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Ovarian cancer has a poor cure rate and rates of relapse are high. Current recurrence detection is limited by non-specific methods such as blood testing and ultrasound. Based on reports that human epididymis four (HE4) / creatinine (CRE) ratios found in urine are elevated in ovarian cancers, we have developed a paper-based device that combines lateral flow technology and cell phone analysis to quantitatively measure HE4/CRE. Surrogate samples were used to test the performance over clinically expected HE4/CRE ratios. For HE4/CRE ratios of 2 to 47, the percent error was found to be 16.0% on average whether measured by a flatbed scanner or cell phone. There was not a significant difference between the results from the cell phone or scanner. Based on published studies, error in this method was less than the difference required to detect recurrence. This promising new tool, with further development, could be used at home or in low-resource settings to provide timely detection of ovarian cancer recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aimac), Rome, Italy; 6Alleanza Contro il Cancro, Rome, Italy; 7SC Haematology, IRCCS Istituto Tumori "Giovanni Paolo II", Bari, Italy; 8Rehabilitation Medicine Unit, Strategic Health Services Department, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, Naples, Italy; 9Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), Rome, Italy; 10Evaluative Epidemiology Unit, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, Milano, Italy; 11DOPO Clinic, Department of Pediatric Haematology/Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy; 12Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; 13Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, IEO European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy; 14Psychology Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy; 15Medical Oncology Unit, Umberto I Hospital, Department of Oncology, RAO, Siracusa, ItalyCorrespondence: Luigino Dal Maso, Epidemiologia Oncologica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, Via Franco Gallini 2, Aviano (PN), 33081, Italy, Tel +39 0434 659354, Email [email protected] Paolo Tralongo, Medical Oncology Unit, Umberto I Hospital, Department of Oncology, RAO, Via Giuseppe Testaferrata 1, Siracusa, 96100, Italy, Tel +39 0931 724 464, Email [email protected] A multidisciplinary panel of experts and cancer patients developed a position paper to highlight recent evidence on "cancer cure" (ie, the possibility of achieving the same life expectancy as the general population) and discuss the consequences of this concept on follow-up and rehabilitation strategies. The aim is to inform clinicians, patients, and health-care policy makers about strategies of survivorship care for cured cancer patients and consequences impacting patient lives, spurring public health authorities and research organizations to implement resources to the purpose. Two identifiable, measurable, and reproducible indicators of cancer cure are presented. Cure fraction (CF) is > 60% for breast and prostate cancer patients, > 50% for colorectal cancer patients, and > 70% for patients with melanoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and cancers of corpus uteri, testis (> 90%), and thyroid. CF was > 65% for patients diagnosed at ages 15– 44 years and 30% for those aged 65– 74 years. Time-to-cure was consistently < 1 year for thyroid and testicular cancer patients and < 10 years for patients with colorectal and cervical cancers, melanoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma. The working group agrees that the evidence allows risk stratification of cancer patients and implementation of personalized care models for timely diagnosis, as well as treatment of possible cancer relapses or related long-term complications, and preventive measures aimed at maintaining health status of cured patients. These aspects should be integrated to produce an appropriate follow-up program and survivorship care plan(s), avoiding stigma and supporting return to work, to a reproductive life, and full rehabilitation. The "right to be forgotten" law, adopted to date only in a few European countries, may contribute to these efforts for cured patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chordomas are rare, malignant bone tumors of the skull-base and axial skeleton. Until recently, there was no consensus among experts regarding appropriate clinical management of chordoma, resulting in inconsistent care and suboptimal outcomes for many patients. To address this shortcoming, the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the Chordoma Foundation, the global chordoma patient advocacy group, convened a multi-disciplinary group of chordoma specialists to define by consensus evidence-based best practices for the optimal approach to chordoma. In January 2015, the first recommendations of this group were published, covering the management of primary and metastatic chordomas. Additional evidence and further discussion were needed to develop recommendations about the management of local-regional failures. Thus, ESMO and CF convened a second consensus group meeting in November 2015 to address the treatment of locally relapsed chordoma. This meeting involved over 60 specialists from Europe, the United States and Japan with expertise in treatment of patients with chordoma. The consensus achieved during that meeting is the subject of the present publication and complements the recommendations of the first position paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst it is certainly true that such variables are prognostic, these are factors known only after the surgery and cannot in themselves cause NSAID exposure. The use of postoperative non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the setting of colorectal cancer surgery is still a subject of debate, which we heartily welcome. We certainly concur with Mufaddal et al. that randomized trials are needed to effectively answer the question whether NSAIDs are beneficial in colorectal cancer surgery, and hope that our paper might encourage such efforts. [Extracted from the article]

Background: In August 2018, neratinib – an oral, irreversible pan-HER-tyrosine-kinase inhibitor – was approved by the European Commission for the extended adjuvant treatment of adult patients with early-stage, hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2 overexpressed/amplified (HER2+) breast cancer who completed trastuzumab-based adjuvant therapy within the last year. Despite recent improvements in long-term outcome, there is still an unmet need to further reduce the risk of recurrence, especially in patients with poor response to neoadjuvant treatment. Summary: National and international guidelines included recommendations for using neratinib. Based on the health technology assessment for neratinib, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) in Germany has granted an added benefit for neratinib compared with the standard "watch and wait" strategies. Inclusion in the Reimbursement Code, however, was rejected by the Austrian social insurance companies in July 2020, and neratinib is now in the "No Box" for individual head physician reimbursement. Key Messages: We analysed the value of extended adjuvant therapy with neratinib in early HER2+/HR+ breast cancer based on current data and made recommendations for the evidence-based and economical use of neratinib in Austria. In particular, prognostic factors associated with an increased risk of recurrence following standard therapy are considered. Extended adjuvant therapy should be offered primarily to nodal-positive patients at surgery. For nodal-negative patients, neratinib therapy may be considered in case of large and/or inflammatory primary tumours (T3–4) without pathological complete response after neoadjuvant therapy. For all other patients, neratinib may be considered depending on additional risk factors on an individual basis that should be evaluated by interdisciplinary tumour conferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: According to the latest ESUR guidelines, T2WI and DWI-MR sequences are fundamental for initial staging, treatment response assessment, and evaluation of recurrence in cervical cancer, while contrast-enhanced MRI (CE-MRI) remains optional; this systematic review aims to give an overview of the literature regarding CE-MRI in cervical cancer. A total of 98 papers were included. We did not find strong evidence suggesting that CE-MRI is helpful in the clinical setting for cervical cancer staging and detection of tumor recurrence. Perfusion parameters and perfusion-derived radiomics models might have a role as a prognostic and predictive biomarker but more extensive multicentric studies with robust external validation are needed to introduce it in daily clinical practice. Correct staging of cervical cancer is essential to establish the best therapeutic procedure and prognosis for the patient. MRI is the best imaging modality for local staging and follow-up. According to the latest ESUR guidelines, T2WI and DWI-MR sequences are fundamental in these settings, and CE-MRI remains optional. This systematic review, according to the PRISMA 2020 checklist, aims to give an overview of the literature regarding the use of contrast in MRI in cervical cancer and provide more specific indications of when it may be helpful. Systematic searches on PubMed and Web Of Science (WOS) were performed, and 97 papers were included; 1 paper was added considering the references of included articles. From our literature review, it emerged that many papers about the use of contrast in cervical cancer are dated, especially about staging and detection of tumor recurrence. We did not find strong evidence suggesting that CE-MRI is helpful in any clinical setting for cervical cancer staging and detection of tumor recurrence. There is growing evidence that perfusion parameters and perfusion-derived radiomics models might have a role as prognostic and predictive biomarkers, but the lack of standardization and validation limits their use in a research setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In spontaneous tumor regression, tumors shrink and disappear without conventional treatments. This phenomenon challenges the view that cancer is an irreversible genetic disease and that the only treatment option is to kill cancer cells or surgically remove them. In tumor reversion, cancer cells have been shown to return to normal cells when they are transplanted into a normal cellular environment. Additionally, people consuming a Western diet ingest excessive amounts of dietary phosphate, and a dysregulated oversupply of phosphate can be transported into cells, stimulating the cellular growth that forms tumors. Based on reviewed evidence, this paper proposes that reducing excessive dietary phosphate potentially activates tumor regression and reversion, as components of cancer cells are self-digested. Furthermore, fevers and fasting-mimicking diets are associated with tumor regression, which also may be initiated by reduced phosphate intake. Studies are needed to test dietary phosphate reduction in tumor regression and reversion to improve cancer patient survival. Tumors that spontaneously shrink from unknown causes in tumor regression, and that return to normal cells in tumor reversion, are phenomena with the potential to contribute new knowledge and novel therapies for cancer patient survival. Tumorigenesis is associated with dysregulated phosphate metabolism and an increased transport of phosphate into tumor cells, potentially mediated by phosphate overload from excessive dietary phosphate intake, a significant problem in Western societies. This paper proposes that reduced dietary phosphate overload and reregulated phosphate metabolism may reverse an imbalance of kinases and phosphatases in cell signaling and cellular proliferation, thereby activating autophagy in tumor regression and reversion. Dietary phosphate can also be reduced by sickness-associated anorexia, fasting-mimicking diets, and other diets low in phosphate, all of which have been associated with tumor regression. Tumor reversion has also been demonstrated by transplanting cancer cells into a healthy microenvironment, plausibly associated with normal cellular phosphate concentrations. Evidence also suggests that the sequestration and containment of excessive phosphate within encapsulated tumors is protective in cancer patients, preventing the release of potentially lethal amounts of phosphate into the general circulation. Reducing dietary phosphate overload has the potential to provide a novel, safe, and effective reversion therapy for cancer patients, and further research is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The use of pre-emptive and prophylactic tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Allo-SCT) remains highly heterogeneous and very little is known about the use of third generation TKIs in this context. In this paper, we analyze the feasibility of maintenance with ponatinib administered after Allo-SCT to prevent cytologic relapse in a population of 48 patients with Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia undergoing transplant while in complete cytologic remission. Although with the caution of the retrospective data, our analysis supports the feasibility of a ponatinib maintenance strategy after Allo-SCT, resulting in a low rate of discontinuation due to toxicity and a high probability of survival and relapse-free survival, particularly in the prophylactic group. In the majority of cases where a daily dose of 45 mg was started a dose reduction to 30–15 mg/day was required, which may be the appropriate dose to balance efficacy and tolerability. The administration of TKIs after Allo-SCT in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph + ALL) remains controversial, and the TKI approach (prophylactic, pre-emptive or salvage) is still heterogeneous in transplant centers. In this context, very little is known about the feasibility and safety of third-generation TKIs. In this paper, we analyze the efficacy and safety of ponatinib (PONA) administered after Allo-SCT to prevent cytologic relapse of Ph + ALL. This is a multicenter observational study including 48 patients (pts) with Ph + ALL (median age 49 years) who received PONA after Allo-SCT while in complete cytological remission (cCR); 26 (54%) had positive minimal residual disease (MRD pos) before Allo-SCT. PONA was administered after Allo-SCT prophylactically (starting with MRD neg) in 26 pts or pre-emptively (starting with MRD pos post-SCT and without hematological relapse) in 22 pts. Patients treated prophylactically with PONA started treatment earlier, at a median of 4.3 months (range 1.5–6) after Allo-SCT, than those treated pre-emptively, who started PONA at a median of 7.4 months (range 2–63) after Allo-SCT (p = 0.01). The median starting dose of PONA was 30 mg/day (range 15–45). A dose reduction was required in 10/48 (21%) of cases, but a permanent discontinuation of PONA, due to toxicity, was required in only 5/48 pts (10.5%). No deaths due to PONA-related adverse events (AEs) were reported. The median follow-up time after Allo-SCT was 34 months (range 7.7–118). At the last follow-up, the median duration of PONA therapy was 22 months (range 2–100). The 5-year OS and RFS after Allo-SCT were 92% and 71%, respectively. The 5-year RFS after Allo-SCT of pts who received PONA prophylaxis was 95%, and it was 57% for those who received PONA pre-emptively (log-rank p = 0.02). In conclusion, this multicenter analysis of 48 patients with Ph + ALL undergoing Allo-SCT while in CcR, although with the caution of the retrospective data, supports the feasibility of PONA maintenance strategy after Allo-SCT with a low rate of discontinuations (10.5%) due to PONA-related AE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This paper discusses the challenges in treating high-grade gliomas, particularly glioblastomas, which are aggressive brain tumors with high recurrence rates. It highlights the limitations of current diagnostic imaging modalities, such as gadolinium-based MRI, in accurately detecting tumor recurrence versus treatment-related changes. The paper explores the emerging role of positron emission tomography (PET) in glioma imaging, especially with the use of radiotracers like PSMA, which can help differentiate between tumor recurrence and treatment effects. Furthermore, the paper reviews the concept of theranostics, which integrates diagnostics and therapy, offering a targeted approach to glioma treatment. It discusses various radioligands, including PSMA, 213Bi-DOTA-substance P, 90Y-DOTATOC, 18F-FDOPA, p-[131I]-iodo-L-phenylalanine, and 18F-GE-180, which have shown promise in diagnosing and treating recurrent gliomas. The potential of theranostics to minimize systemic toxicity and improve treatment outcomes is emphasized. Moreover, the paper highlights the importance of considering quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes in glioma patients, as conventional treatments often have significant impacts on patients' well-being. While theranostics offers a personalized approach to treatment, its potential promise for functional outcomes and QOL needs further investigation. The paper suggests that future research should focus on understanding the broader implications of theranostics on patient well-being, incorporating factors such as demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment-related effects into QOL assessments. Overall, the paper underscores the potential of theranostics to revolutionize glioma management and improve patient outcomes in the future. Gliomas represent the most commonly occurring tumors in the central nervous system and account for approximately 80% of all malignant primary brain tumors. With a high malignancy and recurrence risk, the prognosis of high-grade gliomas is poor, with a mean survival time of 12–18 months. While contrast-enhanced MRI serves as the standard diagnostic imaging modality for gliomas, it faces limitations in the evaluation of recurrent gliomas, failing to distinguish between treatment-related changes and tumor progression, and offers no direct therapeutic options. Recent advances in imaging modalities have attempted to address some of these limitations, including positron emission tomography (PET), which has demonstrated success in delineating tumor margins and guiding the treatment of recurrent gliomas. Additionally, with the advent of theranostics in nuclear medicine, PET tracers, when combined with therapeutic agents, have also evolved beyond a purely diagnostic modality, serving both diagnostic and therapeutic roles. This review will discuss the growing involvement of theranostics in diagnosing and treating recurrent gliomas and address the associated impact on quality of life and functional recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With increasing developments and progress, the status and influence of women in society have significantly improved, with more attention paid to women's health. According to relevant statistics, uterine cancer is a highly-incident malignant tumor in females and urges more research to improve the survival rate of uterine cancer patients. In this study, we established a prediction model to determine the location of uterine cancer recurrence by combining random forest and neural network algorithms. Data of uterine cancer patients were collected from major hospitals, and professional doctors evaluated and graded the patients' physical fitness indicators based on their experience, which were then used to construct the model and obtain the prediction results. Compared to traditional method, the proposed method of this paper showed that the model was more effective and accurate in predicting the location of uterine cancer recurrence, with a prediction accuracy rate of up to 88.63%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, cancer has posed a challenging obstacle that humans strive to overcome. While phototherapy and immunotherapy are two emerging therapies compared to traditional methods, they each have their advantages and limitations. These limitations include easy metastasis and recurrence, low response rates, and strong side effects. To address these issues, researchers have increasingly focused on combining these two therapies by utilizing a nano-drug delivery system due to its superior targeting effect and high drug loading rate, yielding remarkable results. The combination therapy demonstrates enhanced response efficiency and effectiveness, leading to a preparation that is highly targeted, responsive, and with low recurrence rates. This paper reviews several main mechanisms of anti-tumor effects observed in combination therapy based on the nano-drug delivery system over the last five years. Furthermore, the challenges and future prospects of this combination therapy are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Brachytherapy is a form of internal radiation therapy where radioactive sources are placed directly in or near tumors. This paper shows how brachytherapy can be personalized using new technologies like 3D-printed applicators, advanced imaging techniques, and artificial intelligence to make treatment more precise and effective. The authors also explore the role of genetic tests and biomarkers for choosing the best treatments for each patient, as well as future approaches such as combining brachytherapy with immunotherapy and developing new ways to shape radiation doses using shielding. By tailoring treatments to individual patients, personalized brachytherapy aims to effectively treat cancer while reducing treatment-related side effects. Brachytherapy offers a highly conformal and adaptive approach to radiation therapy for various oncologic conditions. This review explores the rationale, applications, technological advances, and future directions of personalized brachytherapy. Integration of advanced imaging techniques, 3D-printed applicators, and artificial intelligence are rapidly enhancing brachytherapy delivery and efficiency, while genomic tests and molecular biomarkers are refining patient and dose selection. Emerging research on combining brachytherapy with immunotherapy offers unique synergistic potential, and technologies such as intensity-modulated and shielded brachytherapy applicators present novel opportunities to further optimize dose distributions. Despite these promising advances, the field faces challenges including a need to train more practitioners and develop new approaches to treating a broader range of malignancies. As personalized medicine evolves, brachytherapy's ability to deliver highly targeted, individualized treatments positions it as a critical component in future cancer care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The landscape of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours (MPNSTs) is usually challenging both in terms of recognition and management. Despite a low incidence in the general population (0.001%), MPNST is an important cause of mortality in the neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) population. It is essential for a multi-disciplinary collaboration to achieve the best possible outcome. The aim of our paper was to contribute with a comprehensive review from the literature of the best multi-modality ways that show improvements in terms of survival and address potential future treatment approaches based on the molecular alterations seen in these tumours. Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumours (MPNST) are aggressive sarcomas that have nerve sheath differentiation and can present at any anatomical site. They can arise from precursor neurofibroma in the context of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) or as de novo and sporadic tumours in the absence of an underlying genetic predisposition. The primary therapeutic approach is most often radical surgery, with non-surgical modalities playing an important role, especially in locally advanced or metastatic cases. The aim of multimodality approaches is to optimize both local and systemic control while keeping to a minimum acute and late treatment morbidity. Advances in the understanding of the underlying biology of MPNSTs in both sporadic and NF-1-related contexts are essential for the management and implementation of novel therapeutic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survival analysis is an integral part of medical statistics that is extensively utilized to establish prognostic indices for mortality or disease recurrence, assess treatment efficacy, and tailor effective treatment plans. The identification of prognostic biomarkers capable of predicting patient survival is a primary objective in the field of cancer research. With the recent integration of digital histology images into routine clinical practice, a plethora of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based methods for digital pathology has emerged in scholarly literature, facilitating patient survival prediction. These methods have demonstrated remarkable proficiency in analyzing and interpreting whole slide images, yielding results comparable to those of expert pathologists. The complexity of AI-driven techniques is magnified by the distinctive characteristics of digital histology images, including their gigapixel size and diverse tissue appearances. Consequently, advanced patch-based methods are employed to effectively extract features that correlate with patient survival. These computational methods significantly enhance survival prediction accuracy and augment prognostic capabilities in cancer patients. The review discusses the methodologies employed in the literature, their performance metrics, ongoing challenges, and potential solutions for future advancements. This paper explains survival analysis and feature extraction methods for analyzing cancer patients. It also compiles essential acronyms related to cancer precision medicine. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that this is the inaugural review paper in the field. The target audience for this interdisciplinary review comprises AI practitioners, medical statisticians, and progressive oncologists who are enthusiastic about translating AI-driven solutions into clinical practice. We expect this comprehensive review article to guide future research directions in the field of cancer research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This meta-analysis provides a first head-to-head comparison of PET and perfusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (PWI) in the surveillance of post-treatment gliomas in order to distinguish tumor progression (TP) from treatment-related abnormalities (TRA). Although various reviews have been published on the use of either PET or PWI in this setting, no meta-analysis to date provides a head-to-head comparison of both techniques. The findings of this paper illuminate the strengths and limitations of each technique and enable clinicians to take more evidence-based decisions in their daily practice with regard to the imaging surveillance of gliomas. The post-treatment imaging surveillance of gliomas is challenged by distinguishing tumor progression (TP) from treatment-related abnormalities (TRA). Sophisticated imaging techniques, such as perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI PWI) and positron-emission tomography (PET) with a variety of radiotracers, have been suggested as being more reliable than standard imaging for distinguishing TP from TRA. However, it remains unclear if any technique holds diagnostic superiority. This meta-analysis provides a head-to-head comparison of the diagnostic accuracy of the aforementioned imaging techniques. Systematic literature searches on the use of PWI and PET imaging techniques were carried out in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov and the reference lists of relevant papers. After the extraction of data on imaging technique specifications and diagnostic accuracy, a meta-analysis was carried out. The quality of the included papers was assessed using the QUADAS-2 checklist. Nineteen articles, totaling 697 treated patients with glioma (431 males; mean age ± standard deviation 50.5 ± 5.1 years) were included. The investigated PWI techniques included dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC), dynamic contrast enhancement (DCE) and arterial spin labeling (ASL). The PET-tracers studied concerned [S-methyl-11C]methionine, 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG), O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine ([18F]FET) and 6-[18F]-fluoro-3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine ([18F]FDOPA). The meta-analysis of all data showed no diagnostic superior imaging technique. The included literature showed a low risk of bias. As no technique was found to be diagnostically superior, the local level of expertise is hypothesized to be the most important factor for diagnostically accurate results in post-treatment glioma patients regarding the distinction of TRA from TP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This paper delves into the issue of metastatic endometrial cancer (EC), which significantly impacts treatment success and overall survival rates. The study explores various factors contributing to metastasis, including the molecular profile of EC, hormone activity (like estrogen and prolactin), and pro-inflammatory adipocytokines. It also investigates how altered microRNA expression affects gene regulation linked to the dissemination of the cancer. The paper highlights the importance of imaging techniques, particularly transvaginal ultrasound with tumor-free distance (uTFD), in detecting metastases. Additionally, it discusses how diagnostic and therapeutic methods can influence the spread of EC, with hysteroscopy potentially increasing risk in advanced stages and laparoscopic hysterectomy being safer if performed with care. This research could improve our understanding of EC and guide better diagnostic and treatment strategies. The presence of metastatic endometrial cancer (EC) is a key problem in treatment failure associated with reduced overall survival rates. The most common metastatic location is the pelvic lymph nodes, and the least common is the brain. The presence of metastasis depends on many factors, including the molecular profile of cancer (according to the TCGA—Genome Atlas), the activity of certain hormones (estrogen, prolactin), and pro-inflammatory adipocytokines. Additionally, an altered expression of microRNAs affecting the regulation of numerous genes is also related to the spread of cancer. This paper also discusses the value of imaging methods in detecting metastases; the primary role is attributed to the standard transvaginal USG with the tumor-free distance (uTFD) option. The influence of diagnostic and therapeutic methods on EC spread is also described. Hysteroscopy, according to the analysis discussed above, may increase the risk of metastases through a fluid medium, mainly performed in advanced stages of EC. According to another analysis, laparoscopic hysterectomy performed with particular attention to avoiding risky procedures (trocar flushing, tissue traumatization, preserving a margin of normal tissue) was not found to increase the risk of EC dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: How to improve efficacy and reduce side effects in treating recurrent esophageal cancer by applying the second course of radiotherapy alone and its combination with chemotherapy has been attracting broad research interest. OBJECTIVE: This review paper aims to systematically evaluate efficacy and side effects of applying the second course of anterograde radiotherapy alone and its combination with chemotherapy in treating recurrent esophageal cancer. METHODS: First, the relevant research papers are retrieved from PubMed, CNKI and Wanfang databases. Next, Redman 5.3 software is used to calculate the relative risk and 95% confidence interval to evaluate the efficacy and adverse reactions of applying the single-stage radiotherapy with and without combining single/multi dose chemotherapy to treat recurrent esophageal cancer. Then, a meta data analysis is applied to examine the effectiveness and side effects of radiation alone and re-course radiotherapy plus chemotherapy in treating esophageal cancer recurrence after the first radiotherapy. RESULTS: Fifteen papers are retrieved, which included 956 patients. Among them, 476 patients received radiotherapy combined with single drug/multi drug chemotherapy (observation) and others received only radiotherapy (control). Data analysis results show that the incidence of radiation induced lung injury and bone marrow suppression is high in the observation group. Subgroup analysis also shows the higher effective rate or one-year overall survival rate of patients treated with the second course radiotherapy combined with single drug chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: The meta-analysis result demonstrates that combining the second course of radiotherapy with single-drug chemotherapy has advantages in treating recurrent esophageal cancer with the manageable side effects. However, due to insufficient data, it is not possible to conduct the further subgroup analysis comparing the side effects of restorative radiation with the combined chemotherapy using between a single drug and multiple drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) represents a serious health and socio-economic problem in different geographical areas of the world. It is characterized by a high rate of mortality, recurrence and metastasis. Despite the therapeutic strategies implemented for its management and resolution, currently the survival estimate for locally advanced disease is about 50%. The available therapeutic options comprise surgery and pharmacological treatment. Recently, an increased emphasis has been placed on the drugs that might be of benefit in this life-threatening disease. Therefore, the aim of this present review was to offer a general survey of the current available pharmacological treatment for OCSCC. The PubMed database was used to retrieve the papers using "OCSCC" as the search terms. We limited our search to the last 5 years to give a more updated and recent picture of the state of the art, including preclinical and clinical investigations. We found that 77 out of 201 papers were on the surgical treatment of OCSCC, 43 out of 201 focused on the radiotherapy and 81 out of 201 underwent evaluation for the aim of our review. We excluded the case reports, editorial letters, observational studies and papers written in languages other than English. A total of 12 articles were included in the final review. Our results showed that nanotechnologies use to enhance the efficacy of anticancer drugs such as: cisplatin, paclitaxel, cetuximab, EGFR antagonists, MEK1/2 and immune check inhibitors combination could have promising anti-cancer activity. However, the paucity of available data on drugs suggests the urgent need to improve the pharmacological armamentarium for OCSCC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Simple Summary: This paper discusses the importance of addressing sarcopenia in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim is to analyze how sarcopenia affects treatment outcomes for HCC, including liver transplantation, surgical resection, locoregional treatments, and systemic therapies. Sarcopenia is prevalent among HCC patients and independently correlates with lower overall survival, recurrence-free survival, and progression-free survival across all treatment modalities. Sarcopenia also increases the rate and severity of adverse events, particularly in surgery and systemic therapies. This research highlights the need for evaluating sarcopenia before HCC treatment initiation to better predict patient prognosis and tailor treatment approaches accordingly. However, the impact of sarcopenia on HCC recurrence and spread beyond the liver remains poorly understood, indicating a need for further research in this area. Overall, this research sheds light on the significance of considering sarcopenia in HCC management and may prompt efforts to identify therapies that can address muscle loss in these patients, potentially improving treatment outcomes and patient care. Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a major global health concern, characterized by evolving etiological patterns and a range of treatment options. Among various prognostic factors, sarcopenia, characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function, has emerged as a pivotal contributor to HCC outcomes. Focusing on liver transplantation, surgical resection, locoregional treatments, and systemic therapies, this review aims to analyze the impact of sarcopenia on HCC treatment outcomes, shedding light on an underexplored subject in the pursuit of more personalized management. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted by searching peer-reviewed articles on sarcopenia and treatment outcomes in patients with HCC from inception up to October 2023. Results: Sarcopenia was found to be prevalent among HCC patients, exhibiting different occurrence, possibly attributable to diverse diagnostic criteria. Notably, despite variations in studies utilizing skeletal muscle indices, sarcopenia independently correlated with lower overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and progression-free survival (PFS) across surgical (both transplantation and resection), locoregional, and systemic therapies, including tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Moreover, a link between sarcopenia and increased rate and severity of adverse events, particularly in surgery and TKIs recipients, and larger tumor size at diagnosis was observed. While baseline sarcopenia negatively influenced treatment outcomes, alterations in muscle mass post-treatment emerged as primary determinants of reduced OS. Conclusions: Sarcopenia, either present before or after HCC treatment, negatively correlates with response to it, across all etiologies and therapeutic strategies. Although only a few studies have evaluated the impact of supervised physical activity training on muscle mass and OS after HCC treatment, it is crucial to evaluate the presence of sarcopenia before treatment initiation, to better stratify patients' prognosis, thus performing a more tailored approach, and identify therapies able to restore muscle mass in HCC patients. Conversely, the impact of sarcopenia on HCC recurrence and extrahepatic spread remains inadequately explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Patients with pediatric liver cancers hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma very often develop lung metastases. These cancers can present with lung metastases and are at higher risk of relapse. Although cisplatin is very effective at clearing lung metastases, they can still relapse. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop therapeutic approaches to prevent the development of lung metastases in patients with pediatric liver cancers. In this paper, we show that the metastatic microenvironment of HBL and HCC patients contains a heterogeneous cell population that formed tumor clusters. We found that both fresh primary tumors and generated primary cell cultures had increased the expression of HDAC1, a histone deacetylase, and the transcription factor Sp5. Sp5 and HDAC1 work in tandem by transporting HDAC1 to the promoters of genes and changing their expression. We analyzed the effects of the HDAC inhibitor, SAHA, on the metastasis-initiating cells in combination with cisplatin. We found that HDAC inhibition increases the efficacy of cisplatin to eliminate these metastasis-initiating cells. The pediatric liver cancers, hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, are dangerous cancers which often spread to the lungs. Although treatments with cisplatin significantly improve outcomes, cisplatin may not eliminate metastasis-initiating cells. Our group has recently shown that the metastatic microenvironments of hepatoblastoma contain Cancer Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) and neuron-like cells, which initiate cancer spread from liver to lungs. In this study, we found that these cells express high levels of HDAC1; therefore, we examined if histone deacetylase inhibition improves cisplatin anti-proliferative effects and reduces the formation of tumor clusters in pediatric liver cancer metastatic microenvironments. Methods: New cell lines were generated from primary hepatoblastoma liver tumors (hbl) and lung metastases (LM) of HBL patients. In addition, cell lines were generated from hepatocellular neoplasm, not otherwise specified (HCN-NOS) tumor samples, and hcc cell lines. Hbl, LM and hcc cells were treated with cisplatin, SAHA or in combination. The effect of these drugs on the number of cells, formation of tumor clusters and HDAC1-Sp5-p21 axis were examined. Results: Both HBL and HCC tissue specimens have increased HDAC1-Sp5 pathway activation, recapitulated in cell lines generated from the tumors. HDAC inhibition with vorinostat (SAHA) increases cisplatin efficacy to eliminate CAFs in hbl and in hcc cell lines. Although the neuron-like cells survive the combined treatments, proliferation was inhibited. Notably, combining SAHA with cisplatin overcame cisplatin resistance in an LM cell line from an aggressive case with multiple metastases. Underlying mechanisms of this enhanced inhibition include suppression of the HDAC1-Sp5 pathway and elevation of an inhibitor of proliferation p21. Similar findings were found with gemcitabine treatments suggesting that elimination of proliferative CAFs cells is a key event in the inhibition of mitotic microenvironment. Conclusions: Our studies demonstrate the synergistic benefits of HDAC inhibition and cisplatin to eliminate metastasis-initiating cells in pediatric liver cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Risk assessment in early breast cancer is critical for clinical decisions, but defining risk categories poses a significant challenge. The integration of conventional histopathology and biomarkers with artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, including machine learning and deep learning, has the potential to offer more precise information. AI applications extend beyond detection to histological subtyping, grading, and molecular feature identification. The successful integration of AI into clinical practice requires collaboration between histopathologists, molecular pathologists, computational pathologists, and oncologists to optimize patient outcomes. Effective risk assessment in early breast cancer is essential for informed clinical decision-making, yet consensus on defining risk categories remains challenging. This paper explores evolving approaches in risk stratification, encompassing histopathological, immunohistochemical, and molecular biomarkers alongside cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. Leveraging machine learning, deep learning, and convolutional neural networks, AI is reshaping predictive algorithms for recurrence risk, thereby revolutionizing diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning. Beyond detection, AI applications extend to histological subtyping, grading, lymph node assessment, and molecular feature identification, fostering personalized therapy decisions. With rising cancer rates, it is crucial to implement AI to accelerate breakthroughs in clinical practice, benefiting both patients and healthcare providers. However, it is important to recognize that while AI offers powerful automation and analysis tools, it lacks the nuanced understanding, clinical context, and ethical considerations inherent to human pathologists in patient care. Hence, the successful integration of AI into clinical practice demands collaborative efforts between medical experts and computational pathologists to optimize patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) develop early colorectal adenomas and if left untreated, progression to cancer is an inevitable event. Prophylactic surgery does not prevent further development of cancer in the rectal remnant, rectal cuff in patients with ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) and even on the ileal mucosa of the pouch body. The aim of this review is to assess long-term rates of cancer and adenoma development in patients with FAP after prophylactic surgery and to summarise current recommendations for endoscopic management and surveillance of these patients. A systematic literature search of studies from January 1946 through to June 2023 was conducted using the PRISMA checklist. The electronic database PubMed was searched. Fifty-four papers involving 5010 patients were reviewed. Cancer rate in the rectal remnant was 8.8–16.7% in the western population and 37% in the eastern population. The cumulative risk of cancer 30 years after surgery was 24%. Mortality due to cancer in the rectal remnant is 1.1–11.1% with a 5-year survival rate of 55%. The adenoma rate after primary IPAA was 9.4–85% with a cumulative risk of 85% 20 years after surgery and a cumulative risk of 12% for advanced adenomas 10 years after surgery. Cumulative risk for adenomas after ileorectal anastomosis (IRA) was 85% after 5 and 100% after 10 years. Adenomas developed more frequently after stapled (33.9–57%) compared to hand-sewn (0–33%) anastomosis. We identified reports of 45 cancers in patients after IPAA of which 30 were in the pouch body and 15 in the rectal cuff or at the anastomosis. There was a significant incidence of cancer and adenomas in the rectal remnant and ileal pouch of FAP patients during the long-term follow-up. Regular endoscopic surveillance is recommended, not only in IRA patients, but also in pouch patients after proctocolectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer vaccines are gaining ground as immunotherapy options. We have previously demonstrated in cutaneous melanoma (CM) patients that adjuvant treatment with VACCIMEL, a mixture of four irradiated CM cell lines coadjuvanted with BCG and GM-CSF, increases the cellular immune response to melanocyte differentiation antigens, cancer-testis antigens and neoantigens, with respect to basal levels. On the other hand, it is also known that treatment with anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), acting on pre-existing tumorreactive lymphocytes, induces clinical responses in CM patients, albeit in a fraction of treated patients. A combination of both treatments would appear therefore desirable. In this paper, we describe CM patients who, having progressed even years after vaccination, were treated with anti-PD-1 MAbs. In 5/5 of such progressor patients, complete responses were obtained which lasted between 3 and 65+ months. Three of the patients remain disease-free and two recurred. One of the patients passed away after a recurrence of brain metastases. We suggest that clonally expanded reactive lymphocytes induced by VACCIMEL partially remain as memory cells, which may be recalled after tumor recurrence and may foster ulterior activity of anti-PD-1 MAbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The prevalence of cancer related to the digestive system keeps rising. We examined the 2024 literature on gastric cancer. Apart from surgery, which remains the primary treatment option for gastric cancer, immunotherapy and therapeutic targeting are becoming increasingly significant in the management of this disease. Following gastric cancer surgery, a multidisciplinary approach is required, with nutritionists and psychologists playing fundamental roles. Due to the high death rate associated with gastric cancer, a great deal of research has been conducted on this disease. The goal of this paper was to start a trimestral review of 2024 for the year that had just started. The scientific literature from 1 January 2024 was chosen with consideration of the the guidelines of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), which are updated with new findings but not systematically reviewed annually. We used the search term "gastric cancer" to find the most current publications in the PubMed database related to the prognosis and treatment of gastric cancer. As previously said, the only articles that satisfied the inclusion criteria were those from 2024. Articles with case reports were eliminated since they had nothing to do with our research. The treatment of gastric cancer is the focus of the majority of articles from 2024. The primary research axes include surgery and immunonutrition, immunotherapy and Helicobacter pylori, and therapeutic targets. Patients with GC may experience less psychological, social, and financial hardship if the recently identified markers discovered in circulation are better assessed and validated. This could be achieved by either including the markers in an artificial intelligence-based diagnostic score or by using them in conjunction with traditional diagnostic methods. Due to the rising death rate associated with GC, funding for research into diagnosis, prognosis, therapy, and therapeutic targets is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Middle-ear carcinoid tumour is a rare malignant tumour with an indolent course occasionally causing regional or distant metastasis. This paper presents a case of middle-ear carcinoid tumour metastasising to the parapharyngeal space and the parotid gland 20 years after the first surgery. Case report. A 35-year-old woman who underwent multiple tympanomastoidectomies for middle-ear carcinoid presented with tumours of both the parapharyngeal space and parotid gland, detected by regular imaging. Based on the clinical course, metastatic relapse of middle-ear carcinoid was suspected. This was treated with subtotal parotidectomy with elective neck dissection (levels II and III), leading to the pathological diagnosis of carcinoid tumour. A cervico-parotid approach was selected to avoid complications associated with parapharyngeal space tumour removal. Transient facial palsy (House–Brackmann grade III) occurred, which completely recovered two months after surgery. Conclusion. Awareness of parapharyngeal space tumours possibly caused by metastasis from a middle-ear tumour is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conjunctival melanoma (CM) is a life-threatening ocular tumor with a high rate of local recurrence and metastasis. Our objective is to analyze research trends in CM field and compare contributions from different countries, institutions and authors. Methods: We extracted all CM-related publications published from 1997 to 2022 from the Web of Science database and applied Microsoft Excel and VOSviewer to review publication data, analyze publication trends, and visualize relevant data. Results: A total of 708 publications were identified. The United States contributed the most publications (280) and citations (8,781 times) with the highest H-index value (47). The Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, British Journal of Ophthalmology, American Journal of Ophthalmology and Cornea were the most productive journal concerning CM, and Shields CL, Shields JA, Jager MJ as well as Finger PT had published the most papers in the field. Keywords were classified into three clusters: clinical research, management-related research and genetic research. The keywords "primary acquired melanosis", "metastasis" and "BRAF mutations" were most frequently emerged. According to the average appearing year (AAY), targeted therapy (AAY of 2019.0) and nivolumab (AAY of 2018.7) were identified as the main focuses of the field in the near future. Conclusion: In the past 25 years, the United States, Germany, England and the Netherlands held the leading position in the CM research. A group of scholars made important contributions to CM research and will continue to guide cutting-edge research. Treatments that have been shown to be effective for advanced cutaneous melanoma, such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy, are potential focuses for future CM research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts on women's health which include the risk of recurrence in subsequent pregnancies, an intensive behavioral weight loss intervention and hot flushes in women, and intraoperative radiotheraphy versus whole breast radiotherapy for breast cancer.

The article titled "Retraction Notice" from the Urologia Journal announces the retraction of a paper by V. Fakhar due to redundant publication. The paper, titled "Association of PSA density and Gleason score of the positive surgical margin with biochemical recurrence in prostate cancer; a historical cohort study," has significant overlap with another paper by the same author titled "Association of Prostate-Specific Antigen Density and Gleason score of Positive Surgical Margin with Biochemical Recurrence in Prostate Cancer" published in the Men's Health Journal. The retraction is made at the request of the Journal Editor and Publisher. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: Gastroblastoma is an extremely rare gastric tumor. Its pathogenesis remains unclear and there is a lack of specific clinical symptoms. The aim of this paper is to report a case of gastroblastoma and provide references for the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of this disease. Methods: The diagnosis and treatment of a 51-year-old female patient with gastroblastoma were retrospectively reported. Analyzing this case by combining the clinical data such as imaging and pathological results of patients with the relevant literature. Results: The patient's chief complaint was the presence of melena persisted for over two weeks. Abdominal contrast-enhanced CT showed gastric antral nodules, and micro-probe endoscopic ultrasonography was considered as "gastric antral protruding lesions". The initial diagnosis of "gastric stromal tumor" was made after admission, and surgical treatment was performed on September 23, 2021. Postoperative pathology showed that gastric mixed epithelial and stromal tumor, combined with immunohistochemical staining, was suggestive of gastroblastoma. No signs of tumor recurrence or metastasis were observed during the 2-year follow-up. Conclusion: Combined with the existing literature reports, the incidence of gastroblastoma is mainly higher in young men, and the predilection site is gastric antrum. The biological behavior of the tumor tends to be indolent, and the prognosis of most cases is favorable. However, due to the extremely small number of cases, this conclusion still needs a large number of cases and followup data to support. Postoperative pathological and immunohistochemical examination results are the only methods for definite diagnosis at present, and surgery is the first choice for treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bladder cancer is one of the most frequent malignant tumors of the urinary system. The prevalence of bladder cancer among men and women is roughly 5:2, and both its incidence and death have been rising steadily over the past few years. At the moment, metastasis and recurrence of advanced bladder cancer—which are believed to be connected to the malfunction of multigene and multilevel cell signaling network—remain the leading causes of bladder cancer-related death. The therapeutic treatment of bladder cancer will be greatly aided by the elucidation of these mechanisms. New concepts for the treatment of bladder cancer have been made possible by the advancement of research technologies and a number of new treatment options, including immunotherapy and targeted therapy. In this paper, we will extensively review the development of the tumor microenvironment and the possible molecular mechanisms of bladder cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Aggressive angiomyxoma is a mesenchymal tumor with localized aggressiveness, affecting the connective tissue of the perineum or the lower pelvis. Prevalence in the population is unknown due to its rarity, making management and counseling difficult. The management of angiomyxoma includes multiple types of treatment, such as radical surgery with tumor-free margins, but the probability of local recurrence is high, despite extensive excision with unscathed mar-gins. Considering the low mitotic activity of angiomyxoma, there is not always a rationale for adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Given its exceptionally low incidence, optimal management of the disease remains a subject of on-going debate, and a unanimous consensus on treatment strategies has yet to be reached. Aggressive angiomyxoma (AAM) is a rare, locally aggressive, myxoid mesenchymal neoplasm primarily found in the pelvic and perineal regions of young adult females. It is a slow growing and locally infiltrating tumor. Preoperative diagnosis is difficult due to the rarity of these tumors and absence of characteristic signs and symptoms. The primary management is tumor excision. Incomplete excision is common because of the infiltrating nature of the neoplasm and absence of a definite capsule. Other non- surgical modalities have been employed, such as radiotherapy, embolization, GnRH analogues or other anti-estrogenic agents. Local relapses occur in 30–40% of the cases, and often appear many years (sometimes decades) after the first excision. Occasional distant metastasis has also been reported. A limited number of cases have been reported in the literature, mostly in the form of small case series or isolated case reports. Therefore, the aim of this paper by a team of experts from the MITO rare tumors group is to review clinical findings, pathologic characteristics and outcome of patients affected by this rare condition in order to be able to offer up-to-date guidance on the management of these cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer remains one of the global leading causes of death and various vaccines have been developed over the years against it, including cell-based, nucleic acid-based, and viral-based cancer vaccines. Although many vaccines have been effective in in vivo and clinical studies and some have been FDA-approved, there are major limitations to overcome: (1) developing one universal vaccine for a specific cancer is difficult, as tumors with different antigens are different for different individuals, (2) the tumor antigens may be similar to the body's own antigens, and (3) there is the possibility of cancer recurrence. Therefore, developing personalized cancer vaccines with the ability to distinguish between the tumor and the body's antigens is indispensable. This paper provides a comprehensive review of different types of cancer vaccines and highlights important factors necessary for developing efficient cancer vaccines. Moreover, the application of other technologies in cancer therapy is discussed. Finally, several insights and conclusions are presented, such as the possibility of using cold plasma and cancer stem cells in developing future cancer vaccines, to tackle the major limitations in the cancer vaccine developmental process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to quantify the out-of-pocket (OOP) costs and perceived financial burden among Australian men with localised prostate cancer in the first 6 months after diagnosis, by primary management option. Methods: This cost-analysis quantified OOP costs using administrative claims data and self-reported survey data. Financial burden was assessed using the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity–Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (COST-FACIT) tool. Participants were recruited into a randomised control trial from public or private treatment centres in Victoria and Queensland. Generalised linear models were used to predict OOP costs and COST-FACIT scores. Results: Median total OOP costs within 6 months of diagnosis for 256 Australian patients with localised prostate cancer was A$1172 (A$343–2548). Up to 50% of the sample reported A$0 costs for most medical services. Compared with those managed with active surveillance, men having active treatment had 6.4 (95% CI: 3.2–12.7) times greater total OOP costs. Management option, higher Gleason score at diagnosis and having multiple comorbidities were significant predictors of higher OOP costs. Overall high scores on the COST-FACIT indicated low levels of financial burden for the entire sample. Conclusion: Largely attributable to being managed with active surveillance, Australian men diagnosed with localised prostate cancer reported relatively low OOP costs and financial burden in the first 6 months post-diagnosis. Together with clinical outcomes, clinicians can use this up to date evidence on costs and perceived financial burdens to assist localised prostate cancer patients and their families make informed decisions about their preferred management option. What is known about the topic? International evidence suggests that men with low-risk prostate cancer managed with active surveillance initially incur lower out-of-pocket costs than those managed with active treatment. What does this paper add? Australian men with low-risk prostate cancer report low out-of-pocket costs and financial burden in the first 6 months post-diagnosis. Compared with those managed with active surveillance, men having active treatment had 6–7 times greater out-of-pocket expenses. What are the implications for practitioners? Being managed by active surveillance as the primary management option for low-risk prostate cancer reduces the financial burdens associated with a cancer diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Percutaneous cryoablation (PCA) is a minimally invasive procedure that should be considered in comorbid patients with stage T1 renal tumours who are suboptimal candidates for partial nephrectomy (PN). However, there is a scarcity of scientific data regarding the efficacy of PCA. The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare PCA and PN in terms of complications, renal function and survival outcomes. According to this analysis, PCA is associated with fewer complications than PN. Moreover, in tumours up to 4 cm, it provides the same time without local recurrence. Therefore, PCA should be proposed to patients with cT1 renal tumours who are not fit for PN but want to undergo a radical treatment. Percutaneous cryoablation (PCA) can be an alternative to partial nephrectomy (PN) in selected patients with stage T1 renal tumours. Existing meta-analyses regarding ablative techniques compared both laparoscopic and PCA with PN. That is why we decided to perform a meta-analysis that focused solely on PCA. The aim of this study was to compare the complications and functional and oncological outcomes between PCA and PN. A systematic literature search was performed in January 2024. Data for dichotomous and continuous variables were expressed as pooled odds ratios (ORs) and mean differences (MDs), both with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Effect measures for the local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), metastasis-free survival (MFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) were expressed as pooled hazard ratios with 95% CIs. Among 6487 patients included in the 14 selected papers, 1554 (23.9%) and 4924 (76.1%) underwent PCA and PN, respectively. Compared with the PN group, patients undergoing PCA had significantly lower overall and major postoperative complication rates. There was no difference in renal function between PCA and PN groups. When analysing collective data for cT1 renal carcinoma, PCA was associated with worse LRFS compared with PN. However, subgroup analysis revealed that in the case of PCA, LRFS was not decreased in patients with cT1a tumours. Moreover, patients undergoing robotic-assisted PN had improved LRFS compared with those undergoing PCA. No significant differences were observed between PCA and PN in terms of MFS and CSS. Finally, PCA was associated with worse OS than PN in both collective and subgroup analyses. In conclusion, PCA is associated with favourable postoperative complication rates relative to PN. Regarding LRFS, PCA is not worse than PN in cT1a tumours but has a substantially relevant disadvantage in cT1b tumours. Also, RAPN might be the only surgical modality that provides better LRFS than PCA. In cT1 tumours, PCA shows MFS and CSS comparable to PN. Lastly, PCA is associated with a shorter OS than PN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 70% of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients present with locoregionally advanced disease. The curative rate for early disease is 80-95%; for advanced tumors, locoregional recurrence rate remains at about 50-60% despite advances in treatment, and 20-30% will have distant metastases. Further, patients will develop a second primary malignancy (SPM) with a rate of 2-4% per year. Follow-up (FU) is important to detect recurrence (REC) and SPM at an early stage, to enable effective salvagetherapy, manage treatment-related sequelae, and provide functional rehabilitation and psychosocial support. In the absence of high-level evidence, there is no clear international consensus in FU regimens. There are only retrospective studies addressing this topic, mostly showing no difference in overall survival between patients with REC detected during routine FU and symptom-driven self-referral visits. The value of imaging is also subject of debate. Moreover, many of the hitherto published studies did not include the logistical, psychological and financial consequences and the relevant cost evaluations in today's healthcare systems facing increasing financial pressure. We propose a large multicenter, randomized prospective trial in HNC patients with complete remission 6 months after curative treatment to compare two FU schemes differing in frequency of scheduled clinical examinations and imaging. We hypothesize that implementing an individualized de-intensified FU with active patient involvement does not differ from a conventional regular FU in terms of death from any cause up to 5 years (=primary endpoint). We also hypothesize that symptom-driven self-referral FU visits have a higher diagnostic yield in detection of REC/SPM than regular scheduled clinical and radiological examinations. Consequently, we assume that fewer scheduled exams in well-instructed patients will not lead to worse outcome. The secondary objectives are the comparison of death from HNC and any cancer, detection of first REC/SPM, health-related quality of life, fear of recurrence, compliance with FU assessments, number of visits and HNC-specific health-care utilization. The objective of the herein presented Pilot 1 study was to assess the feasibility of patients' recruitment, motivation for trial participation and compliance in completing a monthly, paper-based symptoms' monitoring (patient-reported outcome [PRO], symptom tracker). This Pilot is supported by Swiss Cancer Research. The study design is shown in Figure 1 (RMST: restricted mean survival time). [Display omitted] The main study is a randomized-controlled combined non-inferiority and superiority trial with explicit Pilot 1 and 2. After curative treatment, participants are randomized to an individualized de-intensified FU with monthly symptoms' monitoring (Figure 2) (experimental arm) or to standard FU. [Display omitted] Alerting symptoms possibly indicating REC/SPM or non-completion of the PROs will result in an urgent clinical FU appointment in the experimental arm. Minimal FU within Pilot 1 is 12 months (as opposed to 60 months in the main trial). Recruitment was done in three Swiss tertiary referral centers, which committed to enroll at least 20 patients during one year. The primary aim of Pilot 1, evaluating the feasibility of patient recruitment, has been confirmed faster than expected (20 committed patients randomized after 7 and 29 patients randomized after 11 months accrual time, respectively). Six unscheduled visits were triggered by our paper-based PRO. Within Pilot 1, a prescreening survey was conducted to better understand the specific motivation of patients to participate in the trial or not. We surveyed 41 potential participants of which 27 (66%) agreed to participate. The potential reduction in imaging was the main reason for the patients to participate in the trial (52%). Additionally, we collected feedback on the design of the paper-based PRO questionnaire at the 6-month FU visit when participants had already gained some experience. Participants expressed that the PRO questionnaire was easy to understand and comprehensive, thus facilitating them to communicate with their corresponding study center. The completion time for the PRO was between 5-10 minutes in 63% of the participants. In addition, 63% of the patients were in favor of transitioning the paper-based PRO to an electronic version (ePRO), the other 37% felt unsure about using an ePRO. Interim compliance data will be presented. The recruitment and symptoms' monitoring for HNC patients have been proofed as feasible. Pilot 2 is in planning to allow for a smooth continuation of Pilot 1 with following specific goals: 1) to expand the trial to 12 Swiss and 4 European sites; 2) to recruit up to 200 participants; 3) to implement a web-based version of the symptom tracker (ePRO); 4) to develop an enhanced training strategy for HNC patients; 5) to evaluate the usability of the ePRO; and 6) to assess the safety of omitting systematic lung imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This article summarises the international Frontline and Relapsed Rhabdomyosarcoma (FaR-RMS) clinical trial for patients with rhabdomyosarcoma. The trial has multiple research questions relating to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and biological and imaging studies as well as to the introduction of novel drugs for patients with very high-risk disease. The rationale, background, and international collaboration of the trial are explained, and how the data will be used to inform future studies is outlined. The Frontline and Relapsed Rhabdomyosarcoma (FaR-RMS) clinical trial is an overarching, multinational study for children and adults with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). The trial, developed by the European Soft Tissue Sarcoma Study Group (EpSSG), incorporates multiple different research questions within a multistage design with a focus on (i) novel regimens for poor prognostic subgroups, (ii) optimal duration of maintenance chemotherapy, and (iii) optimal use of radiotherapy for local control and widespread metastatic disease. Additional sub-studies focusing on biological risk stratification, use of imaging modalities, including [18F]FDG PET-CT and diffusion-weighted MRI imaging (DWI) as prognostic markers, and impact of therapy on quality of life are described. This paper forms part of a Special Issue on rhabdomyosarcoma and outlines the study background, rationale for randomisations and sub-studies, design, and plans for utilisation and dissemination of results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The vast majority of patients who present with a primary cutaneous melanoma can be cured by surgery alone. Although a wider local excision margin around the primary tumour may in theory maximize the chance of cure, the result is a larger wound that often requires a more complex operation to close, as well as greater risk of surgical complications, morbidity, and higher associated healthcare costs. Despite several previous studies, we have yet to reach agreement internationally over what excision margin is optimal. This paper reviews the evidence for current guidelines for wide local excision margins; explores the challenges of extrapolating the findings of previous randomised trials into clinical practice within the rapidly evolving landscape of modern melanoma management; and finally discusses the potential of the actively enrolling MelMarT-II trial to provide a definitive answer to the question: how wide is wide enough? Surgical wide local excision (WLE) remains the current standard of care for primary cutaneous melanoma. WLE is an elective procedure that aims to achieve locoregional disease control with minimal functional and cosmetic impairment. Despite several prospective randomised trials, the optimal extent of excision margin remains controversial, and this is reflected in the persistent lack of consensus in guidelines globally. Furthermore, there is now the added difficulty of interpreting existing trial data in the context of the evolving role of surgery in the management of melanoma, with our increased understanding of clinicopathologic and genomic prognostic markers leading to the often routine use of sentinel node biopsy (SNB) as a staging procedure, in addition to the development of adjuvant systemic therapies for high-risk disease. An ongoing trial, MelMarT-II, has been designed with the aim of achieving a definitive answer to guide this fundamental surgical decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A variety of methods exist for the analysis of longitudinal data, many of which are characterized with the assumption of fixed visit time points for study individuals. This, however is not always a tenable assumption. Phenomenon that alter subject visit patterns such as adverse events due to investigative treatment administered, travel or any other emergencies may result in unbalanced data and varying individual visit time points. Visit times can be considered informative, because subsequent or current subject outcomes can change or be adapted due to previous subject outcomes. Methods: In this paper, a Bayesian Bernoulli-Exponential model for analyzing joint binary outcomes and exponentially distributed informative visit times is developed. Via statistical simulations, the influence of controlled variations in visit patterns, prior and sample size schemes on model performance is assessed. As an application example, the proposed model is applied to a Bladder Cancer Recurrence data. Results and conclusions: Results from the simulation analysis indicated that the Bayesian Bernoulli-Exponential joint model converged in stationarity, and performed relatively better for small to medium sample size scenarios with less varying time sequences regardless of the choice of prior. In larger samples, the model performed better for less varying time sequences. This model's application to the bladder cancer data showed a statistically significant effect of prior tumor recurrence on the probability of subsequent recurrences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Most of the existing data on the resection of liver metastases with inferior vena cava infiltration come from case reports or small case series. This systematic review on the subject found postoperative morbidity and mortality rates and overall survival to be acceptable, offering a surgical alternative to these patients previously considered unresectable. Combined hepatic and inferior vena cava (IVC) resection is the only potentially curative treatment for patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) involving the IVC. Most of the existing data come from case reports or small case series. In this paper, a systematic review based on the PICO strategy was performed in accordance with the PRISMA statement. Papers from January 1980 to December 2022 were searched in Embase, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library databases. Articles considered for inclusion had to present data on simultaneous liver and IVC resection for CRLM and report surgical and/or oncological outcomes. From a total of 1175 articles retrieved, 29, including a total of 188 patients, met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 58.3 ± 10.8 years. The most frequent techniques used were right hepatectomy ± caudate lobe for hepatic resections (37.8%), lateral clamping (44.8%) for vascular control, and primary closure (56.8%) for IVC repair. The thirty-day mortality reached 4.6%. Tumour relapse was reported in 65.8% of the cases. The median overall survival (OS) was 34 months (with a confidence interval of 30–40 months), and the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year OS were 71.4%, 19.8%, and 7.1%, respectively. In the absence of prospective randomized studies, which are difficult to perform, IVC resection seems to be safe and feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 20th century, cancer has become one of the main diseases threatening human health. Liver cancer is a malignant tumor with extremely high clinical morbidity and fatality rate and easy recurrence after surgery. Research on the postoperative recurrence time and recurrence location of patients with liver cancer has a crucial influence on the postoperative intervention of patients. Evaluation of the clinical manifestations of patients after liver cancer surgery is conducted according to medical knowledge or national standards to determine the main factors affecting liver cancer rehabilitation. In order to better study the mechanism of liver cancer recurrence, this paper uses CS-SVM to predict the recurrence time of liver cancer patients, so as to timely intervene the patients. There are five evaluation indicators which are basic indicators, immune indicators, microenvironment indicators, psychological indicators, and nutritional indicators, respectively. This paper collects the clinical evaluation data of postoperative follow-up visits for patients with liver cancer in a hospital, improves the parameter selection process of the support vector machine by using the search ability of the cuckoo algorithm, and establishes an algorithm-optimized prediction model of support vector machine for the prognosis of liver cancer to predict the location and approximate time of recurrence. According to the clinical evaluation data of patients with liver cancer after surgery, logistics regression, BP neural network, and other related methods are used to predict the prognosis of liver cancer patients after surgery. The prediction effects of several methods are compared, and the superiority of the model is discussed. At the end of this article, we conducted an empirical analysis on the clinical evaluation data of patients with liver cancer after surgery. For the collected samples of 776 liver cancer recurrences after surgery, the established liver cancer prognosis outcome prediction model was used to predict the recurrence time and recurrence location, respectively. The mean square error of recurrence time prediction is 9.2101, which is much smaller than the prediction mean square error of BP neural network of 177.9451; the prediction accuracy of recurrence location is 95.7%, which is much higher than the 63.14% of logistic regression. The empirical analysis results show that the improved support vector machine model based on cuckoo established in this paper can effectively predict the time and location of cancer recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The application of nanotechnology in medicine has caught the scientific community's attention. Nevertheless, staying updated about its countless possibilities has become a challenge. Regarding novelties in the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancer, gold nanoparticles have the opportunity to play an important role in nanomedicine. The literature's findings have provided insights into their applications for research and procedures in oncology. Thus, gold nanoparticles can improve patients' quality of life and may change paradigms in this field. Therefore, a state-of-the-art review may help clinicians, students, researchers, and readers to keep up with the advances in managing upper aerodigestive tract tumors through gold nanoparticle properties. Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer affecting people and accounts for more than 300,000 deaths worldwide. Improvements in treatment modalities, including immunotherapy, have demonstrated promising prognoses for eligible patients. Nevertheless, the five-year overall survival rate has not increased significantly, and the tumor recurrence ratio remains at 50% or higher, except for patients with HPV-positive HNSCC. Over the last decades, nanotechnology has provided promising tools, especially for biomedical applications, due to some remarkable physicochemical properties of numerous nanomaterials, particularly gold nanoparticles. This review addresses the features and some applications of gold nanoparticles reported in the literature over the last five years regarding the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancer, highlighting the exciting possibilities of this nanomaterial in oncology. Methods: The scientific papers selected for this review were obtained from the PubMed Advanced, Web of Science, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Google Scholar platforms. Conclusions: Results from papers applying gold nanoparticles have suggested that their application is a feasible approach to diagnostics, prognostics, and the treatment of HNC. Moreover, phase I clinical trials suggest that gold nanoparticles are safe and can potentially become theranostic agents for humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer therapy selects for cancer cells resistant to treatment, a process that is fundamentally evolutionary. To what extent, however, is the evolutionary perspective employed in research on therapeutic resistance and relapse? We analyzed 6,228 papers on therapeutic resistance and/or relapse in cancers and found that the use of evolution terms in abstracts has remained at about 1% since the 1980s. However, detailed coding of 22 recent papers revealed a higher proportion of papers using evolutionary methods or evolutionary theory, although this number is still less than 10%. Despite the fact that relapse and therapeutic resistance is essentially an evolutionary process, it appears that this framework has not permeated research. This represents an unrealized opportunity for advances in research on therapeutic resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a case of recurrent ovarian cancer at the age of 75, gravida 1 para 0, with 18 years of disease-free survival. Chemotherapy brought a 10-month partial response status; to further improve the overall survival, the patient was evaluated using the AGO score (DESKTOP III trial, 2020), which was originally intended for cases immediately after the diagnosis of recurrence; the score has indicated a significant outcome; the patient went through a hepatosplenic metastatic site resection; and complete resection was achieved. Subsequently, the PARP inhibitor was introduced, which has led to 14 months of disease-free survival. Fifteen cases of late recurrence of epithelial ovarian cancer have been reported and are summarized at the end of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treatment is challenging and frequently characterized by an aggressive phenotype and low prognosis in comparison to other subtypes. This paper presents fabricated implantable drug-loaded microporous poly-di-methyl-siloxane (PDMS) devices for the delivery of targeted therapeutic agents [Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone conjugated paclitaxel (PTX-LHRH) and Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone conjugated prodigiosin (PG-LHRH)] for the treatment and possible prevention of triple-negative cancer recurrence. In vitro assessment using the Alamar blue assay demonstrated a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in percentage of cell growth in a time-dependent manner in the groups treated with PG, PG-LHRH, PTX, and PTX-LHRH. Subcutaneous triple-negative xenograft breast tumors were then induced in athymic female nude mice that were four weeks old. Two weeks later, the tumors were surgically but partially removed, and the device implanted. Mice were observed for tumor regrowth and organ toxicity. The animal study revealed that there was no tumor regrowth, six weeks post-treatment, when the LHRH targeted drugs (LHRH-PTX and LHRH-PGS) were used for the treatment. The possible cytotoxic effects of the released drugs on the liver, kidney, and lung are assessed using quantitative biochemical assay from blood samples of the treatment groups. Ex vivo histopathological results from organ tissues showed that the targeted cancer drugs released from the implantable drug-loaded device did not induce any adverse effect on the liver, kidneys, or lungs, based on the results of qualitative toxicity studies. The implications of the results are discussed for the targeted and localized treatment of triple negative breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]