Pain management in cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer (CC) occupies the second place in incidence and mortality among women in México. Despite this, Cervical Cancer continues to have a late diagnosis which leads to a high rate of complications. Pain represents the most feared and disabling symptom, being present in up to 86% of patients with advanced disease. The approach to managing pain in this population has not been studied and described to a full extent. In addition, there is a pressing need to provide concise recommendations to promote adequate pain control. We performed a review of the literature in CC and had experts in the field of pain management evaluate the evidence found. We then issued relevant recommendations on pharmacology and interventional pain management. Thus, the approach to pain management must be comprehensive and individualized, considering the timely and appropriate use of pharmacologic treatment as well as interventional procedures.

Chemoradiotherapy treatment with gemcitabine improves renal function in locally advanced cervical cancer patients with renal dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer (CC) in Mexico is diagnosed mainly in locally advanced (LACC) and advanced (ACC) stages, where ureteral obstruction is more frequent. The standard treatment for this population is concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with cisplatin, which is nephrotoxic and could lead to further deterioration of renal function in LACC patients with renal function decline. We aimed to evaluate the effect of CCRT with Gemcitabine on renal function in LACC patients. METHODS: This retrospective study included LACC patients treated with CCRT with Gemcitabine as a radiosensitizer from February 2003 to December 2018. Data were collected from medical archives and electronic records. We assessed renal function before and after CCRT treatment and analyzed the patient's response to treatment and survival. RESULTS: 351 LACC patients treated were included and stratified into two groups: 198 with Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) ≥60ml/min (group A) and 153 with GFR<60ml/min (group B). An improvement in GFR was observed after CCRT in patients in group B, from 33 ml/min to 57.5 ml/min (p<0.001). Complete response was observed in 64.1% of patients in Group A and 43.8% in Group B (p<0.0001). Factors associated with increased risk of death included having a GFR of 15-29 ml/min (HR: 2.17; 1.08-4.35), having GFR<15 ml/min (HR: 3.08; 1.63-5.79), and receiving Boost treatment (HR: 2.09; 1.18-3.69). On the other hand, receiving brachytherapy is a positive predictor for OS (HR:0.51; 0.31-0.84). CONCLUSION: CCRT with gemcitabine is an appropriate treatment option for patients diagnosed with LACC who present impaired renal function due to the disease's obstructive nature or other comorbidities.

Difficult Airway Identification and Management in Patients With Moebius Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Airway management in patients with Moebius syndrome can be difficult due to the presence of orofacial malformations. This paper aims to present our institution's experience in the evaluation and management of the upper airway in patients with Moebius syndrome METHODOLOGY:: The authors performed a retrospective study including every patient with Moebius syndrome submitted to surgery between 2012 and 2017. Difficult airway was defined as one requiring more than 2 attempts to achieve endotracheal tube placement, a Mallampati score equal or above III, a Cormack score equal or above III, or need of a fiberscope during intubation. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients were included, (39.3% males) requiring 172 procedures. Each patient required an average of 3.37 ±â€Š1.94 anesthetic events. Average Body Mass Index (BMI) was 20.07 ±â€Š6.06, 45.1% were overweight or obese. Four patients (7%) were considered as having a potentially difficult airway. Endotracheal intubation was achieved in all patients; 38 patients were intubated in a single attempt, while the rest were successfully intubated on a second try. Fiberscope was not necessary. Univariate analysis showed that overweight/obese patients were more likely to be considered as having a difficult airway (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Intubation can be difficult in patients with Moebius syndrome, but failure is rare. Overweight or obese patients are at risk of presenting a difficult airway. An extensive preoperative evaluation and adequate communication between the members of the multidisciplinary team in charge of these patients is paramount.