Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy and Liver Transplant for Liver Cancer: A Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Importance: Whether stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) as a bridge to liver transplant for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is effective and safe is still unknown.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of SBRT before deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT) for previously untreated unresectable HCC.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this phase 2 nonrandomized controlled trial conducted between June 1, 2015, and October 18, 2019, 32 eligible patients within UCSF (University of California, San Francisco) criteria underwent dual-tracer (18F-fluorodeoxyglucose and 11C-acetate [ACC]) positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET-CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadoxetate followed by SBRT of 35 to 50 Gy in 5 fractions, and the same imaging afterward while awaiting DDLT.

Integrating physician associates into the health workforce: barriers and facilitators.

Physician associates have been identified as a potential solution to the shortage of health-care workers in the UK, but the introduction of physician associates has not been universally welcomed and some uncertainty exists around their specific roles. This review enhances understanding of the barriers and facilitators for integrating physician associates into the workforce and identifies six key themes to inform future policy decisions at local and national levels.

Negative anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody at switch to maintenance therapy is associated with a reduced risk of relapse.

Background: Relapse of disease is frequent in anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). It is unclear whether persistent ANCA when starting maintenance therapy increases the risk of relapse. We examined the association between ANCA status and relapse in two randomised controlled trials.

Successful Use of Tocilizumab in a Patient with Coexisting Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ulcerative Colitis.

Tocilizumab is an interleukin-6 receptor inhibitor licensed for moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We report a case of Tocilizumab monotherapy for severe active RA in a patient with coexisting ulcerative colitis (UC). The patient was intolerant to multiple disease-modifying drugs, so Tocilizumab monotherapy was commenced.

Ascites and other incidental findings revealing undiagnosed systemic rheumatoid arthritis.

We describe a case of a 43-year-old man presenting to the gastroenterology outpatient department with exudative ascites. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy, pericardial effusion and pleural effusion were detected on further imaging. Further clinical examination revealed subcutaneous nodules on the left arm, which were confirmed to be rheumatoid nodules on histology.