Movement for multiple sclerosis: a multi-site partnership for practice and research.

While dance programs for people with Parkinson's disease (PD) have been developed globally over the past two decades, dance programs for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are just emerging. This article introduces three dance for MS programs and a multi-site partnership that was developed to evaluate and advance a model for dance for MS programs. The program partners convened over 2 days to share program models, consider current and planned program evaluations, and identify unique challenges and promising practices for delivering safe and effective dance for MS programs. This paper presents the findings of this convening and recommendations for dance for MS programs.Background:While dance programs for people with Parkinson's disease (PD) have been developed globally over the past two decades, dance programs for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are just emerging. This article introduces three dance for MS programs and a multi-site partnership that was developed to evaluate and advance a model for dance for MS programs.Methods: The program partners convened over 2 days to share program models, consider current and planned program evaluations, and identify unique challenges and promising practices for delivering safe and effective dance for MS programs.Results:A set of promising practices for dance for MS programs, including recommendations for partnership, dance and movement approaches, and environmental, physical and psychosocial considerations, was developed by the program partners.Conclusions: These programs suggest that dance may be a useful modality for people with MS. Recommendations are offered to guide safe and evidence-based dance for MS practices.

A report on serious pulmonary toxicity associated with gemcitabine-based therapy.

BACKGROUND: Serious pulmonary toxicity (SPT) has recently been noted with gemcitabine-based therapy (G). However, the incidence of SPT has not been fully evaluated. This retrospective review estimates the incidence of, and the factors influencing, SPT with G. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Pulmonary toxicity was defined as dyspnea, interstitial pneumonitis, lung disorder, lung edema, lung fibrosis, pneumonia, respiratory disorder, and respiratory distress syndrome. Patients were identified from 2 worldwide Lilly databases--the clinical trial database (CTD) and the safety database (SD). Events designated as serious and possibly/probably related to therapy by the primary physician were independently evaluated and confirmed. Serious pulmonary toxicity events were categorized as dyspnea or other SPT events. RESULTS: Of the 91 patients identified by the investigator in the CTD as having G-related SPT, 32 had G-related SPT per the independent reviewers. Based on the 4448 patients treated with G in the CTD, the incidences of dyspnea and other SPT events were 0.45% and 0.27%, respectively. Of the 295 patients identified by the investigator in the SD as having G-related SPT, 167 had G-related SPT per the independent reviewers. Based on an estimated 217,400 patients treated with commercial G worldwide, the crude incidences of dyspnea and other SPT events were 0.02% and 0.06%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: SPT associated with G is uncommon. Incidences from the CTD for dyspnea and other SPT are 0.45% and 0.27%, respectively. Incidences from the SD for dyspnea and other SPT are 0.02% and 0.06%, respectively. The influence of other factors, such as anticancer therapies, on these incidences needs to be better understood.