Publications by authors named "Pascal Jonker"

Purpose: Multifocal disease in PTC is associated with an increased recurrence rate. Multifocal disease (MD) is underdiagnosed with the current gold standard of pre-operative ultrasound staging. Here, we evaluate the use of EMI-137 targeted molecular fluorescence-guided imaging (MFGI) and spectroscopy as a tool for the intra-operative detection of uni- and multifocal papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) aiming to improve disease staging and treatment selection.

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Purpose: Patients undergoing prophylactic central compartment dissection (PCLND) for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) are often overtreated. This study aimed to determine if molecular fluorescence-guided imaging (MFGI) and spectroscopy can be useful for detecting PTC nodal metastases (NM) and to identify negative central compartments intraoperatively.

Methods: We used a data-driven prioritization strategy based on transcriptomic profiles of 97 primary PTCs and 80 normal thyroid tissues (NTT) to identify tumor-specific antigens for a clinically available near-infrared fluorescent tracer.

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Background: Patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) have poor overall survival, and the optimal management approach remains unclear. The aim of this study is to evaluate our experience with multimodality (MMT) versus limited treatment (LT) for ATC.

Patients And Methods: A cohort study of patients with ATC managed in a tertiary referral center was undertaken.

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Background: A direct comparison of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 positive patients with a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 negative control group undergoing an operative intervention during the current pandemic is lacking, and a reliable estimate of the assumed difference in morbidity and mortality between both patient categories remains unknown.

Methods: We included all consecutive patients with a confirmed pre- or postoperative severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 positive status (operated in 27 hospitals) and negative control patients (operated in 4 hospitals) undergoing emergency or elective operations. A propensity score-matched comparison of clinical outcomes was performed between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 positive and negative tested patients (control group).

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Tumor-positive resection margins are present in up to 23% of head and neck cancer (HNC) surgeries, as intraoperative techniques for evaluation of the resection margins are lacking. In this study, we investigated the safety and potential clinical value of fluorescence-guided imaging (FGI) for resection margin evaluation in HNC patients. We determined the optimal cetuximab-800CW dose by quantification of intrinsic fluorescence values using multi-diameter single-fiber reflectance, single-fiber fluorescence (MDSFR/SFF) spectroscopy.

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Article Synopsis
  • Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma is a type of thyroid cancer that can often be watched closely instead of treated right away with surgery, which can lower complications and costs.
  • This study looked at 349 patients to compare surgery complications, how often the cancer comes back, survival rates, and costs of both surgery and active monitoring.
  • Results showed that surgery costs a lot more ($10,226) than just watching the cancer ($756 a year), but for younger patients who need long-term monitoring, surgery might be more beneficial in the long run.
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Background: Postoperative follow-up of papillary thyroid cancer includes serial serum thyroglobulin levels. This study aimed to determine whether stimulated thyroglobulin levels measured in the early postoperative period can accurately quantify the risk of recurrence in papillary thyroid cancer.

Methods: We undertook a cohort study of patients who underwent total thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid cancer ≥10 mm in the period 2000 to 2016 with complete biochemical data.

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Background: Currently, anaplastic thyroid carcinoma has a very poor prognosis and there is an unmet need for new therapeutic options. Therefore, this study aims to identify upregulated genes in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma with known drug interactions that could serve as new therapeutic targets.

Methods: Publicly available microarray expression profiles of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and normal thyroid tissue were collected.

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Object: Accurate placement of the leads is crucial in deep brain stimulation (DBS). To optimize the surgical positioning of the lead, a combination of anatomical targeting on MRI, electrophysiological mapping, and clinical testing is applied during the procedure. Electrophysiological mapping is usually done with microelectrode recording (MER), but the relatively undocumented semimicroelectrode recording (SMER) is a competing alternative.

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