Patterns of follow-up care in adult blood cancer survivors-Prospective evaluation of health-related outcomes, resource use, and quality of life.

Background: Information about follow-up care in blood cancer survivors is limited. The questionnaire-based "Aftercare in Blood Cancer Survivors" (ABC) study aimed to identify patterns of follow-up care in Germany and compare different types of follow-up institutions.

Methods: The study's 18-month prospective part compared the follow-up institutions identified in the preceding retrospective part (academic oncologists, community oncologists, primary care physicians).

Health-Related Complications during Follow-Up and Their Impact on Blood Cancer Survivors: Results from the "Aftercare in Blood Cancer Survivors" (ABC) Study.

Introduction: Blood cancer survivors are at increased risk for medical complications.

Methods: Our questionnaire-based study involved 1,551 blood cancer survivors with a ≥3-year interval since the last intense treatment. Its goal was to quantify health-related complications during follow-up and assess their impact on the patients' lives.

Impairment of vocational activities and financial problems are frequent among German blood cancer survivors.

Little is known about changes in the personal living conditions of long-term blood cancer survivors in Germany. To gather information about social relationships, work life, overall well-being, and religion, we performed a questionnaire-based retrospective study on 1551 survivors who had been on follow-up for ≥ 3 years (median, 9 years). Most survivors reported that marital status and relationships with relatives and friends remained constant before and after blood cancer.

Preventive health care in blood cancer survivors: results from the ABC study.

Background: Blood cancer survivors are at increased risk for second primary malignancies, cardiovascular diseases, and infections. Little is known about preventive care in blood cancer survivors.

Methods: Our questionnaire-based study included blood cancer patients diagnosed at the University Hospital of Essen before 2010, with a ≥ 3-year interval from the last intense treatment.

Patient-reported patterns of follow-up care in the 'Aftercare in Blood Cancer Survivors' (ABC) study.

Background: Follow-up care provides long-term support for cancer survivors. Little is known about follow-up care in hematologic malignancies.

Methods: Our questionnaire-based study included blood cancer survivors diagnosed at the University Hospital of Essen before 2010, with a ≥ 3-year interval since the last intense treatment.

Management of Sternal Wound Infection-Determinants of Length of Stay and Recurrence of Infection after Muscle Flap Coverage.

Aim: The aim of this study was to define determinants of length of hospital stay (LOS) longer than mean and recurrence of infection (ROI) after complete healing of patients with deep sternal wound infections (DSWI).

Patients And Methods: In this observational study, we included 303 patients (155 females and 148 males, with mean age of 68 years) treated from 2016 to 2020 at the Department of Plastic Surgery of the HELIOS Klinik Krefeld, Germany. All patients received extensive necrosectomy, repetitive negative pressure therapy periods, and final transplantation of a pectoral musculocutaneous flap.

Essen transition model for neuromuscular diseases.

Background: With the optimization of medical care structures and the rapid progress in the development of new therapeutic methods, an increase in life expectancy is observed in patients with neuromuscular diseases. This leads to an expansion of the phenotypic spectrum, whereby new or previously less relevant disease manifestations in different organ systems gain more importance. The care of adolescents and young adults with neuromuscular diseases, therefore, requires increasingly close interdisciplinary collaboration within neuromuscular centers.

Long-Term Results of Surgical Treatment and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia-A Multicenter European Registry Study.

Representatives for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) continue to desire early feminizing surgery in girls with 46,XX-CAH. The aim of this analysis, which included 174 46,XX- individuals with salt-wasting (SW) or simple-virilizing (SV) CAH, a female gender identity, and an age > 16 years participating in a multicenter cross-sectional clinical evaluation study (dsd-LIFE), was to evaluate the long-term results of surgery and patient-reported outcomes (PRO). The gynecological examination (n = 84) revealed some shortcomings concerning surgical feminization.

The impossibility of mortality evaluation of skin cancer screening in Germany based on health insurance data: a case-control study.

Background: The aim of this paper was to perform a mortality evaluation of skin cancer screening (SCS) in Germany using General Local Health Insurance Fund (AOK) data.

Methods: AOK-insured men and women aged 35-99 years who died of cutaneous malignant melanoma in 2015-2016 were identified. Controls were AOK-insured people who survived to the end of each case's year of death.

One-year follow-up healthcare costs of patients diagnosed with skin cancer in Germany: a claims data analysis.

Background: Routine skin cancer screening (SCS) is covered by the German statutory health insurance (SHI) since 2008. The objective of this study was to compare direct healthcare costs between patients in whom skin cancer was detected by routine SCS and patients in whom skin cancer was not detected by routine SCS.

Methods: A retrospective observational study of administrative claims data from a large German SHI was performed.

[Essen transition model for neuromuscular diseases].

Background: Advances in healthcare systems with new therapeutic options improve the life expectancy of patients with neuromuscular diseases. With this, a shift in the phenotype of the diseases from the neuromuscular system towards other organs is more frequently observed, requiring closer interdisciplinary cooperation in caring for these young adults. Therefore, the transition to the adult caring system is nowadays a multilayered transfer with the need for complex care of these patients.

Diagnosis and Empirical Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections in Urologic Outpatients.

Introduction: Due to a continuing increase of bacterial resistance in common uropathogens, we wanted to revisit our standards for the diagnosis and treatment of lower urinary tract infections, in the setting of urological outpatient care in a conurbation in Germany.

Patients And Methods: All subjects presenting with significant bacteriuria at our urology clinics in Mülheim, Germany, in 2011 were included. Comorbidity, bacterial species, urinary tract symptoms, and empirically prescribed antibiotics were taken from the patients' records.

Impact of a preceding radiotherapy on the outcome of immune checkpoint inhibition in metastatic melanoma: a multicenter retrospective cohort study of the DeCOG.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) is an essential treatment option in melanoma. Its outcome may be improved by a preceding radiation of metastases. This study aimed to investigate the impact of a preceding radiotherapy on the clinical outcome of ICI treatment.

Fallacies of clinical studies on folic acid hazards in subjects with a low vitamin B status.

A 2016 plea for revision of the 1 mg/day upper level of folic acid intake prompted us to comprehensively review the 1945-2017 literature on folic acid hazards in subjects with low cyanocobalamin. The concept of folic acid treatment 'masking' the anemia in undiagnosed cyanocobalamin deficiency, thereby delaying the diagnosis of neuropathy, does not account for the dissociation between the deficiency's hematologic and neurologic manifestations. Possible risks of this concept were addressed by 1963-1971 FDA rulings, classifying all folic acid preparations as prescription-only drugs, delivering ≤1 mg daily.

Fertility preservation and fulfillment of parenthood after treatment of hematological malignancies: results from the 'Aftercare in Blood Cancer Survivors' (ABC) study.

Purpose: Treatment of hematological malignancies carries the risk of lasting sterility. We aimed to identify fertility-related unmet needs.

Methods: The 'Aftercare in Blood Cancer Survivors' study is a cohort study of hematological patients who were in treatment-free remission for ≥ 3 years or stable under continuous oral medication.

Folic acid and primary prevention of neural tube defects: A review.

With 4 mg folic acid daily, it may take 20 weeks to reach red-blood-cell folate levels between 1050 and 1340 nmol/L, optimal for reduction of the neural tube defect risk. Therefore, folic acid supplementation should be started 5-6 months before conception. The residual risk with optimal red-blood-cell folate levels is reportedly 4.

Combination Therapy of Intravenous Steroids and Orbital Irradiation is More Effective Than Intravenous Steroids Alone in Patients with Graves' Orbitopathy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of intravenous (iv) glucocorticoids (GCs) with and without orbital radiotherapy (ORT) in a retrospective analysis of patients with active, moderate-to-severe Graves' orbitopathy (GO). Since diplopia has the strongest impact on quality of life, a careful work up of motility and binocular single vision (BSV) has been performed. The Essen-EUGOGO-Center database (n=3655) was screened for patients with untreated moderate-to-severe, active GO, onset ≤12 months.

A Randomized Trial of Daily Prednisone versus Pulsed Dexamethasone in Treatment-Naïve Adult Patients with Immune Thrombocytopenia: EIS 2002 Study.

Oral prednisone is considered the standard first-line therapy of adult immune thrombocytopenia, but its long-term efficacy is limited. We performed a prospective, randomized, multicenter trial comparing daily prednisone (1-2 mg/kg/day for 2-4 weeks with subsequent dose reduction) with six 3-week cycles of pulsed dexamethasone (0.6 mg/kg/day, days 1-4).

Systematization of Oncoplastic Surgery: Selection of Surgical Techniques and Patient-Reported Outcome in a Cohort of 1,035 Patients.

Introduction: Functional and aesthetic outcome after breast-conserving surgery are vital endpoints for patients with primary breast cancer. A large variety of oncoplastic techniques exist; however, it remains unclear which techniques yield the highest rates of local control at first surgery, omission of reexcision or subsequent mastectomy, and merits the highest degree of patient satisfaction.

Methods: In this retrospective case cohort trial with a customized investigational questionnaire for assessment of patient satisfaction with the surgical result, we analyzed 1,035 patients with primary, unilateral breast cancer and oncoplastic surgery from 2004 to 2009.

Can reinforcement-based interventions to reduce drug use successfully be adapted to routine opioid maintenance treatment?

Introduction: Comorbid substance related disorders are a major health problem for patients in opioid maintenance treatment (OMT). It was investigated whether a reinforcement scheme adapted to the regulatory and financial restrictions of routine treatment reduces concomitant drug use.

Methods: OMT patients from 7 clinics who were using cocaine, benzodiazepines, heroin or amphetamines were randomly allocated to either treatment as usual (n = 64) or treatment with an additional escalating reinforcement scheme (n = 72) in which a patient's number of weekly take-home dosages was increased after 1, 4, 8 and 12 consecutive weeks with drug-free urine specimens.

Multi-center randomized controlled trial of cognitive treatment, placebo, oxybutynin, bladder training, and pelvic floor training in children with functional urinary incontinence.

Objective: Functional urinary incontinence causes considerable morbidity in 8.4% of school-age children, mainly girls. To compare oxybutynin, placebo, and bladder training in overactive bladder (OAB), and cognitive treatment and pelvic floor training in dysfunctional voiding (DV), a multi-center controlled trial was designed, the European Bladder Dysfunction Study.

Recurrent tonsillitis in adults: quality of life after tonsillectomy.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of tonsillectomy in adults with recurrent tonsillitis on their quality of life and on their use of medical resources.

Method: 114 patients who had had at least three episodes of acute tonsillitis in the 12 months preceding tonsillectomy were evaluated pre- and postoperatively with a questionnaire developed by the authors, and with the Glasgow Benefit Inventory.

Results: 97 patients (85%) filled out the questionnaires completely.

Long-term effects of a urotherapy training program in children with functional urinary incontinence: a 2-year follow-up.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of a urotherapy training program implemented at our institution. Day- and/or night-time wetting as a consequence of functional urinary incontinence is a common problem in childhood. A number of treatment methods are available, among them urotherapy.