Notes

Effect regarding COVID-19 elimination procedures upon Clostridioides difficile infections in a localized acute treatment hospital.
The combination of treosulfan with fludarabine (Treo-Flu) is one of the new megatherapies prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Preclinical studies have documented the myeloablative and myelosuppressive effects of treosulfan, in addition to its immunosuppressive and antimalignant activities. Treosulfan pharmacokinetics involves nonenzymatic activation and generation of epoxides as active compounds. In the clinical studies, the most common adverse effects of Treo-Flu were grade 4 hematologic toxicities with leukopenia, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. Among the most common nonhematologic toxicities, grade 2 or lower mucositis was usually reported. One of the advantages of treosulfan-based conditioning regimens is their good safety profile, especially the low risk of hepatic venoocclusive disease. Additional drugs reported in combination with the Treo-Flu backbone are thiotepa and melphalan. Treo-Flu alone and in multiple drug combinations can be successfully and safely combined with posttransplant cyclophosphamide immunosuppression for unma¬nipulated haploidentical transplantations. On the basis of chimerism studies, the Treo-Flu megatherapy lacks full myeloablative potential, but the profound myelosuppression with donor cell-mediated alloreactivity can result in full donor chimerism in the majority of transplant recipients. The clinical studies of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation show high heterogeneity, but the safety and feasibility of the Treo-Flu regimen are evident and support its place among reduced-intensity protocols.Epigenetic alterations contributing to malignancy have become a more prominent field of investigation over the past several years, as several hallmarks of cancer are substantially altered by changes in the epigenome. Enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2), an enzyme involved in silencing the transcription of various genes, is overexpressed or mutated in multiple cancers and can lead to proliferation of dedifferentiated cells. Both gain-of-function and loss-of-function mutations have been noted in hematologic cancers, with gain-of-function mutations prevalent among non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Tazemetostat is a first-in-class EZH2 inhibitor developed to target this overexpression. Phase I trials have shown it is generally well tolerated and efficacious in solid tumors as well as hematological malignancies. Tazemetostat was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in epithelioid sarcoma in January 2020 on the basis of the results of a recent phase II trial, but with several clinical trials ongoing, the use of tazemetostat for hematological malignancies is a promising avenue for treatment.Lascufloxacin hydrochloride (AM-1977) is a novel 8-methoxy fluoroquinolone antibacterial agent with a unique pharmacophore at the 1st and 7th positions of the quinoline nucleus developed by Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan). It has been approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for treatment of respiratory tract and ear, nose and throat infections including community-acquired pneumonia and otorhinolaryngological infections, and shows great promise against fluoroquinolone-resistant strains of major pathogens which infect the respiratory tract. It is suitable for treating infections caused by Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Pneumococcus, Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Haemophilus influenzae, Legionella pneumophila, Prevotella and Mycoplasma pneumoniae that are sensitive to this drug.Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) catalytic subunit p110α (PIK3CA) mutations occur in approximately 40% of patients with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer. Alpelisib, a selective oral inhibitor of PI3K, with inhibitory activity predominantly against PIK3CA, has shown synergistic antitumor activity with endocrine therapy against hormone receptor-positive PIK3CA-mutated breast cancer cells in preclinical and early-phase clinical trials. The combination of alpelisib with fulvestrant or an aromatase inhibitor such as letrozole is safe and effective with reversible toxicities. Although clinical activity has been observed independently of PIK3CA mutation status, clinical improvement has been mostly seen in a higher proportion of patients with PIK3CA-mutated tumors. In this review I share current data on alpelisib in breast cancer treatment.BACKGROUND Metallic microwave ablation (MWA) antenna-related artifacts are usually created in conventional CT images, and these artifacts can influence the effect of ablation. The aim of this study was to evaluate a new type of metal artifact reduction (MAR+) technique in CT-guided MWA for lung cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study enrolled 30 lung cancer patients who received CT-guided MWA treatment from December 2017 to April 2018. Images after microwave antenna insertion into the tumor were reconstructed by the filter back projection (group A) and MAR+ reconstruction (group B). The CT values and standard deviations of the regions of interest (ROIs) on the chosen image were recorded, including the most significantly hypodense artifact (ROI₁), hyperdense artifacts (ROI₂), and chest muscles of the same layer (ROI₃). The metal artifact indexes based on ROI₁ and ROI₂ (AI₁, AI₂) and the overall metal artifact index (AI) were calculated. Subjective image quality was graded on a five-point scale (1=worst, 5=excellent). RESULTS The AI₁ (74.14±76.32), AI₂ (13.75±19.02) and AI (54.12±54.82) of group B were lower than those of group A [(153.33±89.04), (30.63±26.42), (112.00±63.10), respectively] (P less then 0.001 for all). Both radiologists reported that the subjective image value of group B was significantly higher than that of group A (P less then 0.001). The subjective image quality scores evaluated by 2 observers showed excellent consistency (ICC=0.829). CONCLUSIONS The MAR+ imaging reconstruction significantly reduced metal artifacts, which helps radiologists to clearly observe the relationship between the ablation antenna and the lesion.For advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), front-line chemotherapy, alone or in combination with radiotherapy, leads to 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates and freedom-from-treatment failure (FFTF) rates of 70-85%, regardless of the chemotherapy regimen applied. Patients with HL experiencing disease progression during or within 3 months of front-line therapy (primary refractory) and patients whose disease relapses after a complete response have a second chance of treatment. The standard of care for relapsed or refractory HL is second-line chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), which can induce long-term remission in approximately 40-50% of patients. However, HL recurrence occurs in about 50% of patients after ASCT, usually within the first year, and represents a significant therapeutic challenge. Allogeneic transplantation from HLA-matched donors represents the standard of care for patients with HL relapsing after- or refractory to ASCT.A first-line chemotherapy program based on the ABVD regimen is currently considered the golden standard by most hematologists, being able to achieve a cure without any need of subsequent therapies in >70% of patients with advanced-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). To increase this percentage, efforts in recent decades focused on the development of new therapeutic strategies. A first major effort was the introduction of the BEACOPP chemotherapy regimen, which is able to increase the response rate and to reduce the need of salvage therapies. However, this result did not demonstrate an advantage in terms of overall survival compared to ABVD, mainly due to an excess of non lymphoma-related events in the follow-up phase. Here we describe three clinical cases of young HL patients who had relapsed/refractory disease after the induction chemotherapy. These three clinical cases provide practical and real world evidence in favor of the use of BV in monotherapy as consolidation treatment after autologous stem cells transplantation in patients with relapsed/refractory HL.Over the last 4 decades, advances in radiation therapy and the addition of combination chemotherapy have significantly increased the cure rate of patients with HL, with a 5-year OS of about 90% . However, despite high rate of cure after first line of therapy, 5%-10% of HLs are refractory to the treatment, and 10-30% of patients have a disease relapse after a complete response (CR). Relapsed HL can be treated with salvage therapies with a long-lasting complete remission in 80% of cases. In recent years, novel drugs are available for the patients with relapsed/refractory HL, like Brentuximab Vedotin and immune checkpoint inhibitors. These drugs have been able to rescue a cohort of patients who subsequently could receive an allogeneic stem-cell transplant. Our cases have been chosen because they are representative of critical issues in the management of relapsed/refractory HL; our experiences are consistent with what reported by other Authors.Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a rare cancer of the lymphoid system. It clinically presents with swollen lymph nodes and/or systemic symptoms, such as fever, night sweats, or weight loss, as signs of a more advanced stage disease. For the purpose of treatment allocation, HL cases are classified as early-stage favorable, early-stage unfavorable, and advanced-stage disease. Here below we describe four different clinical cases from real life that address some key issues and medical needs that are present in the daily practice with patients affected by advanced stage HL. The four clinical cases are quite heterogeneous, but in each case there are strong inputs to manage a specific category of advanced phase HL patient that is going to be treated with first-line therapy.A complicated case of female genital mutilation (FGM) type 2b done in late-pregnancy is presented and the interplay of Yoruba and Kwale culture, in this case, is discussed. A Yoruba who grew up among Kwales/Urhobos had FGM at 38 weeks and 4 days gestation (to assure vaginal delivery) and presented with vulvar hematoma, septicemia, obstructed labor, and a distressed fetus. 5 days after FGM procedure, she had an emergency cesarean section (EmCS), repair of FGM site and baby was admitted in special care. There was the obvious synergy of the Yoruba culture of FGM in infancy and Kwale/Urhobo culture of FGM in pregnancy. buy Dubermatinib The patient and her fetus/baby almost became mortalities but for prompt intervention. The role of sociocultural factors in the practice of FGM is recommended to be further investigated as FGM even in educated women and at the dangerous stage of term pregnancy is still prevalent.Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) of the sphenoparietal sinus are extremely rare. In the present report, we describe a 46-year-old male patient who presented with headache, pulsatile tinnitus on the right side, and a single course of focal seizure starting 2 months after a closed head injury causing right temporal and occipital bone fractures. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging which was obtained 11 months after the injury showed white matter necrosis in the right frontal lobe while digital subtraction angiography (DSA) revealed a right-sided DAVF in the region of sphenoparietal sinus. The patient underwent successful intra-arterial Onyx-18 embolization using Scepter C balloon microcatheter. Complete occlusion of the fistula was confirmed by control cerebral DSA at 6-month follow-up. Thus, we conclude that double lumen Scepter C balloon microcatheter is a feasible, safe and effective treatment for intra-arterial Onyx-18 embolization of the DAVFs of the sphenoparietal sinus, particularly in cases with high tortuosity.
Read More: https://www.selleckchem.com/products/tp-0903.html