Atraumatic Splenic Rupture after Myocardial Infarction.

Unlabelled: Atraumatic splenic rupture is a rare but potentially life-threatening event. It mostly happens when the spleen is already diseased; however, sometimes it can be drug induced in a previously normal spleen. Although anticoagulation has been attributed to spontaneous splenic rupture quite frequently, the role of dual antiplatelet therapy is underestimated.

Breaking Cancer Bad News to Patients With Cancer: A Comprehensive Perspective of Patients, Their Relatives, and the Public-Example From a Middle Eastern Country.

Purpose: Empowering patients with cancer requires that they be continuously informed about their condition. In some Eastern cultures, this concept is often opposed by caregivers. We aim to compare the extent of disclosure desired by actual and presumed patients with cancer and their relatives in our practice.

Percutaneous Acetabuloplasty Compared With Open Reconstruction for Extensive Periacetabular Carcinoma Metastases.

For destructive metastatic periacetabular disease, options include open acetabular reconstruction or percutaneous cement acetabuloplasty (PA). We reviewed 28 consecutive patients with Harrington grade II or III lesions, 17 who underwent Harrington-type or anti-protrusio reconstruction and 11 who underwent PA. Primary outcome measures were performance status (PS), ambulatory status (0=unassisted ambulation, 1=assisted ambulation, 2=nonambulatory), and 10-point VAS score.

Oral contraceptives, abortion and breast cancer risk: a case control study in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Several studies have examined the relationship between oral contraceptive pill (OCP) use, abortions and breast cancer, with mixed results. Hormonal changes associated with OCP use and abortion may increase risk of breast cancer over time, but there is a lack of studies studying this association in Saudi Arabian women.

Materials And Methods: We thererfore conducted a case control study in 192 women (92 as cases and 100 as controls), aged 30 to 65, and collected information on variables including examples related to study objectives and those which may confound findings.

Lymph node ratio may predict relapse free survival and overall survival in patients with stage II & III colorectal carcinoma.

Background/aims: Lymph node ratio (LNR) defined as the number of lymph nodes (LNs) involved with metastases divided by number of LNs examined, has been shown to be an independent prognostic factor in breast, stomach and various other solid tumors. Its significance as a prognostic determinant in colorectal cancer (CRC) is still under investigation. This study investigated the prognostic value of LNR in patients with resected CRC.

Quality of life after en bloc resection of tumors in the mobile spine.

Background Context: Little has been reported regarding the patient-centered quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes after en bloc spondylectomy (ES). Despite lower local recurrence rates, it is unknown whether outcomes justify the surgical morbidity.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report on patient QOL after ES as measured by validated instruments and to identify factors that may predict better postoperative QOL.

Time from last chemotherapy to death and its correlation with the end of life care in a referral hospital.

Background: A substantial number of cancer patients receive chemotherapy until the end of life (EoL). Various factors have been shown to be associated with receipt of chemotherapy until near death. In this study, we determine our average time from last chemotherapy to death (TLCD) and explore different factors that may be associated with decreased TLCD.

The anti-tumour effects of zoledronic acid.

Bone is the most common site for metastasis in patients with solid tumours. Bisphosphonates are an effective treatment for preventing skeletal related events and preserving quality of life in these patients. Zoledronic acid (ZA) is the most potent osteoclast inhibitor and is licensed for the treatment of bone metastases.

Efficacy of bisphosphonates and other bone-targeted agents in metastatic bone disease from solid tumors other than breast and prostate cancers.

Metastatic bone disease complicates the course of malignancy in a substantial proportion of patients with advanced cancer. Bisphosphonates are now widely used to improve skeleton-related outcomes of patients with metastatic cancer to the bone. Most studies evaluating the efficacy of bisphosphonates and other bone-targeted agents have been performed in patients with metastatic breast and prostate cancer.

Chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer: a comprehensive review.

Combination chemotherapy is the current strategy of choice for treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Platinum containing combination regimens are superior to non-platinum regimens in limited stage-SCLC and possibly also in extensive stage-SCLC as first and second-line treatments. The addition of ifosfamide to platinum containing regimens may improve the outcome but at the price of increased toxicity.

Late gadolinium-enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance identifies postinfarction myocardial fibrosis and the border zone at the near cellular level in ex vivo rat heart.

Background: using a resolution 1000-fold higher than prior studies, we studied (1) the degree to which late gadolinium-enhancement (LGE) cardiac magnetic resonance tracks fibrosis from chronic myocardial infarction and (2) the relationship between intermediate signal intensity and partial volume averaging at distinct "smooth" infarct borders versus disorganized mixtures of fibrosis and viable cardiomyocytes.

Methods And Results: sprague-Dawley rats underwent myocardial infarction by coronary ligation. Two months later, rats were euthanized 10 minutes after administration of 0.

Is levoleucovorin an alternative to racemic leucovorin? A literature review.

Purpose: Our purpose is to perform a comprehensive literature review of the use of levoleucovorin in gastrointestinal malignancies and to assess whether levoleucovorin is a reasonable alternative to racemic leucovorin.

Design: This is an extensive literature review of levoleucovorin use in patients with gastrointestinal tract malignancies. Our review revealed 125 citations with abstracts in the English language, including 16 randomized, controlled trials; 40 case studies; and 69 nonrandomized, controlled trials that included 6 pharmacokinetic (PK)/pharmacodynamic studies with 1 population PK study.

Vascular reactivity in heart failure: role of myosin light chain phosphatase.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a clinical syndrome, which is the result of systolic or diastolic ventricular dysfunction. During CHF, vascular tone is regulated by the interplay of neurohormonal mechanisms and endothelial-dependent factors and is characterized by both central and peripheral vasoconstriction as well as a resistance to nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vasodilatation. At the molecular level, vascular tone depends on the level of regulatory myosin light chain phosphorylation, which is determined by the relative activities of myosin light chain kinase and myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP).