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In clinical practice, the term "paraneoplastic itch" is used to describe itch in patients with cancer. Patients with hematological or solid tumor malignancies can be affected. In general, paraneoplastic itch is considered a rare disorder. However, paraneoplastic itch in hematological malignancies such as polycythemia vera and lymphoma are relatively frequent while other forms of paraneoplastic itch are in fact extremely rare. The true frequency of this symptom is unclear, epidemiological data in this field are limited. Itch in malignant disease may additionally impair patients' quality of life. A population-based cohort study showed that chronic itch without concomitant skin changes is a risk factor for having undiagnosed hematologic and bile duct malignancies. Paraneoplastic itch is rather resistant to treatment. In 2012, an interdisciplinary interest group of physicians and researchers was founded, aiming to generate a clear definition of paraneoplastic itch. In this paper we briefly review the current knowledge and aim to define what can be summarized under the term "paraneoplastic itch". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with advanced prostate cancer (PCa) typically undergo numerous lines of treatment leading to large amounts of information in Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The Patient-overview Prostate Cancer (PPC) presents clinical information in a graphical overview. The aim of this study was to measure time spent on retrieving clinical information in PPC compared to EHRs, to assess if retrieved data was correct and to explore usability of PPC. Oncologists, urologists and nurses in three hospitals in Sweden were timed when filling out questionnaires about patients using PPC and two different EHRs; Melior and COSMIC. Time and number of errors were analysed using linear mixed models (LMMs). Usability of PPC was measured with the System Usability Scale. The LMM showed a significantly shorter time to retrieve information in PPC compared to EHRs. The estimated time to complete one questionnaire was 8 minutes (95% CI = 6–10, p < 0.001) in PPC compared to 25 minutes in Melior and 21 minutes in COSMIC. Compared to PPC, the estimated time difference was 17 minutes longer in Melior (95% CI = 14–20, p < 0.001) and 13 minutes longer in COSMIC (95% CI = 10–17, p < 0.001). The LMM showed significantly fewer errors in PPC compared to Melior. No significant difference in the number of errors was found between PPC and COSMIC. The usability of PPC was rated as excellent by oncologists, urologists and nurses. A graphical overview of a patient's medical history, as in PPC, gives health staff rapid access to relevant information with a high degree of usability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose — The pelvis is the 3rd most common site of skeletal metastases. In some cases, periacetabular lesions require palliative surgical management. We investigated functional outcome, complications, and implant and patient survival after a modified Harrington's procedure. Patients and methods — This retrospective cohort study included 89 cases of surgically treated periacetabular metastases. All patients were treated with the modified Harrington's procedure including a restoration ring. Lesions were classified according to Harrington. Functional outcome was assessed by Harris Hip Score (HHS) and Oxford Hip Score (OHS). Postoperative complications, and implant and patient survival are reported. Results — The overall postoperative functional outcome was good to fair (OHS 37 and HHS 76). Sex, age, survival > 6 and 12 months, and diagnosis of the primary tumor affected functional outcome. Overall implant survival was 96% (95% Cl 88–100) at 1 year, 2 years, and 5 years; only 1 acetabular implant required revision. Median patient survival was 8 months (0–125). 10/89 patients had postoperative complications: 6 major complications, leading to revision surgery, and 4 minor complications. Interpretation — Our modified Harrington's procedure with a restoration ring to achieve stable fixation, constrained acetabular cup to prevent dislocation, and antegrade iliac screws to prevent cranial protrusion is a reliable reconstruction for periacetabular metastases and results in a good functional outcome in patients with prolonged survival. A standardized procedure and low complication rate encourage the use of this method for all Harrington class defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study urothelial bladder cancer (UBC), upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), high-risk and low-risk tumours, and different treatments, are all mixed as a salad in the same bowl. UBC has been studied far more than UTUC and while some prognostic markers are relevant for both tumour types, the scientific findings known from research on UBC cannot be extrapolated to UTUC. Prognostic value of the WHO1973 and WHO2004/2016 classification systems for grade in primary Ta/T1 non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: a multicenter european association of urology non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer guidelines panel study. [Extracted from the article]

Anti-transcriptional intermediary factor-1γ (TIF-1γ) autoantibody may be associated with cancer in adult patients with dermatomyositis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of cancer in the presence of anti-TIF-1γ autoantibody in adult dermatomyositis. A comprehensive database search of EMBASE, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library up to May 2018 was performed using the main key words "dermatomyositis", ""myositis", "inflammatory myopathies" and "anti- TIF-1". Eighteen studies, with a total of 1,962 dermatomyositides, were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of cancer-associated dermatomyositis in patients with anti-TIF-1γ autoantibody was 0.41 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.36-0.45). In the presence of anti-TIF-1γ autoantibody, the overall diagnostic odds ratio of cancer was 9.37 (95% CI 5.37-16.34) with low heterogeneity (Cochran's Q: 14.88 (df = 17, p = 0.604); I2 = 0%). The results of this systematic review confirm that detection of anti-TIF- 1γ autoantibody is a valuable tool to identify a subset of adult dermatomyositis patients with higher risk of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chile has a medium-to-high skin cancer mortality rate. Previous studies have shown an increasing rate of skin cancer mortality. We evaluated skin cancer mortality characteristics and their temporal evolution in Chile from 1990 to 2005 in a mixed ecological study using death certificate databases. Age, sex, year and region of residence were obtained for melanoma and non-melanoma deaths. Crude and age-sex-adjusted rates were calculated using the national projections and WHO 2000 standard population data. Descriptive and temporal analyses, using a Prais-Winsten regression, were computed. A total of 3588 deaths were registered, of which 55% were melanoma and 54% occurred in men (median age 71 years; women were older). The adjusted rate was 1.75 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants (2.22 in men vs. 1.39 in women). Melanoma skin cancer and non-melanoma skin cancer mortality had a tendency to increase. In conclusion, skin cancer mortality is rising beyond the rate predicted by ageing. An increased incidence due to changes in modifiable factors, such as exposure to ultraviolet radiation and arsenic, might explain the increase in skin cancer mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dermatoscopic asymmetry of melanocytic skin lesion is pivotal in most algorithms assessing the probability of melanoma. Larger lesions cannot be assessed by dermatoscopy and the Dermaphot in a single field of vision, but this can be performed using the acrylic globe magnifier. We examined the diagnostic accuracy of the acrylic globe magnifier and compared it with classical dermatoscopy. A total of 119 patients successively referred to our naevus clinics had Dermaphot and acrylic globe magnifier pictures taken. Lesions were excised and assessed by histopathology. Observers blinded to histopathology diagnoses, assessed dermatoscopic and acrylic globe magnifier photo-slides according to the dermoscopic risk stratification. The observed agreement over all categories between acrylic globe magnifier dermatoscopy and classical dermatoscopy was 94% and Cohen's kappa coefficient was 90% (95% confidence interval 83-97%). Sensitivity for melanoma, benign melanocytic naevi and basal cell carcinoma was 100%, 98% and 85%, respectively. Specificity was 95%, 94% and 100% for melanoma, naevi and basal cell carcinoma. Acrylic globe dermatoscopy enables a diagnostic accuracy similar to epiluminescence microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic pruritus (>6 weeks) can be caused by skin diseases and systemic diseases, including malignancies. It is a distressing symptom that requires a precise medical history, thorough physical examination, laboratory and radiological diagnostics. The interpretation of results may sometimes be difficult and may often reveal several pathological findings. This case report demonstrates prostate cancer as a possible underlying disease in a patient with chronic pruritus. Therapy with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine significantly relieved pruritus, but was less effective when external therapy was discontinued. Most pruritus patients need consecutive or combined aetiological and symptomatic (topical and systemic) therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]