Incidence and clinical significance of postoperative delirium after brain tumor surgery.

Background: Delirium is an acute and reversible deterioration of mental state. Postoperative delirium (POD) can develop after surgical procedures and is associated with impaired health status and worse recovery. So far, there is little data about postoperative delirium after brain surgery.

Prognostic role of high sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in glioma and meningioma patients.

High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) can be important prognostic indicators of brain tumor patients. We investigated the association of circulating IL-6 and hsCRP concentrations with discharge outcomes and survival of glioma and meningioma patients. One-hundred and sixty-three (115 women; median age 57 years) patients admitted for meningioma (n = 94), high-grade glioma (n = 48) and low-grade glioma (n = 21) surgery were enrolled in this prospective cohort study.

Preoperative low tri-iodothyronine concentration is associated with worse health status and shorter five year survival of primary brain tumor patients.

Background: Low tri-iodothyronine syndrome is associated with worse prognosis of severely ill patients. We investigated the association of thyroid hormone levels with discharge outcomes and 5-year mortality in primary brain tumor patients.

Methods: From January, 2010 until September, 2011, 230 patients (70% women) before brain tumor surgery were evaluated for cognitive (Mini mental State Examination; MMSE) and functional (Barthel index; BI) status, and thyroid function profile.

Digit ratio (2D:4D) in primary brain tumor patients: A case-control study.

Background: The second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) reflects prenatal estrogen and testosterone exposure, and is established in utero. Sex steroids are implicated in development and progression of primary brain tumors.

Aims: To investigate whether there is a link between 2D:4D ratio and primary brain tumors, and age at presentation.

Predictors of health-related quality of life in neurosurgical brain tumor patients: focus on patient-centered perspective.

Background: In brain tumor (BT) patients, the association between health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological characteristics remains largely unknown. We evaluated the association of personality traits, clinical factors, psychological distress symptoms, and cognitive state with HRQoL in BT patients.

Methods: On admission for BT surgery, 200 patients (69 % women; age 55.

Low triiodothyronine syndrome as a predictor of poor outcomes in patients undergoing brain tumor surgery: a pilot study: clinical article.

Object: A low triiodothyronine (T3) state is highly prevalent and is associated with a poor prognosis in critically ill patients. The authors investigated, in patients undergoing brain tumor surgery, the direct association of a perioperative low T3 syndrome with clinical outcomes and also with symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Methods: Ninety consecutive patients (71% women, median age 55 years), on admission for brain tumor surgery, were evaluated for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

Screening for psychological distress in neurosurgical brain tumor patients using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2.

Objective: Psychological distress is highly prevalent but often undiagnosed in brain tumor patients. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) for screening of distressed neurosurgical brain tumor patients.

Methods: A total of 226 (69% women; mean age 55.

Evaluation of health-related quality of life in Lithuanian brain tumor patients using the EORTC brain cancer module.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is considered an important outcome measure in neuro-oncology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the brain cancer-specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-BN20) of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) in Lithuanian brain tumor patients.

A primary primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the central nervous system in a 51-year-old woman: a case report and literature review.

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors are a group of rare, aggressive, and highly malignant embryonal tumors of unknown etiology of the central and peripheral nervous systems. It is a term for a group of small round cell tumors thought to be derived from fetal neuroectodermal precursor cells. Primitive neuroectodermal tumor is usually described as a tumor of children younger than 15 years and is very rare in adults.

Tumor grade-related NDRG2 gene expression in primary and recurrent intracranial meningiomas.

Approximately 30% of all primary CNS tumors are meningiomas. Depending on histological type, meningiomas can recur as follows: benign--with five-year recurrence of 5%, atypical--recurrence approximately 40%, and anaplastic with recurrence of 50-80%. In an attempt to understand the molecular mechanism of meningioma recurrence we investigated the N-Myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2), which has recently been described as important in suppressing cellular carcinogenesis in different types of cancer.

Environmental factors and breast cancer.

This review summarizes the results of studies on the effects of environment on breast cancer risk. As known risk factors such as reproductive life, inheritance, and socioeconomic status are estimated to explain only about half of the breast cancer cases, it has been thought that environmental factors could also be related to the risk of this disease. It is known that ionizing radiation is an environmental risk factor increasing the risk of breast cancer.