Patient Characteristics Associated With Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Severity in a Phase II Clinical Trial: A Retrospective Analysis.

Introduction: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) can lead to chemotherapy dose reduction, delay, and discontinuation, and has limited effective prevention strategies. Our study aimed to identify patient characteristics associated with CIPN severity during weekly paclitaxel chemotherapy in people with early-stage breast cancer.

Methods: We retrospectively collected baseline data including participants' age, gender, race, body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin (regular and A1C), thyroid stimulating hormone, Vitamins (B6, B12, and D), anxiety, and depression up to 4 months prior to their first paclitaxel treatment.

Any day, split halfway: Flexibility in scheduling high-dose cisplatin-A large retrospective review from a high-volume cancer center.

High-dose (HD) cisplatin remains the standard of care with chemoradiation for locally advanced oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). Cooperative group trials mandate bolus-HD (100 mg/m  × 1 day, every 3 weeks) cisplatin administration at the beginning of the week to optimize radiosensitization-a requirement which may be unnecessary. This analysis evaluates the impact of chemotherapy administration day of week (DOW) on outcomes.

Randomized Phase II Trial of Nivolumab With Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Versus Nivolumab Alone in Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Purpose: The objective response rate (ORR) for single-agent anti-programmed death receptor 1 (anti-PD-1) therapy is modest in patients with metastatic or recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We aimed to test whether radiotherapy may act synergistically with anti-PD-1 therapy to improve response through the abscopal effect.

Patients And Methods: We conducted a single-center, randomized, phase II trial of nivolumab (anti-PD-1 therapy) versus nivolumab plus stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in patients with metastatic HNSCC.

A phase IIA trial of acupuncture to reduce chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy severity during neoadjuvant or adjuvant weekly paclitaxel chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.

Purpose: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common and potentially dose-limiting side-effect of neurotoxic chemotherapy for cancer patients. We evaluated the preliminary efficacy of acupuncture in preventing worsening CIPN in patients receiving paclitaxel.

Methods: In this phase IIA single-arm clinical trial, we screened stage I-III breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant/adjuvant weekly paclitaxel for development of CIPN.

Hypoxia-inducible factors regulate pluripotency factor expression by ZNF217- and ALKBH5-mediated modulation of RNA methylation in breast cancer cells.

Exposure of breast cancer cells to hypoxia increases the percentage of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), which are required for tumor initiation and metastasis, and this response is dependent on the activity of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). We previously reported that exposure of breast cancer cells to hypoxia induces the ALKBH5-mediated demethylation of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in NANOG mRNA leading to increased expression of NANOG, which is a pluripotency factor that promotes BCSC specification. Here we report that exposure of breast cancer cells to hypoxia also induces ZNF217-dependent inhibition of m6A methylation of mRNAs encoding NANOG and KLF4, which is another pluripotency factor that mediates BCSC specification.

Early integration of palliative care into oncology: evidence, challenges and barriers.

Palliative care has proven to be an important component during the care of seriously ill oncology patients. In the past decade, early integration of both specialties demonstrated benefits in improving patient symptoms and pain, facilitating advance directive planning and reducing medical cost. Newer evidence also suggests it can prolong life.

An update on current management of advanced renal cell cancer, biomarkers, and future directions.

In the past decade, metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treatment underwent significant advancement that resulted in an unprecedented improvement in the prognosis of this disease. This review will provide an updated review of currently approved treatment options, namely antiangiogenic and immunotherapy, as well as treatment guideline recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). We will summarize studies ongoing in determining prognostic and predictive biomarkers in maximizing therapeutic benefit in the treatment of this disease.

Germ cell cancer presenting as gastrointestinal bleeding and developing brain metastases: case report and review of the literature.

This paper describes a rare case of germ cell cancer with duodenum, brain and lung metastases. The patient presented with melena and left testicle enlargement. Orchiectomy revealed mixed germ cell cancer, enteroscopy revealed duodenal choriocarcinoma, and chest x-ray and computed tomography (CT) showed bilateral lung metastases.

A Rare Case of Pneumonia Caused by Shewanella putrefaciens.

Shewanella putrefaciens is a gram-negative, nonfermentative, oxidase positive, motile bacillus that produces hydrogen sulphide. It is found widely in the nature especially in marine environments. In some very rare cases Shewanella putrefaciens can be a human pathogen.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a review of case reports, diagnosis, treatment, and future directions.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a nonepithelial, mesenchymal tumor first described by Mazur and Clark in 1983. Since then, its molecular biology has been studied in great detail. Special interest in the role of tyrosine kinase in its regulation has been the target by different drug research.

Cancers of the appendix: review of the literatures.

Cancers of the appendix are rare. Most of them are found accidentally on appendectomies performed for appendicitis. When reviewed, majority of the tumors were carcinoid, adenoma, and lymphoma.