Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis: Short- and Long-Term Management.

Alcohol-associated hepatitis, considered a severe form of alcohol-associated liver disease, carries with it multiple negative health outcomes ranging not only to increased hospitalizations but also increased rates of mortality. While the inpatient management remains critical in optimizing clinical outcomes, a shift in focus to the outpatient management of alcohol-associated hepatitis is warranted as a long-term solution to this emerging health pandemic. Here, we review the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and current prognostication scoring systems for alcohol-associated hepatitis.

Impact of phosphatidylethanol in the surveillance for alcohol use in post-liver transplant population: A retrospective study.

Background: Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is the leading indication for liver transplantation in the United States. The aim of this study was to describe the impact of phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in the surveillance for alcohol use after liver transplantation.

Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective study to assess the impact of phosphatidylethanol (PEth) for the surveillance of alcohol use and its correlation to health outcomes.

Role of Biomarkers to Assess the Use of Alcohol.

Alcohol-associated liver disease has seen a significant rise in the last 2 decades, with an associated rise in the need for accurate alcohol use assessment. Alcohol use has been associated with poor outcomes in both the pre-liver transplant and post-liver transplant patients. Patients with alcohol use disorder often under-report their alcohol consumption because of varying factors, highlighting the need for objective assessment of alcohol use.

Pembrolizumab in combination with tocilizumab in high-risk hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (COPERNICO): A randomized proof-of-concept phase II study.

Objectives: Severe COVID-19 is associated with immune dysregulation and hyperinflammation (lymphocyte exhaustion and elevated interleukin 6. Pembrolizumab (P; immune-activating anti-programmed cell death-1 antibody) plus tocilizumab (TCZ; anti- interleukin 6 receptor antibody) might interrupt the hyperinflammation and restore cellular immunocompetence. We assessed the efficacy and safety of P + TCZ + standard of care (SOC) in high-risk, hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia without mechanical ventilation.

The Role of the TP53 Pathway in Predicting Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: In patients with locally advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma, response to neoadjuvant therapy strongly predicts survival, but robust molecular predictors of response have been lacking. We therefore sought to discover meaningful predictors of response in these patients.

Experimental Design: We retrospectively identified all patients with adenocarcinoma of the lower esophagus or gastroesophageal junction who (i) were treated with multimodality therapy with curative intent at our institution from 2014 through 2020 and (ii) underwent prospective sequencing by Memorial Sloan Kettering-Integrated Mutation Profiling of Actionable Cancer Targets.

Next-Generation Sequencing of 487 Esophageal Adenocarcinomas Reveals Independently Prognostic Genomic Driver Alterations and Pathways.

Purpose: To delineate recurrent oncogenic driver alterations and dysregulated pathways in esophageal adenocarcinoma and to assess their prognostic value.

Experimental Design: We analyzed a large cohort of patients with lower esophageal and junctional adenocarcinoma, prospectively sequenced by MSK-IMPACT with high-quality clinical annotation. Patients were subdivided according to treatment intent, curative versus palliative, which closely mirrored clinical staging.

Defining low-risk lesions in early-stage esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Objective: As endoscopic approaches become more widely used to treat early-stage esophageal cancer, reliably identifying patients with less-aggressive tumors is paramount. We sought to identify risk factors for recurrence in patients with completely resected T1 esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a single-institutional database for all patients with completely resected pathologic T1 esophageal adenocarcinoma (1996-2016).

Survival After Trimodality Therapy in Patients With Locally Advanced Esophagogastric Adenocarcinoma: Does Only a Complete Pathologic Response Matter?

Objective: To evaluate whether pCR exclusively defines major pathologic response to treatment with improved survival.

Summary Background Data: pCR after trimodality therapy for EAC is infrequent but associated with improved prognosis. Yet most clinical trials and correlative studies designate pCR as the primary endpoint.