Impact of Simultaneous Circulating Tumor DNA and Tissue Genotyping in the Workup of Stage IV Lung Adenocarcinoma on Quality of Care in an Academic Community Medical Center.

PURPOSE: In patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma, evidence-based first-line treatment decisions require analysis of tumors for genomic alterations (GAs). Optimizing the genotyping paradigm may improve the delivery of precision oncology care. Actionable GAs can be identified by analyzing tumor tissue or circulating tumor DNA using liquid biopsy. Consensus guidelines for when to use liquid biopsy have not been established. We evaluated the routine use of liquid biopsy performed simultaneously with tissue testing in patients with newly diagnosed, stage IV lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study comparing patients who underwent tissue genotyping alone (standard biopsy group) with patients who had simultaneous liquid and tissue genotyping (combined biopsy group). We examined the time to reach a final diagnosis, the need for repeat biopsies, and diagnostic accuracy. RESULTS: Forty two patients in the combined biopsy group and 78 in the standard biopsy group met the inclusion criteria. The standard group had a mean time to diagnosis of 33.5 days, compared with 20.6 days in the combined group (P < .001 by two-tailed t-test). In the combined group, 14 patients did not have sufficient tissue for molecular analysis (30%); however, in 11 (79%) of these patients, liquid biopsy identified a GA that eliminated the need for a second tissue biopsy. In patients who completed both tests, each test found actionable GAs missed by the other. CONCLUSION: Performing liquid biopsy simultaneously with tissue genotyping is feasible in an academic community medical center. Potential advantages of simultaneous liquid and tissue biopsies include shorter time to obtain a definitive molecular diagnosis, reduced need for a repeat biopsy, and improved detection of actionable mutations, although a sequential strategy that saves costs by beginning with a liquid biopsy may be ideal.

A Case of Varicella-Zoster Meningoencephalitis Presented by Ramsay Hunt Syndrome.

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) reactivation can cause meningoencephalitis. Ramsay Hunt syndrome is the reactivation of VZV in facial nerve, consisting of ear pain, facial nerve paralysis, and auricular rash. We present a case of VZV meningoencephalitis presented with Ramsay Hunt syndrome. Early clinical suspicion was beneficial in starting aggressive treatment.

Cerebral benzodiazepine receptors in depressed patients measured with [123I]iomazenil SPECT.

BACKGROUND: A recent magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) study revealed low gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in the occipital cortex of depressed patients. No in vivo study has been reported to measure postsynaptic GABA receptors in the patients. METHODS: Cortical benzodiazepine (BZ) binding to GABA(A) receptors was measured with [(123)I]iomazenil and single photon emission computed tomography in unmedicated patients with unipolar major depression (n = 13) and healthy subjects (n = 19). Group differences were evaluated by means of statistical parametric mapping (SPM) with partial volume correction for gray matter. Occipital GABA levels were determined by proton MRS in a subgroup (n = 6) of the patients. RESULTS: No evidence of altered BZ binding was found in patients with depression compared with healthy control subjects in the SPM analysis. Although reduction in gray matter volume was observed in the frontal cortex and amygdala of the patients, partial volume correction of the atrophy did not change the result of unaltered BZ binding. GABA levels were found lower in the occipital cortex; however, BZ binding did not show significant relationship to GABA levels. CONCLUSIONS: GABA(A) receptor binding measured in vivo with BZ radioligand binding are not altered in patients with depression.

Pharmacy cost evaluation of risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine for the treatment of schizophrenia in acute care inpatient settings.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines total pharmacy cost and usage patterns of schizophrenic patients in acute mental health inpatient settings for three atypical antipsychotics -- risperidone, olanzapine, and quetiapine. Despite the readily available unit cost information for drugs, actual pharmacy costs may deviate significantly from 'labeled costs'. Recent research findings indicate the need for more robust evaluation of such pharmacy costs. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This study used data from non-randomized inpatient retrospective charts from three acute care inpatient mental health facilities. The final pooled sample included 327 patients, of which 120 received risperidone, 153 received olanzapine, and 54 received quetiapine. Medication cost was defined as the average wholesale price (AWP) as listed in the 2001 'Red Book'. Propensity scoring methodology and multinomial regression were employed to reduce treatment selection bias. RESULTS: The observed mean daily antipsychotic drug doses were 4.45 mg (SD 2.44) for risperidone, 14.04 mg (SD 5.55) for olanzapine, and 350.33 mg (SD 228.24) for quetiapine. The corresponding mean daily drug costs were $7.66(SD $4.20) for risperidone, $8.11 (SD $5.29) for quetiapine and, $12.10 (SD $4.79) for olanzepine. Numbers adjusted for treatment selection bias show that the average daily total pharmacy cost of risperidone was $4.35 lower than olanzapine (p < 0.001) and $1.41 lower than quetiapine (p = 0.38). The adjusted average daily pharmacy cost of olanzapine was $4.02 higher than quetiapine (p < 0.001). After statistical adjustment there were no significant differences between study drugs in terms of length of stay or patient functioning. CONCLUSION: This study provides the first US comparison of medication utilization patterns and pharmacy costs for olanzapine, risperidone, and quetiapine administered in acute mental health care inpatient settings. While this study did not estimate the full economic value of the three antipsychotics in these inpatient settings, it demonstrated that the mean daily costs for risperidone were lower than the mean daily costs for olanzapine (p < 0.001) and quetiapine although the later difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.38).