Predicting Survival in Mucinous Adenocarcinoma of the Appendix: Demographics, Disease Presentation, and Treatment Methodology.

Background: Mucinous adenocarcinoma of the appendix (MACA) follows a complex disease course with variable survival. Large-scale predictive modeling may determine subtle yet important prognostic factors otherwise unseen in smaller cohort analyses.

Methods: Patients with MACA were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Research Plus database (2005-2019).

Factors Associated With Early Motor Function Trajectories in DMD After Glucocorticoid Initiation: Post Hoc Analysis of the FOR-DMD Trial.

Background And Objectives: Clinical trials in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) require 3-6 months of stable glucocorticoids, and the primary outcome is explored at 48-52 weeks. The factors that influence the clinical outcome assessment (COA) trajectories soon after glucocorticoid initiation are relevant for the design and analysis of clinical trials of novel drugs. We describe early COA trajectories, associated factors, and the time from glucocorticoid initiation to COA peak.

CDH1 and hereditary diffuse gastric cancer: a narrative review.

Background And Objective: Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) is an autosomal dominant cancer syndrome that increases lifetime risk of diffuse-type gastric cancer which carries a dismal overall survival. Due to the high prevalence of cancer in patients with CDH1 variants, early screening and prophylactic total gastrectomy (PTG) are recommended. This review aims to summarize the current understanding of CDH1 and HDGC, highlighting its molecular and cellular implications as well as its clinical management and research efforts.

Desmoid-type fibromatosis in the setting of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma: a case report of two rare diseases.

Background: Desmoid-type fibromatosis (DTF) is a rare benign lesion that usually arises from the abdominal wall or extremities and rarely from the mesentery or intrabdominal organs. Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is also a rare, yet aggressive disease. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of desmoid-type fibromatosis in the setting of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma literature review: past, present, and future.

Background And Objective: Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) is an insidious neoplasm that arises from the mesothelial lining of the abdominal cavity. Historically, outcomes of MPM were dismal, as MPM is relatively resistant to cytotoxic chemotherapy. However, with advances in technology and improved understanding of tumor pathophysiology, treatments for MPM have produced encouraging 5-year survival.

Adjuvant chemotherapy is associated with improved overall survival in select patients with Stage II colon cancer: A National Cancer Database analysis.

Background And Objectives: Guidelines for Stage II colon cancer recommend adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) only for tumors with high-risk features, but long-term outcomes data are mixed. We aimed to determine if AC was associated with a survival benefit in this population.

Methods: Patients were identified from the National Cancer Database and included if they met the following criteria: diagnosis of Stage II colon cancer, surgery, survival data, and complete data on six high-risk features.

Safety, efficacy, and tolerability of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of mortality worldwide with an increasing incidence due to escalating rates of obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Unfortunately, a majority of patients with HCC present with advanced disease. The immune checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab, a PD-L1 inhibitor, in combination with bevacizumab, anti-VEGF, has become the new standard of care for patients with advanced HCC after demonstrating improved overall and progression free survival over sorafenib.

Review of Traumatic Duodenal Injuries: Etiology, Diagnosis, and Management.

Traumatic duodenal injuries are rare and often challenging to diagnose and treat. Management of these injuries remains controversial and continues to evolve. Here, we performed a review of the literature and guidelines for the diagnosis and management of traumatic duodenal injuries.

Clinical and Genetic Characteristics in Young, Glucocorticoid-Naive Boys With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Background And Objectives: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a pediatric neuromuscular disorder caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. Genotype-phenotype associations have been examined in glucocorticoid-treated boys, but there are few data on the young glucocorticoid-naive DMD population. A sample of young glucocorticoid-naive DMD boys is described, and genotype-phenotype associations are investigated.

Novel Therapies in Oncology: An Individualized Approach.

For decades, oncology treatments revolved around chemotherapeutic regimens that have been relatively nonspecific in their approach to cancer cell death. With advancements in genomics and personalized medicine, however, knowledge of the immune system has dramatically increased and methods for treating cancers have become much more individualized. With this increase in knowledge, vast arrays of novel therapies have entered the oncology realm.

A discussion of the gut microbiome's development, determinants, and dysbiosis in cancers of the esophagus and stomach.

The microbiome refers to a population of microbes that colonize the skin, nasopharynx, oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, and urogenital tract. The human microbiome consists of bacteria, archaea, fungi, viruses, and phages. Recent advances in genomic sequencing have catalyzed a deeper understanding of complex microbe-microbe and host-microbe interactions.

Assessing the immediate impact of COVID-19 on surgical oncology practice: Experience from an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Northeastern United States.

Background: The effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on surgical oncology practice are not yet quantified. The aim of this study was to measure the immediate impact of COVID-19 on surgical oncology practice volume.

Methods: A retrospective study of patients treated at an NCI-Comprehensive Cancer Center was performed.

Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Treatment and Management Updates.

Objective: To present an overview of novel therapies for the treatment of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia and to discuss nursing implications for these new therapies.

Data Sources: Published manuscripts, Web sites, and pharmaceutical package inserts.

Conclusion: Several promising therapies have emerged in the treatment of relapsed/refractory and minimal residual disease acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Chiari I malformation with underlying pseudotumor cerebri: Poor symptom relief following posterior decompression surgery.

Introduction: 
 Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) patients exhibit clear clinical signs and symptoms of higher intracranial pressure (ICP) without ventricular enlargement or mass lesions. The clinical picture of patients with PTC can sometimes be similar to that of Chiari Malformation type I (CMI). There is some evidence that Chiari I malformation and PTC may coexist, which raises the question of whether PTC is an idiopathic disease or a complication of posterior decompression surgery-treatment of choice for Chiari I malformation.

Phase 2 study of CHOP-R-14 followed by Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan in patients with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

The aim of this open-label, single-center, phase 2 study was to assess the efficacy and safety of dose-dense CHOP-R-14 followed by Y-ibritumomab radioimmunotherapy (RIT) in patients with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). A total of 20 patients, the majority presenting with high-risk characteristics, were enrolled to receive dose-dense cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone and rituximab every 14 days (CHOP-R-14), followed by Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan consolidation. Sixteen patients completed RIT consolidation (rituximab 250 mg/m on day 1 and day 7, 8, or 9, followed by a single injection of Y-ibritumomab).

Impact of cervicothoracic region stereotactic spine radiosurgery on adjacent organs at risk.

OBJECTIVE Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) of the spine is a conformal method of delivering a high radiation dose to a target in a single or few (usually ≤ 5) fractions with a sharp fall-off outside the target volume. Although efforts have been focused on evaluating spinal cord tolerance when treating spinal column metastases, no study has formally evaluated toxicity to the surrounding organs at risk (OAR), such as the brachial plexus or the oropharynx, when performing SRS in the cervicothoracic region. The aim of this study was to evaluate the radiation dosimetry and the acute and delayed toxicities of SRS on OAR in such patients.

CHOP Chemotherapy Followed by Tositumomab and Iodine-131 Tositumomab for Previously Untreated Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma.

The efficacy and safety of tositumomab/iodine-131 tositumomab (TST/I-131 TST) were evaluated in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients who responded to first-line cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP). Fifteen patients (median age, 52 years) received dosimetric and therapeutic doses of TST/I-131 TST. The most common Grade 3/4 hematologic adverse events were decreased absolute neutrophil count (47%), white blood cell count (40%), platelet count (27%), and hemoglobin (20%).