Patients with adenoid cystic carcinomas of the salivary glands treated with lenvatinib: Activity and quality of life.

Background: The treatment of patients with recurrent and/or metastatic (R/M) salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) remains an unmet need.

Methods: Patients with R/M disease with a history of clinical or symptomatic disease progression within 6 months and a maximum of 1 previous line of chemotherapy or a multiple kinase inhibitor received oral lenvatinib at a dose of 24 mg/day. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate; secondary endpoints included quality of life (QOL) (according to the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 Items [EORTC QLQ-C30] and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core Module Head and Neck Module [EORTC QLQ-H&N35]), progression-free survival and overall survival, duration of response, and toxicities.

Secondary technical resectability of colorectal cancer liver metastases after chemotherapy with or without selective internal radiotherapy in the randomized SIRFLOX trial.

Background: Secondary resection of initially unresectable colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM) can prolong survival. The added value of selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT) to downsize lesions for resection is not known. This study evaluated the change in technical resectability of CRLM with the addition of SIRT to FOLFOX-based chemotherapy.

Economic evaluation of prolonged and enhanced ECG Holter monitoring in acute ischemic stroke patients.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major cause for recurrent stroke, has severe impact on a patient's health and imposes a high economic burden for society. Current guidelines recommend 24 h ECG monitoring (standard-of-care, SoC) to detect AF after stroke to reduce the risk of future events. However, paroxysmal AF (PAF) is difficult to detect within this period as it occurs infrequently and unpredictably.

International validation of the revised European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Head and Neck Cancer Module, the EORTC QLQ-HN43: Phase IV.

Background: We validated the new European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Head and Neck Module (EORTC QLQ-HN43).

Methods: We enrolled 812 patients with head and neck cancer from 18 countries. Group 1 completed the questionnaire before therapy, and 3 and 6 months later.

The association of socioeconomic status with quality of life in cancer patients over a 6-month period using individual growth models.

Purpose: Studies examining longitudinal associations between socioeconomic factors and quality of life (QoL) in cancer patients are rare. This study investigates changes in QoL over a 6-month period.

Methods: Four hundred forty-two cancer patients (mean age 64, SD = 11, 70% male) completed standardized questionnaires at the beginning (t1) and end (t2) of their hospital stay and 3 (t3) and 6 months (t4) thereafter.

Beta-Blocker Use in Pregnancy and Risk of Specific Congenital Anomalies: A European Case-Malformed Control Study.

Introduction: The prevalence of chronic hypertension is increasing in pregnant women. Beta-blockers are among the most prevalent anti-hypertensive agents used in early pregnancy.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate whether first-trimester use of beta-blockers increases the risk of specific congenital anomalies in offspring.

Factors associated with non-participation and dropout among cancer patients in a cluster-randomised controlled trial.

We investigated the impact of demographic and disease related factors on non-participation and dropout in a cluster-randomised behavioural trial in cancer patients with measurements taken between hospitalisation and 6 months thereafter. The percentages of non-participation and dropout were documented at each time point. Factors considered to be potentially related with non-participation and dropout were as follows: age, sex, marital status, education, income, employment status, tumour site and stage of disease.

Prevalence of microcephaly in Europe: population based study.

Objectives:  To provide contemporary estimates of the prevalence of microcephaly in Europe, determine if the diagnosis of microcephaly is consistent across Europe, and evaluate whether changes in prevalence would be detected using the current European surveillance performed by EUROCAT (the European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies).

Design:  Questionnaire and population based observational study.

Setting:  24 EUROCAT registries covering 570 000 births annually in 15 countries.

Feasibility of an exercise programme in elderly patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation - a pilot study.

It has been demonstrated that physical exercise benefits younger patients undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). We designed a prospective pilot study investigating whether elderly patients (>60 years) would also be able to participate in such a programme. It consisted of physiotherapist-supervised alternating endurance and resistance workouts on 6 of 7 days a week.

Accuracy and completeness of drug information in Wikipedia: a comparison with standard textbooks of pharmacology.

The online resource Wikipedia is increasingly used by students for knowledge acquisition and learning. However, the lack of a formal editorial review and the heterogeneous expertise of contributors often results in skepticism by educators whether Wikipedia should be recommended to students as an information source. In this study we systematically analyzed the accuracy and completeness of drug information in the German and English language versions of Wikipedia in comparison to standard textbooks of pharmacology.

Retrospective Clinical Study of Marginal Bone Level Changes with Two Different Screw-Implant Types: Comparison Between Tissue Level (TE) and Bone Level (BL) Implant.

Aim: The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to compare the amount of marginal bone loss (MBL) in a bone-level and a soft-tissue-level implant system, both of which have similar intra-bony shape and surface composition. A subgroup analysis was done to compare the amount of MBL of each implant type in relation to the different vertical placement within the respective groups of implants.

Materials And Methods: Records of all patients who underwent implantation for replacement of teeth using comparable bone level (BL) and soft tissue level implants (TE) from 1st January 2006 to 31st December 2009 were scrutinized.

Measuring quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer: Update of the EORTC QLQ-H&N Module, Phase III.

Background: The objective of this study was to pilot test an updated version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Head and Neck Module (EORTC QLQ-H&N60).

Methods: Patients with head and neck cancer were asked to complete a list of 60 head and neck cancer-specific items comprising the updated EORTC head and neck module and the core questionnaire EORTC QLQ-C30. Debriefing interviews were conducted to identify any irrelevant items and confusing or upsetting wording.

Hypersensitivity and hyperalgesia in somatoform pain disorders.

Objective: In psychiatry, pain disorders not explained by structural lesions have been classified for decades as somatoform pain disorders, the underlying concept being somatization. In a parallel move, somatic medicine has defined an expanding group of similar pain disorders, known as functional pain syndromes. Functional pain syndromes are characterized by enhanced pain sensitivity.

Soft tissue healing at one-piece zirconia implants compared to titanium and PEEK implants of identical design: a histomorphometric study in the dog.

This study aimed to histomorphometrically evaluate the soft tissue reactions of one-piece zirconia implants versus titanium implants in regard to their insertion depth. Four one-piece implants of identical geometry were inserted on each side of six mongrel dogs: an uncoated zirconia implant, a zirconia implant coated with a calcium liberating titanium oxide, a titanium implant, and an experimental implant made of a synthetic material. Using a split-mouth design, they were inserted in both submerged and nonsubmerged healing modes.

Quality of life in patients with muscle invasive and non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Purpose: Compared to the literature on other malignancies, data on quality of life (QoL) in bladder cancer are sparse. This study sought answers to the following questions: In what QoL domains do patients with bladder cancer differ from the general population? Do patients with radical cystectomy differ in QoL compared to those who received conservative treatment? Do patients with neobladder generally have better QoL compared to patients with other diversion methods?

Methods: At the beginning of inpatient rehabilitation, N = 823 patients with bladder cancer were assessed. Data of a representative community sample (N = 2037) were used for comparison.

Interactions between endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) and titanium implant surfaces.

Objectives: Endothelial cells play an important role in peri-implant angiogenesis during early bone formation. Therefore, interactions between endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and titanium dental implant surfaces are of crucial interest. The aim of our in vitro study was to investigate the reactions of EPCs in contact with different commercially available implant surfaces.

The influence of bisphosphonates on human osteoblast migration and integrin aVb3/tenascin C gene expression in vitro.

Background: Bisphosphonates are therapeutics of bone diseases, such as Paget's disease, multiple myeloma or osteoclastic metastases. As a severe side effect the bisphosphonate induced osteonecrosis of the jaw (BONJ) often requires surgical treatment and is accompanied with a disturbed wound healing.Therefore, the influence on adhesion and migration of human osteoblasts (hOB) after bisphosphonate therapy has been investigated by morphologic as well as gene expression methods.

Influence of bisphosphonates on the osteoblast RANKL and OPG gene expression in vitro.

Bisphosphonates are widely used in the clinical treatment of bone diseases with increased bone resorption. In terms of side effects, they are widely known to be associated with osteonecrosis of the jaw (BONJ). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of bisphosphonates on the gene expression of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) in vitro.

Evaluation of the novel, single-use, flexible aScope for tracheal intubation in the simulated difficult airway and first clinical experiences.

Flexible fibreoptic intubation is widely accepted as an important modality for the management of patients with difficult airways. We compared the aScope, a novel, single-use, flexible video-endoscope designed to aid tracheal intubation, with a standard flexible intubating fibrescope, by examining the performance of 21 anaesthetists during an easy and difficult intubation simulation in a manikin. Intubation success, time for intubation, and rating of the devices (using a scale from 1, excellent to 6, fail) were documented.