Citations

212 Background: Patients with prostate cancer with liver metastases are known to have a worse prognosis. In this study, we evaluated ctDNA in mCRPC (metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer) patients with and without liver metastases. Methods: A retrospective chart review identified mCRPC patients with liver metastases at Tulane Cancer Center and Huntsman Cancer Institute. Liver metastases were confirmed via molecular or conventional imaging. All patients had ctDNA assessed with a multi-gene cancer panel via the Guardant 360 assay. Alterations with <0.1% allelic fraction, synonymous alterations, and variants of unknown significance were excluded from analyses. Statistical analyses were performed using Fisher’s Exact and Wilcoxon Rank Sum Tests. Correction for multiple testing was not performed, hence these alterations may be subject to a type 1 error. Results: 53 mCRPC patients with liver metastases and 144 mCRPC patients without liver metastases were included in the study. We found seven genes that are more likely to be pathologically altered in ctDNA in mCRPC patients with liver metastases (See Tables 1-3): AR (OR=2.38, 95% CI: [1.25, 4.52], p=0.01), BRAF (OR=2.74, 95% CI:[1.05, 7.18], p=0.05), BRCA2 (OR=5.33, 95% CI:[1.49, 19.02], p=0.01), CDK6 (OR=4.09, 95% CI:[1.35, 12.42], p=0.01), EGFR (OR=3.12, 95% CI:[1.22, 7.99], p=0.02), FGFR1 (OR=5.69, 95% CI:[1.81, 17.86], p-value=0.003), MYC (OR=4.55, 95% CI:[1.63, 12.68], p=0.004), and PIK3CA (OR=4.34, 95% CI:[1.87, 10.06], p=0.01). Additionally, mCRPC patients with liver metastases are more likely to have copy number alterations (CNA) (p= 0.01) compared to mCRPC patients without liver involvement. There were no other significant differences in the remaining 70 genes interrogated. Germline pathogenic alterations did not vary between the two groups. Conclusions: In mCRPC patients with liver metastases, these exploratory analyses suggest ctDNA testing is more likely to detect pathologic alterations in AR, BRAF, BRCA2, CDK6, EGFR, FGFR1, MYC, and PIK3CA. Additionally, mCRPC patients were more likely to have copy number alterations (CNA). Limitations of the Guardant 360 assays are notable in this setting given the incomplete ascertainment of gene deletions and the incomplete number of prostate-relevant genes assessed. [Table: see text]

Functional loss of TDP-43, an RNA binding protein genetically and pathologically linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), leads to the inclusion of cryptic exons in hundreds of transcripts during disease. Cryptic exons can promote the degradation of affected transcripts, deleteriously altering cellular function through loss-of-function mechanisms. Here, we show that mRNA transcripts harboring cryptic exons generated de novo proteins in TDP-43–depleted human iPSC–derived neurons in vitro, and de novo peptides were found in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with ALS or FTD. Using coordinated transcriptomic and proteomic studies of TDP-43–depleted human iPSC–derived neurons, we identified 65 peptides that mapped to 12 cryptic exons. Cryptic exons identified in TDP-43–depleted human iPSC–derived neurons were predictive of cryptic exons expressed in postmortem brain tissue from patients with TDP-43 proteinopathy. These cryptic exons produced transcript variants that generated de novo proteins. We found that the inclusion of cryptic peptide sequences in proteins altered their interactions with other proteins, thereby likely altering their function. Last, we showed that 18 de novo peptides across 13 genes were present in CSF samples from patients with ALS/FTD spectrum disorders. The demonstration of cryptic exon translation suggests new mechanisms for ALS/FTD pathophysiology downstream of TDP-43 dysfunction and may provide a potential strategy to assay TDP-43 function in patient CSF.

With increasing number of people living with dementia, the problem of late diagnosis significantly impacts a person’s quality of life while early signs of dementia may provide useful insights to facilitate better treatment plans. With time, this progressive neurodegenerative syndrome could progress from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. A pattern of health conditions can be characterized in unsupervised manner to help predict this progress. As a significant extension to our previous work with streaming clustering model, we consider additional information for predicting dementia onset. With empirical observations, we discover the importance of examining sex and age to predict dementia onset. To this end, we propose a sex-specific model with age-constraint for predicting dementia onset and validate the effectiveness of our models using data from Mayo Clinic Study of Aging (MCSA). The proposed sex-specific models for older adult populations (>=65 years of age) outperformed the previous models with F-score of 77% and 78% for male-specific and female-specific models, respectively. Our experiments of sex-specific temporal clustering of features in older adults demonstrate the potential of more personalized models for early alerts of dementia.

Achieving health equity in populations with congenital heart disease (CHD) requires recognizing existing disparities throughout the lifespan that negatively and disproportionately impact specific groups of individuals. These disparities occur at individual, institutional, or system levels and often result in increased morbidity and mortality for marginalized or racially minoritized populations (population subgroups (e.g., ethnic, racial, social, religious) with differential power compared to those deemed to hold the majority power in the population). Creating actionable strategies and solutions to address these health disparities in patients with CHD requires critically examining multilevel factors and health policies that continue to drive health inequities, including varying social determinants of health (SDOH), systemic inequities, and structural racism. In this comprehensive review article, we focus on health equity solutions and health policy considerations for minoritized and marginalized populations with CHD throughout their lifespan in the United States. We review unique challenges that these populations may face and strategies for mitigating disparities in lifelong CHD care. We assess ways to deliver culturally competent CHD care and to help lower-health-literacy populations navigate CHD care. Finally, we review system-level health policies that impact reimbursement and research funding, as well as institutional policies that impact leadership diversity and representation in the workforce.

PURPOSE Patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer (BRPC) after radical prostatectomy and a short PSA doubling time are at risk for distant metastases. Apalutamide, an androgen receptor antagonist, and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (AAP) prolong survival in the metastatic setting. We evaluated whether intensification of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) improves outcomes in BRPC. PATIENTS AND METHODS PRESTO is a randomized phase III, open-label trial in patients with BRPC and PSA doubling time ≤9 months (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03009981 ). Patients were randomly assigned 1:1:1 to receive a finite 52-week treatment course with ADT control, ADT + apalutamide, or ADT + apalutamide + AAP. The primary end point was PSA progression-free survival (PSA-PFS), defined as serum PSA >0.2 ng/mL after treatment completion. RESULTS Five hundred three patients were enrolled. The median PSA was 1.8 ng/mL (IQR, 1.0-3.6). At the first planned interim analysis, both experimental arms significantly prolonged PSA-PFS compared with the control arm (median, 24.9 months for ADT + apalutamide v 20.3 months for ADT; hazard ratio [HR], 0.52 [95% CI, 0.35 to 0.77]; P = .00047; median, 26.0 months for ADT + apalutamide + AAP v 20.0 months for ADT; HR, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.32 to 0.71]; P = .00008). Median time to testosterone recovery did not differ across treatment arms. The most common grade ≥3 adverse event was hypertension (7.5%, 7.4%, and 18% in ADT, ADT + apalutamide, and ADT + apalutamide + AAP arms, respectively). CONCLUSION Intensified AR blockade for a finite duration prolongs PSA-PFS with a manageable safety profile, without adversely affecting time to testosterone recovery. The addition of apalutamide to ADT should be considered in patients with high-risk BRPC.

Abstract Background Individualized treatment for commercial tobacco smoking cessation, such as through the utilization of the nicotine metabolite ratio (NMR), offers substantial clinical benefit. NMR is a metabolism-informed biomarker that can be used to guide medication selection. NMR testing is particularly promising for tobacco cessation efforts in populations with high rates of smoking, such as some Alaska Native and American Indian (AN/AI) communities. To date, no prior study has evaluated the implementation of NMR-guided tobacco cessation with AN/AI populations. Methods The present “QUIT” protocol is a two-phase study that will occur at Southcentral Foundation (SCF), an Alaska Native-owned health system, serving 70,000 AN/AI people, based in Anchorage, Alaska. In Phase one, qualitative interviews with customer-owners (patients), providers and administrators (n = 36) and a 10-participant beta-test will be used to refine a strategy to implement NMR testing in the health system. Phase two will involve a single-arm pilot trial (n = 50) and qualitative interviews throughout data collection (n = 48) to evaluate the implementation strategy and explore the real-world acceptability and feasibility of NMR testing to guide tobacco cessation with AN/AI populations. Discussion This study utilizes a community-based participatory approach to refine and implement a nicotine metabolism-informed smoking cessation program in a Tribal healthcare setting. The process and findings from this study will reflect the importance of customer-owner choice and honor the lived experience involved in quitting commercial tobacco. Pilot study data will inform the effect and sample sizes required for a future pragmatic trial of NMR-guided smoking cessation.

On June 3, 2023, the American Society of Transplant Surgeons convened a meeting in San Diego, California to (1) develop a consensus statement with supporting data on the ethical tenets of thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) and abdominal NRP; (2) provide guidelines for the standards of practice that should govern thoracoabdominal NRP and abdominal NRP; and (3) develop and implement a central database for the collection of NRP donor and recipient data in the United States. National and international leaders in the fields of neuroscience, transplantation, critical care, NRP, Organ Procurement Organizations, transplant centers, and donor families participated. The conference was designed to focus on the controversial issues of neurological flow and function in donation after circulatory death donors during NRP and propose technical standards necessary to ensure that this procedure is performed safely and effectively. This article discusses major topics and conclusions addressed at the meeting.

736 Background: Patients with dMMR/MSI-H gastrointestinal (GI) cancer occasionally receive neoadjuvant immunotherapy (NIT) due to various clinical considerations. To systematically evaluate the outcome of these patients, we initiated the DREAM-GI national database, intending to harness real-world data to provide crucial insights into the outcomes, safety profile, and response patterns of dMMR/MSI-H GI cancer patients undergoing NIT. Herein, we present the initial findings. Methods: We developed a centralized database to collect de-identified clinical data from patients with dMMR/MSI-H GI cancers receiving NIT. We collected data retrospectively and prospectively through September 15, 2023. Results: The current report includes 50 patients with a median age of 67 years (range 32 to 90); 21 (42%) were female, 9 (18%) were Black, and the remaining were White. The cohort included the following tumor types- 31 (62%) colorectal, 7 (14%) gastroesophageal, and 12 (24 %) pancreaticobiliary. Most patients had localized disease (34, 68%), while the rest had oligometastatic disease. NIT consisted of pembrolizumab monotherapy in 40 (80%) patients, ipilimumab plus nivolumab in 8 (16%), and nivolumab plus chemotherapy in 2 (4%) patients. Most patients, 33 (66%), were treatment-naive. The median duration of NIT was 6 months (range: 1.5 to 55), with a time to best response of 3 months (range: 1.5 to 12). Among 47 evaluable patients, the best responses were as follows: an overall response rate of 75% (35/47), consisting of radiologic complete response (CR) in 20 (43%), pathologic CR in 4 (9%), and partial response in 11 (24%). The median progression-free survival and overall survival were not reached after a median follow-up of 14 months (range: 2-80), calculated from the date of the first immunotherapy dose to the last follow-up or death. Among 24 patients achieving CR, all remained progression-free after a median follow-up of 25.5 months (range: 3-80). Stable and progressive diseases were observed in 7 (15%) and 5 (10%) patients, respectively. Only 5 (10%) patients underwent surgery following NIT, with 4 (80%) achieving pathologic CR. The reasons for not proceeding with surgery were comorbidities in 40 (80%) patients, disease extent in 4 (8%), and patient refusal in 1 (2%). Out of the 12 patients who expired at the data cut-off, 1 was due to immunotherapy-related pneumonitis, 6 due to disease progression, and the remainder from underlying comorbidities. Conclusions: Our study underscores the remarkable response rates and durability of responses achieved with NIT in patients with dMMR/MSI-H GI cancers. Progression on NIT was infrequent. These real-world data support further investigation into non-operative approaches for patients with dMMR/MSI-H GI cancers.

Context.— The Nottingham Grading System (NGS) developed by Elston and Ellis is used to grade invasive breast cancer (IBC). Glandular (acinar)/tubule formation is a component of NGS. Objective.— To investigate the ability of pathologists to identify individual structures that should be classified as glandular (acinar)/tubule formation. Design.— A total of 58 hematoxylin-eosin photographic images of IBC with 1 structure circled were classified as tubules (41 cases) or nontubules (17 cases) by Professor Ellis. Images were sent as a PowerPoint (Microsoft) file to breast pathologists, who were provided with the World Health Organization definition of a tubule and asked to determine if a circled structure represented a tubule. Results.— Among 35 pathologists, the κ statistic for assessing agreement in evaluating the 58 images was 0.324 (95% CI, 0.314–0.335). The median concordance rate between a participating pathologist and Professor Ellis was 94.1% for evaluating 17 nontubule cases and 53.7% for 41 tubule cases. A total of 41% of the tubule cases were classified correctly by less than 50% of pathologists. Structures classified as tubules by Professor Ellis but often not recognized as tubules by pathologists included glands with complex architecture, mucinous carcinoma, and the “inverted tubule” pattern of micropapillary carcinoma. A total of 80% of participants reported that they did not have clarity on what represented a tubule. Conclusions.— We identified structures that should be included as tubules but that were not readily identified by pathologists. Greater concordance for identification of tubules might be obtained by providing more detailed images and descriptions of the types of structures included as tubules.

Background: Knowing the predictive factors of the variation in a center-level continuous outcome of interest is valuable in the design and analysis of parallel-arm cluster randomized trials. The symbolic two-step method for sample size planning that we present incorporates this knowledge while simultaneously accounting for patient-level characteristics. Our approach is illustrated through application to cluster randomized trials in cancer care delivery research. The required number of centers (clusters) depends on the between- and within-center variance; the within-center variance is a function of estimates obtained by regressing the log within-center variance on predictive factors. Obtaining accurate estimates of the components needed to characterize the within-center variation is challenging. Methods: Using our previously derived sample size formula, our objective in the current research is to directly account for the imprecision in these estimates, using a Bayesian approach, to safeguard against designing an underpowered study when using the symbolic two-step method. Using estimates of the required components, including the number of centers that contribute to those estimates, we make formal allowance for the imprecision in these estimates on which a sample size will be based. Results: The mean of the distribution for power is consistently smaller than the single point estimate that the sample size formula yields. The reduction in power is more pronounced in the presence of increased uncertainty about the estimates with the reduction becoming more attenuated with increased numbers of centers that contribute to the estimates. Conclusions: Accounting for imprecision in the estimates of the components required for sample size estimation using the symbolic two-step method in the design of a cluster randomized trial yields conservative estimates of power.