A Comprehensive Assessment of Toxicities in Patients with Central Nervous System Lymphoma Undergoing Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation Using Thiotepa,Busulfan, and Cyclophosphamide Conditioning

High-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) with thiotepa, busulfan, and cyclophosphamide (TBC) conditioning has emerged as an effective postinduction treatment strategy for patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) or secondary central nervous system lymphoma (SCNSL), but it is associated with considerable toxicity and transplantation-related mortality (TRM) in the modern era. Forty-three adult patients with chemosensitive PCNSL or SCNSL underwent TBC-conditioned ASCT between 2006 and 2015. Twenty-eight of these patients received pharmacokinetically (PK)-targeted busulfan dosing. The median number of clinically relevant individual grade?≥3 nonhematologic toxicities per patient was 5. We found no association between pretransplantation patient characteristics and the presence of more than 5 grade?≥3 nonhematologic toxicities. Patients with elevated first-dose busulfan area under the curve values did not experience more toxicity. Paradoxically, patients treated with more than 2 regimens before undergoing ASCT had lower first-dose busulfan AUC values. With a median follow-up among survivors of 20 months, 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) from the time of ASCT were 83% and 87%, respectively. Although this study reaffirms the favorable PFS and OS associated with TBC-conditioned ASCT for PCNSL or SCNSL, this treatment strategy carries a large toxicity burden.     

Honorary Authorships in Surgical Literature

World Journal of Surgery - Honorary authorship (HA) is defined as an enlisted co-author who did not make sufficient contributions to merit being included as a co-author according to the ICMJE...     

Microscopic observations of amalgams carved by different methods and subsequently polished.

Occlusal amalgam restorations placed in extracted deciduous molars were studied using an electron microscope. The fillings were carved only or both carved and burnished, and all were subsequently polished. Observations were made before and after polishing, and the results emphasized the effects of carving, burnishing, and polishing on the surface texture and marginal integrity of amalgam fillings.