Neoplasms Commons^™

Insidious Abdominal Pain Masked By Kratom Abuse; A Case Of Lynch Syndrome, Grant Read, Khloe Gu, Jessica Klingensmith, Ameet Patel

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Persistent Racial And Sex-Based Disparities In Radiation Receipt And Survival Among Patients With Anal Cancer, Yashaswi Koguru, Austin Mccrea, Stephen Meyer

South Atlantic Division GME Research Days 2026

No abstract provided.

Spontaneous Hemidiaphragm Elevation, A Subtle, Early Sign Of Malignancy, Michael Lee Phillips, Caitlyn Brown, Rena Phillips, John Ashby, Chad Martins

South Atlantic Division GME Research Days 2026

No abstract provided.

The Mycancergene Study: A Hybrid Type 1 Effectiveness-Implementation Randomized Study Comparing A Patient-Centered Digital Genetic Health Portal To Usual Care After Receipt Of Cancer Genetic Testing, Daniel Chavez-Yenter, Dominique Fetzer, Brian Egleston, Susan Domchek, Linda Fleisher, Lynne Wagner, Kuang-Yi Wen, Kelsey Karpink, Lauren Gutstein, Shelby Posen, Enida Selmani, Briana Mcleod, Arravinth Anantharajah, Sarah Brown, Cara Cacioppo, Jacqueline Cappadocia, Jessica Ebrahimzadeh, Dana Falcone, Sarah Howe, Claire Langer, Beth Mccarthy-Wood, Michelle Weinberg, Angela Bradbury

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Genetic testing has become more complex with the transition from single gene testing to multi-gene panels and whole-exome sequencing. The adoption of more complex genetic testing and the promise of precision medicine has created a critical and urgent need for longitudinal clinical follow-up with patients who undergo cancer genetic testing given the residual uncertainty. There is an increasing need for multidisciplinary translational research that focuses on how to advance precision medicine discoveries into clinical practice and to capitalize on connectivity (e.g. digital health) interventions in ways that optimize cancer risk reducing behaviors in real-world clinical populations.

METHODS: The overall …

The Need For Targeted Prevention And Screening In Gastrointestinal Cancer Disparities, Jason C. Lin, John C. Lin, Joy Zhao

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Case With Refractory Myasthenia Gravis Caused By Pembrolizumab, Khaled M. Darwesh, Bushra Amer, Lateefah D. Hawshab, Fatima D Hawshab

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Nowadays, checkpoint inhibitors play a major role in the management of different types of cancers. However, we have seen variants of immune therapy-related adverse events, which usually are variables from fatigue, to neuropathy to severe devastating complications such as respiratory failure due to myasthenia gravis (MG), as we saw in our case. Our patient was started on pembrolizumab, and they developed severe respiratory failure attributed to MG after three weeks from treatment initiation. Also, the patient presented with myositis, mild myocarditis and hepatitis, which were all related to pembrolizumab.

Clinical Outcomes For Smokers With Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer: An Analysis Of The National Inpatient Sample, Matthew Ebrahim, Tony Elias, Sonika Vatsa, Yarin Trabelsi, Kyrillos Girgis, Taha Syed, Rafail Beshai

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We sought to examine the national inpatient sample database to describe in-hospital outcomes among smokers with EOCRC. The NIS was searched for hospitalizations of adult patients with EOCRC, defined as all-cause colorectal cancer in patients 50 years old or younger. In this nationally representative population‐based retrospective cohort study, hyperlipidemia was associated with higher mortality.

Investigating Pinch-1 In Glioblastoma Multiforme: A Potential Adjuvant Therapy Target To Improve Treatment Outcomes, Saikrishna Gaddam, Dianne Langford

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Gliomas account for approximately 80% of all brain cancers and 30% of central nervous system tumors. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common, is unfortunately, the most aggressive glioma cancer type. Despite treatment efforts such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, nearly all low-grade astrocytoma progress to GBM without complete surgical resection. Achieving full surgical removal is typically impossible, leading to an almost 100% recurrence rate of GBM after 9 months with a median survival of approximately 15 months. This poor prognosis is due to its high invasiveness and resistance to therapy. Therefore, improved therapeutic approaches are needed to reduce recurrence and …

Editorial: Adverse And Toxic Effects Of Childhood Cancer Treatments, Volume Ii, Antonio Ruggiero, Roderick Skinner, Pinki Prasad

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Alk Drives Neuroblastoma Tumorigenesis Via Upregulation Of Postn And Activation Of Wnt And Stat3 Signaling, Miller Huang, Wanqi Fang, Alvin Farrel, Linwei Li, Tania Porras Corredor, Shahab Asgharzadeh, John Maris, William A. Weiss

Research Symposium

Background: Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children. Two of the earliest known genetic drivers of NB are the oncogene MYCN and receptor tyrosine kinase ALK. While animal models show MYCN and mutationally active ALK F1174L can accelerate NB tumorigenesis, the mechanism of this cooperation is unknown. This study applied a human stem cell-based model to elucidate how ALK cooperates with MYCN to accelerate tumorigenesis of NB.

Methods: Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were engineered with doxycycline-inducible MYCN and constitutively active ALKF1174L. These iPSCs were differentiated into trunk neural crest cells (tNCCs) and orthotopically transplanted into …

The Link Between Alcohol And Cancer: An Under Recognized Major Public Health Problem., Ihsan Salloum

Research Symposium

Objectives: Alcohol use related consequences is a worldwide major public health problem. Alcohol use is globally responsible for three million deaths each year and accounts for 5.1% of the global burden of disease. It accounts for the highest proportion of premature mortality among those ages between 15 and 49 years of age. Alcohol use has been linked to more than 200 disease and injury conditions and to poor health and disabilities of millions of people. While the link between alcohol and cancer has been recognized for a while, the awareness of such connection is still limited among the public …

Atypical Hemorrhoid Or Hidden Malignancy? Anal Melanoma And Palliative Strategies, Osamuyi Asemota, Kayla Brown, Megan Turley

Central & West Texas and San Antonio GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Pseudomyxoma Peritonei As Initial Presentation Of Mucinous Appendiceal Adenocarcinoma, Rajiv Shah, Iren Shabanova, Radhika Mohan, Sirin Khajaviyan, David Ortega, Pooja Paunikar, Dennis Besong, Mitul Patel, Valerie Sinkler

South Atlantic Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Liver Metastasis Of Immature Teratoma And Portal Vein Embolization: A Case Report, Rohan Gupta

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

When Leukemia Takes A Bite: Unusual Gastric Involvement In B-All, Supritha Chintamaneni, Bilal Ashraf, Sushovan Guha

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Malignant Phyllodes Tumor With Osteosarcomatous Differentiation, Chris Robert, Kayla Mccarthy, Danielle Pigneri

North Texas Research Forum 2025

Introduction: Phyllodes tumors are fibroepithelial tumors accounting for 1% of primary breast neoplasm with malignant transformations occurring in 10-20% of the tumors. Heterologous osteosarcomatous differentiation is a rare and aggressive variant associated with poor prognosis. Case report: A 38-year-old female presented with a mass that she noticed a month ago with increase in size of mass to 10cm at time of presentation. A biopsy of the mass showed a fibroepithelial lesion with focal areas of stromal overgrowth, accompanied by stromal hypercellularity without evidence of nuclear pleomorphism, mitotic activity, necrosis and heterogenous elements most likely a benign phyllodes tumor. Due to …

Cryptococcoid Sweet Syndrome Following Carcinoid Tumor Removal, Ashlyn Fletcher, Taylor Smith

South Atlantic Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Characterizing A Rad23 Dependent Ultraviolet Radiation Resistance In Tetrahymena Thermophila, Emma June Liimatta

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In 2020, 10 million deaths were attributed to cancer, with multidrug resistance being responsible for over 90% of deaths in cancer patients receiving treatment. This study utilized the model organism Tetrahymena thermophila to study how cells become resistant to Ultraviolet Radiation (UV) radiation, a process similar to multidrug resistance, specifically focusing on the nucleotide excision repair and ubiquitin shuttle protein Rad23. The National Cancer Institute documented 30-60% of cancers tested had a mutation in RAD23. Knockdown of RAD23 in Tetrahymena thermophila demonstrated a UV resistance phenotype with decreased nucleotide excision repair and differential expression of proteins active within caspase-independent …

Multi-Level Factors Associated With Low Dose Computed Tomography Lung Cancer Screening In The United States, Tung Sung Tseng, Chien Ching Li, Hui Yi Lin, Kelsey N. Witmeier, Chaoyi Zeng, Yu Wen Chiu, Michael D. Celestin, Edward J. Trapido

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening is recommended for high-risk smokers to decrease lung cancer-related mortality and increase prognosis. In the U.S., the uptake of LDCT screening among eligible smokers is suboptimal. The impacts of social-environmental and individual factors on LDCT screening uptake using nationally representative dataset recommendations are understudied. The current study investigated multi-level factors associated with LDCT screening using national data. Methods: The 2017-2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, social determinants of health (SDOH) and other state-level variables (Medicaid expansion status and the number of screening facilities using American Lung Association (ALA) 's State of Lung Cancer) …

Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma In A Nonsmoker Presenting With Pathological Humeral Fracture, Nicholas Fuerstenau, Grant Cookson, Smit Jani

South Atlantic Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

A Case Report Of Fatal Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome Associated With Tivozanib In Renal Cell Carcinoma, Chad Michalenko, Ian Whitaker, Abhinav Rao

South Atlantic Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Targeted Therapies And Parpi Therapy Response Following Ici Therapy Failure In Advanced Melanoma, George Nassief, Renee Morecroft, Jordan Phillipps, David Chen, George Ansstas

South Atlantic Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

What Do Cancer Genetic Providers Want Us To Know About Variant Reclassification And Recontact That We Are Not Asking? A Thematic Analysis Of Open-Ended Survey Responses, Kerri Brown, Marisel Ponton, Elenita Davidson, Banu Arun, Robert J Volk, Sanjay Shete, Susan K Peterson, Sukh Makhnoon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Accurate variant classification and relaying reclassified results to patients is critical for hereditary cancer care delivery. Over a 5- to 10-year period, 6%-15% of variants undergo reclassification. As the frequency of reclassifications increases, the issue of whether, how, when, and which providers should recontact patients becomes important but remains contentious.

METHODS: The authors used inductive thematic analysis to analyze open-ended comments offered by oncologists and genetic counselors (GCs) from a large national survey.

RESULTS: Of the 634 oncologists and cancer GCs, 126 (20%) offered substantive free-text comments. Four thematic areas emerged: 1) ambiguity over professional responsibility to recontact, 2) …

Mechanisms Of Extracellular Vesicle Uptake And Implications For The Design Of Cancer Therapeutics, Stephanie R Jackson Cullison, Joseph P Flemming, Kubra Karagoz, Peter J Wermuth, Mỹ G Mahoney

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

The translation of pre-clinical anti-cancer therapies to regulatory approval has been promising, but slower than hoped. While innovative and effective treatments continue to achieve or seek approval, setbacks are often attributed to a lack of efficacy, failure to achieve clinical endpoints, and dose-limiting toxicities. Successful efforts have been characterized by the development of therapeutics designed to specifically deliver optimal and effective dosing to tumour cells while minimizing off-target toxicity. Much effort has been devoted to the rational design and application of synthetic nanoparticles to serve as targeted therapeutic delivery vehicles. Several challenges to the successful application of this modality as …

Micrornas Are Enriched At Covid-19 Genomic Risk Regions, And Their Blood Levels Correlate With The Covid-19 Prognosis Of Cancer Patients Infected By Sars-Cov-2, Simone Anfossi, Faezeh Darbaniyan, Joseph Quinlan, Steliana Calin, Masayoshi Shimizu, Meng Chen, Paola Rausseo, Michael Winters, Elena Bogatenkova, Kim-Anh Do, Ivan Martinez, Ziyi Li, Loredana Antal, Tudor Rares Olariu, Ignacio Wistuba, George A Calin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Cancer patients are more susceptible to an aggressive course of COVID-19. Developing biomarkers identifying cancer patients at high risk of COVID-19-related death could help determine who needs early clinical intervention. The miRNAs hosted in the genomic regions associated with the risk of aggressive COVID-19 could represent potential biomarkers for clinical outcomes.

Patients and methods: Plasma samples were collected at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from cancer patients (N = 128) affected by COVID-19. Serum samples were collected from vaccinated healthy individuals (n = 23) at the Municipal Clinical Emergency Teaching Hospital in Timisoara, Romania. An in …

Frequent Chd1 Deletions In Prostate Cancers Of African American Men Is Associated With Rapid Disease Progression, Miklos Diossy, Viktoria Tisza, Hua Li, Pranshu Sahgal, Jia Zhou, Zsofia Sztupinszki, Denise Young, Darryl Nousome, Claire Kuo, Jiji Jiang, Yongmei Chen, Reinhard Ebner, Isabell A Sesterhenn, Joel T Moncur, Gregory T Chesnut, Gyorgy Petrovics, Gregory T Klus, Gabor Valcz, Pier Vitale Nuzzo, Dezso Ribli, Judit Börcsök, Aurel Prosz, Marcin Krzystanek, Thomas Ried, David Szuts, Kinza Rizwan, Salma Kaochar, Shailja Pathania, Alan D D'Andrea, Istvan Csabai, Shiv Srivastava, Matthew L Freedman, Albert Dobi, Sandor Spisak, Zoltan Szallasi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We analyzed genomic data from the prostate cancer of African- and European American men to identify differences contributing to racial disparity of outcome. We also performed FISH-based studies of Chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 1 (CHD1) loss on prostate cancer tissue microarrays. We created CHD1-deficient prostate cancer cell lines for genomic, drug sensitivity and functional homologous recombination (HR) activity analysis. Subclonal deletion of CHD1 was nearly three times as frequent in prostate tumors of African American than in European American men and it associates with rapid disease progression. CHD1 deletion was not associated with HR deficiency associated mutational signatures or HR …

Mitochondrial Reprogramming By Activating Oxphos Via Glutamine Metabolism In African American Patients With Bladder Cancer, Karthik Reddy Kami Reddy, Danthasinghe Waduge Badrajee Piyarathna, Jun Hyoung Park, Vasanta Putluri, Chandra Sekhar Amara, Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, Jun Xu, Daniel Kraushaar, Shixia Huang, Sung Yun Jung, Livia S Eberlin, Jabril R Johnson, Rick A Kittles, Leomar Y Ballester, Krishna Parsawar, M Minhaj Siddiqui, Jianjun Gao, Adriana Langer Gramer, Roni J Bollag, Martha K Terris, Yair Lotan, Chad J Creighton, Seth P Lerner, Arun Sreekumar, Benny Abraham Kaipparettu, Nagireddy Putluri

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Bladder cancer (BLCA) mortality is higher in African American (AA) patients compared with European American (EA) patients, but the molecular mechanism underlying race-specific differences are unknown. To address this gap, we conducted comprehensive RNA-Seq, proteomics, and metabolomics analysis of BLCA tumors from AA and EA. Our findings reveal a distinct metabolic phenotype in AA BLCA characterized by elevated mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), particularly through the activation of complex I. The results provide insight into the complex I activation-driven higher OXPHOS activity resulting in glutamine-mediated metabolic rewiring and increased disease progression, which was also confirmed by [U]13C-glutamine tracing. Mechanistic studies further …

Whole Genome And Reverse Protein Phase Array Landscapes Of Patient Derived Osteosarcoma Xenograft Models, Chia-Chin Wu, Licai Huang, Zhongting Zhang, Zhenlin Ju, Xingzhi Song, E Anders Kolb, Wendong Zhang, Jonathan Gill, Min Ha, Malcolm A Smith, Peter Houghton, Christopher L Morton, Raushan Kurmasheva, John Maris, Yael Mosse, Yiling Lu, Richard Gorlick, P Andrew Futreal, Hannah C Beird

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy in children and young adults, and it has few treatment options. As a result, there has been little improvement in survival outcomes in the past few decades. The need for models to test novel therapies is especially great in this disease since it is both rare and does not respond to most therapies. To address this, an NCI-funded consortium has characterized and utilized a panel of patient-derived xenograft models of osteosarcoma for drug testing. The exomes, transcriptomes, and copy number landscapes of these models have been presented previously. This study now adds …

Genetic Analysis Of Kmt2d Loss In Tumorigenesis Using Genetically Engineered Mouse Models, Yingda Jiang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) has discovered multiple tumor suppressors that are commonly mutated across a variety of human cancers, such as chromatin regulators in COMPASS and SWI/SNF complexes. KMT2D, a histone H3K4 methyltransferase in the COMPASS complex, is frequently mutated in human lymphoma, melanoma, and epithelial carcinoma. Biochemically, KMT2D shapes the cellular enhancer landscape as the major writer of the putative enhancer mark H3K4me1. Given the critical role of cellular enhancer landscape in determining cellular lineage in embryonic development, it is unknown whether enhancer dysregulation caused by KMT2D loss leads lineage switch of tumor cells, which has …

A Retrospective Analysis Of Primary Breast Cancer Surgical Procedures (Mastectomy Versus Breast Conserving Surgery) Performed On Women Living In Rural And Urban Counties In South Carolina, Talitha M. Massaquoi

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Women dealing with a diagnosis of breast cancer may be challenged when attempting to seek and obtain medical care while living in a rural community. It is not known whether geography impacts the decision-making process for women considering elective breast cancer surgery (mastectomy versus breast conserving surgery (BCS)) in South Carolina. We performed a retrospective analysis of breast cancer surgical options offered to women to examine if a difference exists in both rural and urban settings. Although there was a higher proportion of women in South Carolina who elected to undergo a mastectomy instead of BCS (4,416 [79.5%] vs. 1,139 …