Publications by authors named "Lum A"

Objective: Previous research suggests serum CA125 reflects extra-uterine disease in patients with endometrial carcinoma (EC). Our objective was to determine if CA125 can identify patients with extra-uterine and/or nodal metastases, the association of this biomarker with EC molecular subtype, and to explore an optimal cutoff in this context.

Methods: We assessed the association of CA125 levels with clinicopathologic and outcomes data on a cohort of 1107 molecularly classified EC.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aims: Mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma (MLA) of the endometrium is often a diagnostic challenge, due to its morphological resemblance to other more common Müllerian neoplasms. This study aimed to retrospectively identify overlooked MLA in a large endometrial carcinoma cohort, using a combination of immunohistochemistry (IHC), morphology and KRAS sequencing.

Methods And Results: IHC was conducted on 1094 endometrial carcinomas, identifying 16 potential MLA cases based on GATA3+ and/or TTF1+ and ER- staining patterns, which subsequently underwent detailed histological review, KRAS sequencing and ProMisE molecular classification.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: We have previously shown that DNA based, single test molecular classification by next generation sequencing (NGS) (Proactive Molecular risk classifier for Endometrial cancer (ProMisE) NGS) is highly concordant with the original ProMisE classifier and maintains prognostic value in endometrial cancer. Our aim was to validate ProMisE NGS in an independent cohort and assess the performance of ProMisE NGS in real world clinical practice to address if there were any practical challenges or learning points for implementation.

Methods: We evaluated DNA extracted from an external research cohort of 211 endometrial cancer cases diagnosed in 2016 from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, across seven European centers, comparing standard molecular classification (NGS for status, immunohistochemistry for mismatch repair and p53) with ProMisE NGS (NGS for and microsatellite instability assay) for concordance metrics and Kaplan-Meier survival statistics across molecular subtypes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Family-centered rounds (FCR) is the standard for pediatric communication, but community pediatric hospital medicine services may face barriers in implementation, including offering FCR to families with a language preference other than English (LOE) versus those with an English preference (EP). The goal of our quality improvement project was to increase FCR from 33% to 80% over 1 year.

Methods: Interventions included an FCR checklist integrated into the electronic healthcare record (EHR-FCR checklist), staff education, visual prompts, and interpreters.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

An evaluation of morbidity and mortality in Steller sea lions (SSLs) Eumetopias jubatus under professional care identified a high prevalence of thyroid disease in aged animals. While studies have investigated the effects of age, season, nutrition, stressors, and pollutants on thyroid hormones in pinnipeds, data from individuals with known thyroid disease are lacking. Histopathological reports of adult SSLs in North American aquariums from 1979 to 2022 with banked serum (n = 14) were reviewed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

To date, published comprehensive pathology investigations documented in Steller sea lions (SSL; ) are from free-ranging populations, whereas health data from those under professional care in aquariums are currently lacking. A retrospective review of gross and histopathologic reports of SSL under human care in North American aquariums from 1979 to 2021 ( = 20) was performed. Associations between age, sex, or birth origin (born in aquariums versus the wild) with cause of death (COD) and comorbidities were explored.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a notable rise in mental health issues among final-year secondary school students, disrupting their social and educational milestones as they transition to higher education.
  • A study analyzed application data from before and during the pandemic to assess the increase in requests for mental health-related special consideration, revealing a 38% rise in applications during the pandemic.
  • Findings highlighted that the most significant increases were in regions affected by lockdowns and natural disasters, particularly among Year 12 students and those with other special needs, emphasizing the need for a robust mental health support system in higher education.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Until now, limited clinical significance had been reported for disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in gynecologic malignancies. DTCs were previously reported not to be associated with established risk factors, L1CAM immunoreactivity, and outcome in endometrial carcinoma (EC). This study's primary objective was to investigate potential correlations of DTCs in the bone marrow (BM) of EC patients with disease-related survival, and a secondary objective was to evaluate associations between molecular classification of EC and DTCs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Clear cell ovarian carcinoma (CCOC) is an aggressive malignancy affecting younger women. Despite ovarian cancer subtypes having diverse molecular and clinical characteristics, the mainstay of treatment for advanced stage disease remains cytotoxic chemotherapy. Late stage CCOC is resistant to conventional chemotherapy, which means a suboptimal outcome for patients affected.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study examines the clinical significance of detecting cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) mutations in patients with endometrial and ovarian cancers, identifying its potential as a real-time biomarker for therapy response and recurrence.
  • Out of 44 patients, somatic mutations were found in tumor tissue for 91%, with only 27% having detectable preoperative ctDNA mutations, which correlated with advanced cancer stages and potential for disease recurrence.
  • The findings suggest that ctDNA can indicate tumor volume and treatment effectiveness, and its clearance may indicate treatment success before traditional biomarkers, highlighting the need for targeted patient selection in future therapies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Shallow whole-genome sequencing (sWGS) can detect copy-number (CN) aberrations. In high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) sWGS identified CN signatures such as homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) to direct therapy. We applied sWGS with targeted sequencing to p53abn endometrial cancers to identify additional prognostic stratification and therapeutic opportunities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Optimal management of patients with stage IA p53abn endometrial cancer without myoinvasion, classified as intermediate risk in the 2020 European Society of Gynaecological Oncology, European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, and European Society of Pathology (ESGO-ESTRO-ESP) guidelines, and the 2022 European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) guidelines, is currently unclear. Practice varies from surgery alone to adjuvant radiation±chemotherapy. Our aim was to assess the risk of disease recurrence in patients with stage IA p53abn endometrial cancer without myoinvasion compared with stage IA with myoinvasion (<50%).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The World Health Organization's 2021 classification introduces new molecular grading criteria for anaplastic meningiomas, finding that certain mutations and deletions are associated with worse outcomes.
  • A study was conducted analyzing clinical data from grade 3 meningiomas resected between 2007 and 2020 to see how these molecular factors impact patient survival and to assess the predictive value of p16 and MTAP immunohistochemistry.
  • Results indicated that meningiomas with specific mutations and homozygous deletions had significantly lower survival rates compared to others, while loss of p16 and MTAP showed high accuracy in predicting prognosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A growing spotlight on insect welfare as research subjects, fodder for vertebrate animals, and patients for veterinarians highlights the need to establish humane euthanasia methods for these species. An insect of increasing commercial importance is the king worm (Zophobas morio), a type of darkling beetle larvae. The initial objective of this study was to determine if prolonged exposure to isoflurane would lengthen anesthetic recovery and lead to euthanasia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The majority of melanocytic proliferations can be readily categorized as benign or malignant based on histologic assessment under the microscope by a trained dermatopathologist. However, a subset of lesions, termed Atypical Melanocytic Proliferations (AMPs), are histologically ambiguous, leading to possible diagnostic error and suboptimal treatment. Mutations in the promoter region of the catalytic subunit of telomerase, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), are commonly found in melanomas but are rare in melanocytic nevi.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) detection via liquid biopsy is an emerging alternative to tissue biopsy, but its potential in treatment response monitoring and prognosis in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is not yet well understood. Here we determined the prevalence of actionable mutations detectable in ctDNA using a clinically validated cancer gene panel assay in patients with TNBC, without recurrence at the time of study entry. Sequencing of plasma DNA and validation of variants from 130 TNBC patients collected within 7 months of primary treatment completion revealed that 7.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Two Cownose Rays Rhinoptera bonasus were presented for management of a severe capsalid monogenean infection Benedeniella posterocolpa in a mixed species habitat at an aquarium.

Methods: A series of freshwater (FW) dips were elected to mitigate parasite resistance to praziquantel due to the endemic monogenean population in the system. A pretreatment blood sample was opportunistically obtained, and subsequent samples were processed due to development of clinical signs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Lepidopterans, like certain caterpillars, are major pests that significantly impact global crop production, prompting the need for effective pest control methods.
  • The research identifies a new family of insecticidal proteins derived from ferns, which are effective against key lepidopteran pests, particularly in maize and soybean crops.
  • The structure of these fern proteins is similar to established insecticidal proteins but unique enough that they may be beneficial for managing pests that have developed resistance to traditional proteins.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aims: The significance of subclonal expression of p53 (abrupt transition from wild-type to mutant-pattern staining) is not well understood, and the arbitrary diagnostic cut-off of 10% between NSMP and p53abn molecular subtypes of endometrial carcinoma (EC) has not been critically assessed. Our aim was to characterise subclonal p53 and discrepant p53 expression/TP53 sequencing results in EC and assess their clinical significance.

Methods And Results: Subclonal p53 immuostaining on whole sections from 957 ECs was recorded.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The broad adoption of transgenic crops has revolutionized agriculture. However, resistance to insecticidal proteins by agricultural pests poses a continuous challenge to maintaining crop productivity and new proteins are urgently needed to replace those utilized for existing transgenic traits. We identified an insecticidal membrane attack complex/perforin (MACPF) protein, Mpf2Ba1, with strong activity against the devastating coleopteran pest western corn rootworm (WCR) and a novel site of action.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Tobacco smoking rates in high-income countries are greater in rural, regional, and remote (RRR) areas compared to cities. Yet, there is limited knowledge about interventions targeted to RRR smokers. This review describes the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions for RRR smokers in supporting smoking abstinence.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Despite recommendations for integrating molecular classification of endometrial cancers (EC) into pathology reporting and clinical management, uptake is inconsistent. To assign ProMisE subtype, all molecular components must be available (POLE mutation status, mismatch repair (MMR) and p53 immunohistochemistry (IHC)) and often these are assessed at different stages of care and/or at different centres resulting in delays in treatment. We assessed a single-test DNA-based targeted next generation sequencing (NGS) molecular classifier (ProMisE NGS), comparing concordance and prognostic value to the original ProMisE classifier.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: SMART (Self-Management and Recovery Training) Recovery is a mutual-aid program informed by cognitive behaviour therapy and motivational interviewing that provides support for a range of addictive behaviours. SMART Recovery has not been adapted to target young people with addictive behaviours despite the potential to overcome important barriers affecting youth engagement in other addiction programs. This study aimed to engage young people and SMART Recovery facilitators in qualitative interviews and focus groups to explore the potential of such a program and gain specific insights for its development.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Behaviour change counselling (BCC) is an adaptation of motivational interviewing (MI) designed to maximize the effectiveness of time-limited health behaviour change consultations. To improve intervention quality and understanding of treatment effects, it is recommended that evaluations of health behaviour change interventions incorporate existing fidelity frameworks (e.g.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF