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BACKGROUND National cancer strategy calls for comprehensive assessments for older people but current practice across the United Kingdom is not well described. AIM To identify current assessment methods and access to relevant supporting services for older people with cancer. METHODS A web-based survey (SurveyMonkey) targeting health professionals (oncologists, cancer surgeons, geriatricians, nurses and allied health professionals) was distributed January-April 2016 via United Kingdom nationally recognised professional societies. Responses were analysed in frequencies and percentages. Chi Square was used to compare differences in responses between different groups. RESULTS 640 health care professionals responded. Only 14.1% often/always involved geriatricians and 52.0% often/always involved general practitioners in assessments. When wider assessments were used, they always/often influenced decision-making (40.5%) or at least sometimes (34.1%). But 30.5%-44.3% did not use structured assessment methods. Most clinicians favoured clinical history taking. Few used scoring tools and few wished to use them in the future. Most had urgent access to palliative care but only a minority had urgent access to other key supporting professionals (e.g. geriatricians, social workers, psychiatry). 3-Deazaadenosine research buy 69.6% were interested in developing Geriatric Oncology services with geriatricians. CONCLUSION There is variability in assessment methods for older people with cancer across the United Kingdom and variation in perceived access to supporting services. Clinical history taking was preferred to scoring systems. Fostering closer links with geriatricians appears supported. ©The Author(s) 2019. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.BACKGROUND Pertuzumab is a humanized anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) monoclonal antibody found in a Phase III clinical trial to significantly improve median survival in HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) when used in combination with a taxane and Trastuzumab, and its clinical efficacy has transformed the therapeutic landscape of HER2-positive breast cancer. There are currently few reports on the pattern of use and value of Pertuzumab in real world settings. Our study describes the clinical efficacy and treatment costs of Pertuzumab in HER2-positive MBC treated in a tertiary cancer centre in Singapore in a predominantly Asian population. AIM To investigate the clinical efficacy and treatment costs of Pertuzumab in HER2-positive MBC in an Asian population in Singapore. METHODS A retrospective study of 304 HER2-positive MBC patients seen at National Cancer Centre Singapore between 2011-2017 was conducted. Demographic and clinical data were extracted from electronic medical records.ever, the proportionate cost of Pertuzumab therapy remains high and further cost-effectiveness studies should be conducted. ©The Author(s) 2019. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.BACKGROUND Patient satisfaction and reported outcomes are becoming increasingly important in determining the efficacy of clinical care. To date no study has evaluated the patient experience in the orthopedic oncology outpatient setting to determine which factors of the encounter are priorities to the patient. AIM To evaluate what factors impact patient experience and report satisfaction in an outpatient orthopedic oncology clinic. METHODS Press Ganey® patient surveys from a single outpatient orthopedic oncology clinic at a tertiary care setting were prospectively collected per routine medical care. All orthopedic oncology patients who were seen in clinic and received electronic survey were included. All survey responses were submitted within one month of clinic appointment. IRB approval was obtained to retrospectively collect survey responses from 2015 to 2016. Basic demographic data along with survey category responses were collected and statistically analyzed. RESULTS One hundred sixty-two patient surveys wishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.Cell-cell fusion is a normal biological process playing essential roles in organ formation and tissue differentiation, repair and regeneration. Through cell fusion somatic cells undergo rapid nuclear reprogramming and epigenetic modifications to form hybrid cells with new genetic and phenotypic properties at a rate exceeding that achievable by random mutations. Factors that stimulate cell fusion are inflammation and hypoxia. Fusion of cancer cells with non-neoplastic cells facilitates several malignancy-related cell phenotypes, e.g., reprogramming of somatic cell into induced pluripotent stem cells and epithelial to mesenchymal transition. There is now considerable in vitro, in vivo and clinical evidence that fusion of cancer cells with motile leucocytes such as macrophages plays a major role in cancer metastasis. Of the many changes in cancer cells after hybridizing with leucocytes, it is notable that hybrids acquire resistance to chemo- and radiation therapy. One phenomenon that has been largely overlooked yet plays a role in these processes is polyploidization. Regardless of the mechanism of polyploid cell formation, it happens in response to genotoxic stresses and enhances a cancer cell’s ability to survive. Here we summarize the recent progress in research of cell fusion and with a focus on an important role for polyploid cells in cancer metastasis. In addition, we discuss the clinical evidence and the importance of cell fusion and polyploidization in solid tumors. ©The Author(s) 2019. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.Cancer constitutes the second leading cause of death globally and is considered to have been responsible for an estimated 9.6 million fatalities in 2018. Although treatments against gastrointestinal tumors have recently advanced, those interventions can only be applied to a minority of patients at the time of diagnosis. Therefore, new therapeutic options are necessary for advanced stages of the disease. Glycosylation of antitumor agents, has been found to improve pharmacokinetic parameters, reduce side effects, and expand drug half-life in comparison with the parent compounds. In addition, glycosylation of therapeutic agents has been proven to be an effective strategy for their targeting tumor tissue, thereby reducing the doses of the glycodrugs administered to patients. This review focusses on the effect of the targeting properties of glycosylated antitumor agents on gastrointestinal tumors. ©The Author(s) 2019. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.