Fluctuations in dietary intake during treatment for childhood leukemia: A report from the DALLT cohort.

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric malignancy. Nutritional morbidities are a persistent problem facing pediatric patients during and after treatment and age-gender groups that are at risk for nutritional conditions have not been clearly identified. Therapy is a contributing factor; however, the role of dietary intake remains largely unknown.

Outcomes of adults and children with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma treated with dose-adjusted EPOCH-R.

Treatment with dose-adjusted EPOCH (etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone) chemotherapy and rituximab (DA-EPOCH-R) has become the standard of care for primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) at many institutions despite limited data in the multi-centre setting. We report a large, multi-centre retrospective analysis of children and adults with PMBCL treated with DA-EPOCH-R to characterize outcomes and evaluate prognostic factors. We assessed 156 patients with PMBCL treated with DA-EPOCH-R across 24 academic centres, including 38 children and 118 adults.

Management of Postoperative Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American Pain Society, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists' Committee on Regional Anesthesia, Executive Committee, and Administrative Council.

Unlabelled: Most patients who undergo surgical procedures experience acute postoperative pain, but evidence suggests that less than half report adequate postoperative pain relief. Many preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative interventions and management strategies are available for reducing and managing postoperative pain. The American Pain Society, with input from the American Society of Anesthesiologists, commissioned an interdisciplinary expert panel to develop a clinical practice guideline to promote evidence-based, effective, and safer postoperative pain management in children and adults.

Research Gaps in Practice Guidelines for Acute Postoperative Pain Management in Adults: Findings From a Review of the Evidence for an American Pain Society Clinical Practice Guideline.

Unlabelled: Acute postoperative pain is a common clinical condition that, when poorly controlled, can result in a number of significant negative consequences. The American Pain Society commissioned an evidence-based guideline on the management of postoperative pain to promote evidence-based, safe, and effective perioperative pain management. An interdisciplinary panel developed 31 key questions and inclusion criteria to guide the evidence review.

Recurrent Bronchogenic Cyst After Surgical Resection.

Background: Bronchogenic cysts are rare congenital anomalies that are often solitary and rarely multiple. Most bronchogenic cysts are asymptomatic, and symptoms when present are usually the result of compression by the cyst on the surrounding structures.

Case Report: We report a case of recurrent bronchogenic cyst following a partial resection treated with endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA).

Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) and excision repair cross complement-1 (ERCC1) expression in esophageal cancers and response to cisplatin and irinotecan based chemotherapy.

Background: Esophageal cancer patients face a dismal outcome despite tri-modality management and median survival remains 15-18 months. Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) is an ATP-dependent efflux protein associated with chemotherapy resistance. The role of BCRP expression in esophageal cancer and normal esophageal cells is not known.

Optimal management of malignant pleural effusions (results of CALGB 30102).

The optimal strategy to achieve palliation of malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) is unknown. This multi-institutional, prospective, randomized trial compares 2 established methods for controlling symptomatic unilateral MPEs. Patients with unilateral MPEs were randomized to either daily tunneled catheter drainage (TCD) or bedside talc pleurodesis (TP).

Anvil extension technology in thoracic surgery.

Purpose: Endoscopic staplers are the dominant tools to divide tubular structures in thoracoscopic lobectomy. However, passing these devices can be challenging because of limitations in their design.

Description: Two independent concepts were combined into one design aiming to overcome the limitation of passing the straight anvil of an endoscopic stapler through a tunnel typically created by a curved dissection instrument within the complex cluster of tubular structures that comprise the pulmonary hilum.

Thoracoscopic chest wall resection: what is its role?

Background: Although thoracoscopic operations like pulmonary lobectomy are gaining popularity because of reduced complications and improved quality of life, the role of more complex procedures is unknown.

Methods: From January 2007 to April 2009, 3 patients (2 women) aged 61, 71, and 79 years, underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy with en bloc chest wall resection in an attempt to reduce perioperative morbidity. During the same time, 4 additional patients underwent thoracoscopic explorations before open en bloc resections and 10 underwent thoracotomy to remove primary or secondary chest wall neoplasms.

Does thoracoscopic pneumonectomy for lung cancer affect survival?

Background: Although thoracoscopic pneumonectomy may be performed safely, its effect on survival is unknown.

Methods: Seventy patients underwent elective pneumonectomy for malignancy at a comprehensive cancer center (Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY) from 2002 to 2008. Using the same incision set as thoracoscopic lobectomy, candidates for a thoracoscopic pneumonectomy had adequate hilar visualization using flexible thoracoscopy, tissue control using novel retractors, and intrapericardial exposure when appropriate.

Is thoracoscopic pneumonectomy safe?

Background: While thoracoscopic surgical lobectomy is an established operation, the safety of thoracoscopic pneumonectomy (TP) is uncertain.

Methods: From January 1, 2002, to September 30, 2008 at a comprehensive cancer center, 70 patients underwent pneumonectomy. Three patients were excluded for emergent operations.