Feasibility of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment for cancer patients using electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) in daily clinical practice

Quality of Life Research - Routine Electronic Monitoring of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) (REMOQOL) in clinical care with real-time feedback to physicians could help to enhance...     

Role of FOLFIRINOX and chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced and borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma: update of the AGEO cohort

Background FOLFIRINOX has shown promising results in locally advanced (LAPA) or borderline resectable (BRPA) pancreatic adenocarcinoma. We report here a cohort of patients treated with this regimen from the AGEO group.Methods This is a retrospective multicentre study. We included all consecutive patients with non-pre-treated LAPA or BRPA treated with FOLFIRINOX.Results We included 330 patients (57.9% male, 65.4% <65 years, 96.4% PS <2). Disease was classified as BRPA in 31.1% or LAPA in 68.9%. Objective response rate with FOLFIRINOX was 29.5% and stable disease 51%. Subsequent CRT was performed in 46.4% of patients and 23.9% had curative intent surgery. Resection rates were 42.1% for BRPA and 15.5% for LAPA. Main G3/4 toxicities were fatigue (15%), neutropenia (12%) and neuropathy (G2/3 35%). After a median follow-up of 26.7 months, median OS (mOS) and PFS were 21.4 and 12.4 months, respectively. For patients treated by FOLFIRINOX alone, or FOLFIRINOX followed by CRT, or FOLFIRINOX + /− CRT + surgery, mOS was 16.8 months, 21.8 months and not reached, respectively (p < 0.0001).Conclusions FOLFIRINOX for LAPA and BRPA seems to be effective with a manageable toxicity profile. These promising results in “real-life” patients now have to be confirmed in a Phase 3 randomised trial.Subject terms: Pancreatic cancer, Pancreatic cancer     

Trial of the culture media Microcult GC for detection of gonococci]

A trial of the culture medium 'Microcult GC' for the detection of gonorrhea in 246 patients confirms its utility. The direct smear of the exudate is still indispensable. The best culture medium is the Thayer-Martin plate. The main advantage of the new medium tested is its simple utilization technique which makes it suitable for the practitioner.     

Validated Nomogram Predicting 6-Month Survival in Pancreatic Cancer Patients Receiving First-Line 5-Fluorouracil,Oxaliplatin, and Irinotecan

BackgroundFOLFIRINOX (leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin) is an option for fit patients with metastatic (MPC) and locally advanced unresectable (LAPC) pancreatic cancer. However, no criteria reliably identify patients with better outcomes.Patients and MethodsWe investigated putative prognostic factors among 137 MPC/LAPC patients treated with triplet chemotherapy. Association with 6-month survival status (primary endpoint) was assessed by multivariate logistic regression models. A nomogram predicting the risk of death at 6 months was built by assigning a numeric score to each identified variable, weighted on its level of association with survival. External validation was performed in an independent data set of 206 patients. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03590275).ResultsFour variables (performance status, liver metastases, baseline carbohydrate antigen 19-9 level, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio) were found to be associated with 6-month survival by multivariate analysis or had sufficient clinical plausibility to be included in the nomogram. Accuracy was confirmed in the validation cohort (C index = 0.762; 95% confidence interval, 0.713-0.825). After grouping all cases, 4 subsets with different outcomes were identified by 0, 1, 2, or > 2 poor prognostic features (P < .0001).ConclusionThe nomogram we constructed accurately predicts the risk of death in the first 6 months after initiation of FOLFIRINOX in MPC/LAPC patients. This tool could be useful to guide communication about prognosis, and to inform the design and interpretation of clinical trials.     

Brightness matching and flicker photometric data obtained over the full mesopic range.

Three normal observers made visual matches from 0.03 to 100 td on a 10 degree central field at 445, 560 and 630 nm, using two different methods: heterochromatic flicker photometry and direct comparison brightness matching. In a relative sensitivity vs illuminance plot, the brightness matches underwent smooth changes, while the flicker curve exhibited a step-like transition around 1 td, between two separate branches. A reverse Purkinje shift was found on the high mesopic branch at 630 nm, possibly due to cone-cone interactions, and on the low mesopic branch at 445 nm, with questionable origin. At 630 nm and 0.03 td, both methods yielded matches that were not truly scotopic but might not have addressed the same mechanisms.