Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Co-Management Strategies For Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients In The Community Setting, Christopher Benton, Michael R Grunwald, Hana Safah, Margaret Kasner

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

The treatment landscape for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has changed substantially in recent years. The introduction of newer therapies, including oral agents, less myelosuppressive agents, and parenteral regimens suitable for outpatient administration, has made it feasible for select patients to receive therapy in the outpatient setting and in community practices. Thorough patient evaluation (including molecular testing), planned supportive care (eg, transfusion support, antimicrobial prophylaxis), and vigilant patient monitoring (for tumor lysis syndrome and adverse events) by a multidisciplinary team are required for successful management of patients both in the community and at specialized leukemia centers. Some patients are unable or …

High Local Control And Low Ocular Toxicity Using Ultra-Low-Dose “Boom-Boom” Radiotherapy For Indolent Orbital Lymphoma, Sanjna Shelukar, Christian Fernandez, Zeynep Bas, Lydia Komarnicky, Sara E. Lally, Carol L Shields, Adam Binder, Pierluigi Porcu, Onder Alpdogan, Ubaldo Martinez-Outschoorn, Wenyin Shi

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Background: The first line definitive treatment for early-stage indolent B-cell lymphoma is radiation therapy (RT). Due to the sensitivity of orbital structures to radiation, ultra-low-dose RT (4 Gy in 2 fractions, "boom-boom") has and been utilized as an attractive option for orbital lymphoma. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the outcome and toxicity of "boom-boom" RT for indolent orbital lymphoma with an emphasis on ophthalmologic toxicity.

Methods: This is a retrospective case series with 17 patients with orbital lymphoma who received boom-boom RT at a single tertiary referral center between January 2017 and June 2022. Medical records, imaging and radiation …

Efficacy And Safety Of Lifileucel, A One-Time Autologous Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (Til) Cell Therapy, In Patients With Advanced Melanoma After Progression On Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors And Targeted Therapies: Pooled Analysis Of Consecutive Cohorts Of The C-144-01 Study, Jason Chesney, Karl D Lewis, Harriet Kluger, Omid Hamid, Eric Whitman, Sajeve Thomas, Martin Wermke, Mike Cusnir, Evidio Domingo-Musibay, Giao Q Phan, John M Kirkwood, Jessica C Hassel, Marlana Orloff, James Larkin, Jeffrey Weber, Andrew J S Furness, Nikhil I Khushalani, Theresa Medina, Michael E Egger, Friedrich Graf Finckenstein, Madan Jagasia, Parameswaran Hari, Giri Sulur, Wen Shi, Xiao Wu, Amod Sarnaik

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Background: Patients with advanced melanoma have limited treatment options after progression on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Lifileucel, a one-time autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) cell therapy, demonstrated an investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR) of 36% in 66 patients who progressed after ICI and targeted therapy. Herein, we report independent review committee (IRC)-assessed outcomes of 153 patients treated with lifileucel in a large multicenter Phase 2 cell therapy trial in melanoma.

Methods: Eligible patients had advanced melanoma that progressed after ICI and targeted therapy, where appropriate. Melanoma lesions were resected (resected tumor diameter ≥1.5 cm) and shipped to a central good manufacturing …

Epigenetic Regulation In Chromium-, Nickel- And Cadmium-Induced Carcinogenesis, Lei Zhao, Ranakul Islam, Yifang Wang, Xiujuan Zhang, Ling-Zhi Liu

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Environmental and occupational exposure to heavy metals, such as hexavalent chromium, nickel, and cadmium, are major health concerns worldwide. Some heavy metals are well-documented human carcinogens. Multiple mechanisms, including DNA damage, dysregulated gene expression, and aberrant cancer-related signaling, have been shown to contribute to metal-induced carcinogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms accounting for heavy metal-induced carcinogenesis and angiogenesis are still not fully understood. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have indicated that in addition to genotoxicity and genetic mutations, epigenetic mechanisms play critical roles in metal-induced cancers. Epigenetics refers to the reversible modification of genomes without changing DNA sequences; …

Editorial: Novel Mechanisms For The Treatment Of Aml Before And After Transplant, Margaret T Kasner

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

A Machine Learning Model Of Response To Hypomethylating Agents In Myelodysplastic Syndromes, Nathan Radakovich, David A. Sallman, Rena Buckstein, Andrew Brunner, Amy Dezern, Sudipto Mukerjee, Rami Komrokji, Najla Al-Ali, Jacob Shreve, Yazan Rouphail, Anne Parmentier, Alexandre Mamedov, Mohammed Siddiqui, Yihong Guan, Teodora Kuzmanovic, Metis Hasipek, Babal Jha, Jaroslaw P. Maciejewski, Mikkael A. Sekeres, Aziz Nazha

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Hypomethylating agents (HMA) prolong survival and improve cytopenias in individuals with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Only 30-40% of patients, however, respond to HMAs, and responses may not occur for more than 6 months after HMA initiation. We developed a model to more rapidly assess HMA response by analyzing early changes in patients’ blood counts. Three institutions’ data were used to develop a model that assessed patients’ response to therapy 90 days after the initiation using serial blood counts. The model was developed with a training cohort of 424 patients from2 institutions and validated on an independent cohort of 90 patients. …

Role Of Stem Cell Transplant In Cd30+ Ptcl Following Frontline Brentuximab Vedotin Plus Chp Or Chop In Echelon-2., Kerry J Savage, Steven M Horwitz, Ranjana Advani, Jacob Haaber Christensen, Eva Domingo-Domenech, Giuseppe Rossi, Franck Morschhauser, Onder Alpdogan, Cheolwon Suh, Kensei Tobinai, Andrei Shustov, Marek Trneny, Sam Yuen, Pier Luigi Zinzani, Lorenz Trümper, Tim Ilidge, Owen A O'Connor, Barbara Pro, Harry Miao, Veronica Bunn, Keenan Fenton, Michelle Fanale, Markus Puhlmann, Swaminathan Iyer

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are a heterogeneous group of aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas, the majority of which have high relapse rates following standard therapy. Despite use of consolidative stem cell transplant (SCT) following frontline therapy, there remains no consensus on its utility. The double-blind randomized phase 3 ECHELON-2 study (#NCT01777152; clinicaltrials.gov) demonstrated improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival with frontline brentuximab vedotin plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone (A+CHP). Herein, we conducted an exploratory subgroups analysis of the impact of consolidative SCT on PFS in patients with previously untreated CD30+ PTCL (ALK- anaplastic large cell lymphoma [ALCL] and non-ALCL) …

Outcomes Of Children With Low-Grade Gliomas In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review, Richard Ward, Hannah M Jones, Davis Witt, Frederick Boop, Eric Bouffet, Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, Ibrahim Qaddoumi, Daniel C Moreira

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Purpose: Pediatric CNS tumors are increasingly a priority, particularly with the WHO designation of low-grade glioma (LGG) as one of six index childhood cancers. There are currently limited data on outcomes of pediatric patients with LGGs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods: To better understand the outcomes of LGGs in LMICs, this systematic review interrogated nine literature databases.

Results: The search identified 14,977 publications. Sixteen studies from 19 countries met the selection criteria and were included for data abstraction and analysis. Eleven studies (69%) were retrospective reviews from single institutions, and one (6%) captured institutional data prospectively. The studies …

Determining Front-Line Therapeutic Strategy For Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Kevin K Zarrabi, Oladimeji Lanade, Daniel M Geynisman

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

The therapeutic landscape for metastatic renal cell carcinoma has rapidly evolved over the years, and we are now in an era of combination therapy strategies employing immune checkpoint blockade and anti-angiogenesis targeted therapy. Since 2018, we have gained regulatory approval for four distinct combination therapies, all with survival benefits, and with guideline recommendation for use in the front-line setting. As such, treatment selection has become increasingly complex with a myriad of treatment choices but little high-level head-to-head data to guide treatment selection. Heterogeneity in tumor biology further complicates treatment selection as tumors vary in behavior and treatment responsiveness. Ongoing development …

Epigenetic Dysregulations In Arsenic-Induced Carcinogenesis, Ranakul Islam, Lei Zhao, Yifang Wang, Grace Lu-Yao, Ling-Zhi Liu

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Arsenic is a crucial environmental metalloid whose high toxicity levels negatively impact human health. It poses significant health concerns to millions of people in developed and developing countries such as the USA, Canada, Bangladesh, India, China, and Mexico by enhancing sensitivity to various types of diseases, including cancers. However, how arsenic causes changes in gene expression that results in heinous conditions remains elusive. One of the proposed essential mechanisms that still has seen limited research with regard to causing disease upon arsenic exposure is the dysregulation of epigenetic components. In this review, we have extensively summarized current discoveries in arsenic-induced …

Characterizing Metastatic Uveal Melanoma Patients Who Develop Symptomatic Brain Metastases., Alexander Z Wei, Matan Uriel, Agata Porcu, Michael P Manos, Ann C Mercurio, Michael M Caplan, Liam Hulse, Rino S Seedor, Marta Holovatska, Jasmine Francis, Shaheer A Khan, Diana E Mcdonnell, Dmitry Bogomolny, Takami Sato, Brian P Marr, Rizwan Haq, Marlana Orloff, Alexander Shoushtari, Richard D Carvajal

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Metastatic uveal melanoma (mUM) is an advanced ocular malignancy characterized by a hepatotropic pattern of spread. As the incidence of brain metastases (BM) in mUM patients has been thought to be low, routine CNS surveillance has not been recommended. Notably, no formal assessment of BM incidence in mUM has to date been published to support this clinical practice. We aimed to determine the true rate of BM in mUM and to clarify the clinical and genomic risk factors associated with BM patients through a collaborative multicenter, retrospective research effort. Data collected from 1,845 mUM patients in databases across four NCI-designated …

Genomic Testing In Localized Prostate Cancer Can Identify Subsets Of African Americans With Aggressive Disease, Shivanshu Awasthi, G. Daniel Grass, Javier Torres-Roca, Peter A. S. Johnstone, Julio Pow-Sang, Jasreman Dhillon, Jong Park, Robert J. Rounbehler, Elai Davicioni, Alex Hakansson, Yang Liu, Angelina K. Fink, Amanda Derenzis, Jordan H. Creed, Michael Poch, Roger Li, Brandon Manley, Daniel Fernandez, Arash Naghavi, Kenneth Gage, Grace Lu-Yao, Evangelia Katsoulakis, Ryan J. Burri, Andrew Leone, Cesar E. Ercole, Joshua D. Palmer, Neha Vapiwala, Curtiland Deville, Timothy R. Rebbeck, Adam P. Dicker, William Kelly, Kosj Yamoah

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Personalized genomic classifiers have transformed the management of prostate cancer (PCa) by identifying the most aggressive subsets of PCa. Nevertheless, the performance of genomic classifiers to risk classify African American men is thus far lacking in a prospective setting.

METHODS: This is a prospective study of the Decipher genomic classifier for National Comprehensive Cancer Network low- and intermediate-risk PCa. Study-eligible non-African American men were matched to African American men. Diagnostic biopsy specimens were processed to estimate Decipher scores. Samples accrued in NCT02723734, a prospective study, were interrogated to determine the genomic risk of reclassification (GrR) between conventional clinical risk …

Cancer-Specific Survival After Diagnosis In Men Versus Women: A Pan-Cancer Analysis., Yan He, Yonglin Su, Junsong Zeng, Weelic Chong, Xiaolin Hu, Yu Zhang, Xingchen Peng

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Comprehensive understanding of cancer-specific survival differences in gender is critical for cancer prevention and treatment. Based on the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database, we included data from the most prevalent cancers (lung, esophageal, liver, pancreatic, stomach, colorectal, kidney, and bladder cancer). Cox proportional hazards regression models were constructed to estimate hazard ratios, simultaneously adjusting for demographic, clinical, and treatment factors. Overall, male patients had a worse cancer-specific survival than female patients. After adjustment for cancer prevalence with 1:1 matching, gender remained a significant factor in cancer-specific survival. Among the included cancer types, female patients showed survival benefit in lung, …

Association Between Acute Kidney Injury And Long-Term Mortality In Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Retrospective Study, Yangchun Xiao, Jun Wan, Yu Zhang, Xing Wang, Hanwen Zhou, Han Lai, Weelic Chong, Yang Hai, L Dade Lunsford, Chao You, Shui Yu, Fang Fang

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Background: Though acute kidney injury (AKI) in the context of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) worsens short-term outcomes, its impact on long-term survival is unknown.

Aim: We aimed to evaluate the association between long-term mortality and AKI during hospitalization for aSAH.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients who survived >12 months after aSAH. All patients were evaluated at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, between December 2013 and June 2019. The minimum follow-up time was over 1 year. the maximum follow-up time was about 7.3 years. AKI was defined by the KDIGO (The Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes) guidelines, which …

Editorial: Promising Strategies For Vaccine Messages: The Message And The Source, Bridget J. Kelly, Amy E. Leader, Nora B. Henrikson

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

A Scoping Review Protocol To Elucidate Outcomes Following Abiraterone Versus Enzalutamide For Prostate Cancer, Yash B Shah, Amy L Shaver, William Kevin Kelly, Grace Lu-Yao

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Abiraterone acetate and enzalutamide are commonly employed in prostate cancer therapy in an interchangeable manner. These drugs are highly efficacious in androgen antagonism to improve patient outcomes, but they also carry noteworthy risk of adverse effects. Common toxicities vary amongst the two drugs and may have differential interactions with patient co-morbidities, but these patterns are unclear as co-morbidities typically serve as exclusion criteria in clinical trials. Hence, there is no existing guidance on how clinicians may tailor treatment based on patient-specific factors. Analysis of differential patient outcomes between these two drugs can inform future systematic reviews, new clinical studies, …

"I Need More Knowledge": Qualitative Analysis Of Oncology Providers' Experiences With Sexual And Gender Minority Patients, Christina L Tamargo, Edith P Mitchell, Lynne Wagner, Melissa A Simon, Ruth C Carlos, Bruce J Giantonio, Matthew B Schabath, Gwendolyn P Quinn

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Background: While societal acceptance for sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals is increasing, this group continues to face barriers to quality healthcare. Little is known about clinicians' experiences with SGM patients in the oncology setting. To address this, a mixed method survey was administered to members of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group.

Materials and methods: We report results from the open-ended portion of the survey. Four questions asked clinicians to describe experiences with SGM patients, reservations in caring for them, suggestions for improvement in SGM cancer care, and additional comments. Data were analyzed using content analysis and the constant comparison …

Outcomes Following Abiraterone Versus Enzalutamide For Prostate Cancer: A Scoping Review, Yash B, Shah, Amy L. Shaver, Jacob Beiriger, Sagar Mehta, Nikita Nikita, William Kevin Kelly, Stephen J. Freedland, Grace Lu-Yao

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Abiraterone acetate (AA) and enzalutamide (ENZ) are commonly used for metastatic prostate cancer. It is unclear how their outcomes and toxicities vary with patient-specific factors because clinical trials typically exclude patients with significant comorbidities. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap and facilitate informed treatment decision making. A registered protocol utilizing PRISMA scoping review methodology was utilized to identify real-world studies. Of 433 non-duplicated publications, 23 were selected by three independent reviewers. ENZ offered a faster and more frequent biochemical response (30-50% vs. 70-75%), slowed progression (HR 0.66; 95% CI 0.50-0.88), and improved overall survival versus AA. ENZ was …

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors In Luminal Gastrointestinal Malignancies: Going Beyond Msi-H/Dmmr, Tmb And Pd-L1, Daniel S. Lefler, Adam E. Snook, Babar Bashir

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

In luminal gastrointestinal tumors, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting PD-1, PD-L1 and CTLA-4 have been investigated in multiple settings. The indications for these drugs are primarily dependent on specific biomarkers that imply immunogenicity: overexpression of PD-L1, tumor mutational burden, loss of mismatch repair proteins (dMMR) and/or high microsatellite instability status. Although these markers can be both predictive and prognostic, there is variability in how they are measured and used to guide therapies. Moreover, the use of ICIs can be further refined with a better understanding of the tumor microenvironment and interactions with other available therapies. The purpose of this review …

Association Between Vitamin D Supplementation And Cancer Mortality: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Renjie Zhang, Yu Zhang, Zheran Liu, Yiyan Pei, Ping Xu, Weelic Chong, Yang Hai, Ling He, Yan He, Jiayi Yu, Jingjing Wang, Fang Fang, Xingchen Peng

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is related to increased cancer risk and deaths. However, whether vitamin D supplementation reduces cancer mortality remains unclear, and several randomized controlled trials yield inconsistent results.

Methods: Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from their inception until 28 June 2022, for randomized controlled trials investigating vitamin D supplementation. Pooled relative risks (RRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. Trials with vitamin D supplementation combined with calcium supplementation versus placebo alone and recruiting participants with cancer at baseline were excluded in the present study.

Results: This study included 12 …

The Impact Of Hpv Vaccine Narratives On Social Media: Testing Narrative Engagement Theory With A Diverse Sample Of Young Adults., Amy Leader, Michelle Miller-Day, Rikishi T Rey, Preethi Selvan, Anne E Pezalla, Michael L Hecht

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection are highest in young adults, who can be vaccinated against HPV if they were not vaccinated as adolescents. Since young adults increasingly access health information on social media, we tested the impact of a social media campaign with narrative-based health information on intentions related to HPV vaccination. We also aimed to understand which ads resonated most with young adults and led to higher survey completion rates. We created social media posts featuring videos promoting HPV vaccination. We launched a sponsored ad campaign on Facebook to reach young women, ages 18-26, across the country. Participants …

Understanding The Role Of Sex On Outcomes For The Cancer Patient Undergoing Treatment With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Scoping Review Protocol, Amy L Shaver, Nikita Nikita, Swapnil Sharma, Daniel S Lefler, Atrayee Basu-Mallick, Jennifer M Johnson, Meghan L Butryn, Grace Lu-Yao

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have changed the treatment landscape for multiple cancer types. Sex plays an important role in both the development of cancer as well as the functioning of the immune system. Though a difference in response to immune therapy is emerging between men and women it is unclear how this difference affects cancer outcomes and what the potential underlying mechanisms are for those effects. The objective of this study is to describe the influence that sex has on the outcomes experienced by cancer patients on ICI therapy and to identify and analyse any knowledge gaps in the …

Racial Difference In Bmi And Lung Cancer Diagnosis: Analysis Of The National Lung Screening Trial, Joy Zhao, Julie Barta, Russell K. Mcintire, Christine S. Shusted, Charnita Zeigler-Johnson, Hee-Soon Juon

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Background: The inverse relationship between BMI and lung cancer diagnosis is well defined. However, few studies have examined the racial differences in these relationships. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships amongst race, BMI, and lung cancer diagnosis using the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) data.

Methods: Multivariate regression analysis was used to analyze the BMI, race, and lung cancer diagnosis relationships.

Results: Among 53,452 participants in the NLST cohort, 3.9% were diagnosed with lung cancer, 43% were overweight, and 28% were obese. BMI was inversely related to lung cancer diagnosis among Whites: those overweight (aOR = …

Racial Disparities In Hepatitis B Birth Dose In The Washington Metropolitan Region, 2018-2020., Hee-Soon Juon, Donna T Sheler, Jane Pan, Daisy Le, Y Tony Yang

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Hepatitis B vaccination protects newborns from contracting the hepatitis B virus that may lead to chronic infection, liver failure, or death. Trends and racial differences in the administration of the hepatitis B (HepB) birth dose in 2018-2020 were examined in the targeted region. A retrospective analysis of electronic birth dose vaccination data of newborns in 2018-2020 was performed. Birth data from six birthing facilities and home delivery records were obtained from the DC Health Department Vital Statistics Division. This data represented 40,269 newborns and included the mother's race and ethnicity, health insurance type, birthing facility, and administration of the HepB …

Novel Mechanisms For Post-Transplant Maintenance Therapy In Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Steven A Manobianco, Tara Rakiewicz, Lindsay Wilde, Neil D Palmisiano

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation has improved survival for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), especially for patients with disease at high risk of relapse. However, relapse remains the most common cause of treatment failure and death in the post-transplant period. Maintenance therapy, an extended course of treatment after achieving remission to reduce the rate of relapse, is an important component of the treatment of various hematologic malignancies; however, its role in the treatment of AML is far less well-defined. Recently, there has been significant interest in the use of novel therapeutic agents as maintenance therapy after allogeneic stem cell transplant, …

Interleukin-8 Produced From Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Suppresses Proliferation Of The Ocuch-Lm1 Cancer Cell Line, Ryota Tanaka, Kenjiro Kimura, Shimpei Eguchi, Go Ohira, Shogo Tanaka, Ryosuke Amano, Hiroaki Tanaka, Masakazu Yashiro, Masaichi Ohira, Shoji Kubo

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Background: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play an important role in cancer growth by interacting with cancer cells, but their effects differ depending on the type of cancer. This study investigated the role of CAFs in biliary tract cancers (BTCs), compared with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) as a comparison cohort.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated alpha-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) expression in CAFs from 114 cases of PDAC and 154 cases of BTCs who underwent surgical treatment at our institution from 1996 to 2017. CAFs were isolated from resected specimens of BTC and PDAC, and tested for the effects of their supernatants and cytokines …

Antibody Response To Sars-Cov-2 Vaccination In Patients With Lymphoproliferative Disorders And Plasma Cell Dyscrasias: Anti-Lymphoma Therapy As A Predictive Biomarker Of Response To Vaccination, Carol Gung, Regina Mcguire, Mercy George, Abdullateef Abdulkareem, Katherine A Belden, Pierluigi Porcu, Ubaldo Martinez-Outschoorn, Adam F Binder, Inna Chervenova, Onder Alpdogan

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

We retrospectively analyzed SARS-CoV-2 vaccination antibody responses in a cohort of 273 patients with lymphoproliferative disorders or plasma cell dyscrasias who were seen at a single tertiary cancer center. Semi-quantitative anti-spike protein serologic testing was performed with enzyme immunoassay method. We found that the antibody response rate to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was 74.7% in our patient cohort with no difference based on gender, age or race. The highest response rate was found in patients with Multiple Myeloma (MM) (95.5%). The response rates found in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), and Low-Grade Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (LG-NHL) were 73.2%, 61.5% …

Association Of Underweight And Weight Loss With Poor Prognosis And Poor Therapy Effectiveness In Brain Metastases: A Retrospective Study, Yan He, Yu Zhang, Weelic Chong, Yiyan Pei, Renjie Zhang, Zheran Liu, Jiayi Yu, Xingchen Peng, Fang Fang

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Background: The prognostic role of body mass index (BMI) in patients with brain metastases is controversial. We aim to investigate the impact of BMI on prognosis and anti-cancer therapy effectiveness in brain metastases.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with brain metastases between Oct 2010 and July 2019 were followed for mortality through April 2021. The prognostic role of BMI on overall survival was assessed by a restricted cubic spline (RCS) using a flexible model to visualize the relationship between the BMI values and hazard ratios of all-cause mortality, followed by a cox regression model. The disparity of survival outcomes in patients receiving …

Monocarboxylate Transporter 4 In Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Is A Driver Of Aggressiveness In Aerodigestive Tract Cancers, Marina Domingo-Vidal, Diana Whitaker Menezes, Mehri Mollaee, Zhao Lin, Madalina Tuluc, Nancy J. Philp, Jennifer Johnson, Tingting Zhan, Joseph Curry, Ubaldo E. Martinez-Outshoorn

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

The most common cancers of the aerodigestive tract (ADT) are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The tumor stroma plays an important role in ADT cancer development and progression, and contributes to the metabolic heterogeneity of tumors. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the most abundant cell type in the tumor stroma of ADT cancers and exert pro-tumorigenic functions. Metabolically, glycolytic CAFs support the energy needs of oxidative (OXPHOS) carcinoma cells. Upregulation of the monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) and downregulation of isocitrate dehydrogenase 3α (IDH3α) are markers of glycolysis in CAFs, and upregulation of the …

Effect Of Musculature On Mortality, A Retrospective Cohort Study, Amy L Shaver, Mary E Platek, Anurag K Singh, Sung Jun Ma, Mark Farrugia, Gregory Wilding, Andrew D Ray, Heather M Ochs-Balcom, Katia Noyes

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Background: While often life-saving, treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC) can be debilitating resulting in unplanned hospitalization. Hospitalizations in cancer patients may disrupt treatment and result in poor outcomes. Pre-treatment muscle quality and quantity ascertained through diagnostic imaging may help identify patients at high risk of poor outcomes early. The primary objective of this study was to determine if pre-treatment musculature was associated with all-cause mortality.

Methods: Patient demographic and clinical characteristics were abstracted from the cancer center electronic database (n = 403). Musculature was ascertained from pre-treatment CT scans. Propensity score matching was utilized to adjust for confounding …