A blood test could help doctors make more personalized decisions about whether starting intensive chemotherapy is worthwhile in young adults with germ cell tumors, particularly in what may be the patient’s final phase of life. A team led by scientists at the Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology studied blood samples from young adults treated at hospitals in Italy and Slovakia for fragments of circulating tumor DNA. They identified specific changes in the genetic material that came from cancer cells resistant to standard chemotherapy. 

A large, multi-center study recently published online in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (JNCCN) provides new insight into the long-term health effects of contemporary chemotherapy regimens used to treat testicular cancer, highlighting differences in renal function, cardiovascular risk, and the overall burden of chronic health conditions among survivors.

Although cancer is a common cause of death in domestic cats, little is known about the range of cancer genes in cat tumors, and how this range might compare with the oncogenome in people. Now, Bailey Francis and colleagues have sequenced cancer genes in 493 samples from 13 different types of feline cancer and matched healthy control tissue,  gaining a clearer picture of the cat oncogenome and comparing the genes to known cancer-causing mutations in humans. Under the “One Medicine” approach, where cross-species comparisons aid both human and animal medicine, the researchers suggest several future research directions based on their findings. For instance, the cat oncogenome can be used to identify and test potentially actionable mutations for veterinary cancer treatments, but may also offer insights that could improve human cancer medicine. Domestic cats share the same environment and often share non-cancer comorbidities such as diabetes with their human companions, making them an important but underused resource for tumor research. In their comparison of nearly 1,000 human cancer genes with their feline versions, Francis et al. show that there are some similarly prevalent oncogenes in both species, such as TP53. The researchers also identified cancer-driving genes, tumor-predisposing genes, and some evidence for viral sequences in the cat oncogenome.

In a Phase 3 randomized trial, Mass General Brigham researchers found that stereotactic radiation targeting individual tumors led to lower symptom burden, better cognitive outcomes, and better day to day function when compared with whole brain radiation

About The Study: This nationwide study demonstrated that adolescents and young adults with prior cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) faced increased cardiovascular disease risk and mortality compared with matched controls. These findings warrant further research. Meanwhile, they support heightened clinical awareness regarding cardiovascular risk evaluation and prevention in women with prior HSIL.