Cancer Triptych.

The author uses personal narrative to show how the cold cloak of cancer covered her family during the polar vortex of 2013-2014. The use of a triptych form hinges together related themes of containment, coping, communicative responses, and social support after a cancer diagnosis. This narrative demonstrates the multiple responses and communicative coping strategies to a cancer diagnosis.

Sociocultural factors and breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa: implications for diagnosis and management.

The incidence of breast cancer is on the rise in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and efforts at early diagnosis have not been very successful because the public has scant knowledge about the disease, a large percentage of breast cancer cases are diagnosed late and mainly rural SSA women's practice of breast self-examination is poor. In this paper, we argue that an examination of the social and cultural contexts of SSA that influence breast cancer diagnosis and management in the region is needed. We discuss the implications of sociocultural factors, such as gender roles and spirituality, on breast cancer diagnosis and management in SSA.

Reexamination of pharmacokinetics of oral testosterone undecanoate in hypogonadal men with a new self-emulsifying formulation.

Many hypogonadal men prefer oral testosterone (T) treatment. Oral T undecanoate (TU) is available in many countries, but not in the United States. We aimed to assess the pharmacokinetics of oral TU in a new self-emulsifying drug delivery system formulation. Pharmacokinetics studies were conducted in 3 parts: 12 hypogonadal men were enrolled in 2 centers for a 1-day dosing study; 29 participants were enrolled from 3 centers for a 7-day dosing study; and 15 participants were enrolled from 1 center for a 28-day dosing study. Serial blood samples for serum sex hormone measurements by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry were drawn for up to 36 hours after oral TU administration. Mean serum T levels (C(avg)) after oral dosing of T 200 mg as TU twice daily with food were within the adult male range in most participants in the 1-, 7-, and 28-day dosing studies but were much lower in the fasting state. The dose-proportional increase in C(avg) of serum T after oral T 300 mg twice daily resulted in more participants with supraphysiologic serum T levels. In the 28-day study, trough serum T reached a steady state at day 7. Serum dihydrotestosterone and estradiol levels tracked serum T concentration. Dihydrotestosterone-testosterone ratios increased 3-fold after oral TU administration. Oral T 200 mg twice daily as TU in a new SEDDS formulation may be a viable therapy for hypogonadal men.