Interaction of bacterial genera associated with therapeutic response to immune checkpoint PD-1 blockade in a United States cohort.

Background: Recent studies show that human gut microbial composition can determine whether a patient is a responder or non-responder to immunotherapy but have not identified a common microbial signal shared by responding patients. The functional relationship between immunity, intestinal microbiota, and NSCLC response to immune checkpoint inhibitor/inhibition (ICI) in an American cohort remains unexplored.

Methods: RNAlater-preserved fecal samples were collected from 65 pre-treatment (baseline) and post-treatment stage III/IV NSCLC patients undergoing ICI therapy, categorized as responders or non-responders according to RECIST criteria.

A Customized At-Home Stool Collection Protocol for Use in Microbiome Studies Conducted in Cancer Patient Populations.

Fecal specimen collection in the clinical setting is often unfeasible for large population studies, especially because cancer patients on immunotherapy often experience constipation. A method for constructing and using an at-home stool collection kit designed for epidemiological studies in cancer patients is presented. Participation and compliance rates of the collection kit among late-stage cancer patients from an ongoing, longitudinal study are also discussed.

[Childhood anxiety and assessment instruments: a systematic review].

Objective: To make a survey of the principal anxiety instruments available for children, when they appeared, the type of methods used, verifying which countries have the highest number of children anxiety instruments and also how is the Brazilian reality on this matter.

Methods: A systematic review on electronic databases--Psychoinfo (1940--May 2002), Psyclit (1887--May 2002), Medline (1966--May 2002) e Eric (1966--May 2002). Information collected on personal communications and books chapters.