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476 Background: Lack of standardized reporting and collection of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) limits cross-trial comparisons of first-line IO-based regimens for mRCC. Prospectively collected real world data may fill this important knowledge gap. Pts with stable/improved QoL at 3 mo versus baseline have longer median OS than pts with worse/unobserved HRQoL versus baseline (Cella, 2024). Methods: ODYSSEY is a multi-site, prospective observational study of 468 US pts with mRCC. Pts must have mRCC (any histology), no prior systemic therapy (ST), and follow up at a PCORnet study site. Exclusion criteria include treatment for cancer except mRCC. Descriptive statistics are used to show PRO score changes from baseline. We evaluate longitudinal change from baseline in PRO scores using least squares mean (LSM). Minimally important differences (MID) are 3 points for FKSI-19 total score, 1 point for the FKSI-Disease Related Symptoms (DRS) subscale and 7 points for FACT-G. Higher score indicates better QOL. The primary objective is to determine patterns of change in QOL and symptom burden of pts with mRCC. Results: As of 10/1/25, 360 pts were managed with ST, including 266 pts on IO-based combinations: 35 cabozantinib + nivolumab (C+N), 49 lenvatinib + pembrolizumab (L+P), 40 axitinib + pembrolizumab (A+P), and 142 ipilimumab + nivolumab (I+N). Overall median follow-up is 12.1 mos (IQR 6, 24). Age, sex and race were similar across regimens. Prior nephrectomy (50%) was lower than in trials. C+N and L+P pts had less clear cell (56 and 65%) versus A+P and I+N pts (94 and 82%). A+P pts had more favorable IMDC risk (19%) and less poor risk (14%). Baseline QOL was variable across regimens, with L+P generally the lowest. Absolute changes in PROs from enrollment to mo 3 (early change) by regimen are shown in the Table. LSM change from baseline in FKSI-19 and FKSI-DRS favored IO-IO versus IO-TKI at 3 mos but not at 6 mos (not shown). Conclusions: While early change in PROs did not meet the MID threshold between the IO-TKI and I+N cohorts, different patterns of early change are apparent among specific IO-TKI regimens. IO-TKI regimens exhibited higher variation in early PRO change vs I+N. As the data matures, we will associate baseline PROs and early PRO changes with early death and other outcomes. Clinical trial information: NCT04919122 . 3 month change. Instrument C+N (N=35) L+P (N=49) A+P (N=40) All IO-TKI(N=124) I+N(N=142) FKSI-19, N (%) 26 (74) 33 (67) 33 (83) 92 (74) 104 (73) Mean (SD) -0.3 (11) 2.8 (13) -3.2 (12) -0.2 (12) 0.7 (10) Median (IQR) 1.4 (-7, 6) 5.0 (-7, 11) -1.0 (-14, 5) 1.4 (-10, 8) -0.3 (-5, 6) FKSI-DRS, N (%) 26 (74) 33 (67) 33 (83) 92 (74) 104 (73) Mean (SD) -0.8 (5) 1.5 (7) -1.8 (6) -0.3 (6) 0.8 (5) Median (IQR) -0.5 (-5, 3) 2.0 (-5, 5) -1.0 (-5, 3) 0.0 (-5, 4) 0.0 (-2, 4) FACT-G, N (%) 27 (77) 32 (65) 29 (73) 88 (71) 102 (72) Mean (SD) 2.1 (14) 5.2 (16) -3.5 (15) 1.4 (15) 0.3 (13) Median (IQR) 4.0 (-4, 10) 1.2 (-6, 13) -6.4 (-11, 4) 1.6 (-8, 10) 1.6 (-7, 8)

Introduction Psychiatric disorders have their genesis in early life. Standard screening approaches during well child visits for pathological infant distress, maternal depression, and dysfunctional parenting behaviors are likely inadequate. Microbiome measures and infant vocalizations have promise as scalable psychiatric biomarkers for infants. The purpose of this study was to examine associations among infant gut colonization based on microbiome measurements with maternal distress and maternal depressive symptoms in a sample of infants. Methods This study sought to examine infant microbiome correlates of infant distress, parent-infant interactions, maternal distress, and maternal depressive symptoms. We collected ( N = 31) microbiome samples, infant vocalizations during vaccination, and behavioral measures during a 4 month well child visit (WCV) and did a battery of clinical assessments to assess for maternal depression, parent-child interactions, family characteristics and family stress. Whole-genome SHOTGUN sequencing was utilized to identify three types of associations: alpha-diversity using Shannon and Inverse-Simpson indexes, beta-diversity using Bray-Curtis and Jaccard distances, and differential abundance using LinDA. Spectral measures of infant cries were also modeled to assess potential relationships with clinical assessments and the microbiome. Results There were 19 phyla, 417 genera, and 1246 species identified with taxonomic classification. Maternal distress as measured by PHQ-9 scores obtained when infants were 2 months old were associated with 4 bacterial species ( Actinomyces johnsonii, Bilophila wadsworthia, Clostridium dakarense and Ruminococcus flavefaciens ; FDR < 0.1) and beta-diversity ( p = 0.006-BC; p = 0.005-Jaccard). Infant cries with greater high frequency band power ( p < 0.03) and a greater high-to-mid frequency ratio–metrics ( p < 0.05) were associated with altered α-diversity of the microbiome. No correlations were present between maternal PHQ-9 at 4 months, PSI-IV and microbiome diversity. Conclusion The present findings suggest that an infant stress (assessed by quality of crying) is associated with lower microbiome diversity. Decreased diversity reflects an unhealthy microbiome. Parental depressive symptoms may also influence infant microbiome. Future interventional studies focused on the quality of the infant-caregiver relationship should examine related changes in intestinal microbiota.

The WHO 2019 classification of digestive tract tumors introduced a high-grade (G3) category for well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). These neoplasms appear to have a better prognosis than poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) and may not respond to platinum-based chemotherapy, which is the treatment of choice for NECs, justifying the creation of this new category. Most existing data on G3 NETs are derived from pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms, as the majority of G3 neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) arise there. G3 NETs are rare at extrapancreatic sites, and their prognosis and behavior are not well studied. We collected and analyzed a multi-institutional cohort of 24 extrapancreatic primary gastrointestinal G3 NETs based on mitotic rate and/or Ki67 index (5 gastric, 13 small bowel, 6 colorectal/anal). Mean Ki67 index was 29.3% (range: 10.5% to 50.2%). Cases generally showed typical well-differentiated NET morphology. Nodal metastases were present in 17/17 (100%) patients; 13/24 (45%) had distant metastases at initial presentation, and 7 patients developed them on follow-up. With a median of 29 months of follow-up, only 2 patients (8%) were alive without disease. Outcomes of G3 NETs were compared with a separate cohort of 125 extrapancreatic G1/G2 gastrointestinal NETs. G3 tumors presented at a higher pT-category stage ( P <0.001) and overall stage ( P =0.002), and patients with G3 disease were more likely to die than those with G1/G2 disease ( P <0.001). Our data show that, like pancreatic G3 NETs, rare extrapancreatic gastrointestinal G3 NETs exhibit aggressive behavior compared with their G1/G2 counterparts (although small bowel NETs tend to recur irrespective of grade). In most cases, the G3 designation is driven by Ki67 index, though exceptions exist, emphasizing the need for reviewing mitotic count in every case.

Importance Brain metastases are common in patients with cancer, and radiation is often used for management. Among patients with more than 4 brain metastases, the effects of stereotactic radiation targeting only individual tumors, compared with whole brain radiation with hippocampal avoidance, which radiates both tumors and normal brain, remain unknown. Objective To determine whether stereotactic radiation improves symptom severity and interference with daily functioning, compared with whole brain radiation with hippocampal avoidance. Design, Setting, and Participants Phase 3, open-label, randomized clinical trial conducted at 4 United States–based centers. Eligible patients had 5 to 20 brain metastases and no prior brain-directed radiation. Enrollment occurred between April 11, 2017, and May 17, 2024 (final follow-up, March 18, 2025). Intervention Stereotactic radiation, compared with whole brain radiation with hippocampal avoidance. Main Outcomes and Measures Mean weighted patient-reported symptom severity and interference score change over 6 months postbaseline relative to baseline using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory–Brain Tumor instrument (scale, 0-10; score change range, −10 to 10; −10 = best). A clinically meaningful Δ was defined as 0.98. Results Of 196 randomized patients (mean age, 61 years; 129 [66%] female; 176 [90%] White; median number of brain metastases, 14 [IQR, 11-18]; 49 [25%] with prior neurosurgical resection), 83 (42%) completed the 6-month assessment. For the primary outcome, between baseline and postbaseline assessments through the 6-month follow-up, stereotactic radiation changed the weighted composite MD Anderson Symptom Inventory–Brain Tumor score from 2.69 to 2.37 (mean change, −0.32) and hippocampal-avoidance whole brain radiation changed the score from 2.29 to 3.03 (mean change, 0.74) (mean difference, −1.06 [95% CI, −1.54 to −0.58]; P &amp;lt; .001). Related grade 3-5 adverse events occurred in 12 patients (12%) in the stereotactic radiation group and 13 patients (13%) in the hippocampal-avoidance whole brain radiation group; grade 1-3 fatigue was most frequent (27 [28%] vs 43 [44%], respectively). Conclusions and Relevance In patients with 5 to 20 brain metastases, these findings support stereotactic radiation over hippocampal-avoidance whole brain radiation to improve symptoms and interference with daily functioning, key components of quality of life. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03075072

Background/Objectives: Hypofractionated ablative radiation is an increasingly popular option for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, concern remains about the risk for radiation-induced liver toxicity in patients with decompensated liver function. Methods: We retrospectively identified patients with underlying Child-Pugh (CP) B or C liver function treated at our University and Veterans Affairs (VA) departments from 2014 to 2019. Primary endpoints included treatment-related toxicity and dosimetric parameters. Results: 38 patients were included in the analysis. Most patients (98%) had CP B or Albumin-Bilirubin (ALBI) grade 2–3 (100%) liver disease. The median dose was 50 Gy (range 30–50) delivered in 5 or 10 fractions. Most patients had a single tumor treated (66%) with a median size of 3.1 cm (Interquartile Range (IQR) 2.3–4.1). The mean liver dose was 9.28 Gy (IQR 6.76–13.64) with a liver D800cc of 3.99 Gy (IQR 1.41–8.02). All patients completed their intended course with a median follow-up of 43 months. Four patients (10.3%) developed non-classical radiation-induced liver disease (RILD), comparable to the rate for patients with CP A function treated contemporaneously (8.3%). Otherwise, one patient (2.6%) experienced acute grade 3+ (non-RILD) hepatobiliary toxicity, while one patient (2.6%) experienced late grade 3+ hepatobiliary toxicity. Local control was promising with 2-year freedom from progression in the treated lesion of 73% (95% CI 38–91%). Median overall survival was 12 months (95% CI 5–25 months). Conclusions: Ablative radiation for patients with decompensated liver function and HCC appears well tolerated with low rates of RILD and encouraging local control. With careful selection, these patients should be considered for inclusion in future randomized trials.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) placement is a common treatment for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH), but patients may require VPS revision. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a standardized VPS placement protocol by comparing indications and rates of shunt revision compared with a historical institutional cohort. METHODS: All patients treated with VPS for “suspected” iNPH at a tertiary care center between January 2000 and January 2023 were retrospectively reviewed and divided into temporally distinct historical (before 2017) and standardized (after 2017) cohorts. Cumulative incidence and timing of VPS revision were compared using competing risks analyses. RESULTS: A total of 561 patients (median age 75.0 years) were identified with 324 (57.8%) in the historical and 237 (42.2%) in the standardized cohorts. Significant variations in surgical technique and shunt hardware were noted between the cohorts. With a median follow-up of 11.4 months for historical and 12.4 months for standardized cohort, shunt revisions occurred in 19.4% and 8.4% of patients in the historical and standardized cohorts, respectively ( P < .001). Revision indications also varied significantly with lower rates of overdrainage ( P < .001), infection ( P < .001), and proximal malfunction ( P = .042) but higher rate of distal malfunction ( P = .03) in the standardized cohort. Notably, no infections were noted in the standardized cohort. CONCLUSION: Risk of shunt revision among iNPH patients may be associated with modifiable factors related to surgical technique and shunt hardware selection. Importantly, no short-term complications such as hemorrhage, infection, or catheter malposition were observed with the standardized protocol. Development and refinement of standardized shunt protocols for iNPH patients should be commonplace to facilitate tracking, identification, and modification of modifiable technical risk factors.

Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are beginning to enhance key workflows across blood banking (BB) and transfusion medicine (TM), including donor engagement, inventory forecasting, immunohaematology interpretation, haemovigilance and clinical decision support. These tools can extract signals from large, diverse datasets to improve efficiency, consistency and timeliness of care while enabling more proactive patient blood management. At the same time, TM is uniquely sensitive to safety and trust, so the field must pair innovation with disciplined validation and governance. This review surveys emerging applications and distils a balanced ethics and oversight framework tailored to TM and BB practice. Core elements include outcome‐focused validation and continuous monitoring; targeted fairness testing where biological or scientific plausibility suggests subgroup differences; layered transparency that distinguishes transparency, interpretability and explainability; and privacy by design with proportionate consent. We emphasize human oversight at every step: clinicians and laboratorians evaluate, monitor and troubleshoot models, perform tasks AI cannot, integrate multiple inputs to make decisions and interact with AI through guardrails such as intended‐use statements, confidence thresholds and clear override pathways. Accountability is shared across users, service directors, institutions and regulators. When implemented with these safeguards, AI can reduce preventable errors, improve resource allocation and support more equitable access to safe transfusion. The goal is principled pragmatism that protects patients and donors while enabling timely adoption of well‐validated tools.