Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus inducing unilateral sensorimotor neuropathy.

We describe the case of a 32-year-old male with previous history of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) who presented with arthritis followed by a unilateral lower-limb sensorimotor impairment, without biochemical or immunological marker abnormalities. Our patient currently satisfies only three of the systemic lupus international collaborating clinics criteria. Management of such patients is challenging due to lack of examples in the literature, with this case being the first described where a seronegative patient with SCLE demonstrated neurological involvement. A brief review of the available literature is included.

Kidney function assessment for eligibility in clinical cancer trials - Data from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer.

PURPOSE: There is no consensus on how to estimate kidney function for the assessment of eligibility in clinical cancer trials. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We recalculated the creatinine clearance (CrCl)/glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at baseline in a total of 1768 patients enrolled in twelve clinical trials using the Cockcroft-Gault (CG), Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), 2021 Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI 2021) and European Kidney Function Consortium (EKFC) formulas. Patients were classified as having renal impairment (RI; CrCl/GFR <60 mL/min) or no renal impairment (NRI; CrCl/GFR ≥60 mL/min) with each of the four formulas, respectively. Furthermore, we analyzed the number of adverse events (AE) per month under study treatment using measures of central tendency, variability and regression models. RESULTS: Using CG, EKFC, MDRD and CKD-EPI 2021, 152 (8 %), 140 (8 %), 110 (6 %), and 61 (4 %) patients had RI respectively. Indeed, 47 (3 %) patients had RI using all 4 formulas, while 158 (9 %) had RI by at least one but not all four methods. CG showed the broadest variability and inconsistencies with other methods. All calculation methods performed similarly for excluding patients at risk of severe AE. EKFC demonstrated superior predictive ability for excluding patients at risk of renal and urinary tract AE. CONCLUSION: This post hoc analysis highlights the importance of choosing accurate and representative methods for kidney function estimation in clinical cancer trials. CG should be replaced by newer methods. While CKD-EPI 2021 may maximize trial accrual, EKFC should be considered for treatment affecting kidney function.

Outcomes of 556 consecutive patients with stage I-III colon cancer managed in a single center over 10 years.

BACKGROUND: The Bank of Cyprus Oncology Center is the largest cancer center in Cyprus, providing standalone oncology services to a population of just under a million. METHODS: The aim of the study was to calculate disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) for consecutive patients with stage I-III colon cancer over a 10-year period, by collecting retrospective data from patients' medical charts. RESULTS: We identified 556 patients with a median age at diagnosis of 67 (range 18-88). The majority of them were male (60%). Just over half of stage II patients received chemotherapy: capecitabine (44%) and FOLFOX/CapeOx (7%). Treatment administered in stage III was as follows: CapeOx (48%); FOLFOX (28%); capecitabine (12%); 5-fluorouracil (4%); and 8% received no treatment. DFS at 5 years was: stage I 90%; stage II 85%; and stage III 69%. Cancer-specific OS at 5 years was: stage I 94%; stage II 93%; and stage III 81%. Favorable outcomes were also maintained at 10 years (stage I 94%; stage II 84%; and stage III 70%). On multivariate analysis, only stage was statistically significant as a prognostic factor, whereas high-risk features (pT4±pN2), disease location (right vs. left), and age >70 years old did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Despite our country's fragmented healthcare system, with multiple referring surgeons from the private and public sectors, the outcomes achieved were highly consistent with those published in the international literature. This can be attributed to optimal multidisciplinary management and follow-up care.

Adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer. Is there a role in the older adult?

As global life expectancy has increased in most countries, there is a rising percentage of patients over 65 years old being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Despite an increase in the incidence and prevalence of colorectal cancer in older adults, this cohort receives adjuvant therapy at a decreased rate due to anticipated intolerance. The presumed limitations seem to be based on chronologic age, competing life limiting diagnoses, and the paucity of data studying this population in major clinical trials. This review explores the data regarding disparities in the treatment of older patients with colorectal cancer, safety and efficacy of adjuvant therapy, and newer tools to make decisions based on the biologic age, rather than chronologic age, of the patient.

Sweet syndrome on a patient with autoimmune hepatitis on azathioprine and CMV infection.

Sweet syndrome (SS) is a rare inflammatory process presenting with painful erythematous skin eruptions, accompanied by fever and neutrophilia. It is associated with upper respiratory infection in fertile women (classic form), malignancy, infections, drugs and autoimmune diseases. Its pathogenesis remains to be determined. Nevertheless, cytokines may have a prominent role, due to a rapid response after corticosteroid administration. We describe a 32-year-old female with autoimmune hepatitis on azathioprine and prednisone, presenting with fever and inflammatory skin eruptions. Histologic examination of the skin lesions showed neutrophilic infiltrations of the dermis, confirming the diagnosis of SS. Concurrently, she tested borderline positive for recent CMV infection.

Insidious manifestation of pyogenic liver abscess caused by Streptococcus intermedius and Micrococcus luteus: a case report.

Pyogenic liver abscesses are caused by various microorganisms and usually present with fever, abdominal pain, leukocytosis and liver enzyme abnormalities. This case presents the insidious manifestation of a pyogenic liver abscess in a 34-year-old immunocompetent male, where classical manifestations of a liver abscess were absent. The microorganisms cultured from the abscess belonged to oral cavity's and gastrointestinal tract's normal flora.