Evaluation of somatic copy number variation detection by NGS technologies and bioinformatics tools on a hyper-diploid cancer genome.

Background: Copy number variation (CNV) is a key genetic characteristic for cancer diagnostics and can be used as a biomarker for the selection of therapeutic treatments. Using data sets established in our previous study, we benchmark the performance of cancer CNV calling by six most recent and commonly used software tools on their detection accuracy, sensitivity, and reproducibility. In comparison to other orthogonal methods, such as microarray and Bionano, we also explore the consistency of CNV calling across different technologies on a challenging genome.

Eligibility and Radiologic Assessment for Adjuvant Clinical Trials in Kidney Cancer.

Purpose: To harmonize the eligibility criteria and radiologic disease assessment definitions in clinical trials of adjuvant therapy for renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Method: On November 28, 2017, US-based experts in RCC clinical trials, including medical oncologists, urologic oncologists, regulators, biostatisticians, radiologists, and patient advocates, convened at a public workshop to discuss eligibility for trial entry and radiologic criteria for assessing disease recurrence in adjuvant trials in RCC. Multiple virtual meetings were conducted to address the issues identified at the workshop.

Eligibility and Radiologic Assessment in Adjuvant Clinical Trials in Bladder Cancer.

Objective: To harmonize eligibility criteria and radiographic disease assessments in clinical trials of adjuvant therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).

Methods: National experts in bladder cancer clinical trial research, including medical and urologic oncologists, radiologists, biostatisticians, and patient advocates, convened at a public workshop on November 28, 2017, to discuss eligibility, radiographic entry criteria, and assessment of disease recurrence in adjuvant clinical trials in patients with MIBC.

Results: The key workshop conclusions for adjuvant MIBC clinical trials included the following points: (1) patients with urothelial carcinoma with divergent histologic differentiation should be allowed to enroll; (2) neoadjuvant chemotherapy is defined as at least 3 cycles of neoadjuvant cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy; (3) patients with muscle-invasive, upper-tract urothelial carcinoma should be included in adjuvant trials of MIBC; (4) patients with severe renal insufficiency can enroll into trials using agents that are not renally excreted; (5) patients with microscopic surgical margins can be included; (6) patients should undergo a standard bilateral lymph node dissection prior to enrollment; (7) computed tomographic (CT) imaging should be performed within 4 weeks prior to enrollment.

Femorofemoral Crossover Bypass Graft Has Excellent Patency When Performed with EVAR for AAA with UIOD.

Objectives: To compare the durability of the crossover femorofemoral bypass graft (CFFBG) in combination with aorto-uni-iliac stent graft (AUIS) for abdominal aortic aneurysm with the durability of CFFBG used in the treatment of unilateral iliac occlusive disease (UIOD).

Methods: We analyzed the clinical records of 69 patients who underwent CFFBG from 1992 until 2010. Group I consisted of 34 patients who received CFFBGs in combination with AUIS.

Lung sounds: how doctors draw crackles and wheeze.

Background: The content of medical records is a potential source of miscommunication between clinicians. Doctors' written entries have been criticised for their illegibility and ambiguity, but no studies have examined doctors' drawings that are commonly used for recording auscultation findings.

Objective: To compare doctors' drawings of auscultation findings, based on identical clinical information.

Making electronic prescribing alerts more effective: scenario-based experimental study in junior doctors.

Objective: Expert authorities recommend clinical decision support systems to reduce prescribing error rates, yet large numbers of insignificant on-screen alerts presented in modal dialog boxes persistently interrupt clinicians, limiting the effectiveness of these systems. This study compared the impact of modal and non-modal electronic (e-) prescribing alerts on prescribing error rates, to help inform the design of clinical decision support systems.

Design: A randomized study of 24 junior doctors each performing 30 simulated prescribing tasks in random order with a prototype e-prescribing system.

The incidence of peripheral arterial embolism in association with a patent foramen ovale (right-to-left shunt).

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine a cohort of patients who had suffered an arterial embolism to see whether a patent foramen ovale (PFO) was an identifiable cause.

Design: This study was conducted in two parts; a retrospective limb involving an audit of patient records over a period of 10 years, and a prospective limb including selected patients from that audit to search for a PFO using an agitated saline test with transcranial Doppler ultrasound monitoring of the anterior cerebral artery. Data on patients with peripheral vascular disease were collected using a structured questionnaire.

Presenting patient data in the electronic care record: the role of timelines.

Objective: To establish the current level of awareness and investigate the use of timelines within clinical computing systems as an organized display of the electronic patient record (EPR).

Design: Multicentre survey conducted using questionnaires and interview.

Setting: Seven UK hospitals and several general practice surgeries.