Oncology cancer tumor

PURPOSE: The multicenter, open-label, randomized phase 2 NCI-9944 study (NCT02595892) demonstrated that addition of ATR inhibitor (ATRi) berzosertib to gemcitabine increased progression-free survival (PFS) compared to gemcitabine alone (hazard ratio [HR]=0.57, one-sided log-rank P = .044, which met the one-sided significance level of 0.1 used for sample size calculation). METHODS: We report here the final overall survival (OS) analysis and biomarker correlations (ATM expression by immunohistochemistry, mutational signature 3 and a genomic biomarker of replication stress) along with post-hoc exploratory analyses to adjust for crossover from gemcitabine to gemcitabine/berzosertib...

PURPOSE: To understand the mutational landscape of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and tumor tissue of patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) treated with abemaciclib + endocrine therapy (ET). METHODS: Blood samples for ctDNA and/or tissue samples were collected from abemaciclib-treated patients with HR+/HER2- MBC enrolled in the SCRUM-Japan MONSTAR-SCREEN project. Blood samples were collected before abemaciclib initiation (baseline) and at disease progression/abemaciclib discontinuation (post abemaciclib treatment)...

PURPOSE: High-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma (HGNEC) of the lung is an aggressive cancer with a complex biology. We aimed to explore the prognostic value of genetic aberrations and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) expression in HGNEC and to establish a novel prognostic model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 191 patients with histologically confirmed HGNEC of the lung. Tumor tissues were analyzed using PARP1 immunohistochemistry (IHC; N = 191) and comprehensive cancer panel sequencing (n = 102)...

Monitoring neoplasms in standardized registries facilitates epidemiologic studies of risk factors for tumor development and predisposition. In an observational study, we determined incidence rates (IR) and malignant tumor incidence rate ratios (IRR) by age, sex, and breed in Swiss dogs using demographic data from the official Swiss dog registration database Amicus. The dataset analyzed included 54'986 tumors diagnosed by histology and cytology in four Swiss veterinary pathology laboratories between 2008 and 2020...

PURPOSE: Given that left upper lobe and right upper and middle lobes share a similar anatomy, segmentectomy, such as upper division and lingulectomy, should yield identical oncological clearance to left upper lobectomy. We compared the prognosis of segmentectomy with that of lobectomy for early stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the left upper lobe. METHODS: We retrospectively examined 2115 patients who underwent segmentectomy or lobectomy for c-stage I (TNM 8th edition) NSCLC in the left upper lobe in 2010...

BACKGROUND: Many gastric cancer patients in Western countries are diagnosed as metastatic with a median overall survival of less than twelve months using standard chemotherapy. Innovative treatments, like targeted therapy or immunotherapy, have recently proved to ameliorate prognosis, but a general agreement on managing oligometastatic disease has yet to be achieved. An international multi-disciplinary workshop was held in Bertinoro, Italy, in November 2022 to verify whether achieving a consensus on at least some topics was possible...

PURPOSE: To assess the real-world prevalence of microsatellite instability (MSI)/mismatch repair (MMR) testing and related tumor status in recurrent/advanced endometrial cancer patients in Europe. METHODS: Data were from two multi-center, retrospective patient chart review studies conducted in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France and Spain: The Endometrial Cancer Health Outcomes-Europe-First-Line (ECHO-EU-1L) study and the ECHO-EU-Second-Line (ECHO-EU-2L) study...

Over a decade ago, longitudinal multiomics analysis was pioneered for early disease detection and individually tailored precision health interventions. However, high sample processing costs, expansive multiomics measurements along with complex data analysis have made this approach to precision/personalized medicine impractical. Here we describe in a case report, a more practical approach that uses fewer measurements, annual sampling, and faster decision making. We also show how this approach offers promise to detect an exceedingly rare and potentially fatal condition before it fully manifests...

Discovery research is the starting point for the development of more effective anti-cancer treatments. It requires an interdisciplinary research environment with first-class infrastructural support in which curiosity-driven research can lead to new concepts for treating cancer. Translating such research findings to clinical practice requires complementary skills and infrastructures, including high-quality clinical facilities, access to patient cohorts and participation of pharma. This complex ecosystem has yielded many new but also "me too" treatment regimens, especially in immuno-oncology resulting in an extremely high pricing of anti-cancer agents...

In prostate cancer (PCa), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) promote tumor progression, drug resistance, and metastasis. Although circulating tumor cells are studied as prognostic and diagnostic markers, little is known about other circulating cells and their association with PCa metastasis. Here, we explored the presence of circulating CAFs (cCAFs) in metastatic castration-naïve prostate cancer (mCNPC) patients. cCAFs were stained with fibroblast activation protein (FAP), epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), and receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase C (CD45), then FAP+ EpCAM- cCAFs were enumerated and sorted using fluorescence-activated cell sorting...

INTRODUCTION: Immunotherapy by blocking immune checkpoints programmed death/ligand (PD1/PDL1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4(CTLA4) has emerged as new therapeutic targets in cancer. However, their efficacy has been limited due to resistance. A new- checkpoint V-domain Ig-containing suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA) has appeared, but the use of its inhibition effect in combination with antibodies targeting PDL1/PD1and CTLA4 has not been reported in ovarian cancer...

OBJECTIVE: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and elastography are of great value in the diagnosis of cervical cancer (CC). However, there is limited research on the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasound combined with elastography in predicting concurrent chemoradiotherapy and disease progression for cervical cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of contrast-enhanced ultrasound combined with elastography and tumor prognosis. METHODS: MRI was performed on 98 patients with cervical cancer before and after treatment...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignant liver tumor and one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway is a highly conserved pathway involved in several biological processes, including the improper regulation that leads to the tumorigenesis and progression of cancer. New studies have found that abnormal activation of the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway is a major cause of HCC tumorigenesis, progression, and resistance to therapy...

Early diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma relies on imaging tests such as ultrasound, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging. Since surgery is associated with a favorable prognosis, the standard treatment for clinically limited renal cell carcinoma remains surgical resection. Among asymptomatic patients with localized renal cell carcinoma, a small number refuse surgical treatment and survive. We report a case involving a 59-year-old female who underwent a difficult radical nephrectomy 17 years after being diagnosed with malignant tumors due to primary renal cell carcinoma...

The Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway is a major regulator of the cytoprotective response, participating in endogenous and exogenous stress caused by ROS (reactive oxygen species). Nrf2 is the core of this pathway. We summarized the literature on Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway and summarized the following three aspects: structure, function pathway, and cancer and clinical application status. This signaling pathway is similar to a double-edged sword: on the one hand, Nrf2 activity can protect cells from oxidative and electrophilic stress; on the other hand, increasing Nrf2 activity can enhance the survival and proliferation of cancer cells...

INTRODUCTION: Treatment for recurrent ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is clinically challenging as response rates to traditional chemotherapy are low, and recurrence rates are high. Immunotherapy has shown promise for this ovarian cancer (OC) subtype, and tumor molecular testing allows for the identification of a patient population that might benefit most from this treatment. We describe the clinical course and somatic genomic testing of 4 patients who received pembrolizumab for recurrent OCCC concurrent with a combination of bevacizumab and/or cyclophosphamide...

The dense storm microenvironment formed by an excessively cross-linked extracellular matrix, such as hyaluronic acid and collagens, serves as a major barrier that prevents drugs from reaching the deeper tumor. Current traditional two-dimensional (2D) cultures are not capable of modeling this drug delivery barrier in vitro. Thus, tumor spheroids have become increasingly important in cancer research due to their three-dimensional structure. Currently, various methods have been developed to construct tumor spheroids...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a promising technique for response assessment in head-and-neck cancer. Recently, we optimized Non-Gaussian Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Imaging (NG-IVIM), an extension of the conventional apparent diffusion coefficient ( ADC ) model, for the head and neck. In the current study, we describe the first application in a group of patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive and HPV-negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma...

The mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) is a transmembrane protein facilitating the entry of calcium ions into mitochondria from the cell cytosol. Maintaining calcium balance is crucial for enhancing cellular energy supply and regulating cell death. The interplay of calcium balance through MCU and the sodium-calcium exchanger is known, but its regulation in the breast cancer tumor microenvironment remains elusive. Further investigations are warranted to explore MCU's potential in BRCA clinical pathology, tumor immune microenvironment, and precision oncology...

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery has become the standard of care for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and accurate pathological response assessment is critical to assess the therapeutic efficacy. However, it can be laborious and inconsistency between different observers may occur. Hence, we aim to develop an interpretable deep-learning model for efficient pathological response assessment following neoadjuvant therapy in ESCC. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 337 ESCC resection specimens from 2020-2021 at the Pudong-Branch (Cohort 1) and 114 from 2021-2022 at the Puxi-Branch (External Cohort 2) of Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center...