Prognostic value of coagulation markers in locally advanced gastric cancer following neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy.

Gastric cancer (GC) has remained one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths globally. The development of noninvasive biomarkers in cancer diagnosis and treatment has gained substantial traction in recent years. Recent evidence highlights hypercoagulation as a promising prognostic biomarker, particularly in locally advanced GC (LAGC) who underwent radical resection after neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (NICT).

Imaging-pathology correlation in pancreatic cancer: Methodological considerations and future directions.

A recent study by Luo examined the relationship between the pathological types of pancreatic cancer (PC) and their imaging characteristics. While this study presented an important step toward improving diagnostic accuracy for PC, we have several concerns regarding its generalizability, cohort selection, imaging variability, statistical methods, and potential confounding factors. We recommended that future research adopt multi-center, prospective designs to improve representation and minimize bias.

Role of zinc finger protein 71 in hepatocellular carcinoma: Methodological concerns, clinical relevance, and future directions.

A recent study by Qin emphasized the potential of zinc finger protein 71 (ZNF71) as a promising biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The authors offered valuable insights into the relationship between ZNF71 and various clinical and pathological stages of HCC. However, several limitations are required to be addressed to improve the findings.

Proton pump inhibitors and all-cause mortality in colorectal cancer.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are commonly prescribed medications, but their relationship to mortality in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains poorly understood. This study aims to evaluate the association between PPI use and all-cause mortality IN newly diagnosed CRC. This retrospective cohort study utilized electronic medical records from a network comprising over 80 million patients across 57 healthcare organizations in the USA.

Challenges in colorectal cancer post-surgical surveillance: A critical evaluation and path forward.

A recent study by Sala-Miquel investigated the diagnostic effectiveness of follow-up strategies in patients with non-metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) after surgical resection. This research highlighted the significance of using computed tomography (CT), colonoscopy, and tumor markers for the early detection of recurrence or metastasis. The findings indicated that strict adherence to follow-up protocols can contribute to decreased mortality rates among these patients.

Reimagining cancer care in the USA: advancing supportive oncology through the Cancer Moonshot Program.

The Cancer Moonshot Program aims to reduce cancer mortality by 50% within 25 years through innovation in early detection, precision medicine and novel therapies. However, achieving this goal requires an equal emphasis on supportive oncology, which addresses symptom management, psychosocial needs, and quality of life. Despite its proven benefits, supportive care remains underfunded and often delayed in cancer treatment.

Optimizing fluoropyrimidine therapy through dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase polymorphism testing.

Fluoropyrimidines (FP), including 5-fluorouracil and its prodrug capecitabine, are commonly employed in treating various solid tumors. Nonetheless, their use is frequently constrained by severe toxicities in 20%-30% of patients. Pharmacogenetic testing for dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPYD) deficiency, based on DPYD polymorphisms, has notably decreased severe adverse events, improving the safety of FP therapy.

Macrovascular outcomes and mortality after bariatric surgery in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, and Type 2 diabetes.

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disease globally, with a significant association between MASLD and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). While bariatric surgery (BS) has showed efficacy in improving MASLD markers and reducing CVD incidence, its impact on macrovascular events and all-cause mortality in patients with obesity, MASLD, and T2DM remains understudied.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized the TriNetX.

Leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein for detecting small bowel lesions in Crohn's disease: A critical review and the path forward.

The study by Ohno provides valuable insights into the role of leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein (LRG) as a potential biomarker for identifying small bowel lesions in Crohn's disease (CD). However, several methodological challenges hinder its immediate use in clinical practice. Notably, the current research was retrospective, lacks comparative studies with fecal calprotectin, and did not provide long-term predictive data.

Endoscopic intervention in hematologic malignancy patients with severe thrombocytopenia: Methodological concerns, clinical implications, and future research directions.

Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) presents a significant challenge for patients with hematologic malignancies, especially those with severe thrombocytopenia. Although endoscopic intervention is frequently used in managing GIB, its safety and effectiveness in this high-risk group remain unclear. A recent study by Alhumayyd provided insight into this issue.

Adverse Liver and Renal Outcomes After Initiating SGLT-2i and GLP-1RA Therapy Among Patients With Diabetes and MASLD.

Context: The management of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) presents a significant clinical challenge, with a focus on preventing progression to liver and renal complications.

Objective: To evaluate the liver and renal outcomes among new users of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) versus glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA), dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP4i) and other anti-diabetic medications in patients with MASLD and T2DM.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Radiomics and machine learning for predicting metachronous liver metastasis in rectal cancer.

A recent study by Long used a predictive model to explore the efficacy of radiomics based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging in predicting metachronous liver metastasis (MLM) in newly diagnosed rectal cancer (RC) patients. The machine learning algorithms, particularly the random forest model (RFM), appeared well-matched to the complex nature of radiomics data. The predictive capabilities of the RFM, as evidenced by the area under the curve of 0.

Unveiling the structural and functional implications of uncharacterized NSPs and variations in the molecular toolkit across arteriviruses.

Despite considerable scrutiny of mammalian arterivirus genomes, their genomic architecture remains incomplete, with several unannotated non-structural proteins (NSPs) and the enigmatic absence of methyltransferase (MTase) domains. Additionally, the host range of arteriviruses has expanded to include seven newly sequenced genomes from non-mammalian hosts, which remain largely unannotated and await detailed comparisons alongside mammalian isolates. Utilizing comparative genomics approaches and comprehensive sequence-structure analysis, we provide enhanced genomic architecture and annotations for arterivirus genomes.

Role of autoimmune phenomena in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Insights and limitations.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, previously known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is becoming increasingly common and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality related to both liver and non-liver issues. In its early stages, NAFLD is characterized by immune cell dysregulation, which suggests that immune-targeted therapies could be a viable treatment option for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. A recent study by Zhu .

Association of cardiovascular health metrics and metabolic associated fatty liver disease: Methodological limitations, and future directions.

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, is an increasing global health challenge with substantial implications for metabolic and cardiovascular health (CVH). A recent study by Fu investigated the relationship between CVH metrics, specifically Life's Simple 7 and Life's Essential 8, and the prevalence of MAFLD. While this study offered important insights into the relationship between CVH and MAFLD, several methodological limitations, unaddressed confounding factors, and potential biases that could impact the interpretation of their findings should be considered.

Challenges and limitations in assessing mucosal healing in Crohn's disease: Discrepancies between endoscopic and histologic evaluations.

The recent study published by Lee examined the discrepancies between endoscopic and histologic evaluations of mucosal inflammation in active ileal Crohn's disease (CD). While this research contributes to our understanding of the limitations of current biopsy protocols, it raises several concerns about the generalizability of its findings, sample size, and methodology. One major limitation was the exclusion of patients with ileal strictures, ileostomies, or J-pouches, which reduced the applicability of the results to the wider CD population.

Improving radiomics-based models for esophagogastric variceal bleeding risk prediction in cirrhotic patients.

A recent study by Peng developed a predictive model for first-instance secondary esophageal variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients by integrating clinical and multi-organ radiomic features. The combined radiomic-clinical model demonstrated strong predictive capabilities, achieving an area under the curve of 0.951 in the training cohort and 0.

Radiotherapy dosage: A neural network approach for uninvolved liver dose in stereotactic body radiation therapy for liver cancer.

A recent study by Zhang developed a neural network-based predictive model for estimating doses to the uninvolved liver during stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in liver cancer. The study reported a significant advancement in personalized radiotherapy by improving accuracy and reducing treatment-related toxicity. The model demonstrated strong predictive performance with -values above 0.

Lineage-Specific Class-A GPCR Dynamics Reflect Diverse Chemosensory Adaptations in Lophotrochozoa.

Sensing external chemosensory cues via Class-A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is crucial for a multitude of behavioral and biological functions, influencing animal evolution and ecological adaptations. While extensively studied in vertebrates and echinoderms, the role of GPCR-mediated chemoreception in major protostome clades like Lophotrochozoa remains obscure despite their remarkable ecological adaptations across diverse aquatic and terrestrial environments. Utilizing 238 lophotrochozoan genomes across eight phyla, we conducted a large-scale comparative genomics analysis to identify lineage-specific expansions of Class-A GPCR subsets that are likely adapted for chemoreception.

Improving predictive accuracy of early recurrence in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Role of postoperative serum tumor markers.

In a recent study by He , the nomogram integrates postoperative serum tumor markers such as carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and carcinoembryonic antigen, thereby improving the accuracy of identifying high-risk patients compared to relying solely on preoperative markers, which has significant implications for customizing adjuvant therapy and potentially improving outcomes for this aggressive form of cancer. However, the study's single-center design and short follow-up period may limit the generalizability of its findings and potentially introduce reporting bias. Future studies could consider additional confounding factors, such as adjuvant chemotherapy and variations in surgical techniques, to improve the model's accuracy.

Proton pump inhibitors and all-cause mortality risk among cancer patients.

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely used, including among cancer patients, to manage gastroesophageal reflux and other gastric acid-related disorders. Recent evidence suggests associations between long-term PPI use and higher risks for various adverse health outcomes, including greater mortality.

Aim: To investigate the association between PPI use and all-cause mortality among cancer patients by a comprehensive analysis after adjustment for various confounders and a robust methodological approach to minimize bias.

Bariatric Surgery and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Obesity, Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease, and Coronary Artery Disease: A Population-Based Matched Cohort Study.

Aims: Bariatric surgery (BS) is a potential treatment option for patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and obesity. These patients are also at substantial risk of developing cardiovascular events and associated mortality. We aimed to assess if BS could reduce major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and mortality and improve long-term survival.

Cardiovascular and mortality outcomes with GLP-1 receptor agonists vs other glucose-lowering drugs in individuals with NAFLD and type 2 diabetes: a large population-based matched cohort study.

Aims/hypothesis: We aimed to determine whether the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) in individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus decreases the risk of new-onset adverse cardiovascular events (CVEs) and mortality rate compared with other glucose-lowering drugs in a real setting at a population level.

Methods: We conducted a population-based propensity-matched retrospective cohort study using TriNetX. The cohort comprised patients over 20 years old who were newly treated with glucose-lowering drugs between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2021, and followed until 30 September 2022.