuatory dysfunction.

Multiplexed Immunofluorescence Imaging Reveals an Immune-Rich Tumor Microenvironment in Mucinous Rectal Cancer Characterized by Increased Lymphocyte Infiltration and Enhanced Programmed Cell Death Protein 1 Expression.

Background: Mucinous rectal cancer is associated with a higher incidence of microsatellite instability and a poorer response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy compared to other subtypes of rectal adenocarcinoma. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are an emerging family of anticancer therapeutics associated with highly variable outcomes in colorectal cancer. Although the immune landscape of mucinous rectal cancer has not been fully explored, the presence of mucin is thought to act as a barrier preventing immune-cell infiltration.

Apoptotic and Necroptotic Mediators are Differentially Expressed in Mucinous and Non-Mucinous Colorectal Cancer.

Background: Mucinous colorectal cancer (CRC) represents 10% of all CRC and is associated with chemotherapy resistance. This study aimed to determine expression of apoptosis and necroptosis mediators in mucinous CRC.

Methods: RNA gene expression data were extracted from TCGA.

Serine-Arginine Protein Kinase 1 (SRPK1): a systematic review of its multimodal role in oncogenesis.

Alternative splicing is implicated in each of the hallmarks of cancer, and is mechanised by various splicing factors. Serine-Arginine Protein Kinase 1 (SRPK1) is an enzyme which moderates the activity of splicing factors rich in serine/arginine domains. Here we review SRPK1's relationship with various cancers by performing a systematic review of all relevant published data.

Complex surgery and optimal consent: A variety of opinions exist among healthcare professionals.

Background: Establishing healthcare professional's views on optimal consent in complex surgery could guide tailored consent policy, improving the process in challenging scenarios. To date, no studies have established if professionals of differing specialities agree on major aspects of consent in areas such as emergency surgery and cancer surgery.

Methods: An anonymous web based survey was distributed to a variety of disciplines in a tertiary referral centre.

Centralisation of rectal cancer care has improved patient survival in the republic of Ireland.

Background: Centralisation of rectal cancer surgery to designated centres was a key objective of the Irish national cancer control program. A national audit of rectal cancer surgery indicated centralisation was associated with improved early surgical outcomes. This study aimed to determine the impact of implementation of the national cancer strategy on survival from rectal cancer.

An atlas of inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity of apoptosis competency in colorectal cancer tissue at single-cell resolution.

Cancer cells' ability to inhibit apoptosis is key to malignant transformation and limits response to therapy. Here, we performed multiplexed immunofluorescence analysis on tissue microarrays with 373 cores from 168 patients, segmentation of 2.4 million individual cells, and quantification of 18 cell lineage and apoptosis proteins.

Discovery of 6-[(3,4)-4-Amino-3-methyl-2-oxa-8-azaspiro[4.5]decan-8-yl]-3-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-2-methyl-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-4-one (IACS-15414), a Potent and Orally Bioavailable SHP2 Inhibitor.

Src homology 2 (SH2) domain-containing phosphatase 2 (SHP2) plays a role in receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), neurofibromin-1 (NF-1), and Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) mutant-driven cancers, as well as in RTK-mediated resistance, making the identification of small-molecule therapeutics that interfere with its function of high interest. Our quest to identify potent, orally bioavailable, and safe SHP2 inhibitors led to the discovery of a promising series of pyrazolopyrimidinones that displayed excellent potency but had a suboptimal pharmacokinetic (PK) profile. Hypothesis-driven scaffold optimization led us to a series of pyrazolopyrazines with excellent PK properties across species but a narrow human Ether-à-go-go-Related Gene (hERG) window.

Kidney biopsy practice amongst Australasian nephrologists.

Background: Percutaneous kidney biopsy is the gold standard investigation for the diagnosis of kidney diseases. The associated risks of the procedure depend on the skill and experience of the proceduralist as well as the characteristics of the patient. The Kidney Health Australia - Caring for Australasians with Renal Impairment (KHA-CARI) guidelines on kidney biopsies, published in 2019, are the only published national kidney biopsy guidelines.