Complete surgical resection of retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPS) remains the cornerstone of potentially curative treatment. However, recurrence is common and timing of relapse is thought to reflect tumour biology. We aimed to determine the impact of early recurrence on prognosis in patients undergoing resection of RPS, and to identify preoperative predictors of early recurrence. In this international, retrospective cohort study, consecutive patients (aged 19–90 years) with primary, non-metastatic RPS treated between March 2012 and October 2019 at two high-volume referral centres in Milan, Italy and Toronto, Canada were identified from prospectively maintained databases. Patients with Ewing sarcoma, alveolar/embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, desmoid tumour, gynaecologic sarcoma, or GIST were not eligible for inclusion. The primary outcome of interest was overall survival (OS) from diagnosis. Patients were grouped by disease-free interval (DFI) following resection: 0–6, 7–12, 13–18, 19–24, and >24 months. Patients who did not undergo resection served as a reference group. Multivariable analyses evaluated predictors of OS. Existing prognostic tools, such as the Sarculator nomogram and the Inflammatory Biomarkers Prognostic Index (IBPI), were tested as potential preoperative predictors of early recurrence (DFI 0–6 months). 651 patients (median age 62.7 years) were included; of whom 566 (87%) underwent resection and 85 (13%) did not. Median follow-up from time of diagnosis was 75.9 months (IQR 58.6–99.5). Of the 566 patients who were resected, 259 (46%) developed recurrence, including 49 (19%) within 6 months. Patients with DFI 0–6 months had similar OS to that of unresected patients (2-year OS: 51.6% vs 42.7%, p = 0.32), while later recurrence was associated with improved OS (p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, DFI was independently associated with OS, but patients with early recurrence had a hazard ratio for death of 0.96 compared with unresected patients. No preoperative clinical variable, nor Sarculator or IBPI, reliably predicted early recurrence. These descriptive findings show that nearly one in five patients who recur after resection of primary RPS do so within 6 months, with OS comparable to those not undergoing surgery. Whilst acknowledging the limitations of this retrospective design and that resection is a time-dependent and clinically selected decision, these findings raise questions about the clinical benefit of resection in this subgroup of patients. Improved tools are needed to guide preoperative patient selection and optimise treatment strategies. Further research is warranted. This work was partially funded by 10.13039/501100003196 Italian Ministry of Health - "Ricerca Corrente" funds.

BACKGROUND Cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Given its substantial burden, quality of life has become a key outcome in cancer care and research. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are commonly used to assess quality of life. Although qualitative research is essential for establishing PROM content validity, patient narratives are less often collected and analysed systematically once PROMs are implemented. Adding open-ended responses to quantitative PROM data may provide policy-relevant insights into what patients themselves prioritise. OBJECTIVE This study has aimed to identify the factors that people living with or beyond cancer across Europe perceive as having the greatest impact on their quality of life. METHODS Following a pan-European validation study of the newly developed EUonQoL-Kit – a set of questionnaires designed to assess the quality of life of people living with or beyond cancer in Europe – the responses to the final open-ended question “Having completed the questionnaire, what do you feel most impacts your quality of life?” were collected. Responses underwent qualitative thematic analysis using a coding framework iteratively developed and interpreted by researchers and people with lived experience of cancer involved as ‘co-researchers’. RESULTS Of the 4,284 cancer patients and survivors participating in the EUonQoL-Kit validation study, 3,350 (78.2%) provided a response to the final open-ended question. Factors perceived as having the greatest impact on quality of life were categorised into 23 distinct themes, covering six overarching domains: Physical health, Psychological wellbeing, Social health, Overall health, Healthcare experience and Environment. The most frequently reported factors included physical symptoms, overall health, relationships and connectivity, emotions and feelings, and impact of care pathway. CONCLUSIONS This study provides a comprehensive overview of the factors that impact quality of life most in people living with or beyond cancer across Europe. Combining structured PROMs with open-ended patient input may support more patient-centred quality of life measurement and interpretation and help align care and policy priorities with what matters most to patients.

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the educational value of YouTube videos presenting information on pediatric orthodontic treatments, specifically clear aligners, fixed braces, and lingual braces. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 150 of the most-viewed English-language YouTube videos (50 per treatment type). Videos were assessed for accuracy, depth of explanation, source type (expert, commercial, or general user), and viewer engagement metrics. Statistical comparisons were made using the Kruskal–Wallis test and Dunn’s post hoc tests with Bonferroni correction. Results: Fixed brace videos demonstrated more accuracy (average score 4.2/5), than both clear aligners (p = 0.03) and lingual braces (p < 0.001), with 60% originating from expert sources. Clear aligner and lingual brace videos had lower accuracy scores (3.8 and 3.5, respectively), reflecting higher proportions of commercial influence (50% and 55%). The findings highlighted the predominance of promotional content in clear aligner and lingual brace videos, raising concerns about potential misinformation. Conclusions: YouTube provides accessible but variable-quality information on pediatric orthodontics. Fixed brace videos offer more reliable educational content, while clear aligner and lingual brace videos are more susceptible to commercial bias. Efforts to promote expert-driven content and implement content verification systems are needed to improve the quality of online orthodontic information for parents and caregivers.