Citations

Objective: To systematically review studies evaluating systemic medical therapies for sporadic vestibular schwannoma (VS) and perform meta-analyses to assess associations with tumor control. Study design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Setting: Not applicable. Patients: Sporadic VS patients. Interventions: Systemic medical therapies. Main outcome measures: Tumor growth. Results: Nine retrospective studies met criteria: 5 on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), 3 on metformin, and 1 on losartan (all level 3 evidence). A meta-analysis of ORs from 5 studies demonstrated no significant association between aspirin use and tumor growth (pooled OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.48-1.23; I²: 76%). Conversely, a meta-analysis of ORs from 3 studies on metformin showed significantly lower odds of tumor growth (pooled OR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.30-0.72; I²: 0%). The study on losartan did not identify a statistically significant association of losartan with tumor growth. Less than half of the studies reported HRs to appropriately reflect the inherently time-dependent nature of tumor growth. Conclusions: Evidence for systemic therapies in sporadic VS remains preliminary. Our meta-analysis of ORs demonstrates that NSAID use is not significantly associated with tumor growth, metformin users had lower odds of tumor growth, and evidence for losartan remains limited; however, all available studies provide only level 3 evidence. At present, there is insufficient data to recommend routine use of aspirin, metformin, or losartan with the intent of mitigating VS tumor growth during wait-and-scan management. High-quality prospective studies with appropriate time-to-event methodology to assess tumor growth are required to establish the clinical utility of systemic therapies in the management of patients with sporadic VS.

ABSTRACT Importance Rural-urban disparities in chronic disease prevalence are well established; however, the extent to which individual-level socioeconomic status (SES) contributes to these disparities remains unclear. Objective To examine the associations of rurality and SES with the prevalence of five most burdensome chronic diseases among adults. Design We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study of adults across 27 Upper Midwest counties using the Expanded Rochester Epidemiology Project (E-REP) medical record data linkage system to evaluate associations between rurality, SES and chronic disease prevalence. Prevalence of clinically diagnosed asthma, diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and mood disorders was identified from International Classification of Diseases ICD9/10 codes over a five-year period (2014-2019). Setting Population based Participants Adults over 18 years residing in the 27 E-REP counties, excluding those missing rural-urban residence status. Exposure HOUSES index, an individual-level measure of SES, served as the primary measure, while rurality based on Rural Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes 4-10 was the secondary measure. Main Outcome Prevalence of the five clinically diagnosed chronic diseases was identified using ICD9/10 codes from 2014–2019. Mixed effect logistic regression models were used and adjusted for demographics and general medical examination receipt, to assess rural-urban and SES differences for prevalence of each chronic disease. Results Among 455,802 adults with available HOUSES index, 42.8% lived in rural areas, 53.8% were female and 87.4% were non-Hispanic White. In the unadjusted analysis, rural and urban populations showed comparable asthma and CHD prevalence, while mood disorders, hypertension, and diabetes were more common in urban areas. After adjusting for demographic factors and healthcare utilization, rural-urban differences were no longer statistically significant, whereas SES remained strongly associated with all diseases in a dose response manner (e.g., adjusted Odds Ratio for hypertension (ref: HOUSES index Q4): 1.14, 1.27, and 1.42 for HOUSES index Q3, Q2, and Q1, respectively). Conclusions and Relevance Individual-level SES measured by the HOUSES index, was more strongly associated with chronic disease prevalence than rurality, supporting its integration into population health assessment and risk stratification.

Objective: Quality of life (QOL) is an important consideration in vestibular schwannoma (VS) patients when assessing management options. Understanding sex-based differences in QOL may facilitate patient counseling. Study design: Prospective cohort. Setting: Tertiary academic medical center and Acoustic Neuroma Association. Patients: Sporadic VS patients. Interventions: Observation, microsurgery, or radiation. Main outcome measures: Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality of Life (PANQOL) scores. Results: A total of 481 patients were analyzed. In the observation group, women reported worse anxiety, facial function, and total PANQOL scores at baseline. At follow-up, men declined more in facial function (−5 vs. +3, P =0.01). For microsurgery, women reported worse facial function and balance scores at baseline. At follow-up, men declined more in facial function (−16 vs. −3, P <0.001), balance (−7 vs. +2, P =0.04), energy (−4 vs. +5, P =0.03), and total (−5 vs. +2, P =0.02) PANQOL scores. For radiation, women reported worse anxiety, balance, pain, and total scores at baseline. At follow-up, anxiety improved in women but worsened in men (+5 vs. −6, P =0.008). Sex-based differences exceeding the minimally important difference thresholds established for the PANQOL were observed for the following: anxiety at baseline in the observation group, anxiety and pain at baseline in the radiation group, and change in anxiety from baseline to follow-up in the radiation group. Conclusions: Women had worse anxiety, balance, facial function, pain, and overall QOL at baseline assessed using the PANQOL, whereas men declined more with treatment and observation. The largest difference in PANQOL change between sexes occurred after microsurgery, with men experiencing greater losses in facial function, balance, energy, and total scores.

Abstract The detection of genetic abnormalities is required during diagnostic workup and for potential individualization of therapy selection in multiple myeloma (MM) and its precursor conditions. At present, this relies on invasive bone marrow (BM) biopsies, severely limiting early detection, frequent longitudinal monitoring, and the precise selection of therapy. The current standard for detecting genetic alterations in MM is fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), which cannot detect point mutations and other clinically relevant alterations. Consequently, the IMS-IMWG guidelines were recently updated to require next-generation sequencing for the classification of high-risk MM. To address these needs, we recently launched GenoPredicta, a CLIA-approved LDT that enables routine monitoring, informing diagnosis, and treatment selection by comprehensively characterizing MM genomes with whole genome sequencing (WGS) from as few as 50 circulating tumor cells (CTCs) isolated from peripheral blood (PB) or tumor cells from BM. Briefly, tumor cells are isolated from samples using fluorescence-activated cell sorting and subjected to WGS, from which copy number alterations, structural variants, and short variants (SNVs/indels) are identified using a fully automated pipeline generating physician-ready clinical reports from raw sequencing data in ∼6h. Analytical validation of GenoPredicta showed complete concordance with FISH results. Identifying alterations in therapeutic targets (e.g., BCMA, GPRC5D) for guiding MM immunotherapies is becoming increasingly important. Here, we describe GenoPredicta results from relapsed/refractory MM patients, highlighting resistance-conferring alterations that can only be detected by WGS, such as deletions in the kilo- to megabase scales that are observed in conjunction with SNVs and indels, leading to biallelic loss/inactivation of the gene, including at subclonal levels. In addition to biallelic loss of BCMA and GPRC5D in response to CAR T or T cell engager therapies, we observed similar resistance mechanisms for targets of immunomodulatory drugs, e.g., CRBN. The observation of these resistance mechanisms was consistent with patients’ clinical histories. In summary, we demonstrate that low input WGS-based characterization of MM from BM or CTCs is a viable replacement for FISH for clinical diagnosis and monitoring, with CTC-based measurements enabling comprehensive profiling of the MM genome. Crucially, this includes genetic alterations that confer resistance to therapy, allowing for both early detection of such alterations and more precise selection and guidance of therapy. The dramatically improved variant calling ability from WGS, especially in low-input CTC applications, extends to other malignancies and will gain wider adoption as sequencing costs continue to decrease. Citation Format: Bruno Paiva, Peter Voorhees, Patricia T. Greipp, Danielle Sookiasian, Julian Hess, Marisa DeMeo, Vicki Pounder, Sarah Calkins, Reid Meyer, Linda B. Baughn, Christine-Ivy Liacos, Meletios-Athanasios Dimopoulos, Alexandra Papadimou, Taouxi Konstantina, Efstathios Kastritis, Jesus Berdeja, Daniel Auclair, Valentina Nardi, Thomas Mullen, Francois Aguet, Shaji Kunnathu Kumar. Whole genome sequencing of multiple myeloma genomes with a novel clinical assay enables identification of genetic alterations underlying immunotherapy resistance [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2026; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2026 Apr 17-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 1067.

Abstract Idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel) is a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved for relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Out-of-specification (OOS) CAR T cells not meeting criteria for commercial release are considered an investigational product; the expanded access protocol (EAP) allows release of OOS product for administration. The manufacturing analysis of capability, reliability, and timely delivery of ide-cel in the United States over &gt;3 years since its approval included patients with RRMM who underwent leukapheresis for ide-cel treatment after ≥2 prior lines of therapy between 23 February 2021 and 1 November 2024. Additionally, the BB2121-EAP-001 study evaluated safety and efficacy of OOS ide-cel and included patients who had undergone leukapheresis for commercial ide-cel treatment not meeting commercial release specifications, most commonly due to high CD137 activation or low-infused dose. Primary end point was safety. Secondary end points were overall response rate (ORR) and complete response rate (CRR). At data cutoff (1 November 2024), the manufacturing success rate of ide-cel improved from 95.3% in 2021 to 96.8% in 2024. Turnaround time also improved from 31 days in 2021 to 24 days in 2024. In BB2121-EAP-001, 68 (72.3%) patients experienced ≥1 cytokine release syndrome event (mostly grade 1/2) and 15 (16.0%) had neurological toxicities (2 grade 3, 13 grade 1/2). ORR was 75.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 63.1-85.2), and CRR was 35.4% (95% CI, 23.9-48.2). The manufacturing success of ide-cel is reliable and consistently high, and when OOS ide-cel products emerged, they demonstrated consistent clinical efficacy and safety. The BB2121-EAP-001 study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04771078.

Importance Exploring the relationship between moral distress and occupational burnout is necessary to understand the association between these constructs. Objective To evaluate moral distress among physicians and US workers, and to explore the association of moral distress with burnout, intent to leave (ITL) current position, and intent to reduce clinical work hours (ITR). Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional national survey study included physicians from all specialties and a probability-based sample of employed nonphysicians. Participants were aged 29 to 65 years. Data were collected between October 19, 2023, and March 5, 2024. Data were analyzed from June 30 to October 20, 2025. Main Outcomes and Measures Moral distress was measured using the Moral Distress Thermometer (MDT, range 0-10), with a high level of moral distress defined by a score of 4 or higher. Burnout was measured using the complete Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Professional fulfillment was measured using the Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index. ITL and ITR were measured using a standardized item with response options of none, slight, moderate, likely, and definitely. Results This survey study included 5741 physicians and 3501 nonphysician US workers. The median (IQR) age of physicians was 53 (44-62), and included 3262 men (58.0%), 2255 women (40.1%), and 107 individuals who responded other (1.9%). The mean (SD) moral distress score for physicians was 3.29 (2.81), with 2243 (39.1%) reporting a high level of moral distress (4 or more considered high). On multivariable analysis, women physicians had higher odds of moral distress (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.12-1.48). Compared with internal medicine subspecialists, emergency medicine physicians (OR, 3.16; 95% CI, 2.27-4.4) and general internal medicine physicians (OR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.42-2.59) were more likely to report high levels of moral distress. Mean emotional exhaustion and depersonalization scores, as well as the proportion of physicians with burnout, were higher with each 1-point increase in moral distress score. The overall correlation between the emotional exhaustion score and moral distress score was R = 0.55 ( P &amp;lt; .001) while the correlation between the depersonalization score and moral distress score was R = 0.50 ( P &amp;lt; .001). Additionally, 1068 of 3477 physicians (30.7%) with a moral distress score less than 4 had burnout symptoms compared with 1675 of 2231 physicians (75.1%) with scores of 4 or more ( P &amp;lt; .001). The prevalence of ITL and ITR was higher for each 1-point increase in moral distress score. For example, 619 of 3404 physicians (18.2%) with low moral distress reported ITL within 24 months compared with 748 of 2171 (34.5%) among those with high moral distress ( P &amp;lt; .001). Compared with other US workers, physicians had markedly higher odds of experiencing moral distress (OR, 4.40; 95% CI, 3.84-5.06). Conclusion and Relevance In this survey study, moral distress was common among physicians and experienced at higher rates than the general US working population. Understanding the differences between moral distress and burnout may allow organizations to more effectively implement interventions to address both concerns among clinicians.

Background: Long COVID, the chronic sequela of SARS-CoV-2 infection, has affected millions of people worldwide. However, its pathogenesis and treatment remain unknown. To address this critical gap, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) developed the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative that included the Viral Persistence and Reactivation, and Immune Dysregulation (RECOVER-VITAL) study as one of the first of five NIH-sponsored, integrated platform protocols to support the rigorous and rapid investigation of potential interventions for Long COVID. Methods: Experts across academia, the NIH, and the community of patients and caregivers were brought together to design the RECOVER-VITAL protocol. We present the challenges and rationale underpinning critical components of this protocol and provide evidence for use of the platform for efficient execution of current and future Long COVID clinical trials. Facets of the RECOVER-VITAL protocol, including inclusion criteria, intervention groups, study procedures, investigation of biomarkers, and endpoints, were carefully crafted to advance the current and future science and operations of Long COVID clinical trials, particularly in the absence of existing data. The initial trial within the RECOVER-VITAL platform evaluated two durations of an antiviral drug, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, to test the proposed etiology of viral persistence on the Long COVID symptom clusters of autonomic dysfunction, cognitive dysfunction, and exercise intolerance. The primary outcome measures were patient-reported, and secondary outcomes included performance-based measures for each of the symptom clusters of interest. Conclusions: The RECOVER-VITAL platform protocol has substantial implications for the design and conduct of future Long COVID clinical trials.

OBJECTIVE To assess whether initiating metformin at 25 weeks' gestation influences exclusive breastfeeding at 12 weeks postpartum in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We performed a prespecified secondary analysis of the Effectiveness of Metformin in Addition to Usual Care in the Reduction of Gestational Diabetes Effects (EMERGE) trial, a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized study. A total of 535 pregnant women (510 with newly diagnosed GDM) were allocated 1:1 to metformin (titrated to 2.5 g/day) or placebo alongside usual care. Infant feeding was prospectively documented at birth and at 4 and 12 weeks postpartum. The primary outcome was exclusive breastfeeding at 12 weeks (intention to treat). Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for race, education, smoking, booking BMI, health care access markers, and diagnostic oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) glucose levels. RESULTS Twelve-week feeding data were available for 476 pregnancies (236 in the metformin group and 240 in the placebo group). Exclusive breastfeeding at 12 weeks was 27% with metformin and 26% with placebo (absolute difference +1.3%; 95% CI –6.3 to 8.7; P = 0.75). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for metformin versus placebo was 1.24 (95% CI 0.79–1.96; P = 0.36). Feeding patterns shifted from breastfeeding to formula temporally in both groups (P &lt; 0.001), with no treatment-by-time interaction (P = 0.61). Non-Caucasian ethnicity independently predicted exclusive breastfeeding (adjusted OR 2.37; 95% CI 1.27–4.42). CONCLUSIONS Starting metformin treatment at 25 weeks in the GDM group was not associated with differences in exclusive breastfeeding at 12 weeks postpartum. Where metformin was discontinued at delivery, the results support compatibility of antenatal metformin with breastfeeding objectives. Breastfeeding outcomes were more linked to sociodemographic factors than metabolic ones, highlighting the need for culturally appropriate postpartum support.

46 Background: Primary results from the randomized, multicenter, open-label, phase 3 TRITON3 (NCT02975934) study demonstrated that rucaparib significantly improved radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) vs physician’s choice of DTX or an ARPI. ECOG PS is used as a predictor of prostate cancer survival. In this post hoc analysis, we report results from the BRCA1/2 subgroup of pts stratified by ECOG PS. Methods: Pts with disease progression after 1 prior second-generation ARPI in any setting were randomized 2:1 to rucaparib 600 mg BID or physician’s choice of DTX or ARPI (abiraterone acetate or enzalutamide). Primary endpoint was rPFS by independent radiology review (IRR). Objective response rate (ORR) for pts with measurable disease and overall survival (OS) were key secondary endpoints. Crossover from physician’s choice to rucaparib was allowed after radiographic progression was confirmed by IRR. Data cutoff was August 25, 2022. Results: Of 302 pts in the BRCA1/2 population, 147 had an ECOG status of 0 (97 rucaparib; 50 physician’s choice) and 155 had ECOG 1 (104 rucaparib; 51 physician’s choice). Baseline characteristics and demographics were generally similar between arms for pts in the ECOG 0 and ECOG 1 groups. Median rPFS favored rucaparib vs physician’s choice for pts with ECOG 0 (11.4 vs 8.2 months; HR, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.30-0.76]) and ECOG 1 (10.9 vs 6.1 months; HR, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.31-0.74]) (Table). Additionally, rPFS favored rucaparib for ECOG 0 and ECOG 1 including those whose prespecified physician’s choice was ARPI or docetaxel (Table). The confirmed ORR (95% CI) of rucaparib vs physician’s choice for ECOG 0 was 54% (37%–69%) vs 16% (3%–40%); the ORR for ECOG 1 was 37% (22%–53%) vs 18% (5%–40%), respectively. Median OS was similar between arms for rucaparib or physician’s choice; median OS was 23.7 vs 21.7 months (HR, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.61–1.37]) for ECOG 0 and 21.8 vs 20.4 months (HR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.58–1.24]) for ECOG 1. Conclusions: Rucaparib improved rPFS and ORR in pts with BRCA-mutated prostate cancer with an ECOG PS of 0 or 1. OS was similar for these groups in both arms. These data support rucaparib as a treatment option for pts with BRCA-mutated mCRPC, whether ECOG 0 or 1. Clinical trial information: NCT02975934 . Median rPFS in patients in the ECOG 0 and ECOG 1 groups. Rucaparib, n Physician’s choice, n rPFS Rucaparib, median months rPFS Physician’s choice, median months HR (95% CI) rPFS, ECOG 0 97 50 11.4 8.2 0.48 (0.30–0.76) rPFS, ECOG 1 104 51 10.9 6.1 0.48 (0.31–0.74) rPFS, physician’s choice ARPI, ECOG 0 51 24 11.2 5.6 0.42 (0.22–0.78) rPFS, physician’s choice docetaxel, ECOG 0 46 26 11.5 8.8 0.49 (0.24–0.98) rPFS, physician’s choice ARPI, ECOG 1 52 17 11.2 4.5 0.33 (0.16–0.68) rPFS, physician’s choice docetaxel, ECOG 1 52 34 10.7 7.1 0.59 (0.34–1.01)

PURPOSE BRCA carriers face high risks of developing both breast and ovarian/fallopian tube cancers (hereafter referred to as ovarian ). Among BRCA carriers with ovarian cancer, it is not clear whether the risk of breast cancer is sufficiently high that risk-reducing mastectomy should be offered. This study aimed to assess the risk of breast cancer BRCA carriers after a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. METHODS We included women with a pathogenic/likely pathogenic variant in BRCA1 or BRCA2 , a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, and no other cancer history and no risk-reducing bilateral mastectomy. Women were followed for incident breast cancer from the date of ovarian cancer diagnosis or the date of baseline questionnaire, whichever came last. The 5-, 10-, and 15-year cumulative risks of breast cancer were compared for women with ovarian cancer and an age-matched set of control women without ovarian cancer. RESULTS A total of 960 participants with ovarian cancer were identified (814 BRCA1 and 146 BRCA2 carriers). After a mean follow-up of 4.9 years, 41 women (4.3%) developed breast cancer, at a mean age at diagnosis of 57.5 years (range, 39-74). Actuarial cumulative breast cancer risks after ovarian cancer were 4.4%, 8.9%, and 11.5% at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. Only three breast cancer–related deaths occurred. Among 741 age-matched BRCA carriers without ovarian cancer, actuarial cumulative risks of breast cancer were 20.9%, 38.6%, and 47.2% at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively. The hazard ratio for breast cancer, after an ovarian cancer diagnosis, compared with no ovarian cancer, was 0.18 ([95% CI, 0.12 to 0.27]; P < .0001). CONCLUSION After ovarian cancer, BRCA carriers have a relatively low risk of breast cancer. Risk-reducing mastectomy should not be recommended routinely, but might be considered for long-term survivors. Magnetic resonance imaging surveillance and/or mammography is a realistic alternative.