Cancer Mortality Research Articles

Young Black Women's Breast Cancer Knowledge and Beliefs: A Sequential Explanatory Mixed MethodsStudy.

Black women under the age of 50 have a 111% higher breast cancer mortality rate than their White counterparts. The breast cancer mortality disparities among young Black women may be due in part to the fact that they are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage, invasive breast cancer tumors. Psychosocial factors, such as lack of perceived risk for breast cancer, lack of awareness of breast cancer risk factors, and ambiguity about breast cancer screening guidelines are areas that are under investigated among young Black women. The purpose of this study was to identify young Black women's cancer beliefs and level of breast cancer risk knowledge. A sequential explanatory mixed methods study was conducted using quantitative data from the Health Information Trends Survey 6 (HINTS 6) (n = 25) and qualitative data from interviews with young Black female college students (n = 13). The results of the quantitative data analysis were used to guide the development of the qualitative interview guide. Data regarding participants' cancer beliefs, cancer risk factor knowledge, perceived cancer risk, and ambiguity about cancer screening behaviors were analyzed. The findings indicated young Black women have low perceived risk of developing cancer. Most participants were not aware of cancer recommendations that were targeted towards women under the age of 40. In addition, knowledge about lifestyle behavior risk factors for breast cancer was relatively low. Our findings underscore the importance of developing, disseminating, and implementing breast cancer education interventions that are targeted towards young Black women.

Long-term associations between time-varying exposure to ambient PM2.5 and mortality: an analysis of the UK Biobank.

Evidence for long-term mortality risks of PM2.5 comes mostly from large administrative studies with incomplete individual information and limited exposure definitions. Here we assess PM2.5-mortality associations in the UK Biobank cohort using detailed information on confounders and exposure. We reconstructed detailed exposure histories for 498,090 subjects by linking residential data with high-resolution PM2.5 concentrations from spatio-temporal machine learning models. We split the time-to-event data and assigned yearly exposures over a lag window of 8 years. We fitted Cox proportional hazard models with time-varying exposure controlling for contextual and individual-level factors, as well as trends. In secondary analyses, we inspected the lag structure using distributed lag models and compared results with alternative exposure sources and definitions. In fully adjusted models, an increase of 10 μg/m³ in PM2.5 was associated with hazard ratios (HRs) of 1.27 (95%CI: 1.06-1.53) for all-cause, 1.24 (1.03-1.50) for non-accidental, 2.07 (1.04-4.10) for respiratory, and 1.66 (0.86-3.19) for lung cancer mortality. We found no evidence of association with cardiovascular deaths (HR=0.88, 95%CI: 0.59-1.31). We identified strong confounding by both contextual- and individual-level lifestyle factors. The distributed lag analysis suggested differences in relevant exposure windows across mortality causes. Using more informative exposure summaries and sources resulted in higher risk estimates. We found associations of long-term PM2.5 exposure with all-cause, non-accidental, respiratory, and lung cancer mortality, but not with cardiovascular mortality. This study benefits from finely reconstructed time-varying exposures and extensive control for confounding, further supporting a plausible causal link between long-term PM2.5 and mortality.

Characteristics of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Sex in Mexico: A Multi-Institutional Collaboration.

Liver cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In Mexico, there is a high burden of liver cancer mortality in rural states, affecting both women and men equally. Thus, we aimed to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) by sex in Mexico. Demographic and clinical information was extracted retrospectively from the medical records of patients with HCC initially treated (2015-2022) at institutions participating in a national survey across the country. The male-to-female ratio was calculated at the national and regional levels, and the results were stratified by sex. Among 697 HCC patients, the age at diagnosis was 65.4 ± 11.9 years and 20% were diagnosed at ≥75 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1.4:1, ranging from 1:1 in the northwestern and southwestern regions, to 2.1:1 in the western region. The proportion of cirrhosis was similar between the sexes; however, the etiology of cirrhosis differed: cryptogenic cirrhosis was higher in women and alcohol consumption was higher in men. Men had a higher proportion of advanced HCC, poor/undifferentiated tumors, and ≥4 nodules than women. HCC in the Mexican population affects both men and women at a 1.4:1 male-to-female ratio. This unique proportion by sex could be explained by the differences in the prevalence of risk factors across our heterogeneous country.

Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Ovarian and Endometrial Cancers: Long-Term Follow-Up of the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Trials.

Menopausal hormone therapy's influence on ovarian and endometrial cancers remains unsettled. Therefore, we assessed the long-term influence of conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and CEE-alone on ovarian and endometrial cancer incidence and mortality in the Women's Health Initiative randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Postmenopausal women, age 50-79 years, were entered on two randomized clinical trials evaluating different menopausal hormone therapy regimens. In 16,608 women with a uterus, 8,506 were randomly assigned to once daily 0.625 mg of CEE plus 2.5 mg once daily of MPA and 8,102 placebo. In 10,739 women with previous hysterectomy, 5,310 were randomly assigned to once daily 0.625 mg of CEE-alone and 5,429 placebo. Intervention was stopped for cause before planned 8.5-year intervention after 5.6 years (CEE plus MPA) and after 7.2 years (CEE-alone). Outcomes include incidence and mortality from ovarian and endometrial cancers and deaths after these cancers. After 20-year follow-up, CEE-alone, versus placebo, significantly increased ovarian cancer incidence (35 cases [0.041%] v 17 [0.020%]; hazard ratio [HR], 2.04 [95% CI, 1.14 to 3.65]; P = .014) and ovarian cancer mortality (P = .006). By contrast, CEE plus MPA, versus placebo, did not increase ovarian cancer incidence (75 cases [0.051%] v 63 [0.045%]; HR, 1.14 [95% CI, 0.82 to 1.59]; P = .44) or ovarian cancer mortality but did significantly lower endometrial cancer incidence (106 cases [0.073%] v 140 [0.10%]; HR, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.56 to 0.92]; P = .01). In randomized clinical trials, CEE-alone increased ovarian cancer incidence and ovarian cancer mortality, while CEE plus MPA did not. By contrast, CEE plus MPA significantly reduced endometrial cancer incidence.

Applying the Health Belief Model to cervical cancer screening uptake among women in Ethiopia: a systematic reviewand meta-analysis.

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer mortality globally, especially in Africa, including Ethiopia. This review assesses predictors of cervical cancer screening uptake among Ethiopian-eligible women using the Health Belief Model. Higher education levels, perceived susceptibility, severity, and fewer barriers are associated with increased screening. Effective HBM-based interventions could enhance screening rates, potentially reducing cervical cancer incidence and mortality. The review aimed to synthesize the existing literature on the prevalence of Cervical Cancer Screening Service Uptake and Associated Factors among Eligible Women using the Health belief model in Ethiopia, 2024. This systematic review and meta-analysis searched Google Scholar, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library engine. Key terms such as "Cervical cancer screening", "uptake", "utilization", "factors", "barriers", and "Ethiopia" were used to identify relevant articles. Data extraction utilized a detailed form, and the methodological quality of each study was assessed using the JBI quality appraisal checklist for cross-sectional studies. Statistical analysis was conducted using STATA version 17, and the meta-analysis findings were presented using forest plots and tables. The result of seven studies revealed that the overall prevalence of Cervical Cancer Screening Service Uptake among eligible women in Ethiopia was 21% (95% CI: 15%-27%). Factors independently associated with Cancer Screening Service Uptake included: Knowledge (OR = 4.563, 95% CI: 1.012-4.188), age 30 up to 49 (OR = 4.106, 95% CI: 1.562-6.650), history of STD (OR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.694-4.486), high perceived susceptibility (OR = 3.814, 95% CI: 2.312-5.316), high perceived severity (OR = 2.603, 95% CI: 2.203-3.003), low perceived barrier (OR = 4.390, 95% CI: 1.331-8.449), high perceived self-efficacy (OR = 4.77, 95% CI: 4.102-5.431), high perceived benefit (OR = 3.67, 95% CI: 1.851-5.489), and education level greater than primary level (OR = 4.497, 95% CI: 3.619-5.375). Cervical cancer is a major public health challenge in Ethiopia. Consequently, there is a pressing need for the governments to formulate comprehensive, multi-sectorial policies and strategies. These initiatives should be designed to address the problem influenced by interconnected factors, to reduce the prevalence of cervical cancer in Ethiopia.

Global variations in elderly cancer mortality pattern in 2020 & prediction to 2040: A population-based study

Background & objectives Cancer contributes to decreasing life expectancy, especially in low- and middle- income countries (LMIC) and countries in transition where resources for diagnosis and care are limited. As the world population is ageing, and by 2050, two-thirds of the population in LMIC will be elderly, the greater impact of cancer on the expectation of life in years at a given age of an adult will be seen in these countries. Methods Estimated cancer mortality for older adults (60 yr or above) was estimated using statistics available on Globocan 2020 platform (gco.iarc.fr). This platform provided the number of deaths and age‐standardized truncated mortality rates (per 100,000) by sex and continent. We calculated the projected cancer deaths in 2040 by applying the projection model, considering a stable rate. Results Globally, with an estimated 7.5 million deaths, cancer deaths in older population represented a total of 71.2 per cent of all cancer-related deaths. The truncated age-adjusted mortality rate among the older population (both sexes) was estimated as 615.1 deaths per 100,000 and the mortality rate was 62.6 per cent higher in elderly (60 yr or above) males as compared to elderly females. The overall future cancer death among the elderly was estimated to increase from 7.05 to 12.7 million deaths, representing a total 80.2 per cent increase in deaths by 2040. Interpretation & conclusions The projected mortality increase will challenge existing healthcare systems, especially in lower or lower medium-income countries where resources are limited. Elderly patients are at an elevated risk of adverse outcomes due to the high prevalence of co-morbid conditions. Geriatric oncology will play an important role in the coming years to ensure the overall health and well-being of elderly patients, which needs to be supported by good stratified data on elderly cancer.

The association between empirical dietary inflammatory pattern and risk of cancer and cancer-specific mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies

Background/aimCurrent evidence indicates a correlation between the inflammatory potential of diet and the risk of cancer and cancer-specific mortality. This study aimed to assess the association between empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP), which has recently been designed based on the inflammatory potential of the diet, and the risk of cancer and cancer-specific mortality.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted across the PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from January 2016 to March 2024. A random effects model was used to calculate the pooled effect size (ES) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Heterogeneity between studies was assessed using the Cochran Q test and the I2 statistic.ResultsFrom the initial 229 records, 24 prospective cohort studies with 2,683,350 participants and 37,091 cancer incidence cases, as well as 20,819 cancer-specific mortality, were included in our study. Pooled results indicated a significant association between higher adherence to the EDIP and an increased risk of total cancer (ES: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.05–1.15; I2 = 41.1), colorectal cancer (ES: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.11–1.27; I2 = 41.1), and liver cancer (ES: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.14–1.94; I2 = 36.9). However, no significant association between increased adherence to the EDIP and an increased risk of ovarian or endometrial cancer was found. Furthermore, greater adherence to the EDIP was significantly associated with an increased risk of cancer-specific mortality (ES: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.05–1.33; I2 = 45.4).ConclusionOur results showed that a diet with higher inflammatory properties is associated with an increased risk of cancer and cancer-specific mortality.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO registration no. CRD42024496912.

State-level disparities in cervical cancer prevention and outcomes in the U.S.: A modeling study.

Despite HPV vaccines' availability for over a decade, coverage across the US varies. While some states have tried to increase HPV vaccination coverage, most model-based analyses focus on national impacts. We evaluated hypothetical changes in HPV vaccination coverage at the national and state levels for California, New York, and Texas using a mathematical model. We developed a new mathematical model of HPV transmission and cervical cancer, creating US and state-level models, incorporating country- and state-specific vaccination coverage and cervical cancer incidence and mortality. We quantified the national and state-level impact of increasing HPV vaccination coverage to 80% by 2025 or 2030 on cervical cancer outcomes and the time to elimination defined as <4 per 100k women. Increasing vaccination coverage to 80% in Texas over ten years could reduce cervical cancer incidence by 50.9% (95% credible interval [CrI]:46.6-56.1%) by 2100, from 1.58 (CrI:1.19-2.09) to 0.78 (CrI:0.57-1.02) per 100,000 women. Similarly, New York could see a 27.3% (CrI:23.9-31.5%) reduction, from 1.43 (CrI:0.93-2.07) to 1.04 (Crl:0.66-1.53) per 100,000 women, and California a 24.4% (CrI:20.0-30.0%) reduction, from 1.01 (Crl:0.66-1.44) to 0.76 (Crl:0.50-1.09) per 100,000 women. Achieving 80% coverage in five years will provide slightly larger and sooner reductions. If the vaccination coverage levels in 2019 continue, cervical cancer elimination could occur nationally by 2051 (Crl:2034-2064), but state timelines may vary by decades. Targeting an HPV vaccination coverage of 80% by 2030 will disproportionately benefit states with low coverage and higher cervical cancer incidence. Geographically focused analyses can better inform priorities.

Association between long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution and risk of death attributed to esophageal cancer in Taiwan

ABSTRACT The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution as carcinogenic to humans (Group I), most frequently associated with lung cancer. Airborne air pollutants may be associated with other sites of cancer, although few studies have examined this avenue of research. Esophageal cancer mortality rates vary substantially across townships in Taiwan, a fact that suggests environment influence. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 and deaths attributed to esophageal cancer in 66 municipal areas across Taiwan. To conduct this study, annual PM2.5 levels were determined taking into account age-standardized esophageal cancer mortality rates in male and female residents of these municipalities from 2012 to 2021. The annual PM2.5 levels of each municipality were divided into tertiles and computed adjusted risk ratio (RR) using weighted-multiple regression analyses controlling for municipal lung cancer deaths, urbanization level, and physician density. Men residing in those areas with intermediate PM2.5 tertile levels (18.96–25.19 ug/m3) were found to have an adjusted RR of 1.22 (1.15–1.30) and those of residing areas with the highest tertiles levels (25.20–29.48 ug/m3) exhibited an RR of 1.11 (1.051.18). However, in women in the same municipalities, a significant inverse association was found between PM2.5 levels and mortality attributed to esophageal cancer, 0.82 (95% CI = 0.65-1.04) and 0.61 (95% CI = 0.47-0.79), respectively. These findings suggest that long-term exposure to PM2.5 increases the risk of developing esophageal cancer in men in Taiwan.

The TELEhealth Shared decision-making COaching and navigation in Primary carE (TELESCOPE) intervention: a study protocol for delivering shared decision-making for lung cancer screening by patient navigators.

Lung cancer screening (LCS) can reduce lung cancer mortality but has potential harms for patients. A shared decision-making (SDM) conversation about LCS is required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for LCS reimbursement. To overcome barriers to SDM in primary care, this protocol describes a telehealth decision coaching and navigationintervention for LCS in primary care clinics delivered by patient navigators. The objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention and its implementation potential, compared with an enhanced usual care (EUC) arm. Patients (n = 420) of primary care clinicians (n = 120) are being recruited to a cluster randomized controlled trial. Clinicians are randomly assigned to 1) TELESCOPE intervention: prior to an upcoming non-acute clinic visit, patients participate in a telehealth decision coaching and navigationsession about LCS delivered by trained patient navigators and nurse navigators place a low-dose CT scan (LDCT) order for each TELESCOPE patient wanting LCS, or 2) EUC: patients receive enhanced usual care from a clinician. Usual care is enhanced by providing clinicians in both arms with access to a Continuing Medical Education (CME) webinar about LCS and an LCS discussion guide. Patients complete surveys at baseline and 1-week after the scheduled clinic visit to assess quality of the SDM process. Re-navigation is attempted with TELESCOPE patients who have not completed the LDCT within 3months. One month before being due for an annual screening, TELESCOPE patients whose initial LCS showed low-risk findings are randomly assigned to receive a telehealth decision coaching booster session with a navigator or no booster. Electronic health records are abstracted at 6, 12 and 18months after the initial decision coaching session (TELESCOPE) or clinic visit (EUC) to assess initial and annual LCS uptake, imaging results, follow-up testing for abnormal findings, cancer diagnoses, treatment, and tobacco treatment referrals. This study will evaluate factors that facilitate or interfere with program implementation using mixed methods. We will assess whether a decision coaching and patient navigation intervention can feasibly and effectivelysupport high-quality SDM for LCS and guideline-concordant LCS uptake for patients in busy primary care practices serving diverse patient populations. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05491213) on August 4, 2022. Version 1, April 10, 2024.

Temporal trends, spatial and spatiotemporal clusters of cervical cancer mortality in Brazil from 2000 to 2021

Cervical cancer, despite being preventable through primary and secondary prevention strategies, remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among women in Brazil. This study aimed to analyze the temporal, spatial, and space-time patterns of cervical cancer mortality in Brazil. An ecological study was conducted using temporal, spatial, and space-time analysis techniques, using death certificates with cervical cancer as the underlying cause or associated condition among females in Brazil from 2000 to 2021. Death certificate and population data were provided by the Department of Health Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS) and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), respectively. A total of 123,306 deaths associated with cervical cancer among women were registered during the study period. A rising trend in mortality was detected since 2014 onwards, after 14 years of decline. Particularly, an increase in mortality was observed among the younger age groups, and in the North and Northeast regions regardless of age. Heterogeneity in the spatial distribution of cervical cancer mortality was observed, with high mortality clusters around the country, but mostly concentrated in the North and Northeast regions. These findings suggest a need and an opportunity to develop efficient and effective health policies targeting those regions and groups of women at higher risk which in turn will allow for fast and significant reductions in cervical cancer mortality in Brazil.

Anti-MET Antibody Therapies in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Current Progress and Future Directions.

Background/Objectives: Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of cancer mortality globally, though advances in targeted therapies have improved treatment outcomes. The mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) gene plays a significant role in NSCLC, often through protein overexpression, exon 14 skipping mutations, and gene amplification, many of which arise as resistance mechanisms to other oncogenic drivers like epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. This review examines the development and clinical efficacy of anti-MET antibody therapies. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using major medical databases looking at key relevant studies on anti-MET antibody studies. Both authors reviewed the literature, assessed study quality, and interpreted the results from each study. Results: Amivantamab, a bispecific EGFR/MET antibody was approved to treat EGFR exon 20 insertion and now has recently been extended to target classical EGFR mutations with progression on osimertinib. Other important anti-MET targeted therapies in development include antibody drug conjugates such as telisotuzumab vedotin, REGN5093-M114, and AZD9592 and emibetuzumab, which is a humanized immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal bivalent MET antibody. Conclusions: MET plays a significant role in NSCLC and amivantamab along with other anti-MET targeted therapies play a role in directly targeting MET and addressing acquired resistance to oncogenic drivers. Future research should focus on developing novel MET antibody drugs and exploring new therapeutic combinations to enhance treatment efficacy and overcome resistance in NSCLC. Refining biomarker-driven approaches to ensure precise patient selection is also critical to optimizing treatment outcomes.

Association between fish oil and glucosamine use and mortality in patients diagnosed with cancer: the role of the Life Essential 8 score and cancer prognosis

BackgroundThe effect of supplements on mortality risk in patients with cancer remains uncertain and has scarcely been investigated in subgroups of patients with varying characteristics. This study aimed to investigate the association between two popular supplements, fish oil and glucosamine, and mortality risk in a large population-based cohort and determine whether cardiovascular health and clinical prognosis influence these associations.MethodsThis prospective cohort study analyzed the data of UK Biobank participants who were diagnosed with cancer. The associations of fish oil and glucosamine consumption with mortality were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models. Subgroup analyses were performed to assess the effects of Life Essential 8 [LE8] scores (a measure of cardiovascular health) and cancer prognosis (grouped according to the survival rates of specific cancer types) on the associations between supplement use and mortality.ResultsThis analysis included 14,920 participants (mean age = 59.9 years; 60.2% female). One third (34.1%) of the participants reported using fish oil, and one fifth (20.5%) reported using glucosamine. Over a median follow-up of 12.0 years, 2,708 all-cause deaths were registered. The use of fish oil was associated with reduced risks of all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.89, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 0.81–0.97) and cancer mortality (aHR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.81–0.98). Similarly, glucosamine use was associated with reduced risks of all-cause mortality (aHR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.74–0.92) and cancer mortality (aHR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.74–0.93) in the fully adjusted model. Subgroup analyses revealed that the protective effects of fish oil and glucosamine against mortality risk were only observed in patients with LE8 scores lower than the mean score or a poor cancer prognosis. Additionally, the association between glucosamine use and a reduced risk of CVD-related mortality was only observed in patients with lower LE8 scores.ConclusionsThis large cohort study identified the potential differential impact of LE8 scores and cancer prognosis on the associations of fish oil and glucosamine supplementation with survival in patients with cancer. This suggests the importance of considering these factors in future research on supplements and in the provision of personalized integrative cancer care.

No Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Early Mortality for Thyroid Cancer in the US. Comment on Lee et al. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Thyroid Cancer Surgery. Curr. Oncol. 2024, 31, 3579-3590.

Thyroid cancer is relatively rare in the general population compared to other malignancies, but its incidence appears to have increased in recent decades [...].

Plasma-based proteomic and metabolomic characterization of lung and lymph node metastases in cervical cancer patients

Metastasis is the leading cause of mortality in cervical cancer (CC), with a particular prevalence of lymph node and lung metastases. Patients with CC who have developed distant metastases typically face a poor prognosis, and there is a scarcity of non-invasive strategies for predicting CC metastasis. In this study, we utilized label-free proteomics and untargeted metabolomics to analyze plasma samples from 25 non-metastatic, 14 with lung metastasis, and 15 with lymph node metastasis CC patients. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed a shared inflammatory process between the two metastatic groups, while the central carbon metabolism in cancer showed distinct features in the lung metastasis cohort. Additionally, cholesterol metabolism, hypoxia-inducible factor 1, and ferroptosis signaling pathways were specifically altered in the lymph node metastasis group. Utilizing the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and Random Forest algorithm, we identified two distinct biomarker panels for the prediction of lung metastasis and lymph node metastasis, respectively. The lung metastasis panel includes properdin, neural cell adhesion molecule 1, and keratin 6 A, whereas the lymph node metastasis panel consists of quiescin sulfhydryl oxidase 1, paraoxonase 1, and keratin 6 A. Each panel exhibited significant diagnostic potential, with high area under the curve (AUC) values for lung metastasis (training set: 0.989, testing set: 0.789) and lymph node metastasis (training set: 0.973, testing set: 0.900). This study conducted an integrated proteomic and metabolomic analysis to clarify the factors contributing to lung and lymph node metastases in CC and has successfully established two biomarker panels for their prediction.

Biomimetic nanoparticles with red blood cell membranes for enhanced photothermal and immunotherapy for tumors.

The alarming escalation in cancer incidence and mortality has thrust into spotlight the quest for groundbreaking therapeutic strategies. Our research delves into the potential of RDIR780, a novel class of biomimetic nanoparticles cloaked in red blood cell membranes, to significantly enhance their in vivo persistence and therapeutic potency. Through an exhaustive suite of experiments, we have charted the therapeutic horizons of RDIR780 in the realms of tumor photothermal synergistic immunotherapy and targeted drug delivery. Preliminary in vitro cellular assays have revealed that RDIR780 not only achieves remarkable uptake by tumor cells but also triggers swift tumor cell death under the influence of laser irradiation. Subsequent in vivo fluorescence imaging studies have corroborated the nanoparticles' propensity for tumor-specific accumulation, thereby bolstering the case for precision medicine. The results of the precise imaging techniques of therapeutic trials conducted on mice with implanted tumors have underscored the profound impact of RDIR780 when synergized with an anti-PD-L1 antibody. This synergistic approach has shown to fairly eradicate tumor growth, marking a significant stride in the battle against cancer. This pioneering endeavor not only lays down a formidable groundwork for the evolution of long-circulating photothermal therapeutic nanoparticles but also heralds a new era of transformative clinical interventions.

Associations of Social Determinants and Community Resilience with Lung Cancer Incidence and Mortality in the US.

Associations of Social Determinants and Community Resilience with Lung Cancer Incidence and Mortality in the US.

Early Changes in Health-Related Quality of Life as a Biomarker of Survival in African Patients with HIV-Associated Kaposi Sarcoma.

Sub-Saharan Africa bears the largest public health burden of Kaposi sarcoma (KS), a leading cause of cancer mortality. Quality of life (QOL) assessments in cancer patients can provide information on prognosis beyond traditional biomarkers or biological measures. The prognostic value of QOL measures in patients with HIV-KS was evaluated. Prognostic associations of baseline QOL scores (by quartiles or thresholds for clinical importance) and changes in QOL scores (using minimum important difference) over the first 3 months of therapy were evaluated in 112 participants with HIV-KS randomised to receive ART, with or without chemotherapy. Cox's regression analysis assessed the prognostic contribution of QOL scores from the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Survival curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Baseline QOL scores did not predict overall survival. The change in the 3-month QOL scores for the global health scale, fatigue, and pain domains was prognostic; the hazard ratios were 3.88 (95% CI 1.32-11.38, p = 0.01), 3.72 (95% CI 1.61-8.62, p = 0.00) and 5.96 (95% CI 2.46-14.43, p = 0.00), respectively. QOL assessments can provide useful prognostic information in patients with HIV-KS. Patients lacking meaningful improvement early into treatment represent a population at high risk of death.

Excess Mortality in Persons with Concurrent HIV and Cancer Diagnoses: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

With extended lifespans for people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH), there is a corresponding increased burden of chronic illnesses, including cancer. Our objective was to estimate the excess mortality for PWH with cancer compared with people without HIV (PWoH), accounting for the higher background mortality in the general PWH population. We identified 39,000 PWH and 387,767 demographically-matched PWoH in three integrated healthcare systems from 2000-2016. We estimated excess mortality for PWH with cancer, computed as the cancer mortality rate difference-in-difference comparing PWH and PWoH. We evaluated five cancer groups: any cancer; virus-, human papillomavirus-, and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related cancers; virus-unrelated cancers, and common individual cancers. We fitted a multivariable additive Poisson model to estimate excess mortality for PWH with cancer. PWH with any cancer had excess mortality compared with PWoH (41.3/1000 person-years [py], 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 34.0, 48.7). The highest excess mortality was observed for EBV-related cancers (63.2/1000 py, 95% CI 47.8, 78.7), lung cancer (147.7/1000 py, 95% CI 41.1, 254.3) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (70.5/1000 py, 95% CI 51.4, 89.6). Excess mortality for PWH was attenuated 2009-2016, and PWH with cancer had no excess mortality 5 years after diagnosis. PWH in care may have excess mortality from certain cancer types, although disparities may have attenuated over time and do not persist beyond 5 years after diagnosis. Findings may guide improved clinical practice, and suggest further research is needed to investigate whether cancer treatment or other factors contribute to mortality disparities for PWH with cancer.

Liberation After/life: Narrative Connectivity and Black Women’s Cancer Mortality

Liberation After/life: Narrative Connectivity and Black Women’s Cancer Mortality