Assessing the prognostic value of IMDC risk score for nivolumab-treated patients with renal cancer and malignant melanoma.

BACKGROUND: The response of Renal Cell Cancer (RCC) to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) has been well established. Although these stratifications have been established for TKI response and prognosis, these parameters have recently been used to predict immunotherapy response in RCC. We aimed to use a combination of clinical parameters of International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) risk groups and metastatic sites at the time of diagnosis to predict the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors in malignant melanoma (MM). METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, we retrospectively analyzed the demographic information, metastatic sites, and IMDC risk group data. The blood parameters were included in the first cycle of nivolumab treatment. RESULTS: The OS was statistically different between the RCC and MM groups in terms of the IMDC. In univariate analysis of stage at diagnosis, CRP levels and bone and bone marrow metastases were confirmed to be prognostic factors in the MM population in terms of OS. Brain metastasis was a prognostic factor for RCC, whereas sex, line of treatment, LDH, bone, and splenic metastasis remained significant in patients with MM in terms of OS. Brain metastasis was prognostic in both cancer types in multivariate analysis in terms of PFS. In addition to brain metastasis, LDH levels and lung, liver, and splenic metastases also affect PFS in patients with MM undergoing nivolumab treatment. CONCLUSION: In our study, the IMDC was confirmed to be a prognostic factor for MM. The IMDC groups were similar, except for the favorable RCC and MM groups. Different metastatic sites were prognostic, similar to the IMDC risk group in the MM group.

When a balloon catheter or tenaculum is required for cervical traction during hysterosalpingography.

The aim of this study was to define the actual rate of the traction needed and the balloon catheter or tenaculum requirement for hysterosalpingography (HSG) examinations, and to investigate the correlation between pain scores with the type of traction, operator, parity or the type of infertility. 788 patients undergoing HSG participated in the trial. The HSG examinations were completed in 58% of the patients (458) without any traction. Traction was needed in 42% of patients, those with the balloon catheter in 26.9%, and those with the tenaculum only at 15%. Patients with balloon catheter traction had similar pain scores to those using tenaculum traction. The pain scores changed according to the operator. HSG examinations should be performed step-by-step and the need for traction evaluated during the procedure.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? HSG is a technique to evaluate fallopian tube patency and other potential intrauterine pathology in infertile women.What do the results of this study add? Traction was not needed in more than half of the HSG examinations. The pain due to the balloon catheter and tenaculum is similar.What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? HSG examinations should be performed step-by-step by checking the need for traction. Traction with the balloon catheter prevents the uterine spasm, infection and bleeding complications during or after the HSG.

Prognostic impact of the psoas muscle index, a parameter of sarcopenia, in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with rituximab-based chemoimmunotherapy.

Muscle mass, defined as the psoas muscle index (PMI), is an important parameter of sarcopenia and it has been shown to be a prognostic factor of non-hematological cancers. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of sarcopenia defined using PMI measurement in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with R-CHOP. We retrospectively investigated the impact of pretreatment PMI on survival and response to treatment. One hundred and twenty patients with DLBCL were included in the study, of whom 65 had baseline sarcopenia according to the defined PMI cutoffs. Sarcopenic patients displayed a worse response to treatment compared with non-sarcopenic patients. In a multivariate analysis, sarcopenia remained predictive of outcomes for overall survival (p = .009), progression free survival (p = .028), and response to treatment (p = .006). Sarcopenia defined by evaluating PMI is a simple and routinely applicable method that can predict poor outcomes in patients with DLBCL.

The relationship between the umbilicus and the aortic bifurcation in Turkish women: implications for laparoscopic entry.

PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the location and vertical distance of the umbilicus relative to the aortic bifurcation using computed tomography (CT), and assess their relationship with BMI among Turkish women and their implications for laparoscopic entry. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included a total of 209 women undergoing abdominopelvic CT; the vertical distance between the aortic bifurcation and the umbilicus was evaluated on coronal sections. The distance between the skin and the parietal peritoneum was measured from the umbilical pit to the peritoneum, and the distance between the skin and the aorta was measured from the umbilical pit to the surface of the aortic bifurcation. The measurements were performed along the sagittal plane. The age, height, and weight of the patients were recorded. For comparison, women were divided into three groups according to BMI. RESULTS: The aortic bifurcation was located above (cephalic to) the umbilicus in 30 patients in the non-obese group (48.4%), 54 patients in the overweight group (55.7%), and 34 patients (68%) in the obese group. The mean distances between the umbilicus and the parietal peritoneum were 15.1 ± 6.4, 19 ± 5.5, 27.2 ± 10.8 mm, respectively, in the non-obese group, overweight group, and obese group. The mean distances between the umbilicus and the aorta were 85.8 ± 26.3, 110 ± 2.9, 132.1 ± 26.7 mm, respectively, in the non-obese group, overweight group, and obese group. CONCLUSIONS: The location of the umbilicus relative to the aortic bifurcation can vary according to age, BMI and ethnicity or nationality of patients; therefore, a surgeon should not stick to a particular angle of insertion during laparoscopic entry. It is better for surgeons to know their unique patient population.