British Journal of Cancer

BackgroundCystoscopy is a core component of haematuria investigations but is invasive and resource-intensive. GALEAS Bladder is a DNA-based diagnostic urine test that measures alterations in 23 bladder cancer-associated genes. ObjectiveTo assess the diagnostic performance and clinical utility of GALEAS Bladder as a molecular triage tool in real-world haematuria investigation pathways. MethodsPatients referred for urgent investigation of haematuria were prospectively enrolled across seven UK NH...

PurposePrognosis in metastatic non-seminomatous germ cell tumors (mNSGCT) is currently guided by the IGCCCG classification, which incorporates tumor markers, organs involved with metastatic disease, and primary site but not histologic subtype. We aimed to evaluate whether specific histological components provide additional prognostic information in a large international mNSGCT cohort. Patient and MethodsWe analyzed clinical, pathologic, and outcome data from 662 patients with mNSGCT across mult...

BackgroundIn 2022, the European Union recommended piloting organised prostate cancer screening. Subsequently, the Czech Republic launched a nationwide pilot programme fully reimbursed by public health insurance in January 2024 to reduce the high incidence of late-stage prostate cancer and the widespread unorganised prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing. ObjectiveTo describe the strategy, methodology, and first results of the Czech nationwide prostate cancer screening pilot programme. Methods...

BackgroundTamoxifen is a cornerstone of endocrine treatment for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, reducing recurrence and breast cancer-specific mortality. However, its use is associated with a small, yet clinically relevant, increase in uterine cancer. As diagnosis of this cancer remains symptom-triggered, it is essential for patients to be aware of this risk and report symptoms promptly for optimal outcomes. We therefore assessed risk awareness among breast cancer survivors while explor...

BackgroundGastric cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide and is associated with poor prognosis, placing a considerable burden on public health. Overall treatment outcomes remain unsatisfactory, and accurate lymph node staging is essential for optimizing therapeutic strategies and improving survival. This study aimed to compare the prognostic value of different lymph node staging systems in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and to provide a more refined prognostic assessment t...

We previously reported initial results from a clinical trial testing a strategy in which patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) achieving a clinical complete response after cystoscopic resection of the bladder tumor plus systemic therapy could forgo removal of their entire bladder (cystectomy). While the results were highly promising, a subset of patients omitting initial cystectomy developed recurrence highlighting the need for biomarkers to refine selection of patients for this ap...

ObjectiveBladder cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy of the urinary system and among the most frequently diagnosed cancers worldwide. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of commercially available urinary biomarkers tests (UBTs) for detecting BC recurrence, focusing on pooled sensitivity and specificity estimates across different tests. MethodsA systematic search was performed on PubMed and EMBASE up to May 2025 to identify studies assessing r...

Purpose: Tumor genomic testing (TGT) is standard-of-care for most patients with advanced/metastatic cancer. Despite established guidelines, patient education prior to TGT is frequently omitted. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact and durability of a concise 3-4 minute video for patient education prior to TGT in community versus academic sites and across cancer types. Patients and Methods: Patients undergoing standard-of-care TGT were enrolled at a tertiary academic institution ...

Context SummaryO_ST_ABSKey ObjectiveC_ST_ABSCan polygenic hazard scores accurately predict prostate cancer disease risk and age at diagnosis in Nordic populations? Knowledge GeneratedPolygenic hazard score PHS601 stratified prostate cancer risk with a towfold increase per standard deviation increase in two Norwegian populations (N = 17,538). The top 1.7% of scores conferred 8.7-fold higher risk compared with median risk, exceeding the risk associated with pathogenic HOXB13 variants. PURPOSEMor...

Background and ObjectivePatients with upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) undergoing radical surgery are at high risk of developing intravesical recurrences (IVR). The biology of IVR after surgery for UTUC is poorly understood, and urine markers to replace cystoscopic surveillance of the bladder are lacking. Here, we characterized the genomic landscape of UTUC and paired IVR to discover therapeutic targets and identify diagnostic markers for IVR. MethodsWe performed targeted next-ge...

ObjectivePopulation-based information regarding adherence to first-line chemotherapy in epithelial ovarian cancer is scarce. This study aimed to evaluate chemotherapy adherence, reasons for chemotherapy modifications, and associations with overall survival. MethodsAdvanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer patients diagnosed between January 2015 and December 2021 were identified from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Patients who underwent cytoreductive surgery combined with platinum- and taxane-b...

BackgroundThe genetic architecture of Breast Cancer (BC) in Arab populations remains largely understudied, limiting the precision of current prevention and screening programs. The Emirati Genome Program (EGP), one of the worlds first nation-wide sequencing initiatives, offers an unprecedented opportunity to delineate inherited BC risk across an entire population. MethodsWe analyzed 436,780 EGP individuals, including 229,309 women, integrating whole-genome sequencing (WGS) with electronic health...

BackgroundThe NHS-Galleri trial reported a substantial reduction in Stage IV cancer diagnoses and a four-fold increase in cancer detection rates, but did not meet its primary endpoint of reducing combined Stage III+IV diagnoses in a prespecified group of 12 cancers. We hypothesize that stage slip-- progression of cancers from Stage I/II to Stage III during diagnostic workup--is the primary mechanism behind this statistical masking. MethodsWe developed a Monte Carlo simulation of 142,000 partici...

Structured AbstractO_ST_ABSPurpose/ObjectivesC_ST_ABSThe role of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in patients with pathologic N1 (pN1) breast cancer, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), remains controversial in the era of modern systemic therapy. We evaluated the association between PMRT and recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) and identified prognostic factors in a contemporary single-institution pN1 cohort. Materials/MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed female ...

Importance: Recurrence rates for locally advanced HPV-independent (HPV-) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are high. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)-based minimal residual disease (MRD) assays have shown promise to improve management and surveillance in several tumor types, but their clinical utility in HPV- HNSCC remains understudied. Objective: To evaluate the performance of a tumor-informed ctDNA-based MRD assay (PredicineBEACON) in patients with newly diagnosed, locally advanced H...

BackgroundPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the most aggressive and lethal malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract. The poor prognosis is largely attributed to late-stage diagnosis, pronounced tumor heterogeneity, and limited therapeutic efficacy. These challenges underscore the urgent need for the identification of robust molecular biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets. MethodsGene expression data from a total of 146 pancreatic tissue samples, comprising 72 normal and 74 tumor s...

ObjectiveTo explore the application value of dual-staining for specific AT sequence binding protein 2 (SATB2) immunohistochemistry and elastic lamina in detecting elastic lamina invasion (ELI) in pT3 colon cancer, and to assess its association with clinicopathological characteristics, staging, and prognosis. MethodsThis retrospective cohort study enrolled 176 pT3 colon cancer patients who underwent radical resection at Affiliated Jinhua Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine. The deepe...

BackgroundLiver transplantation (LT) offers a curative option for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Its role in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) remains controversial, with limited comparative evidence on long-term outcomes, especially for early-stage disease. MethodsThis retrospective population-based study utilized the SEER database (2004-2015). Patients with AJCC 6th edition Stage I HCC or ICC who underwent LT were included. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival ...

Cancer accounts for one in six deaths globally, making patient survivorship critical for medical professionals. Thyroid cancer incidence is rising in the United States, with Papillary Thyroid Cancer (PTC) representing approximately 80% of cases. This study develops a semi-parametric Cox Proportional Hazards model to investigate associations between PTC patient survival time and five risk factors: age, sex, malignant tumor size, race, and cancer stage. Our final Cox-PH model, which satisfies all ...

BackgroundWe previously reported that >5% of the population carries pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants (P/LPVs) in key cancer susceptibility genes. However, gene-specific cancer prevalence, spectrum, burden, lifetime risk, comorbidity, and the risk associated with autosomal recessive (AR) genes among carriers remain incompletely defined. MethodsWe analyzed 72 cancer susceptibility genes in the All of Us dataset (N=633,547), including 287,076 participants with both genomic and electronic h...