Impact of a longitudinal course on medical professionalism on the empathy of medical students.

Objective: Medical education should enhance empathy. We examined, using self-assessment instruments and standardized patients (SPs), the impact on empathy, of a multi-year intervention (years 4-6 of medical training) that uses reflective learning approaches.

Methods: 241 final-year medical students participated; 110 from the 2018 graduation class (non-intervention group) and 131 from the 2019 graduation class (intervention group).

Therapeutic drug monitoring of neoadjuvant mFOLFIRINOX in resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background: Despite a potentially curative treatment, the prognosis after upfront surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is poor. Modified FOLFIRINOX (mFOLFIRINOX) is a cornerstone in the systemic treatment of PDAC, including the neoadjuvant setting. Pharmacokinetic-guided (PKG) dosing has demonstrated beneficial effects in other tumors, but scarce data is available in pancreatic cancer.

Impact of perineural invasion on the outcome of patients with synchronous colorectal liver metastases treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery.

Purpose: To analyze the prognostic value of variables of the primary tumor in patients with synchronous liver metastases in colorectal cancer (CLRMs) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery.

Methods/patients: From a prospective database, we retrospectively identified all patients with synchronous CLRMs who were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and liver resection. Using univariate and multivariate analyses, we identified the variables associated with tumor recurrence.

Learning techniques that medical students use for long-term retention: A cross-sectional analysis.

Background: Reviews and meta-analysis conclude that distributed practice and practice testing are deemed the most effective learning techniques among undergraduate students, while rereading, underlining, and summarisation are the most known and less effective ones. However, this evidence is gathered from short-term retention studies prior to 2014, and there are other techniques with promising effect (metacognition, retrieval, concept mapping, setting learning goals) that were not included. Also, there is little real-settings evidence regarding what works best for long-term retention in medical students.

Student's Inventory of Professionalism (SIP): A Tool to Assess Attitudes towards Professional Development Based on Palliative Care Undergraduate Education.

: Quality medical education, centered on a patient's needs, is crucial to develop the health professionals that our society requires. Research suggests a strong contribution of palliative care education to professionalism. The aim of this study was to design and validate a self-report inventory to measure student's professional development.

Correction: Hypofractionated radiation therapy and temozolomide in patients with glioblastoma and poor prognostic factors. A prospective, single-institution experience.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Hypofractionated radiation therapy and temozolomide in patients with glioblastoma and poor prognostic factors. A prospective, single-institution experience.

Background: Hypofractionated radiation therapy is a feasible and safe treatment option in elderly and frail patients with glioblastoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of hypofractionated radiation therapy with concurrent temozolomide in terms of feasibility and disease control in primary glioblastoma patients with poor prognostic factors other than advanced age, such as post-surgical neurological complications, high tumor burden, unresectable or multifocal lesions, and potential low treatment compliance due to social factors or rapidly progressive disease.

Material And Methods: GTV included the surgical cavity plus disease visible in T1WI-MRI, FLAIR-MRI and in the MET-uptake.

Neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced gastric cancer patients. A population pharmacodynamic modeling.

Background: Perioperative chemotherapy (CT) or neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in patients with locally advanced gastric (GC) or gastroesophageal junction cancer (GEJC) has been shown to improve survival compared to an exclusive surgical approach. However, most patients retain a poor prognosis due to important relapse rates. Population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modeling may allow identifying at risk-patients.

Long-term results of Perioperative High Dose Rate Brachytherapy (PHDRB) and external beam radiation in adult patients with soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities and the superficial trunk: Final results of a prospective controlled study.

Background: To analyze toxicity, patterns of failure, and survival in 106 adult patients with soft tissue sarcomas of the extremity and the superficial trunk treated in a prospective controlled trial of combined Perioperative High Dose Rate Brachytherapy (PHDRB) and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT).

Methods: Patients were treated with surgical resection and 16 Gy or 24 Gy of PHDRB for negative or close/positive margins, respectively. EBRT (45 Gy) was added postoperatively.

Role of histological regression grade after two neoadjuvant approaches with or without radiotherapy in locally advanced gastric cancer.

Background: The degree of histopathological response after neoadjuvant therapy in locally advanced gastric cancer (GC) is a key determinant of patients' long-term outcome. We aimed to assess the pattern of histopathological regression after two neoadjuvant approaches and its impact on survival times.

Methods: Regression grade of the primary tumour (Becker criteria) and the degree of nodal response by a 4-point scale (grades A-D) were assessed.

Dose escalation with external beam radiation therapy and high-dose-rate brachytherapy combined with long-term androgen deprivation therapy in high and very high risk prostate cancer: Comparison of two consecutive high-dose-rate schemes.

Purpose: To compare rectal toxicity, urinary toxicity, and nadir+2 PSA relapse-free survival (bRFS) in two consecutive Phase II protocols of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy used at the authors institution from 2001 to 2012.

Methods And Materials: Patients with National Comprehensive Cancer Network high risk and very high risk prostate cancer enrolled in studies HDR4 (2001-2007, n = 183) and HDR2 (2007-2012, n = 56) were analyzed. Patients received minipelvis external beam radiation therapy/intensity-modulated external radiotherapy to 54 Gy and 2 years of androgen blockade along with HDR brachytherapy.

Long-term oncologic results in cancer of the rectum treated by preoperative chemoradiotherapy and surgery: An analysis of 500 cases.

Background: The standard treatment for locally advanced cancer of the rectum (LACR) and selective cases of stage IV disease is preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by total mesorectal excision (TME). Despite reductions in local recurrence, disease-free survival (DSF) has remained stable in recent years.

Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze patterns of recurrence, long-term survival and prognostic factors in a program of neoadjuvant CRT and surgery in LACR.

Salvage wide resection with intraoperative electron beam therapy or HDR brachytherapy in the management of isolated local recurrences of soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities and the superficial trunk.

Purpose: To assess the toxicity and efficacy of salvage wide resection (SWR) with intraoperative electron beam radiation therapy (IOERT) or perioperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy (PHDRB) in previously unirradiated patients (PUP) vs. previously irradiated patients (PIP) with isolated local recurrence of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) of the extremities and the superficial trunk.

Methods And Materials: PUP received SWR and IOERT/PHDRB with external beam radiation therapy.

Current treatment of rectal cancer adapted to the individual patient.

Preoperative radiochemotherapy and total mesorectal excision surgery is a recommended standard therapy for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. However, some subgroups of patients benefit more than others from this approach. In order to avoid long-term complications of radiation and chemotherapy, efforts are being made to subdivide T3N0 stage using advanced imaging techniques, and to analyze prognostic factors that help to define subgroup risk patients.

Prognosis factors for recurrence in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer preoperatively treated with chemoradiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision has improved the outcome of locally advanced rectal carcinoma.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify independent prognosis factors of disease recurrence in a group of patients treated with this approach.

Design And Patients: This study was retrospective in design.

Id1 and Id3 co-expression correlates with clinical outcome in stage III-N2 non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy.

Background: Inhibitor of DNA binding 1 (Id1) and 3 (Id3) genes have been related with the inhibition of cell differentiation, cell growth promotion and tumor metastasis. Recently, Id1 has been identified as an independent prognostic factor in patients with lung adenocarcinoma, regardless of the stage. Furthermore, Id1 may confer resistance to treatment (both, radiotherapy and chemotherapy).

Pathological vertebral fracture after stereotactic body radiation therapy for lung metastases. Case report and literature review.

Background: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a radiation technique used in patients with oligometastatic lung disease. Lung and chest wall toxicities have been described in the patients but pathological vertebral fracture is an adverse effect no reported in patients treated with SBRT for lung metastases.

Case Presentation: A 68-year-old woman with the diagnosis of a recurrence of a single lung metastatic nodule of urothelial carcinoma after third line of chemotherapy.

External-beam radiation therapy and high-dose rate brachytherapy combined with long-term androgen deprivation therapy in high and very high prostate cancer: preliminary data on clinical outcome.

Purpose: To determine the feasibility of combined long-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and dose escalation with high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy.

Methods And Materials: Between 2001 and 2007, 200 patients with high-risk prostate cancer (32.5%) or very high-risk prostate cancer (67.

Four-week neoadjuvant intensity-modulated radiation therapy with concurrent capecitabine and oxaliplatin in locally advanced rectal cancer patients: a validation phase II trial.

Purpose: To validate tolerance and pathological complete response rate (pCR) of a 4-week preoperative course of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with concurrent capecitabine and oxaliplatin (CAPOX) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Methods And Materials: Patients with T3 to T4 and/or N+ rectal cancer received preoperative IMRT (47.5 Gy in 19 fractions) with concurrent capecitabine (825 mg/m(2) b.

Accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound to assess tumor response after neoadjuvant treatment in rectal cancer: can we trust the findings?

Background: The finding that some rectal cancers respond to neoadjuvant chemoradiation is broadening new surgical options for the treatment of some of these tumors that, until now, required a total mesorectal excision. Nevertheless, a fine match between clinical and pathological response is required when planning conservative surgical approaches.

Objective: This study aims to prospectively validate the use of endoscopic ultrasound as a predictor of clinical and pathological tumor response in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Determinants of complications and outcome in high-risk squamous cell head-and-neck cancer treated with perioperative high-dose rate brachytherapy (PHDRB).

Purpose: To determine the impact of a set of patient, tumor, and treatment factors on toxicity and outcome in patients with head-and-neck squamous cell cancer treated with surgical resection and perioperative high-dose rate brachytherapy (PHDRB) alone (single-modality [SM] group) (n = 46) or PHDRB combined with postoperative radiation or chemoradiation (combined-modality [CM] group) (n = 57).

Methods And Materials: From 2000 to 2008, 103 patients received PHDRB after complete macroscopic resection. SM patients received 32 or 40 Gy of PHDRB in 8 or 10 twice-daily treatments for R0 and R1 resections.

Patterns of response after preoperative intensity-modulated radiation therapy and capecitabine/oxaliplatin in rectal cancer: is there still a place for ecoendoscopic ultrasound?

Purpose: The main goals of preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CHRT) in rectal cancer are to achieve pathological response and to ensure tumor control with functional surgery when possible. Assessment of the concordance between clinical and pathological responses is necessary to make decisions regarding alternative conservative procedures. The present study evaluates the patterns of response after a preoperative CHRT regimen, and the value of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in assessing response.

Patterns of response after preoperative treatment in gastric cancer.

Purpose: To analyze the rate of pathologic response in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer treated with preoperative chemotherapy with and without chemoradiation at our institution.

Methods And Materials: From 2000 to 2007 patients were retrospectively identified who received preoperative treatment for gastric cancer (cT3-4/ N+) with induction chemotherapy (Ch) or with Ch followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (45 Gy in 5 weeks) (ChRT). Surgery was planned 4-6 weeks after the completion of neoadjuvant treatment.