The VALTIVE1 study protocol: a study for the validation of Tie2 as the first tumour vascular response biomarker for VEGF inhibitors.

Background: Anti-angiogenic, VEGF inhibitors (VEGFi) increase progression-free survival (PFS) and, in some cases, overall survival in many solid tumours. However, their use has been compromised by a lack of informative biomarkers. We have shown that plasma Tie2 is the first tumour vascular response biomarker for VEGFi in ovarian, colorectal and gall bladder cancer: If plasma Tie2 concentrations do not change after 9 weeks of treatment with a VEGFi, the patient does not benefit, whereas a confirmed reduction of at least 10% plasma Tie2 defines a vascular response with a hazard ratio (HR) for PFS of 0.

Accessing opioid agonist treatment in prison in England and Scotland remains problematic - the views of people with lived experience.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine lived experiences of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) during and immediately following release from detention in prisons in England and Scotland.

Design/methodology/approach: Surveys were completed by serving prisoners in both countries and by those recently released from prison (England only). The survey findings were discussed in focus groups of people with lived experience.

Stability assessment of serum tumour markers: Calcitonin, chromogranin A, thyroglobulin and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies.

Background: There is limited published data on the stability of calcitonin, chromogranin A, thyroglobulin and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies in serum. The aim of this study was to determine stability at three temperature conditions over 7 days, reflecting current laboratory practices.

Methods: Surplus serum was stored at room temperature, refrigerated and in the freezer; for 1, 3, 5 and 7 days.

Management of fingertip amputations.

Injuries to the fingertips are among the most common injuries to the hand and result in approximately 4.8 million emergency department visits per year. Most injuries are lacerations or crushes; amputations represent a small but complex spectrum of injury.

Muscle hernias of the leg: A case report and comprehensive review of the literature.

A case involving a retired, elderly male war veteran with a symptomatic peroneus brevis muscle hernia causing superficial peroneal nerve compression with chosen surgical management is presented. Symptomatic muscle hernias of the extremities occur most commonly in the leg and are a rare cause of chronic leg pain. Historically, treating military surgeons pioneered the early documentation of leg hernias observed in active military recruits.

Closed traumatic rupture of the thenar muscles from the origin: a case report and review of the literature.

Closed traumatic rupture of the thenar muscles is an unusual and rare injury. Traumatic musculotendinous injuries in the hand and wrist occur primarily from penetrating trauma. Only 2 such cases were identified in medical literature.

Reduction mammaplasty: a review of managed care medical policy coverage criteria.

Background: Insurance companies evaluate the medical necessity for breast reduction surgery based on internal company medical policies, but the correlation of insurance company criteria to the scientifically established indications for reduction mammaplasty has never been studied. The authors obtained 90 insurance company medical policies for reduction mammaplasty to determine whether the criteria on which coverage determinations are made are consistent with published data regarding the indications for this procedure.

Methods: The authors reviewed the medical literature on reduction mammaplasty and identified what conclusions can reasonably be drawn from this literature on the common insurance criteria used to determine medical necessity for reduction mammaplasty.