Understanding Breast Implant Illness via Social Media Data Analysis

Background: Breast implants have been increasingly popular over the last 20 years. There have been growing concerns with the risks of breast implants. Meanwhile, media phenomenon called "breast implant illness" (BII) has emerged. Objective: To identify and summarize key attributes of BII using social media data. Materials and Methods: We conducted social media data analysis to better understand the symptoms, signs, etc., that are associated with BII using Natural Language Processing (NLP) and topic modeling. We extracted mentions related to signs/symptoms, diseases/disorders and medical procedures using the Clinical Text Analysis and Knowledge Extraction System (cTAKES). Extracted mentions are mapped to standard medical concepts. We summarized mapped concepts to topics using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA). Results: Our analysis identified topics related to toxicity, cancer and mental health issues that are highly associated with breast implant illness. We also identified pains and other disorders commonly associated with breast implant illness. Discussion: Our analysis suggests that breast implant illness can possibly lead to serious health issues such as autoimmune disorders, cancer, pain, fatigue. We also find that toxicity from silicone implants and mental health concerns are some underlying factors in BII. Our study could inspire future work to further study the suggested symptoms and factors of BII. Conclusion: Our analysis over social media data identifies mentions such as rupture, infection, pain and fatigue that are considered common self-reported issues among the public. Our analysis also shows that cancers, autoimmune disorders and mental health problems are emerging concerns, albeit less studied for breast implants.Comment: 22 pages (including a cover page, acknowledgements, references), 1 figure, 4 tables. The manuscript is submitted to the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association and is currently under revie

Surgery-for-life:Aging, sexual fitness and self-management in Brazil

This article draws on ethnographic fieldwork on plastic surgery to explore tensions in aging norms and ideals for women in Brazil.  I situate my analysis in relation to debates about a “de-chronologized life course.”  Some scholars argue that the life course in late capitalism has become less standardized.  In this account, chronological age diminishes in importance as consumers are defined by life style choices available to all ages and the period of youth extends into middle age and beyond.  In Brazil consumers embrace plastic surgery as a means to “manage” aging, mental well-being, and reproductive and sexual health.  This promise of a flexible and optimized aging trajectory seems to echo the notion of a de-chronologized life course.  I argue, however, that medical discourse and patients’ accounts show ambivalence about aging and conflicts in the ideal of medically-managed sexual fitness for women.  Drawing on analysis of changes in family structure and women’s health regimes, I argue that passage through the life course, rather than becoming more flexible, is in some ways becoming more rigidly defined by biological processes

3D Volumetric Modeling and Microvascular Reconstruction of Irradiated Lumbosacral Defects after Oncologic Resection

Background: Locoregional flaps are sufficient in most sacral reconstructions. However, large sacral defects due to malignancy necessitate a different reconstructive approach, with local flaps compromised by radiation and regional flaps inadequate for broad surface areas or substantial volume obliteration. In this report, we present our experience using free muscle transfer for volumetric reconstruction in such cases, and demonstrate 3D haptic models of the sacral defect to aid preoperative planning.Methods: Five consecutive patients with irradiated sacral defects secondary to oncologic resections were included, surface area ranging from 143-600cm2. Latissimus dorsi-based free flap sacral reconstruction was performed in each case, between 2005 and 2011. Where the superior gluteal artery was compromised, the subcostal artery was used as a recipient vessel. Microvascular technique, complications and outcomes are reported. The use of volumetric analysis and 3D printing is also demonstrated, with imaging data converted to 3D images suitable for 3D printing with Osirix software (Pixmeo, Geneva, Switzerland). An office-based, desktop 3D printer was used to print 3D models of sacral defects, used to demonstrate surface area and contour and produce a volumetric print of the dead space needed for flap obliteration. Results: The clinical series of latissimus dorsi free flap reconstructions is presented, with successful transfer in all cases, and adequate soft-tissue cover and volume obliteration achieved. The original use of the subcostal artery as a recipient vessel was successfully achieved. All wounds healed uneventfully. 3D printing is also demonstrated as a useful tool for 3D evaluation of volume and dead-space.Conclusion: Free flaps offer unique benefits in sacral reconstruction where local tissue is compromised by irradiation and tumor recurrence, and dead-space requires accurate volumetric reconstruction. We describe for the first time the use of the subcostal artery as a recipient in free flap sacral reconstruction. 3D printing of haptic bio-models is a rapidly evolving field with a substantial role in preoperative planning

Focal Spot, Fall/Winter 1998

https://digitalcommons.wustl.edu/focal_spot_archives/1080/thumbnail.jp

Development and assessment of a Microsoft Kinect based system for imaging the breast in three dimensions

Three-dimensional surface imaging technologies have been used in the planning and evaluation of breast reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. The aim of this study was to develop a 3D surface imaging system based on the Microsoft Kinect and assess the accuracy and repeatability with which the system could image the breast. A system comprising two Kinects, calibrated to provide a complete 3D image of the mannequin was developed. Digital measurements of Euclidean and surface distances between landmarks showed acceptable agreement with manual measurements. The mean differences for Euclidean and surface distances were 1.9 mm and 2.2 mm, respectively. The system also demonstrated good intra- and inter-rater reliability (ICCs > 0.999). The Kinect-based 3D surface imaging system offers a low-cost, readily accessible alternative to more expensive, commercially available systems, which have had limited clinical use

OncoLog, Volume 56, Number 02

Risk-Based Cancer Screening: M.D. Anderson\u27s revised guidelines offer more precise individualized recommendations on screening for common cancers. Screen Guidelines in Brief Electronic Navigatin Biopsy for Peripheral Lung Lesion Diagnosis House Call: Couples and Cancer: Cancer-Related Issues Can Disrupt Relationships in Brief: Researchers Find Glioblastoma\u27s Resistance to Treatment Rooted in Immunosuppressionhttps://openworks.mdanderson.org/oncolog/1209/thumbnail.jp

The impact of breast reconstruction on the delivery of chemotherapy

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of postmastectomy breast reconstruction on the timing of chemotherapy. METHODS: The authors included stage I-III breast cancer patients from 8 National Comprehensive Cancer Network institutions for whom guidelines recommended chemotherapy. Surgery type was categorized as breast-conserving surgery (BCS), mastectomy alone, mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (M + IR), or mastectomy with delayed reconstruction (M + DR). A Cox regression analysis was used to assess the association between surgery type and timing of chemotherapy initiation. RESULTS: Of the 3643 patients, only 5.1% received it ≥8 weeks from surgery. In the multivariate analysis, higher stage, Caucasian and Hispanic race/ethnicity, lower body mass index, and absence of comorbid conditions were all significantly associated with earlier time to chemotherapy. There was also significant interaction among age, surgery, and chemotherapy delivery. Among women <60, time to chemotherapy was shorter for all surgery types compared with M + IR (statistical significant for all surgery types in the youngest age group and for BCS in women 40 to <50 years old). In contrast, among women ≥60, time to chemotherapy was shorter among women receiving M + IR or M + DR compared with those undergoing BCS or mastectomy alone, a difference that was statistically significant for the M + IR versus BCS comparison. CONCLUSIONS: Immediate postmastectomy breast reconstruction does not appear to lead to omission of chemotherapy, but it is associated with a modest, but statistically significant, delay in initiating treatment. For most, it is unlikely that this delay has any clinical significance. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69182/1/24891_ftp.pd