Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Rehabil Med 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Research Group Lifestyle and Health, University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Objective: Systematic review to identify predictors for dropout during interdisciplinary pain management programmes.

Data Sources: PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, and SPORTDiscus were searched from inception to 22 June 2017.

Study Selection: Screening, data-extraction and quality assessment was carried out independently by 2 researchers. Read More

Platelets 2018 Dec 3:1-11. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

a Department of Hematology and Oncology , Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan.

Recent studies have indicated that medical options without splenectomy, such as rituximab (RTX) or thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs), can be effective to treat persistent or chronic primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). However, it remains to be determined which of these strategies should be the first choice after the first-line treatment for newly diagnosed ITP. We performed a systematic review and network meta-analysis to establish a clinically meaningful hierarchy of the efficacy and safety of medical treatments for persistent or chronic ITP in adults. Read More

Int J Part Ther 2018 21;5(1):103-113. Epub 2018 Sep 21.

Department of Radiation Oncology and Department of Genetics & Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.

Radiogenomics is the study of genomic factors that are associated with response to radiation therapy. In recent years, progress has been made toward identifying genetic risk factors linked with late radiation-induced adverse effects. These advances have been underpinned by the establishment of an international Radiogenomics Consortium with collaborative studies that expand cohort sizes to increase statistical power and efforts to improve methodologic approaches for radiogenomic research. Read More

Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program 2018 Nov;2018(1):286-300

Department of Pediatrics, Benioff Children's Hospital and Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA.

Over the past decade, there has been exponential growth in the number of genome sequencing studies performed across a spectrum of human diseases as sequencing technologies and analytic pipelines improve and costs decline. Pediatric hematologic malignancies have been no exception, with a multitude of next generation sequencing studies conducted on large cohorts of patients in recent years. These efforts have defined the mutational landscape of a number of leukemia subtypes and also identified germ-line genetic variants biologically and clinically relevant to pediatric leukemias. Read More

Int J Clin Oncol 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Division of Digestive and General Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata, Niigata, 951-8510, Japan.

Numerous technical and functional advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) have led to the adoption of this technique in conventional clinical practice. Recently, large-scale genomic research and NGS technological innovation have revealed many more details of somatic and germline mutations in solid tumors. This development is allowing for the classification of tumor type sub-categories based on genetic alterations in solid tumors, and based on this information, new drugs and targeted therapies are being administered to patients. Read More

Clin Rehabil 2018 Dec 4:269215518815531. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

6 Department of Public Health, University Centre for Nursing and Midwifery, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.

Objective:: To explore the determinants of physical activity in patients with bladder cancer before and after radical cystectomy.

Design:: A qualitative research design using semi-structured face-to-face interviews.

Setting And Subjects:: A total of 30 interviews were conducted with people diagnosed with bladder cancer and treated with radical cystectomy at Ghent University Hospital. Read More

Drugs 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Springer, Private Bag 65901, Mairangi Bay, Auckland, 0754, New Zealand.

VYXEOS is a liposomal-encapsulated formulation of daunorubicin and cytarabine delivering a fixed, synergistic 1:5 molar ratio (hereafter referred to as daunorubicin/cytarabine liposome). Daunorubicin/cytarabine liposome is approved in several countries worldwide for the treatment of adults with therapy-related acute myeloid leukaemia (tAML) and AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (MRC). Approval was based on its clinical benefit in older patients with newly diagnosed high-risk/secondary AML in a pivotal phase III trial. Read More

Iran J Med Sci 2018 Nov;43(6):659-663

Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

The standard therapy for thyroid cancer is total or near total thyroidectomy, followed by the administration of radioactive iodine for remnant ablation or residual disease. Patients with radioiodine therapy are predisposed to second malignant neoplasms in organs such as central nervous system (CNS), breast, prostate, kidney, bone marrow, salivary gland, and digestive tract. Exposure to carcinogen including occupational and therapy related hazard, aging and genetic susceptibility are other causes of second primary cancers. Read More

PLoS One 2018 29;13(11):e0207931. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Department of Psychology, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan.

Background: Many patients with coronary artery heart disease are unable to access traditional psychosocial rehabilitation conducted face to face due to excessive travel distance. Therefore, this study developed and assessed the feasibility and acceptability of an 8-week Internet-based cognitive-behavior group therapy program, described the patterns of use and measured change in risk factors.

Methods: This study adopted an online video conference system, JointNet, to maintain group interaction functions similar to face to face groups online, and also built an self-learning platform to deliver psychoeducation content and cognitive-behavior therapy related materials and homework. Read More

Diabetes Ther 2018 Nov 27. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

Introduction: There have been no studies directly comparing the effect of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors with that of metformin on treatment-related quality of life (QOL) when used as first-line therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: This study is a prospective, randomized, open-label, multicenter, parallel-group, comparative study. Forty-four participants who failed to achieve target glycemic control with diet and exercise therapy were randomly allocated to receive linagliptin or metformin therapy. Read More

Front Pharmacol 2018 13;9:1279. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.

Cutaneous manifestations in hematologic malignancies, especially in leukemia, are not common and may be very variable. Here we report a very unusual case of a patient (female, 70 years old) who was admitted to the hospital in 2016 because of skin lesions on the face, the trunk of the body and the extremities. She had a history of breast cancer in the year 2004 (pT1b, pN0, cM0, L0, V0, R0) which had been resected and treated with adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracile) as well as psoriasis treated with methotrexate and cyclosporine. Read More

Psychol Serv 2018 Nov 26. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

VA HSR&D Houston Center of Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center.

Trauma-focused psychotherapies, such as prolonged exposure and cognitive processing therapy, are the most effective forms of treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. These treatments are commonly delivered in the Veterans Health Administration; however, dropout means that some veterans fail to benefit. Ending treatment prematurely is a common problem across psychotherapies, with on average, 20% to 25% of patients dropping out. Read More

Afr J Lab Med 2018 12;7(1):681. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Background: A major challenge facing South Africa is the concomitant HIV and tuberculosis epidemics. The National Health Laboratory Service provides testing for staging HIV-positive patients, monitoring patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and diagnosing tuberculosis. Not all health districts have equivalent ART-related coverage in particular for CD4 and HIV viral load testing. Read More

F1000Res 2018 13;7. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

German Hodgkin Study Group and Department I of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, 50937, Germany.

Arising from the immune system and located primarily in lymphoid organs, Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is one of the most common cancers in young adults. Risk-adapted first-line treatment usually consisting of multi-agent chemotherapy and often incorporating consolidative radiation therapy aims at long-term cure. Although this is achieved in the vast majority of patients, therapy-related side effects such as organ damage, second cancers, and fatigue constitute considerable sequelae and outweigh HL as the cause of mortality after successful first-line treatment. Read More

Neurosurg Clin N Am 2019 Jan 1;30(1):111-118. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Hospital, 8900 North Kendall Drive, Miami, FL 33176, USA. Electronic address:

Low-grade gliomas represent an important class of primary brain tumors. They account for approximately 20% of primary brain tumors and typically present in the fourth decade of life. Standard management gliomas involves observation, surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy. Read More

Cancer Manag Res 2018 29;10:5043-5051. Epub 2018 Oct 29.

Department of Hematology, Roskilde University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark.

Background: Most cases of acute leukemia arise without identifiable risk factors. Studies investigating the impact of autoimmune diseases and infections on leukemogenesis have revealed conflicting results. If inflammation increases the risk of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use may decrease the risk of leukemia. Read More

Rev Saude Publica 2018 Nov 14;52:87. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Faculdade de Medicina. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Pública. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy and the associated factors according to the type of regimen used: Single Tablet Regimen or Multiple Tablet Regimen.

Methods: Prospective cohort of 440 patients (male, 74.3%, median age, 36 years old) who initiated antiretroviral therapy between Jan/14 and Dec/15 at a referral service in Belo Horizonte. Read More

Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2018 Nov 17. Epub 2018 Nov 17.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address:

Purpose: The phase 3 HYPRO trial compared hypofractionated radiotherapy with conventionally fractionated radiotherapy in patients with localized prostate cancer. Similar 5-year relapse-free survival rates were achieved, whereas non-inferiority of hypofractionation was not confirmed for genitourinary and gastrointestinal toxicity. Here, we present the secondary trial endpoint on patient-reported quality of life. Read More

Intern Med 2018 Nov 19. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Department of Hematology, Tenshi Hospital, Japan.

J Crit Care 2019 Feb 10;49:172-178. Epub 2018 Nov 10.

University of Szeged, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Szeged H-6725, 6. Semmelweis utca, Hungary. Electronic address:

Background: The aim of this proof of concept, prospective, randomized pilot trial was to investigate the effects of extracorporeal cytokine removal (CytoSorb®) applied as a standalone treatment in patients with septic shock.

Methods: 20 patients with early (<24 h) onset of septic shock of medical origin, on mechanical ventilation, norepinephrine>10 μg/min, procalcitonin (PCT) > 3 ng/mL without the need for renal replacement therapy were randomized into CytoSorb (n = 10) and Control groups (n = 10). CytoSorb therapy lasted for 24 h. Read More

J Neurooncol 2018 Nov 16. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Purpose: The prognostic impact of the histopathologic features of recurrent glioblastoma surgical specimens is unknown. We sought to determine whether key histopathologic characteristics in glioblastoma tumors resected after chemoradiotherapy are associated with overall survival (OS).

Methods: The following characteristics were quantified in recurrent glioblastoma specimens at our institution: extent of viable tumor (accounting for % of specimen comprised of tumor and tumor cellularity), mitoses per 10 high-power fields (0, 1-10, > 10), Ki-67 proliferative index (0-100%), hyalinization (0-6; none to extensive), rarefaction (0-6), hemosiderin (0-6), and % of specimen comprised of geographic necrosis (0-100%; converted to 0-6 scale). Read More

Eur J Pediatr 2018 Nov 16. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

Department of Gastroenterology, Ministry of Eduaction Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.136, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400014, China.

Therapy-related side effects and severe antimicrobial resistance still remain an obstacle to Helicobacter pylori eradication. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the efficacy of Lactobacillus-supplemented triple therapy on H. pylori eradication rates and therapy-related side effects in children. Read More

Urol Oncol 2018 Nov 13. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Exercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is associated with considerable adverse side effects which compromise the health and wellbeing of many men with prostate cancer. Exercise has been identified as a therapy to help manage ADT-related treatment toxicities. This paper systematically reviews the scientific literature investigating the impact of exercise on men receiving ADT and discusses strategies to effectively implement exercise in clinical practice. Read More

Leuk Res 2018 Dec 25;75:29-35. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY, USA.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in older patients is often associated with biologic and clinical characteristics that predict poor outcomes to cytarabine and anthracycline based induction chemotherapy (IC). The impact of hypomethylating agents (HMA) in the treatment of these high-risk patients is unknown. Here we retrospectively examined the remission rates and survival outcomes of 201 newly diagnosed patients ≥60 years old with therapy-related (t-AML), secondary (s-AML), or AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC). Read More

Haematologica 2018 Nov 15. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

University Medical Center Freiburg

Myelosuppression is a major and frequently dose limiting side-effect of anticancer therapy and responsible for most treatment-related morbidity and mortality. In addition, repeated cycles of DNA damage and cell death of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, followed by compensatory proliferation and selection pressure, lead to genomic instability and pave the way for therapy-related myelodysplastic syndromes and secondary acute myeloid leukemia. Protection of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from chemo- and radiotherapy in patients with solid tumors would reduce both immediate complications and long-term sequelae. Read More

Cancer Nurs 2018 Nov 14. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Author Affiliations: School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong (Ms Xia and Drs Li, Ho, Lam, and Chung); Centre for Global Health Research, Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (Ms Song); and Paediatric Oncology Unit (Ms Chiu) and Department of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (Dr Chan), Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.

Background: The effects of hematologic cancer and its treatment on Chinese children's physical activity level and quality of life (QoL) remain unclear despite numerous studies conducted in Western countries and Hong Kong.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of hematologic cancer and its treatment on the physical activity level and QoL among Chinese children.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Read More

Eur J Clin Invest 2018 Nov 13:e13050. Epub 2018 Nov 13.

Servicio de Hematología y Oncología Médica, Hospital General Universitario Morales Meseguer, Centro Regional de Hemodonación, Universidad de Murcia, IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia.

Backgroung: Despite the longer survival achieved in multiple myeloma (MM) patients due to new therapy strategies, a concern is emerging regarding an increased risk of secondary primary malignancies (SPMs) and how to characterize those patients at risk. We performed a retrospective study covering a 28-year follow-up period (1991-2018) in a tertiary single institution.

Material And Methods: Data of 403 MM patients was recorded and compared with the epidemiologic register of the population area covered by our center, calculating the standarize incidence ratio (SIR) for the different types of SPMs diagnosed in the MM cohort. Read More

Front Immunol 2018 29;9:2495. Epub 2018 Oct 29.

Division for Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Children's Hospital, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany.

Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a primary immunodeficiency with mutations in the gene encoding the A-T mutated (ATM) protein that interacts with immune, hematopoietic, and endocrine targets resulting in broad multi-systemic clinical manifestations with a devastating outcome. Apart from a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, A-T leads to significantly increased susceptibility to malignancies. It is a matter of discussion whether pre-emptive allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) using a reduced intensity conditioning regimen would be an option to restore immune-competence and prevent malignancy, as shown in animal models, because conventional treatment protocols of malignant diseases using radio- and/or chemotherapy have a high rate of therapy-related morbidity and mortality in these patients. Read More

Osteoporos Int 2018 Dec 12;29(12):2623-2637. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.

The aim of this review was to identify factors that influence patients' adherence to anti-osteoporotic therapy. Factors identified that were associated with poorer medication adherence included polypharmacy, older age, and misconceptions about osteoporosis. Physicians need to be aware of these factors so as to optimize therapeutic outcomes for patients. Read More

Ann Oncol 2018 Oct;29(10):2105-2114

Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center, Berlin, Germany.

Background: The German multicenter randomized phase II larynx organ preservation (LOP) trial DeLOS-II was carried out to prove the hypothesis that cetuximab (E) added to induction chemotherapy (IC) and radiotherapy improves laryngectomy-free survival (LFS; survival with preserved larynx) in locally advanced laryngeal/hypopharyngeal cancer (LHSCC).

Patients And Methods: Treatment-naïve patients with stage III/IV LHSCC amenable to total laryngectomy (TL) were randomized to three cycles IC with TPF [docetaxel (T) and cisplatin (P) 75 mg/m2/day 1, 5-FU (F) 750 mg/m2/day days 1-5] followed by radiotherapy (69.6 Gy) without (A) or with (B) standard dose cetuximab for 16 weeks throughout IC and radiotherapy (TPFE). Read More

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2018 4;2018:8716910. Epub 2018 Oct 4.

Department of Spleen and Stomach, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.

Objective: To assess the effects and safety of berberine combined with triple therapy on () eradication in adults.

Methods: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Chinese databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang data, Chinese Technology Journal Full-text Database (VIP), and China biomedical literature database (CBM) were searched to obtain the eligible studies published up to October 10, 2017. The primary outcome was eradication rate of . Read More

Blood Cancer J 2018 Nov 8;8(11):108. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Torino, Italy.

Lenalidomide-RCHOP (R2-CHOP21) has been shown to be safe and effective in patients with untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The aim of this analysis is to report long-term outcome and toxicities in newly diagnosed DLBCL patients who received R2-CHOP21 in two independent phase 2 trials, conducted by Mayo Clinic (MC) and Fondazione Italiana Linfomi (FIL). All patients received R-CHOP21 plus lenalidomide. Read More

Depress Anxiety 2018 Nov 8. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Background: Attention bias modification (ABM) therapy aims to modify threat-related attention patterns via computerized tasks. Despite showing medium clinical effect sizes for anxiety disorders, underlying neural-cognitive mechanisms of change remain unclear. We used visual mismatch negativity (vMMN), an event-related potential sensitive to violations of learned statistical contingencies, to assess therapy-related contingency extraction processes in healthy participants and in patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD). Read More

Cell Stem Cell 2018 Nov;23(5):700-713.e6

Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address:

Clonal hematopoiesis (CH), in which stem cell clones dominate blood production, becomes increasingly common with age and can presage malignancy development. The conditions that promote ascendancy of particular clones are unclear. We found that mutations in PPM1D (protein phosphatase Mn/Mg-dependent 1D), a DNA damage response regulator that is frequently mutated in CH, were present in one-fifth of patients with therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome and strongly correlated with cisplatin exposure. Read More

PLoS One 2018 2;13(11):e0206735. Epub 2018 Nov 2.

Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Leipzig University Hospital, Leipzig, Germany.

Bariatric surgery and other therapeutic options for obese patients are often evaluated by the loss of weight, reduction of comorbidities or improved quality of life. However, little is currently known about potential therapy-related changes in the adipose tissue of obese patients. The aim of this study was therefore to quantify fat fraction (FF) and T1 relaxation time by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery and compare the resulting values with the preoperative ones. Read More

Environ Mol Mutagen 2018 Nov 2. Epub 2018 Nov 2.

Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Boulevard, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Infant acute leukemias are aggressive and characterized by rapid onset after birth. The majority harbor translocations involving the MLL gene with AF9 as one of its most common fusion partners. MLL and AF9 loci contain breakpoint cluster regions (bcrs) with sequences hypothesized to be targets of topoisomerase II inhibitors that promote translocation formation. Read More

Gynecol Oncol 2018 11;151(2):187-189

Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA. Electronic address:

Stem Cells Int 2018 2;2018:4826407. Epub 2018 Oct 2.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.

Intraparenchymal transplantation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) has been extensively investigated in animal models of ischemic stroke. However, the reported therapeutic efficacy was inconsistent among studies. To evaluate this situation, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched for preclinical studies using NSPC intraparenchymal transplantation in ischemic stroke animals. Read More

Oncol Nurs Forum 2018 Nov;45(6):E125-E136

University of Kansas Medical Center.

Objectives: To examine symptom occurrence and severity and overall health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients receiving cancer therapy guided by genomic profiling (matched therapy) and patients receiving nonmatched therapy.

Sample & Setting: A retrospective and secondary analysis of data from 129 individuals with breast or gynecologic cancer receiving care at a regional outpatient cancer center.

Methods & Variables: Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Read More

Blood Res 2018 Sep 28;53(3):188. Epub 2018 Sep 28.

Department of Hematology-Oncology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.

Multidiscip Respir Med 2018 3;13:37. Epub 2018 Oct 3.

4Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, 71516 Egypt.

Background: No studies have addressed the impact of lung cancer (LC) on prognosis of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in Upper Egypt. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors for LC among IPF patients and its impact on their outcomes and survival in Upper Egypt.

Methods: A total of 246 patients with IPF who had complete clinical and follow up data were reviewed. Read More

Drugs Today (Barc) 2018 Sep;54(9):561-575

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Autoimmune Disorders, Alb-Fils Kliniken, Göppingen, Germany.

Cancer patients often exhibit preexisting renal impairment and are simultaneously at risk for developing further kidney injury due to direct or indirect complications of oncological therapies. The nature of kidney injury is highly dependent on the therapy regimen used, and the spectrum of possible kidney stressors has widened as a result of the development of new therapeutic modalities such as molecular therapy or immunotherapy. Indirect renal complications are often due to volume depletion or other therapy-related side effects. Read More

J Clin Psychol 2018 Oct 8. Epub 2018 Oct 8.

Department of Social Work, Health and Nursing, University of Applied Sciences Esslingen, Esslingen am Neckar, Germany.

Objective: There is scarce research on the effects of mindfulness in individual therapy. As many practitioners integrate mindfulness exercises into individual therapy, empirical evidence is of high clinical relevance.

Method: We investigated the effects of a session-introducing intervention with mindfulness elements (SIIME) in a randomized, controlled design. Read More

Cancer 2018 Oct 5. Epub 2018 Oct 5.

Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, Ohio.

Despite few effective therapies, only a small percentage of patients diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in the United States are enrolled in prospective, interventional clinical trials. MDS-specific barriers to trial accrual include a high frequency of elderly patients with comorbid conditions, atypical disease features and uncertainty regarding the diagnosis (because other nonclonal processes also can cause dysplasia and cytopenias), a history of another nonmyeloid neoplasm resulting in therapy-related MDS, rapid disease recurrence after allogeneic stem cell transplantation, and an arbitrary division between MDS and acute myeloid leukemia. In addition, barriers to accrual that are common to other oncology populations, such as difficulty traveling to clinical trial enrollment sites and narrow trial eligibility criteria, also prevent patients with MDS from enrolling in studies. Read More

Int J Cancer 2019 Jan 31;144(1):200-209. Epub 2018 Oct 31.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.

Resistance to radiotherapy and to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), as well as therapy-related lung toxicity, are serious problems in the treatment of lung cancer. NF-κB has been reported to be associated with radioresistance. Therefore, we evaluated its effects on sensitivity to irradiation and to EGFR-TKIs; irradiation-induced lung toxicity; and the effects of irradiation on sensitivity to EGFR-TKIs. Read More

Int J Nurs Pract 2018 Dec 4;24(6):e12700. Epub 2018 Oct 4.

University of South Florida College of Nursing, Tampa, Florida, USA.

Aim: To assess the validity of the translated Spanish Cancer Symptom Scale.

Background: Instruments to facilitate comprehensive and objective assessments of the cancer symptom experience in underrepresented populations are essential.

Methods: The Cancer Symptom Scale was translated into Spanish, and a back translation was conducted. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Sep;97(39):e12278

Department of Emergency, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Few therapeutic options exist for various infections caused by extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii (XDR-Acb) complex isolates, including pneumonia. This study investigated the clinical efficacy between aerosolized colistimethate sodium (AS-CMS, 2 million units thrice a day) treatment alone or in combination with standard-dose tigecycline (TGC) in patients with non-bacteremic pneumonia due to XDR-Acb, and explored the factors influencing patients' 30-day mortality.A 1:1 case (n = 106; receiving TGC plus AS-CMS) control (receiving AS-CMS alone with matching scores) observational study was conducted among adult patients with non-bacteremic XDR-Acb complex pneumonia in a Taiwanese medical center from January 2014 through December 2016. Read More

Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 2018 Nov 2;55(7):466-479. Epub 2018 Oct 2.

a Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology , University of Toronto , Toronto , Canada.

Cancer immunotherapy, a treatment that selectively augments a patient's anti-tumor immune response, is a breakthrough advancement in personalized medicine. A subset of cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy have displayed robust and long-lasting therapeutic responses. Currently, the spotlight is on the use of blocking antibodies against the T-cell checkpoint molecules, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and programed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), which have been effectively used to combat many cancers types. Read More

Onco Targets Ther 2018 17;11:5909-5915. Epub 2018 Sep 17.

Department of Radiological Sciences, Radiotherapy, and Hematology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy,

Therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MNs) are a complication of cytotoxic treatment for primary tumors and autoimmune diseases. t-MNs result from a complex interaction between individual predisposition and exposition to toxic agents. Some different biological and clinical characteristics can be recognized according to the type of anticancer drug. Read More

Haematologica 2018 Oct;103(10):1581-1583

Clinical Hematology Department. ICO-Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Josep Carreras Research Institute, Badalona, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain