Publications by authors named "Kerry R Schaffer"

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the genetic factors influencing levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which could enhance its effectiveness for prostate cancer screening among men.
  • Researchers conducted a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) using data from nearly 100,000 prostate cancer-free men, identifying 173 unique genes associated with PSA levels, with 151 resembling findings in another large dataset.
  • Further analysis revealed 20 genes that influenced PSA levels independently from identified genetic variants, with several showing a potential causal relationship and the need for additional research to understand these genetic influences better.
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Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men in the United States and a leading cause of cancer-related death in men. Treatment options for patients with advanced prostate cancer include hormone therapies, chemotherapies, radioligand therapies, and immunotherapies. Provenge (sipuleucel-T) is an autologous cancer-vaccine-based immunotherapy approved for men with asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

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Penile squamous cell carcinoma is a rare disease with very limited data to guide treatment decisions. In particular, there is minimal evidence for effective therapies in the metastatic setting. Here, we present a case of metastatic penile squamous cell carcinoma with response to the Nectin-4 inhibitor enfortumab-vedotin-ejfv (EV).

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study examines whether a genetic predisposition for higher prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels influences the likelihood of men undergoing prostate cancer screening and evaluations.
  • - In a cohort of 3,110 men aged 45-70, a polygenic score consisting of 111 genetic variants linked to PSA levels (but not prostate cancer) showed significant associations with elevated PSA levels and related medical evaluations in the younger age group (45-59 years).
  • - Findings suggest that higher genetic predisposition for PSA levels correlates with more clinical evaluations for prostate cancer, particularly among younger men, while this association weakens in older participants (ages 60-70).
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Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer remains controversial because it increases overdiagnosis and overtreatment of clinically insignificant tumors. Accounting for genetic determinants of constitutive, non-cancer-related PSA variation has potential to improve screening utility. In this study, we discovered 128 genome-wide significant associations (P < 5 × 10) in a multi-ancestry meta-analysis of 95,768 men and developed a PSA polygenic score (PGS) that explains 9.

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Deciphering the genetic basis of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels may improve their utility to screen for prostate cancer (PCa). We thus conducted a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) of PSA levels using genome-wide summary statistics from 95,768 PCa-free men, the MetaXcan framework, and gene prediction models trained in Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project data. Tissue-specific analyses identified 41 statistically significant (p < 0.

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Cribriform prostate cancer, found in both invasive cribriform carcinoma (ICC) and intraductal carcinoma (IDC), is an aggressive histological subtype that is associated with progression to lethal disease. To delineate the molecular and cellular underpinnings of ICC/IDC aggressiveness, this study examines paired ICC/IDC and benign prostate surgical samples by single-cell RNA-sequencing, TCR sequencing, and histology. ICC/IDC cancer cells express genes associated with metastasis and targets with potential for therapeutic intervention.

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A lower baseline neutrophil-to-eosinophil ratio (NER) has been associated with improved responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI)-treated metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). This study investigated the decrease in NER at week 6 after ipilimumab/nivolumab (ipi/nivo) initiation and treatment responses in mRCC. A retrospective study of ipi/nivo-treated mRCC at two US academic cancer centers was conducted.

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Outcomes for men with localized prostate cancer vary widely, with some men effectively managed without treatment on active surveillance, while other men rapidly progress to metastatic disease despite curative-intent therapies. One of the strongest prognostic indicators of outcome is grade groups based on the Gleason grading system. Gleason grade 4 prostate cancer with cribriform morphology is associated with adverse outcomes and can be utilized clinically to improve risk stratification.

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