Recent evidence suggests that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Helicobacter pylori co-infection increase the prevalence of gastric cancer in the younger age group and are associated with poor prognosis. Identifying the association between these agents has important implications for the management of gastric cancer and also for defining populations at high risk of developing gastric malignancy.

To determine the prevalence of H. pylori and EBV co-infection in patients with gastric cancer.

This is a single-center prospective analytical study. A total of 182 patients were included. The study group (n=91) comprised all consecutive patients of age ≥18 years with gastric cancer. The control group (n=91) included individuals with normal endoscopy findings. Both groups were analyzed for the presence of H. pylori and EBV.

The overall prevalence of H. pylori infection in gastric cancer patients was 70.3%, EBV infection was 63.7%, and H. pylori and EBV co-infection was 51.6%. The H. pylori and EBV co-infection in the study and control groups was 51.6% versus 13.1% (p<0.001). The remaining parameters such as smoking, socioeconomic class, dietary habits, prior gastric surgery, tumor location, histological subtype, stage of the tumor, distant metastasis, and lymph node metastasis did not show any significance.

There was a significantly higher prevalence of EBV infection and H. pylori and EBV co-infection in patients with gastric cancer. The prognostic and therapeutic role of co-infection requires long-term follow-up and assessment of treatment response.

The strongest known environmental risk factor for developing gastric cancer is prolonged colonization with Helicobacter pylori. More than 50% of the world's population harbors H. pylori in the gastric mucosa. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which is associated with many hematological malignancies, is now considered to be associated with the development of gastric cancer. Studies have reported that 9% of gastric cancer cases are associated with EBV infection. The association of EBV and H. pylori co-infection in gastric cancer has not been extensively investigated.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection appears to be more prevalent in gastric cancer compared to the normal population. Also, most of the gastric cancer patients have co-infection of both Helicobacter pylori and EBV. The importance of this observation indicates that H. pylori eradication alone does not help in the prevention of gastric cancer. EBV infection, which augments the damage caused by H. pylori, requires a specific targeted therapy. In the future, individuals with a high risk of gastric cancer may benefit from the targeted drug against the EBV-lytic cycle protein, with the aim of preventing reactivation of the virus.

The Brazilian Public Health System predominantly performs cystoscopy in hospitals using rigid cystoscopes in operating room settings. This approach results in high operational costs and scheduling delays associated with hospital admission and preoperative protocols. Flexible cystoscopy can be performed in an outpatient setting and may substantially reduce both costs and waiting times.

To compare the costs and waiting times associated with rigid and flexible cystoscopy in São Paulo, Brazil.

A retrospective review at a municipal hospital in Brazil identified patients who underwent diagnostic rigid cystoscopy. The analysis estimated the cost of the procedure and the time from indication to examination. Because no public hospital performed flexible cystoscopy during the study period, fees from private hospitals were collected as a proxy and incorporated into a one-way sensitivity analysis.

The mean cost per rigid cystoscopy reached BRL 8,319.45 (US$1,618.82), ranging from BRL 6,187.10 (US$1,203.90) to BRL 10,512.34 (US$2,045.52). Costs were higher when biopsy occurred (mean BRL 9,744.20) and lower when biopsy was not performed (mean BRL 6,609.75). Fees for flexible cystoscopy ranged from BRL 1,523.81 (US$296.51) to BRL 2,300.00 (US$447.54), with a mean value of BRL 1,800.60 (US$350.37). The mean interval from indication to procedure was 55.64 days for rigid cystoscopy compared with 6.34 days in centers that perform flexible cystoscopy. In sensitivity analysis, even when public-sector flexible cystoscopy costs reached 1.5-3.0× the private fee (BRL 2,701-5,402), the procedure remained approximately 35-68% less expensive than rigid cystoscopy.

Management of bladder cancer imposes a substantial economic burden on Brazilian Public Health System. Despite the asymmetry between public and private data sources, these findings support adoption of outpatient flexible cystoscopy to accelerate diagnosis and reduce costs, with important implications for health policy.

To evaluate the reduction in ablated lesion volume after ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for benign breast tumors and identify factors associated with shrinkage.

This retrospective study included 64 patients (244 benign breast tumors) treated with RFA from December 2014 to February 2021. All tumors were biopsy confirmed before ablation. Follow-up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months measured nodule volume changes and recorded complications, with analyses at the individual nodule level.

All patients were discharged within 24h without major events. Grade I pain occurred in two patients (3.13%), with no higher-grade complications observed. The complete ablation rate at 1 month was 98.77% (241/244). At 12 months, lesion volume decreased significantly (p < 0.001), with a mean volume reduction ratio (VRR) of 97.14% and a complete sonographic disappearance rate of 81.97% (200/244). Multiple mixed-effect linear regression showed that lesions with a maximum diameter > 20 mm and an absence of blood vessels within 5 mm of the nodule were significantly associated with a lower 12-month VRR.

Ultrasound-guided RFA is safe and effective for benign breast tumors. Ablated lesions effectively shrink, with nodule size and the presence of blood vessels around the nodules being associated with the 12-month VRR.

Understanding how individuals find bowel cancer and screening information and what influences awareness may support targeted interventions and encourage informed participation in screening programmes and support early detection. This study aimed to identify factors that influence remote community members information-seeking behaviours and awareness of bowel cancer and screening.

A qualitative study was conducted with 16 community members aged 50-years and over living in a remote Tasmanian community in Australia. Semi-structured interviews were informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework and Behaviour Change Wheel. Interview questions were reviewed by three consumers with lived experience of bowel cancer and screening to improve clarity and accessibility. Interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis with inductive and deductive coding.

Information‑seeking was shaped by self‑efficacy, health literacy, personal relevance, and social influences, with trusted healthcare providers playing a central role. Awareness influenced screening decisions, while screening experiences also built awareness across the screening pathway to diagnosis. Some participants screened with an understanding of the risks and benefits, while others complied without understanding why, and some with low awareness chose not to screen. Awareness most often developed through passive information exposure, including environmental cues, screening material prompts, and social influences of routine healthcare encounters, and conversations with family, friends, and healthcare providers, rather than through active information‑seeking.

In this remote community, bowel cancer awareness was commonly shaped through passive exposure rather than deliberate searching and influenced the quality of screening decision‑making. Health promotion strategies that embed accessible, plain‑language information within everyday community and healthcare settings, and leverage trusted relationships, may better support informed and equitable participation in bowel cancer screening than approaches that rely on active information‑seeking.

Consumers with a lived experience of bowel cancer and screening contributed to this study by reviewing the interview guide structure and questions prior to the researchers undertaking the interviews. This improved the plain language and the participants understanding of the questions, with the addition of an introductory script outlining the study aims and process of the interview. The final interview guide was sent to the consumers for approval prior to the first interview being conducted. These consumers did not participate in this study. Remote Tasmanian community members who were eligible or previously eligible to participate in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program contributed to this study as participants who shared their experiences and insights into bowel cancer and screening information-seeking behaviours and awareness.

Ethylene oxide (EtO) is primarily used as an intermediate in the manufacture of chemicals, with a minor use as a sterilant for medical equipment and food products. It is a direct-acting alkylating agent that reacts with cellular macromolecules, including proteins and DNA. EtO has been shown to induce tumors in rodents and humans. DNA reactivity has been the postulated mode of action (MOA) for its carcinogenicity. The current study has investigated the dose response for EtO-induced genetic damage to inform the biological plausibility of a dose-response model for cancer risk assessment. Male and female B6C3F1 mice (≥ 10/sex/concentration) were exposed to 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 50, 100, or 200 ppm EtO by whole-body inhalation (6 h/day for 28 days, 7 days/week). Mutagenicity was assessed by determining the frequency of mutant Pig-a phenotype in reticulocytes (RET) and mature red blood cells (RBC) on Day 28. Cytogenetic damage was evaluated by the erythrocyte micronucleus (MN) test in blood samples collected on Days 5 and 28. EtO is a relatively weak genotoxicant with treatment-related increases in Pig-a and MN frequencies being seen primarily at 200 ppm. The hockey-stick shaped dose response for genetic damage may be conservatively interpreted as being no more than a linear response with a single slope. Thus, a cancer risk assessment dose-response model consisting of a single shallow linear slope throughout the exposure range is biologically plausible and consistent if EtO were acting through a mutagenic MoA for its carcinogenicity.

This review aims to summarize and critically evaluate published clinical trials investigating the role of [¹⁸F]FDG PET in bladder cancer (BC) management, and to provide an overview of ongoing trials in this field.

A literature search was conducted in PubMed up to 31 August 2025 and on ClinicalTrials.gov to identify clinical trials assessing the role of [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT in patients with BC. The search strategy used the terms "FDG PET," "bladder cancer," "PET/CT," "clinical trials," and "PET/MRI." Review articles, editorials, letters, comments, and case reports were excluded. Two investigators independently screened the literature, and additional trial information was retrieved from ClinicalTrials.gov.

Five eligible full-text publications and eight registered clinical trials were identified. Among the publications, two reported study protocols, two were pilot studies, and one was an ancillary analysis from a larger trial. In addition, eight ongoing clinical trials were retrieved from ClinicalTrials.gov. Available data suggest that [¹⁸F]FDG PET/MRI may be more suitable than PET/CT for evaluating primary bladder lesions, while PET/CT is particularly effective in detecting distant metastases. Several ongoing studies are also investigating delayed acquisition protocols to improve detection of nodal metastases.

[¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT and PET/MRI show promise for enhancing local and distant staging in muscle-invasive bladder cancer, although their role in nodal evaluation remains uncertain. Current evidence is limited by heterogeneous study designs, small patient cohorts, and the lack of standardized imaging protocols.

This prospective observational study investigated the perioperative dynamics of circulating sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin 15 (SIGLEC-15) and soluble programmed death-ligand 1 (sPD-L1) in patients with ovarian cancer undergoing surgery with either total intravenous anesthesia or inhalational anesthesia. Patients were consecutively enrolled, and peripheral blood samples were collected at predefined perioperative time points. Biomarker levels were measured and compared between anesthesia groups, and their associations with immune and inflammatory parameters were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. Following surgery, levels of SIGLEC-15 and soluble programmed death-ligand 1 increased significantly, peaking at 24 hours and remaining elevated at 72 hours, with more pronounced changes observed in the inhalational anesthesia group. Elevated biomarker levels were associated with greater immune dysregulation, reflected by alterations in natural killer cell proportion, CD4 to CD8 T-cell ratios, and increased levels of interleukin-6 and cortisol. These findings suggest that SIGLEC-15 and soluble programmed death-ligand 1 may serve as blood-based indicators of perioperative immune status. However, their long-term clinical significance requires further investigation. Overall, this study underscores the importance of dynamic monitoring of immune biomarkers during the surgical period to better understand their role in ovarian cancer management.

To explore the longitudinal interaction between financial toxicity and psychological distress in breast cancer patients and their spouses based on the actor-partner interdependence model.

Convenience sampling method was used to select 258 breast cancer patients and their spouses as the research partners. The financial toxicity scale and distress thermometer were used to investigate the patients in the early stage (T1), the middle stage (T2) and the end of chemotherapy (T3).

The actor effects of financial toxicity on psychological distress were significant for both breast cancer patients and their spouses. Specifically, the level of financial toxicity in patients significantly predicted their own psychological distress at the next time point (T1 → T2: β = -0.19, T2 → T3: β = -0.18, both p < 0.001), and the level of financial toxicity in spouses significantly predicted their own psychological distress at the next time point (T1 → T2: β = -0.15, T2 → T3: β = -0.14, both p < 0.01). The actor effects of psychological distress on financial toxicity were also significant. That is, the level of psychological distress in patients significantly predicted their own financial toxicity at the next time point (T1 → T2: β = -0.18, T2 → T3: β = -0.17, both p < 0.01), and the level of psychological distress in spouses significantly predicted their own financial toxicity at the next time point (T1 → T2: β = -0.16, T2 → T3: β = -0.15, p < 0.01). The partner effects of psychological distress were significant. Specifically, patients' psychological distress significantly and positively predicted their spouses' psychological distress at the next time point (T1 → T2: β = 0.18, T2 → T3: β = 0.17, both p < 0.01), and spouses' psychological distress significantly and positively predicted patients' psychological distress at the next time point (T1 → T2: β = 0.20, p < 0.001; T2 → T3: β = 0.20, p < 0.01).

The financial toxicity and psychological distress of breast cancer patients and their spouses have a two-way actor prediction effect.

At least 40% of cancer cases could be prevented by lifestyle changes. However, despite clear recommendations, public awareness of modifiable cancer risk factors remains limited and misconceptions about cancer causes further impede prevention efforts. Understanding knowledge of preventable factors, myths, and information sources is essential for effective cancer prevention.

To address this, a total of 1,232 residents of Stuttgart, Germany (53.2% female; M_age  = 41.1; SD = 14.3) participated in the CLARO study (January-May 2025). A cross-sectional online survey assessed participants' knowledge of cancer risk factors and myths, cancer information overload, and sources of prevention information.

Smoking (98.5%) and sunburn (95.1%) were widely recognized as cancer risk factors, whereas high salt intake (28.1%) and prolonged sitting (29.2%) were less acknowledged. Most cancer myths went unrecognized, except physical trauma (76.9%). Higher levels of cancer risk factor knowledge were linked to higher education (middle vs. high: β = -0.069, p = 0.022; low vs. high: β = -0.053, p = 0.048), prior cancer prevention information retrieval (β = 0.186, p < 0.001), and less cancer information overload (β = -0.235, p < 0.001).

Persistent knowledge gaps and misconceptions highlight the need to promote access to trusted, expert-reviewed information sources.

Cancer is a disease with a high fatality rate. In recent years, patients' psychological problems associated with cancer have attracted much attention. Identifying the psychological distress of cancer patients, formulating and implementing psychological interventions, and satisfying the humanistic care needs of patients have become popular topics in cancer nursing research.

The purpose was to investigate relationships among rumination, somatic symptoms and psychological distress in cancer patients and to explore the mediating role of rumination in the relationship between somatic symptoms and psychological distress.

A total of 473 cancer patients admitted to the oncology department of a Grade A general hospital in Shandong Province from January 2023 to December 2023 were investigated via convenience sampling. The data were collected and examined via a general demographic data questionnaire, Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), the Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10).

The mean total psychological distress score in cancer patients was 21.77 ± 7.49. The 473 patients were divided into two groups for univariate analysis according to whether they experienced psychological distress (K10 ≥ 16). There were statistically significant differences in the marital status (p < 0.05), education level (x ² = 6.623, p < 0.05), cancer classification (p < 0.001), and symptom rumination (x ² = -13.737, p < 0.001) and brooding (x ² = -11.763, p < 0.001) subscores between the two groups. The reflective pondering subscore (x ² = -12.726, p < 0.001), total RRS score (x ² = -14.056, p < 0.001) and PHQ-15 score (x ² = -12.161, p < 0.001) were compared between the two groups. Psychological distress was positively correlated with the RRS score (r = 0.841, p < 0.05), the symptom rumination (r = 0.828, p < 0.05), brooding (r = 0.742, p < 0.05), and reflective pondering (r = 0.742, p < 0.05) subscores, and the PHQ-15 score (r = 0.743, p < 0.05). Rumination partially mediated the relationship between physical symptoms and psychological distress, with a mediating effect of 70.69%.

There are close correlations among physical symptoms, rumination and psychological distress in cancer patients. Rumination plays a mediating role in the relationship between physical symptoms and psychological distress. Findings suggest that to alleviate patients' psychological distress and improve their physical and mental health, medical personnel can not only address the physical discomfort symptoms of patients in time but also intervene in their negative cognitive thinking as observed by rumination.