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Background The pathophysiology of CS is complex and is associated with increased inflammation and impaired vascular tone. Corticosteroids are recommended in septic shock and have been proposed as a potential treatment for other types of shock. Objectives We sought to evaluate the clinical outcomes associated with early corticosteroid use in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS). Methods Using a nationally representative database including over 1000 hospitals, we identified adults ≥18 years of age admitted from 2015–2023 with a diagnosis of CS. Patients with adrenal insufficiency, chronic rheumatologic conditions, COVID-19 infection and acute COPD exacerbation were excluded. Using inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW), we assessed for the association of receiving early corticosteroids (within the first 2 days of admission) versus no early corticosteroids and in-hospital mortality. Results Of the 167,721 identified patients with CS, the mean (SD) age was 65.5 (±15.2) years and 35.0% were women. A total of 13.2% received any corticosteroid within the first 2 days of admission. The most common corticosteroid was hydrocortisone (73.9%). Mortality for those receiving and not receiving early corticosteroids was 48.8% and 29.6% ( p < 0.001), respectively. After IPTW, early corticosteroid use remained associated with a 3.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.4% to 3.8%, p < 0.001) higher mortality. Among patients with CS and concomitant sepsis, 27.6% received early corticosteroids, which was similarly associated with a higher mortality (weighted mean 5.8% [95% CI: 4.6% to 7.0%, p < 0.001]). Conclusions Approximately 1 in 7 patients with CS received corticosteroids early during their admission, which was associated with higher in-hospital mortality.

Introduction Women residing in rural areas or belonging to lower socioeconomic status (SES) strata experience disproportionately low rates of breast cancer screening, contributing to delayed diagnoses and poorer prognoses. In addition, their participation in clinical trials remains markedly limited, reducing opportunities to access preventive and screening interventions. Promoting research preparedness among women before disease onset may empower them to make informed decisions regarding their health and willingness to participate in clinical research with fewer emotional and logistical barriers. Methods and analysis This project applies a community-based participatory research approach to develop and refine the WeCARE (Women’s Engagement for Cancer Awareness, Resources and Education) intervention for women aged 50–74 years who have either never undergone breast cancer screening or have not received screening in the past 5 years and who reside in rural areas or belong to low SES groups. The intervention consists of two components. Component 1 is a single-day, in-person community forum that includes (a) an educational seminar led by an oncologist to address breast cancer risk and screening guidelines, (b) survivor storytelling to enhance emotional engagement and cultural resonance and (c) facilitated navigation to breast cancer screening and future research participation. Component 2 involves structured post-forum follow-up through multiple touchpoints (phone calls and mailed boosters) to reinforce knowledge, address barriers and support screening completion and research enrolment. Quantitative data (eg, screening completion, satisfaction and follow-up engagement) will be summarised using descriptive statistics to assess feasibility and reach on 50 participants. Qualitative feedback from participants will undergo thematic analysis to identify barriers, facilitators and perceived cultural relevance. Integrated mixed-method interpretation will inform iterative refinement of the WeCARE intervention and guide design of subsequent larger trials. Ethics and dissemination Approved by the Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board (IRB #25–008934). All participants will provide informed consent. Procedures ensure confidentiality, cultural sensitivity and participant safety. Data will be stored in REDCap and disseminated through publications, conferences, local town halls and community reports.

e16449 Background: Pancreatic cancer (PC) carries a dismal 5-year survival of < 12%, and no FDA-approved agents exist for primary prevention. PC risk is strongly linked to obesity, diabetes, and chronic inflammation. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) directly target obesity-driven inflammatory pathways, reduce metabolic stress, and modulate signaling pathways (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) that drive cancer apoptosis. Based on this biological rationale, we conducted the first large-scale real-world study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of GLP-1RA for primary prevention of PC in high-risk patients. Methods: Leveraging a large real-world database (TriNetX), we identified patients aged 18-90 years with ≥1 PC risk factor (tobacco use, obesity, type 2 diabetes, alcohol use disorder, chronic pancreatitis, first-degree relative with PC, genetic susceptibility to PC) based on ICD-10 codes. Patients were stratified by GLP-1RA exposure into two cohorts: Cohort A (GLP-1RA users with ≥ 2 months of prescriptions) and Cohort B (controls). The primary endpoint was incident PC, and the secondary endpoints were adverse events related to GLP-1RAs. Patients with outcomes before the study window were excluded. Propensity score matching adjusted for confounders. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios for categorical outcomes, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate hazard ratios for time-to-event outcomes. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were employed to validate the strength of our results. Results: Median follow-up was 3,397 days for GLP-1RA users and 2,531 days for controls. Demographics were balanced between cohorts (mean age 42 years; 74% White, 15% Black; 72% female). Among 572,330 high-risk patients (286,165 per cohort), PC incidence was significantly lower among GLP-1RA users (0.05%; 134/286,165) than among non-users (0.13%; 362/286,097), with a 2.6-fold reduction in the absolute incidence of PC among high-risk patients (NNT of 1,255). GLP-1RA use was associated with a 71% reduction in PC incidence (HR 0.289; 95% CI 0.237–0.352). GLP-1RA use was associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal adverse events, including nausea/vomiting (HR 1.108; 95% CI 1.096–1.121), abdominal pain (HR 1.081; 95% CI 1.066–1.097), diarrhea (HR 1.199; 95% CI 1.182–1.217), and constipation (HR 1.159; 95% CI 1.143–1.176). Conclusions: GLP-1RA use significantly reduced PC incidence by 71% in high-risk patients, the strongest real-world signal yet for a pharmacologic prevention of this lethal malignancy. Although the absolute incidence remained low, the magnitude of the risk reduction underscores the transformative potential of GLP-1RA in preventive oncology. These findings address a critical unmet need in pancreatic oncology. Prospective mechanistic and randomized studies are warranted to validate these associations.

e16246 Background: First line systemic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) includes immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) combination therapy, with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), lenvatinib or cabozantinib, commonly used as second line therapy. However, there is limited data comparing efficacy of TKIs following first line ICI therapy. In the present study, we compared survival and risk of hospitalization in a propensity score matched analysis of patients who received lenvatinib or cabozantinib following progression on first line ICI therapy in patients with advanced HCC. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using data from TriNetX, a healthcare database of over 150 million patients in the United States. We identified adult patients with a history of HCC who received atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (A+B) or durvalumab plus tremelimumab (D+T) as first line treatment. We then stratified patients by use of lenvatinib or cabozantinib in the subsequent line setting. Propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted between those who received lenvatinib and those who received cabozantinib, matching for demographic factors (age, sex, race), clinical characteristics (history of alcohol use, ascites, esophageal varices, or viral hepatitis), and laboratory parameters [platelets, albumin, bilirubin, INR and alpha-1-fetoprotein (AFP)]. Results: We identified 416 patients who were initially treated with either A+B or D+T, with 327 patients receiving A+B and 89 patients receiving D+T. Of these, 336 patients (80.8%) subsequently received lenvatinib and 80 patients (19.2%) received cabozantinib. Baseline characteristics of demographic factors, clinical characteristics, and laboratory parameters were comparable between patients in the lenvatinib arm and cabozantinib arm with all standardized mean differences (SMD) < 0.10. After PSM, 76 patients were included in the analyses, with all variables adequately balanced. There was no significant difference in the risk of hospitalization between those receiving lenvatinib or cabozantinib at 3 months [31.6% vs 34%, odds ratio (OR) 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57-2.2]. There was also no significant difference in mOS between those receiving lenvatinib and cabozantinib [9.5 vs 9.0 months, hazard ratio (HR) 1.03, 95% CI 0.62-1.7]. Conclusions: In patients with HCC who received lenvatinib or cabozantinib as second-line therapy following first-line ICI combination therapy, we found no significant differences in rate of hospitalization or survival. These findings suggest that either option may be appropriate, and decisions may be based in side effect profile and patient preferences. Prospective studies will be important to further assess differences in patient outcomes.

4163 Background: Standard first-line systemic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma involves immune checkpoint inhibitors, including A+B and the STRIDE regimen consisting of D+T. However, there is limited data comparing outcomes of patients receiving these two regimens. We aimed to compare the survival and safety profiles of patients receiving A+B versus D+T as first-line systemic therapy for advanced HCC in a propensity score matched analysis. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using data from TriNetX, a healthcare database of over 150 million patients in the United States. We identified adult patients with a history of HCC and included those who received A+B or D+T as first line treatment. Propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted, matching for patient demographics (age, sex, race), clinical history (alcohol use, ascites, esophageal varices, viral hepatitis), and laboratory parameters [platelets, albumin, bilirubin, INR, alpha-1-fetoprotein (AFP)]. Median overall survival (mOS) and relevant patient safety events were compared between those who received A+B or D+T. Results: We identified 2,762 patients who had HCC who were treated with A+B or D+T, of which 2,030 patients received A+B and 723 patients received D+T. Compared to patients in the A+B cohort, those who received D+T were more often older (68.5 vs 66.9 years, standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.17), had lower platelet counts (186.4 vs 198.6, SMD = 0.11), had higher prevalence of ascites (33.1% vs 20.3%, SMD = 0.29), and alcohol use (23.8% vs 18.8%, SMD = 0.12). After PSM, 723 patients were included in survival analyses, with all variables adequately balanced except for albumin, which was higher in the A+B group (3.6 vs 3.5, SMD = 0.19). At 90 days after starting therapy, D+T was associated with higher incidence of immune-mediated colitis [5.3% vs 2.6%, odds ratio (OR) 2.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.2-3.7], and a higher risk of hospitalization [35.4% vs 27.9%, OR 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.8]. At 6 months, the risk of hypertension and proteinuria was higher in the A+B cohort [21.9% vs 13.7%, OR 0.57; 95% CI, 0.34-0.95], which persisted at 1 year [28.1% vs 16.5%, OR 0.51; 95% CI, 0.32-0.81]. There was no significant difference in mOS between those receiving A+B or D+T [18.3 months vs 22.8 months, hazard ratio (HR) 0.94; 95% CI, 0.79-1.1]. Conclusions: In patients with advanced HCC who received A+B or D+T as first-line systemic therapy, we found that A+B was associated with higher risk of hypertension and proteinuria, while D+T was associated with a higher risk of immune-mediated colitis and hospitalization. No significant difference in mOS was observed between the cohorts. These findings suggest that safety profiles, rather than survival differences, may be used to guide optimal first-line treatment regimens. Prospective studies are warranted to further assess differences in patient outcomes.

Abstract INTRODUCTION To examine the generalizability of Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker models in real‐world older adults, we examined AD biomarker relationships with cognition in two multicenter cohorts that differ with respect to recruitment approach and health risk factors but were matched on a variety of characteristics. METHODS We compared harmonized health and demographic data, AD and cerebrovascular biomarkers, and cognitive performance in the community‐recruited U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) Imaging substudy and a matched sample from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) which recruited primarily from academic specialty clinics. RESULTS Elevated β‐amyloid (Aβ) and tau were associated with cognitive performance in ADNI but not U.S. POINTER. Findings were consistent across different cohort matching schemes, and were not explained by discrepancies in vascular risk. DISCUSSION The role of Aβ and tau in cognitive performance may be reduced in real world samples compared to academic specialty clinics.

Abstract Rationale Sotatercept is a novel activin signaling inhibitor approved for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Sotatercept has been studied in randomized clinical trials, but little is known regarding the real-world use of sotatercept. We sought to describe the safety, tolerability and efficacy of sotatercept in our clinical practice. Methods We performed a combined prospective and retrospective cohort study of all patients treated with sotatercept at Mayo Clinic Rochester since its approval in March 2024. Patients enrolled in a separate clinical trial of sotatercept were excluded from this analysis as their data will be reported separately. Clinical data was abstracted from the electronic health record. Follow-up data was collected at 6 ± 3 months after initiation of sotatercept. Data is summarized as n (%) and mean ± SD. We used paired t-tests to compare baseline and follow-up characteristics within individuals. Results Fifty-eight PAH patients treated with sotatercept were included. Patients were 48.4 ± 37.6 years old at treatment initiation and were predominantly female with a mean duration of PAH of 6.7 years and a range of PAH etiologies including portopulmonary hypertension, congenital heart disease, and pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (Table 1). Twenty-one (36%) of patients had mixed etiologies of PH. Six months after initiation of sotatercept, patients had a significant improvement in NTproBNP (1922 ± 4464 to 363 ± 596 pg/ml, p = 0.04), 6 minute walk distance (378.8 ±144.6 to 395.7±129.5 meters, p = 0.02) and right ventricular systolic pressure (74.6 ± 20.5 to 60.6 ± 20.3 mm Hg, p &lt; 0.001). No patients permanently discontinued due to abnormal laboratory values. Mean highest hemoglobin achieved over the initial 6 months of treatment was 15.5 ± 2.1 g/dL and mean lowest platelet count was 181 ± 74K. Seven patients discontinued sotatercept at a range of 170-275 days after starting. Four patients discontinued due to possible treatment-related adverse effects: 1 each of gastrointestinal hemorrhage, retinal hemorrhage, hypoxia/intrapulmonary vasodilatation and spontaneous bilateral subdural hematomas. Three patients discontinued due to other reasons: newly diagnosed metastatic cancer leading to transition to hospice and two due to lack of improvement. Conclusions In this real-world registry of sotatercept in PAH, sotatercept was well-tolerated among patients with PAH and associated with improvements in exercise capacity, echocardiographic parameters, and NTproBNP. Overall discontinuation due to possible treatment-related adverse effects was low and reasons for discontinuation included bleeding and hypoxia attributed to intrapulmonary vasodilatation. This abstract is funded by: None

Abstract Background Telomere maintenance and surfactant-related genetic mutations are increasingly recognized as contributing factors in familial pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Pathogenic variants in the SFTPA2 gene have been associated with early-onset pulmonary fibrosis and an elevated risk of developing lung cancer. Currently, PF lacks a definitive cure beyond lung transplantation, and treatment options remain limited. Understanding the prevalence and clinical implications of pathogenic SFTPA2 variants is critical. This study aims to assess the prevalence of PF, lung cancer, and other co-morbidities among individuals carrying pathogenic SFTPA2 variants. Ultimately, this study seeks a comprehensive understanding of the natural history and potential screening needs for SFTPA2 variants. Methods Individuals with pathogenic SFTPA2 variants were identified in the Tapestry genomic database at our academic medical center. Electronic medical records (EMR) were reviewed for personal or family histories of PF, lung cancer, and other significant comorbidities. Imaging reports were evaluated for radiographic evidence of PF or lung cancer. Studies were approved by the local IRB. Results Out of 98,109 participants in the Tapestry database, 18 individuals were identified as carriers of SFTPA2 variants. The variants (NM_001098668.4) included c.460G&gt;C - p.(Ala154Pro) in 13 individuals, c.557A&gt;G - p.(Tyr186Cys) in 1 individual, and c.532G&gt;A - p.(Val178Met) in 4 individuals. The mean age was 60.5 years, and 67% were female. No participants had a formal diagnosis of PF; however, five (28%) had prior chest CTs showing ground-glass opacities, fibrosis, or irregular nodularity. EMR review did not confirm clinically significant PF. Notably, 44% reported a family history of primary lung cancer, though no familial PF was documented. Comorbidities included inflammatory bowel disease (22%, with a tapestry cohort prevalence of 9%) and a personal history of cancer in 44%, encompassing nine distinct malignancies such as metastatic colon adenocarcinoma (1), prostate cancer (1), basal cell carcinoma of the skin (1), endometrial cancer (1), breast cancer (2), melanoma (1), and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (1). Conclusions In this cohort of individuals with SFTPA2 variants, no cases of clinically confirmed PF or lung cancer were identified. However, there was a notable prevalence of abnormal parenchymal chest CT findings, inflammatory bowel disease, personal cancer history, and family history of lung cancer. These findings underscore the variable penetrance of SFTPA2 variants and highlight the need for longitudinal studies to elucidate the genetic, environmental, and immunologic factors that modulate disease expression. Improved understanding may inform screening strategies and therapeutic interventions for at-risk individuals. This abstract is funded by: None

Abstract Honoring a patient’s wishes for end-of-life care can be challenging if the patient loses decision-making capacity and the identified alternate decision-maker will not respect the patient’s wishes. This article discusses how to proceed ethically and legally when the alternate decision-maker and care team disagree about respecting a patient’s end-of-life preferences.

Background: Considering the pathophysiological importance of the intestine-passing microbiota, we hypothesized that the mutational and microbial profiles of colorectal cancer might gradually change along detailed anatomical locations and that these trends might differ by the age of diagnosis and the microsatellite instability (MSI) status. Methods: We assessed somatic mutations and selected bacterial species in colorectal carcinomas along the cecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, and rectum, utilizing targeted sequencing data ( N = 5685) from the Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium and tissue microbial data ( N = 1389) from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and Nurses’ Health Study. Results: There were decreasing trends from the cecum to rectum in the prevalence of gene mutations in the IGF/PI3K, receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)/RAS, TGFB, and WNT signaling pathways (all P trend < 0.0001), as well as high levels of Bacteroides fragilis ( P trend < 0.0001) and high levels of Fusobacterium nucleatum ( P trend = 0.0029) (but not enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis or pks+ Escherichia coli ). Conversely, TP53 pathway mutations showed an increasing cecum-to-rectum trend ( P trend < 0.0001). Similar to later-onset cases diagnosed at ages 50 years and older, in early-onset cases diagnosed under the age of 50 years, we found generally decreasing cecum-to-rectum trends of IGF/PI3K, RTK/RAS, TGFB, and WNT pathway mutations and an increasing cecum-to-rectum trend in TP53 pathway mutations. By contrast, the cecum-to-rectum prevalence-changing trends in IGF/PI3K, RTK/RAS, TGFB, and TP53 pathway mutations were present in non–MSI-high tumors but not in MSI-high tumors (all P interaction < 0.0052). Conclusion: Non–MSI-high colorectal cancers exhibited decreasing cecum-to-rectum trends of IGF/PI3K, RTK/RAS, and TGFB pathway mutations (and an increasing trend of TP53 pathway mutations), in contrast to MSI-high tumors that demonstrated no such trends. Our study highlights the importance of detailed colorectal subsite information combined with tumor molecular and microbial characteristics in colorectal cancer research.