Performance of Distress Thermometer: A Study among Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: The Distress Thermometer accompanied with Problems List is a commonly used screening tool for psychosocial distress. However, it's cut-off score, performance and risk factors for psychosocial distress varies among studies. This is the first study conducted in Nepal to investigate the Distress Thermometer's screening properties, its optimal cut-off score and evaluating the prevalence of psychosocial distress and its risk factors. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 162 heterogeneous cancer patients. The English form of the Distress Thermometer was translated to Nepali using a forward and backward translation method. Questionnaires including socio-demographic, clinical characteristics, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Distress Thermometer accompanied with Problems List were filled. Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis of distress thermometer scores was evaluated against Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Total (≥15). An Area Under the Curve, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated at each Distress Thermometer cut-off score. RESULTS: Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis showed an excellent discriminating performance (Area Under the Curve =87.4%). A cut-off score of 4 on Distress Thermometer was established and it yielded sensitivity (88.9%), specificity (71.1%), positive predictive value (75.4%) and negative predictive value (86.5%) respectively. Furthermore, 55.6% of participants were distressed and emotional problems (odd ratio = 28.00), practical problems (odd ratio = 12.152) and physical problems (odd ratio = 2.397) were found to be significant risk factors for PD. CONCLUSIONS: PD is a global burden in cancer patients. The DT with a cut-off score of 4 accompanied with PL is valid instrument for screening PD in Nepali cancer patients. PL identified the problems that causes of PD.

Distress Thermometer Score Is Useful For Predicting Suicidal Ideation in Patients With Cancer.

PURPOSE: Suicidal ideation (SI) and depressive symptoms are common in patients with cancer. A Distress Thermometer (DT) is an effective tool to screen depression and anxiety in such cohorts. We investigated the value of the DT for predicting SI and the prevalence and associated risk factors of SI in the study population. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled a total of 162 heterogeneous patients with cancer. Information regarding sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, DT score, and the past month SI were collected. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to find accuracy and the optimal cutoff score for predicting risk of SI. The significance of difference between DT scores was obtained using the median independence test. Likelihood of risk was analyzed through odds ratio. RESULTS: DT possesses good overall accuracy (area under the ROC curve = 0.797) for predicting SI in patients with cancer. The DT had a sensitivity of 0.929 and a specificity of 0.522 with a cutoff score of ≥4. The patients with SI had significantly higher DT scores than the patients without SI (7 [5,8] v 3 [1,6]; P < .001). The 1-month prevalence of SI was 17.3%. Depression, anxiety, and psychological distress were the predictive factors of SI. CONCLUSION: SI is a global issue in patients with cancer. The DT scores may be a rapid predicting tool for identifying SI in patients with cancer. Higher DT scores and patients with psychosocial problems need to be routinely screened for SI, which may help to prevent suicidal risk.

A Child With Retroauricular Tenderness: Is It Really Mastoiditis?

The presence of retroauricular tenderness and erythema has always been closely linked to a diagnosis of acute mastoiditis (AM), a condition that has become less common over the years given the advent of antibiotics and pneumococcal vaccination. However, other etiologies such as retroauricular cellulitis can also present similarly. We present the case of a 10-year-old patient who presented with outward and downward protrusion of the left ear with retroauricular tenderness and erythema and was initially presumed to have a diagnosis of AM and admitted for intravenous antibiotic management. Imaging was negative for any evidence of AM, and in retrospect, the patient was diagnosed with retroauricular cellulitis secondary to acute otitis externa. Being familiar with this differential of retroauricular pain and tenderness can lead to more cost-effective patient care and a different approach with antibiotic management.

Metastatic ovarian carcinoma in breast cancer patients during risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy: Report of two cases.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Metastatic ovarian cancer of breast carcinoma is rare and accounts for only 0.68%-2% of all ovarian tumors, the majority of which are diagnosed incidentally during follow-up or therapeutic oophorectomy. Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) is a highly recommended prophylactic surgery associated with a significant decrease in ovarian cancer risk in both BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, and in those with and without prior breast cancer. CASE PRESENTATION: We present two cases who presented with a lump in the right axilla and left breast respectively and were subsequently diagnosed as invasive mammary carcinoma but later, diagnosed with metastatic ovarian carcinoma with breast primary after RRSO. The patients were treated with cycles of chemo-radiation. DISCUSSION: Invasive lobular carcinoma, larger tumor size, advanced breast cancer increases the risk of developing ovarian metastases. Thorough macroscopic, microscopic, immunohistochemical, and molecular tests are considered the cornerstone in the diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer to the ovaries. Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, a risk-reducing surgery for the BRCA gene mutation, has been shown to reduce the risk of death from ovarian cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Metastatic ovarian cancer in breast cancer is a rare possibility among patients undergoing RRSO for breast cancer. The importance of continued surveillance of ovaries rather than the delayed diagnosis of ovarian metastasis for patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer cannot be less emphasized.

Paget's disease of nipple with dermal invasion: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Invasive mammary Paget's disease (MPD) is an extremely rare eczematous eruption on the nipple and areola with an invasion of the dermis by Paget cells. This entity can often be misdiagnosed and overtreated for invasive carcinoma of the breast. CASE: A 34-year woman presented with a 2-year history of right nipple eczema and right axillary lump for a month. Breast ultrasound revealed dilated intra-nipple lactiferous duct and an enlarged right axillary lymph node. Histopathology from biopsy revealed MPD with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) whereas final histopathology after right modified radical mastectomy revealed Invasive MPD with DCIS and axillary metastasis. She underwent adjuvant chemotherapy and is under hormonal therapy with complete remission for 18 months. CONCLUSION: Awareness of invasive MPD is important to avoid misdiagnosis and probable radical treatment. Close follow-up is warranted due to limited knowledge regarding treatment and prognosis of invasive MPD.

Malignant transformation of mature cystic teratoma into undifferentiated carcinoma: A case report.

Malignant transformation of mature cystic teratoma (MCTO) is a rare entity. Even rarer is the transformation of MCTO into undifferentiated carcinoma. We report a case of an 80-year-old woman with undifferentiated carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma component originating from mature cystic teratoma of the ovary.