Dark Tea: A popular beverage with possible medicinal application

Tea is a famous beverage that is produced from leaves of Camellia sinensis. Amongst the six major tea categories in China, dark tea is the only one that involves microbial fermentation in the manufacturing process, which contributes unique flavors and functions for the tea. In the recent decade, the reports about the biofunctions of dark teas have increased rapidly. Therefore it may be the proper time to consider dark tea as one potential homology of medicine and food. In this viewpoint, our current understanding of the chemical constituents, biological activities and possible health beneficial effects of dark teas were introduced. Some future directions and challenges to the development perspectives of dark teas were also discussed.     

Alterations in Breast Cancer Biomarkers Following Neoadjuvant Therapy

Annals of Surgical Oncology - Biomarker changes in patients with residual disease (RD) after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAT) have unclear consequences. This study examined the prevalence of...     

Feasibility and delivery of patient-reported outcomes in clinical practice among racially diverse bladder and prostate cancer patients

ObjectiveTo assess the feasibility of enrollment and collecting patient-reported outcome (PRO) data as part of routine clinical urologic care for bladder and prostate cancer patients and examine overall patterns and racial variations in PRO use and symptom reports over time.Subjects/Patients and MethodsWe recruited 76 patients (n = 29 Black and n = 47 White) with prostate or bladder cancer at a single, comprehensive cancer center. The majority of prostate cancer patients had intermediate risk (57%) disease and underwent either radiation or prostatectomy. Over half (58%) of bladder cancer patients had muscle invasive disease and underwent cystectomy.Patients were asked to complete PRO symptom surveys using their preferred mode [web- or phone-based interactive voice response (IVR)]. Symptom summary reports were shared with providers during visits. Surveys were completed at 3 time points and assessed urinary, sexual, gastrointestinal, anxiety/depression, and sleep symptoms. Feasibility of enrollment and survey completion were calculated, and linear mixed effects models estimated differences in outcomes by race and time.ResultsSixty three percent of study participants completed all PRO measures at all 3 time points. Black patients were more likely to select IVR as their survey mode (40% vs. 13%, P < 0.05), and less likely to complete all surveys (55% vs. 74%, P = 0.13). Patients using IVR were also less likely to complete all surveys (41% vs. 69%, P = 0.046).ConclusionsReported preferences for survey mode and completion rates differ by race, which may influence survey completion rates and highlight potential obstacles for equitable implementation of PROs into clinical care.     

Nonpancreatic Pancreatic Panniculitis: An Incidental Finding in Individuals without Pancreatic Disease? A Case Series and Review of the Literature

Pancreatic panniculitis occurs in up to three percent of all patients with pancreatic disease. This cutaneous eruption, as implied by the name, is almost exclusively encountered in the context of pancreatic disorders, such as pancreatitis or pancreatic carcinoma. We report three cases in which histopathologic examination demonstrated hallmarks of pancreatic panniculitis occurring in patients without any history or evidence of pancreatic disorder. These nonpancreatic pancreatic panniculitis eruptions might be underreported in the literature.     

The Efficacy of Radiofrequency Ablation for Bone Tumors Unsuitable for Radical Excision

BackgroundBone tumors can cause severe pain and poor quality of life due to recurrence and non-achievement of complete remission after surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) can be considered for minimally invasive treatment of bone tumors that are difficult to radically excise. In this study, RFA was performed for bone tumors that were difficult to radically excise and did not respond to surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy due to their large sizes and/or locations. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively analyze the clinical characteristics and survival rates of bone tumors after RFA and provide one more treatment option for the future.MethodsThere were 43 patients with bone tumors who underwent percutaneous RFA at our hospital from April 2007 to October 2017. The median age of the patients was 59 years (range, 31–75 years), and the median follow-up duration was 67.2 months (range, 10.2–130.5 months). Of the 43 patients, 26 were male and 17 were female. Thirty-four cases were metastatic bone tumors, 5 were chordomas, 3 were osteosarcomas, and 1 was a giant cell tumor. Pain and functional ability of the patients were evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS) and the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) functional scoring system, respectively. Scores were recorded preoperatively, 1 week postoperatively, and 4 weeks postoperatively. The 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year survival rates were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method.ResultsThe mean VAS score was 8.21 preoperatively. The mean VAS score at 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks postoperatively were 3.91, 3.67, 3.31, and 3.12, respectively. The mean preoperative MSTS score was 64.0% (range, 32%–87%). The mean postoperative MSTS score was 71.0% (range, 40%–90%). The 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year survival rates were 95.3%, 69.8%, and 30.2%, respectively.ConclusionsAs per our study findings, RFA was effective in reducing pain and improving functional ability of patients with bone tumors that were difficult to radically excise.     

Transurethral Foley catheter misplacement into the upper urinary tract in a patient with a history of lung cancer and chemotherapy: a case report and considerations to keep in mind

Indwelling urethral catheter placement is a common and comparatively safe procedure. Misplacement of a urethral catheter into the upper urinary tract is unusual, and only a few cases have been reported. We describe the case of a 43-year-old man who presented with oliguria and had a history of chemotherapy for known metastatic lung cancer. As he had no history of urological disease, urethral catheterization was expected to be uneventful. The catheter was unable to be pulled back to the bladder neck once the balloon was inflated, and the patient expressed discomfort. Subsequent computed tomography revealed that the tip of the catheter was placed in the middle of the right ureter. Unbeknownst to the physicians before urethral catheterization, the patient had severe lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary bladder dysfunction with hydronephrosis, likely due to chemotherapy. Based on the patient’s symptoms and imaging results, we judged the possibility of severe ureteral injury to be low. The malpositioned catheter was removed uneventfully after complete balloon deflation and then reinserted properly. He was admitted to the medical department but died as a result of an exacerbation of the underlying disease unrelated to the incident. If urethral catheter placement seems abnormal, physicians should aspirate and irrigate to confirm correct positioning before balloon inflation; then, they should carefully pull the inflated balloon near the neck of the bladder while monitoring the patient’s symptoms. Although urethral catheter placement is comparatively safe, physicians must keep in mind that patients who have undergone chemotherapy might be at a risk for this rare complication.     

Minimally invasive palliative tumor therapy guided by imaging techniques: the UCLA experience

Imaging-guided palliative therapy of recurrent and/or inaccessible head and neck tumors may soon become clinically practical since sensitive and noninvasive monitoring techniques of energy deposition in tissues are now available. Interstitial tumor therapy (ITT) is a technique whereby a source of energy (laser, radiofrequency, ultrasonic, cryoenergy, etc.) is directly applied into tumors at various depths. Recent studies have demonstrated the efficiency of ultrasound (UTZ) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for real and/or "near" real time tumor and vessel identification as well as monitoring and quantifying energy-induced tissue damage. We now report our initial clinical experience with patients in which UTZ and/or MRI-guided ITT techniques were successfully applied for the treatment of recurrent, nonresectable, local, and/or metastatic head and neck carcinomas. Patients were treated on an outpatient basis either in the operating room or in an upgraded specially equipped SIGNA 1.5T MR suite. Most patients tolerated these procedures well and were successfully palliated for periods ranging from 3 months to 5 years posttreatment. The upgrades introduced in a standard MRI suite, the clinical experience, and future perspectives will be reviewed.