Machine Learning Approach for the Determination of the Best Cut-Off Points for Ki67 Proliferation Index in Adjuvant and Neo-Adjuvant Therapy Breast Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate Ki67 cut-off points for differentiating low and high-risk patients based on survival and recurrence and find the best Ki67 cut-off points in breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy using machine learning methods. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with breast cancer treated at 2 referral hospitals between December 2000 and March 2021 who had invasive breast cancer entered this study. There were 257 patients in the neoadjuvant group and 2139 in the adjuvant group. A decision tree method was used to predict the likelihood of survival and recurrence. The 2-ensemble technique of RUSboost and bagged tree were imposed on the decision tree method to increase the accuracy of the determination. 80 percent of the data was used to train and validate the model, and 20% was used as a test. RESULTS: In adjuvant therapy breast cancer patients with Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) the cutoff points for survival were 20 and 10, respectively. For luminal A, luminal B, Her2 neu, and triple-negative adjuvant therapy patients' the cutoff points for survival were 25, 15, 20, and 20, respectively. For neoadjuvant therapy luminal A and luminal B group, survival cutoff points were 25 and 20, respectively. CONCLUSION: Despite variability in measurement and cut-off points, the Ki-67 proliferation index is still helpful in the clinic. Further investigation is needed to determine the best cut-off points for different patients. The sensitivity and specificity of Ki-67 cutoff point prediction models in this study could further prove its significance as a prognostic factor.

The Effect of Neoadjuvant vs Adjuvant Chemotherapy on Final Outcome of Patients with Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for about 10% to 20% of breast cancers, does not respond to endocrine treatment, and is more aggressive. Two chemotherapy methods suggested include neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), performed before surgery, and adjuvant chemotherapy (AC), performed after surgery. In order to determine whether the choice of chemotherapy method has any impact on patients' outcome, the present study aimed to compare the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of TNBC patients with a 10-year follow-up. Methods: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of neoadjuvant versus adjuvant chemotherapy on the final outcome of patients with TNBC. Women with TNBC stages II and III who referred to the Cancer Research Center of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences during 2000 and 2020 were included (N = 237) and visited or called by phone to obtain their consent and complete their information. The participants were categorized into 2 groups according to the treatment protocol they received; one group received NAC (N = 85) and the other group received AC (N = 188); patients' age, tumor's grade and stage, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), DFS, and OS were compared between the 2 treatment types. For the statistical analysis, the statistical software IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 24.0. (IBM Corp) was used. All tests were 2-sided and P values < 0.050 were considered statistically significant. Results: The frequency of pathologies, LVI, and type of surgery was not different between the groups (p = 0.543, p = 0.352, p = 0.935), while the frequency of age categories and tumor grade was significantly different between the groups (p = 0.003, p = 0.001). Ten-year OS and DFS were not different between the groups (p = 0.771, p = 0.506). The Multivariate Cox analysis results showed clinical stage, pathologic grade, age >70, and LVI as significant predictors of death. Conclusion: These results showed that the choice of chemotherapy method, performed before or after surgery, does not influence the 10-year OS and DFS of TNBC patients.

The occurrence of giant mesenteric cyst and adrenal ganglioneuroma in a schizophrenic male patient presenting as pseudocyesis: A case report.

In psychological patients like our case, somatically expressed symptoms which can imply another psychological syndrome should be dealt with cautiously.

The effect of early tranexamic acid on bleeding, blood product consumption, mortality and length of hospital stay in trauma cases with hemorrhagic shock: a randomized clinical trial.

Introduction: Because no medication has been approved for coagulation support in trauma, the current study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous injection of Tranexamic acid (TXA) in patients with acute traumatic bleeding. Methods: In the current randomized controlled clinical trial, 68 patients with acute bleeding and hemorrhagic shock presentation due to blunt trauma of the abdomen, pelvis, and thorax, randomly assigned into two groups of TXA and placebo. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of Systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, Base excess, serum hemoglobin changes, bleeding volume, the incidence of thrombotic events, and the number of deaths (p > 0.05). But Systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, base excess, and serum hemoglobin, changed significantly within each group over time(p < 0.05). The median time for the length of hospital stay among the TXA group was lower than the Placebo group (6 days vs 10 days, p = 0.004). Also, there was a significant difference between the two groups about the median of pack cell, Platelet consumption, and bleeding Volume (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The use of TXA is associated with lower use of blood production and reduced length of hospital stay, however, thrombotic events incidence and mortality rates between the TXA and placebo groups were not different.

The Effect of Preoperative Oral Versus Parenteral Dextrose Supplementation on Pain, Nausea, and Quality of Recovery After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.

PURPOSE: Earlier studies suggest that carbohydrate loading is effective in reducing preoperative nausea. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of preoperative oral versus parenteral carbohydrate loading on the postoperative pain, nausea, and quality of recovery (QoR). DESIGN: Three-arm randomized, single-blind clinical trial. METHODS: In this study, 95 adult patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly assigned into three groups of preoperative intravenous dextrose 10% infusion, oral carbohydrate (OCH)-rich drink, and control. The pain and nausea severity scores were measured during recovery, 6 hours, and 24 hours thereafter. The 40-item QoR score was evaluated the day after surgery. FINDINGS: In recovery, nausea severity was comparable among three groups, whereas pain score in the OCH group was significantly less than the controls (P = .009). Pain score in patients who received intravenous dextrose was mediocre and not statistically different from two other groups. Six and 24 hours after surgery, nausea and pain scores in OCH and dextrose infusion groups were significantly lower than the control group (P < .05). The 40-item QoR score was significantly higher in intervention groups than control participants (P < .05). Blood glucose levels were comparable in three groups before and after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative carbohydrate loading significantly improves the QoR after laparoscopic cholecystectomy without significant effect on blood glucose levels. Oral route more effectively controls nausea and pain than parenteral dextrose administration.

Incidence patterns of gynecological sarcomas in Iran analysis of National Cancer Registry data between 2009 and 2014.

AIM: Gynecological sarcomas (GS) are rare malignant tumors arising in the female genital organs. Due to the low incidence and diverse histology, information on the epidemiology of these tumors is sparse. We aimed to investigate the incidence rates of GS in Iran that in our knowledge is the first report from Eastern Mediterranean Region. METHODS: In this retrospective study, all malignant tumors with a sarcoma morphology arising in the female genital organs diagnosed between 2009 and 2014 were extracted from the Iran National Cancer Registry dataset. All the cancer cases were categorized according to ICD-O-3 morphologic and topographic codes. Age-standardized incidence rates, age-specific incidence rates, morphologic and geographic distribution of all cases were analyzed and compared with other parts of the world. RESULTS: A total of 1174 cases were diagnosed over the period 2009-2014. The overall age-standardized incidence rate for all sites combined was 6.13 per million females. Analysis of trends in incidence did not show a significant change over time according to annual average percent change analysis (P-value = 0.300). The most common anatomical site was the uterus, accounting for 77% of all cases. The mean (±SD) age at diagnosis, irrespective of tumor site, was 52.3 (±15) years. In terms of morphology, leiomyosarcoma was the most frequently observed subtype, constituting 34% of all GS. Also, the highest ASIR was observed in women aged 60-64 years. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings, GS are relatively rare tumors that occur more in old women. The results of this study provide a comprehensive picture of GS incidence patterns in Iran for more investigation.

A comparison of bupivacaine lavage and diclofenac suppository effects on post-operative pain of laparascopic transabdominal pre-peritoneal herniorrhaphy: a randomized clinical trial study.

OBJECTIVES: Injection of a topical anaesthetic has been proved to be helpful with reducing pain after laparoscopic herniorrhaphy. We aimed to assess the effect of bupivacaine lavage on postoperative pain and compare it with diclofenac suppository. In this randomized clinical trial, 60 patients-scheduled for laparoscopic herniorrhaphy-were enrolled and randomized into three groups of 20 each, including diclofenac suppository, bupivacaine lavage, and normal saline as a placebo.The patients were investigated for postoperative pain scores, vomiting, nausea, morphine request, and duration of hospitalization. RESULTS: In the bupivacaine group, pain levels in recovery room, 4, 8 and 12 h after surgery, were significantly lower than diclofenac group; at time points of 16, 20 and 24 h after surgery, difference between two groups was not significant. Regarding vomiting and nausea, at time points of 1 and 3 h after surgery, results show no significant difference between the groups. Incident of infection, 1 h and 1 week after the surgery, was not significantly different among the groups. Duration of hospitalization in the bupivacaine group was much lower than the diclofenac group. Based on our results, use of the bupivacaine lavage can reduce postoperative pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic herniorrhaphy. Trial Registration Randomized clinical trial IRCT20180522039782N2; date of registration:14/10/2018.

Evaluating the effect of gentamicin-clindamycin lavage on post-operational pain and infection through laparoscopic colectomy surgery / Avaliação do efeito da lavagem com gentamicina-clindamicina sobre a dor e a infecção após colectomia laparoscópica

Abstract Introduction Peritoneal antibiotic or normal saline lavage is seen to be beneficial in order to reduce the pain or infection risk through laparoscopic surgeries. It can also be applied for laparoscopic colectomy surgeries. In this study, we have compared the effects of antibiotic solution lavage (gentamycin-clindamycin) with normal saline lavage in patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy surgery. Method In this double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), 40 patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy surgery were divided into antibiotic and normal saline lavage groups (20 patients in each group). Post-operational pain, need for painkiller, white blood cells count, C-reactive protein level, duration of hospitalization and wound infection were compared in 30 days between the groups. Results Antibiotic lavage group had significantly less pain than the normal saline group (p < 0.05) through 3, 6, 12 and 24 h after surgery. C-reactive protein level, white blood cells count, painkiller use, and hospitalization duration were significantly lower in antibiotic group. However, there was no difference regarding wound or intra-abdominal infection between the both groups. Conclusion Using gentamicin-clindamycin peritonea lavage helps patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy surgery in pain reduction, need for painkillers and hospitalization duration.

Resumo Introdução A lavagem peritoneal com antibiótico ou com soro fisiológico normal é benéfica para reduzir o risco de dor ou de infecção durante cirurgias laparoscópicas, além de poder ser aplicada também em colectomias laparoscópicas. Neste estudo, comparamos os efeitos da lavagem com solução antibiótica (gentamicina-clindamicina) e da lavagem com solução salina normal em pacientes submetidos à colectomia laparoscópica. Método Neste Ensaio Clínico Randomizado (ECR), controlado e duplo-cego, 40 pacientes submetidos à colectomia laparoscópica foram divididos em dois grupos (20 pacientes em cada grupo) para receberem antibiótico ou solução salina normal. Dor pós-operatória, necessidade de analgésico, contagem de leucócitos, nível de proteína C-reativa, tempo de internação e infecção da ferida foram comparados entre os grupos em 30 dias. Resultados De forma significativa, o Grupo Antibiótico apresentou menos dor que o Grupo Salina Normal (p < 0,05) em 3, 6, 12 e 24 horas após a cirurgia. O nível de proteína C-reativa, a contagem de leucócitos, o uso de analgésicos e o tempo de internação foram significativamente menores no Grupo Antibiótico. Porém, não houve diferença em relação à infecção da ferida ou intra-abdominal entre os dois grupos. Conclusão O uso da lavagem peritoneal com gentamicina-clindamicina ajuda a reduzir a dor, a necessidade de analgésicos e o tempo de internação de pacientes submetidos à colectomia laparoscópica.

Lesser Sac Glomangiosarcoma With Simultaneous Liver And Lymph Nodes Metastases Mimicking Small Bowel Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor; Immunohistochemistry And Empirical Chemotherapy.

Glomangiosarcoma is a rare malignant mesenchymal tumor. Despite malignant histopathological feature of glomangiosarcoma, metastasis was observed extremely rare in these tumors. Moreover, malignant glomus tumor with stomach origination and simultaneous metastasis to liver and lymph nodes were not reported so far. This report presented a 57-year-old male patient with an exophytic gastric glomangiosarcoma in lesser sac and simultaneous liver and lymph node metastasis.

Evaluation of the Potential Association of Platelet Levels, Mean Platelet Volume and Platelet Distribution Width with Acute Appendicitis.

BACKGROUND: The occurrence and early management of acute appendicitis among children are especially important due to the difficult diagnosis and nonspecific symptoms of the disease. Diagnosis of appendicitis in children is very difficult due to similarity of its symptoms to other diseases, and also its self-limiting nature Platelet indexes such as mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) have been suggested as a biomarker of inflammation. AIM: Therefore, we examined the association of MPV and PDW with acute appendicitis in children. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 464 patients with suspected acute appendicitis under the age of 18 years referred to the specialised hospitals of the ten studied provinces between October 2014 and October 2015. All data obtained regarding patient's lab tests, i.e. platelet count, MPV and PDW and also radiological studies and surgical reports were gathered in datasheets and analysed to evaluate the potential association of platelet levels, mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) with acute appendicitis. RESULTS: Our results showed that the MPV was significantly higher in acute appendicitis in comparison to perforated appendicitis as well as acute gangrenous appendicitis. PDW was significantly higher in acute appendicitis in comparison to perforated appendicitis and acute gangrenous appendicitis. The current project indicated that PDW < 10.05 had a sensitivity of 35% and specificity of 75%, platelet count < 229500 had a sensitivity of 24% and specificity of 75% and MPV < 8.95 had a sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 71%. CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that platelet indexes such as MPV and PDW could significantly correlate with acute appendicitis in pediatric patients. Hence, we believe that both MPV and PDW could use as a simple and low-cost lab test for diagnosing acute appendicitis. Also, this study revealed that the MPV lower than 8.95 could be a novel index for diagnosing acute appendicitis with sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 71%.

Patency and outcomes of tunneled hemodialysis catheter via femoral versus jugular vein access.

The design of a suitable catheter to achieve a permanent, economical, and efficient vascular pathway for hemodialysis has been always accompanied by difficult and potential complications. Various strategies have been adopted to minimize the use of tunneled catheters that are used for dialysis. Regarding this, the present study aimed to assess the success, patency, as well as early and late complications of cuffed femoral and jugular hemodialysis catheters. This case-control study was performed on 145 hemodialysis patients who were candidates for the insertion of tunneled hemodialysis catheters at Rasoul-e-Akram Hospital in Tehran, Iran, during 2015-2016. The data were collected retrospectively by reviewing the patients' medical records. The participants were divided into two groups of femoral and jugular accesses, based on the type of catheter they had. To determine the procedure-related outcomes, they were assessed 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months after catheterization. According to the results, the mean times of catheter efficacy (patency) were 4.43 ± 3.11 and 5.65 ± 4.57 months in the femoral and jugular access groups, respectively, showing no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.095). Furthermore, the femoral and jugular access groups had the infection prevalence of 23.2% and 16.2%, thrombosis prevalence of 28.6% and 20.9%, and mortality rates of 3.5% and 1.4%, respectively. According to the multivariable linear regression model, the history of catheterization could predict reduced catheter patency. In addition, catheter-related infection could be predicted among females based on the multivariate logistic regression analysis. As the findings indicated, femoral and jugular hemodialysis catheter insertions showed no significant difference in terms of the mean patency, complications (e.g., infection and thrombosis), and mortality rate.