Surgical and Oncological Outcomes of Level III-IV Versus Level I-II Inferior Vena Cava Thrombectomy: A Decennial Experience of a High-Volume European Referral Center.

Background: In patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) the role of the extent of tumor thrombus into the inferior vena cava (IVC) has never been addressed from a surgical and oncologic standpoint. This study aims to evaluate differences between level III-IV versus level I-II patients concerning peri- and postoperative morbidity, additional treatments and long-term oncological outcomes.

Patients And Methods: Overall, 40 patients with RCC underwent radical nephrectomy (RN) with IVC thrombectomy at a single European institution between 2010 and 2023.

Magnetic seed localization is feasible for non-palpable melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, and soft tissue sarcoma lesions.

Background: Localization of non-palpable melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) and soft tissue sarcoma (STS) lesions can be difficult due to size, location, and obesity of patients or fibrosis due to previous treatments. Magnetic seed localization (MSL) is a common method to localize non-palpable breast lesions, but the feasibility of MSL for non-palpable melanoma, MCC and STS lesions has not yet been described.

Methods: In this retrospective single center cohort study, all consecutive patients between January 2021 and October 2023 who had a resection of a non-palpable melanoma, MCC or STS lesion guided by Sirius Pintuition, a MSL technique, were included.

The emergence of neoadjuvant immune- over BRAF therapy in melanoma.

Neoadjuvant therapy has emerged in high-risk stage III melanoma with immunotherapy improving long-term outcomes when compared with BRAF and MEK inhibition. Unmet needs remain surrounding optimal immunotherapy combinations, selection biomarkers and deintensification of treatment.

ROS1 fusions in resected stage I-III adenocarcinoma: Results from the European Thoracic Oncology Platform Lungscape project.

Background: ROS1 fusion is a relatively low prevalence (0.6-2.0%) but targetable driver in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

A joint model of longitudinal pharmacokinetic and time-to-event data to study exposure-response relationships: a proof-of-concept study with alectinib.

Purpose: In exposure-response analyses of oral targeted anticancer agents, longitudinal plasma trough concentrations are often aggregated into a single value even though plasma trough concentrations can vary over time due to dose adaptations, for example. The aim of this study was to compare joint models to conventional exposure-response analyses methods with the application of alectinib as proof-of-concept.

Methods: Joint models combine longitudinal pharmacokinetic data and progression-free survival data to infer the dependency and association between the two datatypes.

Improving Diagnosis and Care for Patients With Sarcoma: Do Real-World General Practitioners Data and Prospective Data Collections Have a Place Next to Clinical Trials?

There has been growing interest in the use of real-world data (RWD) to address clinically and policy-relevant (research) questions that cannot be answered with data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) alone. This is, for example, the case in rare malignancies such as sarcomas as limited patient numbers pose challenges in conducting RCTs within feasible timeliness, a manageable number of collaborators, and statistical power. This narrative review explores the potential of RWD to generate real-world evidence (RWE) in sarcoma research, elucidating its application across different phases of the patient journey, from prediagnosis to the follow-up/survivorship phase.

The prediagnostic general practitioner care of sarcoma patients: A real-world data study.

Background: Limited understanding exists regarding early sarcoma symptoms presented during general practitioner (GP) consultations. The study explores GP visit patterns and recorded diagnoses in the 12 months preceding sarcoma diagnosis.

Methods: Sarcoma cases diagnosed from 2010 to 2020 were identified through the Netherlands Cancer Registry alongside general practice data.

DNA Methylation and p53 Immunohistochemistry as Prognostic Biomarkers for Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus.

Vulvar lichen sclerosus (LS) is an inflammatory dermatosis that can progress to human papillomavirus (HPV)-independent vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (HPVi VIN) and vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC). Although LS has a much lower cancer risk compared with HPVi VIN (5% vs 50%, respectively), its incidence is significantly higher. Therefore, there is a clinical need to identify LS patients with an increased cancer risk.

Evaluation of Anti-Glycopeptidolipid-Core Immunoglobulin A Antibody Detection for the Diagnosis of Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Cervicofacial Lymphadenitis.

A multicenter cross-sectional diagnostic study was carried out including 45 children with nontuberculous mycobacterial cervicofacial lymphadenitis and controls. The tested immunoassay, detecting M. avium- specific anti-glycopeptidolipid-core immunoglobulin A antibodies, had inadequate diagnostic performance in the studied population and seems to be of no additional value in detecting cases of nontuberculous mycobacterial cervicofacial lymphadenitis.

Retzius sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: optimizing functional results.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to critically evaluate the existing body of evidence regarding the efficacy of Retzius-sparing radical prostatectomy (RS-RARP) in achieving improved functional outcomes. Moreover, we explored possible strategies to further optimize functional outcomes.

Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review (PROSPERO ID CRD42024539915) was performed on 9th September 2023 on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science.

Treatment patterns and survival outcomes of patients admitted to the intensive care unit due to immune-related adverse events of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Introduction: Severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs) due to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can lead to admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). In this retrospective study, we determined the incidence, treatment patterns and survival outcomes of this patient population at a comprehensive cancer center.

Methods: All patients admitted to the ICU due to irAEs from ICI treatment between January 2015 and July 2022 were included.

Exploring global barriers to optimal ovarian cancer care: thematic analysis.

Objective: To explore the barriers to ovarian cancer care, as reported in the open ended responses of a global expert opinion survey, highlighting areas for improvement in global ovarian cancer care. Potential solutions to overcome these barriers are proposed.

Methods: Data from the expert opinion survey, designed to assess the organization of ovarian cancer care worldwide, were analyzed.

Ductal carcinoma in situ develops within clonal fields of mutant cells in morphologically normal ducts.

Mutations are abundantly present in tissues of healthy individuals, including the breast epithelium. Yet it remains unknown whether mutant cells directly induce lesion formation or first spread, leading to a field of mutant cells that is predisposed towards lesion formation. To study the clonal and spatial relationships between morphologically normal breast epithelium adjacent to pre-cancerous lesions, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) imaging pipeline combined with spatially resolved genomics on archival, formalin-fixed breast tissue with the non-obligate breast cancer precursor ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

Insulin overdose with fatal outcome?: Two forensic cases.

Intentional overdose with insulin preparations is rare. However, fatal consequences due to severe hypoglycemia could occur. Postmortem toxicology screening of insulin is a challenge, given the chemical characteristics of this protein and the difficulty of distinguishing between endogenous and exogenous insulin in blood.

Textbook Neoadjuvant Outcome-Novel Composite Measure of Oncological Outcomes among Gastric Cancer Patients Undergoing Multimodal Treatment.

The incidence of gastric cancer (GC) is expected to increase to 1.77 million cases by 2040. To improve treatment outcomes, GC patients are increasingly treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) prior to curative-intent resection.

Skin pharmacokinetics of miltefosine in the treatment of post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis in South Asia.

Introduction: Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) arises as a dermal complication following a visceral leishmaniasis (VL) infection. Current treatment options for PKDL are unsatisfactory, and there is a knowledge gap regarding the distribution of antileishmanial compounds within human skin. The present study investigated the skin distribution of miltefosine in PKDL patients, with the aim to improve the understanding of the pharmacokinetics at the skin target site in PKDL.

Effects of a combined exercise and dietary intervention on body composition, physical functioning and fatigue in patients with ovarian cancer: results of the PADOVA trial.

Background: Guidelines recommend to include exercise and dietary advice in standard care for patients with cancer, based on evidence primarily derived from patients with breast cancer. Its applicability to patients with ovarian cancer is uncertain due to differences in patient characteristics and treatments. The PADOVA trial examined the effectiveness of a combined exercise and dietary intervention on fat-free mass (FFM), physical functioning, and fatigue.

Prostate size ≥ 100 g and its association with long-term outcomes of Retzius-sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

Background: It is unknown whether perioperative and functional outcomes of Retzius-sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RS-RARP) may be affected by large prostate sizes (PS).

Methods: All patients treated with RS-RARP were identified and compared according to PS. The definition of PS relied on the prostatic weight at final pathology (PS < 100 g vs ≥ 100 g).

Single-cell Atlas of Penile Cancer Reveals TP53 Mutations as a Driver of an Aggressive Phenotype, Irrespective of Human Papillomavirus Status, and Provides Clues for Treatment Personalization.

Background And Objective: TP53 loss-of-function (TP53LOF) mutations might be a driver of poor prognosis and chemoresistance in both human papillomavirus (HPV)-independent (HPV-) and HPV-associated (HPV+) penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC). Here, we aim to describe transcriptomic differences in the PSCC microenvironment stratified by TP53LOF and HPV status.

Methods: We used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and T-cell receptor sequencing to obtain a comprehensive atlas of the cellular architecture of PSCC.