Clinicopathological Criteria Predictive of Recurrence Following Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Therapy Initiation in Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is currently the most clinically effective intravesical treatment for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), particularly for patients with high-risk NMIBC such as those with carcinoma in situ. BCG treatments could be optimized to improve patient safety and conserve supply by predicting BCG efficacy based on tumor characteristics or clinicopathological criteria.

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the ability of specific clinicopathological criteria to predict tumor recurrence in patients with NMIBC who received BCG therapy along various treatment timelines.

Association of smoking status and recurrence of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer among patients managed with blue light cystoscopy.

Purpose: Smoking has a strong causal association with bladder cancer but the relationship with recurrence is not well established. We sought to assess the association of smoking status on recurrence of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) in a contemporary cohort of patients with predominantly high-risk, recurrent NMIBC managed with photodynamic enhanced cystoscopy.

Materials And Methods: We performed a retrospective study of patients with NMIBC included in a multi-institutional registry.

Evaluating the effects of socioeconomic status on stroke and bleeding risk scores and clinical events in patients on oral anticoagulant for new onset atrial fibrillation.

Background: The risk of thromboembolism and bleeding before initiation of oral anticoagulant (OAC) in atrial fibrillation patients is estimated by CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scoring system, respectively. Patients' socioeconomic status (SES) could influence these risks, but its impact on the two risk scores' predictive performance with respect to clinical events remains unknown. Our objective was to determine if patient SES defined by area deprivation index (ADI), in conjunction with CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores, could guide oral anticoagulation therapy.

American Urological Association Nonmuscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Risk Model Validation-Should Patient Age be Added to the Risk Model?

Purpose: We evaluated the AUA (American Urological Association)/SUO (Society of Urologic Oncology) nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer risk model to predict nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer recurrence and progression prior to death.

Materials And Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis using electronic medical records and cancer registry data of patients with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer in a multicenter United States patient population. We evaluated recurrence-free and progression-free survival according to the AUA/SUO nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer risk model.

Personalized Anticoagulation: Optimizing Warfarin Management Using Genetics and Simulated Clinical Trials.

Background: Clinical trials testing pharmacogenomic-guided warfarin dosing for patients with atrial fibrillation have demonstrated conflicting results. Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants are expensive and contraindicated for several conditions. A strategy optimizing anticoagulant selection remains an unmet clinical need.

Using simulation and optimization approach to improve outcome through warfarin precision treatment.

We apply a treatment simulation and optimization approach to develop decision support guidance for warfarin precision treatment plans. Simulation include the use of ∼1,500,000 clinical avatars (simulated patients) generated by an integrated data-driven and domain-knowledge based Bayesian Network Modeling approach. Subsequently, we simulate 30-day individual patient response to warfarin treatment of five clinical and genetic treatment plans followed by both individual and subpopulation based optimization.

Predicting Nonmuscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Recurrence and Progression in a United States Population.

Purpose: We assessed the performance of the EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer) and CUETO (Club Urológico Español de Tratamiento Oncológico) nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer predictive models compared to current United States NCCN Guidelines® in an American population.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the electronic medical records of patients with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer in a multicenter population in the United States. We evaluated recurrence-free and progression-free survival according to EORTC and CUETO, and assessed discriminative performance with the c-index at 1 and 5 years.

Optimal decision support rules improve personalize warfarin treatment outcomes.

We tested optimization-based approaches to generate decision support rules used to improve personalized warfarin treatment based on clinical and genetic characteristics. Our approach simulated warfarin treatment outcomes using five existing treatment plans for clinical avatars (virtual patients). We used individual clinical avatar Time-in-Therapeutic-Range to represent the two-sided adverse risk to bleeding (over dosed - above therapeutic range) and thrombosis (under dosed - below therapeutic range) and as the objective function in the optimization to minimize overall risk.