Early-onset colorectal cancer patients exhibit a distinct molecular fingerprint: insights from a large-scale NGS study of 1209 patients.

Background: Early-onset colorectal cancer (EO-CRC, ≤50 years of age) exhibits unique clinical and biological characteristics when compared with average-onset CRC (AO-CRC), but its overall molecular profile is still not well studied.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analysed 1209 patients with metastatic CRC profiled using FoundationOne® CDx, a clinically validated next-generation sequencing assay targeting 324 cancer-related genes. Patients were classified as EO-CRC (n = 298) or AO-CRC (n = 911).

Navigating the Landscape of Liquid Biopsy in Colorectal Cancer: Current Insights and Future Directions.

Liquid biopsy has emerged as a valuable tool for the detection and monitoring of colorectal cancer (CRC), providing minimally invasive insights into tumor biology through circulating biomarkers such as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). Additional biomarkers, including tumor-educated platelets (TEPs) and exosomal RNAs, offer further potential for early detection and prognostic role, although ongoing clinical validation is still needed. This review summarizes the current evidence on the diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive capabilities of liquid biopsy in both metastatic and non-metastatic CRC.

Exercise Prescription in Cardio-Oncology.

Numerous studies underscore the benefits of exercise prescription in both cardiology and oncology. Recently, emerging eviAlessandro Navadence has highlighted the value of exercise in cardio-oncology, demonstrating its protective effects against the decline in functional capacity and cardiovascular complications that may arise in oncology patients, either as a result of the disease itself or as a side effect of chemotherapy. The purpose of this review is to elucidate the protective mechanisms and cardiovascular clinical benefits conferred by exercise prescription in cancer patients.

The impact of the fetal exposome as a predictor of cancer risk in childhood and adulthood. Aberrant epigenetic events occurring during gestation: May they trigger fetal programming of cancer risk later in life?

The rising incidence of cancer, particularly among children and young adults, has led to renewed interest in the early-life origins of the disease. The fetal programming hypothesis, originally proposed by Barker, posits that environmental disruptions during intrauterine development can induce long-lasting molecular and structural changes that increase susceptibility to diseases, including cancer, later in life. This narrative review examines how prenatal exposures, such as maternal malnutrition, alcohol use, exposure to toxins, obesity, and hormonal imbalances, may epigenetically reprogram the developing fetus, influencing cancer risk throughout the lifespan.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and plaque-associated fibroblasts (PAFs): Unraveling the cellular crossroads of atherosclerosis and cancer.

Atherosclerosis is a complex process involving various cells and molecules within the atherosclerotic plaque. Recent evidence suggests that plaque-associated fibroblasts (PAFs), also known as atherosclerosis-associated fibroblasts (AAFs), might play a significant role in the development and progression of the disease. The microenvironment of the atherosclerotic plaque, resembling the tumor microenvironment (TME), includes various cellular populations like plaque-associated macrophages (PAMs), plaque-associated neutrophils (PANs), vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and PAFs.