Clinical outcomes of concurrent chemoradiotherapy with volumetric modulated arc therapy in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical results of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients.

Materials and methods

Patients with stage II–IVB NPC who received CCRT with VMAT between 2010 and 2014 were included in this study. The planned dose was 70 Gy in 35 fractions.

Results

Twenty patients aged between 28 and 85 years (median 60 years) were assessed. With a median follow-up time of 47 months, the 3-year overall survival and progression-free survival rates were 85 and 65%, respectively. The 3-year local, regional and distant control rates were 78, 88 and 79%, respectively. At 0, 3, 6 and 12 months from CCRT, 19, 6, 3, and 1 patients had grade 2 dry mouth, respectively. No cases of grade 3 or worse dry mouth were observed. The severity of dry mouth was downgraded from grade 2 to grade 0 or 1 significantly earlier in younger patients (<70 years, p = 0.02) or patients in whom the mean dose to one parotid gland was lower (<26 Gy, p = 0.04).

Conclusions

Our clinical results regarding CCRT with VMAT for NPC patients showed favorable survival rates while maintaining organ function.

     

Feasibility and safety of CT‐aided pericardiocentesis from a subxiphoid anterior approach by using fluoroscopy in patients with chronic pericardial effusions

BackgroundPericardiocentesis is an essential procedure for the diagnosis and treatment of pericardial effusions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of a subxiphoid anterior approach using fluoroscopy aided by a sagittal axis chest computed tomography (CT) view in comparison with an ultrasound‐guided apical approach in patients with chronic pericardial effusion.MethodsAmong 72 consecutive patients (68.8 ± 14.4 years old, 52 males) with hemodynamically stable chronic pericardial effusions, a total of 85 procedures were retrospectively analyzed. We divided them into two groups according to the site of the approach for the pericardiocentesis.ResultsA subxiphoid anterior approach (n = 53) was performed guided by fluoroscopy. The sagittal axis view of the chest CT was constructed to determine the puncture angle and direction for the subxiphoid anterior approach. An apical approach (n = 32) was performed by ultrasound guidance. The success rates of the anterior and apical approaches were 98.1% and 93.8%, respectively. There were two cases with cardiac perforations in the apical approach group, while no cases developed perforations in the subxiphoid anterior approach group.ConclusionThe subxiphoid anterior approach for pericardiocentesis was feasible and safe for managing chronic pericardial effusions. A reconstruction of the sagittal axis view of the chest CT imaging was helpful to identify the direction and depth to access the pericardial space from the subxiphoid puncture site before the pericardiocentesis using the lateral fluoroscopic view.     

Fragmented QRS complex is a diagnostic tool in patients with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction

Fragmented QRS complex (fQRS) on 12-lead ECG is associated with myocardial fibrosis and ischemic scar. Interstitial fibrosis is one of the histological characteristics of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD). However, the clinical importance of fQRS in patients with LVDD remains unclear. Here, we assessed the hypothesis that the presence of fQRS is associated with disease severity in patients with LVDD, and could be used as an additional parameter to differentiate patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) from LVDD. We analyzed 12-lead ECG of 239 patients with LVDD. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of fQRS; 88 patients had fQRS (fQRS group) and 151 patients did not have fQRS (non-fQRS group). The percentage of patients with heart failure in the fQRS group was significantly higher than that in the non-fQRS group. The levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and high-sensitive troponin T were significantly higher in the fQRS group than those in the non-fQRS group. In univariate logistic regression analysis, fQRS was associated with the presence of heart failure in patients with LVDD. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified fQRS and BNP as independent indicators for HFpEF. In conclusion, the presence of fQRS on the ECG could be used as an additional tool to differentiate HFpEF from LVDD.     

Severe pancytopenia caused by trifluridine/tipiracil in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and an impaired renal function: A case report

Although the incidence of hematological toxicity due to Trifluridine/tipiracil (FTD/TPI) treatment is high, the incidence of severe adverse events has been reported to be relatively low. However, it should be noted that patients with renal impairment are prone to severe hematological adverse events.     

Risk stratification in patients with Brugada syndrome: analysis of daily fluctuations in 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and signal-averaged electrocardiogram (SAECG)

Introduction: Risk stratification between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with Brugada syndrome is not yet established. We compared daily fluctuations in 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and signal-averaged ECG (SAECG) characteristics between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with Brugada syndrome to identify new markers for distinguishing between high- and low-risk patients.
Methods and Results: Thirty-five patients with Brugada syndrome underwent ECG and SAECG simultaneously at least 4 times every 3 months. We evaluated daily fluctuations (differences between maximum and minimum values) in ECG and SAECG characteristics and compared them between symptomatic  (N = 11)  , and asymptomatic  (N = 24)  patients. On ECG, the daily fluctuations in r-J interval (interval from QRS onset to J point) in leads V1, V2, and V6 were significantly larger in symptomatic than in asymptomatic patients  (V1; 20 ± 6 vs 10 ± 8 msec, P < 0.01, V2; 22 ± 8 vs 11 ± 4 msec, P < 0.01, and V6; 24 ± 7 vs 14 ± 7 msec, P < 0.01)  . On SAECG, daily fluctuations in filtered QRS (f-QRS) duration and LAS40 were significantly larger in symptomatic than in asymptomatic patients (f-QRS;  15 ± 7 vs 9 ± 4 msec, P < 0.05  , and LAS40;  21 ± 7 vs 10 ± 6 msec, P < 0.05  ).
Conclusions: Instability of depolarization appears to be related to the risk of fatal ventricular arrhythmias in patients with Brugada syndrome. Daily fluctuations in ECG and SAECG characteristics could be useful for distinguishing between high- and low-risk patients with Brugada syndrome.     

Text mining analysis of newspaper editorials concerning the COVID-19 pandemic from a healthcare perspective

Objective: This pilot study aimed to examine the content of Japanese newspaper editorials concerning the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its change over time using text mining analysis.Materials and Methods: The authors analyzed qualitative data from the editorials of five national and 12 regional newspapers on April 7 and 8, 2020 (first state of emergency) and January 8, 2021 (second state of emergency). All analyses were conducted using KH Coder version 3.Results: The co-occurrence network showed a low level of content diversity and a high degree of politicization in the COVID-19 news coverage. The top five high frequency words from the newspapers were “infection”, “declaration”, “healthcare”, “government”, and “emergency” at the first state of emergency, and were “declaration”, “measures”, “government”, and “restaurant” at the second one.Conclusion: The results suggest a lack of detailed information and recommendations concerning the public health challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japanese newspaper editorials, even one year after the first wave of the pandemic. This study provides a data-driven foundation for the effectiveness of newspapers in COVID-19 public health communications. The extent to which the quantity and quality of information from newly emerging communication channels, such as social media, influences public understanding of public health measures remains to be established.     

Lymphangioma of the lesser omentum associated with abdominal esophageal carcinoma: report of a case

A case of lymphangioma of the lesser omentum associated with abdominal esophageal carcinoma is described herein. The patient was a 54-year-old man who initially presented with dysphagia. Gastrointestinal fiberscopy (GIF) revealed an esophageal carcinoma and abdominal computed tomography (CT) detected a 3-cm, low-density lesion on the median aspect of the fornix, which was diagnosed as a metastatic lymph node. A radical operation was performed to resect the esophageal carcinoma, and a cystic lesion the size of a hen's egg was found in the lesser omentum of the stomach. The cystic lesion, which contained serous fluid, was unilocular and attached to the serosa of the stomach. The histological diagnosis was omental lymphangioma. Our review of the Japanese literature revealed 29 cases of lesser omental lymphangioma, but only two of these were associated with an advanced malignant tumor. Although the etiology of omental lymphangioma is unclear, the findings in our case suggested that obstruction of the lymphatic vessels invaded by the esophageal carcinoma may be one of the causes of this disease. Received: November 9, 2000 / Accepted: July 17, 2001