Socioeconomic Status and Distance to Reference Centers for Complex Cancer Diseases: A Source of Health Inequalities? A Population Cohort Study Based on Catalonia (Spain).

The centralization of complex surgical procedures for cancer in Catalonia may have led to geographical and socioeconomic inequities. In this population-based cohort study, we assessed the impacts of these two factors on 5-year survival and quality of care in patients undergoing surgery for rectal cancer (2011-12) and pancreatic cancer (2012-15) in public centers, adjusting for age, comorbidity, and tumor stage. We used data on the geographical distance between the patients' homes and their reference centers, clinical patient and treatment data, income category, and data from the patients' district hospitals.

Formation and internal ordering of periodic microphases in colloidal models with competing interactions.

Theory and simulations predict that colloidal particles with short-range attractive and long-range repulsive interactions form periodic microphases if there is a proper balance between the attractive and repulsive contributions. However, the experimental identification of such structures has remained elusive to date. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the phase behaviour of a model system that stabilizes a cluster-crystal, a cylindrical and a lamellar phase at low temperatures.

Impact of the new european paediatric regulatory framework on ethics committees: overview and perspectives.

Aim: To evaluate the impact of the new European paediatric regulatory framework on the activities of Ethics Committees operating in Europe and to assess their involvement and interest in paediatric research.

Methods: Task-force in Europe for Drug Development for the Young Network of Excellence and Relating Expectations and Needs to the Participation and Empowerment of Children in Clinical Trials project set up an inventory of Ethics Committees existing in Europe and conducted a survey on their approach to paediatric trials.

Results: Ethics Committees operating in 22 European Countries participated in this survey.

[Planning highly specialised services in Catalonia].

One of the principal challenges in healthcare systems is deciding which services have to be concentrated, taking into account, among other things, their low-frequency, complexity, risk, accumulated experience and costs., Concentration must make it possible to guarantee the quality of the service and the best results possible. This article describes, the conceptual elements, the benchmark criteria, the impact on the centres and the minimum conditions that the mechanisms must meet, which have been taken into account in the reorganisation of high-complexity services in Catalonia.

Losartan titration versus diuretic combination in type 2 diabetic patients.

Methods: We compared the effects of Losartan dose titration to 100 mg versus the addition of 12.5 mg of hydrochlorothiazide, in 90 type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria and blood pressure > 130/85 mmHg, receiving losartan 50 mg as initial treatment during 4 weeks.

Results: With the first dose of losartan, systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased from 154.

Postoperative radiotherapy in patients with positive nodes after functional neck dissection.

A study was designed to assess the usefulness of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) in patients with surgically treated laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer with histologically proven positive neck nodes. Patients underwent operation between 1984 and 1995, with functional neck dissection (FND) being part of the treatment in all cases. The selection criteria included squamous cell carcinoma, negative margins for the primary tumor, and no previous treatment.