Telehealth: An Effective Model of Care for Renal Cancer Surveillance

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic presented challenges for urology patients to receive care in the format of a traditional clinic visit. For renal cancer patients, active surveillance and postintervention surveillance are the standard components of management. Telehealth, which was defined as a televideo encounter via the BlueJeans (Verizon) platform (a telehealth platform), was used to ensure continuity of care. Telehealth using the televideo modality was shown to be an effective model of care delivery to provide an optimal patient experience with ease of use.     

观察评判性护理干预对乳腺癌手术后患者疼痛和睡眠质量的影响

目的:观察评判性护理干预对乳腺癌手术后患者疼痛和睡眠质量的影响。方法:选取2019年1月至2020年5月蚌埠医学院第一附属医院肿瘤内科收治的乳腺癌手术患者126例作为研究对象,按照随机数字表法分为观察组和对照组,每组63例。对照组给予常规护理干预,观察组给予评判性护理干预。采用抑郁自评量表(Self-rating Depression Scale,SDS)、焦虑自评量表(Self-rating Anxiety Scale,SAS)比较2组患者干预前后抑郁、焦虑状态改善情况,采用匹兹堡睡眠指数量表(Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index,PSQI)比较2组患者睡眠质量变化,同时观察2组患者并发症发生率、中度、重度疼痛患者所占比例。结果:干预后,观察组SAS评分、SDS评分显著低于对照组,观察组PSQI评分显著低于对照组,患者中度、重度疼痛比例降低,并发症发生率降低,观察组的干预效果优于对照组,2组比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:对乳腺癌患者手术后采用评判性护理,可有效缓解患者手术后疼痛程度,改善患者睡眠质量,降低患者焦虑及抑郁情绪,降低并发症发生风险,值得推广使用。     

Predictors of Chemotherapy Induced Adverse Events in Pediatric Osteosarcoma Patients

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of chemotherapy-induced adverse events and the associated risk factors in pediatric patients with osteosarcoma. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study enrolled 90 pediatric osteosarcoma patients (with 1,017 chemotherapy cycles) treated at Srinagarind Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand, between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2018. The prevalence of major adverse events and a correlation between baseline characteristics and adverse events were analyzed using a generalized estimating equation model. Result: The prevalence of adverse events in 90 pediatric osteosarcoma patients (with 1,017 chemotherapy cycles) was determined as chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (29.2%; n=296), hepatotoxicity (21.2%; n=215), anemia (70.69%; n=719), neutropenia (26.65%; n=271), and thrombocytopenia (13.65%; n=139). Factors associated with chemotherapy-induced hepatotoxicity included methotrexate dose ≥ 12 g/m2 (odds ratio [OR] 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22–1.39; P<0.001), plasma concentration of methotrexate at 72 hours >0.1 μM (OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.19–1.25; P<0.001), and pre-hydration rate ≤ 125 mL/m2/h (OR 1.10; 95% CI 1.07–1.12; P<0.001). Conclusion: Major adverse events are becoming more common in pediatric osteosarcoma patients, and risk factors include larger chemotherapy doses, higher plasma methotrexate concentrations, and a slower pre-hydration rate. The outcomes of the study could aid in the better treatment of toxicity in children with osteosarcoma.     

结直肠癌与自然杀伤细胞的相关性探讨北大核心

目的:研究结直肠癌及其配对的癌旁组织的自然杀伤(nature killer,NK)细胞数量及分布情况。方法:结直肠癌及其配对的癌旁组织各40例,以SP免疫组化法检测NK细胞。结果:结直肠癌及其配对的癌旁组织中均未检测到NK细胞的浸润。结论:结直肠癌及其配对的癌旁组织中缺乏NK细胞浸润可能与肿瘤微环境、生理微环境、未知的NK细胞亚型相关,结直肠癌患者可能不适用NK细胞进行免疫治疗。     

Primary and recurrent regional metastases for lateralized oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma

ObjectivesMap regional lymph node metastases for lateralized oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) and evaluate factors associated with regional metastases and recurrence.Materials and methodsRetrospective cohort study of 715 patients with lateralized OCSCC surgically treated in 1997–2011. Analysis was performed using log-rank, Kaplan-Meier, and multivariable logistic and Cox regression.ResultsRegional metastases were identified in ipsilateral levels IIA (24%), IB (18%), III (13%), V (9%), IV (7%), IA (2%) and IIB (1%) and the contralateral neck (3%). Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (Hazard Ratio [HR] 2.2, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.2–3.9) and T category (T3 vs. T1: HR 4.1, 95% CI 1.9–9.3; T4 vs. T1: HR 2.3, 95% CI 1.2–4.3) were associated with regional metastases. Most (71%) isolated regional metastatic recurrences were in undissected levels of the neck, including 58% in levels IV and V. Tumors of the hard palate (HR 4.3, 95% CI 1.2–16.1), upper alveolus (HR 3.2, 95% CI 1.0–4.7) or with LVI (HR 2.0, 95% CI 1.0–3.9) were associated with isolated regional recurrence. For upper alveolar/hard palate tumors, depth of invasion (DOI) ≥4 mm (P = .003) and LVI (P = .04) were associated with regional metastases.ConclusionsFor lateralized OCSCC, elective neck dissection of level IIB or the contralateral neck may rarely be needed, but additional surgical or radiation treatment of levels IV and V may be considered based on patient risk factors, including T category 3–4 or LVI. For upper alveolar/hard palate tumors, DOI ≥4 mm is an appropriate threshold for elective neck dissection.     

What is the impact of zinc deficiency for pancreatectomies in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma?

Backgroundand purpose: Zinc is an essential element for human health and plays an important role in metabolic, immunological and other biological processes. The present study was conducted to investigate the association between zinc deficiency (ZD) and the perioperative clinical course in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).MethodsOf 216 patients with PDAC who underwent elective pancreatectomy between 2013 and 2017 at our institution, 206 patients with sufficient clinical data were retrospectively reviewed. The perioperative variables were compared and the risk factors associated with infectious complications were identified.ResultsZD was preoperatively present in 36 (17.5%) of 206 patients with PDAC. In the patients of the ZD group, a higher proportion of males, higher preoperative modified Glasgow prognostic scores, a higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and a higher occurrence of postoperative infectious complications after pancreatectomy were observed, compared to the non-ZD group. By a univariate analysis, three risk factors were significantly associated with infectious complications after pancreatectomy: ZD (vs non-ZD: p = 0.002), serum albumin <3.5 g/dl (vs ≥ 3.5 g/dl: p = 0.005), and the procedure of pancreaticoduodenectomy (vs others: p = 0.013). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, the occurrence of infectious complications was significantly associated with ZD (OR 3.430, 95%CI 1.570 to 7.490, p = 0.002) and the procedure of pancreaticoduodenectomy (OR 2.030, 95%CI 1.090 to 3.770, p = 0.025).ConclusionsThe current study newly demonstrated that ZD could serve as a preoperative predictor of infectious complications after pancreatectomies in the patients with PDAC.