Multidisciplinary Team Consultation Research Articles

Integrating deep phenotyping with genetic analysis: a comprehensive workflow for diagnosis and management of rare bone diseases.

Phenotypes play a fundamental role in medical genetics, serving as external manifestations of underlying genotypes. Deep phenotyping, a cornerstone of precision medicine, involves precise multi-system phenotype assessments, facilitating disease subtyping and genetic understanding. Despite their significance, the field lacks standardized protocols for accurate phenotype evaluation, hindering clinical comprehension and research comparability. We present a comprehensive workflow of deep phenotyping for rare bone diseases from the Genetics Clinic of Skeletal Deformity at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Our workflow integrates referral, informed consent, and detailed phenotype evaluation through HPO standards, capturing nuanced phenotypic characteristics using clinical examinations, questionnaires, and multimedia documentation. Genetic testing and counseling follow, based on deep phenotyping results, ensuring personalized interventions. Multidisciplinary team consultations facilitate comprehensive patient care and clinical guideline development. Regular follow-up visits emphasize dynamic phenotype reassessment, ensuring treatment strategies remain responsive to evolving patient needs. In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of deep phenotyping in rare bone diseases, offering a standardized framework for phenotype evaluation, genetic analysis, and multidisciplinary intervention. By enhancing clinical care and research outcomes, this approach contributes to the advancement of precision medicine in the field of medical genetics.

EP.17F.04 Challenges and Opportunities in Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Consultations for Advanced-Stage Lung Cancer Patients in China

EP.17F.04 Challenges and Opportunities in Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Consultations for Advanced-Stage Lung Cancer Patients in China

A phase 2 study to determine the pathological (path) response to neoadjuvant nivolumab (nivo) and relatlimab (rela) in stage I to III resectable Merkel cell carcinoma (Neo-MCC).

TPS9613 Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive neuroendocrine cancer of the skin with viral and sun related aetiologies, and an overall mortality rate twice that observed in cutaneous melanoma (33% vs 15%). The 5-year disease specific survival is 60% to 87% for those presenting with local disease, 39% to 62% for nodal disease and 11% to 20% for metastatic disease (1). Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) is a powerful treatment platform to rapidly assess drug activity in resectable cancers. In melanoma, using International Neoadjuvant Melanoma Consortium (INMC) path response criteria (2), a major path response to immunotherapy (≤10% viable tumor) correlates with low risk of recurrence in resectable stage III disease (Menzies et al., 2021), and improved survival and EFS when immunotherapy is given neoadjuvantly as compared to adjuvant (adj) treatment (Patel et al., 2022). In a study of NAT anti-PD1 monotherapy with nivolumab, in patients (pts) with resectable IIA-IV MCC (N=36), 47.2% of pts achieved a complete path response (pCR) (Topalian et al., 2020). Other benefits of NAT include early insight into response, feedback to pts regarding their individual response and prognosis, ability to tailor subsequent management, and collection of translational specimens to explore mechanisms of response and resistance. The Neo-MCC trial will examine whether combination PD-1 blockade plus lymphocyte-activation 3 (LAG3) checkpoint inhibition will achieve a high rate of path response with manageable toxicity in pts with resectable stage I-III MCC. Methods: Pts with histologically confirmed resectable clinical stage I (≥ 10 mm), II or III Merkel cell carcinoma, are eligible (N=20). All pts undergo complete resection (RES) at wk 6 following NAT with 2 doses of nivo (480 mg, IV) plus rela (160 mg, IV) at wk 0 and 4. Standard of care sentinel lymph node biopsy will be completed as indicated. Pts with non-path response (>50% viable tumor) or partial path response (>10% - ≤50% viable tumor) at RES will receive adj radiotherapy (RT) to all disease sites, including the draining lymph node basin. Pts with pCR (0% viable tumor) or near-pCR response (≤10% viable tumor) will receive no further adj treatment. Pts with involved RES path margins will be considered for adj RT, following multidisciplinary team consultation to determine the role of further surgery. CT, and FDG PET/CT will be performed at baseline (BL), prior to RES to measure NAT response, and 6-monthly over a 10-year follow-up period. Tumor and fecal samples are collected at BL, RES, and recurrence. Blood samples are collected at BL, wk 4, RES, and recurrence. The primary endpoint is the rate of pCR at RES after NAT using INMC response criteria. Secondary endpoints include RFS, OS, safety/tolerability, surgical outcomes, QOL, and biomarker analyses. 1. Mistry, et al., 2022. 2. Tetzlaff et al., 2018. Clinical trial information: NCT06151236 .

Heart Failure as the First Clinical Manifestation of Basedow’s Disease

Abstract Introduction Thyroid hormones influence multiple systems, but most often the impact on the cardiovascular system is what brings the patient to the emergency department. Basedow’s disease, an autoimmune condition, is one of the most common causes of hyperthyroidism. The purpose of this presentation is to raise attention to an extracardiac cause that can lead to cardiac failure. Case presentation A 55-year-old woman presented to our cardiology service with rapid palpitations, shortness of breath on small efforts, and extreme fatigue. The electrocardiogram revealed sinus tachycardia with a heart rate of 144 beats per min. Paraclinical investigations and a multidisciplinary team consultation led to a diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis due to Basedow’s disease. Following the initiation of cardiological and endocrinological treatments, the patient’s condition improved. Conclusion Although hyperthyroidism is an extracardiac cause, it brought the patient to the cardiology emergency service for heart failure symptoms. The key to achieving a correct diagnosis and determining an optimal treatment lies in the multidisciplinary approach of pathology.

Preliminary outcomes of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy combined with transoral robotic surgery for locally advanced oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (NACI) combined with transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in the treatment of locally advanced oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Methods: This was a retrospective study of 15 patients with locally advanced OPSCC who underwent TORS after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from April 2019 to February 2023. There were 12 males and 3 females, aged 31 to 74 years. Twelve cases were tonsil cancer, and 3 cases were tongue base cancer. There were 11 cases in stage Ⅲ and 4 cases in stage Ⅳ. Two patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 13 patients received NACI, with 2 to 3 cycles, and all patients underwent TORS after multidisciplinary team consultation. The clinicopathological characteristics, surgical outcomes, and oncological results were summarized. Results: All surgeries were successfully completed with negative surgical margins, and no case was required conversion surgery. All patients were fed via nasogastric tubes postoperatively, with a median gastric tube stay of 7 days (range: 2-60 days). No tracheotomy was applied. There were no major complications such as postoperative bleeding. Pathological complete response (pCR) was found in 10 cases (76.9%) among the 13 patients with NACI. The follow-up time was 21 months (range: 10-47 months), and there was no death or distant metastasis. One patient with rT0N3M0 tonsil cancer had local recurrence 5 months after surgery. The 2-year overall survival and 2-year disease-free survival were respectively 100.0% and 93.3% in the 15 patients. Conclusion: NACI combined with TORS provides a safe, effective and minimally invasive treatment for patients with locally advanced oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Osteogenesis imperfecta in children: treatment experience

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder primarily characterized by an impairment in the synthesis of type I collagen, leading to bone fragility, frequent fractures, scoliosis, short stature, and other symptoms. The disease is mostly inherited from parents to children, and its severity can vary significantly. This article describes the approach to treatment and therapy outcomes for 10 children with osteogenesis imperfecta. Objective — сomplex examination of pediatric patients with OI, treatment with bisphosphonates and further support by multidisciplinary team of specialists for therapy evaluation. Materials and methods. The treatment was aimed to minimize the frequency of fractures and improve the quality of life of patients. Key aspects of the treatment included: medicinal treatment (bisphosphonates were used to reduce bone resorption, thereby increasing bone mass and reducing bone fragility, as well as vitamin D and calcium, administered to support normal bone mineralization); physical therapy (included exercises to develop muscle strength, coordination, and joint mobility, minimizing the risk of injury); and management by a multidisciplinary team (consultations with an orthopedist, psychologist, and other specialists as needed). Results and discussion. The treatment results were positive, showing a reduction in the frequency of fractures and improvements in functionality and quality of life. Conclusions. Over the course of 11 months, the significant reduction in medical complications and improvements in the overall health status of the study participants have been noticed, demonstrating the importance of a comprehensive approach to the treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta.

Considerations for multidisciplinary management of synchronous primary breast cancer and primary lung cancer - Analysis of thirty-one patients.

The simultaneous (synchronous) presence of primary breast cancer and primary lung cancer diagnosed in a single individual is not an uncommon phenomenon. However, reference data for treatment strategy is scarce and "chaotic". In the present study we discuss the management strategy for this group of patients. We retrospectively reviewed patients in the primary breast cancer database of the Breast Center and the primary lung cancer database of the Thoracic Surgery Department I of Peking University Cancer Hospital. Patients with synchronous primary breast cancer and primary lung cancer who underwent surgery between December 2010 and December 2023 were included in the study. The sequence of outpatient visits, recommendations of multidisciplinary teams, perioperative treatment, and surgical procedures were reviewed. Meanwhile, survival analysis based on propensity score matching with 1:1 ratio was performed between the 31 patients and those with lung cancer only during the same period. A total of 31 patients with synchronous primary breast cancer and primary lung cancer were identified; all of the patients were women. The average age was 61 years. A total of 24 of the patients had visited the breast center first, and routine chest computed tomography (CT) showed evidence of primary lung cancer. The other seven patients had visited the thoracic surgery clinic first, and routine positron emission tomography (PET)-CT revealed the coexistence of primary breast cancer. All the patients had multidisciplinary team consultations, after which 20 patients were recommended to have preoperative treatment for breast cancer, two patients were recommended to have preoperative treatment for lung cancer, and nine patients were recommended to undergo surgery directly. After surgery, 23 patients received postoperative adjuvant treatment for breast cancer, and no patients needed postoperative adjuvant treatment for lung cancer. Survival analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the 31 patients and those with lung cancer only. Routine chest CT is needed for breast cancer patients before surgery, and PET-CT is required for the accurate staging of lung cancer patients. A multidisciplinary expert team should manage synchronous primary breast cancer and primary lung cancer. Emphasis should be placed on patients who need preoperative treatment before surgery. Particularly, for patients who need preoperative chemotherapy, a regimen should be chosen that balances the treatment of lung cancer and breast cancer.

GC-CDSS: Personalized gastric cancer treatment recommendations system based on knowledge graph

BackgroundGastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world, posing a serious threat to human health. Currently, gastric cancer treatment strategies emphasize a multidisciplinary team (MDT) consultation approach. However, there are numerous treatment guidelines and insights from clinical trials. The application of AI-based Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) in tumor diagnosis and screening is increasing rapidly. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to (1) summarize the treatment decision process for GC according to the treatment guidelines in China, and then create a knowledge graph (KG) for GC, (2) based on aforementioned KG, built a CDSS and conducted an initial feasibility evaluation for the current system. MethodsFirstly, we summarized the decision-making process for treatment of GC. Then, we extracted relevant decision nodes and relationships and utilized Neo4j to create the KG. After obtaining the initial node features for building the graph embedding model, graph embedding algorithm, such as Node2Vec and GraphSAGE, were used to construct the GC-CDSS. At last, a retrospective cohort study was used to compare the consistency between GC-CDSS and MDT in treatment decision making. ResultsIn current study, we introduce a GC-CDSS, which is constructed based on Chinese GC treatment guidelines knowledge graph (KG). In the KG, we define four types of nodes and four types of relationships, and it comprise a total of 207 nodes and 300 relationships. Regarding GC-CDSS, the system is capable of providing dynamic and personalized diagnostic and treatment recommendations based on the patient's condition. Furthermore, a retrospective cohort study is conducted to compare GC-CDSS recommendations with those of the MDT group, the overall consistency rate of treatment recommendations between the auxiliary decision system and MDT team is 92.96%. ConclusionsWe construct a GC treatment support system, GC-CDSS, based on KG. The GC-CDSS may help oncologists make treatment decisions more efficient and promote standardization in primary healthcare settings.

What Parents of Children Born with a Cleft Lip and/or Palate Want to Know About the Care for their Child.

Adequate health information that matches the needs of care recipients is a prerequisite for patient-centered care. To facilitate the provision of tailored and timely information, it isimportant to understand the information needs of parents of children and adolescents with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) themselves, and in addition they were asked how they experienced the provided care-related information. A cross-sectional study employing questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Participants were recruited from a cleft palate-craniofacial care unit in a major tertiary hospital in the Netherlands. Participants were parents or guardians of children with CL/P, and two adolescents with CLP. They were recruited through the outpatient clinic during multidisciplinary consultation or after clinical admission. In total, fifty-five questionnaires were completed by parents or guardians and eleven interviews were conducted with nine parents of children with CL/P and two adolescents with CL/P. In general, participants reported to be satisfied with provided information during hospital admission or multidisciplinary cleft team consultations (mean 8.0, scale 0-10). In addition, 25.5% (n = 14) indicated that information to prepare for hospital admission was lacking (eg, practical information). Thematic qualitative analysis yielded five main information needs: 1) Clear communication during the care process, 2) Overview of the care trajectory, 3) Specific care plan information, 4) Presentation of information and 5) Guidance and support. Our findings emphasize the importance of gaining insights into wishes and information needs from care recipients who can provide insights in their information needs. With these findings, information provision should be redesigned to improve and to foster the further transition to family-centered care.

The role of general practitioners in Reunion in detecting alcohol use in pregnant women and identifying fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: a qualitative study

BackgroundFetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is the leading cause of non-genetic intellectual disability and social maladjustment in children. International guidelines recommend abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy. Réunion is the most affected of all French regions with an estimated Fetal Alcohol Spectrum (FAS) prevalence of 1.2‰ births. General practitioners (GPs) are at the forefront of identifying patients with FASD. Objective: To understand how GPs identify FASD.MethodsQualitative study using a grounded theory approach, through semi-structured face-to-face interviews with GPs. Interviews were conducted with the aim of reaching theoretical saturation. These were transcribed verbatim and then analyzed by four researchers to ensure triangulation of the data.ResultsGPs reported barriers to the identification of FASD: challenges in overcoming social taboos and paradoxical injunctions, the influence of limited knowledge and experience, non-specific and highly variable symptoms, ambiguous classification and method of diagnosis involving the mobilization of a multidisciplinary team and lengthy consultations. Conversely, they felt competent to identify neurodevelopmental disorders of any cause, but were concerned about the long waiting time to access specialized care. From the perspective of GPs, it is crucial to prioritize promotion and training aimed at improving the identification and coordination of care pathways for children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as FASD.

Is there role of adjuvant radiotherapy after complete resection of locally advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer?

This review aims to provide a timely and relevant overview of the role of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in completely resected stage IIIA-N2 nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Given the controversy surrounding the use of PORT and the emergence of advanced radiation techniques and therapies, this review provides valuable insight into current and potential treatment strategies. The Lung ART and PORT-C trials have provided valuable insights into the efficacy of PORT in stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC. While the results have been mixed, studies have shown that advanced radiation techniques, such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and proton therapy, can reduce cardiopulmonary toxicities associated with PORT. Molecular targeted therapies and immunotherapies have also shown potential in improving NSCLC treatment outcomes. The role of radiotherapy becomes smaller and smaller in new era. However, it is too early to abolish radiotherapy for all the patients after complete resection of locally advanced NSCLC. Nowadays, it is recommended to adopt individualized treatment approaches guided by multidisciplinary team consultations. The integration of IMRT, proton therapy, and emerging therapies offers the potential to enhance treatment efficacy while minimizing toxicity. Further research is needed to optimize the use of PORT and explore the method to identify the patients who can really benefit from PORT.

Clinical analysis of decision implementation by a multidisciplinary team in cervical cancer cases in Ganzhou, China.

In this study, we evaluated the role of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) in clinical practice for cervical cancer by analyzing the development of a single-case multidisciplinary consultation for cervical cancer. Patients in MDT consultations for cervical cancer were retrospectively analyzed for clinical information, decision content of MDT discussion, implementation, and follow-up results. Of the 392 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 359 had a first episode, of which 284 were stage IA-IIA2 (79.11%) and 75 were stage IIB-IVB (20.89%). Of these 392, 33 had a recurrence (8.42%). A total of 416 cases were analyzed, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy with surgery was recommended in 43 cases, of which 40 cases were implemented, and 36 of the 40 achieved the expected outcome. Surgical treatment was recommended in 241 cases, of which 226 underwent surgery, and 215 of them achieved the expected outcome. Radiotherapy was recommended in 31 cases, of which 26 cases underwent it, and 22 of them achieved the expected efficacy. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy was recommended in 57 cases, of which 49 underwent it, and 39 of them achieved the expected efficacy. Other treatments were recommended in 44 cases, of which 23 cases were implemented, and 10 of them achieved the expected efficacy, with statistically significant differences compared with cases without implementation (P <0.05). MDT decisions were correlated with age; the younger the patients, the higher the implementation efficiency (P <0.05). The difference between MDT expectation in all implementation and partial implementation and age was statistically significant (P <0.05). No significant difference was found between age and MDT expectation in all not fully implemented decisions (P >0.05). Some decisions were not fully implemented due to economic status and fear of certain treatments of the patient. The MDT plays an important role in clinical practice such as clinical staging, treatment plan, and the complete treatment management of patients with cervical cancer, which can significantly improve the near-term treatment effect, whereas its effect on a long-term prognosis needs further clinical observation and active exploration.

Clinical characteristics of cardiac defects fetuses and the impact of multi-disciplinary team cooperation approach on the pregnancy decision making

Objective: To analysis the clinical characteristics of 400 fetuses with heart defects and the impactors of pregnancy decision making, and explore the influence of a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) cooperation approach on it. Methods: Clinical data of 400 fetuses with abnormal cardiac structure diagnosed at Peking University First Hospital from January 2012 to June 2021 were collected, which were divided into 4 groups according to the characteristics of fetal heart defects and the presence of extracardiac abnormalities or not: single cardiac defects without extracardiac abnormalities (122 cases), multiple cardiac defects without extracardiac abnormalities (100 cases), single cardiac defects with extracardiac abnormalities (115 cases), and multiple cardiac defects with extracardiac abnormalities (63 cases). The types of fetal cardiac structural abnormalities and genetic test results, and the detection rate of pathogenic genetic abnormalities, MDT consultation and management situation, and pregnancy decision of fetuses in each group were retrospectively analyzed. A logistics regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of fetal heart defects pregnancy decision. Results: (1) Among the 400 fetal heart defects, the four most common major types were ventricular septal defect 96 (24.0%, 96/400), tetralogy of Fallot 52 (13.0%, 52/400), coarctation of the aorta 34 (8.5%, 34/400), and atrioventricular septal defect 26 (6.5%, 26/400). (2) Among the 204 fetuses undergoing genetic examination, 44 (21.6%, 44/204) pathogenic genetic abnormalities were detected. (3) Detection rate of pathogenic genetic abnormalities (39.3%, 24/61) and pregnancy termination rate (86.1%, 99/115) in the single cardiac defects with extracardiac abnormalities group were significantly higher than those in the single cardiac defects without extracardiac abnormalities group [15.1% (8/53), 44.3% (54/122), respectively] and the multiple cardiac defects without extracardiac abnormalities group [6.1% (3/49), 70.0% (70/100), respectively, both P<0.05], and the pregnancy termination rate in the multiple cardiac defects without extracardiac abnormalities group and the multiple cardiac defects with extracardiac abnormalities group (82.5%,52/63) were significantly higher than that of the single cardiac abnormalities without extracardiac abnormalities group (both P<0.05). (4) After adjusting for age, gravity, parity and performed prenatal diagnosis, maternal age, the diagnosis of gestational age, prognosis grades, co-existence of extracardiac abnormalities, presence of pathogenic genetic abnormalities, and receiving MDT consultation and management were still independent influencing factors of termination of pregnancy of fetuses with cardiac defects (all P<0.05). A total of 29 (7.2%, 29/400) fetal cardiac defects received MDT consultation and management, and compared with those without MDT management, the pregnancy termination rate in the multiple cardiac defects without extracardiac abnormalities group [74.2%(66/89) vs 4/11] and the multiple cardiac defects with extracardiac abnormalities group [87.9%(51/58) vs 1/5] were lower, the differences were statistically significant respectively (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Maternal age, diagnosed gestational age, severity of cardiac defects, extracardiac abnormalities, pathogenic genetic abnormalities and MDT counseling and management are the influencing factors of fetal heart defects pregnancy decision. MDT cooperation approach influences pregnancy decision-making and should be recommended for the management of fetal cardiac defect to reduce unnecessary termination of pregnancy and improve pregnancy outcomes.

Interpretation of expert consensus on treatment for stage III non‐small cell lung cancer

Interpretation of expert consensus on treatment for stage III non‐small cell lung cancer

Developing Digital Therapeutics for Chronic Pain in Primary Care: A Qualitative Human-Centered Design Study of Providers' Motivations and Challenges.

Digital therapeutics are growing as a solution to manage pain for patients; yet, they are underused in primary care where over half of the patients with chronic pain seek care. Little is known about how to successfully engage primary care providers in recommending digital therapeutics to their patients. Exploring provider motivations in chronic pain management would potentially help to improve their engagement and inform the development of digital therapeutics. This study examined primary care providers' motivations for chronic pain management, including their strategies and challenges, to inform the future development of chronic pain-related digital therapeutics tailored to primary care settings. We conducted qualitative semistructured interviews with health care providers recruited from 3 primary care clinics in Washington and 1 clinic in Colorado between July and October 2021. The sample (N=11) included 7 primary care physicians, 2 behavioral health providers, 1 physician assistant, and 1 nurse. Most providers worked in clinics affiliated with urban academic health systems. Guided by the human-centered design approach and Christensen's Job-to-be-Done framework, we asked providers their goals and priorities in chronic pain management, their experiences with challenges and strategies used to care for patients, and their perceptions of applying digital therapeutics in clinical practice. Transcripts were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. We found that primary care providers were motivated but challenged to strengthen the patient-provider alliance, provide team-based care, track and monitor patients' progress, and address social determinants of health in chronic pain management. Specifically, providers desired additional resources to improve patient-centered communication, pain education and counseling, and goal setting with patients. Providers also requested greater accessibility to multidisciplinary care team consultations and nonpharmacological pain treatments. When managing chronic pain at the population level, providers need infrastructure and systems to systematically track and monitor patients' pain and provide wraparound health and social services for underserved patients. Recommendations on digital therapeutic features that might address provider challenges in achieving these motivations were discussed. Given the findings, to engage primary care providers, digital therapeutics for chronic pain management need to strengthen the patient-provider alliance, increase access to nonpharmacological treatment options, support population health tracking and management, and provide equitable reach. Leveraging digital therapeutics in a feasible, appropriate, and acceptable way to aid primary care providers in chronic pain management may require multimodal features that address provider motivations at an individual care and clinic or system level.

Integration of geriatric assessment in cancer care for senior adults during COVID-19 pandemic.

e24027 Background: Older patients with cancer are particularly vulnerable, and the risk of mortality and morbidity during this pandemic is high. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) helps in predicating toxicity and improve outcomes. SAOP3 is validated geriatric screening tool that can efficiently identify deficits in different GA domains. It was developed to determine when a multidisciplinary team consultation with GA-intervention is required. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of institutional cancer registry. We compared 2 groups of cancer patients ≥ 70 years old who completed SAOP3 questionnaire in the pre-COVID (9/1/2019- 3/10/2020) and during the pandemic period (3/11/2020-12/31/2020). Fisher’s exact test was used to statistical analysis. Analytical models were adjusted for age, cancer histology, stage, therapy type, and GA variables. Results: 951 patients were included (499 prepandemic,452 during pandemic). Median age was 76.6 yrs. (range = 71-86). A 50.7% male, 48.3% female and 34% (323) have metastatic disease. The capture and completion rate of SAOP3 were 82% (779) and 86% (817) respectively. There was a significant psychosocial impairment during the pandemic. More patients were feeling depressed 26% (118) during Vs. 3% (15) prior pandemic (P &lt; 0.001). The caregiver availability was different with 47% (212) during pandemic compared to 52% (259) in pre-pandemic (P = 0.0013). There was a statistically significant difference in the fall history with 4% (20) in pre-, in contrast to 10% (45) during pandemic (P = 0.003). There was a numerical difference in the cognitive impairment during the pandemic in compared to the pre-COVID [34% (171), 52% (235) respectively], but it was not statistically significant (P = 0.154). There was no difference observed in nutritional domains between the two groups. Conclusions: Data regarding patients’ domains of a CGA are crucial for optimal care. Screening with the SAOP3 questionnaire captured significant changes in CGA domains associated with the pandemic. These findings also suggest that Integration of high-yield brief geriatric screening tools such as SAOP3 is feasible in busy practice during the pandemic. It can help identify specific impairment of older cancer patients and trigger appropriate interventions to improve the quality of life and clinical outcomes.

Multidisciplinary team efforts to improve the pregnancy outcome of pregnancy complicated with primary hyperparathyroidism: case series from a single hospital

BackgroundThere is no consensus or management algorithm for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) in pregnancy.MethodsThis study comprises a retrospective case series. From August 2014 to December 2020, 9 cases of PHPT in pregnancy were diagnosed by a multidisciplinary team (MDT) consultation center of obstetrics in our hospital. Their clinical manifestations, treatment strategies, and maternal and infant outcomes were analyzed.ResultsThe median onset age of the patients was 32 (25 ~ 38) years. PHPT was diagnosed in two cases before pregnancy, in six cases during pregnancy and in one case postpartum. The main clinical manifestations were nausea, vomiting, and other nonspecific symptoms, with anemia as the most common maternal complication. Hypercalcemia crisis was developed in one case. The median levels of preoperative serum calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were 3.08 (2.77 ~ 4.21) mmol/L and 300.40 (108.80 ~ 2603.60) pg/ml, respectively. The parathyroid ultrasonography tests were positive in eight cases and negative in one patient who had an ectopic lesion localized by 99mTc-MIBI. Parathyroidectomy was conducted in 7 cases during the 2nd trimester, including 2 patients diagnosed before pregnancy who refused surgery, 1 patient during the 1st trimester, and 1 patient postpartum, with a significant reduction in serum concentrations of calcium and PTH. A management algorithm was developed.ConclusionThis case series suggests that pregnant women with PHPT should be managed by MDT according to the algorithm. If PHPT is confirmed in fertile women before pregnancy, parathyroidectomy should be strongly suggested and performed. If PHPT is diagnosed during pregnancy, even in its mild form, surgical treatment, optimally during the 2nd trimester, is effective and safe for pregnancy and neonatal outcome.

Multidisciplinary team consultation for resectable Gastric Cancer: A propensity score matching analysis.

Purpose: Previous studies proposed that the multidisciplinary team (MDT) consultation could improve tumor staging accuracy and outcomes of patients with gastric malignancy. However, evidence-based reports remain limited. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of MDT for tumor staging accuracy and outcomes of patients with resectable gastric cancer, and to explore the potential factors affecting its effectiveness.Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 719 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy in our hospital. After propensity score matching, 378 patients were selected, including 189 in the non-MDT group and 189 in the MDT group. Data regarding baseline characteristics, staging, treatments, and survival were analyzed.Results: The data showed that the staging accuracy in the MDT group and non-MDT group was comparable (53% vs 61% for T stage, 46.1% vs 35.3% for N stage, and 78.3% vs 78.7% for M stage). The MDT group had a higher proportion of preoperative chemotherapy (39.2% vs 28%, p=0.03) and laparoscopic surgery (82.5% vs 72%, p=0.02) than the non-MDT group. However, the achievement of R0 resection was similar in the two groups (93.7% vs 88.9%, p=0.73). There was no significant difference in the 1-year and 3-year overall survival rates between the two groups. Moreover, we observed poor patient compliance when the MDT recommended further examinations, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy before surgical interventions.Conclusion: MDT consultation has limited effects on improving the staging accuracy and treatment outcomes including survival of patients with resectable gastric cancer. Poor patient compliance may be a factor affecting the effectiveness of MDT consultation.

Effects of a Transitional Telehealth Program on Functional Status, Rehospitalization, and Satisfaction With Care in Thai Patients with Heart Failure

Limited functional status is a common health problem in patients living with heart failure (HF), which often requires rehospitalization.Home-based transitional telehealth programs (TTPs) focused on health monitoring, education, promotion of self-management, and multidisciplinary team consultation have been shown to improve functional status and satisfaction with care while reducing rehospitalization rates in this population. Nonetheless, these variables and outcomes have yet to be assessed in a Thai patient with HF. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a TTP on functional status, rehospitalization, and satisfaction with care in Thai patients with HF. Eligible participants (N = 146) were randomly assigned to either the control or TTP group. The TTP included in-hospital discharge planning and 6-week telemonitoring via a mobile phone application to provide follow-up home care. Data on the outcome variables were collected at 6 and 8 weeks post-enrollment and analyzed by descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, repeated measures ANOVA, and Z-tests. Functional status and satisfaction with care scores in the TTP group were significantly higher than those of the control group, and rehospitalization rates in the TTP group were significantly lower than those of the control group at 6 and 8 weeks post-enrollment. Thus, the TTP effectively improved functional status, increased satisfaction with care, and reduced rehospitalization rates in Thai patients with HF. TTP implementation could be considered to improve the quality of transitional care in Thailand.

Radiation intestinal injury in the era of precision radiotherapy

Radiation-induced intestinal injury is caused by radiotherapy of pelvic malignant tumors. The main symptoms include persistent blood in stool, tenesmus, perianal pain, and severe intestinal perforation. Compared to conventional radiotherapy, precision radiotherapy (PT) has a greater advantage in the protection of normal tissues by reducing radiation dose of intestinal tract. However, in the era of PT, we still need to face the balance between curative effect and side injury, especially for complex, recurrent or advanced tumors. In general, when making treatment decisions, we should give priority to radiotherapeutic efficacy and patient survival, then consider how to reduce radiotherapy injuries. Decision-making requires multidisciplinary team consultation, together with patients and their families. Due to the difficulty and complexity in the treatment of radiation-induced intestinal injury, its prevention is very important. PT is advised, including avoiding excessive intestinal doses, and controlling the irradiation area of the mucosa. Constipation prevention is important during and after radiotherapy, in order to avoid damage to the intestine. Diet education is necessary. Patient should not eat leftovers, cold dishes, pickles and other foods prone to cause intestinal infections. At present, there are still few researches in the field of radiation-induced intestinal injury. We expect that in the near future, there will be greater progress and breakthroughs in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of radiation-induced intestinal injury.