The impact of the pandemic on the presentation and treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma at a county hospital.

Introduction: In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, initiating stay-at-home orders which delayed cancer care and screening. The impact on head and neck cancer care in populations at risk has yet to be elucidated. The objective of this investigation is to evaluate how the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cancer patients at a county hospital were affected by the pandemic.

Sarcopenia and frailty as predictors of surgical morbidity and oncologic outcomes in retroperitoneal sarcoma.

Background: Retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPS) are rare tumors for which surgical resection is the principal treatment. There is no established model to predict perioperative risks for RPS. We evaluated the association between preoperative sarcopenia, frailty, and hypoalbuminemia with surgical and oncological outcomes.

Human soft tissue sarcomas harbor an intratumoral viral microbiome which is linked with natural killer cell infiltrate and prognosis.

Background: Groundbreaking studies have linked the gut microbiome with immune homeostasis and antitumor immune responses. Mounting evidence has also demonstrated an intratumoral microbiome, including in soft tissue sarcomas (STS), although detailed characterization of the STS intratumoral microbiome is limited. We sought to characterize the intratumoral microbiome in patients with STS undergoing preoperative radiotherapy and surgery, hypothesizing the presence of a distinct intratumoral microbiome with potentially clinically significant microbial signatures.

Comparative Immunogenomics of Canine Natural Killer Cells as Immunotherapy Target.

Natural killer (NK) cells are key effectors of the innate immune system, but major differences between human and murine NK cells have impeded translation. Outbred dogs offer an important link for studies of NK biology and immunotherapy. We analyzed gene expression of putative NK populations from healthy dogs and dogs with naturally-occurring cancers examining differential gene expression across multiple conditions, including steady-state, activation with cytokines and co-culture, and activation with inhaled IL-15 in dogs receiving IL-15 immunotherapy.

Surgical and oncologic outcomes following arterial resection and reconstruction for advanced solid tumors.

Background And Objectives: Although arterial involvement for advanced tumors is rare, vascular resection may be indicated to achieve complete tumor resection. Given the potential morbidity of this approach, we sought to evaluate perioperative outcomes, vascular graft patency, and survival among patients undergoing tumor excision with en bloc arterial resection and reconstruction.

Methods: From 2010 to 2020, we identified nine patients with tumors encasing or extensively abutting major arterial structures for whom en bloc arterial resection and reconstruction was performed.

Outcomes of Kidney Transplant in Undocumented Immigrants.

This cohort study investigates kidney transplant outcomes among undocumented immigrants at a single US center.