To describe the information experiences of vaginal and vulvar cancer patients, including satisfaction, needs, and preferred sources at three key touchpoints: pre-diagnosis, diagnosis, and treatment.

This cross-sectional mixed methods study recruited women aged 18+ years living in Queensland, Australia, and diagnosed with primary vaginal or vulvar cancer between 01 June 2022 and 31 August 2023. We obtained self-reports of satisfaction with cancer information (Satisfaction with Cancer Information Profile, SCIP-B, range 7-35), need for information (study-specific measure designed in consultation with consumers including six items from the health system and information domain of the Supportive Care Needs Survey-Short Form, SCNS-SF34), and preferred sources of receiving information (Health Information National Trends Survey, HINTS). Participant-informed recommendations to improve information provision were derived from qualitative interviews.

Of the 39 women who completed the quantitative questionnaire, 16 also participated in a qualitative interview. Mean scores for satisfaction with information increased from pre-diagnosis (20.8, SD 7.1) to during diagnosis (24.0, SD 8.4) and remained stable during treatment (24.8, SD 8.2). Approximately three-quarters of participants reported at least one moderate-to-high unmet information need at each touchpoint. Doctors, internet searches, and family/friends were the preferred information sources. Seventeen recommendations were developed relevant to pre-diagnosis (n = 2), diagnosis (n = 2), treatment (n = 4), post-treatment (n = 2), and across touchpoints (n = 7).

Dissatisfaction with information and unmet information needs were prevalent among our participants diagnosed with vaginal or vulvar cancer. A variety of participant-informed recommendations were developed which can guide the improvement of information experiences across the cancer care continuum.

Nivolumab was first approved to treat patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in 2015. Since then, NSCLC treatment has entered the immunotherapy era. However, studies on the effect of chemotherapy in the immunological era on elderly lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients with brain metastases are lacking. This study aimed to analyze the effect of chemotherapy on the overall survival (OS) of elderly LUAD patients with brain metastases in the immunotherapy era.

This study included elderly patients (≥ 80 years) diagnosed with LUAD and brain metastases in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 2015 to 2021. Patients were divided into chemotherapy and non-chemotherapy groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized to reduce bias between two groups. Survival analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models.

Multivariate analysis revealed that chemotherapy (HR 0.366; 95% CI 0.325-0.412; P < 0.001) was an independent prognostic factor affecting OS for elderly LUAD patients with brain metastases in the era of immunotherapy. Survival analysis showed that the median OS was higher in the chemotherapy group than in the non-chemotherapy group (10 months vs. 2 months) before and after PSM. Subgroup analysis indicated that the risk of death was lower in the group that received chemotherapy compared to the group that did not receive chemotherapy, particularly in patients with T3-4, N2-3, bone metastases, liver metastases, and lung metastases.

Chemotherapy may still be indispensable for patients with advanced LUAD and brain metastases in the era of immunotherapy.

Chronic inflammation increases with age and contributes to cancer progression and therapeutic resistance, yet the mechanisms underlying this process remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify an increased frequency of pro-inflammatory myeloid cells in aged mice and humans, characterized by elevated production of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. These cells are enriched in the breast tumor microenvironment and are associated with accelerated tumor progression. Using heterochronic parabiosis and bone marrow chimeras, we show that age-associated myeloid cell inflammatory activation is suppressed by non-bone marrow-derived circulating factors present in young hosts. Integrative analyses identify thymulin, a thymus-derived peptide that declines with age, as a mediator that suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokine production by inhibiting NF-κB signaling. Furthermore, thymulin enhances antitumor T-cell immunity, improves tumor control and survival, and sensitizes tumors to anti-PD-L1 therapy in an age-dependent manner. Together, these findings uncover a thymus-myeloid cell regulatory axis linking aging, inflammation, and cancer immunity, and suggest thymulin as a potential strategy to improve cancer immunotherapy in older individuals.

Cancer registries remain the gold standard for global cancer monitoring, yet complementing them with electronic health records and claims can significantly enhance the understanding of the cancer burden by providing a more complete picture of the patient journey. The main aim of this project is to serve as a proof of concept for using real-world data mapped to the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) common data model (CDM) to monitor cancer epidemiology over time and characterise patients' clinical history and outcomes.

This study will be conducted as an observational cohort study using a multinational network of large real-world data sources mapped to the OMOP CDM. Electronic health records (EHR) from primary and secondary care, health insurance claims and cancer registry data will be included. To date, 20 databases from 16 countries, mainly from Europe but also North America and Asia, have committed to participate in the project.We will investigate the temporal trends in incidence, prevalence and survival of 36 cancers across haematopoietic and solid tumours from 2000 (or the start of accurate data if later) to the last year with complete data. Data from all individuals registered in each of the participating data sources will be eligible for inclusion in the study. For primary care EHR and claims, individuals will be required to have at least 1 year of prior observation to ensure the identification of incident cases and adequate capture of patient characteristics. We will estimate crude and age-standardised incidence and 5-year partial prevalence. Additionally, we will estimate crude and age-standardised overall survival at 1, 5 and 10 years for the total study period and by diagnosis year groups defined according to data availability. All study objectives will be investigated at the database level, with results stratified by age and sex. For incidence and survival analyses, additional stratifications will be performed by clinical conditions and smoking status (where available). We will use the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Joinpoint Regression Programme to model overall trends in cancer incidence and the NCI JPSurv software to estimate trends in survival. Finally, we will characterise individuals diagnosed with an incident cancer based on demographics, clinical conditions and medication use at different time windows.Findings will be presented separately for each database and further summarised through descriptive aggregation by country and data source type.

Each data partner will obtain study approval from their local institutional review boards prior to study execution. Distributed queries will be employed, whereby standardised analytical code is shared and run at each site locally. Deidentified, aggregated results will be returned from all participating sites. A minimum cell count of five will be used when reporting results, depending on each collaborator's data governance requirements.All study code will be publicly available, and findings will be submitted to open science journals to promote transparency and reproducibility.

To identify the latent profiles of health behaviour abilities among patients with haematological malignancies and to explore the underlying population heterogeneity and influencing factors.

A cross-sectional study conducted between October and December 2024.

Data were collected from three provincial hospitals in China.

A total of 486 hospitalised patients were recruited.

Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Sense of Coherence Scale-13, the Perceived Social Support Scale and the Self-rated Abilities for Health Practices Scale. Latent profile analysis was performed to identify distinct classifications of health behaviour abilities and multivariate logistic regression was employed to determine the influencing factors.

The mean score of health behaviour abilities among the participants was 47.96 (SD 23.29). Three profiles were identified, showcasing substantial population heterogeneity: 'exercise-weak survival profile' (41%), 'exercise-deficient developmental profile' (45%) and 'balanced-robust profile' (14%). Multivariable regression revealed that age, education level, social support, financial toxicity and psychological distress were influencing factors determining profile membership.

Health behaviour abilities in patients with haematological malignancies were at a low level with three distinct latent profiles. Clinical healthcare providers should implement targeted interventions based on the characteristics of patients' health behaviour abilities to enhance their self-management capabilities.

Primary liver cancer, predominantly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has limited therapeutic options. While mutation-derived neoantigen vaccine holds promise, its success is hindered by low antigen availability. This study explores transcriptome-derived neoantigens (neoantigen-encoding tumor-specific transcripts, neoTSTs) in HCC, characterizing their features, generation mechanisms, and therapeutic potential.

We developed a computational pipeline integrating STAR/StringTie-based transcript assembly with multiexon/single-exon reference datasets (23,972 human control samples) for tumor-specific transcripts (TSTs) identification. A custom sliding-window algorithm compared TST-encoded peptides against UniProt, with neoTSTs predicted using netMHCPan. This framework was applied to 1,013 patients with liver cancer. NeoTSTs were validated through proteomics, immunopeptidomics, and HLA-transgenic models. Multiomics analyses characterized splicing patterns, transposable elements, and transcription factor regulation. Single-cell RNA-seq and Hep53.4 murine models assessed tumor coverage and immunotherapeutic efficacy.

We analyzed RNA-seq data from 1,013 patients with liver cancer and constructed a multilayered reference dataset. Using a customized pipeline, we identified an average of 60 neoTSTs per patient, significantly surpassing mutation-derived neoantigens (neoMuts). NeoTSTs exhibited higher population frequencies, with 73.1% providing multiple epitopes, and were validated through mass spectrometry and HLA transgenic mouse models. Mechanistically, neoTSTs were generated via retained introns, transposable element activation, HNF4A-regulated alternative promoters, and de novo transmembrane domain generation. Single-cell analysis revealed neoTSTs cover >75% of tumor cells and identified antigen-presenting cancer-associated fibroblasts that enriched in immunotherapy responders and amplified CD4⁺ T-cell responses. In murine HCC models, neoTST vaccination outperformed neoMuts, inducing dual major histocompatibility complex-I/II activation and significant tumor growth inhibition.

NeoTSTs represent a superior neoantigen source in HCC, compensating for the limitations of mutation-derived targets. The remarkable abundance and patient-to-patient sharedness of neoTSTs underscore their dual potential: (1) as personalized immunotherapeutic targets, and (2) as broadly applicable antigens for low-TMB tumors. These findings provide a transformative framework for expanding treatment options in HCC immunotherapy.

Transurethral ultrasound ablation (TULSA) of the prostate is an innovative, minimally invasive, incision- and radiation-free procedure guided by MRI. Early clinical data suggest TULSA is associated with lower rates of common postoperative complications including urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Its minimally invasive profile makes it especially suitable for elderly patients and those with elevated medico-surgical risks. We report the anaesthetic management of the first MRI-guided TULSA procedure performed in Southeast Asia on an elderly male patient in his 80s with prostatic adenocarcinoma. General anaesthesia was administered using a balanced technique combining low-dose volatile agent with continuous infusions of remifentanil and rocuronium. This approach ensured stable haemodynamics, adequate sedation and complete immobility throughout the procedure. To date, there are no established anaesthetic protocols for TULSA. Our experience demonstrates that the essential goals of immobility, sedation and rapid recovery can be effectively achieved.

To compare the referral delay (Dref) and the treatment delay (Dtx) of workers with breast cancer (BrCa) treated at a third level oncology hospital (HOnco) in 2019 and 2020.

A retrospective cohort study was carried out in workers who attended the HOnco in 2019 and 2020 diagnosed with BrCa. Both, the Dref and the Dtx were defined as the elapsed days from suspicion consultation until the referral to HOnco and from this to the beginning of treatment. The data was gathered from the clinical file. In order to compare the variables, χ² and U Mann y Whitney were used with p ≤ 0.05.

With a total of 542 cases, the Dref was 21 days and the Dtx was 35 days. When comparing 2019 and 2020, significant differences were found in the Dref (17 vs. 24 days) advanced stage (32.2% vs. 51%) and primary private care (14.5% vs. 38.8%).

Dref for BrCa was significantly higher for 2020.

To examine whether otolaryngology-specific symptom burden is associated with perceived and self-stigma among nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) survivors, and the mediating role of emotional well-being.

Prospective observational cohort with repeated assessments.

Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.

From April 2021 to October 2024, 340 NPC survivors (560 assessments) completed stigma questionnaires (assessing perceived stigma [PS] and self-stigma [SS]) and condition-specific symptom instruments (SNOT-22, ETDQ-7, EAT-10). Gaussian kernel smoothing illustrated symptom trajectories over time. Linear mixed-effects models identified factors independently associated with stigma, while mediation analysis quantified indirect effects via the SNOT-22 emotional domain.

Participants had a median age of 53 years (IQR 44.0-61.5) and a median follow-up of 36 months (IQR 14.0-82.0). PS > 0 occurred in 8.0% of assessments, whereas high SS (> 2.5) was present in 9.5%. High-stigma groups exhibited significantly worse symptom trajectories. In adjusted models, only the SNOT-22 emotional domain was independently associated with PS (β = 0.036; 95% CI 0.004-0.068; p = 0.026) and SS (β = 0.075; 95% CI 0.053-0.097; p < 0.001), with large between-group effect sizes (d = 0.97 and 1.41, respectively). Mediation analyses indicated full mediation of most symptom-PS associations and partial mediation of symptom-SS associations by the emotional domain.

Emotional well-being may be an important correlate of both perceived and self-stigma in NPC survivorship. Whether addressing emotional well-being can reduce stigma warrants evaluation in future studies.

India contributes approximately one-third of global oral cancer cases, with pronounced disparities in outcomes across geographic and socio-economic strata. While rural-urban survival differences have been documented, limited evidence exists regarding whether geographic residence independently predicts long-term survival.

We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study using data from the Wardha Population-Based Cancer Registry, Maharashtra, for oral cancer cases (ICD-10 C00-C06) diagnosed between 2010 and 2022, with follow-up through December 2024. Overall survival was analysed using Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazards regression. A mechanistic extension incorporated systemic immune-inflammatory biomarkers derived from pretreatment laboratory values, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, systemic immune-inflammation index, systemic inflammation response index, C-reactive protein/albumin ratio and CRP-albumin-lymphocyte index.

Among 12,847 registered cancers, 1683 (13.1%) were oral cancers; 66.2% were rural residents. Five-year survival was 42.1% for rural versus 56.3% for urban residents. Rural residence remained independently associated with mortality after adjustment for age, sex, education and clinical extent (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.21-1.48). Rural patients demonstrated elevated inflammatory biomarkers and lower CRP-albumin-lymphocyte index. Sequential model adjustment demonstrated attenuation of the rural hazard ratio from 1.41 to 1.22.

Geographic residence independently predicts long-term oral cancer survival in this population-based cohort. Systemic immune-inflammatory biomarkers are associated with survival and partially account for rural-urban disparities.