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BACKGROUND: This single-arm phase II trial aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of incorporating hyperthermia into salvage concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for previously irradiated unresectable recurrent head and neck cancer. METHODS: We enrolled patients with non-metastatic recurrent head and neck cancer who had previously undergone radiotherapy (RT) and were unfit for salvage surgery. Eligible patients received hyperthermia during salvage CCRT. RT consisted of an upfront boost with 10 Gy in 2 fractions to gross tumor volume, followed by 40 Gy in 20 fractions to clinical target volume, for a total of 50 Gy in 22 fractions. Weekly hyperthermia for 6 sessions started after RT initiation; each session lasted for 40 min, beginning within 2 h after RT and maintaining a maximum temperature of 42 ± 0.5 °C. Concurrent chemotherapy included weekly cisplatin 20 mg/m2 and docetaxel 10-12 mg/m2 for 6 weeks. Primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR). Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and toxicities were evaluated. RESULTS: Among 35 eligible patients, ORR was 82.9%, with complete response in 54.3%, partial response in 28.6%, stable disease in 11.4%, and progressive disease in 5.7%. After a median follow-up of 2.7 years, median OS was 32.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 16.7-48.9), and 2-year OS was 57.1% (95% CI, 40.6-73.6). Median PFS was 14.9 months (95% CI, 5.7-24.1), and 2-year PFS was 34.3% (95% CI, 18.6-50.0). Acute mucositis was grade 0-1 in 68.6%, grade 2 in 25.7%, and grade 3 in 5.7%. Acute dermatitis was grade 0-1 in 85.7% and grade 2 in 14.3%. No definite burn injury occurred. Grade 3-4 leucopenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia accounted for 14.3%, 14.3%, and 8.6%, respectively. Osteonecrosis was noted in 12 patients. No grade 5 toxicity was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Adding hyperthermia to salvage CCRT greatly enhances tumor response and survival rates compared to historical re-irradiation outcomes for previously irradiated unresectable recurrent head and neck cancer, with manageable toxicities. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT02567383 ), Registered October 1 , 201 5 - https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/study/NCT02567383.

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BACKGROUND: Long-term posttreatment surveillance imaging algorithms for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma are not standardized due to debates over optimal surveillance strategy and efficacy. Consequently, current guidelines do not provide long-term surveillance imaging recommendations beyond 6 months. PURPOSE: We performed a systematic review to evaluate the impact of long-term imaging surveillance (ie, imaging beyond 6 months following completion of treatment) on survival in patients treated definitively for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. DATA SOURCES: A search was conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Web of Science for English literature published between 2003 and 2024 evaluating the impact of long-term surveillance imaging on survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. STUDY SELECTION: We screened 718 abstracts and performed full-text review for 95 abstracts, with 2 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. The Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions assessment tool was used. DATA ANALYSIS: A qualitative assessment without a pooled analysis was performed for the 2 studies meeting inclusion criteria. DATA SYNTHESIS: No randomized prospective controlled trials were identified. Two retrospective 2-arm studies were included comparing long-term surveillance imaging with clinical surveillance and were each rated as having a moderate risk of bias. Each study included heterogeneous populations with variable risk profiles and imaging surveillance protocols. Both studies investigated the impact of long-term surveillance imaging on overall survival and came to different conclusions, with 1 study reporting a survival benefit for long-term surveillance imaging with FDG-PET/CT in patients with stage III or IV disease or an oropharyngeal primary tumor and the other study demonstrating no survival benefit. LIMITATIONS: Limited heterogeneous retrospective data available precludes definitive conclusions on the impact of long-term surveillance imaging in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient quality evidence regarding the impact of long-term surveillance imaging on survival in patients treated definitively for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. There is a lack of a standardized definition of long-term surveillance, variable surveillance protocols, and inconsistencies in results reporting, underscoring the need for a prospective multicenter registry assessing outcomes.

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BACKGROUND: Appendiceal cancer is a rare disease that has proven difficult to study in prospectively. Our initial report of this trial showed minor hematologic toxicity with both mitomycin C and oxaliplatin and similar 3-year survival. We now report an update of the first prospective randomized trial for appendiceal cancer with 10-year follow up. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with mucinous appendiceal neoplasms and evidence of peritoneal dissemination were enrolled in the Multicenter Randomized Trial to evaluating HIPEC for 120 min with oxaliplatin (200 mg/M2) or mitomycin C (40 mg). Overall survival and disease-free survival were calculated at 10 years and compared between the groups. RESULTS: A total of 121 patients were included in the study. The patients were 57% female, with a mean age of 55.3 years (range 22-82 years). The disease was low grade in 71% and high grade in 29%. The average peritoneal cancer index (PCI) score was 18 (SD 10) in the mitomycin C group and 17.9 (SD 9.4) in the oxaliplatin group (p = 0.94). The 10-year survival rate was 56.2% (SE 7.2) with mitomycin C and 47.5% (SE 8.4) with oxaliplatin, p = 0.83. The 10-year progression-free survival rate in the mitomycin C group was 45.2% (SE 8.4) compared with 50.4% (SE 6.7) in the oxaliplatin group, p = 0.95. Median survival was 9.1 years after HIPEC with oxaliplatin, and median not reached for the mitomycin C group (> 5.6 years). CONCLUSIONS: Oxaliplatin and mitomycin C have similar long-term efficacy for hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients with appendiceal neoplasms and peritoneal dissemination. Long-term survival is experienced by most patients after cytoreduction surgery (CRS) and HIPEC for appendiceal neoplasms.

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Objectives: To analyze the long-term prognosis of patients with locally advanced gastric cancer in the stage of ypT0~2N0M0 after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Methods: The clinical data of 78 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radical resection at ypT0~2N0M0 stage from January 2012 to December 2019 in the Department of Abdominal Surgery/Pancreatic and Gastric Surgery of the Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were retrospectively analyzed. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the overall survival and disease-free survival, and the survival difference between patients with postoperative ypT0N0M0 and ypT1~2N0M0 was compared. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed on clinical, pathologic and treatment measures that may affect survival. Results: Among the 78 patients, there were 18 cases (23.1%) with ypT0N0M0, 14 cases (17.9%) with ypT1aN0M0, 17 cases (21.8%) with ypT1bN0M0, and 29 cases (37.2%) with ypT2N0M0. Median follow-up time was 74.1 (19.8~132.5) months. Fourteen patients (17.9%) had tumor recurrence and metastasis, and 9 patients died from tumor recurrence and metastasis. The 5-year disease-free survival and overall survival rates were 84.4% and 87.8%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in 5-year overall survival (86.9% vs 87.8%) or 5-year disease-free survival (88.9% vs 83.2%) between patients with ypT0N0M0 and ypT1~2N0M0. Analysis of factors that may affect prognosis revealed that signet ring cell carcinoma, nerve invasion, and lymph node dissection of fewer than 16 were significantly associated with prognosis (P＜0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis including these three factors showed that only lymph node dissection of fewer than 16 was an independent risk factor affecting prognosis (OS: HR=10.44 ,95% CI: 2.15-50.72, P=0.004; DFS: HR=11.47, 95% CI: 2.85-46.20, P=0.001). Conclusions: The long-term prognosis of patients with locally advanced gastric cancer at ypT0~2N0M0 stage after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is relatively good, and the long-term survival time of patients with ypT1~2N0M0 and ypT0N0M0 is similar. Lymph node dissection of less than 16 nodes may be an independent risk factor affecting prognosis. During surgery, efforts should be made to increase the number of lymph node dissections. For patients with less than 16 nodes dissected, postoperative treatment and follow-up should be strengthened.

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BACKGROUND: We aim to explore the impact of excessive glutathione (GSH) intake on chemotherapy sensitivity in breast cancer. METHODS: Clinicopathological data were collected from 460 breast cancer patients who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy from January 2016 to December 2019 from Zhengzhou University People's Hospital. The clinicopathological characteristics following GSH treatment were collected and compared with those in Non-GSH group after 1:2 propensity score matching (PSM). Intracellular GSH levels and the expression of antioxidant enzymes (NRF2, GPX4 and SOD1) were evaluated in tumor tissues in 51 patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. RESULTS: The recurrence rate after adjuvant chemotherapy was significantly higher in the GSH group (n = 28, 31.8%) than that in the Non-GSH group (n = 39, 22.2%; P = 0.010). Additionally, patients in the HGSH group (high GSH intake, ≥ 16 days) exhibited an elevated recurrence rate compared to that in the LGSH group (low GSH intake, < 16 days) (n = 15 (46.8%) vs. n = 52 (22.4%); P = 0.003). Cox regression revealed that High GSH intake, Ki67 ≥ 30%, Triple negative and Lymphovascular invasion were independent risk factors of progression after adjuvant chemotherapy. Among patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy, intracellular GSH levels and the expression levels of antioxidant enzymes (NRF2, GPX4 and SOD1) in the resistant patients were substantially higher (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Excessive GSH intake may contribute to chemotherapy resistance in breast cancer, and the levels of intracellular GSH and antioxidant enzymes are elevated in resistant patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, indicating that the standardization of GSH intake may assist in reducing chemotherapy resistance.

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In elderly patients with high-risk classic Hodgkin lymphoma (c-HL), we evaluated the impact of a new modality treatment without bleomycin, that is, liposomal doxorubicin (NPLD)-based regimen plus consolidation radiotherapy of residual nodal masses (RNMs), on overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS). In this retrospective study (2013-2023) conducted in tertiary hospitals in the bay of Naples (Italy), 50 older adults (median age, 69 years; range, 60-89) with advanced stage c-HL received frontline treatment with MVD ± irradiation. MVD consisted of 25 mg/m2 of NPLD along with standard Vinblastine and Dacarbazine for a total of 6 cycles (twelve iv administrations, every 2 weeks) followed by radiation of RNMs with size ≥ 2.5 cm at computed tomography. Patients underwent MVD with a median dose intensity of 92%. At 2-deoxy-2[F-18] fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), 90% of patients (45/50 patients; one failed to perform final FDG-PET due to early death) reached complete responses. Altogether, 17 patients (34%) received consolidation radiotherapy of RNMs with Deauville score ≥ 3. At 5-year median follow-up, the OS and PFS of the entire population were 87.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 78.7-97.4) and 81.6% (95% CI, 71.4-93.2), respectively. Eleven patients (22%) experienced grade ≥ 3 adverse events, and 4 of them required hospitalization. Our data suggest that in older adults with high-risk c-HL NPLD-driven strategy (without bleomycin) plus consolidation radiotherapy (if needed) may be a promising up-front option, to test in phase II clinical trials for improving survival incidence.

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BACKGROUND: PMP is a rare clinical syndrome characterized by the accumulation of mucinous material in the peritoneal cavity. The combination of CRS and HIPEC is the standard treatment, known to improve survival outcomes. However, follow-up adherence is critical for early detection of recurrence and extending survival. This study is the first to specifically investigate postoperative follow-up adherence in PMP patients treated with CRS and HIPEC. AIMS: To explore the socio-demographic and clinical determinants of follow-up adherence and its impact on survival in PMP patients treated with CRS and HIPEC. METHODS: This single-center, six-year retrospective study included 111 PMP patients who underwent CRS and HIPEC. Patients were categorized into compliant (control) and non-compliant (study) groups. Follow-up was initiated by the physician, with patients returning for regular visits as recommended. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate survival outcomes, while univariate analysis identified factors influencing follow-up adherence. RESULTS: Among 111 patients, 32 died by August 2024, with 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of 88%, 66%, and 53%, respectively. High PCI scores (P < 0.001) and poorer histopathological types (P = 0.002) were significant predictors of reduced survival. Non-compliance with follow-up showed a trend toward decreased survival (P = 0.07). Significant risk factors for non-compliance included lower ASA scores (P = 0.020), middle- and low-income levels (P = 0.034), and parental survival status (P = 0.003). Middle- and low-income patients also experienced longer delays in seeking medical advice and had fewer cases detected through routine health screenings (P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Follow-up compliance has a potential impact on survival outcomes in PMP patients treated with CRS and HIPEC. Socio-demographic factors significantly influence adherence, highlighting the need for tailored interventions to enhance patient management.

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BACKGROUND: Antipsychotic drugs (APDs) are used for treating mental illnesses and are also used by cancer patients. This study aimed to evaluate APD use in adult cancer patients who received radiotherapy (RT) in South Korea and assess the effects of APD use during RT on survival. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study utilized the National Health Insurance Service database database of Korea. We included adult cancer patients who underwent RT or chemotherapy (CTx, cisplatin, or 5-Fluorouracil) between 2010 and 2020. The APDs included in the analysis were aripiprazole, quetiapine, olanzapine, risperidone, haloperidol, and chlorpromazine. RESULTS: Overall, 725,897 patients received RT, and 115,500 received concomitant chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT). Of them, 41,118 (5.6%) took APDs during RT, and 8,129 (7%) took APDs during CCRT. Overall, 27,789 (67.58%) patients who took APDs during RT were men, and 28,004 (68.2%) were aged ≥ 60 years. The most frequently used APD during RT was quetiapine (64.93%). Patients who took APDs during RT and during CCRT had higher mortality rates (HR: 3.45 and 1.72, p < 0.0001, respectively) compared to the non-APD patients. Of the patients who used APDs during RT, patients accompanying psychiatric diagnosis, taking high-dose APD, and taking APD for more than 3 months had lower mortality than patients without psychiatric diagnosis, taking low-dose APD, and taking APD for less than 3 months, respectively (HR: 0.88, 0.87 and 0.80, respectively, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Only 5.6% of patients who underwent RT used APDs, and quetiapine was the most frequently prescribed APD during RT. The use of APD during RT may adversely affect survival. Further studies are required to elucidate the effects of APDs on cancer patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is retrospectively registered.

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PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review aims to describe the association of integrating traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs into conventional medicine (CM) in preventing breast cancer and improving survival rates among breast cancer patients of Taiwan. RECENT FINDINGS: Of 7 relevant studies, spanning 2014-2023, 4 investigated breast cancer risk in women with menopausal symptoms and other comorbidities. All 4 reported that TCM herbal use was associated with lower risks of developing breast cancer. Three studies investigated survival in newly-diagnosed breast cancer patients receiving CM. All reported that adjunctive TCM users had lower mortality rates than CM-only patients. However, the heterogeneity of study designs, populations, and interventions may limit the generalizability and robustness of the findings. TCM herbs may promote breast cancer prevention and survival when used alongside CM. More rigorous observational research and clinical trials in specific patient populations are needed to guide clinical decision-making.

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Systemic corticosteroid therapy is a well-established first-line treatment for grades II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD). Recently, several developments have occurred, including the introduction of transplantation from human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haploidentical donors using post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCY-Haplo), and improvements in prognosis after cord blood transplantation (CBT) in Japan. This study aimed to analyze the association between donor sources and outcomes in patients with aGVHD. Our study included 2732 patients who developed grades II-IV aGVHD, and were treated with systemic corticosteroids. We compared HLA-matched related donors (MRD), HLA-matched unrelated donors (MUD), PTCY-Haplo, and CBT. We set endpoint as response rate, 1-year cumulative incidence of non-relapse mortality (NRM), and overall survival (OS). The adjusted odds ratios for a complete response (CR) were 0.99 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.74-1.31, P = 0.925) for MUD, 2.08 (95% CI: 1.35-3.25, P = 0.001) for PTCY-Haplo, and 1.08 (95% CI: 0.83-1.41, P = 0.550) for CBT compared with MRD. A significant increase in response rates for PTCY were only found in a single-organ involvement. No significant association was observed between the donor source and NRM or OS. In conclusion, PTCY-Haplo is associated with a high response rate in patients with a single-organ aGVHD; however, MUD and CBT were not associated with treatment response.

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Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive malignancy with few long-term survivors. Despite the dismal prognosis, hyperthermic intrathoracic chemoperfusion (HITOC) was shown to improve survival in a selective group of patients. We analyzed the influence of HITOC following pleurectomy and decortication on postoperative morbidity and overall survival for patients suffering from localized mesothelioma. From March 2017 until August 2023, 55 patients with localized pleural mesothelioma underwent pleurectomy and decortication. Thirty patients performed only surgery while 25 consecutive patients had surgery followed by HITOC with cisplatin (125 mg/m2) infused for 70 min at a temp of 40-43 °C. We analyzed postoperative morbidity, HITOC-related complications, and the influence of HITOC on survival. The trial was registered on 19/08/2022 as NCT05508555. The HITOC group had a mean age of 53.1 ± 8.2 years while the surgery group (non-HITOC) had a mean age of 52.1 ± 8.6 years. The HITOC group had 17 (68%) men, whereas the surgery group included 18 (60%) males. The 30-day mortality in the HITOC group was 0% vs 1 case (3.3%) in the surgery group. HITOC-related transient complications occurred in 4/25 (16%) of the HITOC group (atrial fibrillation, renal impairment and transient hypotension). Progression-free survival in the HITOC group was 8 months (95% CI 4.3-11.6) vs 6 months (95% CI 2.5-9.9) in the surgery-only group (p = 0.79). The overall survival time in the HITOC group was 28 months (95% CI 21.5-34.5) vs 22 months (95% CI 17.5-26.5) in the surgery-only group (p = 0.75). Risk factors analysis for recurrence in the HITOC group confirmed a significant role for early stages (p = 0.03). HITOC following pleurectomy and decortication is a safe therapeutic option that may improve survival for selected patients with localized epithelial pleural mesothelioma. Patients with earlier-stage mesothelioma are more likely to benefit from radical surgery and HITOC.

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Introduction: Rapidly progressive necrotising soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are associated with high mortality and morbidity. Low incidence and disease heterogeneity contribute to low event rates and inadequately powered studies. The Necrotising Infections Clinical Composite Endpoint (NICCE) provides a binary outcome with which to assess interventions for NSTIs. Partly with a view towards studies of hyperbaric oxygen treatment in NSTIs we aimed to validate NICCE in a retrospective cohort of NSTI patients. Methods: Eligible patients were admitted between 2012 and 2021 to an adult major referral hospital in Victoria, Australia with surgically confirmed NSTI. The NICCE and its constituents were assessed in the whole cohort (n = 235). The cohort was divided into two groups using the modified sequential organ failure assessment (mSOFA) score, with an admission mSOFA score ≥ 3 defined as high acuity. Results: Baseline characteristics of the whole (n = 235), the high (n = 188) and the low acuity cohorts (n = 47) were similar. Survival rates were high (91.1%). Patients with an admission mSOFA ≥ 3 were less likely to meet NICCE criteria for 'success' compared to the lower acuity cohort (34.1% and 64.7% respectively). Meeting NICCE criteria was significantly associated with lower resource utilisation, measured by intensive care unit days, ventilator days, and hospital length of stay for all patients and for those with high acuity on presentation. Conclusions: The NICCE provides greater discriminative ability than mortality alone. It accurately selects patients at high risk of adverse outcomes, thereby enhancing feasibility of trials. Adaptation of NICCE to include patient-centred outcomes could strengthen its clinical relevance.

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Introduction: Thyroid cancer is the most common cancer in women in Ecuador. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the demographics and clinical and treatment variables of patients with papillary or follicular thyroid cancer, referred to as differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), treated at a third-level hospital in Quito, Ecuador. Methods: We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of patients with DTC, who underwent surgical treatment, from 1990 to 2019. Data included demographics, pathological information, clinical stage, type of surgery, and radioactive iodine (RAI) adjuvant therapy. Patients were monitored for up to 29 years (median follow-up time 6.9 years). Results: The corrected overall 5-, 10-, 20-, and 30-year survival rates (Kaplan-Meier) were 93%, 85%, 70%, and 63%, respectively. On univariate analysis, age, histological type, tumor grade, histological variants, capsular invasion, vascular invasion, tumor size, clinical stage, distant metastases at diagnosis, surgical margins, extrathyroidal invasion, radioactive iodine adjuvant treatment, and locoregional recurrence were found to be significant prognostic factors. In a multivariate analysis, the following independent variables: age over 55 years, extrathyroidal spread, metastasis at diagnosis, and stage II to IV raised the risk of death (hazard risk) (HR). Conclusions: Age over 55 years, extrathyroidal spread, metastasis at diagnosis, and advanced clinical stage were found to have a harmful prognosis and an increased risk of death in a series of Ecuadorian patients surgically treated for a DTC.

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This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of sorafenib plus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in treating hepato-cellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT). Twelve randomized controlled trials published until 28th Sep 2022 were finally included. Of the total 1746 patients, of whom 458 received sorafenib and TACE treatment (Group S+TACE), and 1288 only underwent TACE (Group TACE), were enrolled. Outcomes including time to progression (TTP), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), survival rate (SR), and adverse reactions, were extracted. The OS (HR: 0.596, 95 %CI: 0.507-0.685, p < 0.001; I2 = 0.0 %) and TTP (HR: 0.379, 95 %CI: 0.205-0.553, p < 0.001; I2 = 4.5 %) in the S+TACE group were longer than those in the TACE group. The ORR (RR: 2.101, 95 %CI: 1.555-2.839, p < 0.001; I2 = 0.0 %), DCR (RR: 1.547, 95 %CI: 1.126-2.126, p = 0.007; I2 = 79.6 %) and SR (RR: 1.416, 95 %CI: 1.183-1.694, p < 0.001; I2 = 83.8 %) in the S+TACE group were higher than those in the TACE group. Compared with the TCAE group, the higher odds of HFSR, oral ulcer, and diarrhea among patients with HCC complicated by PVTT were discovered in the S+TACE group. The marginal significance was found in ascites and gastrointestinal bleeding between the two groups. Sorafenib plus TACE has good efficacy and mild adverse reactions, which may be worthy of clinical promotion.

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BACKGROUND: The suitability of radical surgery for very elderly pancreatic cancer (PC) patients remains controversial due to concerns about postoperative functional reserve. Inflammatory-nutritional status may help identify elderly patients at risk of compromised postoperative treatment tolerance. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included 121 patients over eighty who were diagnosed with PC in 2010-2019, 40 of whom underwent radical surgery. Surgical outcomes were compared with those of 205 younger patients (under 80 years-old) who underwent radical surgery. K-means cluster analysis was conducted with four inflammatory-nutritional indices (NLR, PLR, PNI, and mGPS) to define, and the indices using ordinal logistic analysis were evaluated in each cluster to create a formula named 'nutritional index (NTI)', which was then used to redefine the clusters. The predictive ability of the NTI was validated in other octogenarians who underwent pancreatectomy for PC between 2020 and 2023. RESULTS: Patients older than eighty exhibited comparable overall survival to younger patients (median survival time, 30.7/37.1 months, p = 0.20). However, octogenarian-plus patients had lower rates of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) initiation (45/80 %) and treatment upon recurrence (52/84 %), resulting in shorter survival after recurrence (7.4/11.1 months, p = 0.06). Inflammatory-nutritional status was significantly associated with overall survival, with poor nutritional status being linked to lower rates of AC initiation and/or treatment upon recurrence. NTI effectively predicted AC feasibility. CONCLUSIONS: Radical surgery for octogenarian-plus PC patients meeting the current criteria was safe, but lower rates of postoperative treatment initiation may lead to poorer outcomes after recurrence. Inflammatory-nutritional status assessment could enhance surgical eligibility in octogenarian-plus PC patients.

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INTRODUCTION: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia. Catheter ablation is a successful rhythm control strategy in paroxysmal AF, but it has demonstrated dramatically lower AF-free survival rates in patients with persistent AF. In recent years, myriad novel rhythm control strategies have been developed, each with the promise of improved persistent AF ablation success. AREAS COVERED: This review discusses multiple novel techniques and approaches to persistent AF. Authors identified relevant papers by searching PubMed and Google Scholar databases and considered all papers identified, regardless of publication date. It begins by discussing recent advances in electrogram analysis that yielded improved AF-free survival following persistent AF catheter ablation. Next, it discusses several trials revealing the shortcomings of MRI in guiding persistent AF ablation. Finally, it discusses one nascent technique (Vein of Marshall ablation) and technology (AI-assisted electrogram analysis) who have shown promise in improving persistent AF ablation. EXPERT OPINION: In the authors' expert opinions, upcoming persistent AF ablations will utilize a stepwise approach of (1) ensuring PV isolation, (2) Vein of Marshall ablation and (3) AI-assisted ablation to optimize future persistent AF ablation outcomes. This approach systematically addresses arrhythmogenic sources beyond the pulmonary veins, the historical treatment target.

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The scope of this article was to analyze the five-year survival rate among patients with laryngeal cancer treated in the Unified Health System in Brazil and its regions between January 2002 and June 2010. There is still scarce information in Brazil regarding the scale and survival rate of laryngeal cancer patients, which makes it difficult to adopt specific strategies for the control of the condition in the country. A retrospective cohort study based on the National Oncology Database was conducted, and the survival probability rate for laryngeal cancer according to age, sex and Brazilian regions/states was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The log-rank test was used to assess the differences observed, considering a 5% significance level. Survival in Brazil was estimated at 50.8% (95%CI: 49.9%-51.8%), being lower among male patients (49.1%; 95%CI: 48.10%-50.16%); between 50 and 60 years of age (48.4%; 95%CI: 46.7%-50.0%); for residents of the Northern region (45.5%; 95%CI: 39.5%-51.3%). The regional variation in the survival rate for laryngeal cancer in Brazil reveals disparities between Brazilian regions/states that may be linked to inequality of access to diagnosis and/or treatment.

O objetivo do artigo foi analisar a sobrevida de cinco anos em pacientes com câncer de laringe tratados no Sistema Único de Saúde no Brasil e regiões entre janeiro de 2002 e junho de 2010. São escassas as informações relativas à magnitude e sobrevida do câncer de laringe no país, o que dificulta a adoção de estratégias específicas para seu controle. Foi realizado um estudo de coorte retrospectiva a partir da Base Nacional em Oncologia. Estimou-se a probabilidade de sobrevida para o câncer de laringe segundo faixa etária, sexo e regiões/estados brasileiros por meio do método de Kaplan-Meier. O teste de log-rank foi aplicado para avaliar as diferenças na sobrevida, considerando-se o nível de significância de 5%. A sobrevida no Brasil foi estimada em 50,8% (IC95%: 49,9-51,8), sendo menor em pacientes do sexo masculino (49,1%; IC95%: 48,10-50,16); com idade entre 50 e 60 anos (48,4%; IC95%: 46,7-50,0); e para moradores da região Norte (45,5%; IC95%: 39,5-51,3). A variação na sobrevida para o câncer de laringe em relação aos estados e às regiões do país aponta disparidades que podem estar relacionadas à desigualdade de acesso ao diagnóstico e/ou tratamento.

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OBJECTIVE: Given limited real-world practice data evaluating the National Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical practice guidelines for possible post-operative chemotherapy omission as a treatment option for patients with stage IC grade 1 endometrioid ovarian carcinoma, this population-based study examined the association between post-operative chemotherapy and overall survival in this tumor group. METHODS: The National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program was retrospectively queried. The study population was 1207 patients with stage IC grade 1-3 endometrioid ovarian carcinoma who received primary cancer-directed surgery from 2007 to 2020. Overall survival was assessed with multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model. RESULTS: The median age was 52, 54, and 55 years for grade 1, 2, and 3 groups, respectively (p=0.02). Grade 1 and 2 tumors were more common than grade 3 tumors (n=508 (42.1%), n=493 (40.8%), and n=206 (17.1%), respectively). Chemotherapy use rate for grade 1 tumors was lower compared with grade 2-3 tumors (67.9%, 76.5%, and 78.6%, respectively, p<0.001). When nodal evaluation was performed for grade 1 tumors, among patients who did not receive post-operative chemotherapy and among those who did, 5-year overall survival rate exceeded 90% (93.3% and 96.0%, respectively), with statistically non-significant hazard estimates (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.54, 95% CI 0.63 to 3.73). In contrast, post-operative chemotherapy omission for patients who did not undergo nodal evaluation was associated with decreased overall survival (5-year rates 82.3% vs 96.0%, aHR 5.41, 95% CI 1.95 to 15.06). Results were similar for node-evaluated grade 2 tumors (5-year overall survival rates, 94.6% and 94.4% for node-evaluated post-operative chemotherapy omission and administration, respectively), but not in grade 3 tumors. CONCLUSION: The results of this population-based study may partially support the current clinical practice guidelines for post-operative chemotherapy omission as a possible option for patients with stage IC grade 1 endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the ovary for those who had lymph node evaluation. Observed data were also supportive for node-evaluated grade 2 tumors, warranting further evaluation.

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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patients with localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma who do not respond to neoadjuvant therapy present a challenge. We sought to define the characteristics and outcomes of those patients to guide clinical practice. METHODS: Patients included were those without evidence of biochemical or radiographic response and no evidence of distant progression at the first reassessment after initiation of therapy. RESULTS: Of the 45 patients in the cohort, 23 (51.1%) proceeded to surgical exploration with all but one of those undergoing resection. The median overall survival of the study cohort was 28.6 and 48.6 months in those who underwent resection. A total of 13 patients (28.9%) underwent chemotherapy switch (CS) during their course of neoadjuvant therapy. The CS cohort demonstrated higher rates of radiologic progression (25% vs. 10%, p = 0.329), new or worse vascular involvement (58.3% vs. 30%, p = 0.082), and CA 19-9 increase (30.8% vs. 12.9%, p = 0.209) at initial re-staging. Despite this, overall survival was similar between the two groups (20.7 vs. 28.7 months, p = 0.674). CONCLUSION: Non-responders to first-line neoadjuvant therapy have poor rates of curative-intent resection. However, resection should be undertaken when feasible. CS may be considered in patients who do not respond to first-line chemotherapy.

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INTRODUCTION: Axillary response to neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) for the treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (HR+ BC) is not well-described. This study was designed to characterize nodal response after NET. METHODS: Patients receiving NET followed by curative intent surgery at a comprehensive cancer center from 1998 to 2022 in a prospectively collected registry were included. Patients with distant metastasis were excluded. Primary outcome was nodal pathologic complete response (pCR). Downstaging was defined as post-NET decrease in category. RESULTS: We included 123 patients; the majority were cT2 (n = 59) or cT3 (n = 35), and cN0 (n = 81). Median age was 70.0 years (interquartile range 62.1-76.0). Forty-two patients (34.1%) were clinically node-positive. After NET, 73 (59.8%) underwent breast-conserving surgery. All patients underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy, and 12 (9.8%) underwent completion axillary lymph node dissection. In-breast downstaging was achieved in 51 (41.5%) patients, 1 (0.8%) had breast pCR, and 14 (11.4%) had breast upstaging. Axillary downstaging was achieved in 10 (23.8%), 6 patients (14.3%) had nodal pCR, and 14 (33.3%) had axillary upstaging. At 10-year follow-up, local recurrence was 1% and distant recurrence was 14%, while disease-free survival was 82%. After adjusting for demographic and clinical factors, age was the only characteristic associated with mortality (hazard ratio 1.07, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.13). CONCLUSIONS: In HR+ BC treated with NET, long-term disease-free survival is good, although nodal pCR is uncommon for cN+ patients. Future studies are needed to elucidate optimal neoadjuvant systemic therapy and to delineate oncologically safe strategies to deescalate axillary management for residual microscopic disease.