Incidence of and survival after surgical intervention for bowel obstruction in women with advanced ovarian cancer.

Introduction: Women with advanced ovarian cancer commonly present with peritoneal disease both at primary diagnosis and relapse, with risk of subsequent bowel obstruction. The aims of this study were to assess the cumulative incidence of and survival after intervention for bowel obstruction in women with advanced ovarian cancer, to identify factors predictive of survival and the extent to which the intended outcome of the intervention was achieved.

Material And Methods: Women diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer stages III and IV in 2009-2011 and 2014-2016 in the Stockholm-Gotland Region in Sweden were identified in the Swedish Quality Registry for Gynecologic Cancer.

The current status of cell-free human papillomavirus DNA as a biomarker in cervical cancer and other HPV-associated tumors: A review.

Tumor cells release fragments of their DNA into the circulation, so called cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA), allowing for analysis of tumor DNA in a simple blood test, that is, liquid biopsy. Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignancies among women worldwide and high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) is the cause of the majority of cases. HR-HPV integrates into the host genome and is often present in multiple copies per cell and should thus also be released as ctDNA.

Circulating cell-free tumor human papillomavirus DNA is a promising biomarker in cervical cancer.

Objectives: Tumor cells release fragments of their DNA into the circulation, so called cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) or liquid biopsy. Here, we analyze if cell-free human papillomavirus DNA (ctHPV DNA) is detectable before, during and after treatment, in patients with cervical cancer or pre-malignant lesions that may develop into cervical cancer, and whether ctHPV DNA levels were correlated to patient or tumor characteristics and outcome. Furthermore, total cell-free DNA load is studied using cfAlbumin DNA as a surrogate marker.

Interobserver agreement of transvaginal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in local staging of cervical cancer.

Objective: To evaluate interobserver agreement for the assessment of local tumor extension in women with cervical cancer, among experienced and less experienced observers, using transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: The TVS observers were all gynecologists and consultant ultrasound specialists, six with and seven without previous experience in cervical cancer imaging. The MRI observers were five radiologists experienced in pelvic MRI and four less experienced radiology residents without previous experience in MRI of the pelvis.

Ultra-radical upfront surgery does not improve survival in women with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer; a natural experiment in a complete population.

Objective: Ultra-radical surgery to achieve complete resection in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has been widely accepted without strong supporting data. Our objective was to assess overall survival after a structured shift to an ultra-radical upfront surgical treatment algorithm and to investigate changes in the distribution of primary treatments after this shift.

Patients And Methods: In this population-based cohort study, all women with suspected EOC in the Stockholm-Gotland region of Sweden reported to the Swedish Quality Registry for Gynecologic Cancer (SQRGC) and National Cancer Registry (NCR) were selected in two 3-year cohorts, based on year of diagnosis (before (cohort1) or after (cohort 2) change in surgical treatment algorithm) and followed for at least three years.

Robot-assisted approach to cervical cancer (RACC): an international multi-center, open-label randomized controlled trial.

Background: Radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy represents the standard treatment for early-stage cervical cancer. Results from a recent randomized controlled trial demonstrate that minimally invasive surgery is inferior to laparotomy with regards to disease-free and overall survival.

Primary Objective: To investigate the oncologic safety of robot-assisted surgery for early-stage cervical cancer as compared with standard laparotomy.

International radical trachelectomy assessment: IRTA study.

Background: Radical trachelectomy is considered a viable option for fertility preservation in patients with low-risk, early-stage cervical cancer. Standard approaches include laparotomy or minimally invasive surgery when performing radical trachelectomy.

Primary Objective: To compare disease-free survival between patients with FIGO (2009) stage IA2 or IB1 (≤2cm) cervical cancer who underwent open versus minimally invasive (laparoscopic or robotic) radical trachelectomy.

A Pilot Study on Diagnostic Performance of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography for Detection of Early Cervical Cancer.

In this cohort study of 49 women with all stages of cervical cancer and 21 healthy controls, we compared contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) filling pattern and semi-quantitative parameters in the two groups. Participants were examined with conventional grayscale and power Doppler ultrasound (US) followed by CEUS, using a 2.5 mL bolus of intravenous contrast agent.

Preoperative prediction of lymph node metastasis and deep stromal invasion in women with invasive cervical cancer: prospective multicenter study using 2D and 3D ultrasound.

Objectives: To determine how various objective two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound parameters allow prediction of deep stromal tumor invasion and lymph node involvement, in comparison to subjective ultrasound assessment, in women scheduled for surgery for cervical cancer.

Methods: This was a prospective multicenter trial including 104 women with cervical cancer at FIGO Stages IA2-IIB, verified histologically. Patients scheduled for surgery underwent a preoperative ultrasound examination.

[Birth asphyxia, neonatal risk factors for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy].

Objective: Neonates suffering from severe birth asphyxia may develop hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), some of which develop permanent neurological damage. As the incidence of asphyxia and HIE in Iceland is unknown, this study was conducted. Furthermore, we evaluated the association between some neonatal risk factors and the development of HIE.

[Birth asphyxia and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, incidence and obstetric risk factors].

Objective: Modern medical practice has changed dramatically during the past decades because of improved technology. Still, fetal surveillance during labor is relatively unchanged since 1960 s when fetal heart rate monitoring (FHR) became standard practice. Newborn infants are still suffering from birth asphyxia and in severe cases leading to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) which sometimes results in permanent neurological damage.

[Postgraduate medical education in Iceland; medical students' and residents' attitude].

Background: Various parties have expressed interest in establishing formal postgraduate medical education programs. The interest of residents and medical students to such programs in Iceland has not been evaluated before.

Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 146 interns and residents and 84 senior medical students.

The novel mouse microphthalmia mutations Mitfmi-enu5 and Mitfmi-bcc2 produce dominant negative Mitf proteins.

Mutations in the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (Mitf) gene affect the development of different cell types, including melanocytes, osteoclasts, and retinal pigmented epithelial cells of the eye. Many different mutations at the locus are known and since they affect the phenotype to different extents they form an allelic series. The Mitf protein is a member of the Mitf-Tfe subfamily of basic helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper (bHLH-Zip) transcription factors and binds the 6-bp canonical CAC/TGTG sequence (E box) as either a homodimer or a heterodimer with related proteins.