Advances in Radiotherapy Immune Modulation: From Bench-to-Bedside and Back Again.

Pre-clinical and clinical data clearly demonstrate the immune modulatory effects of radiotherapy (RT) but clinical trials testing RT + immunotherapy have been equivocal. An improved understanding of the immune modulatory effects of RT and how practical parameters of RT delivery (site and number of lesions, dose, fractionation, timing) influence these effects are needed to optimally combine RT with immunotherapy. Additionally, increased exploration of immunotherapy combinations with RT, beyond immune checkpoint inhibitors, are needed.

Recurrence Status, Perineural Invasion, and Hypothyroidism Are Associated With Lymph Node Metastasis in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Lymph node metastasis is a critical prognostic indicator for mortality in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Objective: To identify and characterize key risk factors for SCC lymph node metastasis.

Methods: This was a multi-institutional, case-control study of 65 cutaneous SCCs with known lymph node metastasis matched with 195 cutaneous SCCs without lymph node metastasis (3:1 matching).

Variance of Basal Cell Carcinoma Subtype Reporting by Practice Setting.

This study compares the reporting of histologic subtype by the type of institution that performed the initial biopsy of histologically confirmed basal cell carcinomas.

Virtual Reality to Improve the Experience of the Mohs Patient-A Prospective Interventional Study.

Background: Nonmelanoma skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States with significant quality of life impact.

Objective: To assess the utility of a highly immersive virtual reality (VR) experience in the context of outpatient skin cancer surgery as a means to minimize patient-reported feelings of anxiety or pain. The authors also sought to assess the effects on patient-reported overall satisfaction.

A Retrospective Cohort Study of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma With Lymph Node Metastasis: Risk Factors and Clinical Course.

Background: The single most important prognostic indicator for mortality in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the development of nodal metastasis (NM).

Objective: To characterize the risk factors for and clinical course of cutaneous SCC with NM.

Methods: Ten-year retrospective cohort study (2006-2017) at an academic tertiary care center reviewing 53 cutaneous SCC tumors with NM.

Clinical Presentations of Melanoma in African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians.

Background: Skin cancer has traditionally been studied in Caucasian skin. Although it does occur with increased relative frequency in Caucasians, patients with skin of color suffer from elevated morbidity and mortality when diagnosed with skin cancer.

Objective: To detail the unique demographic, clinical, and genetic features of melanoma in patients with skin of color, including Hispanic, African American, and Asian patients.

In vivo selective expression of thyroid hormone receptor α1 in endothelial cells attenuates myocardial injury in experimental myocardial infarction in mice.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the single most common cause of death. New approaches to enhance myocardial perfusion are needed to improve outcomes for patients with IHD. Thyroid hormones (TH) are known to increase blood flow; however, their usefulness for increasing perfusion in IHD is limited because TH accelerates heart rate, which can be detrimental.