Nicholas Panzo Background: Pilomyxoid astrocytoma (PMA) is a rare, aggressive variant of pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) which is associated with shorter progression-free and overall survival than PA.1 PMA tends to affect infants and younger children and has a higher probability of local recurrence and cerebrospinal spread than PA. 2, 3 There…

Sujay Shankar Background: Lung cancer is the second most common type of cancer and the deadliest cancer type in the U.S and worldwide. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) constitutes about 80-85% of all lung cancers and only has a 7% five-year survival rate if metastatic.1,2 Immunotherapy, specifically anti-PD-1 antibody drugs,…

Mounir Khatib Background. More than one-half a million women are diagnosed worldwide with cervical cancer annually. Of the approximately 270,000 cervical cancer-related deaths in 2015, 90% were from low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC). Screening methods include the Papanicolaou Smear (Pap Smear), which requires the harvesting of cervical cells (including the…

Elleana Paradise Background: Glioma refers broadly to neuroepithelial tumors originating from the glial or supporting cells of the central nervous system1. Gliomas are the most common malignant brain tumor in the United States,2 making up almost 80% of all intracranial malignant tumors3. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive form of…

Sydney Zhou Introduction. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) has a median survival of 9-12 months and is a challenging cancer to diagnose and treat.1 Prognosis is significantly improved with >98% extent of resection (EOR).2 However, limitations of imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and computed tomography (CT) hinder the differentiation…

Jaden Aland Background: In 2018 there was approximately 890,000 new cases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma 1. This number is expected to exceed 1.1 million new cases annually by the year 2030 1. Traditionally, open surgery has been the standard intervention for these tumors, especially when they reside…

Garrett Kuketz Background: Cancer cachexia is a condition of involuntary weight loss and tissue wasting and a devastating systemic condition observed in about 50% of advanced cancer patients.1,2 It significantly impacts the quality of life, treatment response, and overall prognosis. Despite its clinical significance, effective therapies targeting cancer cachexia remain…