Extended nodal radiotherapy for prostate cancer relapse guided with [11C]-choline PET/CT: ten-year results in patients enrolled in a prospective trial.

AIMS: To report long-term outcomes of relapsed prostate cancer (PC) patients treated in a prospective single-arm study with extended-nodal radiotherapy (ENRT) and [11C]-choline positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT)-guided simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) to positive lymph nodes (LNs). METHODS: From 12/2009 to 04/2015, 60 PC patients with biochemical relapse and positive LNs only were treated in this study. ENRT at a median total dose (TD) = 51.8 Gy/28 fr and PET/CT-guided SIB to positive LNs at a median TD = 65.5 Gy was prescribed. Median PSA at relapse was 2.3 (interquartile range, IQR:1.3-4.0) ng/ml. Median number of positive LNs: 2 (range: 1-18). Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) was prescribed for 48 patients for a median of 30.7 (IQR: 18.5-43.1) months. RESULTS: Median follow-up from the end of salvage treatment was 121.8 (IQR: 116.1, 130.9) months; 3-, 5-, and 10-year BRFS were 45.0%, 36.0%, and 24.0%, respectively; DMFS: 67.9%, 57.2%, and 45.2%; CRFS: 62.9%, 53.9%, and 42.0%; and OS: 88.2%, 76.3%, and 47.9%, respectively. Castration resistance (p < 0.0001) and ≥ 6 positive LN (p = 0.0024) significantly influenced OS at multivariate analysis. Castration resistance (p < 0.0001 for both) influenced DMFS and CRFS in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In PC relapsed patients treated with ENRT and [11C]-choline-PET/CT-guided SIB for positive LNs, with 10-year follow-up, a median Kaplan-Meier estimate CRFS of 67 months and OS of 110 months were obtained. These highly favorable results should be confirmed in a prospective, randomized trial.

Reducing the burden of TB among migrants to low TB incidence countries.

BACKGROUND: International migrants to low TB incidence countries are disproportionately affected by TB compared to the native population: migrants are at increased risk for TB transmission and TB disease due to a variety of personal, environmental and socio-economic determinants experienced during the four phases of migration (pre-departure, transit, arrival and early settlement, return travel).OBJECTIVE: To provide an up-to-date overview of the determinants that drive the TB burden among migrants, as well as effective and feasible interventions to address this for each migration phase.METHODS: We conducted a literature review by searching PubMed and the grey literature for articles and reports on determinants and interventions addressing migrant health and TB.RESULTS: Lowering the risk of TB transmission and TB disease among migrants would be most effective by improving the socio-economic position of migrants pre-, during and after migration, ensuring universal health coverage, and providing tailored and migrant-sensitive care and prevention activities.CONCLUSION: In addition to migrant-sensitive health services and cross-border collaboration between low TB incidence countries, there is a need for international financial and technical support for endemic countries.

'One Health´ approach to end zoonotic TB.

Mycobacterium bovis has a wide host range causing TB in animals, both in wildlife and cattle (bovine TB bTB), and in humans (zoonotic TB zTB). The real burden of bovine and zoonotic TB (b/zTB) remains unknown due to diagnostic challenges. Although progress has been made to reduce the burden of TB, b/zTB has been neglected in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with little improvement in prevention, diagnosis or treatment. Using Tanzania as a case study, because of its high TB burden, large wildlife diversity and wide reliance on livestock, we developed an approach to comprehensively estimate the burden and implement multidisciplinary actions against b/zTB. We performed a review of the literature on b/zTB, but there is a lack of available data on the b/zTB burden in Tanzania and, notably, on epidemiological indicators other than incidence. We propose a five-action programme to address b/zTB in Tanzania, and we believe our proposed approach could benefit other LMICs as it operates by implementing and strengthening surveillance and health delivery. The resulting knowledge and system organisation could further prevent and mitigate the effects of such conditions on human and animal health, livestock production, population livelihood and the economy.

Retrospective study of secondary implantation of retroiridial fixation lenses in patients without capsular support: functional results and complications.

INTRODUCTION: The correction of aphakia when there is no adequate capsular support remains a therapeutic challenge. The use of retroiridial fixation lenses has been extended given their lower complication rate compared to other available options. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study including all cases operated with an Artisan® retropupillary aphakia implant. RESULTS: 33 eyes were included out of a total of 28 patients. The follow-up period has been 38.55 months (1-96). 32.3% had a lens dislocation and 67.7% had an intraocular lens dislocation. The previous mean best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 1.18 ± 0.79 logMAR and post-intervention 0.36 ± 0.62 (p < 0.01). 93.8% of the patients presented a final BCVA equal to or better and 62.5% an improvement of 3 or more lines. The most frequent complication was corectopia (31.3%) and hypotony in the immediate postoperative period (21.9%). An epiretinal membrane (ERM) developed in 18.8% and cystic macular oedema (CME) in 9.4%. The presence of complications in the postoperative period did not statistically influence the final BCVA. CONCLUSIONS: The retropupillary Artisan® lens allows the correction of aphakia with satisfactory visual results and a low rate of complications.

Estudio retrospectivo de implante secundario de lentes de fijación retroiridiana en pacientes sin soporte capsular: resultados funcionales y complicaciones / Retrospective study of secondary implantation of retroiridial fixation lenses in patients without capsular support: functional results and complications

Introducción La corrección de la afaquia en ausencia de un soporte capsular adecuado sigue suponiendo un reto terapéutico. Se ha extendido el uso de las lentes de fijación retroiridiana dada su menor tasa de complicaciones con respecto a otras opciones disponibles. Material y métodos Se realizó un estudio restrospectivo incluyendo todos los casos intervenidos con un implante Artisan® Afaquia retropupilar en un centro de tercer nivel. Resultados Se incluyeron 33 ojos de un total de 28 pacientes. El periodo de seguimiento ha sido de 38,55 meses (1-96). Un 32,3% tenían una luxación del cristalino y un 67,7% de la lente intraocular. La mejor agudeza visual corregida (MAVC) media previa fue 1,18 ± 0,79 logMAR y post intervención de 0,36 ± 0,62 (p < 0,01). El 93,8% de los pacientes presentó una MAVC final igual o mejor a la previa y el 62,5% una mejoría de 3 o más líneas. La complicación más frecuente fue la corectopia (31,3%) y la hipotonía transitoria en el postoperatorio inmediato (21,9%). En un 18,8% se desarrolló una membrana epirretiniana (MER) y en un 9,4% edema macular (EM). La presencia de complicaciones en el postoperatorio no influyó de forma estadísticamente significativa la MAVC final. Conclusiones La lente Artisan® retropupilar permite corregir la afaquia con resultados visuales satisfactorios y con una reducida tasa de complicaciones (AU)

Introduction The correction of aphakia when there is no adequate capsular support remains a therapeutic challenge. The use of retroiridial fixation lenses has been extended given their lower complication rate compared to other available options. Material and method Retrospective study including all cases operated with an Artisan® retropupillary aphakia implant. Results 33 eyes were included out of a total of 28 patients. The follow-up period has been 38.55 months (1-96). 32.3% had a lens dislocation and 67.7% had an intraocular lens dislocation. The previous mean best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 1.18 ± 0.79 logMAR and post-intervention 0.36 ± 0.62 (p < 0.01). 93.8% of the patients presented a final BCVA equal to or better and 62.5% an improvement of 3 or more lines. The most frequent complication was corectopia (31.3%) and hypotony in the immediate postoperative period (21.9%). An epiretinal membrane (ERM) developed in 18.8% and cystic macular oedema (CME) in 9.4%. The presence of complications in the postoperative period did not statistically influence the final BCVA. Conclusions The retropupillary Artisan® lens allows the correction of aphakia with satisfactory visual results and a low rate of complications (AU)

Susac syndrome: The importance of an early diagnosis.

A 38-year-old man who attended the emergency department with headache, accompanied by vomiting, bradypsychia and gait instability, for which he was admitted to Neurology for study. During his admission, he began to present bilateral hearing loss and blurred vision in the left eye, with areas of arterial occlusion and hyperfluorescence of the arterial wall being observed in the ophthalmological examination. As a result, he was diagnosed with Susac syndrome. He was treated with systemic corticosteroids, as well as with rituximab and subsequently, with intravenous immunoglobulins and mycophenolate mofetil. The patient managed to preserve visual acuity, with gait instability and bilateral hearing loss as sequelae. Early diagnosis of Susac syndrome is important, because a delay in the start of treatment can lead to irreversible sequelae such as deafness, blindness or neurological involvement.

Síndrome de Susac: la importancia de un diagnóstico precoz / Susac syndrome: The importance of an early diagnosis

Varón de 38 años que acude a urgencias con cefalea, acompañada de vómitos, bradipsiquia e inestabilidad de la marcha, por lo que ingresa en neurología para estudio. Durante el ingreso, comienza con hipoacusia bilateral y visión borrosa en el ojo izquierdo, apreciándose en la exploración oftalmológica áreas de oclusión arterial e hiperfluorescencia de la pared arterial, por lo que es diagnosticado de síndrome de Susac. Se realiza tratamiento con corticoides sistémicos, así como con rituximab, y posteriormente con inmunoglobulinas intravenosas y micofenolato de mofetilo. El paciente consigue preservar la agudeza visual y presenta como secuelas, inestabilidad de la marcha y pérdida de audición bilateral. El diagnóstico precoz del síndrome de Susac es importante, porque un retraso en el inicio del tratamiento puede dar lugar a secuelas irreversibles como sordera, ceguera o afectación neurológica (AU)

A 38-year-old man who attended the emergency department with headache, accompanied by vomiting, bradypsychia and gait instability, for which he was admitted to Neurology for study. During his admission, he began to present bilateral hearing loss and blurred vision in the left eye, with areas of arterial occlusion and hyperfluorescence of the arterial wall being observed in the ophthalmological examination. As a result, he was diagnosed with Susac syndrome. He was treated with systemic corticosteroids, as well as with rituximab and subsequently, with intravenous immunoglobulins and mycophenolate mofetil. The patient managed to preserve visual acuity, with gait instability and bilateral hearing loss as sequelae. Early diagnosis of Susac syndrome is important, because a delay in the start of treatment can lead to irreversible sequelae such as deafness, blindness or neurological involvement (AU)

Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection: A case series from 4 Colombian cities during the pandemic.

SARS-CoV-2 infection has been associated with multiple neurological manifestations. One such manifestation, which has been described since the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and is relevant for current neurological practice, is Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). The literature describes neurotoxic mechanisms of the virus itself and the possible pathways by which it may affect the peripheral nerves in experimental studies; however, we still lack information on the mechanisms causing the immune response that gives rise to GBS in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Colombia is one of the Latin American countries worst affected by the pandemic, with the third-highest number of cases in the region; thus, it is essential to recognise GBS, as this potential postinfectious complication may severely compromise the patient's functional status in the absence of timely diagnosis and treatment. We present a series of 12 cases of GBS associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection from hospitals in 4 different Colombian cities and describe the clinical presentation, laboratory and electrophysiological study findings, and treatment.

En el año 2020 se declaro la pandemia ocasionada por la infección por el virus SARSCoV-2, virus de la familia del coronavirus, adoptándose el nombre de COVID-19 a la enfermedad 1. En Bogotá, Colombia, se confirmó el primer caso de COVID-19 el 6 de marzo de 2020 (2). Los principales síntomas reportados en la infección por SARSCoV-2 son fiebre (43.8% en la admisión y 88.7% durante la hospitalización) y tos (67.8%) (3). Otros síntomas encontrados son fatiga (38.1%), producción de esputo (33.7%) y cefalea (13.6%). Los principales signos neurológicos reportados en los pacientes con infección severa por SARS-Cov-2 son agitación (69%), compromiso en tracto corticoespinal (67%) y delirium (65%) (4). Las principales complicaciones neurológicas descritas asociadas a Covid 19 son: anosmia, disgeusia, encefalopatia, Síndrome de Guillain Barre, complicaciones cerebrovasculares y daño en musculo esquelético (5­8).En el presente articulo se presenta una serie de casos de pacientes con síndrome de Guillain-Barré asociado a infección por SARS-CoV-2. Se recolectaron casos de diferentes instituciones medicas de Colombia.

Linezolid for infective endocarditis: A structured approach based on a national database experience.

ABSTRACT: Current data on the frequency and efficacy of linezolid (LNZ) in infective endocarditis (IE) are based on small retrospective series. We used a national database to evaluate the effectiveness of LNZ in IE.This is a retrospective study of IE patients in the Spanish GAMES database who received LNZ. We defined 3 levels of therapeutic impact: LNZ < 7 days, LNZ high-impact (≥ 7 days, > 50% of the total treatment, and > 50% of the LNZ doses prescribed in the first weeks of treatment), and LNZ ≥ 7 days not fulfilling the high-impact criteria (LNZ-NHI). Effectiveness of LNZ was assessed using propensity score matching and multivariate analysis of high-impact cases in comparison to patients not treated with LNZ from the GAMES database matched for age-adjusted comorbidity Charlson index, heart failure, renal failure, prosthetic and intracardiac IE device, left-sided IE, and Staphylococcus aureus. Primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and one-year mortality. Secondary outcomes included IE complications and relapses.From 3467 patients included in the GAMES database, 295 (8.5%) received LNZ. After excluding 3 patients, 292 were grouped as follows for the analyses: 99 (33.9%) patients in LNZ < 7 days, 11 (3.7%) in LNZ high-impact, and 178 (61%) in LNZ-NHI. In-hospital mortality was 51.5%, 54.4%, and 19.1% respectively. In the propensity analysis, LNZ high-impact group presented with respect to matched controls not treated with LNZ higher in-hospital mortality (54.5% vs 18.2%, P = .04). The multivariate analysis showed an independent relationship of LNZ use with in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 9.06, 95% confidence interval 1.15--71.08, P = .03).Treatment with LNZ is relatively frequent, but most cases do not fulfill our high-impact criteria. Our data suggest that the use of LNZ as definitive treatment in IE may be associated with higher in-hospital mortality.

Influence of glioblastoma contact with the subventricular zone on survival and recurrence patterns

Background There is growing evidence that the subventricular zone (SVZ) may be involved in both the initiation and progression of glioblastoma (GB). We aimed to assess tumor proximity to the SVZ as a potential prognostic factor in GB. Method Retrospective study of 133 patients diagnosed with primary GB who underwent surgery followed by temozolomide-based chemoradiation between 2010 and 2016. All lesions were classified according to their anatomic relation with the SVZ. We determined the effect of tumor contact with the SVZ on progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), type, and patterns of recurrence. Results At a median follow-up of 18.6 months (95% CI 15.9–21.2), PFS and OS were 7.5 (95% CI 6.7–8.3) and 13.9 (95% CI 10.9–16.9) months, respectively. On the univariate analyses, initial contact with the SVZ was a factor for poor prognosis for both PFS (6.1 vs. 8.7 months; p = 0.006) and OS (10.6 vs. 17.9 months; p = 0.037). On the multivariate analysis, tumor contact with the SVZ remained statistically significant for PFS, but not OS. Patients with SVZ-contacting tumors presented a higher rate of aggressive clinical progression (30.9% vs. 11.3%; p = 0.007) and contralateral relapse patterns (23.4% vs. 9.1%; p = 0.048). Conclusions Our results suggest that glioblastoma contact with the SVZ appears to be an independent prognostic factor for poor PFS. The presence of an SVZ-contacting tumor was associated with more aggressive recurrences and a higher rate of contralateral relapses. These findings suggest that this variable may be a new prognostic factor in glioblastoma (AU)

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospitalizations for acute coronary syndromes: a multinational study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has challenged the health system organization requiring a fast reorganization of diagnostic/therapeutic pathways for patients affected by time-dependent diseases such as acute coronary syndromes (ACS). AIM: To describe ACS hospitalizations, management, and complication rate before and after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared. DESIGN: Ecological retrospective study. Methods: We analyzed aggregated epidemiological data of all patients > 18 years old admitted for ACS in twenty-nine hub cardiac centers from 17 Countries across 4 continents, from December 1st, 2019 to April 15th, 2020. Data from December 2018 to April 2019 were used as historical period. RESULTS: A significant overall trend for reduction in the weekly number of ACS hospitalizations was observed (20.2%; 95% confidence interval CI [1.6, 35.4] P = 0.04). The incidence rate reached a 54% reduction during the second week of April (incidence rate ratio: 0.46, 95% CI [0.36, 0.58]) and was also significant when compared to the same months in 2019 (March and April, respectively IRR: 0.56, 95%CI [0.48, 0.67]; IRR: 0.43, 95%CI [0.32, 0.58] p < 0.001). A significant increase in door-to-balloon, door-to-needle, and total ischemic time (p <0.04 for all) in STEMI patents were reported during pandemic period. Finally, the proportion of patients with mechanical complications was higher (1.98% vs. 0.98%; P = 0.006) whereas GRACE risk score was not different. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm that COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a significant decrease in ACS hospitalizations rate, an increase in total ischemic time and a higher rate of mechanical complications on a international scale.

Interplay between inter- and intraparticle interactions in bi-magnetic core/shell nanoparticles.

The synthesis strategy and magnetic characterisation of two systems consisting of nanoparticles with core/shell morphology are presented: an assembly of hard/soft nanoparticles with cores consisting of magnetically hard cobalt ferrite covered by a magnetically soft nickel ferrite shell, and the inverse system of almost the same size and shape. We have successfully designed these nanoparticle systems by gradually varying the magnetic anisotropy resulting in this way in the modulation of the magnetic dipolar interactions between particles. Both nanoparticle systems exhibit high saturation magnetisation and display superparamagnetic behaviour at room temperature. We have shown strong exchange coupling at the core/shell interface of these nanoparticles systems which was also confirmed by mesoscopic modelling. Our results demonstrate the possibility of modulating magnetic anisotropy not only by chemical composition but also by adopting the proper nano-architecture.

Influence of glioblastoma contact with the subventricular zone on survival and recurrence patterns.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that the subventricular zone (SVZ) may be involved in both the initiation and progression of glioblastoma (GB). We aimed to assess tumor proximity to the SVZ as a potential prognostic factor in GB. METHOD: Retrospective study of 133 patients diagnosed with primary GB who underwent surgery followed by temozolomide-based chemoradiation between 2010 and 2016. All lesions were classified according to their anatomic relation with the SVZ. We determined the effect of tumor contact with the SVZ on progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), type, and patterns of recurrence. RESULTS: At a median follow-up of 18.6 months (95% CI 15.9-21.2), PFS and OS were 7.5 (95% CI 6.7-8.3) and 13.9 (95% CI 10.9-16.9) months, respectively. On the univariate analyses, initial contact with the SVZ was a factor for poor prognosis for both PFS (6.1 vs. 8.7 months; p = 0.006) and OS (10.6 vs. 17.9 months; p = 0.037). On the multivariate analysis, tumor contact with the SVZ remained statistically significant for PFS, but not OS. Patients with SVZ-contacting tumors presented a higher rate of aggressive clinical progression (30.9% vs. 11.3%; p = 0.007) and contralateral relapse patterns (23.4% vs. 9.1%; p = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that glioblastoma contact with the SVZ appears to be an independent prognostic factor for poor PFS. The presence of an SVZ-contacting tumor was associated with more aggressive recurrences and a higher rate of contralateral relapses. These findings suggest that this variable may be a new prognostic factor in glioblastoma.

PCSK9 is associated with mortality in patients with septic shock: data from the ALBIOS study.

BACKGROUND: Pro-protein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) is a proenzyme primarily known to regulate low-density lipoprotein receptor re-uptake on hepatocytes. Whether PCSK9 can concurrently trigger inflammation or not remains unclear. Here, we investigated the potential association between circulating levels of PCSK9 and mortality in patients with severe sepsis or septic shock. METHODS: Plasma PCSK9 levels at days 1, 2 and 7 were measured in 958 patients with severe sepsis or septic shock previously enrolled in the Albumin Italian Outcome Sepsis (ALBIOS) trial. Correlations between levels of PCSK9 and pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a biomarker of disease severity, were evaluated with ranked Spearman's coefficients. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association of PCSK9 levels at day 1 with 28- and 90-day mortality. RESULTS: Median plasma PCSK9 levels were 278 [182-452] ng mL-1 on day 1. PCSK9 correlated positively with PTX3 at the three time-points, and patients with septic shock within the first quartile of PCSK9 showed higher levels of PTX3. Similar mortality rates were observed in patients with severe sepsis across PCSK9 quartiles. Patients with septic shock with lower PCSK9 levels on day 1 (within the first quartile) showed the highest 28- and 90-day mortality rate as compared to other quartiles. CONCLUSION: In our sub-analysis of the ALBIOS trial, we found that patients with septic shock presenting with lower plasma PCSK9 levels experienced higher mortality rate. Further studies are warranted to better evaluate the pathophysiological role of PCSK9 in sepsis.

[3D-assisted mandibular reconstruction: A technical note of fibula free flap with preshaped titanium plate]. / Reconstruction mandibulaire par lambeau fibulaire : note technique de pré-conformation de plaques d'ostéosynthèse assistée en 3D.

The purpose of this technical note is to illustrate a simple and economical preoperative method for preshaping a reconstructive titanium plate in a fibula free flap (FFF) by using 3D printing of a virtually reconstructed mandible haptic model. The whole process consisted in creating a 3D model of the patient's mandible based on a CT-scan using a combination of free software (3Dslicer and ITK-snap), and simulating the surgical osteotomies and reconstruction, and print it as a guide for bending a reconstruction titanium plate. Reconstruction is performed using virtual cubes (1 to 3 cubes, according the number of FFF osteotomies). This virtual lab work is performed using 3D Builder® (Microsoft, Redmond) software. This technique allows obtaining an optimal plate application on the bony fragments. It facilitates reconstructive surgery with good functional (putting the patient back in an optimal dental occlusion based on the native maxilla) and aesthetic results. This technical note presents a simple and economical preoperative fabrication of a reconstructive plate through freeware and a low-cost 3D printer accessible to all surgeons.

Tuberculosis, COVID-19 and migrants: Preliminary analysis of deaths occurring in 69 patients from two cohorts.

Little is known about the relationship between the COVID-19 and tuberculosis (TB). The aim of this study is to describe a group of patients who died with TB (active disease or sequelae) and COVID-19 in two cohorts. Data from 49 consecutive cases in 8 countries (cohort A) and 20 hospitalised patients with TB and COVID-19 (cohort B) were analysed and patients who died were described. Demographic and clinical variables were retrospectively collected, including co-morbidities and risk factors for TB and COVID-19 mortality. Overall, 8 out of 69 (11.6%) patients died, 7 from cohort A (14.3%) and one from cohort B (5%). Out of 69 patients 43 were migrants, 26/49 (53.1%) in cohort A and 17/20 (85.0%) in cohort B. Migrants: (1) were younger than natives; in cohort A the median (IQR) age was 40 (27-49) VS. 66 (46-70) years, whereas in cohort B 37 (27-46) VS. 48 (47-60) years; (2) had a lower mortality rate than natives (1/43, 2.3% versus 7/26, 26.9%; p-value: 0.002); (3) had fewer co-morbidities than natives (23/43, 53.5% versus 5/26-19.2%) natives; p-value: 0.005). The study findings show that: (1) mortality is likely to occur in elderly patients with co-morbidities; (2) TB might not be a major determinant of mortality and (3) migrants had lower mortality, probably because of their younger age and lower number of co-morbidities. However, in settings where advanced forms of TB frequently occur and are caused by drug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis, higher mortality rates can be expected in young individuals.

Improving quality of care and clinical outcomes for rectal cancer through clinical audits in a multicentre cancer care organisation.

INTRODUCTION: Colorectal cancer treatment requires a complex, multidisciplinary approach. Because of the potential variability, monitoring through clinical audits is advisable. This study assesses the effects of a quality improvement action plan in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer and treated with radiotherapy. METHODS: Comparative, multicentre study in two cohorts of 120 patients each, selected randomly from patients diagnosed with rectal cancer who had initiated radiotherapy with a curative intent. Based on the results from a baseline clinical audit in 2013, a quality improvement action plan was designed and implemented; a second audit in 2017 evaluated its impact. RESULTS: Standardised information was present on 77.5% of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) staging reports. Treatment strategies were similar in all three study centres. Of the patients whose treatment was interrupted, just 9.7% received a compensation dose. There was an increase in MRI re-staging from 32.5 to 61.5%, and a significant decrease in unreported circumferential resection margins following neoadjuvant therapy (ypCRM), from 34.5 to 5.6% (p <  0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The comparison between two clinical audits showed improvements in neoadjuvant radiotherapy in rectal cancer patients. Some indicators reveal areas in need of additional efforts, for example to reduce the overall treatment time.

Assessment of neurocognitive decline in cancer patients, except brain cancer, under long-term treatment with bevacizumab.

PURPOSE: We performed a cross-sectional study of neurocognitive function in non-brain cancer patients treated with long-term bevacizumab. METHODS/PATIENTS: From 2015 to 2017, we included patients with different types of cancer treated with bevacizumab with or without chemotherapy (BEV; N = 20) or only chemotherapy (ChT; N = 19) for at least 34 weeks, patients who received non-brain radiotherapy (RxT; N = 19), and healthy controls (HC; N = 19) were assessed once at week 34 of treatment (BEV and ChT) or at completion of radiotherapy. Neurocognition was evaluated with the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R) total and delayed recall, the Trail Making Test A and B, and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test in the four groups. Non-parametric tests were used to assess differences between groups. RESULTS: The BEV, ChT, and RxT groups scored significantly lower than the HC group on all tests and especially on the HVLT-R total recall. In no case were the mean scores of the BEV group significantly lower than those of the ChT or RxT groups. CONCLUSIONS: Neurocognitive impairment was seen even in patients treated with local non-brain radiotherapy. Treatment with bevacizumab for a long period of time does not seem to worsen neurocognitive function to a greater extent than chemotherapy.