A Comprehensive Review of the Diagnosis, Treatment, and Management of Postmastectomy Pain Syndrome.

Purpose Of Review: Postmastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS) remains poorly defined, although it is applied to chronic neuropathic pain following surgical procedures of the breast, including mastectomy and lumpectomy in breast-conserving surgery. It is characterized by persistent pain affecting the anterior thorax, axilla, and/or medial upper arm following mastectomy or lumpectomy. Though the onset of pain is most likely to occur after surgery, there may also be a new onset of symptoms following adjuvant therapy, including chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis and Depression: a Comprehensive Review.

Purpose Of Review: The human gut microbiome is involved in a bi-directional communication pathway with the central nervous system (CNS), termed the microbiota-gut-brain axis. The microbiota-gut-brain axis is believed to mediate or modulate various central processes through the vagus nerve. The microbiota-gut-brain axis is involved with the production of microbial metabolites and immune mediators which trigger changes in neurotransmission, neuroinflammation, and behavior.

Current Perspectives on Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis and Depression.

The human gut microbiome partakes in a bidirectional communication pathway with the central nervous system (CNS), named the microbiota-gut-brain axis. The microbiota-gut-brain axis is believed to modulate various central processes through the vagus nerve as well as production of microbial metabolites and immune mediators which trigger changes in neurotransmission, neuroinflammation, and behavior. Little is understood about the utilization of microbiome manipulation to treat disease.

Long-term outcomes of breast-conserving therapy for women with ductal carcinoma in situ.

Purpose: Improved imaging, surgical techniques, and pathologic evaluation likely have decreased local recurrence rates for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). We present long-term outcomes of a large single-institution series after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and adjuvant radiation therapy (RT).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 245 women treated for DCIS with BCS and RT between 2001 and 2007.

Stem Cell Therapies for Treatment of Discogenic Low Back Pain: a Comprehensive Review.

Purpose Of Review: Discogenic low back pain (DLBP) stems from pathology in one or more intervertebral discs identified as the root cause of the pain. It is the most common type of chronic low back pain (LBP), representing 26-42% of attributable cases.

Recent Findings: The clinical presentation of DLBP includes increased pain when sitting, coughing, or sneezing, and experiencing relief when standing or ambulating.

Effects of Postmastectomy Radiation Therapy on Immediate Tissue Expander and Acellular Dermal Matrix Reconstruction: Results of a Prospective Clinical Trial.

Purpose: Postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) delivered to an immediate reconstruction increases the risk of surgical complications. Although acellular dermal matrix (ADM) has been used with immediate tissue expander (TE) reconstruction to improve cosmetic outcomes and minimize capsular contracture, there is a paucity of data on this approach in the setting of PMRT.

Methods And Materials: Thirty-two patients with stage I to III breast cancer were treated with mastectomy, immediate TE-ADM reconstruction, and PMRT between 2009 and 2012 in a prospective single-arm study.

Breast-cancer subtype, age, and lymph node status as predictors of local recurrence following breast-conserving therapy.

Purpose/objectives: Advances in breast-conserving therapy (BCT) have yielded local control rates comparable or superior to those of mastectomy. In this study, we sought to identify contemporary risk factors associated with local recurrence (LR) following BCT.

Methods: We analyzed a multi-institutional cohort of 2233 consecutive breast-cancer patients who underwent BCT between 1998 and 2007.