Monitoring breast cancer response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with ultrasound signal statistics and integrated backscatter.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is used in patients with breast cancer to reduce tumor focus, metastatic risk, and patient mortality. Monitoring NAC effects is necessary to capture resistant patients and stop or change treatment. The existing methods for evaluating NAC results have some limitations.

Ultrasound echogenicity reveals the response of breast cancer to chemotherapy.

Purpose: To evaluate the ultrasound (US) response in patients with breast cancer (BC) during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

Methods: Prospective US analysis was performed on 19 malignant tumors prior to NAC treatment and 7 days after each first four courses of NAC in 13 patients (median age = 57 years). Echogenicity, size, vascularity, and sonoelastography were measured and compared with posttreatment scores of residual cancers burden.

Hand-Foot Syndrome and Progression-Free Survival in Patients Treated with Sunitinib for Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) typically receive systemic treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). Side effects include the hand-foot syndrome (HFS), tiredness, nausea, decreased appetite, diarrhea, myelosuppression, and hypertension. This study seeks to define the relationship between the incidence of HFS after the first cycle of treatment with sunitinib as the first-line treatment for mRCC (50 mg/day, 6-week schedule: 4 weeks on and 2 weeks off) and progression-free survival.

mutation in breast cancer patients: Analysis of prognostic factors and survival.

The presence of BRCA1 mutations is associated with an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. The present study compared clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival (OS) of hereditary and sporadic breast cancer. Using data collected from a previous study conducted between 2007-2016 at the Maria Skłodowska Curie Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology (Gliwice, Poland), the prognostic factors and survival in 60 breast cancer mutation carriers were analyzed.

The correlation between the incidence of adverse events and progression-free survival in patients treated with cabozantinib for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

Clinical practice shows significant differences in treatment outcomes across patients treated with cabozantinib for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). It is not known whether cabozantinib-induced adverse events are predictive factors of survival as in case of drugs such as sunitinib or axitinib. The study participants were 30 adult patients with mRCC treated with cabozantinib as a second- or further line setting.

Mathematical evaluation of melatonin secretion in hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

Objectives: The aims of the study were to assess the kinematics of the lower limbs and pelvis during normal walking in professional ballet dancers and to investigate relationships between movements of segments of the lower limbs and pelvis.

Methods: Thirty one professional ballet dancers and twenty eight controls completed five walking trials at their preferred speed. Kinematic data in the basic anatomical planes for ankle, knee, and hip joints as well as for the pelvis were collected with an optoelectronic motion system.

Endoscopist biopsy rate as a quality indicator for outpatient gastroscopy: a multicenter cohort study with validation.

Background And Aims: The diagnosis of gastric premalignant conditions (GPCs) relies on endoscopy with mucosal sampling. We hypothesized that the endoscopist biopsy rate (EBR) might constitute a quality indicator for EGD, and we have analyzed its association with GPC detection and the rate of missed gastric cancers (GCs).

Methods: We analyzed EGD databases from 2 high-volume outpatient units.

Reproducibility of intravoxel incoherent motion of liver on a 3.0T scanner: free-breathing and respiratory-triggered sequences acquired with different numbers of excitations.

Purpose: To optimise the intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) imaging of the liver on a 3.0T scanner by assessing parameter reproducibility on free-breathing (FB) and respiratory-triggered (RT) sequences acquired with different numbers of signal averages (NSA).

Material And Methods: In this prospective study 20 subjects (M/F: 10/10; age: 25-62 years, mean: 39 years) underwent IVIM magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on a 3.

Increased serum levels of Galectin-9 in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common type of leukemia in adults. Despite improvements in treatment, CLL is still considered an incurable disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate galectin-1, -3 and -9 (Gal-1, -3 and -9) and Gal-3 binding protein (Gal-3BP) as prognostic and predictive factors in patients with CLL.

The impact of low- versus standard-volume bowel preparation on participation in primary screening colonoscopy: a randomized health services study.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of low-volume vs. standard-volume bowel preparation on participation in screening colonoscopy, bowel preparation quality, and lesion detection rates.

Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized, health services study within the population-based primary colonoscopy screening program in Poland.

Mass Spectrometry-Based Comprehensive Analysis of Pancreatic Cyst Fluids.

Pancreatic cyst fluids (PCFs) enriched in tumour-derived proteins are considered a potential source of new biomarkers. This study aimed to determine compositional and quantitative differences between the degradome and proteome of PCFs aspirated from different types of pancreatic cyst lesions (PCLs). 91 patients who underwent endoscopic ultrasound-fine needle aspiration under routine clinical diagnosis of PCLs were enrolled.

Transcriptomes of human mesenchymal cells isolated from the right ventricle and epicardial fat differ strikingly both directly after isolation and long-term culture.

Aims: Mesenchymal stromal cells isolated from different tissues are claimed to demonstrate similar therapeutic potential and are often incorrectly named mesenchymal stem cells. However, through comparison of such cells is lacking. This study aimed to compare the transcriptome of mesenchymal cells of the same phenotype isolated from the heart muscle and epicardial fat of the same patient, before and after culture.

Prediction of fetal blood group and platelet antigens from maternal plasma using next-generation sequencing.

Background: Fetuses whose mothers have produced antibodies to red blood cell (RBC) or platelet antigens are at risk of being affected by hemolytic disease or alloimmune thrombocytopenia, respectively, only if they inherit the incompatible antigen. Noninvasive diagnosis of the fetal antigen is employed for management of immunized pregnancies, but the specific detection of SNPs, encoding the majority of antigens, in maternal plasma is still a challenge. We applied targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) to predict the fetal antigen based on the detection of fetomaternal chimerism.

The influence of obesity-related factors in the etiology of renal cell carcinoma-A mendelian randomization study.

Background: Several obesity-related factors have been associated with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), but it is unclear which individual factors directly influence risk. We addressed this question using genetic markers as proxies for putative risk factors and evaluated their relation to RCC risk in a mendelian randomization (MR) framework. This methodology limits bias due to confounding and is not affected by reverse causation.

Methylation status of SFRP1, SFRP2, RASSF1A, RARβ and DAPK1 genes in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Our study assessed the methylation status of the SFRP1, SFRP2, RASSF1A, RARβ and DAPK1 genes, which are associated with epigenetic silencing in cancers. In a group of 75 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma, aberrant methylation was detected using methylation-specific PCR in tumours and matched margins. Our results showed significantly higher methylation frequency in tumours than in surgical margin of SFRP2 (26.

Performance measures for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic ultrasound: A European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Quality Improvement Initiative.

The European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) and United European Gastroenterology present a short list of key performance measures for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). We recommend that endoscopy services across Europe adopt the following seven key and one minor performance measures for EUS and ERCP, for measurement and evaluation in daily practice at centre and endoscopist level: Adequate antibiotic prophylaxis before ERCP (key performance measure, at least 90%); antibiotic prophylaxis before EUS-guided puncture of cystic lesions (key performance measure, at least 95%); bile duct cannulation rate (key performance measure, at least 90%); tissue sampling during EUS (key performance measure, at least 85%); appropriate stent placement in patients with biliary obstruction below the hilum (key performance measure, at least 95%); bile duct stone extraction (key performance measure, at least 90%); post-ERCP pancreatitis (key performance measure, less than 10%); and adequate documentation of EUS landmarks (minor performance measure, at least 90%). This present list of quality performance measures for ERCP and EUS recommended by the ESGE should not be considered to be exhaustive; it might be extended in future to address further clinical and scientific issues.

Human cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus infections increase the risk of death in patients with head and neck cancers receiving radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy.

Viral infections, including cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), play an important role in carcinogenesis and can influence patients' prognosis and condition during cancer treatment.The goal of this study was to investigate CMV and EBV infections in patients receiving radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy due to head and neck cancers to determine the influence of these infections on the risk of death. The observation period was 2 years.

Detection of circulating HPV16 DNA as a biomarker in the blood of patients with human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Development of biomarker analysis using the circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methodology is a challenge for noninvasive cancer diagnosis. In this study, a comparison between the plasma and tumor tissue HPV16 DNA viral loads (VLs) has been presented.

Methods: Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed for quantitating of HPV16 DNA in the plasma and tumor samples of patients with oropharyngeal cancer.

Safety and efficacy of two starting doses of vandetanib in advanced medullary thyroid cancer.

Vandetanib is an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for treatment of advanced symptomatic or progressive medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). The current study (Nbib1496313) evaluated the benefit-risk of two starting doses of vandetanib in patients with symptomatic or progressive MTC. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive vandetanib 150 or 300 mg daily and followed for a maximum of 14 months (Part A), with the option to then enter an open-label phase (Part B) investigating vandetanib 100, 150, 200 and 300 mg daily doses.

Assessment of selected quality of life domains in patients who have undergone conservative or radical surgical treatment for penile cancer: an observational study.

Unlabelled: Background Surgery is the standard treatment for organ-restricted penile cancer, but it is also a disfiguring procedure that can profoundly affect quality of life. Using a survey, in this study we assessed the effect of different surgical invasiveness on satisfaction in selected life domains of patients who underwent penile-sparing surgery and partial penectomy.

Methods: Forty patients who underwent penile-sparing surgery (n=13) or partial penectomy (n=27) were enrolled in the study.

Derivatives of Graphene Oxide as Potential Drug Carriers.

Chemically functionalized graphene oxides could be used as novel drug carriers. Covalent alterations of graphene oxides lead to surface changes via formation of chemical bonding while non-covalent ones involve van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonding, and - stacking interactions. Covalent modifications appear to be superior as they can yield compounds with desired properties and carriers prepared by other methods are less stable.