Medical Specialties Commons^™

Use Of Specific Duodenal Dose Constraints During Treatment Planning Reduces Toxicity After Definitive Paraaortic Radiation Therapy For Cervical Cancer, David S Lakomy, Juliana Wu, Bhavana V Chapman, Zhiqian Henry Yu, Belinda Lee, Ann H Klopp, Anuja Jhingran, Patricia J Eifel, Lilie L Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: This study aimed to validate the safety of paraaortic nodal (PAN) radiation therapy (RT) for patients with cervical cancer when the duodenal dose is limited to V55 < 15 cm3 and V60 < 2 cm3.

Methods and materials: A total of 97 patients who were treated with RT for cervical cancer between 2010 and 2018 received at least 56 Gy to grossly involved PANs. Patients were treated with concurrent chemoradiation (n = 88; 91%), with 93% of patients (n = 90) receiving intensity modulated RT to the initial PAN field and 98% (n = 95) receiving intensity modulated RT to a sequential PAN boost. The V55 < 15 cm3 and V60 < 2 cm3 criteria were implemented in 2014. Normal tissues were contoured on computed tomography (CT) simulation data sets, and the duodenum was contoured from the gastric outlet to the duodenojejunal flexure. Sixty-six patients (68%) had a resimulation scan after approximately 20 fractions. Composite duodenal doses were calculated using the initial CT scan for 50 patients (52%) and the resimulation CT scan for 47 patients (48%) depending on the anatomic changes throughout treatment.

Results: …

Evaluating A Pilot Culturally Sensitive Psychosocial Intervention On Posttraumatic Growth For Chinese American Breast Cancer Survivors, Qiao Chu, Moni Tang, Lingjun Chen, Lucy Young, Alice Loh, Carol Wang, Qian Lu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study investigated the potential benefit of a pilot culturally sensitive group support intervention, named Joy Luck Academy (JLA), in fostering posttraumatic growth among Chinese American breast cancer survivors. Eighty-six Chinese American breast cancer survivors participated in an eight-week single-arm pre-/post-test trial of an intervention program, which included educational lectures and peer mentor support. The JLA participants were compared with an independent sample of 109 Chinese American breast cancer survivors who went through routine care. Both groups completed baseline and eight-week follow-up assessments of the five facets of posttraumatic growth (meaningful interpersonal relationships, finding new possibilities in life, personal strength, …

Clinical Characteristics And Outcomes Of Castleman Disease: A Multicenter Consortium Study Of 428 Patients With 15-Year Follow-Up, Wanying Liu, Qingqing Cai, Tiantian Yu, Paolo Strati, Frederick B Hagemeister, Qiongli Zhai, Mingzhi Zhang, Ling Li, Xiaosheng Fang, Jianyong Li, Ruifang Sun, Shanxiang Zhang, Hanjin Yang, Zhaoming Wang, Wenbian Qian, Noriko Iwaki, Yasuharu Sato, Eric Oksenhendler, Zijun Y Xu-Monette, Ken H Young, Li Yu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Castleman disease (CD) has been reported as a group of poorly understood lymphoproliferative disorders, including unicentric CD (UCD) and idiopathic multicentric CD (iMCD) which are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) negative and human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) negative. The clinical and independent prognostic factors of CD remain poorly elucidated. We retrospectively collected the clinical information of 428 patients with HIV and HHV-8 negative CD from 12 large medical centers with 15-year follow-up. We analyzed the clinicopathologic features of 428 patients (248 with UCD and 180 with iMCD) with a median age of 41 years. The histology subtypes were hyaline-vascular (HV) histopathology …

Targetable Vulnerability Of Deregulated Foxm1/Plk1 Signaling Axis In Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, Fang Yu, Hua He, Loretta J Nastoupil, Zijun Y Xu-Monette, Ky Pham, Yong Liang, Guang Chen, Nathan H Fowler, C Cameron Yin, Dongfeng Tan, Yaling Yang, Shimin Hu, Ken H Young, Lan V Pham, M James You

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

FOXM1 is a transcription factor that controls cell cycle regulation, cell proliferation, and differentiation. Overexpression of FOXM1 has been implicated in various cancer types. However, the activation status and functional significance of FOXM1 in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have not been well investigated. Using proteomic approaches, we discovered that the protein expression levels of FOXM1 and PLK1 were positively correlated in DLBCL cell lines and primary DLBCL. Expression levels of FOXM1 and PLK1 mRNAs were also significantly higher in DLBCL than in normal human B cells and could predict poor prognosis of DLBCL, particularly in patients with germinal …

Quaking But Not Parkin Is The Major Tumor Suppressor In 6q Deleted Region In Glioblastoma, Fatma Betul Aksoy Yasar, Takashi Shingu, Daniel B Zamler, Mohammad Fayyad Zaman, Derek Lin Chien, Qiang Zhang, Jiangong Ren, Jian Hu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a high-grade, aggressive brain tumor with dismal median survival time of 15 months. Chromosome 6q (Ch6q) is a hotspot of genomic alterations, which is commonly deleted or hyper-methylated in GBM. Two neighboring genes in this region, QKI and PRKN have been appointed as tumor suppressors in GBM. While a genetically modified mouse model (GEMM) of GBM has been successfully generated with Qk deletion in the central nervous system (CNS), in vivo genetic evidence supporting the tumor suppressor function of Prkn has not been established. In the present study, we generated a mouse model with Prkn-null allele …

Disruption Of Growth Hormone Receptor Signaling Abrogates Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development, Abedul Haque, Vishal Sahu, Jamie Lynne Lombardo, Lianchun Xiao, Bhawana George, Robert A Wolff, Jeffrey S Morris, Asif Rashid, John J Kopchick, Ahmed O Kaseb, Hesham M Amin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancers. It is an aggressive neoplasm with dismal outcome because most of the patients present with an advanced-stage disease, which precludes curative surgical options. Therefore, these patients require systemic therapies that typically induce small improvements in overall survival. Hence, it is crucial to identify new and promising therapeutic targets for HCC to improve the current outcome. The liver is a key organ in the signaling cascade triggered by the growth hormone receptor (GHR). Previous studies have shown that GHR signaling stimulates the proliferation and regeneration of liver cells …

Blockade Of Growth Hormone Receptor Signaling By Using Pegvisomant: A Functional Therapeutic Strategy In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Ahmed O Kaseb, Abedul Haque, Deeksha Vishwamitra, Manal M Hassan, Lianchun Xiao, Bhawana George, Vishal Sahu, Yehia I Mohamed, Roberto Carmagnani Pestana, Jamie Lynne Lombardo, Rony Avritscher, James C Yao, Robert A Wolff, Asif Rashid, Jeffrey S Morris, Hesham M Amin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive neoplasm with poor clinical outcome because most patients present at an advanced stage, at which point curative surgical options, such as tumor excision or liver transplantation, are not feasible. Therefore, the majority of HCC patients require systemic therapy. Nonetheless, the currently approved systemic therapies have limited effects, particularly in patients with advanced and resistant disease. Hence, there is a critical need to identify new molecular targets and effective systemic therapies to improve HCC outcome. The liver is a major target of the growth hormone receptor (GHR) signaling, and accumulating evidence suggests that GHR signaling …

Editorial: The Role Of The Igf Axis In Tumorigenesis And Cancer Treatment: From Genes To Metabolites, Guo Mengzhe, Xie Shanshan, Zhao Di, Wu Shihua

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Distal-Less Homeobox Genes Dlx5/6 Regulate Müllerian Duct Regression, Rachel D Mullen, Brice Bellessort, Giovanni Levi, Richard R Behringer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Dlx5 and Dlx6 encode distal-less homeodomain transcription factors that are present in the genome as a linked pair at a single locus. Dlx5 and Dlx6 have redundant roles in craniofacial, skeletal, and uterine development. Previously, we performed a transcriptome comparison for anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH)-induced genes expressed in the Müllerian duct mesenchyme of male and female mouse embryos. In that study, we found that Dlx5 transcripts were nearly seven-fold higher in males compared to females and Dlx6 transcripts were found only in males, suggesting they may be AMH-induced genes. Therefore, we investigated the role of Dlx5 and Dlx6 during AMH-induced Müllerian …

Update On Mri In Evaluation And Treatment Of Endometrial Cancer, Ekta Maheshwari, Stephanie Nougaret, Erica B Stein, Gaiane M Rauch, Ken-Pin Hwang, R Jason Stafford, Ann H Klopp, Pamela T Soliman, Katherine E Maturen, Andrea G Rockall, Susanna I Lee, Elizabeth A Sadowski, Aradhana M Venkatesan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Endometrial cancer is the second most common gynecologic cancer worldwide and the most common gynecologic cancer in the United States, with an increasing incidence in high-income countries. Although the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system for endometrial cancer is a surgical staging system, contemporary published evidence-based data and expert opinions recommend MRI for treatment planning as it provides critical diagnostic information on tumor size and depth, extent of myometrial and cervical invasion, extrauterine extent, and lymph node status, all of which are essential in choosing the most appropriate therapy. Multiparametric MRI using a combination of T2-weighted sequences, …

Highlights From The 7th Oncological Pathology Conference 'Pathological Anatomy In The Context Of The National Cancer Law: An Overview Of The Latin American Experience', 15, 22 And 23 July 2022, Trujillo, Peru, Caddie Laberiano-Fernández, Joan Moreno Luján, Bruno De Carvalho Dornelas, Magali Franco Benites, Patricia Gutiérrez Quispe, Valeria Aguilar Vásquez, Andric Guerrero Espinoza, Elsa Guerra Guerra, Gabriela Gil-Arroyo Álvarez, Juan Astigueta-Pérez, Maria Teresa Garcia De Dávila, Sandro Casavilca Zambrano, Tatiana Vidaurre Rojas, Alejandro Mariños, Emmanuel S González, Rossana Lazcano, Ricardo R Lastra, Isabel Alvarado-Cabrero, Henry Guerra Miller, Ricardo H Bardales, Milagros Abad-Licham

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The seventh session of the Oncological Pathology Conference (JoPaO) entitled 'Pathological Anatomy in the context of the National Cancer Law: An overview of the Latin American experience', was held virtually on July 15, 22 and 23. Peru was the headquarters for this event, where 17 national and international professors of high academic standing participated. They interacted in a multidisciplinary context through talks with national panellists and the general public. The recent promulgation of the 'National Cancer Law' fosters the development of discussion forums to analyse the national realities and uphold continuous learning about experiences in other Latin American countries with …

Elastic Shape Analysis Of Brain Structures For Predictive Modeling Of Ptsd, Yuexuan Wu, Suprateek Kundu, Jennifer S Stevens, Negar Fani, Anuj Srivastava

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

It is well-known that morphological features in the brain undergo changes due to traumatic events and associated disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, existing approaches typically offer group-level comparisons, and there are limited predictive approaches for modeling behavioral outcomes based on brain shape features that can account for heterogeneity in PTSD, which is of paramount interest. We propose a comprehensive shape analysis framework representing brain sub-structures, such as the hippocampus, amygdala, and putamen, as parameterized surfaces and quantifying their shape differences using an elastic shape metric. Under this metric, we compute shape summaries (mean, covariance, PCA) of brain …

Donor Selection For Kir Alloreactivity Is Associated With Superior Survival In Haploidentical Transplant With Ptcy, Jun Zou, Piyanuch Kongtim, Samer A Srour, Uri Greenbaum, Johannes Schetelig, Falk Heidenreich, Henning Baldauf, Brandt Moore, Supawee Saengboon, Yudith Carmazzi, Gabriela Rondon, Qing Ma, Katayoun Rezvani, Elizabeth J Shpall, Richard E Champlin, Stefan O Ciurea, Kai Cao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

With the continuous increase in the use of haploidentical donors for transplantation, the selection of donors becomes increasingly important. Haploidentical donors have been selected primarily based on clinical characteristics, while the effects of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) on outcomes of haploidentical-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT) with post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) remain inconclusive. The present study aimed to thoroughly evaluate the effect of KIRs and binding ligands assessed by various models, in addition to other patient/donor variables, on clinical outcomes in haplo-HSCT. In a cohort of 354 patients undergoing their first haplo-HSCT, we found that a higher Count Functional inhibitory KIR …

Electroacupuncture Ameliorates Inflammatory Response Induced By Retinal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury And Protects The Retina Through The Dor-Bdnf/Trkb Pathway, Runjie Guo, Yongjie Zhang, Yue Geng, Ping Chen, Tiantian Fu, Yong Xia, Ren Zhang, Yuan Zhu, Jingling Jin, Nange Jin, Hong Xu, Xuesong Tian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury (RIRI) is the common pathological basis of many ophthalmic diseases in the later stages, and inflammation is the primary damage mechanism of RIRI. Our study aimed to assess whether electroacupuncture (EA) has a protective effect against RIRI and to elucidate its related mechanisms.

Methods: A high-intraocular pressure (HIOP) model was used to simulate RIRI in Wistar rats. EA was applied to the EA1 group [Jingming (BL1) + Shuigou (GV26)] and the EA2 group [Jingming (BL1) + Hegu (LI4)] respectively for 30 min starting immediately after the onset of reperfusion and repeated (30 min/time) at 12 h …

High-Resolution Metabolomics Of Exposure To Tobacco Smoke During Pregnancy And Adverse Birth Outcomes In The Atlanta African American Maternal-Child Cohort, Youran Tan, Dana Boyd Barr, P Barry Ryan, Veronika Fedirko, Jeremy A Sarnat, Audrey J Gaskins, Che-Jung Chang, Ziyin Tang, Carmen J Marsit, Elizabeth J Corwin, Dean P Jones, Anne L Dunlop, Donghai Liang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy has been associated with a series of adverse reproductive outcomes; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well-established. We conducted an untargeted metabolome-wide association study to identify the metabolic perturbations and molecular mechanisms underlying the association between cotinine, a widely used biomarker of tobacco exposure, and adverse birth outcomes. We collected early and late pregnancy urine samples for cotinine measurement and serum samples for high-resolution metabolomics (HRM) profiling from 105 pregnant women from the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child cohort (2014-2016). Maternal metabolome perturbations mediating prenatal tobacco smoke exposure and adverse birth outcomes were assessed …

Recurrent Hgnet-Mn1 Altered (Astroblastoma Mn1-Altered) Of The Foramen Magnum: Case Report And Molecular Classification, Sricharan Gopakumar, Malcolm F Mcdonald, Himanshu Sharma, Claudio E Tatsui, Gregory N Fuller, Ganesh Rao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Astroblastoma is a rare primary brain tumor of unclear origin, often occurring in young patients less than 30-years-old. It typically arises supratentorially and is diagnosed based on histological features including vascular hyalinization and perivascular pseudorosettes. Recent molecular characterization of primary CNS high-grade neuroepithelial tumors with meningioma I alteration (HGNET-MN1) found that HGNET-MN1 and tumors with morphological signatures of astroblastoma clustered together. Further analysis revealed such astroblastomas have MN1 alteration and the 2021 WHO classification of tumors of the CNS now recognizes astroblastoma MN1-altered as a new entity.

Case description: Here, we present the case of …

Progression Free Survival Prediction For Head And Neck Cancer Using Deep Learning Based On Clinical And Pet/Ct Imaging Data, Mohamed A Naser, Kareem A Wahid, Abdallah S R Mohamed, Moamen Abobakr Abdelaal, Renjie He, Cem Dede, Lisanne V Van Dijk, Clifton D Fuller

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Determining progression-free survival (PFS) for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients is a challenging but pertinent task that could help stratify patients for improved overall outcomes. PET/CT images provide a rich source of anatomical and metabolic data for potential clinical biomarkers that would inform treatment decisions and could help improve PFS. In this study, we participate in the 2021 HECKTOR Challenge to predict PFS in a large dataset of HNSCC PET/CT images using deep learning approaches. We develop a series of deep learning models based on the DenseNet architecture using a negative log-likelihood loss function that utilizes PET/CT …

Combining Tumor Segmentation Masks With Pet/Ct Images And Clinical Data In A Deep Learning Framework For Improved Prognostic Prediction In Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Kareem A Wahid, Renjie He, Cem Dede, Abdallah S R Mohamed, Moamen Abobakr Abdelaal, Lisanne V Van Dijk, Clifton D Fuller, Mohamed A Naser

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PET/CT images provide a rich data source for clinical prediction models in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Deep learning models often use images in an end-to-end fashion with clinical data or no additional input for predictions. However, in the context of HNSCC, the tumor region of interest may be an informative prior in the generation of improved prediction performance. In this study, we utilize a deep learning framework based on a DenseNet architecture to combine PET images, CT images, primary tumor segmentation masks, and clinical data as separate channels to predict progression-free survival (PFS) in days for HNSCC …

Establishment And Validation Of Pre-Therapy Cervical Vertebrae Muscle Quantification As A Prognostic Marker Of Sarcopenia In Patients With Head And Neck Cancer, Brennan Olson, Jared Edwards, Catherine Degnin, Nicole Santucci, Michelle Buncke, Jeffrey Hu, Yiyi Chen, Clifton D Fuller, Mathew Geltzeiler, Aaron J Grossberg, Daniel Clayburgh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Sarcopenia is prognostic for survival in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). However, identification of this high-risk feature remains challenging without computed tomography (CT) imaging of the abdomen or thorax. Herein, we establish sarcopenia thresholds at the C3 level and determine if C3 sarcopenia is associated with survival in patients with HNC.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in consecutive patients with a squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck with cross-sectional abdominal or neck imaging within 60 days prior to treatment. Measurement of cross-sectional muscle area at L3 and C3 levels was performed from CT …

Deep-Learning-Based Generation Of Synthetic 6-Minute Mri From 2-Minute Mri For Use In Head And Neck Cancer Radiotherapy, Kareem A Wahid, Jiaofeng Xu, Dina El-Habashy, Yomna Khamis, Moamen Abobakr, Brigid Mcdonald, Nicolette O' Connell, Daniel Thill, Sara Ahmed, Christina Setareh Sharafi, Kathryn Preston, Travis C Salzillo, Abdallah S R Mohamed, Renjie He, Nathan Cho, John Christodouleas, Clifton D Fuller, Mohamed A Naser

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Quick magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans with low contrast-to-noise ratio are typically acquired for daily MRI-guided radiotherapy setup. However, for patients with head and neck (HN) cancer, these images are often insufficient for discriminating target volumes and organs at risk (OARs). In this study, we investigated a deep learning (DL) approach to generate high-quality synthetic images from low-quality images.

Methods: We used 108 unique HN image sets of paired 2-minute T2-weighted scans (2mMRI) and 6-minute T2-weighted scans (6mMRI). 90 image sets (~20,000 slices) were used to train a 2-dimensional generative adversarial DL model that utilized 2mMRI as input and …

Head And Neck Cancer Primary Tumor Auto Segmentation Using Model Ensembling Of Deep Learning In Pet/Ct Images, Mohamed A Naser, Kareem A Wahid, Lisanne V Van Dijk, Renjie He, Moamen Abobakr Abdelaal, Cem Dede, Abdallah S R Mohamed, Clifton D Fuller

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Auto-segmentation of primary tumors in oropharyngeal cancer using PET/CT images is an unmet need that has the potential to improve radiation oncology workflows. In this study, we develop a series of deep learning models based on a 3D Residual Unet (ResUnet) architecture that can segment oropharyngeal tumors with high performance as demonstrated through internal and external validation of large-scale datasets (training size = 224 patients, testing size = 101 patients) as part of the 2021 HECKTOR Challenge. Specifically, we leverage ResUNet models with either 256 or 512 bottleneck layer channels that demonstrate internal validation (10-fold cross-validation) mean Dice similarity coefficient …

Fadu Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Induces Hyperexcitability Of Primary Sensory Neurons In An In Vitro Coculture Model, Megan L Uhelski, Aysegul Gorur, Ted Shi, German Corrales, Kim N Du, Yan Li, Moran Amit, Claudio E Tatsui, Laurence D Rhines, Patrick M Dougherty, Juan P Cata

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Currently, cancer pain is viewed as a process orchestrated by the release of pronociceptive molecules and the invasion of neural structures, referred to as perineural invasion (PNI). Cancer pain resulting from PNI is well-documented, but the mechanisms leading to peripheral sensitization because of tumor growth are not fully known.

Methods: A retrospective study was used to examine how the use of anti-inflammatory medications affected preoperative pain in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma cancer. We then used an in vitro coculture model in which dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons were incubated together with Fadu human head and neck squamous …

Targeting Mcl-1 Dysregulates Cell Metabolism And Leukemia-Stroma Interactions And Resensitizes Acute Myeloid Leukemia To Bcl-2 Inhibition, Bing Z Carter, Po Yee Mak, Wenjing Tao, Marc Warmoes, Philip L Lorenzi, Duncan Mak, Vivian Ruvolo, Lin Tan, Justin Cidado, Lisa Drew, Michael Andreeff

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

MCL-1 and BCL-2 are both frequently overexpressed in acute myeloid leukemia and critical for the survival of acute myeloid leukemia cells and acute myeloid leukemia stem cells. MCL-1 is a key factor in venetoclax resistance. Using genetic and pharmacological approaches, we discovered that MCL-1 regulates leukemia cell bioenergetics and carbohydrate metabolisms, including the TCA cycle, glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathway and modulates cell adhesion proteins and leukemia-stromal interactions. Inhibition of MCL-1 sensitizes to BCL-2 inhibition in acute myeloid leukemia cells and acute myeloid leukemia stem/progenitor cells, including those with intrinsic and acquired resistance to venetoclax through cooperative release of pro-apoptotic …

Application Of Artificial Intelligence To Plasma Metabolomics Profiles To Predict Response To Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Ehsan Irajizad, Ranran Wu, Jody Vykoukal, Eunice Murage, Rachelle Spencer, Jennifer B Dennison, Stacy Moulder, Elizabeth Ravenberg, Bora Lim, Jennifer Litton, Debu Tripathym, Vicente Valero, Senthil Damodaran, Gaiane M Rauch, Beatriz Adrada, Rosalind Candelaria, Jason B White, Abenaa Brewster, Banu Arun, James P Long, Kim Anh Do, Sam Hanash, Johannes F Fahrmann

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

There is a need to identify biomarkers predictive of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We previously obtained evidence that a polyamine signature in the blood is associated with TNBC development and progression. In this study, we evaluated whether plasma polyamines and other metabolites may identify TNBC patients who are less likely to respond to NACT. Pre-treatment plasma levels of acetylated polyamines were elevated in TNBC patients that had moderate to extensive tumor burden (RCB-II/III) following NACT compared to those that achieved a complete pathological response (pCR/RCB-0) or had minimal residual disease (RCB-I). We further applied …

Increasing Referral Of At-Risk Women For Genetic Counseling And Brca Testing Using A Screening Tool In A Community Breast Imaging Center, Banu K Arun, Susan K Peterson, Lilian E Sweeney, Rachel D Bluebond, Rebecca S S Tidwell, Sukh Makhnoon, Anne C Kushwaha

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Genetic evaluation and testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) remain suboptimal. The authors evaluated the feasibility of using a screening tool at a breast imaging center to increase HBOC assessment referrals.

METHODS: A brief questionnaire based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network HBOC genetic counseling referral guidelines was developed and added to the standard intake forms of patients undergoing mammography at a community breast imaging center from 2012 through 2015. Patients who met the criteria in the guidelines were referred for genetic counseling.

RESULTS: A total of 34,851 patients were screened during the study period, and 1246 …

Glioma And The Gut-Brain Axis: Opportunities And Future Perspectives, Antonio Dono, Jack Nickles, Ana G Rodriguez-Armendariz, Braden C Mcfarland, Nadim J Ajami, Leomar Y Ballester, Jennifer A Wargo, Yoshua Esquenazi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The gut-brain axis has presented a valuable new dynamic in the treatment of cancer and central nervous system (CNS) diseases. However, little is known about the potential role of this axis in neuro-oncology. The goal of this review is to highlight potential implications of the gut-brain axis in neuro-oncology, in particular gliomas, and future areas of research. The gut-brain axis is a well-established biochemical signaling axis that has been associated with various CNS diseases. In neuro-oncology, recent studies have described gut microbiome differences in tumor-bearing mice and glioma patients compared to controls. These differences in the composition of the microbiome …

Landmark Mediation Survival Analysis Using Longitudinal Surrogate, Jie Zhou, Xun Jiang, H Amy Xia, Brian P Hobbs, Peng Wei

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Clinical cancer trials are designed to collect radiographic measurements of each patient's baseline and residual tumor burden at regular intervals over the course of study. For solid tumors, the extent of reduction in tumor size following treatment is used as a measure of a drug's antitumor activity. Statistical estimation of treatment efficacy routinely reduce the longitudinal assessment of tumor burden to a binary outcome describing the presence versus absence of an objective tumor response as defined by RECIST criteria. The objective response rate (ORR) is the predominate method for evaluating an experimental therapy in a single-arm trial. Additionally, ORR is …

Comparison Of Psma-Based 18f-Dcfpyl Pet/Ct And Pelvic Multiparametric Mri For Lesion Detection In The Pelvis In Patients With Prostate Cancer, Trinh T Nguyen, Priya R Bhosale, Guofan Xu, Tinsu Pan, Peng Wei, Yang Lu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To directly compare the performance of pelvic mpMRI versus recently approved and increasingly used PSMA-based 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT in intermediate-high risk and biochemical recurrent prostate cancer patient cohort while exploring their potential differing applications in specific clinical scenarios.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who had 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT and pelvic mpMRI done from September 2021 to January 2022 at a single institution. The inclusion criteria were paired exams within a 3-month interval. Exclusion criteria were intervening treatment between exams, a change in PSA by more than 50% and absolute difference more than 1 ng/mL, or concurrent history of …

Checkpoint Inhibitors As Immunotherapy For Fungal Infections: Promises, Challenges, And Unanswered Questions, Sebastian Wurster, Stephanie S Watowich, Dimitrios P Kontoyiannis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Opportunistic fungal infections have high mortality in patients with severe immune dysfunction. Growing evidence suggests that the immune environment of invasive fungal infections and cancers share common features of immune cell exhaustion through activation of immune checkpoint pathways. This observation gave rise to several preclinical studies and clinical case reports describing blockade of the Programmed Cell Death Protein 1 and Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Antigen 4 immune checkpoint pathways as an adjunct immune enhancement strategy to treat opportunistic fungal infections. The first part of this review summarizes the emerging evidence for contributions of checkpoint pathways to the immunopathology of fungal sepsis, opportunistic …

Genetic Contributors Of Incident Stroke In 10,700 African Americans With Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis From The Genetics Of Hypertension Associated Treatments And Reasons For Geographic And Racial Differences In Stroke Studies, Nicole D. Armstrong, Vinodh Srinivasasainagendra, Amit Patki, Rikki M. Tanner, Bertha A. Hidalgo, Hemant K. Tiwari, Nita A. Limdi, Ethan M. Lange, Leslie A. Lange, Donna K. Arnett, Marguerite R. Irvin

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: African Americans (AAs) suffer a higher stroke burden due to hypertension. Identifying genetic contributors to stroke among AAs with hypertension is critical to understanding the genetic basis of the disease, as well as detecting at-risk individuals.

Methods: In a population comprising over 10,700 AAs treated for hypertension from the Genetics of Hypertension Associated Treatments (GenHAT) and Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) studies, we performed an inverse variance-weighted meta-analysis of incident stroke. Additionally, we tested the predictive accuracy of a polygenic risk score (PRS) derived from a European ancestral population in both GenHAT and REGARDS AAs …