Phase II trial of sorafenib in combination with 5-fluorouracil infusion in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract  

     

What factors affect the odds of NSW cancer patients presenting with localised as opposed to more advanced cancer?

Abstract  

     

Adherence to the 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Cancer Prevention Recommendations and cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Cancer Prevention Recommendations are lifestyle-based guidelines that aim to reduce cancer risk. A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies investigating associations between a score for adherence to the 2018 Cancer Prevention Recommendations and cancer risk was conducted.

Methods

MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched for studies published to November 28, 2022. In meta-analysis, the estimated risk ratios and 95% CIs for adherence score as a continuous (per 1-point increment) and categorical (highest vs. lowest score category) variable using random-effects models were estimated.

Results

Eighteen studies (11 cohort; seven case-control) were included investigating incidence of breast (n = 7), colorectal (n = 5), prostate (n = 2), lung (n = 2), pancreatic (n = 1), endometrial (n = 1), unknown primary cancer (n = 1), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (n = 1), and overall (any) cancer (n = 1). The summary risk ratio per 1-point increment in adherence score was 0.89 (95% CI, 0.85–0.93; I² = 76.5%; n = 7) for breast cancer, 0.88 (95% CI, 0.84–0.91; I² = 26.2%; n = 4) for colorectal cancer, and 0.92 (95% CI, 0.86–0.98, I² = 66.0%; n = 2) for lung cancer. There were no significant associations with prostate or other cancers. Meta-analysis results using categorical adherence score variables were consistent with these findings.

Conclusions

Greater adherence to the 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research Cancer Prevention Recommendations was associated with lower risk of breast, colorectal, and lung cancers. Future studies investigating associations with risk of other forms of cancer are warranted.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022313327.     

Health care costs of depression in patients diagnosed with cancer

Objective

Depression is common among patients diagnosed with cancer. Patients with cancer and depression use more health care services compared with nondepressed cancer patients. The current study seeks to estimate the added cost of depression in cancer patients in the first year after cancer diagnosis.

Methods

Health care charges were obtained for 2051 depressed and 11 182 nondepressed patients with an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, diagnosis of cancer in the 2014 calendar year from the University of California San Diego Healthcare System. The annual health care charges for cancer patients with and without depression were analyzed using generalized linear models with a log‐link function and gamma distribution, covarying for age, sex, race/ethnicity, comorbid diseases, and presence of metastatic disease. Total cost data were broken down into several categories including ambulatory care, emergency department visits, and hospital visits.

Results

Depressed cancer patients had total annual health care charges that were 113% higher than nondepressed cancer patients (B = 0.76; P < .001). The estimated mean charges for depressed patients were $235 337 compared with $110 650 for nondepressed patients. Depressed cancer patients incurred greater charges than nondepressed patients in ambulatory care (B = 0.70; P < .001), emergency department charges (B = 0.31; P < .001), and hospital charges (B = 0.39; P < .001).

Conclusions

Depressed cancer patients incur significantly higher health care charges across multiple cost categories including ambulatory care, emergency department visits, and hospital visits. Future research should investigate if interventions for detecting and treating depression are effective for reducing health care use and costs in cancer patients.

     

Anti-tumor efficacy of gene vaccine expressing PSMA

Objective  

To observe anti-tumor eff ects of PVAX-PSMA gene vaccine.     

Spontaneous regression of bone metastasis from renal cell carcinoma; A case report

Background  

Spontaneous regression of metastatic renal cell carcinoma is rarely observed.     

VEGF-A-independent and angiogenesis-dependent tumour growth in patients with metastatic breast cancer

Background  

The mechanisms of tumour progression during anti-VEGF-A treatment are poorly understood.     

Prospective evaluation of the drug-metabolizing enzyme polymorphisms and toxicity profile of docetaxel in Korean patients with operable lymph node-positive breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy

Background  

Inter-individual variability of pharmacokinetics may account for unpredictable toxicities of docetaxel.     

8q24 sequence variants in relation to prostate cancer risk among men of African descent: A case-control study

Background  

Human chromosome 8q24 has been implicated in prostate tumorigenesis.     

Circulating tumor DNA-based molecular residual disease detection for treatment monitoring in advanced melanoma patients

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have substantially improved overall survival in patients with advanced melanoma; however, the lack of biomarkers to monitor treatment response and relapse remains an important clinical challenge. Thus, a reliable biomarker is needed that can risk-stratify patients for disease recurrence and predict response to treatment.

Methods

A retrospective analysis using a personalized, tumor-informed circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assay on prospectively collected plasma samples (n = 555) from 69 patients with advanced melanoma was performed. Patients were divided into three cohorts: cohort A (N = 30), stage III patients receiving adjuvant ICI/observation; cohort B (N = 29), unresectable stage III/IV patients receiving ICI therapy; and cohort C (N = 10), stage III/IV patients on surveillance after planned completion of ICI therapy for metastatic disease.

Results

In cohort A, compared to molecular residual disease (MRD)-negative patients, MRD-positivity was associated with significantly shorter distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS; hazard ratio [HR], 10.77; p = .01). Increasing ctDNA levels from the post-surgical or pre-treatment time point to after 6 weeks of ICI were predictive of shorter DMFS in cohort A (HR, 34.54; p < .0001) and shorter progression-free survival (PFS) in cohort B (HR, 22; p = .006). In cohort C, all ctDNA-negative patients remained progression-free for a median follow-up of 14.67 months, whereas ctDNA-positive patients experienced disease progression.

Conclusion

Personalized and tumor-informed longitudinal ctDNA monitoring is a valuable prognostic and predictive tool that may be used throughout the clinical course of patients with advanced melanoma.     

A drug interaction study evaluating the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of sorafenib in combination with capecitabine

Purpose  

To address tolerability and a possible pharmacologic interaction of capecitabine with sorafenib.     

Recreational physical activity and the risk of adult leukemia in Canada

Objective  

To examine the association between adult onset leukemia and recreational physical activity.     

Trabectedin has a low cardiac risk profile: a comprehensive cardiac safety analysis

Purpose  

This analysis provides a cross-study evaluation of the cardiac safety of trabectedin.     

Adiposity in relation to colorectal adenomas and hyperplastic polyps in women

Objective  

To examine whether BMI is independently related to colorectal adenomas and hyperplastic polyps.     

Perceived importance of emotional support provided by health care professionals and social networks: Should we broaden our focus for the delivery of supportive care?

Introduction

Emotional support provided by health care professionals (HCPs) for people diagnosed with cancer is associated with improved outcomes. Support via social networks may also be important.

Aims

To report among a sample of distressed patients and caregivers, (1) the importance attributed to different sources of emotional support (HCPs and social networks) by distressed cancer patients and caregivers; (2) the proportion who indicate they did not receive sufficient levels of emotional support; and (3) potential associations between respondents’ demographic and clinical characteristics and reported lack of emotional support.

Methods

This study utilised cross-sectional data from telephone interviews collected during the usual-care phase of the Structured Triage and Referral by Telephone (START) trial. Participants completed a telephone interview 6 months after their initial call to the Cancer Council Information and Support service and included recall of importance and sufficiency of emotional support.

Results

More than two-thirds of patients (n = 234) and caregivers (n = 152) reported that family and friends were very important sources of emotional support. Nurses (69% and 42%) and doctors (68% and 47%) were reported very important, while a lower proportion reported that psychologists and psychiatrists were very important (39%, and 43%). Insufficient levels of support were reported by 36% of participants. Perceptions of insufficient support were significantly associated with distress levels (p < .0001) and not having a partner (p = .0115).

Conclusion

Social networks, particularly family, are an important source of emotional support. Higher levels of distress, those without partners, and caregivers may require targeted interventions to increase their access to emotional support.     

Low-grade extraskeletal osteosarcoma of the chest wall: case report and review of literature

Background  

Low-grade extraskeletal osteosarcomas (ESOS) are extremely rare.     

MR imaging features of solitary plasmacytoma of the spine

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the MR imaging features of solitary plasmacytomas of the spine. METHODS The MR images of 7 patients with histologically proven solitary plasmacytomas of the spine were reviewed. RESULTS All tumors showed predominantly isoto hypointensity relative to muscle on Tl-weighted MR images and intermediate signal intensity between muscle and fat on T2- weighted images. Curvilinear low signal intensity structures were seen within the lesions on T1 and T2-weighted images in five tumors. Moderate to strong enhancement was seen in all 6 tumors that underwent contrast enhanced MR examination. All tumors showed areas of high signal intensity on T2-weighted images and heterogeneous enhancement, except the 2 largest tumors without pathologic fracture in the sacrum. Intervertebral discs were preserved in all tumors. CONCLUSION The MR imaging features that suggest plasmacytorna of the spine include predominant intermediate signal intensity on T2-weighted images, curvilinear low signal intensity structures, moderate to strong enhancement, relatively homogeneous appearance if there are no pathologic fracture and preservation of the intervertebral discs.     

Age at incident treatment of hypertension and risk of cancer: a population study

Objective  

To determine the effect of treated hypertension on the risk of cancer.