Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Newly Diagnosed Papillary Craniopharyngioma With Braf V600e Mutation Treated With Single-Agent Selective Braf Inhibitor Dabrafenib: A Case Report, Mayank Rao, Meenakshi Bhattacharjee, Scott Shepard, Sigmund Hsu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We report a case of a patient with newly diagnosed, locally extensive and cystic, suprasellar papillary craniopharyngioma successfully treated with single-agent Dabrafenib. The patient was symptomatic with gait imbalance with falls, lethargic episodes, fatigue and incontinence. Diagnostic imaging demonstrated a cystic suprasellar tumor extending into the third ventricle causing obstructive hydrocephalus. The tumor was partially debulked, and bilateral shunts were placed. NGS sequencing demonstrated BRAF V600E mutation, and the patient was prescribed dual agent Dabrafenib and Trametinib. However, due to insurance denial for Trametinib, he only received single-agent Dabrafenib (150mg BID). The treatment resulted in a major response (over two …

Functional Neuronal Circuits Promote Disease Progression In Cancer, Anthony C Restaino, Austin Walz, Samuel J Vermeer, Jeffrey Barr, Attila Kovács, Robin R Fettig, Daniel W Vermeer, Hunter Reavis, Caitlin S Williamson, Christopher T Lucido, Tuany Eichwald, Dalia K Omran, Euihye Jung, Lauren E Schwartz, Maria Bell, Desirae M Muirhead, Jody E Hooper, William C Spanos, Ronny Drapkin, Sebastien Talbot, Paola D Vermeer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The molecular and functional contributions of intratumoral nerves to disease remain largely unknown. We localized synaptic markers within tumors suggesting that these nerves form functional connections. Consistent with this, electrophysiological analysis shows that malignancies harbor significantly higher electrical activity than benign disease or normal tissues. We also demonstrate pharmacologic silencing of tumoral electrical activity. Tumors implanted in transgenic animals lacking nociceptor neurons show reduced electrical activity. These data suggest that intratumoral nerves remain functional at the tumor bed. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrates the presence of the neuropeptide, Substance P (SP), within the tumor space. We show that tumor cells express the …

A Cadaveric Case Study On Lung Cancer Pathology, Anna Beth Boyette, Sarah Kate Boyette, Haley Garrett, Janai Groves, Perry Chandler Mullis, Sofia Sirocchi, Shiv Dhiman, Savita Arya

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer amongst both genders, currently accounting for about 18% of all cancer deaths.

OBJECTIVES: The overall purpose of this study was to evaluate the pathology associated with the patient’s cause of death, cardiorespiratory failure and lung cancer. The secondary aims of this study were to confirm the presence of malignant neoplasms within a human cadaver, determine the type of cancer present, and take specimens for histological examination to evaluate the patient’s cause of death.

METHODS: This is a case report from one of the cadavers in the Gross Anatomy laboratory at the …

A Unique Case Of Atrial Fibrillation Secondary To Squamous Cell Lung Carcinoma, Mohammad J. Malik, Emily K. Wilson, Vijay Bandhakavi

Research Day

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is widely considered to be the most prevalent cardiac arrhythmia with an incidence of roughly 1-2% in the United States alone. The incidence of AF has been known to increase with advancing age and thus presents a significant burden on healthcare systems across the globe. AF arises as a result of several mechanisms including structural changes that occur to the heart overtime. Here we present a case in which a 63-year-old male with no past medical history except heavy tobacco use presented to the emergency department complaining of shortness of breath. He also endorsed having palpitations and …

A Combined Radio-Immunotherapy Regimen Eradicates Late-Stage Melanoma In Mice., Sritha Moram, Alexander Rakhmilevich, Noah Tsarovsky, Mildred Felder, Amy Erbe, Alex Pieper, Jen Zaborek, Emily Cheng, Cole Witt, Paul Sondel

Research Day

Advanced cancers are typically resistant to treatment, which leads to most experimental cancer immunotherapy approaches being tested against smaller tumors. In this study, we show that even late-stage, weakly immunogenic mouse B78 melanomas, with tumor volumes of 1500-2000 mm3, can be eradicated by a combined radio-immunotherapy regimen (CRIR) which includes local radiotherapy, intratumoral interleukin 12, slow-release systemic interleukin 2 and checkpoint blockade with anti-CTLA-4 antibody. Flow analysis of the tumors revealed a reduction in T regulatory (Treg) cells and an increase in CD8/Treg ratios following CRIR. T cell depletion did not prevent the rapid shrinkage of treated tumors, but suppressed …

A Cadaveric Case Study On Metastatic Breast Cancer Pathology, Janai L. Groves, Haley B. Garrett, Savannah J. Finley, Jada M. Glenn, Itza M. Garcia, Shiv Dhiman, Savita Arya

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the United States. The exact etiology of breast cancer is unknown, but over 70% of breast cancer cases involve only two risk factors: being a woman and being over the age of 50. Women with a family history of breast cancer, as well as women who experience early menopause, have an even greater risk of developing this disease. When considering racial demographics, African-American women have a 4-8% lower incidence rate of breast cancer than Caucasian women but are 40% more likely to die from the disease. Breast cancer …

Cadaveric Study: Sign Of Leser-Trélat Associated With Breast Cancer, Brigitte L. Cochran, Shiv Dhiman, Savita Arya

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: Seborrheic keratoses (SK) is considered the most common benign skin lesions found in individuals that are middle aged and older. In dermatology practice, these lesions pose no threat to the individual but can be concerning for cosmetic and underlying malignancy reasons when they cover most of the skin surface. Of specific concern is the sign of Leser-Trélat, which has been documented as a cutaneous harbinger of underlying malignancy associated with proliferation of the size and/or number seborrheic keratoses. This rare sign is usually caused by malignancies such as gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma and lung, kidney, liver, pancreatic cancer or malignant melanoma. …

Widespread Cutaneous Metastasis Of Oropharyngeal Cancer, Drew Fidler, Britany Dyer, Makayla Farr, Youmna Elkamhawy, Sammy Elmor, D’Angelo Stokes, Savita Arya

Research Day

INTRODUCTION

Oropharyngeal Cancer (OC), primarily caused by squamous cell carcinoma, has risen recently. OC is often categorized into HPV-associated carcinoma or non-HPV-associated carcinoma. Environmental factors such as tobacco and alcohol use significantly increase risk of OC and are associated with non-HPV-associated OC. While research has investigated common gene mutations associated with an increased risk of OC, there are only a few cases highlighting genes that lead to its cutaneous spread, which represents less than 10% of cases.

OBJECTIVE

This study's primary objective was to determine what genetic/environmental factors may have contributed to the development of multiple OC metastatic tumors with …

Rare Presentation Of Metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma In The Finger: Case Report And Review Of Literature, F. Rhana Mousavi, Bassem Bekheit, Emon Alavi, Nick A. Hirad, Abanoub Gabra

Research Day

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary tumor of the liver that primarily develops in the setting of chronic liver disease. HCC is difficult to diagnose due to it requiring the use of multiple imaging modalities with the goal to detect tumors when they are less than or equal to 2 cm in size to allow all possible treatment options to be used. Herein, we discuss a 69-year-old male with stage IV liver cancer residing in hospice presenting with left middle finger osteomyelitis and extreme pain. Radiology revealed a destructive lesion but pathology provided the diagnosis of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma in …

A Novel Therapy For Refractory Cbfa2t3::Glis2-Associated Amkl Using Stro-002 And Plerixafor, Amy Johnson Md, Mba, Alan S. Gamis, Arturo Molina, Soheil Meshinchi, Karen Lewing

Research Days

Background: CBFA2T3::GLIS2-associated AML (CBF/GLIS AML) is an aggressive form of AML often associated with AMKL and recognized by its unique RAM phenotype by flow. It has a very poor prognosis, frequently refractory to standard of care regimens, with extreme marrow localization of leukemic blasts likely mediated by high CXCR4 (CD184) expression. The CBFA2T3::GLIS2 fusion gene is the most common oncogenic transcript in pediatric AMKL and universally results in high expression of FOLR1 surface antigen. STRO-002, an antibody drug conjugate targeting FOLR1, is currently in Phase I clinical trials for adults with refractory ovarian and endometrial malignancies A summary of 17 …

Social Determinants Of Health Among Family Caregiver Centered Outcomes In Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review, Dede K. Teteh, Madeleine Love, Marissa Ericson, Marissa Chan, Tanyanika Phillips, Aroona Toor, Betty Ferrell, Loretta Erhunmwunsee, Susanne B. Montgomery, Virginia Sun, Jae Y. Kim

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death globally. Both lung cancer patients and family caregivers (FCGs) have unmet quality of life (QOL) needs. An understudied topic in lung cancer research is the role of social determinants of health (SDOH) on QOL outcomes for this population. The purpose of this review was to explore the state of research on SDOH FCGs centered outcomes in lung cancer.

Methods: The databases PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and American Psychological Association (APA) PsycInfo were searched for peer-reviewed manuscripts evaluating defined SDOH domains on …

Polymorphisms Within Autophagy-Related Genes As Susceptibility Biomarkers For Multiple Myeloma: A Meta-Analysis Of Three Large Cohorts And Functional Characterization, Esther Clavero, José Manuel Sanchez-Maldonado, Angelica Macauda, Rob Ter Horst, Belém Sampaio-Marques, Artur Jurczyszyn, Alyssa Clay-Gilmour, Angelika Stein, Michelle A T Hildebrandt, Niels Weinhold, Gabriele Buda, Ramón García-Sanz, Waldemar Tomczak, Ulla Vogel, Andrés Jerez, Daria Zawirska, Marzena Wątek, Jonathan N Hofmann, Stefano Landi, John J Spinelli, Aleksandra Butrym, Abhishek Kumar, Joaquín Martínez-López, Sara Galimberti, María Eugenia Sarasquete, Edyta Subocz, Elzbieta Iskierka-Jażdżewska, Graham G Giles, Malwina Rybicka-Ramos, Marcin Kruszewski, Niels Abildgaard, Francisco García Verdejo, Pedro Sánchez Rovira, Miguel Inacio Da Silva Filho, Katalin Kadar, Małgorzata Razny, Wendy Cozen, Matteo Pelosini, Manuel Jurado, Parveen Bhatti, Marek Dudzinski, Agnieszka Druzd-Sitek, Enrico Orciuolo, Yang Li, Aaron D Norman, Jan Maciej Zaucha, Rui Manuel Reis, Miroslaw Markiewicz, Juan José Rodríguez Sevilla, Vibeke Andersen, Krzysztof Jamroziak, Kari Hemminki, Sonja I Berndt, Vicent Rajkumar, Grzegorz Mazur, Shaji K Kumar, Paula Ludovico, Arnon Nagler, Stephen J Chanock, Charles Dumontet, Mitchell J Machiela, Judit Varkonyi, Nicola J Camp, Elad Ziv, Annette Juul Vangsted, Elizabeth E Brown, Daniele Campa, Celine M Vachon, Mihai G Netea, Federico Canzian, Asta Försti, Juan Sainz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Multiple myeloma (MM) arises following malignant proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow, that secrete high amounts of specific monoclonal immunoglobulins or light chains, resulting in the massive production of unfolded or misfolded proteins. Autophagy can have a dual role in tumorigenesis, by eliminating these abnormal proteins to avoid cancer development, but also ensuring MM cell survival and promoting resistance to treatments. To date no studies have determined the impact of genetic variation in autophagy-related genes on MM risk. We performed meta-analysis of germline genetic data on 234 autophagy-related genes from three independent study populations including 13,387 subjects of …

Preclinical Investigations Of The Efficacy Of The Glutaminase Inhibitor Cb-839 Alone And In Combinations In Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Natalia Timofeeva, Mary L Ayres, Natalia Baran, Janice M Santiago-O'Farrill, Gamze Bildik, Zhen Lu, Marina Konopleva, Varsha Gandhi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells are metabolically flexible and adapt to modern anticancer treatments. Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) and B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) inhibitors have been widely used to treat CLL, but CLL cells become resistant to these treatments over time. CB-839 is a small-molecule glutaminase-1 (GLS-1) inhibitor that impairs glutamine use, disrupts downstream energy metabolism, and impedes the elimination of reactive oxygen species.

METHODS: To investigate the

RESULTS: We found that CB-839 caused dose-dependent decreases in GLS-1 activity and glutathione synthesis. CB-839-treated cells also showed increased mitochondrial superoxide metabolism and impaired energy metabolism, which were reflected in decreases in …

Curing Cll: One Clone At A Time, Burcu Aslan, Shady I Tantawy, Varsha Gandhi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Angiotensin Ii Receptor Inhibition Ameliorates Liver Fibrosis And Enhances Hepatocellular Carcinoma Infiltration By Effector T Cells, Li Gu, Yahui Zhu, Maiya Lee, Albert Nguyen, Nicolas T Ryujin, Jian Yu Huang, Shusil K Pandit, Shadi Chamseddine, Lianchun Xiao, Yehia I Mohamed, Ahmed O Kaseb, Michael Karin, Shabnam Shalapour

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Although viral hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is declining, nonviral HCC, which often is the end stage of nonalcoholic or alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH, ASH), is on an upward trajectory. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) that block the T cell inhibitory receptor PD-1 were approved for treatment of all HCC types. However, only a minority of HCC patients show a robust and sustained response to PD-1 blockade, calling for improved understanding of factors that negatively impact response rate and duration and the discovery of new adjuvant treatments that enhance ICI responsiveness. Using a mouse model of NASH-driven HCC, we identified peritumoral fibrosis as a …

Cord Blood Transplantation For Nonmalignant Disorders: Early Functional Immunity And High Survival, Caridad Martinez, Paibel Aguayo-Hiraldo, Natalia Chaimowitz, Lisa Forbes, Nicholas Rider, Sarah Nicholas, Filiz Seeborg, Javier Chinen, Ivan Chinn, Carla Davis, Howard Roseblatt, Lenora Noroski, Bilal Omer, Tami John, Khaled Yassine, Swati Naik, John Craddock, Saleh Bhar, Carl Allen, Nabil Ahmed, Ghadir Sasa, David Steffin, Erin Doherty, Anil George, Baheyeldin Salem, Brian Friend, Meenakshi Hegde, Malcolm K Brenner, Helen E Heslop, Ann Leen, Amanda Peña, Mengfen Wu, I Celine Hanson, Robert A Krance

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

There is no consensus on the best donor for children with nonmalignant disorders and immune deficiencies in the absence of a matched related donor (MRD). We evaluated the 2-year overall survival (OS) after umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) in patients with nonmalignant disorders from 2009 to 2020 enrolled in a prospective clinical trial using either 5/6 or 6/6 UCB as the cell source. Patients receive a fully ablative busulfan, cyclophosphamide, and fludarabine without serotherapy. Fifty-five children were enrolled, median age 5 months (range, 1-111 months); primary immune deficiency (45), metabolic (5), hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (1), and hematologic disorders (4). Twenty-six patients …

Bone Marrow Transplant For Macrophage Activation Syndrome In Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, Shailly Gaur, Michael J. Holland, J Allyson Hays, Ibrahim A. Ahmed

Research Days

Background

The recognition of macrophage-activation-syndrome (MAS) in the setting of systemic-juvenileidiopathic-arthritis (sJIA) is complex, but a necessary distinction given emerging treatment options. With overlapping clinical manifestations including fever, end-organ involvement and lymphadenopathy, there is a focus on laboratory values to differentiate MAS from a sJIA flare. Once parameters are met, multiple treatment modalities can be considered, as monotherapy or in combination, including steroids, immunosuppression, chemotherapy, intravenous immunoglobulin, and cytokine-directed biologics. Given the long-term morbidity and mortality associated with progressive inflammation and immune dysregulation due to MAS with sJIA, it is imperative to regain control over this complication. However, these treatments …

Impact Of Early Relapse Within 24 Months After First-Line Systemic Therapy (Pod24) On Outcomes In Patients With Marginal Zone Lymphoma: A Us Multisite Study, Narendranath Epperla, Rina Li Welkie, Pallawi Torka, Geoffrey Shouse, Reem Karmali, Lauren Shea, Andrea Anampa-Guzmán, Timothy S Oh, Heather Reaves, Montreh Tavakkoli, Kathryn Lindsey, Irl Brian Greenwell, Emily Hansinger, Colin Thomas, Sayan Mullick Chowdhury, Kaitlin Annunzio, Beth Christian, Stefan K Barta, Praveen Ramakrishnan Geethakumari, Nancy L Bartlett, Alex F Herrera, Natalie S Grover, Adam J Olszewski

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Progression of disease within 24 months (POD24) from diagnosis in marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) was shown to portend poor outcomes in prior studies. However, many patients with MZL do not require immediate therapy, and the time from diagnosis-to-treatment interval can be highly variable with no universal criteria to initiate systemic therapy. Hence, we sought to evaluate the prognostic relevance of early relapse or progression within 24 months from systemic therapy initiation in a large US cohort. The primary objective was to evaluate the overall survival (OS) in the two groups. The secondary objective included the evaluation of factors predictive of …

When Images Don’T Explain Reality: A Case Of An Intravascular Extension Of An Endometrial Tumor, Kyle Marrache, Hussam Al Hennawi, Shayan Qadir, Angad Bedi, Kevin Ye Hou

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Endometrial stromal sarcoma is a rare mesenchymal tumor with the potential for intravascular metastases. We present the case of a 52-year-old female patient with a history of previously resected endometrial sarcoma who was found to have an inferior vena cava thrombus with intracardiac extension. Pathological assessment following resection revealed intravascular extension of an underlying endometrial stromal sarcoma. This case demonstrates the aggressive nature and intracardiac metastatic potential of endometrial sarcomas.

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles As A Gene Delivery Platform For Cancer Therapy, Nisar Ul Khaliq, Juyeon Lee, Joohyeon Kim, Yejin Kim, Sohyeon Yu, Jisu Kim, Sangwoo Kim, Daekyung Sung, Hyungjun Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cancer remains a major global health challenge. Traditional chemotherapy often results in side effects and drug resistance, necessitating the development of alternative treatment strategies such as gene therapy. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) offer many advantages as a gene delivery carrier, including high loading capacity, controlled drug release, and easy surface functionalization. MSNs are biodegradable and biocompatible, making them promising candidates for drug delivery applications. Recent studies demonstrating the use of MSNs for the delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids to cancer cells have been reviewed, along with their potential as a tool for cancer therapy. The major challenges and future interventions …

Lifetime Ovulatory Years And Risk Of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Multinational Pooled Analysis, Zhuxuan Fu, Maria Mori Brooks, Sarah Irvin, Susan Jordan, Katja K H Aben, Hoda Anton-Culver, Elisa V Bandera, Matthias W Beckmann, Andrew Berchuck, Angela Brooks-Wilson, Jenny Chang-Claude, Linda S Cook, Daniel W Cramer, Kara L Cushing-Haugen, Jennifer A Doherty, Arif B Ekici, Peter A Fasching, Renée T Fortner, Simon A Gayther, Aleksandra Gentry-Maharaj, Graham G Giles, Ellen L Goode, Marc T Goodman, Holly R Harris, Alexander Hein, Rudolf Kaaks, Lambertus A Kiemeney, Martin Köbel, Joanne Kotsopoulos, Nhu D Le, Alice W Lee, Keitaro Matsuo, Valerie Mcguire, John R Mclaughlin, Usha Menon, Roger L Milne, Kirsten B Moysich, Celeste Leigh Pearce, Malcolm C Pike, Bo Qin, Susan J Ramus, Marjorie J Riggan, Joseph H Rothstein, Joellen M Schildkraut, Weiva Sieh, Rebecca Sutphen, Kathryn L Terry, Pamela J Thompson, Linda Titus, Anne M Van Altena, Emily White, Alice S Whittemore, Anna H Wu, Wei Zheng, Argyrios Ziogas, Sarah E Taylor, Lu Tang, Thomas Songer, Nicolas Wentzensen, Penelope M Webb, Aocs Group, Harvey A Risch, Francesmary Modugno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The role of ovulation in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is supported by the consistent protective effects of parity and oral contraceptive use. Whether these factors protect through anovulation alone remains unclear. We explored the association between lifetime ovulatory years (LOY) and EOC.

METHODS: LOY was calculated using 12 algorithms. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) estimated the association between LOY or LOY components and EOC among 26 204 control participants and 21 267 case patients from 25 studies. To assess whether LOY components act through ovulation suppression alone, we compared beta coefficients obtained from regression models with …

Integrative Molecular Subtypes Of Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Qianxing Mo, Seongseok Yun, David A Sallman, Nicole D Vincelette, Guang Peng, Ling Zhang, Jeffrey E Lancet, Eric Padron

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Immune Checkpoint Therapy Combinations In Adult Advanced Mit Family Translocation Renal Cell Carcinomas, Omar Alhalabi, Jonathan Thouvenin, Sylvie Négrier, Yann-Alexandre Vano, Luca Campedel, Elshad Hasanov, Ziad Bakouny, Andrew W Hahn, Mehmet Asim Bilen, Pavlos Msaouel, Toni K Choueiri, Srinivas R Viswanathan, Kanishka Sircar, Laurence Albiges, Gabriel G Malouf, Nizar M Tannir

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: There remains a paucity of data regarding the efficacy of immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) combinations ± vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) targeted therapy (TT) in translocation renal cell carcinoma (tRCC).

Methods: This is a retrospective study of patients with advanced tRCC treated with ICT combinations at 11 centers in the US, France, and Belgium. Only cases with confirmed fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were included. Objective response rates (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed by RECIST, and overall survival (OS) was estimated by Kaplan-Meier methods.

Results: There were 29 patients identified with median age of 38 (21-70) years, …

Medical-Legal Partnership Effects On Mental Health, Health Care Use, And Quality Of Life In Primary Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Winston Liaw, Thomas F Northrup, Angela L Stotts, Christine Bakos-Block, Robert Suchting, Alvin Chen, Abigail Hernandez, Lisandra Finzetto, Charles Green, Thomas Murphy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To determine whether an immediate referral to a medical-legal partnership (MLP), compared with a 6-month waitlist control, improved mental health, health care use, and quality of life.

Methods: This trial randomly assigned individuals to an immediate referral or a wait-list control. The MLP involved a collaboration between the primary care clinic and a legal services organization. The primary outcome was stress (6 months) as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Secondary measures included the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7); Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS); and emergency department (ED), urgent care, and …

Immune Checkpoint Therapy Combinations In Adult Advanced Mit Family Translocation Renal Cell Carcinomas, Omar Alhalabi, Jonathan Thouvenin, Sylvie Négrier, Yann-Alexandre Vano, Luca Campedel, Elshad Hasanov, Ziad Bakouny, Andrew W Hahn, Mehmet Asim Bilen, Pavlos Msaouel, Toni K Choueiri, Srinivas R Viswanathan, Kanishka Sircar, Laurence Albiges, Gabriel G Malouf, Nizar M Tannir

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: There remains a paucity of data regarding the efficacy of immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) combinations ± vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) targeted therapy (TT) in translocation renal cell carcinoma (tRCC).

Methods: This is a retrospective study of patients with advanced tRCC treated with ICT combinations at 11 centers in the US, France, and Belgium. Only cases with confirmed fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were included. Objective response rates (ORR) and progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed by RECIST, and overall survival (OS) was estimated by Kaplan-Meier methods.

Results: There were 29 patients identified with median age of 38 (21-70) years, …

Development Of Combination Therapy Strategies To Treat Cancer Using Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase Inhibitors, Nicholas Mullen

Theses & Dissertations

Cancer cells require supraphysiologic levels of nucleotide triphosphates to fuel their malignant behaviors, including uncontrolled proliferation, immune evasion, metastasis, and therapy resistance. This requirement is met by hyperactive flux through the de novo pyrimidine and de novo purine pathways. Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is an essential enzyme in the de novo pyrimidine pathway that can be targeted by FDA approved and experimental drug compounds. A robust body of preclinical evidence, encompassing hundreds of independent studies over several decades, demonstrates impressive activity of DHODH inhibitors in animal models of cancer. Paradoxically, however, all clinical trials to date have failed to demonstrate efficacy …

Targeting The Cxcr1/2 Axis In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Caitlin Molczyk

Theses & Dissertations

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is notoriously challenging to diagnose and treat. This tumor has an aggressive phenotype and benign clinical features until severe disease dissemination, which makes it too late to eradicate. Although it is only the 10th most common cancer in the United States, it is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The treatment options are complicated further due to tumor heterogeneity, meaning not all tumor cells are in the same state phenotypically or epigenetically. They also express cytokines, chemokines, and receptors differently. Here we explore the usage of CXCR1 and CXCR2 and their ligands in PDAC tumor …

Primary Care Providers’ Practices And Attitudes Towards Brca Genetic Testing For Unaffected 19- To 24-Year-Old Patients., Madison C. Groene, Terri Blase Ms, Cgc, Jessica Maxwell Md, Frcsc

Capstones: Genetic Counseling

Prior literature has described unique psychosocial considerations for emerging adults (18- to 25-year-olds) considering predictive BRCA genetic testing. Due to these unique concerns, the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) recommends waiting until individuals are older than 21 before offering testing. While primary care providers (PCPs) are important stakeholders in increasing access to hereditary cancer genetic testing, their approach for emerging adults has not been previously described. We surveyed PCPs in Nebraska regarding their pre- and post-test clinical practices as well as attitudes towards BRCA genetic testing for unaffected 19- to 24-year-olds. Pre-test clinical practice questions and attitudes questions were asked …

Barriers To Colorectal Cancer Screening For Low-Income Hispanic Men In Urban Areas Between 50-75, Alex Vega

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Although CRC screening rates have improved in non-Hispanic whites (NHW), Hispanic adult males (HAM) aged 50-75 in urban areas continue to experience low screening rates and higher CRC morbidity and mortality. This review aims to identify the barriers to CRC screening among HAM and propose targeted interventions to increase screening rates. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Key search terms included "colorectal cancer", "screening", "Hispanic adult males", "urban", "barriers", and "interventions". Factors identified include poverty, language …

Cellular Metabolism Therapy Slowing Growth Rate Of Glioblastomas, Heet Patel

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), more commonly known as glioblastomas, are a form of specialized brain tumors called gliomas. Glioblastomas most commonly occur in glial cells of the central nervous system and the average age of diagnosis is 64. Treatment methods implemented currently are surgery of the removable masses followed by courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These methods can only prolong the life span by a few months and as such, new research focused on tumor cell metabolism is being conducted to determine its impact on the progression of this tumor. Tumor masses, such as Glioblastomas, modify their metabolism via the Warburg …