Clinical management of pain in advanced lung cancer

Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world and pain is its most common symptom. Pain can be brought about by several different causes including local effects of the tumor, regional or distant spread of the tumor, or from anti-cancer treatment. Patients with lung cancer experience more symptom distress than patients with other types of cancer. Symptoms such as pain may be associated with worsening of other symptoms and may affect quality of life. Pain management adheres to the principles set out by the World Health Organization's analgesic ladder along with adjuvant analgesics. As pain can be caused by multiple factors, its treatment requires pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures from a multidisciplinary team linked in with specialist palliative pain management. This review article examines pain management in lung cancer

Topical 1% Nalbuphine on corneal sensivity and epitheilization after experimental lamellar keratectomy in rabbits

The present study was aimed to evaluate the effects of topical 1% nalbuphine on corneal sensitivity and re-epithelialization, after lamellar keratectomy in rabbits. All protocols were approved by the Animal Care Comission of São Paulo State University (Protocol 028793-08) and were conducted in accordance with the Institutional Animal Committee and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) statement for the use of animals in research. Surgeries were performed on the left eye (Nalbuphine Group) and on the right eye (Control Group). Two groups were formed (n=10) and corneas received either 30µl of 1% nalbuphine (NG) or 30µl of 0,9% saline (CG). Treatments occurred at 7, 11, 15 and 19 hours. After the surgery, the corneas were stained with fluorescein and photographed daily; corneal touch threshold (CTT) was assessed with Cochet-Bonnet aesthesiometer, at 7 and 19 hours, 20 minutes after treatments. Data were statistically compared with repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc test, and T test (P0.05); however, a higher area under the curve for both parameters was observed in the NG (2771), in comparison to CG (2164). Topical 1% nalbuphine did not change significantly corneal sensitivity and re-epithelialization, after experimental lamellar keratectomy in rabbits.Avaliaram-se os efeitos da nalbufina 1% sobre o limiar de sensibilidade corneal (LSC) e a epitelização corneal em coelhos submetidos à ceratectomia lamelar unilateral. Os procedimentos foram aprovados pela Comissão de Ética no Uso de Animais da Faculdade de Ciências Agrarias e Veterinárias da Universidade Estadual Paulista (Protocolo no 028793-08), de acordo com as normas do Institutional Animal Committee and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). Conceberam-se dois grupos (n=10) e os olhos foram tratados com 30µl de Nalbufina 1% (Olho esquerdo - GN) ou com 30µl de solução salina (Olho direito - GC), às 7, 11, 15 e 19 horas das ceratectomias unilaterais, até sua reepitelização. O limiar de sensibilidade corneal (LSC) foi avaliado 20 minutos após cada tratamento, 48 horas antes e depois da ceratectomia a intervalos regulares de 12 horas (7 e 19 horas) com estesiômetro de Cochet-Bonnet. Após a realização da cirurgia, diariamente, as córneas foram coradas com fluoresceína e registradas em fotos digitais para mensuração em software Image-J. A normalidade dos dados foi avaliada ao teste de Kolmogorov-Smirnov. O limiar de sensibilidade e a área ulcerada foram comparados ao teste de Bonferroni, após ANOVA de medias repetidas (P0,05), todavia, constatou-se maior área sob a curva, relativamente ao LSC, no GN (2771), comparativamente ao GC (2164). O tempo médio±DP de reepitelização no GN foi de 7,40±0,47 dias e de 8,90±0,31 dias no GC, não havendo diferença significativa entre os grupos (P=0,11). Como conclusão, tem-se que o uso tópico de nalbufina 1% não alterou significativamente o limiar de sensibilidade e a reepitelização corneais em coelhos submetidos a ceratectomia lamelar experimental

Time to Surgery Following Short-Course Radiotherapy in Rectal Cancer and its Impact on Postoperative Outcomes. A Population-Based Study Across the English National Health Service, 2009–2014

Aims Preoperative short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) is an important treatment option for rectal cancer. The length of time between completing SCRT and surgery may influence postoperative outcomes, but the evidence available to determine the optimal interval is limited and often conflicting. Materials and methods Information was extracted from a colorectal cancer data repository (CORECT-R) on all surgically treated rectal cancer patients who received SCRT in the English National Health Service between April 2009 and December 2014. The time from radiotherapy to surgery was described across the population. Thirty-day postoperative mortality, returns to theatre, length of stay and 1-year survival were investigated in relation to the interval between radiotherapy and surgery. Results Within the cohort of 3469 patients, the time to surgery was 0–7 days for 76% of patients, 8–14 days for 19% of patients and 15–27 days for 5% of patients. There was a clear variation in relation to different patient characteristics. There was, however, no evidence of differences in postoperative outcomes in relation to interval length. Conclusions This study suggests that the time interval between SCRT and surgery does not influence postoperative outcomes up to a year after surgery. The study provides population-level, real-world evidence to complement that from clinical trials

The narrative geography of Mark

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN036129 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

The changing role of radiation therapy in the management of oligometastatic disease

It is clear from surgical series that there are selected patients presenting with localised metastatic disease who can be cured by radical ablation of the metastasis. To date this has been limited to surgical resection but the evolution of stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) has opened new opportunities. Hypofractionated radiation delivery in 1 to 5 fractions can achieve durable local control with low toxicity. The focus is now to develop robust biomarkers so that those with true oligometastatic and thereby potentially curable disease can be selected for this approach. Keywords: Oligometastases, Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR), Biomarker

Australian leaf-tailed geckos: phylogeny, a new genus, two new species and other new data

[Extract] Australia's rainforests and adjoining moist sclerophyll forests and heaths are well known for their high diversity and for many species confined to either single localities, or very narrow ranges. Leaf-tailed geckos from such forests well illustrate these characteristics. For nearly 200 years of discovery and description of Australia's reptiles, only two species of 'leaf-tails', Phyllurus platurus (Shaw, 1790) and P. cornutus (Ogilby, 1892) = Saltuarius cornutus (Ogilby, 1892), were known. Morphological studies since 1975 have resulted in the recognition of many new species and the genus Saltuarius Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993 - P. caudiannulatus Covacevich, 1975; P. isis Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993; P. nepthys Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993; P. ossa Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993; S. salebrosus (Covacevich, 1975); Saltuarius occultus Couper, Covacevich &Moritz, 1993 and S. swaini (Wells & Wellington, 1985). Eight of the 12 presently known species have narrow distributions with four confined to single localities

Urinary biomarkers in metastatic bone pain: Results from a multicentre randomized trial of ibandronate compared to single dose radiotherapy for localized metastatic bone pain in prostate cancer (RIB)

Background: The Radiotherapy IBandronate (RIB) trial compared single dose radiotherapy and a single infusion of ibandronate in 470 bisphosphonate naïve patients with metastatic bone pain from prostate cancer randomised into a non-inferiority two arm study. Results for the primary endpoint of pain score response at 4 weeks showed that the ibandronate arm was non-inferior to single dose radiotherapy. Patients and method: In addition to pain assessments including analgesic use made at baseline, 4, 8, 12, 26 and 52 weeks, urine was collected at baseline, 4 and 12 weeks. It was subsequently analysed for urinary N-telopeptide (NTx) and cystatin C. Linear regression models were used to compare the continuous outcome measures for urinary markers within treatment arms and baseline measurements were included as covariates. Interaction terms were fitted to allow for cross-treatment group comparisons. Results: The primary endpoint of the RIB trial was worst pain response at 4 weeks and there was no treatment difference seen. Urine samples and paired pain scores at 4 weeks were available for 273 patients (radiotherapy 168; ibandronate 159)The baseline samples measured for the RIB trial had an average concentration of 193 nM BCE/mM creatinine (range of 7.3–1871) compared to the quoted normal range of 33 nM BCE/mM creatinine (3 to 63). In contrast the average value of Cystatin C was 66 ng/ml (ranges ND – 1120 ng/ml) compared to the quoted normal range of 62.9 ng/ml (ranges 12.6–188 ng/ml). A statistically significant reduction in NTx concentrations between baseline and 4 weeks was seen in the ibandronate arm but not in the radiotherapy arm. No correlation between pain response and urinary marker concentration was seen in either the ibandronate or radiotherapy cohort at any time point. Conclusion: NTx was significantly raised compared to the normal range consistent with a role as a biomarker for bone metastases from prostate cancer. A significant reduction in NTx 4 weeks after ibandronate is consistent with its action in osteoclast inhibition which was not seen after radiotherapy implying a different mode of action for radiation. There was no correlation between bone biomarker levels and pain response

Australian leaf-tailed geckos: phylogeny, a new genus, two new species and other new data

[Extract] Australia's rainforests and adjoining moist sclerophyll forests and heaths are well known for their high diversity and for many species confined to either single localities, or very narrow ranges. Leaf-tailed geckos from such forests well illustrate these characteristics. For nearly 200 years of discovery and description of Australia's reptiles, only two species of 'leaf-tails', Phyllurus platurus (Shaw, 1790) and P. cornutus (Ogilby, 1892) = Saltuarius cornutus (Ogilby, 1892), were known. Morphological studies since 1975 have resulted in the recognition of many new species and the genus Saltuarius Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993 - P. caudiannulatus Covacevich, 1975; P. isis Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993; P. nepthys Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993; P. ossa Couper, Covacevich & Moritz, 1993; S. salebrosus (Covacevich, 1975); Saltuarius occultus Couper, Covacevich &Moritz, 1993 and S. swaini (Wells & Wellington, 1985). Eight of the 12 presently known species have narrow distributions with four confined to single localities