Analysis of pancreatic cancer treatment and survival disparities in Florida throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

Introduction: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is currently the third-leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. African Americans (AAs) with PDAC have worse survival in comparison to other racial groups. The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant stress to the healthcare system.

Complete clinical remission of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma with systemic pemetrexed and bevacizumab in a patient with a BAP1 mutation.

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPeM) is a rare malignancy with historically poor prognosis. Recent research has started to reveal increasingly prevalent genetic mutations seen in this malignancy. Here, we report a case of complete clinical remission of unresectable, metastatic MPeM with systemic chemotherapy.

Prognosis and Treatment Outcomes of Bone Metastasis in Gallbladder Adenocarcinoma: A SEER-Based Study.

Background: Gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is a rare, aggressive malignancy comprising 0.5% of gastrointestinal cancers. It has poor survival outcomes due to its insidious onset, lack of standardized screening, and limited therapies.

Unraveling Racial Disparities in Supportive Care Medication Use among End-of-Life Pancreatic Cancer Patients: Focus on Pain Management and Psychiatric Therapies.

Background: Supportive care medication use differences may contribute to racial disparities observed in health-related quality of life in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Methods: In this observation study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked database, we sought to examine supportive care medication use disparities in patients with pancreatic cancer from 2005 to 2017 by race and ethnicity.

Results: Among 74,309 patients included in the final analysis, racial and ethnic disparities in the use of supportive care medications were identified.

A phase II study of neoadjuvant liposomal irinotecan with 5-FU and oxaliplatin (NALIRIFOX) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

For patients with localized pancreatic cancer with minimal vascular involvement, optimal survivability requires a multidisciplinary approach of surgical resection and systemic chemotherapy. FOLFIRINOX is a combination chemotherapy regimen that offers promising results in the perioperative and metastatic settings; however, it can cause significant adverse effects. Such toxicity can negatively impact some patients, resulting in chemotherapy discontinuation or surgical unsuitability.

Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE) Health Equity Center: Structure, Innovations, and Initial Outcomes.

Introduction: The Florida-California Cancer Research, Education, and Engagement (CaRE) Health Equity Center is a triad partnership committed to increasing institutional capacity for cancer disparity research, the diversity of the cancer workforce, and community empowerment. This article provides an overview of the structure, process innovations, and initial outcomes from the first 4 years of the CaRE triad partnership.

Methods: CaRE serves diverse populations in Florida and California using a "molecule to the community and back" model.

Effects of Clinical and Tumor Characteristics on Survival in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Bone Metastasis.

Background: Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) generally has a dismal prognosis. Bone metastases from HCC are infrequent, with a poorer prognosis. However, the survival influencing factors are not yet well understood.

Review of genetic and pharmacogenetic differences in cytotoxic and targeted therapies for pancreatic cancer in African Americans.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is currently the third leading cause of cancer mortality and the incidence is projected to increase by 2030. Despite recent advances in its treatment, African Americans have a 50-60% higher incidence and 30% higher mortality rate when compared to European Americans possibly resulting from differences in socioeconomic status, access to healthcare, and genetics. Genetics plays a role in cancer predisposition, response to cancer therapeutics (pharmacogenetics), and in tumor behavior, making some genes targets for oncologic therapeutics.

Chemotherapy is associated with improved survival in a national cohort of stage IV pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma.

Background: Pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma (PASC) is a rare cancer that often presents with advanced disease and carries a grim prognosis. PASC is defined by the presence of at least 30% malignant squamous cells in the presence of malignant ductal adenocarcinoma. The utility of chemotherapy in the setting of metastatic disease is unknown.

Atezolizumab plus tivozanib for immunologically cold tumor types: the IMMCO-1 trial.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy represents a significant advance in cancer care. The interaction between PD-1 and PD-L1 induces immune tolerance and the inhibition of this interaction is an effective treatment strategy for numerous malignancies. Despite its demonstrated potential, immunotherapy is not clinically effective in immunogenically 'cold' tumors such as pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors.

Discontinuation of Everolimus Due to Related and Unrelated Adverse Events in Cancer Patients: A Meta-Analysis.

A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed to examine the risk of everolimus discontinuation due to related and unrelated adverse events (AE) in cancer patients. Fifteen RCTs were analyzed that compared everolimus to placebo and reported discontinuation due to AE with everolimus (related and unrelated to everolimus) and placebo (unrelated to everolimus). Incidence of discontinuation with everolimus due to AE and placebo was 12.

The First Case of HER2+ Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Arising From a Breast Hamartoma and Literature Review.

Carcinomas arising from breast hamartomas are exceedingly rare. We present the first reported case of an African-American female presenting with a right breast lump and a subsequent mammogram suggestive of a hamartoma. She later underwent lumpectomy and was found to have HER2+ invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) arising from a hamartoma.