Background
The incidence of biliary events (BE) following percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) in acute cholecystitis (AC) patients is high. Therefore, definitive laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is ...recommended. We aimed to investigate the optimal timing of LC following PC with regard to the clinical course and pathological findings.
Methods
All 744 AC patients with PC were included. The incidence and median number of BE were investigated with the concept of competing risks. The 344 patients with interval LC were divided into two groups based on the pathological findings of resected gallbladders: the acute/acute‐and‐chronic group (AANC group) (n = 221) and the chronic group (n = 123). A comparative analysis of the demographic data and perioperative outcomes was performed.
Results
Among the 744 AC patients with PC, 142 patients experienced recurrent BE. The cumulative incidence of BE was 26.6%, and the median time to recurrence was 67.5 days. The PC‐to‐LC days of the chronic group were longer than those of the AANC group (73.51 vs 63.00, P < .001). The multivariate analysis indicated that the operation time was longer in the AANC group than in the chronic group (P = .040).
Conclusion
In terms of the clinical course and sequential pathological changes in the gallbladder, a 9‐ to 10‐week interval after PC is the optimal timing for LC.
Highlight
Hung and colleagues performed a retrospective study to determine the optimal timing of laparoscopic cholecystectomy following percutaneous cholecystostomy placement for acute cholecystitis. Based on the sequential pathological changes to the gallbladder and the risk of recurrent biliary events, 9‐10 weeks after percutaneous cholecystostomy was considered the optimal timing.
Objective/Hypothesis
Spindle cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSpCC) is a rare variant of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This study evaluated the clinical characteristics and ...molecular signatures of such tumors.
Study Design
Retrospective analysis.
Methods
Medical records of patients diagnosed with HNSpCC from 1996 to 2018 were reviewed. The clinicopathologic features, treatment modalities, and survival status were carefully recorded. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed to evaluate the genetic signatures of HNSpCC.
Results
We found that among all 71 patients included in this study, the majority of them were male, with tumors developing predominantly in the oral cavity. The 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year disease‐specific survival (DSS) rates were 64.6%, 49.5%, and 43.9%, respectively. A high local recurrence (LR) and distant metastasis (DM) rate (47.9%–25.3%, respectively) were observed. A significant proportion (28.2%) of patients with the worst prognosis had history of previous head and neck cancer (HNC) and had been treated with radiotherapy (RT). WES revealed that those post‐RT SpCC shared common mutations with their previous HNC (pre‐RT SCC), but gained additional genetic traits, such as hypoxia and cell‐ECM interaction that were favorable for survival in an irradiated microenvironment. Distinct genetic landscapes in primary and post‐RT SpCC were also found.
Conclusions
This study demonstrates that HNSpCC is a unique entity with more aggressive behavior than conventional HNSCC. HNSpCC arising from a previously irradiated field is a predictor of dismal survival. Both genetic and microenvironmental factors contribute to this highly invasive tumor.
Level of Evidence
4 Laryngoscope, 133:2183–2191, 2023
Spindle cell carcinoma arising from a previously irradiated field is a predictor of dismal survival. Both genetic and microenvironmental factors contribute to this highly invasive tumor.
Background
Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) followed by definitive cholecystectomy is an alternative treatment for acute cholecystitis (AC). We retrospectively investigated the impact of PC tube ...removal before definitive cholecystectomy on surgical outcomes.
Methods
From 2012 to 2017, 942 AC patients underwent PC at a single institute. Eligible patients were selected according to inclusion criteria. Demographic data, clinical and laboratory parameters, and treatment outcomes were extracted from medical records. Categorization of patients and subsequent subgroup analysis were based on cholangiography.
Results
The rate of emergent cholecystectomy in the PC tube removal group was higher than that in the PC tube preserved group (OR = 2.969, 95% CI 1.334–6.612, P = 0.008). In subgroup analysis of patients with patent bile flow under cholangiography, the rate of emergent cholecystectomy was higher in the PC tube removal group (OR = 3.173, 95% CI 1.182–8.523, P = 0.022), though the incidence of complications was higher in the PC tube preserved group (P = 0.012). In addition, routine preoperative cholangiography had no clinical impact on surgical outcome.
Conclusion
Percutaneous cholecystostomy tube can be removed before subsequent LC to avoid postoperative complications, though removal of the PC tube is associated with an increased likelihood of emergent cholecystectomy.
Highlight
Hung and colleagues investigated the impact of percutaneous cholecystostomy tube removal before scheduled laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Removal of the tube was associated with an increased likelihood of emergent cholecystectomy, but not with higher rates of perioperative complications. In addition, routine preoperative cholangiography via a percutaneous cholecystostomy tube may not be necessary.
Patients with cancer taking oral antineoplastic medications may encounter problems including suboptimal adherence as well as physical and psychological disease burden. Despite increase in the use of ...oncology pharmacy services, there are wide variations between healthcare professionals and patient perceptions of patients' medication experiences. The objective of the study was to explore the medication experience of taking oral targeted therapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
We purposively sampled advanced stage (stage III or IV) NSCLC patients taking epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in a medical center in Taiwan. Face-to-face interviews using semi-structured interview guides were conducted. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was applied. A phenomenological methodology was adopted to explore the underlying meaning of patients' lived experience.
A total of 19 participants with a mean age of 68.2 years were interviewed. The duration of EGFR-TKIs use ranged from 2 weeks to 5 years. When first learned about the unexpected yet 'treatable' cancer, participants expressed strong emotional responses based on their intrinsic beliefs of the terminal disease and therapy. They walked along an unfamiliar trail while confronting physical and psychological challenges and made compromises to treatment. Gaining experiences from cancer journey, patients with cancer continuously seek the ultimate goals-'return to normal'.
This study also revealed medication experiences of participants' journey from seeking information in the initial phase and living with cancer, to taking back control of their own lives. Healthcare professionals could better empathize with patients' loss of control and understand their perspectives when making clinical decisions. These findings can guide interdisciplinary teams to integrate patients' beliefs and conduct pre-screening assessments of health literacy levels to tailor communication. Subsequent interventions should be developed to identify barriers to medication self-management and empower patients by building social networks.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background
Radiation‐induced sarcoma of the head and neck (RISHN) is a rare yet devastating potential complication of radiotherapy treatment. We aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological ...characteristics and molecular signatures of RISHN in patients who underwent radiotherapy for head and neck cancer (HNC) to identify high‐risk patients and enable earlier cancer detection.
Methods
This study retrospectively evaluated 24 sarcoma patients who received radiotherapy for HNC between 1994 and 2019. Patients were divided into two groups based on RISHN latency period. Patient demographics, initial tumor staging, risk factors, and survival between groups were analyzed, and whole‐exome sequencing (WES) of selected samples was performed.
Results
The median age at diagnosis of RISHN was 54 years, and the male‐to‐female ratio was 2:1. The latency period ranged from 0.8 to 64.4 years (median 6.5 years), with a median survival of 21.5 months. Primary cancer in the oral cavity, treatment with alkylating agents, alcohol consumption, betel nut chewing, and smoking were identified as risk factors for short (<5 years) latency periods. The majority of RISHN cases occurred in the oral cavity (58.3%). WES analysis showed that tumor necrosis factor and cell cycle checkpoint pathways were differentially involved in both patient groups.
Conclusions
Although case numbers were small, our cohort represents the largest case series of RISHN from a single institution to date. Clinicians must be aware of factors affecting RISHN development and latency, and risk factor identification may lead to earlier detection and prevention in the future.
Artificial intelligence (AI)-based methods have emerged as powerful tools to transform medical care. Although machine learning classifiers (MLCs) have already demonstrated strong performance in ...image-based diagnoses, analysis of diverse and massive electronic health record (EHR) data remains challenging. Here, we show that MLCs can query EHRs in a manner similar to the hypothetico-deductive reasoning used by physicians and unearth associations that previous statistical methods have not found. Our model applies an automated natural language processing system using deep learning techniques to extract clinically relevant information from EHRs. In total, 101.6 million data points from 1,362,559 pediatric patient visits presenting to a major referral center were analyzed to train and validate the framework. Our model demonstrates high diagnostic accuracy across multiple organ systems and is comparable to experienced pediatricians in diagnosing common childhood diseases. Our study provides a proof of concept for implementing an AI-based system as a means to aid physicians in tackling large amounts of data, augmenting diagnostic evaluations, and to provide clinical decision support in cases of diagnostic uncertainty or complexity. Although this impact may be most evident in areas where healthcare providers are in relative shortage, the benefits of such an AI system are likely to be universal.
Purpose
The use of microsatellite instability (MSI) and mismatch repair (MMR) as predictive biomarkers for fluorouracil‐based adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer has been a paradigm shift. ...However, whether this applies to gastric cancer is questionable. Furthermore, we herein investigated whether and how autophagy plays a role in MSI‐relevant chemoresistance.
Materials and Methods
A total of 929 patients with deficient MMR (dMMR) and proficient MMR (pMMR) gastric cancers who underwent curative‐intent gastrectomy were enrolled. We compared clinicopathological variables and survival among dMMR and pMMR cohorts and tested the responses of MSI‐high and microsatellite stable (MSS) gastric cancer cell lines to 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) with or without chloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor.
Results
We identified an 8.9% prevalence of dMMR cases (83 out of 929) in our cohort. This was associated with old age, tumor site at the distal stomach, an intestinal phenotype, fewer nodal metastasis, and early pathological stages. MMR was an independent prognostic factor after multivariate adjustment. Overall survival (OS) of dMMR patients was better than that of the pMMR patients but was only applicable to stage III patients. There was no difference in OS between dMMR patients treated with or without adjuvant chemotherapy, although the latter showed more medical morbidities. The MSI‐high gastric cancer cell lines, versus the MSS counterparts, displayed increased resistance to 5‐FU and increased autophagy. Interestingly, autophagy inhibition abrogated the chemoresistance.
Conclusion
Our data show that fluorouracil‐based adjuvant chemotherapy does not work for dMMR cases, if not worse. Autophagy inhibition and/or immune checkpoint inhibition might be promising alternative strategies for gastric cancer treatment.
Implications for Practice
The use of microsatellite instability (MSI) and mismatch repair (MMR) as predictive biomarkers for adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer has caused a paradigm shift in cancer therapy, although its implications in gastric cancer are still questionable. The data obtained in the current study indicate that MSI‐MMR is an independent prognostic factor for gastric cancer. Standard fluorouracil‐based adjuvant chemotherapy did not work for deficient MMR cases, and was likely worse. Instead, strategies like autophagy inhibition and/or immune checkpoint inhibition should be taken into consideration in the future.
The use of microsatellite instability (MSI)/ mismatch repair (MMR) as predictive biomarkers for fluorouracil‐based adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer was a paradigm shift; however, it is still unclear whether this has any clinical implications for gastric cancer. This retrospective study focused on whether fluorouracil‐based adjuvant chemotherapy is beneficial for patients with deficient MMR gastric cancer and whether autophagy plays a role in MSI‐relevant chemoresistance using in vitro assays.
Numerous strategies for perioperative nutrition therapy for patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) have been proposed. This systematic review aimed to summarize the current relevant ...published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating different nutritional interventions via a traditional network meta-analysis (NMA) and component network meta-analysis (cNMA). EMBASE, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched to identify the RCTs. The evaluated nutritional interventions comprised standard postoperative enteral nutrition by feeding tube (Postop-SEN), preoperative enteral feeding (Preop-EN), postoperative immunonutrients (Postop-IM), preoperative oral immunonutrient supplement (Preop-IM), and postoperative total parenteral nutrition (TPN). The primary outcomes were general, infectious, and noninfectious complications; postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF); and delayed gastric emptying (DGE). The secondary outcomes were mortality and length of hospital stay (LOS). The NMA and cNMA were conducted with a frequentist approach. The results are presented as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Two primary outcomes, infectious complications and POPF, were positively influenced by nutritional interventions. Preop-EN plus Postop-SEN (OR 0.11; 95% CI 0.02~0.72), Preop-IM (OR 0.22; 95% CI 0.08~0.62), and Preop-IM plus Postop-IM (OR 0.11; 95% CI 0.03~0.37) were all demonstrated to be associated with a decrease in infectious complications. Postop-TPN (OR 0.37; 95% CI 0.19~0.71) and Preop-IM plus Postop-IM (OR 0.21; 95% CI 0.06~0.77) were clinically beneficial for the prevention of POPF. While enteral feeding and TPN may decrease infectious complications and POPF, respectively, Preop-IM plus Postop-IM may provide the best clinical benefit for patients undergoing PD, as this approach decreases the incidence of both the aforementioned adverse effects.
•Bioactive compounds of hop were quickly and simply extracted with aqueous solvents.•The solvents included hot water as well as 55%, 75%, and 95% ethanol solutions.•Both anti-oxidative and ...anti-inflammatory activities of the extracts were evaluated.•The hop ethanol extracts (HEEs) had more polyphenols, flavonoids, and bitter acids.•The HEEs showed high anti-oxidative and partial anti-inflammatory activities.
The aim of this study is to simultaneously evaluate anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of the hop extracts by different solvents. Hop water extract (HWE) and hop ethanol extracts (HEEs) were prepared by extracting hop pellets with hot water at 90 °C and ethanol solutions (55%, 75%, and 95%), respectively. Bioactive compound such as α-acid, β-acid, total phenolic, and total flavonoid contents were determined. All the HEEs showed higher anti-oxidative activities than the HWEs. The HEEs showing the highest anti-oxidative activities are different in the experiments with different free radicals. For anti-inflammatory activities, both the HWE and HEEs decreased NO productions. HWE decreased TNF-α and IL-6 secretion but showed no effect on IL-1β, while HEEs decreased IL-1β and IL-6 secretion but increased TNF-α secretion. Except for TNF-α secretion, the HEEs showed higher anti-inflammatory activities than the HWE. Future work is to explore the possible mechanism to improve the ethanol extraction procedure.