Article
Oncology
Alexander P. Cole, Peter Herzog, Hari S. Iyer, Maya Marchese, Brandon A. Mahal, Stuart R. Lipsitz, Joshua Nyambose, Susan T. Gershman, Mark Kennedy, Gail Merriam, Timothy R. Rebbeck, Quoc-Dien Trinh
Summary: Despite lower odds of receiving definitive therapy, Black men with prostate cancer in Massachusetts experience decreased cancer-specific mortality compared to White men.
Article
Oncology
George Molina, Thomas E. Clancy, Thomas C. Tsai, Miranda Lam, Jiping Wang
Summary: Analysis of data from patients with borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma showed that non-White patients were less likely to undergo pancreatic resection compared to White patients. This racial disparity was attributed to variation in care within hospitals, but disappeared if non-White patients received neoadjuvant therapy.
ANNALS OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Alaa Y. Bazeed, Candace M. Day, Sanjay Garg
Summary: Pancreatic cancer is a global health burden with low survival rates. Local interventions that target the tumor site have gained interest as alternatives to systemic therapy. This review discusses current locoregional therapies and provides insights into potential improvements.
Review
Oncology
Florentine E. F. Timmer, Bart Geboers, Sanne Nieuwenhuizen, Evelien A. C. Schouten, Madelon Dijkstra, Jan J. J. de Vries, M. Petrousjka van den Tol, Martijn R. Meijerink, Hester J. Scheffer
Summary: Metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC) has a poor prognosis, but in selected patients, locoregional therapy may improve survival. Radical-intent local therapy for primary and metastatic sites showed superior survival compared to chemotherapy, but further research and randomized controlled trials are needed for definitive recommendations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hasan Nadeem, John A. Romley, Shaneda Warren Andersen
Summary: Racial disparities in breast cancer treatment contribute to Black women having the worst breast cancer survival rates in the U.S. Our study found that from 2008-2010, Black women had a lower receipt of optimal locoregional treatment (OLT) compared to White women. However, from 2010-2011, there was an increase in OLT for Black women, particularly in the receipt of radiation therapy following breast-conserving surgery.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Caterina De Grandis, Velio Ascenti, Carolina Lanza, Giacomo Di Paolo, Barbara Galassi, Anna Maria Ierardi, Gianpaolo Carrafiello, Antonio Facciorusso, Michele Ghidini
Summary: Despite advances in treatment, the prognosis for PDAC remains poor due to chemoresistance and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Interventional radiology techniques have been increasingly used, altering the TME and potentially enhancing chemotherapy. Local approaches such as radiation therapy, hyperthermia, and ablation may increase antigen release and T-cell activation, reducing tumor-induced immune suppression. This review summarizes the current evidence on locoregional therapies in PDAC and their effect on remodeling TME for improved drug susceptibility.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Surgery
Michael R. Poulson, Marianna V. Papageorge, Alexander S. LaRaja, Kelly M. Kenzik, Teviah E. Sachs
Summary: This study aims to understand the mediating effect of socioeconomic factors on the association between residential segregation and racial disparities in pancreatic cancer. The study found that black patients with pancreatic cancer had higher rates of late-stage diagnosis and higher mortality, which may be attributed to the level of residential segregation. The conclusion suggests that addressing the social determinants inherent to structural racism, such as black population share, insurance status, and income inequality, can mediate poor outcomes for black patients.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ikuyo Imayama, Bilgay Izci Balserak, Ahana Gupta, Tomas Munoz, Manassawee Srimoragot, Brendan T. Keenan, Samuel T. Kuna, Bharati Prasad
Summary: The study suggests that the response to positive airway pressure treatment differs between African American and European American populations, with African Americans showing more significant improvements in wake after sleep onset and frequency of awakenings.
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Thomas Lambin, Cyril Lafon, Robert Andrew Drainville, Mathieu Pioche, Frederic Prat
Summary: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is expected to become the second leading cause of death from cancer by 2030. The tumoral microenvironment (TME) of PDAC, characterized by fibrosis, hypo microvascular perfusion, and immunosuppression, is a major barrier to effective antitumoral treatment. Locoregional therapies, such as radiofrequency ablation and radiation therapy, hold promise for overcoming these barriers and improving clinical outcomes for PDAC patients.
WORLD JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Pritesh S. Karia, Yongmei Huang, Parisa Tehranifar, Jason D. Wright, Jeanine M. Genkinger
Summary: This study examined racial/ethnic differences in cancer-specific and overall mortality in women with type II endometrial cancer (EC) and identified factors underlying these differences. The study found that non-Hispanic Black women had a higher risk of cancer-specific mortality, while non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic women had a lower risk compared to non-Hispanic White women. Clinicopathologic, sociodemographic, and treatment factors explained a significant portion of the mortality differences between racial/ethnic groups.
GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Eric M. Anderson, Shant Thomassian, Jun Gong, Andrew Hendifar, Arsen Osipov
Summary: Pancreatic cancer, with its highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and dense stroma, presents challenges for traditional treatment approaches. Emerging treatment strategies have the potential to significantly improve outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients.
Review
Oncology
Kongyuan Wei, Thilo Hackert
Summary: Surgery is the main potential cure for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, with advancements in surgical techniques and multimodal approaches. Despite low survival rates, combining surgery with adjuvant therapy can increase five-year survival to around 20%. However, pancreatic resection is complex and high-risk, with ongoing developments in minimally-invasive and robotic approaches.
Review
Cell Biology
Tianyi Zhang, Yanxian Ren, Pengfei Yang, Jufang Wang, Heng Zhou
Summary: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a deadly cancer with a high deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) and poor prognosis. ECM proteins derived from tumor cells reduce the effectiveness of conventional cancer treatment and contribute to tumor progression and metastasis. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the ECM are promising targets for novel anti-tumor interventions.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Roman Bubin, Romans Uljanovs, Ilze Strumfa
Summary: The discovery of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in leukemia has led to active research on stemness in neoplastic tissues. CSCs are a subpopulation of malignant cells with unique properties, including a dedifferentiated state, self-renewal, pluripotency, resistance to therapy, epigenetic alterations, and higher tumorigenicity. CSCs have been confirmed in various malignancies, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, which has a poor prognosis. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge on the markers and molecular features of CSCs in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and the therapeutic options for their elimination.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Gieira S. Jones, Katherine A. Hoadley, Halei Benefield, Linnea T. Olsson, Alina M. Hamilton, Arjun Bhattacharya, Erin L. Kirk, Heather J. Tipaldos, Jodie M. Fleming, Kevin P. Williams, Michael Love, Hazel B. Nichols, Andrew F. Olshan, Melissa A. Troester
Summary: The study found that the HGF gene expression signature is associated with recurrence and survival in Black and non-Black women. Women with HGF-positive tumors had higher recurrence rates and breast cancer-specific mortality.
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH AND TREATMENT
(2022)