Current Challenges for the Effective Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: Within a short period, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) spread all over the globe and became the first pandemic of the present century. Early diagnostic tools and effective drugs are urgently needed to effectively manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on current literature, we provide recent updates on SARS-CoV-2 biology, available diagnostic methods, and therapeutic options for the management of COVID-19 pandemic.

Tumor suppressor immune gene therapy to reverse immunotherapy resistance.

Background: While immune checkpoint inhibitors are becoming a standard of care for multiple types of cancer, the majority of patients do not respond to this form of immunotherapy. New approaches are required to overcome resistance to immunotherapies.

Methods: We investigated the effects of adenoviral p53 (Ad-p53) gene therapy in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors and selective IL2 or IL15 CD122/132 agonists in the aggressive B16F10 tumor model resistant to immunotherapies.

Pretreatment Risk Stratification for Endoscopic Kidney-sparing Surgery in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: An International Collaborative Study.

Background: Several groups have proposed features to identify low-risk patients who may benefit from endoscopic kidney-sparing surgery in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

Objective: To evaluate standard risk stratification features, develop an optimal model to identify ≥pT2/N+ stage at radical nephroureterectomy (RNU), and compare it with the existing unvalidated models.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was a collaborative retrospective study that included 1214 patients who underwent ureterorenoscopy with biopsy followed by RNU for nonmetastatic UTUC between 2000 and 2017.

Analysis of Adenoviral p53 Gene Therapy Clinical Trials in Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: We conducted an analysis of previous adenoviral p53 (Ad-p53) treatment data in recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients to identify optimal Ad-p53 treatment methods for future clinical trials.

Methods: The analysis involved recurrent HNSCC patients treated with Ad-p53 for whom p53 genotyping and immunohistochemistry tumor biomarker studies had been performed (n = 70). Ad-p53 tumor treatment responses defined by RECIST 1.

Novel Classification for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma to Better Risk-stratify Patients Eligible for Kidney-sparing Strategies: An International Collaborative Study.

Background: The European Association of Urology risk stratification dichotomizes patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) into two risk categories.

Objective: To evaluate the predictive value of a new classification to better risk stratify patients eligible for kidney-sparing surgery (KSS).

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was a retrospective study including 1214 patients from 21 centers who underwent ureterorenoscopy (URS) with biopsy followed by radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for nonmetastatic UTUC between 2000 and 2017.

Comparative effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in bladder and upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.

Objective: To assess the differential response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) compared to upper tract urothelial carcioma (UTUC) treated with radical surgery.

Patients And Methods: Data from 1299 patients with UCB and 276 with UTUC were obtained from multicentric collaborations. The association of disease location (UCB vs UTUC) with pathological complete response (pCR, defined as a post-treatment pathological stage ypT0N0) and pathological objective response (pOR, defined as ypT0-Ta-Tis-T1N0) after NAC was evaluated using logistic regression analyses.

A Phase Ib Study of Single-Agent Idelalisib Followed by Idelalisib in Combination with Chemotherapy in Patients with Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Lessons Learned: Although this study of idelalisib in patients with PDAC was limited in size and duration because of early termination, idelalisib exposure resulted in an overall safety profile consistent with studies in hematological malignancies, except that the incidences of diarrhea and colitis were reduced in patients with PDAC. Preclinical studies of the PI3K pathway in PDAC and positive clinical results of PI3K inhibition in other cancers support the continued development of PI3K inhibitors in PDAC.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the most lethal solid tumors and is often refractory to treatment.

Affective determinants of physical activity in cancer survivors.

Research with non-cancer survivor populations finds affective variables to be important determinants of physical activity. This study assessed the ability of explicit and implicit affective variables to predict the physical activity of cancer survivors, above that accounted for by cognitive variables. The study also tested whether the affective variables were connected to physical activity directly or indirectly through their association with behavioural intentions.