Biomarkers to assess the risk of bladder cancer in patients presenting with haematuria are gender-specific.

Introduction: Haematuria is a common red flag symptom of urinary tract cancer. Bladder cancer (BC) is the most common cancer to present with haematuria. Women presenting with haematuria are often underdiagnosed.

A Randomized Multicenter Phase II Study of Docosahexaenoic Acid in Patients with a History of Breast Cancer, Premalignant Lesions, or Benign Breast Disease.

Obesity, a cause of subclinical inflammation, is a risk factor for the development of postmenopausal breast cancer and is associated with poorer cancer outcomes. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid, possesses anti-inflammatory properties. We hypothesized that treatment with DHA would reduce the expression of proinflammatory genes and aromatase, the rate-limiting enzyme for estrogen biosynthesis, in benign breast tissue of overweight/obese women.

A comparison of the efficacy of three intervention trial types: postal, group, and one-to-one facilitation, prior management and the impact of message framing and repeat messages on the flock prevalence of lameness in sheep.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of three knowledge-transfer intervention trial types (postal, group, one-to-one) to promote best practice to treat sheep with footrot. Further aims were to investigate whether farmer behaviour (i.e.

Factors associated with the presence and prevalence of contagious ovine digital dermatitis: A 2013 study of 1136 random English sheep flocks.

In 2013, a questionnaire was used to gather data on risks for introduction, and factors associated with prevalence, of contagious ovine digital dermatitis (CODD). There were 1136 (28.4%) usable responses from 4000 randomly selected sheep farmers in England.

Associations between sheep farmer attitudes, beliefs, emotions and personality, and their barriers to uptake of best practice: The example of footrot.

There is interest in understanding how farmers' behaviour influences their management of livestock. We extend the theory of planned behaviour with farmers attitudes, beliefs, emotions and personality to investigate how these are associated with management of livestock disease using the example of footrot (FR) in sheep. In May 2013 a one-year retrospective questionnaire was sent to 4000 sheep farmers in England, requesting data on lameness prevalence, management of footrot, farm/flock descriptors, and farmer-orientated themes: barriers to treating footrot, opinions and knowledge of footrot, relating to other people and personality.

Collectives of diagnostic biomarkers identify high-risk subpopulations of hematuria patients: exploiting heterogeneity in large-scale biomarker data.

Background: Ineffective risk stratification can delay diagnosis of serious disease in patients with hematuria. We applied a systems biology approach to analyze clinical, demographic and biomarker measurements (n = 29) collected from 157 hematuric patients: 80 urothelial cancer (UC) and 77 controls with confounding pathologies.

Methods: On the basis of biomarkers, we conducted agglomerative hierarchical clustering to identify patient and biomarker clusters.

Identification of a methylation hotspot in the death receptor Fas/CD95 in bladder cancer.

We characterized Fas immunoreactivity, functionality and its role in the response to mitomycin-C (MMC) chemotherapy in vitro in cell lines and in vivo in bladder washings from 23 transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder (TCCB) patients, harvested prior to and during MMC intravesical treatment. Having established the importance of functional Fas, we investigated the methylation and exon 9 mutation as mechanisms of Fas silencing in TCCB. For the first time, we report p53 up-regulation in 9/14 and Fas up-regulation in 7/9 TCCB patients during intravesical MMC treatment.

The impact of biomarkers in multivariate algorithms for bladder cancer diagnosis in patients with hematuria.

Background: We appraised 23 biomarkers previously associated with urothelial cancer in a case-control study. Our aim was to determine whether single biomarkers and/or multivariate algorithms significantly improved on the predictive power of an algorithm based on demographics for prediction of urothelial cancer in patients presenting with hematuria.

Methods: Twenty-two biomarkers in urine and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in serum were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and biochip array technology in 2 patient cohorts: 80 patients with urothelial cancer, and 77 controls with confounding pathologies.

Outcome of glansectomy and skin grafting in the management of penile cancer.

Purpose. To report outcome data for patients with penile cancer treated surgically with glansectomy and skin grafting. Materials and Methods.

Urologists versus radiologists made PCNL tracts: the U.K. experience.

We aim to explore the practice of who makes the PCNL tract in the U.K. and Northern Ireland as well as presenting our data for two different approaches to PCNL tracts in Northern Ireland.

Nicorandil induced penile ulceration.

We report the unusual complication of penile ulceration caused by Nicorandil, a nicotinamide ester used in the treatment of symptomatic angina pectoris.

Morphological expression of KIT positive interstitial cells of Cajal in human bladder.

Purpose: We investigated the 3-dimensional morphological arrangement of KIT positive interstitial cells of Cajal in the human bladder and explored their structural interactions with neighboring cells.

Materials And Methods: Human bladder biopsy samples were prepared for immunohistochemistry/confocal or transmission electron microscopy.

Results: Whole mount, flat sheet preparations labeled with anti-KIT (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) contained several immunopositive interstitial cell of Cajal populations.

Inadvertent use of aromatase inhibitors in patients with breast cancer with residual ovarian function: cases and lessons.

Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are important adjunctive therapy for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive, early-stage breast cancer. At the present time, AIs have no role for the management of breast cancer in premenopausal women. We report on several cases of the inadvertent use of AI therapy among women with residual ovarian function.

Targeting death receptors in bladder, prostate and renal cancer.

Purpose: We describe key components of normal and aberrant death receptor pathways, the association of these abnormalities with tumorigenesis in bladder, prostate and renal cancer, and their potential application in novel therapeutic strategies targeted toward patients with cancer.

Materials And Methods: A MEDLINE literature search of the key words death receptors, TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand), FAS, bladder, prostate, renal and cancer was done to obtain information for review. A brief overview of the TRAIL and FAS death receptor pathways, and their relationship to apoptosis is described.

Endoleak and endotension following open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: a report of two cases.

Anastomotic leaks and perigraft seroma are uncommon complications following open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms; in particular, it is rare for them to cause recurrence and expansion of the aneurysm sac. We report a case of anastomotic leak presenting as type 1 endoleak and another of perigraft seroma causing recurrent pressurization, endotension, and expansion of the original aneurysm sac.

Apoptosis and chemotherapy for bladder cancer.

Purpose: We discuss the role of apoptosis, that is gene directed self-destruction of a cell, in the response of bladder transitional cell carcinoma cells to chemotherapy.

Materials And Methods: A directed MEDLINE literature search of apoptosis, bladder cancer and chemotherapy was performed to extract relevant information for review. The characteristics of apoptotic cells were defined and the methods in common use to detect these traits is described.

Pilonidal sinus of the penis.

A pilonidal sinus is a subcutaneous sinus containing hair. It is most commonly found in the natal cleft of hirsute men. Here we describe the unusual finding of a pilonidal sinus arising on the male foreskin.

Bilateral isolated coronary ostial stenosis following mediastinal irradiation.

Isolated coronary ostial narrowing is rare and may represent a separate disease entity from atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. The case of a 41-year-old female with no coronary risk factors who developed severe bilateral isolated coronary ostial stenosis following mantle radiotherapy for Hodgkin's disease is described. She underwent urgent coronary artery bypass grafting and has remained well for 3 years.

Management of mild to moderate aortic valve disease during coronary artery bypass grafting.

Objective: The long term survival of patients with mild to moderate aortic valve disease who do not have valve replacement at the time of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is unknown. Therefore we have reviewed our experience with such patients.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of consecutive patients between June 1978 and December 1996, and identified 40 patients with mild to moderate aortic valve disease, who underwent CABG, without valve replacement (study group).

Malignant internal mammary lymph nodes during mobilization of the internal mammary artery.

Malignant internal mammary node involvement may occur with a primary neoplasm or with metastasis. The incidental discovery of malignant internal mammary nodes from an unknown primary origin has not been previously described. Cardiac surgeons should be aware of pathologic internal mammary artery (IMA) nodes and any abnormally enlarged nodes encountered in the course of IMA mobilization should be sent for histological examination.