Five-year survival of patients with late-stage prostate cancer: comparison of the Military Health System and the U.S. general population.

Background: While the 5-year survival rate for local and regional prostate cancer is nearly 100%, it decreases dramatically for advanced tumours. Accessibility to health care is an important factor for cancer prognosis. The U.

Cancers of unknown primary: Survival by histologic type, demographic features, and treatment in the U.S. Military Health System.

Background: Cancers of unknown primary (CUP), a group of heterogenous metastatic cancers lacking a known primary site, have poor prognosis. This study compared survival of CUP by histologic type, patient characteristics, and treatment in the U.S.

Differentially expressed glycoproteins in pre- and post-digital rectal examination urine samples for detecting aggressive prostate cancer.

Urinary glycoproteins associated with aggressive prostate cancer (AG-PCa) were previously reported using post-digital rectal examination (DRE) urine specimens. To explore the potential of using pre-DRE urine specimens for detecting AG-PCa, we compared glycoproteins between pre- and post-DRE urine specimens, verified the previously identified post-DRE AG-PCa-associated urinary glycoproteins in pre-DRE urine specimens, and explored potential new glycoproteins for AG-PCa detection in pre-DRE urine specimens. Quantitative glycoproteomic data were acquired for 154 pre-DRE urine specimens from 41 patients with no cancer at biopsy, 48 patients with non-AG-PCa (Gleason score = 6), and 65 patients with AG-PCa (Gleason score 7 or above).

Effect of Differences in Access to Screening, Healthcare, and Treatment on Cancer Disparities.

Cancer is a heterogeneous disease with over 100 recognized types that differ by organ site and cellular origins [...

Proteogenomic analysis of lung adenocarcinoma reveals tumor heterogeneity, survival determinants, and therapeutically relevant pathways.

We present a deep proteogenomic profiling study of 87 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tumors from the United States, integrating whole-genome sequencing, transcriptome sequencing, proteomics and phosphoproteomics by mass spectrometry, and reverse-phase protein arrays. We identify three subtypes from somatic genome signature analysis, including a transition-high subtype enriched with never smokers, a transversion-high subtype enriched with current smokers, and a structurally altered subtype enriched with former smokers, TP53 alterations, and genome-wide structural alterations. We show that within-tumor correlations of RNA and protein expression associate with tumor purity and immune cell profiles.

The effect of race on treatment patterns and subsequent health-related quality of life outcomes in men undergoing treatment for localized prostate cancer.

Introduction: Racial differences in Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) after treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) are not well studied. We compared treatment patterns and HRQoL in African American (AA) and non-AA men undergoing active surveillance (AS), radical prostatectomy (RP), or radiation (XRT).

Methods: Men diagnosed with PCa from 2007-2017 in the Center for Prostate Disease Research Database were identified.

Cancer Incidence and Etiology in the Active Duty Population of U.S. Military.

Introduction: As members of the military, all active duty service members (ADS) must meet physical fitness requirements and are provided with equal-access healthcare through the DoD. In addition, 92% of ADS are ≤40 years of age. Together, these characteristics suggest that ADS represent a healthy population that may have a low risk of cancer.

Proteomic alterations associated with residual disease in neoadjuvant chemotherapy treated ovarian cancer tissues.

Background: Optimal cytoreduction to no residual disease (R0) correlates with improved disease outcome for high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) patients. Treatment of HGSOC patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, however, may select for tumor cells harboring alterations in hallmark cancer pathways including metastatic potential. This study assessed this hypothesis by performing proteomic analysis of matched, chemotherapy naïve and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT)-treated HGSOC tumors obtained from patients who had suboptimal (R1, n = 6) versus optimal (R0, n = 14) debulking at interval debulking surgery (IDS).

Eligibility, uptake and response to germline genetic testing in women with DCIS.

Background: Ductal carcinoma (DCIS) is a malignant, yet pre-invasive disease of the breast. While the majority of DCIS have low risk of recurrence, a subset of women with germline pathogenic variants (PV) in cancer predisposition genes are at increased risk for recurrence. Uptake of genetic testing and subsequent surgical intervention in women with DCIS has not been well-studied.

Influence of germline test results on surgical decision making in women with invasive breast cancer.

Background: While therapeutic mastectomy with contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (TM+CPM) and/or bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) are recommended for women with pathogenic variants (PV) in some cancer predisposition genes, evidence for the utility of these surgeries for women with PV in other genes currently is insufficient. In conjunction, current guidelines recommend that clinical management should not be influenced by a return of a variant of uncertain significance (VUS). Return of germline test results may, however, influence surgical decision making regardless of current guidelines.

The relationship between prior psychiatric diagnosis and brain cancer diagnosis in the U.S. military health system.

Purpose: Prior research suggested the increased likelihood of brain cancer diagnosis following certain psychiatric diagnoses. This association may result from detection bias or suggest an early sign for brain cancer. This study investigated whether psychiatric illness may be an early manifestation of brain cancer while considering potential effects of detection bias.

Phase III Randomized Trial of Maintenance Taxanes Versus Surveillance in Women With Advanced Ovarian/Tubal/Peritoneal Cancer: A Gynecologic Oncology Group 0212:NRG Oncology Study.

Purpose: To compare taxane maintenance chemotherapy, paclitaxel (P) and paclitaxel poliglumex (PP), with surveillance (S) in women with ovarian, peritoneal, or fallopian tube (O/PC/FT) cancer who attained clinical complete response after first-line platinum-taxane therapy.

Methods: Women diagnosed with O/PC/FT cancer who attained clinical complete response after first-line platinum-taxane-based chemotherapy were randomly allocated 1:1:1 to S or maintenance, P 135 mg/m once every 28 days for 12 cycles, or PP at the same dose and schedule. Overall survival (OS) was the primary efficacy end point.

Soft-tissue Sarcoma Survival in the US Military Health System: Comparison With the SEER Program.

Introduction: The US Military Health System (MHS) provides universal health care to beneficiaries. Few studies have evaluated the potential influence of access to universal care on survival outcomes for sarcoma. This study compared the survival of adult patients with soft-tissue sarcoma in the MHS with the US general population.

Industrialized, Artificial Intelligence-guided Laser Microdissection for Microscaled Proteomic Analysis of the Tumor Microenvironment.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) represents a complex ecosystem comprised of dozens of distinct cell types, including tumor, stroma, and immune cell populations. To characterize proteome-level variation and tumor heterogeneity at scale, high-throughput methods are needed to selectively isolate discrete cellular populations in solid tumor malignancies. This protocol describes a high-throughput workflow, enabled by artificial intelligence (AI), that segments images of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained, thin tissue sections into pathology-confirmed regions of interest for selective harvest of histology-resolved cell populations using laser microdissection (LMD).

Race-specific prostate cancer outcomes in a cohort of military health care beneficiaries undergoing surgery: 1990-2017.

Background: There is substantial variability in prostate cancer (PCa) mortality rates across Caucasian American (CA), African American (AA), Asian, and Hispanic men; however, these estimates are unable to disentangle race or ethnicity from confounding factors. The current study explores survival differences in long-term PCa outcomes between self-reported AA and CA men, and examines clinicopathologic features across self-reported CA, AA, Asian, and Hispanic men.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized the Center for Prostate Disease Research (CPDR) Multi-center National Database from 1990 to 2017.

Conditional estimates for uterine serous cancer: Tools for survivorship counseling and planning.

Objectives: Develop conditional survival and risk-assessment estimates for uterine serous carcinoma (USC) overall and stratified by stage as tools for annual survivorship counseling and care planning.

Methods: Patients in the National Cancer Data Base diagnosed between 2004 and 2014 with stage I-IV USC were eligible. Individuals missing stage or survival data or with multiple malignancies were excluded.

Race-specific prostate cancer outcomes in a cohort of low and favorable-intermediate risk patients who underwent external beam radiation therapy from 1990 to 2017.

Background: Previous research exploring the role of race on prostate cancer (PCa) outcomes has demonstrated greater rates of disease progression and poorer overall survival for African American (AA) compared to Caucasian American (CA) men. The current study examines self-reported race as a predictor of long-term PCa outcomes in patients with low and favorable-intermediate risk disease treated with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study examined patients who were consented to enrollment in the Center for Prostate Disease Research Multicenter National Database between January 01, 1990 and December 31, 2017.

Circulating Cell-free DNA in Serum as a Marker for the Early Detection of Tumor Recurrence in Breast Cancer Patients.

Background/aim: Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) isolated from serum by noninvasive procedures can serve as a potential biomarker for the early detection of many cancers. The aim of this study was to implement a simple, yet effective quantitative method for measuring the cfDNA in serum and to investigate the relationship between cfDNA and the occurrence of recurrence in breast cancer (BrCa) patients.

Patients And Methods: A total of 240 cases were selected, which comprised different subtypes of BrCa patients and control individuals.

Relationship between Cigarette Smoking and Cancer Characteristics and Survival among Breast Cancer Patients.

Carcinogenic effects of tobacco smoke may affect breast tumorigenesis. To assess whether cigarette smoking is associated with breast cancer characteristics, we investigated the relationships between smoking, pathological characteristics, and outcomes in 2153 women diagnosed with breast cancer 2001-2016. Patients were classified as never, former, or current smokers at the time of diagnosis.

Impaired neurogenesis alters brain biomechanics in a neuroprogenitor-based genetic subtype of congenital hydrocephalus.

Hydrocephalus, characterized by cerebral ventricular dilatation, is routinely attributed to primary defects in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) homeostasis. This fosters CSF shunting as the leading reason for brain surgery in children despite considerable disease heterogeneity. In this study, by integrating human brain transcriptomics with whole-exome sequencing of 483 patients with congenital hydrocephalus (CH), we found convergence of CH risk genes in embryonic neuroepithelial stem cells.