Clinical applications of cell-free DNA-based liquid biopsy analysis.

Liquid biopsies, particularly those involving circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from patient blood, have emerged as crucial and minimally invasive adjuncts to standard tissue-based testing. ctDNA testing enables the identification of actionable mutations for targeted therapy and can be routinely used when tissue samples are unavailable for genotyping. Compared to tissue-based testing, ctDNA testing has the advantages of capturing spatial or temporal genomic heterogeneity and facilitating repeated assessments.

Screening-Detected versus Interval Lung Cancer in the Biennial Korean National Lung Cancer Screening Program: Proportion, Characteristics, and Mortality.

Introduction: Interval lung cancers (ILCs) are key indicators of lung cancer screening (LCS) performance. However, data on the proportion, characteristics, and mortality of ILCs under biennial screening in Asian populations remain limited.

Methods: We analyzed participants from the baseline biennial Korean national LCS program between 2019 and 2020.

Assessing the need for multimodal care in anorexia and cachexia patients with advanced cancer referred to palliative care: a secondary analysis of a multicenter survey in Japan.

Purpose: There are no methods for assessing the need for multimodal care in cancer cachexia. We examined nine components in evaluating needs among advanced cancer patients.

Methods: This was a self-administered survey.

Combination chemotherapy for older patients with unresectable biliary tract cancer: a prospective observational study using propensity-score matched analysis (JON2104-B).

Background: Systemic chemotherapy with gemcitabine plus S-1 (GEM + S-1), GEM + CDDP plus S-1 (GEM + CDDP + S-1), or gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GEM + CDDP) is standard treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer (aBTC). We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination chemotherapy in older patients with aBTC.

Methods: This multicenter prospective observational study (JON2104-B, UMIN000045156) included patients aged ≥ 70 years with aBTC.

Translational analysis of NSD3 gene amplification in lung squamous cell carcinoma: Clinical and prognostic insights from histopathological analysis of patient samples.

Introduction: Nuclear receptor-binding SET domain 3 (NSD3) has been implicated as a driver of lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) in preclinical studies. However, its clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic significance remain unclear. To address this, we performed histopathological analysis of patient tissues.

Risk Stratification Using DIPSS and Splenomegaly in Myelofibrosis Treated with Pre-Transplant JAK inhibitors.

The Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System for primary myelofibrosis (DIPSS) has been reported to predict transplant outcomes in myelofibrosis (MF) patients. Recently, the pre-transplant use of JAK inhibitors has become common in clinical practice, but it is unclear whether DIPSS is also useful for predicting transplant outcomes for these patients. In this study, we compared the prognostic impact of DIPSS between MF patients with and without pre-transplant Ruxolitinib therapy.

FMR1 mutant marmosets show fragile X syndrome phenotypes.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the foremost monogenic cause of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, caused by FMR1 gene silencing. Here, we report that common marmosets carrying FMR1 mutation, a non-human primate model for FXS, share common features in behavioral and molecular phenotypes with patients with FXS. Founder mutants with markedly reduced fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein expression display hyperactivity, spontaneous seizures, and transcriptome changes in synapse-related genes that overlap with those reported in patients with FXS.

Novel Radiofluorinated Nanobody PET Tracer for Preclinical Studies of TIM3 Expression.

T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-3 (TIM3) is an inhibitory checkpoint glycoprotein expressed on immune cells, particularly tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and plays a critical role in suppressing antitumor immune responses. While dual blockade of TIM3 and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) has shown promising results in enhancing immune responses in advanced cancers, the lack of reliable, noninvasive methods for detecting TIM3 expression in tumors remains a major challenge. To address this, we developed and characterized a novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracer, [F]AlF-RESCA-HVCR2N2, based on a TIM3-specific nanobody labeled via [F]AlF radiochemistry.

Role of Lateral Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection Following Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy in Rectal Cancer: A Multicenter Retrospective Study (KROG 22-09).

Background: Lateral pelvic lymph node (LPLN) metastasis is a poor prognostic factor in rectal cancer, but the optimal management strategy is debated. This multicenter retrospective study investigated the role of LPLN dissection (LPLND), with total mesorectal excision (TME), after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (nCRT), aiming to identify patients who may benefit from LPLND.

Patients And Methods: A total of 559 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer and LPLN involvement from 2009 to 2018 were included (KROG 22-09).

Using Machine Learning to Predict Advanced-Stage Progression of Intermediate-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Transarterial Chemoembolization.

Purpose To develop and test a machine learning (ML)-based model that integrates preoperative variables for prediction of advanced-stage progression (ASP) after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Materials and Methods This multicenter retrospective study (ResearchRegistry.com identifier no.

Loss-Prone HLA Class I Alleles Inform Outcomes of Early Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Acquired Aplastic Anemia.

HLA class I allele loss in acquired aplastic anemia (AA) represents an immune escape from the T cell-mediated pathogenesis. We investigated the impact of loss-prone HLA alleles on the hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) outcomes using registry data of 875 Japanese patients with acquired AA. HLA associations were evident exclusively among 399 patients who received HCT within 1 year of the diagnosis, consistent with the predominance of HLA loss in this group.

MOG-IgG Frequency in Multiple Sclerosis: Diagnostic Challenges With Low-Titer Results.

Background: Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein immunoglobulin G (MOG-IgG) positivity has been reported in some people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS), posing a diagnostic challenge. However, most studies have been conducted in predominantly Caucasian populations. We aimed to determine the frequency of MOG-IgG in a large, predominantly Asian MS cohort using a validated MOG-IgG assay.

Prognostic Value and Immune Characterization of Genes Associated with Childhood Acute Leukemia applying Single-Cell RNA Sequencing.

Introduction: Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (cALL), the most common pediatric hematologic malignancy, arises primarily from B-cell origin and is strongly associated with immune dysfunction. This article integrated single-cell and bulk transcriptomic data to identify key B-cell subsets and cALL-related molecules as biomarkers.

Methods: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) Data from 2 pre-B high hyperdiploid (HHD) ALL patients and 3 healthy pediatric bone marrow samples (GSE132509) were utilized for cell clustering using the Seurat package.

Asian Subgroup Analysis of Patients in the Phase 2 DeLLphi-301 Study of Tarlatamab for Previously Treated Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Introduction: Tarlatamab is a bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) immunotherapy that binds delta-like ligand 3 on the surface of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells and CD3 on T cells, facilitating T cell-mediated cancer cell lysis. In the primary analysis of the phase 2 DeLLphi-301 study (NCT05060016), tarlatamab showed a favourable benefit-to-risk profile with durable objective responses and promising survival outcomes in patients with previously treated SCLC. Here, phase 2 data for the Asia region subgroup are presented.

Outcomes of FOLFIRINOX versus gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel in patients with early recurrent pancreatic cancer after adjuvant S-1 treatment: A propensity score-matched analysis.

Background: Oral fluoropyrimidine, S-1 is the standard adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with resected pancreatic cancer (PC) in Japan. Patients experiencing early recurrence are typically treated with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX) or gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP), which are commonly used in patients with advanced PC. However, no clinical studies have compared these regimens in this particular population.

LINC01018 attenuates hepatic lipid accumulation by inducing autophagy via DHX9 pathway in alcohol-associated liver disease.

Chronic excessive alcohol consumption leads to alcohol-associated liver disease(ALD), and its pathogenesis mechanism is related to abnormal autophagy caused by excess alcohol. However, the regulation mechanism in the progression of ALD is still not clear. LINC01018 is a liver-enriched lncRNA that plays pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of liver disease.

Quality Matters: Effect of High-Quality Early Palliative Care in Advanced Cancer.

Context: Early palliative care (EPC) is an integral treatment for advanced cancer patients, improving quality of life and symptom management, but the impact of its quality on outcomes is less understood.

Objectives: This study aimed to quantify the quality of EPC and analyze its longitudinal association with depression levels, quality of life (QoL), patient survival, and self-management strategies in patients with advanced cancer.

Methods: This secondary analysis included 144 advanced cancer patients from a randomized controlled trial in South Korea.

Decentralized pandemic response and health equity: an analysis of socioeconomic disparities in COVID-19 mortality in Japan.

Objectives: Global data often link greater socioeconomic deprivation to higher COVID-19 mortality. However, whether decentralized governance can mitigate this disparity by enabling tailored, equitable local responses remains unclear. We assessed whether Japan's decentralized pandemic response moderated the association between area-level socioeconomic deprivation and COVID-19 mortality across municipalities.

Socioeconomic factors affecting breast and cervical cancer screening compliance in Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance countries: a systematic review.

Objectives: Breast and cervical cancers are the most frequently diagnosed cancers in women. The Asian National Cancer Centers Alliance (ANCCA) has strengthened cancer control efforts in the Asia region; however, only a few countries have achieved sufficient participation rates. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the existing evidence on socioeconomic factors influencing women's compliance with breast and cervical cancer screening in ANCCA countries.

Target volume delineation of the neck for radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: CSTRO, CACA, CSCO, HNCIG, ESTRO, and ASTRO guidelines and contouring atlas.

The Chinese Society for Therapeutic Radiology Oncology, the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, the Head and Neck Cancer International Group, the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, and the American Society for Radiation Oncology collaboratively developed evidence-based guidelines and a comprehensive contouring atlas for neck target volume delineation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. These guidelines address five key challenges in modern radiotherapy practice: margin design of clinical target volume; nodal target volume delineation after induction chemotherapy; delineation of equivocal nodes evident on imaging; low-risk clinical target volume delineation based on regional stepwise extension patterns; and modifications for anatomical boundaries of lymphatic areas. Developed through a rigorous systematic review and expert appraisal process by a panel of 50 international, multidisciplinary members from 17 countries and regions, these guidelines incorporate the latest advances in nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis and treatment.

Primary target volume delineation for radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: CSTRO, CACA, CSCO, HNCIG, ESTRO, and ASTRO guidelines and contouring atlas.

The Chinese Society for Therapeutic Radiology Oncology, the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, Head and Neck Cancer International Group, the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, and the American Society for Radiation Oncology jointly developed evidence-based guidelines and a contouring atlas for primary target volume delineation for radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The guidelines systematically address three crucial challenges: margin design of clinical target volumes; target volume delineation after induction chemotherapy; and low-risk clinical target volume delineation based on local stepwise extension patterns. Based on a comprehensive systematic review and critical appraisal by an international multidisciplinary panel of 50 nasopharyngeal carcinoma specialists from 17 countries and regions, these guidelines are in keeping with advances in nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis and treatment, embodying contemporary treatment concepts, and elaborating on the differences in practice.

First-line benmelstobart plus anlotinib versus sunitinib in advanced renal cell carcinoma (ETER100): a multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial.

Background: The underexplored potential of PD-L1 blockade in advanced renal cell carcinoma highlights an urgent need for novel agents. This trial aimed to compare benmelstobart (a novel PD-L1 inhibitor) plus anlotinib with sunitinib as first-line treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Methods: ETER100 was a multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial conducted at 37 medical sites in China.