Health-related quality of life by type of breast surgery in women with primary breast cancer: prospective longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Health-related quality of life and patient-related outcome measures for patients with cancer have gained increased interest over the last decade. However, few prospective studies with longitudinal data evaluated health-related quality of life in patients with breast cancer. This study aimed to investigate how health-related quality of life changed from the time of diagnosis to 1 year after breast cancer surgery for the main surgical techniques.

Retrospective validation study of an artificial neural network-based preoperative decision-support tool for noninvasive lymph node staging (NILS) in women with primary breast cancer (ISRCTN14341750).

Background: Surgical sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is routinely used to reliably stage axillary lymph nodes in early breast cancer (BC). However, SLNB may be associated with postoperative arm morbidities. For most patients with BC undergoing SLNB, the findings are benign, and the procedure is currently questioned.

Noninvasive Staging of Lymph Node Status in Breast Cancer Using Machine Learning: External Validation and Further Model Development.

Background: Most patients diagnosed with breast cancer present with a node-negative disease. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is routinely used for axillary staging, leaving patients with healthy axillary lymph nodes without therapeutic effects but at risk of morbidities from the intervention. Numerous studies have developed nodal status prediction models for noninvasive axillary staging using postoperative data or imaging features that are not part of the diagnostic workup.

The NILS Study Protocol: A Retrospective Validation Study of an Artificial Neural Network Based Preoperative Decision-Making Tool for Noninvasive Lymph Node Staging in Women with Primary Breast Cancer (ISRCTN14341750).

Newly diagnosed breast cancer (BC) patients with clinical T1-T2 N0 disease undergo sentinel-lymph-node (SLN) biopsy, although most of them have a benign SLN. The pilot noninvasive lymph node staging (NILS) artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict nodal status was published in 2019, showing the potential to identify patients with a low risk of SLN metastasis. The aim of this study is to assess the performance measures of the model after a web-based implementation for the prediction of a healthy SLN in clinically N0 BC patients.

Adjacent Primary Care May Reduce Less Urgent Pediatric Emergency Department Visits.

Pediatric emergency department (ED) overcrowding is a challenge. This study was designed to evaluate if a hospital-integrated primary care unit (HPCU) reduces less urgent visits at a pediatric ED. This retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out at a university hospital in Sweden, where the HPCU, open outside office hours, had been integrated next to the ED.

Influence of social characteristics on use of paediatric emergency care in Sweden - a questionnaire based study.

Background: Parental social characteristics influence the use of emergency departments (ED) in the USA, but less is known about paediatric ED care-seeking in countries with national health insurance. This prospective study was designed to evaluate associations between parental care-seeking and social characteristics, with emphasis on impact of non-native origin, at a paediatric ED in Sweden, a European country providing paediatric healthcare free of charge.

Methods: Parents attending a paediatric ED at a large urban university hospital filled out a questionnaire on social characteristics and reasons for care-seeking.

Influence of awareness and availability of medical alternatives on parents seeking paediatric emergency care.

Aims: Direct seeking of care at paediatric emergency departments may result from an inadequate awareness or a short supply of medical alternatives. We therefore evaluated the care-seeking patterns, availability of medical options and initial medical assessments - with overall reference to socioeconomic status - of parents at an urban paediatric emergency department in a Scandinavian country providing free paediatric healthcare.

Methods: The parents of children assessed by paediatric emergency department physicians at a Swedish university hospital over a 25-day winter period completed a questionnaire on recent medical contacts and their reasons for attendance.

Pediatric emergency department management benefits from appropriate early redirection of nonurgent visits.

Aims: Overcrowding at pediatric emergency departments (EDs) may result in delayed clinical management and higher risks of medical error. This study was designed to prospectively evaluate what parents of sick children seek emergency care for and how these patients are being assessed and managed.

Methods: Patients aged 0 to 17 years seeking ED care at an urban Swedish university hospital, from 8 AM to 9 PM on 25 consecutive days, were included.