Publications by authors named "Shirley Shapira"

Objectives: Asciminib, a novel allosteric BCR::ABL1 inhibitor, targets the ABL1 myristoyl pocket to potentially reduce toxicity and enhance efficacy. It is approved for Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP) in patients with resistance or intolerance to two or more tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) or those with the T315I mutation.

Methods: This retrospective analysis evaluated patients with CML treated with asciminib under a managed-access program across eight Israeli centers from July 2019 to August 2022.

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Introduction: In recent years, fedratinib, a selective JAK2 inhibitor, has emerged as a potential therapeutic option for patients who have failed or are intolerant to ruxolitinib. Despite the promising results observed in clinical studies, real-world evidence from the USA and Europe suggests that the efficacy of fedratinib may be less conclusive. We report the characteristics, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes of patients with myelofibrosis (MF) treated with fedratinib following ruxolitinib failure in Israel's clinical practice.

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Introduction: Mind-body intervention (MBI) serves as a supportive aid in oncology. We hypothesized that MBI could impact the progression of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in the "watch and wait" (w&w) phase.

Methods: We conducted a non-randomized, prospective controlled study between the years 2020 and 2022 on 76 treatment-naïve CLL patients in the w&w phase.

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Background: The limited 70° field of view (FoV) used in standard laparoscopy necessitates maneuvering the laparoscope to view the ports, follow the surgical tools, and search for a target region. Complications related to events that take place outside the FoV are underreported. Recently, a novel laparoscopic system (SurroundScope, 270Surgical) was reported to dramatically expand the FoV from 70 to 270°.

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Introduction: Laparoscopy is now the gold standard approach to many surgical procedures thanks to its many advantages. Minimizing distractions is essential to a safe and successful surgery and an undisrupted surgical workflow. The SurroundScope, a wide angle (270°) laparoscopic camera system has the potential to decrease surgical distractions and increase workflow.

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Purpose: As protection from COVID-19 following two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine showed a time dependent waning, a third (booster) dose was administrated. This study aims to compare the antibody response following the third dose versus the second and to evaluate post-booster seroconversion.

Methods: A prospective observational study conducted in Maccabi Healthcare Services.

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Background: Laparoscopy has enjoyed improvements over the last three decades primarily in achieving high definition, but the 70° field of view (FOV) remains unchanged. Complications related to events that take place out of the FOV continue to be reported. Additional problems leading to poor visualization are fogging and smoke accumulation.

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Article Synopsis
  • * In a cohort of 400 CLL patients, the vaccine was deemed safe with mild adverse effects reported in 50%, but only 43% exhibited an antibody response after two doses, with significant variations based on treatment status.
  • * A predictive seven-factor score was developed to estimate which CLL patients might generate sufficient antibodies post-vaccination, highlighting that while the vaccine is safe for CLL patients, its effectiveness is notably lower in those receiving treatment. *
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The BCR-ABL-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) are associated with high incidence of venous thrombosis and a significant rate of recurrent events, but there is no consensus regarding their management. In this retrospective study, we analyzed 96 patients with MPN-related venous thrombosis. The index venous thrombosis occurred at a median age of 58 years (IQR 37-71), with 58% of the events involving unusual sites.

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Article Synopsis
  • Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a rare inflammatory cancer that often relies on the MAPK signaling pathway and can be effectively treated with Vemurafenib, especially in patients with a specific BRAF mutation, although some may experience diminished efficacy over time.
  • In a study of three ECD patients who showed insufficient response or disease progression on Vemurafenib alone, treatment was switched to a combination of Vemurafenib and Cobimetinib, resulting in clinical and neurological improvements and regression of lesions in some patients.
  • The findings suggest that combining BRAF and MEK inhibitors could be a viable long-term treatment approach for ECD patients, especially those with central nervous system involvement where standard therapy is
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The direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are a class of drugs used for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation and for prevention and treatment of venous thrombo-embolism. They are as effective and are safer than the vitamin K antagonists that were the oral drugs previously used for this purpose. The DOACs are convenient to use because of their fixed dose-response relationship which makes routine monitoring of drug levels unnecessary.

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Low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) are a rapidly growing class of anticoagulant drug. Their efficacy has been demonstrated in several clinical settings where they are rapidly becoming the anticoagulant of choice. Controlled clinical studies in patients with deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and unstable angina have documented that the frequency of major hemorrhage is 0.

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Plasma-reduced platelet concentrates are commonly administered to prevent febrile transfusion reactions and to avoid fluid overload in neonates. Because little is known about the influence of centrifugation and resuspension on functional aspects of platelets, we examined the effects of plasma-reduction on platelet aggregation and platelet-dependent thrombin generation. Our results show that plasma reduction and resuspension of the platelet pellet in saline or plasma results in a significant reduction in platelet aggregation to a combination of the platelet agonists adenosine diphosphate and epinephrine (p < 0.

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