Comparison between Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation with multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy and Whole Breast Irradiation, in clinical practice.

The aim of this study was to compare accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) with multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy (BT) and whole breast irradiation (WBI), in terms of toxicity, aesthetic result, quality of life and survival, in clinical practice. A comparative study of two prospectively recorded cohorts of 76 breast cancer patients who complied with the recommendations of GEC-ESTRO for APBI was conducted. The main objective was toxicity, quality of life measured through validated questionnaires and the aesthetic results. Secondary objectives were overall survival and disease-free survival. Seventy-six stage I/II breast cancer patients, with a mean age of 66 years entered the study. APBI group showed less acute G1-2 dermatitis (51.4 vs 94.9%, p  APBI is an attractive alternative in candidate patients with initial breast cancer, with benefits in acute toxicity and quality of life and fewer visits to the hospital, without compromising tumor control or survival

Safety of low-dose oral minoxidil for hair loss: a multicenter study of 1404 patients

BACKGROUND: The major concern regarding the use of low-dose oral minoxidil (LDOM) in the treatment of hair loss is the potential risk of systemic adverse effects.OBJECTIVE: To describe the safety of LDOM for the treatment of hair loss in a large cohort of patients.METHODS: Retrospective multicenter study of patients treated with LDOM for at least 3 months as a treatment for any type of alopecia.RESULTS: A total of 1404 patients [943 women (67.2%) and 461 men (32.8%)] with a mean age of 43 years (range 8-86) were included. From them, the dose of LDOM was titrated in 1065 patients, allowing the analysis of 2469 different cases. The most frequent adverse effect was hypertrichosis (15.1%) which led to treatment withdrawal in 14 patients (0.5%). Systemic adverse effects included lightheadedness (1.7%), fluid retention (1.3%), tachycardia (0.9%), headache (0.4%), periorbital edema (0.3%) and insomnia (0.2%), leading to drug discontinuation in 29 patients (1.2%). No life-threatening adverse effects were observed.LIMITATIONS: Retrospective design, lack of a control group.CONCLUSION: LDOM has a good safety profile as a treatment for hair loss. Systemic adverse effects were infrequent and only 1.7% of patients stopped the treatment due to adverse effects