Changes in alpha-fetoprotein across the systemic therapy continuum in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma-a real-world, multicenter study.

Background: Early changes in alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) are a promising surrogate endpoint for systemic treatment outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Objectives: We sought to investigate the utility of AFP response across first-line sorafenib (1L SOR) and later-line checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) therapies.

Design: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of patients with advanced HCC who received 1L SOR and any subsequent CPI.

Is There a Difference Between LI-RADS 3 to LI-RADS 5 Progression Assessment Using CT Versus MR? A Retrospective, Single-Center, Longitudinal Study of Patients Who Underwent 5082 Radiologic Examinations for Surveillance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Over a 43-Month Period.

Objective: The Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) has been widely applied to CT and MR liver observations in patients at high-risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the impact of CT vs MR in upgrading LI-RADS 3 to LI-RADS 5 observations using a large cohort of high-risk patients.

Methods: We performed a retrospective, longitudinal study of CT and MR radiographic reports (June 2013 - February 2017) with an assigned LI-RADS category.

In utero exposure to alloantigens primes alloimmunization to platelet transfusion in mice.

Background: Platelet transfusions remain a mainstay of treatment for many patients with thrombocytopenia, but can lead to alloantibodies to Human Leukocyte Antigens (anti-HLA) resulting in inadequate responses to subsequent platelet transfusions (refractoriness), as well as complicate transplantation. Despite substantial decreases in alloimmunization with the implementation of leukoreduction, a significant percentage of patients still become alloimmunized following platelet transfusions. It remains unclear why some patients make anti-HLA antibodies, but others do not make anti-HLA antibodies even with chronic transfusion.

Active smoking and breast cancer risk: original cohort data and meta-analysis.

Background: The relationship between active cigarette smoking and breast cancer risk remains controversial because of unresolved issues of confounding and dose response.

Methods: To investigate these issues further, we analyzed data from 73 388 women in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS-II) Nutrition Cohort. Analyses were based on 3721 invasive breast cancer case patients identified during a median follow-up of 13.

Improving patient selection for endovascular treatment of acute cerebral ischemia: a review of the literature and an external validation of the Houston IAT and THRIVE predictive scoring systems.

Outcome after intraarterial therapy (IAT) for acute ischemic stroke remains variable, suggesting that improved patient selection is needed to better identify patients likely to benefit from treatment. The authors evaluate the predictive accuracies of the Houston IAT (HIAT) and the Totaled Health Risks in Vascular Events (THRIVE) scores in an independent cohort and review the existing literature detailing additional predictive factors to be used in patient selection for IAT. They reviewed their center's endovascular records from January 2004 to July 2010 and identified patients who had acute ischemic stroke and underwent IAT.

Cigarette smoking and the risk of incident and fatal melanoma in a large prospective cohort study.

Objective: Previous studies suggest that smoking may be inversely associated with risk of melanoma. We attempted to replicate this finding using data from the Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS-II) and CPS-II Nutrition cohort, two large prospective cohort studies of cancer mortality and incidence, respectively, with long-term follow-up.

Methods: Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to examine the association between smoking status and risk of melanoma mortality and incidence among Caucasians in these cohorts.

The association between cigarette smoking and risk of colorectal cancer in a large prospective cohort from the United States.

Background: Many studies have reported a 20% to 60% increase in risk of colorectal cancer associated with active smoking. However, neither the U.S.

Lung cancer in never smokers: clinical epidemiology and environmental risk factors.

More than 161,000 lung cancer deaths are projected to occur in the United States in 2008. Of these, an estimated 10 to 15% will be caused by factors other than active smoking, corresponding to 16,000 to 24,000 deaths annually. Thus lung cancer in never smokers would rank among the most common causes of cancer mortality in the United States if considered as a separate category.

Alcohol consumption not associated with lung cancer mortality in lifelong nonsmokers.

Although alcohol consumption is associated with increased lung cancer risk in some studies, this relationship is difficult to interpret because of potential confounding by smoking. We measured lung cancer death rates in relation to self-reported alcohol consumption among 223,216 adults who reported no history of regular smoking when enrolled in a large prospective mortality study begun by the American Cancer Society in 1982. Participants were at least 30 years of age when enrolled and, consequently, were considered unlikely to initiate smoking during follow-up.

Lung cancer occurrence in never-smokers: an analysis of 13 cohorts and 22 cancer registry studies.

Background: Better information on lung cancer occurrence in lifelong nonsmokers is needed to understand gender and racial disparities and to examine how factors other than active smoking influence risk in different time periods and geographic regions.

Methods And Findings: We pooled information on lung cancer incidence and/or death rates among self-reported never-smokers from 13 large cohort studies, representing over 630,000 and 1.8 million persons for incidence and mortality, respectively.

Interpreting cancer trends.

The interpretation of cancer incidence trends is complicated by short-term random variation, artifactual fluctuations introduced by screening, changes in diagnosis or disease classification, completeness of reporting, and by the multiplicity of factors that may affect risk for specific cancer sites. We analyzed trends in 56 different cancer sites and subsites in the U.S.

Job strain and risk of musculoskeletal symptoms among a prospective cohort of occupational computer users.

Objectives: Most previous studies of the association between psychosocial stress and musculoskeletal illness among computer users have been cross-sectional and have yielded inconsistent results. The association between a measure of psychosocial stress, "job strain", and incident neck-shoulder and arm-hand musculoskeletal symptoms was investigated among recently hired computer users.

Methods: The participants worked for one of several large employers and were followed prospectively for 6 months.

Physical activity and risk of ovarian cancer: a prospective cohort study in the United States.

Increased physical activity may lower the risk of ovarian cancer by reducing the frequency of ovulation, decreasing body fat, or diminishing chronic inflammation. Previous epidemiological studies examining the association between physical activity and risk of ovarian cancer have been inconsistent. We investigated the association of physical activity with ovarian cancer in a prospective cohort of 27,365 individuals from the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project.