Publications by authors named "Bitran J"

Purpose Of Review: Although financial wellness is a predictor of physician burnout, we are yet to optimize financial education or wellness of Urology trainees. We assessed existing studies, compared them to those of other specialties, and discussed resources and methods to address this deficiency.

Recent Findings: Urology residents tend to be less fiscally savvy (carry significant debt, and lack retirement savings or disability insurance), and 90% of trainees and young Urologists do not feel comfortable with the business of practice, including skills like coding and billing, contract negotiation, and self-value assessment.

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Post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) are a commonly occurring condition following solid organ transplantation (SOT) and, rarely, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). As the name suggests, a PTLD is a condition where there is a clonal proliferation of lymphoid cells that occurs as a complication after transplantation. Though the clonal origin cell is primarily associated with the B-cell lineage, there are existing cases in the literature describing PTLD from the T-cell lineage.

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Plasma cell neoplasms include various conditions ranging from indolent conditions such as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) to more aggressive forms such as multiple myeloma (MM). The World Health Organization classifies plasmacytomas into two types: solitary osseous plasmacytoma (SOP) and extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP). Most primary EMPs occur in the upper gastrointestinal tract, head and neck, upper respiratory system, central nervous system, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys.

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Objective: To report a case of postmortem sperm retrieval with prolonged viability and motility.

Design: Case report.

Setting: Hospital and Medical Examiner Department.

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The prostate is a rare site for the occurrence of lymphoma and accounts for 0.1% of newly diagnosed lymphomas. Patients with prostatic lymphoma exhibit similar symptoms to that of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate carcinoma, such as obstructive and irritative urinary signs.

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The multicohort phase 1b KEYNOTE-013 study (NCT01953692) evaluated the safety and efficacy of pembrolizumab in patients with relapsed or refractory NHL who were ineligible for or failed hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Patients received pembrolizumab (cohort 4) or pembrolizumab plus lenalidomide (cohort 5). Primary end points were safety and objective response rate (ORR) per IWG 2007 criteria.

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The abscopal effect is a systemic immune response mediated by the effects of radiation on the immune system. This effect has been observed in a number of cancer types in addition to lung cancer, including but not limited to renal cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, lymphoma, and melanoma. The combination of radiation therapy and immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) acts at several stages of the antitumor response, suggesting a mechanism of synergy between the two modalities.

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Immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a systemic disease in which different systems such as kidneys, heart, and lungs are affected by the deposition of amyloid, a form of fibrillary protein. Usually, it occurs in patients with pre-existing diagnoses of plasma cell dyscrasias and is rarely seen in the concurrence of marginal zone lymphoma (MZL). Earlier interventions with cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone in conjunction with newer therapies such as bortezomib, carfilzomib or lenalidomide, and pomalidomide are being used to treat patients with AL amyloidosis.

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Amyloidosis is a rare disease that involves the extracellular deposition of abnormally folded proteins, precipitating organ dysfunction. Pulmonary amyloidosis is frequently characterized by the AL amyloid subtype and can be localized or associated with systemic involvement, presenting in a nodular, diffuse alveolar-septal, or tracheobronchial pattern. Presentation of disease can vary from clinically silent to severe.

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Identifying effective combination regimens is a high priority in multiple myeloma (MM), as most patients eventually become refractory to their current treatments. In this study, we investigated whether the proteasome inhibitor (PI) ixazomib could delay disease progression among patients who failed regimens containing another PI, bortezomib or carfilzomib. This phase 1/2, multicenter, open-label, nonrandomized study enrolled patients who were refractory to a previous regimen containing bortezomib or carfilzomib.

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Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is an extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma confined to the brain, leptomeninges, spinal cord, or eyes without systemic involvement. Nearly half of patients with PCNSL who achieve complete remission, relapse within five years. The majority of patients who relapse have a local recurrence.

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Migration of abdominal wall mesh in an augmented bladder is a rarely encountered complication leading to formation of bladder stones causing recurrent urinary tract symptoms. The usual management of this condition involves either open surgical or a percutaneous approach for removal of the stone and migrated portion of mesh. Diagnosis of a migrated mesh is usually made intraoperatively during cystolitholapaxy.

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Increased risk for the development of therapy-induced myeloid leukemia following the treatment of breast cancer has typically been associated with the use of regimens containing anthracyclines or alkylating agents. We present two cases of estrogen receptor-positive/progesterone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (ER+/PR+/HER2+) breast cancer patients, treated with a non-anthracycline, non-alkylating regimen of trastuzumab, carboplatin, docetaxel, and pertuzumab (TCHP), who developed therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) within 30 months of the completion of treatment. Both patients had marked cytogenetic abnormalities, including deletions of chromosomes 5 and 7, and highly aggressive disease that resulted in a poor prognosis.

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Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) represents around one quarter of non-Hodgkin lymphomas in both the United States and globally. The activated B-cell (ABC) subtype of DLBCL is associated with higher relapse rates and a worse prognosis when treated with standard regimens in comparison to other subtypes of DLBCL. Recent studies have demonstrated a potential benefit with combination of dose-adjusted rituximab, etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin (DA-REPOCH) in comparison to standard combination chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) in ABC DLBCL patients.

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Radical prostatectomy (RP) represents one of the most commonly used first-line treatment modalities in men with localized prostate cancer. One of the most feared post-surgical complications is erectile dysfunction (ED), usually caused by direct damage to the cavernous nerves or due to neuropraxia. Penile rehabilitation is an emerging concept that was proposed to stimulate and accelerate recovery of erectile function after RP.

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Purpose: To evaluate the effect of short-acting 4.5% nasal testosterone gel (Natesto) on serum testosterone, gonadotropins, total motile sperm count, health related quality of life and sexual function.

Materials And Methods: This was a single institution, open label, single arm trial conducted between November 2017 and September 2019 at the University of Miami.

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Deformities of bones of the face and extremities are markers of leprosy (Hansen's disease) which contribute to stigma associated with this disease. Among these deformities are articular alterations that can mimic rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this case, a 64-year-old man presented with a history of having been treated for lepromatous leprosy and erythema nodosum leprosum episodes, which evolved with joint alterations similar to those of RA.

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Design: Video presentation.

Setting: University hospital.

Patients: A 53-year-old male presents with a history of a vasectomy performed 7 years prior.

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Purpose: Addressing unwarranted clinical variation in oncology is a high priority for health systems that aspire to ensure consistent levels of high-quality and cost-effective care. Efforts to improve clinical practice and standardize care have proven challenging. Advocate Physician Partners undertook a patient simulation-based practice measurement and feedback project that was focused on breast and lung cancer to engage oncologists in the care standardization process.

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Serum testosterone values vary considerably with little correlation to intratesticular testosterone (ITT). ITT is approximately ~100 times that of serum testosterone and is critical for spermatogenesis. Unfortunately, the only method to accurately measure ITT is invasive testicular aspiration and therefore is not performed routinely.

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The case of a 62-year-old woman who presented with stage IV adenocarcinoma of the left lung and a large left adrenal metastasis is presented. Following local radiation therapy to the left lung and nivolumab, she is now disease free 4.5 years from the time of the diagnosis.

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