Knowledge/Attitude/Practices of HPV & Cervical Cancer, Willingness to Participate in Vaccine Trial in Preparation for HIV & HPV Vaccine Trials in Mali

Oral Presentation from AIDS Vaccine 2012 Boston, MA, USA. 9-12 September 201

Weekly screening supports terminating nosocomial transmissions of vancomycin-resistant enterococci on an oncologic ward – a retrospective analysis

Abstract Background To investigate the impact of weekly screening within the bundle of infection control measures to terminate vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) transmissions on an oncologic ward. Methods A cluster of 12 VRE colonisation and five infections was detected on an oncologic ward between January and April 2015. Subsequently, the VRE point prevalence was detected and, as part of a the bundle of infection control strategies to terminate the VRE cluster, we isolated affected patients, performed hand hygiene training among staff on ward, increased observations by infection control specialists, intensified surface disinfection, used personal protective equipment and initiated an admission screening in May 2015. After a further nosocomial VRE infection in August 2015, a weekly screening strategy of all oncology patients on the respective ward was established while admission screening was continued. Whole genome sequencing (WGS)-based typing was applied to determine the clonal relationship of isolated strains. Results Initially, 12 of 29 patients were VRE colonised; of these 10 were hospital-acquired. During May to August, on average 7 of 40 patients were detected to be VRE colonised per week during the admission screening, showing no significant decline compared to the initial situation. WGS-based typing revealed five different clusters of which three were due to vanB- and two vanA-positive enterococci. After an additional weekly screening was established, the number of colonised patients significantly declined to 1/53 and no further nosocomial cases were detected. Conclusions Weekly screening helped to differentiate between nosocomial and community-acquired VRE cases resulting in earlier infection control strategies on epidemic situations for a successful termination of nosocomial VRE transmissions

Improved survival in metastatic breast cancer: results from a 20-year study involving 1033 women treated at a single comprehensive cancer center

Purpose!#!Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer have changed profoundly over the past 25 years. The outcome improved dramatically and was well quantified for early stage breast cancer (EBC). However, progress in the treatment of metastatic disease has been less convincingly demonstrated. We have studied survival data of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) from a large academic cancer center over a period of 20 years.!##!Methods!#!Data from 1033 consecutive MBC patients who were treated at the Department of Medical Oncology of the West German Cancer Center from January 1990 to December 2009 were retrospectively analyzed for overall survival (OS) and risk factors. Patients were grouped in 5-year cohorts, and survival parameters of each cohort were compared before and after adjustment for risk factors.!##!Results!#!Overall survival of patients with MBC treated at specialized center has significantly improved from 1990 to 2010 (hazard ratio 0.7, 95%CI 0.58-0.84). The increments in OS have become less profound over time (median OS 1990-1994: 24.2 months, 1995-1999: 29.6 months, 2000-2004: 36.5 months, 2005-2009: 37.8 months).!##!Conclusion!#!Survival of patients with MBC has improved between 1990 and 2004, but less from 2005 to 2009. Either this suggests an unnoticed shift in the patient population, or a lesser impact of therapeutic innovations introduced in the most recent period