Citations

Mayo Clinic

Clear

312 citation(s) found for "Abdullah, Abdullah".

Aspirin Use and Liver-Related Outcomes in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Jamal, Fares , Elshaer, Amani, Claassen, Pierce L., Viggiano, Taylor, Barnhill, Michele , Chascsa, David M. , Aqel, Bashar , Hamad, Abdullah , Chascsa, David M , Aqel, Bashar A. , Lizaola-Mayo, Blanca C, Jamal, Fares , Elshaer, Amani , Viggiano, Taylor , Barnhill, Michele , Vargas, Hugo E. , Lizaola‐Mayo, Blanca

Biomedicines | June 1, 2026 | Volume: 14 | Issue: 6 | Pages: 1249

10.3390/biomedicines14061249 | PMID 42351677 Get It

Background: Given aspirin’s biologic plausibility for antifibrotic and antineoplastic effects, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the association between aspirin use and major liver-related outcomes in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review and meta-analysis restricted exclusively to patients with biopsy- or registry-confirmed MASLD. Methods: A comprehensive search of Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science was performed in October 2025. Studies enrolling adults with a confirmed MASLD diagnosis were included; those with viral hepatitis or alcohol-related liver disease were excluded. Outcomes assessed included hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), fibrosis progression, cirrhosis, all-cause and liver-related mortality, gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, hemorrhagic stroke, and liver disease progression. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs were pooled using random-effects models. Heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistics. Results: Seven studies met the eligibility criteria, with approximately 720,000 individuals included. Pooled analysis showed that aspirin use was associated with a significantly lower HCC risk (HR 0.59; 95% CI 0.43–0.81; I2 = 83%). No statistically significant association was found between aspirin use and cirrhosis incidence (HR 0.55; 95% CI 0.13–2.37; I2 = 83.4%) or GI bleeding (HR 1.11; 95% CI 0.74–1.66; I2 = 98.9%). Among the two studies that explored all-cause mortality, aspirin was associated with a modest but statistically significant reduction in all-cause mortality (HR 0.86; 95% CI 0.78–0.95; I2 = 0%). Conclusions: Aspirin use is associated with a reduced risk of HCC and all-cause mortality in MASLD without significantly increasing GI bleeding or hemorrhagic strokes. These associations may reflect aspirin’s anti-inflammatory properties in liver disease. Further RCTs are needed to verify the causal role of aspirin in MASLD management.
Comparative efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor–anti-VEGF inhibitor combinations in non–small cell lung carcinoma: A network meta-analysis of randomized trials.
Haseeb, Rafay, ARSHAD, H, Raza, Muhammad Zain, Gill, Omar Abdullah , Maqsood, Musab , Habib, Huzefa, Chaudhary, Hamza, Komel, Aqsa, Raza, Muhammad Zain , Talha, Muhammad

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2026 | Volume: 44 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: No page available

10.1200/jco.2026.44.16_suppl.e20629 Get It

e20629 Background: Concomitant inhibition of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway together with PD-1 or PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade has demonstrated synergistic activity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, comparative evidence across individual immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) and anti-VEGF combinations remains limited. This network meta-analysis (NMA) aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of available ICI plus anti-VEGF combination strategies in NSCLC. Methods: A systematic search of three electronic databases and two clinical trial registries was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials evaluating combinations of ICIs with anti-VEGF agents. A frequentist NMA framework was applied using the netmeta package in R. Hazard ratios (HRs) were used for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), while odds ratios (ORs) were used for objective response rate (ORR). Treatment ranking was performed using P scores. Results: A total of 24 randomized controlled trials were included in the network. For survival outcomes, the combination of nivolumab plus bevacizumab demonstrated significantly improved OS (HR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.50–0.88) and PFS (HR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.27–0.81) compared with standard chemotherapy. In addition, atezolizumab plus bevacizumab was associated with a significant OS benefit over chemotherapy (HR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.65–0.95). Indirect comparisons showed that nivolumab plus bevacizumab significantly improved PFS compared with pembrolizumab monotherapy, as well as pembrolizumab combined with lenvatinib or chemotherapy. Furthermore, nivolumab combined with sitravatinib demonstrated significantly superior OS and PFS compared with ramucirumab and chemotherapy. For ORR assessed using RECIST 1.1, nivolumab-based combinations could not be incorporated into the network due to insufficient data, and no other combination demonstrated a statistically significant advantage over chemotherapy. However, indirect comparisons showed that pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib was superior to lenvatinib monotherapy (OR = 4.76, 95% CI 1.04–25.0). P-score rankings identified nivolumab plus bevacizumab as the top-ranked regimen for survival outcomes, followed by atezolizumab plus bevacizumab. For ORR, pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib ranked highest, followed by atezolizumab plus bevacizumab. Conclusions: Nivolumab-based ICI and anti-VEGF combinations, particularly with bevacizumab and sitravatinib, demonstrate the most favorable survival outcomes in NSCLC. Evidence for ORR remains limited, and further randomized comparisons are required to better define the relative efficacy of these combinations.
Neutropenic diet (ND) versus liberalized diet (LD) in patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Kouli, Ayla , Alsulaiman, Abdullah , Benkhadra, Khalid, Munayirji, Brittney, Schwengber, Wallace Klein, Riaz, Zaryab Bin, Almader‐Douglas, Diana , Jamal, Fares , Schwengber, Wallace Klein , Hamad, Abdullah, Hilal, Talal , Sonbol, Mohamad Bassam

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2026 | Volume: 44 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: No page available

10.1200/jco.2026.44.16_suppl.e18574 Get It

e18574 Background: ND has historically been recommended to reduce infectious complications in cancer patients (pts). While the adoption of ND has declined over the last decade, recent studies - particularly in pts undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) - have raised uncertainty regarding the safety of LD. Herein, we performed a meta-analysis of studies directly comparing ND with LD in pts with cancer. Methods: We conducted a systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases from inception through January 2026. Comparative retrospective and prospective studies were included if they were comparing ND with LD in adults or children with cancer. Primary outcomes were major infections and bacteremia/fungemia. Secondary outcomes were pneumonia, diarrhea, and all-cause mortality. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to calculate pooled risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Results: Fifteen studies enrolling 4,320 patients were included in the primary analysis. Six studies enrolled only adult patients, three were restricted to pediatric populations, and six included mixed adult and pediatric cohorts. Across these studies, ND was not associated with a significant reduction in major infections (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.88–1.18; p=0.795), bacteremia/fungemia (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.78–1.22; p=0.805), pneumonia (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.59–1.63; p=0.933), diarrhea (RR 1.12, 95% CI 0.96–1.31; p=0.159), or all-cause mortality (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.77–1.15; p=0.632). Sensitivity analyses restricted to RCTs showed consistent results. Subgroup analysis of hematological/HSCT studies (9 studies; 1,769 pts) also showed no differences across outcome. Analysis restricted to RCTs in hematologic/HSCT pts (6 studies; 855 pts) showed no differences in major infections, pneumonia, diarrhea, or mortality; however, ND was associated with a lower risk of bacteremia/fungemia (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.47–0.95; p=0.023). Heterogeneity across studies was low to moderate. Conclusions: ND was not associated with reductions in major infections, pneumonia, diarrhea, or mortality compared with LD. A reduction in bacteremia/fungemia was observed in RCTs of hematologic malignancy and HSCT pts. Overall, these findings suggest that routine ND implementation is unnecessary for most cancer pts, although cautious dietary practices may remain reasonable in selected high-risk hematologic malignancy/HSCT populations.
Beyond the tumor: Cardiovascular mortality in female ovarian cancer patients—A retrospective analysis of the last 2 decades (1999-2020).
Sehbai, Usman, Tasneem, Zahra , Abbasi, Manahil Qadeer, Naqvi, Syeda Malika , Zahra, Eeman, Komel, Aqsa, Aisha, Azka, Hassan, Salman, Abdullah, Tayyaba , Sabeeh, Muhammad , Sehbai, Usman

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2026 | Volume: 44 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: No page available

10.1200/jco.2026.44.16_suppl.e17594 Get It

e17594 Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among women with ovarian cancer. This study investigates cardiovascular mortality in women with ovarian cancer across the United States, assessing trends by geography and urbanization. Methods: Mortality data from the CDC WONDER database (1999–2020) were analyzed. Females with ovarian cancer listed on the death certificate and cardiovascular disease as the cause of death were identified using ICD-10 codes. Age-adjusted mortality rates (per 100,000) were calculated and stratified by census region and urbanization. Trends were evaluated using Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) calculated by the Joinpoint Regression Program V5.4.0. Results: From 1999 to 2018, cardiovascular mortality in ovarian cancer patients declined, with an APC of –2.09%, consistent across regions and urbanization levels. However, from 2018 to 2020, a concerning reversal occurred, with mortality increasing by +3.79% per year. The abrupt rise in mortality is observed in the Midwest region, with an APC of +3.99, and in small and medium metro regions, with APCs of +7.38 and +6.46, respectively. This reversal in cardiovascular mortality in ovarian cancer from 2018 to 2020 is likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted screening and treatment. Conclusions: This 21-year analysis demonstrates a long-term decline in cardiovascular mortality among women with ovarian cancer, followed by a sharp reversal from 2018 to 2020. This increase suggests the urgent need for public health interventions to reduce cardiovascular risk among ovarian cancer patients.
Trends and disparities in cervical cancer and heart failure mortality: A 21-year retrospective study of the US population using the CDC database.
Sehbai, Aasim, Tasneem, Zahra , Abbasi, Manahil Qadeer, Naqvi, Syeda Malika , Zahra, Eeman, Komel, Aqsa, Aisha, Azka, Hassan, Salman, Abdullah, Tayyaba , Sabeeh, Muhammad

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2026 | Volume: 44 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: No page available

10.1200/jco.2026.44.16_suppl.e17524 Get It

e17524 Background: Cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of female cancer mortality, while heart failure drives chronic disease burden. Their coexistence complicates outcomes through shared risk factors, cardiotoxicity, and mortality. This study examined cervical cancer mortality trends in patients with heart failure, assessed disparities, and aimed to inform integrated management strategies. Methods: We analyzed death certificates from CDC WONDER Database (1999–2020), using ICD-10 C53 (cervical cancer) and I50 (heart failure). Female mortality was stratified by race and urbanization. Joinpoint Regression Program V5.4.0 calculated Annual Percent Change (APC) and Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC). Results: A total of 5,534 deaths were identified. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) declined overall, but trends varied. Among females, mortality fell from 0.1102 per 100,000 in 1999 to 0.076 in 2020 (AAPC -1.28%). Three phases emerged: a modest decline (1999-2006, APC -1.45%), a rapid decline (2006-2009, APC -17.6%), and a concerning reversal (2009-2020, APC +3.27%). The latter increase may reflect reduced screening, declining vaccination rates, or COVID-19 disruptions.By urbanization, large central metropolitan areas showed a steady decline (APC -4.13%). By race, White women demonstrated a consistent reduction (APC -2.61%), indicating sustained benefits of screening and vaccination. Conclusions: Cervical cancer mortality in heart failure patients declined from 1999-2020, reflecting prevention and healthcare advances. However, disparities persist, with notable increases among women since 2009. These findings highlight successes but stress the urgent need for vaccination and screening.
Uncovering prostate cancer and sepsis-related mortality shifts in the USA (1999-2020).
Haseeb, Rafay, Hassan, Salman, Sabeeh, Muhammad , Abbasi, Manahil Qadeer, Aisha, Azka, Komel, Aqsa, Tasneem, Zahra , Abdullah, Tayyaba , Ashraf, Tuba

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2026 | Volume: 44 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: No page available

10.1200/jco.2026.44.16_suppl.e17104 Get It

e17104 Background: Prostate cancer is a commonly diagnosed malignancy among men. Sepsis continues to pose a significant threat to outcomes. Patients with are particularly vulnerable to sepsis due to immunosuppression from the malignancy itself, advanced age, and treatment-related factors including catheter use. Sepsis is associated with high short-term mortality, and worsened overall outcomes, underscoring the need for epidemiological and clinical evaluation. Methods: We analyzed death certificates from 1990-2023 from CDC Wonder Database. We used ICD-10 codes, C61 for malignant neoplasm of prostate and C56 for sepsis to identify related deaths. Mortality rates were compared by urbanization, sex and census region. Joinpoint Regression Program V5.4.0 computed Annual Percent Change with 95% CIs. p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Between 1999 and 2023, 39,801 deaths were recorded. Overall age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) changed little over time, remaining near 2 deaths per 100,000 population (2.02 in 1999 and 2.00 in the most recent year). Clear differences were seen across demographic groups.In 1999, AAMRs among Black or African American was highest with value of 6.80 compared to white and hispanic or latino individual with AAMR vales 1.67 and 1.89 respectively.In 2023, mortality among Black individuals fell to 5.06; however, rates were still higher than those seen among White (1.76) and Hispanic/Latino (1.92) populations. Geographic differences were also evident.The mortality rate in the South, decreasing from 2.43 in 1999 to 2.16 in 2023, was highest among all the other census regions.Mortality rates declined across both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, falling from 2.02 to 1.84 in metropolitan regions and from 2.05 to 1.73 in nonmetropolitan regions in year 2020. Conclusions: Overall sepsis-related mortality has remained relatively unchanged over the two decades, with significant racial and geographic disparities. Black individuals continue to experience disproportionately higher mortality, and Southern region showed consistently elevated rates. Both metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas saw modest declines. These findings highlight the continued need for targeted preventive measures and management strategies to reduce mortality and improve outcomes. Prostate cancer with sepsis AAMRs. variable AAMR 1999 AAMR 2023 Overall / Male 2.02 (1.91-2.14) 2.00 (1.92-2.09) Race Black or African American 6.80 (6.04-7.56) 5.06 (4.60-5.53) White 1.67 (1.56-1.78) 1.76 (1.67-1.85) Hispanic or Latino 1.89 (1.39-2.50) 1.92 (1.65-2.20) Census Region Northeast 2.25 (2.00-2.51) 1.99 (1.80-2.18) Midwest 1.71 (1.50-1.92) 1.65 (1.49-1.81) South 2.43 (2.22-2.63) 2.16 (2.02-2.30) West 1.54 (1.33-1.76) 2.12 (1.94-2.30) Urbanization AAMR 2020 Metro 2.02 (1.90-2.15) 1.84 (1.75-1.93) Non-metro 2.05 (1.79-2.30) 1.73 (1.54-1.92)
Hybrid AI framework for automated prostate cancer disease state ascertainment from real-world electronic health records.
Ayub, Umair , Naqvi, Syed Arsalan Ahmed , Sarfraz, Muhammad Uzair, Afzal, M. , Sadiq, Muhammad Hussnain , Humayun, Muhammad Abdullah, Singh, Parminder, Nahhat, Fouad , Zakharia, Yousef , Riaz, Irbaz Bin

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2026 | Volume: 44 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: No page available

10.1200/jco.2026.44.16_suppl.e17003 Get It

e17003 Background: Accurate ascertainment of prostate cancer (PCa) disease states—biochemical recurrence (BCR), castration-sensitive prostate cancer (CSPC), and castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)—is critical for automated clinical trial enrollment, quality improvement initiatives, and real-world evidence generation. Essential information for disease state ascertainment resides in unstructured EHR data, requiring labor-intensive manual abstraction that is inconsistent and not scalable. We developed an automated hybrid AI framework using large language models to identify PCa disease states from real-world EHR data. Methods: This retrospective study included patients with histopathologically confirmed PCa (2017-2022) and ≥3 years follow-up. Sequential EHR data—including PSA and testosterone levels, clinical notes, pathology and radiology reports—were retrieved across temporal points. BCR was identified using rule-based algorithms (post-radical prostatectomy [RP]: PSA ≥0.2 ng/mL ×2; post-radiation therapy [RT]: nadir + 2 ng/mL ×2). CRPC was determined using androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) timing, PSA kinetics, testosterone < 50 ng/dL, and radiographic progression per PCWG/EAU-ASCO criteria. GPT-4o with structured parametrized prompts extracted metastatic status and radiographic progression. Independent clinicians performed manual annotation for validation. The framework was developed on 10% of data with evaluation on 90%. External validation used a held-out cohort of clinical trial patients. Results: Among 200 PCa patients (median age 66 years [IQR 60-71]; 91% White, 93% non-Hispanic), the framework demonstrated high accuracy: PCa diagnosis (92%), RP dates (94%), RT dates (93%), and ADT initiation (92%). For disease state identification, BCR detection achieved 90% accuracy, castration status 93%, and metastatic state (M0/M1) 87%. External validation on trial-enrolled patients confirmed robust performance: 26/31 (84%) CRPC trial patients and 26/27 (96%) CSPC trial patients were correctly classified, validating the framework’s reliability for clinical trial matching. Conclusions: This hybrid LLM-based framework accurately identifies PCa disease states using real-world EHR data with minimal manual intervention. The system offers a scalable, reproducible approach for automated disease state identification, enabling streamlined clinical trial matching and enhanced real-world data curation in oncology.
Real-world use of artificial intelligence for automated prognostication and systemic therapeutic decision making in localized RCC.
Barker, Kenneth, Humayun, Muhammad Abdullah, Tahir, Haris Bin, Ayub, Umair , Barker, Kenneth N. , Tahir, Haris Bin , Riaz, Irbaz Bin

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2026 | Volume: 44 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: No page available

10.1200/jco.2026.44.16_suppl.e16502 Get It

e16502 Background: Accurate postoperative risk stratification in localized clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) informs prognosis, surveillance intensity, and eligibility for adjuvant systemic therapy. Although validated prognostic models (Leibovich 2018, SSIGN, and UISS) exist, they are inconsistently applied in routine practice due to workflow and documentation barriers. Using AI assisted tools within the electronic medical record (EMR) may enable rapid, standardized risk assessment and improve clinical use. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 92 patients with localized ccRCC undergoing radical nephrectomy and postoperative oncology evaluation (December 2021–September 2025) across three Mayo Clinic sites. Pathology reports and oncology notes were extracted via structured SQL queries. Clinical and pathologic variables were parsed using a zero-shot GPT-4o pipeline. Gold-standard prognostic risk classification and adjuvant therapy eligibility were established by an expert oncology clinician using validated prognostic calculators and KEYNOTE-564 eligibility criteria. AI-generated outputs and novice manual abstraction by two first-year fellows were compared against expert assessment using accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score. Leibovich and SSIGN were evaluated as three-class models (low/intermediate/high), and UISS as binary risk stratification (high vs non-high). Results: Among 92 patients with localized ccRCC (median age 64 years [range 41–78]), AI-generated outputs demonstrated near-perfect agreement with expert assessment for KEYNOTE-564 adjuvant immunotherapy eligibility (accuracy 97%, precision 100%, recall 97%, F1 score 98%). For three-class prognostic stratification, AI achieved perfect agreement for Leibovich disease-free survival risk (accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 all 100%), outperforming novice abstraction. For SSIGN, AI demonstrated strong multi-class performance (accuracy 91%, precision 91%, recall 93%, F1 score 92%), compared with novice abstraction (accuracy 92%, F1 score 90%). For binary UISS risk stratification, AI achieved 81% accuracy, precision 74%, recall 100%, and F1 score 85% showing a tendency towards false positives. Conclusions: This study demonstrates AI can use existing prognostic and systemic therapy eligibility to accurately risk stratify and identify patients eligible for adjuvant systemic immunotherapy post nephrectomy. For our next steps, we plan to develop a multimodal AI platform integrating pathologic, radiologic, and clinical data to improve prognostication for outcomes and predictive capabilities for patients who would benefit from adjuvant systemic therapy for more personalized medicine.
Time to treatment initiation (TTI) and survival outcomes in metastatic extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma (EP-NEC).
Alsulaiman, Abdullah , Youssef, Amal, Hobday, Timothy J., Starr, Jason S., Halfdanarson, Thorvardur Ragnar, Jamal, Fares , McGarrah, Patrick W. , Hobday, Timothy J. , Starr, Jason S. , Hálfdánarson, Þorvarður R. , Sonbol, Mohamad Bassam

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2026 | Volume: 44 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: No page available

10.1200/jco.2026.44.16_suppl.e16323 Get It

e16323 Background: Advanced EP-NEC are typically treated with the combination of platinum plus etoposide. Despite therapy, outcomes remain poor, with reported median overall survival (OS) of 12-13 months. Early initiation of systemic therapy is commonly practiced given the aggressiveness; however, recent data from small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) suggest that shorter TTI does not necessarily improve OS. The impact of TTI on outcomes in EP-NEC has not been well studied. Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study across three Mayo Clinic sites including adults with biopsy-confirmed stage IV EP-NEC diagnosed between 2005 and 2025. TTI was defined as days from pathologic diagnosis to initiation of first-line systemic therapy. A binary cutoff (≤14 vs > 14 days) was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and TTI was also analyzed as a continuous variable. OS and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models. Multivariable analyses adjusted for age, sex, ECOG performance status, presence of liver metastases, and first-line treatment strategy (chemotherapy alone vs chemotherapy plus immunotherapy). Results: Among 248 pts, median age was 61 years. Median OS for the cohort was 13.9 months (95% CI, 11.7–16.7), and median PFS was 5.7 months (95% CI, 5.3–6.3). Pts with TTI > 14 days had longer median OS compared with those treated within ≤14 days (16.4 vs 10.1 months), with improved OS on unadjusted analysis (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.50–0.96; p = 0.028), though this association was not statistically significant after multivariable adjustment (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.53–1.05; p = 0.097). Pts with TTI > 14 days also had longer median PFS compared with ≤14 days (6.5 vs 4.8 months), with improved PFS on unadjusted analysis (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.51–0.88; p = 0.0038). On multivariable analysis, TTI > 14 days remained independently associated with improved PFS (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.56–1.00; p = 0.047). However, when analyzed as a continuous variable, TTI was not independently associated with OS (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98–1.00; p = 0.173) or PFS (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98–1.00; p = 0.089). Conclusions: In this multicenter cohort of pts with metastatic EP-NEC, earlier initiation of systemic therapy (≤14 days) was not associated with improved overall survival, and longer time-to-treatment was independently associated with improved PFS. However, when TTI was analyzed as a continuous variable, no statistically significant associations were observed, suggesting that the observed benefit with delayed treatment may reflect pt selection or clinical context rather than a direct biological effect. These findings may provide reassurance in scenarios where short delays are necessary—for biomarker testing or clinical trial enrollment—and highlight the need for further investigation in the era of precision oncology.
Analyzing dual threat shifts in gastric carcinoma and sepsis mortality in the United States from 1999-2020: Insights from CDC database.
Sehbai, Aasim, Gorish, Muhammad Ali, Hassan, Salman, Fatima, Noor , Tasneem, Zahra , Naqvi, Syeda Malika , Abbasi, Manahil Qadeer, Komel, Aqsa, Aisha, Azka, Abdullah, Tayyaba , Sabeeh, Muhammad

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 28, 2026 | Volume: 44 | Issue: 16_suppl | Pages: No page available

10.1200/jco.2026.44.16_suppl.e16067 Get It

e16067 Background: Gastric carcinoma remains a significant cause of cancer mortality in the United States. Although overall mortality rates have declined, persistent disparities exist across racial, age, and geographic groups. For cancer patients, sepsis—a life-threatening infection response—is a major fatal complication. Analyzing linked mortality data is crucial for identifying high-risk populations, understanding the burden of cancer-associated infections, and guiding targeted prevention and treatment strategies to improve outcomes and achieve health. Methods: This cross-sectional study used CDC WONDER mortality data from 1999–2020 for adults aged 25 years and older. Causes of death were identified using ICD-10 codes, and age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) were calculated across sex, race/ethnicity, age, census regions, and urban–rural categories. Mortality trends were assessed using Joinpoint regression to estimate average annual percentage changes (AAPC) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and statistical significance. Results: From 1999 to 2020, U.S. stomach cancer mortality declined overall, with AAMRs decreasing from 0.29 to 0.22 per 100,000 (AAPC = –0.8%, 95% CI: –1.64 to 0.04). Significant declines occurred among adults aged 65–74 (APC = –1.7%, 95% CI: –2.32 to –1.05), 75–84 (APC = –1.9%, 95% CI: –2.65 to –1.05), and ≥85 years (APC = –3.0%, 95% CI: –4.02 to –1.99). Adults 45–54 years experienced increasing mortality after 2005 (APC = 5.1%, 95% CI: 2.82 to 7.46), while rates among 55–64 years remained stable. Male mortality declined significantly (AAPC = –1.24%, 95% CI: –1.93 to –0.54), whereas female mortality showed no significant long term change (AAPC = –0.93%, 95% CI: –2.44 to 0.60). Black (AAPC = –2.25%, 95% CI: –3.02 to –1.47) and Hispanic/Latino populations (AAPC = –1.50%, 95% CI: –2.26 to –0.74) experienced significant declines. Regionally, the Northeast showed the largest decline (AAPC = –2.30%, 95% CI: –3.52 to –1.07), while the Midwest, South, and West demonstrated no significant long term trends. Metropolitan areas declined from 1999–2011 (APC = –2.80%, 95% CI: –4.44 to –1.14). Conclusions: While overall U.S. gastric cancer mortality declined from 1999–2020, this progress is uneven. Significant increases among adults aged 45–54 and stable rates for those 55–64 highlight an emerging concern. Furthermore, declining trends are concentrated in specific demographic groups and regions, such as the Northeast, revealing persistent disparities. These findings underscore the need for targeted prevention and research focused on younger adults and lagging geographic areas.