Although targeted therapies have prolonged survival in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–positive metastatic breast cancer, the resulting chronic disease trajectory is frequently accompanied by substantial psychological burden. This study aimed to conduct a preliminary investigation into the feasibility and psychological outcomes of a low-intensity, group-based cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention (CBT-OP-4) among women receiving palliative care. A prospective feasibility study without a control group was undertaken involving 13 female participants (mean age = 63 years, SD = 8.05), all diagnosed with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. The four-session CBT-based group intervention targeted key psychological domains. Self-reported measures of distress, depression, anxiety, perceived stigma, self-compassion, and locus of control were administered pre- and post-intervention. Feasibility and acceptability were further examined via semi-structured qualitative interviews and standardized patient satisfaction instruments. Following the intervention, pre–post improvements were observed in psychological distress, depressive symptoms, and perceived stigma. In parallel, participants demonstrated an increase in self-compassion. Overall, the program was rated as highly acceptable, with participants emphasizing the relevance and applicability of the intervention content within their illness context. Findings from this preliminary study suggest that the CBT-OP-4 program is a feasible and acceptable psycho-oncological intervention for women with advanced-stage HER2-positive breast cancer receiving palliative care. The results offer initial empirical support for the incorporation of structured, evidence-based psychological interventions into the routine psychosocial management of this patient population.
Chemotherapy remains indispensable in the treatment of malignant tumors but is often limited by the prevailing “one size fits all” approach, which neglects inter-patient variablity in pharmacokinetics and treatment response, often resulting in suboptimal outcomes. In this study, we explored individualized chemotherapy protocols in a clinically relevant mouse model of breast cancer using a novel algorithm-assisted therapy design (AATD). Two strategies were applied: a two-stage computational therapy protocol designed to stabilize blood concentrations of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD); and a model-predictive approach that optimizes dosing based on individual tumor characteristics. Compared to the standard maximum tolerated dose protocol, AATD-based personalized chemotherapy, guided by real-time monitoring of treatment response, tumor growth, and drug concentrations, significantly improved overall survival. Our findings in a mouse model of triple-negative breast cancer provide compelling evidence that chemotherapy can be personalized and optimized through algorithm-assisted therapy design.
Terminology used to describe cancer-related supportive services plays a critical role in shaping how both clinicians and patients perceive, access, and accept these interventions. In many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in French-speaking contexts, terminological ambiguities may reinforce stigma and delay timely referral. We conducted a nationwide, cross-sectional survey of 165 oncology professionals across Morocco to assess their preferences for three commonly used terms “soins de support” (supportive care), “soins de soutien” (support care), and “soins palliatifs” (palliative care). Participants rated the perceived emotional impact and referral likelihood associated with each term across four stages of the cancer trajectory. Quantitative analyses (multinomial regression, Wilcoxon tests) were complemented by thematic coding of free-text responses. “Supportive care” was the preferred term for 68
Mitosis detection represents a critical task in digital pathology, as it plays an important role in the tumor grading and prognosis of patients. Manual determination is a labor-intensive task for practitioners with high interobserver variability, thus, automation is a priority. There has been substantial progress towards creating robust mitosis detection algorithms, primarily driven by the Mitosis Domain Generalization (MIDOG) challenges. Also, there has been growing interest in the molecular characterization of mitosis to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of its underlying mechanisms in a subphase-specific manner. We introduce a new mitotic figure dataset annotated with subphase information based on the MIDOG++ dataset as well as a previously unrepresented tumor domain to enhance the diversity and applicability. We envision a new perspective for domain generalization by improving model performance with subtyping mitosis, complemented with an atypical mitotic class. Our work has implications in two main areas: subtyping information can provide helpful information in mitosis detection, while also providing promising new directions in answering biological questions, such as molecular analysis of subphases.
PURPOSE:The purpose of this study was to estimate the risks of radiation-induced rectal and bladder cancers in the case of standard fractionated and hypofractionated radiotherapy for prostate carcinoma using volumetric modulated arc therapy and intensity modulated radiotherapy. METHODS:Three plans were generated for twenty-five patients, employing both conventional two-step sequential and simultaneous integrated boost approaches, with prescribed doses of 78 Gy in 39 fractions for CONV-VMAT and 70 Gy in 28 fractions for SIB techniques. The risks of secondary malignancies were estimated based on the organ equivalent doses (OED) and excess absolute risk (EAR) for the bladder and rectum using two radiobiological models: linear-plateau (Plat), and mechanistic (Mech) models. RESULTS:Statistically higher OEDs were observed between CONV-VMAT and both SIB-IMRT and SIB-VMAT using Plat (p = 0.012 and p = 0.000) and Mech models (p = 0.000 and p = 0.000) in the case of the rectum. In case of the bladder significantly higher OED values were found when compared CONV-VMAT with SIB-IMRT and SIB-VMAT using Plat model (p = 0.035 and p = 0.008), but no significant difference when analyzed using Mech model (p = 0.470). CONCLUSION:These findings highlight the potential benefits of these radiotherapy techniques, suggesting that SIB-VMAT and SIB-IMRT may enhance organ sparing while mitigating long-term oncogenic risks. The study underscores the importance of refining treatment strategies to optimize prostate cancer outcomes while minimizing collateral risks.
