PET/CT-derived coronary calcium score may predict cardiac complications in anthracycline-treated lymphoma patients.

Anthracycline-mediated cardiotoxicity is a common concern following lymphoma therapy, particularly in patients with high cardiovascular risk (CVR). In non-cancer populations, coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) effectively identifies individuals who may benefit from aggressive CVR modification to lower the risk of cardiovascular events. Emerging evidence suggests that CACS can also predict cancer therapy-related cardiotoxicity, potentially identifying candidates for cardioprotective strategies.

Design and testing of Hepatitis Delta Ribozymes for suppression of Chikungunya virus infection in cell cultures.

Chikungunya virus is an emerging pathogen with widespread distribution in regions of Africa, India, and Asia that threatens to spread into temperate climates following the introduction of its major vector, . Recent cases have been documented in Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas. Chikungunya virus causes a disease frequently misdiagnosed as Dengue fever, with potentially life-threatening symptoms that can result in long term debilitating arthritis.

Arsenic-induced neurotoxicity in patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia.

Arsenic trioxide is an essential component of therapy for acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) and is currently dosed on actual body weight with no upper limit. Arsenic-induced neurotoxicity is a well-recognised complication; however, there is uncertainty about its relationship to arsenic dose and obesity. We conducted a large multicentre retrospective study of 487 patients with APL treated with arsenic-based therapy across 23 sites in Australia from 2008 to 2023.

Nuclear PTEN Regulates Thymidylate Biosynthesis in Human Prostate Cancer Cell Lines.

The phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) tumor suppressor governs a variety of biological processes, including metabolism, by acting on distinct molecular targets in different subcellular compartments. In the cytosol, inactive PTEN can be recruited to the plasma membrane where it dimerizes and functions as a lipid phosphatase to regulate metabolic processes mediated by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway. However, the metabolic regulation of PTEN in the nucleus remains undefined.

Working memory control predicts fixation duration in scene-viewing.

When viewing scenes, observers differ in how long they linger at each fixation location and how far they move their eyes between fixations. What factors drive these differences in eye-movement behaviors? Previous work suggests individual differences in working memory capacity may influence fixation durations and saccade amplitudes. In the present study, participants (N = 98) performed two scene-viewing tasks, aesthetic judgment and memorization, while viewing 100 photographs of real-world scenes.

Strong Southern Ocean carbon uptake evident in airborne observations.

The Southern Ocean plays an important role in determining atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO), yet estimates of air-sea CO flux for the region diverge widely. In this study, we constrained Southern Ocean air-sea CO exchange by relating fluxes to horizontal and vertical CO gradients in atmospheric transport models and applying atmospheric observations of these gradients to estimate fluxes. Aircraft-based measurements of the vertical atmospheric CO gradient provide robust flux constraints.

Evolution of eligibility criteria for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma randomised controlled trials over 30 years.

Eligibility criteria for randomised control trials (RCT) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) may be becoming increasingly strict. In this analysis, 42 first-line phase III RCTs enrolling DLBCL patients since 1990 were identified from PubMed and clinicaltrials.gov.

Use of Ultrasonography Facilitates Noninvasive Evaluation of Lymphadenopathy in a Lymph Node Diagnostic Clinic.

Background: Prompt and accurate diagnosis of lymphadenopathy is important, yet there is wide variability in clinical approach and referral patterns, leading to unnecessary investigations and delays in diagnosis. To address this, a lymph node diagnostic clinic (LNDC) was established at our tertiary referral center.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 320 consecutive patients referred to the LNDC from March 2008 to March 2020, to describe their management and outcomes.

Mesenteric metastases from mature teratoma of the testis: A case report.

Metastatic spread of testicular cancer has been well documented, with 95% of cases involving para-aortic retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Mesenteric lymphatic basins do not lie within the canonical drainage pathway of the testes and represent a rare site of metastasis. Various mechanisms of spread to the mesentery have been described, including direct extension and haematogenous dissemination.

Routine Blood Tests in Asymptomatic Patients With Indolent Lymphoma Have Limited Ability to Detect Clinically Significant Disease Progression.

Purpose: Patients with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL) undergo regular active surveillance in between treatment periods to detect disease relapse or progression. As part of surveillance, international guidelines recommend regular routine blood testing, which is based on consensus rather than evidence of utility.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients older than age 16 years diagnosed with grade 1-3A follicular or marginal zone lymphoma between 2008 and 2017 from 2 Australian cancer centers to assess the utility of full blood examination, lactate dehydrogenase, and β-microglobulin in detecting progression events, defined as either disease relapse or progression of disease.

RET-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer and therapeutic implications.

First-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors are standard of care for non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC) harbouring an epidermal growth factor receptor mutation, anaplastic lymphoma kinase fusion or c-ros oncogene 1 rearrangement. Other targetable oncogenic drivers have been identified but testing for these is neither funded nor commonly performed in Australia. Using a case example, we discuss the importance of considering several other genomic aberrations in our population, such as rearrangements in the RET proto-oncogene, which occur in 1-2% of lung adenocarcinoma.

Standard dose osimertinib for erlotinib refractory T790M-negative -mutant non-small cell lung cancer with leptomeningeal disease.

Background: Leptomeningeal spread in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with epidermal growth factor receptor () mutations who experience disease progression on TKIs portends a poor prognosis. Mutation profiling of tumour DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples can be used to determine the presence of the T790M resistance mutation, indicating that osimertinib, a CNS-penetrating 3 generation TKI may be efficacious.

Methods: Eight patients on EGFR TKIs who progressed with cytology-proven leptomeningeal disease at our institution were studied.

Effect of Reasons for Screen Failure on Subsequent Treatment Outcomes in Cancer Patients Assessed for Clinical Trials.

Introduction: The cancer research community increasingly question the rigidity of eligibility criteria in clinical trials. Common reasons for "screen failure" (RFSF) are well documented; however, their effect on subsequent standard therapy (SST) and outcomes is unclear.

Methods: This retrospective study evaluated patients aged ≥18 years with solid malignancy who were listed as ineligible on a screening log between February 2011 and March 2018.

Comprehensive geriatric assessment is useful in an elderly Australian population with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma receiving rituximab-chemotherapy combinations.

Elderly patients may be heterogeneous in their abilities to tolerate immunochemotherapy-associated toxicities. We describe the morbidity of rituximab-chemotherapy combinations among 205 newly-diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients aged ≥60 years from 3 tertiary hospitals between 2009 and 2016, and explore the utility of retrospectively-assigned baseline Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) in predicting these toxicities. Seventy-three percent (146/201) experienced grade ≥3 toxicities, 81% (163/201) needed admission, 52% (107/205) had ≥2 unplanned admissions, 82/201 (41%) required dose reductions (DR) subsequent to Cycle 1, 39/166 (23%) had chemotherapy delays and 26/198 (13%) ceased therapy early.

The pharmacological and functional characterization of the serotonergic system in Anopheles gambiae and Aedes aegypti: influences on flight and blood-feeding behavior.

Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae harbor the causative agents of diseases such as dengue fever and malaria, afflicting human morbidity and mortality worldwide. Given the worldwide emergence of resistance to insecticides, the current mainstay for vector control, identification of alternative modes of action for future insecticides is paramount. The serotonergic (5-HT) system has been documented to impact physiological mechanisms involved in disease transmission, suggesting its potential as a new mode of action target for future insecticide development.

Impact of universal immunohistochemistry on Lynch syndrome diagnosis in an Australian colorectal cancer cohort.

Background: Current guidelines recommend a step-wise screening algorithm for all colorectal carcinomas (CRC) to identify patients with Lynch syndrome (LS).

Aim: To describe the frequencies of mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR), BRAFV600E mutations and MLH1 methylation in resected CRC, and evaluate the impact of universal screening on LS detection.

Methods: Retrospectively, 1171 consecutive cases of resected CRC were identified between 2010 and 2017 from a large multi-centre pathology service.

Urine cultures at the onset of febrile neutropenia rarely impact antibiotic management in asymptomatic adult cancer patients.

Purpose: There is a paucity of data regarding the utility of routine urine cultures in adults with febrile neutropenia (FN) without urinary symptoms receiving protocolised antibiotics. This is reflected by inconsistent recommendations in international and regional FN guidelines. We addressed this issue by retrospectively reviewing the impact of routine urine cultures on antibiotic management in haematology cancer inpatients at a tertiary hospital.

Routine blood investigations have limited utility in surveillance of aggressive lymphoma in asymptomatic patients in complete remission.

Background: Patients with aggressive lymphoma achieving complete remission (CR) after first-line combination chemotherapy undergo regular surveillance to detect relapse. Current international guidelines recommend routine follow-up blood tests in this context, but evidence supporting this practice is limited.

Methods: We conducted a multi-centre retrospective analysis of all patients diagnosed with aggressive lymphoma treated with curative-intent chemotherapy who achieved CR for at least 3 months between 2000 and 2015.

Echocardiography has low utility in cancer patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia: findings from a retrospective study.

Aim: To describe the incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) detected on echocardiography in cancer patients with confirmed Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB).

Methods: We retrospectively identified 95 cases of SAB in cancer patients from January 2007-March 2016. Echocardiography was ordered at the discretion of the treating team, and positive findings defined according to the Modified Duke Criteria.

Limited utility of routine chest X-ray in initial evaluation of neutropenic fever in patients with haematological diseases undergoing chemotherapy.

Background: Routine chest X-ray (CXR) is recommended for neutropenic fever (NF) management however its role is relatively understudied in haematology patients.

Aim: To investigate the utility of CXR in the diagnosis and management of patients with haematological conditions complicated by NF.

Methods: Retrospective, single-centre analysis of haematology patients admitted with NF between January 2011 and December 2015.

Infrared spectra and ab initio calculations for the Cl--(CH4)n (n = 1-10) anion clusters.

In an effort to elucidate their structures, mass-selected Cl--(CH4)n (n = 1-10) clusters are probed using infrared spectroscopy in the CH stretch region (2800-3100 cm(-1)). Accompanying ab initio calculations at the MP2/6-311++G(2df,2p) level for the n = 1-3 clusters suggest that methane molecules prefer to attach to the chloride anion by single linear H-bonds and sit adjacent to one another. These conclusions are supported by the agreement between experimental and calculated vibrational band frequencies and intensities.