Changing self-concept in the time of COVID-19: a close look at physician reflections on social media.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the healthcare landscape drastically. Stricken by sharp surges in morbidity and mortality with resource and manpower shortages confounding their efforts, the medical community has witnessed high rates of burnout and post-traumatic stress amongst themselves. Whilst the prevailing literature has offered glimpses into their professional war, no review thus far has collated the deeply personal reflections of physicians and ascertained how their self-concept, self-esteem and perceived self-worth has altered during this crisis.

Complementary Sequential Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) and Cell-Free Tumor DNA (ctDNA) Profiling Reveals Metastatic Heterogeneity and Genomic Changes in Lung Cancer and Breast Cancer.

Introduction: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) are tumor components present in circulation. Due to the limited access to both CTC enrichment platforms and ctDNA sequencing in most laboratories, they are rarely analyzed together.

Methods: Concurrent isolation of ctDNA and single CTCs were isolated from lung cancer and breast cancer patients using the combination of size-based and CD45-negative selection method DropCell platform.

Detection and prognostic relevance of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in Asian breast cancers using a label-free microfluidic platform.

Objectives: We aimed to study the prevalence of CTCs in breast cancer (BC) patients undergoing neoadjuvant or palliative therapy with a label-free microfluidic platform (ClearCell FX), and its prognostic relevance in metastatic BC (mBC).

Materials And Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 108 BC patients before starting a new line of treatment ("baseline"), majority of whom had mBC (76/108; 70.4%).

Minimal clinically important difference of the EORTC QLQ-CIPN20 for worsening peripheral neuropathy in patients receiving neurotoxic chemotherapy.

Context/objectives: This is the first study to determine the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of the European Organisation of Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-CIPN twenty-item scale (EORTC QLQ-CIPN20), a validated instrument designed to elicit cancer patients' experience of symptoms and functional limitations related to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Methods: Cancer patients receiving neurotoxic chemotherapy completed EORTC QLQ-CIPN20 and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity [FACT/GOG-NTX] at baseline, second cycle of chemotherapy (T2, n = 287), and 12 months after chemotherapy (T3, n = 191). Anchor-based approach used the validated FACT/GOG-NTX neurotoxicity (Ntx) subscale to identify optimal MCID cutoff for deterioration.

Views of Australian Medical Oncologists Regarding the Use of Mismatch Repair Status to Assist Adjuvant Chemotherapy Recommendations for Patients With Early-Stage Colon Cancer.

Background: Mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) has been shown to confer a superior prognosis and is possibly predictive of a lack of benefit from fluoropyrimidine adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) for early-stage colon cancer (ESCC). We conducted a survey to assess medical oncologists' views regarding ESCC AC, with an emphasis on the use of MMR status to guide their recommendations.

Materials And Methods: The survey was distributed to all members of the Medical Oncology Group of Australia.

Crohn's disease or tuberculosis?

A Nepali-born migrant was diagnosed with intestinal tuberculosis (TB) after being initially considered for Crohn's disease. Differentiating the two diseases is challenging but important owing to variation in treatment, the potential for dissemination of TB under immunosuppression for Crohn's disease, and emergent Australian migration from TB endemic countries.