Gemcitabine, carboplatin, and Epstein-Barr virus-specific autologous cytotoxic T lymphocytes for recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: VANCE, an international randomized phase III trial.

Background: Epstein-Barr virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (EBV-CTL) is an autologous adoptive T-cell immunotherapy generated from the blood of individuals and manufactured without genetic modification. In a previous phase II trial of locally recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (R/M NPC) patients, first-line gemcitabine and carboplatin (GC) and EBV-CTL combination demonstrated objective antitumor EBV-CTL activity and a favorable safety profile. The present study explored whether this combined first-line chemo-immunotherapy strategy would produce superior clinical efficacy and better quality of life compared with conventional chemotherapy treatment.

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer: a multicenter study comparing clinicopathological factors, diagnosis and treatment outcomes with non-pregnant patients.

Purpose: Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC), defined as breast carcinoma diagnosed during pregnancy or in the first post-partum year, is one of the most common gestation-related malignancies with reported differences in tumor characteristics and outcomes. This multicenter study aims to review cases of PABC in Singapore, including their clinicopathological features, treatment, and clinical outcomes compared to non-PABC patients.

Methods: Demographic, histopathologic and clinical outcomes of 93 PABC patients obtained from our database were compared to 1424 non-PABC patients.

Pathological complete response with immunotherapy and brachytherapy to 15 metastatic liver lesions in a single patient.

Materials & Methods: High dose rate interstitial brachytherapy (HDR-IBT) treatment plan for 15 metastatic liver lesions in a patient with pancreatic cancer was retrieved and analyzed for liver dose parameters and diaphragm dose. Serial F-FDG PET-CT scans were reviewed for disease response assessment and left liver lobe volume. Serial laboratory records were analyzed for liver parameters.

A Survey on Current Practices of Umbilical Cord Clamping in Malaysia.

Background: Delayed cord clamping (DCC) has been demonstrated to have significant benefits in reducing the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage, blood transfusion and neonatal mortality in preterm neonates and improving hemodynamic and long-term neurodevelopment among term infants. There is no clear guideline on umbilical cord clamping (UCC) practices in Malaysia.

Objective: The aim of this survey was to assess the knowledge and practice of DCC among obstetric doctors and midwives in Malaysia, and pediatric colleagues who witness the delivery.

The cascade to a serendipitous discovery of lithium-induced nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.

Lithium therapy is a common treatment for affective disorders and is widely regarded as a lifesaving drug. However, because its elimination is almost wholly unchanged via the kidneys, both acute and long-term adverse effects relating to toxicity may occur, including declining renal function and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (DI). DI may be difficult to detect and is frequently preceded by dehydration and which, in our patient, was discovered by chance.

F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography imaging of leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata.

Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata (LPD) is a rare benign condition characterized by multiple smooth muscle implants in the peritoneal cavity. The clinical presentation is usually nonspecific abdominal discomfort and nontender abdominal mass. Preoperative imaging usually points to suggests malignancy due to its unusual location, but the diagnosis can only be confirmed by histopathological examination.

Malaysian consensus statement on FDG PET-CT reporting format for lymphoma.

Over the past decade, 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PETCT) has emerged as an important imaging modality in the management of lymphoma. Since the introduction of Deauville scoring system (2009) and the Lymphoma Response Assessment Criteria (2014), clinicians are now sharing a common language in the management of lymphoma. In Malaysia, nearly a third of PET-CT request is related to lymphoma imaging.

Simulation-Based Education in the Training of Newborn Care Providers-A Malaysian Perspective.

Simulation-based education (SBE) is increasingly used as an education tool to improve learning for healthcare providers. In newborn care practice, SBE is used in the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) and training in procedural skills. The NRP is a mandatory course in Malaysia for all house officers (interns) and medical officers (residents) during their pediatric rotation.

Metastatic Thymic Carcinoma on Restaging 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography.

Thymic carcinoma is a rare thymic epithelial cancer which is not only locally invasive but also highly aggressive disease. The prognosis for this cancer is poor and the surgery remains the mainstay of treatment. Thymic carcinomas have been shown to metastasize to the lymph nodes, lung, and liver.

Synergistic effects of intracoronary infusion of autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and revascularization procedure on improvement of cardiac function in patients with severe ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) is a leading cause of cardiovascular mortality worldwide. It is defined as abnormal enlargement of the left ventricular (LV) cavity with poor LV function due to coronary artery disease. Currently available established treatments are palliative whereby blood supply is recovered to ischemic regions but fails to regenerate heart tissues.

Oncologist-led counselling improves access to cancer genetic testing in middle-income Asian country, with no significant impact on psychosocial outcomes.

Background: Identifying patients with mutations is clinically important to inform on the potential response to treatment and for risk management of patients and their relatives. However, traditional referral routes may not meet clinical needs, and therefore, mainstreaming cancer genetics has been shown to be effective in some high-income and high health-literacy settings. To date, no study has reported on the feasibility of mainstreaming in low-income and middle-income settings, where the service considerations and health literacy could detrimentally affect the feasibility of mainstreaming.

Whole-lung Low Dose Irradiation for SARS-Cov2 Induced Pneumonia in the Geriatric Population: An Old Effective Treatment for a New Disease? Recommendation of the International Geriatric Radiotherapy Group.

A cytokine storm induced by SARS-Cov2 may produce pneumonitis which may be fatal for older patients with underlying lung disease. Hyper-elevation of Interleukin1 (IL-1), Tumor necrosis factor-1alfa (TNF-1 alfa), and Interleukin 6 (IL-6) produced by inflammatory macrophage M1 may damage the lung alveoli leading to severe pneumonitis, decreased oxygenation, and potential death despite artificial ventilation. Older patients may not be suitable candidates for pharmaceutical intervention targeting IL-1/6 blockade or artificial ventilation.

Unexpected rare metastases of renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) commonly metastasize to the lungs and bones and rarely to the parathyroid, maxillary sinus, and adrenals. It is indeed very rare to have these all these metastases occurring simultaneously in an individual. We share a case of 67-year-old woman provisionally treated for parathyroid carcinoma but subsequently found to actually have metastatic RCC to the left maxillary sinus, parathyroid, lungs, and adrenals on F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography.

Renal Pelvis Urothelial Carcinoma With Bowel Metastases.

Urothelial carcinoma is the fourth most common genitourinary tumor with the majority of the tumor involving the urinary bladder. Only 5% involves the renal pelvis and ureter. Metastatic urothelial carcinoma of the renal pelvis frequently involves the lymph nodes, lung, liver, bone, and peritoneum.

18F-FDG PET/CT in Metastatic Extramammary Paget's Disease.

Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) is a rare disease with an estimated prevalence of 0.1 to 2.4 per 1,000,000 person-years.

Incidental Detection of Endometriosis with F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography in a Patient with Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia and Adenomyosis.

Endometriosis is commonly associated with chronic pelvic pain and its presentation varies between individuals. The only way to confirm the presence of endometriosis is via keyhole or open surgery. In the presence of hematuria, deep endometriotic infiltration needs to be considered.

A WHO-HPH operational program versus usual routines for implementing clinical health promotion: an RCT in health promoting hospitals (HPH).

Background: Implementation of clinical health promotion (CHP) aiming at better health gain is slow despite its effect. CHP focuses on potentially modifiable lifestyle risks such as smoking, alcohol, diet, and physical inactivity. An operational program was created to improve implementation.

Incidental Finding of Lipomatous Hypertrophy of the Interatrial Septum during 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography for Cervical Cancer.

Lipomatous hypertrophy of the interatrial septum is a benign but less recognized pathology of the heart caused by benign fatty infiltration of the interatrial septum which most often spares the fossa ovalis. We share images of the incidentally detected fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in the interatrial septum during the restaging of 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan of cervical cancer.

SIRveNIB: Selective Internal Radiation Therapy Versus Sorafenib in Asia-Pacific Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Purpose Selective internal radiation therapy or radioembolization (RE) shows efficacy in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) limited to the liver. This study compared the safety and efficacy of RE and sorafenib in patients with locally advanced HCC. Patients and Methods SIRveNIB (selective internal radiation therapy v sorafenib), an open-label, investigator-initiated, phase III trial, compared yttrium-90 (Y) resin microspheres RE with sorafenib 800 mg/d in patients with locally advanced HCC in a two-tailed study designed for superiority/detriment.

Managing depression in primary care.

Major depression is common in the primary care setting. In the final article of this series, we illustrate the approach to the management of depression in primary care. Psychotherapy has been shown to be as effective as antidepressants for mild to moderate major depression.

Major depression in primary care: making the diagnosis.

Major depression is a common condition seen in the primary care setting, often presenting with somatic symptoms. It is potentially a chronic illness with considerable morbidity, and a high rate of relapse and recurrence. Major depression has a bidirectional relationship with chronic diseases, and a strong association with increased age and coexisting mental illnesses (e.

Effectiveness of P6 acupoint electrical stimulation in preventing postoperativenausea and vomiting following laparoscopic surgery.

Background/aim: The effects of pericardium 6 (P6) electrical stimulation in patients at risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) following laparoscopic surgery were evaluated.

Materials And Methods: Eighty patients for laparoscopic surgery with at least one of the determined risks (nonsmoker, female, previous PONV/motion sickness, or postoperative opioid use) were randomized into either an active or sham group. At the end of surgery, Reletex electrical acustimulation was placed at the P6 acupoint.

Holistic management of venous ulcers especially with endovenous laser treatment using 980nm laser in an ethnically diverse society.

Aim: Chronic venous ulcers usually occur as an occupational hazard due to venous insufficiency with venous hypertension. Endovenous laser treatment (EVT) is used to treat varicose veins with venous ulcers and outcome including demography assessed in the different races.

Procedure: 145 lower limbs(right 39.

Acute grief with delirium in an elderly: holistic care.

Delirium in the elderly is a challenging and under-recognized problem in the community. Early detection and management improves outcomes and quality of life for the elders with delirium at home.1 Family physicians (FP) play a key role in the assessments, early identification, and management of delirium and in the support and education of patients and their family caregivers.