Injectable hydrogel-based platforms for precision lung cancer therapy: bridging biomaterials and oncology

Cytoreduction and the Optimization Of Immune Checkpoint Inhibition with Radiation Therapy

Factors associated with late-stage diagnosis and overall survival for lung cancer: An analysis of patients treated in a Brazilian hospital and a US-hospital from 2009 to 2019

PurposeCancer control relies on the identification of populations at risk (hotspots) of new or late-stage cancer diagnoses. However, the extent to which hotspots differ between cancer sites or between outcome measures has been poorly characterized. We sought to determine the geospatial heterogeneity of hotspots of breast, colorectal, and lung cancer incidence and late-stage diagnoses.MethodsWe identified adult patients diagnosed with female breast, colorectal, and lung cancer between 2010 and 2019 in Indiana. To identify hotspots for incidence and late-stage diagnoses, we disaggregated the patient residential location information from the Census block group level to the approximated individual point level. Statistically significant hotspots were identified with kernel ratio estimation. Total areas of hotspots and overlap between hotspots were compared.Results117,305 patients diagnosed with breast (n=51,623), colorectal (n=25,160), and lung (n=37,522) cancer were included. Geospatial visualization demonstrated marked spatial deviation, with little overlapping area between incidence and late-stage hotspots for all three cancer sites (32km2 – 165km2). However, there was greater overlap in late-stage hotspots between the different cancer sites, with total overlapping hotspot areas ranging from 408km2 – 1046km2.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate considerable geospatial heterogeneity of hotspots between different outcome measures and different sites of cancer. However, there are greater overlapping areas of late-stage hotspots, especially for breast and lung cancer. The use of disaggregated spatial data enables more granular, precise comparison of cancer hotspots. Greater overlap between late-stage breast and lung cancer suggests similar spatial drivers and the potential for coordinated cancer control interventions.

IntroductionBehind breast, colorectal, and lung cancers, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer affecting females. Despite, it is a preventable form of cancer both the incidence and mortality figures reflect it as a major reproductive health problem. Late-stage cervical cancer diagnosis is associated with complicated clinical presentation which can result in short survival time and increased mortality. Several factors contribute to the late-stage presentation of cervical cancer patients. In Ethiopia nationally summarized evidence on the level and the factors contributing to late-stage cervical cancer diagnosis is scarce. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of late-stage cervical cancer diagnosis and its determinants in Ethiopia.MethodA systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using PRISMA guidelines. Comprehensive literature was searched in PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, and African Online Journal to retrieve eligible articles. A weighted inverse variance random effect model was used to estimate pooled prevalence. Cochrane Q-test and I2 statistics were computed to assess heterogeneity among studies. Funnel plot and Egger’s regression test were done to assess publication bias.ResultOverall, 726 articles were retrieved and finally 10 articles were included in this review. The pooled prevalence of late-stage cervical cancer diagnosis in Ethiopia was 60.45% (95%CI; 53.04%-67.85%). Poor awareness about cervical cancer and its treatment (AOR = 1.55, 95% CI: (1.03 – 2.33, longer delay to seek care (AOR = 1.02, 95% CI: (1.01 – 1.03)) and rural residence (AOR = 2.07, 95% CI:( 1.56 – 2.75)) were significantly associated to late-stage diagnosis.ConclusionIn Ethiopia, six in every ten cervical cancer cases are diagnosed at the late stage of the disease. Poor awareness about cervical cancer and its treatment, long patient delay to seek care, and rural residence were positively associated with late–stage diagnosis. Therefore intervention efforts should be made to improve public awareness about cervical cancer, minimize patient delay to seek care, and expand screening services specifically in the rural residing segment of the population to detect the disease early and improve survival.

Allomelanin-based biomimetic nanotherapeutics for orthotopic glioblastoma targeted photothermal immunotherapy.

Next Generation Immunotherapies – Emerging Strategies for Immune Modulation against Cancer, Infections, and Beyond

PurposeCancer control relies on the identification of populations at risk (hotspots) of new or late-stage cancer diagnoses. However, the extent to which hotspots differ between cancer sites or between outcome measures has been poorly characterized. We sought to determine the geospatial heterogeneity of hotspots of breast, colorectal, and lung cancer incidence and late-stage diagnoses.MethodsWe identified adult patients diagnosed with female breast, colorectal, and lung cancer between 2010 and 2019 in Indiana. To identify hotspots for incidence and late-stage diagnoses, we disaggregated the patient residential location information from the Census block group level to the approximated individual point level. Statistically significant hotspots were identified with kernel ratio estimation. The total areas of hotspots and the overlap between hotspots were compared.Results133,773 patients diagnosed with breast (n = 54,903), colorectal (n = 28,594), and lung (n = 50,276) cancer were included. Geospatial visualization demonstrated marked spatial deviation, with little overlapping area between incidence and late-stage hotspots for all three cancer sites (1–266 km2). However, there was slightly greater overlap in late-stage hotspots between the different cancer sites, with total overlapping hotspot areas ranging from 24 to 516 km2.ConclusionsOur results demonstrate considerable geospatial heterogeneity of hotspots between different outcome measures and different sites of cancer. The use of disaggregated spatial data enables a more granular, precise comparison of cancer hotspots. The greatest overlap was seen between incidence hotspots of breast and colorectal cancer, which suggests similar spatial drivers and the potential for coordinated cancer control strategies.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10552-026-02170-z.

SUMMARYTreatments aiming to augment immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in cancer often focus on T cell immunity, but innate immune cells may have important roles to play. Here, we demonstrate a single-dose combination treatment (termed AIP) using a pan-tumor-targeting antibody surrogate, half-life-extended interleukin-2 (IL-2), and anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1), which primes tumors to respond to subsequent ICB and promotes rejection of large established tumors in mice. Natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages activated by AIP treatment underwent transcriptional reprogramming; rapidly killed cancer cells; governed the recruitment of cross-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) and other leukocytes; and induced normalization of the tumor vasculature, facilitating further immune infiltration. Thus, innate cell-activating therapies can initiate critical steps leading to a self-sustaining cycle of T cell priming driven by ICB.

Injectable hydrogels with self-healing properties, tissue adhesion, biocompatibility, and cancer therapeutic capabilities offer a promising solution for addressing bone loss and residual tumor cells following surgical resection of osteosarcoma. In this study, injectable adhesive hybrid hydrogels were developed using natural silk-derived proteins, silk fibroin (SF), and silk sericin (SS). The sericin was surface functionalized with dopamine (DOPA) forming SSDOPA, while the silk fibroin was enzymatically oxidized (forming SFO) to introduce abundant catechol moieties on the polymer chains. These modifications enabled hydrogelation and self-assembly in the presence of copper ions (Cu2+) and tannic acid (TA), creating an SFO-SSDopa-Cu2+-TA hydrogel inspired by the mussel adhesion mechanism. The dynamic metal-catechol coordination bonds, along with other covalent and non-covalent interactions in the gel network, imparted excellent shear-thinning properties with 3D printability, injectability, self-healing (72.27 ± 9.35% after 6 cyclic), making it suitable for minimally invasive surgeries and targeted delivery applications. Additionally, the developed adhesive hydrogel demonstrated strong adhesiveness (664.03 ± 15.87 kPa and 854.15 ± 12.90 kPa on Gel- and Hap-based substrates respectively), showing excellent bonding performance to natural bone and tissue. Its black coloration enabled efficient absorption of near-infrared (NIR) light (reach 45-48 °C), facilitating the eradication of almost 60% osteosarcoma cells through photothermal therapy within 20 minutes of hydrogel irradiation with laser. Moreover, the developed SFO-SSDopa-Cu2+-TA hydrogels promoted the proliferation and migration of pre-osteoblast cells, confirming their excellent biocompatibility. Coupled with good biodegradability, these hydrogels demonstrate significant potential as theragenerative materials for minimally invasive osteosarcoma treatment, providing a clinically translatable solution for repairing bone affected by the disease.

<div>AbstractBackground:<p>Cancer rates in rural areas vary by insurance status, socioeconomic status, region, race, and ethnicity.</p>Methods:<p>California Cancer Registry data (2015–2019) were used to investigate the stage of diagnosis by levels of rurality for the five most common cancers. The percentage of residents in rural blocks within census tract aggregation zones was categorized into deciles up to 50%. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate associations with rurality, with separate models by cancer site, sex, race, and ethnicity (non-Hispanic White and Hispanic). Covariates included individual-level and zone-level factors.</p>Results:<p>The percentage of late-stage cancer diagnosis was 28% for female breast, 27% for male prostate, 77% for male lung, 71% for female lung, 60% for male colorectal, 59% for female colorectal, 7.8% for male melanoma, and 5.9% for female melanoma. Increasing rurality was significantly associated with increased odds of late-stage cancer diagnosis for female breast cancer (<i>P</i><sub>trend</sub> < 0.001), male lung cancer (<i>P</i><sub>trend</sub> < 0.001), female lung cancer (<i>P</i><sub>trend</sub> < 0.001), and male melanoma (<i>P</i><sub>trend</sub> = 0.01), after adjusting for individual-level and zone-level factors. The strength of associations varied by sex and ethnicity. For males with lung cancer, odds of late-stage diagnosis in areas with >50% rural population was 1.24 (95% confidence interval, 1.06–1.45) for non-Hispanic White patients and 2.14 (95% confidence interval, 0.86–5.31) for Hispanic patients, compared with areas with 0% rural residents.</p>Conclusions:<p>Increasing rurality was associated with increased odds for late-stage diagnosis for breast cancer, lung cancer, and melanoma, with the strength of associations varying across sex and ethnicity.</p>Impact:<p>Our findings will inform cancer outreach to these rural subpopulations.</p></div>

Cancer rates in rural areas vary by insurance status, socioeconomic status, region, race, and ethnicity. California Cancer Registry data (2015-2019) were used to investigate the stage of diagnosis by levels of rurality for the five most common cancers. The percentage of residents in rural blocks within census tract aggregation zones was categorized into deciles up to 50%. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate associations with rurality, with separate models by cancer site, sex, race, and ethnicity (non-Hispanic White and Hispanic). Covariates included individual-level and zone-level factors. The percentage of late-stage cancer diagnosis was 28% for female breast, 27% for male prostate, 77% for male lung, 71% for female lung, 60% for male colorectal, 59% for female colorectal, 7.8% for male melanoma, and 5.9% for female melanoma. Increasing rurality was significantly associated with increased odds of late-stage cancer diagnosis for female breast cancer (Ptrend < 0.001), male lung cancer (Ptrend < 0.001), female lung cancer (Ptrend < 0.001), and male melanoma (Ptrend = 0.01), after adjusting for individual-level and zone-level factors. The strength of associations varied by sex and ethnicity. For males with lung cancer, odds of late-stage diagnosis in areas with >50% rural population was 1.24 (95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.45) for non-Hispanic White patients and 2.14 (95% confidence interval, 0.86-5.31) for Hispanic patients, compared with areas with 0% rural residents. Increasing rurality was associated with increased odds for late-stage diagnosis for breast cancer, lung cancer, and melanoma, with the strength of associations varying across sex and ethnicity. Our findings will inform cancer outreach to these rural subpopulations.

130 Background: Cancer stage at diagnosis has a tremendous influence on type of treatment, recovery and survival. This study examined the impact of spatial access to healthcare services on late-stage lung cancer diagnosis in Alabama, taking into account access and travel time to the nearest Screening Center of Excellence (SCOE). Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study of lung cancer incidence in the state of Alabama was employed, using zipcode as unit of analysis. Data on individual lung cancer diagnosis between 2013 and 2018 was obtained from Alabama State Cancer Registry. Geographic information system (GIS) network analysis was used to calculate distance to the nearest SCOE. Descriptive statistics were used to compare distribution of independent variables including residential status, age, race, gender and insurance across lung cancer diagnosis stage. Multi-variable logistic regression assessed odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals to evaluate the relationship between residential status and late-stage diagnosis. Results: 14,556 individuals were diagnosed with lung cancer in Alabama from 2013 - 2018. Late-stage diagnosis accounted for 72.7% of cases, predominantly among males (56.5%) and Whites (79.8%). Late-stage vs. early-stage cases differed significantly in sex (males: 59.2% vs. 50.9%) and race (Whites: 78.6% vs. 83.4%) (p &lt; 0.0001). Multivariable logistic regression analyses found that Alabamians were more likely to be diagnosed with late stage lung cancer if they were Black (p &lt; 0.0001); male (p &lt; 0.0001); uninsured (p &lt; 0.0001); and/or insured via Medicaid (p &lt; 0.0001). Alabamians were less likely to be diagnosed with late stage lung cancer if they were within 60 miles of a SCOE (p &lt; 0.0001). Living in a persistent poverty census tract was associated with a lower OR for late-stage lung cancer occurrence (adjusted OR = 0.88, 95% CI =0.78-0.99, p=0.0341). Neighborhood Deprivation Index did not significantly correlate with late-stage lung cancer (p = 0.8280). Conclusions: Proximity to screening centers within 60 miles is associated with a reduced likelihood of late-stage lung cancer. Additionally, race, sex, insurance status, and age are significant factors. These findings underscore the importance of access to screening centers and the influence of demographic and socioeconomic factors on lung cancer stage at diagnosis.

Chemotherapy + PD-1/PD-L1 Blockade Should Be the Preferred Option in the Neoadjuvant Therapy of NSCLC

Meeting Proceedings of the 2nd Annual Immuno-Oncology Society of India Conference (I-OSICON-2020), Mumbai, India.

Dose-limiting Urinary Toxicity With Pembrolizumab Combined With Weekly Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy in Bladder Cancer