Brain Abscess Complicating Metastatic Scalp Basal Cell Carcinoma With a Malignant Fungating Wound: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most prevalent skin cancer, rarely metastasizes to the brain. Here, we report a case of a 63-year-old man with metastatic BCC complicated by a malignant fungating wound (MFW), a cancerous lesion seen in advanced diseases, and infection, resulting in brain abscesses and encephalopathy. The BCC initially involved the scalp and was treated with excision but later recurred and metastasized.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in the Context of Global Travel, Migration, Refugee Populations, and Humanitarian Crises.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a vector-borne infection caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the genus . CL is an emerging global health concern due to increasing migration, travel, and climate change. Traditionally, it was confined to endemic regions such as the Americas, the Middle East, and Central Asia; however, it is now spreading to non-endemic areas.

Muscle measures from computed tomography, bioelectrical impedance, and ultrasound in hematopoietic cell transplantation patients.

Background: Low muscle mass is associated with adverse outcomes following hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Computed tomography (CT) is a gold standard approach to measuring skeletal muscle but is associated with radiation exposure and no longer routinely performed in all patients before HCT. Alternative methods are needed for early identification, intervention, and serial evaluation of low muscle mass after HCT.

Malignant Fungating Wounds in Locally Aggressive Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case Series.

Despite surgical removal being considered the first-line treatment, managing high-risk squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cases remains challenging and lacks uniformity as associated complications of less common secondary bacterial infections are underreported. The skin, as well as its appendages, constitute the first line of defense against infectious pathogens. In patients with locally aggressive skin cancers, susceptibility to infectious microorganisms is elevated due to skin lesions and immunosuppression resulting from chemotherapy, surgery, immunotherapy, and stem cell transplantation.

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Early-Stage Breast Cancer: ASCO Guideline Update.

Purpose: To update the ASCO evidence-based recommendations on the use of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with early-stage breast cancer treated with initial surgery.

Methods: ASCO convened an Expert Panel to develop updated recommendations based on a systematic literature review (January 2016-May 2024).

Results: Eleven randomized clinical trials (14 publications), eight meta-analyses and/or systematic reviews, and one prospective cohort study met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review.

Preoperative MRI to Predict Upstaging of DCIS to Invasive Cancer at Surgery.

Background: Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is overtreated, in part because of inability to predict which DCIS cases diagnosed at core needle biopsy (CNB) will be upstaged at excision. This study aimed to determine whether quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features can identify DCIS at risk of upstaging to invasive cancer.

Methods: This prospective observational clinical trial analyzed women with a diagnosis of DCIS on CNB.

Anterior Nasal Superior Oblique Tendon Syndrome: A Case Series.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical characteristics and management of patients with an anteriorly and nasally inserted superior oblique tendon.

Design: Retrospective interventional case series.

Methods: Institutional clinical records between 2020 and 2024 were retrospectively reviewed for 9 consecutive patients in whom the superior oblique (SO) tendon was inserted anterior to the equator and nasal to the superior rectus muscle.

Protozoan Infections in Cancer Patients: A Case Series.

Intestinal parasitic infections can cause significant morbidity and mortality in individuals with cancer. Despite this, they are often self-limiting in healthy individuals. is an anaerobic parasite that causes amebiasis in infected individuals.

Indoor Air Quality Assessments in 10 Long-Term Care Facilities during the COVID-19 Pandemic, California, 2021-2023.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess indoor air quality (IAQ) in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in California during the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate their implementation of IAQ best practices described by public health authorities to control respiratory pathogen transmission via inhalation.

Design: This observational study conducted IAQ assessments in a convenience sample of LTCFs to gather qualitative data on the implementation of IAQ best practices. The design included 5 pilot visits to develop a standardized method of data collection and then systematic data collection at 10 facilities.

Hypofractionated vs Conventionally Fractionated Postmastectomy Radiation After Implant-Based Reconstruction: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) improves local-regional disease control and patient survival. Hypofractionation (HF) regimens have comparable efficacy and complication rates with improved quality of life compared with conventional fractionation (CF) schedules. However, the use of HF after mastectomy in patients undergoing breast reconstruction has not been prospectively examined.

Breakthrough Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia in an Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipient.

pneumonia (PCP), which is currently referred to as  pneumonia, is an opportunistic fungal infection that commonly affects immunocompromised patients, and it is potentially fatal. Individuals at risk include those whose host immunity has been altered by underlying disease states, such as HIV and cancer patients, as well as transplant recipients and those taking immunosuppressive medications. Here, we present a case of a breakthrough PCP infection of an adult allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant patient who was infected despite prophylaxis with inhaled pentamidine.

Time Toxicity Experienced by Early-Phase Cancer Clinical Trial Participants.

Purpose: Early-phase clinical trials (EP-CTs) are designed to determine optimal dosing, tolerability, and preliminary activity of novel cancer therapeutics. Little is known about the time that patients spend interacting with the health care system (eg, time toxicity) while participating in these studies.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the electronic health records of consecutive patients enrolled in EP-CTs from 2017 to 2019 to obtain baseline characteristics and number of health care-associated days, defined as all inpatient and outpatient visits while on trial.

De novo TANGLED1 recruitment from the phragmoplast to aberrant cell plate fusion sites in maize.

Division plane positioning is crucial for proper growth and development in many organisms. In plants, the division plane is established before mitosis, by accumulation of a cytoskeletal structure called the preprophase band (PPB). The PPB is thought to be essential for recruitment of division site-localized proteins, which remain at the division site after the PPB disassembles.

Frequency of Agreement Between Structural and Functional Glaucoma Testing: A Longitudinal Study of 3D OCT and Current Clinical Tests.

Purpose: To evaluate how often tests of structure and function detect glaucoma progression at the same study visit. Tests include current glaucoma clinical tests and a new 3-dimensional (3D) optical coherence tomography (OCT) rim measurement.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

The Right Dose: Results of a Patient Advocate-Led Survey of Individuals With Metastatic Breast Cancer Regarding Treatment-Related Side Effects and Views About Dosage Assessment to Optimize Quality of Life.

Purpose: Although patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) have been living longer with the advent of more effective treatments such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy, the disease remains incurable, and most patients will undergo therapy indefinitely. When beginning therapy, patients are typically prescribed dose often based upon the maximum tolerated dose identified in phase I clinical trials. However, patients' perspectives about tolerability and willingness to discuss individualized dosing of drugs upon initiation of a new regimen and throughout the course of treatment have not been comprehensively evaluated.

TANGLED1 Recruitment to Aberrant Cell Plate Fusion Sites in Maize.

Division plane positioning is critical for proper growth and development in many organisms. In plants, the division plane is established before mitosis, by accumulation of a cytoskeletal structure called the preprophase band (PPB). The PPB is thought to be essential for recruitment of division site localized proteins, which remain at the division site after the PPB disassembles.

Alzheimer's Disease Immunotherapy: Current Strategies and Future Prospects.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an extremely complex and heterogeneous pathology influenced by many factors contributing to its onset and progression, including aging, amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques, tau fibril accumulation, inflammation, etc. Despite promising advances in drug development, there is no cure for AD. Although there have been substantial advancements in understanding the pathogenesis of AD, there have been over 200 unsuccessful clinical trials in the past decade.

Management of traumatic globe subluxation with optic nerve and extraocular muscle transection.

A care algorithm for partial globe subluxation cases with optic nerve and at least one extraocular muscle (EOM) transection is presented after a literature review was performed using key term variations of globe, ocular, subluxation, optic nerve evulsion or transection, and trauma. Partial globe subluxation cases with transection of the optic nerve and at least 1 EOM were included. Exclusion criteria included globe rupture, complete enucleation defined by a globe without at least 1 EOM attachment, or unclear details confirming optic nerve transection.

Allosteric PI3Kα Inhibition Overcomes On-target Resistance to Orthosteric Inhibitors Mediated by Secondary PIK3CA Mutations.

Unlabelled: PIK3CA mutations occur in ∼8% of cancers, including ∼40% of HR-positive breast cancers, where the PI3K-alpha (PI3Kα)-selective inhibitor alpelisib is FDA approved in combination with fulvestrant. Although prior studies have identified resistance mechanisms, such as PTEN loss, clinically acquired resistance to PI3Kα inhibitors remains poorly understood. Through serial liquid biopsies and rapid autopsies in 39 patients with advanced breast cancer developing acquired resistance to PI3Kα inhibitors, we observe that 50% of patients acquire genomic alterations within the PI3K pathway, including PTEN loss and activating AKT1 mutations.

Secondary Breast Angiosarcoma After a Primary Diagnosis of Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Database.

Objectives: Angiosarcoma is a rare complication of breast-conserving therapy. This study evaluated the change in incidence between 1992 and 2016 of secondary breast angiosarcoma (SBA) in patients with a history of breast cancer and the impact of management strategies for the original breast carcinoma on angiosarcoma treatment.

Methods: Breast cancer and angiosarcoma cases were abstracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database.