Latest news with #BESPOKE
Arabian Post
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Arabian Post
A Constellation of Stars Shine at LANDMARK Honoring Eternal Maternal Love with the Brilliance of Natural Diamonds
As LANDMARK's inaugural large-scale promotion centred on natural diamonds, this celebration embodies De Beers Group's vision of celebrating life's precious moments with natural diamonds while deepening public appreciation for their unique value and enduring legacy. Over two weeks, the pure brilliance of natural diamonds intertwines with the warmth of familial bonds, creating an immersive experience that blends heartfelt emotions, timeless heritage, and unparalleled luxury. Selected public spaces across LANDMARK, including Chater House, Alexandra House, and the 2nd floor of LANDMARK, have been transformed into an artistic haven, showcasing interactive installations crafted by Hong Kong-based artist Kitty Wong. These installations tenderly capture the essence of a mother's love, tracing the journey of love that deepens with time. This powerful connection mirrors the journey of natural diamonds, rooted in legacy and passed through generations, symbolising deep gratitude, lasting connection, and cherished memories. Guests are invited to explore a curated 'diamond route' map, guiding them through engaging activations and exclusive promotions, inviting exploration of the distinctive jewellery and watch boutiques at LANDMARK. Members of LANDMARK's BESPOKE loyalty programme are entitled to receive additional 1x BESPOKE rewards points for single-receipt natural diamond purchases above HKD50,000 from selected LANDMARK tenants* during the campaign period. (Please refer to the BESPOKE official page for more information.) To elevate the festive spirit, LANDMARK presents two limited-time activities to create unforgettable memories with visiting guests: From now until 9 May, guests who capture a photo at the Ferris Wheel installation on LANDMARK's 2nd floor, follow @landmarkhk and @adiamondisforever on Instagram, sharing their photo with hashtags #TheGiftOfForever, #Landmarkhk, and #ADiamondisForever are entitled to redeem a limited-edition 'The Gift of Forever' doughnut from Pinky Bakery. Available to the first 50 guests daily, on a first-come, first-served basis. On Mother's Day – 11 May, from 12 PM to 2 PM, guests who photograph the mother-daughter-themed art installation at Chater House, follow @landmarkhk and @adiamondisforever on Instagram, and share their photo with hashtags #TheGiftOfForever, #Landmarkhk, and #ADiamondisForever will receive an exclusive Mother's Day floral bouquet, also available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. (Details subjected to LANDMARK's official information.) The exclusive 'Natural Diamond Workshops' presented for our distinguished guests, has successfully concluded. Attendees described it as an unforgettable experience in diamond by experts from the De Beers Institute of Diamonds, participants delved into the 4Cs—colour, cut, carat size, and clarity—while experiencing the rare opportunity to approach a 297-carat rough diamond and kimberlite rock, the natural cradle of diamonds. State-of-the-art detection instruments amazed guests by distinguishing natural from lab-grown diamonds in seconds with absolute precision, sparking lively discussions. The workshops also showcased the Entice collection pieces by diamond supplier KGK Group, featuring nearly 100-carat of breathtaking natural diamond jewelleries, embodying the stones' unparalleled brilliance. Enriching the workshops, London-based multi-disciplinary artist Annette Fernando contributed three charcoal drawings, intricately depicting the formation and radiance of natural diamonds. Her works seamlessly blend diamond motifs with spatial artistry, which symbolises purity and eternity, resonating with the campaign's theme whilst evoking timeless radiance. Fernando shared, 'My drawings trace the diamond's journey, using charcoal—a medium tied to diamonds through their shared carbon origins, yet transformed by nature's diverse processes. This echoes the resilience and unique beauty of maternal love.' Her creations offered guests a profound visual and emotional experience. *Participating brands include A. Lange & Söhne, Bovet, Boghossian, Buccellati, Bvlgari, Cartier, CHANEL (Fine Jewellery Boutique), Chopard, De Beers London, DIOR, Hermès, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Lane Joaillier, Louis Vuitton, Patek Philippe, Tiffany & Co., Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Wai Kee Jewellers, and Yewn. Hashtag: #TheGiftOfForever #LANDMARKHK #MothersDay #ADiamondisForever #NaturalDiamonds #Diamonds The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About De Beers Group Established in 1888, De Beers Group is the world's leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining, marketing and retailing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers Group employs more than 20,000 people across the diamond pipeline and is the world's largest diamond producer by value, with diamond mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. Innovation sits at the heart of De Beers Group's strategy as it develops a portfolio of offers that span the diamond value chain, including its jewellery houses, De Beers Jewellers and Forevermark, and other pioneering solutions such as diamond sourcing and traceability initiatives Tracr and GemFair. De Beers Group also provides leading services and technology to the diamond industry in the form of education and laboratory services via De Beers Institute of Diamonds and a wide range of diamond sorting, detection and classification technology systems via De Beers Group Ignite. De Beers Group is committed to 'Building Forever,' a holistic and integrated approach for creating a better future – where safety, human rights and ethical integrity continue to be paramount; where communities thrive and the environment is protected; and where there are equal opportunities for all. De Beers Group is a member of the Anglo American plc group. For further information, visit About LANDMARK LANDMARK represents the epitome of top-tier luxury shopping and lifestyle experiences. Drawing from a rich heritage which began in 1904 – LANDMARK today is the luxury shopping destination of Hongkong Land's Central portfolio including 4 iconic connected buildings, LANDMARK ATRIUM, LANDMARK ALEXANDRA, LANDMARK CHATER and LANDMARK PRINCE'S. LANDMARK offers approximately 208 of the finest stores and restaurants, all seamlessly linked by pedestrian bridges. From high fashion and accessories to watches and jewellery, from luxury living to beauty and grooming, from international cuisine to authentic gourmet dining, LANDMARK brings the ultimate shopping experience to the discerning customer.
Medscape
06-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
ctDNA Positivity in CRC Links to Chemotherapy Response
SAN DIEGO — Molecular residual disease (MRD) positivity, as detected via circulating tumor (ct) DNA following curative resection, was significantly associated with improved disease-free survival after chemotherapy in patients with stage II or III colorectal cancer (CRC), the results of the BESPOKE study showed. 'These findings highlight the value of utilizing ctDNA to select which patients should receive management chemotherapy and which patients can be potentially spared chemotherapy's physical, emotional, and financial toxicities without compromising their long-term outcomes,' said first author Kim Magee, of Natera, Inc., in Austin, Texas. 'ctDNA is emerging as the most powerful and prognostic biomarker in colorectal cancer,' said Magee, who presented the findings at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2025. In stage II CRC, as many as 80% of patients are cured by surgery alone, while only about 5% benefit from chemotherapy. In stage III CRC, about half of patients are cured by surgery alone, while only 20% benefit from chemotherapy, and 30% recur despite chemotherapy, Magee explained. The inability to pinpoint which patients will most benefit from chemotherapy means 'we know we are needlessly treating [many] of these patients,' she said. ctDNA Offers Insights Into Tumor's Real-Time Status Just as cells release fragments (cell-free DNA) into the blood as they regenerate, tumor cells also release fragments — ctDNA — which can represent a biomarker of a cancer's current state, Magee explained. Because the DNA fragments have a half-life of only about 2 hours, they represent a key snapshot in real time, 'as opposed to imaging, which can take several weeks or months to show changes,' she said. To determine the effects of ctDNA testing on treatment decisions and asymptomatic recurrence rates, Magee and colleagues analyzed data from the multicenter, prospective study, which used the Signatera (Natera, Inc.) residual disease test. The study included 1794 patients with resected stage II-III CRC who were treated with the standard of care between May 2020 and March 2023 who had complete clinical and laboratory data available. ctDNA was collected 2-6 weeks post-surgery and at surveillance months 2, 4, 6, and every 3 months through month 24. Among the 1166 patients included in a final analysis, 694 (59.5%) patients received adjunctive chemotherapy, and 472 (40.5%) received no chemotherapy. Among those with stage II CRC, a postoperative MRD positivity rate was 7.54%, while the rate in those with stage III disease was 28.35%. Overall, 16.1% of patients had a recurrence by the trial end at 24 months. The results showed that among patients who tested negative for ctDNA, the disease-free survival estimates were highly favorable, at 91.8% for stage II and 87.4% for stage III CRC. Comparatively, for those who were ctDNA-positive, disease-free survival rates were just 45.9% and 35.5%, respectively, regardless of whether those patients received adjunctive chemotherapy. At the study's first ctDNA surveillance timepoint, patients who were ctDNA-positive with stage II and III CRC combined had substantially worse disease-free survival than patients who were ctDNA-negative (HR, 26.4; P < .0001). Impact of Chemotherapy Patients who were found to be MRD-positive on ctDNA testing and treated with chemotherapy had a 40.3% 2-year disease-free survival rate compared with just 24.7% among patients with MRD-positive who did not receive chemotherapy. Meanwhile, those who were MRD-negative and treated with chemotherapy had a substantially higher 2-year disease-free survival rate of 89.7% — nearly identical to the 89.5% observed in the no-chemotherapy group. The findings underscored that 'the adjuvant chemotherapy benefits were only observed among those who were ctDNA-positive,' Magee said. 'ctDNA can guide postsurgical treatment decisions by identifying which patients are most likely to benefit from chemotherapy, and in the surveillance setting, ctDNA can predict recurrence — usually ahead of scans,' she added. 'This opens the opportunity to intervene and give those patients a second chance at cure.' On the heels of major recent advances including CT, MRI, and PET-CT, 'we believe that ctDNA represents the next major pivotal advancement in monitoring and eventually better understanding cancer diagnostics,' Magee said. Commenting on the study, William M. Grady, MD, medical director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention Clinic in Seattle, said the BESPOKE trial represents a 'well-done' study, adding to research underscoring that 'MRD testing is a more accurate prognostic assay than the current standards of CT scan and CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen, a tumor marker) testing.' However, 'a limitation is that this is 2 years of follow-up, [while] 5-year follow-up data would be ideal,' he told Medscape Medical News , noting, importantly, that 'a small number of patients who have no evidence of disease (NED) at 2 years develop recurrence by 5 years.' Furthermore, more research demonstrating the outcomes of MRD detection is needed, Grady added. 'A caveat is that studies are still needed showing that if you change your care of patients based on the MRD result, that you improve outcomes,' he said. 'These studies are being planned and initiated at this time, from my understanding.' Oncologists treating patients with CRC are commonly performing MRD assessment with ctDNA assays; however, Grady noted that the practice is still not the standard of care. Regarding the suggestion of ctDNA representing the next major, pivotal step in cancer monitoring, Grady responded that 'I think this is aspirational, and further studies are needed to make this claim.' However, 'it does look like it has the promise to turn out to be true.'
