Impact of Screening on Mortality for Patients Diagnosed with Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Safety-Net Healthcare System: An Opportunity for Addressing Disparities.

We describe the impact of screening on outcomes of patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in an urban safety-net healthcare system compared to a non-screened cohort diagnosed with HCC. Patients diagnosed with HCC at John Peter Smith Health Network were identified by querying the hospital tumor registry and allocated to the screened cohort if they had undergone any liver imaging within one year prior to HCC diagnosis, while the remainder were allocated to the non-screened cohort. Kaplan-Meier methods and log-rank tests were used to compare 3-year survival curves from an index date of HCC diagnosis.

Identification and Treatment of Lung Cancer Oncogenic Drivers in a Diverse Safety Net Setting.

Introduction: Advances in the testing and treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring oncogenic drivers have improved outcomes. Little is known about testing and treatment patterns in diverse patient populations.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study in a diverse cohort of patients treated in the John Peter Smith safety net healthcare system.

Comparative effectiveness of treatment approaches for early invasive breast cancer.

Background: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggested breast conserving therapy (BCT) and mastectomy have similar survival for early-stage breast cancer, whereas observational studies reported survival advantage for BCT. We aimed to address biases in observational studies to compare the effect of BCT and mastectomy on survival.

Methods: We emulated a target trial using institutional cancer registry.

Survival After Implementation of a Decision Support Tool to Facilitate Evidence-Based Cancer Treatment.

Purpose: Decision support tools (DSTs) to facilitate evidence-based cancer treatment are increasingly common in care delivery organizations. Implementation of these tools may improve process outcomes, but little is known about effects on patient outcomes such as survival. We aimed to evaluate the effect of implementing a DST for cancer treatment on overall survival (OS) among patients with breast, colorectal, and lung cancer.

Combination of Small Extracellular Vesicle-Derived Annexin A2 Protein and mRNA as a Potential Predictive Biomarker for Chemotherapy Responsiveness in Aggressive Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), mainly exosomes, are nanovesicles that shed from the membrane as intraluminal vesicles of the multivesicular bodies, serve as vehicles that carry cargo influential in modulating the tumor microenvironment for the multi-step process of cancer metastasis. Annexin A2 (AnxA2), a calcium(Ca)-dependent phospholipid-binding protein, is among sEV cargoes. sEV-derived AnxA2 (sEV-AnxA2) protein is involved in the process of metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Higher Expression of Annexin A2 in Metastatic Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma Promotes Migration and Invasion.

In this study, we aim to evaluate the significance of AnxA2 in BLCA and establish its metastatic role in bladder cancer cells. Analysis of TCGA data showed that AnxA2 mRNA expression was significantly higher in BLCA tumors than in normal bladder tissues. High mRNA expression of AnxA2 in BLCA was significantly associated with high pathological grades and stages, non-papillary tumor histology, and poor overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and diseases specific survival (DSS).

Cardiotoxicity among socioeconomically marginalized breast cancer patients.

Purpose: Evidence of cardiotoxicity risk related to anthracycline or trastuzumab exposure is largely derived from breast cancer cohorts that under-represent socioeconomically marginalized women, who may be at increased risk of cardiotoxicity because of high prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors. Therefore, we aimed to estimate cardiotoxicity risk among socioeconomically marginalized breast cancer patients treated with anthracyclines or trastuzumab and describe clinical consequences of cardiotoxicity.

Methods: We linked electronic health records with institutional registry data from a Comprehensive Community Cancer Program within a safety-net health system.

Timing of adjuvant chemotherapy initiation and mortality among colon cancer patients at a safety-net health system.

Background: Prior studies reported survival benefits from early initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer, but this evidence was derived from studies that may be sensitive to time-related biases. Therefore, we aimed to estimate the effect of initiating adjuvant chemotherapy ≤8 or ≤ 12 weeks on overall and disease-free survival among stage III colon cancer patients using a study design that helps address time-related biases.

Methods: We used institutional registry data from JPS Oncology and Infusion Center, a Comprehensive Community Cancer Program.

Impact of prognostic factor distributions on mortality disparities for socioeconomically disadvantaged cancer patients.

Purpose: We aimed to assess whether differences in the distributions of prognostic factors explain reported mortality disparities between urban safety-net and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer populations.

Methods: We used data from SEER and a safety-net cancer center in Texas. Eligible patients were adults aged ≤64 years and diagnosed with first primary female breast, colorectal, or lung cancer between 2008 and 2016.

Targeted Molecular Therapeutic Options for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Liver cancer is the 6th leading cause of cancer related deaths in the US even though it ranks 14th in incidence. More men are diagnosed with liver cancer than women, and the number of projected deaths among men (20,020) is almost double that among women (10,140) in the US. Infections like hepatitis and metabolic conditions like obesity are believed to be major risk factors for the onset of liver cancer.

Adult Cancer Survivors' Engagement and Interest in Patient-Centered Research.

Background: Limited information is available about the representativeness of survivors engaging in patient-centered research, despite the potential for threats to generalizability. We thus aimed to assess the representativeness of survivors engaged or interested in research development.

Methods: We used data from the Health Information National Trends Survey, a nationally representative survey, to identify survivors of adult cancers.

Phase II trial of single agent Val-boroPro (Talabostat) inhibiting Fibroblast Activation Protein in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Purpose: Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP) is a tumor fibroblast protease that has been shown to potentiate colorectal cancer growth. The clinical impact of FAP inhibition was tested using Val-boroPro (Talabostat), the first clinical inhibitor of FAP enzymatic activity, in a phase II study of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Methods: Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who had previously received systemic chemotherapies were treated with single agent Val-boroPro 200 microg p.

Pure red cell aplasia in B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder treated with rituximab: report of two cases and review of the literature.

Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) is an unusual cause of anemia in patients with chronic lymphoproliferative disorders. Here, we present two cases of PRCA, one associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and the other with splenic marginal zone lymphoma, in which the PRCA responded dramatically to treatment with rituximab. We then review the literature on PRCA in lymphoma and response to rituximab.