ABSTRACT
This study aimed to assess the feasibility of patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU) in combination with regular tumour marker monitoring as an alternative to conventional hospital follow-up for ovarian cancer survivors. Women who had recently completed treatment for ovarian cancer and had a raised pre-treatment tumour marker were recruited. Participants were allocated to PIFU (intervention group) or conventional hospital follow-up (control group) according to their own preference. Both groups had regular tumour marker monitoring. The change in fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) score as measured by the FCR inventory, and the supportive care need (SCN) scores as measured by the SCN survey at baseline and at 6 months between PIFU and hospital follow-up were compared. Out of 64 participants, 37 (58%) opted for hospital follow-up and 27 (42%) opted for PIFU. During the 6-month study period, there was no significant difference in the change of FCR between the two groups (p = 0.35). There was a significant decrease in the sexuality unmet needs score in the intervention group from baseline to 6-month FU (mean difference -8.7, 95% confidence interval -16.1 to -1.4, p = 0.02). PIFU with tumour marker monitoring is a feasible follow-up approach in ovarian cancer survivorship care. FCR and SCN were comparable between PIFU and conventional hospital follow-up.
Subject(s)
Cancer Survivors , Ovarian Neoplasms , Female , Humans , Follow-Up Studies , Ovarian Neoplasms/therapyABSTRACT
Lymph node status is important in predicting the prognosis and guiding adjuvant treatment in endometrial cancer. However, previous studies showed that systematic lymphadenectomy conferred no therapeutic values in clinically early-stage endometrial cancer but might lead to substantial morbidity and impact on the quality of life of the patients. The sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node that tumor cells drain to, and sentinel lymph node biopsy has emerged as an acceptable alternative to full lymphadenectomy in both low-risk and high-risk endometrial cancer. Evidence has demonstrated a high detection rate, sensitivity and negative predictive value of sentinel lymph node biopsy. It can also reduce surgical morbidity and improve the detection of lymph node metastases compared with systematic lymphadenectomy. This review summarizes the current techniques of sentinel lymph node mapping, the applications and oncological outcomes of sentinel lymph node biopsy in low-risk and high-risk endometrial cancer, and the management of isolated tumor cells in sentinel lymph nodes. We also illustrate a revised sentinel lymph node biopsy algorithm and advocate to repeat the tracer injection and explore the presacral and paraaortic areas if sentinel lymph nodes are not found in the hemipelvis.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Stillbirths and neonatal deaths have long been imperfectly classified and recorded worldwide. In Hong Kong, the current code system is deficient (>90% cases with unknown causes) in providing the diagnoses of perinatal mortality cases. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to apply the International Classification of Diseases for Perinatal Mortality (ICD-PM) system to existing perinatal death data. Further, the aim was to assess whether there was any change in the classifications of perinatal deaths compared with the existing classification system and identify any areas in which future interventions can be made. METHODS: We applied the ICD-PM (with International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision) code system to existing perinatal death data in Kwong Wah Hospital, Hong Kong, to improve diagnostic classification. The study included stillbirths (after 24 weeks gestation) and neonatal deaths (from birth to 28 days). The retrospective data (5 years) from May 1, 2012, to April 30, 2017, were recoded by the principal investigator (HML) applying the ICD-PM, then validated by an overseas expert (EA) after she reviewed the detailed case summaries. The prospective application of ICD-PM from May 1, 2017, to April 30, 2019, was performed during the monthly multidisciplinary perinatal meetings and then also validated by EA for agreement. RESULTS: We analyzed the data of 34,920 deliveries, and 119 cases were included for analysis (92 stillbirths and 27 neonatal deaths). The overall agreement with EA of our codes using the ICD-PM was 93.2% (111/119); 92% (78/85) for the 5 years of retrospective codes and 97% (33/34) for the 2 years of prospective codes (P=.44). After the application of the ICD-PM, the overall proportion of unknown causes of perinatal mortality dropped from 34.5% (41/119) to 10.1% (12/119) of cases (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Using the ICD-PM would lead to a better classification of perinatal deaths, reduce the proportion of unknown diagnoses, and clearly link the maternal conditions with these perinatal deaths.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression and clinical significance of Gal-3 and NFκB pathway related factors in epithelial ovarian carcinoma cells. METHODS: 99 histologic specimens of epithelial ovarian cancer and 20 normal ovarian histologic specimens were collected, and the expressions of Gal-3, IκB and p65 were detected by immunohistochemistry. Their relationship with clinical characteristics was analyzed. RESULTS: The expression of Gal-3 and p65 was negatively correlated with the overall survival rate (P<0.05), while the expression of IκB was positively correlated with the overall survival rate (P<0.05). Expression of Gal-3, p65 and IκB were found associated with EOC platinum resistance (P<0.05), and expression of Gal-3 and p65 correlated with pathologic grading (P<0.05). IκB and Gal-3 were associated with the recurrence of EOC (P<0.05). IκB may be related to clinical stage (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis results showed that abnormal expression of Gal-3 may be an independent prognostic risk factors for the drug resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy (95% CI=5.336~34.112, P<0.05). The expression of Gal-3, p65, and IκB can be clinical immunohistochemical indicators that determine the prognosis of EOC, but the amount of Gal-3 expression was related to the epithelial ovarian cancer's pathologic type and overall survival, which suggested that Gal-3 can be used as a prognostic factor in epithelial ovarian cancer. CONCLUSION: Targeted therapy of Gal-3 may become an effective potential new method against epithelial ovarian cancer.
