Sonographic Measurements of Rectus Femoris Muscle Thickness Strongly Predict Neutropenia in Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy.

The objective of this study was to explore the possible association between low skeletal muscle mass (SMM)-assessed by computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US)-and hematologic toxicity in cancer patients. A prospective cohort study was conducted in cancer patients who received anthracycline-based chemotherapy between 2018 and 2020 and who had baseline abdominal CT including L3 level for measuring SMM. Regional muscle measurements were carried out using US.

Prognosis of Liposarcoma Patients in Modern ERA: Single-Center Experience.

 Liposarcomas are relatively rare tumors. Prognostic and predictive factors and treatment options are limited. We herein presented our 10-year experience with liposarcomas.

Prognostic and predictive value of tumoral DNA damage repair protein expression in patients with resected pancreatic cancer.

Objective: DNA damage repair (DDR) gene mutations gained interest in the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer (PC) patients, but their relevance in adjuvant setting is not well characterized. We assessed the prognostic and predictive potential of tumoral expression of DDR proteins along with clinical and tumor characteristics in patients with resected PC.

Patients And Methods: Patients with PC who underwent pancreatic resection in our institution between 2005 and 2017 were retrospectively retrieved.

The use of fulvestrant before chemotherapy improves survival in hormone-positive breast cancer: a real-life study.

Background: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of fulvestrant and its affecting clinical factors, including the optimal sequencing of fulvestrant and chemotherapy in a real-life cohort.

Methods: The data of 256 metastatic hormone-positive breast cancer patients treated with fulvestrant were evaluated. The association of clinical factors with survival was analyzed with Kaplan-Meier and Cox-regression analyses.

Blood Based Biomarkers as Predictive Factors for Hyperprogressive Disease.

Purpose: With the widespread use of immunotherapy agents, we encounter treatment responses such as hyperprogression disease (HPD) that we have not seen with previous standard chemotherapy and targeted therapies. It is known that survival in patients with HPD is shorter than in patients without HPD. Therefore, it is important to know the factors that will predict HPD.

The Association between Early Changes in Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio and Survival in Patients Treated with Immunotherapy.

Dynamic changes in the blood-based biomarkers could be used as a prognostic biomarker in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), although the data are limited. We evaluated the association between the neutrophil−lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and early NLR changes with survival in ICI-treated patients. We retrospectively evaluated the data of 231 patients with advanced-stage cancer.

Splenic Gaucheroma Leading to Incidental Diagnosis of Gaucher Disease in a 46-Year-Old Man with a Rare GBA Mutation: A Case Report.

Background: Gaucher disease is a common lysosomal storage disease caused by the deficiency of the β-glucosidase enzyme, leading to sphingolipid accumulation in the reticuloendothelial system in Gaucher cells. Clinical findings are quite variable and some patients may remain asymptomatic lifelong. However, even when patients have mild symptoms, there is a significant increase in their quality of life with enzyme replacement therapy.

Everolimus and/or Nivolumab-Associated Cytomegalovirus Colitis in a Patient with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Everolimus-associated cytomegalovirus colitis is very rare in cancer patients. We present a case of cytomegalovirus colitis that occurred on using everolimus in a 64-year-old male with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who received pazopanib, nivolumab, and everolimus treatments, respectively. Although an increasing number of nivolumab-related cytomegalovirus colitis cases are reported recently, its mechanism of development is still unknown.

The association between albumin-globulin ratio (AGR) and survival in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Background: The albumin-globulin ratio (AGR) could be a prognostic biomarker in patients with cancer, although the data is limited in patients treated with immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the association between AGR and survival in ICI-treated patients.

Methods: The data of 212 advanced-stage patients were retrospectively evaluated in this cohort study.

Correlation Between THSD7A Expression and Tumor Characteristics of Azoxymethane-Induced Colon Cancer Model in Rats.

Background: Thrombospondin type 1 domain-containing 7A (THSD7A) has emerged as a new potential molecular tool for multiple tumors since that THSD7A was detected to be expressed in various malignant tumor types including colorectal cancer (CRC). Thus, we investigated the correlation between THSD7A expression and pathologic determinants of azoxymethane (AOM)-induced CRC in a rat model.

Methods: A total of 30 rats were included in the study (experimental group; n = 15, control group; n = 15).

Newly diagnosed cancer and the COVID-19 pandemic: tumour stage migration and higher early mortality.

Background: We compared the new outpatient clinic referrals during the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic with the year before.

Methods: We compared baseline characteristics of the 2208 new referrals in 2020 (n=922) and 2019 (n=1286) with Χ and Mann-Whitney U tests and calculated ORs with binary logistic regression. To evaluate the expected changes in the cancer survival secondary to stage migration, we used the 5-year survival data of Survival, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program 2010-2016.

Lesson learned from the pandemic: Isolation and hygiene measures for COVID-19 could reduce the nosocomial infection rates in oncology wards.

Introduction: It was previously demonstrated that seasonal influenza incidence was significantly decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, possibly due to respiratory and hygiene precautions. From this point, we hypothesized that the COVID-19 precautions could lead to a decrease in nosocomial infection rates in oncology inpatient wards.

Methods: We evaluated the nosocomial infection rates in an inpatient palliative oncology ward in the first 3 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in our country and compared this rate with the same time frame of the previous year in our institution.

THSD7A expression: a novel immunohistochemical determinant in predicting overall survival of metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with targeted therapy.

Background: The association of thrombospondin type 1 domain-containing 7A (THSD7A) expression, a novel angiogenesis-related marker, with survival outcomes of tumors including renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains to be clarified. Therefore, we investigated the impact of THSD7A on outcomes of metastatic RCC (mRCC) patients treated with targeted therapy.

Methods: A total of 86 mRCC patients were included.

Lower prognostic nutritional index is associated with poorer survival in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Blood-based biomarkers like prognostic nutritional index (PNI) are readily available biomarkers for immunotherapy efficacy, although the data are limited. So, we aimed to evaluate the association between PNI and overall survival (OS) in immunotherapy-treated patients. For this retrospective cohort study, data of 150 immunotherapy-treated advanced cancer patients were evaluated.

The burden of polypharmacy and drug-drug interactions in older cancer patients treated with immunotherapy.

Introduction: Polypharmacy is a common problem in older cancer patients, although the data about polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate prescription practices is limited in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the polypharmacy frequency and drug-drug interactions in older cancer patients (≥65 years) treated with ICIs.

Methods: A total of 70 geriatric patients with advanced cancer were included.

Impact of albumin to globulin ratio on survival outcomes of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Objective: The albumin to globulin ratio (AGR) has been demonstrated to be associated with survival outcomes in various tumor types. However, the prognostic value of AGR in patients with metastatic renal carcinoma (mRCC) remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of AGR values in predicting overall survival (OS) of patients with mRCC treated with targeted therapy.

Poorer baseline performance status is associated with increased thromboembolism risk in metastatic cancer patients treated with immunotherapy.

Purpose: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. However, the association of VTE with immunotherapy remains poorly defined. We therefore evaluated the frequency of VTE in patients receiving immunotherapy and tried to determine predisposing factors.

The Predictive Value of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width for Survival Outcomes of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients Treated with Targeted Therapy.

Background: We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of red cell distribution width (RDW) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients treated with targeted therapy, including sunitinib and pazopanib.

Methods: A total of 104 mRCC patients were included. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), and the long-rank test was used for comparison.

Evaluation of early unplanned readmissions and predisposing factors in an oncology clinic.

Background: Unplanned readmission in the first 30 days after discharge is an important medical problem, although the data on cancer patients is limited. So we planned to evaluate the rates and causes of early readmissions and the predisposing factors.

Methods: Patients hospitalized in Hacettepe University Oncology services between August 2018 and July 2019 were included.

The platelet to lymphocyte ratio predicts overall survival better than the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Background/aim: The prognostic values of systemic inflammatory markers, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) on overall survival (OS) of metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients (mRCC) treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) remain unclear. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of these markers on OS of mRCC patients.

Materials And Methods: A total of 150 patients receiving TKIs were retrospectively analyzed.

Perspectives, Knowledge, and Fears of Cancer Patients About COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is expected to significantly affect cancer patients due to adverse outcomes with COVID-19 and disruptions in cancer care. Another important point is the stress and anxiety burden of COVID-19, which could affect quality of life. Patient education is vital due to the vulnerability of the topic to disinformation.

Evaluation of emergency departments visits in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Background: The emergency department (ED) is a crucial encounter point in cancer care. Yet, data on the causes of ED visits are limited in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Therefore, we evaluated ED visits in patients treated with ICIs in attempt to determine the predisposing factors.

Lycopene sensitizes the cervical cancer cells to cisplatin via targeting nuclear factor- kappa B (NF-κB) pathway.

Background/aim: Lycopene is associated with anticancer effects in various tumor types. However, the exact underlying mechanisms of action of lycopene in human cervical cancer remain to be determined. This study aimed to determine anticancer efficacy and mechanism of lycopene in human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cells.