First-Line Chemo-Immunotherapy in SCLC: Outcomes of a Binational Real-World Study.

Introduction: SCLC is characterized by aggressiveness and limited treatment options, especially in extensive-stage SCLC (ES-SCLC). Immunotherapy added to the platinum-etoposide combination has recently become standard in this setting. This retrospective study aims to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of chemo-immunotherapy in patients with ES-SCLC, focusing on subpopulations excluded from clinical trials.

The Referrer Matters. Musculoskeletal Surgical Conversion Rates: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis.

Background: Efficient musculoskeletal care is important for health services and society. Surgical conversion rates are a common measure of efficiency, yet normal values and the impact of referrer type are unclear. This information could assist musculoskeletal care, service benchmarking and redesign.

Efficacy of Stand-Alone Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion With PEEK Cages, BMP-2, and Allografts for Treating Discogenic Low Back Pain: Assessing Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes.

Background: Chronic low back pain secondary to degenerative disc disease is a significant public health issue worldwide, contributing to substantial health care burdens and patient disability. Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) has emerged as a promising surgical solution, offering benefits such as disc height restoration, reduced neural compression, and improved spinal alignment. This study evaluates the efficacy of stand-alone ALIF using polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages, structural femoral head allografts, and recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) in treating discogenic low back pain caused by degenerative disc disease.

Quantitative Optical Imaging of Oxygen in Brain Vasculature.

The intimate relationship between neuronal activity and cerebral oxygenation underpins fundamental brain functions like cognition, sensation, and motor control. Optical imaging offers a noninvasive approach to assess brain oxygenation and often serves as an indirect proxy for neuronal activity. However, deciphering neurovascular coupling─the intricate interplay between neuronal activity, blood flow, and oxygen delivery─necessitates independent, high spatial resolution, and high temporal resolution measurements of both microvasculature oxygenation and neuronal activation.

Prolonged bone health benefits for breast cancer patients following adjuvant bisphosphonate therapy: the BoHFAB study.

Adjuvant bisphosphonates are often recommended in postmenopausal women with early breast cancer at intermediate-to-high risk of disease recurrence, but the magnitude and duration of their effects on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers (BTMs) are not well described. We evaluated the impact of adjuvant zoledronate on areal BMD and BTMs in a sub-group of patients who had completed the large 5-yr randomized Adjuvant Zoledronic Acid to Reduce Recurrence (AZURE) trial. About 224 women (recurrence free) who had completed the AZURE trial within the previous 3 mo were recruited from 20 UK AZURE trial sites.