Genetic Phenomena Commons^™

Incidence Of Bacterial Blood Stream Infections In Patients With Acute Gvhd, Whitney Wallis, Alison M Gulbis, Tao Wang, Catherine J Lee, Akshay Sharma, Kirsten M Williams, Taiga Nishihori, Tim Prestidge, Lohith Gowda, Michael Byrne, Maxwell M Krem, Margaret L Macmillan, Carrie L Kitko, Joseph Pidala, Stephen R Spellman, Stephanie J Lee, Amin M Alousi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Bacterial bloodstream infections (BSI) can be a substantial contributor to complications of GVHD treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the risk for BSI from neutrophil engraftment through day 100 post transplant in patients with acute GVHD (AGVHD) based on organ involvement and severity. Patients (n = 4064) who underwent an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) reported to the CIBMTR registry were analyzed. Grade II-IV AGVHD occurred in 1607 (39.5%) patients and was associated with a greater day-100 incidence of post engraftment BSI than with grade 0/I (24.9 vs. 15.3%). Patients with grade III/IV AGVHD had the …

Correspondence To Letter To The Editor On “Genomic Biomarkers To Predict Response To Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab Immunotherapy In Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Insights From The Imbrave150 Trial”, Sung Hwan Lee, Sun Young Yim, Ji Hoon Kim, Sunyoung S Lee, Ahmed O Kaseb, Peng Wei, Ju-Seog Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Long-Term Follow-Up Of A Phase 2 Study Of All-Trans Retinoic Acid, Arsenic Trioxide, And Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin In Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, Wei-Ying Jen, Jennifer Marvin-Peek, Hagop M Kantarjian, Yesid Alvarado, Gautam Borthakur, Elias Jabbour, William Wierda, Tapan M Kadia, Naval G Daver, Courtney D Dinardo, Nicholas J Short, Nitin Jain, Alessandra Ferrajoli, Steven Kornblau, Musa Yilmaz, Maro Ohanian, David Mccue, Jan Burger, Danielle Hammond, Keyur Patel, Ghayas C Issa, Naveen Pemmaraju, Koji Sasaki, Abhishek Maiti, Hussein A Abbas, Kelly Chien, Koichi Takahashi, Fadi Haddad, Prithviraj Bose, Lucia Masarova, Guillermo Montalban-Bravo, Mahesh Swaminathan, Mark Brandt, Sherry Pierce, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Farhad Ravandi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) combinations have produced excellent outcomes in patients with standard-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Herein, the authors update their long-term results with the regimen of ATO-ATRA and gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) in standard-risk and high-risk APL.

Methods: This was a phase 2 trial of patients with newly diagnosed APL. Induction comprised ATRA 45 mg/m2 and ATO 0.15 mg/kg daily. GO 6-9 mg/m2 was added for high-risk patients and for standard-risk patients who developed leukocytosis >10 × 109/L. Consolidation consisted of four courses of ATO-ATRA, with GO for patients who had PML::RARA persistence.

Results: …

Circulating Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 (Fgf21) As A Prognostic And Diagnostic Biomarker In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Joe R Eid, Merih Yalciner, Lianchun Xiao, Ryan Sun, Mahesh Kumar Kannan, Manal Hassan, Asif Rashid, Shadi Chamseddine, Hop S Tran Cao, Hesham M Amin, Ahmed O Kaseb

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a hormone synthesized and released by liver cells. Deficiency in FGF21 has been shown to be associated with steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. Moreover, recent evidence suggests that elevated FGF21 levels may paradoxically correlate with worse outcomes in HCC. We aimed to evaluate the association between serum FGF21 levels, clinicopathological parameters, and overall survival (OS) in HCC patients.

Patients and methods: From 2001 to 2014, newly diagnosed HCC patients were recruited as part of an IRB-approved protocol. Blood samples were prospectively collected and a CLIA-certified lab measured …

Isatuximab For The Treatment Of Multiple Myeloma: Current Clinical Advances And Future Directions, Paul G Richardson, Elisabeth K O'Donnell, Peter O'Gorman, Lisa B Leypoldt, Jacob Laubach, Francesca Gay, Xavier Leleu, Thierry Facon, Philippe Moreau, Meletios A Dimopoulos, Hartmut Goldschmidt, Elias K Mai, Michele Cavo, Katja C Weisel, Jesus G Berdeja, Robert Z Orlowski, Meral Beksaç, Aurore Perrot, Joseph Mikhael, Thomas Martin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: The addition of the anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody isatuximab to standard therapies is transforming the care of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM), as previously seen in the relapsed/refractory setting. This is particularly important for patients with NDMM as early treatment with effective, well tolerated therapies may ensure better clinical outcomes.

Areas covered: Here, we examine recent results from pivotal Phase 3 and 2 clinical trials that demonstrate efficacy and safety of isatuximab across multiple combinations, for both transplant-ineligible and transplant-eligible NDMM patients. We then evaluate long-term outcomes from the IKEMA and ICARIA-MM trials as well as real-world evidence …

Plain Language Summary: An Analysis Of The Safety Of Futibatinib Treatment In People With Different Types Of Cancer, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Antoine Hollebecque, Junji Furuse, Do-Youn Oh, John A Bridgewater, Bailey Anderson, Nanae Hangai, Volker Wacheck, Lipika Goyal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

What is this summary about?: Researchers combined information from three separate phase 1 and 2 clinical trials, including over 400 people who had one of 33 different cancer types and who all received futibatinib in their clinical trial. This type of study is called a pooled analysis. Futibatinib is taken orally (by mouth) as a tablet and works by reducing the activity of a group of proteins called fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs). FGFRs drive the growth of some cancers, especially cancer cells with changes in FGFR genes that make the proteins more active. Researchers wanted to look at how …

The Tripod-Llm Reporting Guideline For Studies Using Large Language Models, Jack Gallifant, Majid Afshar, Saleem Ameen, Yindalon Aphinyanaphongs, Shan Chen, Giovanni Cacciamani, Dina Demner-Fushman, Dmitriy Dligach, Roxana Daneshjou, Chrystinne Fernandes, Lasse Hyldig Hansen, Adam Landman, Lisa Lehmann, Liam G Mccoy, Timothy Miller, Amy Moreno, Nikolaj Munch, David Restrepo, Guergana Savova, Renato Umeton, Judy Wawira Gichoya, Gary S Collins, Karel G M Moons, Leo A Celi, Danielle S Bitterman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Large language models (LLMs) are rapidly being adopted in healthcare, necessitating standardized reporting guidelines. We present transparent reporting of a multivariable model for individual prognosis or diagnosis (TRIPOD)-LLM, an extension of the TRIPOD + artificial intelligence statement, addressing the unique challenges of LLMs in biomedical applications. TRIPOD-LLM provides a comprehensive checklist of 19 main items and 50 subitems, covering key aspects from title to discussion. The guidelines introduce a modular format accommodating various LLM research designs and tasks, with 14 main items and 32 subitems applicable across all categories. Developed through an expedited Delphi process and expert consensus, TRIPOD-LLM emphasizes …

Dose Planning And Radiation Optimization For Thoracic Conventional, Twice Daily, And Stereotactic Radiation Therapy: A Delphi Consensus From A National Survey Of Practitioners, Julius Weng, Jeff Ryckman, Matthew S Katz, Hina Saeed, Christopher Estes, Issam El Naqa, Amy Moreno, Sue S Yom

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: We sent surveys to a large number of radiation oncologists with active thoracic cancer practices and applied the Delphi method over 3 rounds to generate consensus dose-volume histogram metrics. We used these results to create consensus-based organs-at-risk dose constraints and target goal templates for practical implementation.

Methods and materials: In this institutional review board-approved study, data were collected using REDCap electronic data capture on a secure server. Radiation oncologists identified from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited departments' websites were asked to confirm their self-identification as thoracic radiation oncologists and nominate other respondents. All invitees were asked to …

Icos And Icos Ligand: Expression Patterns And Outcomes In Oncology Patients, Mina Nikanjam, Shumei Kato, Daisuke Nishizaki, Donald A Barkauskas, Sarabjot Pabla, Mary K Nesline, Jeffrey M Conroy, Aung Naing, Razelle Kurzrock

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Inducible T-cell co-stimulator (ICOS) and its ligand (ICOSL) form a complex, two-faced immune machinery that can lead to both immune stimulation and inhibition.

Objective: We explored ICOS transcriptomic expression patterns and their relationship with other checkpoints and with outcomes in patients with advanced/metastatic cancers.

Design: This was a retrospective cohort study.

Methods: RNA expression for ICOS and other immune checkpoints was quantified by RNA sequencing and stratified by rank values into high (75-100 percentiles) and low (0-24 percentiles). Fischer's exact tests were used for univariate analyses to evaluate independent predictors of ICOS high and logistic regression was used for …

Meeting Highlights The 4th Marie Skłodowska-Curie Symposium On Cancer Research And Care: Mechanisms Of Support For Regional & International Collaborations, Pawel Kalinski, Kathleen M Kokolus, Indu Ahluwalia, Mihaela Balu, Łukasz Balwicki, Brygida Baran, Loretta Beine, Mikhail Berezin, Ioana Berindan-Neagoe, Andriy Beznosenko, Blanka Borowiec, Szabolcs Bozsányi, Jonathan Bramson, Brian Czerniecki, Rūta Everatt, Wojciech Fendler, Peter Forsyth, Jeffrey E Gershenwald, Maciej Goniewicz, Khurshid Guru, Andrew Hyland, Smitha James, Iva Kirac, Pawel Koczkodaj, Leszek Kotula, Maciej Łuba, Iwona Ługowska, Elizabeth Luke, Cristian Lungulescu, Sandro Matosevic, Kaushal Nanavati, Michael Nemeth, Karolina Nowak, Katia Noyes, Mark Parascandola, Waldemar Priebe, Piotr Rutkowski, Mukund Seshadri, Christine E Sheffer, Ioana-Miruna Stanciu, Joanna Stanson, Telisa Stewart, Edita Sužiedėlienė, Kęstutis Sužiedėlis, Iryna Tanasiichuk, Anda M Vlad, Wei-Zen Wei, Dylan Williams, Malgorzata Wojtowicz, Tomasz Zdrojewski

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Symposia on Cancer Research and Care (MSCS-CRC) promote collaborations between cancer researchers and care providers in the United States, Canada and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) to accelerate the development of new cancer therapies, new strategies for early detection and prevention, and improve cancer care and the quality of life for patients and their families. The 4th MSCS-CRC (September 25-27, 2024, Buffalo, New York) brought together 147 participants from the US, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Ukraine, and involved representatives of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Cancer Institute (NCI) …

Comparison Of Deep Learning Schemes In Grading Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Using B-Mode Ultrasound Hepatorenal Window Images With Liver Biopsy As The Gold Standard, Petros Drazinos, Ilias Gatos, Paraskevi F Katsakiori, Stavros Tsantis, Efstratios Syrmas, Stavros Spiliopoulos, Dimitris Karnabatidis, Ioannis Theotokas, Pavlos Zoumpoulis, John D Hazle, George C Kagadis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/introduction: To evaluate the performance of pre-trained deep learning schemes (DLS) in hepatic steatosis (HS) grading of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) patients, using as input B-mode US images containing right kidney (RK) cortex and liver parenchyma (LP) areas indicated by an expert radiologist.

Methods: A total of 112 consecutively enrolled, biopsy-validated NAFLD patients underwent a regular abdominal B-mode US examination. For each patient, a radiologist obtained a B-mode US image containing RK cortex and LP and marked a point between the RK and LP, around which a window was automatically cropped. The cropped image dataset was augmented using up-sampling, …

Prevalence Of Carotid Ultrasound Screening In Survivors Of Childhood Cancer: A Report From The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, Yolanda Bryce, Jillian A Whitton, Kayla L Stratton, Wendy M Leisenring, Eric J Chow, Gregory Armstrong, Brent Weil, Bryan Dieffenbach, Rebecca M Howell, Kevin C Oeffinger, Paul C Nathan, Emily S Tonorezos

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Many childhood cancer survivors are at risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke. The North American Children's Oncology Group long-term follow-up guidelines recommend carotid ultrasound in cancer survivors 10 years after neck radiation therapy (RT) ≥40 Gy. The use of carotid ultrasound in this population has not been described.

Methods: Survivors of childhood cancer diagnosed 1970-1999 (N = 8693) and siblings (N = 1989) enrolled in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study were asked if they had ever had a carotid ultrasound. Prevalence of carotid ultrasound was evaluated. Prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were evaluated in multivariate Poisson …

Safety And Activity Of Ctx130, A Cd70-Targeted Allogeneic Crispr-Cas9-Engineered Car T-Cell Therapy, In Patients With Relapsed Or Refractory T-Cell Malignancies (Cobalt-Lym): A Single-Arm, Open-Label, Phase 1, Dose-Escalation Study, Swaminathan P Iyer, R Alejandro Sica, P Joy Ho, Anca Prica, Jasmine Zain, Francine M Foss, Boyu Hu, Amer Beitinjaneh, Wen-Kai Weng, Youn H Kim, Michael S Khodadoust, Auris O Huen, Leah M Williams, Anna Ma, Elaine Huang, Avanti Ganpule, Shashwat Deepali Nagar, Parin Sripakdeevong, Erika L Cullingford, Sushant Karnik, Mary-Lee Dequeant, Janki N Patel, Xinyi Shirley He, Ziliang Li, Qiuling Ally He, Joy H Mendonez, Alissa Keegan, Steven M Horwitz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Effective treatment options are scarce for relapsed or refractory T-cell lymphoma. This study assesses the safety and activity of CTX130 (volamcabtagene durzigedleucel), a CD70-directed, allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) immunotherapy manufactured from healthy donor T cells, in patients with relapsed or refractory T-cell lymphoma.

Methods: This single-arm, open-label, phase 1 study was done at ten medical centres across the USA, Australia, and Canada in patients (aged ≥18 years) with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma or cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, who had received at least one or at least two previous systemic therapy lines, respectively, and had an Eastern Cooperative …

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Management And Research In 2025, Hagop M Kantarjian, Courtney D Dinardo, Tapan M Kadia, Naval G Daver, Jessica K Altman, Eytan M Stein, Elias Jabbour, Charles A Schiffer, Amy Lang, Farhad Ravandi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The first 5 decades of research in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were dominated by the cytarabine plus anthracyclines backbone, with advances in strategies including allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, high-dose cytarabine, supportive care measures, and targeted therapies for the subset of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Since 2017, a turning point in AML research, 12 agents have received regulatory approval for AML in the United States: venetoclax (BCL2 inhibitor); gemtuzumab ozogamicin (CD33 antibody-drug conjugate); midostaurin, gilteritinib, and quizartinib (fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 inhibitors); ivosidenib, olutasidenib, and enasidenib (isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 inhibitors); oral azacitidine (a partially absorbable formulation); CPX351 …

Management Of Hemolytic Transfusion Reactions In A Patient With Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia And Rare Antibodies: A Case Report, Grace S Park, Himachandana Atluri, Courtney D Dinardo, Bryan Guillroy, Jean Horak, Effrosyni Apostolidou, Maryam Buni, Guillermo Montalban Bravo, Naveen Pemmaraju

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction (DHTR) poses a significant challenge in patients receiving blood transfusions. This case report highlights the complexities of managing DHTR in a newly diagnosed chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) patient with clinically significant JKa and little c antibodies during induction chemotherapy. A 46-year-old woman with CMML-2 who presented for induction chemotherapy was found to have hemolytic anemia. Due to presence of JKa and little c antibodies, she required intensive monitoring and supportive care measures. The coexistence of JKa and little c antibodies complicates transfusion management and chemotherapy tolerance in CMML patients.

Phase 1 Trial Of Hypofractionated Stereotactic Re-Irradiation In Combination With Nivolumab, Ipilimumab, And Bevacizumab For Recurrent High-Grade Gliomas, Solmaz Sahebjam, Raju R Raval, Peter A Forsyth, Heiko Enderling, Nam D Tran, John A Arrington, Robert Macaulay, Haley K Perlow, Joshua D Palmer, Jayeeta Ghose, Prajwal Rajappa, Pierre Giglio, Zihai Li, Arnold B Etame, Sepideh Mokhtari, Ruben J Cruz-Chamorro, Menal Bhandari, Ram Thapa, Timothy J Robinson, Dung-Tsa Chen, Hsiang-Hsuan Michael Yu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Our previous clinical investigation suggested that hypofractionated stereotactic re-irradiation (HFSRT) and PD-1 blockade may act synergistically to enhance the immune response against glioma. This subsequent trial investigated the dual blockade of CTLA4 and PD-1 in combination with HFSRT and bevacizumab.

Methods: This phase I study enrolled eligible patients with bevacizumab-naïve recurrent glioblastoma or anaplastic astrocytoma. Participants received nivolumab, ipilimumab, and bevacizumab concurrently with HFSRT (3000 cGy in 5 fractions). Subsequently, nivolumab, ipilimumab, and bevacizumab were administered for a total of 4 cycles followed by nivolumab and bevacizumab until progression. The primary end point of this study was the safety …

Exercise And Nutrition To Improve Cancer Treatment-Related Outcomes (Enicto), Kathryn H Schmitz, Justin C Brown, Melinda L Irwin, Kim Robien, Jessica M Scott, Nathan A Berger, Bette Caan, Andrea Cercek, Tracy E Crane, Scott R Evans, Jennifer A Ligibel, Jeffrey A Meyerhardt, Tanya Agurs-Collins, Karen Basen-Engquist, Jennifer W Bea, Sheng F Cai, Brenda Cartmel, Vernon M Chinchilli, Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Christina M Dieli-Conwright, Loretta Dipietro, Shawna E Doerksen, Sharon L Edelstein, Joanne Elena, William Evans, Leah M Ferrucci, Julia Foldi, Sarah Freylersythe, Helena Furberg, Lee W Jones, Ross Levine, Chaya S Moskowitz, Cynthia Owusu, Frank Penedo, Borsika A Rabin, Elena Ratner, Margaret Rosenzweig, Talya Salz, Tara Sanft, Matthew Schlumbrecht, Guillaume Spielmann, Cynthia A Thomson, Ashley H Tjaden, Martin R Weiser, Shengping Yang, Anthony F Yu, Frank M Perna, Enicto Consortium

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Chemotherapy treatment-related side effects are common and increase the risk of suboptimal outcomes. Exercise interventions during cancer treatment improve self-reported physical functioning, fatigue, anxiety, and depression, but it is unclear whether these interventions improve important clinical outcomes, such as chemotherapy relative dose intensity. The National Cancer Institute funded the Exercise and Nutrition to Improve Cancer Treatment-Related Outcomes (ENICTO) Consortium to address this knowledge gap. This article describes the mechanisms hypothesized to underpin intervention effects on clinically relevant treatment outcomes, briefly outlines each project's distinct research aims, summarizes the scope and organizational structure of ENICTO, and provides an overview of the …

Machine Learning Predicting Acute Pain And Opioid Dose In Radiation Treated Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients, Vivian Salama, Laia Humbert-Vidan, Brandon Godinich, Kareem A Wahid, Dina M Elhabashy, Mohamed A Naser, Renjie He, Abdallah S R Mohamed, Ariana J Sahli, Katherine A Hutcheson, Gary Brandon Gunn, David I Rosenthal, Clifton D Fuller, Amy C Moreno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Acute pain is common among oral cavity/oropharyngeal cancer (OCC/OPC) patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT). This study aimed to predict acute pain severity and opioid doses during RT using machine learning (ML), facilitating risk-stratification models for clinical trials.

Methods: A retrospective study examined 900 OCC/OPC patients treated with RT during 2017-2023. Pain intensity was assessed using NRS (0-none, 10-worst) and total opioid doses were calculated using morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD) conversion factors. Analgesics efficacy was assessed using combined pain intensity and total MEDD. ML predictive models were developed and validated, including Logistic Regression (LR), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random …

Psychometric Properties And Meaningful Change Thresholds For The Qol-E Instrument In Patients With Myelodysplastic Neoplasms, Esther Natalie Oliva, Shien Guo, Jennifer Lord-Bessen, Aylin Yucel, Roberto Latagliata, Massimo Breccia, Giuseppe A Palumbo, Grazia Sanpaolo, Marta Riva, Valeria Santini, Uwe Platzbecker, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Pierre Fenaux, Christopher G Pelligra

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

peripheral blood cytopenias, and an increased risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia. One of the main treatment goals is improving quality of life (QoL), particularly for patients with lower-risk MDS (LR-MDS) who may live longer with compromised QoL. The QOL-E© is a patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure specifically developed to address the lack of a health-related QoL questionnaire for patients with MDS. The objective of this study was to evaluate the psychometric performance of the QOL-E in patients with LR-MDS.

Methods: Data from four clinical trials in MDS (MEDALIST, DARB-MDS, EQoL-MDS, and RevMDS trials) were used to assess construct validity, …

Efficacy Of A Smartphone Application Assisting Home-Based Rehabilitation And Symptom Management For Patients With Lung Cancer Undergoing Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Lobectomy: A Prospective, Single-Blinded, Randomised Control Trial (Popper Study, Chao Lv, Fangliang Lu, Xiugeng Zhou, Xiang Li, Wenhua Yu, Chune Zhang, Kaishen Chen, Songtao Du, Chao Han, Jia Wang, Yuzhao Wang, Shaolei Li, Liang Wang, Yinan Liu, Shanyuan Zhang, Miao Huang, Dongdong Song, Dachuan Zhao, Bing Liu, Yaqi Wang, Xinrun Cui, Zhiwei Zhou, Shi Yan, Nan Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy can affect patients' pulmonary function and quality of life significantly. No optimal protocol combining patient-reported outcome-based symptom management and postdischarge rehabilitation programme has yet been established. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a novel smartphone app designed for home-based symptom management and rehabilitation.

Methods: The app was developed based on three modules: a symptom reporting system with alerts, aerobic and respiratory training exercises, and educational material. Four core symptoms were selected based on a questionnaire survey of 201 patients and three rounds of Delphi voting by 30 experts. The authors screened 265 patients …

The Impact Of A Small-Group Mammography Video Discussion On Promoting Screening Uptake Among Nonadherent Chinese American Immigrant Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Naomi Q P Tan, Grace X Ma, Annette E Maxwell, Roger L Brown, Kathy Zhou, Alice Loh, Lucy Young, Robert J Volk, Qian Lu, Judy Huei-Yu Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an in-person, small-group mammography video discussion (SMVD) intervention on mammography uptake among nonadherent Chinese American immigrant women.

Methods: Women (N = 956) were randomized into either an SMVD group, where Chinese-speaking community health workers (CHWs) used an effective, culturally appropriate video to discuss mammography, or a video-only group, which viewed the cultural video sent by mail. Outcomes were mammography uptake at 6 months and 21 months postintervention.

Results: Women in both groups increased mammography uptake, and an outcome analysis revealed no group differences (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.18; …

Correction: New Insights Into The Mechanisms Of Electroconvulsive Therapy In Treatment-Resistant Depression, Ana C Ruiz, Abdul Haseeb, William Baumgartner, Edison Leung, Giselli Scaini, Joao Quevedo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This corrects the article "New insights into the mechanisms of electroconvulsive therapy in treatment-resistant depression", 1614076.

Head And Neck Gross Tumor Volume Automatic Segmentation Using Pocketnet, Awj Twam, Adrian Celaya, Evan Lim, Khaled Elsayes, David Fuentes, Tucker Netherton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Head and neck cancer (HNC) represents a significant global health burden, often requiring complex treatment strategies, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Accurate delineation of tumor volumes is critical for effective treatment, particularly in MR-guided interventions, where soft tissue contrast enhances visualization of tumor boundaries. Manual segmentation of gross tumor volumes (GTV) is labor intensive, time-consuming and prone to variability, motivating the development of automated segmentation techniques. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have emerged as powerful tools in this task, offering significant improvements in speed and consistency. In this study, we participated as Team Pocket in Task 1 of the HNTS-MRG …

Longitudinal Genomic Profiling Of Chemotherapy-Related Chip Variants In Patients With Ovarian Cancer, Sara Corvigno, Jun Yao, Amma Asare, Li Zhao, Joseph Celestino, Richard A Hajek, Ency A Arboleda Goette, Ridge T Rogers, Raymond N Montoya, Ping Song, Qingxiu C Zhang, Xingzhi Song, Mohammad M Mohammad, Kenna R Shaw, Jianhua Zhang, Karen H Lu, Amir A Jazaeri, Shannon N Westin, Anil K Sood, Sanghoon Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) is characterized by the presence of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) with the potential of clonally expanding and giving rise to hematological malignancies. Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is the outgrowth of a single HSC clone with an acquired somatic mutation in the absence of hematological abnormalities. CHIP variants occur with a variant allele frequency (VAF) of at least 2% in peripheral blood. This definition does not account for less frequent mutations that give rise to hematopoietic clones. Previous studies indicate an association between CH and secondary hematologic malignancies in cancer patients who receive chemotherapy.

Methods: …

Racial Differences In Systemic Immune Parameters In Individuals With Lung Cancer, Mitchell S Von Itzstein, Jialiang Liu, Hong Mu-Mosley, Farjana Fattah, Jason Y Park, Jeffrey A Sorelle, J David Farrar, Mary E Gwin, David Hsiehchen, Yvonne Gloria-Mccutchen, Edward K Wakeland, Suzanne Cole, Sheena Bhalla, Radhika Kainthla, Igor Puzanov, Benjamin Switzer, Gregory A Daniels, Yousef Zakharia, Montaser Shaheen, Jianjun Zhang, Yang Xie, David E Gerber

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Racial and ethnic disparities in the presentation and outcomes of lung cancer are widely known. To evaluate potential factors contributing to these observations, we measured systemic immune parameters in Black and White patients with lung cancer.

Methods: Patients scheduled to receive cancer immunotherapy were enrolled in a multi-institutional prospective biospecimen collection registry. Clinical and demographic information were obtained from electronic medical records. Pretreatment peripheral blood samples were collected and analyzed for cytokines using a multiplex panel and for immune cell populations using mass cytometry. Differences between Black and White patients were determined and corrected for multiple comparisons.

Results: A …

Predicting Sinonasal Inverted Papilloma Attachment Using Machine Learning: Current Lessons And Future Directions, Sean P Mckee, Xiaomin Liang, William C Yao, Brady Anderson, Jumah G Ahmad, David Z Allen, Salman Hasan, Andy J Chua, Chinmay Mokashi, Samia Islam, Amber U Luong, Martin J Citardi, Luca Giancardo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Hyperostosis is a common radiographic feature of inverted papilloma (IP) tumor origin on computed tomography (CT). Herein, we developed a machine learning (ML) model capable of analyzing CT images and identifying IP attachment sites.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients treated for IP at our institution was performed. The tumor attachment site was manually segmented on CT scans by the operating surgeon. We used a nnU-Net model, a state-of-the-art deep learning-based segmentation algorithm that automatically configures image preprocessing, network architecture, training, and post-processing to identify the IP attachment site. The model was trained and evaluated using a 5-fold cross …

Empathy Unmasked: Patient Perception Of Physician Empathy In An Oncologic Emergency Setting A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Personal Protective Equipment Wear Versus Unmasked Video Communication, Kathryn J Burk, John J Stroh, Kelly Larkin, Patrick Chaftari, Denise M Langabeer, Jazmin R Menendez, Jeanie F Woodruff, Jan Hargrave, Hongxu Zhu, James P Long, Sai-Ching J Yeung, Kumar Alagappan, Aiham Qdaisat

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine emerged as an important option that supports and facilitates clinical practice, however, its usefulness in emergency settings that treat patients with cancer is unclear.

Objective: To evaluate patient perception of physician empathy in an emergency oncology setting, comparing video interaction to an in-person with personal protective equipment (PPE) approach.

Methods: In this single-center, prospective, cross-sectional, survey-based randomized controlled trial, patients were randomized 1:1 for the concluding conversation done in-person which included either interacting with physicians wearing PPE or video interaction with physicians without PPE (virtual). Patients' perceptions of the physicians' relational empathy were assessed …

Weighted Hypoxemia Index: An Adaptable Method For Quantifying Hypoxemia Severity, Diane C Lim, Cheng-Bang Chen, Ankita Paul, Yujie Wang, Jinyoung Kim, Soonhyun Yook, Emily Y Kim, Edison Q Kim, Anup Das, Medhi Wangpaichitr, Virend K Somers, Chi Hang Lee, Phyllis C Zee, Toshihiro Imamura, Hosung Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To quantitate hypoxemia severity.

Methods: We developed the Weighted Hypoxemia Index to be adapted to different clinical settings by applying 5 steps to the oxygen saturation curve: (1) Identify desaturation/resaturation event [Formula: see text] by setting the upper threshold; (2) Exclude events as artifact by setting a lower threshold; (3) Calculate weighted area for each [Formula: see text] as [Formula: see text]; (4) Calculate a normalization factor [Formula: see text] for each subject; (5) Calculate the Weighted Hypoxemia Index as the summation of all weighted areas multiplied by [Formula: see text]. We assessed the Weighted Hypoxemia Index predictive value …

Stat3 Inhibition In Combination With Cd47 Blockade Inhibits Osteosarcoma Lung Metastasis, Pradeep Shrestha, Rejeena Shrestha, You Zhou, Rafal Zielinski, Waldemar Priebe, Eugenie S Kleinerman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: New therapies are urgently needed for patients with osteosarcoma (OS). STAT3 and CD47 are potential therapeutic target in OS. Here we investigated the therapeutic activity of the orally bioavailable STAT3 inhibitor, WP1066, and anti-CD47 antibody using OS mouse models.

Methods: Cytotoxic effect of WP1066 against OS cell lines and its immunomodulatory effects were evaluated in vitro. Experimental metastasis and orthotopic syngeneic mouse models were used to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of WP1066 and anti-CD47 antibody. Further flow cytometric analysis was performed.

Results: STAT3 was constitutively activated in multiple human and mouse OS cell lines. WP1066 suppressed STAT3 activation …

Evaluation Of Quantum Contouring Algorithms For Treatment Planning On Mr Abdominal Images, Rachel Glenn, Tucker Netherton, Adrian Celaya, Mohamed Eltaher, Beatrice Riviere, Eugene J Koay, David Fuentes

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Quantum computing is increasingly being investigated for integration into medical radiology and healthcare applications worldwide. Given its potential to enhance clinical care and medical research, there is growing interest in evaluating its practical applications in clinical workflows.

Methods: We developed an evaluation of quantum computing-based auto-contouring methods to introduce medical physicists to this emerging technology. We implemented existing quantum algorithms as prototypes tailored for specific quantum hardware, focusing on their application to auto-contouring in medical imaging. The evaluation was performed using a medical resonance imaging (MRI) abdominal dataset, comprising 102 patient scans.

Results: The quantum algorithms were applied to …