Elevated lactate dehydrogenase - A red herring in the diagnosis of a sclerosing stromal tumor: A case report.

Sclerosing stromal tumors are a rare type of ovarian tumor in the category of sex cord stromal tumors, which arise from the ovarian connective tissue. This report concerns a case of a sclerosing stromal tumor in a 19-year-old nulliparous woman who presented with the chief complaints of menstrual irregularities and dyspareunia. Preoperative imaging revealed a complex right adnexal mass with blood flow and without associated ascites.

Standardizing data collection in adjuvant colon cancer trials: A consensus project from the IDEA and ACCENT international consortia and national experts.

Background: Despite contributions provided by the recent clinical trials, several issues and challenges still remain unsolved in adjuvant colon cancer (CC). Hence, further studies should be planned to better refine risk assessment as well as to establish the optimal treatment strategy in the adjuvant setting. However, it is necessary to request adequate, contemporary and relevant variables and report them homogeneously in order to bring maximal information when analyzing their prognostic value.

Oxaliplatin-Based Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Older Patients With Stage III Colon Cancer: An ACCENT/IDEA Pooled Analysis of 12 Trials.

Purpose: A number of studies suggest that older patients may have reduced or no benefit from the addition of oxaliplatin to fluoropyrimidines as adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer (CC).

Materials And Methods: We studied the prognostic impact of age, as well as treatment adherence/toxicity patterns according to age, in patients with stage III CC who received 3 or 6 months of infusional fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin/capecitabine and oxaliplatin (CAPOX) on the basis of data collected from trials from the ACCENT and IDEA databases. Associations between age and time to recurrence (TTR), disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), survival after recurrence (SAR), and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were assessed by a Cox model or a competing risk model, stratified by studies and adjusted for sex, performance status, T and N stage, and year of enrollment.

Different prognostic values of KRAS exon 2 submutations and BRAF V600E mutation in microsatellite stable (MSS) and unstable (MSI) stage III colon cancer: an ACCENT/IDEA pooled analysis of seven trials.

Background: The prognostic value of KRAS and BRAF mutations in stage III colon cancer (CC) remains controversial and has never been clearly analyzed in patients with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) tumors due to sample size limitations. Data are also lacking for KRAS submutations and prognosis.

Patients And Methods: We examined clinicopathological variables and prognosis in patients with surgically resected stage III CC who participated in seven clinical trials from the ACCENT/IDEA databases.

MicroRNA-Based Discovery of Biomarkers, Therapeutic Targets, and Repositioning Drugs for Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer treatment can be improved with biomarkers for early detection and individualized therapy. A set of 86 microRNAs (miRNAs) were identified to separate breast cancer tumors from normal breast tissues ( = 52) with an overall accuracy of 90.4%.

Expression-Based Diagnosis, Treatment Selection, and Drug Development for Breast Cancer.

There is currently no gene expression assay that can assess if premalignant lesions will develop into invasive breast cancer. This study sought to identify biomarkers for selecting patients with a high potential for developing invasive carcinoma in the breast with normal histology, benign lesions, or premalignant lesions. A set of 26-gene mRNA expression profiles were used to identify invasive ductal carcinomas from histologically normal tissue and benign lesions and to select those with a higher potential for future cancer development (ADHC) in the breast associated with atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH).

Breast, Ovarian, Uterine, Vaginal, and Vulvar Cancer Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Prevalence, Screening, Treatment, Palliative Care, and Human Resources Training.

Breast, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar cancers pose a significant risk to women's lives in low- and middle-income countries due to increasing incidence and presentation with advanced stage disease. There are challenges to screening and early detection and limitations in access to treatment and palliative care, and the current global health care workforce is insufficient. However, there is promise in development of telehealth strategies, task shifting, and increasing number of physician training programs to help address currently unmet needs.

Prognostic Impact of Early Treatment and Oxaliplatin Discontinuation in Patients With Stage III Colon Cancer: An ACCENT/IDEA Pooled Analysis of 11 Adjuvant Trials.

Purpose: Oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage III colon cancer (CC) for 6 months remains a standard in high-risk stage III patients. Data are lacking as to whether early discontinuation of all treatment (ETD) or early discontinuation of oxaliplatin (EOD) could worsen the prognosis.

Materials And Methods: We studied the prognostic impact of ETD and EOD in patients with stage III CC from the ACCENT/IDEA databases, where patients were planned to receive 6 months of infusional fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin or capecitabine plus oxaliplatin.

Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Outcomes by Age Among ARCAD First- and Second-Line Clinical Trials.

Background: We evaluated the time to progression (TTP) and survival outcomes of second-line therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer among adults aged 70 years and older compared with younger adults following progression on first-line clinical trials.

Methods: Associations between clinical and disease characteristics, time to initial progression, and rate of receipt of second-line therapy were evaluated. TTP and overall survival (OS) were compared between older and younger adults in first- and second-line trials by Cox regression, adjusting for age, sex, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, number of metastatic sites and presence of metastasis in the lung, liver, or peritoneum.

Intralesional SD-101 in Combination with Pembrolizumab in Anti-PD-1 Treatment-Naïve Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Results from a Multicenter, Phase II Trial.

Purpose: To determine whether SD-101, a Toll-like receptor 9 agonist, potentiates the antitumor activity of anti-PD-1 antibodies in patients with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 naïve, recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Patients And Methods: Patients with PD-1 Ab-naïve HNSCC received either 2 mg SD-101 injected in one to four lesions or 8 mg SD-101 injected into a single lesion weekly × 4 doses then every 3 weeks × 7 doses. Pembrolizumab was administered at 200 mg every 3 weeks.

Reevaluating Disease-Free Survival as an Endpoint vs Overall Survival in Stage III Adjuvant Colon Cancer Trials.

Background: Disease-free survival (DFS) with a 3-year median follow-up (3-year DFS) was validated as a surrogate for overall survival (OS) with a 5-year median follow-up (5-year OS) in adjuvant chemotherapy colon cancer (CC) trials. Recent data show further improvements in OS and survival after recurrence in patients who received adjuvant FOLFOX. Hence, reevaluation of the association between DFS and OS and determination of the optimal follow-up duration of OS to aid its utility in future adjuvant trials are needed.

Clinicopathological and Molecular Characteristics of Early-Onset Stage III Colon Adenocarcinoma: An Analysis of the ACCENT Database.

Background: Colon cancer (CC) incidence in young adults (age 20-49 years), termed early-onset CC (EO-CC), is increasing.

Methods: Individual patient data on 35 713 subjects with stage III colon cancer from 25 randomized studies in the Adjuvant Colon Cancer ENdpoint database were pooled. The distributions of demographics, clinicopathological features, biomarker status, and outcome data were summarized by age group.

Identification of Prognostic and Chemopredictive microRNAs for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer by Integrating SEER-Medicare Data.

This study developed a novel methodology to correlate genome-scale microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles in a lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) cohort ( = 57) with Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare LUSC patients ( = 33,897) as a function of composite tumor progression indicators of T, N, and M cancer stage and tumor grade. The selected prognostic and chemopredictive miRNAs were extensively validated with miRNA expression profiles of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient samples collected from US hospitals ( = 156) and public consortia including NCI-60, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA; = 1016), and Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE; = 117). Hsa-miR-142-3p was associated with good prognosis and chemosensitivity in all the studied datasets.

Treatment of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Based on Circulating Cell-Free DNA and Impact of Variation Allele Frequency.

Background: Next-generation sequencing of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) can identify sensitizing and resistance mutations in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). cfDNA is helpful when tissue is insufficient for genomic testing or repeat biopsy is not feasible or poses unacceptable risk. Here we report the experience of cfDNA testing at the time of diagnosis and how this intervention can help avoid further invasive interventions, how it can be used to determine initiation of therapy, and how variation allele frequency of the somatic alteration affects response to subsequent treatment.

Adverse event load, onset, and maximum grade: A novel method of reporting adverse events in cancer clinical trials.

Background: Current adverse event reporting practices do not document longitudinal characteristics of adverse effects, and alternative methods are not easily interpretable and have not been employed by clinical trials. Introducing time parameters in the evaluation of safety that are comprehensive yet easily interpretable could allow for a better understanding of treatment quality. In this study, we developed and applied a novel adverse event reporting method based on longitudinal adverse event changes to aid describing, summarizing, and presenting adverse event profile.

Diagnosis of digestive system tumours.

The WHO Classification of Tumours provides the international standards for the classification and diagnosis of tumours. It enables direct comparisons to be made between different countries. In the new fifth edition, the series has gone digital with the launch of a website as well as a series of books, known widely as the WHO Blue Books.

Novel Targeted Therapies for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in Elderly Patients: A Systematic Review.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) typically affects older patients; administration of traditional cytotoxic therapies in old patients has very modest benefit with no survival improvement. With better understanding of CLL biology, trends are shifting towards the use of targeted therapies. The objective of this article is to review the safety and efficacy of various novel agents that specifically target the dysregulated pathways, with particular attention to elderly patients.

Health-related quality-of-life results from the phase 3 OPTIMISMM study: pomalidomide, bortezomib, and low-dose dexamethasone versus bortezomib and low-dose dexamethasone in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

In the randomized phase-3 OPTIMISMM study, the addition of pomalidomide to bortezomib and low-dose dexamethasone (PVd) resulted in significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) in lenalidomide-pretreated patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), including lenalidomide refractory patients. Here, we report health-related quality of life (HRQoL) results from this trial. Patients received PVd or Vd in 21-day cycles until disease progression or discontinuation.

Treatment Timing in Small Cell Lung Cancer, a National Cancer Database Analysis.

Objectives: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive disease treated as soon as possible given its rapid doubling time. Evidence for the appropriate time to chemotherapy initiation (TCI) for SCLC is lacking. This study evaluated TCI in SCLC on a national level.

Inhalation of printer-emitted particles impairs cardiac conduction, hemodynamics, and autonomic regulation and induces arrhythmia and electrical remodeling in rats.

Background: Using engineered nanomaterial-based toners, laser printers generate aerosols with alarming levels of nanoparticles that bear high bioactivity and potential health risks. Yet, the cardiac impacts of printer-emitted particles (PEPs) are unknown. Inhalation of particulate matter (PM) promotes cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and ultra-fine particulates (< 0.

Reducing late evening bedtime electronic device intentions and use among young adults.

Objectives: We examined (Study #1) the association of attitudes, subjective norms (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) with intentions to reduce late evening electronic device (e-device) use and (Study #2) the impact of a brief theory-driven message on reducing the use.

Methods: Young adults aged 18-30 years participated in Internet surveys to assess sleep quality, attitudes, SN, PBC, and intentions to reduce and patterns of late evening e-device use. In Study #1, participants (n = 160) were randomized to receive a Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)-driven message based on information from the National Sleep Foundation and were assessed for intentions to decrease late evening e-device use immediately afterward.

Silver nanoparticles present high intracellular and extracellular killing against Staphylococcus aureus.

Objectives: Bone and joint infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus are becoming increasingly difficult to treat due to rising antibiotic resistance, resilient biofilms and intracellular survival of S. aureus. It has been challenging to identify and develop antimicrobial agents that can be used to kill extracellular and intracellular bacteria while having limited toxicity towards host cells.

Ixazomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma: long-term follow-up including ixazomib maintenance.

Triplet combinations containing a proteasome inhibitor are a standard of care in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM). We examined the long-term efficacy and safety of the all-oral combination of weekly ixazomib plus lenalidomide-dexamethasone (IRd), followed by single-agent ixazomib maintenance in NDMM patients. Of 65 enrolled patients, 53 received ixazomib 4 mg (days 1, 8, and 15) plus lenalidomide 25 mg (days 1-21) and dexamethasone 40 mg (days 1, 8, 15, and 22) for up to twelve 28-day induction cycles.