Considerations in Management for Trans and Gender Diverse Patients with Inherited Cancer Risk

Purpose of Review To best support all patients with inherited cancer risk, we must broaden our scope of practice to consider the needs of the transgender and gender diverse (trans) community. We considered best practice for supporting trans patients including tailored risk assessments and management recommendations. Recent Findings There is limited literature considering trans patient care in cancer genetics. Small case studies have highlighted how medical transition and cancer risk–reducing options intersect with the need for individualised care. Studies have also shown that cancer genetics professionals do not feel prepared to support trans patients. Summary Patient-centred care for trans patients relies on a multidisciplinary team (MDT) engaged in shared decision-making. National guidelines are needed to standardise access to appropriate discussions around risk-reducing options and screening. International collaborative research is required to provide empiric data on the impact of gender-affirming treatments on cancer risk, and more experiential data is needed from trans patients accessing cancer genetics services. Finally, education and training in this area should be formally embedded for all cancer genetics professionals

Considerations in genetic counseling of transgender patients:Cultural competencies and altered disease risk profiles

Transgender people are a growing population with specific healthcare needs, barriers to care, and disease risk factors. Cultural competencies for working with transgender people in healthcare settings are essential to reduce barriers to care and combat the associated health disparities. Genetic counselors support their patients to understand and manage medically and personally complex life events and decisions. A genetic counselor caring for a transgender patient or a patient with a transgender relative will therefore require specific cultural competencies and medical knowledge that may not have been covered in their training. Transgender health is also a relatively young field in which new insights may quickly become fundamental. The present paper therefore provides an overview of current best practices for culturally sensitive working with transgender patients, and an introduction to the additional considerations for assessment of disease risk in transgender people. Guidance on how to ensure communication with patients and other stakeholders is inclusive and affirming of transgender identities, is offered. Medical interventions used for gender transitions are described, and their (potential) effects on cancer and cardiovascular disease risk are discussed. Furthermore, the effects of sociocultural risk factors such as minority stress are outlined. In sum, we invite the reader to consider the specific biological, psychological, and social context of the consultation. Finally, we explore culturally competent approaches to pedigree charting and physical examinations with transgender people and provide recommendations for practice

Special issue on the occasion of the 80th birthday of A. J. (Sandy) Bruce - 50 years of shrimping in the Indo-West Pacific

A. J. (Sandy) Bruce was fascinated by animal life from his schooldays in southern England (and probably earlier), with interests in birds and freshwater crustaceans which, after completing his medical degree (‘Dr’ Bruce) and then compulsory National Service in Glasgow, led Sandy to join EAMFRO (East African Marine Fisheries Research Organisation) in Zanzibar in 1959. This was his first exposure to the tropics and the rich world of coral reefs and, most importantly of course, their as yet hardly studied shrimp fauna. This was the start of an enduring\ud fascination with Pontoniinae and other shrimp taxa, which so far (production is not declining) has resulted in the description of one new family, 63+ new genera and 250+ new species, totalling approximately 7% of global shrimp diversity. Other crustacean groups also received attention, especially in the early years, with regular contributions appearing on the taxonomy of Brachyura, Stomatopoda, Isopoda, Rhizocephala, Mysidacea, and all major lobster groups. In a scientific career spanning over five decades, Sandy has produced in excess of 300 papers, routinely\ud publishing 6-8 titles per year, and in some years as many as 12-14. Remarkably, until 1975 when Sandy took up the directorship at Heron Island Research Station, his taxonomic research was done almost entirely at home in his ‘spare time’

Comparative spring distribution of zooplankton in three macrotidal European estuaries

The zooplankton of three european estuaries (Ems, Gironde and Westerschelde) was investigated during spring 1992 by means of samples taken along the salinity gradient. The three estuaries are comparable in terms of total area, flushing time and salinity gradient but differ by their level of eutrophication (highest in the Westerschelde), suspended matter concentration (highest in the Gironde) and potential phytoplankton production (highest in the Ems). Copepods and meroplankton dominated the zooplankton in the three estuaries. The dominant copepod species were Eurytemora affinis and Acartia bifilosa. The distribution of E. affinis along the salinity gradient differed between the estuaries. Peaks of abundance were observed at 0 PSU in the Gironde, 6 PSU in the Ems and 9 PSU in the Westerschelde. The downstream shift of the population in the Westerschelde was likely due to anoxic conditions occurring in the oligohaline zone. In the Gironde the downstream distribution of E. affinis was limited by the very high suspended matter concentration found in the maximum turbidity zone. Whatever the estuary, the parameters of the population of E. affinis and maximum abundance values were similar. However, the influence of the better quality of the available food was suggested in the Ems where individual dry weights and egg production were higher than in the two other estuaries. The influence of a good quality of food in the Ems was confirmed by the development of a large population of Acartia bifilosa (as abundant as E. affinis) and highest values of adult individual weights.The meroplankton (essentially Polychaete and cirripede larvae) was much more developed in the Ems than in the Westerschelde and Gironde. This was likely due to the large extent of mudflats and hard substrates in the Ems favouring adult settlement and hence the number of larvae locally produced