Liver Transplantation Following Life-threatening Abdominal Trauma: A Case Series of 5 Patients at a Single Institution

Managing traumatic liver injury (TLI) is always challenging and demands precise clinical judgment. Currently, treatment of TLI in most circumstances is non-operative; however, surgical therapy might be required for severe TLI, particularly those that result in extensive blood loss. In the current institutional study carried out from June 1995 to April 2017, we describe our experience with 5 patients who received an orthotopic liver transplant for severe TLI. One patient passed away postoperatively from cerebral edema; 1 patient died of renal failure 4 years after the liver transplantation, and 3 patients are still alive. Based on our experience, we conclude that in patients with TLI, especially those with uncontrollable bleeding or those who develop liver failure, liver transplantation should be taken into consideration.     

Dissected Aorta Repair Through Stent Implantation trial: Canadian results

Objectives

We describe the Canadian results of the Ascyrus Medical Dissection Stent (AMDS), a novel partially uncovered aortic arch hybrid graft implanted antegrade during hypothermic circulatory arrest to promote true lumen expansion and enhance aortic remodeling.

Lateral Lymph Nodes in Rectal Cancer: Do we all Think the Same? A Review of Multidisciplinary Obstacles and Treatment Recommendations

Lateral lymph nodes in low, locally advanced, rectal cancer have proven implications for local recurrence rates, which increase drastically in the presence of persistently enlarged lateral lymph nodes. These clinical implications warrant a thorough understanding of lateral nodal disease with awareness and knowledge from all three specialties involved – radiology, radiation oncology, and surgery – to ensure proper treatment. Relevant literature for each specialty, including all current guidelines and perspectives, were examined. Variations in definitions and treatment paradigms were evaluated. There is still no consensus for the standardized treatment of lateral nodal disease. Each discipline works according to their own available evidence, but relevant data are scarce. Current international guidelines and standard recommendations for the diagnostics and treatment of lateral lymph nodes are lacking. This results in differing perspectives and interpretations between the disciplines which can lead to challenging communication in an area where multidisciplinary collaboration is essential. This review addresses this by presenting the current evidence, perspectives and practices of each specialty and makes suggestions for each phase of the diagnostic and treatment process for patients with lateral nodal disease. By doing this, steps are taken toward achieving international consensus, and multidisciplinary collaboration.     

甲状腺乳头状癌突变等位基因肿瘤异质性的临床及其与预后相关性研究

目的探讨突变等位基因肿瘤异质性(MATH)在甲状腺乳头状癌（PTC）中的临床意义。 方法从癌症基因图谱公共数据集下载并预处理PTC肿瘤测序数据及临床资料数据，分析MATH与PTC临床病理特征的相关性，使用Kaplan-Meier法进行生存分析，验证MATH对PTC患者的预后价值。 结果PTC患者中MATH值为2.57~93.72，平均29.45±16.19；将≥29.45者纳入高MATH组，<29.45者纳入低MATH组。高MATH组与低MATH组的患者年龄、性别、临床分期、BRAF基因型差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。MATH不是PTC患者总体生存期（OS）的显著预测因素（P=0.4595）；在BRAF突变型PTC患者中，高MATH者的OS低于低MATH者（P=0.0252），而在BRAF野生型PTC患者中，高MATH者的OS高于低MATH者（P=0.0495）。 结论MATH可在BRAF突变型和野生型亚组中可预测PTC患者的预后及指导临床治疗。     

ITV-Based Robust Optimization for VMAT Planning of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy of Lung Cancer

Purpose

Using planning target volume (PTV) to account for setup uncertainties in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of lung cancer has been questioned because a significant portion of the PTV contains low-density lung tissue. The purpose of this study is to (1) investigate the feasibility of using robust optimization to account for setup uncertainties in volumetric modulated arc therapy plan for lung SBRT and (2) evaluate the potential normal tissue–sparing benefit of a robust optimized plan compared with a conventional PTV-based optimized plan.