The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on colorectal and gastric cancer diagnosis, disease stage and mortality.

Background: Since the outbreak of COVID-19, a significant decline in endoscopic procedures has been observed. Aims: We investigated the change of incidence, clinical characteristics, disease stage and mortality of patients with gastric cancer (GC) or colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosed in 2020 compared to the pre-pandemic year 2019. Methods: Demographic, clinical and laboratory data on all patients diagnosed with GC or CRC at the Soroka University Medical Center were retrospectively collected and compared. Number of cases, time of diagnosis, clinical presentation, staging at diagnosis and mortality rates were compared. Results: Two hundred sixteen patients were diagnosed with CRC in 2019, whereas only 162 were diagnosed in 2020 (25% reduction), while 36 GC diagnoses were made in 2019 compared to 24 in 2020 (33% reduction). The age-adjusted incidence was calculated to be 24.28 for CRC and 5.0 for GC in 2020 compared to 29.93 and 5.32 in 2019, respectively. CRC patients had a significantly lower rate of rectal bleeding as their presenting symptom in 2020 compared with 2019, 8.1 vs. 19% (p = 0.003), but higher rate of diarrhea as their presenting symptom, 4.3 vs. 1% (p = 0.044). No significant differences regarding other presenting symptoms, comorbidities, surgery or mortality rates were found between the groups diagnosed in 2019 or 2020. Conclusion: A decrease in GC and CRC incidence was observed during the year 2020; lower rate of rectal bleeding and higher rate of diarrhea as presenting symptoms were noted in 2020, but no significant difference was found regarding other presenting symptoms, disease stage, surgery or mortality.

Pleural hemangioma: A case report and review of the literature.

A middle-aged female with history of multinodular goiter, Hashimoto disease, and chronic vitamin B12 deficiency presented with palpitations and subsequent exertional dyspnea. Initial radiographic analysis suggested mediastinal cavernous hemangioma, but biopsy showed features consistent with pleural hemangioma. Pleural hemangioma should be considered among the differential diagnoses for recurrent unilateral pleural effusion. Pleural hemangioma should be distinguished from other more common entities including the similarly benign pulmonary hemangioma and the more aggressive pleural hemangioendothelioma.

Adjuvant Treatment with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutated Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma Patients, Past, Present and Future.

Lung cancer is the most common malignancy across the world. The new era in lung cancer treatments, especially this past decade, has yielded novel categories of targeted therapy for specific mutations and adjuvant therapy, both of which have led to improved survival rates. In the present study, we review the changes and development of treatments, with a special focus on adjuvant therapy using tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) administered to non-small-cell lung carcinoma patients who had a complete resection of the tumor harboring a mutated epidermal growth factor receptor. The clinical trials are dating from the past (chemotherapy trials), present (TKIs), and future (ongoing trials).