This is a protocol for a Cochrane review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the benefits and harms of a multimodal prehabilitation programme versus no prehabilitation with respect to functional capacity, postoperative outcomes, and health-related quality of life for people with colorectal cancer undergoing elective resection.

Anthracycline-free regimens have attracted growing interest because of less cardiac toxicity, especially in HER2-positive breast cancer when used in combination with trastuzumab and pertuzumab. This prospective, single-center trial (NEOPATH) aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of nab-paclitaxel combined with carboplatin in the neoadjuvant therapy of non-luminal breast cancer. The study was conducted in Ruijin Hospital between April 2019 and October 2021. Patients who had stage II-III TNBC or HER2-positive breast cancer were enrolled. Participants were treated with neoadjuvant nab-paclitaxel (100 mg/m2) and carboplatin (area under the curve 2) on days 1, 8, and 15, for four 4-week cycles. Concurrent trastuzumab at 2 mg/kg (loading dose 4 mg/kg) and pertuzumab 420 mg (loading dose 840 mg) were given in patients with HER2-positive tumors. The primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR) rate. Secondary endpoints included pCR rate in predefined subgroups, objective response rate (ORR), event-free survival (EFS), and safety profile. A total of 106 patients were enrolled in the study and 99 of them proceeded to surgery. The pCR (ypT0/is N0) rate was 41.41% in total, 33.78% in TNBC and 64.00% in HER2-positive breast cancer. Three-year EFS were 87.24% and 91.43% in TNBC and HER2-positive groups. ORR was 72.49% in total, 67.12% in TNBC and 88.00% in HER2-positive breast cancer. The most frequent grade 3 or higher adverse events were neutropenia (57%), vomiting (11%), and thrombocytopenia (8%). In conclusion, this anthracycline-free neoadjuvant regimen of nab-paclitaxel combined with carboplatin in non-luminal breast cancer demonstrated promising efficacy and was well-tolerated. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT03907800.

The coexistence of atherosclerosis and cancer is increasingly common, yet the influence of tumors on atherogenesis remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the impact of colorectal cancer (CRC) on atherosclerosis and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. We analyzed clinical data from patients with concurrent atherosclerosis and CRC and established three murine models of atherosclerosis comorbidity: ApoE-/- and Ldlr-/- mice bearing subcutaneous MC38 tumors, and APCmin/+ApoE-/- mice with spontaneous intestinal adenomas. We found that both patients and mice with concurrent tumors exhibited reduced plaque burden and enhanced plaque stability. Integrative multi-omics analysis comprising single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, metabolomics, and bulk RNA sequencing revealed that tumors systemically deplete arginine, leading to adaptive metabolic reprogramming of intraplaque T cells toward an oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)-dominant state. This metabolic shift was associated with reduced cytotoxic T-cell infiltration, suppressed pro-inflammatory effector programs, and weakened T cell-macrophage interactions, collectively establishing a low-inflammatory plaque microenvironment. Importantly, dietary arginine supplementation restored T-cell activation and reversed the CRC-mediated atheroprotective effects. These findings reveal a critical role of T-cell immunometabolic reprogramming in cancer-atherosclerosis comorbidity, demonstrate the pronounced context-dependent effects of arginine in advanced atherosclerosis, and highlight plaque-targeted immunometabolic interventions as a promising strategy to modulate plaque progression and stability.

Ectopic ossification is defined as bone formation at a site where no bone tissue typically exists and usually presents a trabecular bone structure. Rare cases of ectopic ossification in cardiac masses have been previously reported. In general, cardiac masses are diagnosed by echocardiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI, in particular, has been used in studies to evaluate cardiometabolic function and tumors in various non-human primates (NHPs). Here, we report a 15-year-old male cynomolgus monkey with significant weight loss and arrhythmia observed during a routine checkup. This is the first report of a cynomolgus monkey in which a cardiac mass with bone metaplasia in the right ventricle was confirmed by echocardiography, radiography and MRI before death.

Gorlin-Goltz syndrome (GGS) is a rare hereditary autosomal dominant condition. Cardiac fibromas are one of the clinical manifestations of this disease. The presence of these benign heart tumors may lead to life-threatening complications. We present the case of a 5-year-old girl with GGS and a large cardiac fibroma who had ventricular fibrillation during respiratory tract infection. Several options of treatment were considered in the secondary prevention of cardiac arrest. A partial resection of the tumor was performed to prevent recurrence of malignant arrhythmia. The loop recorder implanted postoperatively didn't record any episodes of sustained ventricular arrhythmia in a 9-month follow-up. In conclusion, cardiac fibromas, especially with the presence of infections, increase risk of ventricular arrhythmias. Partial resection of tumor can be effective and relatively safe in the secondary prevention of ventricular fibrillation in patients with large cardiac fibromas with GGS.

Facial nerve (FN) dysfunction remains a clinically important complication of parotidectomy, even when recovery is ultimately complete. Traditional nerve identification relies on anatomic dissection, selective stimulation, and, in many cases, intraoperative monitoring (IONM). These approaches may be limited when anatomy is distorted. This study evaluated the feasibility, safety, and utility of autofluorescence-guided FN identification during parotidectomy. A retrospective case series was conducted in 18 patients who underwent superficial or total parotidectomy for parotid gland tumors. All procedures were performed by the same surgical team using standard operative technique and selective electrical nerve stimulation. Near-ultraviolet (NUV) autofluorescence imaging was obtained immediately after FN exposure and before further dissection. Raw grayscale and real-time colored overlay images were acquired. Quantitative image analysis was performed using manually selected regions of interest to measure nerve and background intensities, nerve-to-background ratio, longitudinal signal homogeneity, and apparent branch width. Given the case series design, findings were summarized using descriptive statistics. The cohort included 18 patients, 15 women and 3 men, who underwent superficial or total parotidectomy for parotid neoplasms. Final pathology showed pleomorphic adenoma in 15 cases and carcinoma in 3 cases, with deep lobe involvement in 1 case. Autofluorescence imaging generated clear contrast between the FN and surrounding tissue on grayscale and colored overlay views. Mean native grayscale nerve intensities ranged from 244.3 to 247.4 px, compared with background intensities of 41.7 to 45.8 px, yielding nerve-to-background ratios of 5.40 to 5.86. Colored overlay rendering increased the maximum nerve-to-background ratio to 10.16. Longitudinal signal remained uniform, with coefficients of variation (CVs) ranging from 0.028 to 0.043. No postoperative FN paralysis occurred, and all patients had House-Brackmann grade I function at six months. In this retrospective case series, autofluorescence-guided FN imaging during parotidectomy was feasible and provided consistent visual contrast between nerve and surrounding tissue without identified imaging-related safety concerns. These findings support further study of this approach as a useful adjunct to standard FN identification strategies.

Shear wave elastography is a non-invasive ultrasound technique that quantifies tissue stiffness with high reproducibility. While its role in assessing portal hypertension is well established, the spleen has recently gained attention as a potential biomarker in non-portal conditions. As a vascular and immune organ, the spleen undergoes structural and functional changes in various systemic diseases, making splenic shear wave elastography a promising diagnostic and prognostic tool. This review summarizes current evidence regarding splenic shear wave elastography in healthy individuals and in diseases beyond portal hypertension. In hematologic disorders, particularly myeloproliferative neoplasms, splenic stiffness correlates with bone marrow fibrosis, extramedullary hematopoiesis, and thrombotic complications. In cardiovascular conditions, splenic congestion reflects systemic venous pressure and has been studied in acute and chronic heart failure, as well as in congenital circulatory alterations such as Fontan physiology. Research in inherited storage diseases, transfusion-dependent anemias, and autoinflammatory syndromes suggests a role for shear wave elastography in detecting parenchymal infiltration and monitoring disease progression. Infectious diseases including brucellosis, schistosomiasis, and HIV-related vasculopathy, further highlight its sensitivity to microvascular and inflammatory changes. Pediatric studies have expanded normative reference ranges and explored applications in systemic infections and splenomegaly. Despite encouraging findings, methodological heterogeneity, variability among ultrasound platforms, and physiological confounders limit comparability across studies. Current evidence remains predominantly based on small, single-center cohorts, and disease-specific cutoff values have yet to be established. In conclusion, splenic shear wave elastography shows potential for broad clinical applicability, but standardization of protocols, multicenter validation, and integration into multiparametric ultrasound frameworks are needed before implementation in routine practice.

Despite vast investments in data collection, generation, and sharing from childhood cancer studies, for example, Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Program, Childhood Cancer Data Initiative, and other efforts, secondary use of data remains a challenge especially for rare diseases. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Office of Data Sharing (ODS) aimed to promote FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data sharing practices to enhance data utility, accelerate discovery, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. NCI ODS launched its inaugural Data Jamboree focusing on childhood cancer alongside its third Annual Symposium in September 2025. Over 120 participants with diverse backgrounds coalesced into 23 multidisciplinary teams to solve real-world problems in a collaborative setting. The Jamboree built a diverse pool of data users and catalyzed pediatric cancer research, with several project findings being prepared for publication. Moreover, key feedback and recommendations for areas of improvement were provided to NCI in real time. The event highlighted the power of team science, data sharing, use, and reuse to accelerate childhood cancer research and improve diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes.