Attitudes of the General Population Regarding Patient Information for a Chronic and Life-Threatening Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The form of communication developed between the physician and the patient and between the physician and the patient’s close relatives builds the foundation for the process of announcing unpleasant news, which is related to the diagnosis of chronic disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of the general population regarding the information of patients for a chronic and life-threatening disease. Methods: It is a cross-sectional study. An anonymous questionnaire was used on a sample of 350 people. Results: The 95.1% of participants considered that patients have the right to be fully informed about their health status and that the physician has the right to be informed. The 90.3% of the respondents argued that patients differ in their preferences. Totally, 60.3% of participants agreed that all patients would like to know the bad news about their health, while 44.5% argued that patients do not want to hear bad news about their health, and 32.3% believed that patients should be protected from the announcement of bad news. The majority of respondents (95.6%) were informed by the physician about their or their relevant chronic disease. Conclusions: The general population is of the opinion that patients should be informed about their health status. Due to the fact that each patient responds differently to the announcement of the unpleasant news, the respondents replied that the announcement of the unpleasant news should be personalized and carried out by the physician. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

The expression of Galectin-3 in breast cancer and its association with metastatic disease: a systematic review of the literature

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer and the second highest cause of cancer mortality in female patients. The significance of the expression of Galectin-3 has been correlated with various malignancy types and in data from several research papers, the expression of Galectin-3 has been associated with the progression and metastasis of breast cancer. In the present study, the authors’ goal is to identify whether the expression of Galectin-3 in breast cancer can be associated with the presence and/or recurrence of a metastatic disease. Both Scopus and PubMed databases were utilized, by inputting the following combination of keywords: (((Breast) AND Metastasis)) AND ((Galectin 3) OR Galectin-3). The time of publication and text availability were not considered when searching the databases and all relevant articles in English were initially accepted. We included one case-control study, three retrospective case studies and one retrospective cohort study. In two of the included studies, the levels in concentration of Galectin-3 were not correlated with a significant difference in prognosis. In two studies, the lacking in expression of Galectin-3 was associated with a worse prognosis and in one of the studies selected, the elevated levels of Galectin-3 were correlated with recurrence of disease in triple negative breast cancer cases. For most of the studies selected for this review, the results were contradictory in regard to the role of Galectin-3 for prognosis and metastatic potential in female breast cancer patients. It is still unclear, whether Galectin-3 can be used as a prognostic marker for advanced breast cancer disease. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. part of Springer Nature

Demographic, clinical and hormonal characteristics of patients with premature ovarian insufficiency and those of early menopause: data from two tertiary premature ovarian insufficiency centers in Greece

The aim of the study was to compare demographic, hormonal and clinical parameters in patients with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and women with early menopause in Greece. One hundred thirty-nine women of Greek origin, aged 14–45 years, referring for oligomenorrhea and having elevated FSH concentrations were divided into three groups regarding the age of menstrual disturbances onset [POI1: </=30 years (n = 42); POI2: 31–39 years (n = 36); early menopause: 40–45 years (n = 61)]. The mean age of menstrual disturbances onset and that of diagnosis in all POI and early menopause patients were 28.7 years (28.7 ± 7.7) versus 42.1 years (42.1 ± 1.5) and 33.8 years (33.8 ± 7.2) versus 43.3 years (43.3 ± 1.4), respectively. POI patients and women with early menopause were diagnosed, respectively, five years and approximately four to six months later than the age of menstrual disturbances onset. Moreover, FSH2 (second confirmatory FSH measurement at 4-to-6-weeks interval) was greater in all POI patients than in early menopause women (55.4 ± 33.9 vs. 32.4 ± 19.4; p <.05) whereas mean age of menarche was greater in early menopause women than in POI patients (13 ± 1.3 vs. 12 ± 2.2; p <.05). Furthermore, FSH2 was increased in all POI and decreased in early menopause patients. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Pulmonary laceration and contusion in a young male patient due to a motorcycle accident

Chest trauma injuries are one of the main causes of death in young people and include lung contusions, lacerations, pneumothorax, hemothorax, rib fractures and tracheobronchial injuries. Pulmonary contusions are the most common identified entities after trauma, and they result in alveolar hemorrhage without loss of the physiological structure of lung parenchyma. On the other hand, pulmonary lacerations, which are often associated with contusions, result in rupture of the alveoli causing formation of cavities. Patients present symptoms ranging from minimal to severe, including cough, chest pain, hemoptysis, dyspnea, tachypnea, and hypoxemia. Findings may not be apparent immediately after injury and chest CT is the most sensitive imaging technique for diagnosis. Contusions usually resolve with supportive care in 5–7 days. In this report, we present a case of lung contusion and laceration in a 19-year-old patient after a motorcycle accident. © 2021 Apollonatou V. et al