Complete mesogastric excision for gastric cancer: is it the future of gastric cancer surgery?

Gastric cancer remains undoubtedly one of the most common and deadly cancers worldwide. The global incidence shows wide geographic variation with a high prevalence in Asia. Besides that, there are evident differences in epidemiology, histopathology, tumor location, diagnosis and treatment strategy between east and west countries.

Hair cortisol and endocannabinoid measurement in patients with adrenal incidentalomas: a case-control study.

Purpose: The role of endocannabinoids (ECs) in the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis has already been studied; however, data are scarce in humans. The aim of our study was to analyze EC [anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG)] and cortisol (F) levels in hair samples of patients with adrenal incidentalomas (AIs) in comparison with those found in controls and assess their association with the hormone profile.

Methods: Forty-four patients with AIs [32 with non-functioning AIs (NFAIs) and 12 with possible autonomous secretion (PACS)] and 44 controls were recruited.

The Role of mTOR in B Cell Lymphoid Malignancies: Biologic and Therapeutic Aspects.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma's (NHL) incidence is rising over time, and B cell lymphomas comprise the majority of lymphomas. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homologue 1 (Akt)/mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway plays a critical role in a variety of cellular processes, such as cell proliferation and survival. Its role in lymphomagenesis is confirmed in many different types of B cell lymphomas.

Genital GVHD in Female Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Case Reports and Case Series.

Genital graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an underdiagnosed manifestation of chronic GVHD. Few articles have been published in pediatric populations, and there are no established guidelines for the management of this condition in children. This study aims to provide a systematic literature review of the published studies and cases of genital (vulvovaginal) GVHD in girls and adolescents post HSCT, with a focus on the time of diagnosis and clinical manifestations.

Posthemithyroidectomy Hypothyroidism: Updated Meta-Analysis of Risk Factors and Rates of Remission.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and risk factors for hypothyroidism, both clinical and subclinical, following hemithyroidectomy in preoperatively euthyroid patients, as well as hypothyroidism remission and its time of remission.

Materials And Methods: A search was performed in Medline (via PubMed), Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library using the keywords "hemithyroidectomy + postoperative + hypothyroidism" and "hemithyroidectomy + hormone supplementation".

Results: Fifty-four studies with a total of 9,999 patients were included.

The role of frailty among the predictors of depression on informal caregivers of older adults: a mediation analysis.

Background: Providing care for older adults has been associated with the presence of depressive symptoms among their informal caregivers. Numerous caregivers and older adults' characteristics have been mentioned as predictors of caregivers' depression. However, studies dealing with the impact of older adults' frailty status on caregivers' depression are scarce.

Adrenal function in relation to cytokines and outcome in non-critically ill patients with COVID-19.

Purpose: We aimed to identify whether hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction is related to deterioration in a percentage of patients who progress to severe COVID-19.

Methods: In this cohort observational study, we evaluated HPA axis activation by measuring cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) levels, whole blood expression levels of the key glucocorticoid receptor, GCR-α, and the glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ), and cytokines, as markers of the inflammatory phase, in 149 patients with respiratory infection admitted in the ward, without known adrenal disease and/or confounding medications (glucocorticoids). One hundred and four (104) patients were SARS-CoV-2 positive (C +) and controls consisted of 45 SARS-CoV-2-negative patients (NC).

Incorporating Monoclonal Antibodies into the First-Line Treatment of Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma.

The long-term survival of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients treated according to the current standard of care is excellent. Combined-modality schedules (ABVD plus radiotherapy) in early-stage disease, along with treatment intensity adaptation to early metabolic response assessed by PET/CT in advanced stage HL, have been the cornerstones of risk stratification and treatment decision-making, minimizing treatment-related complications while keeping efficacy. Nevertheless, a non-negligible number of patients are primary refractory or relapse after front-line treatment.

Eosinophilic esophagitis as a side-effect of allergen immunotherapy: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Sensitization to food and airborne allergens is common in the majority of patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Although there is not a direct cause-effect relationship of IgE-mediated allergy with the pathogenesis of EoE, there is a growing evidence that oral desensitization to food and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) may induce the development of EoE as an adverse effect. As part of the 'EoE and Allergen Immunotherapy (AIT)' Task Force funded by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), a systematic approach will be followed to review the evidence from the published scientific literature on the development of EoE in children and adults under any type of AIT.

The history of esophageal surgery.

Background: Esophageal surgery has always been considered extremely demanding, given the surgical experience and skills required, due to the anatomic location of the esophagus as well as the impact of such extensive operations on patients' homeostasis. The intention of the present study is to review all historical time points of esophageal surgery, from its inception to the modern era of minimally invasive esophageal surgery.

Methods: The first clear description of esophageal surgery is dated back to 1738, in an attempt to remove a foreign body from the thoracic esophagus.

Unveiling the Yin-Yang Balance of M1 and M2 Macrophages in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Role of Exosomes in Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Modulation.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary liver cancer with a high mortality rate and limited treatment options. Recent research has brought attention to the significant importance of intercellular communication in the progression of HCC, wherein exosomes have been identified as critical agents facilitating cell-to-cell signaling. In this article, we investigate the impact of macrophages as both sources and targets of exosomes in HCC, shedding light on the intricate interplay between exosome-mediated communication and macrophage involvement in HCC pathogenesis.

Real-world complication burden and disease management paradigms in transfusion-related β-thalassaemia in Greece: Results from ULYSSES, an epidemiological, multicentre, retrospective cross-sectional study.

Patients with transfusion-dependent beta (β)-thalassaemia experience a broad range of complications. ULYSSES, an epidemiological, multicentre, retrospective cross-sectional study, aimed to assess the prevalence and severity of treatment and disease complications, capture disease management and identify predictors of complications in patients with transfusion-dependent β-thalassaemia, treated in routine settings in Greece. Eligible patients were adults diagnosed with β-thalassaemia ≥12 months before enrolment and having received ≥6 red blood cell (RBC) units (excluding elective surgery) with no transfusion-free period ≥35 days in the 24 weeks before enrolment.

Hepatic Small Vessel Neoplasm: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Hepatic small vessel neoplasm (HSVN) is a recently described vascular neoplasm of the liver. It demonstrates an infiltrative growth pattern and lacks cytologic atypia and mitotic activity. So far, no cases of metastasis or disease recurrence after excision have been reported in the literature.

Contribution of MEK Inhibition to BRAF/MEK Inhibitor Combination Treatment of -Mutant Melanoma: Part 2 of the Randomized, Open-Label, Phase III COLUMBUS Trial.

Purpose: In COLUMBUS part 1, patients with advanced -mutant melanoma were randomly assigned 1:1:1 to encorafenib 450 mg once daily plus binimetinib 45 mg twice a day (COMBO450), vemurafenib 960 mg twice a day, or encorafenib 300 mg once daily (ENCO300). As previously reported, COMBO450 improved progression-free survival (PFS) versus vemurafenib (part 1 primary end point) and ENCO300 (part 1 key secondary end point; not statistically significant). Part 2, requested by the US Food and Drug Administration, evaluated the contribution of binimetinib by maintaining the same encorafenib dosage in the combination (encorafenib 300 mg once daily plus binimetinib 45 mg twice daily [COMBO300]) and ENCO300 arms.

Mathematical modeling for Delta and Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in Greece.

A compartmental, epidemiological, mathematical model was developed in order to analyze the transmission dynamics of Delta and Omicron variant, of SARS-CoV-2, in Greece. The model was parameterized twice during the 4th and 5th wave of the pandemic. The 4th wave refers to the period during which the Delta variant was dominant (approximately July to December of 2021) and the 5th wave to the period during which the Omicron variant was dominant (approximately January to May of 2022), in accordance with the official data from the National Public Health Organization (NPHO).

Spontaneous tumor lysis syndrome in patients with solid tumors: a scoping review of the literature.

No systematic synthesis of all cases of spontaneous tumor lysis syndrome (STLS) in adult patients with solid tumors is available to date. Herein, we aim to recognize specific STLS characteristics and parameters related to a worse prognosis. We conducted a systematic search for randomized controlled trials, cohorts, case-control studies, and case reports.

Meta-Analysis and Clinical Features of Perioperative Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy in Noncardiac Surgery.

Perioperative takotsubo cardiomyopathy (pTCM) is an increasing condition defined as cardiomyopathy in the setting of emotional and physiologic stressors imposed by surgery. We aimed to classify and understand the presentation, management, and prognosis of noncardiac surgery pTCM in published cases. As such, a review of previous studies using the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases was conducted to obtain case reports and series reporting noncardiac pTCM from inception to September 2022, and a crude analysis was conducted to classify the clinical features.

Prospective Series of Transarterial Chemoembolization of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer to the Liver with 30-60 μm Microspheres Loaded with Irinotecan.

Purpose: To describe safety and clinical outcomes among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) to the liver treated with transarterial chemoembolization with HepaSphere™ Microspheres 30-60 μm loaded with irinotecan (ΙRI-HEP-TACE).

Material And Methods: In this prospective study (NCT04866290), 100 adults with confirmed mCRC to the liver who were ineligible for resection were enrolled and followed up to 24 months or death. Study outcomes among Salvage (patients not tolerating more cycles of chemotherapy) and Non-salvage patients included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response (OR), objective response rate (ORR), best tumor response (BTR), adverse events (AEs), and pharmacokinetics of irinotecan and its active metabolite, 7-ethyl-10-hydroxy-camptothecin (SN38).