[Regional variation in usage of TTF (Optune)].

The standard treatment of glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumour, includes radiotherapy combined with temozolomide. Based on a randomised trial, showing five months increased survival, TTF has been introduced in the management of patients with good performance status. Data from the Swedish national quality registry for CNS tumours have been analysed for TTF usage.

CRISPR activation enables high-fidelity reprogramming into human pluripotent stem cells.

Conventional reprogramming methods rely on the ectopic expression of transcription factors to reprogram somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The forced expression of transcription factors may lead to off-target gene activation and heterogeneous reprogramming, resulting in the emergence of alternative cell types and aberrant iPSCs. Activation of endogenous pluripotency factors by CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) can reduce this heterogeneity.

[Cardiotoxicity relatively common in cancer treatment].

Modern cancer therapy has noticeably improved the prognosis for various cancer diseases, but cardiovascular side effects are not uncommon, both in short and long term. The individual patient's cardiovascular risk profile affects the risk of developing side effects. Potential underestimation of this risk can lead to life-long severe cardiac disease for a patient that has been cured from cancer.

Combination of microsurgery and Gamma Knife surgery for the treatment of intracranial chondrosarcomas.

Object: Intracranial chondrosarcomas have a high risk of recurrence after surgery. This retrospective study of patients with intracranial chondrosarcoma was conducted to determine the long-term results of microsurgery followed by Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) for residual tumor or recurrence.

Methods: The authors treated nine patients whose median age was 36 years.

Blocking of human anti-pig xenoantibodies by soluble GAL alpha 1-3Gal and Gal alpha 1-2Gal disaccharides; studies in a pig kidney in vitro perfusion model.

Depletion of anti-pig xenoantibodies reduces cell cytotoxicity of human serum to pig endothelial cells and lymphocytes. The aim of this study was to test, in a pig kidney xenoperfusion model, the ability of soluble alpha Gal terminated disaccharides to prevent the hyperacute rejection process in an organ. Porcine kidneys were perfused with whole human blood lacking saccharide and blood supplemented with Gal alpha 1-3GAL, Gal alpha 1-2Gal and lactose.

Transrectal ultrasound with separate measurement of the transition zone volume predicts the short-term outcome after transurethral resection of the prostate.

Objectives: To determine whether the volume of prostatic adenomas as assessed by transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) influenced the outcome after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).

Methods: TRUS with total prostate and transition zone (TZ) volume determinations was performed preoperatively in 298 consecutive patients undergoing TURP for benign prostatic hyperplasia without prior urodynamic evaluation. Postoperatively, the outcome of surgery was stated as excellent (no or minor remaining symptoms), improved (but with some remaining symptoms), or failure (the same or aggravated symptoms) according to a patient-administered questionnaire.

[Colorectal cancer mortality can be reduced. Fecal blood screening is an efficient test].

Findings in large randomised studies in Europe and America show that colorectal cancer mortality can be reduced by faecal occult blood screening. Moreover, in the American study it was shown for the first time that the risk of colorectal cancer is reduced by removal of benign polyps larger than 9 mm. Partly as a result of uncontrolled studies showing repeat examination with the rigid rectoscope and removal of benign adenomas to reduce the risk of cancer, flexible sigmoidoscopy has been adopted in two controlled studies, one British the other American, though the problem remains of diagnosing the 30-40 per cent of tumours that are inaccessible to the sigmoidoscope.