A Rare Case of Invasive Central Nervous System Aspergillus niger in a Previously Immunocompetent Patient After Corticosteroid Treatment for COVID-19.

is a ubiquitous saprophyte found in air, soil, and organic matter. Humans inhale the spore form of the fungus, but manifestations of the disease are typically predominantly seen in immunocompromised patients. Invasive central nervous system (CNS) aspergillosis is even more uncommon, and epidemiological data is sparse, particularly in immunocompetent patients.

A Systems Biology Approach for Addressing Cisplatin Resistance in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Translational research in medicine, defined as the transfer of knowledge and discovery from the basic sciences to the clinic, is typically achieved through interactions between members across scientific disciplines to overcome the traditional silos within the community. Thus, translational medicine underscores 'Team Medicine', the partnership between basic science researchers and clinicians focused on addressing a specific goal in medicine. Here, we highlight this concept from a City of Hope perspective.

Addressing Drug Resistance in Cancer: A Team Medicine Approach.

Drug resistance remains one of the major impediments to treating cancer. Although many patients respond well initially, resistance to therapy typically ensues. Several confounding factors appear to contribute to this challenge.

Increasing clinician participation in tobacco cessation by an implementation science-based tobacco cessation champion program.

Background: We designed a process to increase tobacco cessation in an academic center and its widely distributed network community sites using clinical champions to overcome referral barriers.

Methods: In 2020 a needs assessment was performed across the City of Hope Medical Center and its 32 community treatment sites. We reviewed information science strategies to choose elements for our expanded tobacco control plan, focusing on distributed leadership with tobacco cessation champions.

Hyperprogression on immunotherapy with complete response to chemotherapy in a NSCLC patient with high PD-L1 and STK11: A case report.

Rationale: Patients reporting high PD-L1 expression have shown to respond well to immunotherapy; however, some patients develop hyperprogressive disease upon initiation of immune checkpoint inhibitors. We report a patient with lung cancer and 100% PD-L1 expression who developed hyperprogressive disease while treated with pembrolizumab and responded well to salvage chemotherapy with carboplatin and pemetrexed.

Patient Concerns: A 66-year-old African American female with 25-pack year smoking history, diabetes mellitus type 2, essential thrombocytosis, and a history of papillary thyroid carcinoma developed relapsed lung adenocarcinoma after 13 months of no evidence of disease.

Small Cell Lung Cancer from Traditional to Innovative Therapeutics: Building a Comprehensive Network to Optimize Clinical and Translational Research.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive, complex disease with a distinct biology that contributes to its poor prognosis. Management of SCLC is still widely limited to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and research recruitment still poses a considerable challenge. Here, we review the current standard of care for SCLC and advances made in utilizing immunotherapy.

The Community Oncology and Academic Medical Center Alliance in the Age of Precision Medicine: Cancer Genetics and Genomics Considerations.

Recent public policy, governmental regulatory and economic trends have motivated the establishment and deepening of community health and academic medical center alliances. Accordingly, community oncology practices now deliver a significant portion of their oncology care in association with academic cancer centers. In the age of precision medicine, this alliance has acquired critical importance; novel advances in nucleic acid sequencing, the generation and analysis of immense data sets, the changing clinical landscape of hereditary cancer predisposition and ongoing discovery of novel, targeted therapies challenge community-based oncologists to deliver molecularly-informed health care.

Cetuximab Rechallenge and Monotherapy in Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck.

Smokers with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) have a particularly poor prognosis when compared with human papillomavirus-positive SCCHN. Here, we present case reports of two smokers with SCCHN treated with cetuximab-based therapy, highlighting the potential benefit of cetuximab before definitive chemoradiotherapy in patients with poor performance status as well as cetuximab rechallenge after progression. We conclude that cetuximab demonstrated notable effectiveness in two patients at high risk for poor prognosis, yielding a durable response in one and retaining activity on rechallenge in the other.

Clinicopathological features and survival outcomes of primary signet ring cell and mucinous adenocarcinoma of colon: retrospective analysis of VACCR database.

Background: Signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) accounts for less than 1% of all colon cancers. We examined the clinicopathological features and prognosis of signet ring cell and mucinous adenocarcinoma (MCC) of colon.

Methods: A total of 206 patients diagnosed with SRCC from 1995 to 2009 were identified from the VA Central Cancer Registry (VACCR) database.

Assessment of prognostic factors after primary tumor resection in metastatic colon cancer patients: a Veteran's Affairs Central Cancer Registry (VACCR) analysis, 1995-2008.

Background: Resection of the primary tumor in metastatic colon cancer may occur for palliation of bleeding or obstruction despite distant metastases. This study evaluates clinicopathologic features that serve as prognostic markers in those patients with stage IV colon cancer who undergo resection of their primary tumor.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of stage IV colon cancer patients who underwent surgical resection of the primary tumor from 1995 to 2008 was done via the Veteran's Affairs Central Cancer Registry.

Apparent heparin resistance in a patient with infective endocarditis secondary to elevated factor VIII levels.

Heparin resistance (HR) is defined as increasing requirements of heparin to maintain a therapeutic activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). It is commonly associated with antithrombin deficiency, increased heparin clearance and elevations in heparin binding proteins. Elevated factor VIII levels can cause decrease the aPTT levels (anticoagulant effect) without disturbing heparin activity measured by anti-Xa assay (antithrombotic effect) leading to an apparent heparin resistant state rather than a true heparin resistance.

Effect of palliative care services on the aggressiveness of end-of-life care in the Veteran's Affairs cancer population.

Background: Cancer care near the end of life (EOL) has become more aggressive over the years. Palliative care services (PCS) may decrease this aggressive cancer care in terminally ill cancer patients. Our objective was to observe the aggressiveness of cancer care near the EOL among Veterans Affairs cancer patients before and after the institution of a PCS team.

Clinicopathologic factors associated with lymph node retrieval in resectable colon cancer: a Veterans' Affairs Central Cancer Registry (VACCR) database analysis.

Background: A long-term determinant of survival in resectable colon cancer is the involvement of regional lymph nodes. We evaluated the clinicopathologic factors associated with lymph node retrieval.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with resected stage I-III colon cancer in the Veteran's Affairs Central Cancer Registry between 1995 and 2008.

Spontaneous hemopericardium leading to cardiac tamponade in a patient with essential thrombocythemia.

Acute cardiac tamponade requires urgent diagnosis and treatment. Spontaneous hemopericardium leading to cardiac tamponade as an initial manifestation of essential thrombocythemia (ET) has never been reported in the literature. We report a case of a 72-year-old Caucasian female who presented with spontaneous hemopericardium and tamponade requiring emergent pericardiocentesis.

Phase II trial of thalidomide as maintenance therapy for extensive stage small cell lung cancer after response to chemotherapy.

Background: Extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive malignancy for which little therapeutic progress has been made over the past 20 years. SCLC is a highly angiogenic tumor and targeting angiogenesis is being investigated. The putative mechanism of action of thalidomide is through inhibition of new blood vessel formation.

Randomized phase II trial of different schedules of administration of rebeccamycin analogue as second line therapy in non-small cell lung cancer.

Rebeccamcyin analogue (RA) is an antitumor antibiotic that results in DNA intercalation and topoisomerase I and II inhibition. Phase I trials of the daily x 5 schedule and once every 3 week schedule have been completed. Antitumor activity was observed during the phase I trials.