Managing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in head and neck cancer patients receiving cisplatin chemotherapy with concurrent radiation.

Background: The purpose was to retrospectively examine the anti-emetic regimens prescribed for prophylaxis of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) for head and neck cancer patients receiving moderate- or high-emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC/HEC) along with concurrent radiation treatment at an outpatient ambulatory care center to determine the efficacy of anti-emetics prescribed.

Methods: Consecutive patients with head and neck cancers who initiated cisplatin chemotherapy with concurrent radiation treatment between January 2013 and June 2015 were investigated. Patients' anti-emetic use and occurrence of CINV was extracted from available clinical documentation.

Penile necrosis secondary to purpura fulminans: a case report and review of literature.

We report the case of a 60-year-old Hispanic male with widespread necrotic purpuric lesions involving the penile, suprapubic, inguinal and hip dermis due to purpura fulminans. Purpura fulminans describes a rare syndrome involving intravascular thrombosis and hemorrhagic infarction of the skin; this rapidly progressing syndrome features vascular collapse and disseminated intravascular coagulation. This patient's penile necrosis involved the majority of the penile shaft and glans penis, and ultimately required partial glansectomy and repeated debridement for treatment.

A definition of "uncomplicated bone metastases" based on previous bone metastases radiation trials comparing single-fraction and multi-fraction radiation therapy.

The most recent systematic review of randomized trials in patients with bone metastases has shown equal efficacy of single fraction (SF) and multiple fraction (MF) palliative radiation therapy in pain relief. It is important to determine the patient population to which the evidence applies. This study aims to examine the eligibility criteria of the studies included in the systematic review to define characteristics of "uncomplicated" bone metastases.

Retrospective review of the incidence of monitoring blood glucose levels in patients receiving corticosteroids with systemic anticancer therapy.

Background: Corticosteroids are used adjuvant to certain chemotherapy regimens, either as an antiemetic, to reduce other side effects, or to enhance cancer treatment. Additionally, they are frequently used for symptom control in cancer patients with end stage disease. Corticosteroid use may induce hyperglycemia in approximately 20-50% of patients, which may negatively affect patient outcomes.

Minimal clinically important differences in the EORTC QLQ-BN20 in patients with brain metastases.

Introduction: Quality of life (QOL) is an important treatment endpoint in advanced cancer patients with brain metastases. In clinical trials, statistically significant changes can be reached in a large enough population; however, these changes may not be clinically relevant.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire brain module (EORTC QLQ-BN20) in patients with brain metastases.

Symptom clusters of gastrointestinal cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy using the Functional Living Index-Emesis (FLIE) quality-of-life tool.

Objective: The Functional Living Index-Emesis (FLIE) instrument is a validated nausea and vomiting specific quality of life (QOL) tool originally created as a 3-day test of the impact of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting on cancer patients' daily life. The primary objective of the present study was to retrospectively explore the use of the FLIE from data obtained in a previously published study of patients with gastrointestinal radiation-induced nausea and vomiting (RINV) and compare the extracted symptom clusters on a weekly basis for the entirety of gastrointestinal cancer patients' radiotherapy treatments.

Methods: QOL was assessed on a weekly basis using the 18-item FLIE questionnaire for patients' radiotherapy treatments.

Fatigue scores in patients receiving palliative radiotherapy for painful bone metastases.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine changes in fatigue scores for patients receiving radiation therapy for bone metastases and its impact on quality of life (QOL).

Methods: Fatigue and QOL scores were prospectively collected in patients for up to 3 months following radiation therapy for bone metastases using three questionnaires: group 1, Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) (0-10); group 2, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30); and Core 15 Palliative (EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL) (1-4).

Results: Average fatigue score in group 1 (399 patients) was 4.

Inadequacy of Palliative Training in the Medical School Curriculum.

This report examines the literature on palliative training in the current medical school curriculum. A literature search was conducted to identify relevant articles. Physicians and medical students both report feeling that their training in end-of-life care and in palliative issues is lacking.

Performance of compulsive behavior in rats is not a unitary phenomenon - validation of separate functional components in compulsive checking behavior.

A previous analysis of the quinpirole sensitisation rat model of obsessive-compulsive disorder revealed that the behavioral phenotype of compulsive checking consists of three constitutive components - vigor of checking performance, focus on the task of checking, and satiety following a bout of checking. As confirmation of this analysis, the aim of the present study was to reconstitute, without quinpirole treatment, each of the putative components, with the expectation that these would self-assemble into compulsive checking. To reconstitute vigor and satiety, the employed treatment was a bilateral lesion of the nucleus accumbens core (NAc), as this treatment was shown previously to exaggerate these components.

Prognosis: the "missing link" within the CanMEDS competency framework.

Background: The concept of prognosis dates back to antiquity. Quantum advances in diagnostics and therapeutics have relegated this once highly valued core competency to an almost negligible role in modern medical practice. Medical curricula are devoid of teaching opportunities focused on prognosis.

Separate mechanisms for development and performance of compulsive checking in the quinpirole sensitization rat model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Rationale: Acute administration of serotonergic agonist, meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP), attenuates performance of compulsive checking in an animal model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It is not known whether mCPP has a similar effect on development of compulsive checking.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to examine whether similar mechanisms mediate the development versus the performance of compulsive checking in the rat model.

Effects of the serotonergic agonist mCPP on male rats in the quinpirole sensitization model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Rationale: The serotonergic agonist, meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP), produces inconsistent effects on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms, perhaps because clinical studies have not utilized a homogenous OCD subgroup of patients.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate mCPP effects on functional components of compulsive checking, using the quinpirole sensitization rat model of OCD.

Methods: In study 1, the effects of mCPP were evaluated in quinpirole rats with compulsive checking.