Background Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is an emerging minimally invasive surgical treatment for residual, recurrent, and new primary head and neck cancers in previously irradiated fields, with limited evidence for its oncological effectiveness. Methods A retrospective observational cohort study of consecutive cases performed in 16 high-volume international centers before August 2018 was conducted

Background Previous studies suggested associations between the oral microbiome and lung cancer, but studies were predominantly cross-sectional and underpowered. Methods Using a case-cohort design, 1,306 incident lung cancer cases were identified in the Agricultural Health Study, NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, and Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Referent subcohorts were

Background Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint therapies (ICTs) only provided durable responses in a subset of cancer patients. Thus, biomarkers are needed to predict non-responders and offer them alternative treatments. We recently implicated discoidin domain receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (DDR2) as a contributor to anti-PD-1 resistance in animal models; therefore, we sought to investigate if this gene

BACKGROUND Racial disparities in survival of patients with cancer motivate research to quantify treatment disparities and evaluate multilevel determinants. Prior research has not evaluated cardiac radiation dose in large cohorts of breast cancer patients by race, nor examined potential causes or implications of dose disparities. METHODS We used a statewide consortium database to consecutively sample

BACKGROUND Guidelines for follow-up after locoregional breast cancer treatment recommend imaging for distant metastases only in the presence of patient signs/symptoms. However, guidelines have not been updated to reflect advances in imaging, systemic therapy, or understanding of biological subtype. We assessed the association between mode of distant recurrence detection and survival. METHODS In this

Randomized clinical trials are critical for evaluating the safety and efficacy of interventions in oncology and informing regulatory decisions, practice guidelines, and health policy. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are increasingly used in randomized trials to reflect the impact of receiving cancer therapies from the patient perspective and can inform evaluations of interventions by providing evidence

The capacity and diversity of the oncology leadership workforce has not kept pace with the emerging needs of our increasingly complex cancer centers and the spectrum of challenges our institutions face in reducing the cancer burden in diverse catchment areas. Recognizing the importance of a diverse workforce to reduce cancer inequities, the Association of American Cancer Institutes conducted a survey

Background Deep learning breast cancer risk models demonstrate improved accuracy compared to traditional risk models but have not been prospectively tested. We compared the accuracy of a deep learning risk score derived from the patient’s prior mammogram to traditional risk scores to prospectively identify patients with cancer in a cohort due for screening. Methods We collected data on 119,139 bilateral

Background Understanding the impact of patient and tumor characteristics on lung cancer survival can help to build personalized prognostic models and identify health disparities. Methods We identified 557,555 patients aged 25+ years diagnosed with lung/bronchus carcinoma from the SEER database, 2000–2016. We estimated hazard ratios (HR) for demographic (sex, age, race and ethnicity), tumor (stage,

Background Women treated for breast cancer (BC) often suffer genitourinary syndrome of menopause. These symptoms may be alleviated by vaginal estrogen therapy (VET) or menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). However, there are concerns of risks of recurrence of BC and death following treatment. Methods Our study included longitudinal data from a national cohort of postmenopausal women, diagnosed 1997-2004

BACKGROUND Lung cancer mortality is reduced via low-dose CT screening and treatment of early-stage disease. Evidence-based smoking cessation treatment in the lung screening setting can further reduce mortality. We report the results of a cessation trial from the NCI's SCALE collaboration. METHODS Eligible patients (N = 818) aged 50-80 were randomized (May 2017-January 2021) to the Intensive vs. Minimal

Background Despite huge efforts to identify biomarkers associated with long-term clinical outcomes in patients with early-stage Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-positive Breast Cancer (HER2+ BC) treated with (neo)adjuvant anti-HER2 therapy, no reliable predictors have been identified so far. Fatty Acid uptake, a process mediated by the transmembrane transporter CD36, has recently emerged

Background Breast cancer (BC) risk is increased among Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors treated with chest radiotherapy. Case-control studies showed a linear radiation dose-response relationship for estimated dose to the breast tumor location. However, these relative risks cannot be used for absolute risk prediction of BC anywhere in the breasts. Furthermore, the independent and joint effects of radiation

BACKGROUND Reproductive factors have been shown to be differentially associated with risk of estrogen receptor (ER) positive and ER-negative breast cancer. However, their associations with intrinsic-like subtypes are less clear. METHODS Analyses included up to 23,353 cases, and 71,072 controls pooled from 31 population-based case-control or cohort studies in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium

Background Adult survivors of childhood cancer are at increased risk of cardiac late effects. Methods Using whole-genome sequencing data from 1,870 survivors of European ancestry in the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort (SJLIFE) study, genetic variants were examined for association with ejection fraction (EF) and clinically assessed cancer therapy-induced cardiac dysfunction (CCD). Significant findings were

Low-stage, low-grade endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC), the most common histologic type of endometrial cancer, typically has a favorable prognosis. A subset of these cancers, however, display an aggressive clinical course with early recurrences, including distant relapses. All statistical tests were 2-sided. Using a combination of whole-exome and targeted capture sequencing of 65 FIGO stage

Digital health advances have transformed many clinical areas including psychiatric and cardiovascular care. However, digital health innovation is relatively nascent in cancer care, which represents the fastest-growing area of health care spending. Opportunities for digital health innovation in oncology include patient-facing technologies that improve patient experience, safety, and patient-clinician

BACKGROUND We investigated the impact of HPV vaccination on the performance of cytology-based and HPV-based screening for detection of cervical precancer among women vaccinated as young adults and reaching screening age. METHODS A total of 4632 women aged 25-36 years from the Costa Rica HPV Vaccine Trial were included (2418 HPV-vaccinated as young adults and 2214 unvaccinated). We assessed the performance

International research and collaboration has been a part of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) mission since its creation in 1937. Early on, efforts were limited to international exchange of information to ensure that U.S. cancer patients could benefit from advances in other countries. As NCI’s research grant portfolio grew in the 1950s, it included a modest number of grants to foreign institutions

BACKGROUND Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is associated with increased insurance coverage among patients with cancer. Whether these gains translate to improved survival is largely unknown. This study examines changes in 2-year survival among patients newly diagnosed with cancer following the ACA Medicaid expansion. METHODS Patients aged 18-62 years from 42 states' population-based

Recently developed clinical-benefit outcome scales by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) allow standardized objective evaluation of outcomes of randomized clinical trials. However, incorporation of clinical-benefit outcome scales into trial designs highlights a number of statistical issues: the relationship between minimal clinical

Background Chemotherapies have limited efficacy in pancreatic cancer (PC) and biliary tract cancer (BTC), underscoring the need for new regimens. Recently, tumor-agnostic approaches have been developed for some targeted therapies in advanced solid tumors, however, the frequency of alterations by clinical and genomic background are unclear in PC and BTC. Methods To assess the frequencies of druggable

Background The English national bowel cancer screening programme(NHSBCSP) offering a guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBT) began in July 2006. In randomised controlled trials of gFOBT screening, reductions in mortality were accompanied by reductions in advanced stage colorectal cancer (CRC). We aimed to evaluate the effect of participation in the NHSBCSP on stage-specific CRC incidence, as a likely

Background Incidence of anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has increased in the U.S. Persons living with HIV (PLWH) have an elevated risk of anal SCC, and changes in the number of anal SCCs among PLWH may have influenced general population trends. Methods Data were obtained from a linkage of HIV and cancer registries in 12 U.S. regions. The proportion of anal SCCs occurring among PLWH was estimated

This commentary discusses improving research advocacy as part of National Cancer Institute (NCI) clinical trial activities in scientific steering committees and task forces between 2016 and 2020. Before 2016, the focus of patient advocate input on clinical trial concept evaluation was assessing accrual feasibility. By leveraging informal benchmarking and an outside-in perspective, the NCI patient advocate

BACKGROUND Children with B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) are at risk for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Children's Oncology Group AALL0932 randomized reduction in vincristine and dexamethasone (every 4 weeks vs 12 weeks during maintenance in the average-risk subset of National Cancer Institute standard-B-ALL (SR AR B-ALL). We longitudinally measured CIPN, overall and by treatment

BACKGROUND In the United States liver cancer is the 5th and 7th most common cause of cancer related-death among men and women, respectively. Compared to other racial/ethnic groups in the U.S. Asian and Pacific Islander populations experience the highest incidence rates of liver cancer, but little is known about disparities in risk of advanced stage disease or risk of liver cancer mortality across these

Background There is growing evidence for the inherited basis of susceptibility to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Genome-wide association studies have identified non-coding ALL risk variants at the ARID5B gene locus, but their exact functional effects and the molecular mechanism linking ARID5B to B-ALL leukemogenesis remain largely unknown. Methods We performed targeted sequencing of

Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) accounts for over half of all head and neck cancers. Since the 1970s, OPSCC has shifted from an environmentally triggered to virally mediated disease due to a sharp rise in human papillomavirus (HPV)-related SCC. Although a highly effective prophylactic vaccine is available, its current implementation is far below national targets and OPSCC incidence is

BACKGROUND The use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) may interact with genetic variants to influence colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. METHODS We conducted a genome-wide, gene-environment interaction between single nucleotide polymorphisms and the use of any MHT, estrogen only, and combined estrogen-progestogen therapy with CRC risk, among 28 486 postmenopausal women (11 519 CRC patients and 16 967 participants

Background Young age at breast cancer (BC) diagnosis has historically been a rationale for overtreatment. Limited data with short follow-up exist on the prognostic value of age at diagnosis in HER2-positive BC and the benefit of anti-HER2 therapy in young patients. Methods APHINITY (NCT01358877) is an international, placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized phase III trial in HER2-positive early

BACKGROUND Germline genetic variation contributes to lung cancer (LC) susceptibility. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have implicated susceptibility loci involved in smoking behaviors and DNA repair genes, but further work is required to identify susceptibility variants. METHODS To identify LC susceptibility loci, a family history-based genome-wide association by proxy (GWAx) of LC

Background A comprehensive examination of the incidence and mortality of subsequent primary cancers (SPCs) among adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors in the US is lacking. Methods Cancer incidence and mortality among 170,404 ≥ 5-year cancer survivors aged 15–39 years at first primary cancer diagnosis during 1975–2013 in 9 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries were compared

Background The objective of this study was to evaluate whether sex- and gender-based analyses and proper sex- and gender-terminology were used in oncology trials leading to regulatory drug approval. Methods The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Hematology/Oncology Approvals and Safety Notifications page was used to identify all anti-cancer therapies that received FDA approval between 2012 and 2019

Once called “silent mutations” and assumed to have no effect on protein structure and function, synonymous variants are now recognized to be drivers for some cancers. There have been significant advances in our understanding of the numerous mechanisms by which synonymous single nucleotide variants (sSNVs) can affect protein structure and function by affecting pre-mRNA splicing, mRNA expression, stability

BACKGROUND Cancer survivors frequently experience medical financial hardship in the United States. Little is known, however, about long-term health consequences. This study examines the associations of financial hardship and mortality in a large nationally representative sample of cancer survivors. METHODS We identified cancer survivors aged 18-64 years (n = 14 917) and 65-79 years (n = 10 391) from

BACKGROUND Paradoxically, Helicobacter pylori-positive (HP+) advanced gastric cancer patients have a better prognosis than those who are HP-negative (HP-). Immunologic and statistical analyses can be used to verify whether systemic mechanisms modulated by HP are involved in this more favorable outcome. METHODS A total of 658 advanced gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy were enrolled.

On July 29, 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration's Oncology Center of Excellence convened Conversations on Cancer. This Conversation, the first ever by the US Food and Drug Administration, focused on Asian Americans and served as the platform for this Commentary. Panelists elaborated on topics ranging from heterogeneity in Asian American demographics to racism through a path to health equity and

Background Although several hereditary cancer predisposition genes have been implicated in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) susceptibility, gene-specific risks are not well defined, and are potentially biased due to the design of previous studies. More precise and unbiased risk estimates can result in screening and prevention better tailored to genetic findings. Methods This is a retrospective

Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) constitutes a major breakthrough in cancer management that has expanded in the past years due to impressive results showing durable and even curative responses for some patients with hematological malignancies. ACT leverages antigen specificity and cytotoxic mechanisms of the immune system, particularly relying on the patient´s T lymphocytes to target and eliminate malignant

Background A ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes in the United States is currently under consideration. A justification is that menthol cigarettes are harder to quit, particularly for African American smokers who use menthols much more frequently than White smokers, but epidemiologic data are limited. Methods In a cohort of 16,425 mostly low income African American and White current cigarette smokers

As cancer detection and treatment improve, the number of long-term survivors will continue to grow, as will the need to improve their survivorship experience and health outcomes. We need to better understand cancer and its treatment’s short- and long-term adverse consequences, and to prevent, detect, and treat these consequences effectively. Delivering care through a collaborative care model, standardizing

It is unclear if body weight in early life affects cancer risk independently of adult body weight. To investigate this question for six obesity-related cancers, we performed univariable and multivariable analyses using i) Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis and ii) longitudinal analyses in prospective cohorts. Both the MR and longitudinal analyses indicated that larger body size at age 10 was associated

BACKGROUND Fifteen percent of patients with cancer experience symptomatic sequelae, which impair post-COVID-19 outcomes. In this study, we investigated whether a proinflammatory status is associated with the development of COVID-19 sequelae. METHODS OnCovid recruited 2795 consecutive patients who were diagnosed with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 infection between February 27, 2020