Citations

Abstract How do brain networks limit seizure activity? In the interictal suppression hypothesis, we recently postulated that high inward connectivity to seizure onset zones (SOZs) from non-involved zones (NIZs) is a sign of broader network suppression. If broad networks appear to be responsible for interictal SOZ suppression, what changes during seizure initiation, spread and termination? For patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, intracranial monitoring offers a view into the electrographic networks that organize around and in response to the SOZ. In this manuscript, we investigate network dynamics in the peri-ictal periods to assess possible mechanisms of seizure suppression and the consequences of this suppression being overwhelmed. Peri-ictal network dynamics were derived from stereo electroencephalography recordings from 75 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy undergoing presurgical evaluation at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. We computed directed connectivity from 5 s windows in the periods between, immediately before, during and after 668 seizures. We aligned connectivity matrices across seizures and patients, then calculated net connectivity changes from the SOZ, propagative zone and NIZ. Across all seizure types, we observed two phases: a rapid increase in directed communication towards the SOZ, followed by a collapse in network connectivity. During the first phase, SOZs could be distinguished from all other regions (one-way ANOVA, P = 8.32 × 10−19–2.22 × 10−7). In the second phase and post-ictal period, SOZ inward connectivity decreased yet remained distinct (one-way ANOVA, P = 2.58 × 10−10–1.66 × 10−2). NIZs appeared to drive increased SOZ connectivity while intra-NIZ connectivity decreased concordantly. Stratifying by seizure subtype, we found that consciousness-impairing seizures decrease inward connectivity from the NIZ earlier than consciousness-sparing seizures (one-way ANOVA, P < 0.01 after false discovery correction). Tracking network reorganization against a surrogate for seizure involvement highlighted a possible antagonism between seizure propagation and the ability of the NIZ to maintain high connectivity to the SOZ. Finally, we found that inclusion of peri-ictal connectivity improved the accuracy of SOZ classification from previous models to a combined area under the curve of 93%. Overall, NIZs appear actively to increase inhibitory signaling towards the SOZ during seizure onset, possibly to thwart seizure activity. Although inhibition appears insufficient to prevent seizure onset, the inability to restrict seizure propagation might contribute to loss of consciousness during larger seizures. Dynamic connectivity patterns uncovered in this work might: (i) facilitate accurate delineation of surgical targets in focal epilepsy; (ii) reveal why interictal suppression of SOZs might be insufficient to prevent all seizures; and (iii) provide insight into mechanisms of loss of consciousness during certain seizures.

Objective To describe the potential applications of awake cochlear implantation (CI). Patients Adult patients with sensorineural hearing loss who qualify for CI. Interventions CI under local anesthesia, without any form of systemic analgesia or anesthesia. Main Outcome Measures Acoustic hearing preservation, subjective patient report of cochlear implant pitch matching, and subjective patient report of cochlear implant sound quality. Results Four illustrative cases are presented, highlighting the potential uses of CI performed under local anesthesia for optimizing outcomes in hearing preservation, implant pitch matching, and implant sound quality. Conclusions CI under local anesthesia allows surgeons to use real-time patient feedback during electrode array insertion to minimize intracochlear trauma, particularly in cases where hearing preservation is a goal of CI, and to potentially improve implant performance by optimizing pitch matching and sound quality.

CARTITUDE-1 evaluated ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) in patients with heavily pretreated relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). We describe overall survival (OS), ≥5-year progression-free outcomes, associated biomarkers, and safety, with a median study follow-up of 61.3 months. For the 97 treated patients, median OS was 60.7 months (95% CI, 41.9 to not estimable). One third (32/97) of patients remain alive and progression-free for ≥5 years after a single cilta-cel infusion, without maintenance treatment. Twelve of these patients treated at a single center underwent serial minimal residual disease (MRD) and positron emission tomography-computed tomography assessments, and all (100%) were MRD-negative (at least 10 −5 threshold) and imaging-negative at year 5 or later after cilta-cel. Baseline characteristics, including the presence of high-risk cytogenetics and extramedullary disease, were generally comparable for the 32 patients who were progression-free for ≥5 years versus patients who had progressive disease by year 5. A trend of lower baseline tumor burden, higher fraction of naïve T-cells in the cilta-cel drug product, higher T cell-to-neutrophil ratio, higher hemoglobin and platelets at baseline, and higher effector-to-target ratio were associated with ≥5-year progression-free status. The safety profile of cilta-cel remained consistent with previous reports. To our knowledge, our data provide the first evidence that cilta-cel is potentially curative in patients with RRMM.

PURPOSE Tumor treating fields (TTFields) use alternating electric fields to disrupt cancer cell proliferation. Feasibility of TTFields therapy with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel was previously demonstrated in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma. PANOVA-3 was designed to confirm safety and efficacy of TTFields in patients with unresectable locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (LA-PAC). METHODS In this global phase III trial, 571 patients with newly diagnosed LA-PAC were randomly assigned to receive gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m 2 and nab-paclitaxel 125 mg/m 2 by intravenous infusion once a day on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle with or without TTFields. The primary end point was overall survival (OS). Secondary end points included progression-free survival (PFS), local PFS, pain-free survival, and overall response rate (ORR). Distant PFS was analyzed post hoc. RESULTS OS was significantly prolonged using TTFields with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel versus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (median, 16.2 months [95% CI, 15.0 to 18.0] v 14.2 months [95% CI, 12.8 to 15.4]; hazard ratio [HR], 0.82 [95% CI, 0.68 to 0.99]; P = .039). PFS, local PFS, and ORR were not improved. Pain-free survival was significantly prolonged with TTFields with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (median, 15.2 months [95% CI, 10.3 to 22.8] v 9.1 months [95% CI, 7.4 to 12.7]; HR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.56 to 0.97]; P = .027), as was distant PFS (median, 13.9 months [95% CI, 12.2 to 16.8] v 11.5 months [95% CI, 10.4 to 12.9]; HR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.57 to 0.96]; P = .022). Device-related skin adverse events (AEs) were experienced by 76.3% of patients. Most device-related skin AEs were mild to moderate, with 7.7% of patients reporting a grade 3 AE. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated significant OS, pain-free survival, and distant PFS benefits for TTFields with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel versus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in patients with unresectable LA-PAC, with no additive systemic toxicity.

Background Disability disclosure and accommodation requests among US medical students have increased significantly, yet gaps in support persist. Disability resource professionals (DRPs) are one essential support in bridging these gaps, but only 9% of medical schools employ a dedicated DRP, leaving institutions potentially underprepared to address the needs of students with disabilities. Objective This study explored the roles, qualifications, and challenges of DRPs in US medical schools to identify barriers to job performance and inform strategies for strengthening and supporting this role in medical education. Methods An exploratory, cross-sectional survey was conducted in July to August 2023. A 27-question online survey was distributed through convenience and snowball strategy via social media and listservs. Questions addressed institutional structures, the size of DRP student caseloads, job satisfaction, mentorship, and barriers to managing caseloads. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and χ 2 tests, qualitative responses were thematically analyzed. The University of Michigan IRB approved this study. Results Seventy-nine DRPs from 72 US MD and 7 DO programs participated. Most respondents reported excessive workloads, with 30% managing caseloads exceeding 100 students. Less than half of DRPs (45.6%) indicated that their workload was manageable. Inadequate professional development, lack of mentorship, and low salary satisfaction emerged as common challenges. Respondents also reported institutional barriers, including stigma, faculty resistance to accommodations, and the complexity of coordinating disability accommodations across didactic, clinical, and testing environments. Discussion DRPs are critical to fostering accessible and inclusive medical education, yet systemic barriers undermine their effectiveness and place institutions at risk of increased student attrition, legal liability, and resource strain. Addressing these challenges requires investments in manageable caseloads, professional development for DRPs, faculty training, and institutional prioritization of the DRP role. Conclusions Systemic investments in staffing, training, and institutional culture are necessary to support DRPs and the growing population of US medical students with disabilities (MSWDs).

OBJECTIVE Chronic spinal degenerative diseases have been associated with reduced quality of life and dependency on others for personal needs and care. The change between preoperative and postoperative care dependency has yet to be explored in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). In this retrospective study of a prospectively collected database, the authors evaluated the return to independence in performing self-care following surgical intervention for CSM. METHODS The CSM dataset of the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD) Spine CORe study group was queried. Care dependency was assessed using the personal care component of the Neck Disability Index (NDI) questionnaire, having an ordinal scale from 0 to 5, with 5 representing the inability to independently perform activities of daily living. Numeric rating scale (NRS) scores for arm pain and neck pain were recorded at a 24-months postoperative follow-up. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify baseline risk factors for an inability to care for oneself and the symptoms leading to care dependency at 24 months postoperatively. Satisfaction with surgery was measured using the 4-point North American Spine Society (NASS) index. RESULTS Of the 1137 patients with CSM and baseline personal care scores, 167 (14.7%) were care dependent at baseline (NDI personal care score ≥ 3). Patients with care dependency at baseline were predominantly Medicare beneficiaries and had a high school or lower level of education. Long-term follow-up rates for this study were 82.5% for NDI, 84.8% for patient satisfaction with surgery, 82.4% for NRS arm pain, and 81.8% for NRS neck pain. Of the care-dependent patients, more than 80% became independently able to care for themselves by the 24-month follow-up. Patients with resolved care dependency at 24 months had demonstrated lower baseline NDI and NRS neck pain scores (p < 0.01 for both). Neck pain was significantly associated with care dependency at 24 months’ follow-up (p < 0.01). Patients who reported improvement in their ability to care for themselves noted higher postoperative satisfaction (NASS score 1–2) at the 3-month (89.4% vs 80.2%, p < 0.01) and 24-month (88.2% vs 67.4%, p < 0.01) follow-ups. CONCLUSIONS Fifteen percent of patients with CSM depended on others for care preoperatively. After surgery to treat CSM, 81.8% of those who had depended on others for care became independent. Patients with improvements in care dependency noted higher postoperative satisfaction at the 3-month and 24-month follow-ups. Patients with resolved care dependency on long-term follow-up had lower NDI and NRS neck pain scores at baseline. Surgery had a significant impact on patients’ attainment of independence.

AbstractSecure messaging platforms were designed to optimize healthcare communication by providing asynchronous, bidirectional, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act‐compliant text messaging options. Proponents argue that these platforms streamline workflows, foster coordination across multidisciplinary teams, and improve patient safety. However, critics highlight their potential to disrupt workflows through overwhelming message volumes and task interruptions, increased risk for miscommunication, and possible detrimental impacts on patient care. While secure messaging shows promise for modernizing hospital communication, it requires institutional guidelines and thoughtful use to mitigate inefficiencies and risks.

10035 Background: Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is a rare malignancy of children, adolescents and young adults for which outcomes have progressively improved through intensification of conventional chemotherapy, including interval compression of cycles. Prior cooperative group reports of relapsed EwS included patients treated less intensively and with fewer treatment options at relapse. Here, we report overall survival (OS) and prognostic factors post-first recurrence in patients with EwS treated with frontline interval-compressed chemotherapy. Methods: We included patients treated on the last three phase 3 COG EwS studies treated with interval compressed chemotherapy, which accrued from 2001-2019. Patients with initially localized disease (L-EwS) were treated on AEWS0031 arm B and AEWS1031. Patients with initially metastatic disease (M-EwS) were treated on AEWS1221. The primary outcome was OS from first relapse. Demographic and clinical data from original diagnosis and from relapse were analyzed as potential prognostic factors. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed and groups compared with log-rank tests. Results: 366 patients experienced disease recurrence as first event and were included in this analysis (AEWS0031 arm B, n = 69, AEWS1031, n = 115, for a total of 184 with L-EwS; AEWS1221, n = 182, all with M-EwS). Median age at relapse was 16 years. Median time from initial enrollment to first relapse was 1.52 years and was shorter for patients with M-EwS (Kruskall-Wallis, p < 0.001). First relapses were isolated local, isolated distant, and combined in 24%, 70%, and 6.4% of patients, respectively. Metastatic stage at initial diagnosis was associated with increased risk of post-first recurrence OS event (p < 0.0001). Two-year OS post-first recurrence (OS 2y ) was 25.6% for patients with M-EwS and 48.5% for patients with L-EwS. Time to first recurrence was also a predictor of post-recurrence survival (p < 0.0001): patients with initial L-EwS and relapse < 2 years from diagnosis had OS 2y of 31.4% vs. 70.8% for later relapses. Patients with initial M-EwS and relapse < 2 years from diagnosis had OS 2y of 18.9% vs. 71.2%. Patients with combined relapses had higher risk of post-relapse death compared to other patterns of failure (p = 0.003), an effect that was largely driven by the one seen in patients with initial L-EwS. Conclusions: Overall survival of patients with first recurrent EwS after having received modern era therapy with interval compressed chemotherapy on recent COG trials remains poor, particularly for M-EwS, early relapse and combined relapses. These data will inform the design of trials for this relapsed population and provide critical data to help counsel patients about goals of care at first relapse.

10019 Background: The reported incidence of second malignant neoplasms (SMN) in long-term survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is derived from patients treated with outdated radiation therapy (RT) techniques. We modeled the risk of SMN in pediatric patients with high-risk classic HL treated with modern mediastinal RT. Methods: In patients who received mediastinal RT on the Children’s Oncology Group study AHOD1331, we modeled the lifetime attributable risk (LAR) at 70 years of age of thyroid, lung, and breast carcinoma. This value indicates the absolute increased risk of SMN at 70 years of age due to RT, above the baseline population risk (mean baseline rates at 70 years of age are 0.7%, 3.3%, and 8.9% for thyroid, lung, and breast carcinoma, respectively, https://seer.cancer.gov/data/ ). Results: In 296 patients who received protocol-directed mediastinal RT, median age at diagnosis was 15.1 years, 55% were female, and 98% had large mediastinal adenopathy. Following 5 cycles of chemotherapy, patients received RT targeting the mediastinum based on criteria of this study; in addition, some patients received RT to other supradiaphragmatic sites that contained slowly responding lesions, including the axilla (n = 3, 1%), lung (n = 7, 2.4%), upper neck (n = 4, 1.3%), and lower neck (n = 8, 2.7%). The RT modality was proton therapy in 25.3%, photon intensity modulated RT (IMRT) in 45.6%, and photon 3-dimensional conformal RT (3D-CRT) in 27.7%. The RT prescription dose was 21 Gy in 83% and 30 Gy in 16% who had a partial metabolic response at the completion of chemotherapy. The mean (range) doses to the thyroid, lungs, and breasts were 12.8 Gy (0-30.3), 8.0 Gy (0.1-15.2), and 4.2 Gy (0.2-14.5), respectively. For the complete cohort, the mean LAR at 70 years of age of thyroid carcinoma was 0.063% and of lung carcinoma was 5.34%. For females, the mean LAR at 70 years of age of breast carcinoma was 2.92%. The Table summarizes the LAR for each SMN, stratified by RT modality. Conclusions: In patients treated with mediastinal RT on a recent multi-institutional study of pediatric HL, the predicted long-term risk of SMN is substantially lower than in historical cohorts. Clinicians should consider the toxicity associated with a current RT approach when selecting therapies and counseling patients. Clinical trial information: NCT02166463 , this is a post hoc modeling study that includes patients enrolled on this study. Mean [range] lifetime attributable risk (%) at an attained age of 70 years for thyroid, lung, and breast carcinoma. Thyroid Lung Breast (females) 3D-CRT 0.046 [0.002-0.332]N=81 5.07 [0.12-10.82]N=82 1.82 [0.67-5.98]N=46 IMRT 0.064 [0.001-0.386]N=135 6.24 [2.22-11.79]N=135 4.36 [0.66-8.43]N=76 Proton 0.086 [0-1.160]N=74 4.15 [0.94-7.77]N=75 1.45 [0.17-7.23]N=40

3553 Background: Vilastobart (XTX101) is tumor-activated, high affinity, Fc-enhanced aCTLA-4 designed to focus activity toward the tumor and minimize systemic adverse events. Fc-enhancement augments FcγR co-engagement on antigen presenting cells and has been linked with efficacy of aCTLA-4 combinations in patients (pts) with microsatellite stable (MSS) colorectal cancer (CRC) and other tumors [Fakih ASCO GI 2025]. Vilastobart was generally well-tolerated and demonstrated evidence of anti-tumor activity in pts with immunologically “cold” advanced solid tumors, both as a monotherapy and in combination with atezolizumab [Davar SITC 2024]. Methods: Phase 2 of the NCT04896697 study evaluated the initial recommended Phase 2 dose of vilastobart 100 mg Q6W in combination with atezolizumab 1200 mg Q3W in pts with MSS CRC who had at least 1 prior chemotherapy regimen in the metastatic setting, excluding pts with prior immune checkpoint inhibitors. Pts with (LM) and without liver metastasis (NLM) were eligible. Tumor biopsies were obtained before and during treatment for translational analyses. Results: As of January 13, 2025, 40 pts were dosed in Phase 2. Median age was 55 (25-82) and 70% of pts had 3 or more prior lines of therapy. Of the 24 enrolled NLM pts, 11 were response-evaluable with an available on-treatment scan as of the data cut. In these 11 pts, two confirmed and one unconfirmed partial response (PR) were reported, all accompanied by significant decreases in ctDNA and serum tumor marker CEA and with each pt ongoing on therapy, for a preliminary ORR of 27%. One additional pt (with peritoneal metastasis) had a 24% reduction in target lesions (first scan) and was ongoing on therapy. Of the 16 enrolled LM pts, 7 were response evaluable, with one stable disease and another pt reporting a mixed response with significant serum tumor marker reductions, both ongoing on therapy. Of note, one LM pt in Phase 1C dose escalation treated with vilastobart (150 mg Q6W) combination had a confirmed PR with LM resolution. Six pts (15%) reported G3+ treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), with two G4 laboratory TRAEs and no G5 TRAEs. Only three pts discontinued therapy for TRAEs. TRAEs occurring in ≥10% (all grade) or ≥5% (G3) of pts are summarized in the Table. Conclusions: The combination of vilastobart, a novel tumor-activated, Fc-enhanced a-CTLA-4, and atezolizumab demonstrated initial evidence of anti-tumor activity in late line, metastatic MSS CRC where immune checkpoint blockade has historically been relatively ineffective. Vilastobart was observed to have a differentiated safety profile distinct from systemically active a-CTLA-4, consistent with tumor-selective activation. Clinical trial information: NCT04896697 . AE term All Graden (%) Grade 3n (%) Fatigue 12 (30%) 0 Diarrhea 8 (20%) 0 Infusion related reactions 5 (13%) 0 Pyrexia 4 (10%) 0 ALT increased 4 (10%) 0 AST increased 4 (10%) 1 (3%) Colitis 2 (5%) 2 (5%)