Pemetrexed Maintenance versus Observation in Patients with Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma Who Completed First-line Platinum-based Chemotherapy without Disease Progression (PREMIER, KCSG GU16-05).

Purpose: Platinum-based chemotherapy is the standard treatment for advanced urothelial carcinoma (aUC). Switch maintenance therapy after first-line (1L) treatment may delay disease progression. This study evaluated pemetrexed as switch maintenance therapy versus observation in aUC patients without disease progression after initial chemotherapy.

Sonodynamic and Acoustically Responsive Nanodrug Delivery System: Cancer Application.

The advent of acoustically responsive nanodrugs that are specifically optimized for sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is a novel approach for clinical applications. Examining the therapeutic applications of sono-responsive drug delivery systems, understanding their dynamic response to acoustic stimuli, and their crucial role in enhancing targeted drug delivery are intriguing issues for current cancer treatment. Specifically, the suggested review covers SDT, a modality that enhances the cytotoxic activity of specific compounds (sonosensitizers) using ultrasound (US).

Four versus six cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced Urothelial carcinoma in the era of immune checkpoint inhibitors: A retrospective cohort study (FOCUS, KCSG-GU23-08).

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the survival outcomes of four versus six cycles of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy (PBCT) in the era of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) for patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC).

Patients And Methods: Patients with histologically confirmed advanced UC were allocated to either the 4-cycle PBCT (C4) or 6-cycle PBCT (C6) groups and retrospectively analyzed. After the planned cycles, active surveillance was conducted every 6-8 weeks, followed by second-line treatments, including ICIs, upon progression.

Pancreatic Tumor-Targeting Stemsome Therapeutics.

Owing to the intrinsic ability of stem cells to target the tumor environment, stem-cell-membrane-functionalized nanocarriers can target and load active anticancer drugs. In this work, a strategy that focuses on stem cells that self-target pancreatic cancer cells is developed. In particular, malignant deep tumors such as pancreatic cancer cells, one of the intractable tumors that currently have no successful clinical strategy, are available for targeting and destruction.

Prognostic model in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors after platinum failure.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become a standard treatment for metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) after platinum-based chemotherapy. However, the prognostic factors for patients with mUC receiving ICIs are not well established. We retrospectively collected clinical and laboratory data and reviewed the survival outcomes of patients with mUC who were treated with ICIs after platinum-based chemotherapy.

Efficacy and Safety of Trastuzumab Biosimilar (CT-P6) Compared With Reference Trastuzumab in Patients With HER2-positive Advanced Gastric Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis.

Objectives: Treatment with trastuzumab and chemotherapy significantly improves the outcome in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced gastric cancer (AGC). CT-P6 (trastuzumab-pkrb; Herzuma) is a trastuzumab biosimilar approved for the treatment of HER2-positive gastric cancer. In this study, we aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of CT-P6 and reference trastuzumab as first-line treatment for HER2-positive AGC.

Resistance and aerobic exercise intervention during chemotherapy in patients with metastatic cancer: a pilot study in South Korea.

Background: We investigated the feasibility and safety of an exercise intervention in patients with metastatic solid cancer.

Methods: Patients scheduled to receive first-line chemotherapy for metastatic cancer with a life expectancy of ≥4 months, no brain metastases, and no high risk of fracture were recruited to participate in a 12-week, combined resistance and aerobic exercise program consisting of supervised, hospital-based (2×/week) and home-based training (3×/week) during palliative chemotherapy. Feasibility and safety of the exercise intervention were the primary outcomes.

Noncanonical immune response to the inhibition of DNA methylation by Staufen1 via stabilization of endogenous retrovirus RNAs.

DNA-methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTis), such as azacitidine and decitabine, are used clinically to treat myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Decitabine activates the transcription of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs), which can induce immune response by acting as cellular double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs). Yet, the posttranscriptional regulation of ERV dsRNAs remains uninvestigated.

Predictive Roles of HER2 Gene Amplification and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio on Survival in HER2-Positive Advanced Gastric Cancer Treated With Trastuzumab-Based Chemotherapy.

Objectives: Trastuzumab is used as an agent against human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced gastric cancer (AGC). The aim of this study was to determine how HER2 gene amplification and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) could predict long-term survival in AGC patients that underwent trastuzumab-based chemotherapy.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 112 patients between 28 and 91 years old (median of 66 y) with AGC treated with first-line trastuzumab-based chemotherapy.

Portal vein stent for symptomatic malignant portal vein stenosis: A single-center experience.

Objective: Malignant tumors around the portal vein (PV) can cause PV stenosis, and PV stent (PVS) placement may reduce symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of PVS for symptomatic malignant PV stenosis.

Methods: Fourteen consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous transhepatic PVS placement from January 2016 to August 2018 for symptomatic malignant PV stenosis were included.

Arterial stiffness and functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke.

Objective: Arterial stiffness is a common change associated with aging and can be evaluated by measuring pulse wave velocity (PWV) between sites in the arterial tree, with the stiffer artery having the higher PWV. Arterial stiffness is associated with the risk of stroke in the general population and of fatal stroke in hypertensive patients. This study is to clarify whether PWV value predicts functional outcome of acute ischemic stroke.

Agenesis of bilateral internal carotid artery associated with basilar artery fenestration mimicking intra-arterial thrombus: a case report.

Bilateral internal carotid artery agenesis is a very rare congenital anomaly, which may be accompanied by various types of associated vascular abnormalities, included intracranial aneurysms or dolichoectatic change of posterior circulation. In this article, we present unique, and to the best of our knowledge, the first case of bilateral internal carotid agenesis associated with basilar artery fenestration, which resembles intra-arterial floating thrombus.