Circulating Tumor DNA Assay Detects Merkel Cell Carcinoma Recurrence, Disease Progression, and Minimal Residual Disease: Surveillance and Prognostic Implications.

Purpose: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin cancer with a 40% recurrence rate, lacking effective prognostic biomarkers and surveillance methods. This prospective, multicenter, observational study aimed to evaluate circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a biomarker for detecting MCC recurrence.

Methods: Plasma samples, clinical data, and imaging results were collected from 319 patients.

A case report of recurrent primary posterior mediastinal perivascular epithelioid cell tumour compressing the right inferior pulmonary vein, atria, and inferior vena cava.

Background: Perivascular epithelioid cell tumours (PEComas) are rare soft tissue neoplasms that commonly occur in the uterus, skin, and liver and less commonly in the retroperitoneum, colon, and mediastinum.

Case Summary: A 36-year-old male patient with a history of mediastinal PEComa status post resection, essential hypertension, and atrial fibrillation status post appendage ligation currently not on anticoagulation presented with a 1-week history of fevers, chills, productive cough, chest pain, dyspnoea on exertion, loss of appetite, and general weakness. Vital signs, physical exam, laboratory data, electrocardiogram, and chest radiograph were grossly unremarkable.

Impact of acute consumption of beverages containing plant-based or alternative sweetener blends on postprandial appetite, food intake, metabolism, and gastro-intestinal symptoms: Results of the SWEET beverages trial.

Project SWEET examined the barriers and facilitators to the use of non-nutritive sweeteners and sweetness enhancers (hereafter "S&SE") alongside potential risks/benefits for health and sustainability. The Beverages trial was a double-blind multi-centre, randomised crossover trial within SWEET evaluating the acute impact of three S&SE blends (plant-based and alternatives) vs. a sucrose control on glycaemic response, food intake, appetite sensations and safety after a carbohydrate-rich breakfast meal.

Supply-Side Versus Demand-Side Unmet Need: Implications for Family Planning Programs.

Despite its central importance to global family planning, the "unmet need for contraception" metric is frequently misinterpreted. Often conflated with a lack of access, misinterpretation of what unmet need means and how it is measured has important implications for family planning programs. We review previous examinations of unmet need, with a focus on the roles of access and demand for contraception, as well as the role of population control in shaping the indicator's priorities.

Health Care Utilization and Costs in Systemic Therapies for Metastatic Melanoma from 2016 to 2020.

Background: Widespread implementation of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and targeted therapies for metastatic melanoma has led to a decline in melanoma-related mortality but increased healthcare costs. We aimed to determine how healthcare utilization varied by systemic, non-adjuvant melanoma treatment from 2016 to 2020.

Patients And Methods: Adults with presumed stage IV metastatic melanoma receiving systemic therapy from 2016 to 2020 were identified in Optum, a nationwide commercial claims database.

Perceived weight-related stigma, loneliness, and mental wellbeing during COVID-19 in people with obesity: A cross-sectional study from ten European countries.

Background: Increased weight-related stigma during the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the need to minimise the impacts on mental wellbeing. We investigated the relationship between the perceived changes in the representation of obesity in the media and mental wellbeing during the pandemic in a sample of people with obesity across 10 European countries. We also investigated the potential moderating effect of loneliness.

Pigmented PRRX1::NCOA1-rearranged fibroblastic tumor: A rare morphologic variant of an emerging mesenchymal tumor.

PRRX::NCOAx-rearranged fibroblastic tumor is a recently described, morphologically distinctive subcutaneous fibroblastic tumor with benign behavior. To date, 12 cases have been reported. Here, we report a new case of PRRX::NCOAx-rearranged fibroblastic tumor showing a prominent pigmented component.

SATB2 Expression in Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcomas of Bone.

Objectives: SATB2 is a transcriptional regulator that plays an important role in osteoblastic differentiation. We examined the prevalence and potential significance of SATB2 expression in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) of bone.

Methods: We examined 38 cases of bone UPS without osteoid.

Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma with minimal or small dedifferentiated component.

Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma (DDCS) is an aggressive bone sarcoma characterized by low-intermediate grade cartilage component with abrupt transition to a high-grade non-chondrosarcomatous component. Generally, the dedifferentiated (DD) component is large. However, rare cases have minimal (<1 cm) or small (1-2 cm) areas of DD.

Expression of TRPS1 in phyllodes tumor and sarcoma of the breast.

When a sarcomatous neoplasm is identified in the breast, distinguishing metaplastic carcinoma, malignant phyllodes tumor (MPT), and primary sarcoma is a diagnostic challenge, especially on small biopsies, as all these tumors may have overlapping morphological features, thoroughly grossing with histological examination and immunohistochemical staining being the standard approach to aid in classifying these lesions. Recently, we identified a highly sensitive and specific breast carcinoma marker TRPS1 with high expression in metaplastic breast carcinoma. In the current study, we tested TRPS1 in MPTs and primary sarcoma of the breast.

Competing risks analysis of Merkel cell carcinoma with concurrent chronic lymphocytic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Background: Although hematogenous malignancy is a risk factor for poorer prognosis in Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), current guidelines make no specific recommendations for surveillance.

Objective: We aim to characterize MCC-specific mortality compared to other causes of death for patients with hematologic malignancy in MCC, which will guide workup and surveillance strategies.

Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-18 registry was queried for MCC patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).