Patterns of multiple primaries in fortyfour cancer patients: a single-center clinical experience

Introduction. Multiple primaries are defined as the existence of more than one synchronous or metachronous cancer type in the same individual. Due to a longer follow-up time after a primary cancer diagnosis, the likelihood of detection of a second primary is also increased. We report on patterns of multiple primaries in a cohort of cancer patients from a single institution.  Material and methods. We identified 44 patients with multiple primaries that were diagnosed, treated, and followed up between March 2011 and January 2022 from our prospectively maintained database at the Hatay Education and Research Hospital Cancer Unit.  Results. The median follow-up time was 60 months (range; 3–103). The median time between the diagnosis of the first primary and the second primary was 29 months (range; 0–94). The median OS was 76 months (95% Cl 26.6–125.4) from the first diagnosis and 27 months (95% Cl 0.65–53.4) from the diagnosis of the second primary for the entire cohort. The first diagnosed tumor was localized in the gastrointestinal system in 43.2% of patients and 65.9% of all tumors were adenocarcinoma. The first diagnosed cancer was at an early stage (Stages I and II) in 63.6% of patients. At the staging evaluation of the second primary, 54.5% of patients were found to be in the early stage (Stages I and II) and 45.5% were found to be in the late stage (Stages III and IV).  Conclusions. Our study is important as this is the largest cohort study about practical implications of managing multiple primaries. The risk of second and further primaries should be kept in mind in the active follow-up Introduction and surveillance of cancer patients

Tetanus Seroprevalence among Pregnant Women in Ben-U Sen Health Center in Diyarbakir

Aim: At the aim of this study was to determine the tetanus seroprevalence among pregnant women and childbearing aged woman living in the Ben-u Sen Health Center region that is in lower socio-economical level. Materials and methods: In this descriptive study, a team including the staff of health center and several volunteers visited the houses of pregnant women living in the health center coverage region and questionnaires were completed through face to face interviews. The study group included 214 pregnant women. Among them, serum samples of 197 subjects&#8217; were studied for anti-toxic antibody for tetanus. For control, serum samples from 200 women living in the same health center region were collected. It was evaluated as partially protective, protective and longterm protection when tetanus antibody level was 0,01-<0,1 IU/ml, 0,1-<1.0 IU/ml and 1,0 IU/ml and over, respectively. Results: The mean age of the women was 26,4, mean marriage and first pregnancy ages were 17,9 and 18,9, respectively, and 40% of the subjects had never been examined or received follow up by a health center. It was revealed that 25.8% of the subjects were not protected and 74.2% had a full protection level of antibody. Within the control group, the same levels of antibodies were detected in 40.0% and 60.0% of the women, respectively. Conclusion: The study indicates that the immunity levels against tetanus are not satisfactory and every childbearing aged woman should be included in a vaccination program whenever they receive any examination in a health center. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2011; 10(4.000): 481-486

What is the protective effect of metformin on rat ovary against ischemia-reperfusion injury?

Ozkan, Zehra Sema/0000-0001-9185-3663WOS: 000424844400013PubMed: 29144016AimThe aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of metformin on the rat ovary against ischemia-reperfusion injury. MethodsThirty-seven female Wistar albino rats were used in the study. The rats were divided into five groups, as follows: sham operation group (group 1); torsion group (group 2); torsion/detorsion+saline group (group 3); torsion/detorsion+low-dose metformin group (group 4); and torsion/detorsion+high-dose metformin group (group 5). The right ovary from each rat was evaluated histologically using hematoxylin-eosin staining, and the left ovaries were evaluated for tissue levels of the reduced-glutathione-to-oxidized-glutathione ratio, malondialdehyde (MDA), and caspase-3 activation. ResultsThe highest damage score was observed in group 3, and the lowest score was observed in group 1. The tissue caspase-3 activity levels of groups 2, 3, and 4 were significantly higher than those of group 1. The difference between group 1 and group 5 in terms of tissue caspase-3 activity was not significant (P=0.4). The reduced-glutathione-to-oxidized-glutathione ratio of group 1 was significantly higher than the ratios found in groups 2, 3, and 4. The tissue MDA level of group 1 was significantly lower than the levels found in groups 2, 3, 4, and 5. The tissue MDA level of group 5 was significantly lower than the levels in groups 3 and 4. ConclusionFrom both histopathological and biochemical analyses, the results of the study demonstrated that metformin has beneficial effects when it comes to attenuating ovarian ischemia-reperfusion injury.Kirikkale University Scientific Research Commission [2015/72]This research was funded by Kirikkale University Scientific Research Commission (project number: 2015/72). The authors are grateful to the staff members of Kirikkale University for their valuable support

Dysphagia is closely related to frailty in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract Introduction Physical phenotype and the cumulative deficit model are two well-known concepts of frailty. One of the main components of frailty is loss of muscle mass and function, which may also include swallowing muscles, therefore is a risk factor for dysphagia. Since dysphagia is seen starting from the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), in this study we aimed to reveal the relationship between frailty and dysphagia and dysphagia-related quality of life through Swallow Quality of Life (SwalQoL) tool in patients with AD and compare them with cognitively intact older adults. Methods Comprehensive geriatric assessment, dysphagia evaluation by Eating-Assessment Tool (EAT-10) and SwalQoL questionnaire, and frailty assessment via FRAIL and Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) were performed on all 101 participants of the study. Thirty-five patients were cognitively intact, 36 patients were diagnosed with mild AD, and 30 patients were diagnosed with moderate AD. Results Sex distribution was similar between the groups, however, there was a statistically significant age difference. The prevalence of frailty increased according to both frailty indexes as the cognitive status deteriorated. All parameters of SwalQoL except fear and sleep parameters deteriorated as cognitive status impaired. In quantile regression of the total score of the SwalQoL questionnaire and multivariable logistic regression of EAT-10, frailty, as defined by CFS and FRAIL, was associated with dysphagia and poor quality of life regardless of age, presence of dementia, as well as nutritional status. Conclusion Swallowing difficulties in AD negatively affects the quality of life, and it is closely related to frailty in mild-to-moderate AD

Small Warriors of Nature: Novel Red Emissive Chlorophyllin Carbon Dots Harnessing Fenton‐Fueled Ferroptosis for In Vitro and In Vivo Cancer Treatment

Abstract The appeal of carbon dots (CDs) has grown recently, due to their established biocompatibility, adjustable photoluminescence properties, and excellent water solubility. For the first time in the literature, copper chlorophyllin‐based carbon dots (Chl‐D CDs) are successfully synthesized. Chl‐D CDs exhibit unique spectroscopic traits and are found to induce a Fenton‐like reaction, augmenting photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacies via ferroptotic and apoptotic pathways. To bolster the therapeutic impact of Chl‐D CDs, a widely used cancer drug, temozolomide, is linked to their surface, yielding a synergistic effect with PDT and chemotherapy. Chl‐D CDs' biocompatibility in immune cells and in vivo models showed great clinical potential.Proteomic analysis was conducted to understand Chl‐D CDs' underlying cancer treatment mechanism. The study underscores the role of reactive oxygen species formation and pointed toward various oxidative stress modulators like aldolase A (ALDOA), aldolase C (ALDOC), aldehyde dehydrogenase 1B1 (ALDH1B1), transaldolase 1 (TALDO1), and transketolase (TKT), offering a deeper understanding of the Chl‐D CDs' anticancer activity. Notably, the Chl‐D CDs' capacity to trigger a Fenton‐like reaction leads to enhanced PDT efficiencies through ferroptotic and apoptotic pathways. Hence, it is firmly believed that the inherent attributes of Chl‐CDs can lead to a secure and efficient combined cancer therapy