Uncovering the Risks of Anticancer Therapy Through Incident Report Analysis Using a Newly Developed Medical Oncology Incident Taxonomy.

Background: Incident reporting systems were developed to identify possible and actual harm in healthcare facilities. They have the potential to capture important safety trends and to enable improvements that can mitigate the risk of future patient harm and suffering. We recently developed and validated a taxonomy specific for medical oncology designed to enhance the identification, tracking, and trending of incidents that may lead to patient harm.

Partial response in non-resectable adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas with high tumour mutation burden treated with gemcitabine, nab-paclitaxel and pembrolizumab.

A previously healthy man in his 60s was diagnosed with a rare histological subtype of pancreatic cancer, adenosquamous carcinoma. After somatic mutation profiling, it was found that the tumour had microsatellite instability status high and a high tumour mutational burden. The patient was started on combination therapy with gemcitabine, nab-paclitaxel and pembrolizumab.

National trends in the use of PSA, urinalysis, and digital rectal exam for evaluation of lower urinary tract symptoms in men.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the practices of primary care physicians (PCPs) and urologists in their implementation of the 2010 American Urological Association (AUA) recommendations for the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in a nationally representative sample.

Methods: Data collected from 2008 to 2015 in the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) were used. Men aged 45 and older who presented with either a new complaint or exacerbation of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) were included.

Why focus on patient-reported outcome measures in older colorectal cancer patients?

Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer among older persons, with surgery the recommended treatment for many. With a growing emphasis on value-based care, there is an increasing desire to implement patient-reported outcome measures. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are the tools and instruments used to collect patient-reported symptoms, functional status, and quality of life.

A cluster of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in New Hampshire: a possible role for toxic cyanobacteria blooms.

Cyanobacteria produce many neurotoxins including beta-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) that has been liked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and neurodegenerative disease. A number of ALS cases have been diagnosed among residents of Enfield, NH, a town encompassing a lake with a history of cyanobacteria algal blooms. To investigate an association between toxic cyanobacterial blooms in New Hampshire and development of ALS, we reviewed records from our institution and other community databases to obtain demographic information on patients diagnosed with ALS within New England.