Emanuela Taioli

• Professor
• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Personalized medicine, including targeted and immunotherapy, has substantially changed the landscape of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). About 30% of NSCLC tumors have targetable mutations, like EGFR, and 28% of tumors will have a PD-L1 score or tumor mutation burden high enough to warrant immunotherapy; a molecular test prior to therapy assesse...

Background Personalized medicine, including targeted and immunotherapy, has substantially changed the landscape of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). About 30% of NSCLC tumors have targetable mutations, like EGFR, and about 28% of tumors will have a PD-L1 score or tumor mutation burden high enough to warrant immunotherapy; a molecular test prior t...

Background Limited research exists comparing the impacts of robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) and video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) on patients’ physical and mental health-related quality of life (QoL). Methods A prospective cohort of stage IA non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in the Initiative for Early Lung Cancer Research...

Background Asbestos exposure and its pathological consequences, especially malignant mesothelioma (MM) still represent a major public health problem on a global scale. After the ban of asbestos in most western countries, nonoccupational exposure plays an essential role in MM pathogenesis. However, few studies have quantified asbestos lung burden af...

Background/Objectives: Time to treatment initiation (TTI) has been identified as a predictor of survival in many cancers, but its impact on malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is unknown. This study investigates factors influencing TTI in MPM and its association with overall survival. Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)...

The collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) buildings in New York City generated a large plume of dust and smoke. WTC dust contained human carcinogens including metals, asbestos, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), persistent organic pollutants (POPs, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins), and benzene. Excess levels of many...

Purpose To assess the association between food insecurity and colorectal cancer screening uptake in screening eligible participants in New York State. Methods We analyzed 28,154 adults who participated in New York State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) from 2018 to 2021, were age-eligible for colorectal cancer screening based on...

Background Precision therapies, such as targeted and immunotherapies, have substantially changed the landscape of late-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Yet utilization of these therapies is disproportionate across strata defined by race and socioeconomic status (SES), possibly due to disparities in molecular diagnostic testing (or “biomark...

Background Surgery has been the standard procedure for resectable primary LC. Survival after stereotactic body radiation therapy, another treatment, is significantly biased due to preponderance of data from patients deemed unsuitable for surgery. We examined survival of patients refusing surgery in favor of radiation therapy. Methods We used the S...

Background Human papillomavirus (HPV)+ oropharynx cancer (OPC) has a more favorable prognosis than HPV-negative disease, but the impact of specific HPV genotype and phylogenic clade on patient outcomes is not well understood and has profound implications for treatment de-intensification. Methods The objective of this single-institution cohort stud...

Introduction Immunotherapy has improved survival in patients with advanced NSCLC. Efficacy may decrease when patients are treated with antibiotics, possibly due to gut microbiome disruption, but few studies have investigated this using real-world, patient-level populations in the United States. Methods We have analyzed antibiotic use in patients w...

e20621 Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. The advent of immunotherapy has transformed treatment paradigms for NSCLC. However, the use and effectiveness and immunotherapy may differ across racial groups and other sociodemographic factors, including sex, comorbidities, and community...

Multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests are blood-based tests designed to screen for signals of multiple cancers. There is growing interest and investment in examining the potential benefits and applications of MCED tests. If MCED tests are shown to have clinical utility, it is important to ensure that all people—regardless of their demographic o...

Background Few studies have examined the differential impact of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and surgery for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) on quality of life (QoL) during the first post-treatment year. Methods A prospective cohort of stage IA NSCLC patients undergoing surgery or SBRT at Mount Sinai Health System had QoL m...

Background Pulmonary noncalcified nodules (NCNs) attached to the fissural or costal pleura with smooth margins and triangular or lentiform, oval, or semicircular (LOS) shapes at low-dose CT are recommended for annual follow-up instead of immediate workup. Purpose To determine whether management of mediastinal or diaphragmatic pleura-attached NCNs (...

The causal attribution of asbestos related diseases to past asbestos exposures is of crucial importance in clinical and legal contexts. Often this evaluation is made based on the history of exposure, but this method presents important limitations. To assess past asbestos exposure, pleural plaques (PP), lung fibrosis and histological evidence of fer...

Introduction: Known carcinogens in the dust and fumes from the destruction of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers on 9 November 2001 included metals, asbestos, and organic pollutants, which have been shown to modify epigenetic status. Epigenome-wide association analyses (EWAS) using uniform (Illumina) methodology have identified novel epigenetic pr...

Background Asbestos lung content is regarded as the most reliable tool for causal attribution of malignant mesothelioma (MM) to previous asbestos exposures. However, there is a lack of studies on asbestos burden in lungs of MM patients in comparison with healthy individuals. This study aims to provide such a comparison, investigating, as well, diff...

Objectives Glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide in the USA; however, its safety is still under debate. We assessed glyphosate levels and their association with overall mortality in a representative sample of the US adult population from the 2013 to 2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Methods We extracted data on urinar...

Background In patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are an effective mode of treatment. Despite their efficacy, responses to ICIs have been shown to differ based on several factors; for example, antibiotic use prior to and/or during immunotherapy has been associated with lower survival in NSCLC patien...

A potential direct correlation between systemic inflammation and physiological aging has been suggested, along with whether there is a higher expression of inflammatory markers in otherwise healthy older adults. Cross-sectional data were extracted from the publicly available 2016 Health and Retirement Survey, a nationally representative survey of o...

Introduction: With increasing tobacco product varieties, understanding tobacco use (TU) profiles and their associations with tobacco dependence (TD) has also become increasingly challenging. Aims and methods: We aimed to identify TU profiles and their associations with TD over time, and to identify subgroups with high risk of TD. We included 346...

BACKGROUND Asbestos lung content is regarded as the most reliable tool for causal attribution of malignant mesothelioma (MM) to previous asbestos exposures. However, there is a lack of studies on asbestos burden in lungs of MM patients in comparison with healthy individuals. This study aims to provide such a comparison, investigating, as well, diff...

Immunotherapy has increased survival for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially for those diagnosed with late-stage disease. However, it is not known if its use is equally distributed across races. We assessed immunotherapy use in 21,098 pathologically confirmed stage IV NSCLC according to race in the Surveillance Epidemiology, and End Resu...

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) mortality has declined at a faster rate than incidence due to multiple factors, including changes in smoking behaviour, early detection which shifts diagnosis, and novel therapies. Limited resources require that we quantify the contribution of early detection versus novel therapies in improving lung c...

Background: Immunotherapy response rates in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are low and survival varies significantly. Factors like age, sex, race, and histology may modulate immunotherapy response. Existing analyses are limited to clinical trials, with limited generalizability, and meta-analyses where adjustment for potential confou...

Background: Prostate cancer incidence is highest for Black men of the African diaspora in the United States and Caribbean. Recent changes in recommendations for prostate cancer screening have been shown to decrease overall prostate cancer incidence and increase the likelihood of late stage disease. However, it is unclear how trends in prostate can...

The two-fold excess thyroid cancer risk reported in multiple World Trade Center (WTC) disaster exposed cohorts cannot entirely be explained by surveillance and physician bias thus highlighting the need to investigate the potential consequences of the dust exposure, containing carcinogenic and endocrine disruptive elements, on the thyroid. This stud...

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess procedure markup (charge-to-cost ratio) across lung resection procedures and examine variability by geographic region. Methods: Provider-level data for common lung resection operations was obtained from the 2015 to 2020 Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data datasets using Healthcare C...

Background: Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States (U.S.), with non-White people who smoke often bearing the burden of the highest rate of LC mortality. This is often due to later stage diagnoses, leading to poor prognosis and outcomes. We assess here how the eligibility criteria for LC screening set by...

Background: Pleural mesothelioma is rare cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Previous research has indicated that female individuals have better survival than male individuals, but this has never been examined in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database. Materials and methods: Malignant pleural mesothelioma cases...

Elongated mineral particles (EMPs) are a type of both occupational and environmental exposures that have generated interest in the scientific community due to their potential health effects. Their possible association with mesothelioma represents an area of concern. We provide an overview of the current challenges around epidemiological assessments...

The presentations in this session of the Monticello II conference were aimed at summarizing what is known about asbestiform and non-asbestiform elongate mineral particles (EMPs) and mesothelioma risks based on evidence from experimental and epidemiology studies. Dr. Case discussed case reports of mesothelioma over the last several decades. Dr. Taio...

Objective Indeterminate lung nodules have been increasingly discovered since the expansion of lung cancer screening programs. The diagnostic approach for suspicious nodules varies based on institutional resources and preferences. The aim of this study is to analyze factors associated with diagnostic modalities used for early-stage non-small cell lu...

Objective Research indicates that greater exposure to Hurricane Sandy is associated with increased mental health difficulties. This study examined whether Project Restoration, a program that linked adults into mental health care (L2C), was effective in reducing post-Sandy mental health difficulties as compared to a cohort of adults matched on menta...

Background: Patients with cancer are at risk for severe COVID-19. Previous studies examining mortality in cancer patients with COVID-19 have produced inconclusive results. Several published meta-analyses have aimed to estimate this association; however, because of methodological limitations in study selection and data aggregation, these studies do...

Background The role of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) expression in long-term survival has not been studied in patients with urinary bladder cancer (UBC). IFN-γ expression was characterized among various UBC patient cohorts to assess if IFN-γ status is associated with overall survival (OS). Methods A tumor-based IFN-γ gene signature was evaluated among...

Objectives To determine whether radiographic measures of tumor aggressiveness differ by smoking status. Materials and Methods All patients diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC)≤30mm in maximum diameter, without clinical evidence of metastasis who had both pre-treatment PET scans and two CT scans at least 90 days apart in a prospective c...

During the 9/11 attacks, individuals were exposed to World Trade Center (WTC) dust which contained a complex mixture of carcinogens. Epidemiologic studies have revealed the increased incidence of prostate and thyroid cancer in WTC survivors and responders. While reports have shown that WTC-dust associates with the increased prevalence of inflammato...

Background The aim of this ecological study was to assess the area-level relationship between cumulative death rate for COVID-19 and historic influenza vaccination uptake in the New York City population. Methods Predictors of COVID-19 death included self-reported influenza vaccination in 2017, as well as four CDC-defined risk factors of severe COV...

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) axis (collectively referred to as PD[L]1i) have demonstrated clinical benefits in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The purpose of this United States-based real-world study is to examine changes in the land...

Background In view of the 2013 American Thyroid Association consensus statement on outpatient thyroidectomy, the present study assessed the trends and factors associated with thyroid cancer surgery setting in older adults, using the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database. Materials and methods There were 14,495 patien...

Purpose Racial disparities persist among lung cancer patients but have not been adequately studied among Asian/Pacific Islander (API) subgroups, which are heterogeneous. This study compared clinical and demographic characteristics at diagnosis of API subgroups and NHW patients. Methods NHW and API adults diagnosed with lung cancer were identified...

The most common malignancies that develop in carriers of BAP1 germline mutations include diffuse malignant mesothelioma, uveal and cutaneous melanoma, renal cell carcinoma; less frequently breast cancer, several types of skin carcinomas and other tumor types. Mesotheliomas in these patients are significantly less aggressive and patients require a m...

Background Patients with early-stage non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have high survival rates, but patients often say they did not anticipate the effect of the surgery on their postsurgical quality of life (QoL). This study adds to the literature regarding patient and surgeon interactions and highlights the areas where the current approach is no...

Serving the catchment area has become an integral mission of cancer centers, and examining the geographic extent of cancer coverage is an important component aimed at efficiently maximizing care and reducing the cancer burden. In addition to cancer incidence and mortality, geographic analyses of cancer center coverage must also be measured by the n...

There is increased incidence of prostate cancer (PC) among World Trade Center (WTC)-exposed responders and community members, with preliminary evidence suggestive of more aggressive disease. While previous research is supportive of differences in DNA methylation and gene expression as a consequence of WTC exposure, as measured in blood of healthy i...

Background Although immunotherapy can increase survival in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), response rates are low. It is unclear which characteristics contribute to variability in immunotherapy efficacy and survival. Research is needed to identify reasons for heterogeneity in response rates to better tailor treatments. Methods Web of Science,...

To understand how observed COVID-19 diagnostic testing disparities across New York City (NYC) have impacted infection rates and COVID-19 spread, we examined neighborhood-level factors associated with, and the spatial distribution of, antibody test and infection rates, and compared changes over time by NYC ZIP code tabulation area (ZCTA). Data were...

Objective To determine the relationship between lung resection and the development of post-operative hiatal hernia. Methods Pre- and post-operative CT imaging from 373 patients from The International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP) and the Initiative for Early Lung Cancer Research on Treatment (IELCART) were compared at a median of 31.1...

Background It has been postulated that patient’s sex impacts response to immunotherapy. Sex modulation of immunotherapy benefit, however, has not yet been explored using patient-level data, where potential confounders, as well as histologic type, can be accounted for. Here we investigated the association between sex and chemoimmunotherapy efficacy...

Background The repercussions of climate change threaten the population with an increased prevalence of extreme climate events. We explored the impact of climate change induced sea level rise (SLR) and tropical cyclone (TC) exposure on mental illness symptom prevalence. Methods Using three datasets, TC exposure scores were calculated for each subje...

Understanding of unmet needs and their predictors among bladder cancer (BC) survivors is critical to optimize health care planning for patients. This study compares between younger (<65 Years) and older (≥65 Years) BC patients across seven domains of unmet needs (e.g., informational, psychological, supportive care, daily living, communication, logi...

Importance Early detection by computed tomography and a more attention-oriented approach to incidentally identified pulmonary nodules in the last decade has led to population stage shift for non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This stage shift could substantially confound the evaluation of newer therapeutics and mortality outcomes. Objective To in...

This study aimed to assess the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) school-related information New York City residents sought through the 311 Call Center. July to November inquiries were downloaded from the NYC Open Data website for 2018–2020. Calls were categorized as related to “Schools”, “Access”, “Food”, “Hospitals”, “Transportation”, and “Unemployme...

Objectives To examine whether hurricane exposure, lack of access to medical care (LAMC), and displacement during Hurricane Sandy were associated with PTSD and other mental health (MH) symptoms among older adult New York residents. Methods Participants ( N = 411) were ≥60 years old at the time of survey data collection (1–4 years post-Sandy). Outco...

Rationale: Lung cancer surgical morbidity has been decreasing, increasing attention to quality-of-life measures. A chronic sequela of lung cancer surgery is use of postoperative oxygen at home after discharge. Prospective studies are needed to identify risk predictors for home oxygen(HO2) use after curative lung cancer surgery. Objectives: To pr...

Background Given the interplay between race and comorbidities on COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, it is vital that testing be performed in areas of greatest need, where more severe cases are expected. The goal of this analysis is to evaluate COVID-19 testing data in NYC relative to risk factors for COVID-19 disease severity and demographic charact...

Background Cancer and dementia have often been studied in isolation. We aimed to examine the spatiotemporal trend of inpatient admissions with both cancer and dementia diagnoses. Methods Using state-wide inpatient claims data, we identified all hospital admissions for patients aged ≥50 years with both cancer and dementia diagnoses in New York Stat...

Introduction Computed tomography (CT) and fluorodeoxyglucose-positron-emission-tomography (FDG-PET) measurements of mediastinal lymph nodes (MLNs) of patients with non-small-cell-lung-cancers (NSCLCs) ≤ 30 mm in maximum diameter are recommended for pre-surgical prediction of MLN metastases. Methods We reviewed all patients at Mount Sinai Health Sy...

Problem Given recent downward trends in daily rates of COVID-19 vaccinations, it is important to reassess strategies to reach those most vulnerable. The success and efficacy of vaccination campaigns for other respiratory illnesses, such as influenza, may help inform messaging around COVID-19 vaccinations. Method of study This cross-sectional study...

Background The repercussions of climate change threaten the population with an increased prevalence of extreme climate events. We explored the impact of climate change induced sea level rise (SLR) and tropical cyclone (TC) exposure on mental illness symptom prevalence. Methods Using three datasets, TC exposure scores were calculated for each subje...

Objectives: To develop and validate a clinical frailty index to characterize aging among responders to the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) attacks. Methods: This study was conducted on health monitoring data on a sample of 6197 responders. A clinical frailty index, WTC FI-Clinical, was developed according to the cumulative deficit model of frailty. T...

Background New York City (NYC) was the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is home to underserved populations with higher prevalence of chronic conditions that put them in danger of more serious infection. Little is known about how the presence of chronic risk factors correlates with mortality at the population level. Here we determine the rela...

Background Although the value of DACA medical students has been hypothesized, no data are available on their contribution to US healthcare. While the exact number of DACA recipients in medical school is unknown, DACA medical students are projected to represent an increasing proportion of physicians in the future. The current literature on DACA stud...

An excess risk of thyroid cancer has been reported in different World Trade Center (WTC)-dust exposed cohorts. Increased surveillance of these cohorts has been suggested as a potential explanation of this reported excess thyroid cancer risk leading to an increased diagnosis of earlier-stage thyroid cancers. However, the uncertainty to what extent s...

Objectives: Hurricane Sandy made landfall across New York City (NYC) in October 2012, but the long-term consequences of the storm are still not fully understood. We analyzed NYC data to quantify the extent of Hurricane Sandy-related concerns over time. Methods: Data on NYC 311 Call Center inquiries were downloaded from the NYC Open Data website...

e20536 Background: Lung cancer population mortality has decreased over the last decade. Smoking cessation, medical therapies, CT screening, and earlier therapeutic interventions may all contribute to this decrease. We investigate the role of stage shift on population mortality of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Data from Surveillance,...