Mohs Micrographic Surgery: Key Pharmacologic Considerations.

OBJECTIVE: To describe Mohs micrographic surgery and evaluate whether direct oral anticoagulants should be withheld in patients with atrial fibrillation (Afib) prior to the procedure and to consider what type of antibiotic prophylaxis should be used. SETTING: A community setting in which an elderly patient is living independently at home. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: Academic-affiliated internal medicine clinic that cares for adult patients of all ages, including elderly patients living independently in their own home. The practice occasionally consults with geriatric specialty pharmacists to obtain drug information regarding drug therapy. PRACTICE INNOVATION: Identify and assess literature regarding therapeutic issues regarding patients with Afib, whether direct oral anticoagulants should be withheld prior to dermatologic surgery, and what type of antibiotic prophylaxis should be provided prior to the procedure. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Highlight literature that assesses surgical bleeding risk if direct oral anticoagulants are continued, and alternatively, the risk of a thromboembolic event if discontinued; and address antibiotic prophylaxis prior to Mohs micrographic surgery in a patient with Afib. RESULTS: In an elderly patient with Afib, a pharmacist should evaluate bleeding risk if direct oral anticoagulants are continued, risk for stroke if anticoagulants are discontinued, and determine appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis prior to Mohs micrographic surgery. CONCLUSION: In patients with Afib treated with direct oral anticoagulants who will have dermatologic surgery, the bleeding risk is usually low, whereas risk of a possible thromboembolic event is high, and antibiotic prophylaxis should be done to prevent infection.

Balanitis: A Unique Presentation of Diabetes in an Elderly Male.

While diabetes is a common medical condition, the initial presentation of patients with diabetes may vary. In some cases, different types of infections or inflammatory conditions may prompt a patient to seek medical attention. Males may present to their primary care provider with a bothersome inflammation of the penis that may be the first recognition of previously undiagnosed diabetes. Balanitis is an inflammation of the glans of the penis that may prompt a patient to seek medical care. While there are several different causes of balanitis, underlying medical conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes have been associated with balanitis. The genital irritation prompts patients to seek medical evaluation, and at that point diabetes is diagnosed. It is important for pharmacists to recognize that balanitis is a potential though uncommon type of diabetes presentation. It is also important for pharmacists to review other aspects of diabetes care once a patient is diagnosed with diabetes.

The interactions of polarographic measurements of oxygen tension and histological grade in human glioma.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the implications of hypoxia and histological grade for survival in patients with gliomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tissue oxygen tension was measured intraoperatively using an Eppendorf pO2 Histograph. Survival was calculated from the date of the Eppendorf study to the date of last follow-up. Univariate analysis was performed stratifying patients by patient gender, type of anesthesia used, histological grade, extent of surgery, and patient age. Lastly univariate analysis was performed on the cohort after dichotomizing the median pO2 at 2.0 mmHg, 5.1 mmHg, and 10.0 mmHg. RESULTS: From March of 1996 to June of 1999, 25 patients were entered into this prospective trial. Two patients were excluded from analysis because polarographic measurements included normal brain tissue as well as tumor. Thus for analysis we included 13 patients with high grade gliomas (HGG) and 10 with low grade gliomas (LGG). The median tumor oxygen pressure for the entire cohort was 5.1 mmHg. Higher grade (P=0.0012) was prognostic for poorer survival. Patients were then stratified into groups with a median tumor oxygen tensions either above or below 2.0 mmHg, 5.1 mmHg, and 10.0 mmHg; there was no significant difference found in overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Although histological grade was prognostic for survival, hypoxia, represented as the median tumor oxygen tension, was not a significant independent prognostic indicator of survival in this small and heterogeneous series of patients.

Concurrent chemo-radiotherapy with mitomycin C compared with porfiromycin in squamous cell cancer of the head and neck: final results of a randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: Previous randomized trials have shown a benefit with concurrent use of the hypoxic cell cytotoxin mitomycin C (MC) and radiation (RT) in the management of squamous cell cancer of the head and neck (SCCHN). We conducted a randomized trial comparing MC with porfiromycin (POR) in combination with RT in the management of SCCHN. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between 1992 and 1999, 128 patients with SCCHN were enrolled in this prospective randomized trial. Patients were stratified by management intent, and balanced with respect to stage and site of disease. They were randomized to receive MC (15 mg/M(2)) or POR (40 mg/M(2)) on Days 5 and 47 (or last day) of RT. Of 121 evaluable patients, 61 were randomized to MC and 60 to POR. Patients were treated with standard daily RT to a total median dose of 64 Gy over 47 days. Patients were well balanced with respect to management intent, stage, site, age, sex, hemoglobin levels, tumor grade, radiation dose, and days on treatment. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two arms with respect to acute hematologic or nonhematologic toxicities. As of January 2003 with a median follow-up of 6.3 years, there have been 19 local relapses (4 MC vs. 15 POR), 21 regional relapses (7 MC vs. 14 POR), 24 distant metastases (11 MC vs. 13 POR), and 66 deaths (33 MC vs. 33 POR). MC was superior to POR with respect to 5-year local relapse-free survival (91.6% vs. 72.7%, p = 0.01), local-regional relapse-free survival (82% vs. 65.3%, p = 0.05), and disease-free survival (72.8% vs. 52.9%, p = 0.026). There were no significant differences between the two arms with respect to overall survival (49.2% vs. 54.4%) or distant metastasis-free rate (79.9% vs. 75.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite promising preclinical data, and an acceptable toxicity profile, POR was inferior to MC as an adjunct to RT in the management of SCCHN. This randomized trial emphasizes the need for randomized studies to evaluate new agents in the management of SCCHN.

Papel de la mitomicina C como adyuvante a la radioterapia en el tratamiento de cáncer del cuello uterino localmente avanzado / Role of mitomycin C as adyunct in the treatment of locally advanced cancer of uterine cervix

El cáncer de cuello uterino representa un problema de grandes proporciones dentro del campo de la oncología en Venezuela, con un incremento en su incidencia desde 1985. Sigue ocupando el primer lugar en la incidencia y mortalidad por cáncer en la población femenina, con 2962 casos nuevos por año y 1214 muertes. La radioterapia constituye el tratamiento de elección en los estadios localmente avanzados de la enfermedad, del estadio IIB en adelante; sin enbargo, los resultados de control local de la enfermedad y sobrevida deben ser mejorados. En 1990 se inicia un estudio fase II en conjunto con la Universidad de Yale con objeto de estudiar el valor de un agente alquilante biorreductor, la mitomicina C, como adyuvante al tratamiento radiante en base a la toxicidad selectiva de esta droga para las células hipóxicas. Este estudio se ha venido realizando en el Hospital Universitario de Caracas, Hospital Domingo Luciani y en el Instituto Médico la Floresta

Second Neoplasms in Patients With Hodgkin's Disease Following Combined Modality Therapy-The Yale Experience.

In the article by Koletsky et al "Second Neoplasms in Patients With Hodgkin's Disease Following Combined Modality Therapy-The Yale Experience" (Journal of Clinical Oncology 4:311-317, 1986), an error was made in the footnote on page 311 which described the composition of MVVPP. The corrected footnote appears below. *MVVPP = nitrogen mustard (0.4 mg/kg on day 1 of cycle); vinblastine (6 mg/m2 on days 22, 29, and 36); vincristine (1.4 mg/m2, 2 mg maximum dose, on days 1, 8, and 15); procarbazine (100 mg/d on days 22 through 42); prednisone (40 mg/m2 on days 1 through 15 for cycles 1, 3, and 5 only).