Side Effects of Stem Cell Transplant Mimicking Symptoms of Known Amyloidosis.

Introduction: AL amyloidosis can involve the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in a sporadic manner, affecting certain anatomical areas while sparing others.

Case Presentation: Our patient with AL amyloidosis and confirmed colonic involvement was found to have new odynophagia, GI bleeding, and imaging findings that might suggest AL amyloidosis. However, negative pathology results from esophageal biopsies suggested the patient's new ulcerations were more likely a side effect of her autologous stem cell transplant (SCT) and chemotherapy meant to target amyloidosis, as opposed to an effect of amyloid infiltration itself.

Impulse Oscillometry as an Alternative Lung Function Test for Hospitalized Adults.

Background: Impulse oscillometry (IOS) is a noninvasive technique that measures lung physiology independently of patient effort. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the utility of IOS parameters in comparison with pulmonary function testing (PFT) among hospitalized subjects, with emphasis on obstructive and small airway diseases.

Methods: Sixty-one subjects hospitalized either with unexplained dyspnea or for pre-surgery evaluation were included in the study.

Can Axillary Ultrasound Identify Node Positive Patients Who can Avoid an Axillary Dissection After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy?

Introduction: Axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is recommended for patients with invasive breast cancer with axillary metastasis treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) who do not have a nodal pathologic complete response (n-pCR). We hypothesized that patients with a single, ultrasound-suspicious, nonpalpable lymph node (LN) at diagnosis, who do not achieve an n-pCR, will have ypN1 disease on surgical pathology.

Methods: This retrospective study identified breast cancer patients in our institution from 2012 to 2020 with axillary metastasis treated with NAC who did not achieve an n-pCR and had an ALND.

OncotypeDX Testing Does Not Benefit Patients with Estrogen and Progesterone Receptor Positive Grade 1 Breast Cancers: A TAILORx Validated Study.

Background & Objectives: We previously described a predictive AAMC model that identifies patients (grade 1, hormonepositive) who would not benefit from OncotypeDX testing. The purpose of this study was to validate the AAMC model by assessing distant recurrence-free interval (DRFI) and invasive disease-free survival (IDFS) using TAILORx clinical trial data.

Materials & Methods: We retrospectively analyzed TAILORx trial data and categorized patients based on the AAMC model.