Influence of the number of images on threshold image contrast measurements with a phantom with gold disks in digital mammography.

Image quality, in addition to radiation dose, is the most important physical parameter in digital mammography. Image quality should be periodically monitored using the CDMAM phantom. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the number of analyzed images on the result of threshold image contrast measurements using the CDMAM phantom in different versions.

The current landscape of single-port robotic surgery in urology.

The advent of the purpose-built da Vinci single-port robotic platform marks a pivotal advancement in minimally invasive urological surgery. Designed to overcome the ergonomic and technical limitations of prior single-site approaches, the single-port system enables complex procedures through a single incision, with enhanced dexterity, optimized use of confined spaces and improved cosmetic and peri-operative outcomes. The single-port system has been increasingly used across a wide range of urological indications, including robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, partial nephrectomy, nephroureterectomy and reconstructive surgeries such as pyeloplasty and ureteral re-implantation.

Radical nephroureterectomy vs kidney sparing surgery for upper tract urothelial carcinoma in solitary kidney patients: a multi-institutional analysis of the ROBUUST 2.0 registry.

Purpose: Radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) in solitary kidney patients is a rare and underreported scenario. This study aims to compare the outcomes of UTUC solitary kidney patients becoming anephric after RNU to those of patients undergoing kidney-sparing surgery (KSS).

Methods: Data from patients with a solitary kidney were retrieved from the ROBUUST 2.

Exosomal ALPPL2 and THBS2 as biomarkers for early detection and disease monitoring of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background: Lack of reliable biomarkers for early detection and monitoring contributes to the poor prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), as the current clinical marker, CA19-9, lacks adequate specificity and sensitivity.

Methods: Serum concentrations of ALPPL2-positive and THBS2-positive exosomes were measured using an ExoView assay in two cohorts: a cohort of 219 subjects, including non-disease controls and patients with early- or late-stage PDAC, and a longitudinal cohort of 26 patients with advanced PDAC undergoing treatment.

Results: Exosomal ALPPL2 and THBS2 distinguished non-cancer cases from PDAC with high accuracy; area under the curve (AUC) values = 0.

Genome-wide CRISPR screen identifies Menin and SUZ12 as regulators of human developmental timing.

Embryonic development follows a conserved sequence of events across species, yet the pace of development is highly variable and particularly slow in humans. Species-specific developmental timing is largely recapitulated in stem cell models, suggesting a cell-intrinsic clock. Here we use directed differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into neuroectoderm to perform a whole-genome CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screen and show that the epigenetic factors Menin and SUZ12 modulate the speed of PAX6 expression during neural differentiation.

Pancancer outcome prediction via a unified weakly supervised deep learning model.

Accurate prognosis prediction is essential for guiding cancer treatment and improving patient outcomes. While recent studies have demonstrated the potential of histopathological images in survival analysis, existing models are typically developed in a cancer-specific manner, lack extensive external validation, and often rely on molecular data that are not routinely available in clinical practice. To address these limitations, we present PROGPATH, a unified model capable of integrating histopathological image features with routinely collected clinical variables to achieve pancancer prognosis prediction.

Diagnostic Evaluation for Abnormal Uterine Bleeding at Emergency Departments in the United States.

Objectives: We aimed to examine patterns of diagnostic evaluations for abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) in a national sample of emergency department (ED) visits and identify potential racial and ethnic differences.

Methods: Using the 2014-2021 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data, we identified 1,049 (unweighted; 7,900,653 weighted) women age ≥18 years without previous cancer diagnosis who visited EDs for non-pregnancy-related AUB. The primary outcomes were whether an ultrasound was provided/ordered and whether referral/follow-up consultation was recommended.

Mental health disorders among people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol.

Background: The mental health of people living with HIV (PLWH) is a growing concern globally, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where there is limited access to mental healthcare, with evidence showing high levels of depression, anxiety and neurocognitive disorders among this population. While Mental Health Disorders (MHDs) can impede HIV care and promote adverse health outcomes, there is limited literature on MHDs among PLWH. This scoping review will explore the existing literature on the burden and factors associated with MHDs among adults living with HIV in SSA.

Real-world progression-free survival of CDK4/6 inhibitors plus an aromatase inhibitor in HR-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer in United States routine clinical practice.

Background: All three cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i; palbociclib, ribociclib, and abemaciclib) plus aromatase inhibitor (AI) significantly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) versus placebo plus AI and achieved a similar reduction in risk of disease progression in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating first-line (1L) treatment of hormone receptor (HR)-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative metastatic breast cancer (mBC). To date, there have been no head-to-head RCT data comparing CDK4/6i, and most real-world comparative effectiveness studies were limited by small sample sizes and/or short follow-up. In this analysis, we compared real-world PFS (rwPFS) in patients with HR-positive/HER2-negative mBC receiving 1L CDK4/6i plus AI in United States routine clinical practice.

Biology of ovarian cancer: Models, microenvironment, and therapeutics: 15th Biennial Rivkin Center Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium.

The 15th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium presented by the Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer and the American Association for Cancer Research held on September 20-21, 2024, in Seattle, WA covered cutting-edge research on the etiology and pathobiology of ovarian cancer. Several sessions focused on novel therapies including targeting the immunosuppressive microenvironment and advances in early detection. In this article we provide an overview of the key findings presented in the biology of ovarian cancer session, which covered novel model systems that accurately represent the disease, features of the tumor microenvironment (TME), and advances in understanding the genomic landscape and biomarkers of response.

Exploratory evaluation of immunotherapy response and medication use in endometrial and cervical carcinoma.

Objective: To assess the effect of medication use during immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy on treatment response and oncologic outcomes.

Methods: An IRB-approved single-institution retrospective cohort study was performed in patients with endometrial cancer (EC) and cervical cancer (CC) who were treated with ICIs from January 1, 2017 to January 1, 2023. Concomitant medications used during the ICI course were recorded.

Arterial and venous thromboembolic events in patients with cancer treated with targeted therapies: a population-based cohort study.

Background: Emerging data suggest a substantial risk of arterial and venous thromboembolic events (ATE/VTE) associated with targeted cancer therapies. We examined the association between selected targeted therapies and ATE/VTE-risk using Danish population-based healthcare data.

Methods: We identified 41,744 patients with cancer treated with selected targeted therapies between January 2004 and December 2020.

Real-world effectiveness and safety of CDK4/6i in elderly and BIPOC patients with HR+/HER2- advanced/metastatic breast cancer: an updated systematic literature review.

Background And Aim: The HR-positive/HER2-negative (HR+/HER2-) advanced/metastatic breast cancer (a/mBC) treatment landscape has advanced with cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i), yet outcome disparities persist, particularly among older patients and black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities. Emerging real-world evidence (RWE) since 2021 highlights the need for this updated systematic literature review.

Methods: Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Databases (07/06/2019-01/09/2024) and key congress proceedings (2020-2024).

PU.1 upregulation is linked to improved prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, which can currently be cured only partially. Even though the function of the transcription factor PU.1 as an oncogene has already been investigated in detail in various studies, its precise function and regulatory mechanisms in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain to be fully elucidated.

Nano-Biosensors for mRNA-Based Cell Sorting Using Intracellular Markers at the Early Stage of Cell Reprogramming.

Cell reprogramming and manufacturing have broad applications in tissue regeneration and disease treatment. However, many derived cell types lack unique cell surface markers for protein-based cell sorting, making it difficult to isolate these cells from mixed populations. Additionally, there is a need to identify and isolate cells of interest at the early stages of cell expansion.

Advancing health psychology research in oncology: Biobehavioral models, stress pathways, and stress-management interventions for cancer patients.

Psychosocial adaptation to cancer involves interactions among emotional, cognitive, and biological processes. Although the efficacy of psychological interventions is well documented, the mechanisms linking psychological adaptation to physiological outcomes remain fragmented across disciplines. The Special Issue of the "Advancing Health Psychology Research in Oncology: Biobehavioral Models, Stress Pathways, and Stress-Management Interventions for Cancer Patients" addresses this gap and this paper serves as an overview.

Delayed presentation of aortoenteric fistula after esophagectomy.

Aortoenteric fistula (AEF) is a rare but catastrophic complication following esophagectomy, often resulting in massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding and high mortality. While most cases occur early in the postoperative period, delayed presentations remain poorly understood. We report the case of a 54-year-old woman who underwent esophagectomy and gastric pull-up for mid-esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

GCAD: a Computational Framework for Mammalian Genetic Program Computer-Aided Design.

Genetic programs can direct living systems to perform diverse, pre-specified functions. As the library of parts available for building such programs continues to expand, computation-guided design is increasingly helpful and necessary. Yet key gaps exist for designing programs for use in mammalian cells in particular.

KneEZ Clear, an Effective Tissue Clearing Protocol to Study Musculoskeletal Tissues in the Mouse.

Wholemount, 3-dimensional (3D) tissue imaging holds significant promise for analyzing heterogeneous musculoskeletal tissues, such as knee joints, that demand time- and labor-intensive processing using traditional histological methods. Current musculoskeletal clearing protocols rely on either solvent-based tissue clearing, which substantially alters the size and architecture of cleared tissues, possibly compromising downstream quantification and perhaps more importantly reducing signal from endogenous fluorescent reporters, or on expensive and time-consuming hydrogel-based approaches that requires specialized equipment. While aqueous-based clearing overcomes these challenges, there is a clear need for a method that is optimized for clearing musculoskeletal tissues and that can easily be implemented in a standard lab environment.

Ancestry-Dependent Immunologic and Prognostic Effects Characterize the Prostate Cancer Urinary Proteome.

Urine is an attractive biomarker analyte for non-invasive longitudinal monitoring of health and disease, particularly for diseases of the genitourinary tract, like prostate and bladder cancer. The composition of an individual's urine reflects both genetic and lifestyle characteristics that differ across geographies and populations, like diet, hydration and other socio-economic factors. While men of African ancestry have elevated prostate cancer risk, it is unclear to what extent this influences urinary biomarkers.

Intestinal catabolism of dietary fructose promotes obesity and insulin resistance via ileal lacteal remodeling.

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumption is a risk factor for obesity and metabolic syndrome, yet the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Catabolism of dietary fructose primarily occurs in the small intestine and liver, with fructose breakdown in the liver being pathological, while small intestinal fructose clearance protects the liver. Here, we unexpectedly found that inhibition of fructose catabolism specifically in the small intestine mitigates fructose-induced obesity and insulin resistance.

Toxicogenomic Insights into Environmental Toxicant Exposures: The TaRGET II Resource.

Environmental exposures to toxic chemicals can profoundly alter the transcriptome and epigenome in both humans and animals, contributing to disease development across the lifespan. To elucidate how early-life exposure to toxicants exerts such persistent effects, the Consortium generated a landmark resource comprising 2,570 epigenomes and 1,043 transcriptomes from longitudinal studies in mice. All data are publicly available through the TaRGET II data portal and the WashU Epigenome Browser.

Paclitaxel neurotoxicity is triggered by epidermal EG5-dependent microtubule fasciculation and X-ROS formation.

Taxanes are frontline chemotherapeutics that stabilize microtubules, induce mitotic arrest, and drive tumor remission. However, their off-target effects in healthy tissues, most notably cutaneous axon degeneration underlying chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), remain poorly understood. Here, we show that paclitaxel induces microtubule fasciculation in epidermal keratinocytes through the mitotic kinesin Eg5, thereby initiating CIPN.