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ObjectiveThe utilization of video telemedicine has dramatically increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, significant social and technological barriers have led to disparities in access. We aimed to identify factors associated with patient inability to successfully initiate a video visit across a high-volume urologic practice.Materials and methodsVideo visit completion rates and patient characteristics were extracted from the electronic medical record and linked with census-level socioeconomic data. Associations between video visit failure were identified using multivariate regression modeling and random forest ensemble classification modeling.ResultsSix thousand eighty six patients and their first video visits were analyzed. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, Hispanic or Latino patients (OR 0.52, 95%CI 0.31-0.89), patients insured by Medicare (OR 0.46, 95%CI 0.26-0.79) or Medicaid (OR 0.50, 95%CI 0.29-0.87), patients of low socioeconomic status (OR 0.98, 95%CI 0.98-0.99), patients with an un-activated MyChart patient portal (OR 0.43, 95%CI 0.29-0.62), and patients unconfirmed at appointment reminder (OR 0.68, 95%CI 0.48-0.96) were significantly associated with video visit failure. Patients with primary diagnosis category of men's health (OR 47.96, 95%CI 10.24-856.35), and lower urinary tract syndromes (OR 2.69, 95%CI 1.66-4.51) were significantly associated with video visit success. Random forest analyses identified insurance status and socioeconomic status as the top predictors of video visit failure.ConclusionAn analysis of a urology video telemedicine cohort reveals clinical and demographic disparities in video visit completion and priorities for future interventions to ensure equity of access. Our study further suggests that specific urologic indications may play a role in success or failure of video visits.

Purpose: Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors are being developed for the treatment of estrogen receptor α (ER)–positive breast cancer in combination with antiestrogens. Understanding the temporal response and pharmacodynamic effects of PI3K inhibition in ER+ breast cancer will provide a rationale for treatment scheduling to maximize therapeutic index.Experimental Design: Antiestrogen-sensitive and antiestrogen-resistant ER+ human breast cancer cell lines and mice bearing PIK3CA-mutant xenografts were treated with the antiestrogen fulvestrant, the PI3K inhibitor GDC-0941 (pictilisib; varied doses/schedules that provided similar amounts of drug each week), or combinations. Cell viability, signaling pathway inhibition, proliferation, apoptosis, tumor volume, and GDC-0941 concentrations in plasma and tumors were temporally measured.Results: Treatment with the combination of fulvestrant and GDC-0941, regardless of dose/schedule, was significantly more effective than that with single-agent treatments in fulvestrant-resistant tumors. Short-term, complete PI3K inhibition blocked cell growth in vitro more effectively than chronic, incomplete inhibition. Longer-term PI3K inhibition hypersensitized cells to growth factor signaling upon drug withdrawal. Different schedules of GDC-0941 elicited similar tumor responses. While weekly high-dose GDC-0941 with fulvestrant continuously suppressed PI3K signaling for 72 hours, inducing a bolus of apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation, PI3K reactivation upon GDC-0941 washout induced a proliferative burst. Fulvestrant with daily low-dose GDC-0941 metronomically suppressed PI3K for 6 to 9 hours/day, repeatedly inducing small amounts of apoptosis and temporarily inhibiting proliferation, followed by proliferative rebound compared with fulvestrant alone.Conclusions: Continuous and metronomic PI3K inhibition elicits robust anticancer effects in ER+, PIK3CA-mutant breast cancer. Clinical exploration of alternate treatment schedules of PI3K inhibitors with antiestrogens is warranted. Clin Cancer Res; 22(9); 2250–60. ©2016 AACR.See related commentary by Toska and Baselga, p. 2099

Supplementary Figure 5: The change in sTILs during NAC is not prognostic for outcome in TNBC patients with residual disease.

Supplementary Figure 16: 8 gene score is predominately expressed by CD8+ T cells and NK cells in both patients.

Dataset 1: Metadata and clonotype data for TCRβ sequencing (Adaptive) in 15 pairs of NAC-treated patients (tumor data).

Supplementary Figure 2: Pre-NAC sTILs have minimal prognostic value in breast cancer patients with residual disease.

Suppl Data and Methods Fig. S1. Flowchart of experimental approach. Fig. S2. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of breast or ovarian cancer cell lines confirms known subtypes. Fig. S3. Validation of BR/OV-1 and -2 clusters of BRCA and OVCA cell lines. Fig. S4. BR/OV-1 and -2 subgroups of cell lines exhibit differential Hsp90i sensitivity in GDSC database v7. Fig. S5. Support vector machine (SVM) classifier validates robustness of BR/OV-1/2 gene expression classifier to predict BR/OV-1/2 status in an independent dataset. Fig. S6. Validation of BR/OV-1 and -2 subgroups at the (phospho)protein level. Fig. S7. BR/OV-1 and -2 subgroups are distinguishable by proteomics. Fig. S8. Individual dose-response curves for BR/OV-1 and -2 TNBC and OVCA cell lines treated with CCT018159. Fig. S9. Differential sensitivity of BR/OV-1 vs. -2 cell lines to Hsp90 inhibition is lineage-independent. Fig. S10. Individual dose-response curves for TNBC and OVCA cell lines subtyped as BR/OV-1 or -2. Fig. S11. Effects of Hsp90 inhibition on (phospho)protein expression in BR/OV-1 TNBC and OVCA cells. Fig. S12. Effects of Hsp90 inhibition on (phospho)protein expression in BR/OV-2 TNBC and OVCA cells. Fig. S13. Hsp90 inhibition induces apoptosis in BR/OV-2 but not BR/OV-1 TNBC and OVCA cells. Fig. S14. Individual growth curves of OVCA xenografts. Fig. S15. Representative Ki67 IHC and TUNEL images of OVCA xenografts. Fig. S16. Individual growth curves of breast cancer PDX tumors. Fig. S17. Body weight monitoring of mice bearing breast cancer PDX tumors. Fig. S18. Representative Ki67 IHC and TUNEL images of breast cancer PDX tumors. Fig. S19. Assessing homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)-related genetic alterations in tumor models.

Purpose:The recent approval of anti-programmed death-ligand 1 immunotherapy in combination with nab-paclitaxel for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) highlights the need to understand the role of chemotherapy in modulating the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME).Experimental Design:We examined immune-related gene expression patterns before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in a series of 83 breast tumors, including 44 TNBCs, from patients with residual disease (RD). Changes in gene expression patterns in the TIME were tested for association with recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS). In addition, we sought to characterize the systemic effects of NAC through single-cell analysis (RNAseq and cytokine secretion) of programmed death-1–high (PD-1HI) CD8+ peripheral T cells and examination of a cytolytic gene signature in whole blood.Results:In non-TNBC, no change in expression of any single gene was associated with RFS or OS, while in TNBC upregulation of multiple immune-related genes and gene sets were associated with improved long-term outcome. High cytotoxic T-cell signatures present in the peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer at surgery were associated with persistent disease and recurrence, suggesting active antitumor immunity that may indicate ongoing disease burden.Conclusions:We have characterized the effects of NAC on the TIME, finding that TNBC is uniquely sensitive to the immunologic effects of NAC, and local increases in immune genes/sets are associated with improved outcomes. However, expression of cytotoxic genes in the peripheral blood, as opposed to the TIME, may be a minimally invasive biomarker of persistent micrometastatic disease ultimately leading to recurrence.

Supplementary Figure 7: Changes in immunologic signatures in response to NAC are not associated with outcome in non-TNBC tumors with residual disease.

Supplementary Figure 3: The prognostic value of sTILs is primarily confined to the post-NAC specimen in TNBC patients with residual disease.

Supplementary Figure 6: Neither time of sample nor institution drive significant gene expression changes.

Supplementary Tables

Table S1 shows normalized mRNA counts from NanoString analysis of MCF-7 xenografts.

Supplementary Figure 4: sTILs are not prognostic in ER+ or HER2+ disease.

Purpose:Despite adjuvant endocrine therapy for patients with estrogen receptor alpha (ER)-positive breast cancer, dormant residual disease can persist for years and eventually cause tumor recurrence. We sought to deduce mechanisms underlying the persistence of dormant cancer cells to identify therapeutic strategies.Experimental Design:Mimicking the aromatase inhibitor–induced depletion of estrogen levels used to treat patients, we developed preclinical models of dormancy in ER+ breast cancer induced by estrogen withdrawal in mice. We analyzed tumor xenografts and cultured cancer cells for molecular and cellular responses to estrogen withdrawal and drug treatments. Publicly available clinical breast tumor gene expression datasets were analyzed for responses to neoadjuvant endocrine therapy.Results:Dormant breast cancer cells exhibited upregulated 5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) levels and activity, and upregulated fatty acid oxidation. While the antidiabetes AMPK-activating drug metformin slowed the estrogen-driven growth of cells and tumors, metformin promoted the persistence of estrogen-deprived cells and tumors through increased mitochondrial respiration driven by fatty acid oxidation. Pharmacologic or genetic inhibition of AMPK or fatty acid oxidation promoted clearance of dormant residual disease, while dietary fat increased tumor cell survival.Conclusions:AMPK has context-dependent effects in cancer, cautioning against the widespread use of an AMPK activator across disease settings. The development of therapeutics targeting fat metabolism is warranted in ER+ breast cancer.

Legend for Table S1

Supplementary Methods; Table. S1- Pairwise comparisons of tumor growth patterns between treatment groups; Fig. S1- PI3K inhibition induces ER activation; Fig. S2- Transient, complete inhibition of PI3K more effectively suppresses cell growth than chronic, partial inhibition; Fig. S3- Short-term and long-term inhibition of PI3K and ER induce similar degrees of apoptosis in ER+ breast cancer cells; Fig. S4- Fulv inhibits ER in MCF-7 tumors; Fig. S5- Tumor GDC-0941 concentrations are inversely correlated with PI3K pathway activation; Fig. S6- Pharmacodynamic effects of GDC-0941 and fulv on MCF-7 tumors; Fig. S7- High-dose GDC-0941 in combination with fulv induces tumor cell apoptosis; Fig. S8- High-dose GDC-0941 in combination with fulv suppresses tumor cell proliferation as indicated by geminin IHC; Fig. S9- High-dose GDC-0941 in combination with fulv suppresses tumor cell proliferation as indicated by Ki67 IHC; Fig. S10- Individual MCF-7 tumor volumes; Fig. S11- Individual T47D/FR tumor volumes; Fig. S12- GDC-0941 inhibits PI3K in T47D/FR and HCI-003 tumors; Fig. S13- Individual HCI-003 tumor volumes; Fig. S14- Intermittent, longer-term inhibition of PI3K and ER induces a bolus of suppression of tumor cell proliferation indicated by Geminin and Ki67 staining, with proliferative rebound after recovery of PI3K activity; Fig. S15- Comparison of BCL-2 family members among HCI-003, MCF-7 and T47D FR tumors

Dataset 2: Metadata and clonotype data for TCRβ sequencing (Archer) in 4 patients (peripheral CD8+ PD-1HI and CD8+ PD-1NEG T cells and post-NAC tumor), before (n=3) and after (n=4) NAC.

Purpose:We hypothesized that integrated analysis of cancer types from different lineages would reveal novel molecularly defined subgroups with unique therapeutic vulnerabilities. On the basis of the molecular similarities between subgroups of breast and ovarian cancers, we analyzed these cancers as a single cohort to test our hypothesis.Experimental Design:Identification of transcriptional subgroups of cancers and drug sensitivity analyses were performed using mined data. Cell line sensitivity to Hsp90 inhibitors (Hsp90i) was tested in vitro. The ability of a transcriptional signature to predict Hsp90i sensitivity was validated using cell lines, and cell line- and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Mechanisms of Hsp90i sensitivity were uncovered using immunoblot and RNAi.Results:Transcriptomic analyses of breast and ovarian cancer cell lines uncovered two mixed subgroups comprised primarily of triple-negative breast and multiple ovarian cancer subtypes. Drug sensitivity analyses revealed that cells of one mixed subgroup are significantly more sensitive to Hsp90i compared with cells from all other cancer lineages evaluated. A gene expression classifier was generated that predicted Hsp90i sensitivity in vitro, and in cell line- and PDXs. Cells from the Hsp90i-sensitive subgroup underwent apoptosis mediated by Hsp90i-induced upregulation of the proapoptotic proteins Bim and PUMA.Conclusions:Our findings identify Hsp90i as a potential therapeutic strategy for a transcriptionally defined subgroup of ovarian and breast cancers. This study demonstrates that gene expression profiles may be useful to identify therapeutic vulnerabilities in tumor types with limited targetable genetic alterations, and to identify molecularly definable cancer subgroups that transcend lineage.

Table S1. BRCA and OVCA cell lines analyzed. Cell line data were obtained from the GDSC or CCLE databases as indicated. Table S2. Drug sensitivity analysis for BR/OV-1 vs. -2 cell lines in GDSC. Table S3. BR/OV-1/2 gene expression classifier. Table S4. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis for BR/OV-1/2 classifier genes. Table S5. Subtyping of TNBC cell lines. Table S6. Genes upregulated in BR/OV-2 cells are rarely present in reported mesenchymal gene signatures. Table S7. (Phospho)proteins differentially expressed between BR/OV-1 vs. -2 cells by RPPA. Table S8. Proteins differentially expressed between BR/OV-1 and -2 TNBC cells by MS. Table S9. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of differentially expressed proteins. Table S10. BR/OV-1/2 Subgroup Scores for 88 BRCA PDX models from 20 patients.

Fig. S1 shows that dormant ER+ breast cancer cells retain tumor-initiating capacity. Fig. S2 shows individual tumor growth curves. Fig. S3 shows IHC images for Ki67, cleaved caspase-3 and ER in xenografts. Fig. S4 shows Gene Set Variation Analysis of RNA-seq data from xenografts. Fig. S5 shows overlap of altered genes from RNA-seq data. Fig. S6 shows IHC images for AMPK�2 and P-ACC in xenografts. Fig. S7 shows mTORC1 activation in MCF-7 tumors. Fig. S8 shows a transcriptional signature of FAO in human tumors. Fig. S9 shows mitochondrial content and activity in xenografts. Fig. S10 shows effects of AMPK knockdown on respiration. Fig. S11 shows that inhibition of FAO hastens tumor regression. Fig. S12 shows pharmacologic analysis of metformin. Fig. S13 shows metformin effects in MDA-MB-415 tumors. Fig. S14 shows that metformin prevents tumor regression. Fig. S15 shows that metformin does not alter fasting levels of blood glucose, serum insulin, or serum free fatty acids in mice. Fig. S16 show IHC images of P-ACC in tumors from mice treated with metformin. Fig. S17 shows AMPK effects on HCC-1500 cells and tumors. Fig. S18 shows the effects of high-fat diet on tumor regression. Fig. S19 shows IHC images of Ki67, CPT1α, and P-ACC in xenografts from mice treated with high-fat or low-fat diet.

Supplementary methods and supplementary references cited.

Supplementary Figure 8: Changes in immune-related genes in response to NAC are not associated with outcome in ER+ or HER2+ tumors with residual disease.

Primary hyperoxalurias are a devastating family of diseases leading to multisystem oxalate deposition, nephrolithiasis, nephrocalcinosis and end-stage renal disease. Traditional treatment paradigms are limited to conservative management, dialysis and combined transplantation of the kidney and liver, of which the liver is the primary source of oxalate production. However, transplantation is associated with many potential complications, including operative risks, graft rejection, post-transplant organ failure, as well as lifelong immunosuppressive medications and their adverse effects. New therapeutics being developed for primary hyperoxalurias take advantage of biochemical knowledge about oxalate synthesis and metabolism, and seek to specifically target these pathways with the goal of decreasing the accumulation and deposition of oxalate in the body., Primary hyperoxalurias are a devastating family of diseases that eventually lead to end-stage renal disease. In this Review, Shee and Stoller discuss current treatment paradigms for primary hyperoxalurias, new therapeutics and their mechanisms of action, and future directions for novel research in the field., Key points Primary hyperoxalurias (PHs) are a devastating family of rare, autosomal-recessive genetic disorders that lead to multisystem oxalate deposition, nephrolithiasis, nephrocalcinosis and end-stage renal disease.Traditional treatment paradigms are limited to conservative management, dialysis and inevitably transplantation of the kidney and liver, which is associated with high morbidity and the need for lifelong immunosuppression.New therapeutics being developed for PHs take advantage of biochemical knowledge about oxalate synthesis and metabolism to specifically target these pathways, with the goal of decreasing the accumulation and deposition of plasma oxalate in the body.New therapeutics can be divided into classes, and include substrate reduction therapy, intestinal oxalate degradation, chaperone therapy, enzyme restoration therapy and targeting of the inflammasome.Lumasiran, a mRNA therapeutic targeting glycolate oxidase, was the first primary hyperoxaluria-specific therapeutic approved by the European Medicines Agency and the FDA in 2020.Future work includes further clinical trials for promising therapeutics in the pipeline, identification of biomarkers of response to PH-directed therapy, optimization of drug development and delivery of new therapeutics.

Clinical guidelines suggest that for low-grade, clinically localized prostate cancer, patients with higher volume of disease at diagnosis may benefit from definitive therapy, although the data remain unclear. Our objective was to determine associations between low-grade prostate cancer volume and outcomes in men managed with primary radical prostatectomy.Men with cT1-2N0/xM0/x prostate cancer, prostate specific antigen at diagnosis10 ng/mL, and Gleason grade group 1 pathology on diagnostic biopsy managed with primary radical prostatectomy were included. Outcomes were pathological upgrade at radical prostatectomy (≥Gleason grade group 2), University of California, San Francisco adverse pathology at radical prostatectomy (≥Gleason grade group 3, pT3/4, or pN1), alternate adverse pathology at radical prostatectomy (≥Gleason grade group 3, ≥pT3b, or pN1), and recurrence (biochemical failure with 2 prostate specific antigen ≥0.2 ng/mL or salvage treatment). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate associations between percentage of positive cores and risk of upgrade and adverse pathology at radical prostatectomy. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate associations between percentage of positive cores and hazard of recurrence after radical prostatectomy.A total of 1,029 men met inclusion criteria. Multivariable logistic regression models demonstrated significant associations between percentage of positive cores and pathological upgrade (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.1-1.57,In men with Gleason grade group 1 prostate cancer, tumor volume may be associated with upgrading at radical prostatectomy, but not more clinically significant outcomes of adverse pathology or recurrence.

Purpose: The recent approval of anti-programmed death-ligand 1 immunotherapy in combination with nab-paclitaxel for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) highlights the need to understand the role of chemotherapy in modulating the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Experimental Design: We examined immune-related gene expression patterns before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in a series of 83 breast tumors, including 44 TNBCs, from patients with residual disease (RD). Changes in gene expression patterns in the TIME were tested for association with recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS). In addition, we sought to characterize the systemic effects of NAC through single-cell analysis (RNAseq and cytokine secretion) of programmed death-1–high (PD-1HI) CD8+ peripheral T cells and examination of a cytolytic gene signature in whole blood. Results: In non-TNBC, no change in expression of any single gene was associated with RFS or OS, while in TNBC upregulation of multiple immune-related genes and gene sets were associated with improved long-term outcome. High cytotoxic T-cell signatures present in the peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer at surgery were associated with persistent disease and recurrence, suggesting active antitumor immunity that may indicate ongoing disease burden. Conclusions: We have characterized the effects of NAC on the TIME, finding that TNBC is uniquely sensitive to the immunologic effects of NAC, and local increases in immune genes/sets are associated with improved outcomes. However, expression of cytotoxic genes in the peripheral blood, as opposed to the TIME, may be a minimally invasive biomarker of persistent micrometastatic disease ultimately leading to recurrence.

BACKGROUND: Among patients diagnosed with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), 30% to 70% experience recurrences within 6 to 12 years of diagnosis. The need to screen for these events every 3 to 6 months and ultimately annually by cystoscopy makes bladder cancer one of the most expensive malignancies to manage. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify reproducible prognostic microRNAs in resected non-muscle invasive bladder tumor tissue that are predictive of the recurrent tumor phenotype as potential biomarkers and molecular therapeutic targets. METHODS: Two independent cohorts of NMIBC patients were analyzed using a biomarker discovery and validation approach, respectively. RESULTS: miRNA Let-7f-5p showed the strongest association with recurrence across both cohorts. Let-7f-5p levels in urine and plasma were both found to be significantly correlated with levels in tumor tissue. We assessed the therapeutic potential of targeting Lin28, a negative regulator of Let-7f-5p, with small-molecule inhibitor C1632. Lin28 inhibition significantly increased levels of Let-7f-5p expression and led to significant inhibition of viability and migration of HTB-2 cells. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified Let-7f-5p as a miRNA biomarker of recurrence in NMIBC tumors. We further demonstrate that targeting Lin28, a negative regulator of Let-7f-5p, represents a novel potential therapeutic opportunity in NMIBC.

Purpose: Despite adjuvant endocrine therapy for patients with estrogen receptor alpha (ER)-positive breast cancer, dormant residual disease can persist for years and eventually cause tumor recurrence. We sought to deduce mechanisms underlying the persistence of dormant cancer cells to identify therapeutic strategies. Experimental Design: Mimicking the aromatase inhibitor–induced depletion of estrogen levels used to treat patients, we developed preclinical models of dormancy in ER+ breast cancer induced by estrogen withdrawal in mice. We analyzed tumor xenografts and cultured cancer cells for molecular and cellular responses to estrogen withdrawal and drug treatments. Publicly available clinical breast tumor gene expression datasets were analyzed for responses to neoadjuvant endocrine therapy. Results: Dormant breast cancer cells exhibited upregulated 5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) levels and activity, and upregulated fatty acid oxidation. While the antidiabetes AMPK-activating drug metformin slowed the estrogen-driven growth of cells and tumors, metformin promoted the persistence of estrogen-deprived cells and tumors through increased mitochondrial respiration driven by fatty acid oxidation. Pharmacologic or genetic inhibition of AMPK or fatty acid oxidation promoted clearance of dormant residual disease, while dietary fat increased tumor cell survival. Conclusions: AMPK has context-dependent effects in cancer, cautioning against the widespread use of an AMPK activator across disease settings. The development of therapeutics targeting fat metabolism is warranted in ER+ breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Circulating tumor DNA in plasma may present a minimally invasive opportunity to identify tumor-derived mutations to inform selection of targeted therapies for individual patients, particularly in cases of oligometastatic disease where biopsy of multiple tumors is impractical. To assess the utility of plasma DNA as a “liquid biopsy” for precision oncology, we tested whether sequencing of plasma DNA is a reliable surrogate for sequencing of tumor DNA to identify targetable genetic alterations. METHODS: Blood and biopsies of 1–3 tumors were obtained from 4 evaluable patients with advanced breast cancer. One patient provided samples from an additional 7 tumors post-mortem. DNA extracted from plasma, tumor tissues, and buffy coat of blood were used for probe-directed capture of all exons in 149 cancer-related genes and massively parallel sequencing. Somatic mutations in DNA from plasma and tumors were identified by comparison to buffy coat DNA. RESULTS: Sequencing of plasma DNA identified 27.94 +/− 11.81% (mean +/− SD) of mutations detected in a tumor(s) from the same patient; such mutations tended to be present at high allelic frequency. The majority of mutations found in plasma DNA were not found in tumor samples. Mutations were also found in plasma that matched clinically undetectable tumors found post-mortem. CONCLUSIONS: The incomplete overlap of genetic alteration profiles of plasma and tumors warrants caution in the sole reliance of plasma DNA to identify therapeutically targetable alterations in patients, and indicates that analysis of plasma DNA complements, but does not replace, tumor DNA profiling. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Subjects were prospectively enrolled in trial NCT01836640 (registered April 22, 2013).

The recent approval of anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy in combination with nAB-paclitaxel for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) highlights the need to understand the role of chemotherapy in modulating the tumor-immune microenvironment (TIME). Patients with TNBC are routinely treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) in the pre-treatment diagnostic biopsy are predictive of pathologic complete response (pCR). In patients with residual disease (RD) at surgery, sTILs confer good prognosis. However, the effect of chemotherapy on sTILs and how it influences the TIME are poorly understood. We examined immune-gene expression patterns before and after NAC in a series of 83 breast tumors, including 44 TNBCs, from patients with RD. sTILs were enumerated by standardized guidelines. Gene expression patterns were tested for association with recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS). T cell receptor sequencing (TCRseq) was performed on a subset (n=15) of tumors. In 4 patients undergoing NAC, PD-1-high and -negative CD8+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were profiled using single-cell RNAseq and multiplexed cytokine secretion assays. Post-NAC sTILs (≥30%) were only predictive of outcome (RFS p=0.019; OS p=0.05) in TNBC patients, but not in non-TNBC patients (RFS p=0.28; OS p=0.78) confirming that the prognostic capacity of sTILs is confined to TNBC. Pre-NAC sTILs were not predictive of outcome in either group, likely due to exclusion of patients experiencing pCR. The change in sTILs during NAC did not prognosticate outcome in TNBC, suggesting that in the post-NAC setting, only the most proximal measurement of sTILs is meaningful. However, these results did suggest that NAC alters the TIME. To examine the interplay among NAC, the TIME, and clinical outcomes, we tested the change in expression of 770 immune-related genes during NAC in univariate cox-proportional hazards models. In non-TNBC, no change in expression of any single gene was associated with RFS or OS at a false-discovery rate (FDR) of 10%. In TNBC, individual changes in 12 genes and 204 genes were identified as associated with RFS and OS, respectively (FDR Citation Format: Justin M Balko, Mellissa Nixon, Paula I Gonzalez-Ericsson, Mark A Pilkinton, Wyatt J McDonnell, Violeta Sanchez, Susan R Opalenik, Sherene Loi, Brent Rexer, Vandana Abramson, Valerie Jansen, Simon Mallal, Jonathan D Marotti, Kevin Shee, Todd W Miller, Melinda E Sanders, Ingrid A Mayer, Roberto Salgado. Immunologic correlates of long-term outcome in the residual disease of triple-negative breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-08-15.

PURPOSE Patients and providers often lack clinical decision tools to enable effective shared decision making. This is especially true in the rapidly changing therapeutic landscape of metastatic kidney cancer. Using the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) criteria, a validated risk prediction tool for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, we created and user-tested a novel interactive visualization for clinical use. METHODS An interactive visualization depicting IMDC criteria was created, with the final version including data for more than 4,500 patients. Usability testing was performed with nonmedical lay-users and medical oncology fellow physicians. Subjects used the tool to calculate median survival times based on IMDC criteria. User confidence was surveyed. An iterative user feedback implementation cycle was completed and informed revision of the tool. RESULTS The tool is available at CloViz—IMDC. Initially, 400 lay-users and 15 physicians completed clinical scenarios and surveys. Cumulative accuracy across scenarios was higher for physicians than lay-users (84% v 74%; P = .03). Eighty-three percent of lay-users and 87% of physicians thought the tool became intuitive with use. Sixty-eight percent of lay-users wanted to use the tool clinically compared with 87% of physicians. After revisions, the updated tool was user-tested with 100 lay-users and 15 physicians. Physicians, but not lay-users, showed significant improvement in accuracy in the updated version of the tool (90% v 67%; P = .008). Seventy-two percent of lay-users and 93% of physicians wanted to use the updated tool in a clinical setting. CONCLUSION A graphical method of interacting with a validated nomogram provides prognosis results that can be used by nonmedical lay-users and physicians, and has the potential for expanded use across many clinical conditions.

Objective To rank percentages of underrepresented residents in surgical subspecialties and understand the experience of mentees and mentors who participated in the inaugural University of California, San Francisco Urology UnderRepresented Trainees Entering Residency (UReTER) Mentorship Program for Black, Indigenous, and/or LatinX medical students applying into urology. Methods Medical student mentees across the country were recruited via social media and email listservs. Demographic information and photos of mentors were presented on the UReTER website. Medical students could choose a mentor, and once matched, both parties were notified. A survey was emailed to all participants on Urology Match Day 2021. Result The 2018 –2019 ACGME Databook showed underrepresented minority residents made up 7.6% of urology residents, lagging behind neurosurgery, vascular surgery, general surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology. 71 mentees and 101 mentors volunteered for the UReTER Mentorship Program (71 mentor-mentee couplets). Overall response rate was 51% [33 mentors and 32 mentees]. Of mentees who completed the survey, 16 (47%) participated in the 2021 Urology Match; 15 (94%) matched and 6 (38%) felt that UReTER helped them match. Conclusion Feedback on this pilot program was very positive including a high match rate among those who participated. Future changes to the program include expanded student outreach, increased structure, broadened mentor network. The implementation of a low-cost program to increase underrepresented applicants into Urology has great potential to increase representation and improve the field. This program can and should be replicated in all subspecialties.

Estrogens have been shown to elicit anticancer effects against estrogen receptor α (ER)-positive breast cancer. We sought to determine the mechanism underlying the therapeutic response. Response to 17β-estradiol was assessed in ER+ breast cancer models with resistance to estrogen deprivation: WHIM16 patient-derived xenografts, C7-2-HI and C4-HI murine mammary adenocarcinomas, and long-term estrogen-deprived MCF-7 cells. As another means to reactivate ER, the anti-estrogen fulvestrant was withdrawn from fulvestrant-resistant MCF-7 cells. Transcriptional, growth, apoptosis, and molecular alterations in response to ER reactivation were measured. 17β-estradiol treatment and fulvestrant withdrawal induced transcriptional activation of ER, and cells adapted to estrogen deprivation or fulvestrant were hypersensitive to 17β-estradiol. ER transcriptional response was followed by an unfolded protein response and apoptosis. Such apoptosis was dependent upon the unfolded protein response, p53, and JNK signaling. Anticancer effects were most pronounced in models exhibiting genomic amplification of the gene encoding ER (ESR1), suggesting that engagement of ER at high levels is cytotoxic. These data indicate that long-term adaptation to estrogen deprivation or ER inhibition alters sensitivity to ER reactivation. In such adapted cells, 17β-estradiol treatment and anti-estrogen withdrawal hyperactivate ER, which drives an unfolded protein response and subsequent growth inhibition and apoptosis. 17β-estradiol treatment should be considered as a therapeutic option for anti-estrogen-resistant disease, particularly in patients with tumors harboring ESR1 amplification or ER overexpression. Furthermore, therapeutic strategies that enhance an unfolded protein response may increase the therapeutic effects of ER reactivation.

Historically, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast has been managed aggressively with surgery and radiotherapy because of a risk of progression to invasive ductal carcinoma. However, this treatment paradigm has been challenged by overtreatment concerns and evidence that suggests that DCIS can be stratified according to risk of recurrence or risk of progression to invasive disease. Traditional methods of risk stratification include histologic grade and hormone receptor status. Recent technological advancements have enabled an era of precision medicine, where DCIS can be molecularly analyzed by tools, such as next-generation DNA and RNA sequencing, to identify molecular biomarkers for risk stratification. These findings have led to the development of tools such as the Oncotype DX Breast DCIS Score, a gene expression–based assay with the potential to prevent overtreatment in low-risk disease.