[A 2024 inventory in oncology news].

The editorial board of the Bulletin du Cancer has compiled a summary of the news from 2024 in oncology, based on the main results presented at international congresses or published over the past year. After a year marked by the success of the Olympic Games, the selection of data is presented and discussed in podiums of three main results by topic. Emphasis is placed on studies that have an immediate impact on practice and on data that raise important questions for the year 2025.

Improving the generalizability of white blood cell classification with few-shot domain adaptation.

The morphological classification of nucleated blood cells is fundamental for the diagnosis of hematological diseases. Many Deep Learning algorithms have been implemented to automatize this classification task, but most of the time they fail to classify images coming from different sources. This is known as "domain shift".

Unexplained Chronically Elevated Aminotransferases: Liver Biopsy Gives Major Information with Therapeutic Implication in One Patient Out of Seven.

Background & Aims: Liver biopsy contribution in patients with unexplained elevation of transaminases is not clearly established. The aim was to study liver biopsy contribution in patients with unexplained elevated transaminases strictly defined according to the current guidelines, reflecting the present clinical practice.

Methods: In a retrospective study, we identified all the liver biopsies performed in patients with elevated transaminases for at least six months.

Comparative analysis of the duodenojejunal microbiome with the oral and fecal microbiomes reveals its stronger association with obesity and nutrition.

The intestinal microbiota is increasingly recognized as a crucial player in the development and maintenance of various chronic conditions, including obesity and associated metabolic diseases. While most research focuses on the fecal microbiota due to its easier accessibility, the small intestine, as a major site for nutrient sensing and absorption, warrants further investigation to determine its microbiota composition and functions. Here, we conducted a clinical research project in 30 age- and sex-matched participants with ( = 15) and without ( = 15) obesity.

Health-related quality of life, social and psychological well-being of 109 adult patients with genetic lipodystrophy.

Introduction: Lipodystrophy syndromes are rare diseases characterized by a generalized or partial lipoatrophic morphotype and metabolic complications. Data on health-related quality of life and impact of genetic lipodystrophy on social or psychological well-being are lacking.

Patients And Methods: Patients with genetic lipodystrophy were recruited throughout the French national reference network for rare diseases of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity.

Progressive chromatin rewiring by ETO2::GLIS2 revealed in a human iPSC model of pediatric leukemia initiation.

Pediatric acute myeloid leukemia frequently harbor fusion oncogenes associated with poor prognosis, including KMT2A, NUP98 and GLIS2 rearrangements. While murine models have demonstrated their leukemogenic activities, the steps from a normal human cell to leukemic blasts remain unclear. Here, we precisely reproduced the inversion of chromosome 16 resulting in ETO2::GLIS2 fusion in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC).

A20 haploinsufficiency diagnosis beyond systemic lupus erythematosus: A systematic review of the literature.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease whose pathophysiology remains incompletely understood, involving genetic and epigenetic factors. However, an increasing small subset of patients present with monogenic lupus, providing insight into the pathogenesis of the disease. This systematic review focuses on SLE associated with A20 haploinsufficiency (HA20), a monogenic disorder associated with tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 3 gene (TNFAIP3) variants.

Minimal Residual Disease in Multiple Myeloma.

Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) in multiple myeloma has emerged as a significant prognostic factor, guiding treatment strategies and enhancing patient outcomes. Despite advancements in therapies such as proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs, monoclonal antibodies, CAR-T cell therapy, and bispecific antibodies, complete eradication of malignant plasma cells remains challenging. MRD refers to a small number of residual cancer cells that persist after treatment and require sensitive methods like next-generation flow cytometry (NGF) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) for detection.

Reproductive functions and fertility preservation in transgender men: A French case series.

Background: Transgender men face reproductive challenges due to the potential impact on fertility of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) and surgical interventions. Testosterone therapy during "female to male" transition leads to anovulation and amenorrhea. Although these effects are typically reversible upon stopping treatment, the long-term effects of androgens on future fertility and health of potential children remain poorly known.

International consensus statement on microbiome testing in clinical practice.

There is growing interest in the potential exploitation of the gut microbiome as a diagnostic tool in medicine, but evidence supporting its clinical usefulness is scarce. An increasing number of commercial providers offer direct-to-consumer microbiome diagnostic tests without any consensus on their regulation or any proven value in clinical practice, which could result in considerable waste of individual and health-care resources and potential drawbacks in the clinical management of patients. We convened an international multidisciplinary expert panel to standardise best practices of microbiome testing for clinical implementation, including recommendations on general principles and minimum requirements for their provision, indications, pre-testing protocols, method of analyses, reporting of results, and potential clinical value.

Long term noninvasive respiratory support in children with OSA-I and OSA-II: Data of a nation-wide study.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the characteristics of otherwise healthy children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA; OSA-I) and children with OSA and non-syndromic obesity (OSA-II) treated with long term continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in 2019 in France.

Methods: Data were collected from a national survey on paediatric home noninvasive ventilatory support. CPAP/NIV initiation criteria and duration, age at CPAP/NIV initiation, equipment used and CPAP/NIV settings, and objective compliance were analyzed.

Intricate ribosome composition and translational reprogramming in epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) involves profound changes in cell morphology, driven by transcriptional and epigenetic reprogramming. However, evidence suggests that translation and ribosome composition also play key roles in establishing pathophysiological phenotypes. Using genome-wide analyses, we reported significant rearrangement of the translational landscape and machinery during EMT.

Surfactant protein B deficiency: the RespiRare cohort.

Childhood interstitial lung diseases (chILD) are rare and usually severe disorders. Among them, very rare cases of surfactant protein (SP)-B deficiencies have been reported so far and are usually associated with fatal forms of chILD. The RespiRare network allows the collection of precise phenotypic and genotypic information.

Trichophyton mentagrophytes ITS genotype VII infections among men who have sex with men in France: An ongoing phenomenon.

Background: Trichophyton mentagrophytes ITS genotype VII (TMVII) has recently been identified in France as the causative agent of dermatophyte infections transmitted during sexual activity among men who have sex with men (MSM).

Objectives: Our objective was to provide new insights into the epidemiology, clinical presentation and treatment of TMVII infections based on cases diagnosed from October 2022 to September 2023 in three medical mycology laboratories in Paris. Additionally, we aimed to perform molecular characterization of TMVII strains collected in Paris, as well as in Switzerland.

[French consensus on the care pathway for children with suspected or diagnosed type 1 obstructive sleep disorder].

Introduction: Obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (OSDB) is the consequence of an anatomical and/or functional reduction in upper airway size during sleep. Young patients can also be affected. TROS type 1 (TROS1 ) is most often found in young, non-obese children with no associated comorbidities, presenting with an otorhinolaryngological (ENT) obstacle, generally an enlargement of lymphoid tissue (tonsils and/or adenoids).

Non selective beta-blockers prevent PHT-related complications occurrence in HCC patients with esophageal varices treated by TACE.

Introduction: We aimed to investigate the parameters associated with portal hypertension (PHT)-related complications occurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated by transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), with a focus on non-selective beta blockers (NSBBs) due to their impact on preventing liver decompensation.

Methods: We included all patients with HCC for whom endoscopy was available the day of first TACE (2013-2023). The occurrence of PHT-related complications was defined as the appearance of ascites, acute variceal bleeding or hepatic encephalopathy (HE) post-TACE treatment and prior to HCC progression.

Melatonin alleviates heat stress-induced spermatogenesis dysfunction in male dairy goats by regulating arachidonic acid metabolism mediated by remodeling the gut microbiota.

Background: Heat stress (HS) commonly occurring in summer has gradually become a factor threatening the reproductive performance of male dairy goats by reducing their fecundity. Despite the melatonin is applied to relieve HS, it is still unclear whether melatonin protects against reproductive damage induced by HS in dairy goats and how it works. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the role of melatonin in alleviating HS-induced spermatogenesis dysfunction in male dairy goats and further explore its mechanism.