Variations in concerns reported on the Patient Concerns Inventory (PCI) in head and neck cancer patients from different health settings across the world

Background: The aim was to collate and contrast patient concerns from a range of different head and neck cancer follow-up clinics around the world. Also, we sought to explore the relationship, if any, between responses to the patient concerns inventory (PCI) and overall quality of life (QOL). Methods: Nineteen units participated with intention of including 100 patients per site as close to a consecutive series as possible in order to minimize selection bias. Results: There were 2136 patients with a median total number of PCI items selected of 5 (2-10). “Fear of the cancer returning” (39%) and “dry mouth” (37%) were most common. Twenty-five percent (524) reported less than good QOL. Conclusion: There was considerable variation between units in the number of items selected and in overall QOL, even after allowing for case-mix variables. There was a strong progressive association between the number of PCI items and QOL

Functional evaluation of mandibular reconstruction with bone free flap. A GETTEC study

peer reviewedObjectives: To assess the functional results of oromandibular reconstruction by free bone flap, in terms of swallowing, speech and esthetics. Materials and methods: A transverse multicenter study included 134 patients reconstructed by free bone flap between 1998 and 2016, with more than 6 months’ follow-up, in 9 centers. A standardized questionnaire collected data on patients and treatment. Study endpoints comprised: weight loss, mouth opening, gastrostomy dependence, type of feeding, and DHI score. The impact of patient baseline characteristics on these functional criteria was explored by uni/multivariate analysis. Results: Ninety of the 134 patients had cancer. Fibula flap was mainly used (80%). 94% of reconstructions were primary successes. 71% of patients had pre- or post-operative radiation therapy. 88% had less than 50% lingual resection. 97% recovered oral feeding. 89% had intelligible speech. 86% judged their esthetic appearance as good/average. 9% had dental prosthetic rehabilitation. Radiation therapy and extensive lingual resection significantly impacted swallowing function (P = 0.04 and P = 0.03, respectively). Radiation therapy and oropharyngeal extension significantly increased gastrostomy dependence (P = 0.04 and P = 0.02, respectively). Conclusion: Oromandibular reconstruction by free bone flap enabled return to oral feeding in most cases. More than 80% of patients were satisfied with their result in terms of speech and esthetics. However, the rate of dental rehabilitation was low and the rate of complications was high. © 202

Nitrated plasma albumin as a marker of nitrative stress and neonatal encephalopathy in perinatal asphyxia

Reactive nitrogen species (RNS) have been shown to play a major role in the pathophysiology of hypoxic-ischemic cerebral injury. Using a novel sensitive ELISA allowing the quantification of nitrated albumin (nitroalbumin) in plasma, we tested the hypothesis that perinatal asphyxia increases nitrating RNS generation by verifying whether the concentration of one of its target proteins is correlated with the clinical outcome. We assayed nitroalbumin in 114 plasma samples collected during the first hour, at day 1, and at day 4 of life from 48 term newborns suffering from perinatal asphyxia and correlated this marker with neurological and systemic neonatal outcomes. Nitroalbumin levels at day 1, but not at days 0 and 4, were significantly increased in patients who developed moderate or severe encephalopathy compared to those who had a normal neurological evolution or developed mild encephalopathy (median: 14.4 ng/ml versus 7.3 ng/ml, respectively). In contrast, nitroalbumin concentration at day 1 was not associated with systemic complications. First-hour and fourth-day nitroalbumin concentrations did not differ with respect to the neonatal neurological course. At day 0, nitroalbumin levels also correlated with circulating leukocytes. We conclude that plasma nitroalbumin seems to be a specific marker of neurological injury after perinatal asphyxia and may serve as a secondary end-point in neuroprotective clinical trials. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Functional evaluation of mandibular reconstruction with bone free flap. A GETTEC study

International audienceObjectives: To assess the functional results of oromandibular reconstruction by free bone flap, in terms of swallowing, speech and esthetics.Materials and methods: A transverse multicenter study included 134 patients reconstructed by free bone flap between 1998 and 2016, with more than 6 months' follow-up, in 9 centers. A standardized questionnaire collected data on patients and treatment. Study endpoints comprised: weight loss, mouth opening, gastrostomy dependence, type of feeding, and DHI score. The impact of patient baseline characteristics on these functional criteria was explored by uni/multivariate analysis.Results: Ninety of the 134 patients had cancer. Fibula flap was mainly used (80%). 94% of reconstructions were primary successes. 71% of patients had pre- or post-operative radiation therapy. 88% had less than 50% lingual resection. 97% recovered oral feeding. 89% had intelligible speech. 86% judged their esthetic appearance as good/average. 9% had dental prosthetic rehabilitation. Radiation therapy and extensive lingual resection significantly impacted swallowing function (P=0.04 and P=0.03, respectively). Radiation therapy and oropharyngeal extension significantly increased gastrostomy dependence (P=0.04 and P=0.02, respectively).Conclusion: Oromandibular reconstruction by free bone flap enabled return to oral feeding in most cases. More than 80% of patients were satisfied with their result in terms of speech and esthetics. However, the rate of dental rehabilitation was low and the rate of complications was high

Functional evaluation of mandibular reconstruction with bone free flap. A GETTEC study [Évaluation fonctionnelle des reconstructions mandibulaires par lambeaux libres osseux. Une étude GETTEC]

International audienc

Mitochondrial Retrograde Signaling Mediated by UCP2 Inhibits Cancer Cell Proliferation and Tumorigenesis

International audienc

Évaluation fonctionnelle des reconstructions mandibulaires par lambeaux libres osseux. Une étude GETTEC

peer reviewed[No abstract available

Nuclear galectin-3 expression is an independent predictive factor of recurrence for adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the lung.

The tumor stage is the most powerful prognostic tool for predicting the survival rates of lung carcinoma patients. However, prognosis of individual patients is difficult in part because of the marked clinical heterogeneity among such patients. Galectins are involved in cell growth, apoptosis and cell migration features, and their diagnostic and prognostic values have already been demonstrated in various types of cancers. In the present paper we analyze the potential prognostic value of immunohistochemical galectin-3 expression in lung adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. In all, 165 squamous cell carcinomas and 121 adenocarcinomas were immunostained for galectin-3. In each case the immunohistochemical analyses consisted of an evaluation of the percentage of tumor cells stained and the intensity of staining. An IP score (ie Intensity x Percentage) was thus determined for each lung carcinoma. A large majority of cases displayed galectin-3 expression. While the cytoplasmic staining in the squamous cell carcinomas was focal and moderately intense, the staining in the adenocarcinomas was diffuse and intense. The IP scores were significantly (P=0.0001) higher in the adenocarcinomas than in the squamous cell carcinomas. The difference in nuclear expression profiles between the two cancer types was statistically significant (P=0.0005). Cox multivariate analysis carried out on the patients' genders, the TNM classification and the galectin-3-related variables showed that of the galectin-3-related variables, only the nuclear location of galectin-3 was identified as a prognostic indicator of recurrence independent of the clinicopathological features characterizing the patients (P=0.02). The prognostic contribution of this latter variable was enhanced when the patients with relapse-free follow-ups longer than 8 months were considered (P=0.005). Galectin-3 immunohistochemical expression differs between squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas, but the nuclear expression of galectin-3 behaves as a significant prognostic predictor for all the cases as a group.Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe