• Caring for our cancer patients in the wake of COVID-19

  SummaryIn response to our current global pandemic, unprecedented healthcare changes may have significant consequences for cancer patients in the United Kingdom. We explore why cancer patients may be m

  2020-04-01

• Coffee and digestive cancers—what do we know, and where do we go?

  SummaryCoffee drinking has been inversely associated with liver cancer consistently in prospective studies. Yet, the specific compounds underlying this association, and whether associations vary by pr

  2020-03-03

• Case–control study of paternal occupational exposures and childhood bone tumours and soft-tissue sarcomas in Great Britain, 1962–2010

  AbstractBackgroundThis nationwide study investigated associations between paternal occupational exposure and childhood bone tumours and soft- tissue sarcomas.MethodsThe UK National Registry of Ch

  2020-02-02

• Identification of biological mechanisms underlying a multidimensional ASD phenotype using machine learning

  AbstractThe complex genetic architecture of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and its heterogeneous phenotype makes molecular diagnosis and patient prognosis challenging tasks. To establish more precise

  2019-12-23

• Analytical and clinical validation of a microbial cell-free DNA sequencing test for infectious disease

  Thousands of pathogens are known to infect humans, but only a fraction are readily identifiable using current diagnostic methods. Microbial cell-free DNA sequencing offers the potential to non-invasively identify a wide range of infections throughout the body, but the challenges of clinical-grade metagenomic testing must be addressed. Here we describe the analytical and clinical validation of a next-generation sequencing test that identifies and quantifies microbial cell-free DNA in plasma from 1,250 clinically relevant bacteria, DNA viruses, fungi and eukaryotic parasites. Test accuracy, precision, bias and robustness to a number of metagenomics-specific challenges were determined using a panel of 13 microorganisms that model key determinants of performance in 358 contrived plasma samples, as well as 2,625 infections simulated in silico and 580 clinical study samples. The test showed 93.7% agreement with blood culture in a cohort of 350 patients with a sepsis alert and identified an independently adjudicated cause of the sepsis alert more often than all of the microbiological testing combined (169 aetiological determinations versus 132). Among the 166 samples adjudicated to have no sepsis aetiology identified by any of the tested methods, sequencing identified microbial cell-free DNA in 62, likely derived from commensal organisms and incidental findings unrelated to the sepsis alert. Analysis of the first 2,000 patient samples tested in the CLIA laboratory showed that more than 85% of results were delivered the day after sample receipt, with 53.7% of reports identifying one or more microorganisms.

  2019-02-12

• Highly mutated cancers respond better to immune therapy

  The complex tests that gauge mutation levels will pose a challenge in the clinic.

  2019-01-16

• DHSC issues advice for GPs to prescribe antivirals for 'at risk' patients

  GPs should prescribe antiviral medication for the prevention and treatment of flu in at-risk patients, according to a Government alert.The announcement - which comes after a reported rise in flu cases

  2019-01-04

• ASH Releases New Clinical Practice Guidelines for Venous Thromboembolism

  Evidence-Based Guidelines to Drive Improved Care for Patients with Blood ClotsPublished on: November 27, 2018(Washington, DC, November 27, 2018) — Venous thromboembolism (VTE), a term referring t

  2018-12-10