Desire for pregnancy and fertility preservation in young patients with breast cancer.

Background: Data on the desire for pregnancy and the status of fertility preservation (FP) in patients with breast cancer remain unclear. This study aimed to determine the status of patients with breast cancer who desired pregnancy and FP implementation before systemic therapy.

Methods: This retrospective study surveyed the institutional clinical databases and electronic medical records of patients aged < 43 years with stages 0-III primary breast cancer during surgery and treated between April 2020 and March 2021.

Japan's cancer survivorship guidelines for exercise and physical activity.

Objective: This research aimed to establish the inaugural evidence-based cancer survivorship guidelines for Japan, with a particular focus on exercise and physical activity, in order to enhance health outcomes for cancer survivors.

Methods: A panel of experts, including oncologists, physicians, exercise scientists, epidemiologists and patient advocates, utilized a modified Delphi process and systematic reviews to establish consensus on exercise recommendations for cancer survivors. The panel focused on setting the objectives of the Clinical Practice Guidelines and addressing crucial clinical issues in Japan.

Absolute lymphocyte count predicts efficacy of palbociclib in patients with metastatic luminal breast cancer.

Background: Absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) is a predictive and prognostic factor for various tumor types, including breast cancer. Palbociclib is a CDK4/6 inhibitor widely used for the treatment of metastatic estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. However, predictive biomarkers of the efficacy of palbociclib remain unelucidated.

Radiation-associated cardiovascular disease in patients with cancer: current insights from a cardio-oncologist.

Radiation-associated cardiovascular disease (RACD), a complex disease characterized with pericarditis, myocardial damage, valvular heart diseases, heart failure, vasculopathy and ischemic heart disease, has a generally poor prognosis. While RACD may be acute, it often manifests in the late years or even decades following radiation exposure to the chest. With an increasing number of cancer survivors, RACD is likely to become an important issue in cardio-oncology.

Datopotamab Deruxtecan Versus Docetaxel for Previously Treated Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: The Randomized, Open-Label Phase III TROPION-Lung01 Study.

Purpose: The randomized, open-label, global phase III TROPION-Lung01 study compared the efficacy and safety of datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) versus docetaxel in patients with pretreated advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Patients received Dato-DXd 6 mg/kg or docetaxel 75 mg/m once every 3 weeks. Dual primary end points were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Successful Surveillance Using Endometrial Cytology in a Woman With Lynch Syndrome.

Lynch syndrome (LS) results from pathogenic variants in mismatch repair genes and is the most common hereditary cancer syndrome. Some guidelines or studies recommend restricting screening according to endometrial cancer (EC) using endometrial biopsy. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of endometrial cytology for detecting endometrial atypical hyperplasia or cancer have been reported to be as high as the pooled sensitivity and specificity of endometrial biopsy.

Different characteristics of the tumor immune microenvironment among subtypes of salivary gland cancer.

Aim: Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPi) for salivary gland cancer (SGC) have been investigated in clinical trials, details of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) remain unclear. This research aimed to elucidate the TIME of SGC and its relationship with tumor mutation burden (TMB) and to explore the rationale for the applicability of ICPi.

Materials And Methods: We selected five pathological types, namely adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC); adenocarcinoma, not otherwise specified (ANOS); salivary duct carcinoma (SDC); and low/high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC).

Efficacy and safety of a novel polytetrafluoroethylene-coated self-expandable metal stent for distal malignant biliary obstruction.

Background: Stent migration and sludge formation remain significant problems associated with covered self-expandable metal stents (CSEMSs). The EGIS biliary stent fully covered flare type (EGIS biliary stent), a new type of polytetrafluoroethylene-coated self-expandable metal stent with low axial force and an anti-migration system, was developed to overcome these disadvantages. We conducted this study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this stent in comparison with conventional CSEMS (c-CSEMS).

Exploratory Study Identifies Matrix Metalloproteinase-14 and -9 as Potential Biomarkers of Regorafenib Efficacy in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

In identifying biomarkers for anticancer drugs, the lack of objectivity in selecting candidate factors makes interpretation difficult. We performed preclinical analysis and a translational validation study to identify candidate biomarkers for regorafenib efficacy in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Using in silico COMPARE analysis with a human cancer cell line panel, JFCR39, we selected candidate biomarkers whose expression correlates with regorafenib sensitivity.

Risk factors for and prognostic impact of lateral pelvic lymph node metastasis in patients with rectal neuroendocrine tumors: a single-center retrospective analysis of 214 cases with radical resection.

Purpose: Lateral pelvic lymph node (LPLN) metastasis of rectal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is rare, with unknown oncological features. We investigated the oncological impact of LPLN metastasis in patients with rectal NETs.

Methods: This study included 214 patients with rectal NETs who underwent curative surgery.

Integrating surgical intervention and watch-and-wait approach in dMMR metastatic rectal cancer with pembrolizumab: a case report.

Background: Treating rectal cancer presents challenges due to postoperative complications and reduced quality of life (QOL). Recent evidence supports the watch-and-wait (WW) approach for patients with a clinical complete response (cCR) following preoperative treatment. In this report, we discuss a case of metastatic rectal cancer with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) treated successfully with pembrolizumab.

Validation of the cutoff values for the number of metastatic lymph nodes for esophageal cancer staging: a multi-institutional analysis of 655 patients in Japan.

Background: The number of metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) is an important prognostic factor for esophageal cancer, and N staging is important for prognostic stratification. The optimal cutoff values for clinical (cN) and pathologic N (pN) staging should be reconsidered following advances in neoadjuvant therapy.

Methods: The study included 655 patients who underwent esophagectomy between January 2014 and December 2016 in four high-volume centers in Japan.

HER2-low gastric cancer: is the subgroup targetable?

Therapeutic developments in the targeting of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-expressing gastric cancer have followed the dramatic success of HER2-expressing breast cancer treatment, which has facilitated the expansion of indications for anti-HER2 agents to include not only conventional HER2-positive breast cancer, but also HER2-low and HER2-ultralow subgroups. The targetability of HER2-low gastric cancer, however, has yet to be established. Hence, further studies are needed to comprehensively understand the clinicopathological features, specific gene alterations, and distinct tumor immune microenvironment of HER2-low gastric cancer and compare them with those for HER2-positive or -negative gastric cancer.

Outcome research on esophagectomy analyzed using nationwide databases in Japan: evidences generated from real-world data.

Esophagectomy for esophageal cancer is a highly invasive gastrointestinal surgical procedure. The National Clinical Database (NCD) of Japan, initiated in 2011, has compiled real-world data on esophagectomy, one of nine major gastroenterological surgeries. This review examines outcomes after esophagectomy analyzed using the Japanese big databases.