Addressing sexual health in oncology: perspectives and challenges for better care at a national level.

Introduction: The emotional impacts of oncological treatments can negatively affect sexual health and intimate relationships. Advances in cancer management have extended patient survival, underscoring the importance of addressing sexual health post-diagnosis.

Objectives: To explore physicians' practices regarding the approach to sexual health during oncological consultations; identifying barriers to addressing sexuality and assessing the need for sexual health training.

Quality of life in patients treated with breast cancer surgery and adjuvant systemic therapy and/or adjuvant radiotherapy in Uruguay.

Introduction: Breast cancer (BC) and its treatment can impair patient quality of life (QoL), and those undergoing more aggressive treatments may be more severely impacted. Objective: Assess the level of perception of the QoL of patients treated for BC at the Hospital de Clínicas and the Departmental Hospital of Soriano.

Materials And Methods: A questionnaire for cancer patients (EORTC, QLQ-C30) and one specific for BC (EORTC QLQ-BR23) were used.

Selecting postoperative adjuvant systemic therapy for early-stage breast cancer: An updated assessment and systematic review of leading commercially available gene expression assays.

Gene expression assays (GEAs) can guide treatment for early-stage breast cancer. Several large prospective randomized clinical trials, and numerous additional studies, now provide new information for selecting an appropriate GEA. This systematic review builds upon prior reviews, with a focus on five widely commercialized GEAs (Breast Cancer Index®, EndoPredict®, MammaPrint®, Oncotype DX®, and Prosigna®).

Arthralgia and myalgia associated with aromatase inhibitors: frequency and characterization in real-life patients.

Introduction: Adjuvant treatment with aromatase inhibitors (AI) in oestrogen receptor-positive and/or progesterone receptor-positive breast cancer (BC) has been shown to increase overall survival. However, arthralgias and myalgias are common adverse effects in patients treated with AI.

Objective: To evaluate the frequency and characteristics of arthralgias and myalgias in patients with early BC-treated adjuvantly with AI in the Mastology Unit of the Oncology Service of the Hospital de Clínicas and the Departmental Hospital of Soriano.

Efficacy of First-Line Treatment With Pertuzumab and Trastuzumab in Advanced Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Positive Breast Cancer in Routine Clinical Practice.

Background: The first-line treatment for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) involves a combination of trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and a taxane (TPH). This study assessed the efficacy of trastuzumab and pertuzumab (PH) in routine practice, following the treatment protocols of Uruguay's National Resources Fund (FNR), akin to clinical trials.

Methods: Patients with advanced MBC treated with PH between 2008 and 2022 per FNR protocols were evaluated.

Assessing Adherence to Adjuvant Hormone Therapy in Breast Cancer Patients in Routine Clinical Practice.

Background: Adjuvant hormone therapy (HT) in patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (BC) increases overall survival (OS). A lack of adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy is common, 31.0-73.

Survival and Time to Initiation of Adjuvant Chemotherapy Among Breast Cancer Patients in Uruguay.

Introduction: Increases in disease-free survival and overall survival (OS) with the use of adjuvant chemotherapy in early breast cancer (BC) are widely known; however, the optimal time to initiate treatment with adjuvant chemotherapy remains controversial.

Objective: To evaluate the time elapsed between surgery and the initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy and its possible impact on OS in patients diagnosed with BC stages I-III.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 112 patients diagnosed with BC stages I-III who received adjuvant chemotherapy at the Mastology Unit of the Hospital de Clínicas in Uruguay from 2009 to 2019.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care activities at a Uruguayan mastology unit.

Purpose: Health emergency due to COVID-19 started in Uruguay on March 13, 2020; our mastology unit tried to ensure adequate oncological care, and protect patients from the virus infection and complications.

Objective: To assess the health care activities in the "peak" of the pandemic during 3 months.

Materials And Methods: we collected data from the electronic health record.

Breast cancer management in middle-resource countries (MRCs): consensus statement from the Breast Health Global Initiative.

In middle resource countries (MRCs), cancer control programs are becoming a priority as the pattern of disease shifts from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases such as breast cancer, the most common cancer among women in MRCs. The Middle Resource Scenarios Working Group of the BHGI 2010 Global Summit met to identify common issues and obstacles to breast cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment in MRCs. They concluded that breast cancer early detection programs continue to be important, should include clinical breast examination (CBE) with or without mammography, and should be coupled with active awareness programs.

Gastrointestinal bleeding as the first manifestation of a burned-out tumour of the testis.

We discuss the clinical presentation and course of the disease of a 25-year-old male who had gastrointestinal (GIT) symptoms secondary to retroperitoneal lymph node proliferation of a germ-cell tumour of the testis. The pathology evaluation of the orchiectomy specimen classified it as a burned-out tumour of the testis, given the lack of tumour elements and the presence of typical scarring tissue. Biological is-sues leading to tumour regression are discussed, as well.