Trends and Disparities in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma-related Mortality in the United States from 1999 to 2020.

Purpose: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) arises from the epithelial cells of the bile ducts present inside the liver parenchyma and is associated with an overall poor prognosis due to advanced disease stage at the time of diagnosis. We used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) database to determine ICC-related mortality patterns in the United States from 1999 till 2020.

Methods: Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) and crude mortality rates (CMR) were extracted from the CDC WONDER database.

The Changing pathogenesis of liver cancer in Hawaii over three decades.

Background: Worldwide trends support the increasing contribution of hepatic steatosis on the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study investigates if similar changes are seen in Hawaii, where the incidence of HCC is higher than most of the United States. Methods; This is a retrospective study of 1651 patients diagnosed with HCC (1991-2023) that includes 60-70% of Hawaii's HCC cases.

Extracellular Regucalcin: A Potent Suppressor in the Cancer Cell Microenvironment.

The regucalcin gene is located on the X chromosome, comprising seven exons and six introns. This gene and protein are expressed in various tissues and cells and is predominantly expressed in human liver, kidney, and adrenal tissues. Regucalcin gene expression is enhanced via a mechanism mediated by several signaling molecules and transcription factors.

Diabetes Management Using a Patient Navigator in a Native Hawaiian Population: Experiences and Perceptions of the Kilolani Project.

Native Hawaiians (NHs) are a historically oppressed population disproportionately burdened by diabetes and related complications. The Kilolani Project, a patient navigator-centered, chronic disease management program, targets upstream drivers of health among vulnerable NH adult patients with diabetes within an urban academic safety-net clinic. To investigate the impact of the Kilolani Project, we performed a qualitative study to examine patient perspectives.

Unraveling complexity and leveraging opportunities in uncommon breast cancer subtypes.

Special histologic subtypes of breast cancer (BC) exhibit unique phenotypes and molecular profiles with diagnostic and therapeutic implications, often differing in behavior and clinical trajectory from common BC forms. Novel methodologies, such as artificial intelligence may improve classification. Genetic predisposition plays roles in a subset of cases.

Ambient Air Pollution and COPD: The Multiethnic Cohort Study.

Rationale: Globally, in 2019, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was the third leading cause of death. While tobacco smoking is the predominant risk factor, the role of long-term air pollution exposure in increasing risk of COPD remains unclear. Moreover, there are few studies that have been conducted in racial and ethnic minoritized and socioeconomically diverse populations, while accounting for smoking history and other known risk factors.

A proteogenomic analysis of the adiposity colorectal cancer relationship identifies GREM1 as a probable mediator.

Background: Adiposity is an established risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC). The pathways underlying this relationship, and specifically the role of circulating proteins, are unclear.

Methods: Utilizing two-sample univariable Mendelian randomization (UVMR), multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR), and colocalization, based on summary data from large sex-combined and sex-specific genetic studies, we estimated the univariable associations between: (i) body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) and overall and site-specific (colon, proximal colon, distal colon, and rectal) CRC risk, (ii) BMI and WHR and circulating proteins, and (iii) adiposity-associated circulating proteins and CRC risk.

Clinicopathologic characteristics of ductal carcinoma in situ and risk of subsequent invasive breast cancer: a multicenter, population-based cohort study.

Purpose: To study the association between clinicopathologic characteristics of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and risk of subsequent invasive breast cancer (IBC).

Methods: We conducted a case-control study nested in a multicenter, population-based cohort of 8175 women aged ≥ 18 years with DCIS diagnosed between 1987 and 2016 and followed for a median duration of 83 months. Cases (n = 497) were women with a first diagnosis of DCIS who developed a subsequent IBC ≥ 6 months later; controls (2/case; n = 959) were matched to cases on age at and calendar year of DCIS diagnosis.

Genome-wide association study of urinary cadmium levels in current smokers from the multiethnic cohort study.

Background: Cadmium (Cd), classified as an International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Group 1 human carcinogen, is present in cigarette smoke. Recent studies have illustrated the potential role of genetics in influencing Cd biomarker levels.

Methods: We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of urinary Cd levels in 1977 current smokers from the Multiethnic Cohort Study, comprising participants from five different racial and ethnic groups.

Factors associated with willingness to perform expedited excisional treatment for patients at high risk for cervical precancer.

Background: The 2019 ASCCP Risk-Based Management Consensus Guidelines prefer expedited treatment, defined as proceeding to excisional treatment without first performing colposcopic biopsy, for patients with screening results indicating a high risk of cervical precancer. In this mixed methods study, we explored clinician attitudes toward expedited treatment.

Methods: In 2021, a national sample of 671 clinicians who performed colposcopy completed surveys; a subset (n = 41) of clinicians who performed colposcopy and/or directed patient treatment completed qualitative interviews.

Overexpression of RGPR-p117 reveals anticancer effects by regulating multiple signaling pathways in bone metastatic human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells.

The role of RGPR-p117, a transcription factor, which binds to the TTGGC motif in the promoter region of the regucalcin gene, in cell regulation remains to be investigated. This study elucidated whether RGPR-p117 regulates the activity of triple-negative human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro. The wild-type and RGPR-p117-overexpressing cancer cells were cultured in DMEM supplemented with fetal bovine serum.

Diet-wide analyses for risk of colorectal cancer: prospective study of 12,251 incident cases among 542,778 women in the UK.

Uncertainty remains regarding the role of diet in colorectal cancer development. We examined associations of 97 dietary factors with colorectal cancer risk in 542,778 Million Women Study participants (12,251 incident cases over 16.6 years), and conducted a targeted genetic analysis in the ColoRectal Transdisciplinary Study, Colon Cancer Family Registry, and Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium (GECCO).

Evaluating health status and risks among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in Hawai'i: a respondent-driven sampling approach.

Purpose: Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) is a sampling method that relies on social networks to recruit hard-to-reach populations, and reduces the bias from non-random selection. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of RDS in collecting health assessment data from underrepresented populations not captured by traditional sampling techniques.

Methods: An RDS study was conducted in Hawai'i between 2017 and 2018 of Native Hawaiians, Chuukese, and Marshallese participants.

Advancing Natural Killer Cell Therapy: Genetic Engineering Strategies for Enhanced Cancer Immunotherapy.

Natural killer (NK) cells are pivotal innate immune system components that exhibit spontaneous cytolytic activity against abnormal cells, such as infected and tumor cells. NK cells have shown significant promise in adoptive cell therapy because of their favorable safety profiles and minimal toxicity in clinical settings. Despite their advantages, the therapeutic application of unmodified NK cells faces challenges, including limited in vivo persistence, particularly in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.

AI in Biomedicine-A Forward-Looking Perspective on Health Equity.

As new artificial intelligence (AI) tools are being developed and as AI continues to revolutionize healthcare, its potential to advance health equity is increasingly recognized. The 2024 Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Consortium National Conference session titled "Artificial Intelligence: Safely, Ethically, and Responsibly" brought together experts from diverse institutions to explore AI's role and challenges in advancing health equity. This report summarizes presentations and discussions from the conference focused on AI's potential and its challenges, particularly algorithmic bias, transparency, and the under-representation of minority groups in AI datasets.

Serial biomarker measurements may be helpful to predict the successful application of high flow nasal cannula in COVID-19 pneumonia patients.

High flow nasal cannula (HFNC) can reduce the need for intubation in patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pneumonia induced acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF), but predictors of HFNC success could be characterized better. C-reactive protein (CRP) and D-dimer are associated with COVID-19 severity and progression. However, no one has evaluated the use of serial CRP and D-dimer ratios to predict HFNC success.

Protective effects of methylnissolin and methylnissolin-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside on TNF-α-induced inflammation in human dermal fibroblasts.

Methylnissolin-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (MNG) and methylnissolin (MN) are pterocarpan derivatives that are found in plants, such as Astragalus membranaceus. There are limited existing studies on the potential health benefits of MNG, and currently there is no evidence to suggest that MNG has any impact on skin-aging. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) plays a significant role in skin aging by promoting chronic inflammation, damaging skin cells, and impairing the skin's natural repair mechanisms.

Illudin S inhibits p53-Mdm2 interaction for anticancer efficacy in colorectal cancer.

The impairment of the p53 pathway was once regarded as inadequately druggable due to the specificity of the p53 structure, its flat surface lacking an ideal drug-binding site, and the difficulty in reinstating p53 function. However, renewed interest in p53-based therapies has emerged, with promising approaches targeting p53 and ongoing clinical trials investigating p53-based treatments across various cancers. Despite significant progress in p53-targeted therapies, challenges persist in identifying effective therapeutic targets within the p53 pathway.

Clinicopathological significance of androgen receptor expression and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in triple-negative breast cancer: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a serious disease with limited treatment options. We explored the significance of androgen receptor (AR) expression and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in predicting neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) resistance in TNBC, hypothesizing that AR/TIL classification using pretreatment biopsies can identify NAC-resistant subgroups and improve the understanding of apocrine differentiation.

Methods: This retrospective study included 156 consecutive patients with TNBC treated with NAC.

Precision targeting of β-catenin induces tumor reprogramming and immunity in hepatocellular cancers.

First-line immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) combinations show responses in subsets of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Nearly half of HCCs are Wnt-active with mutations in (encoding for β-catenin), , or , and demonstrate limited benefit to ICI due to an immune excluded tumor microenvironment. We show significant tumor responses in multiple β-catenin-mutated immunocompetent HCC models to a novel siRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticle targeting (LNP-CTNNB1).

Reproductive factors and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer: results from the Asia Cohort Consortium.

Background: There are scarce data on risk factors for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in Asian populations. Our goal was to advance knowledge on reproductive -related risk factors for EOC in a large population of Asian women.

Methods: This study used pooled individual data from baseline questionnaires in 11 prospective cohorts (baseline years, 1958-2015) in the Asia Cohort Consortium.

The novel marine factor 3,5-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzyl alcohol exhibits anticancer activity by regulating multiple signaling pathways in human glioblastoma cells: Blocking EGF signaling.

Glioblastoma is the most common adult malignant brain tumor. This tumor is aggressive and the most lethal. Trials to improve the outcome of patients with this tumor remain critical.

Menopausal hormone therapy: assessing associations with breast and colorectal cancers by familial risk.

Menopausal users of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are at increased breast cancer risk and decreased colorectal cancer (CRC) risk compared with individuals who have never used HRT, but these opposing associations may differ by familial risk of breast cancer and CRC. We harmonized data from 3 cohorts and generated separate breast cancer and CRC familial risk scores based on cancer family history. We defined moderate or strong family history as a risk score of 0.