Seminars in oncology
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Seminars in oncology · Oct 2020
ReviewGoing viral: A brief history of Chilblain-like skin lesions ("COVID toes") amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of the COVID-19 global pandemic, is notable for an expanding list of atypical manifestations including but not limited to coagulopathies, renal dysfunction, cardiac injury and a multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 has been purportedly linked to multiple cutaneous manifestations, among them chilblain-like skin lesions, also known as "COVID toes." Driven in large part by social media, dermatologists around the world reported a dramatic increase in the frequency of chilblain-like diagnoses early in the COVID-19 pandemic, often in members of the same family. This phenomenon has been captured in a rapidly expanding medical literature. ⋯ Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection is not consistently found when these patients are evaluated by polymerase chain reaction. A robust antiviral immune response in young patients that induces microangiopathic changes has been posited as a mechanism. Herein we review the rapid evolution of the literature regarding chilblain-like skin lesions early in the COVID-19 global pandemic.
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Seminars in oncology · Oct 2020
Multicenter StudyData of Italian Cancer Centers from two regions with high incidence of SARS CoV-2 infection provide evidence for the successful management of patients with locally advanced and metastatic melanoma treated with immunotherapy in the era of COVID-19.
Patients with cancer are presumed to have a higher risk to contract SARS-CoV-2 infection, because of their immunosuppressed status. The impact and course of COVID-19 infection in cancer patients receiving immunotherapy remains unknown. ⋯ The incidence of symptomatic COVID-19 infection observed in our cohort of patients with advanced malignant melanoma treated with immunotherapy appears meaningfully lower as compared with that reported in the overall population in Italy as well as in patients affected by solid tumors. We conclude that in patients with locally advanced and metastatic melanoma, immunotherapy can be safely continued without delay in the majority of cases, reserving precautionary delay only for the most frail patients.
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Seminars in oncology · Aug 2019
The Veterans Precision Oncology Data Commons: Transforming VA data into a national resource for research in precision oncology.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a strong track record providing high-quality, evidence-based care to cancer patients. In order to accelerate discoveries that will further improve care for Veterans with cancer, the VA has partnered with the Center for Translational Data Science at the University of Chicago and the Open Commons Consortium to establish a data sharing platform, the Veterans Precision Oncology Data Commons (VPODC). ⋯ In this paper, we detail our motivation for data sharing, describe the VPODC, and outline our collaboration model. By transforming VA data into a national resource for research in precision oncology, the VPODC seeks to foster innovation through collaboration and resource sharing that will ultimately lead to improved care for Veterans with cancer.
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The progressive integration of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging in radiation therapy has its rationale in the biological intertumoral and intratumoral heterogeneity of malignant lesions that require the individual adjustment of radiation dose to obtain an effective local tumor control in cancer patients. PET/CT provides information on the biological features of tumor lesions such as metabolism, hypoxia, and proliferation that can identify radioresistant regions and be exploited to optimize treatment plans. ⋯ PET-based dose painting and adaptive radiotherapy are feasible strategies although their clinical implementation is highly demanding and requires strong technical, computational, and logistic efforts. Further prospective clinical trials evaluating local tumor control, survival, and toxicity of these emerging strategies will promote the full integration of PET/CT in radiation oncology.