Cancer screenings among sexual and gender minorities by midwives' point of view.

INTRODUCTION: Although women belonging to sexual and gender minorities are more at risk of gynecological and breast cancer, pieces of evidence have been provided that this population finds hardships getting involved in cancer screening programs. This happens because they tend to avoid clinical settings because of fear of discrimination, heteronormative assumptions, heterosexism, classism, and homophobic slurs by healthcare professionals. On the other hand, medical programs that allow healthcare providers to have experience with LGBTQ people are scarce and there are no specific tools to assess sexual cancer risks in this population. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Studies included were obtained searching MEDLINE with keywords "lesbians," "queer women," "trans women," "LGBTQ women," "cervical cancer screening," "pap test," "oncology screening," "mammogram" and "prevention." Furthermore, 1577 papers were found. After filtering for species, sex, language, and time range, 820 papers were left. The number of works included was 24 after title screening and 20 after abstract screening and full-text screening. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: More research will be needed to develop tools with an inclusive, non-judgmental, and open language capable of engaging the LGBTQ community. Cancer screening programs involve a large variety of healthcare providers including midwives. CONCLUSIONS: Midwives are multifaceted healthcare professionals whose large competence spectrum includes a variety of knowledge and skills going from antenatal care to education and research and they may efficiently provide cancer screenings. Midwives have been asking for more specialistic roles and calling for specific instruction to face the complex and ever-changing reality.

Role of neurotrophins in pregnancy, delivery and postpartum.

Neurotrophins (NTs) are a family of polypeptides whose functions have been extensively studied in the past two decades. In particular, Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) play a major role in the development, nutrition and growth of the central and peripheral nervous system and in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative, cardiometabolic and (auto)immune diseases. However, NGF and BDNF have subtle functions for follicular development, implantation, and placentation. This short narrative review summarizes the existing evidence, published between 2000 and 2019, about the role of NTs in many different conditions that might affect women during and after pregnancy such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, obesity, depression, anxiety, smoking and alcohol abuse. Literature suggests that the dysregulation of synthesis and release of NTs may lead to decisive effects on both maternal and fetal health. Some piece of evidences was found about a possible association between NGF/BDNF and breastfeeding. Additional studies on human models are necessary to further characterize the role of NTs in life-changing experiences like labor and delivery.

Very atypical presentation of a retroperitoneal "atypical lipoma". A well differentiated liposarcoma presenting as sciatic hernia.

Unlike hernias and neoplasms of any other body site, the sciatic hernia is uncommon and the finding of an atypical lipoma in it is probably unique. In such instance making the correct diagnosis is paramount in order to perform a procedure with a radical intent. A CT scan must be considered any time a rare form of hernia is observed and the surgical treatment of a retroperitoneal lipoma has to be radical, to prevent a recurrence. This is the strategy followed by the authors in a case of a 53 year old lady presenting with a large retroperitoneal lipomatous neoplasm within a sciatic hernia.