Sentinel lymph node biopsies in early stage oral and oropharyngeal carcinoma : a retrospective single-centre experience

The aim of this retrospective study was to analyse a consecutive series of patients with oral and oropharyngeal carcinoma who had had sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) at our hospital during 2008-2017. A total of 70 patients with clinically and radiologically confirmed primary oral (n = 67) or oropharyngeal (n = 3) carcinoma, with no signs of metastatic lymph nodes preoperatively (clinically N0) were included. Patients' clinical and personal data, characteristics of the tumours, sentinel lymph node (SLN) status and outcomes were recorded. Eight patients had invaded SLN. Two patients with clear sentinel lymph node biopsies had recurrences in the cervical lymph nodes with no new primary tumour as origin. The negative predictive value (NPV) and sensitivity for SLNB were 97% and 80%, respectively. The depth of invasion was an individual predictor for cervical lymph node metastasis (p = 0.043). Single photo emission computed tomography (SPECT) detected fewer SLN in patients with invaded lymph nodes than in patients with clear lymph nodes (p = 0.018). Our data support the use of SLNB as a minimally invasive method for staging the cervical lymph nodes among patients with cN0 oral and oropharyngeal carcinoma. Our results further confirm that greater depth of invasion is associated with cervical lymph node metastases. (c) 2020 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Adolescents' and young adults' experiences of childhood cancer: descriptions of daily life 5 years after diagnosis

Background: Survivors of childhood cancer are a growing population in society. These young people have a high risk of developing chronic health problems with a potential strong impact on their lives. How a childhood cancer experience affects survivors in adolescence has only been studied to a limited extent, and an increased understanding of this young group is needed to improve follow-up care. Objective: The aim was to gain a deeper understanding of how childhood cancer affects the lives of survivors by exploring adolescents' and young adults' views of what it is like living with this experience. Methods: Fifty-nine people 11-22 years old were interviewed a median of five years after diagnosis (response rate 66%). Data was collected through telephone interviews and analysed with qualitative content analysis. Results: Three groups of informants were identified according to their descriptions of influence on daily life: ‘Feeling like anyone else’ (the informants who described that the cancer experience had almost no influence on current life) (49%), ‘Feeling almost like others’(those who described some influence) (44%) and ‘Feeling different’ (those describing a great influence on current life) (7%). Conclusions: Most of the adolescents and young adults appear to get along well, although many informants described that life was affected to some extent by having had cancer. Implications for Practice: Necessary follow-up care that can identify those young survivors of childhood cancer having trouble with daily life and offer them support to strengthen their resources in managing difficulties in relation to having had cancer

Serum MMP-8 and TIMP-1 as prognostic biomarkers in gastric cancer

Despite gastric cancer being rare nowadays in Western countries, it remains one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. The course of the disease varies, so the individual gastric cancer patient’s prognosis is difficult to determine. The need for new biomarkers is crucial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of serum matrix metalloproteinase-8, serum tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, and tissue matrix metalloproteinase-8 in patients with gastric cancer. Preoperative serum samples from 233 patients with gastric cancer were retrospectively analyzed. Serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase-8 were analyzed with immunofluorometric assay, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We also determined the tissue expression of matrix metalloproteinase-8 in 276 gastric cancer samples by immunohistochemistry. Survival data and death causes came from patient records, the Population Register Center of Finland, and Statistics Finland. Patients with a low (131 ng/mL) serum matrix metalloproteinase-8 level had a considerably unfavorable prognosis (p = 0.002). Those patients with a high (≥170 ng/mL) serum tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 level also had a poor prognosis (p <0.001), and the latter remained significant in multivariable analysis (hazard ratio = 1.85; 95% confidence interval: 1.26–2.72; p = 0.002). The molar ratio of serum matrix metalloproteinase-8 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 levels with low (0.30) molar ratios predicted a worse prognosis (p = 0.020). Tissue matrix metalloproteinase-8 did not influence prognosis. These results suggest that serum matrix metalloproteinase-8, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, and the ratio of matrix metalloproteinase-8/ tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 may prove useful biomarkers for prediction of prognosis in patients with gastric cancer. © The Author(s) 2018.Peer reviewe

Coupling between bacterioplankton species composition, population dynamics, and organic matter degradation

To study the effect of substrate addition on short term bacterial population dynamics and species composition in seawater, mesocosms were maintained with water collected off Scripps Pier (La Jolla, California, USA). Protein enrichment (BSA) triggered a dynamic response from the microbial food web, whereas enrichment with starch had no effect. In the protein enriched mesocosm the number of both nucleoid-containing cells and metabolically active cells increased by 3.0 x 10(5) cells ml(-1) from Day 1 to Day 4. In the same time period the density of a set of 31 phylogenetically different bacteria (alpha- and gamma-Proteobacteria as well as Flexibacter-Cytophaga-Bacteroides) increased by 3.5 x 10(5) cells ml(-1). The abundance of these isolated bacteria accounted for up to 89 % of the nucleoid-containing cells, and up to 22 % of the total counts. Increased enzyme activities, most notably protease, were found concomitant with a change in bacterial species composition over 3 d. This short term succession was possible due to rapid net growth rates of single bacterial species in the mesocosm (0.48 to 1.6 d(-1)), which was up to 5 times higher than the community turnover calculated from bacterial production and total counts. These results should provide support for studies of actual bacterial population dynamics on the species level and its role in the degradation of organic matter in the aquatic environment

An empirical investigation of dance addiction

Although recreational dancing is associated with increased physical and psychological well-being, little is known about the harmful effects of excessive dancing. The aim of the present study was to explore the psychopathological factors associated with dance addiction. The sample comprised 447 salsa and ballroom dancers (68% female, mean age: 32.8 years) who danced recreationally at least once a week. The Exercise Addiction Inventory (Terry, Szabo, & Griffiths, 2004) was adapted for dance (Dance Addiction Inventory, DAI). Motivation, general mental health (BSI-GSI, and Mental Health Continuum), borderline personality disorder, eating disorder symptoms, and dance motives were also assessed. Five latent classes were explored based on addiction symptoms with 11% of participants belonging to the most problematic class. DAI was positively associated with psychiatric distress, borderline personality and eating disorder symptoms. Hierarchical linear regression model indicated that Intensity (ß=0.22), borderline (ß=0.08), eating disorder (ß=0.11) symptoms, as well as Escapism (ß=0.47) and Mood Enhancement (ß=0.15) (as motivational factors) together explained 42% of DAI scores. Dance addiction as assessed with the Dance Addiction Inventory is associated with indicators of mild psychopathology and therefore warrants further research