Overview of Molecular Prognostication for Common Solid Tumor Histologies - What the Surgeon Should Know.

Study Design: Narrative Literature review.

Objective: To provide a general overview of important molecular markers and targeted therapies for the most common neoplasms (lung, breast, prostate and melanoma) that metastasize to the spine and offer guidance on how to best incorporate them in the clinical setting.

Methods: A narrative review of the literature was performed using PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline databases, as well as the histology-specific National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines to identify relevant articles limited to the English language.

Risk Factors for the Development of Neurological Deficits in Metastatic Spinal Disease: An International, Multicenter Delphi Study.

Study Design: Delphi study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify risk factors associated with the development and/or progression of neurological deficits in patients with metastatic spinal disease.

Methods: A three-round Delphi study was conducted between January-May 2023 including AO Spine members, comprising mainly neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons.

Advanced Radiotherapy Technologies in Spine Tumors: What the Surgeon Needs to Know.

Study Design: Narrative review of existing literature.

Objectives: Significant technological advancements in radiotherapy planning and delivery have enabled new radiotherapy techniques for the management of spine tumors. The objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive summary of these treatment techniques for practicing spine surgeons.

Editorial: Precision Medicine in Spinal Oncology.

This special focus issue from the 2023-2024 AOSpine Knowledge Forum Tumor represents a culmination of years of experience devoted to advancing the care of patients with both metastatic and primary spinal tumors. We have learned much since the fundamental assessments of instability that led to the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS), the grading of epidural disease utilizing the Epidural Spinal Cord Compression Scale (aka Bilsky grade), as well as the development of tumor-specific health related quality of life assessments such as the Spine Oncology Study Group Outcome Questionnaire (SOSGOQ). These tools have enabled us to make several prior recommendations for the appropriate use of advanced surgical techniques such as en bloc resection and the use of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) to optimize patient care.

Latest Developments in Targeted Biological Therapies in the Management of Chordoma and Chondrosarcoma.

Study Design: Systematic review.

Objectives: The objective of this review paper was to summarize targeted molecular therapy options for spinal chordoma and chondrosarcoma, and to provide an update on the relevant clinical trials open for recruitment.

Methods: A systematic review of the current literature was performed, according to PRISMA guidelines, to summarize the latest developments in non-surgical molecular treatment options for low grade malignant primary spinal tumours.

What is the Optimal Management of Metastatic Spine Patients With Intermediate Spinal Instability Neoplastic Scores: To Operate or Not to Operate?

Study Design: Systematic review.

Objective: In patients with extradural metastatic spine disease, we sought to systematically review the outcomes and complications of patients with intermediate Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS) lesions undergoing radiation therapy, percutaneous interventions, minimally invasive surgeries, or open spinal surgeries.

Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Cochrane Center Register of Controlled Trials were queried for studies that reported on SINS intermediate patients who underwent: 1) radiotherapy, 2) percutaneous intervention, 3) minimally invasive, or 4) open surgery.

Role of Posterior Carbon Fiber Implants in Spine Tumor Surgery.

Study Design: Narrative Review.

Objective: The management of spinal tumors requires a multi-disciplinary approach including surgery, radiation, and systemic therapy. Surgical approaches typically require posterior segmental instrumentation to maintain long-term spinal stability.

Infections Due to Corynebacterium kroppenstedtii With Focus on Granulomatous Lobular Mastitis for Tissue Specificity, Pathogenesis, Bacteriologic Workup, and Treatment.

Objective.—: To report the isolation and significance of C kroppenstedtii, features of patients with GLM, pathologic findings and mechanism, bacteriologic workup, and optimal treatment.

Design.

Empathy Unmasked: Patient Perception of Physician Empathy in an Oncologic Emergency Setting. A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Personal Protective Equipment Wear versus Unmasked Video Communication.

Background: Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine emerged as an important option that supports and facilitates clinical practice, however, its usefulness in emergency settings that treat patients with cancer is unclear.

Objective: To evaluate patient perception of physician empathy in an emergency oncology setting, comparing video interaction to an in-person with personal protective equipment (PPE) approach.

Methods: In this single-center, prospective, cross-sectional, survey-based randomized controlled trial, patients were randomized 1:1 for the concluding conversation done in-person which included either interacting with physicians wearing PPE or video interaction with physicians without PPE (virtual).

Content and quality of consumer websites providing information about human papillomavirus infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: An environmental scan.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the content and quality of websites for consumers providing information about human papillomavirus (HPV) risks in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: We conducted an environmental scan of websites for patients and the general public with information about HPV and SLE. We searched Google from inception to June 2023, using the terms "HPV" and "lupus".

Left-Right Brain-Wide Asymmetry of Neuroanatomy in the Mouse Brain.

Left-right asymmetry of the human brain is widespread through its anatomy and function. However, limited microscopic understanding of it exists, particularly for anatomical asymmetry where there are few well-established animal models. In humans, most brain regions show subtle, population-average regional asymmetries in thickness or surface area, alongside a macro-scale twisting called the cerebral petalia in which the right hemisphere protrudes past the left.

Predictive Value of FDG Uptake on PET for Future Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Mediated Colitis: A Case Series.

: Immune-mediated colitis (IMC) is a common immune-related adverse event during immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. This case series and review aimed to highlight atypical cases of IMC and explore the potential of PET/CT to predict imminent ICI colitis. : Through a descriptive, retrospective study at a tertiary cancer center, we identified adult patients receiving ICIs for any cancer between 2010 and 2022 who also underwent PET/CT for routine cancer surveillance during this time.

Sitravatinib in combination with nivolumab plus ipilimumab in patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma: a phase 1 trial.

We conducted a phase I trial to determine the optimal dose of triplet therapy with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor sitravatinib plus nivolumab plus ipilimumab in 22 previously untreated patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma. The primary endpoint was safety. Secondary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), 1-year survival probability, and sitravatinib pharmacokinetics.

Lead time trajectory of blood-based protein biomarkers for detection of pancreatic cancer based on repeat testing.

In the current study, we assessed whether repeated measurements of a panel of protein biomarkers with relevance to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) improves lead time performance for earlier detection over a single timepoint measurement. Specifically, CA125, CEA, LRG1, REG3A, THBS2, TIMP1, TNRFSF1A as well as CA19-9 were assayed in serially collected pre-diagnostic plasma from 242 PDAC cases and 242 age- and sex-matched non-case control participants in the PLCO cohort. We compared performance estimates of a parametric empirical Bayes (PEB) algorithm, which incorporates participant biomarker history, to that of a single-threshold (ST) method.

Confined cell migration along extracellular matrix space in vivo.

Collective migration of cancer cells is often interpreted using concepts derived from the physics of active matter, but the experimental evidence is mostly restricted to observations made in vitro. Here, we study collective invasion of metastatic cancer cells injected into the mouse deep dermis using intravital multiphoton microscopy combined with a skin window technique and three-dimensional quantitative image analysis. We observe a multicellular but low-cohesive migration mode characterized by rotational patterns which self-organize into antiparallel persistent tracks with orientational nematic order.

ERK activation dynamics in maturing oocyte controls embryonic nuclear divisions in Caenorhabditis elegans.

ERK activity oscillates between sustained activation during oocyte formation and transient inactivation during oocyte maturation, fertilization, and early embryogenesis. Consequences of ectopic ERK activity upon oocyte maturation and in early embryogenesis are unknown. We show, in Caenorhabditis elegans, that ectopic ERK activity upon oocyte maturation (metaphase I oocytes) results in embryos with abnormalities in nuclear divisions leading to embryonic death.

Ezrin Polarization as a Diagnostic Marker for Circulating Tumor Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with no precise method for early detection. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) expressing the dynamic polarity of the cytoskeletal membrane protein, ezrin, have been proposed to play a crucial role in tumor progression and metastasis. This study investigated the diagnostic and prognostic potential of polarized circulating tumor cells (p-CTCs) in HCC patients.

Differences in anxiety, depression and pain experience among adults with chronic low back pain as a function of nicotine product use.

The landscape of nicotine use in the United States (US) has continued to evolve, with electronic cigarette use (hereafter e-cigarette) becoming more evident in recent years. Patterns of dual nicotine use, or using combustible nicotine in conjunction with e-cigarettes, may increase dependence on nicotine, continued exposure to toxins, and corresponding health risks. One of the most prevalent health problems related to nicotine use is the experience of chronic pain.

Surgical Margins and Oncologic Outcomes Following Wedge Resection of Pulmonary Metastases in Pediatric and Young Adult Patients with Sarcoma.

Introduction: Children and young adults diagnosed with sarcoma often present with pulmonary metastases requiring wedge resection. It is important to balance the risk of pulmonary recurrence against the desire to limit resection of benign parenchyma. This study aims to determine the impact of resection margins on survival and recurrence among pediatric and young adult sarcoma patients.

Immunogenomic determinants of exceptional response to immune checkpoint inhibition in renal cell carcinoma.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors can lead to 'exceptional', durable responses in a subset of persons. However, the molecular basis of exceptional response (ER) to immunotherapy in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC) has not been well characterized. Here we analyzed pretherapy genomic and transcriptomic data in treatment-naive persons with mccRCC treated with standard-of-care immunotherapies: (1) combination of programmed cell death protein and ligand 1 (PD1/PDL1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 inhibitors (IO/IO) or (2) combination of PD1/PDL1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor inhibitors (IO/VEGF).

Parenting and Family Concerns of Couples Navigating Advanced Breast Cancer: Exploring Discussions Around Parenting Challenges and Targets for Intervention.

Background: Parents with advanced cancer and their partners are more likely to experience psychological distress than their counterparts without minor children. Greater relationship functioning may support parents in distress.

Aims: The current study seeks to explore couples' cancer-related parenting communication behaviors, perception and their associations with psychological and relational wellbeing.

Incidence and influential factors of postoperative pruritus in morphine-based intravenous patient-controlled analgesia.

Background: Pruritus is a distressing symptom of systemic opioid analgesia that responds poorly to conventional antipruritus treatments. This study aimed to determine the incidence and risk factors for postoperative pruritus using intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA).

Methods: Opioid-naïve patients who underwent morphine-based IV-PCA for postoperative pain at a tertiary center between January 1, 2020, and June 30, 2023, were included retrospectively.

Reproducibility and repeatability of 18F-(2S, 4R)-4-fluoroglutamine PET imaging in preclinical oncology models.

Introduction: Measurement of repeatability and reproducibility (R&R) is necessary to realize the full potential of positron emission tomography (PET). Several studies have evaluated the reproducibility of PET using 18F-FDG, the most common PET tracer used in oncology, but similar studies using other PET tracers are scarce. Even fewer assess agreement and R&R with statistical methods designed explicitly for the task.

TRMT1L-catalyzed mG27 on tyrosine tRNA is required for efficient mRNA translation and cell survival under oxidative stress.

tRNA modifications are critical for several aspects of their functions, including decoding, folding, and stability. Using a multifaceted approach encompassing eCLIP-seq and nanopore tRNA-seq, we show that the human tRNA methyltransferase TRMT1L interacts with the component of the Rix1 ribosome biogenesis complex and binds to the 28S rRNA as well as to a subset of tRNAs. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that TRMT1L is responsible for catalyzing N2,N2-dimethylguanosine (mG) solely at position 27 of tRNA-Tyr-GUA.