IA IIA Research Articles

Analysis of the effectiveness of primary treatment of stage IA–IIA ovarian cancer. Siberian Journal of Oncology

Aim: to determine the effectiveness of primary treatment of patients with ovarian cancer of stages IA–IIA.Material and Methods. The study included 336 (100 %) patients with histologically confrmed ovarian cancer of stages IA–IIA, who were treated at the Primorsky Regional Oncology Center from 2004 to 2021. The overall survival (s) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed depending on clinical and morphological factors: histological type of cancer, BRCA1/2 mutation, profle of the clinic where surgical treatment was performed, surgical staging and chemotherapy option. The examination for a mutation in the BRCA1/2 gene was performed by a new generation sequencing method. The data were statistically processed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 26 program.Results. The average age of patients with stage IA–IIA ovarian cancer was 52.12 ± 12.13 years. Statistically signifcantly higher survival rates were in patients with histological tumor type low-grade serous carcinoma compared with high-grade serous carcinoma (S: p=0.010 and IBP: p=0.020), with surgical treatment in specialized hospitals compared with patients operated in gynecological hospitals (s: p=0.040 and IBP: p=0.020), during adequate surgical staging (OV: p=0.008 and IBP: p=0.010), during treatment with platinum and taxanes (OV: p=0.001 and IBP: p=0.001).Conclusion. It was shown that about 30 % of patients with stage IA–IIA ovarian cancer in Primorsky Krai received primary surgical treatment in non-specialized hospitals, which increased the risk of progression and death by 1.7 times. A low percentage of adequate surgical staging was noted (12.5 %). Adjuvant chemotherapy with platinum and non-oxane agents worsened the prognosis of the disease. Patients with low-grade serous carcinoma had a more favorable prognosis (by 60 %). There was no statistically signifcant effect of the presence of a mutation in the BRCA1/2 genes on survival rates.

The relationship between the uptake of alveolar bone inflammation and of cervical lymph nodes on fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography.

To elucidate the relationships between the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of alveolar bone and those of lymph nodes (LNs) around the neck on 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET). The SUVmax values of alveolar bone and of level IA, level IB, and level IIA LNs of 174 patients, including those with and without active odontogenic inflammation, on PET/CT performed for a health check were retrospectively evaluated. The upper and lower jaws were divided into four blocks (right maxilla, left maxilla, right mandible, and left mandible). The SUVmax values of each block and of the LNs were calculated. The differences in the SUVmax of each LN level between patients with and without odontogenic inflammation, and the relationship between the SUVmax values of alveolar bone and of the LNs were analysed statistically. Significant differences in SUVmax values of bilateral level IB and IIA LNs were found between patients with and without odontogenic inflammation (Mann-Whitney U test: right level IB, P = .008; left level IB, P = .006; right level IIA, P < .001; left level IIA, P = .002), but not in bilateral level IA LNs (Mann-Whitney U test: right level IA, P = .432; left level IA, P = .549). The inflammatory site with the highest SUVmax in level IB LNs was the ipsilateral mandible (multivariate analysis: right, beta = 0.398, P < .001; left, beta = 0.472, P < .001), and the highest SUVmax in level IIA LNs was the ipsilateral maxilla (multivariate analysis: right, beta = 0.223, P = .002; left, beta = 0.391, P < .001). The SUVmax values of level IB and IIA LNs were associated with a tendency towards a higher SUVmax value of alveolar bone on 18F-FDG-PET.

Correlation of mandibular third molar orientation and available retromolar space with arch length discrepancy in subjects with different growth pattern.

To evaluate, compare, and correlate the mandibular third molar orientation and available retromolar space with arch length discrepancy in subjects with skeletal class II malocclusion and different growth pattern. A total of 250 patients (age >18 yrs) having skeletal class II malocclusion (based on YEN angle and WITS appraisal) were divided into two groups. Both the groups (Group I with erupted mandibular third molars {N = 150} and Group II with impacted mandibular third molars {N = 100}) were subdivided into subgroups IA (n = 71), IB (n = 19), IC (n = 71) and Group IIA (n = 54), IIB (n = 30) and IIC (n = 16) for normo-, hypo- and hyperdivergent growth patterns, respectively (based on Jarabak ratio and Sn-Go-Gn angle). Four parameters, that is, retromolar space, width of third molar, third molar angulation, and mandibular incisor angulation were measured on orthopantomogram whereas arch length discrepancy was calculated with the help of lateral cephalogram and study model. Intragroup, intergroup comparisons (using unpaired Student's 't' test), and Pearson's correlation coefficient for assessed parameters were obtained. Third molar angulation and retromolar space were significantly higher in Group I than in Group II (hyperdivergent pattern of Group II had highest value). The width of third molar was less than retromolar space in Group II and vice versa for Group I. Mandibular incisor angulation and arch length discrepancy were more in Group II than in Group I, but difference was statistically nonsignificant. Strong positive correlation was observed for mandibular third molar angulation and available retromolar space in normo- and hyperdivergent growth patterns. Lack of retromolar space along with increased amount of arch length discrepancy and mandibular incisor angulation is responsible for increased chances of third molar impaction in some subjects with class II malocclusion.

The effect of phototherapy on the dynamics of cytokine mRNA expression in the affected skin of patients with mycosis fungoides

Introduction. The role of the cytokine environment and immune deregulation in the pathogenesis of mycosis fungoides is unquestionable. Despite the fact that one of the methods of therapy for the early stages of mycosis fungoides is phototherapy (PUVA, UVB-311 nm), the effect of ultraviolet radiation on the lymphoproliferative substrate and pathogenetic links in mycosis fungoides has not been fully studied. Aim: to evaluate the effect of NB-UVB and PUVA therapy on the dynamics of cytokine mRNA expression in the affected skin of patients with mycosis fungoides. Material and Methods. A comparative non-randomized study of the cytokine mRNA expression dynamics in the affected skin and of the effectiveness of phototherapy was carried out in 28 patients with early stage of mycosis fungoides. The IL4, IL17A, IL17F, and IL22 mRNA expression was determined relative to the endogenous control GAPDH using the real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). Evaluation of the effectiveness of NB-UVB and PUVA therapy was carried out using a BSA score (skin lesion area) and a modified severity-weighted assessment tool (mSWAT) score. Results. The study included 28 patients with early stages (IA–IIA) of mycosis fungoides; 9 patients received NB-UVB and 19 received PUVA therapy. 3.71-fold decrease in mSWAT (p &lt; 0.008), and 3-fold decrease in BSA scores (p &lt; 0.013) were observed in the NB-UVB-treated group. In the PUVA-treated group 3.47- and 2.19-fold lower scores of mSWAT (p &lt; 0.001) and BSA (p &lt; 0.001) were found. There were no significant differences in the expression of the studied cytokines in the NB-UVB-treated group; however, a significant 19 and 72 % increase in IL17F (p = 0.003) and IL22 (p = 0.021) was revealed afterPUVA therapy. Correlation analysis has shown a weak correlation between IL4 and IL17A (r = 0.43, p &lt; 0.027), and IL17F (r = 0.43, p &lt; 0.028) before the treatment. Under the influence of phototherapy, the formation of a cytokine network in the affected skin was observed: there were positive associations between IL4 and IL17A (r = 0.73, p &lt; 0.001), IL17F (r = 0.7, p &lt; 0.001) and IL22 (r = 0.43, p &lt; 0.024); IL17A and IL17F (r = 0.78, p &lt; 0.001); IL22 and IL17A (r = 0.63, p &lt; 0.001) and IL17F (r = 0.66, p &lt; 0.001). In the PUVA-treated group a high negative correlation between IL17A and mSWAT (r = -0.79415, p =0.010586), BSA (r = -0.75432, p = 0.018849) were found. Conclusion: The positive correlations between IL4, IL17A, IL17F and IL22 in the affected skin of patients with mycosis fungoides may underlie the positive effect of phototherapy.

Identifying tumor markers-stratified subtypes (CA-125/CA19-9/carcinoembryonic antigen) in cervical adenocarcinoma.

There is a lack of research evaluating the effect of tumor markers for prognosis in cervical adenocarcinoma. We aimed to develop and validate a preoperative tumor-marker-based model including clinicopathological factors to clarify the prognostic value of endocervical adenocarcinoma. A total of 572 patients with cervical adenocarcinoma who were staged at the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) IA-IIA were reviewed retrospectively. Preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA)-125 and CA19-9 levels were measured. The survival and recurrence patterns were analyzed according to the tumor-marker-related stratification. The predictive values of biomarkers and clinical variables were assessed with Cox regression and competing risk models. Patients with elevated preoperative tumor markers had evidently poor overall survival and recurrence-free survival. The triple-elevated tumor marker (TETM) subgroup had the worst overall survival and progression-free survival than the triple-negative tumor marker (TNTM) subgroup and the single-elevated tumor marker (SETM) subgroup. The most important predictors for overall survival were elevated tumor markers, FIGO-stage, tumor differentiation, lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) and lymph nodes metastasis. The most important predictors for recurrence-free survival were elevated tumor markers, FIGO-stage, tumor differentiation, LVSI and deep stromal invasion. Stratified analysis showed that elevated CA-125 and CA19-9 were significantly associated with postoperative distant metastasis. A decision curve analysis confirmed that a combination of tumor markers as predictors significantly outperformed the other common predictors used (FIGO-stage, intermediate and high-risk factors, tumor differentiation, lymph nodes). Elevated preoperative serum CEA, CA-125, and CA19-9 levels exhibited poor overall survival and recurrence-free survival in cervical adenocarcinoma patients. Combined preoperative serum CA-125 and CA19-9 independently predicted distant metastasis in patients with endocervical adenocarcinoma.

Survival after sentinel node biopsy alone in early-stage cervical cancer: a systematic review

ObjectiveTo assess the oncologic outcomes of sentinel lymph node biopsy alone as part of surgical management in patients with early-stage cervical cancer.MethodsA systematic search of the literature was performed following...

Assessment of resection margins during breast-conserving surgery using multimodal optical coherence tomography

Background. Breast cancer (BC) has been ranked first in morbidity and mortality among the female population in Russian Federation for several years. Rapid and accurate intraoperative examination of the cleanliness of resection margins is the main condition for breast-conserving surgery (BCS) to reduce the risks of local recurrence.Aim. To examine the tumor margins and assess the cleanliness of the resection margins in BCS in patients diagnosed with BC using multimodal optical coherence tomography (MM OCT) with comparative planned histological and additional molecular genetic analysis.Materials and methods. The study was carried out on postoperative samples of tumor and non-tumor breast tissue obtained from 115 patients with BC T1–2N0M0G2–3 stage IA–IIA, after BCS in the volume of radical resection or lumpectomy with histological control of the resection margins. A spectral domain MM OCT device (OCT 1300-E, BioMedTech LLC, Russia) was used, which provides structural OCT images to study the backscattering properties of tissue and allows performing a quantitative assessment of the elastic properties of the tissue by compression optical coherence elastography (OCE).Results. The MM OCT method was able to determine the exact margins between the tumor and non-tumor breast tissue. The main signs of the tumor were a decrease in the level and depth of penetration of the OCT signal in the structural OCT images, as well as an increase in the stiffness values (&gt;200 kPa) in the OCE images with the highest stiffness values (&gt;600 kPa) in the area of tumor cell accumulations. The use of compression OCE made it possible to detect clusters of tumor cells in the margins of resection at a distance of 5 mm from the visible border of the tumor. Among the 132 studied resection margins in 6 cases, the positive resection margin was determined by the OCE method, which was subsequently confirmed histologically. The negative resection margins were characterized by the lowest stiffness values (&lt;200 kPa) in the OCE images and were confirmed by both histological analysis and molecular genetic analysis. ROC-analysis established a threshold stiffness value of 159.8 kPa, which indicates the presence of tumor tissue at the resection margins in the presence of a high stiffness area larger than 500 µm. The high diagnostic accuracy of the OCE method (98.5 %) was determined to distinguish between the negative and positive resection margins during BCS.Conclusion. The use of MM OCT with OCE modality makes it possible to clearly distinguish different types of breast tissue in BC (adipose tissue, connective tissue, accumulation of tumor cells). MM OCT can be used as an additional intraoperative tool for visualizing tumor cells boundaries and assessing the cleanliness of resection margins in real time during BCS.

P54 Blood tumour burden does not correlate with skin tumour burden in early-stage mycosis fungoides: analysis of the PROspective Cutaneous Lymphoma International Prognostic Index international registry

Abstract Blood involvement B1, defined as absolute counts 250–1000 IU of an aberrant CD4+CD7– or CD4+CD26– phenotype, may be found in early-stage mycosis fungoides (MF). There is a suggestion that B1 blood involvement is a poor prognostic marker, but there is limited evidence investigating the prognostic significance of B0 or B1 blood involvement in early-stage MF. Loss of CD26 and/or CD7 expression on CD4 cells may occur in MF; however, it is unclear whether loss of either one of these immunophenotypic markers bears more significance on prognosis. For B2 blood involvement (&amp;gt; 1000 IU), the International Society for Cutaneous Lymphomas (ISCL) criteria define Sézary syndrome as CD26 loss of &amp;gt; 30% or CD7 loss of &amp;gt; 40%. Understanding the impact of B1 and comparative loss of CD26 and/or CD7 in early-stage MF may allow patients at higher risk of stage progression to be identified and selected for better therapeutic options. The aims of this study were to analyse B0 vs. B1 blood involvement at diagnosis in patients with early-stage MF (IA–IIA) and evaluate the relative CD4+CD7– and CD4+CD26– absolute cell counts. Prospective data from the PROCLIPI registry were analysed. Ninety-four patients with early-stage MF were identified from our database, 67 (71%) of whom were B0 [stage IA, n = 23 (34%); stage IB, n = 24 (36%); stage IIA, n = 20 (30%)] and 27 (29%) were B1 [stage IA, n = 12 (44%); stage IB, n = 10 (37%); stage IIA, n = 5 (18%)]. Median age at diagnosis in B0 patients was 59 years (range 20–91) vs. 61 years (range 21–81) in B1 patients. Median CD4+CD7– cell count was 16.4% (range 0–41%) in patients with B0 involvement and 28.1% (range12–45%) in B1 patients. Median CD4+CD26– cell count was 16% (range 0–39.1%) in B0 and 28% (range 0–44%) in B1 patients. The Median Modified Severity-Weighted Assessment Tool score in B1 patients was 11 (range 1–73) vs. 20 (range 0.5–100) in B0 patients. There was no significant difference in progression to the advanced stage between B0 and B1 (P = 0.112) patients or overall survival between B0 and B1 patients during median follow-ups of 49 months and 45 months, respectively. These results suggest that blood tumour burden in early-stage MF, measured by the percentage aberrancy in CD4+CD7– and CD4+CD26– cell counts, does not correlate with clinical stage, skin tumour burden or stage progression. This suggests that in B1 involvement, atypical lymphocytes may lose their skin-homing properties. Interestingly, levels of CD4+7– and CD26– are similar in B1 involvement, despite the ISCL criteria defining B2 involvement as a lower relative loss of CD26–. Identifying B1 patients is important as certain therapeutic options such as extracorporeal photopheresis and mogamulizumab may be indicated in patients with early-stage MF, refractory to skin-directed therapies.

Decision Regret among Patients with Early-stage Lung Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy or Surgical Resection

AimsClinical equipoise exists regarding early-stage lung cancer treatment among patients as trials comparing stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and surgical resection are unavailable. Given the potential differences in treatment effectiveness and side-effects, we sought to determine the associations between treatment type, decision regret and depression. Materials and methodsA multicentre, prospective study of patients with stage IA–IIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with planned treatment with SBRT or surgical resection was conducted. Decision regret and depression were measured using the Decision Regret Scale (DRS) and Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) at 3, 6 and 12 months post-treatment, respectively. Mixed linear regression modelling examined associations between treatment and decision regret adjusting for patient sociodemographics. ResultsAmong 211 study participants with early-stage lung cancer, 128 (61%) patients received SBRT and 83 (39%) received surgical resection. The mean age was 73 years (standard deviation = 8); 57% were female; 79% were White non-Hispanic. In the entire cohort at 3 months post-treatment, 72 (34%) and 57 (27%) patients had mild and severe decision regret, respectively. Among patients who received SBRT or surgery, 71% and 46% of patients experienced at least mild decision regret at 3 months, respectively. DRS scores increased at 6 months and decreased slightly at 12 months of follow-up in both groups. Higher DRS scores were associated with SBRT treatment (adjusted mean difference = 4.18, 95% confidence interval 0.82 to 7.54) and depression (adjusted mean difference = 3.49, 95% confidence interval 0.52 to 6.47). Neither patient satisfaction with their provider nor decision-making role concordance was associated with DRS scores. ConclusionsMost early-stage lung cancer patients experienced at least mild decision regret, which was associated with SBRT treatment and depression symptoms. Findings suggest patients with early-stage lung cancer may not be receiving optimal treatment decision-making support. Therefore, opportunities for improved patient–clinician communication probably exist.

Analysis of Lymph Node Metastasis and Risk Factors in 975 Patients with FIGO 2009 Stage IA–IIA Cervical Cancer

Objectives: The objective of this study was to summarize the rate of lymph node metastasis (LNM) of patients with stage IA–IIA cervical cancer and further analyze its distribution characteristics and related risk factors. Design: This study is a retrospective analysis of clinical data about cervical cancer. Participants: According to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 staging standard, 975 patients with stage IA–IIA cervical cancer treated in our hospital from January 2010 to December 2018. Setting: This is a single-center study. Methods: The incidence and distribution of LNM were analyzed, and the influencing factors of cervical cancer LNM were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results: In this study, the LNM rate was 14.8% (144/975), and a total of 20,288 lymph nodes were removed, among which 359 lymph nodes had metastasis. According to the number and frequency of metastatic lymph nodes in different regions, the metastatic rate was the highest in the external iliac regions. Univariate analysis showed that more than three pregnancies, tumor size >4 cm, gross type, FIGO stage, pathological type, positive lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), deep cervical stromal invasion (outer half invasion), parametrial involvement, and uterine corpus invasion (UCI) were correlated with LNM (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that tumor lesion of >4 cm (odds ratio (OR) = 2.253, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.486–3.416, p < 0.001), positive LVSI (OR = 5.353, 95% CI: 3.303–8.676, p < 0.001), deep cervical stromal invasion (OR = 3.461, 95% CI: 2.106–5.688, p < 0.001), and deep UCI (myometrial invasion ≥50%) (OR = 3.529, 95% CI: 1.321–9.427, p = 0.012) were independent risk factors for LNM. Limitations: Retrospective nature of the study and limitation to a single-center study are the limitations of the study. Conclusions: Patients with cervical cancer are more likely to have LNM with a tumor size of >4 cm, positive LVSI, deep cervical stromal invasion, or deep UCI. When these risk factors are present, the presence of LNM is possible, and attention should be paid. This study provides a certain reference value for predicting LNM risk for patients with early cervical cancer and for the stratified management of early cervical cancer treatment.

A clinical risk model for assessing the survival of patients with stage IA-IIA non-small cell lung cancer after surgery.

The survival of patients with stage IA-IIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after surgery is heterogeneous. This study aimed to construct a prognostic risk model to predict the overall survival (OS) of these patients. Data from patients (n=9,914) from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database were analyzed. The cases were randomly divided into the training and the validation groups. Patients from the Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital (n=270) were also included as an external cohort. Independent significant factors affecting survival in the training cohort were used to construct a nomogram. The precision was evaluated using the concordance index (C-index) and calibration plots. The X-tile software was used to confirm the optimal cut-off value to classify the patients. Sex, age at diagnosis, tumor size, visceral pleura invasion (VPI), tumor grade, and the number of examined lymph nodes were deemed independent prognostic factors and were selected to establish the nomogram. The C-indices of the nomogram for predicting OS were 0.671 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.653-0.689] in the training group, and 0.668 (95% CI: 0.650-0.687) and 0.707 (95% CI: 0.651-0.763) in the validation and the testing groups, respectively. The cut-off value of risk points was 106.0, which stratified the patients into high-risk and low-risk groups. The high-risk patients had shorter 5-year OS than low-risk patients (P<0.001). The established nomogram could evaluate the survival in patients with stage IA-IIA NSCLC after surgery and may provide prognostic information for clinicians to make decisions in the management of adjuvant therapy.

Role of Indocyanine Green in Mapping Sentinel Cervical Lymph Node Involvement in Patients of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma - Preliminary Data from a University Hospital

Introduction: Lymph node (LN) positivity is an important determinant in a patient of oral SCC. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy may aid in minimizing the extent of elective neck dissection (ND). ICG dye facilitates the visualization of lymphatic vessels, sentinel nodes, and provide high penetration during surgery. Methods: It is a prospective observational study in 2021-2022. N = 32 patients of oral SCC were injected with 1mL of ICG submucosally in 4 quadrant fashion (3,6,9 and 12 o’clock). After elevation of platysma flap and posterior retraction of sternocleidomastoid muscle (15 minutes after injecting ICG), fluorescing LNs were detected using NIR (Near Infra-red) fluorescence imaging (STRYKER AIM 1588 camera system) and were sent for frozen section and histopathological examination (HPE). Results: Majority were carcinoma buccal mucosa (53%), followed by tongue (22%) and GB sulcus (12.5%). Most common method of ND was modified radical ND 78%, followed by supraomohyoid 12.5%, extended supraomohyoid 6.25%, radical ND 3.1%. A total of 755 LNs were harvested. 82 lymph nodes were identified as SLN using ICG method. Level Ib was identified as SLN in 26/32 of the cases, followed by level Ia and level IIa (3/32 cases each). 22 out of 82 SLN were positive in frozen section and HPE respectively with a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 91.8% and NPV (negative predictive value) of 100 %. Routine pathology demonstrated occult metastasis exclusively in SLN in 10 cases (31.25%). Conclusion: NIR using ICG is a feasible and promising method for SLN biopsy in cN0 oral SCC.

Diagnostic Outcomes and Treatment Modalities in Patients with Mycosis Fungoides in West Sweden-A Retrospective Register-Based Study.

Simple SummaryMycosis fungoides (MF) is a rare and incurable disease, but there are a wide variety of treatment options. Since the condition is rare, only a few studies have been performed on this topic in Sweden. This study contributes to the knowledge of the epidemiological and clinical features and diagnostic findings in addition to the treatment modalities and responses in patients with diagnosed MF and/or followed up for a long period of time in Sweden. The results of this study can be used to improve clinical practice and stimulate future research.(1) Background: Mycosis fungoides (MF) is a variant of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical features and epidemiological and diagnostic findings in addition to the treatment modalities and responses in patients with MF. Furthermore, comparisons between patients in the early stage and the advanced stage were evaluated. (2) Methods: A retrospective register-based study based on data collected from the primary cutaneous lymphoma register and medical records was performed at the Department of Dermatology and Venerology at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. (3) Results: Eighty-four patients with a median age of 55 years with MF were included. Most of the patients (n = 73) were diagnosed at the early stage of the disease (IA–IIA). Overall disease progression was seen in 12.5% (n = 9) of the patients. Nine (10.7%) patients were deceased, out of which four (4.8%) deaths were associated with MF-related causes. (4) Conclusions: This study contributes to the knowledge of the epidemiological and clinical features in addition to the diagnostic findings and treatment responses in patients with MF in Sweden.

Application of endoscopic purse-string sutures in high-risk peptic ulcer hemorrhage: preliminary experience of 38 cases

Objective This study is a prospective study to explore the therapeutic effect of endoscopic purse-string sutures in high-risk peptic ulcer hemorrhage. Patients and methods We prospectively collected and analyzed data from July 2018 to December 2020 from patients in Jinshan hospital, Fudan University, who underwent emergency endoscopy for acute severe high-risk non-variceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (NVUGIB) and were treated with endoscopic purse-string sutures. Results We included 38 patients whose median age was 64 years (interquartile range: 57.2 − 71.2 years). All patients were high risk gastric ulcer larger than 1 cm, including Forrest Ia (n = 4, 10.5%), Forrest Ib (n = 13, 34.2%) and Forrest IIa (n = 21, 55.3%). All patients were treated with endoscopic purse-string sutures. The clinical success rate reached 89.5%. Three patients suffered from rebleeding within seven days, and were treated with surgery or arterial embolization, respectively, all of which successfully stopped bleeding. One patient died of myocardial infarction. All other patients were followed up for 30 days without bleeding. Conclusions We conclude that endoscopic purse-string sutures seem to be safe and effective in the treatment of patients at high risk of ulcer bleeding.

Future role of topical pimecrolimus in early stage mycosis fungoides?

Effective therapeutic options are scarce for early stage mycosis fungoides. Guidelines recommend skin-directed therapies in the early stages of mycosis fungoides (stages IA–IIA). In Europe, skin-directed therapies for early stage mycosis fungoides were restricted to topical corticosteroids, phototherapy, or radiotherapy,1–3 until the European Commission approved chlormethine gel 160 μg/L for the topical treatment of mycosis fungoides type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in adults in 2017.

Expression of immune checkpoint molecules programmed death protein 1, programmed death-ligand 1 and inducible T-cell co-stimulator in mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome: association with disease stage and clinical outcome.

BackgroundThe relationship between immune checkpoint status and disease outcome is a major focus of research in cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma (CTCL), a disfiguring neoplastic dermatological disorder. Mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS) are the two most common types of CTCL.ObjectivesThe aim was to evaluate the immune checkpoint markers programmed death protein 1 (PD1), inducible T‐cell co‐stimulator (ICOS) and programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1) in skin biopsies from patients with CTCL relative to disease stage and overall survival.MethodsThis consecutive case series enrolled 47 patients: 57% had stage IA–IIA disease and 43% had stage IIB–IVA2 disease (including seven with SS).ResultsPD1, PD‐L1 and ICOS expression was seen in all biopsies. Notably, PD‐L1 was predominantly expressed on histiocytes/macrophages, but focal expression on CTCL cells was seen. High expression of either ICOS or PD‐L1 was associated with advanced‐stage disease (P = 0·007 for both) and with the appearance of large‐cell transformation (LCT), a histopathological feature associated with a poor prognosis (ICOS: P = 0·02; PD‐L1: P = 0·002). PD1 expression was not significantly associated with disease stage (P = 0·12) or LCT (P = 0·49), but expression was high in SS biopsies. A high combined checkpoint marker score (PD1, PD‐L1 and ICOS) was associated with advanced‐stage disease (P = 0·001), LCT (P = 0·021) and lower overall survival (P = 0·014).ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate the existence of a complex immunoregulatory microenvironment in CTCL and support the development of immunotherapies targeting ICOS and PD‐L1 in advanced disease.

Minor oral surgery on impacted lower third molar done by IIUM Undergraduates: a retrospective study

Minor oral surgery (MOS) is one of the important requirements for dental undergraduates to perform in Kulliyyah of Dentistry, IIUM. However, no assessment has been done on the suitability of the cases received by the students. Thus, this study was aimed to describe type of cases and level of difficulty in relation to undergraduate year of study. This study consisted of 97 subjects who had undergone MOS by IIUM undergraduate from September 2014 to October 2015. Data was collected from patient’s documentation and orthopantomogram. Pederson index and relationship to inferior dental nerve were used to determine the difficulty index level. Statistical analysis was done using Chi-square test with statistical significance set at p? 0.05. The mean age of the patients was 24 years old, with male to female ratio 1:1.9. 52.6% of the cases were indicated for surgery due to recurrent pericoronitis. The types of cases mostly received by undergraduates were Class IA (30.9%) and Class IIA (48.5%) with mesioangular impaction (39.2%). Year 4 students received more difficult cases compared to Year 5 (p = 0.504) with less complications postoperatively. Dental undergraduates received simple to moderate cases for MOS, and no significant association was found between year of undergraduate study and difficulty level of the cases.

Trends in Surgical Morbidity and Survival Outcomes for Radical Hysterectomy in West China: An 11-Year Retrospective Cohort Study.

ObjectivesTo vertically analyze the trend of surgical approaches, demographics, surgical morbidity, and long-term survival outcomes of early-stage cervical cancer over the past 11 years and to determine whether there have been any significant changes.MethodsA total of 851 patients with consecutive International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 stage IA–IIA cervical cancer diagnosed between January 2008 and June 2018 at a single center in China were included in this retrospective study. Trends in the rate of minimally invasive surgery (MIS), demographics, surgical morbidities, and long-term survival outcomes were determined. We categorized patients into two groups according to their year of operation. The demographics, pathological factors, surgical morbidity, and long-term survival outcomes were compared between these two groups.ResultsRegarding the surgical approach, there was a significant increase in the rate of laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (LRH) performed over the study period, from 7.8% in 2008 to 72.5% in 2018 (p < 0.0001). The mean age of patients who underwent abdominal radical hysterectomy (ARH) has increased slightly from 2008 to 2018, and those who underwent ARH in the second half of the study period (2014–2018) were significantly older (45.01 vs. 47.50 years; p = 0.001). The most impressive changes over the past 11 years have occurred in the surgical morbidity in both the ARH and LRH groups. The overall surgical morbidity decreased from 29.2% in 2008 to 11.9% in 2018, with an annual rate of 1.57%. The median estimated blood loss volume of the ARH group was 500 ml (range 50–2,000) in the first few years compared to 400 ml (30–2500) in the last few years of the study period (p < 0.0001), which in the LRH group was 350 ml (range 150–800) and 150 ml (range 5–1,000), respectively (p < 0.0001). Similarly, allogeneic blood transfusions and hospital stay have all decreased dramatically over time in both approaches. On the other hand, our study did not reveal any significant statistical changes in long-term survival outcomes over the follow-up period in either group.ConclusionsThe findings of our study demonstrate that great progress in surgically managed cervical cancer has been made over the last decade in West China. Our retrospective study demonstrated that the year of operation does not appear to influence the long-term survival, but the surgical morbidity impressively decreased over the study period in both the ARH and LRH groups, which reflects that the higher hospital surgical volume for radical hysterectomy (RH) was not associated with lower survival outcomes but related to the reduction of surgical morbidity.

Single s-block and p-block metal sites for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants and hydrogen evolution

A Gibbs free energy diagram for H* adsorption (ΔGH) on metal doped GeSe.

ENTEROCOCCUS FAECALIS BİYOFİLM ELİMİNASYONUNUN ER:YAG MODALİTELERİNE (PIPS VE SWEEPS) GÖRE KARŞILAŞTIRILMASI

Background and purpose: To determine the effectiveness of novel two Er:YAG lasers, photon-initiated photoacoustic streaming (PIPS\SSP) and shock wave-enhanced emission photoacoustic streaming (SWEEPS\AutoSWEEPS) in terms of removal Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) with or without antimicrobial agents (NaOCl and chlorhexidine gluconate). &#x0D; Methods: Forty-two extracted single-rooted mandibular premolars were prepared, sterilized, and then inoculated with E. faecalis for 4 weeks, and randomly divided into to two main and three subgroups (n= 7). Group Ia ( PIPS + distilled water), Group Ib (PIPS + 5% NaOCl), Group Ic (PIPS + CHX), and Group IIa (SWEEPS + distilled water), Group IIb (SWEEPS + 5% NaOCl), and Group IIc (SWEEPS + CHX). Following incubation for 48 hours at 37°C, the colonies formed (CFU) were counted. &#x0D; Results: NaOCl and CHX activated with PIPS\SSP or SWEEPS\AutoSWEEPS modalities showed significantly higher reduction rates than distilled water activated with both laser-activated methods (p0.05). &#x0D; Interpretation: Even novel laser activation methods or modalities are not sufficient alone to adequately reduce bacterial load and using antimicrobial agents with laser activation is necessary for the best reduction for microbial elimination. Novel SWEEPS\AutoSWEEPS modalıty with the conical 600μm tip showed no increased efficacy compared with PIPS\SSP mode. Besides, smaller fiber tip may increase the success of applications for minimally invasive access cavities and preparation.