Medical Genetics Commons^™

Using A Surgical Risk Predictor To Estimate Percutaneous Cryoablation Adverse Event Risk: A Single Center Comparative Analysis, Prisha Patel, Koustav Pal, Hadi Ahmed, Bill Tang, Iwan Paolucci, Mohammad Khavandi, Peiman Habibollahi, Ketan Shah, Steven Y Huang, Bruno C Odisio, Sanjay Gupta, Kamran Ahrar, Steven Yevich, Joshua D Kuban, Alda Tam, Rahul A Sheth

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To evaluate the relevance of established surgical risk calculators for predicting complications in patients undergoing percutaneous lung cryoablation (PLC).

Methods: The institution's database was queried for PLC procedures from March 2015 to May 2024, excluding those patients with concomitant local therapies or five or more lesions treated in a single setting. Demographics, frailty metrics as defined by the surgical literature, and procedural variables were collected. To evaluate the suitability of surgical risk estimate calculators, the requisite demographic data were input into the American College of Surgery surgical risk calculator; estimates for length of stay (LOS), serious complications, 30-day readmission, …

Tumoral And Circulating Genomic Landscape Inform Survival Differences In Colorectal Carcinomatosis, Michael G White, Reed I Ayabe, Mohammad A Zeineddine, Fadl A Zeineddine, Abdelrahman M G Yousef, Mahmoud Yousef, Norman J Galbraith, J Bryan Iorgulescu, Christopher Scally, Keith Fournier, Timothy E Newhook, Nancy Y You, Jason Willis, Scott Kopetz, George J Chang, John Paul Shen, Abhineet Uppal

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Colorectal peritoneal metastases (CPM) are the third most common site of metastatic spread of colorectal cancer and are associated with worse survival than other sites of metastatic disease. In recent years tumoral circulating tumoral DNA (ctDNA) mutational status has been increasingly utilized in clinical decision making for metastatic colorectal cancer patients despite its utility in CPM being poorly understood. Here we describe standard of care performed mutational profiles and associated outcomes for unresectable CPM patients, with a contextual comparison to 160 unresected colorectal liver metastases (CLM) patients. Of 508 patients, 288 (57 %) had CPM alone and 220 (43 %) …

Phase Ii Trial Of Atezolizumab And Bevacizumab For Treatment Of Hpv-Positive Unresectable Or Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma Of The Anal Canal, Van K Morris, Suyu Liu, Kangyu Lin, Haifeng Zhu, Seema Prasad, Armeen Mahvash, Priya Bhosale, Baohua Sun, Edwin R Parra, Ignacio Wistuba, Arjun Peddireddy, James Yao, Julia Mendoza-Perez, Mark Knafl, Scott E Woodman, Cathy Eng, Daniel Halperin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Anti-PD-L1 antibodies are associated with responses in < 25% of patients with metastatic human papillomavirus-associated malignancies. VEGF signaling causes immune evasion and immune suppression within the tumor. We evaluated the anti-PD-L1 antibody atezolizumab and anti-VEGF antibody bevacizumab for patients with unresectable, advanced anal cancer.

Patients and methods: For this phase II study, participants with previously treated, immunotherapy-naïve anal cancer received atezolizumab (1,200 mg) and bevacizumab (15 mg/kg) intravenously every 21 days. Responses were evaluated every 9 weeks (RECIST version 1.1). The primary endpoint was the best radiographic response. Median survival was estimated by Kaplan-Meier and compared for selected biomarkers (including paired pre- and on-treatment biopsies) using a log-rank test.

Results: Among 20 participants, the overall response rate was 11% [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2-32]. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 4.1 months (95% CI, 2.6-not …

Pembrolizumab In Patients With Advanced Miscellaneous Rare Cancers: Results From A Phase 2 Basket Trial, Mirella Nardo, Camila Braganca Xavier, Bettzy Stephen, Jeffrey A How, Justin Moyers, Vivek Subbiah, David S Hong, Aung Naing

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Rare solid tumors account for one-quarter of cancers among adults in the United States, but few resources have been devoted to their treatment. We evaluated the efficacy of pembrolizumab, a programmed cell death-1 inhibitor, in patients with rare solid tumors.

Methods: We conducted a phase 2 basket trial that included patients with rare, advanced tumors. Patients were enrolled in the study in nine tumor-specific and a 10th cohort of miscellaneous rare histologies. Patients received pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenously every 21 days. The primary endpoint was the non-progression rate at 27 weeks per immune-related Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors …

Treatment Of C-Met Antibody-Drug Conjugate Asymptomatic Pneumonitis With A Novel Steroid Regimen In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Case Report, Daniel A Fox, Christine Tran, Vincent Blot, David S Hong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a potent class of antineoplastic drugs that deliver cytotoxic agents via targeting with monoclonal antibodies; however, ADCs are associated with high rates of lung toxicities, limiting the therapeutic potential in many patients. We report a case of a patient with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer taking the ADC telisotuzumab vedotin (Teliso V) plus osimtertinib who developed ADC-induced pneumonitis despite clinical benefit. This patient was able to tolerate treatment for a prolonged period on a novel steroid regimen, using steroids when pneumonitis was asymptomatic but radiologically evident and as a daily suppressant. This treatment strategy may have …

Multiparametric Mri Scoring System Of The Pancreas For The Diagnosis Of Chronic Pancreatitis, Temel Tirkes, Dhiraj Yadav, Darwin L Conwell, Xuandong Zhao, Anil K Dasyam, Vivek Gowdra Halappa, Aashish Patel, Zarine K Shah, Jordan Swensson, Naoki Takahashi, Sudhakar Venkatesh, Ashley Wachsman, Liang Li, Kristofer Jennings, Yunlong Yang, Phil A Hart, Stephen J Pandol, Walter G Park, Santhi Swaroop Vege, Mark Topazian, Paul R Territo, Scott A Persohn, Dana K Andersen, Evan L Fogel, Consortium For The Study Of Chronic Pancreatitis, Diabetes, And Pancreatic Cancer (Cpdpc)

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Ductal features alone may not offer high diagnostic sensitivity or most accurate disease severity of chronic pancreatitis (CP).

Purpose: Diagnose CP based on multiparametric MRI and MRCP features.

Study type: Prospective.

Population: Between February 2019 and May 2021, 46 control (23 males, 49.3 ± 14.1 years), 45 suspected (20 males, 48.7 ± 12.5 years), and 46 definite (20 males, 53.7 ± 14.6 years) CP patients were enrolled at seven hospitals enrolled in the MINIMAP study. CP classification was based on imaging findings and clinical presentation.

Field strength and sequences: 1.5 T. T1-weighted (T1W) spoiled gradient echo, T1 map with …

Justification, Margin Values, And Analysis Populations For Oncologic Noninferiority And Equivalence Trials: A Meta-Epidemiological Study, Troy J Kleber, Alexander D Sherry, Andrew J Arifin, Gabrielle S Kupferman, Ramez Kouzy, Joseph Abi Jaoude, Timothy A Lin, Esther J Beck, Avital M Miller, Adina H Passy, Zachary R Mccaw, Pavlos Msaouel, Ethan B Ludmir

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Noninferiority and equivalence trials evaluate whether an experimental therapy's effect on the primary endpoint is contained within an acceptable margin compared with standard of care. The reliability and impact of this conclusion, however, is largely dependent on the justification for this design, the choice of margin, and the analysis population used.

Methods: A meta-epidemiological study was performed of phase 3 randomized noninferiority and equivalence oncologic trials registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. Data were extracted from each trial's registration page and primary manuscript.

Results: We identified 65 noninferiority and 10 equivalence trials that collectively enrolled 61 632 patients. Of these, 61 (81%) …

Enhancing The Safety And Efficacy Of Cell Therapy With Programmed Sense-And-Respond Function, Andrew J Walters, Xiaoyu Yang, Scott D Olson, Caleb J Bashor

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Treatment Decision Aid For Patients With Dysplastic Nevi Who Are Candidates For Re-Excision, Jaclyn N Roland-Mcgowan, Steven Caleb Freeman, Wenelia Baghoomian, Bryan T Carroll, Caroline Choi Kim, Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski, Emily Y Chu, Erin L Foster, Kelly Carter Nelson, Kevin P White, Michael E Ming, Rebecca I Hartman, Sancy A Leachman, Stephanie Mengden-Koon, Suephy C Chen, Susan M Swetter, Victor G Prieto, Elizabeth Berry, Wesley Y Yu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Imaging In Pelvic Exenteration-A Multidisciplinary Practice Guide From The Esgar-Sar-Esur-Pelvex Collaborative Group, Stephanie Nougaret, Doenja M J Lambregts, Geerard L Beets, Regina G H Beets-Tan, Lennart Blomqvist, David Burling, Quentin Denost, Maria A Gambacorta, Benedetta Gui, Ann Klopp, Yulia Lakhman, Kate E Maturen, Riccardo Manfredi, Iva Petkovska, Luca Russo, Atul B Shinagare, James A Stephenson, Damian Tolan, Aradhana M Venkatesan, Aaron J Quyn, Rosemarie Forstner

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Pelvic exenteration (PE) is a radical surgical approach designed for the curative treatment of advanced pelvic malignancies, requiring en-bloc resection of multiple pelvic organs. While the procedure is radical, it has shown promise in enhancing long-term survival and is now comparable in surgical mortality to elective resections for primary pelvic cancers. Imaging plays a crucial role in preoperative planning, with MRI, CT, and PET/CT being pivotal in assessing the extent of cancer and formulating a surgical roadmap. This paper presents clinical practice guidelines for imaging in the context of PE, developed jointly by ESGAR, SAR, ESUR, and the PelvEx Collaborative. …

Donor Age Matters For Haploidentical Hct Patients Even After Adjusting For Hla Factors: A Machine Learning Approach, Rohtesh S Mehta, Rodney Sparapani, Tao Wang, Stephen Spellman, Stephanie J Lee, Effie W Petersdorf

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Prospective Clinical Trials Of Venetoclax And Hypomethylating Agents For Relapsed Bpdcn, Naveen Pemmaraju, Luan Hai Phan, Geoffrey Fell, Marlise R Luskin, Mahesh Swaminathan, Sherry Pierce, Courtney Dinardo, Abhishek Maiti, Marina Konopleva, Andrew A Lane

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Further Delineation Of The Scaf4-Associated Neurodevelopmental Disorder, Cosima M Schmid, Anne Gregor, Anna Ruiz, Carmen Manso Bazús, Isabella Herman, Farah Ammouri, Urania Kotzaeridou, Vanda Mcniven, Lucie Dupuis, Katharina Steindl, Anaïs Begemann, Anita Rauch, Aude-Annick Suter, Bertrand Isidor, Sandra Mercier, Mathilde Nizon, Benjamin Cogné, Wallid Deb, Thomas Besnard, Tobias B Haack, Ruth J Falb, Amelie J Müller, Tobias Linden, Chad R Haldeman-Englert, Charlotte W Ockeloen, Francesca Mattioli, Alexandre Reymond, Nazia Ibrahim, Shagufta Naz, Elodie Lacaze, Jennifer A Bassetti, Julia Hoefele, Theresa Brunet, Korbinian M Riedhammer, Houda Z Elloumi, Richard Person, Fanggeng Zou, Juliette J Kahle, Kirsten Cremer, Axel Schmidt, Marie-Ange Delrue, Pedro M Almeida, Fabiana Ramos, Siddharth Srivastava, Aisling Quinlan, Stephen Robertson, Eva Manka, Alma Kuechler, Stephanie Spranger, Malgorzata J M Nowaczyk, Reem M Elshafie, Hind Alsharhan, Paul R Hillman, Leslie A Dunnington, Hilde M H Braakman, Shane Mckee, Angelica Moresco, Andrea-Diana Ignat, Ruth Newbury-Ecob, Guillaume Banneau, Olivier Patat, Jeffrey Kuerbitz, Susan Rzucidlo, Susan S Sell, Patricia Gordon, Sarah Schuhmann, André Reis, Yosra Halleb, Radka Stoeva, Boris Keren, Zainab Al Masseri, Zeynep Tümer, Sophia Hammer-Hansen, Sofus Krüger Sølyst, Connolly G Steigerwald, Nicolas J Abreu, Helene Faust, Amica Müller-Nedebock, Frédéric Tran Mau-Them, Heinrich Sticht, Christiane Zweier

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

While mostly de novo truncating variants in SCAF4 were recently identified in 18 individuals with variable neurodevelopmental phenotypes, knowledge on the molecular and clinical spectrum is still limited. We assembled data on 50 novel individuals with SCAF4 variants ascertained via GeneMatcher and personal communication. With detailed evaluation of clinical data, in silico predictions and structural modeling, we further characterized the molecular and clinical spectrum of the autosomal dominant SCAF4-associated neurodevelopmental disorder. The molecular spectrum comprises 25 truncating, eight splice-site and five missense variants. While all other truncating variants were classified as pathogenic/likely pathogenic, significance of one C-terminal truncating variant, one …

Healthcare Utilization Patterns, Associated Factors, And Readmission Rates Among Children With Sickle Cell Disease., Daniya Mohammed Sabrah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is common in Saudi Arabia, with a prevalence rate of 2.3%. It is an expensive disease to manage due to the extensive utilization of healthcare resources, including hospital readmissions, extended hospital stays, and frequent emergency department visits, which cost approximately $395 million annually in U.S. dollars. The primary objective of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review of healthcare utilization and cost of patients with SCD, following the PICO framework and PRISMA guidelines. The second aim utilized count models, including the negative binomial and Poisson, to identify factors associated with emergency, inpatient, and outpatient …

Pharmacotherapy And Non-Invasive Neuromodulation For Neuropathic Pain: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Nadia Soliman, Xavier Moisset, Michael C Ferraro, Daniel Ciampi De Andrade, Ralf Baron, Joletta Belton, David L H Bennett, Margarita Calvo, Patrick Dougherty, Ian Gilron, Aki J Hietaharju, Koichi Hosomi, Peter R Kamerman, Harriet Kemp, Elena K Enax-Krumova, Ewan Mcnicol, Theodore J Price, Srinivasa N Raja, Andrew S C Rice, Blair H Smith, Fiona Talkington, Andrea Truini, Jan Vollert, Nadine Attal, Nanna B Finnerup, Simon Haroutounian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: There remains a substantial unmet need for effective and safe treatments for neuropathic pain. The Neuropathic Pain Special Interest Group aimed to update treatment recommendations, published in 2015, on the basis of new evidence from randomised controlled trials, emerging neuromodulation techniques, and advances in evidence synthesis.

Methods: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched Embase, PubMed, the International Clinical Trials Registry, and ClinicalTrials.gov from data inception for neuromodulation trials and from Jan 1, 2013, for pharmacological interventions until Feb 12, 2024. We included double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trials that evaluated pharmacological and neuromodulation treatments administered for at least 3 …

Defining The Optimal Radiation-Induced Lymphopenia Metric To Discern Its Survival Impact In Esophageal Cancer, Pim J J Damen, Max Peters, Brian Hobbs, Yiqing Chen, Uwe Titt, Remi Nout, Radhe Mohan, Steven H Lin, Peter S N Van Rossum

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: A detrimental association between radiation-induced lymphopenia (RIL) and oncologic outcomes in patients with esophageal cancer has been established. However, an optimal metric for RIL remains undefined but is important for the application of this knowledge in clinical decision-making and trial designs. The aim of this study was to find the optimal RIL metric discerning survival.

Methods and materials: Patients with esophageal cancer treated with concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CRT; 2004-2022) were selected. Studied metrics included absolute lymphocyte counts (ALCs) and neutrophil counts-and calculated derivatives-at baseline and during CRT. Multivariable Cox regression models for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) …

Summary Of Research: Efficacy Of Trastuzumab Deruxtecan In Her2-Expressing Solid Tumors By Enrollment Her2 Ihc Status: Post Hoc Analysis Of Destiny-Pantumor02, Ana Oaknin, Jung-Yun Lee, Vicky Makker, Do-Youn Oh, Susana Banerjee, Antonio González-Martín, Kyung Hae Jung, Iwona Ługowska, Luis Manso, Aránzazu Manzano, Bohuslav Melichar, Salvatore Siena, Daniil Stroyakovskiy, Anitra Fielding, Soham Puvvada, Ann Smith, Funda Meric-Bernstam

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

of the original article, 'Efficacy of Trastuzumab Deruxtecan in HER2-Expressing Solid Tumors by Enrollment HER2 IHC Status: Post Hoc Analysis of DESTINY-PanTumor02'. Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) is an antibody-drug conjugate, which is a chemotherapy with a linker (deruxtecan) joined to an antibody (trastuzumab). Trastuzumab binds to the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) protein on cancer cells, where it releases the chemotherapy to kill these cells. The DESTINY-PanTumor02 clinical study tested the effectiveness of T-DXd for people with various HER2-expressing cancers and the safety of treatment. Previous results from DESTINY-PanTumor02 showed that T-DXd had antitumor activity, and the greatest effects …

Safety, Efficacy, And Adjacent-Level Fracture Risk Following Vertebral Augmentation And Radiofrequency Ablation For The Treatment Of Spine Metastases In Patients With Cancer, Jeremiah Stringam, Koustav Pal, Andrew Niekamp, Rahim Jiwani, Iwan Paolucci, Joshua D Kuban, Zeyad Metwalli, Steven Huang, Peiman Habibollahi, Stephen Chen, Steven Yevich, Milan Patel, Sumit K Subudhi, Matthew Campbell, Amol Ghia, Claudio Tatsui, Rahul A Sheth

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of vertebral augmentation (VA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for treating pathologic spinal fractures in patients with cancer and adjacent fracture risk following treatment.

Materials and Methods: This single-institution retrospective study, conducted from January 2017 to September 2020, included patients with cancer who underwent percutaneous VA with or without spine RFA for pathologic spine compression fractures. The primary outcome was pain reduction, assessed using the 10-point visual analog scale before the procedure, at first follow-up, and 2–4 weeks after the procedure. Logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with epidural cement leak.

Results: …

Rna Sculpting By The Primordial Helix-Clasp-Helix-Strand-Loop (Hch-Sl) Motif Enforces Chemical Recognition Enabling Diverse Kh Domain Functions, John A Tainer, Susan E Tsutakawa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In all domains of life, the ancient K homology (KH) domain superfamily is central to RNA processes including splicing, transcription, posttranscriptional gene regulation, signaling, and translation. Proteins with 1 to 15 KH domains bind single-strand (ss) RNA or DNA with base sequence specificity. Here, we examine over 40 KH domain experimental structures in complex with nucleic acid (NA) and define a novel Helix-clasp-Helix-Strand-Loop (HcH-SL) NA recognition motif binding 4 to 5 nucleotides using 10 to 18 residues. HcH-SL includes and extends the Gly-X-X-Gly (GXXG) signature sequence "clasp" that brings together two helices as an ∼90° helical corner. The first helix …

Air Embolism After Percutaneous Lung Biopsy Or Ablation: A Report Of Six Cases, Rebecca Choi, Haylie Kieu-Mi Phan, Varshana Gurusamy, Rahul A Sheth, Bruno C Odisio, Kelvin Hong, Alda L Tam

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Systemic air embolism is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication of percutaneous lung biopsy and ablation. This report describes six patients (four male, two female) with air embolism following CT-guided lung interventions at two institutions between January 2021 and March 2024. Air embolisms were identified in locations such as the pulmonary vein, left ventricle, and coronary arteries, with clinical presentations ranging from asymptomatic to life-threatening events. Prompt intervention, including oxygen therapy, patient repositioning, and intravenous administration of epinephrine in cases of cardiac arrest, resulted in favorable outcomes. This series highlights the importance of early detection of systemic air embolism and …

Oculomics: Current Concepts And Evidence, Zhuoting Zhu, Yueye Wang, Ziyi Qi, Wenyi Hu, Xiayin Zhang, Siegfried K Wagner, Yujie Wang, An Ran Ran, Joshua Ong, Ethan Waisberg, Mouayad Masalkhi, Alex Suh, Yih Chung Tham, Carol Y Cheung, Xiaohong Yang, Honghua Yu, Zongyuan Ge, Wei Wang, Bin Sheng, Yun Liu, Andrew G Lee, Alastair K Denniston, Peter Van Wijngaarden, Pearse A Keane, Ching-Yu Cheng, Mingguang He, Tien Yin Wong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The eye provides novel insights into general health, as well as pathogenesis and development of systemic diseases. In the past decade, growing evidence has demonstrated that the eye's structure and function mirror multiple systemic health conditions, especially in cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and kidney impairments. This has given rise to the field of oculomics-the application of ophthalmic biomarkers to understand mechanisms, detect and predict disease. The development of this field has been accelerated by three major advances: 1) the availability and widespread clinical adoption of high-resolution and non-invasive ophthalmic imaging ("hardware"); 2) the availability of large studies to interrogate associations …

Comic: A Bayesian Dose Optimization Design For Drug Combination In Multiple Indications With Application To Car-T Therapies, Kai Chen, Kentaro Takeda, Ying Yuan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Project Optimus, initiated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), seeks to shift the focus of dose finding and selection from the maximum tolerated dose to the optimal dose that offers the most favorable risk-benefit balance. However, applying this paradigm shift to drug combination trials presents challenges, particularly due to limited sample sizes and a large two-dimensional dose exploration space. These challenges are amplified when trials involve multiple indications. To address this, we developed a two-stage Bayesian dose optimization design, called COMIC (Combination Optimization in Multiple IndiCations), to efficiently identify Optimal Biological Dose Combinations (OBDC) for multiple indications. The …

Fecal Immunochemical Test Positivity Thresholds: An International Survey Of Population-Based Screening Programs, Graeme P Young, Sally C Benton, Robert S Bresalier, Han-Mo Chiu, Evelien Dekker, Callum G Fraser, Marieke A M Frasa, Stephen P Halloran, Michael Hoffmeister, Susan Parry, Kevin Selby, Carlo Senore, Harminder Singh, Erin L Symonds

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The fecal immunochemical test for hemoglobin (FIT) is now a widely used non-invasive test in population-based organized screening programs for colorectal neoplasia. The positivity thresholds of tests currently in use are based on the fecal hemoglobin concentration (f-Hb), but the rationale for the adopted thresholds are not well documented. To understand current global usage of FIT in screening programs we conducted an international survey of the brands of FIT used, the f-Hb positivity threshold applied and the rationale for the choice.

Methods: All members of the World Endoscopy Organization CRC Screening Committee were invited to complete an eight-element initial …

In Vivo Assessment Of Cardiac Radiofrequency Ablation In A Large-Animal Model Using Photoacoustic-Ultrasound Imaging, Nilesh Mathuria, Krithik Vishwanath, Blake C Fallon, Antonio Martino, Giorgio Brero, Richard C Willson, Miguel Valderrabano, Carly S Filgueira, Richard R Bouchard

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Despite advancements in catheter technology, intraoperative assessment of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) lesions remains elusive. Prior ex vivo data suggest photoacoustic imaging (PAI) can provide RFA lesion characteristics, but in vivo data are lacking. PAI involves delivering near-infrared light to tissue, leading to transient acoustic waves that can be detected by clinically available ultrasound transducers, providing optically based tissue characterization at depth. Three epicardial RFA lesions were delivered in an open-chest porcine model. In vivo PAI-based measurements of RFA lesion dimensions matched (< 0.7-mm error) gross pathologic assessment, yielding in vivo feasibility data of PAI to provide intraoperative RFA lesion dimensions.

Quantitative Ablation Confirmation Methods In Percutaneous Thermal Ablation Of Malignant Liver Tumors: Technical Insights, Clinical Evidence, And Future Outlook, Iwan Paolucci, Jessica Albuquerque Marques Silva, Yuan-Mao Lin, Alexander Shieh, Anna Maria Ierardi, Gianpaolo Caraffiello, Carlo Gazzera, Kyle A Jones, Paolo Fonio, Reto Bale, Kristy K Brock, Marco Calandri, Bruno C Odisio

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Percutaneous image-guided thermal ablation is an established local curative-intent treatment technique for the treatment of primary and secondary malignant liver tumors. Whereas margin assessment after surgical resection can be accomplished with microscopic examination of the resected specimen, margin assessment after percutaneous thermal ablation relies on cross-sectional imaging. The critical measure of technical success is the minimal ablative margin (MAM), defined as the minimum distance between the tumor and the edge of the ablation zone. Traditionally, the MAM has been assessed qualitatively using anatomic landmarks, which has suboptimal accuracy and reproducibility and is prone to operator bias. Consequently, specialized software-based methods …

What Rankings, Ratings, And Utilities Do Breast Cancer Patients Place On Tissue- And Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction?, Haoqi Wang, Nsikak M Jackson, Danmeng Huang, Rachel E Alexander, Mary Catherine Bordes, Jun Liu, Tzuan A Chen, Fatima Merchant, Summer E Hanson, Mark Schaverien, Mia K Markey, Gregory P Reece, Scott B Cantor, Aubri S Hoffman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Utility analysis is well-established for comparing treatment options but challenging to assess with patients in clinical care. Preference assessment may be more feasible, but it is not yet known whether it correlates with utilities. The aims of this study were to (1) assess women's rankings, ratings, and utilities for tissue-based, implant-based, and no reconstruction after total mastectomy; and (2) explore assessment methods and correlations with clinical and psychosocial factors.

Methods: Forty patients considering or undergoing breast reconstruction completed 3 assessments-card ranking, visual analog scale, and standard gamble-and psychosocial questionnaires. Each woman rated 9 health states with case-matched images: 4 …

A Biomarker Signature-Guided Clinical Trial Design For Precision Medicine, Yuan Li, Dejian Lai, Ruosha Li, Han Chen, Xuelin Huang, Jing Ning

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Targeted cancer therapies aim to effectively treat patients with specific biomarker profiles. Nevertheless, these therapies may not always precisely hit their intended targets, leading to uncertainty about the specific subset of patients who will benefit. To address this uncertainty, the identification of sensitive patient subsets in clinical trials becomes crucial. Our proposed phase IIB/III clinical trial design seeks to pinpoint a biomarker signature with precision, ensuring the accurate identification of patients who will respond to a specific treatment. This approach allows for the selective enrollment of sensitive patients to maximize benefits for trial participants. We incorporate Bayesian methodology to facilitate …

Chd1 Loss Reprograms Srebp2-Driven Cholesterol Synthesis To Fuel Androgen-Responsive Growth And Castration Resistance In Spop-Mutated Prostate Tumors, Feiyu Chen, Haoyan Li, Yin Wang, Ximing Tang, Kevin Lin, Qidong Li, Chenling Meng, Wei Shi, Javier Leo, Xin Liang, Jie Zhang, Vivien Van, Iqbal Mahmud, Bo Wei, Philip L Lorenzi, Maria G Raso, Ana Aparicio, Yue Lu, Daniel E Frigo, Boyi Gan, Di Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Despite undergoing castration, most individuals with prostate cancer (PCa) experience progression to castration-resistant PCa (CRPC), in which the androgen receptor (AR) remains an important driver. Concurrent genetic alterations in SPOP and CHD1 define a unique subtype of PCa, but their interactions in tumor progression and therapy response remain unclear. Here, we provide genetic evidence supporting that CHD1 loss accelerates disease progression and confers resistance to castration in males with SPOP-mutated PCa. By leveraging genetic engineering and multiomics, we uncovered a noncanonical function of CHD1 in lipid metabolism reprogramming via repressing the SREBP2 transcriptome. Loss of CHD1 induces cholesterol production, supplies …

Oral Microbiome Profile Of The Us Population, Anil K Chaturvedi, Emily Vogtmann, Jianxin Shi, Yukiko Yano, Martin J Blaser, Nicholas A Bokulich, J Gregory Caporaso, Maura L Gillison, Barry I Graubard, Xing Hua, Autumn G Hullings, Lisa Kahle, Rob Knight, Shilan Li, Jody Mclean, Vaishnavi Purandare, Yunhu Wan, Neal D Freedman, Christian C Abnet

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: The oral microbiome likely plays key roles in human health. Yet, population-representative characterizations are lacking.

Objective: To characterize the composition, diversity, and correlates of the oral microbiome in US adults.

Design, setting, and participants: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the population-representative National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2009 to 2012. Microbiome data were made publicly available in 2024. NHANES participants were aged 18 to 69 years and provided oral rinse samples in 1 of 2 consecutive NHANES cycles (2009-2010 and 2011-2012).

Exposures: Demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, anthropometric, metabolic, and clinical characteristics.

Main outcomes and measures: Oral microbiome …

Concerns About The Paper, “Benefits Of Targeted Vibration For Bone Strength And Bone Density In Postmenopausal Women With Osteopenia: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial”, Douglas P Kiel, Theresa A Guise, Maya Styner, Janet Rubin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.