On the impact of surveillance test strategies: a cost-benefit modelling analysis based upon real-world data from SARS-CoV-2.

Objectives: Active regular surveillance testing of asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals can reduce infection and onward transmission rates, as demonstrated for SARS-CoV-2.

Study Design: Cost-benefit analysis based on real-world data.

Methods: Two different surveillance-testing strategies using nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) performed in 14,177 hospital employees were compared for their costs and their effectiveness in preventing secondary infections.

Long COVID symptoms in hospital employees after post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infection in Austria: A study on self-reported incidence and associated factors.

Purpose: Post acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection are defined by persistence or re-occurrence of symptoms six to 12 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Methods: Twice vaccinated hospital employees after mild to moderate post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infection completed a questionnaire on the incidence of general, respiratory, neuropsychiatric, dermatological and gastrointestinal symptoms, experienced during their acute infection and eight weeks after recovery. Post acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection were analysed in relation to socio-demographic-, health-, virus- and acute infection-related characteristics.

The cancer survival index-A prognostic score integrating psychosocial and biological factors in patients diagnosed with cancer or haematologic malignancies.

Objective: We aimed to investigate whether (1) psychological and social indicators influence survival in patients diagnosed with cancer or haematologic malignancies when important biological aspects are controlled for, (2) psychological, social and biological indicators can be utilised to design one collated index for survival, usable in clinical practice to identify patients at risk of shorter survival and to improve personalised healthcare provision.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 2263 patients with cancer or haematologic malignancies participated. We analysed 15 biological, psychological and social indicators as risk factors for survival with a Cox proportional hazards model.

Postvaccination infections among staff of a tertiary care hospital after vaccination with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vector and mRNA-based vaccines.

Objectives: The identification of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigen or RNA in respiratory specimens ≥14 days after administration of all recommended doses of authorized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines is defined as breakthrough infection. In the present investigation, mRNA and vector-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were analysed with respect to postvaccination infections in vaccinated hospital employees.

Methods: A total of 8553 staff members were vaccinated with BNT162b2 (47%) or ChAdOx1-S (53%) between January and May 2021.

Inflammation-Based Scores as a Common Tool for Prognostic Assessment in Heart Failure or Cancer.

Inflammation-based scores are widely tested in cancer and have been evaluated in cardiovascular diseases including heart failure. We investigated the impact of established inflammation-based scores on disease severity and survival in patients with stable heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) paralleling results to an intra-institutional cohort of treatment naïve cancer patients. HFrEF and cancer patients were prospectively enrolled.

Increased resting heart rate and prognosis in treatment-naïve unselected cancer patients: results from a prospective observational study.

Aims: Cancer patients suffer from impaired cardiovascular function. Elevated resting heart rate (RHR) has been identified as a marker for increased long-term mortality in cancer patients prior to the receipt of anticancer treatment. We aimed to establish whether RHR is associated with survival in treatment-naïve cancer patients.

Impact of New Chemotherapy Regimens on the Treatment Landscape and Survival of Locally Advanced and Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Patients.

Background: New chemotherapy regimens for the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer have changed the therapy paradigm. We aimed to assess their impact on the treatment landscape and clinical outcome at our academic institution.

Methods: In this single institutional posthoc registry analysis, we assessed characteristics and survival rates from all patients with locally advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer who started a systemic treatment between 01/2011 and 12/2017.

PD-L1 Expression on Tumor Cells Is Associated With a Poor Outcome in a Cohort of Caucasian Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is endemic in East Asia but rare in the western world. Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on NPC correlates with clinical outcomes. However, data for Caucasian NPC patients are missing.

GDF-15 in solid vs non-solid treatment-naïve malignancies.

Aim: GDF-15 is an established cardiovascular risk marker but is equally implicated in tumour biology. Elevated levels of GDF-15 have indeed been observed in distinct tumour entities. This study aimed to explore the relation of GDF-15 to other cardiac biomarkers and the general association of GDF-15 on prognosis in an unselected cohort of treatment-naïve cancer patients.

Afatinib as second-line treatment in patients with recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: Subgroup analyses of treatment adherence, safety and mode of afatinib administration in the LUX-Head and Neck 1 trial.

Objectives: Patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) can experience severe symptom burden and/or difficulty swallowing, leading to problems with treatment adherence/administration. In LUX-Head and Neck 1 (LH&N1; NCT01345682), second-line afatinib improved progression-free survival (PFS) versus methotrexate in patients with recurrent/metastatic HNSCC. We report adherence and safety across pre-specified and additional subgroups potentially linked to afatinib PFS benefit in LH&N1 (p16 status, smoking history), and afatinib adherence, safety and efficacy by administration (oral versus feeding tube; post-hoc analysis).

The circulating form of neprilysin is not a general biomarker for overall survival in treatment-naïve cancer patients.

The transmembrane zink-metalloendopeptidase neprilysin (NEP) is implicated in cardiovascular disease but also tumor biology. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship of circulating NEP (cNEP) levels with established cardiovascular biomarkers and its effect on overall survival in an unselected cohort of treatment-naïve cancer patients. 555 consecutive cancer patients prior anticancer therapy were enrolled prospectively.

Experience in Intra-arterial Chemotherapy using Two Protocols for the Treatment of OSCC over Two Decades at the University Hospital Vienna.

Objectives: This retrospective study performed a comprehensive analysis of the usage of intra-arterial chemotherapy (iaCh) for locally recurrent UICC stage IV oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) over two decades at the Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery at the University Hospital Vienna to assess the utility of its future use.

Methods: Between 1994 and 2014, iaCh was indicated in 48 OSCC cases. In these, the two most frequent iaCh schemes, cisplatin/5-fluorouracil (Cis/5-FU) and methotrexate/bleomycin (MTX/Bleo), were chosen for further analysis.

Modified biweekly cisplatin, docetaxel plus cetuximab (TPEx) as first-line treatment for patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck cancer.

Three weekly high-dose chemotherapy regimens in combination with weekly cetuximab are the treatment of choice for patients with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCCHN), although the majority of patients suffer from severe side effects. Thus, we investigated the efficacy and safety of an alternative, more convenient and less toxic biweekly modified cisplatin, docetaxel plus cetuximab (TPEx) regimen in this retrospective analysis. Thirty-eight patients receiving off-protocol cisplatin (50 mg/m) in combination with docetaxel (50 mg/m) plus cetuximab (500 mg/m) every other week were included.

Subclinical involvement of the liver is associated with prognosis in treatment naïve cancer patients.

Background: Routinely tested liver biomarkers as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), butyryl-cholinesterase (BChE), albumin and bilirubin are altered in distinct malignancies and hepatic metastases. This study aimed to investigate whether all liver parameters have the ability to predict long-term mortality in treatment naïve cancer patients but without a malignant hepatic involvement.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 555 consecutive patients with primary diagnosis of cancer without prior anticancer therapy.

Importance of chewing, saliva, and swallowing function in patients with advanced oral cancer undergoing preoperative chemoradiotherapy: a prospective study of quality of life.

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the quality of life (QOL) of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) undergoing curative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by radical tumour resection and simultaneous oral cavity reconstruction, using two validated questionnaires. A secondary objective was to assess clinical variables predicting post-treatment dysfunction in chewing, saliva, and swallowing. Thirty-five patients with locally advanced OSCC who underwent preoperative chemoradiotherapy were recruited prospectively.

PARTNER: An open-label, randomized, phase 2 study of docetaxel/cisplatin chemotherapy with or without panitumumab as first-line treatment for recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Objective: This phase 2 estimation study evaluated docetaxel/cisplatin with/without panitumumab, an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody, as first-line therapy for recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

Patients And Methods: Randomized patients received docetaxel/cisplatin (75mg/m(2) each) with/without panitumumab (9mg/kg) in 21-day cycles. Patients randomized to panitumumab+chemotherapy could continue panitumumab monotherapy after completing six chemotherapy cycles without progression; patients randomized to chemotherapy alone could receive second-line panitumumab after progression.

Docetaxel plus cetuximab biweekly is an active regimen for the first-line treatment of patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck cancer.

For patients with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCCHN) limited therapeutic options exist. Only a subset of patients is suitable for combination chemotherapy regimens. Biweekly docetaxel plus cetuximab might be an alternative option.

Nab-paclitaxel as alternative treatment regimen in advanced cholangiocellular carcinoma.

Background: Advanced cholangiocellular carcinoma has a poor prognosis with limited therapeutic options. Nab-paclitaxel has recently been described to be beneficial in metastatic pancreatic cancer improving overall and progression free survival (PFS). The potential antitumor activity of nab-paclitaxel in cholangiocellular carcinoma is hitherto unknown.

Prognostic Impact of Pretreatment Plasma Fibrinogen in Patients with Locally Advanced Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer.

Background: We aimed to determine the prognostic significance of pretreatment plasma fibrinigen in patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OOSCC).

Methods: A cohort of 183 patients with locally advanced OOSCC receiving preoperative chemoradiotherapy was retrospectively examined. Using ROC curve analysis, a pretreatment plasma fibrinogen cutoff value of 447mg/dL was determined.

Phase II trial of capecitabine plus nab-paclitaxel in patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Background: Combination chemotherapy regimens including fluoropyrimidines as well as albumin-bound paclitaxel have shown promising results in patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (mPC). Based on the recently described excellent therapeutic index of capecitabine plus nab-paclitaxel in metastatic breast cancer, the present phase II trial was initiated.

Methods: Patients with previously untreated mPC were treated with capecitabine (825 mg/m(2) orally bid on days 1-15) and nab-paclitaxel (125 mg/m(2) intravenously on days 1 and 8) every 3 weeks.

Pre-therapeutic fibrinogen levels are of prognostic significance in locally advanced head and neck cancer.

Objectives: The objective of this retrospective study was to clarify the potential prognostic significance of pre-therapeutic fibrinogen levels in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients treated with curative intent by primary radiotherapy (RT) or with postoperative radiotherapy (PORT).

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 347 patients with histologically confirmed locally advanced HNSCC. Analysis was conducted separately for the patient collective treated with PORT (N = 141; 85.

Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915) and His Contributions to the Foundation and Birth of Translational Medicine.

Translational research and precision medicine are based on a profound knowledge of cellular and molecular mechanisms contributing to various physiologic processes and pathologic reactions in diverse organs. Whereas specific molecular interactions and mechanisms have been identified during the past 5 decades, the underlying principles were defined much earlier and originate from to the seminal observations made by outstanding researchers between 1850 and 1915. One of the most outstanding exponents of these scientists is Paul Ehrlich.

Prognostic role of pretreatment plasma fibrinogen in patients with solid tumors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Plasma fibrinogen may be involved in several stages of cancer progression. Clinical studies have demonstrated that pretreatment plasma fibrinogen is associated with poor survival in various cancers. The aim of this meta-analysis was to examine the prognostic effect of circulating fibrinogen in solid tumors.

Assessing the feasibility of a mobile health-supported clinical decision support system for nutritional triage in oncology outpatients using Arden Syntax.

Background: Nutritional screening procedures followed by regular nutrition monitoring for oncological outpatients are no standard practice in many European hospital wards and outpatient settings. As a result, early signs of malnutrition are missed and nutritional treatment is initiated when patients have already experienced severe weight loss.

Objective: We report on a novel clinical decision support system (CDSS) for the global assessment and nutritional triage of the nutritional condition of oncology outpatients.