The Imperative of Assessing Quality of Life in Patients Presenting to a Pancreaticobiliary Surgery Clinic.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine baseline health-related quality of life (QoL) in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, periampullary cancers, and benign pancreaticobiliary (PB) conditions at the time of the first visit to a PB surgery clinic, and to explore the relationship between QoL, demographics, clinical parameters, complications, and survival. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Few studies have examined baseline QoL measures, the impact of comorbidities, age, sex, and smoking on subsequent postoperative complications and survival in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, related PB cancers, and with benign PB conditions. METHODS: Data were collected from scheduled patients at a PB surgery clinic between 2013 and 2018. The Brief Pain Inventory, Fact-Hepatobiliary Scale, and Facit-Fatigue questionnaires were administered. QoL parameters were compared between PB cancer patients and those with benign disease. RESULTS: A total of 462 individuals with PB cancers and benign diseases exhibited baseline physical well-being, functional well-being, fatigue, and overall QoL at or below the 75th percentile of wellness at the time of the first office visit. Younger age, smoking, and mental health comorbidities contributed significantly to decreased QoL. PA patients were 7 times more likely to die in the follow-up period than the benign disease group. Black patients had higher pain scores and were 3 times more likely to have a postsurgery complication. Sex differences were identified regarding fatigue, pain, and overall QoL. CONCLUSIONS: This large cohort of PB cancer and benign disease patients exhibited significantly impaired baseline QoL. GI problems, weight loss, smoking, cardiovascular, pulmonary disease, and history of anxiety and depression contributed significantly to reduced QoL. The study sheds a cautionary light on the burden of PB disease at the time of surgical evaluation and its relationship to diminished QoL.

Engaging community members in cancer research: an assessment of an NCI-designated cancer center.

PURPOSE: Despite the importance of engaging community members in research, multiple barriers exist. We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation to understand the opportunities and challenges of engaging community members in basic, clinical, translational, and population science research. METHODS: We designed a survey and an interview guide based on the constructs of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Surveys were distributed electronically to all cancer center investigators and interviews were conducted virtually with a select group of basic, clinical, and population science investigators. Survey data (n = 77) were analyzed across all respondents using frequency counts and mean scores; bivariate analyses examined differences in responses by research program affiliation, gender, race, and faculty rank. Interviews (n = 16) were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a reflective thematic approach. RESULTS: There was strong agreement among investigators that "Community engagement in research will help the SKCC address cancer disparities in the catchment area" (M 4.2, SD 0.9) and less agreement with items such as "I know how to find and connect with community members who I can engage in my research" (M 2.5, SD 1.3). Investigators mentioned challenges in communicating complex science to a lay audience but were open to training and workshops to acquire skills needed to integrate community members into their research. CONCLUSION: Cancer centers should develop and promote training and collaborative opportunities for investigators and community members. Overcoming challenges will lead to more patient- and community-centered cancer research in the future.

The impact of preclinical clerkship in general surgery on medical students' attitude to a surgical career.

PURPOSE: With the advent of a new program for postgraduate medical students in 2004, the number of applicants choosing surgical careers in Japan has been declining. We conducted this study to evaluate the impact of preclinical clerkship and how it affects students' attitudes toward a surgical career. METHODS: The subjects of our study were fifth-year medical students who participated in a clinical clerkship in general surgery in our department between April 2021 and March 2022. We conducted pre- and post-preclinical clerkship surveys to assess the perceived image of surgeons and the impact of clerkship on surgical career interest. RESULTS: Among 132 medical students (77 men and 55 women) who rotated through preclinical clerkship in our department, 125 participated in the survey and 66% expressed interest in a surgical career. In the post-clerkship survey, an increased interest in a surgical career was expressed by 79% of the students; notably, including those who initially expressed interest. Approximately 77% of students were satisfied with the practical skill training they received. CONCLUSION: Engaging medical students early in surgical experience through a preclinical clerkship for general surgery appears to promote their interest in a surgical career.

Perceptions of and barriers to cancer screening by the sexual and gender minority community: a glimpse into the health care disparity.

PURPOSE: A disparity exists in cancer screening rates for the Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) community. We sought to understand the perceptions and baseline knowledge of cancer screening among SGM community members. METHODS: Survey administered via social media from June 2018 to October 2018. We asked 31 questions focused on cancer screening, human papillomavirus, emotional distress, and experience with the health care system. Those included were 18 years or older. Cancer screening attitudes and knowledge, as well as perceptions of the health care system were investigated. RESULTS: There were 422 respondents analyzed: 24.6% identified as female, 25.5% as male, 40.1% transgender, and 9.6% as other. 65.4% of the SGM community is not certain what cancer screening to do for themselves. Only 27.3% and 55.7% knew that HPV was a risk factor associated with head and neck cancer and anal cancer, respectively. Half stated their emotional distress prevents them from getting cancer screening. It was identified that process changes in making appointments, comforts during the visit, and formal training for physicians and nurses could increase cancer screening compliance for this community. The transgender population had a trend in more gaps in knowledge of appropriate cancer screening and significant excess emotional distress. CONCLUSION: Gaps in cancer screening knowledge and emotional and financial distress may be responsible for the disparity of lower cancer screening rates for the SGM population and the transgender population may be most at risk. Appreciating the cancer screening concerns of the SGM population can help shape future clinical and institutional approaches to improve health care delivery.

Outreach to primary care patients in lung cancer screening: A randomized controlled trial.

Current guidelines recommend annual lung cancer screening (LCS), but rates are low. The current study evaluated strategies to increase LCS. This study was a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the effects of patient outreach and shared decision making (SDM) about LCS among patients in four primary care practices. Patients 50 to 80 years of age and at high risk for lung cancer were randomized to Outreach Contact plus Decision Counseling (OC-DC, n = 314), Outreach Contact alone (OC, n = 314), or usual care (UC, n = 1748). LCS was significantly higher in the combined OC/OC-DC group versus UC controls (5.5% vs. 1.8%; hazard ratio, HR = 3.28; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.98 to 5.41; p = 0.001). LCS was higher in the OC-DC group than in the OC group, although not significantly so (7% vs. 4%, respectively; HR = 1.75; 95% CI: 0.86 to 3.55; p = 0.123). LCS referral/scheduling was also significantly higher in the OC/OC-DC group compared to controls (11% v. 5%; odds ratio, OR = 2.02; p = 0.001). We observed a similar trend for appointment keeping, but the effect was not statistically significant (86% v. 76%; OR = 1.93; p = 0.351). Outreach contacts significantly increased LCS among primary care patients. Research is needed to assess the additional value of SDM on screening uptake.

Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound for COVID-19: Findings and Prognostic Implications From 105 Consecutive Patients.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of point-of-care lung ultrasound has not been evaluated in a large cohort of patients with COVID-19 admitted to general medicine ward in the United States. The aim of this study was to describe lung ultrasound findings and their prognostic value in patients with COVID-19 admitted to internal medicine ward. METHOD: This prospective observational study consecutively enrolled 105 hospitalized participants with COVID-19 at 2 tertiary care centers. Ultrasound was performed in 12 lung zones within 24 hours of admission. Findings were assessed relative to 4 outcomes: intensive care unit (ICU) need, need for intensive respiratory support, length of stay, and death. RESULTS: We detected abnormalities in 92% (97/105) of participants. The common findings were confluent B-lines (92%), non-homogenous pleural lines (78%), and consolidations (54%). Large confluent B-lines, consolidations, bilateral involvement, and any abnormality in ≥ 6 areas were associated with a longer hospitalization and need for intensive respiratory support. Large confluent B-lines and bilateral involvement were also associated with ICU stay. A total lung ultrasound score <5 had a negative predictive value of 100% for the need of intensive respiratory support. A higher total lung ultrasound score was associated with ICU need (median total 18 in the ICU group vs. 11 non-ICU, p = 0.004), a hospitalization ≥ 9d (15 vs 10, p = 0.016) and need for intensive respiratory support (18 vs. 8.5, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Most patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had lung ultrasound abnormalities on admission and a higher lung ultrasound score was associated with worse clinical outcomes except death. A low total lung ultrasound score (<5) had a negative predictive value of 100% for the need of intensive respiratory support. Point-of-care ultrasound can aid in the risk stratification for patients with COVID-19 admitted to general wards.

The Results of Sentinel Node Mapping for Patients with Clinically Early Staged Gastric Cancer Diagnosed with pT2/deeper Tumors.

BACKGROUND: Sentinel node (SN) mapping based on the SN concept has been applied to early gastric cancer. However, it is still controversial whether or not the oncological safety is ensured in case pathological stage was advanced in these patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the validity of SN mapping in patients with clinically early staged gastric cancer diagnosed with pT2/deeper tumors. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 40 patients with a diagnosis of cT1N0 or cT2N0 single-lesion gastric cancer who were shown to have pT2 or deeper tumors after gastrectomy with SN mapping. We adopted a dual-tracer method using a radioactive colloid and blue dye to detect SNs. The diagnostic accuracy and distribution of SNs at each tumor site were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 40 patients, 24 (60%) were postoperatively diagnosed as pT2, and 16 (40%) as pT3 or T4. SNs were detected in all patients. The false negative rate was 9% (1/11), and in that patient, the non-SN metastasis was observed within the SN basin. Diagnostic accuracy was 98% (39/40). Overall distribution of SNs was similar to that for patients with early gastric cancer. No significant differences in overall and recurrence-free survival were observed between the patients who underwent standard gastrectomy and those who underwent function-preserving gastrectomy, based on the results of SN mapping. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirmed validity of SN mapping for patients with clinically early staged gastric cancer diagnosed with pT2/deeper tumors after gastrectomy. Closed surveillance without additional surgical treatment is an option for these patients.

PAD4 Deficiency Improves Bleomycin-induced Neutrophil Extracellular Traps and Fibrosis in Mouse Lung.

Excessive release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) has been implicated in several organ fibrosis, including pulmonary fibrosis. NETs constitute a phenomenon in which decorated nuclear chromatin with cytosolic proteins is released into the extracellular space. PAD4 (peptidylarginine deiminase 4) plays an important role in the formation of NETs. However, the role of NETs in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis remains undefined. Here, we identified NETs in the alveolar and interstitial lung space of mice undergoing bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung fibrosis, which was suppressed by a pan-PAD inhibitor, Cl-amidine. In vitro, BLM directly induced NETs in blood neutrophils, which was also inhibited by Cl-amidine. Furthermore, Padi4 gene knockout (PAD4-KO) in mice led to the alleviation of BLM-induced NETs and pulmonary fibrosis and to the expression of inflammatory and fibrotic genes. PAD4 deficiency prevented decreases in alveolar epithelial and pulmonary vascular endothelial cell numbers and increases in ACTA2-positive mesenchymal cells and S100A4-positive fibroblasts in the lung. Hematopoietic cell grafts from PAD4-KO mice, not wild-type mice, resolved BLM-induced lung fibrosis and fibrotic gene expression in wild-type and PAD4-KO mice, suggesting that expression of PAD4 in hematopoietic cells may be involved in the development of lung fibrosis. These data suggest that PAD4 deficiency could ameliorate BLM-induced formation of NETs and lung fibrosis, suggesting that this pathway could serve as a therapeutic target for pulmonary fibrosis treatment.

Utility of the one-step nucleic acid amplification assay in sentinel node mapping for early gastric cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: To safely perform minimized gastrectomy based on sentinel node (SN) concept for early gastric cancer patients, intraoperative diagnostic accuracy is indispensable. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of the one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) assay in the intraoperative diagnosis of SN metastasis in early gastric cancer patients compared with that of histopathological examination. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study using the OSNA assay for 43 patients with cT1N0M0 gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy with SN mapping. All the SNs and selected non-SNs were examined by routine histopathological diagnosis, and the OSNA assay. RESULTS: We performed permanent histopathology (PH) in 1732 lymph nodes (LNs) (286 SNs and 1446 non-SNs) obtained from 43 patients. We also evaluated 439 LNs (286 SNs and 153 non-SNs) with the OSNA assay in addition to PH. Intraoperative histopathology (IH) was performed in 214 LNs (213 SNs and 1 non-SN). PH revealed LN metastasis in 6 patients (14%), all of whom showed positive SNs by PH. The diagnostic accuracy to predict the LN status based on the SN concept by histological examination was 100%. The concordance rate between the OSNA assay and the PH and IH were 0.970 and 0.981 respectively. Discordant results between PH and OSNA assay were observed in 13 LNs. The sensitivity and specificity of the OSNA assay compared with those of PH were 0.636, and 0.988, and compared with those of IH were 0.800, and 0.995. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the OSNA assay is a useful and convenient tool for the intraoperative detection of SN metastasis in early gastric cancer patients.

Assessment of lymphatic flow based on the sentinel node concept in early gastric adenocarcinoma that satisfies expanded endoscopic resection criteria.

BACKGROUND: Even though indications for endoscopic resection (ER) in early gastric cancer are determined based on the potential risk of lymph node metastasis, the criteria for ER remain controversial. Sentinel node (SN) mapping for early gastric cancer can help determine regional lymphatic flow patterns. The aim of this study was to assess lymphatic flow according to the SN concept in patients with early gastric cancer, especially those who satisfy the expanded criteria for ER. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 301 patients diagnosed with pT1 adenocarcinoma who had undergone gastrectomy with SN mapping and had no lymphovascular invasion. Patients were categorized into six groups based on oncological assessment. We analyzed lymphatic flow, including the number of identified SN and SN basin, and the rate of SN metastasis in each group. RESULTS: Of the 301 patients, 128 (42.5%) met the criteria for ER, with 18 in the absolute group and 110 in the expanded group; 173 (57.5%) were assigned to the surgical group. SN metastasis rate tended to be higher in surgical group patients than in ER criteria patients. In the expanded criteria group, the sub-group of patients with intramucosal, undifferentiated adenocarcinoma measuring 20 mm or less had a significantly greater number of identified SNs (p = 0.013) and SN basins (p = 0.032). Furthermore, SN metastasis was observed only in this group. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with intramucosal, nonulcerated, undifferentiated adenocarcinoma measuring 20 mm or less could develop a lymphatic network. For these patients, careful follow-up is required after ER.

Risk factors for lymph node metastasis in non-sentinel node basins in early gastric cancer: sentinel node concept.

BACKGROUND: Sentinel node (SN) concept is being applied to early gastric cancer. However, when SNs are positive for metastasis, it is unclear how often LNs in other LN basins show metastasis. We aimed to investigate LN metastasis possibility in LN basins without SNs (non-SN basins). We determined risk factors for metastasis in non-SN basins and identified a prediction model for non-SN basin metastasis using classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. METHODS: We enrolled 550 patients who were diagnosed with cT1N0M0 or cT2N0M0 gastric cancer with a single lesion and underwent SN mapping. We adopted a dual-tracer method using a radioactive colloid and blue dye to detect SNs. RESULTS: Of all, 45 (8.2%) patients had SN metastasis; we divided them into two groups: LN metastasis positive and LN metastasis negative in non-SN basins. Univariate analysis showed that the groups differed significantly regarding lymphatic invasion (p = 0.007), number of identified SNs (p = 0.032), and macrometastasis in SN basins (p = 0.005). The CART decision tree for predicting LN metastasis in non-SN basins had area under the curve value of 0.86. Moreover, there were significantly differences in cancer-specific survival (CSS) between the two groups (p = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: Macrometastasis in SN basins, lymphatic invasion, and number of identified SNs ≥ 5 are risk factors for LN metastasis in non-SN basins among gastric cancer patients. We identified a prediction model with CART analysis; patients with macrometastasis in SN basins and lymphatic invasion were considered to be at the highest risk for LN metastasis.

Validity of Surgical Resection for Lymph Node or Pulmonary Recurrence of Esophageal Cancer After Definitive Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Despite the poor prognosis of recurrent esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC), long-term survival could be achieved in a subset of patients who successfully underwent surgical resection for recurrence. In this study, we investigated the outcomes of surgical resection for lymph node (LN) or pulmonary (PUL) recurrence in ESCC patients. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of ESCC patients who underwent surgical resection between January 2008 and March 2015 for either LN or PUL recurrence after complete response (CR) by chemoradiotherapy or R0 esophagectomy. Every patient fulfilled the original institutional criteria: no recurrence at primary site; recurrence involving in only one organ; expectation of complete resection; and for PUL recurrence, no rapid growth with at least 2 months of observation. RESULTS: Among the 13 patients analyzed, surgical resection was performed in nine and four patients with LN and PUL recurrence, respectively. R0 resection was achieved in all patients with no fatal surgical complications. Mean duration from the day of the first CR/R0 to the recurrence was 809 (110-2575) days. Median recurrence-free survival following surgical resection for recurrence and overall survival following the first diagnosis of recurrence was 387 and 1297 days, respectively. CONCLUSION: Surgical resection for LN or PUL recurrence of ESCC according to our institutional criteria can be performed safely for selected patients.

Hyponatremia in patients with esophageal cancer treated with chemotherapy including cisplatin.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about hyponatremia in patients with esophageal cancer treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to analyze the risk factors for hyponatremia and its effect on outcomes in patients with esophageal cancer treated with chemotherapy including cisplatin. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 137 patients with esophageal cancer who received chemotherapy including cisplatin for the first time between January 2011 and December 2014. RESULTS: Hyponatremia (Na < 135 mEq/L) was seen in 77 patients (59%), of whom 29 had Grade 3 (120 ≤ Na < 130 mEq/L) or Grade 4 (Na < 120 mEq/L) hyponatremia. We divided patients into the hyponatremia group (patients with Na < 130 mEq/L) and the control group (patients with Na ≥ 130 mEq/L), and compared the results between the two groups. Three patients (2%) were diagnosed with the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone. The serum sodium level before starting chemotherapy was significantly lower and white blood cell count was significantly higher in the hyponatremia group. Appetite loss was seen significantly more often in the hyponatremia group as the chemotherapy-related adverse effect. There was no significant difference in overall survival between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Hyponatremia is a common adverse effect induced by cisplatin. Caution should be exercised with patients with a low sodium level before starting chemotherapy. Hyponatremia can be associated with other chemotherapy-related adverse effects, and it should therefore be treated correctly.

Comparison of Salvage Total Pharyngolaryngectomy and Cervical Esophagectomy Between Hypopharyngeal Cancer and Cervical Esophageal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Total pharyngolaryngectomy and cervical esophagectomy (TPLCE) after chemoradiotherapy remains a challenge because of the high rate of complications and few available data on outcomes and safety. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of salvage TPLCE and to compare treatment outcomes between hypopharyngeal cancer and cervical esophageal cancer. METHODS: Data from 37 consecutive patients who were diagnosed with potentially resectable hypopharyngeal and cervical esophageal cancer after chemoradiotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. The survival and surgical outcomes were investigated between the hypopharyngeal cancer and cervical esophageal cancer groups. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were included in hypopharyngeal cancer group and 11 patients were included in cervical esophageal cancer group. The baseline characteristics were balanced between the two groups. Compared to the hypopharyngeal cancer group, the cervical esophageal cancer group had significantly more frequent tracheal-related complications (p < 0.05) and stronger association of distal margin of the cervical esophagus and radiation field with tracheal ischemia after salvage surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Salvage TPLCE can offer the exclusive chance of prolonged survival. Association of tracheal ischemia with salvage TPLCE was seen more frequently for cervical esophageal cancer. Therefore, the indication for salvage TPLCE must be carefully considered to maintain the balance between curability and safety.

Pylorus-Preserving Surgery Based on the Sentinel Node Concept in Early Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND: In patients with early stage gastric cancer in the middle third of the stomach, pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) can be an option as function-preserving surgery, although its oncologic safety is not definitively defined. This issues may be overcome using the sentinel node (SN) concept. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the SN concept in early gastric cancer patients who are candidates for PPG. METHODS: One hundred fifty-six patients with middle-third location of cT1N0 gastric cancer (single lesion, <4 cm) underwent distal gastrectomy with SN mapping. As a tracer, technetium-99 tin colloid solution and blue dye were endoscopically injected into the submucosal layer surrounding the primary tumor. RESULTS: SN detection rate was 100 % (156 of 156), and the accuracy of the nodal evaluation of metastasis was 99 % (155 of 156). Suprapyloric lymph node (LN; LN No. 5) and infrapyloric LN (LN No. 6) were detected as SNs in 6 and 14 % of the patients, respectively. We also found two cases with metastasis to LN No. 5 or LN No. 6. DISCUSSION: When performing PPG, the possibility of LN metastasis, especially to LN No. 5 and LN No. 6, cannot be underestimated. SN mapping can play an important role to predict the possibility of metastasis to LN No. 5 and LN No. 6.

Clinical significance of the anterosuperior lymph nodes along the common hepatic artery identified by sentinel node mapping in patients with gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: The sentinel node (SN) concept is safely applied and validated in early gastric cancer. Gastric lymph nodes are divided into five basins with the main gastric arteries, and the anterosuperior lymph nodes with the common hepatic artery (No. 8a) are classified in the right gastric artery (r-GA) basin. Although No. 8a are considered to have lymphatic flow from the r-GA basin, there might be additional multiple lymphatic flows into No. 8a. The aim of this study is to analyze the lymphatic flows to No. 8a and to investigate the clinical significance of No. 8a as a sentinel node (SN No. 8a). METHODS: Four hundred and twenty-nine patients with cT1N0 or cT2N0 gastric cancer underwent SN mapping. We used technetium-99 tin colloid solution and blue dye as a tracer. RESULTS: We detected SN No. 8a in 35 (8.2 %) patients. In these patients, we detected SN No. 8a with SNs that belonged to the left gastric artery (l-GA) basin (66 %), right gastroepiploic artery (r-GEA) basin (54 %), and right gastric artery (r-GA) basin (46 %). In addition, celiac artery lymph nodes were detected as SNs significantly more frequently. Function-preserving surgery was performed significantly less often in patients with SN No. 8a (p =0.018). CONCLUSIONS: We found that SN No. 8a seemed to have lymphatic flow not only from the r-GA basin, but also from the l-GA basin or r-GEA basin. When SN No. 8a are detected, we should be careful to perform function-preserving surgery, even in SN-negative cases.

Multi-modal evaluation of respiratory diaphragm motion in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using MRI series and CT images.

PURPOSE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), characterized by airflow limitation and breathing difficulty, is usually caused by prolonged inhalation of toxic substances or long-term smoking habits. Some abnormal features of COPD can be observed using medical imaging methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). This study aimed to conduct a multi-modal analysis of COPD, focusing on assessing respiratory diaphragm motion using MRI series in conjunction with low attenuation volume (LAV) data derived from CT images. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This study utilized MRI series from 10 normal subjects and 24 COPD patients, along with thoracic CT images from the same patients. Diaphragm profiles in the sagittal thoracic MRI series were extracted using field segmentation, and diaphragm motion trajectories were generated from estimated diaphragm displacements via registration. Re-sliced sagittal CT images were used to calculate regional LAVs for four distinct lung regions. The similarities among diaphragm motion trajectories at various positions were assessed, and their correlations with regional LAVs were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the normal subjects, patients with COPD typically exhibited fewer similarities in diaphragm motion, as indicated by the mean normalized correlation coefficient of the vertical motion component (0.96 for normal subjects vs. 0.76 for severity COPD patients). This reduction was significantly correlated with the LAV% in the two lower lung regions with a regression coefficient of 0.81. CONCLUSION: Our proposed evaluation method may assist in the diagnosis and therapy planning for patients with COPD.

Primary care patient interests in joining a planned multi-cancer early detection clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Clinical trials are being conducted and are being planned to assess the safety and efficacy of multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests for use in cancer screening. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of primary care patient outreach in recruiting participants to a planned MCED clinical trial, assess patient interest in trial participation, and measure decisional conflict related to participation. METHODS: The research team used the electronic medical record of a large, urban health care system to identify primary care patients 50-80 years of age who were potentially eligible for a planned MCED trial. We mailed information about the planned MCED trial to identified patients and then contacted the patients by telephone to obtain consent and administer a baseline survey. Subsequently, we contacted consented patients to complete an interview to review the mailed information and elicit perceptions about trial participation. Finally, a research coordinator administered an endpoint telephone survey to assess patient interest in and decisional conflict related to joining the trial. RESULTS: We randomly identified 1000 eligible patients and were able to make contact with 690 (69%) by telephone. Of the patients contacted, 217 (31%) completed the decision counseling session and 219 (32%) completed the endpoint survey. Among endpoint survey respondents, 177 (81%) expressed interest in joining the MCED trial and 162 (74%) reported low decisional conflict. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients were contacted and about a quarter of those contacted expressed interest in and low decisional conflict about joining the planned MCED trial. Research is needed to determine how to optimize patient outreach and engage patients in shared decision-making about MCED trial participation.

Desert Hedgehog Down-regulation Mediates Inhibition of Proliferation by γ-Glutamylcyclotransferase Knockdown in Murine Glioblastoma Stem Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Glioblastoma is the most frequent type of adult-onset malignant brain tumor and has a very poor prognosis. Glioblastoma stem cells have been shown to be one of the mechanisms by which glioblastoma acquires therapy resistance. Therefore, there is a need to establish novel therapeutic strategies useful for inhibiting this cell population. γ-Glutamylcyclotransferase (GGCT) is an enzyme involved in the synthesis and metabolism of glutathione, which is highly expressed in a wide range of cancer types, including glioblastoma, and inhibition of its expression has been reported to have antitumor effects on various cancer types. The aim of this study was to clarify the function of GGCT in glioblastoma stem cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched for pathways affected by GGCT overexpression in mouse embryonic fibroblasts NIH-3T3 by comprehensive gene expression analysis. Knockdown of GGCT and overexpression of desert hedgehog (DHH), a representative ligand of the pathway, were performed in glioblastoma stem cells derived from a mouse glioblastoma model. RESULTS: GGCT overexpression activated the hedgehog pathway. Knockdown of GGCT inhibited proliferation of glioblastoma stem cells and reduced expression of DHH and the downstream target GLI family zinc finger 1 (GLI1). DHH overexpression significantly restored the growth-suppressive effect of GGCT knockdown. CONCLUSION: High GGCT expression is important for expression of DHH and activation of the hedgehog pathway, which is required to maintain glioblastoma stem cell proliferation. Therefore, inhibition of GGCT function may be useful in suppressing stemness of glioblastoma stem cells accompanied by activation of the hedgehog pathway.

[A case of necrotizing fasciitis developed in a patient with recurrent rectal cancer treated with chemotherapy].

A fifty-two-year-old female with advanced rectal cancer underwent low anterior resection and hysterectomy. After local pelvic recurrence, she underwent radiation therapy(50 Gy in total), and then chemotherapy(XELOX+bevacizumab)was started. However, left femoral pain developed after the second course of chemotherapy, and necrotizing fasciitis associated with lower bowel perforation was found. Although bowel perforation is known as a serious side-effect of bevacizumab, its association with fasciitis is rare.