A nationally representative survey of hospital malnutrition: the Italian PIMAI (Project: Iatrogenic MAlnutrition in Italy) study

Aim and methods  Nutrition, unhealthy lifestyles and cancer appear to be strictly related, but few authors have analysed the interest in dietary information of cancer patients and their families. This survey was conducted in the Veneto area (Italy) to investigate the concern of cancer patients and their family members about diet as a health tool before and after diagnosis of cancer. Results  Seven hundred and four questionnaires were collected: 380 from cancer patients and 324 from family members of cancer subjects. Breast cancer (BC) was the most frequent disease for patients (61.8%) as well as families (26.5%). Generally, the importance of having precise diet information after diagnosis is recognised by 40.3% of patients, with significant differences between the various types of cancer: gastric and colon/rectum cancer (GCC) patients were more concerned than BC women about precise information concerning a diet to follow immediately after diagnosis (p = 0.000, ODs = 3.10, CI 1.68–5.71) or during treatments (p = 0.001, ODs = 2.67, CI 1.46–4.89). The nutritional information is supplied to patients in 34% of cases and to relatives in 30.3%, often from non-medical sources. In total healthcare workers (family doctor, oncologist, surgeon, dietician) represented the exclusive source of dietary information for 24.9% of patients and 22.9% of family members. Diet after diagnosis changes in 69.1% of GCC patients and in 39.2% of BC women. Relatives, particularly women, report difficulties preparing patients’ meals in 30.7% of cases, changes in the eating habits of the entire family in 29.9% and discontent connected with patients diet in 13.9%. The concern about proper nutrition after diagnosis increases more in GCC subjects (p < 0.025) when compared to BC subjects and in patients with more recent diagnosis (p < 0.041) when compared with patients with diagnosis >5 years ago, while in family members the interest in diet after diagnosis increases more in women than in men (p < 0.030) without other differences regarding the degree of relationship, type of cancer or diagnosis time. Relatives (92.7%) have more interest in nutritional education than patients (74.9%). Cancer patients <65 years were more interested in educational initiatives concerning nutrition (p = 0.000, ODs = 4.46, CI 2.6–7.4) than older patients (>65 years) and female subjects were more concerned than male patients (p = 0.008, ODs = 2.11, CI 1.2–3.6). Conclusions  The interest in the dietary knowledge and in educational initiatives concerning nutrition is high in cancer patients and their relatives, although it decreases with the age. The poor attention paid to nutrition of cancer patients by various healthcare workers deserves consideration, since the psychophysical wellbeing and perhaps also survival of cancer patients can be improved by correct dietary management, as well as, naturally, by the principal treatments themselves.     

健肝愈胃汤合西药治疗门脉高压性胃病临床观察

目的探讨中药健肝愈胃汤（自拟）、西药心得安、奥美拉唑、胶态果胶铋胶囊联合治疗门脉高性胃病（PHG）的疗法。方法将136例PHG患者随机分成两组,对照组52例常规口服心得安、奥美拉唑、果胶铋;治疗组84例在常规服用以上西药的同时服用中药健肝愈胃汤。两组疗程均为2个月。结果治疗组临床治疗总有效率89.3%。显效率46.4%;对照组临床治疗总有效率80.7%,显效率13.5%。两组比较有显著性差异（P〈0.05）。结论中药健肝愈胃汤、西药心得安、奥美拉唑、果胶铋联合治疗PHG疗效显著。     

OK-432增强人腹腔抗癌免疫功能的研究

目的　探讨腹腔内注射OK - 4 32增强腹腔免疫功能的机制。方法　选择非炎症和非肿瘤手术患者作为实验对象 ,实验组分别于手术前 72小时、4 8小时和 2 4小时腹腔内注射 4KE的OK - 4 32。开腹后采集腹腔内巨噬细胞 ,并用人胃癌MKN1细胞作为靶细胞对巨噬细胞的癌细胞毒性进行分析。同时采集大网膜 ,对大网膜乳斑的数量和面积进行了观察分析。结果　OK - 4 32显著增加了腹腔内巨噬细胞的数量 (P <0 .0 5 )、增强了巨噬细胞的吞噬活性和酶活性 (P <0 .0 5 )、增加了NO的分泌和巨噬细胞的癌细胞毒性 (P <0 .0 5 ) ,以及大网膜乳斑的数量和面积 (P <0 .0 5 )。结论　手术前腹腔内注射OK - 4 32可以作为预防癌细胞腹腔内种植转移的有效方法。     

Effect of chronic oral domperidone therapy on gastrointestinal symptoms and gastric emptying in patients with parkinson's disease

This study investigated whether domperidone could improve gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease who were receiving levodopa therapy. A total of 11 patients were studied. Following a baseline gastric emptying test, patients were treated with a starting dose of domperidone 20 mg p.o. q.i.d. A follow-up gastric emptying test was repeated at least 4 months after starting domperidone therapy. At the beginning and at each 3-month follow-up visit, symptoms of nausea, vomiting, anorexia, abdominal bloating, heartburn, regurgitation, dysphagia, and constipation were evaluated and scored on a scale of 0–3. The overall mean follow-up period was 3 years. Compared with their baseline evaluation, patients experienced a significant improvement in all symptoms (p < 0.05) except dysphagia and constipation. Gastric emptying of an isotope-labeled solid meal was significantly faster, with a baseline result of 60.2 ± 6.4% retention of isotope 2 h after the meal compared with 37.0 ± 2.2% retention during domperidone therapy (p < 0.05). Patients' global assessment of Parkinson's disease remained stable or improved. Serum prolactin was elevated in all patients after domperidone therapy (p < 0.05). Domperidone therapy significantly reduces upper gastrointestinal symptoms and accelerates gastric emptying of a solid meal, but does not interfere with response to antiparkinsonism treatment.     

Surgical relevance of diagnostic imaging techniques in pretherapeutic staging of carcinoma of the esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum

Summary. The increasing spectrum of therapeutic options for tumors of the gastrointestinal tract has resulted in a refinement of the pretherapeutic diagnostic strategies. The diagnostic approach in surgical institutions that are focused on primary surgical resection will therefore be much less sophisticated than in institutions who propose a selective therapeutic approach based on the pretherapeutic tumor stage and prognostic parameters. Pretherapeutic assessment of the depth of tumor infiltration, i. e. the T-category, is essential because most further diagnostic and therapeutic decisions are based on this information. This can today be achieved with a high degree of accuracy by endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasonography. Early T-stages (T1–2) are usually an indication for primary surgical resection and, after exclusion of distant metastases, no further diagnostic studies are required. In patients with locally advanced esophageal, gastric or rectum tumors (T3–4) multimodal therapeutic concepts should be considered. This usually requires additional diagnostic studies. None of the available diagnostic imaging modalities today allows satisfactory pretherapeutic assessment of lymph node metastases. The assumed nodular status should therefore currently not influence therapeutic decisions. Essential is, however, the assessment of distant metastases, since the documentation of distant tumor spread will change the therapeutic approach to a palliative situation. Detailed histologic and molecular-biologic assessment of tumor characteristics is growing in importance. This not only provides therapeutically relevant information regarding tumor grading, but opens the door towards a modern molecular diagnostic approach. It can be expected that in the near future a vast amount of relevant prognostic information can be obtained from endoscopic tumor biopsies, which may soon alter our therapeutic concepts.      

胃癌腹腔脱落细胞检查及临床意义

腹膜转移是胃癌常见的转移形式。为在肉眼可见转移前发现亚临床的转移现象,自1981年3月至1982年4月,我们共对胃癌病人142例进行了腹腔脱落细胞检查及临床随诊,发现有腹腔脱落细胞阳性者76例(53.5％)。5年随诊结果发现,腹腔脱落细胞阳性者无一例生存>3年;而腹腔脱落细胞阴性的66例中生存5年者有11例。可见,腹腔脱落细胞检查,对胃癌的诊断,治疗和预后判断有一定价值。     

癌胚抗原及粘液组织化学在胃癌中表达的研究

对60例胃癌进行了粘液组织化学和癌胚抗原免疫组织化学研究。结果表明:胃癌发病率肠型和胃肠混合型占多数。60例胃癌中含大肠型粘液者占50例,而单纯含胃型粘液为极少数。癌胚抗原分布方式,肠型胃癌与胃肠混合型胃癌比较无显著差异性(P>0.05)。癌胚抗原的阳性率,胃肠混合型胃癌高于肠型胃癌,两者之间有非常显著差别(P<0.01)。认为选用能显示硫粘蛋白和氧乙酰基唾液酸粘蛋白的粘液组织化学方法,作为胃癌组织分型和确定胃粘膜肠化性质,对癌前病变诊断有一定价值。     

Exogastric neurilemmoma presenting as acute abdomen: Role of computed tomography in diagnosis

A case of subserosal gastric neurilemmoma is hereby presented. This reported case is unique in its clinical presentation including the appearance of acute abdomen and fever subsequent to unremarkable and uneventful upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The tendency of neurilemmoma to cause mucosal ulceration with fistula formation probably led to this clinical presentation. The role of computed tomography in establishing diagnosis of exogastric tumor is emphasized.