A Preparatory Virtual Reality Experience Reduces Anxiety before Surgery in Gynecologic Oncology Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Perioperative anxiety is common among patients undergoing surgery, potentially leading to negative outcomes. Immersive virtual reality (VR) has shown promise in reducing anxiety in various clinical settings. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of VR in reducing perioperative anxiety in patients undergoing gynecological oncology surgery and was conducted as a single-center, double-arm, single-blinded randomized controlled trial at the Gold Coast University Hospital, Queensland, Australia.

Two case studies of cardiac arrest occurring in medically fit patients undergoing radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer.

We report case histories of two young women who had an intraoperative cardiac arrest, potentially caused by preoperative emotional stress, while undergoing open radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer. Neither had any history of heart disease or other comorbidities. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, a form of stress cardiomyopathy characterized by acute reversible ventricular dysfunction that can occur in the perioperative period, was the cause in one patient.

Examining word association networks: A cross-country comparison of women's perceptions of HPV testing and vaccination.

In this study, we examined the perceptual associations women hold with regard to cervical cancer testing and vaccination across two countries, the U.S. and Australia.

Macrosomic and low birth weight neonates in Pacific Islanders from Samoa: a case-control study.

Background: To assess the perinatal morbidity and mortality of macrosomic (>4500 g) and low birth weight (LBW) (<2500 g) neonates in a Pacific Islander population (PIP) from Samoa compared to a Caucasian population (CP).

Methods: Case-control study. Clinical data were extracted by chart review.

Improvements in progression-free and overall survival due to the use of anti-angiogenic agents in gynecologic cancers.

In ovarian cancer (OC), the best established anti-angiogenic drug, bevacizumab, has demonstrated only modest prolonged progression free survival (PFS) and no increased overall survival (OS). The unanswered question is in which clinical situation bevacizumab might benefit ovarian cancer patients most. The cost-benefit analysis in the primary treatment was found not to be favorable but the use in the recurrent OC setting might be more compelling.

New perspectives in ovarian cancer treatment.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is increasingly understood as a heterogeneous disease comprising distinct subtypes of different origin that vary significantly with regard to molecular biology and clinical behaviour. Despite some limited progress in its treatment over the last decade, currently there are few therapeutic options and overall survival remains poor. Increasing knowledge about the molecular biology of ovarian cancer has led to the development of targeted therapies which promise to be more effective and to provide the basis for personalized treatment.

Management of nonpregnant women with elevated human chorionic gonadotropin.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is useful in evaluating and monitoring early pregnancy as well as trophoblastic disease. Here we describe the management of women with elevated serum human chorionic gonadotropin in a case of a 51-year-old female who was unsuccessfully treated for ectopic pregnancy. She was subsequently diagnosed with pituitary hCG production, which should be considered as differential diagnosis before treatment is initiated.

Uterine packing with chitosan-covered gauze for control of postpartum hemorrhage.

Objective: To describe the use of gauze covered with chitosan, a potent hemostatic agent derived from chitin, in the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH).

Study Design: Patients suffering from postpartum hemorrhage were treated by uterine packing with chitosan-covered gauze, either through the hysterotomy in case of cesarean delivery or transvaginally, for up to 24 hours.

Results: Chitosan-covered gauze was used in 19 cases of postpartum hemorrhage due to uterine atony, placenta accreta/increta, or anticoagulation, including 5 severe cases where a hysterectomy seemed inevitable otherwise.

The prognostic value of estrogen receptor beta and proline-, glutamic acid- and leucine-rich protein 1 (PELP1) expression in ovarian cancer.

Background: Proline-, glutamic acid-, and leucine-rich protein 1 (PELP1), a coregulator of the estrogen receptors (ERs) alpha and beta, is a potential proto-oncogene in hormone dependent gynecological malignancies. To better understand the role of PELP1 in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), the protein expression and prognostic significance of PELP1 was evaluated together with ERalpha and ERbeta in EOC tissues.

Methods: The expression of PELP1, ERalpha, and ERbeta was characterized in tumor tissues of 63 EOC patients.

Expression of Bcl-2 and the antiapoptotic BAG family proteins in ovarian cancer.

In epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), literature on the prognostic value of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) is limited and inconsistent. Little is known about the expression patterns and the prognostic value of prosurvival proteins of the Bcl-2-associated athanogene (BAG) family proteins interacting with Bcl-2. The major aim of this study was to further define the expression pattern and the prognostic role of Bcl-2 together with BAG-1, BAG-3, and BAG-4 proteins in EOC patients receiving platinum/taxane-based chemotherapy.

Postpartum hemorrhage: use of hemostatic combat gauze.

Cheap and simple interventions that are intended to minimize postpartum hemorrhage are of major public health concern. We report a case of postpartum hemorrhage in which conservative interventions had failed. The use of a chitosan-covered gauze that originally was developed for combat trauma allowed us to achieve hemostasis, and a seemingly inevitable hysterectomy was avoided.

Optimized grating coupler with fully etched slots.

A grating coupler with fully etched slots is optimized for fiber coupling into SOI slab waveguides. Such coupler can be produced in one lithography step together with other SOI components. Theoretical maximal coupling efficiency of 49% is demonstrated with a 3 dB bandwidth of 35 nm.

Forced coughing versus local anesthesia and pain associated with cervical biopsy: a randomized trial.

Objective: Cervical biopsy often causes discomfort and pain. To compare local anesthesia (1% lidocaine) with forced coughing as pain relief, we quantified the actual pain experienced during cervical punch biopsies.

Study Design: For a prospective trial conducted at the Medical University of Vienna, 68 women undergoing cervical punch biopsies for assessment of abnormal cervical smears were randomized in 2 pain relief treatment groups.

The neuronal guidance cue Slit2 induces targeted migration and may play a role in brain metastasis of breast cancer cells.

Cell migration is essential in many diverse processes ranging from embryonic development to wound healing and immune response. Cancer cells have recently been shown to utilize chemoattraction mechanisms mediated by chemokines and their respective receptors, e.g.

CXCR4 is expressed in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast and in atypical ductal hyperplasia.

Recent evidence attributed important influence of chemokines and their receptors on motility, homing, and proliferation of cancer cells at specific metastatic sites. Here we report that the CXCL12 (SDF-1alpha) chemokine receptor CXCR4 is expressed in human ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) as well as in atypical ductal hyperplasia. CXCR4 was expressed in pure DCIS and DCIS with concurrent invasive disease.

Evaluation of MUC1 splice variants as prognostic markers in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast.

Despite intense research in the field of breast cancer it still remains the most common cancer in women in the Western world. A decreasing trend in mortality was mainly achieved by improved early detection which led to an increased incidence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast. For the patient's prognosis and the administration of a patient-tailored therapy strategy it is crucial to identify diagnostic and prognostic markers for high-risk DCIS patients.

Expression of MUCI splice variants correlates with invasive growth of breast cancer cell lines.

On the basis of alternative splicing the human breast cancer associated MUCI gene codes for different protein products. MUCI splice variants A and B have been shown to be determined by a single A/G nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in exon 2 of the MUCI gene. We now describe two new splice variants C and D and show by that in human breast cancer cell lines there is selective co-expression of these variants, namely co-expression of variants A and D.

Expression of MUC1 splice variants in benign and malignant ovarian tumours.

MUC1 is expressed on the surface of ovarian cancer cells. Nine different splice variants of MUC1 have been described, but no study has reported on the expression of MUC1 isoforms in human ovarian cancer. Our study compares patterns of expression of MUC1 splice variants of malignant and benign ovarian tumours.