Objective We have analyzed short- and long-term variations of pulmonary function in locally advanced non–small cell lung cancer after induction chemoradiotherapy. Methods Twenty-seven patients with ...stage IIIA (N2) non–small cell lung cancer underwent resection with radical intent after induction chemoradiotherapy in the period 2003 to 2006. Pulmonary function has been evaluated by spirometry, diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide, and blood gas analysis before induction chemoradiotherapy (T0), 4 weeks after induction chemoradiotherapy and before surgery (T1), and 1 (T2), 3 (T3), 6 (T4), and 12 months (T5) after surgery. Results A 22.80% decrease of diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide ( P < .001) was observed at T1. At T2 significant decreases in the following were present: vital capacity, −20.50% ( P < .001); forced vital capacity, −22.50% ( P < .001); forced expiratory volume in 1 second, −23.00% ( P < .001); peak expiratory flow, −29.0 ( P < .001); forced expiratory flow 25% to 75%, −13.7% ( P = .005); and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide, 43.6% ( P < .001). However, in the interval between T2 and T5, a progressive improvement of lung function in most parameters was observed, but only diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide presented a significant increase ( P < .001). Within the same time gap (T2 to T5), subjects 65 years of age or younger showed an increasing trend for vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, total lung capacity, and residual volume significantly different from that of elderly patients, in whom a decrease in these parameters is reported. Conclusions An impairment of respiratory function is evident in the immediate postoperative setting in patients with non–small cell lung cancer receiving induction chemoradiotherapy. In the long-term period, a general recovery in diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide was found, whereas an improvement of forced expiratory volume in 1 second, vital capacity, total lung capacity, and residual volume was detected in the younger population only.
Periventricular leukomalacia is a risk factor for visual impairment in children born prematurely. The impact of diffuse white-matter injury, as detected on magnetic resonance imaging, on early visual ...function is unknown. We developed two 5-point visual-gaze scores to analyze the association between this clinical assessment and white-matter injury in 93 premature neonates <34 weeks of gestational age at birth. Older postmenstrual age was associated with higher values of the two gaze scores. Infants with moderate or severe white-matter injury had lower scores than their peers without white-matter injury (0.41 points, 95% confidence interval of 0.13-0.69 for visual fixation score; and 0.70 points, 95% confidence interval of 0.30-1.10 for conjugate score, P < 0.005). Using the results from both scales, a score of ≥9 in an infant examined at ≥36 weeks postmenstrual age predicted normal white matter on magnetic resonance examination, with a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 100%. These preliminary findings suggest that white-matter injury affects visual function even before term equivalent postmenstrual age.
Abstract Background Although in clinical practice adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) and endocrine therapy (ET) are administered sequentially in patients with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer, the ...optimal timing, i.e. concurrent or sequential administration, of these treatments has been scarcely investigated. To better clarify this issue we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized studies comparing these two modalities of administrations in terms of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Methods Relevant studies were identified by searching PubMed, Web of Knowledge and the proceedings of the major conferences with no date restriction up to March 2016. The summary risk estimates (pooled hazard ratio HR and 95% confidence intervals CI) for DFS and OS were calculated using random effect models (DerSimonian and Laird method). Results A total of three randomized studies were eligible including 2021 breast cancer patients. Overall, 755 DFS events were observed, 365 in the sequential arm and 390 in the concomitant arm, with a pooled HR of 0.95 (95% CI = 0.76 to 1.18, P = 0.643). No association between timing of treatment and OS was observed (HR = 0.95; 95% CI = 0.80 to 1.12, P = 0.529). Conclusion Our pooled analysis showed no association between the timing of administration of adjuvant CT and ET and DFS and OS in breast cancer patients candidates for both adjuvant treatments. Because of the small number of published trials, the lack of data on the timing with modern adjuvant treatments, i.e. taxane-containing CT and aromatase inhibitors, this topic remain still controversial and requires further studies to be clarified.
Abstract Aim : The aim of this study was to verify the presence of a relationship between formaldehyde exposure in the work environment with biological markers of exposure and of effect. Methods : ...Exposure to formaldehyde (FA) of 36 workers in different laboratories of a Cancer Research Institute and biomarkers of exposure, such as formaldehyde human serum albumin conjugate (FA-HSA) and biomarkers of effect, such as chromosome aberration (CA), micronuclei (MN) and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) were measured in peripheral blood lymphocytes of the same workers. Results : Individual FA levels of exposure ranged from 4.9 μg/m3 to 268.7 μg/m3 . Subjects with high FA exposure showed a significant increase of the biomarker of exposure FA-HSA, but biomarkers of effect did not show any significant differences. Conclusions : A significant relationship was observed between occupational exposure to FA and a biological marker of exposure (FA-HSA). The markers of effect used (CA, MN and SCE) failed to indicate the presence of genetic damage.
PDF
