Factors affecting the response to Y-90 microsphere therapy in the cholangiocarcinoma patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the early therapy response in patients with unresectable CCA who received Y-90 microsphere therapy for CCA and define the factors related to therapy response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data of 19 patients [extrahepatic (n: 6) and intrahepatic (n: 13)] who received 24 sessions of Y-90 microsphere therapy [glass (n: 13) and resin (n: 11)] were retrospectively evaluated. Tumor load, tumor size, therapy response evaluation by RECIST1.1 criteria (n: 13), tumor lesion glycolysis (TLG), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and metabolic therapy responses were evaluated (n: 8) using PERCIST1.0 criteria. RESULTS: No significant relation was found between therapy response and tumor localization, treated liver lobe, type of Y90 microspheres, the presence of previous therapies, perfusion pattern on hepatic artery perfusion scintigraphy, or patient demographics. The mean overall survival (OS) was 11.9 ± 2.3 months and was similar after both resin and glass Y90 microspheres; however, it was longer RECIST responders (p: 0.005). MTV and TLG values significantly decreased after therapy, and ΔMTV (- 45.4% ± 12.1) was found to be positively correlated with OS. No statistical difference was found between iCCA and eCCA, in terms of OS and response to therapy. Although not quantitatively displayed, better-perfused areas on HAPS images had a better metabolic response and less perfused areas were prone to local recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: Both resin and glass microsphere therapy can be applied safely to iCCA and eCCA patients. Early therapy response can be evaluated with both RECIST and PERCIST criteria. Both anatomical and metabolic therapy response evaluations give complementary information.

The Association Between Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio and Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis.

BACKGROUND: Elevated neutrophil count is associated with poor prognosis and increased mortality in many conditions. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has emerged as a marker of inflammation in neoplastic and cardiovascular disorders. Herein, we investigated utility of this simple tool in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS: The study consisted of 136 RA and 140 AS patients, along with 117 healthy control subjects. RA and AS activities were determined with Disease Activity Score (DAS) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity indices (BASDAI), respectively. The association between NLR and disease activity was analyzed. RESULTS: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and neutrophil counts were significantly higher in RA and AS patients compared to healthy controls. Similarly, NLR was higher compared to control subjects, both in RA (2.53 ± 1.4 vs. 2.16 ± 1.0, P = 0.019) and AS (2.43 ± 1.4 vs. 2.16 ± 1.0, P = 0.077). NLR correlated well with ESR and CRP, both in RA and AS. Moreover, NLR increased across worsening DAS28 activity groups (2.1 ± 1.0 in patients with remission, 2.5 ± 1.0 in low-moderate, 3.8 ± 2.5 in high disease activity). However, no association was found between NLR and BASDAI. CONCLUSION: NLR is a cheap and readily available marker for the assessment of disease activity in RA.

Effect of Selective 5-Hydroxytryptamine-3 Receptor and Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists on Hemodynamic Changes and Arrhythmogenic Potential in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: A Retrospective, Observational Study.

Background: Prior speculation suggests that selective 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 receptors and neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists may increase arrhythmia risk and induce electrocardiographic changes. This study examined the effect of anti-emetic medications on arrhythmogenic potential and hemodynamic alterations. Methods: We considered patients aged 18 or above receiving chemotherapy between June 2013 and December 2013. Patients were grouped by anti-emetic medication: intravenous granisetron (Group G), oral aprepitant plus IV granisetron (Group AG), IV palonosetron (Group P), and oral aprepitant plus IV palonosetron (Group AP). We recorded blood pressure and electrocardiography initially and at the thirtieth minute post-medication, focusing on P dispersion, QTc dispersion, and systolic/diastolic blood pressure alterations. Results: The study included 80 patients (20 per group). Baseline systolic/diastolic blood pressure and P dispersion showed no significant variance. However, the baseline QTc dispersion was significantly lower in Groups P and AP than G and AG. The thirtieth-minute systolic/diastolic blood pressures were significantly lower than the baseline for Groups AG and AP, and the heart rates decreased in all groups. Group P showed significantly fewer blood pressure changes. Conclusions: We found no arrhythmogenic potential linked to granisetron, palonosetron, and aprepitant. Hypotension was more frequent at 30 min post-medication in granisetron or aprepitant recipients. Considering no hypotension occurred when using palonosetron alone, this treatment was deemed safer.

Cancer chemotherapy: incidence and predictors of 30-day mortality.

OBJECTIVES: Thirty-day mortality (30 DM) is a measure of quality of cancer treatment and the predictors for 30 DM are important to identify vulnerable patients who are least likely to benefit from chemotherapy. We assessed the incidence and potential predictors of 30 DM in patients receiving chemotherapy. METHODS: All patients who received chemotherapy within an 8-month period in our hospital were assessed. Baseline prechemotherapy clinical features, vital signs, Modified Early Warning Scores (MEWS) and laboratory tests were recorded. Potential predictors of 30 DM were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Among 4560 patients included, 77 patients (1.7%) died within 30 days of chemotherapy. Patients who died were older (62 vs 58, p=0.002), mostly males (61% vs 43%, p=0.006), had worse Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance scores (ECOG PS), and higher MEWS scores compared with those who survived. Multivariate analysis identified age ≥60 years (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.2 to 4.1, p=0.01), male gender (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.9, p=0.02), ECOG PS≥3 (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 8.8, p=0.03), pulse rate ≥90 bpm (OR 3.8, 95% CI 2.0 to 7.0, p<0.01), systolic blood pressure <110 mm Hg (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1 to 4.1, p=0.02), body mass index <25 kg/m2 (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.8, p=0.02) and haemoglobin< 90 g/L (OR 14.2, 95% CI 4.3 to 46.6, p<0.01) to be associated with increased risk of 30 DM. CONCLUSIONS: Along with well-known prognostic factors such as ECOG PS and disease stage, other simple and readily available parameters may predict early mortality after chemotherapy and produce a signal for the physicians to carefully reevaluate vulnerable patients before chemotherapy administration.

Geriatrics education is associated with positive attitudes toward older people in internal medicine residents: a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: The number of older people is growing fast in Turkey. In this context, internal medicine residents and specialists contact older people more frequently. Thus, healthcare providers' knowledge and attitudes toward older people is becoming more important. Studies that specifically investigate internal medicine residents' attitudes toward the elderly are scarce. We aimed to investigate the attitudes of internal medicine residents toward older people. METHODS: This cross-sectional multicenter study was undertaken in the internal medicine clinics of six university state hospitals that provide education in geriatric care. All internal medicine residents working in these hospitals were invited to participate in this questionnaire study between March 2013 and December 2013. We recorded the participants' age, sex, duration of internal medicine residency, existence of relatives older than 65 years, history of geriatrics course in medical school, geriatrics rotation in internal medicine residency, and nursing home visits. RESULTS: A total of 274 (82.3%) of the residents participated in this study, and 83.6% of them had positive attitudes toward older people. A geriatrics rotation during internal medicine residency was the only independent factor associated with positive attitudes toward the elderly in this multivariate analysis. A geriatrics course during medical school was associated with positive attitudes in the univariate analysis, but only tended to be so in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Geriatrics rotation during internal medicine residency was independently associated with positive attitudes toward older people. Generalization of geriatrics education in developing countries may translate into a better understanding and improved care for older patients.