Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary rendezvous after failed cannulation, and comparison between benign vs malignant biliopancreatic disorders: outcomes at a single tertiary-care centre.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided biliary rendezvous (RV) is an EUS-assisted technique described as a rescue method in cases of failed biliary cannulation endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC). Current literature remains unclear regarding its current role. The study aim was to evaluate the effectiveness for biliary EUS-RV, and comparison between benign vs malignant biliopancreatic disorders.

The Etiology, Antibiotic Therapy and Outcomes of Bacteremic Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections in Onco-Hematological Patients.

Objectives: to assess the current epidemiology, antibiotic therapy and outcomes of onco- hematological patients with bacteremic skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs), and to identify the risk factors for Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) infection and for early and overall mortality.

Methods: episodes of bacteremic SSTIs occurring in cancer patients at two hospitals were prospectively recorded and retrospectively analyzed.

Results: Of 164 episodes of bacteremic SSTIs, 53% occurred in patients with solid tumors and 47% with hematological malignancies.

Spinal cord compression of neoplastic origin: surgical experience using a common clinical language.

Purpose: To assess the value of a common clinical language in a multidisciplinary tumour board for spinal metastasis, using both the Rades score and the Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS) for multidisciplinary decision-making.

Methods: Retrospective study of 60 consecutive patients treated surgically for MSCC. The indication for surgery was done in a multidisciplinary board, basically according to SINS and RADES scores.

COVID-19 in breast cancer patients: a subanalysis of the OnCovid registry.

Background: Cancer patients are at higher risk of COVID-19 complications and mortality than the rest of the population. Breast cancer patients seem to have better prognosis when infected by SARS-CoV-2 than other cancer patients.

Methods: We report a subanalysis of the OnCovid study providing more detailed information in the breast cancer population.

The clinical evaluation of the wish to hasten death is not upsetting for advanced cancer patients: A cross-sectional study.

Background: An important concern of healthcare professionals when exploring the wish to hasten death with patients is the risk of causing them some type of distress.

Aim: To assess the opinion of hospitalized patients with advanced cancer about the proactive assessment of the wish to hasten death.

Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional study.

Successful treatment with brigatinib in a patient with ALK-rearranged lung adenocarcinoma who developed crizotinib-induced interstitial lung disease.

We present a 45-year-old patient diagnosed with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged metastatic lung cancer who developed grade 4 interstitial lung disease (ILD) while on crizotinib treatment and was lately treated with brigatinib with no reappearance of ILD. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of successful treatment with brigatinib after crizotinib-induced ILD. Even though ILD secondary to brigatinib has been reported in clinical trials, no pulmonary toxicity has been seen in our patient, suggesting no crosslink lung toxicity between crizotinib and brigatinib.

Bloodstream infections in neutropenic patients with cancer: differences between patients with haematological malignancies and solid tumours.

Objectives: We sought to identify the characteristics, aetiology, antibiotic resistance and outcomes of bloodstream infection (BSI) in neutropenic patients with haematological malignancies (HM) and in those with solid tumours (ST) and assess their impact on empirical therapy and outcomes.

Methods: All episodes of BSI in neutropenic patients with HM and ST were prospectively recorded and compared.

Results: Of 579 episodes of BSI, 493 occurred in patients with HM and 86 in patients with ST.

Bloodstream infections in patients with solid tumors: epidemiology, antibiotic therapy, and outcomes in 528 episodes in a single cancer center.

Current information regarding bloodstream infection (BSI) in patients with solid tumors is scarce. We assessed the epidemiology, antibiotic therapy, and outcomes of BSI in these patients. We also compared patients who died with those who survived to identify risk factors associated with mortality.

Bacteraemia due to extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC) in cancer patients: clinical features, risk factors, molecular epidemiology and outcome.

Objectives: To assess the clinical features, risk factors, molecular epidemiology and outcome of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC) bacteraemia in hospitalized cancer patients.

Methods: Episodes of ESBL-EC bacteraemia were compared with a susceptible control group in a 3 year prospective study. ESBL-EC strains were studied by PCR and isoelectric focusing, and molecular typing was performed by PFGE.

[beta-Lactam antibiotics].

Betalactams, which act by inhibiting the last phase of bacterial cell wall synthesis, constitute the largest family of antimicrobial agents and the most extensively used in current clinical practice. These drug have a slow bactericidal action that is relatively independent of plasma concentrations, little toxicity and a broad therapeutic margin. Their spectrum has increased over the years with the incorporation of new molecules having greater activity against gram-negative bacilli.

Intrasellar mass with hypopituitarism as a manifestation of sarcoidosis. Case report.

A 45-year-old woman was admitted suffering from headache, weight loss, asthenia, pedal edema, and amenorrhea. Morphological and functional studies revealed an intrasellar mass causing hypopituitarism without diabetes insipidus. Histological examination of the tissue obtained at transsphenoidal surgery was compatible with a diagnosis of sarcoidosis.