The frustrated spherical model: an alternative to Ginzburg-Landau Hamiltonians with competing interactions

We solve analytically the Langevin dynamics of the classic spherical model considering the ferromagnetic exchange and a long-range antiferromagnetic interaction. Our results in the asymptotic regime, shows an equivalence in the functionality of the spatial and self-correlations between this model and the recently studied Ginzburg-Landau frustrated model within the Hartree approximation. A careful discussion is done about the low temperature behavior in the context of glassy dynamics. The appearance of interesting features regarding the establishment of the ferromagnetic phase is also analyzed in view of the effects of the spherical restriction. We propose a new variant of the spherical model in which the global restriction is substituted by an infinite set of restrictions over finite size regions. This modification leads to a new dynamical equation that suggests the appearance of the low temperature phase transition even in the non-frustrated case were the classic spherical model fails

Virtual follow-up care among breast and prostate cancer patients during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: association with distress

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between self-reported distress (anxiety/depression) and satisfaction with and desire for virtual follow-up (VFU) care among cancer patients during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Breast and prostate cancer patients receiving VFU at an urban cancer centre in Toronto, Canada completed an online survey on their sociodemographic, clinical, and technology, characteristics and experience with and views on VFU. EQ5D-5 L was used to assess distress. Statistical models adjusted for age, gender, education, income and Internet confidence. Results: Of 352 participants, average age was 65 years, 48% were women,79% were within 5 years of treatment completion, 84% had college/university education and 74% were confident Internet users. Nearly, all (98%) had a virtual visit via phone and 22% had a virtual visit via video. The majority of patients (86%) were satisfied with VFU and 70% agreed that they would like VFU options after the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants who reported distress and who were not confident using the Internet for health purposes were significantly less likely to be satisfied with VFU (OR = 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2–0.8 and OR = 0.19; 95% CI: 0.09–0.38, respectively) and were less likely to desire VFU option after the COVID-19 pandemic (OR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.30–0.82 and OR = 0.41; 95% CI: 0.23–0.70, respectively). Conclusions: The majority of respondents were satisfied with VFU and would like VFU options after the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research should determine how to optimize VFU options for cancer patients who are distressed and who are less confident using virtual care technology

Limitations of Prostate Biopsy in Detection of Cribriform and Intraductal Prostate Cancer

Funding Information: Acknowledgments: Rui M. Bernardino is supported by Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (2022.13386.BD). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 European Association of UrologyBackground: The presence of cribriform morphology and intraductal carcinoma (IDC) in prostate biopsies and radical prostatectomy specimens is an adverse prognostic feature that can be used to guide treatment decisions. Objective: To assess how accurately biopsies can detect cribriform morphology and IDC cancer by examining matched biopsy and prostatectomy samples. Design, setting, and participants: Patients who underwent radical prostatectomy at The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre between January 2015 and December 2022 and had cribriform morphology and/or IDC in the surgical specimen were included in the study. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: We used detection sensitivity to evaluate the level of agreement between biopsy and prostatectomy samples regarding the presence of cribriform morphology and IDC. Results and limitations: Of the 287 men who underwent radical prostatectomy, 241 (84%) had cribriform morphology and 161 (56%) had IDC on final pathology. The sensitivity of prostate biopsy, using radical prostatectomy as the reference, was 42.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 36–49%) for detection of cribriform morphology and 44.1% (95% CI 36–52%) for detection of IDC. The sensitivity of prostate biopsy for detection of either IDC or cribriform morphology was 52.5% (95% CI 47–58%). Among patients who underwent multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging–guided biopsies, the sensitivity was 54% (95% CI 39–68%) for detection of cribriform morphology and 37% (95% CI 19–58%) for detection of IDC. Conclusions: Biopsy has low sensitivity for detecting cribriform morphology and IDC. These limitations should be incorporated into clinical decision-making. Biomarkers for better detection of these histological patterns are needed. Patient summary: Prostate biopsy is not an accurate method for detecting two specific types of prostate cancer cells, called cribriform pattern and intraductal prostate cancer, which are associated with unfavorable prognosis.proofepub_ahead_of_prin

NICE : A Computational solution to close the gap from colour perception to colour categorization

The segmentation of visible electromagnetic radiation into chromatic categories by the human visual system has been extensively studied from a perceptual point of view, resulting in several colour appearance models. However, there is currently a void when it comes to relate these results to the physiological mechanisms that are known to shape the pre-cortical and cortical visual pathway. This work intends to begin to fill this void by proposing a new physiologically plausible model of colour categorization based on Neural Isoresponsive Colour Ellipsoids (NICE) in the cone-contrast space defined by the main directions of the visual signals entering the visual cortex. The model was adjusted to fit psychophysical measures that concentrate on the categorical boundaries and are consistent with the ellipsoidal isoresponse surfaces of visual cortical neurons. By revealing the shape of such categorical colour regions, our measures allow for a more precise and parsimonious description, connecting well-known early visual processing mechanisms to the less understood phenomenon of colour categorization. To test the feasibility of our method we applied it to exemplary images and a popular ground-truth chart obtaining labelling results that are better than those of current state-of-the-art algorithms

Tumour genomic and microenvironmental heterogeneity as integrated predictors for prostate cancer recurrence: a retrospective study

Clinical prognostic groupings for localised prostate cancers are imprecise, with 30–50% of patients recurring after image-guided radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy. We aimed to test combined genomic and microenvironmental indices in prostate cancer to improve risk stratification and complement clinical prognostic factors

Adding 6 months of androgen deprivation therapy to postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer: a comparison of short-course versus no androgen deprivation therapy in the RADICALS-HD randomised controlled trial

Background Previous evidence indicates that adjuvant, short-course androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) improves metastasis-free survival when given with primary radiotherapy for intermediate-risk and high-risk localised prostate cancer. However, the value of ADT with postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy is unclear. Methods RADICALS-HD was an international randomised controlled trial to test the efficacy of ADT used in combination with postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Key eligibility criteria were indication for radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen less than 5 ng/mL, absence of metastatic disease, and written consent. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to radiotherapy alone (no ADT) or radiotherapy with 6 months of ADT (short-course ADT), using monthly subcutaneous gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue injections, daily oral bicalutamide monotherapy 150 mg, or monthly subcutaneous degarelix. Randomisation was done centrally through minimisation with a random element, stratified by Gleason score, positive margins, radiotherapy timing, planned radiotherapy schedule, and planned type of ADT, in a computerised system. The allocated treatment was not masked. The primary outcome measure was metastasis-free survival, defined as distant metastasis arising from prostate cancer or death from any cause. Standard survival analysis methods were used, accounting for randomisation stratification factors. The trial had 80% power with two-sided α of 5% to detect an absolute increase in 10-year metastasis-free survival from 80% to 86% (hazard ratio [HR] 0·67). Analyses followed the intention-to-treat principle. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN40814031, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00541047. Findings Between Nov 22, 2007, and June 29, 2015, 1480 patients (median age 66 years [IQR 61–69]) were randomly assigned to receive no ADT (n=737) or short-course ADT (n=743) in addition to postoperative radiotherapy at 121 centres in Canada, Denmark, Ireland, and the UK. With a median follow-up of 9·0 years (IQR 7·1–10·1), metastasis-free survival events were reported for 268 participants (142 in the no ADT group and 126 in the short-course ADT group; HR 0·886 [95% CI 0·688–1·140], p=0·35). 10-year metastasis-free survival was 79·2% (95% CI 75·4–82·5) in the no ADT group and 80·4% (76·6–83·6) in the short-course ADT group. Toxicity of grade 3 or higher was reported for 121 (17%) of 737 participants in the no ADT group and 100 (14%) of 743 in the short-course ADT group (p=0·15), with no treatment-related deaths. Interpretation Metastatic disease is uncommon following postoperative bed radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy. Adding 6 months of ADT to this radiotherapy did not improve metastasis-free survival compared with no ADT. These findings do not support the use of short-course ADT with postoperative radiotherapy in this patient population

Duration of androgen deprivation therapy with postoperative radiotherapy for prostate cancer: a comparison of long-course versus short-course androgen deprivation therapy in the RADICALS-HD randomised trial

Background Previous evidence supports androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with primary radiotherapy as initial treatment for intermediate-risk and high-risk localised prostate cancer. However, the use and optimal duration of ADT with postoperative radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy remains uncertain. Methods RADICALS-HD was a randomised controlled trial of ADT duration within the RADICALS protocol. Here, we report on the comparison of short-course versus long-course ADT. Key eligibility criteria were indication for radiotherapy after previous radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, prostate-specific antigen less than 5 ng/mL, absence of metastatic disease, and written consent. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to add 6 months of ADT (short-course ADT) or 24 months of ADT (long-course ADT) to radiotherapy, using subcutaneous gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogue (monthly in the short-course ADT group and 3-monthly in the long-course ADT group), daily oral bicalutamide monotherapy 150 mg, or monthly subcutaneous degarelix. Randomisation was done centrally through minimisation with a random element, stratified by Gleason score, positive margins, radiotherapy timing, planned radiotherapy schedule, and planned type of ADT, in a computerised system. The allocated treatment was not masked. The primary outcome measure was metastasis-free survival, defined as metastasis arising from prostate cancer or death from any cause. The comparison had more than 80% power with two-sided α of 5% to detect an absolute increase in 10-year metastasis-free survival from 75% to 81% (hazard ratio [HR] 0·72). Standard time-to-event analyses were used. Analyses followed intention-to-treat principle. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN40814031, and ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT00541047 . Findings Between Jan 30, 2008, and July 7, 2015, 1523 patients (median age 65 years, IQR 60–69) were randomly assigned to receive short-course ADT (n=761) or long-course ADT (n=762) in addition to postoperative radiotherapy at 138 centres in Canada, Denmark, Ireland, and the UK. With a median follow-up of 8·9 years (7·0–10·0), 313 metastasis-free survival events were reported overall (174 in the short-course ADT group and 139 in the long-course ADT group; HR 0·773 [95% CI 0·612–0·975]; p=0·029). 10-year metastasis-free survival was 71·9% (95% CI 67·6–75·7) in the short-course ADT group and 78·1% (74·2–81·5) in the long-course ADT group. Toxicity of grade 3 or higher was reported for 105 (14%) of 753 participants in the short-course ADT group and 142 (19%) of 757 participants in the long-course ADT group (p=0·025), with no treatment-related deaths. Interpretation Compared with adding 6 months of ADT, adding 24 months of ADT improved metastasis-free survival in people receiving postoperative radiotherapy. For individuals who can accept the additional duration of adverse effects, long-course ADT should be offered with postoperative radiotherapy. Funding Cancer Research UK, UK Research and Innovation (formerly Medical Research Council), and Canadian Cancer Society

The Role of DNA Damage Sensing Genes in Genetic Instability and Radioresponse in Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second cancer-related mortality cause in North American men. Despite the use of clinical prognostic factors, 20-60% of localized PCa fail primary local treatment. There is need for biomarkers that can guide primary treatment decisions or identify patients that need treatment intensifications. I have hypothesized that localized PCa is associated with an altered DNA damage response (DDR), which in turn can lead to genomic instability and affect the response to radiotherapy. Using array comparative genomic hybridization I have determined the frequency and prognostic importance of copy-number alterations (CNAs) in the main sensors of the DDR. I have shown that CNAs in these loci correlate with tumour genomic instability. The main finding is that Nibrin gains are a significant predictor of outcome following treatment with radiotherapy, but not surgery. NBN gains may be the first PCa predictive biomarker to facilitate local treatment decisions using precision medicine approaches.M.Sc