Pre-surgery gut microbial diversity and abundance are associated with post-surgery onset of cachexia in colorectal cancer patients: the ColoCare Study.

Background: Cachexia accounts for about 20% of all cancer-related deaths and it is indicative of poor prognosis and progressive functional impairment. The role of the gut microbiome in the development of cachexia in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients has not been established.

Methods: Pre-surgical stool samples from n = 103 stage I-III CRC patients in the ColoCare Study were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing (Illumina) to characterize fecal bacteria.

Genetic predisposition to persistent fatigue after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

Background: Cancer-related fatigue (fatigue) is a common and persistent symptom after cancer treatment, yet the role of genetic susceptibility remains unclear.

Methods: We leveraged data from a prospective cohort study, ColoCare Study (ie, five U.S.

A capsular polysaccharide from a healthy human microbiota member activates a Lag-3-NK cell axis to restrain colon cancer and augment immunotherapy.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing globally, making identification of preventative measures necessary. Transplantation of the microbiota from CRC and non-CRC patients into mice demonstrates that non-diseased individuals possess organisms that reduce tumor formation and highlights Bacteriodes uniformis as protective. B.

COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Uptake and Effectiveness Among Persons With Systemic Autoimmune and Rheumatic Diseases.

Objective: To assess coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) booster uptake and vaccine effectiveness (VE) in reducing COVID-19 hospitalization in persons with systemic autoimmune and rheumatic diseases (SARDs).

Methods: Adult patients with SARDs receiving disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs at 4 health systems in the United States were identified retrospectively. Exposures were (1) receipt of an additional dose of monovalent COVID-19 vaccine prior to January 1, 2022, with follow-up to August 31, 2022; and (2) receipt of bivalent COVID-19 vaccine between September 1, 2022 and August 31, 2023.

COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Uptake and Effectiveness Among US Adults With Cancer.

Importance: Persons with cancer are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection, but the additional benefit of COVID-19 boosters is unclear.

Objective: To assess COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) and number needed to vaccinate (NNV) among persons with cancer of an additional dose of the monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Retrospective cohort study conducted in 4 health care systems in the US among persons with cancer receiving chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

Obesity promotes conserved inflammatory and metabolic transcriptional programs in mouse and human colon tumors.

Background: The global prevalence of obesity, an established risk and progression factor for colon cancer, is high and rising. Unfortunately, the mechanisms underlying the obesity-colon cancer association are incompletely understood, and new molecular targets enabling more effective intervention strategies to break the obesity-colon cancer link are urgently needed.

Objective: This study integrated RNA sequencing data from mouse and human colon tumor samples, as well as human adipose samples, to rigorously establish obesity-associated transcriptomic signatures conserved between the two species.

Association Between COVID-19 During Pregnancy and Preterm Birth by Trimester of Infection: Retrospective Cohort Study Using Large-Scale Social Media Data.

Background: Preterm birth, defined as birth at <37 weeks of gestation, is the leading cause of neonatal death globally and the second leading cause of infant mortality in the United States. There is mounting evidence that COVID-19 infection during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth; however, data remain limited by trimester of infection. The ability to study COVID-19 infection during the earlier stages of pregnancy has been limited by available sources of data.

The Translational Research Program in Cancer Differences across Populations.

Background: Cancer incidence and mortality vary substantially across populations. The Translational Research Program in Cancer Differences across Populations (TRPCDP) was established in 2020 to address differences in cancer incidence and mortality rates within the United States, with a particular focus on colorectal cancer.

Methods: The TRPCDP centralized data acquisition and harmonization across three sites in the United States to create a well-annotated resource of colorectal cancer tumors across four populations: African American/Black, Alaska Native, Hispanic/Latino/Latina, and non-Hispanic White.

Comparison of volumetric and single-slice computed tomography body composition metrics for colorectal cancer survival.

Background: Body composition is associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) survival. However, body composition measurements have traditionally relied on single-slice, axial imaging. Fully automated volumetric body composition analysis is widely available, but associations with CRC survival have yet to be examined in detail.

Multi-tissue expression and splicing data prioritise anatomical subsite- and sex-specific colorectal cancer susceptibility genes.

Genome-wide association studies have suggested numerous colorectal cancer (CRC) susceptibility genes, but their causality and therapeutic potential remain unclear. To prioritise causal associations between gene expression/splicing and CRC risk (52,775 cases; 45,940 controls), we perform a transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) across six tissues with Mendelian randomisation and colocalisation, integrating sex- and anatomical subsite-specific analyses. Here we reveal 37 genes with robust causal links to CRC risk, ten of which have not previously been reported by TWAS.

Subclinical Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Events Among Patients With Colorectal Cancer.

Background: Prior studies have documented that patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Objectives: To examine coronary artery calcium (CAC) as a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis and its association with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with CRC across the cancer treatment trajectory.

Methods: Adults with newly diagnosed CRC were enrolled in the prospective ColoCare study from 2017 to 2024.

de novo metastases in patients with primary colorectal cancer: a Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results analysis.

Purpose: Nearly one-quarter of colorectal cancer (CRC) cases present with de novo metastatic disease (stage IV) at diagnosis. Some metastatic sites confer poorer prognosis, and emerging data suggests that individuals from certain racial and ethnic populations may be at higher risk for de novo metastases.

Methods: We identified 181,083 CRC cases aged 20-84 between 2010 and 2020 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database.

Examining Explicit Stereotype Perceptions of Colorectal Cancer Screening and Diagnosis in the Hispanic Community.

Cancer is a leading cause of death among Hispanic people in the USA. One potential reason is low adherence to cancer screening guidelines, particularly for colorectal cancer (CRC). Previous research suggests that low CRC screening may be linked to negative stereotypes associated with cancer and CRC screening methods.

In the time of COVID-19: challenges, successes, and lessons learned from studies in cancer patients.

The COVID-19 pandemic created the urgent need to monitor risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortality and to evaluate immune responses to novel vaccines. A foremost concern was the unknown risks to patients with cancer, considering their overall health, immune status, and interactions with cancer therapies. The US National Cancer Institute, in partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, established the SARS-CoV-2 Serological Sciences Network as the nation's largest coordinated effort to identify and establish standardized serology tests to study immune responses against SARS-CoV-2.

Colorectal Tumors in Diverse Patient Populations Feature a Spectrum of Somatic Mutational Profiles.

Admixed populations, including the Hispanic/Latino/a community, are underrepresented in cancer genetic/genomic studies. Leveraging the Latino Colorectal Cancer Consortium (LC3) and other existing datasets, we analyzed whole-exome sequencing data on tumor/normal pairs from 718 individuals with colorectal cancer to map somatic mutational features by ethnicity and genetic similarity. Global proportions of African, Asian, European, and Native American genetic ancestries were estimated using ADMIXTURE.

Building research infrastructure to advance precision medicine in colorectal cancer.

Background: Addressing critical gaps in precision medicine initiatives in colorectal cancer (CRC) requires building larger collaborative studies.

Methods: The Latino Colorectal Cancer Consortium (LC3) is a resource that harmonizes data collected in observational studies with data from individuals who identify as Hispanic/Latino with a diagnosis of primary colorectal adenocarcinoma. Data collected includes demographics, medical history, family history, and lifestyle risk factors from patient-completed surveys.

Sedentary behavior and physical activity one year after colorectal cancer diagnosis: results from the ColoCare Study.

Purpose: Physical activity plays key roles in colorectal cancer survivorship; however, the impact of different clinicodemographic outcomes on cross-sectional and longitudinal objectively measured physical activity 12 and 24 months post-diagnosis are unclear.

Methods: ColoCare study participants (n = 165) wore an Actigraph GT3x accelerometer for 4-10 consecutive days to objectively assess activity levels 12 and 24 months after colorectal cancer diagnosis and resection. Associations between these clinical/demographic exposures and physical activity outcomes and longitudinal changes were determined using t-test, ANOVA F-test, and linear regression modeling, adjusting for common confounders (e.

Association of Genetic Liability to Allergic Diseases with Overall and Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Risk: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: The tumor immunosurveillance theory supports that allergic conditions could decrease cancer risk. However, observational evidence yielded inconsistent results for the association between allergic diseases and colorectal cancer risk. We used Mendelian randomization (MR) to examine potential causal associations of allergies with the risk of overall and early-onset colorectal cancer.

DNA damage repair gene alterations influence the tumor immune microenvironment in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: DNA damage response and repair (DDR) gene alterations contribute to genomic instability and increased tumor immunogenicity, yet their clinical significance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. Using a large real-world dataset, we evaluated the prevalence of DDR alterations and their relation to the tumor immune microenvironment in metastatic NSCLC.

Experimental Design: We retrospectively analyzed real-world data from patients with metastatic NSCLC using the Tempus AI database.

Circulating tryptophan-kynurenine pathway metabolites are associated with all-cause mortality among patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer.

Alterations within the tryptophan-kynurenine metabolic pathway have been linked to the etiology of colorectal cancer (CRC), but the relevance of this pathway for prognostic outcomes in CRC patients needs further elucidation. Therefore, we investigated associations between circulating concentrations of tryptophan-kynurenine pathway metabolites and all-cause mortality among CRC patients. This study utilizes data from 2102 stage I-III CRC patients participating in six prospective cohorts involved in the international FOCUS Consortium.