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Background: Assessing the quantity and quality of pharmacist-patient communication is important to create strategies for improving communication. Findings from studies on pharmacist-patient communication differ on the extent of communication by pharmacists. This disagreement could be because of different methods of data collection, samples, and concepts used to measure communication.Objectives: This research compared findings from 2 widely used methods of data collection (survey and observation) to identify: (1) the extent to which pharmacists ask questions to patients and provide information on directions, side effects, and adverse effect, (2) agreement between observation and patient report data on pharmacist information giving and question asking, and (3) how patient perceptions of question asking vary according to the structure of the question asked.Methods: A cross-sectional fieldwork design was used to collect data from a stratified random sample of 30 community pharmacies in Southeast and South-central Wisconsin. At each pharmacy, the dispensing pharmacist and 12 patients filling prescriptions were recruited. Each patient was observed for their interaction with the pharmacist and completed a survey while exiting the pharmacy. Both the survey and the observation tool consisted of items pertaining to recording of pharmacist information provision related to direction, side effects, and interactions, and pharmacist's question-asking behaviors. Descriptive analyses and correlations are reported.Results: There was good agreement between the 2 methods regarding pharmacist information provision behaviors (r=0.091, P<.001), this was less true of question asking (r=0.28, P=.034). Certain types of questions showed greater concordance with the observed pharmacist questions. Patients were less likely to report having been asked a question when it took the form of a nonspecific closed-ended questions, that is, "Do you have any questions?"Conclusions: One of the most frequent questions pharmacists ask patients may not be either remembered or perceived by patients as a serious question, let alone an invitation to raise a concern. Secondly, during the selection of a specific method of data collection, researchers need to weigh strengths and weaknesses of various methods. Multimethod studies are encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fact that is known to everyone but still least studied is that the junior doctors working in teaching hospitals are overworked, under stress, short of sleep and face a lot of problems. This study was designed to obtain information related to work schedules and environment, professional training, financial status, accommodation facilities and health of resident doctors working in a large teaching hospital in the state of Gujarat in India. A pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire was used to obtain necessary information. These questionnaires were used later on to derive data and were analysed. The study was done during a period of three months, from 1 October 2004 to 31 December 2004. Out of the 200 residents contacted, 160 responded and out of these only 154 qualified for the final analysis. It was observed that more than 50 per cent did not receive any stipend. Teaching, training and library facilities have not been considered satisfactory by majority of them. Their health status is not satisfactory and a sizable minority feels that they are overworked and tortured by the senior colleagues. More than 65 per cent get less than seven hours of sleep in a day. There is obvious need to remedy the situation at earliest possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we have reduced CO2 with HBpin to afford borylated methanol product selectively in ~99% yield using Ce[N(SiMe3)2]3(THF)3 as a catalyst. This led to multigram scale isolation of methanol obtained from CO2 reduction via the hydrolysis of borylated methanol, this establishes the potential of Ce[N(SiMe3)2]3(THF)3 as an efficient homogeneous catalyst for the bulk scale methanol synthesis. A practical application of this catalytic system was also shown by reducing CO2-containing motorbike exhaust efficiently and selectively. Further, C‒O bond activation of esters and epoxides using HBpin and 1-2 mol% of Ce[N(SiMe3)2]3(THF)3 at 60 °C afforded the borylated alcohols in good to excellent yields, which can easily be hydrolysed to the eco-friendly corresponding alcohol. The stoichiometric experiments were performed to prove the formation of in-situ generated cerium hydride [Ce]-H as an active catalyst., (© 2025 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Objective: While approaches for utilizing student course evaluations (SCEs) have been discussed in the literature, there remain opportunities to identify ideal practices for SCEs. Thus, the objective of this project was to generate consensus on best practices in creating, administering, and using SCEs., Methods: A modified Delphi approach was utilized to generate a set of items based on the literature and prior work. Experts were identified from different roles, institution types, and geographic regions to participate in the panel. Consensus-building rounds were performed until no new ideas were introduced using an electronic survey platform. Data were analyzed descriptively in each round., Results: After the second round, 47 items met consensus. Key recommendations included enhanced training of students to provide feedback, transparency with students on how feedback is utilized, using SCEs as one element of data sources, and the importance of ensuring intentional approaches based on theoretical constructs used in the field of course evaluation., Conclusion: This Delphi study established consensus on approaches programs can use to optimize SCEs, according to experts from across the academy. Though some items are very specific, there are opportunities for individualization based on program priorities., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None declared., (Copyright © 2024 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Importance: Statins are the group of medicines that lower the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. One of the life-threatening complications is rhabdomyolysis as the use of these drugs., Case Presentation: Here, we report a case of a 69-year-old female who was diagnosed with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction one month and was on regular medication before presentation with generalized weakness and decreased urine output. Proximal muscle weakness was greater than distal muscle on the bilateral lower limb, and power at the hip, knee, and ankle was 3/5 in the bilateral area, with absent reflex at the knee and ankle bilateral area., Clinical Discussion: A total of four hemodialysis sessions were performed; the first three sessions were performed at an interval of 24 h, then the last maintenance hemodialysis after 48 h of three sessions. The patient's weakness in the bilateral lower limb returns to normal condition., Conclusion: Physicians need to be aware of the potential of developing severe rhabdomyolysis in patients taking rosuvastatin to prevent morbidity, extended hospital stay, and financial loss., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.Sponsorships or competing interests that may be relevant to content are disclosed at the end of this article., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background and Objective: Outer retinal tubulation (ORT) is observed on optical coherence tomography images from patients with geographic atrophy (GA), but its clinical implications are unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of ORT and its association with GA lesion growth rates., Materials and Methods: This post hoc longitudinal analysis assessed 62 eyes randomized to sham treatment in the phase 2 FILLY trial. ORT prevalence was estimated at baseline, month 12, and month 18 and change in GA lesion growth from baseline to month 18 was calculated., Results: ORT prevalence rates were 24%, 43%, and 43% at baseline, month 12, and month 18, respectively. Slower mean GA lesion growth was observed in eyes with ORT present at baseline in the overall population as well as the subfoveal and nonsubfoveal GA subgroups., Conclusion: ORT presence may indicate a slower-growing GA lesion phenotype, independent of foveal involvement. [ Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2024;55:448-451.] .

Background: Undergraduate nursing students are frequently vulnerable to stress during their education with a high rate of attrition. Mindfulness Mediations based on Stress Reductions have been found to promote psychological well-being and mental health among nursing students. Therefore, the objective of the study was to explore the experiences of Mindfulness among undergraduate nursing students., Methods: Qualitative Hermeneutic Phenomenology research design was adopted. Data were collected from under graduate nursing students from Chitwan Medical College, Institute of Medicine who had been practicing Mindfulness Meditation for 6 weeks. The duration of data collection was January to June 2022. Data were collected after obtaining ethical approval from Nepal Health Research Council. Focused Group Discussions were conducted to collect data by the researcher using the Focused Group Discussion guide in Nepali language. A total of three Focused Group Discussions was carried out among 12 participants in each Focused Group Discussion with a total of 36 participants. Data were analyzed by thematic analysis technique based on Giorgi's qualitative data analysis technique., Results: Five developed themes were stress managed well in daily life and during examination time, present moment awareness and positivity, self-realization of inner peace and more self-acceptance, and feeling of developed future role for advocating mindfulness meditations., Conclusions: Mindfulness-based mediations have been found effective strategies among undergraduate nursing for the management of stress during daily living and during examinations, development of self-realization, increase inner peace, self-acceptance and developed skills for future role for advocating mindfulness meditations.

Background: Sexual dysfunctions including erectile dysfunction among men, a widespread sexual health issue, pose challenges to sexual satisfaction. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of sexual dysfunctions in both diabetic and non-diabetic individuals aged 30-70., Methods: A study at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, surveyed 350 participants (176 men, 174 women), aged 30-70, with 52.6% having diabetes. The structured interviews and validated questionnaires like IIEF-5 for men and FSFI-6 for women to assess the prevalence and factors associated with erectile dysfunction were used. Statistical tools were employed to measure the associations of different variables with Sexual dysfunctions., Results: Overall, the prevalence of sexual dysfunction was 73.7% (95% CI: 72.4- 73.7) with higher rates in men 83.9% (95% CI: 83.1- 84.7) than women 63.6% (95% CI: 62.0 - 65.2). Individuals with diabetes experienced an 81.5% prevalence of sexual dysfunction (95% CI: 80.6-82.4), whereas non-diabetic individuals exhibited a 65.1% prevalence (95% CI: 63.5-66.7). In the diabetic male population, the prevalence of sexual dysfunction was 97.5% (95% CI: 97.4-97.6), while diabetic females had a prevalence of 68.9% (95% CI: 67.5-70.3). Among non-diabetic men, the percentage of erectile dysfunction was 72% (95% CI: 70.7-73.3), and among non-diabetic women, sexual dysfunction remained 56.2% (95% CI: 54.4-58.0). Among individuals with diabetes, those who used tobacco exhibited a sexual dysfunction prevalence of 93.8% (95% CI: 93.5-94.1), while non-tobacco users had a prevalence of 74.8% (95% CI: 73.6-76.0). In non-diabetic individuals, obesity was associated with a higher prevalence of sexual dysfunctions, reaching 84.6% (95% CI: 83.8-84.6). High blood pressure showed a strong association with sexual dysfunctions in both diabetic (83% with 95% CI: 81.9-83.4) and non-diabetic (70% with 95% CI: 67.7-70.1) groups. Individuals with diabetes for more than five years had a higher rate of sexual dysfunction as 87.8% (95% CI: 86.6-89.0) with 100% in men and 79% in women. However, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of sexual dysfunctions related to obesity and alcohol consumption between diabetics and non-diabetics., Conclusions: The research highlights a noteworthy association of sexual dysfunctions with individuals with diabetes, male sex, tobacco use, and hypertension. The observed high prevalence of sexual dysfunctions in both diabetic and non diabetic people is a public health concern, emphasizing the need for culturally tailored approaches to address the sexual health of the affected individuals.

Objective: This study aimed to describe the purpose, implementation, and perceived utility of course evaluations in pharmacy programs., Methods: After a literature review, a 34-item survey was developed, pretested, and sent to assessment administrators at accredited pharmacy programs (N = 139) with at least 3 follow-ups. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed in IBM SPSS Statistics software., Results: A total of 90 programs responded (64.7% response rate). Most students (94%) were offered the opportunity to complete course evaluations. Some students completed evaluations during the course (47%), while others did so within 1 week of completion of the course (49%). Whether or not class time was given for students to complete the survey was often dependent on faculty choice (52.2%). Results were typically released after final grades were posted (92%), in time to use for the next semester of teaching (77%). Faculty were chosen to be evaluated by the number of teaching hours (50%) followed by all instructors (45.6%). Programs used the results for performance reviews by chairs (91%), course coordinator reviews (84%), and committee continuous quality improvement efforts (72%). Most programs did not provide faculty guidance on using evaluations (78%) nor development/mentoring (57%); only 22% of programs offered student development in completing evaluations., Conclusion: While most programs invite feedback from all students via evaluations, most did not provide guidance to faculty on how to use this feedback for faculty or course development purposes. A more robust process to optimize the use of course evaluations should be developed., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The aim of this study is to compare the diagnostic value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) vs. conventional culture methods (CM) in chronic infection and acute infection., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of 88 patients with acute infection and 105 patients with chronic infection admitted to three hospitals from 2017 to 2022., Results: The results showed that the sensitivity and specificity of mNGS were higher than those of CM. The number of patients who changed the antibiotic treatment in the mNGS positive group was larger than that of patients in the mNGS negative group in both the acute infection group (60.5 vs. 28.0%, P = 0.0022) and chronic infection group (46.2 vs. 22.6%, P = 0.01112). High levels of temperature (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.18-3.70, P : 0.015), C-reactive protein (CRP) (OR: 15, 95% CI: 2.74-280.69, P : 0.011), neutrophil count (OR: 3.09, 95% CI: 1.19-8.43, P : 0.023), and low levels of lymphocyte count (OR: 3.43, 95% CI:1.26-10.21, P : 0.020) may lead to positive mNGS results in the acute infection group while no significant factor was identified to predict positive results in the chronic infection group., Conclusion: mNGS could provide useful guidance on antibiotic strategies in infectious diseases and may be more valuable for the diagnosis and treatment of acute infection vs. chronic infection., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yao, Wang, Xu, Shah, Sun, Hu, Wang and Xie.)

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia occurs due to enzymatic defects in the adrenocortical steroidogenesis. 11β hydroxylase deficiency is the second most common cause of congenital adrenal hyperplasia which presents with hypertension and features of androgen excess. Hypertension has also been found to cause end-organ damage in children with 11β hydroxylase deficiency. We report a case of a 10-year-old male child with hypothyroidism under thyroid replacement therapy, presenting with features of severe hypertension and androgen excess, later on, diagnosed as congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 11β hydroxylase deficiency., Keywords: case reports; congenital adrenal hyperplasia; hypertension; hypothyroidism.

Most patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) present with hallmark features of airway mucus hypersecretion, including cough and expectoration. Airway mucus function as a native immune system of the lung that severs to trap particulate matter and pathogens and allows them to clear from the lung via cough and ciliary transport. Chronic mucus hypersecretion (CMH) is the main factor contributing to the increased risk of morbidity and mortality in specific subsets of COPD patients. It is, therefore, primarily important to develop medications that suppress mucus hypersecretions in these patients. Although there have been some advances in COPD treatment, more work remains to be done to better understand the mechanism underlying airway mucus hypersecretion and seek more effective treatments. This review article discusses the structure and significance of mucus in the lungs focusing on gel-forming mucins and the impacts of CMH in the lungs. Furthermore, we summarize the article with pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments as well as novel and interventional procedures to control CMH in COPD patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Binay Kumar Shah et al.)

Background: With the difficulties in choosing colistin sulfate and polymyxin B sulfate (PBS) for carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria (CR-GNB), we compared the efficacy and safety of these two old polymyxins in treatment of critically ill patients infected with CR-GNB infection., Methods: One hundred four patients infected with CR-GNB in ICU were retrospectively grouped by PBS (68 patients) or colistin sulfate (36 patients). Clinical efficacy including symptoms, inflammatory parameters, defervescence, prognosis and microbial efficacy were analyzed. Hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and hematotoxicity were evaluated by TBiL, ALT, AST, creatinine, and thrombocytes., Results: Demographic characteristics between colistin sulfate and PBS were not significantly different. Most of the CR-GNB were cultured in respiratory tract (91.7% vs 86.8%), and almost all were polymyxin-sensitive (98.2% vs 100%, MIC ≤ 2 μg/ml). The microbial efficacy in colistin sulfate (57.1%) was significantly higher than PBS (30.8%) (p = 0.022), however, no significant difference in clinical success was seen in both groups (33.8% vs 41.7%), as well as mortality, defervescence, imaging remission, days in the hospital, microbial reinfections, and prognosis, and almost all patients defervesce within 7 days (95.6% vs 89.5%)., Conclusions: Both polymyxins can be administrated in critically ill patients infected with CR-GNB and colistin sulfate is superior to PBS in microbial clearance. These results highlight the necessity of identifying CR-GNB patients who may benefit from polymyxin and who are at higher risk of mortality., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Pituitary macroadenoma most commonly presents with visual disturbances, headache, and other symptoms secondary to adeno hypophyseal hormonal deficiencies and usually alleviates after tumor resection. Pituitary adenomas may be the cause of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) causing hyponatremia, although so far, there have only been a few documented cases. Here, we present a case of pituitary macroadenoma with SIADH and hyponatremia. This case has been reported in line with CARE (CAse REport) criteria., Case Presentation: We present a case of a 45-year-old woman who presented with symptoms of lethargy, vomiting, altered sensorium, and seizure. Her initial sodium level was 107 mEq/l, plasma and urinary osmolality were 250 and 455 mOsm/kg, respectively, and her urine sodium level was 141 mEq/day, suggestive of hyponatremia due to SIADH. MRI scan of the brain revealed approximately 14×13×11 mm pituitary mass. Prolactin and cortisol levels were 41.1 ng/ml and 5.65 μg/dl, respectively., Clinical Discussion: Hyponatremia can result from various diseases, making it hard to identify the cause. A pituitary adenoma is a rare cause of hyponatremia due to SIADH., Conclusion: Pituitary adenoma rarely might be the cause of SIADH presenting as severe hyponatremia. So, in case of hyponatremia due to SIADH, clinicians should keep pituitary adenoma as well in their differential diagnoses., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Importance: This is the first large-scale randomized clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness and safety of overminus spectacle therapy for treatment of intermittent exotropia (IXT)., Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of overminus spectacles to improve distance IXT control., Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized clinical trial conducted at 56 clinical sites between January 2017 and January 2019 associated with the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group enrolled 386 children aged 3 to 10 years with IXT, a mean distance control score of 2 or worse, and a refractive error between 1.00 and -6.00 diopters (D). Data analysis was performed from February to December 2020., Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned to overminus spectacle therapy (-2.50 D for 12 months, then -1.25 D for 3 months, followed by nonoverminus spectacles for 3 months) or to nonoverminus spectacle use., Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary and secondary outcomes were the mean distance IXT control scores of participants examined after 12 months of treatment (primary outcome) and at 18 months (3 months after treatment ended) assessed by an examiner masked to treatment group. Change in refractive error from baseline to 12 months was compared between groups. Analyses were performed using the intention-to-treat population., Results: The mean (SD) age of 196 participants randomized to overminus therapy and 190 participants randomized to nonoverminus treatment was 6.3 (2.1) years, and 226 (59%) were female. Mean distance control at 12 months was better in participants treated with overminus spectacles than with nonoverminus spectacles (1.8 vs 2.8 points; adjusted difference, -0.8; 95% CI, -1.0 to -0.5; P < .001). At 18 months, there was little or no difference in mean distance control between overminus and nonoverminus groups (2.4 vs 2.7 points; adjusted difference, -0.2; 95% CI, -0.5 to 0.04; P = .09). Myopic shift from baseline to 12 months was greater in the overminus than the nonoverminus group (-0.42 D vs -0.04 D; adjusted difference, -0.37 D; 95% CI, -0.49 to -0.26 D; P < .001), with 33 of 189 children (17%) in the overminus group vs 2 of 169 (1%) in the nonoverminus group having a shift higher than 1.00 D., Conclusions and Relevance: Children 3 to 10 years of age had improved distance exotropia control when assessed wearing overminus spectacles after 12 months of overminus treatment; however, this treatment was associated with increased myopic shift. The beneficial effect of overminus lens therapy on distance exotropia control was not maintained after treatment was tapered off for 3 months and children were examined 3 months later., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02807350.

Aim: Patients with small serrated adenomas (SAs) (<10 mm) often undergo surveillance colonoscopy before the routine recommended time. We aimed to determine the appropriate surveillance intervals following polypectomy of small SAs for symptomatic patients., Method: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 638 patients, including 122 cases and 516 controls. Subjects in the case group had small SAs at baseline colonoscopy, including sessile SA/polyps and traditional SAs, while subjects in the control group had negative findings. All patients underwent at least one surveillance colonoscopy during the following 5 years., Results: There was no significant difference in the incidence rate of advanced neoplasia between the two groups over a 5-year duration (3.6% vs 2.6%, p=0.455). Moreover, both groups also showed a low prevalence of SA formation over 1-5 years (3.6% vs 1.0%, p=0.145). Patients with baseline SA tended to undergo the first surveillance colonoscopy earlier than those without adenoma (≤1 year vs 1 to ≤3 years). Seventy-one (11.1%) of the total included subjects underwent inadequate initial colonoscopy, and 30 (42.3%) underwent early surveillance of adenoma formation within 1 year. Patients with a family history of colorectal cancer (OR 4.69, 95% CI 1.48 to 14.71, p=0.017) or inadequate baseline colonoscopy (OR 3.17, 95% CI 1.202 to 8.409, p=0.035) were at a higher risk of metachronous adenoma formation during the surveillance period., Conclusion: Patients with small SAs at baseline gain little benefit from follow-up of colonoscopy within 5 years after complete polypectomy., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Purpose: To compare visual acuity (VA) improvement in teenagers with amblyopia treated with a binocular iPad game vs part-time patching., Methods: One hundred participants aged 13 to <17 years (mean 14.3 years) with amblyopia (20/40 to 20/200, mean ∼20/63) resulting from strabismus, anisometropia, or both were enrolled into a randomized clinical trial. Participants were randomly assigned to treatment for 16 weeks of either a binocular iPad game prescribed for 1 hour per day (n = 40) or patching of the fellow eye prescribed for 2 hours per day (n = 60). The main outcome measure was change in amblyopic eye VA from baseline to 16 weeks., Results: Mean amblyopic eye VA improved from baseline by 3.5 letters (2-sided 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3-5.7 letters) in the binocular group and by 6.5 letters (2-sided 95% CI: 4.4-8.5 letters) in the patching group. After adjusting for baseline VA, the difference between the binocular and patching groups was -2.7 letters (95% CI: -5.7 to 0.3 letters, P = .082) or 0.5 lines, favoring patching. In the binocular group, treatment adherence data from the iPad device indicated that only 13% of participants completed >75% of prescribed treatment., Conclusions: In teenagers aged 13 to <17 years, improvement in amblyopic eye VA with the binocular iPad game used in this study was not found to be better than patching, and was possibly worse. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether the minimal treatment response to binocular treatment was owing to poor treatment adherence or lack of treatment effect., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Lenvatinib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in February 2015. In a pivotal phase III study of 392 patients with progressive radioiodine-refractory thyroid cancer, the overall response rate of patients receiving lenvatinib was 64.8%, with complete response in four patients. The median progression-free survival was 18.3 months in the lenvatinib arm versus 3.6 months in patients receiving placebo. Median overall survival was not reached in either arm. Lenvatinib is a promising new treatment for patients with radioiodine (iodine-131)-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer.

Background/aim: The majority of cancers affect the elderly, but 22.4% of all cases occur in the ages of 21-55. This age range represents common childbearing and child-rearing years, which imply that many of these patients have minor children. Approximately 2.85 million children under 18 live with a parent affected by cancer., Materials and Methods: The Pubmed and Google Scholar were searched to identify literature on impact of parental cancer on children and potential interventions to support parents and children., Results: We reviewed impact of parental cancer on daily routine, role changes, emotional problems and social functioning of children. We also discuss interventions that may be useful for parents and children., Conclusion: It is essential that we learn more about the impact of parental cancer on children and ways to support the families using evidence-based interventions., (Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Background: A second primary malignancy is a serious long-term complication in cancer survivors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of second primary malignancies (SPM) in adult patients with bladder cancer., Materials and Methods: We selected patients ≥18 years diagnosed with bladder cancer from National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) 13 database. We calculated the risk of second primary malignancies in the bladder cancer patients using the MP-SIR session of SEER*stat software., Results: A total of 103,516 cases of bladder cancer was included in the study. Among them, 17,004 (16.4%) developed 19,318 second primary malignancies. The risk of development of SPM was significantly higher compared to the general population with O/E ratio of 1.42 (95% CI=1.4-1.44, AER=89.22 and p-value of <0.001). Prostate cancer, lung and bronchial cancer and urinary bladder cancer were the three commonest SPMs., Conclusion: There is significant increased risk of second primary malignancies in adult patients with bladder cancer to general population. Bladder cancer survivors may benefit from life-long follow-up for development of SPM., (Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Background: Treatment and prognosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) depends on the stage of lymphoma. We conducted this study to examine unstaged DLBCL in the United States., Materials and Methods: We used Surveillance Epidemiology and End Result (SEER) 18 registries to select patients with DLBCL diagnosed during January 2000 to December 2012. Limited regional distant Summary stage 2000 was used to determine stage of the disease as localized, regional, distant or unstaged. We used logistic regression to investigate factors associated with unstaged DLBCL. Cox proportional hazards model was used to compare survival outcomes., Results: Among 67,765 patients, disease in 3,194 (4.71%) was unstaged. Age (60+years), non-African American, not married marital status, metropolitan residence, median household income >$50,000, lymph node as the primary site and those with other primary malignancies before diagnosis of DLBCL were the factors associated with cases being unstaged. The 5-year relative survival rate for patients with unstaged DLBCL was inferior to that of those with localized and regional disease, and superior to that of those with distant disease (hazard ratios of 0.58, 0.66 and 1.24 for localized, regional and distant disease, respectively, when compared to unstaged cases)., Conclusion: Several factors are associated with higher risk of unstaged DLBCL. Patients with unstaged DLBC had significantly inferior survival rates compared to patients with localized and regional stage., (Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Optimal programming of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) is essential to appropriately treat ventricular tachyarrhythmias and to avoid unnecessary and inappropriate shocks. There have been a series of large clinical trials evaluating tailored programming of ICDs. We reviewed the clinical trials evaluating ICD therapies and detection, and the consensus statement on ICD programming. In doing so, we found that prolonged ICD detection times, higher rate cutoffs, and antitachycardia pacing (ATP) programming decreases inappropriate and painful therapies in a primary prevention population. The use of supraventricular tachyarrhythmia discriminators can also decrease inappropriate shocks. Tailored ICD programming using the knowledge gained from recent ICD trials can decrease inappropriate and unnecessary ICD therapies and decrease mortality.

Background: Combination chemoradiotherapy is the standard of care for treatment of non-metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA). This population based study evaluated disparities in receipt of radiotherapy (RT) as well as comparative survival rates for SCCA patients in the United States., Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 18 database was used to identify patients with non-metastatic SCCA diagnosed between 1998 and 2008. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model the relationships between age, sex, and race and the receipt of RT, adjusting for marital status and stage of disease. Relative survival (RS) rates were compared by each factor, with added adjustment for RT status, using Cox proportional hazards model., Results: A total of 3,885 patients with localized or regional SCCA as the only primary malignancy were included in the study, of which, 3,192 (82%) received RT. In our multivariate analysis, lower rates of RT were found for those 65+ years old [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.71; P<0.001], males (adjusted OR 0.65; P<0.001), and blacks (adjusted OR 0.78; P=0.049). Multivariate survival analysis showed worse survival among those 65+ years old (adjusted HR 1.65; P<0.001), males (adjusted HR 1.53; P<0.001), and blacks (adjusted HR 1.35; P=0.001)., Conclusions: This population based study identified older patients, males, and blacks as less likely to receive RT. Worse survival was also found in these groups., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Objectives: To evaluate the use of ondansetron in a tertiary care pediatric health system, assess the incidence of ventricular tachyarrhythmia within 24 hours of ondansetron, and identify the characteristics of children experiencing a ventricular tachyarrhythmia after ondansetron, to identify potential risk factors., Study Design: This retrospective chart review identified children ≤18 years of age who received ondansetron within 24 hours prior to a ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Those identified were evaluated for other diagnoses, concomitant medication use, electrolyte abnormalities, or underlying conduction abnormalities that may have contributed to the arrhythmia., Results: A total of 199 773 doses of ondansetron were administered to 37 794 patients over 58 009 visits. Average dose was 0.13 mg/kg/dose (range 0.005-0.86 mg/kg/dose). Seven patients received ondansetron within 24 hours prior to a ventricular arrhythmia. All 7 patients had underlying congenital cardiac conduction abnormalities (n = 3) or other major cardiac diagnoses (n = 4). In clinical review, torsades de pointes was found in only 1 of the 7 patients., Conclusions: This retrospective study found the risk of ventricular arrhythmia within 24 hours after ondansetron administration was 3 in 100 000 patients treated annually (0.003%). Children with major cardiac conditions could be considered for electrocardiogram screening and continuous cardiac monitoring while receiving ondansetron. Our findings do not support recommendations for electrocardiogram screening or continuous monitoring of other pediatric populations receiving ondansetron., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background/aim: Concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide along with radiotherapy following surgery (the Stupp regimen) is the preferred therapy for young patients with glioblastoma as well as for elderly (>70 years) ones with favorable risk factors. This study investigated the survival trend since the introduction of the use of the Stupp regimen in elderly patients in a population-based setting., Materials and Methods: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 18 database was used to identify patients aged ≥70 years with glioblastoma as the first primary cancer diagnosed from 1999 to 2010. Chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard method were used for analysis., Result: A total of 5,575 patients were included in the survival analysis. Survival in Stupp era (year of diagnosis ≥2005) was significantly better compared to the pre-Stupp era with p<0.001 by log-rank test, with 1-, 2- and 3-year overall survival of 18.8% vs. 12.9%, 6.5% vs. 2.1% and 3.1% vs. 0.9% respectively, and hazard ratio for death in 3 years in the Stupp era was 0.87 (95% confidence interval=0.82-0.92; p<0.001) when compared with the pre-Stupp era. Factors such as younger age (<85 years), female sex, married status, Caucasian race and total resection favored better survival compared to their counterparts., Conclusion: This study shows that the survival of elderly patients with glioblastoma has improved since the introduction of the Stupp regimen. However, there are significant differences in survival rates among various cohorts., (Copyright© 2016 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.)

Background: This large population-based study determined the epidemiology and outcomes of secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML) developing in Hodgkin lymphoma survivors., Methods: We utilized the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) 9 database to identify 104 cases of sAML., Results: Patients with sAML (median age: 47 years; 82% <60 years) were significantly younger than de novo AML cases (66 years; p < 0.01). sAML had worse overall survival (OS) than de novo AML (p < 0.01). OS was better in younger patients and in more recent years., Conclusion: Older patients with sAML have a dismal OS and should be enrolled in trials of novel therapies. Younger patients have improved OS and hence may benefit from curative intent intensive therapy and allogeneic transplant.

Background/aim: A second primary malignancy is a serious long-term complication in cancer survivors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of second primary malignancies in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Materials and Methods: We selected adult patients (≥18 years) diagnosed with HCC from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) 13 database. We calculated the risk of second primary malignancies in these patients using multiple primary standardized incidence ratio (MP-SIR) session of SEER* stat software. Second primary malignancy was defined as a metachronous malignancy diagnosed 6 months or more after an index HCC., Results: A total of 15,296 patients with a diagnosis of primary HCC were reported in the SEER 13 registry during January 1992 to December 2011. A total of 446 (2.83%) developed 466 second primary malignancies with an observed/expected ratio of 10.07 (95% confidence interval=0.97-1.17, p=0.16) and absolute risk of 7.17 per 10,000 population. Risk of stomach and of thyroid cancer were significantly increased among older patients. Risk of lung cancer and of hepatobiliary cancer were significantly higher compared to that of the general population after two years of latency., Conclusion: Risk of specific second primary malignancies in adult patients with HCC depends on age of the patient and latency., (Copyright© 2016 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.)

Background: Radiotherapy (RT) is a first-line treatment option for stage I follicular lymphoma (FL). We studied disparities in receipt of RT and survival among patients with stage I FL., Methods: Adult patients (age ≥18 years) with stage I FL, as the first primary cancer, diagnosed between 1992 and 2007 were identified using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 18 database. Study population was divided into various subgroups based on age, sex, race, and marital status. Factors associated with receipt of RT and survival, among patients receiving RT, was evaluated using regression analysis and Cox PH modeling, respectively. SEER*Stat was used to compute 1- and 5-year RS for various subgroups and compared using Z score., Results: Of the total 7315 patients (median age: 64 years), 2671 (36.5%) received RT. African-Americans, older age group, and single and separated/divorced/widow marital status predicted omission of RT. The 1- and 5-year RS were significantly better in patients receiving RT. In multivariate analysis, male sex, age <60 years, Caucasian race, and married marital status were found to be independent predictor of better RS among patients receiving RT (P < 0.0001)., Conclusion: This study showed that 36.5% patients with stage I FL received RT. Survival rates were significantly better for patients who received RT.