Study of Adolescents Who Provide Tobacco to Other Adolescents in a Racial/Ethnic Diverse Population

This study examined the sources of tobacco and the adolescent provision of tobacco to other adolescents in an ethnically/racially diverse, large heterogeneous urban, adolescent population in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A stratified multistage purposive sampling procedure was used to select an ethnically/racially diverse sample, which consisted of 569 students in grades 8-10 in five public and nonpublic funded schools. A logistical regression analysis was used to examine potential predictor variables of adolescent provision of tobacco to other adolescents. Social sources of tobacco were more common than commercial. Gas stations/convenience stores, grocery stores, recreational/sports centers, and pharmacies were the most reported commercial sources. Among adolescent smokers, 46% of smokers gave tobacco to another adolescent. Tobacco was sold (32.2%) and given as a gift (67.8%). Positive correlates of adolescent provision included family availability, best friends and father smoked, purchased cigarettes in the last 30 days, and ownership of tobacco brand merchandise

Study of Adolescents Who Provide Tobacco to Other Adolescents in a Racial/Ethnic Diverse Population

This study examined the sources of tobacco and the adolescent provision of tobacco to other adolescents in an ethnically/racially diverse, large heterogeneous urban, adolescent population in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A stratified multistage purposive sampling procedure was used to select an ethnically/racially diverse sample, which consisted of 569 students in grades 8-10 in five public and nonpublic funded schools. A logistical regression analysis was used to examine potential predictor variables of adolescent provision of tobacco to other adolescents. Social sources of tobacco were more common than commercial. Gas stations/convenience stores, grocery stores, recreational/sports centers, and pharmacies were the most reported commercial sources. Among adolescent smokers, 46% of smokers gave tobacco to another adolescent. Tobacco was sold (32.2%) and given as a gift (67.8%). Positive correlates of adolescent provision included family availability, best friends and father smoked, purchased cigarettes in the last 30 days, and ownership of tobacco brand merchandise.</jats:p

Correlation of BRAF mutation status in circulating-free DNA and tumor and association with clinical outcome across four BRAFi and MEKi clinical trials

Purpose: Tumor-derived circulating cell–free DNA (cfDNA) is a potential alternative source from which to derive tumor mutation status. cfDNA data from four clinical studies of the BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi) dabrafenib or the MEK inhibitor (MEKi) trametinib were analyzed to determine the association between BRAF mutation status in cfDNA and tumor tissue, and the association of BRAF cfDNA mutation status with baseline factors and clinical outcome. Experimental Design: Patients with BRAF V600 mutation–positive melanoma were enrolled in each study after central confirmation of BRAF status in tumor using a PCR-based assay. BRAF mutation status in cfDNA from patient plasma collected at baseline, 732 of 836 (88%) enrolled patients in total, was determined. Results: BRAF mutations were detectable in cfDNA in 76% and 81% of patients with BRAF V600E/V600K–positive tumors, respectively. Patients negative for BRAF mutations in cfDNA had longer progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival in each of the four studies, compared with patients with detectable cfDNA BRAF mutations. The presence of BRAF-mutant cfDNA was an independent prognostic factor for PFS after multivariate adjustment for baseline factors in three of four studies. Patients negative for BRAF mutation–positive cfDNA in plasma had higher response rates to dabrafenib and trametinib. Conclusions: BRAF mutations in cfDNA are detectable in >75% of late-stage melanoma patients with BRAF mutation–positive tumors. The lack of circulating, BRAF mutation–positive cfDNA is clinically significant for metastatic melanoma patients, and may be a prognostic marker for better disease outcome.8 page(s

Supplementary Data - Tracked from Correlation of <i>BRAF</i> Mutation Status in Circulating-Free DNA and Tumor and Association with Clinical Outcome across Four BRAFi and MEKi Clinical Trials

Supplementary Figure S1. Distribution of BRAF V600E cfDNA mutation fraction across study samples; Supplementary Figure S2. cfDNA-ND patients exhibited higher response rates to dabrafenib and trametinib compared with cfDNA V600E/K patients; Supplementary Table S1. Baseline clinical characteristics; Supplementary Table S2. Correlation between cfDNA mutation fraction, baseline tumor burden (SLD), and LDH; Supplementary Table S3. Association between cfDNA mutation fraction, with baseline covariates; Supplementary Table S4. Association between cfDNA mutation status, with baseline covariates; Supplementary Table S5. cfDNA-ND patients exhibited higher response rates to dabrafenib and trametinib compared with cfDNA V600E/K patients; Supplementary Table S6. cfDNA mutation fraction independently predicts PFS and OS in patients with baseline tumor V600E mutations</p

Supplementary Data - Clean from Correlation of <i>BRAF</i> Mutation Status in Circulating-Free DNA and Tumor and Association with Clinical Outcome across Four BRAFi and MEKi Clinical Trials

Supplementary Figure S1. Distribution of BRAF V600E cfDNA mutation fraction across study samples; Supplementary Figure S2. cfDNA-ND patients exhibited higher response rates to dabrafenib and trametinib compared with cfDNA V600E/K patients; Supplementary Table S1. Baseline clinical characteristics; Supplementary Table S2. Correlation between cfDNA mutation fraction, baseline tumor burden (SLD), and LDH; Supplementary Table S3. Association between cfDNA mutation fraction, with baseline covariates; Supplementary Table S4. Association between cfDNA mutation status, with baseline covariates; Supplementary Table S5. cfDNA-ND patients exhibited higher response rates to dabrafenib and trametinib compared with cfDNA V600E/K patients; Supplementary Table S6. cfDNA mutation fraction independently predicts PFS and OS in patients with baseline tumor V600E mutations</p