Improved intracochlear biopolymeric drug delivery system: an study.

Background: The delivery of drugs into the inner ear is a challenging field of study due to the complex cochlear anatomy and physiology. The creation of an intracochlear device that allows for short- and long-term intracochlear delivery of the drugs with a minimal invasive technology is needed to prevent or treat conditions that can potentially prevent the development of permanent hearing loss.

Aim: This study intends to test the efficacy of DXM-infused PLGA microneedles created in our laboratory in an animal model of acute ototoxic injury.

Perineural Invasion in Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common skin cancer, with a lifetime risk of 14-20% that is rising every year. Although prognosis for cSCC is generally good, certain high-risk features of cSCC portend increased rates of nodal and distant metastasis, recurrence, and disease-specific mortality. One such high-risk factor is perineural invasion (PNI), which is broadly defined as the invasion of cancer into and around nerves.

Nodal Burden and Oncologic Outcomes in Patients With Residual Isolated Tumor Cells After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy (ypN0i+): The OPBC-05/ICARO Study.

Purpose: The nodal burden of patients with residual isolated tumor cells (ITCs) in the sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) (ypN0i+) is unknown, and axillary management is not standardized. We investigated rates of additional positive lymph nodes (LNs) at axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) and oncologic outcomes in patients with ypN0i+ treated with and without ALND.

Methods: The Oncoplastic Breast Consortium-05/ICARO cohort study (ClinicalTrials.

Measurable residual mutated IDH1 before allogeneic transplant for acute myeloid leukemia.

Measurable residual disease (MRD) in adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in complete remission is an important prognostic marker, but detection methodology requires optimization. Persistence of mutated NPM1 or FLT3-ITD in the blood of adult patients with AML in first complete remission (CR1) prior to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (alloHCT) associates with increased relapse and death after transplant. The prognostic implications of persistence of other common AML-associated mutations, such as IDH1, at this treatment landmark however remain incompletely defined.

Nucleolar Pol II interactome reveals TBPL1, PAF1, and Pol I at intergenic rDNA drive rRNA biogenesis.

Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) repeats harbor ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and intergenic spacers (IGS). RNA polymerase (Pol) I transcribes rRNA genes yielding rRNA components of ribosomes. IGS-associated Pol II prevents Pol I from excessively synthesizing IGS non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that can disrupt nucleoli and rRNA production.

Similarities in B Cell Defects between Aging and Obesity.

The aging population is increasing worldwide, and there is also an increase in the aging population living with overweight and obesity, due to changes in lifestyle and in dietary patterns that elderly individuals experience later in life. Both aging and obesity are conditions of accelerated metabolic dysfunction and dysregulated immune responses. In this review, we summarize published findings showing that obesity induces changes in humoral immunity similar to those induced by aging and that the age-associated B cell defects are mainly due to metabolic changes.

Existing Health Inequities in the Treatment of Advanced and Metastatic Cancers.

Purpose Of Review: This study aims to identify health inequities related to the medical treatment and supportive care of patients with advanced/metastatic cancer and recommend solutions to promote health equity.

Recent Findings: Despite robust strides in the development of therapeutic strategies for advanced and metastatic cancer, significant disparities in treatment access and implementation exist. Race, socioeconomic status, gender, and geography represent just a few of the individual-level factors which contribute to challenges in treatment administration, thorough evaluation of germline genetics and tumor genomics, and quality palliative and end-of-life care.

Predicting long-term survival among patients with HCC.

Background: Prognosticating survival among patients with HCC and cirrhosis must account for both the tumor burden/stage, as well as the severity of the underlying liver disease. Although there are many staging systems used to guide therapy, they have not been widely adopted to predict patient-level survival after the diagnosis of HCC. We sought to develop a score to predict long-term survival among patients with early- to intermediate-stage HCC using purely objective criteria.

Notch1 blockade by a novel, selective anti-Notch1 neutralizing antibody improves immunotherapy efficacy in melanoma by promoting an inflamed TME.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have dramatically improved the life expectancy of patients with metastatic melanoma. However, about half of the patient population still present resistance to these treatments. We have previously shown Notch1 contributes to a non-inflamed TME in melanoma that reduces the response to ICI.

Cannabis Use Among Cancer Patients During Active Treatment: Findings From a Study at an NCI-Designated Cancer Center.

Objective: This study aims to describe patterns, sources, and reasons for cannabis use among cancer patients during active treatment (+CDTX) compared to no-use during active treatment (-CDTX).

Methods: Data are from 385 surveys collected via REDCap during phase I of an ongoing study among adult cancer patients seen at an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center within the last 5 years of treatment. A harmonized survey was created with 11 other NCI centers to assess cannabis use patterns, sources, and reasons for use.

Circulating Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma associated MYB transcripts enable rapid and sensitive detection of metastatic disease in blood liquid biopsies.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare and lethal malignancy that originates in secretory glands of the head and neck. A prominent molecular feature of ACC is the overexpression of the proto-oncogene MYB. ACC has a poor long-term survival due to its high propensity for recurrence and protracted metastasis.

Effects of a culturally tailored patient navigation program on unmet supportive care needs in Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Patient navigation (PN) is a promising yet underused approach to address Hispanic/Latino (H/L) cancer survivors' unmet supportive care needs. The authors conducted a randomized trial to evaluate the effect of a culturally tailored PN program with the LIVESTRONG Foundation's Cancer Navigation Services (PN-LCNS) on reducing unmet needs in H/L survivors.

Methods: From 2012 to 2015 at two US sites, 288 H/L survivors diagnosed with breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer were randomized to a PN-LCNS program or to standard PN.

Navigating the changing landscape of BTK-targeted therapies for B cell lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

The B cell receptor (BCR) signalling pathway has an integral role in the pathogenesis of many B cell malignancies, including chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, mantle cell lymphoma, diffuse large B cell lymphoma and Waldenström macroglobulinaemia. Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) is a key node mediating signal transduction downstream of the BCR. The advent of BTK inhibitors has revolutionized the treatment landscape of B cell malignancies, with these agents often replacing highly intensive and toxic chemoimmunotherapy regimens as the standard of care.

A 20-year analysis of gender trends in oncology authorship in the Cochrane database of systematic reviews.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate global longitudinal publication trends in oncology in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) from 2001-2020.

Design: Retrospective bibliometric analysis.

Primary And Secondary Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measures were the numbers and percentages of women as first, last, and corresponding author across all CDSR oncology publications.

Mesenchymal Tumors of the Skin: A Review.

Mesenchymal tumors of the skin are rare and clinically heterogeneous, and can represent diagnostic challenge for pathologists. Most of these lesions have overlapping clinical and histological features, thus the understanding of architectural patterns, cytoplasmic and stromal features can facilitate proper diagnosis. Anatomic site may be an important factor in the differential diagnosis, as are patient's age and sex.

International Multicenter Retrospective Study From the Ultra-rare Sarcoma Working Group on Low-grade Fibromyxoid Sarcoma, Sclerosing Epithelioid Fibrosarcoma, and Hybrid Forms: Outcome of Primary Localized Disease.

The aim of the study was to report the outcome of primary localized low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma (LGFMS), sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF), and hybrid LGFMS/SEF (H-LGFMS/SEF). Patients with primary localized LGFMS, SEF, or H-LGFMS/SEF, surgically treated with curative intent from January 2000 to September 2022, were enrolled from 14 countries and 27 institutions. Pathologic inclusion criteria were predefined by expert pathologists.

Whole-exome profiles of inflammatory breast cancer and pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) became a standard treatment strategy for patients with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) because of high disease aggressiveness. However, given the heterogeneity of IBC, no molecular feature reliably predicts the response to chemotherapy. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) of clinical tumor samples provides an opportunity to identify genomic alterations associated with chemosensitivity.

ctDNA in the reading room: A guide for radiologists.

Liquid biopsy with sequencing of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a minimally invasive method for sampling body fluids and offers a promising alternative to tissue biopsies that involve greater risks, costs, and time. ctDNA not only identifies actionable targets by revealing unique molecular signatures in cancer, but also may assess treatment response, treatment resistance and progression, and recurrence. Imaging correlates of these applications are already being identified and utilized for various solid tumors.

Advances in Targeted Therapy: Addressing Resistance to BTK Inhibition in B-Cell Lymphoid Malignancies.

B-cell lymphoid malignancies are a heterogeneous group of hematologic cancers, where Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors have received FDA approval for several subtypes. The first-in-class covalent BTK inhibitor, Ibrutinib, binds to the C481 amino acid residue to block the BTK enzyme and prevent the downstream signaling. Resistance to covalent BTK inhibitors (BTKi) can occur through mutations at the BTK binding site (C481S) but also other BTK sites and the phospholipase C gamma 2 (PLCγ2) resulting in downstream signaling.