Case report of tracheobronchial squamous cell carcinoma treated with radiation therapy and concurrent chemotherapy

Tracheobronchial tumors include primary malignant tumors, secondary malignant tumors, and benign tumors. Primary malignant tumors of the trachea are rare, representing only 0.1% to 0.4% of all malignant disease. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenoid cystic carcinoma are the most common histological subtypes, making up approximately two-thirds of primary tracheal neoplasms.1 Such tumors have typically been treated with surgical resection and adjuvant radiation therapy (RT; Table 1). Medically inoperable tumors are usually treated with definitive RT, but because of the rarity of these tumors, there are no randomized trials to determine the optimal treatment regimen. A radiation dose of ∼60 Gy has been most commonly reported for external beam RT, with higher doses having significant toxicity of the tracheal and esophageal tissue using historical techniques. In contrast to definitive RT, the use of definitive RT with concurrent chemotherapy for tracheal SCC has been sparingly described in the literature. In this report, we describe our experience with 2 patients at our institution who received definitive RT using modern techniques with concurrent chemotherapy for tracheobronchial SCC

Tumoral cavitation in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer treated with antiangiogenic therapy using bevacizumab

Rationale and objectives: To investigate the frequency and radiographic patterns of tumoral cavitation in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with bevacizumab, and correlate the imaging findings with the pathology, clinical characteristics and outcome. Materials and methods: Seventy-two patients with NSCLC treated with bevacizumab therapy were identified retrospectively. Baseline and follow-up chest computed tomography scan were reviewed to identify tumoral cavitation and subsequent filling in of cavitation. Radiographic cavitation patterns were classified into 3 groups. The clinical and outcome data were correlated with cavity formation and patterns. Results: Out of 72 patients, 14 patients developed cavitation after the initiation of bevacizumab therapy (19%; median time to event, 1.5 months; range 1.0–24.8 months). Three radiographic patterns of tumoral cavitation were noted: (1) development of cavity within the dominant lung tumor (n = 8); (2) development of non-dominant cavitary nodules (n = 3); and (3) development of non-dominant cavitary nodules with adjacent interstitial abnormalities (n = 3). Eleven patients (79%) demonstrated subsequent filling in of cavitation (the time from the cavity formation to filling in; median 3.7 months; range 1.9–22.7 months). No significant difference was observed in the clinical characteristics, including smoking history, or in the survival between patients who developed cavitation and those who did not. Smoking history demonstrated a significant difference across 3 radiographic cavitation patterns (P = 0.006). Hemoptysis was noted in 1 patient with cavity formation and 4 patients without, with no significant difference between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Tumoral cavitation occurred in 19% in patients with NSCLC treated with bevacizumab and demonstrated 3 radiographic patterns. Subsequent filling in of cavitation was noted in the majority of cases

Psychosocial co-morbidities in Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain syndrome (IC/BPS): A systematic review

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/143623/1/nau23421.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/143623/2/nau23421_am.pd

Fairness in the Labour Market - A Survey of Experimental Results

In this chapter we provide a selective survey of experiments to investigate the potential of social motivations in explaining labour market phenomena. We argue that laboratory experiments are a useful instrument to explore issues in labour market theory and personnel economics. Our starting point is the observation that employment relations are frequently governed by incomplete contracts. We show that the norm of reciprocity that leads to gift exchanges is an effective contract enforcement device under conditions of contractual incompleteness. We then present evidence that gift exchange can explain various labour market phenomena that are puzzles from the viewpoint of standard economic theory. Further issues in the related field of personnel economics that have by now been subjected to an experimental scrutiny concern characteristics of the employment relation and the issues of motivation and incentives systems