Publications by authors named "David Merriott"

Cerebrospinal fluid tumor-derived DNA (CSF-tDNA) analysis is a promising approach for monitoring the neoplastic processes of the central nervous system. We applied a lung cancer-specific sequencing panel (CAPP-Seq) to 81 CSF, blood, and tissue samples from 24 lung cancer patients who underwent lumbar puncture (LP) for suspected leptomeningeal disease (LMD). A subset of the cohort (N = 12) participated in a prospective trial of osimertinib for refractory LMD in which serial LPs were performed before and during treatment.

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Purpose: Stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) results in high rates of primary tumor control for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). For patients with isolated hilar or mediastinal nodal recurrence (INR) after SABR, the optimal salvage treatment strategy is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of INR after SABR for early-stage NSCLC and to describe patterns of care and treatment outcomes after salvage therapy.

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Article Synopsis
  • Radiologic screening for high-risk adults can lower lung cancer mortality, but few eligible individuals in the U.S. actually get screened.
  • The study enhances a method called CAPP-Seq, which analyzes circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), showing that ctDNA is present in most early-stage lung cancer patients and can indicate prognosis.
  • A new machine-learning tool, Lung-CLiP, accurately distinguishes early-stage lung cancer patients from similar-risk individuals, suggesting that using cfDNA in screenings could be beneficial in clinical settings.
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Radiotherapy, surgery and the chemotherapeutic agent temozolomide (TMZ) are frontline treatments for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). However beneficial, GBM treatments nevertheless cause anxiety or depression in nearly 50% of patients. To further understand the basis of these neurological complications, we investigated the effects of combined radiotherapy and TMZ chemotherapy (combined treatment) on neurological impairments using a mouse model.

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Background: Few studies have addressed the efficacy of palliative radiotherapy (RT) for pediatric osteosarcoma (OS), a disease generally considered to be radioresistant. We describe symptom relief, local control, and toxicity associated with palliative RT among children with OS.

Procedure: Patients diagnosed with OS at age 18 and under and treated with RT for palliation of symptomatic metastases or local recurrence at the primary site from 1997 to 2017 were included.

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Article Synopsis
  • Classic Hodgkin lymphoma post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (HL-PTLD) is rare in children, and there's limited research on effective treatments.* -
  • A study at Stanford University reviewed five children with HL-PTLD after solid organ transplants, all treated with Stanford V chemotherapy and radiation.* -
  • After a median follow-up of 7.2 years, all patients are in remission and have not experienced graft failure, indicating the success of their combined treatment approach.*
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Identifying molecular residual disease (MRD) after treatment of localized lung cancer could facilitate early intervention and personalization of adjuvant therapies. Here, we apply cancer personalized profiling by deep sequencing (CAPP-seq) circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis to 255 samples from 40 patients treated with curative intent for stage I-III lung cancer and 54 healthy adults. In 94% of evaluable patients experiencing recurrence, ctDNA was detectable in the first posttreatment blood sample, indicating reliable identification of MRD.

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Idiopathic pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare lung disease characterized by accumulation of surfactant. Surfactant synthesis and secretion are restricted to epithelial type 2 (T2) pneumocytes (also called T2 cells). Clearance of surfactant is dependent upon T2 cells and macrophages.

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