Quality of life after total laryngectomy: impact of different vocal rehabilitation methods in a middle income country.

INTRODUCTION: The impact of advanced laryngeal cancer and its extensive surgical treatments cause significant morbidity for these patients. Total laryngectomy impacts essential functions such as breathing, communication and swallowing, and may influence the quality of life as well as affecting the social life of laryngeal cancer patients. OBJECTIVE: Describe the quality of life and analyze the factors associated with the reduced quality of life in patients who have undergone total laryngectomy. METHOD: Observational cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate the quality of life of patients who had undergone total laryngectomy due to laryngeal cancer. The fourth version of the UW-QOL Quality of Life Assessment Questionnaire from Washington University, validated for Portuguese, was used. RESULTS: The study population was 95 patients, and the mean composite score of the QOL was 80.4. In the subjective domains the majority of the patients (38.9%) reported they felt much better at present compared to the month before being diagnosed with cancer. When questioned about how they evaluated their health-related quality of life, there was a predominance of those who considered it good (43.2%), and most considered they had a good quality of life (46.3%) considering personal well-being. The overall quality of life was considered good to excellent by 83.2% of the patients. Patients with tracheoesophageal prosthesis reported a better quality of life, compared to patients using an electrolarynx or esophageal voice. CONCLUSION: The high mean value of the composite score for quality of life revealed that the patients assessed their quality of life positively. The absence of vocal emission was the only variable associated with a lower quality of life within the composite score according to the UW-QOL questionnaire.

Delay in breast cancer diagnosis: a Brazilian cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the delay in breast cancer (BC) diagnosis and its risk factors. STUDY DESIGN: A cohort study of BC patients referred to treatment at oncological reference hospital, Brazil. Delay in BC diagnosis was defined as a time interval ≥90 days between the first contact with a care provider and a BC diagnosis. METHODS: The association between independent variables and delay was performed by univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Five hundred and twenty-six women were included in the study. Delay was observed in 68.8% and was associated with performing histopathological examination at oncological reference hospital (odds ratio [OR]: 3.96, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.91-8.20) or at another public health service (OR: 2.31; 95% CI: 1.50-3.56) and attending gynecological consultations annually (OR: 3.24; 95% CI: 1.97-5.33) or every 2-3 years (OR: 2.86; 95% CI: 1.55-5.28). Patients who presented a lump as the first sign or symptom had a lower chance of delay (OR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.29-0.65). CONCLUSIONS: Improvements in the structure and access to health services are needed to reduce the time to diagnosis.

Expression analysis of thrombospondin 2 in prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Thrombospondin 2 (TSP2) is a protein with important roles in different tumor types, mainly related to tumor inhibition. However, there are limiting data regarding TSP2 in prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We aimed to investigate TSP2 transcript and protein expression in tumoral and non-tumoral prostate tissues and cell lines, and its implications for PCa diagnosis and progression. TSP2 transcript expression was evaluated by real time PCR in PCa and BPH tissue samples and in tumoral and non-tumoral cell lines. TSP2 protein expression analysis was conducted by immunohistochemistry in a tissue microarray (TMA) containing PCa and BPH tissue samples. TSP2 transcript was down-regulated in PCa tissue samples and cell lines, when compared to BPH and non-tumoral samples (P<0.01). Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) analysis demonstrated that TSP2 transcript levels can better distinguish PCa from BPH tissue samples (P<0.01) than serum PSA levels (P=0.299). TSP2 protein expression has been observed in the cytoplasm of both PCa and BPH epithelial and stromal compartments. TSP2 stromal staining scores were significantly lower in PCa than in BPH tissues (P<0.01), while similar TSP2 epithelial staining patterns were observed in both diseases. Notably, the TSP2 epithelial staining score was significantly correlated to vascular invasion and biochemical recurrence in PCa tissue samples (P<0.05). Our data indicate that TSP2 is down-regulated at PCa tissues and cell lines, especially at stroma compartment, which could be related to PCa progression. TSP2 levels could potentially be applied for differential PCa and BPH diagnosis.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the cyclic alternating pattern across the lifespan.

BACKGROUND: Cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) is the electroencephalogram (EEG) pattern described as a marker of sleep instability and assessed by NREM transient episodes in sleep EEG. It has been associated with brain maturation. The aim of this review was to evaluate the normative data of CAP parameters according to the aging process in healthy subjects through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: Two authors independently searched databases using PRISMA guidelines. Discrepancies were reconciled by a third reviewer. Subgroup analysis and tests for heterogeneity were conducted. RESULTS: Of 286 studies, 10 submitted a total of 168 healthy individuals to CAP analysis. Scoring of CAP can begin at 3 months of life, when K-complexes, delta bursts, or spindles can be recognized. Rate of CAP increased with age, mainly during the first 2 years of life, then decreased in adolescence, and increased in the elderly. The A1 CAP subtype and CAP rate were high in school-aged children during slow-wave sleep (SWS). A1 CAP subtypes were significantly more numerous in adolescents compared with other groups, while the elderly showed the highest amounts of A2 and A3 CAP subtypes. Our meta-analysis registered the lowest CAP rate in infants younger than 2 years old and the highest in the elderly. CONCLUSIONS: This review summarized the normative data of CAP in NREM sleep during the aging process. The CAP rate increased with age and sleep depth, especially during SWS. Parameters of CAP may reflect gender hormonal effects and neuroplasticity. More reports on CAP subtypes are needed for their reference values establishment.

Long-term MS secondary progression: Derivation and validation of a clinical risk score.

OBJECTIVE: The risk of progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) related to the association of prognostic factors present at disease onset has rarely been explored. We aimed to construct a clinical risk score for MS long-term progression that could be easily applied in clinical practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Among 432 patients with MS, 288 patients were selected as a derivation sample for identification of the knowledge prognostic factors more associated with long-term progression. One point was given to each risk factor identified as statistically significant by the adjusted model, and the sum of the points gave the overall risk score. Subsequently the score was applied to the remaining 144 patients to confirm if those with higher scores had reached MS secondary progression. RESULTS: The prognostic factors identified as independently associated with long-term progression were: no specific MS treatment before EDSS 3, age of onset older than 30 years, pyramidal and cerebellar impairment as the first manifestation of disease, time interval between the first and second relapses less than 2 years, and African ancestry. There was no significant difference between expected and observed number of patients in progression (44 vs. 31, p = 0.966), indicating that the score was able to predict the progression in the validation sample. There was no significant difference between patients with low risk (≤ 2 points) (p = 0.98) and high risk (≥ 3 points) (p = 0.48) in the derivation versus validation samples. In the derivation sample, the patients with three or more points had a 2.8-fold increased risk of progression [hazard ratio (HR): 2.8; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.2-6.3; p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: The score proposed was capable of predicting long-term MS progression.

Malnutrition associated with nutrition impact symptoms and localization of the disease: Results of a multicentric research on oncological nutrition.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Malnutrition in cancer is an independent factor associated with negative clinical outcomes. The aim was to evaluate the prevalence and independent risk factors for malnutrition in hospitalized cancer patients using the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). METHODS: We evaluated 4783 cancer patients, aged ≥20 years, in a hospital-based, multicenter, cross-sectional study. Patients were classified as well-nourished (PG-SGA Stage A), moderate/suspected malnutrition (PG-SGA Stage B), or severely malnourished (PG-SGA Stage C), and provided a score to define required nutritional interventions. Multivariate analysis was composed of the odds ratio (OR) estimated by ordinal polytomous logistic regression. RESULTS: 45.3% were classified as Stage B and 11.8% as Stage C. Moreover, 45.3% of the patients presented a need for nutritional intervention. The variables that presented the highest ORs for Stage B or Stage C were: problems with swallowing (OR 2.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.2-3.4, p < 0.001), loss of appetite (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.6-2.3, p < 0.001), vomiting (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.5-2.3, p < 0.001), presence of more than 3 nutrition impact symptoms (OR 8.3, 95% CI 5.8-12, p < 0.001), and cancer site: lung (OR 4.6, 95% CI 3.2-6.6, p < 0.001), upper digestive cancer (OR 3.7, 95% CI 2.7-5.2, p < 0.001), and head and neck cancer (OR 3.7, 95% CI 2.7-5.2, p < 0.001). The score for Worksheet 4 on the PG-SGA had a higher association with malnutrition (OR 7.3, 95% CI 6.6-8.2, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Malnutrition is highly prevalent in cancer patients in Brazil, and is associated with nutritional impact symptoms, cancer site and age ≥65 years.

Obstructive sleep apnea in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Adults with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) often suffer from sleep disruption and sleep apnea. As the apneic profile of CRSwNP may differ from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) classic patients without nasal polyps (NP), it may prove useful to define a new profile for OSA screening in these patients. The aim of the current study was to compare baseline characteristics and apneic profile of OSA patients with CRSwNP to OSA patients without NP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-one apneic patients with CRSwNP and 62 apneic cases without NP were included in our study. Both groups underwent nasal endoscopy, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) evaluation, and overnight polysomnography (PSG). We additionally accessed anthropometric characteristics such as snoring, tiredness, observed apnea, high blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), age, neck circumference, male gender, and OSA risk via the STOP-Bang questionnaire. RESULTS: Although the patients were matched according to age and gender, the median BMI and STOP-Bang score were significantly higher in patients with OSA than in those with OSA and CRSwNP. Notably, the median ESS showed low somnolence and a low median apnea-hypopnea index in patients with CRSwNP, despite the fact that the lowest median oxygen saturation was not significantly different between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Anthropometric characteristics in individuals with apnea caused by CRSwNP were significantly different from those in individuals with typical. This finding will improve screening and treatment of apneic patients CRSwNP.

Multiple sclerosis in Brazil: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The natural history of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Brazil has been available in different regions of country. There is no nationwide population-based studies that express general data in Brazil. OBJECTIVE: To review and synthesize available data about MS in Brazil. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Systematic review was performed through a search of medical literature databases to identify Brazilian studies published during 1990-2012. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, SciELO, and Lilacs. KEYWORDS: "Brazil" or "Brazilian" combined with the following terms: "multiple sclerosis", "clinical profile", "demographic profile", "natural history", "clinical course", "pediatric", or "familial form". RESULTS: In total of 45 pediatric and 1922 adult patients, the median age at onset was 10 years in pediatric patients and 32 years in adult patients. Women were more affected. Motor-control complaints and relapsing-remitting phenotype at onset were the most common. Predictors to disability and progression were number of relapses during the first year of disease, older age, male gender and African ancestry. CONCLUSIONS: The profile of the MS in Brazilian seems to correspond to that observed in high-MS-prevalence areas. African ancestry is a risk factor to disability and progression early. In Brazil, factors that limit MS incidence do not interfere with the clinical pattern and outcomes.

Prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations in families with medium and high risk of breast and ovarian cancer in Brazil.

Of all malignant neoplasias affecting women, breast cancer has the highest incidence rate in Brazil. The objective of the present study was to determine the frequency of genetic modifications in families with medium and high risk for breast and ovarian cancer from different regions of Brazil. An exploratory, descriptive study was carried out on the prevalence of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in case series of high-risk families for breast and/or ovarian cancer. After heredogram construction, a blood sample was taken and DNA extraction was performed in all index cases. The protein truncation test was used to screen for truncated mutations in exon 11 of the BRCA1 gene and in exons 10 and 11 of the BRCA2 gene. Of the 612 individuals submitted to genetic testing, 21 (3.4%), 19 women and 2 men, had mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. Of the 19 BRCA1 mutations found in the 18 participants, 7 consisted of ins6kb mutations, 4 were 5382insC, 3 were 2156delGinsCC, 2 were 185delAG, 1 was C1201G, 1 was C3522T, and 1 was 3450del4. With respect to the BRCA2 gene, 3 mutations were found: 5878del10, 5036delA and 4232insA (one case each). The prevalence of germline mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes found in the present study was lower than reported by other studies on high-risk Brazilian populations. The inclusion of individuals with medium risk may have contributed to the lower prevalence observed.

Ethnicity-dependent association of HLA DRB1-DQA1-DQB1 alleles in Brazilian multiple sclerosis patients.

OBJECTIVE: The present study focused on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQB1, DQA1 and DRB1 allelic variation according to ethnicity and analyzed whether susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS) depends on population characteristics. METHODS: Eighty-eight healthy African-Brazilians and 92 healthy white Brazilians living in Rio de Janeiro City were selected and the HLA phenotype between the two ethnic groups was compared with 44 MS patients of African descent and 40 patients of European descent. HLA class II genes were performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-sequence-specific primer amplification. RESULTS: DQA1*0201-0301 alleles were associated with the white Brazilian population (P < 0.001). The DRB*1501 allele was present in White Brazilians (P=0.003), and DRB1*03-1503 in African-Brazilians. The DRB1*1501 allele confers an ethnicity-dependent MS susceptibility in White patients and the DQB1*0602 allele confers genetic susceptibility regardless of ethnicity. CONCLUSION: Heterogeneous phenotypes occur in both Brazilian ethnic groups. Taking into account that the response to immunomodulator drugs for MS treatment changes according to the DRB1*1501 allele and African-American MS patients presented poor response to the interferons, phenotype heterogeneity of HLA loci found in this study could influence therapeutic decisions in the Brazilian MS population.

Prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations in families with medium and high risk of breast and ovarian cancer in Brazil

Of all malignant neoplasias affecting women, breast cancer has the highest incidence rate in Brazil. The objective of the present study was to determine the frequency of genetic modifications in families with medium and high risk for breast and ovarian cancer from different regions of Brazil. An exploratory, descriptive study was carried out on the prevalence of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in case series of high-risk families for breast and/or ovarian cancer. After heredogram construction, a blood sample was taken and DNA extraction was performed in all index cases. The protein truncation test was used to screen for truncated mutations in exon 11 of the BRCA1 gene and in exons 10 and 11 of the BRCA2 gene. Of the 612 individuals submitted to genetic testing, 21 (3.4 percent), 19 women and 2 men, had mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. Of the 19 BRCA1 mutations found in the 18 participants, 7 consisted of ins6kb mutations, 4 were 5382insC, 3 were 2156delGinsCC, 2 were 185delAG, 1 was C1201G, 1 was C3522T, and 1 was 3450del4. With respect to the BRCA2 gene, 3 mutations were found: 5878del10, 5036delA and 4232insA (one case each). The prevalence of germline mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes found in the present study was lower than reported by other studies on high-risk Brazilian populations. The inclusion of individuals with medium risk may have contributed to the lower prevalence observed.

Prediction of death using the Mannheim Peritonitis Index in oncologic patients

O Índice de Peritonite de Mannheim (MPI) é um sistema de escore idealizado para avaliar o prognóstico de pacientes com peritonite. Realizamos um estudo retrospectivo de oito anos dos prontuários de 89 pacientes com doença maligna e peritonite submetidos a cirurgia. O índice médio foi de 26.6 pontos (5-47), com sensibilidade de 87,3 por cento e especificidade de 41,2 por cento. A melhor acurácia (69,7 por cento) foi obtida com o escore de 21. Concluimos que o MPI foi um preditor de morte confiável em pacientes oncológicos com peritonite e pode ser de utilidade no planejamento e avaliação de futuras formas de tratamento nestes pacientes.