Publications by authors named "Benjamin V Tran"
Article Synopsis
- - The study focuses on predicting the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after liver transplantation (LT) using data from over 4,900 patients, emphasizing the need for personalized assessment due to high recurrence rates.
- - Researchers developed the RELAPSE score, which utilizes clinicopathological and radiological factors, validated through advanced statistical and machine learning methods, to enhance the accuracy of recurrence predictions in HCC patients post-LT.
- - Key independent predictors of HCC recurrence identified include alpha-fetoprotein levels, tumor size, and vascular invasion, with a 5-year recurrence rate of 12.5% and a more robust predictive model achieved through machine learning techniques.
Article Synopsis
- Current methods for detecting early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are not very effective, but extracellular vesicles (EVs) show potential as biomarkers for early detection.
- This study developed an EV-based assay to identify specific surface protein markers and create an HCC EV ECG score, which helped differentiate early-stage HCC from cirrhosis in participants.
- The assay demonstrated high accuracy in testing, with a receiver operating characteristic area of 0.95 in the training cohort and 0.93 in the validation cohort, suggesting it could improve current HCC surveillance methods and patient outcomes.*
Article Synopsis
- Circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) contain valuable molecular information for detecting gene changes in cancer patients, providing a noninvasive way to assess disease status and treatment response.
- A new technology called "Click Beads" enables efficient isolation of EVs, making it easier to perform mRNA assays and analyze molecular data using advanced techniques like reverse transcription digital polymerase chain reaction (RT-dPCR).
- The effectiveness of Click Beads is demonstrated by accurately detecting gene alterations, such as EWS rearrangements and KRAS mutations, in EVs from cancer patients, which can help track treatment efficacy and disease progression.
Numerous studies in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have proposed tissue-based gene signatures for individualized prognostic assessments. Here, we develop a novel circulating tumor cell (CTC)-based transcriptomic profiling assay to translate tissue-based messenger RNA (mRNA) signatures into a liquid biopsy setting for noninvasive HCC prognostication. The HCC-CTC mRNA scoring system combines the NanoVelcro CTC Assay for enriching HCC CTCs and the NanoString nCounter platform for quantifying the HCC-CTC Risk Score (RS) panel in enriched HCC CTCs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To investigate the optimal timing of direct acting antiviral (DAA) administration in patients with hepatitis C-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing liver transplantation (LT).
Summary Of Background Data: In patients with hepatitis C (HCV) associated HCC undergoing LT, the optimal timing of direct-acting antivirals (DAA) administration to achieve sustained virologic response (SVR) and improved oncologic outcomes remains a topic of much debate.
Methods: The United States HCC LT Consortium (2015-2019) was reviewed for patients with primary HCV-associated HCC who underwent LT and received DAA therapy at 20 institutions.
Transcriptomic profiling of tumor tissues introduces a large database, which has led to improvements in the ability of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. However, performing tumor transcriptomic profiling in the clinical setting is very challenging since the procurement of tumor tissues is inherently limited by invasive sampling procedures. Here, we demonstrated the feasibility of purifying hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from clinical patient samples with improved molecular integrity using Click Chips in conjunction with a multimarker antibody cocktail.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy and one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Despite the improvements in surveillance and treatment, the prognosis of HCC remains poor. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a heterogeneous group of phospholipid bilayer-enclosed particles circulating in the bloodstream and mediating intercellular communication.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPersistence of racial disparities in early-stage lung cancer treatment.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg
April 2019
Objective: Although the incidence of lung cancer has decreased over the past decades, disparities in survival and treatment modalities have been observed for black and white patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, despite the fact that surgical resection has been established as the standard of care. Possible contributors to these disparities are stage at diagnosis, comorbidities, socioeconomic factors, and patient preference. This study examines racial disparities in treatment, adjusting for clinicodemographic factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClosed Facebook™ groups and CME credit: a new format for continuing medical education.
Surg Endosc
February 2019
Background: The International Hernia Collaboration (IHC) is a closed Facebook™ group that allows international surgeons to post clinical questions and exchange transparent feedback with the intent to optimize patient outcomes. Despite the educational value of closed FB groups, CME credits have not been available to members. To determine feasibility of and user interest in earning CME credit through social media, the IHC piloted a series of expert lectures followed by an interactive Facebook Live session as a novel pathway offering CME credit.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There are no published reports on predictors of oxygen (O) use after lung cancer surgery. The prospect of O use after lung cancer surgery may affect a patient's therapy choice.
Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data set was queried to identify patients diagnosed with primary lung cancer (stage I/II) who underwent surgical resection from 1994 to 2010.