Risk for pelvic metastasis and role of pelvic lymphadenectomy in node-positive vulvar cancer - results from the AGO-VOP.2 QS vulva study

Simple Summary In node-positive vulvar squamous cell cancer, questions of when and how to perform pelvic lymphadenectomy (LAE) as well as the optimal extent of pelvic treatment in general have been surrounded by considerable controversy. In Germany, systematic pelvic LAE is currently recommended as a staging procedure in patients at risk for pelvic nodal involvement in order to prevent morbidity caused by pelvic radiotherapy (RT) in patients without histologically-confirmed pelvic involvement. However, the population at risk for pelvic metastases remains insufficiently described, resulting in the potential overtreatment of a considerable proportion of patients with groin-positive disease. This applies to the indication to perform surgical staging but also to adjuvant RT of the pelvis without previous pelvic staging. Our study aims to describe the risk for pelvic lymph node metastasis with regard to positive groin nodes and to clarify the indication criteria for pelvic treatment in node-positive vulvar cancer. Abstract The need for pelvic treatment in patients with node-positive vulvar cancer (VSCC) and the value of pelvic lymphadenectomy (LAE) as a staging procedure to plan adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) is controversial. In this retrospective, multicenter analysis, 306 patients with primary node-positive VSCC treated at 33 gynecologic oncology centers in Germany between 2017 and 2019 were analyzed. All patients received surgical staging of the groins; nodal status was as follows: 23.9% (73/306) pN1a, 23.5% (72/306) pN1b, 20.4% (62/306) pN2a/b, and 31.9% (97/306) pN2c/pN3. A total of 35.6% (109/306) received pelvic LAE; pelvic nodal involvement was observed in 18.5%. None of the patients with nodal status pN1a or pN1b and pelvic LAE showed pelvic nodal involvement. Taking only patients with nodal status ≥pN2a into account, the rate of pelvic involvement was 25%. In total, adjuvant RT was applied in 64.4% (197/306). Only half of the pelvic node-positive (N+) patients received adjuvant RT to the pelvis (50%, 10/20 patients); 41.9% (122/291 patients) experienced recurrent disease or died. In patients with histologically-confirmed pelvic metastases after LAE, distant recurrences were most frequently observed (7/20 recurrences). Conclusions: A relevant risk regarding pelvic nodal involvement was observed from nodal status pN2a and higher. Our data support the omission of pelvic treatment in patients with nodal status pN1a and pN1b

The conservative therapy of the peripheral artery disease at the stage of intermittent claudication – discrepancy between guideline recommendations and out-clinic reality

In der S3-Leitlinie der deutschen Gesellschaft für Angiologie und der Gesellschaft für Gefäßmedizin zur Diagnostik, Therapie und Nachsorge der peripheren arteriellen Verschlusskrankheit (pAVK) werden konservative Maßnahmen zur Behandlung der pAVK im Stadium der Claudicatio intermittens (CI) als Basistherapie empfohlen. In Studien haben sie sich als effektiv und zumindest gleichwertig zu invasiven Maßnahmen erwiesen. Untersuchungen in der Versorgungsrealität abseits großer Zentren fehlen jedoch. Die durchgeführte Studie hat die Umsetzung, Umsetzbarkeit und Effektivität der konservativen Therapie der pAVK im nicht-urbanen Umfeld untersucht. 83 Patienten wurden aus einem Patientenkollektiv von gesamt 180 Patienten am Klinikum Main-Spessart Lohr mit der Diagnose einer pAVK im Stadium der CI zur Erhebung retrospektiver Daten sowie zur Durchführung einer Befragung ausgewählt. Wir konnten zeigen, dass Empfehlungen aus einer vaskulären Sprechstunde in der Behandlungsrealität oftmals nicht oder nur unvollständig umgesetzt werden. Ein großer Anteil von Patienten mit CI erfährt keine oder nur wenig Besserung ihrer Beschwerden und ersucht z.T. schlussendlich eine Intervention. Bei einem Teil des Patientenkollektivs jedoch führt die Umsetzung der konservativen Therapieempfehlungen zu einer deutlichen Verbesserung der Mobilität und des Schmerzempfindens. Bei diesen Patienten konnte vorerst von einer interventionellen oder operativen Therapie abgesehen werden. Bei der konservativen Therapie der CI im nicht-urbanen Umfeld ergibt sich eine Diskrepanz zwischen den Empfehlungen der Leitlinien und der tatsächlichen Versorgungsrealität. Eine leitlinien-orientierte Behandlung der CI erfordert eine intensivere ambulante Betreuung, eine bessere Schulung von Patienten und nicht spezialisierten Ärzten, eine adäquate Vergütung sowie eine engere Vernetzung der vorhandenen Strukturen.In the german national guidelines for diagnosis, therapy and the follow-up care of peripheral artery disease (PAD), conservative treatment in the stage of intermittent claudication (IC) is recommended as basis treatment. The conservative treatment has shown to be as effective as invasive methods. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the treatment reality aside of large hospitals. This study evaluated the implementation, feasibility and the effectivity of the conservative treatment of PAD in a non-urban environment. 83 patients were selected from a collective of 180 patients at the Klinikum Main-Spessart Lohr, with a diagnosis of PAD at the stage of IC. Data was collected retrospectively and structured interviews were carried out. We were able to show that the recommendations of a vascular consultation were implemented only incompletely or not at all. A large proportion of patients with IC experienced non or only little improvement of discomfort and eventually underwent surgical intervention. However, for some patients the implementation of conservative treatments led to a considerable improvement of mobility and pain. For these patients it was possible to avoid invasive treatment for the time being. There is a discrepancy between the recommendation of the national guidelines and the outpatient reality concerning the conservative treatment of IC in non-urban environment. The treatment of IC according to guidelines requires a more intensive outpatient care, a better instruction of patients as well as non-specialized physicians, an improved reimbursement and better cross-linking of existing structures

Diminishing benefits of urban living for children and adolescents’ growth and development

Optimal growth and development in childhood and adolescence is crucial for lifelong health and well-being1–6. Here we used data from 2,325 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight from 71 million participants, to report the height and body-mass index (BMI) of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years on the basis of rural and urban place of residence in 200 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020. In 1990, children and adolescents residing in cities were taller than their rural counterparts in all but a few high-income countries. By 2020, the urban height advantage became smaller in most countries, and in many high-income western countries it reversed into a small urban-based disadvantage. The exception was for boys in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in some countries in Oceania, south Asia and the region of central Asia, Middle East and north Africa. In these countries, successive cohorts of boys from rural places either did not gain height or possibly became shorter, and hence fell further behind their urban peers. The difference between the age-standardized mean BMI of children in urban and rural areas was <1.1 kg m–2 in the vast majority of countries. Within this small range, BMI increased slightly more in cities than in rural areas, except in south Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and some countries in central and eastern Europe. Our results show that in much of the world, the growth and developmental advantages of living in cities have diminished in the twenty-first century, whereas in much of sub-Saharan Africa they have amplified