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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a metabolic disease that affects the reproductive system, and its pathogenesis remains unresolved. Through the application of bioinformatics and molecular biology techniques, this study has identified a significant association between translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 40 (TOMM40) and both PCOS and pan-cancers. The selection of PCOS biomarkers included TOMM40, which we found to be significantly decreased in the PCOS group both in vitro and in vivo, using molecular biology methods such as Western Blot as well as immunohistochemistry. Over-expression TOMM40 can rescue the effect on apoptosis rate and proliferation suppression induced by DHEA in KGN cells. TOMM40 as a biomarker for the diagnosis of PCOS. The pan-cancer analysis revealed an association between elevated TOMM40 expression in Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma and an unfavorable prognosis, while increased TOMM40 expression in six tumor types was linked to a favorable prognosis. Therefore, TOMM40 can be regarded as a promising biomarker for diagnosing both PCOS and pan-cancer., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Family-history assessment can identify individuals above population-risk for cancer to enable targeted Screening, Prevention and Early Detection (SPED). The online patient-facing cancer Family History Questionnaire Service (cFHQS) is a digitalised, resource efficient tool for family history data capture to facilitate this. The capturing of digital data from cFHQS allows for data interrogation of patients referred to Clinical Genetics for the purposes of service improvement. Digital data from 4,044 cFHQS respondents over a three-year period was collected and interrogated with respect to the number and type of familial tumour diagnoses to enable service improvement and streamlining of referral pathways. 81% of colorectal and 71% of breast screening assessments were population- or moderate-risk. Most patients who completed cFHQS reported more than one diagnosis of cancer/tumour/polyps in their family. 2.5% of family history assessment patients had a second indication that required assessment that would have been missed if single tumour type assessment was undertaken. Implementation of an innovative, digital family history data collection pathway has allowed large scale interrogation of referral patterns and assessment outcomes to enable service development. The high volume of inappropriate referrals to Clinical Genetics for population and moderate risk patients highlighted the need for dedicated secondary care pathway provision for these patients. The use of cFHQS streamlined family history assessment allows for redistribution of resources to improve equity and access to genetic cancer risk assessment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Nanoflowers, an innovative class of nanoparticles with a distinctive flower-like structure, have garnered significant interest for their straightforward synthesis, remarkable stability, and heightened efficiency. Nanoflowers demonstrate versatile applications, serving as highly sensitive biosensors for rapidly and accurately detecting conditions such as diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and foodborne infections. Nanoflowers, with their intricate structure, show significant potential for targeted drug delivery and site-specific action, while also exhibiting versatility in applications such as enzyme purification, water purification from dyes and heavy metals, and gas sensing through materials like nickel oxide. This review also addresses the structural characteristics, surface modification, and operational mechanisms of nanoflowers. The nanoflowers play a crucial role in preventing premature drug leakage from nanocarriers. Additionally, the nanoflowers contribute to averting systemic toxicity and suboptimal therapy efficiency caused by hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment during chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy. This review entails the role of nanoflowers in cancer diagnosis and treatment. In the imminent future, the nanoflowers system is poised to revolutionize as a smart material, leveraging its exceptional surface-to-volume ratio to significantly augment adsorption efficiency across its intricate petals. This review delves into the merits and drawbacks of nanoflowers, exploring synthesis techniques, types, and their evolving applications in cancer., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Cancer is a significant public health problem, causing dozens of millions of deaths annually. New cancer screening programs are urgently needed for early cancer detection, as this approach can improve treatment outcomes and increase patient survival. The search for affordable, noninvasive, and highly accurate cancer detection methods revealed a valuable source of tumor-derived metabolites in the human metabolome through the exploration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in noninvasive biofluids., Aim of Review: This review discusses volatilomics-based approaches for cancer detection using noninvasive biomatrices (breath, saliva, skin secretions, urine, feces, and earwax). We presented the historical background, the latest approaches, and the required stages for clinical validation of volatilomics-based methods, which are still lacking in terms of making noninvasive methods available and widespread to the population. Furthermore, insights into the usefulness and challenges of volatilomics in clinical implementation steps for each biofluid are highlighted., Key Scientific Concepts of Review: We outline the methodologies for using noninvasive biomatrices with up-and-coming clinical applications in cancer diagnostics. Several challenges and advantages associated with the use of each biomatrix are discussed, aiming at encouraging the scientific community to strengthen efforts toward the necessary steps to speed up the clinical translation of volatile-based cancer detection methods, as well as discussing in favor of (i) hybrid applications (i.e., using more than one biomatrix) to describe metabolite modulations that can be "cancer volatile fingerprints" and (ii) in multi-omics approaches integrating genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics into the volatilomic data, which might be a breakthrough for diagnostic purposes, onco-pathway assessment, and biomarker validations., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Cancer screening behaviors in Muslims are under-researched, and there is limited data on how it relates to their unique cultural and religious beliefs. We assessed cancer prevention and screening-related health needs in the Washington DC area. We developed the needs assessment questionnaires and recruitment strategy in collaboration with key faith leaders from four mosques in our catchment area. A total of 203 participants were recruited through community outreach and engagement approaches and were included in the discussion when developing the needs assessment to ensure questions were religiously and culturally sensitive. Of the 203 participants, 56% of women reported receiving screening for a mammogram, while 83% of women reported receiving a screening for cervical cancer. Among men, 45% reported receiving a prostate cancer antigen test to screen for prostate cancer. Among both men and women, 35% reported ever receiving a screening for colorectal cancer. Women reported relying more on their faith when dealing with health concerns than men. Those who did not get screened for breast, colorectal, and cervical cancer relied more on their faith than those who did get screened for these cancers. Participants expressed interest in having health initiatives around cancer education, screening, and survivorship inside mosques. Faith beliefs can influence cancer screening behaviors; however, the relationship between these two variables needs further examination. Continued engagement with key faith leaders can help in leveraging religious beliefs to promote health education and cancer screening., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: More than 2.5 million adults in the United States identify as transgender or gender-diverse (TGD), but little data exist on cancer screening and care for this population. We examined cancer characteristics, screening adherence, genetic testing, and provider inclusive language for TGD patients with cancer., Methods: This single institution retrospective cohort study identified TGD patients with cancer between 2000 and 2022. Demographic, clinicopathological, treatment, and screening data were collected, as well as data on gender-affirming care (GAC) and use of patients' personal pronouns in medical records. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were used to report outcomes., Results: Sixty unique patients with 69 cancer diagnoses were included: 63.3% were transgender women, 21.7% transgender men, 6.7% nonbinary, and 8.3% were genderqueer. Sixty-five percent had a family history of cancer. Only 46.2% of those who met genetic testing criteria were referred. On review of recommended cancer screening, colorectal screening had the greatest uptake (62%), followed by breast (48.3%), lung (35.7%), cervical (33.3%), and prostate (32%); 8.5% of cancers were diagnosed on screening. Individuals with Medicare had reduced odds of screening uptake (OR 0.07, 95% CI 0.01-0.58) versus private insurance. With respect to GAC, 73.3% used gender-affirming hormone therapy and 41% had gender-affirming surgery. After initiating GAC and asserting personal pronouns, 75% were referred to by incorrect name/pronouns in provider documentation., Conclusions: Our TGD cancer patient cohort had low rates of disease-specific cancer screening and inadequate genetic referrals. Many providers did not use appropriate patient names/pronouns. Provider and patient interventions are needed to ensure inclusive preventative and oncologic care for this marginalized population., (© 2024. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Cancer screenings aid in the early detection of cancer and can help reduce cancer-related mortality. The current model of care for cancer screening is often siloed, based on the targeted cancer site. We tested the acceptability of a new model of care, called the One-Stop-Shop Cancer Screening Clinic, that centralizes cancer screenings and offers patients the option to complete all their recommended cancer screenings within one to two visits. We administered surveys to 59 community members and 26 healthcare providers to gather feedback about the One-Stop-Shop model of care. Both community members and providers identified potential benefits (e.g., decreased patient burden, increased completion of cancer screenings) and also potential challenges (e.g., challenges with workflow and timing of care) of the model of care. The results of the study support the acceptability of the model of care. Of the community members surveyed, 89.5% said, if offered, they would be interested in participating in the One-Stop-Shop Cancer Screening Clinic. Future studies are needed to formally evaluate the impact and cost effectiveness of the One-Stop-Shop Cancer Screening Clinic., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics Approval The study was reviewed and deemed exempt human research by the Institutional Review Board of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (protocol code STUDY-21-01593). Competing Interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Association for Cancer Education.)

The fight against cancer, a relentless global health crisis, emphasizes the urgency for efficient and automated early detection methods. To address this critical need, this review assesses recent advances in non-invasive cancer prediction techniques, comparing conventional machine learning (CML) and deep neural networks (DNNs). Focusing on these seven major cancers, we analyze 310 publications spanning the years 2018 to 2024, focusing on detection accuracy as the key metric to identify the most effective predictive models, highlighting critical gaps in current methodologies, and suggesting directions for future research. We further delved into factors like datasets, features, and modalities to gain a comprehensive understanding of each approach's performance. Separate review tables for each cancer type and approach facilitated comparisons between top performers (accuracy exceeding 99%) and low performers (65.83 to 85.8%). Our exploration of public databases and commonly used classifiers revealed that optimal combinations of features, datasets, and models can achieve up to 100% accuracy for both CML and DNN. However, significant variations in accuracy (up to 35%) were observed, particularly when optimization was lacking. Notably, colorectal cancer exhibited the lowest accuracy (DNN 69%, CML 65.83%). A five-point comparative analysis (best/worst models, performance gap, average accuracy, and research trends) revealed that while DNN research is gaining momentum, CML approaches remain competitive, even outperforming DNN in some cases. This study presents an in-depth comparative analysis of CML and DNN techniques for cancer detection. This knowledge can inform future research directions and contribute to the development of increasingly accurate and reliable cancer detection tools., Competing Interests: Declarations Conflict of interest The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering.)

Diagnosis is the most important step in different diseases, especially in cancers and blood malignancies. There are different methods in order to better diagnose of cancer, but many of them are invasive and also, some of them are not useful for immediate diagnosis. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) or liquid biopsy easily accessible in peripheral blood is one of the non-invasive prognostic biomarkers in various areas of cancer management. In fact, amounts of cfDNA in serum or plasma can be used for diagnosis. In this review, we have considered some cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma, lung cancer, breast cancer, and hematologic malignancies to compare the various methods of cfDNA diagnosis., Competing Interests: Declarations Conflict of Interests The authors declare that there are no competing interests., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Despite higher income and education, there are profound health disparities among Asian Americans. These disparities are highlighted in particular by screening behaviors for cancer. Between 1998 and 2008, cancer rates increased threefold among Indian Americans, raising concern that cancer screening in this group may be especially low. To better understand cancer screening behavior, we collected data from a total of 157 self-identifying Indian Americans residing in the greater Philadelphia area. Nearly all participants reported having health insurance (98.7%), and most had received a physical exam within a year (87.3%). Only17.4% of the participants were referred for mammography, while 30% of participants over age 30 were referred for ovarian cancer screening. Just 4 participants were recommended for pancreatic cancer screening. The findings contribute new information to the understanding of health needs of Indian Americans residing in the greater Philadelphia region and reveal a need for greater focus on preventive care., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Pyroptosis is a recently discovered process of programmed cell death that is linked with tumor progression and potential treatment strategies. Unlike other forms of programmed cell death, such as apoptosis or necrosis, pyroptosis is associated with pore-forming proteins gasdermin D (GSDMD), which are cleaved by caspase enzymes to form oligomers. These oligomers are then inserted into the cell surface membrane, causing pores to consequently result in rapid cell death. Pyroptosis, in conjunction with immunotherapy, represents a promising avenue for prognostication and antitumor therapy, providing a more precise direction for disease treatment. To gain deeper insight into the mechanisms underlying pyroptosis in real-time, non-invasive and live cell imaging techniques are urgently needed. Non-invasive imaging techniques can enhance future diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for inflammatory diseases, including different types of tumors. This review article discusses various non-invasive molecular probes for detecting pyroptosis, including genetic reporters and nanomaterials. These strategies can enhance scientists' understanding of pyroptosis and help discover personalized and effective ways to treat inflammatory diseases, particularly tumors., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing (DDBHH) individuals experience barriers to accessing cancer screening, including ineffective patient-physician communication when discussing screening recommendations. For other underserved communities, culturally and linguistically aligned community health navigators (CHNs) have been shown to improve cancer screening and care. A needs assessment study was conducted to identify barriers and gather recommendations for CHN training resources. A community-based participatory needs assessment was conducted from May 2022 to June 2022 using three focus groups. Eight were cancer survivors, six advocates/navigators, and three clinicians. All questions were semi-structured and covered screening barriers, observations or personal experiences, perceived usefulness of having a CHN to promote cancer screening adherence, and training resources that may be useful to American Sign Language (ASL)-proficient CHNs, who are also culturally and linguistically aligned. Out of 20 focus group participants, seven self-identified as persons of color. Data highlighted systemic, attitudinal, communication, and personal-level barriers as recurrent themes. The most frequently cited barrier was access to training that supports the role and competencies of CHNs, followed by cultural considerations, access to cancer guidelines in ASL, dialect diversity in sign language, and the health system itself. Unaddressed barriers can contribute to health disparities, such as lower preventive cancer screening rates amongst DDBHH individuals. The next step is to translate recommendations into actionable tasks for DDBHH CHN training programs. As a result, CHNs will be well-equipped to help DDBHH individuals navigate and overcome their unique barriers to cancer screening and healthcare access., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Hereditary Cancer makes up around 5-10% of all cancers. It is important to diagnose hereditary cancer in a timely fashion, as not only do patients require long-term care from a young age, but their relatives also require management. The main approach to capture at-risk relatives is cascade testing. It involves genetic testing of relatives of the first detected carrier of a pathogenic variant in a family i.e. the proband. The current standard of care for cascade testing is a patient-mediated approach. Probands are then advised to inform and encourage family members to undergo genetic testing. In Singapore, cascade testing is inefficient, around 10-15%, lower than the 30% global average. Here, we describe the cascade testing process and its effort to increase testing in Singapore. Precision Health Research, Singapore (PRECISE), was set up to coordinate Singapore's National Precision Medicine strategy and has awarded five clinical implementation pilots, with one of them seeking to identify strategies for how cascade testing for hereditary cancer can be increased in a safe and cost-efficient manner. Achieving this will be done through addressing barriers such as cost, manpower shortages, exploring a digital channel for contacting at-risk relatives, and getting a deeper insight into why genetic testing gets declined. If successful, it will likely result in care pathways that are a cost-effective public health intervention for identifying individuals at risk. Surveillance and management of those unaffected at-risk individuals, if caught early, will result in improved patient outcomes, and further reduce the healthcare burden for the economy., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals are disproportionately affected by cancer. Health care professional (HCP) and health sciences education rarely includes content on cancer screening in this population. This article aims to synthesize literature on educational programs for HCPs and health sciences students related to cancer screening for SGM individuals. An integrative review methodology guided a systematic search of five databases: CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, and ERIC. Articles were included if they were empirically-based and described educational programs targeted at HCPs and health sciences students with content of cancer screening for SGM people. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Of these, three were pilot studies and the majority of the articles (n = 9) used pre- and post-test designs. All of the interventions showed efficacy in increasing knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behavior. However, the vastly different programs and the fact that most of the cancer screening content was embedded in programs with broad SGM issues content limit the ability to make firm recommendations for any one particular program. In-person didactic content delivered multiple times incorporating modalities such as standardized patient encounters, case studies, and guest speakers increased knowledge, attitude, and skills of participants. Future studies should incorporate behavioral theories, develop more consistent aspects of educational programs, report demographic and pertinent data on participants, and utilize established instruments to measure outcomes when conducting educational interventions on HCPs and students in this area., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Association for Cancer Education.)

IGFBP-3 is aberrantly expressed in many tumor types, and its serum and tumor tissue levels provide auxiliary information for assessing the degree of tumor malignancy and patient prognosis, making it a potential therapeutic target for human malignancies and conferring it remarkable clinical value for determining patient prognosis. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the aberrant expression, diverse biological effects, and clinical implications of IGFBP-3 in tumors and its role as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for tumors. In addition, we summarize the signaling pathways through which IGFBP-3 exerts its effects. IGFBP-3 comprises an N-terminal, an intermediate region, and a C-terminal structural domain, each exerting different biological effects in several tumor cell types in an IGF-dependent/non-independent manner. IGFBP-3 shares an intricate relationship with the tumor microenvironment, thereby affecting tumor growth. Overall, IGFBP-3 is an essential regulatory factor that mediates tumor occurrence and progression. Gaining deeper insights into the fundamental characteristics of IGFBP-3 and its role in various tumor types will provide new perspectives and allow for the development of novel strategies for cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic evaluation., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Cancer is an invasive and malignant growth of cells and is known to be one of the most fatal diseases. Its early detection is essential for decreasing the mortality rate and increasing the probability of survival. This study presents an efficient machine learning approach based on the state vector machine (SVM) to diagnose and classify tumors into malignant or benign cancer using the online lymphographic data. Further, two types of neural network architectures are also implemented to evaluate the performance of the proposed SVM-based approach. The optimal structures of the classifiers are obtained by varying the architecture, topology, learning rate, and kernel function and recording the results' accuracy. The classifiers are trained with the preprocessed data examples after noise removal and tested on the unknown cases to diagnose each example as positive or negative. Further, the positive cases are classified into different stages including metastases, malign lymph, and fibrosis. The results are evaluated against the feed-forward and generalized regression neural networks. It is found that the proposed SVM-based approach significantly improves the early detection and classification accuracy in comparison to the experienced physicians and the other machine learning approaches. The proposed approach is robust and can perform sub-class divisions for multipurpose tasks. Experimental results demonstrate that the two-class SVM gives the best results and can effectively be used for the classification of cancer. It has outperformed all other classifiers with an average accuracy of 94.90%., (© 2024. International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering.)

Purpose: Treatment decisions for leptomeningeal disease (LMD) rely on patient risk stratification, since clinicians lack objective prognostic tools. The introduction of rare cell capture technology for identification of cerebrospinal fluid tumor cells (CSF-TCs), such as CNSide assay, improved the sensitivity of LMD diagnosis, but prognostic value is unknown. This study assesses the prognostic value of CSF-TC density in patients with LMD from solid tumors., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with newly diagnosed or previously treated LMD from a single institution who had CNSide assay testing for CSF-TCs from 2020 to 2023. Univariable and multivariable survival analyses were conducted with Cox proportional-hazards modeling. Maximally-selected rank statistics were used to determine an optimal cutpoint for CSF-TC density and survival., Results: Of 31 patients, 29 had CSF-TCs detected on CNSide. Median (interquartile range [IQR]) CSF-TC density was 67.8 (4.7-639) TCs/mL. CSF cytology was positive in 16 of 29 patients with positive CNSide (CNSide diagnostic sensitivity = 93.5%, negative predictive value = 85.7%). Median (IQR) survival from time of CSF-TC detection was 176 (89-481) days. On univariable and multivariable analysis, CSF-TC density was significantly associated with survival. An optimal cutpoint for dichotomizing survival by CSF-TC density was 19.34 TCs/mL. The time-dependent sensitivity and specificity for survival using this stratification were 76% and 67% at 6 months and 65% and 67% at 1 year, respectively., Conclusions: CSF-TC density may carry prognostic value in patients with LMD from solid tumors. Integrating CSF-TC density into LMD patient risk-stratification may help guide treatment decisions., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Cancer is one of the major noncommunicable diseases, responsible for millions of deaths every year worldwide. Though various cancer detection and treatment modalities are available today, many deaths occur owing to its late-stage detection and metastatic nature. Noninvasive detection using luminescence-based imaging tools is considered one of the promising techniques owing to its low cost, high sensitivity, and brightness. Moreover, these tools are unique and valuable as they can detect even the slightest changes in the cellular microenvironment. To achieve this, a fluorescent probe with strong tumor uptake and high spatial and temporal resolution, especially with high water solubility, is highly demanded. Recently, several water-soluble molecules with emission windows in the visible (400-700 nm), first near-infrared (NIR-I, 700-1000 nm), and second near-infrared (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) windows have been reported in literature. This review highlights recently reported water-soluble small organic fluorophores/dyes with applications in cancer diagnosis and therapeutics. We systematically highlight and describe the key concepts, structural classes of fluorophores, strategies for imparting water solubility, and applications in cancer therapy and diagnosis, i.e., theragnostics. We discuss examples of water-soluble fluorescent probes based on coumarin, xanthene, boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY), and cyanine cores. Some other emerging classes of dyes based on carbocyclic and heterocyclic cores are also discussed. Besides, emerging molecular engineering methods to obtain such fluorophores are discussed. Finally, the opportunities and challenges in this research area are also delineated., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Purpose: This study aims to review the multifaceted roles of a membrane protein named Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP) expressed in tumor tissue, including its molecular functionalities, regulatory mechanisms governing its expression, prognostic significance, and its crucial role in cancer diagnosis and treatment., Methods: Articles that have uncovered the regulatory role of FAP in tumor, as well as its potential utility within clinical realms, spanning diagnosis to therapeutic intervention has been screened for a comprehensive review., Results: Our review reveals that FAP plays a pivotal role in solid tumor progression by undertaking a multitude of enzymatic and nonenzymatic roles within the tumor stroma. The exclusive presence of FAP within tumor tissues highlights its potential as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target. The review also emphasizes the prognostic significance of FAP in predicting tumor progression and patient outcomes. Furthermore, the emerging strategies involving FAPI inhibitor (FAPI) in cancer research and clinical trials for PET/CT diagnosis are discussed. And targeted therapy utilizing FAP including FAPI, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, tumor vaccine, antibody-drug conjugates, bispecific T-cell engagers, FAP cleavable prodrugs, and drug delivery system are also introduced., Conclusion: FAP's intricate interactions with tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment make it a promising target for diagnosis and treatment. Promising strategies such as FAPI offer potential avenues for accurate tumor diagnosis, while multiple therapeutic strategies highlight the prospects of FAP targeting treatments which needs further clinical evaluation., (© 2023. Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: Lipids play key roles in numerous biological processes, including energy storage, cell membrane structure, signaling, immune responses, and homeostasis, making lipidomics a vital branch of metabolomics that analyzes and characterizes a wide range of lipid classes. Addressing the complex etiology, age-related risk, progression, inflammation, and research overlap in conditions like Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Cancer poses significant challenges in the quest for effective therapeutic targets, improved diagnostic markers, and advanced treatments. Mass spectrometry is an indispensable tool in clinical lipidomics, delivering quantitative and structural lipid data, and its integration with technologies like Liquid Chromatography (LC), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and few emerging Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization- Imaging Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-IMS) along with its incorporation into Tissue Microarray (TMA) represents current advances. These innovations enhance lipidomics assessment, bolster accuracy, and offer insights into lipid subcellular localization, dynamics, and functional roles in disease contexts., Aim of the Review: The review article summarizes recent advancements in lipidomic methodologies from 2019 to 2023 for diagnosing major neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, serious non-communicable cardiovascular diseases and cancer, emphasizing the role of lipid level variations, and highlighting the potential of lipidomics data integration with genomics and proteomics to improve disease understanding and innovative prognostic, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies., Key Scientific Concepts of Review: Clinical lipidomic studies are a promising approach to track and analyze lipid profiles, revealing their crucial roles in various diseases. This lipid-focused research provides insights into disease mechanisms, biomarker identification, and potential therapeutic targets, advancing our understanding and management of conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Cardiovascular Diseases, and specific cancers., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Despite widely heralded efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in oncology, few outreach programs exist to inspire high school students to pursue a career in medicine. Doctors' Day is an event developed and organized by medical trainees that features both didactic and hands-on learning components to provide high school students with exposure to the healthcare field and knowledge about cancer and cancer screening. We investigated in the influence of Doctors' Day on students' interest in healthcare careers and oncology. On March 30, 2023, health professions students and residents organized and led Doctors' Day, a half-day educational program for eight public high schools in Nashville, TN. After the event, high school student participants were invited to complete a 21-item survey. The questionnaire collected demographic information, feedback regarding the session, and comfort with various activities related to the program. Among the 8 public high schools involved in Doctors' Day, 91 participants completed the survey. Few (9, 9.9%) participants were White or European American, and 30 (33.0%) and 23 (25.3%) were Black and Hispanic, respectively. There were 20 (22.0%) participants who identified as LGBTQI+ with 2 (2.2%) indicating they were unsure. Feedback regarding the program was positive across all domains, and students reported increased interest in healthcare careers and oncology along with an increased comfort level in describing the importance of cancer screening. Our community outreach program for high school students with backgrounds underrepresented in medicine was effective in increasing interest in healthcare careers and oncology., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Association for Cancer Education.)

The current study examined cancer prevention and early detection awareness (pre-workshop) and changes in knowledge (from pre- to post-workshop) among Hispanic/Latino (H/L) community members who participated in Spanish-language educational outreach events in Puerto Rico (PR) and Florida (FL). Spanish-language educational outreach events were comprised of an educational session lasting approximately 45-60 min and were delivered to groups in rural and urban community settings by a single trained community health educator (CHE). The research team assessed sociodemographic characteristics, personal and familial cancer health history, as well as awareness and knowledge (pre-test) of a range of cancer prevention and screening topics. Following the presentation, participants completed a post-test knowledge survey which also measured likelihood of engaging in cancer screening, cancer preventive behaviors, and cancer research as a result of information presented during the session. Change in the average knowledge score was evaluated using a paired samples t-test. Post-session likelihood of completing cancer screening and preventive behaviors and engaging in cancer research were examined using descriptive statistics and group/site comparisons. The percentage reporting awareness of screening procedures ranged from 33% (PSA test) to 79% (mammogram). H/L in PR reported higher percentage of stool blood test awareness when compared to H/L in FL (χ 2 (1)= 19.20, p<.001). The average knowledge score increased from 5.97 at pre-test to 7.09 at post-test (Cohen's d=0.69). The increase was significant across all participants (t(315)= 12.4, p<.001), as well as within the FL site (t(124)= 6.66, p<.001, d=0.59) and the PR site (t(190)=10.66, p<.001, d=0.77). Results from this study suggest that educational outreach events delivered to H/L community members by a CHE are valuable strategies to address challenges regarding cancer screening knowledge and engagement in multiple behaviors., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Association for Cancer Education.)

Far infrared (FIR) irradiation is commonly used as a convenient, non-contact, non-invasive treatment for diseases such as myocardial ischemia, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. In this review, we focus on reviewing the potential therapeutic mechanisms of FIR and its cutting-edge applications in cancer detection. Firstly, we searched the relevant literature in the last decade for systematic screening and briefly summarized the biophysical properties of FIR. We then focused on the possible mechanisms of FIR in wound healing, cardiovascular diseases, and other chronic diseases. In addition, we review recent applications of FIR in cancer detection, where Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and infrared thermography provide additional diagnostic methods for the medical diagnosis of cancer. Finally, we conclude and look into the future development of FIR for disease treatment and cancer detection. As a high-frequency non-ionizing wave, FIR has the advantages of safety, convenience, and low cost. We hope that this review can provide biological information reference and relevant data support for those who are interested in FIR and related high-frequency non-ionizing waves, to promote the further application of FIR in the biomedical field., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: In order to preserve health and thus social participation, it is important for older people to make health-related decisions, such as those regarding the use of a secondary prevention service like cancer screening. National and international studies show that various predictors determine cancer screening participation. The aim of this study is to determine the cancer screening utilization of older people in a structurally weak region., Methods: In 2021, a cross-sectional study in each of two urban and rural communities in Saxony-Anhalt surveyed individuals aged 55 years and older about determinants, reasons, and barriers to preventive service use (n = 954). Binary logistic regression analysis is used to analyze determinants of cancer screening use., Results: Three quarters of the study population (76.6%) self-reported participating in a cancer screening service at least once. The multivariable analyses demonstrate factors that influence the utilization of cancer screening. Age, partial knowledge on cancer screening, cancer screening as a benefit offered by a statutory health insurances' bonus program, experience with cancer in the immediate environment, thoughts about one's own health, and the feeling of security that participation gives are factors that significantly influence the use of cancer screening. Descriptively, the physician's recommendation is the strongest factor for participation., Conclusion: The analyses show that cancer screenings are generally well received by older people in Saxony-Anhalt, but participation in them is not related to health literacy. In keeping with the National Cancer Plan, older people should generally be supported in making an informed decision, for example, through target-group-specific physician education., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Cancer education raises disease awareness, the value of early identification and importantly the need for prompt screening and treatment when diagnosed. In this study, an effort was made to understand how well a unique cancer education program, "Cancer Education on Wheels," transfers knowledge in general public in society. The community was shown prerecorded cancer awareness videos using a TV monitor, CD player, and speaker system mounted on an eight-seat Toyota Innova. Before and after seeing the video presentation, consenting volunteers filled out questionnaires asking about demographics and understanding of cancer. Frequency and percentage calculations were done on the demographic information and a Wilcoxon signed-rank test was run on the overall subject score. Data was stratified based on demographic information and compared by applying Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney test. p values under 0.05 were regarded as significant. A total of 584 people completed the pre-test and post-test questionnaires. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed a difference between the pre-test and post-test (3.29 ± 2.48 vs. 6.78 ± 3.52; P = 0.0001). The pre-test results showed that volunteers between the ages of 18 and 30; men; students; urban residents; single volunteers; graduates; people who had known a person/or family member with cancer; and people who were aware of the suffering cancer causes had a high baseline knowledge of cancer (p = 0.015 to 0.001). The post-test results show that participants who had less baseline scores like housewives and unemployed people performed better (p = 0.006 to 0.0001). The findings unambiguously demonstrated that "Cancer Education on Wheels" was successful in raising participants' awareness of cancer signs and screening. Additionally, the findings showed that volunteers who were aged, married, housewives, and unemployed had higher scores. Most importantly, this approach to cancer education is simple to organize and carry out in a local setting. It is also affordable and simple to execute using readily available technological equipment and manageable logistics. According to the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to use "Cancer Education on Wheels" to spread awareness of cancer throughout the neighborhood especially in budget constrained areas., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Association for Cancer Education.)

Background: People with cancer usually report physical deconditioning, which can limit daily activities., Aims: Our aim was to analyze associations between daily physical activities and handgrip strength with cancer diagnoses among European older adults., Methods: We used data from SHARE (a representative survey of individuals aged 50 years or older) wave 7, residing in 27 European countries and Israel. Participants self-reported difficulties in daily physical activities and cancer diagnoses, and handgrip strength was objectively assessed using a handheld dynamometer. Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression., Results: Overall, 65,980 participants (average age 67.6 years (SD = 9.4)) were analyzed. Having difficulties in any daily physical activity was significantly associated with higher odds of cancer diagnoses. Lower handgrip strength was significantly associated with cancer diagnoses among participants included in the first (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.27 [95%CI = 1.11-1.45]) and the second third (AOR = 1.15 [95%CI = 1.03-1.28]) when compared with participants from the last third in the final adjusted model., Discussion: Having difficulties in daily physical activities as well as lower levels of handgrip strength is positively associated with cancer diagnoses., Conclusion: Adults with difficulties lifting or carrying weights over 5 kilos or having difficulties in two or more activities showed critical associations with cancer diagnosis., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Providing feasible preimplantation genetic testing strategies for monogenic disorders (PGT-M) for prevention and control of genetic cancers., Methods: Inclusion of families with a specific pathogenic mutation or a clear family history of genetic cancers. Identification of the distribution of hereditary cancer-related mutations in families through genetic testing. After a series of assisted reproductive measures such as down-regulation, stimulation, egg retrieval, and in vitro fertilization, a biopsy of trophectoderm cells from a blastocyst was performed for single-cell level whole-genome amplification (WGA). Then, the detection of chromosomal aneuploidies was performed by karyomapping. Construction of a haplotype-based linkage analysis to determine whether the embryo carries the mutation. Meanwhile, we performed CNV testing. Finally, embryos can be selected for transfer, and the results will be verified in 18-22 weeks after pregnancy., Results: Six couples with a total of 7 cycles were included in our study. Except for cycle 1 of case 5 which did not result in a transferable embryo, the remaining 6 cycles produced transferable embryos and had a successful pregnancy. Four couples have had amniotic fluid tests to confirm that the fetus does not carry the mutation, while 1 couple was not tested due to insufficient pregnancy weeks. And the remaining couples had to induce labor due to fetal megacystis during pregnancy., Conclusion: Our strategy has been proven to be feasible. It can effectively prevent transmission of hereditary cancer-related mutations to offspring during the prenatal stage., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Family physicians have multifaceted roles in cancer patient care and oncology education among this group is unfortunately inadequate. This study explored the needs and perspectives of family physicians regarding their oncology training and experiences. As well, physician cancer care experiences, knowledge use, and continuing education practices were elucidated. The authors employed a qualitative approach with family physicians participating in semi-structured interviews. General practitioners in oncology were excluded. Purposeful sampling was used, with recruitment through Ontario regional primary cancer care leads and social media. Interviews were transcribed, and thematic analysis was conducted. Thirteen participants were interviewed-1.6:1 female: male, ages 30-39, practicing for an average of 9 years (0.5-30 years), with urban and suburban practices. Most trained in Canada as undergraduates and completed their residency in Ontario; 62% had participated in at least one oncology continuing medical education session. Three major themes emerged: delineation of roles, oncology knowledge and education, and palliative care. Participants reported role uncertainty after cancer diagnosis, with oncology teaching at all levels described as lacking relevance. Palliative care rotations were an avenue for oncology education and where participants returned to cancer care. Changing existing teaching, information access, and avenues of oncology experiences may be the next step to supporting successful cancer care by family physicians., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Association for Cancer Education.)

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) activate the immune system against cancer and have become standard of care for many cancers. With increased ICI use, their toxicities known as immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are becoming more common, but it is unclear how prepared relevant clinicians feel to diagnose and treat irAEs. The objective of this study was to assess irAE knowledge, confidence, and experience among generalists and oncology clinicians to guide future curricular interventions related to irAEs. A 25-item survey with questions assessing knowledge, experience level, confidence, and resource utilization regarding irAE diagnosis and management was sent to University of Chicago-affiliated (UChicago) internal medicine residents and hospitalists (inpatient irAE management) along with UChicago oncology fellows, attendings, nurse practitioners (NPs), and physician assistants (PAs) (inpatient and outpatient) as well as Chicago community oncologists (outpatient) in June 2022. Overall response rate was 37% (171/467). Knowledge scores averaged below 70% for all clinicians. "No idea" responses were most common with knowledge questions on steroid-sparing agent use and ICI use for patients with preexisting autoimmune disease. IrAE experience correlated with higher knowledge for oncology attendings (p = 0.015) and hematology/oncology NPs/PAs (p = 0.031). IrAE experience correlated with higher confidence for residents (p = 0.026), oncology fellows (p = 0.047), and hematology/oncology NPs/PAs (p = 0.042). Most commonly utilized resources were colleagues and UpToDate, and most clinicians were very likely to use online resources in the future. Knowledge and confidence gaps exist, and they were somewhat mitigated by experience. Future irAE curricula can fill these needs through online role-specific resources: irAE identification for generalists versus irAE identification and management for oncologists., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Association for Cancer Education.)

Background: Exosomes are nanosized bio vesicles formed when multivesicular bodies and the plasma membrane merge and discharge into bodily fluids. They are well recognized for facilitating intercellular communication by transporting numerous biomolecules, including DNA, RNAs, proteins, and lipids, and have been implicated in varied diseases including cancer. Exosomes may be altered to transport a variety of therapeutic payloads, including as short interfering RNAs, antisense oligonucleotides, chemotherapeutic drugs, and immunological modulators, and can be directed to a specific target. Exosomes also possess the potential to act as a diagnostic biomarker in cancer, in addition to their therapeutic potential., Conclusion: In this review, the physiological roles played by exosomes were summarized along with their biogenesis process. Different isolation techniques of exosomes including centrifugation-based, size-based, and polymer precipitation-based techniques have also been described in detail with a special focus on cancer therapeutic applications. The review also shed light on techniques of incubation of drugs with exosomes and their characterization methods covering the most advanced techniques. Myriad applications of exosomes in cancer as diagnostic biomarkers, drug delivery carriers, and chemoresistance-related issues have been discussed at length. Furthermore, a brief overview of exosome-based anti-cancer vaccines and a few prominent challenges concerning exosomal delivery have been concluded at the end., (© 2023. Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Cell death constitutes an indispensable part of the organismal balance in the human body. Generally, cell death includes regulated cell death (RCD) and accidental cell death (ACD), reflecting the intricately molecule-dependent process and the uncontrolled response, respectively. Furthermore, diverse RCD pathways correlate with multiple diseases, such as tumors and neurodegenerative diseases. Meanwhile, with the development of precision medicine, novel nano-based materials have gradually been applied in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of tumor patients. As the carrier, organic, inorganic, and biomimetic nanomaterials could facilitate the distribution, improve solubility and bioavailability, enhance biocompatibility and decrease the toxicity of drugs in the body, therefore, benefiting tumor patients with better survival outcomes and quality of life. In terms of the most studied cell death pathways, such as apoptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis, plenty of studies have explored specific types of nanomaterials targeting the molecules and signals in these pathways. However, no attempt was made to display diverse nanomaterials targeting different RCD pathways comprehensively. In this review, we elaborate on the potential mechanisms of RCD, including intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy-dependent cell death, and other cell death pathways together with corresponding nanomaterials. The thorough presentation of RCD pathways and diverse nano-based materials may provide a wider cellular and molecular landscape of tumor diagnosis and treatments., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Structural racism within the U.S. health care system contributes to disparities in oncologic care. This study sought to examine the socioeconomic factors that underlie the impact of racial segregation on hepatopancreaticobiliary (HPB) cancer inequities., Methods: Both Black and White patients who presented with HPB cancer were identified from the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database (2005-2015) and 2010 Census data. The Index of Dissimilarity (IoD), a validated measure of segregation, was examined relative to cancer stage at diagnosis, surgical resection, and overall mortality. Principal component analysis and structural equation modeling were used to determine the mediating effect of socioeconomic factors., Results: Among 39,063 patients, 86.4 % (n = 33,749) were White and 13.6 % (n = 5314) were Black. Black patients were more likely to reside in segregated areas than White patients (IoD, 0.62 vs. 0.52; p < 0.05). Black patients in highly segregated areas were less likely to present with early-stage disease (relative risk [RR], 0.89; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.82-0.95) or undergo surgery for localized disease (RR, 0.81; 95% CI 0.70-0.91), and had greater mortality hazards (hazard ratio 1.12, 95% CI 1.06-1.17) than White patients in low segregation areas (all p < 0.05). Mediation analysis identified poverty, lack of insurance, education level, crowded living conditions, commute time, and supportive income as contributing to 25 % of the disparities in early-stage presentation. Average income, house price, and income mobility explained 17 % of the disparities in surgical resection. Notably, average income, house price, and income mobility mediated 59 % of the effect that racial segregation had on long-term survival., Conclusion: Racial segregation, mediated through underlying socioeconomic factors, accounted for marked disparities in access to surgical care and outcomes for patients with HPB cancer., (© 2023. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, with attributable mortality expected to continue increasing over time. High school students are often targeted to enhance awareness of cancer risk factors and symptoms and promote early medical help-seeking behaviors. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a cancer education program among Omani adolescents. A total of 12 public schools were randomly selected from three governorates and assigned to either the intervention or control group. Students attending grades 10 and 11 at the selected schools were targeted. The Cancer Awareness Measure tool was used to evaluate knowledge of cancer risk factors and symptoms, perceived barriers to seeking medical help, and anticipated time to consult a doctor for cancer warning symptoms at baseline (T0) and after 4 weeks (T1). After T0, the intervention group participated in a 1-h cancer education program involving a slideshow presentation and group discussion; they also received a leaflet and online access to program materials and videos. A total of 1716 students were enrolled in the study, including 886 (51.6%) assigned to the control group and 830 (48.4%) to the intervention group. Recognition of cancer risk factors (Z = 24.86; p ˂ 0.001) and cancer symptoms (Z = 24.91; p ˂ 0.001) significantly improved in the intervention group between T0 and T1, and compared to the control group at T1 (U = 33.28; p ˂ 0.001, and U = 34.55; p ˂ 0.001, respectively). In addition, anticipated time to help-seeking (Z = 20.15; p ˂ 0.001) and barriers to help-seeking (Z = 10.33; p < 0.001) decreased significantly between T0 and T1, and compared to the control group at T1 (U = 19.00; p ˂ 0.001, and U = 3.58; p < 0.001, respectively). The intervention effectively increased knowledge of cancer risk factors and symptoms and promoted early medical help-seeking behaviors among school-aged Omani adolescents. Integration of cancer education within high school curricula can aid cancer prevention and early intervention efforts. However, additional follow-up is required to confirm the long-term effectiveness of such programs., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Association for Cancer Education.)

In recent years, the incidence of cancer has continuously increased, in which various miRNAs have been proposed as biomarkers for the early screening of cancer patients. As a consequence, the development of accurate methods for miRNA quantification has become a major research challenge worldwide. As one of the first discovered oncogenic miRNAs, microRNA-21 (miR-21) has been highlighted for its critical role in cancers. This review describes the main techniques currently available for miR-21 detection, compares the differences of the methods and the amplification strategies, and provides an overview of the state of knowledge in the field., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry.)

Cancer has become a growing burden in Pakistan in recent times, posing a significant cause for concern. The World Health Organization has reported a steady increase in the incidence of cancer in Pakistan. According to the present study, breast cancer (24.1%), oral cavity (9.6%), colorectum (4.9%), esophagus (4.2%), and liver cancer (3.9%) were the five most prevalent cancers. Males were more likely to have oral cavity cancer (14.9%), colorectum cancer (6.8%), liver cancer (6.4%), prostate cancer (6.0%), and lung cancer (6.0%). In women (41.6%), breast (6.9%), oral cavity (5.5%), cervix (4.7%), and uterus cancer (4.1%) were the most common cancers. Middle-aged people (43.0%) were most likely to develop cancer, followed by seniors (30.0%) and adults (20.0%). Children and adolescents were most likely to develop cancers of the central nervous system (CNS), leukemia (18.7%), and Hodgkin (17.3%), followed by breast, oral cavity, colorectum, and prostate at other ages. Most patients were from Punjab (40.4%) and Sindh (32.2%). Approximately 30.0% of patients were diagnosed at stage III and stage IV. In terms of registered cases, breast cancer, oral cavity cancer, colon cancer, esophagus cancer, and liver cancer are among the highest. In the future, this information may prove useful for assessing the effectiveness of interventions., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Patients with cancer experience dynamic and longitudinal changes in nutritional status and body composition along the disease trajectory. They often want to know about their outlook with regard to treatment outcomes and overall survival. One of the commonly used measures for body composition is bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). BIA is an easy-to-use, quick, inexpensive, noninvasive, and reproducible technique that is often incorporated in daily clinical practice. Phase angle (PA), which is derived from BIA, is an indicator of cell membrane health and integrity. Higher PA values reflect better cell function, higher muscle mass, and lower fat mass. PA is also thought to be a proxy of water distribution (ratio between extracellular water [ECW] and intracellular water [ICW]) and body cell mass. In this narrative review, we discuss studies examining the diagnostic and prognostic value of PA regarding nutritional status, body composition and physical function, complications of cancer treatments, overall survival, symptoms, and quality of life (QOL) in patients with cancer. The literature suggests that PA is moderately to strongly correlated with body composition and physical function but only weakly correlated with nutritional status, complications, survival, symptoms, and QOL. Furthermore, the PA cutoff values vary significantly according to study and patient population with the diversity of bioelectrical impedance technology and electrode composition and placement. Thus, PA has yet to be routinely incorporated into clinical practice for patients with cancer. Future research is needed to determine how to translate scientific understanding of PA to clinical practice., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In Milwaukee and nationwide, cancer incidence, late-stage diagnosis, and mortality are notably higher among some racial/ethnic populations. Cancer education has the potential to impact cancer burden and reduce cancer disparities. In particular, the addition of a service-learning component to academic curriculums has been shown to improve student learning as well as positively impact the surrounding community. This study implemented a cancer health education curriculum (CHEC) at a Milwaukee public high school with the goal of addressing cancer knowledge, fear and fatalism beliefs, and risk behaviors. The curriculum included interactive learning sessions and a service-learning final project. Five-hundred twenty-one students also completed pre- and post-surveys assessing cancer knowledge, fear and fatalism, risk behaviors, cancer-related communication, and a qualitative question asking what they hoped to gain (pre) or did gain (post) from the course. Results indicate (1) a significant improvement in cancer knowledge (p < 0.0001), (2) a decrease in cancer fear and fatalism (p < 0.0001), (3) an increase in fruit consumption (p < 0.0001), (4) a decrease in screen time (p = 0.0004), and (5) an increase in how often students spoke with their family about cancer (p < 0.0001). Qualitative data reflect important gains such as increased interest in sharing their knowledge about cancer with their community. Providing cancer education and leveraging a service-learning requirement led to notable changes in high school students' cancer knowledge, fear and fatalism, and risk behaviors. Students also communicated more with family/friends about cancer. Such efforts could have broader implications for student, family, and community cancer burden., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Association for Cancer Education.)

The tumor microenvironment (TME) play critical roles in tumor survival, progression, and metastasis and can be considered potential targets for molecular imaging of cancer. The targeting agents for imaging of TME components (e.g., fibroblasts, mesenchymal stromal cells, immune cells, extracellular matrix, blood vessels) provide a promising strategy to target these biomarkers for the early diagnosis of cancers. Moreover, various cancer types have similar tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) features that targeting those biomarkers and offer clinically translatable molecular imaging of cancers. In this review, we categorize and summarize the components in TME which have been targeted for molecular imaging. Moreover, this review updated the recent progress in targeted imaging of TIME biological molecules by various modalities for the early detection of cancer., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to World Molecular Imaging Society.)

Health information exchange between provider and patient, along with patient participation in their care (self-management), can lead to improved health outcomes. A step towards achieving better outcomes is the systematic provision of education materials to patients and caregivers throughout the cancer trajectory. An audit of patient education (PE) materials was conducted at a cancer center to identify content gaps and determine areas for future development. The PE audit was conducted in all outpatient clinics (13) and clinic-specific PE materials were identified, reviewed, and categorized by cancer type and under the following topics: About Cancer/Disease, Medical Tests and Imaging, Treatment, Symptom Management, Rehabilitation/Survivorship, General Wellbeing, Medical Device Care, Practical and Other. Four hundred forty-seven PE materials were included in the audit. Totals for each topic were summed and analyzed for education development opportunities. Results varied based on clinic and cancer type. Majority of the materials were found in the following clinics: Hematology (75), Genitourinary (74), and Gastrointestinal (57). The most common information topics were treatment (277), about cancer/disease (134), and symptom management (120). When broken down by cancer type, it was clear that while the collection of PE materials is well established for some diagnoses (e.g., 28 prostate cancer materials), there is a significant dearth in materials for others (e.g., 0 penile cancer materials). Audit results will be used to identify opportunities for future education material development. Determining cancer-specific information gaps is important in achieving equal information access for patients and caregivers, regardless of cancer diagnosis., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Association for Cancer Education.)

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and it has the trend of increase incidence. However, in the past decades, as quickly developed new technologies and modified old techniques for cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment, the cancer-caused mortality rates dropped quickly, and the survival times of cancer patients are enhanced. However, the current death rate is still about 50% and the survival patients always suffer from the side effect of current cancer treatments. Recently developed Nobel Prize-winning CRISPR/Cas technology provides new hope on cancer screening, early diagnosis, and clinic treatment as well as new drug development. Currently, four major CRISPR/Cas9-derived genome editors, CRISPR/Cas9 nucleotide sequence editor, CRISPR/Cas base editor (BE), CRISPR prime editor (PE), and CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) (including both CRISPRa and CRISPRr), were well developed and used to various research and applications, including cancer biology study and cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Additionally, CRISPR/Cas12 and CRISPR/Cas13 genome editors were also widely used in cancer-related basic and applied research as well as treatment. Cancer-associated SNPs and genetic mutations as well as both oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes are perfect targets for CRISPR/Cas-based gene therapy for cancer treatment. CRISPR/Cas is also employed to modify and generate new Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells for improving its safety, efficiency, and longer-time last for treating various cancers. Currently, there are many clinic trails of CRISPR-based gene therapy for cancer treatments. Although all CRISPR/Cas-derived genome and epigenome tools are promising methods for cancer biology study and treatment, the efficiency and long term-safety are still the major concerns for CRISPR-based gene therapy. Developing new CRISPR/Cas delivery methods and reducing the potential side effects, including off-target impacts, will enhance CRISPR/Cas application in cancer-related research, diagnosis, and therapeutical treatment., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) has always been a topic of great interests attributed to its vital role in biological process. H 2 O 2 is known as a major reactive oxygen species (ROS) which is involve in numerous physiological processes such as cell proliferation, signal transduction, differentiation, and even pathogenesis. A plenty of diseases development such as chronic disease, inflammatory disease, and organ dysfunction are found to be relevant to abnormality of H 2 O 2 production. Thus, imminent and feasible strategies to modulate and detect H 2 O 2 level in vitro and in vivo have gained great importance. To date, the boronate-based chemical structure probes have been widely used to address the problems from the above aspects because of the rearranged chemical bonding which can detect and quantify ROS including hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and peroxynitrite (ONOO - ). This present article discusses boronate-based probes based on the chemical structure difference as well as reactivities to H 2 O 2 and ONOO - . In this review, we also focus on the application of boronate-based probes in the field of cell imaging, prodrugs nanoplatform, nanomedicines, and electrochemical biosensors for disease diagnosis and treatment. In a nutshell, we outline the recent application of boronate-based probes and represent the prospective potentiality in biomedical domain in the future., (© 2022. Controlled Release Society.)

Kentucky has the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates in the nation with the Appalachian region of the state being most affected. These rates are driven by health behaviors and inequities in social determinants of health. Herein, Appalachian Kentucky students with the University of Kentucky's Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) program were engaged in a storytelling exercise by writing culturally framed essays. Students discussed their personal experiences with cancer and their thoughts on the causes of and potential solutions to Appalachian Kentucky's cancer disparities. Content analysis was used to identify common themes, subthemes, and subtopics in the essays regarding cancer types, causes of cancer in Appalachia, and solutions to the high cancer rates. Common cancer types experienced by the students included breast, lung, and prostate. The most frequently identified themes that drive cancer rates in Appalachian Kentucky were identified as geography, environmental factors, tobacco use, education, poverty, prevention, and mistrust. Common proposed solutions to decrease cancer rates were to increase education and awareness, screening, and tobacco cessation. Overall, through storytelling, youth gained a better understanding of cancer in their communities and envisioned culturally tailored, community-based intervention strategies that can aid in reducing the cancer burden in Appalachian Kentucky., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Association for Cancer Education.)

Ideal efforts for cancer prevention would include lifestyle modifications along with routine, age-eligible cancer screening. Employing an asset-based approach within vulnerable populations already engaging in at least one healthy behavior (i.e., physical activity) may be an ideal way to further reduce cancer risk across peer groups with low cancer screening rates. Guided by the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the aim of this study was to identify constructs associated with cancer screening intentions among young to middle aged adults for influencing educational and behavioral interventions designed to promote cancer prevention. A cross-sectional, web-based survey was utilized to assess attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention to screen for cancer among physically active adults aged 18-49 years. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were conducted to characterize the sample, and hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the influence of sociodemographic variables and TPB constructs on cancer screening intentions. Age, female sex, reporting a routine doctor's visit, reported knowledge of physical activity as a lifestyle behavior to reduce cancer risk, and an increased number of motivating factors for engaging in physical activity were significantly associated with higher cancer screening intention (P < 0.001). With the addition of TPB constructs (i.e., subjective norms and perceived behavioral control), the final analytic model accounted for 31% of the variance in intention to screen for cancer. Findings suggest that the TPB could be used to tailor or design asset-based, cancer education interventions to effectively promote age-eligible cancer screenings among physically active adults. Educational content to increase social support for cancer screening and enhance perceived behavioral control to complete screening is essential in this population., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to American Association for Cancer Education.)

Cancer, despite being the bull's eye for the research community, accounts for a large number of morbidity and mortality. Cancer of the brain is considered the most intractable, with the least diagnosis rates, hence treatment and survival. Despite the extensive development of therapeutic molecules, their targeting to the diseased site is a challenge. Specially tailored nanoparticles can efficiently deliver drugs and genes to the brain to treat tumours and diseases. These nanotechnology-based strategies target the blood-brain barrier, the local space, or a specific cell type. These nanoparticles are preferred over other forms of targeted drug delivery due to the chances for controlled delivery of therapeutic cargo to the intended receptor. Targeted cancer therapy involves using specific receptor-blocking compounds that block the spreading or growth of cancerous cells. This review presents an account of the recent applications of nano-based cancer theragnostic, which deal in conjunct functionalities of nanoparticles for effective diagnosis and treatment of cancer. It commences with an introduction to tumours of the brain and their grades, followed by hurdles in its conventional diagnosis and treatment. The characteristic mechanism of nanoparticles for efficiently tracing brain tumour grade and delivery of therapeutic genes or drugs has been summarised. Nanocarriers like liposomes have been widely used and commercialized for human brain cancer treatment. However, nano-inspired structures await their translational recognition. The green synthesis of nanomaterials and their advantages have been discussed. The article highlights the challenges in the nano-modulation of brain cancer and its future outlook., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Society for Biological Inorganic Chemistry (SBIC).)

Academic internists play a unique role in conducting innovative research, developing educational curricula, and influencing policy. As the population of patients living with and beyond cancer is expected to reach 22 million by 2030, it is essential for academic internists to lead innovative research in clinical care and medical education across the cancer care continuum. We characterized cancer-related topics presented at the 2015-2019 annual meetings of the Society of General Internal Medicine, a national organization of over 3,000 academic general internists. We analyzed all scientific (n = 3,437), Innovation in Medical Education (n = 756), and Innovation in Clinical Practice (n = 664) abstracts for content across the cancer continuum: prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and palliative/end-of-life care (P/EOL). Of 3,437 scientific abstracts, 304 (8.8%) related to cancer. Prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and P/EOL were addressed in 52 (17.1%), 145 (47.7%), 18 (5.9%), 57 (18.8%), 12 (4.0%), and 29 (9.5%) of scientific abstracts, respectively. Some addressed multiple phases, and 6 were classified as "other." Breast (mean = 18.2, SD = 4.66), colorectal (mean = 12.8, SD = 3.11), and lung (mean = 8.2, SD = 2.29) cancers were most presented in scientific abstracts per year. Five (0.66%) of the 756 Innovation in Medical Education abstracts and 41 (6.2%) of the 665 Innovation in Clinical Practice abstracts addressed cancer. Similarly, they primarily focused on screening and prevention. To lead innovation in clinical care, education, and policy across the cancer continuum and prepare the future workforce, academic internists should expand their focus to later phases, particularly survivorship and P/EOL., (© 2021. American Association for Cancer Education.)

The global prevalence of cancer is increasing, necessitating new additions to traditional treatments and diagnoses to address shortcomings such as ineffectiveness, complications, and high cost. In this context, nano and microparticulate carriers stand out due to their unique properties such as controlled release, higher bioavailability, and lower toxicity. Despite their popularity, they face several challenges including rapid liver uptake, low chemical stability in blood circulation, immunogenicity concerns, and acute adverse effects. Cell-mediated delivery systems are important topics to research because of their biocompatibility, biodegradability, prolonged delivery, high loading capacity, and targeted drug delivery capabilities. To date, a variety of cells including blood, immune, cancer, and stem cells, sperm, and bacteria have been combined with nanoparticles to develop efficient targeted cancer delivery or diagnosis systems. The review paper aimed to provide an overview of the potential applications of cell-based delivery systems in cancer therapy and diagnosis., (© 2022. Controlled Release Society.)