Diseases Commons^™

Assessing The Feasibility Of A Self-Management Intervention For Individuals With Advanced Prostate Cancer And Comorbid Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus, Amy L. Shaver, Christina Steinbock-Malfer, William Tester, Patrick Mille, William K. Kelly, Kevin K. Zarrabi, Costas D. Lallas, Mihir M. Shah, Rose Dimarco, Emily Brand, Shawntel Brown, Swapnil Sharma, Nikita Nikita, Cindy Cogen, Scott W. Keith, Grace Lu-Yao

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Many older adults with cancer have at least one comorbidity. Type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a common comorbidity among patients with prostate cancer (PC) and represents an important consideration in this population. Comorbid T2DM can negatively impact cancer-specific outcomes for patients, suggesting the need for better glycemic management, especially for patients on active cancer treatment. The goal of this modified Diabetes Self-Management Education Services (mDSMES) pilot study was to provide patients with the opportunity to learn methods of diabetes self-management, including how to manage their glucose levels, improve their understanding and utilization of medication to promote improvements in …

Locoregional Therapy Pressure-Enabled Drug Delivery For Liver Cancers, Thomas Eggleston, Bassem Fayek, Jacqueline Kowalke, Mina Makary

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Hepatic malignancies account for a substantial portion of global cancer mortality, with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHC), and metastatic liver disease representing the most common diagnoses. While surgical resection and liver transplantation remain curative options for eligible patients, most patients are diagnosed at stages unsuitable for surgery. This has shifted medical management towards locoregional therapies (LRTs) which are often catheter-directed. Of these interventions, the use of conventional end-hole catheters for therapeutic infusion has been a mainstay of treatment, but this method is constrained by retrograde particle escape and elevated tumoral interstitial fluid pressure. Together, these factors limit drug penetration …

Persistent Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy As A Chronic Cancer Pain Syndrome: Mechanisms, Therapeutic Limitations, And Future Directions, Reed Firestone, Jamin Morrison

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Background/Objectives: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common, dose-limiting complication of cancer therapy and a major contributor to chronic neuropathic pain among cancer survivors. Although traditionally managed as a treatment-related toxicity, persistent CIPN frequently persists long after chemotherapy completion and is increasingly recognized as a major survivorship and palliative care challenge. This review synthesizes current mechanistic, clinical, and translational evidence and reframes persistent CIPN as a chronic neuropathic cancer pain syndrome. Methods: A narrative review of peer-reviewed literature was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, supplemented by manual review of key references and clinical guidelines. Emphasis was placed …

Assessing Hpv And Hpv Vaccine Awareness And Perception Amongst Undergraduate Students, Maura Hawkins

Honors Theses

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States. Vaccination rates remain low among college-aged students despite an effective vaccine being available. This study investigates HPV and HPV vaccination-related knowledge, beliefs, and perceptions among undergraduate students to inform targeted intervention strategies. Participants included undergraduate students (n = 19) who attended one of three focus groups conducted in April 2025 at the University of South Alabama. Structured interview guides explored HPV knowledge, perceived risk and severity, attitudes towards vaccination, autonomy in health decision-making, trust in health information sources, and preferred educational strategies. Discussions were …

The Development Of A Crispr-Based Calibrated Functional Assay For Classifying Pathogenicity Of Msh2 And Msh6 Variants In Lynch Syndrome, Olivia N. Amodeo

Honors Scholar Theses

Lynch syndrome is a hereditary disease caused by the inheritance of a mismatch repair gene variant. Individuals with this condition are predisposed to cancer development, most commonly colorectal cancer. Current guidelines for variant classification are based on numerous evidence categories, including functional evidence. However, many novel clinical variants are not well characterized, and evidence is difficult to obtain if functional assays are not calibrated.

To address this, our lab created a calibrated functional assay that calculates an odds of pathogenicity score for MSH2 and MSH6 gene variants that can be used as evidence for classifying variants of uncertain significance. This …

Examining The Benefits Of A Standardized Protocol For Hyperglycemia Screening In Adult Oncology Patients: A Pilot Study, Alexa Dashko

Pacific Journal of Health

Many individuals receiving cancer directed therapy are at risk of developing hyperglycemia and new, or worsening of, diabetes due to location of their cancer, treatment regimen, and/or prolonged use of steroids. Research shows that uncontrolled hyperglycemia can have detrimental effects on individuals’ response to cancer therapy, treatment associated toxicities, quality of life and overall mortality. Despite extensive research identifying the need for routine monitoring and management of hyperglycemia in oncology patients, medical societies have yet to establish formal screening guidelines for practitioners. The aim of this pilot study was to examine the outcomes of establishing a protocol for screening and …

The Use Of Large Language Models In Enhancing Patient Education Materials For Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors, Brendan Dolan, Aniela Crayton, Emerson Woodbury, Miguel Tzita, Eliza Beal Md, Gregory Dyson Phd

Medical Student Research Symposium

Background:

Incidence and prevalence of Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (PNETs) has increased in recent years. More than half of American adults endorse utilizing the internet within the past year to search for medical information. This study aims to investigate the use of Large Language Models (LLMs), a popular type of artificial intelligence, to improve the efficacy of online patient education materials (oPEMs) in providing accurate and digestible information to patients with a PNET diagnosis.

Methods: Content from 36 web pages related to PNET was transferred to two popular LLMs, Chat GPT and Google Gemini, with the prompt “rewrite the following text …

Limited English Proficiency, Acculturative Stress, And Quality Of Life Among Korean American Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B, Hee-Soon Juon, Gilbert C. Gee, Julia G. Katcher, Daniel Yang, Katherine Smith, Ann C. Klassen

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is one of the most widespread liver diseases in the world and disproportionately affects Asian Americans, who are further impacted by the lower quality of life imposed by the infection. Limited English proficiency (LEP) and acculturative stress play an important role in the study of patients with CHB, but the interrelationships of LEP, acculturative stress, and health outcomes are not well studied in this population. This study aims to explore how acculturative stress mediates the relationship between LEP and health outcomes among Korean American patients with CHB.

METHODS: A total of 365 CHB patients completed …

The Association Of P27 With Prostate Cancer Outcomes: A Secondary Analysis Of Nrg/Rtog 8610 And 9202, Krishnan Patel, Stephanie Pugh, Jeffry Simko, Anthony Zietman, Michelangelo Fiorentino, David Paul D'Souza, Seth Rosenthal, Adam Currey, Adam Dicker, Bradley Stish, Eric Horwitz, Tyler Robin, Michael Dominello, Christopher Peters, Kwang Choi, Jason Efstathiou, Samir Narayan, George Daniel Grass, Zaker Rana, Phuoc Tran, Massimo Loda, Paul Nguyen

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 is a well-profiled modulator of cell cycle progression. Low nuclear p27 levels have been demonstrated to have a negative prognostic impact on outcomes in patients undergoing prostatectomy. The prognostic value of p27 after radiation therapy (RT) for prostate cancer is unknown.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: Levels of p27 were evaluated in pre-RT prostate biopsy samples from 2 randomized, phase 3 trials, NRG/RTOG 8610 and 9202, which treated patients with RT with or without androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Nuclear p27 was analyzed using immunohistochemistry and quantified using automated imaging analysis. The association of p27 as both …

Epigenetic Activation Of Ebv Bglf4 Determines Antiviral-Based Regimen Response In Ebv+Cns Lymphoproliferative Disease, Christoph Weigel, Haley Klimaszewski, Fode Tounkara, Selamawit Addissie, Sarah Schlotter, Betsy Pray, James Dugan, Bradley Haverkos, Lynda Villagomez, Mark Lustberg, Pierluigi Porcu, Timothy Voorhees, Richard Ambinder, Shannon Kenney, Joyce Fingeroth, Henri-Jacques Delecluse, Michael Caligiuri, Lapo Alinari, Ginny Bumgardner, Christopher Oakes, Robert Baiocchi

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)–associated primary central nervous system lymphoproliferative diseases (EBV+PCNSL) are aggressive conditions with poor prognoses. We previously reported durable responses in patients with PCNSL who were treated with the antivirals ganciclovir and azidothymidine, plus rituximab and dexamethasone (GARD). Responses were associated with the detection of the lytic viral protein kinases, BGLF4 and BXLF1. These antiviral activating kinases are associated with lytic EBV, however, the mechanism for expression in latently infected EBV+CNSL is unknown. Expanding on previous work, we provide long-term clinical outcome data (N = 24) and show that RNA expression analysis in CNSL tissue biopsies (n = 12) …

Population Analysis And Immunologic Landscape Of Melanoma In People Living With Hiv, Lindsay Barger, Derek Wang, Ashley Saravia, Valeria Mezzano, Gyles Ward, Cynthia Loomis, Carly Feldman, Madalina Tuluc, Rino Seedor, Peter Gaskill, Anna Coghill, Gita Suneja, Iman Dehzangi, Jennifer Hope, George Jour, Gabriele Romano

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: To dissect the clinical and immunologic features of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; PLWH) diagnosed with melanoma, who have consistently shown worse outcomes than HIV-negative individuals (PLw/oH) with the same cancer.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We analyzed electronic health records from 1,087 PLWH and 394,437 PLw/oH with melanoma. Demographic and clinical characteristics were compared. Spatial immune transcriptomics (72 immune-related genes) was performed on melanoma tumor samples (n = 11), with downstream validation using multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF; n = 15 PLWH, n = 14 PLw/oH).

RESULTS: PLWH were diagnosed at a younger age, had a greater representation of Hispanic and …

The Path Forward For T Cell Engagers In Patients With Prostate Cancer, Sumit K. Subudhi, Bilal A. Siddiqui, Kevin K. Zarrabi, William K. Kelly, Charles G. Drake

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

T cell engagers (TCEs) recruit T cells to the tumor microenvironment (TME) to induce antitumor immune responses. TCEs have demonstrated promising clinical responses in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and have advanced into phase 3 clinical trials. Here we provide an overview of the mechanisms of action of TCEs, including both CD3-targeted and CD28-targeted agents, and review the clinical development of these agents for prostate cancer. We propose a path forward for TCEs in prostate cancer, in which innovative clinical trials will facilitate a biological understanding of mechanisms of efficacy and toxicity to inform: (1) development of predictive biomarkers …

Management Of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Review, Chetan Jeurkar, Lana King, David Baek, Lindsay Wilde, Gina Keiffer, Margaret Kasner

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Background/Objectives: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous hematologic malignancy with historically poor outcomes, particularly among older adults and patients harboring high-risk molecular features. Advances in genomic profiling have enabled the development of targeted therapies, reshaping treatment algorithms beyond conventional cytarabine-anthracycline induction and hypomethylating agent-based regimens. This review summarizes current evidence and emerging therapeutic strategies across four evolving areas: menin inhibition, FLT3 inhibition, IDH inhibition and treatment approaches for TP53-mutated AML. Methods: We reviewed published clinical trials, preclinical studies, and ongoing clinical trials evaluating targeted therapies in AML. Emphasis was placed on agents with regulatory approval or substantial clinical development, …

Optimizing Electrode Placement And Information Capacity For Local Field Potentials In Cortex, Jace A Willis, Christopher E Wright, Ruoqian Zhu, Yilan Ruan, Joshua Stallings, Amada M Abrego, Takfarinas Medani, Promit Moitra, Arjun Ramakrishnan, Charles E Schroeder, Anand A Joshi, Nitin Tandon, Richard M Leahy, John C Mosher, John P Seymour

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Recent neurosurgery advancements include improved stereotactic targeting and increased density and specificity of electrophysiological evaluation. This study introduces a subject-specific, in silico modeling tool for optimizing electrode placement and maximizing coverage with a variety of devices. The basis for optimization is the Shannon-Hartley information capacity of field potentials derived from dipolar sources. The approach integrates subject-specific MRI data with finite element modeling (FEM) used to simulate the sensitivity of subdural and intracortical devices. Sensitivity maps, or lead fields, from these models enable the comparison of different electrode placements, contact sizes, contact configurations, and substrate properties, which are often overlooked factors. …

Synergistic Anti-Tumor Activity Of Ciclopirox Olamine And Metformin In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Yakun Wu, Hui Lyu, Congcong Tan, Margaret E. Larsen, Shou Ching Tang, Shile Huang, Bolin Liu

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Vascular Density/Angiogenesis Marker Cd31/Pecam1 Does Not Correlate With Overall Survival In Neuroendocrine Tumors, Nicholas J. Skill, Kenneth Avanzino, Yvette Bren-Mattison, J. Philip Boudreaux, Ramcharan Thiagarajan, Mary Maluccio

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Abstract: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are rare cancers. CD31/PECAM1 is an adhesion molecule that modulates endothelial cell-to-cell contact. Increased CD31 expression is a marker for tumor growth, and cancer aggressiveness. The purpose of this study was to better understand the prognostic value of CD31 expression in primary and metastatic NEN tumors in terms of correlations with overall survival and pathological metrics, tumor grade, and tumor primary/metastatic location. As NENs are highly vascular tumors, the hypothesis is that CD31 staining is an important prognostic biomarker and target. This is based on prior correlations between CD31 staining and 3-year recurrence-free survival in pancreas …

A Phase 1, First-In-Human, Dose Escalation Study Of Jnj-80038114, A Psmaxcd3 Bispecific Antibody, In Participants With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer, Andrew Hudson, Anuradha Jayaram, Benjamin Garmezy, Nicholas Zorko, Kevin Zarrabi, Ligi Mathews, Brent Rupnow, Mengjie Li, Debopriya Ghosh, Karen Urtishak, Peter Francis, Sherry Wang, Edward Attiyeh, Johann De Bono

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) has been identified as a therapeutic target for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The recent success of radioligands targeting PSMA spurred development of new PSMA-targeting agents including immunotherapy. JNJ-80038114 is a bispecific antibody that binds PSMA on tumor cells and CD3 on T cells to induce anti-tumor activity.

METHODS: This was a phase 1, open-label, multicenter study of JNJ-80038114 in participants with mCRPC and ≥ 1 prior systemic therapy. JNJ-80038114 was administered subcutaneously every 3 weeks (Q3W), starting at 0.1 mg. The primary endpoint was safety. Secondary endpoints included pharmacokinetics (PK), immunogenicity, and prostate-specific antigen …

Lymphoma, Children's Health School Services

School Guides

Educator guide about how to support students with lymphoma.

Mechanism-Driven Therapy For Diabetic Cardiovascular Disease, Fabian Sanchis-Gomar, Carl J. Lavie, Salvatore Carbone, Ian J. Neeland

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Diabetic cardiovascular disease is a network disorder, not a glucose-only complication

Diabetes accelerates cardiovascular (CV) target-organ damage through multiple interacting biological modules that amplify risk even when glycemia is modestly controlled^[1]. These modules include (i) adipose tissue dysfunction with altered adipokine secretion and immune-cell infiltration; (ii) ectopic lipid deposition in liver, myocardium, and perivascular/epicardial fat (iii) endothelial dysfunction with impaired nitric oxide bioavailability and heightened oxidative stress (iv) chronic kidney disease (CKD)-mediated volume, pressure, and uremic-toxin stress, and (v) autonomic and neurohormonal activation that promotes hypertension, arrhythmias, and remodeling^[1]. The clinical spectrum includes macrovascular disease …

A Review Of Mobility And Gait Changes In Patients With Prostate Cancer: Disease Stage, Symptom, And Treatment-Related Influences, Lauren Hathorn, Abigail Schmitt Dr

2026 Honors Symposium

Background: This review examines the impact of prostate cancer symptoms, progression, and treatments on patients’ gait and mobility. Prostate cancer is the leading cancer diagnosis for men in the United States, with an increase in incidents in the last decade. Prostate cancer, its progression, and its various symptoms and treatments have both physical and functional consequences that often cause changes in patients’ mobility and gait. Some studies have found gait to be a predictor of functional decline and mortality. Given that functional decline and mortality are also consequences of cancer progression and cancer treatments, gait analysis could offer a non-invasive …

Improving Prostate Cancer Patients’ Experience And Understanding With A Pre-Ct Simulation Checklist In Genitourinary Radiation Oncology, Christopher Le

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Improving Prostate Cancer Patients’ Experience and Understanding With a Pre-CT Simulation Checklist in Genitourinary Radiation Oncology

Purpose

The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to implement a Pre-CT Simulation checklist for Prostate cancer patients in the outpatient Radiation Oncology Genitourinary clinic to improve patients’ experience and comprehension on their Simulation Day.

Background

The CT simulation is a critical step in treatment planning. Lack of clear, concise, consistent instruction and education preparation prior to simulation day can delay planning and treatment. Currently, there is no standardized checklist to ensure patients are educated and prepared for their CT simulation day. …

Investigating The Role Of Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine For Cancer Symptom Management In Older Adults: A Rapid Review, Isabelle C. Karshner

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Patients with cancer often experience symptoms related to disease, complications, and treatment. One potential method of alleviating these symptoms is traditional Chinese herbal medications (TCHM). This rapid review explores the role of traditional Chinese herbal medications in treating cancer-related symptoms in older adults.

Purpose: The purpose of this rapid review is to gain and provide a better understanding of the effects of TCHM on cancer-symptom management in the older adult population. This review explores the association between TCHM and effects on cancer symptoms in older adults, including interactions, toxicity, and signs/symptoms of TCHM use that may be useful information …

Attf-Gnn: An Attention-Based Multi-Omics Graph Neural Network With Modality Learning For Disease Subtyping, Sovon Chakraborty, Eleni Adam, Terry Stilwell, Harold Riethman, Desh Ranjan, Pratip Rana

Computer Science Faculty Publications

We propose AttF-GNN, an attention-based graph fusion strategy for diseases classification and subtyping. In multiomics analysis, not all types of molecular data are equally relevant for disease subtyping and considering all modalities equally may obscure discriminative signals and limit the effectiveness of predictive models by overlooking modality-specific contributions. Therefore, we design an attention-based multimodal GraphSAGE framework that can automatically emphasize the modalities providing the most relevant information for classification. At first, we have constructed three graphs using mRNA, RNA-seq and DNA methylation modalities, and train each omics with individual GraphSAGE encoders. Next, a unified intersection graph is formed using an …

Inflammatory Co-Regulation Of Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels And Na,K-Atpase In Metastatic Breast Cancer, Steven D. Scahill, Kelly Jean Sherman, Dennis Paul

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Sodium regulation is a potentially major driver of cancer metastasis. Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) and Na,K-ATPase are sodium transporters that are upregulated in many advanced carcinomas and are implicated as metastatic drivers. However, little is known about what drives this overexpression, how these proteins influence metastatic behavior, or whether these complementary sodium transporters are co-regulated in cancer. Using sodium transporter regulation in healthy neurons as a model, the present study demonstrated that the inflammatory mediator tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) affects the expression of VGSCs and Na,K-ATPase in an in vitro model of metastatic breast cancer. Acute TNFα challenge increased …

Subgroup Analyses Of The Phase 3 Focus Study Of Melphalan/Hepatic Delivery System In Patients With Unresectable Metastatic Uveal Melanoma, Jonathan S. Zager, Marlana Orloff, Pier Francesco Ferrucci, Junsung Choi, David J. Eschelman, Evan S. Glazer, Aslam Ejaz, Erika Richtig, Sebastian Ochsenreither, Sunil A. Reddy, Michael C. Lowe, Georgia M. Beasley, Anja Gesierich, Martin Gschnell, Reinhard Dummer, Ana Arance, Stephen William Fenwick, Joseph J. Sacco, Johnny John, Matthew Wheater, Christian H. Ottensmeier

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: To assess efficacy and safety in subgroups of patients treated with Melphalan/Hepatic Delivery System (melphalan/HDS), a drug/device combination for liver-directed treatment of metastatic UM (mUM) patients. Previously reported FOCUS study results indicated melphalan/HDS treatment provides a clinically meaningful response rate and favorable benefit-risk ratio in patients with unresectable mUM.

METHODS: Patients with mUM received treatment with melphalan (3.0 mg/kg ideal body weight) every 6-8 weeks for up to 6 cycles. Post hoc analyses of efficacy and safety were conducted for patient subgroups based on demographic and baseline disease characteristics.

RESULTS: 102 patients with mUM were enrolled; treatment was attempted …

Role Of Gut Microbiome In Oncogenesis And Oncotherapies, Renuka Sri Sai Peddireddi, Sai Kiran Kuchana, Rohith Kode, Saketh Khammammettu, Aishwarya Koppanatham, Supriya Mattigiri, Harshavardhan Gobburi, Suresh K. Alahari

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

The gut microbiome has emerged as a key regulator of human health, influencing not only metabolism and immunity but also the development and treatment of cancer. Mounting evidence suggests that microbial dysbiosis contributes to oncogenesis by driving chronic inflammation, producing genotoxic metabolites, altering bile acid metabolism, and disrupting epithelial barrier integrity. At the same time, the gut microbiome significantly modulates the host response to oncotherapies including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and especially immunotherapy, where microbial diversity and specific taxa determine treatment efficacy and toxicity. This review synthesizes current evidence on the role of the gut microbiome in both oncogenesis and oncotherapies, focusing …

Incidental Cardiac Metastasis In Breast Carcinoma, Yaomin Chen, Haibo Wang, Zhiyan Fu, Ellen Elizabeth Connor

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background and Clinical Significance: Metastatic breast cancer is a major global health burden, with common metastatic sites including the bones, lungs, liver, and brain. Cardiac metastasis is rare and often clinically silent, leading to underdiagnosis. Recognizing cardiac involvement, even when asymptomatic, is important for understanding the full extent of disease and ensuring optimal patient care. Case Presentation: We report the case of a woman with advanced breast carcinoma who showed no clinical or imaging evidence of cardiac involvement throughout the course of her illness. Following her death from progressive metastatic disease, an autopsy revealed metastatic carcinoma infiltrating the myocardium and …

Radiogenomic Profiling Of Prostate Tumors Prior To External Beam Radiotherapy Converges On A Transcriptomic Signature Of Tgf-Β Activity Driving Tumor Recurrence, Anson T. Ku, Uma Shankavaram, Shana Y. Trostel, Hong Zhang, Sumeyra Kartal, Houssein A. Sater, Stephanie A. Harmon, Nicole V. Carrabba, Yang Liu, Hyunnam Ryu, James A. Proudfoot, Boon Hao Hong, Bradford J. Wood, Peter A. Pinto, Peter L. Choyke, Mack Roach, Howard M. Sandler, Stephanie L. Pugh, Kenneth L. Zeitzer, Lucas C. Mendez, Nirav S. Kapadia, William A. Hall, Anand B. Desai, Radka S. Stoyanova, Alan Pollack, Elai Davicioni, Melvin L. K. Chua, Baris Turkbey, Adam G. Sowalsky, Deborah E. Citrin

Einstein Health Papers

PURPOSE: Clinical risk grouping based on PSA, tumor grade, and disease extent guides treatment intensity for localized prostate cancer. However, many patients with intermediate- or high-risk disease treated with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) still develop biochemical recurrence (BCR). Early identification of patients at high risk for BCR could enable personalized treatment strategies.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We prospectively enrolled 29 patients with intermediate- or high-risk prostate cancer undergoing EBRT and ADT. Pretreatment biopsies (n = 60) underwent whole-transcriptome microarray and whole-exome sequencing. Patients received multiparametric MRI at baseline and 6 months after treatment, with a median follow-up …

Proteome-Wide Association Study Of Prostate Cancer Risk Across Populations, Hua Zhong, Jingjing Zhu, Shuai Liu, Chong Wu, Liang Wang, Seamus P. Whelton, Catherine H. Marshall, Michael J. Blaha, Peter Durda, Xiuqing Guo, Craig W. Johnson, Henry J. Lin, Kent D. Taylor, Russell P. Tracy, Ronit I. Yarden, Ani W. Manichaikul, Stephen S. Rich, Jerome I. Rotter, Rajat Deo, Ruth F. Dubin, Peter Ganz, Lang Wu

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

There is insufficient understanding of the molecular basis of prostate cancer (PCa) across different populations. We perform a large-scale proteome-wide association study (PWAS) to identify proteins with genetically regulated expression in plasma to be associated with PCa risk across populations. We develop genetic prediction models for expression of 1578, 1993, 1218, and 1390 proteins for African (n = 450), European (n = 758), Asian (n = 289), and Hispanic/Latino (n = 474) males, respectively, and evaluate associations of genetically regulated protein expression with PCa risk in 19,391 PCa cases and 61,608 controls of African population, 122,188 cases and 604,640 controls …

Urgent Radiotherapy For Superior Vena Cava Syndrome In Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Case Report, Arpeet Patel, Nilanjan Haldar, Ida Micaily, Michael Greenberg, Evan Nardone, John A. Lippert, Christopher Fundakowski, Adam C. Mueller

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome is a life-threatening complication of thoracic malignancies, requiring rapid management in the setting of airway compromise or hemodynamic instability. We present a 59-year-old male with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who developed superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) due to compression from a large mediastinal mass identified as metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. His declining respiratory status progressed rapidly, necessitating intensive care. After extensive multidisciplinary collaboration, the patient was determined fit for inpatient radiation therapy and 10 fractions of 300 cGy external beam radiotherapy to the obstructing lesion was planned. However, the patient was unable to lay …