Clonal Hematopoiesis Associates with Prevalent and Incident Cardiometabolic Disease in High-Risk Individuals.

Background: Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is the age-related presence of expanded somatic clones secondary to leukemogenic driver mutations and is associated with cardiovascular (CV) disease and mortality. We sought to evaluate relationships between CHIP with cardiometabolic diseases and incident outcomes in high-risk individuals.

Methods: CHIP genotyping was performed in 8469 individuals referred for cardiac catheterization at Duke University (CATHGEN study) to identify variants present at a variant allele fraction (VAF) ≥2%.

The impact of common and rare genetic variants on bradyarrhythmia development.

To broaden our understanding of bradyarrhythmias and conduction disease, we performed common variant genome-wide association analyses in up to 1.3 million individuals and rare variant burden testing in 460,000 individuals for sinus node dysfunction (SND), distal conduction disease (DCD) and pacemaker (PM) implantation. We identified 13, 31 and 21 common variant loci for SND, DCD and PM, respectively.

Association between EPCAM upregulation and clinicopathological parameters and outcomes of breast cancer.

Introduction: EpCAM (epithelial cell adhesion molecule) protein expression was detected in 45 to 90% of breast cancers in different studies, and high expression levels were associated with poor outcomes in several retrospective analyses. This study aims to investigate the relationship between EpCAM and clinicopathological parameters and survival in breast cancer.

Methodology: This study was conducted as a Quasi-Experimental Cohort Study to explore 100 breast cancer patients.

Unveiling Recurrence Patterns: Analyzing Predictive Risk Factors for Breast Cancer Recurrence after Surgery.

Objectives: Breast cancer (BC) stands as the second-leading cause of female-specific cancer-related fatalities globally, necessitating comprehensive research to address its critical aspects. This study aimed to explore the time intervals between surgery and disease recurrence in BC patients and their survival utilizing various parametric and semi-parametric models.

Methods: After the examination of data collected from 2010 to 2021 at a BC Center in Tehran, Iran, 171 cases met the criteria for analysis out of 2246 datasets.

Ethical Considerations and Equipoise in Cancer Surgery.

The changing landscape of cancer surgery requires ongoing consideration of ethical issues to ensure patient-centered care and fair access to treatments. With technological advancements and the global expansion of surgical interventions, healthcare professionals must navigate complex ethical dilemmas related to patient autonomy, informed consent, and the impact of new technologies on the physician-patient relationship. Additionally, ethical principles and decision-making in oncology, especially in the context of genetic predisposition to breast cancer, highlight the importance of integrating patient knowledge, preferences, and alignment between goals and treatments.