SCLERODERMA – LUPUS OVERLAP SYNDROME: CASE REPORT

The overlap syndromes are a diverse group of conditions that usually have characteristic features of at least two well-defined rheumatic diseases occurring together. We present the case of a 32-year-old patient who sequentially develops manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis. The first manifestation of the disease was the pleural effusion and, over time, the patient associated various other complications which influenced the diagnostic course. Digital ulcerations associated to scleroderma have evolved into ischemic necrosis lesions, requiring amputation. This case is a clinically suggestive example of the complexity of autoimmune diseases, of associations between pathologies and unexpected evolutions, requiring constant and long-term follow-up of the patients

New Targeted Therapies and Combinations of Treatments for Cervical, Endometrial, and Ovarian Cancers: A Year in Review

This review of the meaningful data from 2021 on cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers aims to provide an update of the most clinically relevant studies presented at important oncologic congresses during the year (the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress and the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting). Despite the underlying existence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the last year has been notable in terms of research, with significant and promising advances in gynecological malignancies. Several major studies reporting the effects of innovative therapies for patients with cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers might change the medical practice in the future

New Targeted Therapies and Combinations of Treatments for Cervical, Endometrial, and Ovarian Cancers: A Year in Review

This review of the meaningful data from 2021 on cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers aims to provide an update of the most clinically relevant studies presented at important oncologic congresses during the year (the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress and the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting). Despite the underlying existence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the last year has been notable in terms of research, with significant and promising advances in gynecological malignancies. Several major studies reporting the effects of innovative therapies for patients with cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers might change the medical practice in the future

How Much Burnout and Coping Influence Quality of Life among Young Oncology Providers in Romania during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aims to investigate the correlations between burnout, coping strategies, and quality of life among young oncology healthcare workers in Romania during the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected the data using an online questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic questions, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the COPE questionnaire, and the 15D instrument. A total of 122 healthcare providers responded to our survey. We evaluated the differences in the scores among the three groups of healthcare workers in oncology under 40 years old: medical oncologists (n = 87), radiation oncologists (n = 11), and oncology nurses (n = 24). Finally, we conducted a correlation analysis between the dimensions of burnout, coping, and quality of life. Overall, the medical oncologists exhibited much higher burnout levels than nurses in the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, having statistically significant higher levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal achievement. Some factors were inversely associated with burnout: active approach, planning, positive interpretation and growth, and acceptance. Our findings illustrated a very good level of health-related quality of life (average = 0.93, SD = 0.06), and no statistically significant differences were found in the quality of life between the three groups. This study was the first to identify the profile of young oncology providers in Romania. Our findings may be relevant in creating preventive strategies for burnout and increasing the quality of life in Romanian young oncology providers in future crises

A Decade of Therapeutic Challenges in Synchronous Gynecological Cancers from the Bucharest Oncological Institute

The aim of our study is to present the particularities of a specific subset of gynecological cancer patients in Romania. We present a review of synchronous gynecological neoplasia (SGN) treated in the Bucharest Oncological Institute’s surgery departments over a decade. Between 2012 and 2022, 7419 female patients with genital malignancies were treated. We identified 36 patients with invasive synchronous primary gynecological cancers (0.5%) and 12 cases with one primary gynecological and another primary invasive pelvic cancer (rectal/bladder). All recurrent, metastatic, or metachronous tumors detected were excluded. Demographic data, personal history, presenting symptoms, pathologic findings, staging, treatment, and evolution for each case were recorded. Usually, the most common SGN association is between ovarian and endometrial cancer of endometrioid differentiation (low-grade malignancies with very good prognosis). However, we noticed that, given the particularities of the Romanian medical system, the most frequent association is between cervical and endometrial, followed by cervical and ovarian cancers. Moreover, the cancer stage at diagnosis is more advanced. In countries with low HPV vaccination rate and low adherence to screening programs, SGNs can present as extremely advanced cases and require extensive surgery (such as pelvic exenterations) to achieve radicality. This multimodal treatment in advanced cases with high tumor burden determines a reduction in survival, time until progression, and quality of life

The Bidirectional Relationship between Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Lung Cancer

Lung cancer and pulmonary tuberculosis are two significant public health problems that continue to take millions of lives each year. They may have similar symptoms and, in some cases, are diagnosed simultaneously or may have a causal relationship. In tuberculosis disease, the chronic inflammation, different produced molecules, genomic changes, and fibrosis are believed to be important factors that may promote carcinogenesis. As a reverse reaction, the development of carcinogenesis and the treatment may induce the reactivation of latent tuberculosis infection. Moreover, the recently used checkpoint inhibitors are a debatable subject since they help treat lung cancer but may lead to the reactivation of pulmonary tuberculosis and checkpoint-induced pneumonitis. Pulmonary rehabilitation is an effective intervention in post-tuberculosis patients and lung cancer patients and should be recommended to improve outcomes in these pathologies

Biochemical and Metabolical Pathways Associated with Microbiota-Derived Butyrate in Colorectal Cancer and Omega-3 Fatty Acids Implications: A Narrative Review

Knowledge regarding the influence of the microbial community in cancer promotion or protection has expanded even more through the study of bacterial metabolic products and how they can modulate cancer risk, which represents an extremely challenging approach for the relationship between intestinal microbiota and colorectal cancer (CRC). This review discusses research progress on the effect of bacterial dysbiosis from a metabolic point of view, particularly on the biochemical mechanisms of butyrate, one of the main short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) with anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties in CRC. Increased daily intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) significantly increases the density of bacteria that are known to produce butyrate. Omega-3 PUFAs have been proposed as a treatment to prevent gut microbiota dysregulation and lower the risk or progression of CRC