Chronic Liver Disease and Liver Cancer: What the Hepatologists, Oncologists, and Surgeons Want to Know from Radiologists.

Effective communication between radiologists and physicians involved in the management of patients with chronic liver disease is paramount to ensuring appropriate and advantageous incorporation of liver imaging findings into patient care. This review discusses the clinical benefits of innovations in radiology reporting, what information the various stakeholders wish to know from the radiologist, and how radiology can help to ensure the effective communication of findings.

Apixaban to Prevent Venous Thromboembolism in Patients with Cancer.

Background: Patients with active cancer have an increased risk of venous thromboembolism, which results in substantial morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditures. The Khorana score (range, 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating a higher risk of venous thromboembolism) has been validated to identify patients with cancer at elevated risk for this complication and may help select those who could benefit from thromboprophylaxis.

Methods: We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial assessing the efficacy and safety of apixaban (2.

Leukoerythroblastosis with Cytopenia as an Initial Presentation of Lung Adenocarcinoma.

A 74-year-old male with a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) previously treated with fludarabine/cyclophosphamide/rituximab (FCR) 5 years ago, presented with progressive fatigue, mucocutaneous bleeding, and cytopenias (hemoglobin 51 g/L, platelets 8.0 × 10/L, lymphocytes 0.4 × 10/L).

Second-line therapy after nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine or after gemcitabine for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Background: This exploratory analysis evaluated second-line (2L) therapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer in a large phase 3 trial (MPACT).

Methods: Patients who received first-line (1L) nab-paclitaxel+gemcitabine (nab-P+Gem) or Gem were assessed for survival based on 2L treatment received. Multivariate analyses tested influence of treatment effect and prognostic factors on survival.

nab-Paclitaxel Plus Gemcitabine Versus Gemcitabine in Patients with Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Canadian Subgroup Analysis of the Phase 3 MPACT Trial.

Introduction: The phase III MPACT trial in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC) demonstrated superior efficacy of nab-paclitaxel (nab-P) plus gemcitabine (Gem) compared with Gem monotherapy, including the primary endpoint of overall survival (OS; median 8.7 vs. 6.

nab-Paclitaxel plus gemcitabine for metastatic pancreatic cancer: long-term survival from a phase III trial.

Background: Positive findings from the phase III MPACT trial led to the regulatory approval of nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine as a treatment option for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. This report is an update of overall survival (OS) based on longer follow-up.

Methods: Patients (n = 861) with metastatic pancreatic cancer and a Karnofsky performance status of 70 or greater were randomly assigned one to one to receive nab-paclitaxel + gemcitabine or gemcitabine alone.

Retrospective review of efficacy of radiofrequency ablation for treatment of colorectal cancer liver metastases from a Canadian perspective.

Purpose: A retrospective single-center review of ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) treatment of colorectal cancer liver metastases was performed. This study reviews the primary and secondary technical effectiveness, overall survival of patients, recurrence-free survival, tumour-free survival, rates of local recurrence, and postprocedural RFA complications. Technical effectiveness and rates of complication with respect to tumour location and size were evaluated.

Improving equitable access to imaging under universal-access medicine: the ontario wait time information program and its impact on hospital policy and process.

In Canada, equal access to health care is the goal, but this is associated with wait times. Wait times should be fair rather than uniform, taking into account the urgency of the problem as well as the time an individual has already waited. In November 2004, the Ontario government began addressing this issue.

CT colonography versus optical colonoscopy for screening asymptomatic patients for colorectal cancer a patient, intervention, comparison, outcome (PICO) analysis.

Rationale And Objectives: The American College of Radiology has recently endorsed the use of computed tomographic colonography (CTC) for colon cancer screening. With advances in technology and postprocessing software, the quality of computed tomographic colonographic studies has improved, and new techniques are being developed to reduce radiation exposure and increase patient acceptance of the procedure. The aim of colorectal cancer screening is to reduce the incidence of malignancy by identifying and removing presymptomatic lesions.

PET vs sentinel lymph node biopsy for staging melanoma: a patient intervention, comparison, outcome analysis.

Background: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is the gold standard to assess local lymph nodes in patients with melanoma. Positron emission tomography (PET) has been investigated as a noninvasive alternative to SLNB.

Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted to evaluate PET and PET/computed tomography (CT) compared with SLNB for staging local lymph nodes in patients with intermediate-risk melanoma using the patient, intervention, comparison, outcome (PICO) search strategy.

Review of phase II trial designs used in studies of molecular targeted agents: outcomes and predictors of success in phase III.

Purpose: Because the appropriate design and end points for phase II evaluation of targeted anticancer agents are unclear, we undertook a review of recent reports of phase II trials of targeted agents to determine the types of designs used, the planned end points, the outcomes, and the relationship between trial outcomes and regulatory approval.

Methods: We retrieved reports of single-agent phase II trials in six solid tumors for 19 targeted drugs. For each, we abstracted data regarding planned design and actual results.