PEG Precipitation to Detect Macro-TSH in Clinical Practice: A Systematic Review.

Unlabelled: Macro-thyroid-stimulating hormone (macro-TSH) is a complex formed by monomeric TSH with anti-TSH antibodies, causing falsely elevated TSH levels and potential misdiagnosis of hypothyroidism. Identification of macro-TSH is essential for proper treatment and patient follow-up. Its diagnostic gold standard is gel filtration chromatography (GFC), which is very expensive, time-consuming, and rarely available.

Multi-institutional study using sbrt to treat mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy.

Mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy (MHL) is a common pattern of cancer spread, particularly in lung disease. Recently, there has been interest in the use of SBRT for MHL, especially in the oligometastatic setting. The goal is to improve local control (LC) and to achieve shorter treatment durations to minimize systemic treatment interruptions.

Long-term outcomes and prognostic factors of short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) in rectal cancer: a monocentric retrospective study.

Purpose: To evaluate efficacy and tolerance of short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) prior to possible chemotherapy (CHT) and surgery in 64 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer, in terms of acute and early late toxicity and survival outcomes with prognostic factors.

Methods: Sixty-four patients affected by rectal tumor were treated from 2008 to 2023 radiation therapy, with a total dose of 25 Gy in 5 fractions. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the rates of overall survival (OS), cancer specific survival (CSS), local control (LC), disease free survival (DFS) and metastasis free survival (MFS).

The association between age at natural menopause and risk of asthma among postmenopausal women from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between age at natural menopause and incidence of asthma among postmenopausal Canadian women.

Methods: Women between the ages of 45-85 yr were followed for a 10-yr period. Analysis was restricted to naturally postmenopausal women who are nonsmokers and did not have asthma prior to menopause.

Balancing benefits and limitations of linear energy transfer optimization in carbon ion radiotherapy for large sacral chordomas.

Background And Purpose: A low linear energy transfer (LET) in the target can reduce the effectiveness of carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT). This study aimed at exploring benefits and limitations of LET optimization for large sacral chordomas (SC) undergoing CIRT.

Materials And Methods: Seventeen cases were used to tune LET-based optimization, and seven to independently test interfraction plan robustness.

Proficiency in performing radiofrequency ablation procedure for non-functioning benign thyroid nodules: a qualitative rather than quantitative matter.

Objective: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an emerging non-surgical treatment for benign thyroid nodules (BTN). Despite its proven safety profile, data on the learning curve (LC) required to achieve proficiency are still lacking.

Materials And Methods: The first 179 RFA procedures performed by a single operator in patients with non-functioning BTN were retrospectively analyzed.

Selective anti-CXCR2 receptor blockade by AZD5069 inhibits CXCL8-mediated pro-tumorigenic activity in human thyroid cancer cells in vitro.

Background: Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy. Current therapies are successful, however some patients progress to therapeutically refractive disease. The immunotherapeutic potential of the CXCL8-chemokine/CXCR2-chemokine-receptor system is currently being explored in numerous human cancers.

Per-polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as thyroid disruptors: is there evidence for multi-transgenerational effects?

Introduction: The environmental spread of pollutants has led to a persistent exposure of living beings to multiple chemicals, by now become ubiquitous in the surrounding environment. Environmental exposure to these substances has been reported to cause multi- and/or transgenerational health effects. Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) raise great concern, given their known effects both as endocrine disruptors and potential carcinogens.

Do PFCAs drive the establishment of thyroid cancer microenvironment? Effects of C6O4, PFOA and PFHxA exposure in two models of human thyroid cells in primary culture.

Background: Exposure to environmental pollutants is suspected to be one of the potential causes accounting for the increase in thyroid cancer (TC) incidence worldwide. Among the ubiquitous pollutants, per-polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), were demonstrated to exert thyroid disrupting effects. Perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) represent a subgroup of PFAS and include perfluoro carboxylic acids (PFOA and PFHxA) and perfluoropolyether carboxylic acid (C6O4).

Reappraising the role of thyroid scintigraphy in the era of TIRADS: A clinically-oriented viewpoint.

Thyroid nodules (TNs) are a common entity, with the majority being benign. Therefore, employing an accurate rule-out strategy in clinical practice is essential. In the thyroid field, the current era is significantly marked by the worldwide diffusion of ultrasound (US)-based malignancy risk stratification systems of TN, usually reported as Thyroid Imaging Reporting And Data System (TIRADS).

Design and implementation of the Our Health Counts (OHC) methodology for First Nations, Inuit, and Metis (FNIM) health assessment and response in urban and related homelands.

Objectives: Methods for enumeration and population-based health assessment for First Nations, Inuit, and Metis (FNIM) living in Canadian cities are underdeveloped, with resultant gaps in essential demographic, health, and health service access information. Our Health Counts (OHC) was designed to engage FNIM peoples in urban centres in "by community, for community" population health assessment and response.

Methods: The OHC methodology was designed to advance Indigenous self-determination and FNIM data sovereignty in urban contexts through deliberate application of Indigenous principles and linked implementation strategies.

NIFTP-adjusted risk estimation of Bethesda thyroid cytology categories should consider the indication for FNA according to TIRADS.

Background: Non-invasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP) was firstly described in 2016. Since NIFTP is thought a non-malignant tumor, the Bethesda system for thyroid cytology proposes two estimations of risk of malignancy of the diagnostic categories, one considering NIFTP as cancer and another one considering it as a benign neoplasm. The present study aimed to review NIFTPs in a single center, re-assess them across categories of three Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (TIRADSs), and define the indication for biopsy according to the category-specific size cut-offs.

The interplay between subclinical hypothyroidism and poor sleep quality: A systematic review.

Background: The relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism (SHYPO) and sleep disturbances is still poorly investigated. This systematic review aims to critically appraise the existing literature to provide more insights in understanding whether SHYPO favors sleep disturbances or it is the sleep disturbance per se that affects the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis regulation.

Methods: Original studies on sleep quality and duration in patients with SHYPO were searched in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus databases.

Changing the structure of PFOA and PFOS: a chemical industry strategy or a solution to avoid thyroid-disrupting effects?

Background: The family of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) raised concern for their proven bioaccumulation and persistence in the environment and animals as well as for their hazardous health effects. As a result, new congeners of PFAS have rapidly replaced the so-called "old long-chain PFAS" (mainly PFOA and PFOS), currently out-of-law and banned by most countries. These compounds derive from the original structure of "old long-chain PFAS", by cutting or making little conformational changes to their structure, thus obtaining new molecules with similar industrial applications.