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Simple Summary: Despite advances in head and neck cancer control, survivors encounter significant difficulties accessing survivorship care in the USA. We conducted a qualitative study aimed to better understand their experiences and identify unmet needs. Fifteen long-term head and neck cancer survivors were interviewed, where themes around chronic emotional distress, fatigue, and disruptions in daily life emerged across the focus group. Secondary issues included sleep problems, cognitive difficulties, and other health conditions. Surprisingly, physical symptoms like pain and changes in appetite were less discussed. These findings underscore the need for tailored holistic multi-dimensional cancer survivorship programs that address physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. The study highlights the importance of increased awareness and comprehensive long-term support to prioritize and enhance quality of life for the head and neck cancer survivorship community. Improved rates of cancer control have increased the head and neck cancer survivor population. Cancer survivorship clinics are not widely available in the USA, and longitudinal supportive care for patients undergoing multimodal therapy has not advanced at a pace commensurate with improvements in cancer control. Consequently, a large head and neck cancer survivor population whose quality of life may be chronically and/or permanently diminished presently exists. This lack of awareness perpetuates under-recognition and under-investigation, leaving survivors' (mostly detrimental) experiences largely uncharted. We conducted a qualitative exploration of survivors' experiences, aiming to unpack the profound impact of late systemic symptoms on daily life, encompassing work, relationships, and self-identity in the head and neck cancer survivor community. The study included 15 remitted head and neck survivors, ≥12 months from their final treatment, who participated in semi-structured interviews conducted by a medical oncologist. Data analysis comprised qualitative thematic analysis, specifically inductive hierarchical linear modeling, enriched by a deductive approach of anecdotal clinical reporting. Results highlighted that 43.36% of all quotation material discussed in the interviews pertained to chronic emotion disturbance with significant implications for other domains of life. A central symptom cluster comprised impairments in mood/emotions, daily activity, and significant fatigue. Dysfunction in sleep, other medical conditions, and cognitive deficits comprised a secondary cluster. Physical dysfunctionality, encompassing pain, appetite, and eating, and alterations in experienced body temperature, constituted a tertiary cluster, and perhaps were surprisingly the least discussed symptom burden among head and neck cancer survivors. Symptoms causing heightened long-term survivor burden may be considered epiphenomenal to central physical dysfunctionality, albeit being presently the least represented in cancer survivor care programs. Moving forward, the development of targeted and multi-dimensional treatment programs that encompass physical, psychosocial, and spiritual domains are needed to increase clinical specificity and effective holistic long-term solutions that will foster a more compassionate and informed future of care for the cancer survivorship community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Equine headshaking syndrome is a painful condition causing the horse to shake or flick its head violently without any obvious reason. Treatments for the condition are poorly effective and information on the condition in Australian horses is lacking. An online survey was sent to owners of headshaking horses in Australia to gather more information on when headshaking occurs and what treatments have been used to address it. The results showed that more geldings were affected than mares, and geldings were older when they first started headshaking compared to mares. Bright sunlight, wind, and high pollen count were the most reported triggers, and more than half of the owners reported that headshaking occurred in a specific season each year. Most owners had used more than two types of treatment, but few treatments were reported effective when used alone. The finding that a large proportion of horses start headshaking in spring and summer, combined with owner reports that light-blocking masks do not work well as a treatment, suggests that day length rather than brightness should be considered as an important factor in headshaking. This study provides new information on the causes and treatments of headshaking in horses in Australia. Equine headshaking syndrome is a poorly understood neuropathic pain condition presenting as uncontrollable shaking, flicking, or striking of the head. Therapeutic options are limited, and treatments are only partially successful. Currently, epidemiological information on headshaking in the Southern Hemisphere is lacking. An online survey was circulated to Australian owners of headshaking horses to collect information on triggers, symptoms, seasonality, treatments, and perceived treatment efficacy. The responses (n = 216) showed the mean age at symptom onset as 9.6 (±4.7) years. More geldings were affected than mares (76% vs. 24%), and symptom onset occurred later in geldings compared to mares (10.1 ± 4.7 vs. 7.9 ± 4.0 years; p < 0.01). Bright sunlight, wind, and high pollen were the most commonly reported triggers (61%, 46% and 40%, respectively), and seasonal onset of symptoms was reported by 54% of respondents. In total, 71% of respondents reported using two or more treatments. The most common treatments were supplements (68%), nose nets (63%), light-blocking masks (48%), bodywork (48%) and pharmaceutical compounds (38%). Overall, treatments were considered ineffective by 33% of respondents. The findings were in agreement with surveys from the Northern Hemisphere. Of note was the perception of bright light as a primary trigger, alongside the reported low treatment efficacy of light-blocking masks. Seasonal intensification of symptoms and its relationship to day length merits further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: All mammals have an internal timing system that is responsible for regulating most aspects of physiology and behaviour. This internal timing system, or body clock, is regulated by the daily 24 h rhythms in light and dark exposure and functions in almost every tissue and organ. Domesticated species such as horses are often stabled and exposed to lighting at different times than they would in nature. The cells in hair follicles possess a clock that can be evaluated without the need for more invasive tissue collection. This study aimed to evaluate the clock in hair follicles of horses kept under two lighting systems. After 20 weeks housed with either an incandescent light bulb or a custom-designed LED lighting system, 24 h clock gene rhythms from hair follicles of horses housed under the LED lighting system were found to be stronger. The LED lighting system contained blue light by day, which is more like the light produced by the sun and is known to be responsible for keeping the biological clock ticking, and dim red light at night to help avoid the disruption caused by turning on a white light in the stables at night. Therefore, our results suggest that there is the potential to improve stable lighting for horses to optimise the function of the body clock and ultimately the health of horses. By improving the circadian (24 h) rhythm of horses, all aspects of their physiology can work in better harmony and in synchrony with the environment. Hair follicles (HF) represent a useful tissue for monitoring the circadian clock in mammals. Irregular light exposure causes circadian disruption and represents a welfare concern for stabled horses. We aimed to evaluate the impact of two stable lighting regimes on circadian clock gene rhythmicity in HF from racehorses. Two groups of five Thoroughbred racehorses in training at a commercial racehorse yard were exposed to standard incandescent light or a customized LED lighting system. The control group received light from incandescent bulbs used according to standard yard practice. The treatment group received timed, blue-enriched white LED light by day and dim red LED light at night. On weeks 0 and 20, mane hairs were collected at 4 h intervals for 24 h. Samples were stored in RNAlater at −20 °C. RNA was isolated and samples interrogated by quantitative PCR for the core clock genes: ARNTL, CRY1, PER1, PER2, NR1D2, and the clock-controlled gene DBP. Cosinor analyses revealed 24 h rhythmicity for NR1D2 and PER2 and approached significance for CRY1 (p = 0.013, p = 0.013, and p = 0.051, respectively) in week 20 in the treatment group only. No rhythmicity was detected in week 0 or in week 20 in the HF of control horses. Results suggest that lighting practices in racehorse stables may be improved to better stimulate optimum functioning of the circadian system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: There are currently few treatment options for individuals diagnosed with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC). Using four distinct ATC cell lines, we screened over 1500 anti-cancer agents and FDA-approved drugs. The initial screen and secondary confirmation testing identified 40 agents of interest for further evaluation. Validation was performed using three-dimensional anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cell cultures (spheroids) in order to more closely recapitulate in vivo drug response. Our approach has enabled identification of three exceptionally potent compounds, bortezomib, cabazitaxel, and YM155, and enhanced in vivo translatability to inform future clinical trials. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the most aggressive endocrine neoplasm, with a median survival of just four to six months post-diagnosis. Even with surgical and chemotherapeutic interventions, the five-year survival rate is less than 5%. Although combination dabrafenib/trametinib therapy was recently approved for treatment of the ~25% of ATCs harboring BRAFV600E mutations, there are no approved, effective treatments for BRAF-wildtype disease. Herein, we perform a screen of 1525 drugs and evaluate therapeutic candidates using monolayer cell lines and four corresponding spheroid models of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. We utilize three-dimensional culture methods, as they have been shown to more accurately recapitulate tumor responses in vivo. These three-dimensional cultures include four distinct ATC spheroid lines representing unique morphology and mutational drivers to provide drug prioritization that will be more readily translatable to the clinic. Using this screen, we identify three exceptionally potent compounds (bortezomib, cabazitaxel, and YM155) that have established safety profiles and could potentially be moved into clinical trial for the treatment of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, a disease with few treatment options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Decision-making is often complex and challenging for head and neck cancer. In respect to the disease trajectory and proposed treatment, the patient expression of preferences can be extremely subjective, ultimately depending on several factors such as age at cancer diagnosis, burden of symptoms, closeness to family and availability of caregivers, psychological well-being, and individual cultural, socioeconomic and religious factors. Developing a specific questionnaire to assess patient preferences may allow fostering a more aware patient-centered approach in multidisciplinary management. Through a standardized process for developing questionnaire modules, a 24-item list was generated, laying the ground for further testing and validation on a large scale. Shared-decision making for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is challenged by the difficulty to integrate the patient perception of value within the framework of a multidisciplinary team approach. The aim of this study was to develop a questionnaire to assess the preferences of HNSCC patients with respect to the disease trajectory, expected treatment, and toxicities. In accordance with the standardized EORTC Quality of Life Group's methodology for the development of quality of life modules, a phase 1–2 study was envisaged. Following a systematic review of the literature, a consolidated list of 28 issues was administered through a semi-structured interview to 111 patients from 7 institutions in 5 countries. Overall, "cure of disease", "survival", and "trusting in health care professionals" were the 3 most common priorities, being chosen by 87.3%, 73.6% and 59.1% of patients, respectively. When assessing the correlation with the treatment subgroup, the issue of "being thoroughly and sincerely informed about treatments' efficacy and survival expectation" was highly prevalent in an independent manner (71.4%, 75% and 90% of patients in the follow-up, palliative and curative subgroups, respectively). Based on prespecified scoring criteria, a 24-item list was generated. Pending clinical applicability, further testing and validation of the questionnaire are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]