Management Of Cancer Patients Research Articles

Renal Failure Without Hemodialysis Is a Risk Factor for Postoperative Complications in Colorectal Cancer Surgery.

Surgical outcomes of colorectal cancer (CRC) in patients with renal failure (RF) remain to be clarified. The objective of this research was to investigate how RF impacts the surgical outcomes in patients with CRC. A retrospective analysis was performed on clinical data from 633 patients who underwent colorectal resection for CRC between January 2017 and December 2021. Outcomes of the patients with and without RF were compared. RF was defined as estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate less than 30. Forty-five (7%) patients with RF were identified. RF was a significant risk factor for postoperative complications after colorectal cancer surgery (odds ratio=2.19, 95% confidence interval=1.08-4.42, p=0.0284). The patients with RF had significantly more comorbidity (p=0.016), and higher American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (p<0.01). Hemoglobin level (p<0.01) and PNI (p<0.01) were significantly lower in those with RF. Postoperative complications were significantly higher (p=0.016), and the postoperative hospital stay was significantly longer (p<0.01) among patients with RF compared to those without RF. Patients with RF, excluding those undergoing hemodialysis, had significantly more complications compared to those without RF (p=0.004). Careful attention should be paid to perioperative management in RF colorectal cancer patients.

Abstract PO1-13-12: Mechanistic Analysis and Potential Therapeutic Implications in Breast Cancer with Fibrotic Focus

Abstract A fibrotic focus (FF) is a scar-like region that forms in the center of carcinoma due to excessive tumor stroma formation. In our earlier studies, we found FF as an independent poor prognostic factor for breast cancers. However, the underlying mechanisms of how the presence of FF contributed to a poor prognosis are still unknown. To improve our understanding of FF in breast cancer, we have investigated genes associated with FF and their impacts on breast cancer prognosis. Analysis of data from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) indicated that Bone Morphogenetic Protein 8A (BMP8A) was significantly upregulated in breast cancers with FF. To further validate this finding, immunohistochemistry (IHC) on BMP8A was performed on a local cohort of breast cancers (N= 900). Of these samples, 147 (16.3%) were found to be BMP8A positive, and there was a significant association between the presence of FF and high expression of BMP8A (p-value=0.026). We also found that high expression of BMP8A was positively correlated with apocrine phenotype, necrosis, increased Ki67 expression, and triple-negative breast cancer subtype; and most of these are poor prognostic factors for breast cancer. Kaplan-Meier survival estimate analysis revealed that high expression of BMP8A was significantly associated with poor overall survival (p-value=0.035). Gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that "Extracellular matrix organization" was the prominent biological process associated with BMP8A. KEGG pathway analysis suggested that BMP8A was significantly related to "Protein digestion and absorption", "ECM-receptor interaction", and "Focal adhesion" pathways, further validating its correlation with stromal FF. In cellular studies using MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, overexpression of BMP8A was found to enhance breast cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Similar tumor-promoting phenotypes were exhibited when stimulating the cell lines with recombinant human BMP8A. In conclusion, our findings suggested that BMP8A was associated with FF in breast cancer, contributing at least partly to the aggressive features of these cancers. Our findings also provided new insights into the precision treatment and diagnosis of breast cancer. Further exploration of BMP8A as a therapeutic target and prognostic factor may contribute to improved management of breast cancer patients. Citation Format: Canbin Fang, Julia Y. S. Tsang, Gary M.K. Tse. Mechanistic Analysis and Potential Therapeutic Implications in Breast Cancer with Fibrotic Focus [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-13-12.

Abstract PO1-28-03: Impact of the Oncotype DX® test over time and association with clinicopathological characteristics of Peruvian patients with early breast cancer: Experience in the last 15 years

Abstract Introduction: Gene expression assays provide prognostic and therapy-predictive information that complements management of early breast cancer patients. Oncotype DX® had showed prognostic and prediction of adjuvant chemotherapy benefit. The present study evaluates the impact of Oncotype DX® on therapeutic decision-making for 15 years and explores the association of clinicopathological characteristics with the Recurrence Score (RS) in Peruvian patients with early breast cancer. Material and methods: A retrospective multicenter analysis of 759 breast cancer patients treated in three oncological centers in Lima-Peru (Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplásicas, Oncosalud and Ricardo Palma) between 2007 and 2022 was conducted. Risk groups were classified according to Oncotype DX® result and menopausal status. For premenopausal women ≤ 50 years: low (RS=0-20), intermediate (RS=21-25) and high-risk (RS=26-100). A descriptive analysis was evaluated to observe the trend and profile of the patients who used the Oncotype test in 5 time periods (2007-2009, 2010-2013, 2014-2016, 2017-2019, 2020-2022). Subsequently, chi-square, t-test, analysis of variance and Poisson linear regression tests were applied to compare clinicopathological features with RS. Finally, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using Cox logistic regression to identify the probability of association with the high-risk group. Results: 642 patients were included, 78.5% were postmenopausal, and 64.2% had clinical stage (CS) I. Overall, 63.4% had no recommendation for chemotherapy and only 5.6% had recurrence. 74.8% were classified as low-risk according to the Oncotype DX® result. Postmenopausal patients had negative lymph nodes (95.4%), the majority had undergone conservative surgery (71.8%) and had a low rate of breast reconstruction (11.9%). An increase in the use of Oncotype DX® was observed over time, especially in premenopausal patients (from 4.5% in 2007 to 36.9% in 2022). A significant association was found between luminal B subtype (p &amp;lt; 0.0001), histological grade 3 (p &amp;lt; 0.0001) and T3 vs. T1/2 (p=0.025). In univariate analysis, luminal B subtype (vs. luminal A, OR=5.56, 95% CI, 2.80-12.3, p&amp;lt; 0.001), T3 (vs. T1/2, OR=2.84, 95% CI, 0.13-30.0, p=0.006), histological grade 3 (vs. 1/2, OR=13.1, 95% CI, 5.35-39.6, p&amp;lt; 0.001) and histology (other vs. ductal/lobulillar/mucinous, OR=2.94, 95% CI, 0.57-13.5, p=0.003) provided a higher probability of obtaining a high-risk RS result. Similar results were found in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: The use of the Oncotype DX® had a significant impact on therapeutic decision-making in Peruvian patients with early breast cancer, with an increase of use in the last 15 years. A high-risk RS was associated with luminal B subtype, histological grade 3 and T3 tumor size, which could facilitate risk stratification and provide valuable information for the need of adjuvant chemotherapy. Keywords: Early breast cancer, Oncotype DX®, clinicopathological characteristics, Recurrence Score (RS), Peru Oncotype PERU Table Citation Format: Steffi Katheryne Gonzalez Bocanegra, Guillermo valencia Mesías, Yomali Aroa Ferreyra Chombo, Karoll Tatiana Meza Garcia, Mariano Lopez-Pereyra, Jorge Torres Maldonado, Edgar Fermín Yan Quiroz, Zaida Morante Cruz, Jose Cotrina-Concha, Henry Gómez, Gabriela Calderon Valencia, Mauricio León Rivera. Impact of the Oncotype DX® test over time and association with clinicopathological characteristics of Peruvian patients with early breast cancer: Experience in the last 15 years [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-28-03.

Abstract PO2-02-02: BREAst Cancer Personalized NuTrition (BREACPNT): dietary intervention in HR+ breast cancer patients treated with endocrine therapy

Abstract BACKGROUND Breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant endocrine therapy commonly experience weight gain, which has been associated with low adherence to therapy and worse breast cancer prognosis. Dietary interventions are the first-line treatment for weight management in breast cancer patients and have beneficial results. Yet, the ability to maintain these outcomes requires further research. Here, we aimed to assess whether a personalized postprandial glucose targeting (PPT) diet is beneficial for weight management and metabolic health as compared with the recommended Mediterranean (MED) diet in this population. DESIGN AND METHODS BREACPNT is a phase-2 randomized trial in HR+ patients with breast cancer, treated with adjuvant endocrine therapy. We randomly assigned participants to follow a MED diet or a PPT diet for a 6-month dietary intervention and additional 6-month follow-up. The PPT diet is based on a machine-learning algorithm that integrates clinical and microbiome features to predict personal postprandial glucose responses (PPGRs). During the intervention, participants were monthly followed by a registered dietitian, they were additionally connected to a 2-week continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) on 3-timepoints, provided stool and blood samples and self-reported dietary intake using a smartphone application. RESULTS Among 127 randomized patients (mean ± SD age 53 ± 10 years, BMI 28.6 ± 5 kg/m2), 103 (81%) completed the 6-month intervention period. A total of 94 participants provided 12-month follow-up data. Both interventions led to a significant weight loss. The PPT-diet showed numerically greater weight loss with median change of -1.45kg (IQR -3.75 – 0) compared to the MED-diet with median change of -1kg (IQR -3.2 - 0.1) , however this was not significant (p=0.9). Notably, at the 12-month time point , participants in the PPT arm were more likely to maintain the weight loss (median -1.2kg, IQR -4 - 0.1) compared to participants in the MED-arm (median -0.15kg , IQR -4.25 - 1.5), p=0.14) and had significantly improved waist circumference (median, IQR; -5 cm, -8-(-2) in the PPT arm, compared to -1cm, -6.5-3 in the MED arm, p=0.01). In terms of glucose metabolism the PPT-diet led to improved glycemic control as measured by CGM, with significant lower average postprandial glucose responses (PPGRs) and glucose coefficient of variation (CV) compared to the MED-diet arm (mean 6-month change in PPGR was 2.1 ± 7.5 mg/dL × h for MED and −3.4 ± 5.6 mg/dL × h for PPT, p&amp;lt; 0.001, and the 6-month mean change for CV was 0.15 ± 2.76 for MED and −1.37 ± 3.2 for PPT, p&amp;lt; 0.01). Within the entire cohort, participants who experienced the greatest weight loss (upper quartile) were more likely to be postmenopausal compared to participants in the lower quartile. Additionally, participants who did not achieve weight loss (lower quartile) were significantly more likely to be treated with tamoxifen than AI (p=0.015). CONCLUSIONS In this dietary intervention in HR+ breast cancer patients, both PPT diet and MED diet led to weight loss and improved food quality, with a slight advantage to PPT diet. PPT diet additionally improved glycemic features as compared to MED diet, which are linked to lower risk of obesity and disease recurrence, suggesting an advantage in a glucose targeting approach. Premenopausal and Tamoxifen treated patients were less likely to lose weight through the intervention. These findings may have implications for dietary advice in clinical practice. Citation Format: Michal Rein, Maya Dadiani, Anastasia Godneva, Michal Bakalenik-Gavry, Dana Morzaev-Sulzbach, Maya Lotan-Pompan, Adina Weinberger, Eran Segal, Einav Gal-Yam. BREAst Cancer Personalized NuTrition (BREACPNT): dietary intervention in HR+ breast cancer patients treated with endocrine therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO2-02-02.

Oral Domiciliary Therapy of Multiple Myeloma with Cyclophosphamide, Pomalidomide and Dexamethasone Regimen in the Covid Era - A Pilot Study

Background: Multiple myeloma is the 11th most common cancer in India, with a prevalence of 1.1% and a diagnosis age range of 65 to 74 years. Various doublet or triplet combinations of steroids, immunomodulatory medications, proteasome inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies are used in standard myeloma therapy. Covid 19 pandemic has been extremely challenging especially when it comes to the management of cancer patients. As the incidence of multiple myeloma (MM) is increasing rapidly in Asian countries, and the Asian patients seem to respond differently compared to the western population to the various commonly used treatment regimens, these patients require special consideration and care to ensure optimum treatment and at the same time, precautions must be taken to decrease their exposure to COVID-19. Considering these aspects, we decided to use an all-oral treatment of CyPomDexa (Cyclophosphamide, Pomalidomide and Dexamethasone) for the treatment of myeloma both as a first-line regimen as well as for relapsed and refractory patients who had not been exposed to this regimen in the past, and to observe the feasibility and efficacy of domiciliary, oral treatment with cyclophosphamide, pomalidomide and dexamethasone (Cy-Pom-Dex) for myeloma patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A Prospective, observational, single-arm, pilot study was conducted from 1st March 2020 to 30th September 2020 in patients who were newly-diagnosed (NDMM) or relapsed multiple myeloma (RMM) at a tertiary care Centre in Bengaluru. The patients were started on oral treatment with CyPomDexa during lockdown mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This regimen was chosen as a replacement for cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, dexamethasone (CyBorD), which was the previous standard of care in our centre. Haematological and biochemical parameters of the patients were checked pre-treatment. Weekly complete blood counts and biochemistry was checked with home collection of blood samples. This was combined with weekly video consultations. Face-to-face visits were conducted monthly, and myeloma parameters were checked at the end of every 2 months. Results: 6 patients underwent the planned treatment. Among these 4 had NDMM and 2 had RMM. 1 patient who received CyPomDexa from the first cycle was lost to follow-up (COVID 19 positive). Among the remaining 5 patients ,3 (50%) achieved VGPR (very good partial response) and 2 (33.33%) achieved SCR (Stringent Complete Response) after 4 cycles of therapy. Conclusion: This regimen achieved good disease control in all the evaluable patients, within 4 cycles. A larger, prospective study is however required to draw definitive conclusions.

Radiosensitizing effects of heparinized magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in colon cancer

The combination of radiation treatment and chemotherapy is currently the standard for management of cancer patients. However, safe doses do not often provide effective therapy, then pre-treated patients are forced to repeat treatment with often already increased tumor resistance to drugs and irradiation. One of the solutions we suggest is to improve primary course of radiation treatment via enhancing radiosensitivity of tumors by magnetic-guided iron oxide nanoparticles (magnetite). We obtained spherical heparinized iron oxide nanoparticles (hIONPs, ∼20 nm), characterized it by TEM, Infrared spectroscopy and DLS. Then hIONPs cytotoxicity was assessed for colon cancer cells (XTT assay) and cellular uptake of nanoparticles was analyzed with X-ray fluorescence.Combination of ionizing radiation (IR) and hIONPs in vitro caused an increase of G2/M arrest of cell cycle, mitotic errors and decrease in survival (compared with samples exposed to IR and hIONPs separately). The promising results were shown for magnetic-guided hIONPs in CT26-grafted BALB/C mice: the combination of intravenously administrated hIONPs and IR showed 20,8% T/C ratio (related to non-treated mice), while single radiation had no shown significant decrease in tumor growth (72,4%). Non-guided by magnets hIONPs with IR showed 57,9% of T/C. This indicates that ultra-small size and biocompatible molecule are not the key to successful nano-drug design, in each case, delivery technologies need to be improved when transferred to in vivo model.

Comprehensive medication management (CMM): Application of a new pharmaceutical practice in onco-hematology

The integration of a large number of drugs, such as antineoplastic agents and cancer-related supportive care drugs, into the management of cancer patients exposes them to an increased number of drug-related problems (DRP). Clinical pharmacists contribute to drug management by actively intervening in detected DRP. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of the applying a clinical pharmacist-driven comprehensive medication management (CMM) service to onco-hematology patients. This prospective interventional study was carried out over six-month duration, specifically from November 06, 2022 to April 5, 2023 in the oncology and hematology departments of the EHU Oran. The adherence to treatment was evaluated using the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS). Whereas data related to the patient's general condition and medication history was assessed using the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) Classification for Drug-Related Problems V9.1. Among the 130 patients included in the study, a total of 879 DRP were identified, with a mean of 6.78 (±1.72) DRP/patient, half of which were related to efficacy (51%). Almost half of our sample (44.6%) did not adhere to their treatment. The most frequent cause of DRP, accounting for (19.9%) of the cases, was the inappropriate administration by a health professional. A total of 875 pharmaceuticals interventions (PI) were proposed, 67.2% of which were focused at the drug level. The PI acceptance rate was 94.1%. The integration of CMM services in onco-hematology played an important role in optimizing dosing regimen and treatment administration methods, as well as preventing iatropathology in the management of cancer patients.

The impact of decision tools during oncological consultation with lung cancer patients: A systematic review within the I3LUNG project.

To date, lung cancer is one of the most lethal diagnoses worldwide. A variety of lung cancer treatments and modalities are available, which are generally presented during the patient and doctor consultation. The implementation of decision tools to facilitate patient's decision-making and the management of their healthcare process during medical consultation is fundamental. Studies have demonstrated that decision tools are helpful to promote health management and decision-making of lung cancer patients during consultations. The main aim of the present work within the I3LUNG project is to systematically review the implementation of decision tools to facilitate medical consultation about oncological treatments for lung cancer patients. In the present study, we conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines. We used an electronic computer-based search involving three databases, as follows: Embase, PubMed, and Scopus. 10 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included. They explicitly refer to decision tools in the oncological context, with lung cancer patients. The discussion highlights the most encouraging results about the positive role of decision aids during medical consultations about oncological treatments, especially regarding anxiety, decision-making, and patient knowledge. However, no one main decision aid tool emerged as essential. Opting for a more recent timeframe to select eligible articles might shed light on the current array of decision aid tools available. Future review efforts could utilize alternative search strategies to explore other lung cancer-specific outcomes during medical consultations for treatment decisions and the implementation of decision aid tools. Engaging with experts in the fields of oncology, patient decision-making, or health communication could provide valuable insights and recommendations for relevant literature or research directions that may not be readily accessible through traditional search methods. The development of guidelines for future research were provided with the aim to promote decision aids focused on patients' needs.

An Update on MR Spectroscopy in Cancer Management: Advances in Instrumentation, Acquisition, and Analysis.

MR spectroscopy (MRS) is a noninvasive imaging method enabling chemical and molecular profiling of tissues in a localized, multiplexed, and nonionizing manner. As metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer, MRS provides valuable metabolic and molecular information for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, treatment monitoring, and patient management. This review provides an update on the use of MRS for clinical cancer management. The first section includes an overview of the principles of MRS, current methods, and conventional metabolites of interest. The remainder of the review is focused on three key areas: advances in instrumentation, specifically ultrahigh-field-strength MRI scanners and hybrid systems; emerging methods for acquisition, including deuterium imaging, hyperpolarized carbon 13 MRI and MRS, chemical exchange saturation transfer, diffusion-weighted MRS, MR fingerprinting, and fast acquisition; and analysis aided by artificial intelligence. The review concludes with future recommendations to facilitate routine use of MRS in cancer management. Keywords: MR Spectroscopy, Spectroscopic Imaging, Molecular Imaging in Oncology, Metabolic Reprogramming, Clinical Cancer Management © RSNA, 2024.

Acute coronary syndromes in patients with cancer: Recent advances.

Coronary artery disease is presently one of the leading causes of death among cancer survivors. Due to the number of cancer survivors projected to reach 26 million by 2040 managing coronary disease in this population presents a unique challenge. Cancer patients face an elevated risk of atherosclerotic disease due to shared cardiovascular risk factors and the cardiotoxic effects of cancer therapies, predisposing them to acute coronary syndromes. Challenges in treating cancer patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes include atypical presentations, obscured symptoms, and the impact of cancer-related processes on traditional biomarkers. This review explores the complexities of acute coronary syndrome management in cancer patients, addressing challenges involved, recent advances in percutaneous strategies, pharmacology, and considerations for these high-risk individuals. This review discusses a balance between invasive vs. medical strategy, technical advances in multimodal imaging, intravascular physiology, intracoronary imaging, and evolving stent options, highlighting the need for tailored approaches in this complex patient population.

&lt;i&gt;BRCA&lt;/i&gt; genetic testing and HBOC management in pancreatic cancer patients

&lt;i&gt;BRCA&lt;/i&gt; genetic testing and HBOC management in pancreatic cancer patients

Assessing Trends in Hospitalizations for Breast Cancer among Women in Korea: A Utilization of the Korea National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey (2006–2020)

ObjectiveBreast cancer poses a significant health threat globally and particularly in Korea, where mortality rates have risen notably. In this study, we analyzed the characteristics of breast cancer patients discharged in Korea over the past 15 years and explored the association between comorbidities and treatment outcomes to propose effective strategies for managing cancer patients. Understanding these dynamics is vital for informing tailored management strategies and optimizing healthcare system sustainability.MethodsThis study utilized cross-sectional data from the Korea National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey from 2006 to 2020. Each year, among patients discharged from hospital with 100 beds or more, those identified with breast cancer patients were based on their primary diagnosis code (C50) according to the ICD-10, as recorded in their medical records.ResultsBetween 2006 and 2020, an estimated 499,281 breast cancer patients were discharged, with an average annual percent change (AAPC) of 5.2% (95% CI 4.2–6.2, p <.05). A notable increase in AAPC was particularly evident among those aged 60 years and old. Across all age groups, there was a consistent increasing trend in the risk of mortality as the CCI score increased (p <.05). The risk of comorbidity was more pronounced in younger age groups compared to older age groups.ConclusionsThe increasing life expectancy is expected to lead to a continued rise in the number of elderly breast cancer patients. Countermeasures are needed to address this trend through appropriate diagnosis and treatment planning. Particularly, considering comorbidities in breast cancer treatment plans is necessary to promote positive treatment outcomes, especially in younger breast cancer patients.

Study of impact of assessment of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, Her2 neu receptor and Ki-67 at diagnosis in management of breast cancer patient at Birat Medical College Teaching Hospital (BMCTH)

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Nepal. Treatment of breast cancer includes combined therapy based on hormonal receptors within breast tissue and is linked to prognosis and survival. Objective: To evaluate hormonal factors preoperatively and assess the impact of how it would change the management practices of treating breast cancer in our setup. Methodology: This descriptive prospective study was conducted from March to October 2023 in the department of surgical oncology BMCTH in patients with breast mass suggestive of carcinoma meeting inclusion criteria and willing for treatment. Patients demographic data, detailed history and clinical examination was done at the time of diagnosis entered in excel sheet and calculation done by SPSS. Ethical clearance was taken from the institutional review committee of BMCTH (Ref: IRC-PA-296/2023 ). Results: In 80 female patients with mean age 46.15 years, Left breast cancer (60%) was more common than right side (40 %). Most common site of presentation was the upper outer quadrant (UOQ- 47.%). Invasive ductal carcinoma was the commonest type (47.5%) of all histological variants. 67.5% patients had ER positive receptor, 67.5% had PR positive and 2 Her2 neu was present in 28.7 %. TNBC reported 18.75% (15 patients out of 80 patients). Ki- 67 prognostic value ranged from 10 to 70 with mean 29.91+-20.795%. Among all 36.3% underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to surgery and 63.7% underwent upfront surgery for breast cancer. Conclusion: Screening of Triple negative and luminal type B breast cancers preoperatively is essential. Evaluation of hormonal factors ER, PR, Her 2 neu and Ki-67 preoperatively is must as it changes the management practices of treating breast cancer.

The Prognostic Immune and Nutritional Indices Are Independent Prognostic Factors for Esophageal Cancer Patients Who Receive Curative Treatment.

Recently, the prognostic immune and nutritional index (PINI) was developed and reported to be a promising nutritional and inflammatory prognostic marker. The aim of the present study was to clarify the clinical impact of the PINI for esophageal cancer patients who received curative treatment. We conducted a retrospective review of medical records and collected data on consecutive esophageal cancer patients who underwent curative resection at Yokohama City University between 2005 and 2020. The PINI was calculated by dividing the serum ALB concentration (g/dl) by the serum monocyte concentration, both of which were measured before surgery. A total of 180 patients were included in this study. The cutoff value of the PINI was 3.0 in the present study. The 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 45.2% and 33.5%, respectively, in the PINI-low subgroup, and 69.1% and 61.8%, respectively, in the PINI-high subgroup. A multivariate analysis demonstrated that the PINI was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (hazard ratio=2.091, 95% confidence interval=1.287-3.399, p=0.003). Similar results were observed for recurrence-free survival. When comparing the sites of recurrence between the two groups, the incidence of hematological recurrence was significantly greater in the PINI-low subgroup compared to the PINI-high subgroup (46.8% vs. 21.1%, p<0.001). The PINI is a promising nutritional and inflammatory marker for esophageal cancer patients. The PINI might be a useful marker for the treatment and management of esophageal cancer patients.

Role of Non-coding RNAs on the Radiotherapy Sensitivity and Resistance in Cancer Cells.

Radiotherapy (RT) is an integral part of treatment management in cancer patients. However, one of the limitations of this treatment method is the resistance of cancer cells to radiotherapy. These restrictions necessitate the introduction of modalities for the radiosensitization of cancer cells. It has been shown that Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), along with modifiers, can act as radiosensitivity and radioresistant regulators in a variety of cancers by affecting double strand break (DSB), wnt signaling, glycolysis, irradiation induced apoptosis, ferroptosis and cell autophagy. This review will provide an overview of the latest research on the roles and regulatory mechanisms of ncRNA after RT in in vitro and preclinical research.

Enhancing Lung Cancer Care in Portugal: Bridging Gaps for Improved Patient Outcomes.

Lung cancer has the highest incidence and cancer-related mortality worldwide. In Portugal, it ranks as the fourth most common cancer, with nearly 6000 new cases being diagnosed every year. Lung cancer is the main cause of cancer-related death among males and the third cause of cancer-related death in females. Despite the globally accepted guidelines and recommendations for what would be the ideal path for a lung cancer patient, several challenges occur in real clinical management across the world. The recommendations emphasize the importance of adequate screening of high-risk individuals, a precise tumour biopsy, and an accurate final diagnosis to confirm the neoplastic nature of the nodule. A detailed histological classification of the lung tumour type and a comprehensive molecular characterization are of utmost importance for the selection of an efficacious and patient-directed therapeutic approach. However, in the context of the Portuguese clinical organization and the national healthcare system, there are still several gaps in the ideal pathway for a lung cancer patient, involving aspects ranging from the absence of a national lung cancer screening programme through difficulties in histological diagnosis and molecular characterization to challenges in therapeutic approaches. In this manuscript, we address the most relevant weaknesses, presenting several proposals for potential solutions to improve the management of lung cancer patients, helping to decisively improve their overall survival and quality of life.

Nutritional care for cancer patients: are we doing enough?

Malnutrition is associated with higher rates of surgical complications, increased anticancer treatment toxicities, longer hospital stays, higher healthcare costs, poorer patient quality of life, and lower survival rates. Nutritional support has been shown to improve all of these outcomes. However, the nutritional care of cancer patients is still suboptimal and several issues remain unresolved. Although the effectiveness of nutritional support depends on the timeliness of intervention, assessment of nutritional status is often delayed and perceived as unimportant. When diagnoses of malnutrition are made, they are rarely recorded in medical records. Hospitals lack medical staff dedicated to clinical nutrition, making it difficult to integrate nutritional care into the multidisciplinary management of cancer patients. Outside the hospital, nutritional support is hampered by heterogeneous reimbursement policies and a lack of adequate community nutrition services. In addition, an increasing number of patients are turning to potentially harmful "anti-cancer" diets as trust in medicine declines. Adopting mandatory nutrition screening, monitoring quality of care metrics, providing nutrition education to care providers, and implementing telehealth systems are some of the most urgent interventions that need to be established in the future.

The Landsteiner lung cancer research platform (LALUCA) : Objectives, methodology and implementation of areal-world clinical lung cancer registry.

Lung cancer is amajor health burden in Austria; however, limited real-world data exist on the diagnostic and treatment reality of lung cancer patients in Austria. The collection of high-quality data in aclinical setting is needed to gain insights into the real-world diagnostic and therapeutic management of lung cancer patients. The Karl Landsteiner Institute for Lung Research and Pulmonary Oncology implemented the Landsteiner lung cancer research platform (LALUCA), recruiting unselected lung cancer patients from two high volume centers in Vienna. This article describes the objectives, design, methodology of the registry and the process of implementation. Amultidisciplinary team of lung cancer specialists created acustom designed variable catalogue for the LALUCA platform consisting of 17categories with 180 variables. Detailed information on clinical characteristics, diagnostic interventions, molecular pathology as well as curative and palliative treatment modalities are collected. During an implementation phase in 2020, the platform was optimized using the data of 50patients. Since then atotal of 1200 patients have been enrolled. Recruitment for the registry is ongoing with arecruitment rate of approximately 400 patients per year. The LALUCA registry is aweb-based platform for the collection of real-world clinical data of lung cancer patients. Combining alarge number of patients with afocus on gathering comprehensive data on diagnosis and treatment, the LALUCA registry provides atool for investigation, evaluation, and improvement of the clinical management, survival and quality of care of Austrian lung cancer patients.

Spectacular clinical benefit achieved by multidisciplinary management of a kidney cancer patient

Spectacular clinical benefit achieved by multidisciplinary management of a kidney cancer patient

Diagnostic and therapeutic management of cancer patients with pain: recommendations of the Expert Group of the Polish Association for Palliative Care, Polish Association for the Study of Pain, and Polish Association of Clinical Oncology

Diagnostic and therapeutic management of cancer patients with pain: recommendations of the Expert Group of the Polish Association for Palliative Care, Polish Association for the Study of Pain, and Polish Association of Clinical Oncology