RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Severe and/or symptomatic hypocalcemia due to hypoparathyroidism is the main contraindication for discharge in patients who have undergone thyroid surgery. Hypomagnesemia may contribute to the onset of hypoparathyroidism and is frequently observed after thyroid surgery in hypocalcemic patients. The impact of prophylactic and postoperative Magnesium supplementation on postoperative hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia was prospectively evaluated by comparing patients undergoing prophylactic supplementation to a control group of patients who had only received Magnesium after evidence of postoperative hypoMg. METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients who underwent a total thyroidectomy participated in the study. Seventy-three patients were included in the study group, 47 in the control group. Prior to surgery, patients in the study group were given Magnesium orally for 5 days; postoperatively, Calcium and Magnesium was administered to all patients who displayed hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia. RESULTS: Postoperative biochemical hypocalcemia (serum Calcium<8.5 mg/dL, regardless of its clinical severity) was found in 60 patients (50%) on D1 and in 58 patients (48.4%) on D2. Among hypocalcemic patients, hypomagnesemia was recorded in 29 at D1 (48%), and in 46 at D2 (79%). A significant positive correlation was found between Magnesium, Calcium, and parathyroid hormone in the first two postoperative days, while a significant inverse correlation occurred for these same parameters and length of hospital stay (p<0.001). One hundred and five patients (87.5%) were discharged as expected on the second postoperative day (Study group = 65, Control group = 40, p = 0.724), whereas 15 patients (12.5%) required prolonged hospitalization (Study group = 8, Control group = 7, p = 0.721). The Study group only showed significantly higher Magnesium levels on the first postoperative day (p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Although Magnesium and Calcium levels showed the same trend after thyroidectomy, neither Magnesium prophylaxis nor Magnesium treatment influenced the clinical course of postoperative hypocalcemia.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: With extending life expectancy, more people are diagnosed with cutaneous malignancies at advanced ages and are offered nonsurgical treatment. We assessed outcomes of the oldest-old adults after electrochemotherapy (ECT). METHODS: The International Network for Sharing Practices of ECT (InspECT) registry was queried for adults aged ≥90 years (ys) with skin cancers/cutaneous metastases of any histotype who underwent bleomycin-ECT (2006-2019). These were subanalysed with patients aged <90 ys after matching 1:2 for tumor location, number, size, histotype, and previous treatments. We assessed ECT modalities, toxicity (CTCAE), response (RECIST), and patient perception (EQ-5D). RESULTS: Sixty-one patients represented the study cohort (median 92 ys, range 92-104), 122 the control group (median 77 ys, range 23-89). Among the oldest-old, 44 patients (72%) had primary/recurrent skin cancers, 17 (28%) cutaneous metastases. Median tumour size was 15 mm (range, 5-450). The oldest-old adults underwent ECT mainly under local/regional anaesthesia (59% vs 39% p = .012). We observed no differences regarding dose and route of chemotherapy (intravenous vs intratumoral, p = .308), electrode geometry (linear vs hexagonal, p = .172) and procedural duration (18 vs 21 min, p = .378). Complete response (57.4 [95%-CI 44.1%-70.0%] vs 64.7% [95%-CI 55.6%-73.2%], p = .222) and 1-year local control (76.7% vs 81.7, p = .092) rates were comparable. Pain and skin hyperpigmentation were mild in both groups. Skin ulceration persisted longer in the oldest-old patients (4.4 vs 2.4 months, p = .008). CONCLUSIONS: The oldest-old adults with cutaneous malignancies undergo ECT most commonly under local/regional anaesthesia with safety profiles and clinical effectiveness similar to their younger counterparts, except in case of ulcerated tumors.