The immune system plays a fundamental role in the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) of locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) patients. Patients with pathological complete response (pCR) after NAC have a higher survival rate. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) are peripheral blood indicators of inflammatory response. This investigates the correlation between NLR, PLR, LMR, and other clinicopathological features of breast cancer patients before receiving NAC and pCR. Data of LABC patients who underwent NAC between 2009 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Each patient's peripheral complete blood count was recorded before starting NAC. The cut-off values for neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and platelets in the peripheral blood and NLR, PLR, and LMR were determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. The records of 131 patients were analyzed and divided into two groups, pCR (+ve) and pCR (−ve), and their clinicopathological features and laboratory findings were compared. pCR was achieved in 23.6% of patients. The cut-off values of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and platelets at the time of diagnosis and NLR, PLR, and LMR were, respectively, 4150 μL, 2000 μL, 635 μL, 271 × 10³ μL, 1.95, 119, and 3.35. The pCR rate was higher in patients with low neutrophil count, low NLR, and high lymphocyte count (P = .002, <.001, and .040, respectively). As per the findings of multivariate logistic regression analysis, the independent predictive factors of pCR were clinical tumor size T1 and T2, grade 3, ER negativity, and low NLR (P = .015, .001, .020, .022, and .001, respectively). While NLR was found to be an independent predictive factor of pCR in LABC patients receiving NAC, a similar result was not observed for PLR and LMR. NLR can be a useful biomarker for predicting the response of patients receiving NAC.

Aim: To evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of the CoronaVac vaccine in patients with cancer receiving active systemic therapy. Methods: This multicenter, prospective, observational study was co... Tweetable abstract Immunogenicity developed with CoronaVac in 25 (59.5%) of 42 patients who received at least one cytotoxic drug and in all patients (n = 5) who received monoclonal antibody or immu...

Introduction Colonic wall thickening (CWT) is frequently observed incidentally via abdominal computerized tomography (aCT). Although the general approach to evaluating incidental CWT is a colonoscopic examination, there is a lack of definitive recommendation guidelines. Thus, we aimed to determine neoplasia rates and identify the factors predictive of neoplasia via colonoscopic examinations of patients with CWT incidentally diagnosed via aCT. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 5,300 colonoscopy reports. A total of 122 patients who had CWT incidentally observed via aCT were included in the study. CWT was graded as mild (3-5 mm), moderate (6-12 mm), or severe (>= 12 mm). A logistic regression model was used to determine the predictive factors for neoplasia. Results The mean age of the patients was 60 years, and abnormal findings were noted in 52% of the colonoscopies. Neoplastic lesions were detected in 24 patients (19.6%), while colon adenocarcinoma was detected in 8 patients (6.5%). Multivariate analysis showed that moderate-severe, focal, and asymmetric CWT were independent factors for predicting neoplasia (p=0.049, p=0.033, and p=0.018, respectively). Conclusion Pathological findings can be noted via colonoscopic examination in cases of incidental CWT; therefore, patients with moderate-severe, focal, or asymmetric CWT require colonoscopic examination for the purpose of detecting neoplasia.

Introduction: Tamoxifen treatment has been shown to reduce the recurrence and mortality rates in hormone receptor-positive breast cancers independent from chemotherapy. This benefit increases with the prolongation of the use of tamoxifen but with increasing side effects. In this study, we aim to evaluate the presence of urogenital symptoms in breast cancer patients on tamoxifen and compare them with those who are not on any hormonotherapy. Materials and methods: This study was performed on patients diagnosed as early-stage breast cancer. The study group consisted of hormone receptor-positive patients given tamoxifen as adjuvant hormonal therapy. The control group consisted of breast cancer patients who had no hormonotherapy. Patients with a complaint of urinary incontinence with onset after tamoxifen usage were evaluated with Urogenital Distress Inventory Short Form (UDI-6), Incontinence Impact Questionnaire Short Form (IIQ-7) and Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire (I-QOL). Results: A total of 137 early-stage breast cancer patients were included in this study; 74 estrogen receptor-positive patients on tamoxifen therapy (study group) and 63 hormone receptor-negative patients with no hormonotherapy (control group). The median age was 44 (30-65) years for tamoxifen users and 49 (27-64) years for the control group. The stages of the patients were similar for both groups. 78.4% of the women in the tamoxifen group and 49.2% in the control group were in the premenopausal period. The groups were similar in regard to body mass index and parity. The complaint of urinary incontinence was more frequent in the study group compared to controls (39 (52.7%) vs. 5 (7.9%)). Women with the complaint of urinary incontinence were evaluated with self-reported UDI-6, IIQ-7 and I-QOL forms and the scores were similar for both study and control groups. A statistically significant relation was observed between cigarette smoking and the presence of urinary incontinence. The percentages of smokers were 50% of those with incontinence and 24.7% of those without incontinence. Conclusion: Urinary incontinence is positively correlated with tamoxifen usage in early-stage breast cancer patients.

Background: Unplanned hospitalizations in patients with cancer are associated with adverse outcomes, including intensive care unit (ICU) transfer and in-hospital mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive role of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) for these outcomes in patients with unplanned hospitalization in a medical oncology ward. Methods: This retrospective, single-center study included patients aged ≥18 years with malignancy who had unplanned hospitalization between 1 January and 30 April 2025. PNI and AGR were calculated at admission. The primary outcome was ICU transfer or in-hospital mortality. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed, with AGR and PNI evaluated in separate models to avoid collinearity. Predictive performance was assessed using ROC analysis. Results: A total of 418 patients were included, with adverse clinical outcomes in 26.8%. Metastatic disease was present in 73.7%, and gastrointestinal (41.6%) and lung cancers (21.5%) were most common. In univariable analysis, metastatic disease (p < 0.001), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (p < 0.001), cancer type (p = 0.030), reason for hospitalization (p = 0.001), AGR (p < 0.001), and PNI (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with adverse clinical outcomes. In multivariable analyses performed in separate models, ECOG ≥ 2 emerged as the strongest independent predictor of adverse clinical outcomes (AGR model: OR: 9.93; PNI model: OR: 11.14; both p < 0.001). Metastatic disease remained an independent risk factor, while higher AGR and PNI values were independently associated with a reduced risk (all p < 0.05). Among hospitalization reasons, only electrolyte imbalance/transfusion was associated with a lower risk, whereas most cancer type subgroups were not independently significant. Both indices showed moderate predictive performance, with PNI performing slightly better than AGR (AUC: 0.729 vs. 0.707). Conclusions: ECOG performance status, together with PNI and AGR, were identified as practical and accessible predictors of adverse clinical outcomes in patients with unplanned hospitalization in a medical oncology ward.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting the PD-1 axis represent standard second-line therapy for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Emerging data suggest that SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines may enhance antitumor immunity through innate immune activation and type I interferon signaling, potentially sensitizing tumors to PD-1 blockade. The clinical impact of patients initiating second-line nivolumab remains unclear. Methods: In this retrospective single-center cohort study, 88 patients with recurrent stage IV NSCLC who received second-line nivolumab between 1 January 2023 and 1 January 2026 were analyzed. Vaccination exposure was defined using a 6-month pre-treatment window prior to nivolumab initiation (T0). Patients were stratified according to receipt of ≥2 versus 0–1 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine doses within the 6 months preceding T0 (n = 45 and n = 43, respectively). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival from nivolumab initiation (PFS2). Survival outcomes were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and evaluated using Cox regression models. Results: With a median follow-up of 22.4 months, median PFS2 for the overall cohort was 11.1 months (95% CI, 9.4–15.1). Patients receiving ≥2 mRNA doses had significantly longer PFS2 than those receiving 0–1 dose (14.0 vs. 9.6 months; p = 0.04). In multivariable analysis, ≥2 doses were independently associated with reduced risk of progression or death (aHR 0.52, 95% CI 0.31–0.88; p = 0.01). Non-adenocarcinoma histology and baseline brain metastasis were independently associated with shorter PFS2. Conclusions: Receipt of ≥2 mRNA vaccine doses within 6 months before nivolumab initiation was independently associated with prolonged PFS2 in metastatic NSCLC. Prospective multicenter validation is warranted.