Selected Articles from This Issue

The TP53 p.R337H variant is a well-characterized founder mutation with an unusually high prevalence in Brazil. Pinto and colleagues integrated population-genetic inference with historical demographic modeling to reconstruct the introduction and expansion of the TP53 p.R337H in Brazil. Analyses support a founder effect arising from a single founding event of European origin during the early Portuguese colonization period. The findings clarify the evolutionary and demographic history of TP53 p.R337H in Brazil and underscore its founder effect origin during European colonization. This study highlights the value of integrating population genetics with historical data to elucidate the spread of medically relevant founder variants. Understanding the dissemination of TP53 p.R337H enhances public health planning and genetic counseling strategies in Brazil.Cancer patients with sepsis experience a higher mortality risk than non-cancer patients. As both cancer and sepsis are age-dependent, the burden of both diseases is expected to increase with demographic changes. The main aim of this study by Husby and colleagues was therefore to investigate whether cancer patients with sepsis differ from non-cancer patients with sepsis in terms of clinical characteristics and hospital mortality. Using national registry data, this unselected prospective cohort study explores the association between cancer and hospital mortality across sepsis patient subgroups defined by sex, age, and infecting microbe. The increased hospital mortality in cancer patients varied with cancer type and presence of metastasis. Knowledge of the specific aspects of sepsis in cancer patients may improve cancer care and guide future research on targeted sepsis therapiesMammographic parenchymal texture is a predictor of breast cancer risk, but knowledge of the clinical or epidemiologic factors that contribute to texture variability is limited. To refine understanding of what parenchymal texture features may reflect, Nyante and colleagues evaluated associations between texture features and established breast cancer risk factors in a contemporary population of postmenopausal women participating in breast cancer screening. Findings indicate that texture features in postmenopausal women reflect, in part, factors that change over time (e.g., BMI, breast area and thickness) and are less influenced by independent reproductive events (e.g., parity, age at first birth). The low proportion of variability explained suggests that texture patterns are related to unknown or under-investigated breast cancer risk mechanisms.The safety of using acetaminophen during pregnancy has been questioned due to concerns about its potential negative impact on fetal development and the risk of adverse pediatric outcomes. This study by Sirirungreung and colleagues investigated the effects of acetaminophen prescriptions during pregnancy on the risk of various childhood cancers using a large and national linkage database in Taiwan. Although this study did not show a strong association between acetaminophen prescription during pregnancy and many childhood cancers, data revealed a positive effect estimate for acetaminophen prescriptions throughout all trimesters of pregnancy for some rare cancers. Further research is needed to replicate these findings and to explore potential underlying mechanisms.