The effect of earthquake on fibromyalgia: a comparison of patients on medication and without medication.

INTRODUCTION / OBJECTIVES: Stressful events like earthquakes might worsen the symptoms of fibromyalgia, although the influence of medications on these consequences is yet uncertain. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of an earthquake on the symptoms of fibromyalgia and evaluate the impacts of medications used to treat fibromyalgia on the clinical picture. METHOD: Ninety-five fibromyalgia patients were enrolled in a comparative study and divided into two groups: medication and non-medication. Three subcategories of medication groups were established: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and gabapentinoid drugs (GDs). Before and after the earthquake, clinical evaluations were conducted using the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Jenkins Sleep Rating Scale (JSS). Statistical analyses were conducted to compare the scores before and after the earthquake and evaluate the differences between the groups. RESULTS: Statistically significant increases were observed in FIQ, HADS-anxiety, HADS-depression, and JSS scores in the medication and non-medication groups before and after the earthquake comparisons (p < 0.05). Non-medication group reported significantly higher post-earthquake changes in FIQ, HADS-anxiety, HADS-depression, and JSS compared to the medication group (p < 0.05). While HADS-anxiety, HADS-depression, and JSS changes after the earthquake differed according to the drug subgroups (p < 0.05), no statistically significant difference was observed in FIQ values (p > 0.05). The highest scores were detected in the GD subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the substantial impact of earthquakes on fibromyalgia patients. Medication use may assist in reducing the detrimental effects of stresses like earthquakes on fibromyalgia symptomatology. Future research with larger sample sizes and more extended follow-up periods is needed to explain these findings and optimize treatment regimens for fibromyalgia patients experiencing significant stressors.

Effect of aspirin use on survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the seventh most prevalent cancer globally and is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of aspirin use on the survival rates of individuals diagnosed with HCC. METHODS: The patients were divided into two groups: those who used aspirin and those who did not. Aspirin use was defined as individuals who had used aspirin either before or after the diagnosis of HCC. Aspirin usage was determined based on prescription records. The criteria for aspirin use were defined as a minimum of 3 months and a minimum daily dose of 100 mg. Survival time; The time elapsed after the diagnosis of HCC was calculated as 'months'. RESULT: Of the 300 cohorts studied in our study, 104 (34.6%) were using aspirin, while 196 (65.4%) were not. It was observed that bleeding occurred only in the patient group taking aspirin ( P  = 0.002). When evaluated in terms of survival time, it was observed that it was significantly higher in the patient group using aspirin ( P  = 0.001). Aspirin use was identified as factors that significantly impact survival ( P  < 0.05). Aspirin use was identified as independent risk factors that significantly impact of survival ( P  < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The aspirin group had a similar metabolic and liver reserve as the other group and had a longer survival despite being older and more comorbid diseases.

Non invasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFT-P). A clinic evaluation of novel nomenclature.

AIM: We aimed to find out unnecessarily overdiagnosed and overtreated patients, their preventable morbidities, expenditures which might not have occurred in the last decade concerning newly proposed nomenclature MATERIAL AND METHODS: Among 1553 patients operated between 2010-2019, 197 were recorded. Pathology specimens were re-evaluated by two experienced pathologists to reveal those patients who could have diagnosed as NIFT-P. RESULTS: According to the changes first suggested by Nikiforov in 2016 and partially revised in 2018; 55 of 197 patients were diagnosed with NIFT-P. Four (7.2%) patients had NIFT-P (operated after 2016), 14 patients (25.5%) had follicular adenoma, 13 patients (23.6%) had unknown malign potential, five patients (9.1%) had papillary microcarcinoma, two patients (3.6%) had papillary microcarcinoma encapsulated, five patients (9.1%) had papillary carcinoma follicular and two patients (3.6%) had papillary carcinoma encapsulated. 40 patients (72.7%) underwent thyroidectomy (bilateral total), 12 patients (21.8%) thyroidectomy (lobectomy, unilateral), two patients (3.6%) thyroidectomy (completion, total) and one patient (1.8%) neck dissection + thyroidectomy (bilateral, total). DISCUSSION: The follicular variant of the papillary thyroid carcinoma was re-defined with a novel nomenclature as a noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFT-P) according to its indolent behavior that did not require aggressive treatment,so lobectomy is sufficient, was suggested in 2016. CONCLUSIONS: We found out that if we hadn't applied thyroidectomy (total or completion) to those 43 patients concerning new nomenclature, we could have prevented complications (2 patients, %3,6) and cut down the expenses caused by overtreatment in the last decade. NIFT-P has an excellent prognosis for its low locoregional or distant recurrence, so lobectomy is sufficient. KEY WORDS: Bethesda, NIFT-P, Total Thyroidectomy, Complication.

Is there an increasing trend of risk-reducing prophylactic mastectomy procedure in preventing breast cancer among women?

Objectives: Prophylactic contralateral/bilateral mastectomy (PCM/PBM), as a risk-reducing mastectomy procedure, has a few evidence-based indica- tions; however, there is an increasing trend in the total number of operations globally. Worldwide famous actress Angelina Jolie was detected to have BRCA-1 mutation and underwent a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy in 2013. The procedure was perceived as 'lifesaving' worldwide, which eventually led to a significant increase in BRCA gene mutation analysis and PCM/PBM. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate our risk-reducing PCM/PBM results. Material and Methods: Twenty-seven patients underwent risk-reducing PCM/PBM between 2010-2018, but only 22 patients were included into the study. A retrospective analysis was carried out on demographics, family history, preoperative diagnoses, pathological findings, mastectomy details, reconstructive procedures, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, BRCA analysis, educational status, and mastectomy indications. Results: Surgical indications or major reasons for surgery were as follows: BRCA-1 mutation (n= 5), BRCA-2 mutation (n= 3), malignant-like areas in magnetic resonance imaging (n= 2), lobular carcinoma in situ (n= 3) and intense anxiety (n= 9). Eighteen patients (82%) underwent an additional re- constructive procedure via implantation or autologous tissue and four patients (18%) underwent mastectomy only. PCM/PBM by years was as: 2010 (n= 1), 2011 (n= 0), 2012 (n= 1), 2013 (n= 2), 2014 (n= 1), 2015 (n= 2), 2016 (n= 3), 2017 (n= 4), 2018 (n= 8), which represents the recently increasing trend. Conclusion: Risk-reducing PCM/PBM was performed in 59.1% of the patients (n= 13) for a significant medical reason, whereas for distress about a relapse or a new disease on the contralateral breast on the remaining 40.9% of the patients (n= 9). Evidence in the literature shows that risk-reducing mastectomy does not affect survival, although it lowers breast cancer incidence. Close surveillance, cancer screening, and chemoprevention methods should have priority.