Publications by authors named "Di Maria Jiang"

Introduction: Treatment intensification with androgen receptor signaling inhibitors and/or chemotherapy is guideline recommended for patients with de novo metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). However, most patients only receive androgen deprivation therapy monotherapy. The aim was to identify physician-, patient-, and tumor-related factors associated with the receipt of treatment intensification.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Purpose: Changing to next-line systemic therapy is the standard-of-care for patients with progressive metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer. However, to preserve systemic therapy options and minimize toxicity, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is being increasingly considered for patients with limited disease progression ('oligoprogression'). Herein, we report clinical, toxicity and quality of life (QOL) outcomes for an oligoprogressive prostate cancer cohort from a prospective trial.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Radium-223 (Ra) targets bone metastases in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and induces double-strand DNA breaks. We hypothesized that patients with homologous recombination deficiencies (HRD) may exhibit heightened sensitivity to Ra, resulting in improved survival outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective analysis was performed in men with mCRPC and bone metastases, with and without HRD, treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and Ra at the PMCC.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Theranostic represents a transformative approach in precision medicine, integrating diagnostic imaging with targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy to enhance individualized disease management. Rooted in nuclear medicine, this approach uses molecular targeting agents labelled with diagnostic radioisotopes for imaging and therapeutic radioisotopes for treatment, ensuring a seamless transition from diagnosis to therapy. The field has evolved significantly in the last decade, with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted radioligand therapy transforming prostate cancer patient management and somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-targeted agents revolutionizing neuroendocrine tumour (NET) treatment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of advocacy efforts by organisations such as the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) to increase awareness about the signs, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and need for a multidisciplinary approach to the care of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).

Materials And Methods: We developed a 32-question survey with input from physicians, nurses, patients and caregivers. The survey was posted on the BCAN website between August 2013 and September 2014 (Cohort A) and again between June 2023 and April 2024 (Cohort B).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: The optimal management of patients with de novo clinical stage IIA/B (CSIIA/B) or relapsed CSIIA/B (Rel-CSIIA/B) seminoma remains debated because of a lack of randomized evidence. Here, we sought to evaluate outcomes after radiation therapy and chemotherapy in this setting.

Methods And Materials: A prospectively maintained single-institutional database was retrospectively queried for patients diagnosed between 1995 and 2016 with de novo or Rel-CSIIA/B.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Objective: Studies in metastatic nonseminomatous germ-cell tumor (NSGCT) suggest that the presence of teratomatous elements in the primary tumor is a risk factor for poor survival. Many guidelines have extrapolated this observation and recommend adjuvant retroperitoneal lymph-node dissection (RPLND) even for clinical stage I (CSI) teratoma confined to the testicle. Our objective was to assess relapse-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS) among patients with CSI pure teratoma in comparison to CSI NSGCT.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is a common treatment for advanced prostate cancer but can lead to significant side effects, prompting guidelines for routine testing to monitor these effects.
  • A study analyzed data from older men in Ontario, Canada, revealing that adherence to testing guidelines was notably low, with only 11.9% of patients receiving all recommended tests within the first year of ADT.
  • The research highlights a need for further investigation into the factors preventing adherence to these recommendations, as most patients are not adequately monitored for potential treatment-related health issues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Clinical trials in genitourinary oncology are primarily classified as industry-sponsored trials (ISTs) led by pharmaceutical companies, or investigator-initiated trials (IITs) spearheaded by academic researchers, with both playing critical roles in advancing cancer treatment.
  • A study analyzing data from the US, Canada, France, and the UK found a total of 5,834 GU trials from 2007 to 2021, with a near-equal distribution of ISTs and IITs, though post-2017 saw a notable increase in ISTs, particularly in Canada and the UK.
  • The widening gap between ISTs and IITs is likely due to funding and resource constraints for researchers
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • There is limited data on how often testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) occur alongside venous tumor thrombus (VTT), and the study aims to provide insights on this rare condition and its management.
  • Researchers analyzed records from the IBM Marketscan database, identifying a small prevalence of TGCT with VTT and gathered expert insights from surgeons on the patient management practices at multiple centers.
  • Findings showed that approximately 0.3% to 3.1% of TGCT cases involved VTT, with surgical options being the primary treatment, emphasizing the complexity of managing this combination and the need for a multidisciplinary approach.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Evidence from phase three clinical trials helps shape clinical practice. However, a very small minority of patients with cancer participate in clinical trials and many trials are not completed on time due to slow accrual. Issues with restrictive eligibility criteria can severely limit the patients who can access trials, without any convincing evidence that these restrictions impact patient safety.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To compare the outcomes and treatment burden of primary retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (pRPLND) alone versus pRPLND + adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) in patients with pathological stage II (PSII) non-seminomatous germ cell tumours (NSGCT).

Patients And Methods: Retrospective review of the Princess Margaret Cancer Center eTestes cancer database identified patients with PSII NSGCT after pRPLND between 1995 and 2020. The primary outcome was relapse-free survival (RFS).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Countries face challenges in paying for new drugs. High prices are driven in part by exploding drug development costs, which, in turn, are driven by essential but excessive regulation. Burdensome regulation also delays drug development, and this can translate into thousands of life-years lost.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Despite recent advances in the management of urothelial cancer (UC), cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy regimens remain critical. However, their use can be complicated in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is not uncommon in UC patients. Based on the Galsky criteria for cisplatin ineligibility, most patients with CKD will be excluded from receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy altogether.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are indicated for metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC), but predictive and prognostic factors are lacking. We investigated clinical variables associated with ICI outcomes.

Methods: We performed a multicentre retrospective cohort study of 135 patients who received ICI for mUC, 2016-2021, at three Canadian centres.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Active surveillance after orchiectomy is the preferred management in clinical stage I (CSI) germ-cell tumours (GCT) associated with a 15 to 30% relapse rate.

Patients And Methods: In the IGCCCG Update database, we compared the outcomes of gonadal disseminated GCT relapsing from initial CSI to outcomes of patients with de novo metastatic GCT.

Results: A total of 1014 seminoma (Sem) [298 (29.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose/objective: Definitive radiotherapy (RT) is an alternative to radical cystectomy for select patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC); however, there is limited data on dose-painted RT approaches. We report the clinical and dosimetric outcomes of a cohort of MIBC patients treated with dose-painted RT.

Material/methods: This was a single institution retrospective study of cT2-4N0M0 MIBC patients treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) to the bladder, and sequential or concomitant boost to the tumor bed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Proper classification of metastatic germ-cell cancers, particularly nonseminoma, relies on serum tumor marker (STM) levels measured before chemotherapy rather than before orchiectomy (surgical removal of the testicle).
  • - A study involving 744 men revealed that using preorchiectomy STM levels could lead to misclassification in 22% of cases, potentially resulting in 16% of patients receiving overtreatment and 6% receiving undertreatment.
  • - This highlights the importance of accurate STM testing timing, as using the wrong levels can hinder treatment effectiveness and expose patients to unnecessary side effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Cetuximab is a standard of care therapy for patients with RAS wild-type (WT) advanced colorectal cancer. Limited data suggest a wide variation in cetuximab plasma concentrations after standard dosing regimens. We correlated cetuximab plasma concentrations with survival and toxicity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Although metastatic germ cell tumor (GCT) is highly curable with initial cisplatin-based chemotherapy (CT), 20-30% of patients relapse. Salvage CT options include conventional (CDCT) and high dose chemotherapy (HDCT), however definitive comparative data remain lacking. We aimed to characterize the contemporary practice patterns of salvage CT across Canada.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To compare radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS), overall survival (OS), and treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) among patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) receiving a combination of first-line poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) plus androgen receptor axis-targeted agents (ARAT) vs placebo/ARAT.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a systematic review/meta-analysis of all published Phase III randomised controlled trials using EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane (inception until 6 June 2023). Published full-text manuscripts and conference abstracts were inclusion eligible.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Key Points: Many patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma are deemed cisplatin-ineligible because of reduced kidney function. Options include split-dose cisplatin or carboplatin. There was no significant association between regimen type and AKI.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF