Unveiling therapeutic potentials and exploring maternal-fetal health benefits of metformin in pregnancy: A scoping review.

This scoping review synthesizes evidence on metformin's use during pregnancy, encompassing diverse conditions like gestational diabetes, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and obesity. Metformin demonstrates comparable efficacy to insulin in gestational diabetes, positive outcomes in type 2 diabetes pregnancies, and potential benefits in reducing complications. The review highlights nuances in its effects across conditions, indicating advantages such as reduced risk of macrosomia and cesarean section in gestational diabetes.

Activity restriction for women with arrested preterm labor: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: In the past, some pregnant women have been recommended to be in activity restriction because of the presumed increased risk of preterm birth due to the increased release of catecholamines, which might stimulate myometrial activity, during exercise and aerobic activity.

Objective: This study aimed to test the hypothesis that in women with singleton pregnancy and arrested preterm labor, activity restriction would reduce the rate of preterm birth at <37 weeks of gestation.

Study Design: This was a parallel-group nonblinded randomized trial conducted at a single center in Italy.

Notes from the field: increase in gonorrhea cases in counties associated with American Indian Reservations -- Montana, January 2012-August 2014.

In May 2012, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services noted that 23 cases of gonorrhea were reported in Roosevelt County during October 2011-March 2012, compared with only three cases during January-September 2011. An analysis of surveillance data for Roosevelt County and the six other Montana counties most closely associated with American Indian (AI) reservations showed that, during 2000-2011, the annual incidence rates in the seven counties ranged from 9-43 cases per 100,000, compared with 4-19 cases per 100,000 for all the remaining 49 Montana counties, and 98-129 cases per 100,000 for the United States. Since May 2012, the rates have continued to increase in the seven counties.

Pleural and peripheral lung lesions: comparison of US- and CT-guided biopsy.

Purpose: To retrospectively compare the outcome of computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonography (US) guidance when sampling a consecutive series of peripheral lung or pleural lesions.

Materials And Methods: Institutional review board approval was obtained, and the informed consent requirement was waived. From January 2000 to August 2011, 711 thoracic biopsies were performed at two institutions.

Ipilimumab (MDX-010) in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

Introduction: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the main causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although new therapies have become available, innovative treatments are still needed for advanced disease. Ipilimumab , a monoclonal antibody targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), enhances the immune response against the tumor mass and has been proven effective against malignant melanoma.

The administration of gefitinib in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer after the failure of erlotinib.

Purpose: Recent studies have demonstrated that erlotinib therapy may be considered an option for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer who experienced disease progression after treatment with gefitinib, particularly in patients in whom the disease had been stabilized for a long time prior to gefitinib therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the disease control rate and toxicity of gefitinib in patients whose disease progressed after erlotinib therapy.

Methods: From May 2005 to August 2006, 15 patients received a 250 mg/day dosage of gefitinib after having disease progression while taking erlotinib at a dose of 150 mg/day.

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous injection of triamcinolone acetonide for treating capsular contracture in patients with augmented and reconstructed breast.

Objectives: To evaluate ultrasound (US)-guided treatment of capsular contracture (CC) in patients with reconstructed/augmented breast.

Methods: Twenty-five patients with grade IV CC were treated with peri-implant US-guided injection of triamcinolone acetonide. Before/after treatment, maximum capsular thickness (MCT) was measured by ultrasound and pain assessed with visual analogue score (pain-VAS).

Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in the characterization of ovarian tumors().

Introduction: Vascularity influences the characteristics of gynecologic tumors observed with direct imaging techniques that reveal the macrovascular component of these lesions (color and power Doppler) and with indirect imaging involving the administration of contrast agents to examine the microcirculation and interstitial perfusion (contrast-enhanced computed tomography [CT] and magnetic resonance [MR] imaging). The purpose of this study was to determine whether contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) of ovarian lesions provides useful information that cannot be obtained with conventional US.

Materials And Methods: We used CEUS to assess 72 nonspecific adnexal lesions in 61 patients.

[Possible connection between gastroesophageal reflux and interstitial pulmonary fibrosis in patients with systemic sclerosis].

Interstitial lung disease represents the main cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with systemic sclerosis. The mechanisms leading to interstitial lung disease are poorly understood and thus current strategies have little effect on this progressive and fatal disease. Therefore, it appears relevant the importance to assess the possible risk factors involved in its pathogenesis.

Phase II trial of irinotecan and raltitrexed in chemotherapy-naive advanced colorectal cancer.

Background: Irinotecan and raltitrexed are active agents in advanced colorectal cancer (ACC) and preclinical data suggest a remarkable synergistic activity. Phase I studies demonstrated that single-agent full dose of both drugs can be administered with moderate toxicity. The aim of this phase II trial was to assess the activity and tolerability of the combination in untreated ACC.

Non-small cell lung cancer: from cytotoxic systemic chemotherapy to molecularly targeted therapy.

Surgery is the only method of cure in lung cancer. Seldom its application with radical intent is possible. Despite the efforts aimed at integrating all the therapeutic strategies, the overall outcome of the management of this disease remains disappointing.

Local recurrence of breast cancer around a prosthesis dome.

We report a patient who, 2 years after mastectomy and breast reconstruction using a permanent expander, developed metastatic carcinoma around the filling port of the prosthesis. We believe this is the first description of such a condition, the differential diagnosis of which includes a silicone granuloma.

Role of tumor-associated antigen expression in radioimmunoguided surgery for colorectal and breast cancer.

One hundred thirty-six patients with colorectal and breast cancer were enrolled in a retrospective study using radioimmunoguided surgery (RIGS) with Iodine-125 (I125) radiolabeled B72.3 (Group A, 73 patients) and F023C5 (Group B, 63 patients) monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). The correlation between intraoperative tumor-to-normal tissue (T/NT) gamma-detecting probe (GDP) counts ratio and the expression of tumor-associated glycoprotein (TAG)-72 (GroupA patients) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA; Group B patients) tumor-associated antigens (TAA) expression of 209 resected or biopsy tumor specimens was assessed.

Activity of high dose 24 hour 5-fluorouracil infusion plus L-leucovorin in advanced colorectal cancer.

Background: Modulation of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) by leucovorin (L-LV) in patients (pts) with advanced colorectal cancer has been demonstrated to produce a highly significant benefit over single-agent 5-FU in terms of tumor response rate, but this advantage does not translate into an evident improvement of overall survival. To improve the clinical efficacy of the 5-FU plus L-LV regimen a phase II study of weekly 24-hour high-dose 5-FU infusion with L-LV was undertaken.

Patients And Methods: Seventy advanced colorectal patients were enrolled and treated by a weekly outpatient combination regimen according to the following schedule: L-LV 100 mg/sqm by 4 hours i.

Sonographic evaluation of local recurrences of soft tissue sarcomas.

The aim of our study was to establish whether ultrasonography can be proposed as the main diagnostic technique for the follow-up of soft tissue sarcoma (STS). In 26 patients with previous history of STS, a sonographic examination was carried out using a 5 MHz linear transducer to identify early local recurrences. Sonography was performed every 3 months and a computed tomographic (CT) control was made when the sonogram showed findings strongly suggestive of recurrence.

Prognostic factors in stage IV ovarian carcinoma treated with platinum-based regimens.

Eight factors were analyzed for prognostic significance in univariate analyses in a series of 76 women with stage IV ovarian carcinoma treated with combination chemotherapies including cisplatin or carboplatin. The clinical objective and pathologic complete response rates were 51.2% and 27.

Ultrasound examination in ovarian cancer patients. A comparison with second look laparotomy.

A series of 129 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage III-IV ovarian cancer, were evaluated with ultrasound examination and second look surgery. Results of both modalities were correlated in order to assess the reliability of ultrasound in detecting residual disease. After six cycles of chemotherapy, ultrasound was negative in 94 patients and positive in 35 patients.

Radioprotective action of haematoporphyrin on X-irradiated in trypsin.

Dose-response curves were obtained for trypsin X-irradiated in aqueous solution (4.6 x 10(-6)M), alone or after incubation with haematoporphyrin (Hp). When trypsin was irradiated alone (exposure doses ranging from 10 to 25 kR) the exponential dose-response curve showed a D37 equal to 17200 R.

In vitro studies on lysosomes radiosensitivity in different gaseous atmospheres.

Radiosensitivity of lysosomes was investigated in vitro in different gaseous atmospheres. Results show a higher sensitivity when X-irradiation was performed in nitrous oxide. Possible reasons for this observation are considered.

[A biological approach to the problem of dose fractionation in radiotherapy (author's transl)].

The role of what has come to be called "the four R's" of modern radiobiology is reviewed from a general and applied point of view. Especially, repair of subletal damage, redistribution of cells within their cycle, tissue repopulation, cell reoxygenation, are considered with attention to their intervention in the sterilization of tumor clonogenic cells in human radiotherapy.