The Conundrum of Low COVID-19 Mortality Burden in sub-Saharan Africa: Myth or Reality?

The demographic age structure of sub-Saharan Africa contributes significantly to the low morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 compared to other regions in the world.

CDX2 and Muc2 immunohistochemistry as prognostic markers in stage II colon cancer.

The treatment for colorectal cancer is largely surgical followed by adjuvant chemotherapy in high-risk cases. In patients with stage II cancer, there is no clear benefit for chemotherapy, and the current tools for assessment of risk are inadequate. A recent study identified that colorectal cancer with a gene signature similar to undifferentiated colonic stem cells was associated with a worse outcome.

A prospective phase I dose-escalation trial of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) as an alternative to cytoreductive nephrectomy for inoperable patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Background: Cytoreductive nephrectomy is thought to improve survival in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). As many patients are ineligible for major surgery, we hypothesized that SABR could be a safe alternative.

Methods: In this dose-escalation trial, inoperable mRCC patients underwent SABR targeting the entire affected kidney.

Phase II trial of capecitabine plus erlotinib versus capecitabine alone in patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Unlabelled: Aim & methods: Capecitabine monotherapy as palliation for advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) is generally well tolerated. Adding erlotinib, an EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, might improve efficacy versus capecitabine alone. 82 patients received capecitabine alone (Arm 1) or capecitabine with erlotinib (Arm 2).

Phase I study of everolimus, cetuximab and irinotecan as second-line therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Aim: To evaluate feasible doses of weekly everolimus and irinotecan given with cetuximab for previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Patients And Methods: Adults with mCRC that progressed after 5-fluorouracil or capecitabine-plus-oxaliplatin were treated using a sequential dose escalation scheme. Dosing decisions were based on the probability of experiencing a dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) during the first two 21-day treatment cycles.

Evaluation of second-line and subsequent targeted therapies in metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC) patients treated with first-line cediranib.

Introduction: Pivotal phase III trials have positioned angiogenesis inhibitors as first-line therapy for the management of most advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinomas (mRCC). Approaches to second-line therapy, however, remain more controversial with respect to drug selection and drug sequencing.

Methods: In this study we evaluated mRCC patients who were initially treated on the first-line National Cancer Institute (NCI) trial with the highly potent vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), cediranib, to determine the efficacy and tolerability of subsequent therapies.

A randomized, phase II study of the anti-insulin-like growth factor receptor type 1 (IGF-1R) monoclonal antibody robatumumab (SCH 717454) in patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Overexpression of insulin-like growth factor receptor type 1 (IGF-1R) may promote tumor development and progression in some cancer patients. Our objective was to assess tumor uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose by positron-emission tomography in patients with chemotherapy-refractory colorectal cancer treated with an anti-insulin-like growth factor receptor type 1 (anti-IGF-1R) monoclonal antibody, robatumumab. This was a randomized, open-label study with two periods (P1 and P2).

Efficacy of targeted therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma in the elderly patient population.

Introduction/background: Targeted therapy has become the mainstay of treatment for mRCC. The efficacy of this therapy in the older population is poorly understood.

Patients And Methods: Data from patients with mRCC treated with first-line anti-VEGF therapy were collected through the International mRCC Database Consortium from 12 centers.

A population-based overview of sequences of targeted therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Background: Several TTs are available to treat mRCC; however, the optimal sequence of therapy remains unknown.

Patients And Methods: Consecutive population-based samples of patients with mRCC treated with TT were collected from 12 cancer centers via the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium. Patient characteristics, first-line and second-line progression-free survival rates and overall survival data were collected based on sequencing of TT.

The impact of low serum sodium on treatment outcome of targeted therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: results from the International Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer Database Consortium.

Background: Hyponatremia has been associated with poor survival in many solid tumors and more recently found to be of prognostic and predictive value in metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC) patients treated with immunotherapy.

Objective: To investigate the influence of baseline hyponatremia in mRCC patients treated with targeted therapy in the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Data on 1661 patients treated with first-line vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) targeted therapy for mRCC were available from 18 cancer centers to study the impact of hyponatremia (serum sodium level <135 mmol/l) on clinical outcomes.

Impact of bone and liver metastases on patients with renal cell carcinoma treated with targeted therapy.

Background: The skeleton and liver are frequently involved sites of metastasis in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Objective: To analyze outcomes based on the presence of bone metastases (BMs) and/or liver metastases (LMs) in patients with RCC treated with targeted therapy.

Design, Setting, And Participants: We conducted a review from the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) of 2027 patients with metastatic RCC.

Survival outcome and treatment response of patients with late relapse from renal cell carcinoma in the era of targeted therapy.

Background: A subset of primarily localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients will experience disease recurrence ≥5 yr after initial nephrectomy.

Objective: To characterize the clinical outcome of patients with late recurrence beyond 5 yr.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Patients with metastatic RCC (mRCC) treated with targeted therapy were retrospectively characterized according to time to relapse.

Metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma treated with targeted therapy agents: characterization of survival outcome and application of the International mRCC Database Consortium criteria.

Background: This study aimed to apply the International mRCC Database Consortium (IMDC) prognostic model in metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC). In addition, the survival outcome of metastatic nccRCC patients was characterized.

Methods: Data on 2215 patients (1963 with clear-cell RCC [ccRCC] and 252 with nccRCC) treated with first-line VEGF- and mTOR-targeted therapies were collected from the IMDC.

Prognostic factors of survival for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma with brain metastases treated with targeted therapy: results from the international metastatic renal cell carcinoma database consortium.

Background: The outcomes and prognosis of patients with brain metastases from advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are not well characterized in the targeted-therapy era.

Methods: Data from patients with metastatic RCC (mRCC) and brain metastases treated with targeted therapy were collected through the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium from 7 cancer centers.

Results: Overall, 106 (15%) of 705 patients with mRCC had brain metastases.

External validation and comparison with other models of the International Metastatic Renal-Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium prognostic model: a population-based study.

Background: The International Metastatic Renal-Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium model offers prognostic information for patients with metastatic renal-cell carcinoma. We tested the accuracy of the model in an external population and compared it with other prognostic models.

Methods: We included patients with metastatic renal-cell carcinoma who were treated with first-line VEGF-targeted treatment at 13 international cancer centres and who were registered in the Consortium's database but had not contributed to the initial development of the Consortium Database model.

The association of clinical outcome to first-line VEGF-targeted therapy with clinical outcome to second-line VEGF-targeted therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients.

There are many active drugs to treat metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients who progress through their first-line vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor. Many clinicians choose a second-line VEGF inhibitor based on the type of response to first-line VEGF inhibitor, without data supporting this practice. This study was conducted to determine the association of response to second-line VEGF inhibitor with response to first-line VEGF inhibitor.

Phase II clinical and pharmacokinetic study of aflibercept in patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer.

Purpose: Aflibercept is a recombinant fusion protein of the VEGF receptor (VEGFR) 1 and VEGFR2 extracellular domains. We assessed the safety and efficacy of aflibercept in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC) who had received at least one prior palliative regimen.

Experimental Design: Seventy-five patients were enrolled onto this two-stage phase II trial in two cohorts, bevacizumab naïve (n = 24) and prior bevacizumab (n = 51).

Conditional survival of patients with metastatic renal-cell carcinoma treated with VEGF-targeted therapy: a population-based study.

Background: The advent of targeted therapies in the past 7 years has extended median survival for metastatic renal-cell carcinoma. This improvement in clinical outcome has created a need for new, more accurate prognostic measures. We assessed the use of conditional survival--a measure that accounts for elapsed time since treatment initiation--for prognostication in patients with metastatic renal-cell carcinoma treated with first-line VEGF-targeted therapies.

Y-chromosome analysis reveals genetic divergence and new founding native lineages in Athapaskan- and Eskimoan-speaking populations.

For decades, the peopling of the Americas has been explored through the analysis of uniparentally inherited genetic systems in Native American populations and the comparison of these genetic data with current linguistic groupings. In northern North America, two language families predominate: Eskimo-Aleut and Na-Dene. Although the genetic evidence from nuclear and mtDNA loci suggest that speakers of these language families share a distinct biological origin, this model has not been examined using data from paternally inherited Y chromosomes.

A phase I study of temsirolimus and metformin in advanced solid tumours.

The purpose of this phase I trial was to establish the maximum tolerated dose and define the dose-limiting toxicities of a combination of temsirolimus and metformin. Patients with advanced solid tumours who had exhausted standard treatment options were eligible. Treatment included weekly intravenous temsirolimus and daily oral metformin.

Prednisone plus cabazitaxel or mitoxantrone for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer progressing after docetaxel treatment: a randomised open-label trial.

Background: Cabazitaxel is a novel tubulin-binding taxane drug with antitumour activity in docetaxel-resistant cancers. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of cabazitaxel plus prednisone with those of mitoxantrone plus prednisone in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with progressive disease after docetaxel-based treatment.

Methods: We undertook an open-label randomised phase 3 trial in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who had received previous hormone therapy, but whose disease had progressed during or after treatment with a docetaxel-containing regimen.

Nest site ecology of the Cross River gorilla at the Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary, Cameroon, with special reference to anthropogenic influence.

The Cross River gorilla is the most endangered of all Great Apes. It is currently found in 14 apparently geographically separate and increasingly isolated populations, which face severe threats from habitat loss and the bushmeat trade. Recent years have seen greater efforts to conserve the Cross River gorilla across the landscape, but details of the ecology of individual populations that might help in conservation initiatives are lacking.