The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Our visual abstract highlights the primary question of our work, which was to evaluate the outcomes of patients who received talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC), an oncolytic herpes virus, for advanced Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). While T-VEC has been approved for use in melanoma, it is currently only being used in the off-label setting for nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). In addition, many of our patients received T-VEC with concurrent immune therapy, which is a patient population that has not been thoroughly studied. Data were obtained through a retrospective chart review of patients with MCC or SCC who received T-VEC at our NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. The cohort included ten patients with MCC and three with SCC; six patients received T-VEC alone and seven received T-VEC with concurrent immune therapy. Of note, all three patients who had SCC also received immune therapy. The overall response rate (ORR) of the cohort, defined as the percentage of complete and partial responses to therapy, was 53.8%, with six complete responses and one partial response. Of the six complete responses, four patients were disease-free at their date of last follow-up, which was an average of 25 months from completion of T-VEC treatment. Our work highlights the fact that durable response to T-VEC for patients with advanced NMSC is possible in the setting of a high rate of concurrent immune therapy administration. Further work should more rigorously explore the role that T-VEC may play in NMSC, with particular attention to its use with immune therapy ( https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-026-19182-3 ).

A 24-hour urine collection is central to the metabolic evaluation and prevention of nephrolithiasis. Despite its widespread use, methodological inconsistencies in data reporting and analysis limit the reliability, reproducibility, and clinical utility of findings. We aim to review and evaluate how 24-hour urine parameters are reported, analyzed, and interpreted in nephrolithiasis research. We conducted a methodological review of 264 studies involving 450,624 patients with nephrolithiasis. Data extraction covered urine collection protocols, parameter reporting, units used, statistical methods, and missing data handling. Retrospective cohort studies comprised 42.8% of included articles; cross-sectional and prospective cohort studies made up 25.0% and 19.3%, respectively. Only 6.8% (18/264) of studies reported power calculations, and 40.9% (108/264) provided reference ranges. Calcium was the most frequently reported parameter (93.9%), followed by citrate (87.5%), oxalate (86.7%), and uric acid (84.1%). Supersaturation indices were reported in 44.3% of studies. Reporting formats varied: continuous units were used in 94.7% for supersaturation, 91.7% for calcium/creatinine ratio, and 77.9% for calcium. Most common units were mg/day (e.g., calcium: 78.9%) and mmol/day (e.g., sodium: 56.9%). Regarding statistical analysis, 72.3% of studies used t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests, 39.4% used chi-square tests, and only 21.6% used multivariate regression. Missing data were handled by complete case analysis in 71.2% of studies, while 27.7% did not report their approach. There is significant variability in how 24-hour urine data are reported and analyzed across nephrolithiasis studies. This inconsistency undermines evidence synthesis, limits external validation, and obstructs the integration of advanced tools like artificial intelligence. We recommend creating a standardized reporting checklist to improve the rigor, reproducibility, and clinical relevance of future research.

RET fusions appear in 1%-2% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). The results from the ARROW study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03037385) supported US Food and Drug Administration approval of pralsetinib, an oral selective RET inhibitor, for metastatic RET-altered NSCLC and RET fusion-positive thyroid cancers. ARROW was a phase I/II open-label study of pralsetinib 400 mg once daily in RET fusion-positive NSCLCs. Coprimary end points were overall response rate (ORR) and safety. Key secondary end points included duration of response, progression-free survival, and overall survival (OS). At data lock (May 20, 2024), 281 patients initiated pralsetinib (median treatment duration, 15.0 months). ORR (measurable disease patients; n = 259) was 78% (95% CI, 69 to 86) for treatment-naïve patients and 63% (95% CI, 54 to 71) for prior platinum-based chemotherapy patients. Median OS was 44.3 months (95% CI, 30.9 to 53.1), 50.1 months (95% CI, 28.3 to not reached) in treatment-naïve patients, and 39.7 months (95% CI, 27.8 to 53.2) in prior platinum patients. Common grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events were anemia (21%), hypertension (15%), and decreased neutrophils (13%). Three treatment-related deaths occurred (pneumonia, n = 2; interstitial lung disease and rhabdomyolysis, n = 1 each). Safety was consistent with previous ARROW reports; no hypersensitivity was reported in patients receiving prior immunotherapies. Pralsetinib produced robust, durable responses with manageable safety in treatment-naïve and previously treated patients with RET fusion-positive NSCLCs, confirming previous findings with longer follow-up.