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Current Oncology, Volume 32, Issue 7

2025 July - 44 articles

Cover Story: Patients with advanced cancer benefit from palliative care (PC) alongside curative therapy to improve their quality of life. In Ontario, Canada, cancer patients regularly complete the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System—Revised (ESAS-r) at cancer clinic visits, to quantify the severity of nine symptoms. Previous studies show that individual symptom scores can predict acute care use, and a 2023 study found that ESAS-r symptom complexity, a novel algorithm that labels patients as "low", "medium", or "high" complexity based on the number and severity of symptoms, can predict acute care use among cancer patients. Subsequently, we investigated whether this predictive association holds specifically among adult advanced cancer patients already followed by a cancer outpatient PC service. View this paper
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Articles (44)

  • Review
  • Open Access
1 Citations
2,895 Views
26 Pages

Conventional chemotherapy continues to form the backbone of treatment for many pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Advances have been made especially in the molecular underpinning of certain pediatric CNS tumors, allowing for advancement a...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,302 Views
14 Pages

Gleason score (GS) is one of the best predictors of prostate cancer (PCa) aggressiveness; however, its biological features need to be elucidated. This study aimed to explore the biological characteristics of localized/locally advanced PCa stratified...

  • Review
  • Open Access
4,436 Views
17 Pages

Desmoid tumors are rare, deep-seated myofibroblastic tumors with an unpredictable course, ranging from spontaneous regression to infiltrative growth and locally aggressive behavior, but without metastatic potential. Over the past few decades, advance...

  • Review
  • Open Access
1 Citations
2,445 Views
13 Pages

Cervical Cancer Screening Cascade: A Framework for Monitoring Uptake and Retention Along the Screening and Treatment Pathway

  • Sara Izadi-Najafabadi,
  • Laurie W. Smith,
  • Anna Gottschlich,
  • Amy Booth,
  • Stuart Peacock and
  • Gina S. Ogilvie

Background: Cervical cancer is a major global health concern, causing approximately 350,000 deaths annually. It is also preventable through effective prevention and early detection. To facilitate elimination, the World Health Organization (WHO) set t...

  • Article
  • Open Access
2,287 Views
10 Pages

Pemigatinib in the Real-World Management of Cholangiocarcinoma Through a Canadian Patient Support Program

  • Philip Q. Ding,
  • Vincent C. Tam,
  • Ravi Ramjeesingh,
  • Jamil Asselah,
  • Brandon S. Sheffield,
  • Taylor Mitchell,
  • Anne-Julie Gaudreau,
  • Jennifer J. Knox and
  • Winson Y. Cheung

Background: In September 2021, pemigatinib received Health Canada approval for previously treated locally advanced/metastatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) with FGFR2 rearrangements/fusions. This retrospective study aimed to characterize the real-world ma...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
2,132 Views
20 Pages

Collecting Data on the Social Determinants of Health to Advance Health Equity in Cancer Care in Canada: Patient and Community Perspectives

  • Jacqueline L. Bender,
  • Eryn Tong,
  • Ekaterina An,
  • Zhihui Amy Liu,
  • Gilla K. Shapiro,
  • Jonathan Avery,
  • Alanna Chu,
  • Christian Schulz-Quach,
  • Sarah Hales and
  • Aisha Lofters
  • + 3 authors

Despite advances in cancer care, disparities persist. The collection of the social determinants of health (SDOH) is fundamental to addressing disparities. However, SDOH are inconsistently collected in many regions of the world. This two-phase multipl...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,258 Views
19 Pages

Differential BACH1 Expression in Basal-like Breast Tumors of Black Women Identified via Immunohistochemistry

  • N. M. Dowling,
  • Galina Khramtsova,
  • Olufunmilayo Olopade,
  • Shabnam Samankan,
  • Bok-Soon Lee and
  • Jiyoung Lee

BACH1 has been identified as a functional regulator of cancer metastasis and metabolic signaling in breast cancer cells. However, the clinical relevance of BACH1 expression in breast tumors remains poorly understood. Using a tissue microarray from a...

  • Article
  • Open Access
2,430 Views
15 Pages

MET Exon 14 Skipping Mutations in Lung Cancer: Clinical–Pathological Characteristics and Immune Microenvironment

  • Qianqian Xue,
  • Yue Wang,
  • Qiang Zheng,
  • Ziling Huang,
  • Yicong Lin,
  • Yan Jin and
  • Yuan Li

MET exon 14 skipping mutations have emerged as significant driver alterations in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), contributing to tumor progression. This study examines the immune microenvironment in NSCLC patients with these mutations and its pro...

  • Perspective
  • Open Access
2,658 Views
26 Pages

Optimizing Adjuvant Care in Early Breast Cancer: Multidisciplinary Strategies and Innovative Models from Canadian Centers

  • Angela Chan,
  • Nancy Nixon,
  • Muna Al-Khaifi,
  • Alain Bestavros,
  • Christine Blyth,
  • Winson Y. Cheung,
  • Caroline Hamm,
  • Thomas Joly-Mischlich,
  • Mita Manna and
  • Scott Edwards
  • + 5 authors

The adjuvant treatment landscape for hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2–) early breast cancer (EBC) is rapidly evolving, with a diverse range of therapeutic options—including endocrine...

  • Article
  • Open Access
2,778 Views
11 Pages

The recent literature has reported an increased association between the use of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (dMPA) and cerebral meningioma (CM). Prior studies have been limited in generalizability and did not use an active comparator as a contro...

  • Article
  • Open Access
3,156 Views
13 Pages

Gratitude journaling is a simple and effective way to improve emotional well-being. However, its impact on people with breast cancer in South Korea has not been clearly understood. This study explored how writing a gratitude journal can help patients...

  • Article
  • Open Access
2,151 Views
10 Pages

Background: Understanding patient perceptions of cancer care is crucial for improving treatment experiences and health outcomes. This study explores female patient-reported experiences with cancer care. Our aim was to identify areas for improvement a...

  • Conference Report
  • Open Access
1,153 Views
18 Pages

Report from the 26th Annual Western Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference on Hepatocellular and Biliary Tract Cancer, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 17–18 October 2024

  • Deepti Ravi,
  • Shahid Ahmed,
  • Blaire Anderson,
  • Brady Anderson,
  • Bryan Brunet,
  • Haji Chalchal,
  • Arun Elangovan,
  • Georgia Geller,
  • Vallerie Gordon and
  • Adnan Zaidi
  • + 13 authors

The 26th annual Western Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference (WCGCCC) was held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, on 17–18 October 2024. The WCGCCC is an interactive multidisciplinary conference that was attended by healthcare profess...

  • Review
  • Open Access
1 Citations
3,165 Views
17 Pages

Perioperative Chemo/Immunotherapies in Lung Cancer: A Critical Review on the Value of Perioperative Sequences

  • Thoma’ Dario Clementi,
  • Francesca Colonese,
  • Stefania Canova,
  • Maria Ida Abbate,
  • Luca Sala,
  • Francesco Petrella,
  • Gabriele Giuseppe Pagliari and
  • Diego Luigi Cortinovis

Resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) continues to pose significant challenges with high recurrence and mortality rates, despite traditional platinum-based chemotherapy yielding only an approximate 5% improvement in 5-year overall survival wh...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
2,711 Views
18 Pages

Pre-Implementation Assessment of a Sexual Health eClinic in Canadian Oncology Care

  • Taylor Incze,
  • Dalia Peres,
  • Steven Guirguis,
  • Sarah E. Neil-Sztramko,
  • Jackie Bender,
  • Dean Elterman,
  • Shabbir M. H. Alibhai,
  • Antonio Finelli,
  • Phil Vu Bach and
  • Andrew Matthew
  • + 12 authors

Sexual dysfunction is a prevalent and often under-addressed concern among prostate cancer survivors, significantly affecting quality of life for patients and their partners. The True North Sexual Health and Rehabilitation eClinic (SHAReClinic) is a v...

  • Conference Report
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,616 Views
15 Pages

Prioritizing the Timely Detection and Diagnosis of Early-Age Onset Cancer to Enable Optimal Disease Management and Outcomes

  • Michael J. Raphael,
  • Petra Wildgoose,
  • Darren Brenner,
  • Christine Brezden-Masley,
  • Ronald Burkes,
  • Robert C. Grant,
  • Alexandra Pettit,
  • Cassandra Macaulay,
  • Monika Slovinec D’Angelo and
  • Filomena Servidio-Italiano

In November 2024, the fourth annual Symposium focusing on early-age onset cancer (EAOC) was hosted by the Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network (CCRAN), assembling clinicians, researchers, and patients virtually to discuss challenges in ear...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,240 Views
13 Pages

Survival Outcomes in Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

  • Alper Coskun,
  • Ahmet Bilgehan Sahin,
  • Selva Kabul,
  • Muhammed Abdurrahman Celik,
  • Mursel Sali,
  • Ender Eren Ozcelik,
  • Adem Deligonul,
  • Erdem Cubukcu,
  • Meral Kurt and
  • Ismet Yavascaoğlu
  • + 2 authors

Background and Objective: Bladder cancer (BC) is the ninth most common malignancy worldwide. Squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC), a rare histological variant, accounts for approximately 2–5% of all BC cases. Compared to urothelial carcinoma, the pre...

  • Article
  • Open Access
2 Citations
2,122 Views
12 Pages

This retrospective study aimed to assess the effectiveness of prophylactic hepatoprotective therapy in decreasing the incidence of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) among patients with cervical cancer undergoing chemotherapy. The analysis was performe...

  • Perspective
  • Open Access
2 Citations
2,481 Views
9 Pages

Cancer Immunotherapy: The Role of Nursing in Patient Education, Assessment, Monitoring, and Support

  • Parmis Mirzadeh,
  • Edith Pituskin,
  • Ivan Au,
  • Sheri Sneath and
  • Catriona J. Buick

The prevalence of cancer is rising both in Canada and across the world, with approximately 35 million new cases predicted by 2050. Cancer immunotherapy is a form of treatment that harnesses the body’s immune system to fight cancer cells, increa...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,849 Views
16 Pages

Treatment-Induced Gene Expression Changes in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: Insights from a Syngeneic Mouse Model

  • Ko Okabe,
  • Toshiaki Tanaka,
  • Tetsuya Shindo,
  • Yuki Kyoda,
  • Sachiyo Nishida,
  • Kohei Hashimoto,
  • Ko Kobayashi and
  • Naoya Masumori

This study aimed to clarify the alterations in gene expression in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) during disease progression and in response to treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors using a syngeneic mouse mRCC model. RENCA cells were or...

  • Article
  • Open Access
2,707 Views
10 Pages

Background: A single measurement or a summary of a limited number of measurements of CA125 was considered in the prediction of clinical outcomes for patients with ovarian cancer. We aimed to identify the classes of patients with advanced ovarian canc...

  • Case Report
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,081 Views
14 Pages

HIV Integration into the PTEN Gene and Its Tumor Microenvironment Implications for Lung Cancer

  • Davey M. Smith,
  • Elizabeth F. Rowland,
  • Sara Gianella,
  • Sandip Pravin Patel,
  • Stephanie Solso,
  • Cheryl Dullano,
  • Robert Deiss,
  • Daria Wells,
  • Caroline Ignacio and
  • Antoine Chaillon
  • + 3 authors

Health outcomes for people with HIV (PWH) have improved significantly with combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), yet the risk of lung cancer remains elevated. While a single case cannot establish causality, we describe here an investigation of a...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,364 Views
14 Pages

Among adult advanced cancer patients already accessing palliative care, symptoms can contribute to unplanned acute care utilizations, which can disrupt care and worsen patient outcomes. We examined how a novel symptom complexity algorithm, using pati...

  • Review
  • Open Access
2,093 Views
15 Pages

Predictive Factors of Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy (NACT) and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Patients (TNBC)

  • Khashayar Yazdanpanah Ardakani,
  • Francesca Fulvia Pepe,
  • Serena Capici,
  • Thoma Dario Clementi and
  • Marina Elena Cazzaniga

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogenous group of breast tumors. This type of breast tumor is relatively difficult to manage, due to the lack of expression of Hormone Receptors (HR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2). Eff...

  • Article
  • Open Access
2,184 Views
13 Pages

Patients with a Short Distance Between the Prostate and the Rectum Are Appropriate Candidates for Hydrogel Spacer Placement to Prevent Short-Term Rectal Hemorrhage After External-Beam Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer

  • Shunsuke Owa,
  • Takeshi Sasaki,
  • Akito Taniguchi,
  • Kazuki Omori,
  • Taketomo Nishikawa,
  • Momoko Kato,
  • Shinichiro Higashi,
  • Yusuke Sugino,
  • Yutaka Toyomasu and
  • Takahiro Inoue
  • + 3 authors

Radiation therapy, including external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and brachytherapy, is curative for localized prostate cancer. Hydrogel spacer (HS) placement between the rectum and prostate is popular for reducing radiation-related complications....

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,868 Views
20 Pages

This retrospective cohort study evaluated characteristics, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes in adults with locally advanced/metastatic urothelial carcinoma (la/mUC) receiving first-line (1L) systemic treatment with or without avelumab 1L mai...

  • Case Report
  • Open Access
1,031 Views
13 Pages

Atypical Cystic Primary Hepatic GIST: A Case Report of Rare Presentation and Long-Term Survival

  • Mirela Claudia Rimbu,
  • Florin Dan Ungureanu,
  • Cosmin Moldovan,
  • Madalina Elena Toba,
  • Marinela Chirila,
  • Elena Truta and
  • Daniel Cord

Primary hepatic gastrointestinal stromal tumours (PHGISTs) are rare and frequently misdiagnosed due to their atypical presentation and uncertain origin. The purpose of this article is to present the case of a 79-year-old female patient with a giganti...

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
1,441 Views
15 Pages

Radiation Quality-Dependent Progressive Increase in Oxidative DNA Damage and Intestinal Tumorigenesis in Apc1638N/+ Mice

  • Kamendra Kumar,
  • Santosh Kumar,
  • Jerry Angdisen,
  • Kamal Datta,
  • Albert J. Fornace and
  • Shubhankar Suman

Exposure to high-linear energy transfer (LET) heavy ions, such as 28Si, poses a significant cancer risk for astronauts. While previous studies have linked high-LET radiation exposure to persistent oxidative stress and dysregulated stress responses in...

  • Review
  • Open Access
2,103 Views
12 Pages

Despite significant advancements in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains the only curative option for patients with primary refractory AML, those with relapsed disease and for patients...

  • Systematic Review
  • Open Access
3 Citations
4,432 Views
31 Pages

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies for Psychosocial Symptoms in Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

  • Haley D. M. Schuman,
  • Chantal Savard,
  • Raèf Mina,
  • Sofia Barkova,
  • Hanna S. W. Conradi,
  • Julie M. Deleemans and
  • Linda E. Carlson

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates (1) the effectiveness of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) using psilocybin and ketamine for psychosocial symptoms in adults with cancer, (2) contextualizes findings with non-randomized and explorat...

  • Systematic Review
  • Open Access
2 Citations
2,198 Views
33 Pages

Impact of Oncological Treatment on Quality of Life in Patients with Head and Neck Malignancies: A Systematic Literature Review (2020–2025)

  • Raluca Grigore,
  • Paula Luiza Bejenaru,
  • Gloria Simona Berteșteanu,
  • Ruxandra Ioana Nedelcu-Stancalie,
  • Teodora Elena Schipor-Diaconu,
  • Simona Andreea Rujan,
  • Bianca Petra Taher,
  • Șerban Vifor Gabriel Berteșteanu,
  • Bogdan Popescu and
  • Catrinel Beatrice Simion-Antonie
  • + 3 authors

Background: Quality of life (QoL) is a critical indicator in assessing the success of oncological treatments for head and neck malignancies, reflecting their impact on physiological functions and psychosocial well-being beyond mere survival. Treatmen...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,043 Views
13 Pages

PDL1 Gene Gain Predicts an Unfavorable Prognosis in HIV-Positive Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma

  • Jiamin Chen,
  • Xiaoman Kang,
  • Xinghuan Ding,
  • Yuyang Dai,
  • Lei Sun,
  • Man Li,
  • Ting Liu,
  • Enshan Feng and
  • Xingang Zhou

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) refers to non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) originating in the brain, eyes, spinal cord, and cerebrospinal fluid without the presence of lymphoma outside of the central nervous system [...]

  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
3,544 Views
11 Pages

(1) Background: Lymphedema is a common but underrecognized sequela of cancer treatment. Supermicrosurgical procedures such as lymphaticovenular anastomosis (LVA) and, more recently, lymph node-to-vein anastomosis (LNVA) have emerged as effective opti...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,605 Views
10 Pages

Surgical and Oncological Outcomes of Minimally Invasive Left Pancreatectomy for Pancreatic Cancer: Robotic vs. Laparoscopic Approach

  • Matteo De Pastena,
  • Gabriella Lionetto,
  • Salvatore Paiella,
  • Martina Maruccio,
  • Federico Faustini,
  • Elisa Venturini,
  • Antonio Pea,
  • Fabio Casciani,
  • Giuseppe Malleo and
  • Alessandro Esposito

Objective: This study compares the surgical and oncological outcomes of minimally invasive robotic (RLP) and laparoscopic (LLP) left pancreatectomy in pancreatic cancer (PC) patients. Methods: Data from patients who underwent minimally invasive left...

  • Review
  • Open Access
1 Citations
4,238 Views
21 Pages

The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) products containing less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the United States. This legislative shift catalyzed both public and scientific interest in CBD’s potential health benef...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,026 Views
8 Pages

Preoperative Chemoradiation (Modified Eilber Protocol) Versus Preoperative/Postoperative Radiotherapy for Soft Tissue Sarcomas: A Population-Based Analysis

  • Greg M. Padmore,
  • Elizabeth C. Kurien,
  • Michael J. Monument,
  • Lloyd Mack,
  • Antoine Bouchard-Fortier and
  • on behalf of the ISARP Group

Background: Local recurrence for high-risk extremities/trunk soft tissue sarcoma (STS) after treatment can range from 15 to 30%. The modified Eilber protocol (MEP) using low-dose intravenous chemotherapy with a reduced dosage of radiation in the preo...

  • Review
  • Open Access
1 Citations
2,410 Views
12 Pages

Immunotherapy has a defined role in the treatment of both early- and late-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and is under active exploration in human epidermal receptor 2-positive as well as high-risk hormone-receptor-positive subtypes. It is...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,036 Views
13 Pages

Background: The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), a composite metric of serum albumin and body weight, has emerged as a prognostic tool in various cancers. However, its relevance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients treated with volumetr...

  • Article
  • Open Access
2,998 Views
17 Pages

The Impact of Adjuvant Chemotherapy on Clinical Outcomes in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A CHORD Consortium Analysis

  • Kaveh Farrokhi,
  • Horia Marginean,
  • Anas Al Ghamdi,
  • Essa Al Mansor,
  • Shaan Dudani,
  • Rachel A. Goodwin,
  • Timothy R. Asmis,
  • Erin Powell,
  • Patricia A. Tang and
  • Michael M. Vickers
  • + 1 author

Background: The impact of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) on outcomes in real-world patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) remains uncertain. Methods: Consecutive patients with LARC (stage II/III) undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiation before...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1,385 Views
18 Pages

Purpose: Cancer treatments can result in subfertility or infertility in female adult childhood cancer survivors (ACCSs). While ACCSs may utilize assisted reproductive technology (ART) or other family-building options, the limited evidence describing...

  • Case Report
  • Open Access
1,822 Views
8 Pages

Unveiling ctDNA Response: Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy in a Patient with POLE Mutation-Associated Early-Onset Colon Cancer

  • Ramya Ramachandran,
  • Marisa Cannon,
  • Supriya Peshin,
  • Madappa Kundranda and
  • Aaron J. Scott

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States. The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) has been increasing over the past several deca...

  • Article
  • Open Access
1 Citations
1,772 Views
19 Pages

Purpose: Current yoga programs for cancer survivors do not meet participants’ needs and are rarely implemented in community-based settings, despite reported benefits. The aim of the current study was to implement a co-created 12-week bi-modal H...

  • Review
  • Open Access
4 Citations
2,772 Views
22 Pages

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a major contributor to cancer-related deaths worldwide, with therapeutic resistance presenting a critical clinical hurdle. The DNA damage response (DDR) constitutes a sophisticated cellular framework that de...

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Curr. Oncol. - ISSN 1718-7729