To translate the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-ELD14 (EORTC QLQ-ELD14) into Chinese and validate its effectiveness in China.

The Chinese version was developed through a rigorous translation and back-translation process based on the Brislin model, followed by cross-cultural adaptation through expert consultation. A total of 260 elderly cancer patients from a tertiary hospital in Tianjin were recruited between June 2024 and February 2025 to evaluate the instrument’s reliability and validity.

Among the 248 completed responses, the Chinese version of the EORTC QLQ-ELD14 demonstrated robust psychometric properties. The questionnaire comprises 7 dimensions (14 items), with item-level content validity indices ranging from 0.800 to 1.000 and a scale-level content validity index of 0.980. Exploratory factor analysis identified 7 underlying factors, accounting for 82.913% of the cumulative variance. Internal consistency was excellent, with a Cronbach’s α of 0.958 for the total scale and dimension alphas exceeding 0.800. Test–retest reliability was 0.849 for the total scale and ranged from 0.813 to 0.856 across dimension.

The Chinese version of the EORTC QLQ-ELD14 has good reliability and validity, which is suitable for evaluating the quality of life of elderly cancer patients within Chinese cultural contexts.

Although spiritual pain in cancer patients has been extensively studied, little is known about the spiritual pain experienced by bereaved caregivers in Japan.

This preliminary scale development aimed to clarify the structure of spiritual pain experienced by bereaved caregivers of cancer patients.

This preliminary scale development was conducted as a secondary analysis of the nationwide J-HOPE4 survey, a cross-sectional questionnaire study of bereaved family members of cancer patients. Thirty-five items related to spiritual pain were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA).

Responses were obtained from 930 bereaved caregivers in general hospitals and palliative care units. Seven constructs were obtained through the EFA: Loneliness, Life’s heartlessness, A sense of unfinished business, Distress over patient deterioration, Remorse, Regret, and A sense of loss.

This preliminary scale development provides insights into the structure of spiritual pain experienced by bereaved caregivers of cancer patients. Further validation using independent samples is required.

Seven factors of spiritual pain were identified among bereaved caregivers of cancer patients, and understanding this multidimensional experience may inform supportive care.

The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) is a unique multi-ligand member of the immunoglobulin superfamily that exists in both membrane-bound and soluble forms. Under physiological conditions, RAGE expression is low in most tissues; however, it is markedly upregulated in response to tissue injury, inflammation or metabolic stress. Ligand-induced activation of RAGE initiates complex intracellular signalling cascades that regulate inflammation, extracellular matrix remodelling, cell proliferation, survival and migration.

While the contribution of RAGE to diabetes and chronic inflammatory diseases is well established, its role in gynaecological disorders remains insufficiently characterized.

This comprehensive review summarizes current evidence on the involvement of RAGE in the pathogenesis of benign gynaecological disorders, such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), pregnancy-related complications and malignant neoplasms of the female reproductive tract.

It also discusses emerging therapeutic strategies aimed at targeting the RAGE pathway, highlighting their potential translational relevance in gynaecological practice.

To examine the psychometric properties of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) in Mexican cancer patients, and to evaluate their utility as brief screening measures for depressive and anxiety symptoms in oncology care.

In this cross-sectional study, 357 adult patients receiving oncological treatment at a cancer hospital in Mexico completed the culturally adapted Spanish versions of the PHQ-9 and GAD-7. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to assess the factorial structure of both instruments, and internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha. Concurrent validity was examined through correlations with related measures.

The PHQ-9 yielded a 2-factor structure with acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.837), while the GAD-7 showed a 1-factor structure with good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.881). The PHQ-9 explained 55.3% of the variance and the GAD-7 explained 58.5%. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated adequate model fit for both instruments.

Findings suggest that the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 are brief, valid, and reliable tools for detecting depressive and anxiety symptoms in Mexican cancer patients. Their use may facilitate the early identification of symptoms of anxiety and depression in oncology settings and support both clinical care and psycho-oncology research.

Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy (MCP) has shown significant promise in reducing existential distress and improving wellbeing in people with advanced cancer. Research is yet to explore the applicability and translation of MCP into an Indigenous Aotearoa New Zealand cultural context.

This research sought to explore the applicability of MCP within Aotearoa New Zealand. The objectives of this study were to investigate Indigenous patients’ experiences of an MCP trial and Indigenous therapists’ experiences of recruitment and MCP delivery within the trial.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 2 Indigenous patients with advanced cancer receiving MCP, 1 Indigenous support person, and 4 Indigenous health psychologists delivering MCP about their experience in the research trial. Participants were also asked their views on recruiting Indigenous populations into research trials, and on the applicability of MCP in Aotearoa New Zealand. Reflective thematic analysis was utilized to analyze interview transcripts.

This study showed that trust is central to recruiting Indigenous populations into research trials and contributed to the overall success of MCP delivery. Participants highlighted community trust and organizational mistrust as potential contributors toward recruitment challenges. Trust in the self, in others, and in culture was central to finding meaning through MCP. When conducted in a safe patient-centered therapeutic space, MCP concepts and meaning-making can integrate effectively into Te Ao Māori and an Indigenous context.

MCP concepts and delivery may integrate well into a Te Ao Māori framework. Care should be taken in future delivery of MCP within Aotearoa New Zealand, ensuring the patient-focused nature of the therapeutic modality is maintained, and the patient’s own connection with culture is the highest priority.

Lactosylceramides (LacCers) are glycosphingolipids that play essential roles in physiological and pathological processes across immune, endocrine, and neurological systems, with mechanistic studies demonstrating that LacCers modulate inflammatory signalling, oxidative stress responses, membrane microdomain organisation, and control aspects of mitochondrial function. Historically, LacCers were quantified predominantly as a total lipid subclass, limiting the ability to discern how individual species contribute to biological processes in clinical contexts. Recent advances in mass spectrometry based lipidomics now enable LacCer species to be resolved by acyl-chain length and saturation, offering far greater biochemical and clinical insights.

In this narrative review, we examine evidence from population based lipidomic studies describing how LacCer composition varies across healthy and diseased states.

In metabolic and vascular disorders, multiple studies report elevations in specific short- and medium-chain LacCer species, whereas patterns involving longer-chain species appear more heterogeneous. Altered LacCer profiles have also been described in neurodegenerative disease, chronic kidney disease, and cancers, with species-level differences varying by disease-context, tissue type, and analytical platform.

Our findings describe disease- and tissue-specific variations in LacCer acyl-chain composition, underscoring the value of species-level resolution for mechanistic understanding and informing the application of LacCer profiles in future biomarker and therapeutic studies.

Depression in cancer patients is a common condition that poses significant challenges for prognosis, treatment adherence, and quality of life. Its onset reflects the interplay of diverse biological, psychological, and social factors, which has been the focus of numerous studies.

We identified both systematic and non-systematic reviews examining cross-sectional or prospective studies reporting associations between DAFs and depression. We extracted data relative to DAFs, as well as the direction and statistical significance of the reported association. Consistency of findings was assessed by estimating the proportion of concordant studies (PCS) for each DAF. Methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed using a standardized tool.

We identified 73 reviews (26 systematic and/or meta-analyses, 47 narrative) encompassing 514 unique primary studies, reporting the associations between depression and 198 distinct DAFs. DAFs were grouped into six domains (sociodemographic, cancer-related, somatic, psychological, biological-genetic, and other). The strongest associations (PCS ≥ 75% and ≥5 studies) were observed for sociodemographic factors (e.g., high social support, being unmarried), inflammatory markers (IL-6, TNF-α, CRP), psychological factors (e.g., history of depression, distress, anxiety), and somatic factors (e.g., fatigue, low functional status, malnutrition). When restricting analyses to prospective studies, consistent associations emerged for cancer-related physical symptoms and time dedicated to patient communication.

Depression in cancer is multifactorial, with physical and psychosocial factors likely iteracting dynamically. Prospective studies are still greatly needed. Further research on risk and protective factors may facilitate risk stratification, early diagnosis and patient management.

While there have been reports on the relationship between cancer and depression, reports on the association between cancer and manic states, a reciprocal state of depression, have been relatively few. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review on the relationships between cancer and manic states, focusing on their etiology, clinical course, and impact on cancer treatments.

A systematic review was conducted using four electronic databases, following the PRISMA guidelines. The scope of the study included research on manic or hypomanic states associated with cancer in patients with no prior history of mental illness, published from 1950 to August, 2021. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020182372).

Fifty-six studies, including 67 cases, were identified. The etiology of manic states in cancer patients was classified into organic, drug-induced, and psychogenic, with steroids being the most predominant causative agent. Approximately half of the patients discontinued cancer treatment following the onset of manic states. This was associated with a low rate of pharmacological treatment during the acute and maintenance phase of mania. The onset of manic states was most frequent during cancer treatment; however, about 15% of the cases exhibit manic symptoms before cancer diagnosis.

This systematic review illustrated the clinical characteristics of manic state regarding differences in the etiology, timing of onset, pharmacological treatments, duration to remission, recurrence, and impact on cancer treatment. Manic states, which are comorbid with cancer, have significant clinical impacts on cancer prognosis. Therefore, appropriate pharmacological treatment for manic states is critical to consolidate appropriate cancer treatment. A substantial proportion of patients exhibit manic symptoms prior to the diagnosis of cancer, warranting further investigation into the possibility of the concept of “premonitory mania.”