Traditional statistical models often fail to capture the complex dynamics influencing survival outcomes in patients with bladder cancer after radical cystectomy, a procedure where approximately 50% of patients develop metastases within 2 years. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) offers a promising avenue for enhancing prognostic accuracy and personalizing treatment strategies.

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a machine learning algorithm for predicting disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and the cause of death in patients with bladder cancer undergoing cystectomy, using a comprehensive dataset of clinical and pathological variables.

Retrospective data of 370 patients with bladder cancer who underwent radical cystectomy at Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy, were collected. The dataset comprised 20 input variables, encompassing demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment variables, and inflammatory markers. For specific analyses and models, we used patient subcohorts. The CatBoost algorithm was used for regression tasks (DFS in 346 patients, OS in 347 patients) and a binary classification task (tumor-related death in 312 patients). Model performance was assessed using mean absolute error (MAE) for regression and F1-score for classification, prioritizing a minimum recall of 75% for tumor-related deaths. Five-fold cross-validation and Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) values were used to ensure robustness and interpretability.

For DFS prediction, the CatBoost model achieved an MAE of 18.68 months, with clinical tumor stage and pathological tumor classification identified as the most influential predictors. OS prediction yielded an MAE of 17.2 months, which improved to 14.6 months after feature filtering, where tumor classification and the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) were most impactful. For tumor-related death classification, the model achieved a recall of 78.6% and an F1-score of 0.44 for the positive class (tumor-related deaths), correctly identifying 11 of 14 cases. Bladder tumor position was the most influential feature for cause-of-death prediction.

The developed machine learning algorithm demonstrates promising accuracy in predicting survival and the cause of death in patients with bladder cancer after cystectomy. The key predictors include clinical and pathological tumor staging, systemic inflammation (SII), and bladder tumor position. These findings highlight the potential of AI in providing clinicians with an objective, data-driven tool to improve personalized prognostic assessment and guide clinical decision-making.

To test the validity and reliability of The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) core (QLQ-C30) in its Tunisian dialectal version for lung cancer patients.

A total of 300 patients under a chemotherapy regimen for lung cancer were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Participants had to answer EORTC QLQ-C30 auto-questionnaire in the Tunisian version, then in the Arabic version 15 days later. Statistical analyses were performed by SPSS 22.

The Tunisian version was found reliable and valid for Tunisian cancer patients. Seven of the 8 multi-item scales of QLQ-C30 had high reliability (Cronbach's α >0.7). In our analysis, the most determinative subscales of QLQ-C30 on global health were physical functioning, cognitive functioning, fatigue, and dyspnea. Correlation with the Arabic version was nearly a perfect mismatching; all sub-scale mean scores were statistically correlated. The inter-class correlations confirmed the external convergent validity. Discriminant validity was supported since the correlation value of a symptom scale score with other similar scales was higher than any functional scale, and inversely.

The Tunisian version of EORTC QLQ-C30, recently written is a reliable and valid tool to assess the quality of life of Tunisian lung cancer patients.

The management of cancers requires complete and accurate pathology reports. Recent literature refers to the importance of synoptic report in cancer pathologies. In Tunisia, we still adopt the narrative report.

To evaluate the quality of narrative pathology reports of carcinomas diagnosed on surgical excision specimens at the Pathology Laboratory of Habib Thameur Hospital.

A retrospective descriptive study including pathology reports of carcinomas diagnosed on surgical excision specimens was performed at the Pathology Laboratory of Habib Thameur Hospital over four and a half years. The essential anatomopathological data to be formulated in a pathology report, set by the learned societies for each type of cancer, were recorded in the reports and analyzed using Excel and PSPP software.

Five hundred and seventy-six pathology reports for nine types of carcinoma were collated. Evaluation of the anatomopathological data showed that the minimum data were 100% complete in 9% of carcinomas of the larynx, 7% of gastric carcinomas, 6.4% of thyroid carcinomas, 1.3% of colon carcinomas and 0% of carcinomas of the rectum, breast, endometrium, ovary, and kidney.

The low rate of completeness of narrative reports issued by our laboratory should be improved by adopting the synoptic reports to ensure that diagnostic and theranostic data are complete and, consequently, that patients are appropriately managed.

Globally, nasopharyngeal cancer has a varied geographic distribution, occurring more frequently in certain areas and less often in others (1).

This article presents the epidemiological situation of this cancer in the Marrakech-Safi region, Morocco.

Our retrospective study analyzed the epidemiological profile of nasopharyngeal cancer in the Marrakech-Safi region (Morocco) based on 226 cases evaluated at the University Hospital Center MOHAMMED VI of Marrakech from 2014 to 2018. We used descriptive and analytical statistics to create this profile.  Results: The cases studied were 61.9% male (140 cases), and 38.1% female (86 cases), with a mean age of 47.95 ± 16.54 years and a sex ratio of 1.62 (p <0.001). The majority, 76.5%, were married, 16.4% single, 5.8% widowed and 1.3% divorced. The Medical Assistance Plan (RAMED) was the most widespread medical coverage (86.73%). The provinces most affected were Marrakech (42.92%), Safi (10.62%) and El Kelaa (9.73%). These cases were without profession (55.31%), housewives (13.72%), farmers (7.08%), and workers (3.98%). This may be due to the multifactorial etiology of the disease, including occupational exposure to chemical carcinogens.

The study reveals the incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer and identifies the age group most affected in the region studied, highlighting a link with formaldehyde. Further studies are recommended to determine the probable risk factors for this cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a highly fatal malignancy due partly to treatment resistance in many patients. We previously identified a functional germline deletion overlapping exon 6 of CTRB2 (CTRB2ex6) at a PDAC genome-wide risk locus on chr16q23.1. This variant leads to a nonfunctional truncated chymotrypsin protein that accumulates intracellularly and induces endoplasmic reticulum stress. Here, we performed a retrospective study to determine whether CTRB2ex6 deletions are associated with response to chemotherapy, time to cancer progression, or overall survival (OS) in PDAC patients.

The study included CTRB2 genotype data from two independent PDAC cohorts (Cohort 1: n = 633; Cohort 2: n = 3,896). We examined associations between CTRB2ex6 deletion status and OS and time-to-progression (TTP) using Cox proportional hazard modeling. TTP was also evaluated in a subset of chemotherapy-treated patients in Cohort 1 (n = 263) to determine the impact of CTRB2ex6 deletion status on chemotherapy response.

CTRB2ex6 deletions were found in 20% of patients in both cohorts combined (19% in Cohort 1, and 21% in Cohort 2). No significant difference was observed in OS by CTRB2 deletion status in either cohort (Cohort 1: HR = 0.95, p = 0.60; Cohort 2: HR = 1.04, p = 0.43). Among chemotherapy-treated patients in Cohort 1, CTRB2 deletion carriers had a longer median TTP (20.4 vs. 12 months), though this was not statistically significant (p = 0.49). Homozygous deletion carriers had the longest TTP (70 months).

No clinical impact on chemotherapy response or OS was observed by CTRB2 deletion status. Further studies are needed to identify reliable biomarkers of therapy response in PDAC.

This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate dentists' awareness, knowledge, and clinical practices regarding early-stage oral cancer lesions, with an emphasis on diagnostic behavior, patient education, and referral approaches. A total of 263 dentists from public and private institutions in Ankara, Türkiye, participated in the survey, which included a content-validated 36-item questionnaire covering demographic data, examination habits, knowledge of lesion features, biopsy practices, and educational experience. The data were analyzed via descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and Monte Carlo simulations to explore associations between professional characteristics and clinical behaviors. While 78% of the participants acknowledged the dentist's role in reducing oral cancer mortality, only 17.5% reported performing routine oral cancer screenings. Biopsy practice was limited, with only 11% indicating that they had ever performed a biopsy, and 36.9% preferred to monitor lesions instead of referring them immediately. Experienced dentists were significantly more likely to examine their lymph nodes (p = 0.006) and conduct routine screenings (p < 0.001). Although tobacco and alcohol use are widely recognized as risk factors, only 27.7% of the participants routinely examined high-risk anatomical areas. Patient education was reported by 92.4% of the participants, but brochures and visual aids were rarely used. Fewer than one-third of the participants rated their undergraduate training on oral cancer as sufficient, and most supported mandatory continuing education. The findings reveal considerable gaps in dentists' preparedness and implementation of early detection strategies despite high awareness levels. Strengthening diagnostic education in undergraduate programs and promoting structured continuing education may improve early detection efforts and reduce oral cancer-related morbidity and mortality.

Patient engagement in cancer care is increasingly recognized as essential for improving clinical outcomes. Nurses play a crucial role in fostering patient engagement, yet there is a lack of validated instruments to assess which nursing behaviors are most effective in promoting engagement from the patient's perspective.

This study aimed to develop and test the psychometric characteristics of the Nurses' Behavioral Engagement Scale, a tool designed to measure nursing behaviors that support patient engagement in oncology settings, from patients' point of view.

The study followed a three-phase exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. In the first phase, 53 items were generated based on findings from a previous qualitative study and a systematic review of the literature. In the second phase, the items underwent content validation through a modified e-Delphi procedure with 19 experts in oncology nursing, patient engagement, tool development, and linguistics. Forty-eight items were deemed relevant and tested in the third phase with a sample of 250 cancer patients to evaluate construct validity, internal consistency, and convergent validity.

Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed a four-factor structure, collectively explaining 70.0% of the total variance: Factor 1 - Acknowledgment of Patient's Uniqueness, Factor 2 - Meeting Patient's Knowledge Expectations, Factor 3 - Fostering Patient's Motivation, and Factor 4 - Valuing Patient's Informal Caregivers. The final Nurses' Behavioral Engagement Scale comprises 29 items. Internal consistency was excellent, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.953, 0.890, 0.942, and 0.920 for the four factors, respectively. The Nurses' Behavioral Engagement Scale demonstrated significant and meaningful correlations with the Health Care Climate Questionnaire and items assessing satisfaction with nursing care, supporting its convergent validity.

The Nurses' Behavioral Engagement Scale provides a psychometrically sound measure of nursing behaviors that promote patient engagement in oncology care. This tool has the potential to inform targeted interventions and quality improvement initiatives, ultimately enhancing patient-centered care and improving health outcomes in cancer patients.

Breast cancer is a major global health issue. It brings death threats or serious physical injuries to patients, and is a traumatic event that can seriously affect their mental health and lead to post-traumatic stress, which can lead to serious physical, psychological, cognitive, and social dysfunction, and even increase the risk of suicide, and impose a heavy burden on patients and their families.

To investigate the mediating effect of experiential avoidance between self-concealment and post-traumatic stress symptoms in breast cancer patients.

This study used a cross-sectional survey design. From 15/08/2021 to 31/12/2021, breast cancer patients were recruited as study subjects in the oncology department of a tertiary hospital in Deyang City. Data were collected through the following tools: the general information questionnaire, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, the Self-Concealment Scale, and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-Second Edition.

257 breast cancer patients eventually completed the study, all females. Descriptive results showed that breast cancer patients had self-concealment scores (24.75 ± 7.34), experiential avoidance scores (18.48 ± 5.44), and post-traumatic stress symptoms scores (32.29 ± 14.14). Pearson correlation analyses showed that self-concealment was positively correlated with experiential avoidance and traumatic stress response (r = 0.343, 0.467, both P < 0.01); experiential avoidance was positively correlated with traumatic stress response (r = 0.534, P < 0.01). Mediation effect analyses showed that the total effect of self-concealment on post-traumatic stress symptoms was 0.453, with a direct effect path coefficient of 0.310, and the mediation effect path coefficient of experiential avoidance between self-concealment and post-traumatic stress symptoms was 0.142 (95% CI: 0.074 to 0.223), accounting for 31.35% of the total effect.

Experiential avoidance in breast cancer patients mediates the relationship between self-concealment and posttraumatic stress symptoms. and could guide healthcare professionals in developing tailored interventions to improve the mental health of patients.

Neurosurgery is an important element of brain tumour treatment but carries with it the risk of complications. Previous work has defined a narrow set of general post-operative complications which are used as Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs), but these are not brain tumour specific and do not capture the full range of complications. As a result, there is no way of measuring post-operative complications in neurosurgery at a national level.

We conducted a retrospective, observational cohort study using a comprehensive national administrative dataset from England on adult brain or spinal tumour patients to better define post-operative complications. We generated and validated a new list of post-operative complications - ICL list. The ICL list contains codes selected specifically from our Gliocova dataset combined with general OECD-defined PSI list. The ICL list is novel as it can assess brain tumour patient complications using an administrative dataset at a national level and captures more specific brain tumour related complications.

In our study, 30-day readmission after surgery was 12.7% and 30-day mortality was 2.3%. The ICL list of complications identified many more patients with complications (N = 3,274 (11.3%)) compared to OECD-defined PSI list (N = 568 (2.0%)) without reducing model performance. 30-day mortality was 6.5% in those with complications and 1.8% in those without.

We have identified a much wider set of complications than the OECD-defined PSIs and shown that patients developing these have worse outcomes than those without complications. This enables us to estimate the risk of post-operative complications in brain tumour patients using national administrative data. It forms the basis for planned further work, allowing us to explore the predictors of and consequences of post-operative complications.

BackgroundAromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia (AIA) is a frequent adverse effect of endocrine therapy in breast cancer survivors, often leading to treatment modification or discontinuation. Non-pharmacological interventions have been proposed to manage AIA, but evidence remains fragmented.ObjectiveTo synthesize recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions for AIA.MethodsA systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science identified RCTs published between 2010 and 2025 assessing non-pharmacological strategies for AIA. Two reviewers independently performed study selection, data extraction, and quality appraisal using standardized criteria.ResultsEight RCTs met inclusion criteria, encompassing interventions such as acupuncture, structured exercise (aerobic, resistance, and Pilates), progressive relaxation, and neuromuscular taping. Acupuncture produced clinically meaningful reductions in pain intensity (mean differences 0.9-1.1 points on the Brief Pain Inventory), while exercise programs yielded moderate improvements in pain, function, and quality of life. Relaxation and taping interventions demonstrated smaller or less consistent effects. No eligible trials evaluated occupational therapy-based interventions.ConclusionsAcupuncture and structured exercise show the strongest evidence of benefit for managing AIA, though overall methodological quality remains moderate. Further well-designed trals with standardized outcomes and longer follow-up are needed to guide clinical implementation and to explore underrepresented approaches such as occupational therapy.