Cancer Treatment Delivery Research Articles

The effect of COVID-19 on surgical management of skin cancers of the head, face and neck in elderly patients.

The Corona Virus (COVID-19) has had a profound impact on healthcare systems worldwide, with interruptions to medical practices including the delivery of cancer treatment. Skin cancer is one of the leading causes of malignancy worldwide, with later stages of disease correlating to poorer prognosis. Immunocompromized and elderly patients represent populations that are at higher risk for adverse outcomes related to skin cancer, treatment delay and COVID-19 infection. Patients aged 65 and above who underwent surgical management of skin cancers from 31 January 2020 to 31 January 2021 were included in this study then compared with samples pre- and post-pandemic. Retrospective analysis was performed regarding: date of referral to date of surgery, skin cancer type, location of cancer, surgery performed, anaesthesia used, sutures used and outcomes. Data was compared to national guidelines. Five hundred and twenty skin cancers were included in this analysis, of which 340 were treated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the cohort treated during the pandemic, 44.2% (n=111) received excision and direct closure, 13.1% (n=33) underwent reconstruction by integra dermal substitute, 3.2% (n=8) by split thickness skin graft, 6.4% (n=16) by full thickness skin grafts and 33.1% (n=83) by local flaps. Complete excision was achieved in 88.5% of cases (n=301). The mean time from referral to surgery was 119days. There were no deaths associated with COVID-19. Safe and prompt treatment of head and neck skin cancers is achievable despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures to minimize infection risk include the use of teledermatology, reliable COVID-19 testing, Green Pathways and a reduction in the mean referral to surgery time.

Chitosan Nanoparticles-Based Cancer Drug Delivery: Application and Challenges.

Chitin is the second most abundant biopolymer consisting of N-acetylglucosamine units and is primarily derived from the shells of marine crustaceans and the cell walls of organisms (such as bacteria, fungi, and algae). Being a biopolymer, its materialistic properties, such as biodegradability, and biocompatibility, make it a suitable choice for biomedical applications. Similarly, its deacetylated derivative, chitosan, exhibits similar biocompatibility and biodegradability properties, making it a suitable support material for biomedical applications. Furthermore, it has intrinsic material properties such as antioxidant, antibacterial, and antitumor. Population studies have projected nearly 12 million cancer patients across the globe, where most will be suffering from solid tumors. One of the shortcomings of potent anticancer drugs is finding a suitable cellular delivery material or system. Therefore, identifying new drug carriers to achieve effective anticancer therapy is becoming essential. This paper focuses on the strategies implemented using chitin and chitosan biopolymers in drug delivery for cancer treatment.

Paclitaxel-loaded ROS-responsive nanoparticles for head and neck cancer therapy

High intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level is characteristic of cancer cells and could act as a target for the efficient targeted drug delivery for cancer treatment. Consequently, biomaterials that react to excessive levels of ROS are essential for biomedical applications. In this study, a novel ROS-responsive polymer based on D-α-Tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) and poly (β-thioester) (TPGS-PBTE) was synthesized for targeted delivery of the first-line antineoplastic drug, paclitaxel (PTX). The resultant TPGS-PBTE NPs showed good ROS-responsive capability in size change and drug release. Compared to PTX, PTX-loaded nanoparticles (PTX@TPGS-PBTE NPs) showed enhanced cytotoxicity and higher level of apoptosis toward squamous cell carcinoma (SCC-7) cells. Tumor-targeted delivery of the NPs was also observed, especially after being modified with a tumor-targeting peptide, cRGD. Enhanced tumor growth inhibition was also observed in head and neck cancer SCC-7 murine models. In summary, PTX@TPGS-PBTE NPs can achieve good therapeutic effects of PTX against head and neck cancer both in vitro and in vivo, especially when modified by cRGD for active targeting, which enriched the application of ROS responsive system utilized in the delivery of anticancer drugs.

BioMOF-Based Anti-Cancer Drug Delivery Systems.

A variety of nanomaterials have been developed specifically for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery in cancer treatment. These materials involve both synthetic and natural nanoparticles and nanofibers of varying dimensions. The efficacy of a drug delivery system (DDS) depends on its biocompatibility, intrinsic high surface area, high interconnected porosity, and chemical functionality. Recent advances in metal-organic framework (MOF) nanostructures have led to the achievement of these desirable features. MOFs consist of metal ions and organic linkers that are assembled in different geometries and can be produced in 0, 1, 2, or 3 dimensions. The defining features of MOFs are their outstanding surface area, interconnected porosity, and variable chemical functionality, which enable an endless range of modalities for loading drugs into their hierarchical structures. MOFs, coupled with biocompatibility requisites, are now regarded as highly successful DDSs for the treatment of diverse diseases. This review aims to present the development and applications of DDSs based on chemically-functionalized MOF nanostructures in the context of cancer treatment. A concise overview of the structure, synthesis, and mode of action of MOF-DDS is provided.

Enhanced Anti-Proliferative Effect of Carboplatin in Ovarian Cancer Cells Exploiting Chitosan-Poly (Lactic Glycolic Acid) Nanoparticles.

The present article aimed to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of carboplatin (CP) using the formulation of chitosan-poly (lactic glycolic acid) nanoparticles (CS-PLGA NPs). Nanoparticles were synthesized by an ionic gelation method and were characterized for their morphology, particle size, and surface potential measurements by TEM and zeta sizer. This study was highlighted for the evaluation of drug entrapment, loading and in vitro drug release capabilities of the prepared nanoparticles by spectrophotometric analysis. The stability study was also conducted after 3 months for their particle size, zeta potential, drug loading and encapsulation efficiencies. Further, ovarian cancer cell line PEO1 was used to evaluate the toxicity and efficacy of nano-formulation by MTT assay. Additionally, the study was evaluated for apoptosis using flow cytometric analysis. The CS-PLGA-CP NPs were uniform and spherical in shape. The particle size and zeta potential of CS-PLGA-CP NPs were measured to be 156 ±6.8 nm and +52 ±2.4 mV, respectively. High encapsulation (87.4 ± 4.5%) and controlled retention capacities confirmed the efficiency of the prepared nanoparticles in a time and dose-dependent manner. The cytotoxicity assay results also showed that CS-PLGA-CP NPs have a high efficiency on PEO1 cells compared to the free drug. The flow cytometric result showed 64.25% of the PEO1 cells were apoptotic, and 8.42% were necrotic when treated with CS-PLGA-CP NPs. Chitosan-PLGA combinational polymeric nanoparticles were not only steady but also non-toxic. Our experiments revealed that the chitosan-PLGA nanoparticles could be used as a challenging vehicle candidate for drug delivery for the therapeutic treatment of ovarian cancer.

Doxorubicin-Loaded Multivesicular Liposomes (DepoFoam) as a Sustained Release Carrier Intended for Locoregional Delivery in Cancer Treatment: Development, Characterization, and Cytotoxicity Evaluation.

Despite the advantages of direct intratumoral (IT) injection, the relatively rapid withdrawal of most anti-cancer drugs from the tumor due to their small molecular size limits the effectiveness of this method of administration. To address these limitations, recently, increasing attention has been directed to using slow-release biodegradable delivery systems for IT injection. This study aimed to develop and characterize a doxorubicin-loaded DepoFoam system as an efficient controlled-release carrier to be employed for locoregional drug delivery in cancer treatment. Major formulation parameters, including the molar ratio of cholesterol to the main lipid [Chol/egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC)], triolein (TO) content, and lipid-to-drug molar ratio (L/D), were optimized using a two-level factorial design approach. The prepared batches were evaluated for encapsulation efficiency (EE) and percentage of drug release (DR) after 6 and 72 hours as dependent variables. The optimum formulation (named DepoDOX) was further evaluated in terms of particle size, morphology, zeta potential, stability, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, in vitro cytotoxicity, and hemolysis. The analysis of factorial design indicated that TO content and L/D ratio had a negative effect on EE; between these two, TO content had the greatest effect. The TO content was also the most significant component, with a negative effect on the release rate. The ratio of Chol/EPC showed a dual effect on the DR rate. Using a higher percentage of Chol slowed down the initial release phase of the drug; nevertheless, it accelerated the DR rate in the later slow phase. DepoDOX were spherical and honeycomb-like structures (≈ 9.81 μm) with a desired sustained release profile, as DR lasted 11 days. Its biocompatibility was confirmed by the results of cytotoxicity and hemolysis assays. The in vitro characterization of optimized DepoFoam formulation demonstrated its suitability for direct locoregional delivery. DepoDOX, as a biocompatible lipid-based formulation, showed appropriate particle size, high capability for encapsulating doxorubicin, superior physical stability, and a markedly prolonged DR rate. Therefore, this formulation could be considered a promising candidate for locoregional drug delivery in cancer treatment.

Synthesis and Characterization of Supermagnetic Nanocomposites Coated with Pluronic F127 as a Contrast Agent for Biomedical Applications.

Nanomedicine has garnered significant interest owing to advances in drug delivery, effectively demonstrated in the treatment of certain diseases. Here, smart supermagnetic nanocomposites based on iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs) coated with Pluronic F127 (F127) were developed for the delivery of doxorubicin (DOX) to tumor tissues. The XRD patterns for all samples revealed peaks consistent with Fe3O4, as shown by their indices (220), (311), (400), (422), (511), and (440), demonstrating that the structure of Fe3O4 did not change after the coating process. After loading with DOX, the as-prepared smart nanocomposites demonstrated drug-loading efficiency and drug-loading capacity percentages of 45 ± 0.10 and 17 ± 0.58% for MNP-F127-2-DOX and 65 ± 0.12 and 13 ± 0.79% for MNP-F127-3-DOX, respectively. Moreover, a better DOX release rate was observed under acidic conditions, which may be credited to the pH sensitivity of the polymer. In vitro analysis demonstrated the survival rate of approximately 90% in HepG2 cells treated with PBS and MNP-F127-3 nanocomposites. Furthermore, after treatment with MNP-F127-3-DOX, the survival rate decreased, confirming cellular inhibition. Hence, the synthesized smart nanocomposites showed great promise for drug delivery in liver cancer treatment, overcoming the limitations of traditional therapies.

Tumor-targeted exosomes for delivery of anticancer drugs

Exosomes are small phospholipid bilayer vesicles that are naturally produced by all living cells, both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The exosomes due to their unique size, reduced immunogenicity, and their ability to mimic synthetic liposomes in carrying various anticancer drugs have been tested as drug delivery vehicles for cancer treatment. An added advantage of developing exosomes as a drug carrier is the ease of manipulating their intraluminal content and their surface modification to achieve tumor-targeted drug delivery. In the past ten-years, there has been an exponential increase in the number of exosome-related studies in cancer. Preclinical studies demonstrate exosomes-mediated delivery of chemotherapeutics, biologicals and natural products produce potent anticancer activity both, in vitro and in vivo. In contrast, the number of exosome-based clinical trials are few due to challenges in the manufacturing and scalability related to large-scale production of exosomes and their storage and stability. Herein, we discuss recent advances in exosome-based drug delivery for cancer treatment in preclinical and clinical studies and conclude with challenges to be overcome for translating a larger number of exosome-based therapies into the clinic.

Adaptive fuzzy control of drug delivery in cancer treatment using combination of chemotherapy and antiangiogenic therapy.

This paper introduces the adaptive fuzzy control scheme as a promising control technique for cancer treatment from a theoretical point of view. A mathematical model describing the dynamics of tumor growth under the drug interventions of chemotherapy and antiangiogenic therapy is considered. The model incorporates the effects of normal cells, cancer cells, and endothelial cells. Then, the control goals in cancer treatment are discussed and the desired trajectory for a typical patient is derived using the optimal control theory. Since the dynamic model of tumor growth is not accurate and also varies from patient to patient, an adaptive fuzzy controller is designed to make the outputs of the dynamic model track the desired trajectory. The proposed control system is model-independent and identifies the dynamic model of tumor growth over time. The performance of the designed controller is assessed by several numerical simulations. Finally, a hardware-in-the-loop simulation is conducted to validate the results.

Contributions of nanotechnology to the intraductal drug delivery for local treatment and prevention of breast cancer

Breast cancer is a major public health problem, affecting millions of people. It is a very heterogeneous disease, with localized and invasive forms, and treatment generally consists of a combination of surgery and radiotherapy followed by administration of estrogen receptor modulators or aromatase inhibitors. Given its heterogeneity, management strategies that take into consideration the type of disease and biological markers and can provide more personalized and local treatment are required. More recently, the intraductal administration (i.e., into the breast ducts) of drugs has attracted significant attention due to its ability of providing drug distribution through the ductal tree in a minimally invasive manner. Although promising, intraductal administration is not trivial, and difficulties in duct identification and cannulation are important challenges to the further development of this route. New drug delivery strategies such as nanostructured systems can help to achieve the full benefits of the route due to the possibility of prolonging tissue retention, improving targeting and selectivity, increasing cytotoxicity and reducing the frequency of administration. This review aims at discussing the potential benefits and challenges of intraductal administration, focusing on the design and use of nanocarriers as innovative and feasible strategies for local breast cancer therapy and prevention.

A Review of Different Types of Liposomes and Their Advancements as a Form of Gene Therapy Treatment for Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer incidence and mortality rates have increased exponentially during the last decade, particularly among female patients. Current therapies, including surgery and chemotherapy, have significant negative physical and mental impacts on patients. As a safer alternative, gene therapy utilising a therapeutic gene with the potential to treat various ailments is being considered. Delivery of the gene generally utilises viral vectors. However, immunological reactions and even mortality have been recorded as side effects. As a result, non-viral vectors, such as liposomes, a system composed of lipid bilayers formed into nanoparticles, are being studied. Liposomes have demonstrated tremendous potential due to their limitless ability to combine many functions into a system with desirable characteristics and functionality. This article discusses cationic, anionic, and neutral liposomes with their stability, cytotoxicity, transfection ability, cellular uptake, and limitation as a gene carrier suitable for gene therapy specifically for cancer. Due to the more practical approach of employing electrostatic contact with the negatively charged nucleic acid and the cell membrane for absorption purposes, cationic liposomes appear to be more suited for formulation for gene delivery and therapy for breast cancer treatment. As the other alternatives have numerous complicated additional modifications, attachments need to be made to achieve a functional gene therapy system for breast cancer treatment, which were also discussed in this review. This review aimed to increase understanding and build a viable breast cancer gene therapy treatment strategy.

Carboplatin-loaded Ultradeformable Vesicles for the Management of Endometrial Cancer: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation

Aim: Present research work aimed to explore intravaginal route for the drug delivery for treatment of endometrial cancer (EC). Material & methods: Carboplatin (CBP)-loaded ultradeformable vesicle (CBP-UDV) was prepared and characterized for invitro quality attributes and evaluated for its efficacy in rabbits using ultrasound imaging after intravaginal administration. Results & conclusion: The results showed that the formulation capable of carrying and localizing drug in uterus for prolonged period assisted by first uterine pass effect. Ultrasound imaging of the EC-induced rabbit model before and after treatment with CBP-UDV showed considerable regression in the EC tumor mass. The findings serve as the basis of successful utilization of the intravaginal route for management of EC by designing the formulation which can improve patient compliance.

Targeted Cytokine Delivery for Cancer Treatment: Engineering and Biological Effects

Anti-tumor properties of several cytokines have already been investigated in multiple experiments and clinical trials. However, those studies evidenced substantial toxicities, even at low cytokine doses, and the lack of tumor specificity. These factors significantly limit clinical applications. Due to their high specificity and affinity, tumor-specific monoclonal antibodies or their antigen-binding fragments are capable of delivering fused cytokines to tumors and, therefore, of decreasing the number and severity of side effects, as well as of enhancing the therapeutic index. The present review surveys the actual antibody-cytokine fusion protein (immunocytokine) formats, their targets, mechanisms of action, and anti-tumor and other biological effects. Special attention is paid to the formats designed to prevent the off-target cytokine-receptor interactions, potentially inducing side effects. Here, we describe preclinical and clinical data and the efficacy of the antibody-mediated cytokine delivery approach, either as a single therapy or in combination with other agents.

Racial disparities in diabetes prevalence among cancer patients.

Cancer inequity is one of the most critical public health issues faced by ethnic minorities and people of lower socioeconomic status. The disparate burden of cancer is caused by poor access to care and inadequate delivery of cancer treatment, as well as comorbid and co-occurring conditions. Diabetes is a common and serious comorbid condition of cancer. To better understand diabetes prevalence among diverse cancer patients, this study analyzed and described characteristics of cancer patients with diabetes from local-level Service Planning Area (SPA) data using City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center data, and United States national-level data from The National Health Interview Survey. Findings from national level data showed that patients in racial/ethnic minority groups had a higher occurrence of being diagnosed with diabetes, especially for non-Hispanic Blacks (OR=1.76, 95% CI=1.51, 2.03) and Hispanic/Latino individuals (OR=1.34, 95% CI=1.18, 1.52). Cancer patients who are older, ethnic minority, overweight/obese and with lower educational levels were more likely to have co-occurring diabetes. SPA-level patient data found similar results. In response to our findings and other reports, clinicians and health system including health coverage organizations should routinely assess cancer patients for cooccurring chronic illnesses, in particular diabetes. Interventions improving coordinated care that integrates oncology, endocrinology and primary care, targeting cancer patients --especially racial/ethnic minorities, overweight/obese, and older patients who are at increased risk for diabetes -- ought to be considered as best practice Whole Person care. With coordinated care management, ethnic disparities in cancer may be better addressed and reduced. Additionally, policymakers can contribute by enacting policies improving access to and coverage of integrated oncology, chronic disease prevention, and associated specialty care i.e., endocrinology to equalize quality care for ethnic minority, lower educated, overweight/obese and older cancer patients who are more likely to suffer greater comorbidity, and inadequate oncology and coordinated care to reduce disparities.

Recent Advances in Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticle-Mediated Drug Delivery for Breast Cancer Treatment.

Breast cancer (BC) currently occupies the second rank in cancer-related global female deaths. Although consistent awareness and improved diagnosis have reduced mortality in recent years, late diagnosis and resistant response still limit the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs (CDs), leading to relapse with consequent invasion and metastasis. Treatment with CDs is indeed well-versed but it is badly curtailed with accompanying side effects and inadequacies of site-specific drug delivery. As a result, drug carriers ensuring stealth delivery and sustained drug release with improved pharmacokinetics and biodistribution are urgently needed. Core-shell mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) have recently been a cornerstone in this context, attributed to their high surface area, low density, robust functionalization, high drug loading capacity, size-shape-controlled functioning, and homogeneous shell architecture, enabling stealth drug delivery. Recent interest in using MSNPs as drug delivery vehicles has been due to their functionalization and size-shape-driven versatilities. With such insights, this article focuses on the preparation methods and drug delivery mechanisms of MSNPs, before discussing their emerging utility in BC treatment. The information compiled herein could consolidate the database for using inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) as BC drug delivery vehicles in terms of design, application and resolving post-therapy complications.

COVID-19 and radiotherapy: The ordeal faced by patients and staff during the pandemic in the 1st year

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has also had a profound impact on cancer treatment delivery and organization. Oncology clinics have developed a number of procedures and used formulas related to radiotherapy doses to continue their activities. Aims and Objectives: We explored the impact of SARS-CoV-2 pandemy on the personnel and cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy in a radiotherapy department during the first year. Materials and Methods: 845 patients were treated over the course of a year, 195 of whom consented to participate in the study. The Elekta Mozoiq system and radiotherapy cards were evaluated, and the time intervals between the treatments during the radiotherapy were recorded. Biologically Effective Dose losses were calculated in the radiotherapy dose due to the interruption to treatment, and necessary calculations were made for the delivery of the initially planned dose. Results: The mean age of the patients was 59 years (range 19-78). There were 110 male (56.4%) and 85 female (43.5%) participants. The treatment of 4.6% (9 patients) of the patients was discontinued because of SARS-CoV-2 infection during radiotherapy. The greatest added fraction for a patient with prostate cancer was three while the lowest was one for a patient with lung cancer, based on the TDF calculation. During this period, 16% of the staff was infected with COVID-19. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the effect of the COVID-19 pandemy on patients and personnel in a radiotherapy clinic, and its management during one year.

Image-Guided Nanodelivery of Pt(IV) Prodrugs to GRP-Receptor Positive Tumors.

Over the last decades, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have proven to be remarkable tools for drug delivery and theranostic applications in cancer treatment. On the other hand, Pt(IV) prodrugs have been employed as an interesting alternative to the more common Pt(II) complexes, such as cisplatin, for cancer chemotherapy. Searching to design an image-guided nanocarrier to deliver selectively Pt(IV) prodrugs to tumors expressing the gastrin releasing peptide receptor (GRPR), we have synthesized small core AuNPs carrying a thiolated DOTA derivative, a GRPR-targeting bombesin analog (BBN[7-14]) and a Pt(IV) prodrug attached to the AuNPs without (AuNP-BBN-Pt1) or with a PEGylated linker (AuNP-BBN-Pt2 and AuNP-BBN-Pt3). In the GRPR+ prostate cancer PC3 cell line, the cytotoxic activity of the designed AuNP-BBN-Pt nanoparticles is strongly influenced by the presence of the PEGylated linker. Thus, AuNP-BBN-Pt1 displayed the lowest IC50 value (9.3 ± 2.3 µM of Pt), which is comparable to that exhibited by cisplatin in the same cell line. In contrast, AuNP-BBN-Pt1 showed an IC50 value of 97 ± 18 µM of Pt in the non-tumoral RWPE-1 prostate cells with a much higher selective index (SI) towards PC3 cells (SI = 10) when compared with cisplatin (SI = 1.3). The AuNPs were also successfully labeled with 67Ga and the resulting 67Ga-AuNP-BBN-Pt were used to assess their cellular uptake in PC3 cells, with AuNP-BBN-Pt1 also displaying the highest cellular internalization. Finally, intratumoral administration of 67Ga-AuNP-BBN-Pt1 in a PC3 tumor-bearing mice showed a prolonged retention of the nanoparticle compared to that of cisplatin, with optimal in vivo stability and 20% of the injected platinum remaining in the tumor after 72 h post-injection. Furthermore, microSPECT imaging studies confirmed the uptake and considerable retention of the 67Ga-labeled AuNPs in the tumors. Overall, these results show the potential of these targeted AuNPs loaded with Pt(IV) prodrugs for prostate cancer theranostics.

Smart Pellets for Controlled Delivery of 5-Fluorouracil.

This work aimed to develop a new one-pot and readily scaled-up formulation capable of retaining 5-fluorouracil and prolonging its release to obtain a site-specific medication delivery for the potential treatment of colorectal cancer. Six polymer-based formulations were successfully produced using a thermal bulk polymerization method and loaded with 5-fluorouracil, which is a chemotherapeutic agent used in the treatment of colorectal carcinoma. The pellets produced were characterized by measuring the glass transition temperature, tensile strength, Young's modulus, and tensile elongation at break. Studies on in vitro swelling and release were carried out in phosphate-buffered saline to evaluate the behaviour of the developed system. The Young's modulus, glass transition temperature, and tensile strength all increased significantly as the crosslinker concentration increased, but the fracture strain value reduced significantly. The in vitro swelling profile of the produced formulations was significantly reduced by increasing crosslinking density. Less than 27% cumulative drug release was achieved for all formulations after 5 h of starting the release study. The highest cumulative drug release reached after 24 h was 69%. The developed drug delivery system demonstrated the ability to delay the release of 5-fluorouracil in upper gastrointestinal tract-mimicking conditions, while permitting its release in a controlled way afterward, which makes it promising for the potential delivery of 5-fluorouracil to the colon.

Examining ACCURE's Nurse Navigation Through an Antiracist Lens: Transparency and Accountability in Cancer Care.

There are persistent disparities in the delivery of cancer treatment, with Black patients receiving fewer of the recommended cancer treatment cycles than their White counterparts on average. To enhance racial equity in cancer care, innovative methods that apply antiracist principles to health promotion interventions are needed. The parent study for the current analysis, the Accountability for Cancer Care through Undoing Racism and Equity (ACCURE) intervention, was a system-change intervention that successfully eliminated the Black-White disparity in cancer treatment completion among patients with early-stage breast and lung cancer. The intervention included specially trained nurse navigators who leveraged real-time data to follow-up with patients during their treatment journeys. Community and academic research partners conducted thematic analysis on all clinical notes (n = 3,251) written by ACCURE navigators after each contact with patients in the specialized navigation arm (n = 162). Analysis was informed by transparency and accountability, principles adapted from the antiracist resource Undoing Racism and determined as barriers to treatment completion through prior research that informed ACCURE. We identified six themes in the navigator notes that demonstrated enhanced accountability of the care system to patient needs. Underlying these themes was a process of enhanced data transparency that allowed navigators to provide tailored patient support. Themes include (1) patient-centered advocacy, (2) addressing system barriers to care, (3) connection to resources, (4) re-engaging patients after lapsed treatment, (5) addressing symptoms and side effects, and (6) emotional support. Future interventions should incorporate transparency and accountability mechanisms and examine the impact on racial equity in cancer care.

Advances in Polymeric Colloids for Cancer Treatment.

Polymer colloids have remarkable features and are gaining importance in many areas of research including medicinal science. Presently, the innovation of cancer drugs is at the top in the world. Polymer colloids have been used as drug delivery and diagnosis agents in cancer treatment. The polymer colloids may be of different types such as micelles, liposomes, emulsions, cationic carriers, and hydrogels. The current article describes the state-of-the-art polymer colloids for the treatment of cancer. The contents of this article are about the role of polymeric nanomaterials with special emphasis on the different types of colloidal materials and their applications in targeted cancer therapy including cancer diagnoses. In addition, attempts are made to discuss future perspectives. This article will be useful for academics, researchers, and regulatory authorities.