Introduction: Ovarian cancer (OC) is the sixth most common malignancy in women and the poor 5-year survival emphasises the need for novel therapies. NK cells play an important role in the control of malignant disease but the nature of tumour-infiltrating and peripheral NK cells in OC remains unclear.
Methods: Using flow cytometric analysis, we studied the phenotype and function of NK cells in blood, primary tumour and metastatic tissue in 80 women with OC.
Although grade is a well-recognised prognostic factor for endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC), in more studies grade 1 (G1) and grade 2 (G2) EEC are combined and compared together with grade 3 (G3) tumours. The aim of our study is to separately investigate the outcomes, prognostic factors and recurrence patterns of G2 EEC and whether the differentiation between G1 and G2 EEC is clinically useful. we retrospectively reviewed 523 patients with EEC treated with primary surgery over a decade (March 2010-January 2020) at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, focusing on those with G2 disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Exploiting the complete blood count (CBC) with differential (CBC-diff) for early sepsis detection has practical value for emergency department (ED) care, especially for those without obvious presentations. The objective of this study was to develop the CBC Sepsis Index (CBC-SI) that incorporates monocyte distribution width (MDW) to enhance rapid sepsis screening.
Design: A retrospective observational study.
Background: Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is a rare and distinct subtype of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). It is unique in several biological aspects. This study analyzes the clinicopathological features and survival outcome of patients with OCCC, aiming to identify factors affecting recurrence, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDisease recurrence following chemotherapy is a major clinical challenge in ovarian cancer (OC), but little is known regarding how the tumour epigenome regulates transcriptional programs underpinning chemoresistance. We determine the single cell chromatin accessibility landscape of omental OC metastasis from treatment-naïve and neoadjuvant chemotherapy-treated patients and define the chromatin accessibility profiles of epithelial, fibroblast, myeloid and lymphoid cells. Epithelial tumour cells display open chromatin regions enriched with motifs for the oncogenic transcription factors MEIS and PBX.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUterine sarcomas are rare and aggressive gynecological malignancies. We evaluated the epidemiology, treatment outcomes and survival rates in uterine sarcoma patients managed in our institute. The medical records of women with histology proven uterine sarcoma, including leiomyosarcoma (LMS), adenosarcoma (ADS), and endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS), treated at our institution from February 2010 to February 2022, were analyzed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Symptom-triggered testing for ovarian cancer was introduced to the UK whereby symptomatic women undergo an ultrasound scan and serum CA125, and are referred to hospital within 2 weeks if these are abnormal. The potential value of symptom-triggered testing in the detection of early-stage disease or low tumor burden remains unclear in women with high grade serous ovarian cancer. In this descriptive study, we report on the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, disease distribution, and complete cytoreduction rates in women presenting via the fast-track pathway and who were diagnosed with high grade serous ovarian cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSpinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is an autosomal dominant neurological disorder caused by deleterious CAG repeat expansion in the coding region of the ataxin 7 gene (polyQ-ataxin-7). Infantile-onset SCA7 leads to severe clinical manifestation of respiratory distress, but the exact cause of respiratory impairment remains unclear. Using the infantile-SCA7 mouse model, the SCA7266Q/5Q mouse, we examined the impact of pathological polyQ-ataxin-7 on hypoglossal (XII) and phrenic motor units.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Vulval cancer is a rare gynaecological malignancy. In this study, we present a tertiary centre case analysis to examine the recurrence patterns and survival outcomes of vulval squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of women who received treatment at Oxford University Hospitals between February 2010 and July 2022 for primary vulval SCC.
Objective: To investigate psychological correlates in women referred with suspected ovarian cancer via the fast-track pathway, explore how anxiety and distress levels change at 12 months post-testing, and report cancer conversion rates by age and referral pathway.
Design: Single-arm prospective cohort study.
Setting: Multicentre.
Background: "Choosing All Together" (CHAT), is a community engagement tool designed to give the public a voice in how best to allocate limited resources to improve population health. This process evaluation explored the mechanisms through which CHAT generates community engagement.
Method: The CHAT tool was adapted and implemented for use in two rural communities (Nanoro, Burkina Faso, and Navrongo, Ghana) and one urban township (Soweto, South Africa) to prioritize maternal and child nutrition interventions.
Background: Mucinous ovarian carcinomas (MOCs) are rare ovarian tumours accounting for 3% of all epithelial ovarian carcinomas (EOCs). They are either expansile or infiltrative, based on the tumour's histological pattern of invasion. MOCs have a distinct molecular profile, natural history, chemo-sensitivity, and prognosis compared to other EOCs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMixed endometrial carcinoma (MEEC) refers to rare endometrial tumours that are composed of two or more distinct histotypes, at least one of which is serous or clear cell. The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology, treatment outcomes and survival rates of patients with mixed endometrial carcinoma. The medical records of 34 patients diagnosed with MEEC between March 2010 and January 2020 were reviewed retrospectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Many advances in the understanding of the pathologic and molecular features of endometrial cancer have occurred since the FIGO staging was last updated in 2009. Substantially more outcome and biological behavior data are now available regarding the several histological types. Molecular and genetic findings have accelerated since the publication of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data and provide improved clarity on the diverse biological nature of this collection of endometrial cancers and their differing prognostic outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The first 1000 days of life are a critical period of growth and development that have lasting implications for health, cognitive, educational and economic outcomes. In sub-Saharan Africa, gender and social norms are such that many men have little engagement with maternal and child health and nutrition during pregnancy and early childhood. This study explores how men perceive their role in three sites in sub-Saharan Africa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Many advances in the understanding of the pathologic and molecular features of endometrial cancer have occurred since the FIGO staging was last updated in 2009. Substantially more outcome and biological behavior data are now available regarding the several histological types. Molecular and genetic findings have accelerated since the publication of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data and provide improved clarity on the diverse biological nature of this collection of endometrial cancers and their differing prognostic outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Gynaecol Obstet
December 2023
To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of synchronous ovarian and vulva (Bartholin gland) cancer. A postmenopausal woman presented with a complex multiloculated left adnexal mass and 2-cm right Bartholin gland mass. CA 125 was 59 IU/mL.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh grade endometrioid endometrial cancer (HGEEC) is a heterogeneous group of tumors with unclear prognostic features. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the independent risk factors for recurrence and mortality and to describe the recurrence patterns of HGEEC. Ninety-six consecutive cases of HGEEC treated with primary surgery in a single Tertiary Center were retrospectively reviewed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvidence that nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions can improve maternal and child nutrition status in sub-Saharan Africa is inconclusive. Using behaviour change theory and techniques in intervention design may increase effectiveness and make outcomes more predictable. This systematic review aimed to determine whether interventions that included behaviour change functions were effective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Maternal nutrition influences fetal development and may permanently alter ("program") offspring body composition and metabolism, thereby influencing later risk of diabetes and cardiovascular (cardiometabolic) disease. The prevalence of cardiometabolic disease is rising rapidly in India.
Objectives: To test the hypothesis that supplementing low-income Indian women with micronutrient-rich foods preconceptionally and during pregnancy has a beneficial impact on the children's body composition and cardiometabolic risk marker profiles.
This study used "Choosing All Together" (CHAT), a deliberative engagement tool to prioritise nutrition interventions and to understand reasons for intervention choices of a rural community in northern Ghana. The study took an exploratory cross-sectional design and used a mixed method approach to collect data between December 2020 and February 2021. Eleven nutrition interventions were identified through policy reviews, interaction with different stakeholders and focus group discussions with community members.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Gestational diabetes can predispose two generations-a mother and her child-to a higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Culture-specific strategies to prevent gestational diabetes are required. BANGLES investigated the associations between women's periconceptional diet and gestational diabetes risk.
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