Prognostic Outcomes and Predictive Factors in Non-Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Patients Not Treated with Second-Generation Antiandrogens.

Patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) and high-risk features frequently have progression to life-threatening metastasis without second-generation antiandrogens. This study investigated nmCRPC patients for the survival and prognostic factors from a cohort before the approved use of second-generation antiandrogens. From March 2016 to January 2021, 326 patients treated with second-generation antiandrogens for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) or metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer were retrieved.

Evaluating ECM stiffness and liver cancer radiation response via shear-wave elasticity in 3D culture models.

Background: The stiffness of the tumor microenvironment (TME) directly influences cellular behaviors. Radiotherapy (RT) is a common treatment for solid tumors, but the TME can impact its efficacy. In the case of liver cancer, clinical observations have shown that tumors within a cirrhotic, stiffer background respond less to RT, suggesting that the extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness plays a critical role in the development of radioresistance.

Impact of different visceral metastatic sites on survival in metastatic prostate cancer patients.

Introduction: Visceral metastasis is an important predictor for poor outcomes in prostate cancer, however, the prognostic significance surrounding the specific sites of visceral metastasis remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different visceral metastatic sites on survival in patients with prostate cancer.

Methods: We identified patients with metastatic prostate cancer between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2023 using the TriNetX database.

Efficacy and Safety of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Radiation-Induced Hemorrhagic Cystitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Radiation-induced hemorrhagic cystitis (RHC) is a chronic inflammatory disease in patients undergoing radiation therapy that causes a cluster of symptoms which may have a latent period of months to years. The current non-invasive treatments include drug treatment and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which has been widely applied for RHC so far but with limited evidence. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the effects and safety of HBOT for RHC.

Treatment Outcomes of Patients with Ependymoma Receiving Radiotherapy: A Single Institution Experience.

Introduction: This study explored the failure pattern and clinical outcomes in patients with ependymoma undergoing radiotherapy.

Methods: Between January 2004 and June 2022, we included 32 patients with ependymoma who underwent radiotherapy as part of the multimodality treatment at our institution. Of these, 27 (84.

C-C chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4)-positive regulatory T cells interact with tumor-associated macrophages to facilitate metastatic potential after radiation.

Purpose: Our previous study revealed that elevated C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) secretion by irradiated cancer cells recruited C-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2)-positive myeloid cells and polarized M2-type tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), promoting lung metastasis in an established mouse model. This study investigated the impact of CCL2 and TAMs on adaptive immunity.

Methods: We assessed the influence of CCL2 and TAMs on adaptive immunity through two ectopic allograft mouse models constructed with MB49 bladder cancer cells and Lewis lung carcinoma cells.

Hybridization Protection Reaction for Sensitive and Robust Gene Expression Profiling of Clinical Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Samples.

Background: RNA profiling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissues for the molecular diagnostics of disease prognosis or treatment response is often irreproducible and limited to a handful of biomarkers. This has led to an unmet need for robust multiplexed assays that can profile several RNA biomarkers of interest using a limited amount of specimen. Here, we describe hybridization protection reaction (HPR), which is a novel RNA profiling approach with high reproducibility.

Efficacy of Liver-Directed Combined Radiotherapy in Locally Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Portal Vein Tumor Thrombosis.

Purpose: Although systemic treatment is the mainstay for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), numerous studies have highlighted the added value of local treatment. This study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of liver-directed combined radiotherapy (LD combined RT) compared with that of sorafenib, a recommended treatment until recently for locally advanced HCC presenting portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT), using a multinational patient cohort.

Materials And Methods: We identified patients with HCC presenting PVTT treated with either sorafenib or LD combined RT in 10 tertiary hospitals in Asia from 2005 to 2014.

Survival outcomes and prognostic factors for first-line abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Purpose: To investigate the survival outcomes of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients receiving first-line novel androgen receptor axis-targeted therapies (ARATs) and prognostic factors for patient survival.

Methods: This retrospective study obtained data from 202 patients who started abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide as first-line therapy for mCRPC between 2016 and 2021 from a single academic center. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) defined as the interval from the start of ARAT to death, loss to follow-up, or the end of the study period.

Stereotactic radiosurgery for medium and large uveal melanoma with a non-invasive eye immobilization device, a single institutional case series.

Purpose: To investigate the treatment outcome, visual outcome, and adverse effects of five-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) to medium- and large-sized uveal melanoma with a non-invasive eye immobilization device.

Methods: Medical records of 14 patients with uveal melanoma receiving SRS with a total dose of 50 Gy in five fractions from 2008 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. A non-invasive eye fixation device was used to achieve and monitor eye immobilization.

Topoisomerase I Inhibition Radiosensitizing Hepatocellular Carcinoma by RNF144A-mediated DNA-PKcs Ubiquitination and Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity.

Background And Aims: Topoisomerase I (TOP1) participates the repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) upon radiation therapy (RT). RNF144A mediates ubiquitination of catalytic subunit of DNA protein kinase (DNA-PKcs), a critical factor in DSB repair. This study aimed to investigate the natural killer (NK) cell-mediated radiosensitization with TOP1 inhibition and the mechanism by DNA-PKcs/RNF144A.

NKG2A and circulating extracellular vesicles are key regulators of natural killer cell activity in prostate cancer after prostatectomy.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are an important regulatory factor for natural killer cell activity (NKA) in the tumor microenvironment. The relationship between circulating EVs in the peripheral blood and natural killer (NK) cells in prostate cancer (PCa) is unclear. This study aimed at investigating the key regulators in the interaction between circulating EVs and NK cells in PCa patients before and after tumor removal.

Selective inhibition of HDAC6 promotes bladder cancer radiosensitization and mitigates the radiation-induced CXCL1 signalling.

Background: Although trimodality therapy resecting tumours followed by chemoradiotherapy is emerged for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), chemotherapy produces toxicities. Histone deacetylase inhibitors have been identified as an effective strategy to enhance cancer radiotherapy (RT).

Methods: We examined the role of HDAC6 and specific inhibition of HDAC6 on BC radiosensitivity by performing transcriptomic analysis and mechanism study.

Efficacy and safety of combined targeted therapy and immunotherapy versus targeted monotherapy in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Cancer therapy has evolved from non-specific cytotoxic agents to a selective, mechanism-based approach that includes targeted agents and immunotherapy. Although the response to targeted therapies for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is acceptable with the improved survival, the high tumor recurrence rate and drug-related side effects continue to be problematic. Given that immune checkpoint inhibitor alone are not robust enough to improve survival in unresectable HCC, growing evidence supports the combination of targeted therapy and immunotherapy with synergistic effect.

Radiosensitization effect by HDAC inhibition improves NKG2D-dependent natural killer cytotoxicity in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Radiotherapy (RT) controls HCC unsatisfactorily and temporarily. Histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) is a heterogeneous group of epigenetic therapeutics with promising anticancer effects and synergism in combination with RT.

Does HCC Etiology Impact the Efficacy of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma? An Asian Liver Radiation Therapy Group Study.

Background/purpose: The Asian Liver Radiation Therapy Study Group has formed a large and detailed multinational database of outcomes following stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we explored the potential impact of HCC etiology on SBRT efficacy. Tumor control probability (TCP) models were established to estimate the likelihood of local control (LC).

Tumor-Derived C-C Motif Ligand 2 Induces the Recruitment and Polarization of Tumor-Associated Macrophages and Increases the Metastatic Potential of Bladder Cancer Cells in the Postirradiated Microenvironment.

Purpose: Radiation therapy (RT) is mainly used for bladder preservation in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The response of urothelial tumors to RT remains unsatisfactory. We investigated the interaction of RT and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the context of bladder cancer radioresistance.

Longitudinal shear wave elasticity measurements of millimeter-sized biomaterials using a single-element transducer platform.

Temporal variations of the extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness profoundly impact cellular behaviors, possibly more significantly than the influence of static stiffness. Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures with tunable matrix stiffness have been utilized to characterize the mechanobiological interactions of elasticity-mediated cellular behaviors. Conventional studies usually perform static interrogations of elasticity at micro-scale resolution.

Competing Risk Analysis of Outcomes of Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer Patients Undergoing Definitive Radiotherapy.

Purpose: We investigated potential factors, including clinicopathological features, treatment modalities, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 level, tumor responses correlating with overall survival (OS), local progression (LP), and distant metastases (DMs), in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) who received definitive radiotherapy (RT).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed demographic characteristics; biologically effective doses (BED, calculated with an α/β of 10) of RT; and clinical outcomes of 57 unresectable LAPC (all pancreatic adenocarcinoma) patients receiving definitive RT using modern techniques with and without systemic therapy between January 2009 and March 2019 at our institution. We used Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.

Peri-radiosurgical administration of bevacizumab improves radiographic response to single and fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery for large brain metastasis.

Introduction: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a standard of care for brain metastases (BM) patients, yet large BM are at a greater risk for radionecrosis and local progression (LP). Concomitant bevacizumab and radiotherapy has been shown to improve outcomes in primary and metastatic brain tumors. This retrospective study investigated the efficacy and safety of concurrent bevacizumab and SRS for large BM.

Outcomes and Prediction Models for Exclusive Prostate Bed Salvage Radiotherapy among Patients with Biochemical Recurrence after Radical Prostatectomy.

Background: The addition of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) or pelvic radiation to prostate bed salvage radiotherapy (SRT) has been debated for prostate cancer patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy. This study aimed to assess the outcomes and propose prediction models for exclusive prostate bed SRT.

Methods: This is a prospective observational cohort study with patients who underwent SRT with a pre-SRT PSA < 1.