Citations

Abstract Objective The presence of comorbidities can substantially affect patients’ quality of life, but data regarding their impact on idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) are limited. Methods We examined the prevalence of comorbidities in IIM patients, other autoimmune rheumatic diseases (oAIRDs) and healthy controls (HCs), using data from the self-reported COVAD-2 survey. We defined basic multimorbidity (BM) as the presence of ≥2 non-rheumatic chronic conditions and complex multimorbidity (CM) as the presence of ≥3 non-rheumatic chronic conditions affecting ≥3 organ systems. Hierarchical clustering on principal components was performed for grouping. Results Among the COVAD respondents, 1558 IIMs, 4591 oAIRDs and 3652 HCs were analysed. IIMs exhibited a high burden of comorbidities (odds ratio [OR]: 1.62 vs oAIRDs and 2.95 vs HCs, P < 0.01), BM (OR: 1.66 vs oAIRDs and 3.52 vs HCs, P < 0.01), CM (OR: 1.69 vs AIRDs and 6.23 vs HCs, P < 0.01) and mental health disorders (MHDs) (OR: 1.33 vs oAIRDs and 2.63 vs HCs, P < 0.01). Among the IIM patients, those with comorbidities or MHDs had lower PROMIS Global Physical (PGP), PROMIS Global Mental (PGM), and PROMIS Physical Function (SF10) scores, and higher fatigue (F4a) scores (all P < 0.001). PGP, PGM, SF10a and F4a were influenced by age, active disease, BM and MHDs. Four distinct clusters were identified among the IIMs according to comorbidities and PROMIS scores. Conclusion Patients with IIMs have a higher burden of comorbidities that influence physical and mental health, identifiable as clinical clusters for optimized and holistic management approaches.

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor type 1 ( ITPR1 ), 2 ( ITPR2 ), and 3 ( ITPR3 ) encode the IP3 receptor (IP3R), a key player in intracellular calcium release. In four unrelated patients, we report that an identical ITPR3 de novo variant—NM_002224.3:c.7570C>T, p.Arg2524Cys—causes, through a dominant-negative effect, a complex multisystemic disorder with immunodeficiency. This leads to defective calcium homeostasis, mitochondrial malfunction, CD4 + lymphopenia, a quasi-absence of naïve CD4 + and CD8 + cells, an increase in memory cells, and a distinct TCR repertoire. The calcium defect was recapitulated in Jurkat knock-in. Site-directed mutagenesis displayed the exquisite sensitivity of Arg 2524 to any amino acid change. Despite the fact that all patients had severe immunodeficiency, they also displayed variable multisystemic involvements, including ectodermal dysplasia, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, short stature, and bone marrow failure. In conclusion, unlike previously reported ITPR1-3 deficiencies leading to narrow, mainly neurological phenotypes, a recurrent dominant ITPR3 variant leads to a multisystemic disease, defining a unique role for IP3R3 in the tetrameric IP3R complex.

Metastatic breast cancer (mBC) remains an incurable disease, and most patients will experience disease progression during their treatment course. Although endocrine therapy remains the mainstay of treatment for hormone receptor–positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative mBC, significant progress has been and continues to be made in the treatment of this BC subtype. The discovery of molecular markers, mutations in key cellular pathways, and genomic signatures have led to the development of novel and targeted agents, such as antibody-drug conjugates, oral selective estrogen receptor downregulators, and inhibitors of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. This has resulted in significant improvements in the survival and quality of life of patients. With the increasing number of treatment options for patients, appropriate drug sequencing remains a challenge. Treatment discussions should involve patient-physician shared decision making, with consideration of genomic data, previous lines of therapy, side effect profiles, and clinical trial enrollment.

AbstractBackgroundDespite optimal medical therapy and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), significant functional mitral regurgitation (MR) persisted in 30% of the patients and labeled as CRT nonresponders.AimsWe sought to study the impact of transcatheter edge‐to‐edge repair (TEER) in patients with symptomatic grade III and IV functional MR despite CRT.MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted of all patients who had prior CRT for at least 6 months and underwent TEER for significant residual functional MR (grade ≥3) and symptomatic heart failure (HF) at our institution. The primary outcomes were the change in New York Heart Association classification (NYHA), MR grade, echo parameters, and NT‐ProBNP from baseline to 1‐year post‐procedure.ResultsA total of 28 patients were identified, mean age of 73 ± 6.7 years and 89% males. Procedure success was achieved in all patients. At 1‐year follow‐up, patients had lower MR grade (median 2, IQR 1 [1,2] vs. 4, IQR 1 [3,4]; p < 0.001), NYHA class (median 2, IQR 1 [2,3] vs. 3, IQR 1 [3,4]; p < 0.001), and NT‐ProBNP (7658 ± 11322 vs. 3760 ± 4431; p = 0.035) compared to before the TEER procedure. The left ventricular end‐diastolic volume (255 ± 59 vs. 244 ± 66 mm; p = 0.016) and the right ventricular systolic pressure (52 ± 14 mmHg vs. 37 ± 13 mmHg, <0.001) decreased.ConclusionPatients who remain symptomatic after CRT with severe functional MR had improved functional status and MR grade at 1‐year following TEER. There was a signal toward reverse remodeling.

Breast cancer is treated with a multidisciplinary approach involving surgical oncology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Breast Cancer include recommendations for clinical management of patients with carcinoma in situ, invasive breast cancer, Paget’s disease, Phyllodes tumor, inflammatory breast cancer, and management of breast cancer during pregnancy. The content featured in this issue focuses on the recommendations for overall management of systemic therapy (preoperative and adjuvant) options for nonmetastatic breast cancer. For the full version of the NCCN Guidelines for Breast Cancer, visit NCCN.org .

Mayo Clinic Health System — Southwest Minnesota Region, one of four practice regions in the Midwest, provides primary and speciality care in ambulatory, procedural and hospital settings. Clinic appointment fill rates, no-show rates and late cancellation rates are closely monitored operational metrics, but at the time this study began, less was known about the refill rates of late appointment cancellations. This metric is of importance because these unfilled appointment times contribute to increased expenses for healthcare organisations, unnecessary delays in care and decreases in revenue. The main objectives of this study were to understand the current state and potential opportunities for refilling late cancellations. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used, including variance analysis, the Tukey post hoc test, Pareto analysis, the completion of interviews with important stakeholders and data extraction from the institution’s electronic health record. Findings showed that late cancellation rates remained steady in 2021 and that late cancellations were not being refilled consistently across departments and regions. Appointment refill rates were higher in departments with few or no requirements for preparatory evaluation, whereas in specialties that did require preparatory evaluations, refill rates were lower across the four regions of the Mayo Clinic Health System. Even in departments with high demand, the refill rates were lower, resulting in missed opportunities for patient visits. Mapping the workflow for late cancellations indicated inconsistent methods for refilling late cancellation openings and the lack of a defined process for refilling them that was understood by the entire care team. The logistics of optimising refill rates for late cancellations were affected by provider preference, selfscheduling functionality and appointment requirements. This study identified opportunities for optimising workflows to use the waiting list proactively to refill late cancellations.

With current and projected staffing shortages, healthcare settings must find innovative ways to address workload problems. One possible solution in the outpatient setting is the use of patient self-check-in kiosks. This paper aimed to understand the effectiveness of the use of self-check-in kiosks in a rural community-based clinic setting. Data was gathered retrospectively on patients seen in our clinic during 2022. Two-sample z-tests were used to compare the use of kiosks before and after the implementation of intentional interventions to help motivate patients to check in using kiosks. Binomial logistic regression was used to determine factors that influence use of kiosks. We then analysed patient satisfaction surveys to determine whether the interventions affected patient satisfaction. A total of 143,208 patients were included in the study. Significantly more patients used the self-check-in kiosks during the post-intervention period (24.9 per cent) than during the pre-intervention period (6.5 per cent) ( z = −102.79, P < 0.001). The outcome of the binomial logistic regression in the form of a model was significant ( χ2(9) = 2,274, P < 0.001) and showed that gender, age, financial (insurance) class and time of check-in significantly affect the likelihood of patients using the self-check-in kiosks. Patient satisfaction was not affected by the interventions. The study findings suggest that it is possible to increase the use of self-check-in kiosks with intentional interventions in a community-based clinic setting without negatively affecting patient satisfaction. Expecting that patients will use technology just because it is there may not be feasible, as evidenced by this case. Non-use of the technology by patients could lead to negative consequences, such as longer wait times and effects on overall patient flow.

Abstract The disease course and clinical outcome for brain tumor patients depend not only on the molecular and histological features of the tumor but also on the patient’s demographics and social determinants of health. While current investigations in neuro-oncology have broadly utilized artificial intelligence (AI) to enrich tumor diagnosis and more accurately predict treatment response, postoperative complications, and survival, equity-driven applications of AI have been limited. However, AI applications to advance health equity in the broader medical field have the potential to serve as practical blueprints to address known disparities in neuro-oncologic care. In this consensus review, we will describe current applications of AI in neuro-oncology, postulate viable AI solutions for the most pressing inequities in neuro-oncology based on broader literature, propose a framework for the effective integration of equity into AI-based neuro-oncology research, and close with the limitations of AI.

e16286 Background: GEP-NET is a rare disease with variable tumor biology. An indolent disease course with subtle symptoms renders timely diagnosis difficult; 2/3 of patients (pts) are diagnosed at locally advanced or metastasized stage. In clinical decision-making, disease-specific factors, patient (pt) age and long-term disease control must be balanced against the aggressiveness of therapies. NCCN, NANETS and ENETS guidelines recognize the diversity of mGEP-NET by recommending individualized treatment approaches. We aimed to describe treatment (Tx) utilization patterns in mGEP-NET. Methods: Retrospective cohort study using MarketScan® Commercial and Medicare Databases spanning 07/01/2017-01/31/2023. Eligible were GEP-NET pts with ≥1 inpatient or ≥2 outpatient claims, a subsequent new diagnosis of metastatic disease (index), no secondary malignancy, and follow-up time of ≥12 months (m) after index. Results: Of 16218 GEP-NET pts, 2002 (mean age 60y; 50% female) met inclusion criteria. Mean follow-up time after index was 17m, with 49%, 27% and 15% followed up for ≥12, 24 and 36m, resp. Medical history (12m baseline before index) included mean Charlson Comorbidity Index of 2.62, with hypertension (HTN), type 2 diabetes (T2DM), chronic liver disease (CLD), asthma/COPD, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and chronic kidney disease (CKD) present in 56, 26, 22, 18, 17 and 10% of pts, resp.; 5% had carcinoid syndrome. In total, 949 pts (47.4%) received first-line (1L) systemic Tx: somatostatin analogs (SSA; 61.6%) of either very short or long duration (median 116d vs 775d), chemotherapy (38.8%), targeted therapies (3.4%) and PRRT (0.5%). Relative to NCCN cancer surveillance guidelines, 49.5% received more and 36.8% received fewer than 4 scans in the first year of treatment. Conversely, 1053 (52.6%) did not receive any 1L systemic Tx. With the exception of CLD, pts with vs without 1L Tx had similar proportions of medical conditions during the 12m baseline and during follow-up (HTN 72.4 vs 66.5%; T2DM 34.0 vs 30.3%; asthma/COPD 16.5 vs 19.3%; CVD 27.3 vs 36.9%; CKD 18.9 vs 17.9%; however, CLD 54.0 vs 36.7%). See Table comparing both cohorts on insurance, treatments, and health care utilization during follow-up. Conclusions: This claims analysis reveals treatment differences among mGEP-NET pts that cannot be explained by the parameters assessed herein. Further research should investigate factors influencing diagnosis and treatment decision-making, applying also pt-level health record data; and analyze economic barriers to diagnosis and treatment. [Table: see text]

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a spontaneous intimal tear of the coronary artery wall. A factor rarely associated with SCAD is autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Using the PRISMA guidelines, we identified 10 unique cases of SCAD in ADPKD patients reported between 1998 and 2021. Ages ranged from 36 to 59 years, with an average of 44.6 years. The majority of patients were female (80%). Each case was diagnosed with a cardiovascular event: ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in 40%, non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in 50%, and stable angina in 10%. Conservative management was used in 60% of cases. There is a significant gap in our understanding of the relationship between SCAD and ADPKD. Polycystin complex can lead to structural abnormalities in blood vessels, resulting in vascular leaks and vessel rupture. This suggests that ADPKD patients may have an elevated risk of arteriopathies, including coronary artery dissection.