Understanding the relationship between breast cancer, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and gut microbiota: a narrative review.

Background And Objective: The composition of gut microbiota plays an important role in predicting and influencing outcomes of cancer treated with immunotherapy. Our objective is to summarize the role of gut microbiota and immunotherapy in breast cancer.

Methods: A systematic search from inception until July 2024 of key search terms including immunity, breast neoplasm, gastrointestinal microbiome/microbiota, fecal microbiota transplantation, pro- and prebiotics, antibiotics and immunotherapy using EMBASE, MEDLINE and CENTRAL was conducted.

Trastuzumab Duocarmazine in Pretreated Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Positive Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer: An Open-Label, Randomized, Phase III Trial (TULIP).

Purpose: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted therapy is standard of care for HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer, but most patients develop progressive disease with persistent HER2 expression. No definitive treatment guidance currently exists beyond second line. Trastuzumab duocarmazine (T-Duo) is a third-generation, HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate that demonstrated efficacy and acceptable safety in phase I studies of heavily pretreated patients with HER2+/HER2-low breast cancer.

Dosimetric impact of rotational errors in trigeminal neuralgia radiosurgery using CyberKnife.

Purpose: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) can be treated on the CyberKnife system using two different treatment delivery paths: the general-purpose full path corrects small rotations, while the dedicated trigeminal path improves dose fall-off but does not allow rotational corrections. The study evaluates the impact of uncorrected rotations on brainstem dose and the length of CN5 (denoted as L) covered by the prescription dose.

Methods And Materials: A proposed model estimates the delivered dose considering translational and rotational delivery errors for TN treatments on the CyberKnife system.

Real-World Safety and Effectiveness of a Bevacizumab Biosimilar (ABP 215) in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients in Canada.

Background: ABP 215 is a biosimilar to the reference product, bevacizumab, and was one of the first biosimilars approved by Health Canada for the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). This study aimed to address gaps in real-world evidence (RWE) including patient characteristics, treatment safety (primary objective), and effectiveness (secondary objective) for first-line ABP 215 therapy in Canadian patients with mCRC.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective data were collected in 2 waves, at least 1 year (Wave 1) or 2 years (Wave 2) after commercial availability of ABP 215 at each participating site.

Cancer Center Staff Satisfaction: Descriptive Results of a Canadian Study.

Caring for cancer patients is generally considered very rewarding work, but it can also be stressful and demanding. Therefore, it is important for oncology healthcare professionals to feel satisfied with their work environment in order to provide the best care possible. An ethics-approved 61-item staff satisfaction survey was developed in-house to gain insights regarding workplace satisfaction among all staff at The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Center.

Workforce Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Crucial Component of Professionalism in Psychiatry.

Documented disparities have profoundly impacted the training and careers of physicians from socially and historically marginalized groups, including women, people with disabilities, people who identify with racial and ethnic minority groups, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning+ community. Professionalism is a core component of medical training and practice, yet a focus on workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion is often absent. This report aims to encourage the adoption of workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion as a crucial component of professionalism, with an emphasis on the field of psychiatry.

Impact of sequencing of androgen receptor-signaling inhibition and radiotherapy in prostate cancer: importance of homologous recombination disruption.

Purpose: The synergy of combining androgen receptor-signaling inhibition (ARSI) to radiotherapy (RT) in prostate cancer has been largely attributed to non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) inhibition. However, this mechanism is unlikely to explain recently observed trial results that demonstrated the sequencing of ARSI and RT significantly impacts clinical outcomes, with adjuvant ARSI following RT yielding superior outcomes to neoadjuvant/concurrent therapy. We hypothesized this is driven by differential effects on AR-signaling and alternative DNA repair pathway engagement based on ARSI/RT sequencing.

A narrative review from gut to lungs: non-small cell lung cancer and the gastrointestinal microbiome.

Background And Objective: The gut microbiome has emerged as an important gateway to improving therapeutic outcomes in lung cancer, especially for immunotherapy. Our objective is to review the impact of the bidirectional relationship between the gut microbiome, lung cancer, and the immune system, and to identify areas of future research.

Methods: We conducted a search on PubMed, EMBASE, and ClinicalTrials.

Outcomes of Second-Line Therapies in Patients With Metastatic de Novo and Treatment-Emergent Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer: A Multi-Institutional Study.

Background: De novo neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) and treatment-emergent neuroendocrine prostate cancer (T-NEPC) are rare diseases with a poor prognosis. After first-line platinum chemotherapy, there is no consensus on second-line treatments.

Patients And Methods: Patients with a pathologic diagnosis of de novo NEPC or T-NEPC between 2000 and 2020 who received first-line platinum and any second-line systemic therapy were selected and standardized clinical data was collected via the electronic health record at each institution.

Variations in Emergency Service Utilization among Cancer Survivors: Results from the Pan-Canadian Experiences of Cancer Patients in Transition Study Survey.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to examine variations in emergency service utilization (ESU) among cancer survivors during the first year after completing primary cancer treatment.

Methods: In 2016, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer collected survey responses from cancer survivors across Canada about self-reported ESU after completing primary cancer treatment. We included survey respondents diagnosed with nonmetastatic breast, hematologic, colorectal, melanoma, or prostate cancer.

Factors influencing cancer survivors' experiences with follow-up cancer care: results from the pan-Canadian Experiences of Cancer Patients in Transition Study survey.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of individual and structural factors on cancer survivors' experiences with follow-up cancer care.

Methods: In 2016, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer collected survey responses from cancer survivors about their experiences with follow-up cancer care. We included respondents from this survey if they were diagnosed with non-metastatic breast, hematologic, colon, melanoma, and prostate cancer.

A dose perturbation tool for robotic radiosurgery: Experimental validation and application to liver lesions.

Background: An analytical tool is empirically validated and used to assess the delivered dose to liver lesions accounting for different types of errors in robotic radiosurgery treatment.

Material And Methods: A tool is proposed to estimate the target doses taking into account the translation, rotation, and deformation of a target. Translational errors are modeled as a spatial convolution of the planned dose with a probability distribution function derived from treatment data.

Delivery of cancer care via an outpatient telephone support line: a cross-sectional study of oncology nursing perspectives on quality and challenges.

Rationale: Patient support lines (PSLs) assist in triaging clinical problems, addressing patient queries, and navigating a complex multi-disciplinary oncology team. While providing support and training to the nursing staff who operate these lines is key, there is limited data on their experience and feedback.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of oncology nurses' (ONs') perspectives on the provision of care via PSLs at a tertiary referral cancer center via an anonymous, descriptive survey.

Randomized trial of surveillance with abbreviated MRI in women with a personal history of breast cancer- impact on patient anxiety and cancer detection.

Background: Abbreviated breast MRI (A-MRI) substantially reduces the image acquisition and reading times and has been reported to have similar diagnostic accuracy as a full diagnostic protocol but has not been evaluated prospectively with respect to impact on psychological distress in women with a prior history of breast cancer (PHBC). This study aimed to determine if surveillance mammography (MG) plus A-MRI reduced psychological distress and if A-MRI improved cancer detection rates (CDR) as compared to MG alone.

Methods: This prospective controlled trial of parallel design was performed at a tertiary cancer center on asymptomatic women with PHBC who were randomized into two groups: routine surveillance with MG or intervention of MG plus A-MRI in a 1:1 ratio.

Primary Adenosquamous Carcinoma of the Prostate with Rectal Invasion.

Prostate adenosquamous carcinoma (pASC) is a rare form of prostate cancer accounting for <1% of all cases. It is generally considered an aggressive variant often presenting with significant symptom burden and/or metastatic disease. Given its rarity, optimal management of this cancer is unknown.

Workforce Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Crucial Component of Professionalism in Psychiatry.

Documented disparities have profoundly impacted the training and careers of physicians from socially and historically marginalized groups, including women, people with disabilities, people who identify with racial and ethnic minority groups, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning+ community. Professionalism is a core component of medical training and practice, yet a focus on workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion is often absent. This report aims to encourage the adoption of workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion as a crucial component of professionalism, with an emphasis on the field of psychiatry.

Steroid Use and Risk of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Goals: We sought to evaluate the association of steroids with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Background: Patients with IBD are at increased risk of NAFLD. Steroids may have a role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD.

Histologic and Genotypic Characterization of Lung Cancer in the Inuit Population of the Eastern Canadian Arctic.

Inuit are the Indigenous Arctic peoples and residents of the Canadian territory of Nunavut who have the highest global rate of lung cancer. Given lung cancer's mortality, histological and genomic characterization was undertaken to better understand the disease biology. We retrospectively studied all Inuit cases from Nunavut's Qikiqtani (Baffin) region, referred to the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Center between 2001 and 2011.

mutated pancreatic cancer: A change is coming.

Pancreatic cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related death with few available therapies for advanced disease. Recently, patients with germline mutations have received increased attention due to advances in the management of mutated ovarian and breast tumors. Germline mutations significantly increase risk of developing pancreatic cancer and can be found in up to 8% of patients with sporadic pancreatic cancer.

Safety and Efficacy of Atezolizumab in Understudied Populations with Pretreated Urinary Tract Carcinoma: Subgroup Analyses of the SAUL Study in Real-World Practice.

Purpose: Atezolizumab is an established treatment option for pretreated urothelial carcinoma, demonstrating efficacy in phase II/III trials. The SAUL study enrolled a broader patient population to determine safety and efficacy in underrepresented subgroups.

Materials And Methods: Patients with metastatic urinary tract carcinoma received atezolizumab 1,200 mg every 3 weeks until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, loss of clinical benefit, or patient/physician decision.

How Canadian Oncologists Use Oncotype DX for Treatment of Breast Cancer Patients.

Background: The literature suggests that medical oncologists differ on how they use the Oncotype DX (ODX) genomic assay for making decisions about systemic therapy in breast cancer patients. Given the emergence of data supporting the use of genomic profiling for the prognosis and predicting benefit of chemotherapy, we surveyed medical oncologists in Canada to assess their usage and perception of the ODX assay.

Methods: A 34-item survey was distributed to Canadian medical oncologists via the Canadian Association of Medical Oncologists.