Palliative care to cancer patients: how COVID-19 pandemic could affect quality of care.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the care delivered to hospitalized cancer patients in end-of-life.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of data of hospitalized patients with advanced solid tumors, who died under exclusive palliative care during first wave (March 2020 to July 2020) compared with the period previous pandemic (January 2018 to February 2020).

Results: A total of 190 oncologic patients were included, 161 patients before the pandemic, and 29 in the period from March 2020 to July 2020.

Incorporation of medicines in the Unified Health System (SUS): comparison between oncology and the specialized component of pharmaceutical care.

Compliance with legal deadlines for the assessment and incorporation of technologies in Brazil's Unified Health System (SUS) is essential to ensure public access to essential medicines. The scope of this paper was to analyze the compliance with legal deadlines for incorporation and availability of medicines in the SUS, comparing Oncology and the Specialized Component of Pharmaceutical Assistance (SCPA). A comparison was made of the drugs incorporated that were submitted to Conitec in the period from January 1, 2017, to April 30, 2020.

Incidental Findings in Reduction Mammoplasty Specimens in Patients with No Prior History of Breast Cancer. An Analysis of 783 Specimens.

Breast reduction surgery is a common procedure and the rate of incidental findings in the removed specimens varies between 0% and 4.6%. There are no guidelines about pathological evaluation of breast reduction surgery.

Does Time-to-Chemotherapy Impact the Outcomes of Resected Ovarian Cancer? Meta-analysis of Randomized and Observational Data.

Objectives: This study is a meta-analysis of prior publications evaluating the impact of time-to-chemotherapy (TTC) on disease recurrence and survival 3 years after the original surgery.

Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of studies published in PubMed (1950-2016) as of April 2016. Inclusion criteria were as follows: randomized controlled trials and prospective or retrospective cohorts that included patients with ovarian cancer who had undergone surgery with curative intent and use of adjuvant chemotherapy.

An update on clinical oncology for the non-oncologist.

ABSTRACTRecent advances in the understanding of tumor driver mutations, signaling pathways that lead to tumor progression, and the better understanding of the interaction between tumor cells and the immune system are revolutionizing cancer treatment. The pace at which new treatments are approved and the prices at which they are set have made it even more difficult to offer these treatments in countries like Brazil. In this review we present for the non-oncologist these new treatments and compare their availability in Brazilian public health system and private health system with that of developed countries.

Clinical features and overall survival among elderly cancer patients in a tertiary cancer center.

Objective: To evaluate the epidemiological profile and overall survival of a large population of elderly individuals diagnosed with solid tumors in a tertiary hospital.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients aged >65 years, diagnosed with solid tumors between January 2007 and December 2011, at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil. The medical records were reviewed to obtain information about clinical variables and overall survival.

Prevalence of renal insufficiency in elderly cancer patients in a tertiary cancer center.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of abnormal glomerular filtration rate in elderly patients with solid tumors.

Methods: A retrospective study with patients aged >65 years diagnosed with solid tumors between January 2007 and December 2011 in a cancer center. The following data were collected: sex, age, serum creatinine at the time of diagnosis and type of tumor.

Treatment of breast cancer patients from a public healthcare system in a private center: costs of care for a pilot public-private partnership in oncology.

Objective: To describe the flow and costs associated with the diagnosis and treatment of patients with breast cancer who come from the public healthcare system and were treated at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein.

Methods: Between August 2009, and December 2011, 51 patients referred by the Unified Public Healthcare System (SUS) had access to Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein for diagnostic radiology, medical oncology, radiotherapy, and oncologic/breast reconstruction surgery. The data were collected retrospectively from the hospital records, patient charts, pharmacy records, and from the hospital billing system.

Complete androgen blockade safely allows for delay of cytotoxic chemotherapy in castration refractory prostate cancer.

Purpose: Complete androgen blockade (CAB) does not prolong overall survival (OS) in patients with castration refractory prostate cancer (CRPC). Although there is variable clinical benefit with second-line hormone manipulation, we do not know which patients might benefit the most.

Objectives: To identify clinical predictors of benefit of complete androgen blockade.

Management of advanced prostate cancer.

Geriatricians and general practitioners often follow patients with metastatic prostate cancer. The epidemiology and basic treatment principles of metastatic prostate cancer are discussed aiming to update the topic for the non-oncologist. Hormone manipulation remains the basis of treatment, usually up to a second line of therapy.