Mechanisms and therapeutic applications of electromagnetic therapy in Parkinson's disease

© 2015 Vadalà et al. Electromagnetic therapy is a non-invasive and safe approach for the management of several pathological conditions including neurodegenerative diseases. Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative pathology caused by abnormal degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra pars compacta in the midbrain resulting in damage to the basal ganglia. Electromagnetic therapy has been extensively used in the clinical setting in the form of transcranial magnetic stimulation, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, high-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy which can also be used in the domestic setting. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms and therapeutic applications of electromagnetic therapy to alleviate motor and non-motor deficits that characterize Parkinson's disease

Hot-knife conization of the cervix: clinical and pathologic findings from a study introducing a new technique.

OBJECTIVE: To introduce an alternative method for conization of the cervix using a Teflon-coated hot knife and to evaluate thermal distortion, adequacy of excision, operating time, blood loss, and short- and long-term effects of this method. METHODS: Between 1987-1993, 88 patients underwent cervical conization using a Teflon-coated hot knife at temperatures ranging from 110-130C. Histopathologic slides were reviewed simultaneously by two pathologists, who assessed thermal distortion, adequacy of excision, and interpretability of the surgical margins. Clinical information was obtained prospectively, including operating time, blood loss, and depth and volume of the excised cone. In addition, data were accumulated retrospectively from 40 randomly selected patients who underwent cold-knife conization between 1985-1990. Short- and long-term data were assessed for healing and scarring and the adequacy of postoperative Papanicolaou smears in the hot-knife patients. RESULTS: Thermal injury was minimal, with 300 mu or less in 83 patients (92%) and 350-600 mu in four patients. One patient had thermal distortion of 1500 mu. All slides were interpreted adequately. Blood loss was mild to moderate in 84 of 88 patients (95%) in the hot-knife group and in 34 of 40 patients (85%) in the cold-knife group. No patient in the hot-knife group needed blood transfusion or hospitalization. Operating time was reduced by as much as 67% when the hot knife was used. Thirteen percent of the hot-knife patients developed stenosis of the external os. No patient in the hot-knife group developed recurrence within 2 years of surgery. CONCLUSION: Using a Teflon-coated hot knife for conization of the cervix produces adequate surgical margins and reduces blood loss and operating time over that with cold-knife conization. Long-term follow-up reveals no increase in cervical stenosis and demonstrates adequate cytologic smears in the hot-knife patients

The characteristics of 206 long-term survivors with peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer treated with curative intent surgery: A multi-center cohort from psogi

Background: We conducted this study to review the patient characteristics associated with long-term survival in patients with peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer who underwent cytoreductive surgery (CRS). Methods: We retrospectively investigated patients with peritoneal metastases from CRC treated with curative intent surgery with or without hyperthermic intraperi-toneal chemotherapy at 13 institutions worldwide between January 1985 and April 2015 and survived longer than five years after the first CRS for peritoneal metastases. Clinical and oncological features and therapeutic parameters were described and analyzed. Results: Two hundred six long-term survivors were available for study. The median peritoneal cancer index (PCI) of this cohort was 4 (interquartile range (IQR), 2–7), and the median score of the small bowel regions of the PCI (SB-PCI) was 0 (IQR, 0–2). Complete cytoreduction (CC-0) was achieved in 180 (87.4%) patients. Recurrence was observed in 122 (59.2%) patients at a median of 1.8 (IQR, 1.2–2.6) years. Conclusions: While most long-term survivors showed low PCI/SB-PCI and CCR-0, some had characteristics considered associated with poor prognosis. Curative intent treatments may be considered in well-informed and fit patients showing negative factors affecting survival outcome

The Characteristics of 206 Long-Term Survivors with Peritoneal Metastases from Colorectal Cancer Treated with Curative Intent Surgery: A Multi-Center Cohort from PSOGI

Simple Summary Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy improves survival in selected patients with peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the characteristics of long-term survivors are not well documented. This study set out to investigate the patient characteristics associated with the long-term survival of peritoneal metastases from CRC. We retrospectively analyzed 206 long-term survivors who underwent CRS for peritoneal metastases from CRC. We found that most long-term survivors showed low peritoneal cancer index (PCI), low PCI of small bowel subsets, and complete cytoreduction (CC-0), while some exhibited characteristics considered associated with poor prognosis. Background: We conducted this study to review the patient characteristics associated with long-term survival in patients with peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer who underwent cytoreductive surgery (CRS). Methods: We retrospectively investigated patients with peritoneal metastases from CRC treated with curative intent surgery with or without hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy at 13 institutions worldwide between January 1985 and April 2015 and survived longer than five years after the first CRS for peritoneal metastases. Clinical and oncological features and therapeutic parameters were described and analyzed. Results: Two hundred six long-term survivors were available for study. The median peritoneal cancer index (PCI) of this cohort was 4 (interquartile range (IQR), 2-7), and the median score of the small bowel regions of the PCI (SB-PCI) was 0 (IQR, 0-2). Complete cytoreduction (CC-0) was achieved in 180 (87.4%) patients. Recurrence was observed in 122 (59.2%) patients at a median of 1.8 (IQR, 1.2-2.6) years. Conclusions: While most long-term survivors showed low PCI/SB-PCI and CCR-0, some had characteristics considered associated with poor prognosis. Curative intent treatments may be considered in well-informed and fit patients showing negative factors affecting survival outcome