Prevalence of viral DNA in high-grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer and correlation with clinical outcomes.

Introduction: Currently 11 infectious agents are classified as carcinogenic but the role of infectious agents on outcomes of epithelial ovarian cancer is largely unknown.

Objective: To explore the association between infectious agents and ovarian cancer, we investigated the prevalence of viral DNA in primary ovarian cancer tumors and its association with clinical outcomes.

Methods: Archived tumors from 98 patients diagnosed with high-grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer were collected between 1/1/1994 and 12/31/2010.

Compassionate Use of REGEN-COV® in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Immunodeficiency-Associated Antibody Disorders.

Background: Patients with immunodeficiency-associated antibody disorders are at a higher risk of prolonged/persistent COVID-19 infection, having no viable treatment options.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with primary and/or secondary immunodeficiency-associated antibody disorders who received casirivimab and imdevimab (REGEN-COV®) under emergency compassionate use. Objective were to describe safety and response to REGEN-COV, focusing on the subset of patients who had COVID-19 duration ≥21 days before treatment.

Utilizing digital pathology to quantify stromal caveolin-1 expression in malignant and benign ovarian tumors: Associations with clinicopathological parameters and clinical outcomes.

Loss of stromal caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is a biomarker of a cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) phenotype and is related to progression, metastasis, and poor outcomes in several cancers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of Cav-1 expression in invasive epithelial ovarian cancer (OvCa). Epithelial and stromal Cav-1 expression were quantified in serous OvCa and benign ovarian tissue in two, independent cohorts-one quantified expression using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and the other using multiplex immunofluorescence (IF) with digital image analysis designed to target CAF-specific expression.

Integrating Clinical and Polygenic Factors to Predict Breast Cancer Risk in Women Undergoing Genetic Testing.

Purpose: Screening and prevention decisions for women at increased risk of developing breast cancer depend on genetic and clinical factors to estimate risk and select appropriate interventions. Integration of polygenic risk into clinical breast cancer risk estimators can improve discrimination. However, correlated genetic effects must be incorporated carefully to avoid overestimation of risk.

Age of ovarian cancer diagnosis among BRIP1, RAD51C, and RAD51D mutation carriers identified through multi-gene panel testing.

Background: Professional society guidelines recommend risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) for women with pathogenic variants (PVs) in ovarian cancer-risk genes. Personalization of that intervention is based on gene-specific phenotypes; however, the age of ovarian cancer diagnosis in women with PVs in moderate penetrance ovarian cancer-risk genes is not well characterized. Women who had hereditary cancer panel testing from September 2013-May 2019 were included (N = 631,950).

Germline Pathogenic Variants in the Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated () Gene are Associated with High and Moderate Risks for Multiple Cancers.

Pathogenic variants (PVs) in are relatively common, but the scope and magnitude of risk remains uncertain. This study aimed to estimate PV cancer risks independent of family cancer history. This analysis included patients referred for hereditary cancer testing with a multi-gene panel ( = 627,742).

Economic impact of multigene panel testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

Healthcare utilization and costs were compared following 25-gene panel (panel) or single syndrome (SS) testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Retrospective cohort study of patients unaffected by cancer with panel (n = 6359) or SS (n = 4681) testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (01 January 2014 to 31 December 2016). Groups were determined by test type and result (positive, negative, variant of uncertain significance [VUS]).

Evaluation of the 12-Gene Molecular Score and the 21-Gene Recurrence Score as Predictors of Response to Neo-adjuvant Chemotherapy in Estrogen Receptor-Positive, HER2-Negative Breast Cancer.

Background: Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NaCT) facilitates complete surgical resection in locally advanced breast cancer. Due to its association with improved outcome, complete pathologic response (pCR) to neo-adjuvant treatment has been accepted as a surrogate for long-term outcome in clinical trials of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive, triple-negative, or luminal B breast cancer patients. In contrast, NaCT is effective in only ~ 7-10% of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, HER2-negative disease.

Expression of the BAD pathway is a marker of triple-negative status and poor outcome.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has few therapeutic targets, making nonspecific chemotherapy the main treatment. Therapies enhancing cancer cell sensitivity to cytotoxic agents could significantly improve patient outcomes. A BCL2-associated agonist of cell death (BAD) pathway gene expression signature (BPGES) was derived using principal component analysis (PCA) and evaluated for associations with the TNBC phenotype and clinical outcomes.

Prediction of Distant Recurrence Using EndoPredict Among Women with ER, HER2 Node-Positive and Node-Negative Breast Cancer Treated with Endocrine Therapy Only.

Purpose: Prognostic molecular assays may aid in treatment decisions for women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. The prognostic value of a 12-gene expression assay (EndoPredict) was reevaluated in the combined ABCSG-6/8 cohorts with longer clinical follow-up.

Experimental Design: EndoPredict (EP; molecular score, EPclin score) was evaluated in women with ER-positive, HER2-negative node-positive and node-negative breast cancer who received 5 years of endocrine therapy only (median follow-up, 9.

Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study of the Diagnostic Yield and Patient Experience of Multiplex Gene Panel Testing For Hereditary Cancer Risk.

Purpose: Multiplex gene panel testing (MGPT) allows for the simultaneous analysis of germline cancer susceptibility genes. This study describes the diagnostic yield and patient experiences of MGPT in diverse populations.

Patients And Methods: This multicenter, prospective cohort study enrolled participants from three cancer genetics clinics-University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles County and University of Southern California Medical Center, and Stanford Cancer Institute-who met testing guidelines or had a 2.

Adherence to practice guidelines is associated with reduced referral times for patients with ovarian cancer.

Background: Patients with ovarian cancer tend to receive the highest quality of care at high-volume cancer centers with gynecological oncologists. However, the care that they receive prior to gynecological oncology consult has not been examined. We investigated the quantity and quality of care given to patients with ovarian cancer before being seen by a gynecological oncologist.

Impact of Payer Constraints on Access to Genetic Testing.

Background: With increased demand for hereditary cancer genetic testing, some large national health-care insurance payers (LNHPs) have implemented policies to minimize inappropriate testing by mandating consultation with a geneticist or genetic counselor (GC). We hypothesized such a restriction would reduce access and appropriate testing.

Methods: Test cancellation rates (ie, tests ordered that did not result in a reported test result), mutation-positive rates, and turnaround times for comprehensive BRCA1/2 testing for a study LNHP that implemented a GC-mandate policy were determined over the 12 months before and after policy implementation (excluding a 4-month transition period).

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Individuals Presenting for Care at a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Purpose: To define the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in individuals presenting for care at a comprehensive cancer center.

Patients And Methods: A total of 17 639 individuals presenting to an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center (and consortium sites) completed a questionnaire regarding CAM use. Data were analyzed using the univariate χ test to assess CAM use associated with a number of variables, including cancer status, age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, race, employment, and education level.

Oncology healthcare providers' knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors regarding LGBT health.

Objective: There are limited data on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) healthcare experiences and interactions with the providers. This study assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors of oncology providers regarding LGBT health.

Methods: A 32-item web-based survey was emailed to 388 oncology providers at a single institution.

Sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to acetaminophen reveals biological pathways that affect patient survival.

Experimental and epidemiological data support the potential activity of acetaminophen against ovarian cancer (OVCA). In this study, we sought to confirm the activity of acetaminophen in OVCA cell lines and to investigate the molecular basis of response. A total of 16 OVCA cell lines underwent pretreatment (baseline) genome-wide expression measurements and were then treated with and analyzed for acetaminophen sensitivity.

Molecular determinants for lymph node metastasis in clinically early-stage endometrial cancer.

Patients with occult lymph node metastasis in endometrioid-type endometrial cancer (EC) are prone to the development of recurrences and have worse outcomes compared with patients without lymph node metastasis. In the current study, the aim was to identify molecular parameters associated with lymph node metastasis in EC clinically early-stage disease. A univariate analysis of differentially expressed genes, proteins and clinicopathological parameters (including myometrial invasion and tumor grade) was performed, comparing EC patients with and without lymph node metastasis (n=262 patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas).

Micro-RNAs associated with the evolution of ovarian cancer cisplatin resistance.

Objectives: Ovarian cancer (OVCA) is the leading cause of mortality among women with gynecologic malignancy, in part due to the development of chemoresistance. We sought to identify micro-RNAs (miRNAs) associated with in vitro development of OVCA chemoresistance that may also represent potential targets for therapy.

Methods: In this study, four OVCA cell lines (A2780CP, A2780S, IGROV1, and OVCAR5) were serially treated with cisplatin in parallel with measurements of miRNA expression changes.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Women With Gynecologic Malignancy Presenting for Care at a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Objective: We evaluated complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices among women presenting to a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center with a gynecologic malignancy.

Methods: Women with a gynecologic malignancy who had consented to enrollment in our institutional prospective clinical registry between January 2003 and January 2014 and who had completed a questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, medical histories, quality of life, and CAM use were considered for analysis.

Results: Among the 2508 women identified, responses to questions on CAM use were provided by 534 (21.

STAT3 polymorphisms may predict an unfavorable response to first-line platinum-based therapy for women with advanced serous epithelial ovarian cancer.

Cancer stem cells (CSC) contribute to epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) progression and therapeutic response. We hypothesized that germline single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CSC-related genes may predict an initial therapeutic response for women newly diagnosed with EOC. A nested case-control design was used to study 361 women with advanced-stage serous EOC treated with surgery followed by first-line platinum-based combination therapy at Moffitt Cancer Center or as part of The Cancer Genome Atlas Study.

Prediction of Optimal Cytoreductive Surgery of Serous Ovarian Cancer With Gene Expression Data.

Objectives: Cytoreductive surgery is the cornerstone of ovarian cancer (OVCA) treatment. Detractors of initial maximal surgical effort argue that aggressive tumor biology will dictate survival, not the surgical effort. We investigated the role of biology in achieving optimal cytoreduction in serous OVCA using microarray gene expression analysis.