Notch signaling genes and CD8+ T‐cell dynamics: Their contribution to immune‐checkpoint inhibitor therapy in oral squamous cell carcinoma: A retrospective study

Hinyokika kiyo. Acta Urologica Japonica

We experienced two cases of renal primary synovial sarcoma. Case 1: A 29-year-old man underwent laparoscopic radical nephrectomy and was originally diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma. Case 2: A 25-year-old man was treated by open radical nephrectomy since radiographical findings indicated tumor invasion to the ureter causing hydronephrosis. Both cases were pathologically diagnosed as renal synovial sarcomas, and were followed using computed tomography. Recurrence was observed within a year in both cases.

Scientific Reports

Electroencephalography (EEG), despite its inherited complexity, is a preferable brain signal for automatic human emotion recognition (ER), which is a challenging machine learning task with emerging applications. In any automatic ER, machine learning (ML) models classify emotions using the extracted features from the EEG signals, and therefore, such feature extraction is a crucial part of ER process. Recently, EEG channel connectivity features have been widely used in ER, where Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC), mutual information (MI), phase-locking value (PLV), and transfer entropy (TE) are well-known methods for connectivity feature map (CFM) construction. CFMs are typically formed in a two-dimensional configuration using the signals from two EEG channels, and such two-dimensional CFMs are usually symmetric and hold redundant information. This study proposes the construction of a more …

Annals of Palliative Medicine

Background: Uterine leiomyosarcoma (U-LMS) is an aggressive malignancy linked to a high risk of metastasis to distant major organs. Although cardiac metastasis of U-LMS is extremely rare, it is often associated with life-threatening conditions, leading to dismal prognosis. Currently, there is no established therapy for patients with unresectable/relapsed cardiac metastasis of U-LMS. In this article, we report a case of locally relapsed cardiac metastasis of U-LMS, which occurred 3 years after surgical resection, successfully treated with eribulin.Case Description: A 69-year-old female with cardiac symptoms (eg, dyspnea, tachycardia, and easy fatigability) was sequentially treated with doxorubicin plus ifosfamide, gemcitabine plus docetaxel, and pazopanib. However, cardiac metastasis continued to grow despite treatment. Hence, eribulin was administered as fourth-line therapy. Exceptionally, eribulin markedly improved cardiac symptoms, and the patient achieved a durable response for 17 months without the development of severe adverse events. Moreover, the volume of the metastatic cardiac tumor was decreased by 70%. Despite the poor prognosis of this condition, the patient survived for 8 years from the diagnosis of cardiac metastasis due to surgery and the continuous administration of chemotherapies.Conclusions: Eribulin may be an effective and accessible treatment option for cardiac metastasis of U-LMS in patients with life-threatening conditions for whom surgery is not indicated. Additionally, the expression levels of phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) may be a predictive biomarker for the sensitivity of patients with U-LMS to treatment with eribulin.

Asia Policy

Elina Fonsén et al. Times of crisis further underlines the meaning of leadership as the common thread of an educational organisation. Leaders in early childhood education (ECE) have been forced to face tremendous challenges and changes within a very short timeframe. A global pandemic of this scale is something that no one has witnessed before. The Executive Committee, World Organisation for Early Childhood Education OMEP has formulated a position paper for ECE to remind the importance of continuing high quality ECE in spite of the pandemic (OMEP 2020). The position paper points out that “the global crisis has tested the political, health, and economic systems of many countries” and how all that may jeopardise the childrenʼs right to education and the quality of education. Therefore, the question of leadership in ECE is crucial to ensure educational rights.Our book strives to meet the research cap of ECE leadership during the crisis. The book discusses the phenomenon of leadership and captures leadersʼ experiences during the pandemic in the context of ECE. Timely collected evidence-based information is aimed at guiding future policy-making and educational development, inspiring academic research, giving new insights to university courses, and supporting leaders and practitioners in ECE centres. The added value of this volume is in cracking mechanisms of dealing with a systemic crisis and change. Moreover, the book adds to the understanding of the ability of the ECE centresʼ to recover from the crisis, and introduces potential promotive factors of resilience in the future. The purpose of this book is to provide understanding …

Beyond Thirty Years of IJNS Page 1 OPEN ACCESS International Journal of Neural Systems, Vol. 30, No. 12 (2020) 2003007 (2 pages) c© The Author(s) DOI: 10.1142/S0129065720030070 Editorial Beyond Thirty Years of IJNS Accepted 9 September 2020 Published Online 2 November 2020 International Journal of Neural Systems (IJNS) has been standing out in the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary field between medical and brain science and computational intelligence. It is needless to say that the current distinct status is built up by the great effort and genius discernment of the Editor-In-Chief Professor Hojjat Adeli in the last 15 years. It is truly impressive that he manages all the editorial works such as finding appropriate reviewers, communicating with authors and arranging each issue of the journal, all by himself without associate editors, and has made IJNS ascend to a top journal. Since the superb and …

Cancer Medicine

Background Sedentary behaviours have been associated with increased risks of some common cancers in epidemiological studies; however, it is unclear if these associations are causal. Methods We used univariable and multivariable two‐sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) to examine potential causal relationships between sedentary behaviours and risks of breast, colorectal and prostate cancer. Genetic variants associated with self‐reported leisure television watching and computer use were identified from a recent genome‐wide association study (GWAS). Data related to cancer risk were obtained from cancer GWAS consortia. A series of sensitivity analyses were applied to examine the robustness of the results to the presence of confounding. Results A 1‐standard deviation (SD: 1.5 h/day) increment in hours of television watching increased risk of breast cancer (OR per 1‐SD: 1.15, 95% confidence …

Cancer Medicine

Background This study aimed to examine the associations between the use of statins concurrent with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and the risks of mortality in Asian patients diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa). Methods Adult patients (≥18 years old) diagnosed with PCa who were receiving any form of ADT and were being treated at public hospitals in Hong Kong from December 1999 to March 2021 were retrospectively identified, with follow‐up conducted until September 2021. Patients who had received medical castration for <180 days without subsequent bilateral orchidectomy, those who had used statins concurrently with ADT for <180 days, and those with missing baseline total cholesterol levels were excluded. Statin users were defined as individuals who had used statins for ≥180 days concurrent with ADT, while non‐users were those who had not used any statins. PCa‐related mortality was …

Cancer Medicine

Background It has been shown that tumor microenvironment (TME) hydroxyapatite (HAP) is typically associated with many malignancies and plays a role in tumor progression and growth. Additionally, acidosis in the TME has been reported to play a key role in selecting for a more aggressive tumor phenotype, drug resistance and desensitization to immunotherapy for many types of cancers. TME‐HAP is an attractive target for tumor detection and treatment development since HAP is generally absent from normal soft tissue. We provide strong evidence that dissolution of hydroxyapatite (HAP) within the tumor microenvironment (TME‐HAP) using a novel therapeutic can be used to kill cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo with minimal adverse effects. Methods We developed an injectable cation exchange nano particulate sulfonated polystyrene solution (NSPS) that we engineered to dissolve TME‐HAP …

Cancer Medicine

Background The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between self‐reported distress (anxiety/depression) and satisfaction with and desire for virtual follow‐up (VFU) care among cancer patients during and beyond the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods Breast and prostate cancer patients receiving VFU at an urban cancer centre in Toronto, Canada completed an online survey on their sociodemographic, clinical, and technology, characteristics and experience with and views on VFU. EQ5D‐5 L was used to assess distress. Statistical models adjusted for age, gender, education, income and Internet confidence. Results Of 352 participants, average age was 65 years, 48% were women,79% were within 5 years of treatment completion, 84% had college/university education and 74% were confident Internet users. Nearly, all (98%) had a virtual visit via phone and 22% had a virtual visit via video. The …

Cancer medicine

IntroductionExisting approaches in cancer survivorship care delivery have proven to be insufficient to engage primary care. This study aimed to identify stakeholder-informed priorities to improve primary care engagement in breast cancer survivorship care.MethodsExperts in U.S. cancer survivorship care delivery were invited to participate in a 4-round online Delphi panel to identify and evaluate priorities for defining and fostering primary care's engagement in breast cancer survivorship. Panelists were asked to identify and then assess (ratings of 1-9) the importance and feasibility of priority items to support primary care engagement in survivorship. Panelists were asked to review the group results and reevaluate the importance and feasibility of each item, aiming to reach consensus.ResultsRespondent panelists (n = 23, response rate 57.5%) identified 31 priority items to support survivorship care. Panelists …

Cancer Medicine

Background Aberrant Notch signaling pathway has been related with the tumorigenesis in head and neck region, involving oral cavity. Here, we report the correlation between mutations in the Notch signaling pathway and CD8+ T‐cell infiltration via PD‐L1, which lead to enhanced antitumor immunity and may target for immune‐checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy. Methods This retrospective study analyzed the results of immunohistochemical staining for PD‐L1 and CD8+ T‐cell infiltration in 10 patients and whole‐exome sequencing (WES) was conducted on five of these patients to identify frequently mutated genes. Results Four of 10 patients were positive for PD‐L1 and CD8+ T. By analyzing WES in three of these four patients, we notably identified the mutations of NOTCH1, FBXW7, and noncoding RNA intronic mutation in NOTCH2NLR in two of these three patients. This study may enable better selection of …

Cancer Medicine

Objective Examine the influence of household income on health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) among children with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Design Secondary analysis of data prospectively collected from pediatric patients receiving treatment for AML at 14 hospitals across the United States. Exposure Household income was self‐reported on a demographic survey. The examined mediators included the acuity of presentation and treatment toxicity. Outcome Caregiver proxy reported assessment of patient HRQOL from the Peds QL 4.0 survey. Result Children with AML (n= 131) and caregivers were prospectively enrolled to complete PedsQL assessments. HRQOL scores were better for patients in the lowest versus highest income category (mean±SD: 76.0±14 household income< 25,000vs.59.9±17income≥ 75,000; adjusted mean difference: 11.2, 95% CI: 2.2–20.2). Seven percent of …

Cancer Medicine

Background Molecular testing is critical to guiding treatment approaches in patients with metastatic non‐small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC), with testing delays adversely impacting the timeliness of treatment decisions. Here, we aimed to evaluate the time from initial mNSCLC diagnosis to treatment decision (TTD) following implementation of in‐house EGFR, ALK, and PD‐L1 testing at our institution. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of 165 patients (send‐out testing, n = 92; in‐house testing, n = 73) with newly diagnosed mNSCLC treated at our institution. Data were compared during the send‐out (March 2017–May 2019) and in‐house (July 2019–March 2021) testing periods. We performed a detailed workflow analysis to provide insight on the pre‐analytic, analytic, and post‐analytic intervals that constituted the total TTD. Results TTD was significantly shorter with in‐house testing (10 days …

Cancer Medicine

Purpose Co‐creation, characterised by artists and patients creating a joint work of art, may support patients with the integration of life events, such as living with cancer, into their life story. In the process of co‐creation, resonance relationships between patients, artists and material may evolve that support such integration. Using the framework of resonance theory, we aim to investigate if and how patients move through the three phases of resonance during a process of co‐creation and explore the role of uncontrollability in this process. Methods Ten patients who received cancer treatment with palliative intent completed co‐creation processes, which were audio recorded. These recordings were imported in Atlas‐Ti and analysed by applying content analysis. We searched for the three phases of resonance, Being affected, touched and moved; Self‐efficacy and responding; Adaptive transformation. We additionally …

Cancer Medicine

Background Non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) accounts for 90% of all malignant lymphomas. This study aimed to evaluate the global incidence, mortality, associated risk factors, and temporal trends of NHL by sex, age, and country. Methods Data from 185 countries globally were used for analysis. NHL incidence and mortality were collected via the GLOBOCAN (2020), CI5 series I‐X, WHO mortality database, the Nordic Cancer Registries, and the SEER Program. The WHO Global Health Observatory provided country‐level, age‐standardized prevalence of lifestyle and metabolic risk factors. Trends were examined and reported based on average annual percentage change (AAPC) calculated using Joinpoint regression analysis. Incidence and AAPC are based on data for the last 10 years across countries. Results Globally, age‐standardized incidence and mortality rates for NHL were recorded at 5.8 and 2.6 per …

Cancer Medicine

Background Older cancer survivors often value quality of life (QOL) over survival. Life‐space mobility (LSM), defined as the individual's spatial geographic mobility range, is an important QOL indicator in older adults with chronic illnesses; however, this relationship is unexplored in older cancer survivors. Methods We examined the longitudinal associations and causal relationships between LSM and QOL in 153 older cancer survivors (≥65 years) from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Study of Aging. LSM was assessed using the UAB Life‐Space Assessment‐Composite score (LSA‐C), and QOL was assessed by the SF‐12 Mental Component Score (MCS12) and Physical Component Score (PCS12) at 0 (study entry), 6, 18, 36, 54, and 72 months. We examined the causal relationship between LSM and QOL using a cross‐lagged panel model (CLPM). Results The cohort (n = 153) was 76 …

Cancer Medicine

Background Shortness of breath occurs in 10%–70% of oncology patients. Very little is known about interindividual variability in its severity and distress and associated risk factors. Using latent profile analyses (LPAs), purpose was to identify subgroups of patients with distinct severity and distress profiles for shortness of breath as single symptom dimensions. In addition, a joint LPA was done using patients' severity AND distress ratings. For each of the three LPAs, differences among the shortness of breath classes in demographic, clinical, symptom, stress, and resilience characteristics were evaluated. Methods Patients completed ratings of severity and distress from shortness of breath a total of six times over two cycles of chemotherapy. All of the other measures were completed at enrollment (i.e., prior to the second or third cycle of chemotherapy). Separate LPAs were done using ratings of severity and distress, as …

Cancer Medicine

Background The need for new therapies to improve survival and outcomes in pediatric oncology along with the lack of approval and accessible clinical trials has led to “out‐of‐trial” use of innovative therapies. We conducted a retrospective analysis of requests for innovative anticancer therapy in Canadian pediatric oncology tertiary centers for patients less than 30 years old between 2013 and 2020. Methods Innovative therapies were defined as cancer‐directed drugs used (a) off‐label, (b) unlicensed drugs being used outside the context of a clinical trial, or (c) approved drugs with limited evidence in pediatrics. We excluded cytotoxic chemotherapy, cellular products, and cytokines. Results We retrieved data on 352 innovative therapy drug requests. Underlying diagnosis was primary CNS tumor 31%; extracranial solid tumor 37%, leukemia/lymphoma 22%, LCH 2%, and plexiform neurofibroma 6%. RAS/MAP …

Cancer medicine

Background We examined the awareness, interest, and information sources relating to cannabis use for cancer management (including management of cancer symptoms and treatment‐related side effects) and determined factors associated with cancer survivors' awareness and interest in learning about cannabis use for cancer management. Methods This was a cross‐sectional study of adult cancer survivors (N = 1886) receiving treatment at a comprehensive cancer center. Weighted prevalence and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results Among cancer survivors, 88% were aware and 60% were interested in learning about cannabis use for cancer management. Common sources of information to learn about cannabis use for cancer management were cancer doctors/nurses (82%), other patients with cancer (27%), websites/blogs (26%), marijuana stores (20%), and family/friends …

Cancer medicine

IntroductionExisting approaches in cancer survivorship care delivery have proven to be insufficient to engage primary care. This study aimed to identify stakeholder-informed priorities to improve primary care engagement in breast cancer survivorship care.MethodsExperts in U.S. cancer survivorship care delivery were invited to participate in a 4-round online Delphi panel to identify and evaluate priorities for defining and fostering primary care's engagement in breast cancer survivorship. Panelists were asked to identify and then assess (ratings of 1-9) the importance and feasibility of priority items to support primary care engagement in survivorship. Panelists were asked to review the group results and reevaluate the importance and feasibility of each item, aiming to reach consensus.ResultsRespondent panelists (n = 23, response rate 57.5%) identified 31 priority items to support survivorship care. Panelists …

Cancer Medicine

Background Treatments for multiple myeloma (MM) have evolved over time and improved MM survival. While racial differences in MM treatment and prognosis between non‐Hispanic African American (NHAA) and non‐Hispanic White (NHW) patients are well‐established, it is unclear whether they have persisted after the introduction of novel agents. Methods Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results‐Medicare linked database, our study investigated racial difference in the receipt of treatment within 1 year following diagnosis and assessed survival outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries (≥66 years) diagnosed with MM from 2007 to 2017. We applied multivariable Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the association between race and survival and presented hazard ratios (HRs). Results Of 2094 NHAA and 11,983 NHW older patients with MM, 59.5% and 64.8% received treatment …

Cancer medicine

Background Estimation of prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is inaccurate prior to surgery, only being effected following subsequent pathological analysis of the primary tumour and excised lymph nodes. Consequently, a proportion of patients are overtreated, with an increase in morbidity, or undertreated, with inadequate margins and risk of recurrence. We hypothesise that it is possible to accurately characterise clinical outcomes from infrared spectra arising from diagnostic biopsies. In this first step, we correlate survival with IR spectra derived from the primary tumour. Methods Infrared spectra were collected from tumour tissue from 29 patients with OSCC and subject to classification modelling. Results The model had a median AUROC of 0.89 with regard to prognosis, a median specificity of 0.83, and a hazard ratio of 6.29 in univariate Cox proportional hazard modelling. Conclusion The data …

Cancer Medicine

Background Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is sometimes detected in non‐drinker and non‐smoker females who are considered to have very low risk of ESCC development in daily practice. This study examined the clinicopathological and genomic characteristics of ESCCs in females with no history of drinking and smoking. Methods The sample comprised 118 ESCC lesions occurring in 95 female patients who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection at our department between January 2008 and December 2019. The patients were categorized into two groups: 51 lesions in 49 patients with no history of drinking and smoking (nondrinker/nonsmoker [NDNS] group) and 69 lesions in 45 patients with a history of drinking or smoking (drinker/smoker [DS] group). We analyzed the differences in clinicopathological and cancerous genomic characteristics between the groups. Significant genomic …

Cancer Medicine

Background and Purpose Colorectal cancer progression from adenoma to cancer is a time‐intensive process; however, the interaction between normal fibroblasts (NFs) with early colorectal tumors, such as adenomas, remains unclear. Here, we analyzed the response of the microenvironment during early tumorigenesis using co‐cultures of organoids and NFs. Materials and Methods Colon normal epithelium, adenoma, cancer organoid, and NFs were established and co‐cultured using Transwell inserts. Microarray analysis of NFs was performed to identify factors expressed early in tumor growth. Immunostaining of clinical specimens was performed to localize the identified factor. Functional analysis was performed using HCT116 cells. Serum DKK1 levels were measured in patients with colorectal cancer and adenoma. Results Colorectal organoid–NF co‐culture resulted in increased organoid diameter and cell …

Cancer Medicine

Background Although oncology clinical practice guidelines recognize the need and benefits of exercise, the implementation of these services into cancer care delivery remains limited. We developed and evaluated the impact of a clinically integrated 8‐week exercise and education program (CaRE@ELLICSR). Methods We conducted a mixed methods, prospective cohort study to examine the effects of the program. Each week, participants attended a 1‐h exercise class, followed by a 1.5‐h education session. Questionnaires, 6‐min walk tests (6MWT), and grip strength were completed at baseline (T0), 8 weeks (T1), and 20 weeks (T2). Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with a sub‐sample of participants about their experience with the program. Results Between September 2017 and February 2020, 277 patients enrolled in the program and 210 consented to participate in the research study. The mean …