Health-related quality of life of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic::Longitudinal improvements on social functioning and fatigue

The health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among long-term Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors (AYACS) and an age- and sex-matched normative population was examined. Although the HRQoL of AYACS was worse compared to the normative population before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the scores of AYACS improved over time in contrast to the normative population. Presumably, AYACS are used to adjusting their lives to stressful life events. Furthermore, the lockdown may have been beneficial for AYACS who face difficulties fully participating in society due to the impact of cancer. AYACS who encounter HRQoL issues could benefit from support interventions to empower them and build resilience

Risk of diabetes after para-aortic radiation for testicular cancer

Background: While the risk of diabetes is increased following radiation exposure to the pancreas among childhood cancer survivors, its association among testicular cancer (TC) survivors has not been investigated. Methods: Diabetes risk was studied in 2998 1-year TC survivors treated before 50 years of age with orchidectomy with/without radiotherapy between 1976 and 2007. Diabetes incidence was compared with general population rates. Treatment-specific risk of diabetes was assessed using a case–cohort design. Results: With a median follow-up of 13.4 years, 161 TC survivors were diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes risk was not increased compared to general population rates (standardised incidence ratios (SIR): 0.9; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.7–1.1). Adjusted for age, para-aortic radiotherapy was associated with a 1.66-fold (95% CI: 1.05–2.62) increased diabetes risk compared to no radiotherapy. The excess hazard increased with 0.31 with every 10 Gy increase in the prescribed radiation dose (95% CI: 0.11–0.51, P = 0.003, adjusted for age and BMI); restricted to irradiated patients the excess hazard increased with 0.33 (95% CI: −0.14 to 0.81, P = 0.169) with every 10 Gy increase in radiation dose. Conclusion: Compared to surgery only, para-aortic irradiation is associated with increased diabetes risk among TC survivors

Bruno Touschek: particle physicist and father of the electron-positron collider

This article gives a brief outline of the life and works of the Austrian physicist Bruno Touschek, who conceived, proposed and, 50 years ago, brought to completion the construction of AdA, the first electron-positron storage ring. The events which led to the approval of the AdA pro ject and the Franco-Italian collaboration which con- firmed the feasibility of electron-positron storage rings will be recalled. We shall illustrate Bruno Touschek's formation both as a theoretical physicist and as an expert in particle accelerators during the period be- tween the time he had to leave the Vienna Staat Gymnasium in 1938, because of his Jewish origin from the maternal side, until he arrived in Italy in the early 1950s and, in 1960, proposed to build AdA, in Frascati. The events which led to Touschek's collaboration with Rolf Wideroe in the construction of the first European betatron will be de- scribed. The article will make use of a number of unpublished as well as previously unknown documents, which include an early correspon- dence with Arnold Sommerfeld and Bruno Touschek's letters to his family in Vienna from Italy, Germany and Great Britain. The impact of Touschek's work on students and collaborators from University of Rome will be illustrated through his work on QED infrared radiative corrections to high energy e+e- experiments and the book Meccanica Statistica.Comment: To be published in EPJ

Proteomic markers with prognostic impact on outcome of chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients under chemo-immunotherapy: results from the HOVON 109 study

Despite recent identification of several prognostic markers, there is still a need for new prognostic parameters able to predict clinical outcome in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients. Here, we aimed to validate the prognostic ability of known (proteomic) markers measured pretreatment and to search for new proteomic markers that might be related to treatment response in CLL. To this end, baseline serum samples of 51 CLL patients treated with chemo-immunotherapy were analyzed for 360 proteomic markers, using Olink technology. Median event-free survival (EFS) was 23 months (range: 1.25–60.9). Patients with high levels of sCD23 (>11.27, p = 0.026), sCD27 (>11.03, p = 0.04), SPINT1 (>1.6, p = 0.001), and LY9 (>8.22, p = 0.0003) had a shorter EFS than those with marker levels below the median. The effect of sCD23 on EFS differed between immunoglobulin heavy chain variable gene-mutated and unmutated patients, with the shortest EFS for unmutated CLL patients with sCD23 levels above the median. Taken together, our results validate the prognostic impact of sCD23 and highlight SPINT1 and LY9 as possible promising markers for treatment response in CLL patients

Altered cyclophosphamide and thiotepa pharmacokinetics in a patient with moderate renal insufficiency

Purpose: We report a patient with renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance, CLcr = 38 mL/min) who received high-dose chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide (1,500 mg/m2 day-1), thiotepa (120 mg/m2 day-1) and carboplatin (AUC = 5 mg min/mL day-1) for four consecutive days. Methods: Blood samples were collected on day 1 and 3 and plasma levels of cyclophosphamide, its active metabolite 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide, thiotepa, its main metabolite tepa and carboplatin were determined. Results: Pharmacokinetic analyses indicated that the elimination of cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, carboplatin, but especially tepa was strongly reduced in this patient, resulting in increased exposures to these compounds of 67, 43, 30 and 157%, respectively, compared to a reference population (n = 24) receiving similar doses. Exposure to 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide increased 11%. Conclusion: These results suggest that it may not be necessary to alter the dose of cyclophosphamide in patients with moderate renal impairment. However, because high exposures to thiotepa and tepa have been correlated with increased toxicity, caution should be applied when administering thiotepa to patients with renal insuYciency

Altered cyclophosphamide and thiotepa pharmacokinetics in a patient with moderate renal insufficiency

Purpose: We report a patient with renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance, CLcr = 38 mL/min) who received high-dose chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide (1,500 mg/m2 day-1), thiotepa (120 mg/m2 day-1) and carboplatin (AUC = 5 mg min/mL day-1) for four consecutive days. Methods: Blood samples were collected on day 1 and 3 and plasma levels of cyclophosphamide, its active metabolite 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide, thiotepa, its main metabolite tepa and carboplatin were determined. Results: Pharmacokinetic analyses indicated that the elimination of cyclophosphamide, thiotepa, carboplatin, but especially tepa was strongly reduced in this patient, resulting in increased exposures to these compounds of 67, 43, 30 and 157%, respectively, compared to a reference population (n = 24) receiving similar doses. Exposure to 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide increased 11%. Conclusion: These results suggest that it may not be necessary to alter the dose of cyclophosphamide in patients with moderate renal impairment. However, because high exposures to thiotepa and tepa have been correlated with increased toxicity, caution should be applied when administering thiotepa to patients with renal insuYciency

HRM en duurzame inzetbaarheid van mantelzorgende werkenden: Een verkennend onderzoek binnen zorgorganisaties

Overgenomen uit Tijdschrift voor HRM, juli 2019 Het combineren van werk en mantelzorg leidt mogelijk tot overbelasting of arbeidsuitval, maar kan eveneens bijdragen aan het welbevinden van mantelzorgende werkenden. Voor organisaties is niet altijd duidelijk wie deze werkenden zijn, wat hun gezondheid en duurzame inzetbaarheid is en welke ondersteuning nodig is. Verkennend onderzoek middels gestructureerde individuele interviews binnen drie zorgorganisaties laat zien dat de meesten een goede gezondheid ervaren en over de capabilities beschikken om duurzaam inzetbaar te zijn. Zij halen voldoening en waardering uit werk en mantelzorg. De expertise als professional zetten ze in bij de mantelzorg en de ervaring als mantelzorger nemen zij mee in hun werk. Enkelen voelen zich echter minder gezond en beschikken over onvoldoende capabilities. Zij hebben behoefte aan ondersteuning op maat

Imatinib-induced agranulocytosis in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Experimentele farmacotherapi