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Purpose The extended role of breast-conserving surgery (BCS) in the neoadjuvant setting may raise concerns on the oncologic safety of BCS compared to mastectomy. This study compared long-term outcomes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) between patients treated with BCS and mastectomy. Methods All breast cancer patients treated with NAC from 2008 until 2017 at the Amphia Hospital (the Netherlands) were included. Disease-free and overall survival were compared between BCS and mastectomy with survival functions. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to determine prognostic variables for disease-free survival. Results 561 of 612 patients treated with NAC were eligible: 362 (64.5%) with BCS and 199 (35.5%) with mastectomy. Median follow-up was 6.8 years (0.9–11.9). Mastectomy patients had larger tumours and more frequently node-positive or lobular cancer. Unadjusted five-year disease-free survival was 90.9% for BCS versus 82.9% for mastectomy (p = .004). Unadjusted five-year overall survival was 95.3% and 85.9% (p p = .019) and triple negative disease (HR 5.946, 95% CI 2.703–13.081, p p = .027) and axilla (HR 0.332, 95% CI 0.193–0.572, p = .001) were positive predictors for disease-free survival. Mastectomy versus BCS was not a significant predictor for disease-free survival when adjusted for the former variables (unadjusted HR 2.13 (95%CI: 1.4–3.24), adjusted HR 1.31 (95%CI: 0.81–2.13)). In the BCS group, disease-free and overall survival did not differ significantly between cT1, cT2 or cT3 tumours. Conclusion BCS does not impair disease-free and overall survival in patients treated with NAC. Tumour biology and treatment response are significant prognostic indicators.

Background Clinical research suggests that a novel spinal cord stimulation (SCS) waveform, known as Burst-SCS, specifically targets cognitive-motivational aspects of pain. The objective of the present study was to assess the cognitive-motivational aspects of Tonic- and Burst SCS-induced pain relief, by means of exit latency in the mechanical conflict-avoidance system (MCAS), in a rat model of chronic neuropathic pain. Methods Exit latency on the MCAS operant testing setup was evaluated at various probe heights for rats (n = 26) with chronic neuropathic pain induced by a partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL). Von Frey paw withdrawal analysis was performed to assess mechanical hypersensitivity. In a second experiment (n = 12), the behavioral effect of Tonic SCS or biphasic Burst SCS on both Von Frey analysis and MCAS exit latency was assessed. Results Burst SCS exit latencies differed significantly from Tonic SCS exit latencies at 4 mm probe height (3.8 vs. 5.8 sec, respectively;p

The general prevalence of perforated peptic ulcers is decreasing and they are, therefore, more likely to be missed. In our hospital, Eastern European migrants are overrepresented in the population of patients with perforated gastric peptic ulcers; due to a higher prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in Eastern Europe, they have a higher chance of developing gastric peptic ulcers than patients of Dutch origin. Treatment is hampered by the language barrier and low compliance rates, with patients often leaving hospital against medical advice and not showing up for follow-up appointments. These patients should, therefore, be informed by an interpreter, so that they are well educated about the disease and its treatment. Furthermore, we advise determination of the presence of H. pylori in these patients either during or directly after surgery, and, if necessary, empirical eradication of the bacteria.

Objectives This study utilizes a model of long-term spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in experimental painful diabetic polyneuropathy (PDPN) to investigate the behavioral response during and after four weeks of SCS (12 hours/day). Second, we investigated the effect of long-term SCS on peripheral cutaneous blood perfusion in experimental PDPN. Methods Mechanical sensitivity was assessed in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats (n = 50) with von Frey analysis. Hypersensitive rats (n = 24) were implanted with an internal SCS battery, coupled to an SCS electrode covering spinal levels L2-L5. The effects of four weeks of daily conventional SCS for 12 hours (n = 12) or Sham SCS (n = 12) were evaluated with von Frey assessment, and laser Doppler imaging (LDI). Results Average paw withdrawal thresholds (PWT) increased during long-term SCS in the SCS group, in contrast to a decrease in the Sham group (Sham vs. SCS; p = 0.029). Twenty-four hours after long-term SCS average PWT remained higher in the SCS group. Furthermore, the SCS group showed a higher cutaneous blood perfusion during long-term SCS compared to the Sham group (Sham vs. SCS; p = 0.048). Forty-eight hours after long-term SCS, no differences in skin perfusion were observed. Discussion We demonstrated that long-term SCS results in decreased baseline mechanical hypersensitivity and results in increased peripheral blood perfusion during stimulation in a rat model of PDPN. Together, these findings indicate that long-term SCS results in modulation of the physiological circuitry related to the nociceptive system in addition to symptomatic treatment of painful symptoms.

OBJECTIVE Evidence from prospective studies for long-term treatment efficacy of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDPN) is not available. We report prospective data on the effect of SCS on pain ratings, treatment success and failure, and complications during a 5-year follow-up in patients with PDPN. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Patients with PDPN (n = 48) were included in this prospective multicenter study. The Michigan Diabetic Neuropathy Score (MDNS) was used to assess the severity of neuropathy. Numerical rating scale (NRS) score for pain, Patient’s Global Impression of Change (PGIC), and treatment success (50% reduction of NRS score or significant PGIC) during 5 years of follow-up were evaluated. Complications of SCS were reported, and associations between baseline characteristics and SCS trial success or failure during a 5-year follow-up were investigated by using survival analyses. RESULTS Treatment success was observed in 55% of patients after 5 years. Median duration of SCS treatment was 60 months (minimum 1 month, maximum 60 months), and 80% of patients with a permanent implant still used their SCS device after 5 years. Higher MDNS was associated with treatment failure during the 5-year follow-up (hazard ratio 3.9 [95% CI 1.3–11.6]; P = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS SCS is successful in reducing chronic pain symptoms in the lower extremities of patients with PDPN up to 5 years after initiation of treatment. Furthermore, 80% of patients with PDPN still use their SCS device after 5 years. Moreover, the severity of neuropathy is associated with a higher chance of long-term treatment failure during a 5-year follow-up.

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been demonstrated to serve as a successful second-line treatment modality for painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDPN), as documented in two randomized clinical trials (RCTs) (1,2). Besides the fact that these two RCTs demonstrate a pain-relieving effect for a period of 6 months after the start of SCS treatment, only small observational studies suggest a long-term sustained effect in PDPN (3–5). In this article, we present the 24-month follow-up data of our recently published RCT in Diabetes Care (1). Thirty-six patients were enrolled in this study, and after randomization, 22 patients with PDPN in the lower limbs (15 male, mean age 57.1 years [SD 12.4], years of PDPN 6.0 [SD 5.1]) were assigned to the SCS group. A 2-week trial stimulation was performed to evaluate sufficient pain relief. After 6 …