Prevalence of circulating tumor cells in early breast cancer patients 2 and 5 years after adjuvant treatment.

PURPOSE: Several studies have provided evidence on the prognostic relevance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) detected before and after chemotherapy regarding overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in early breast cancer (EBC). We provide data on the prevalence of CTCs 2 and 5 years after primary diagnosis in a cohort of patients with EBC. METHODS: The SUCCESS study is a multicenter, prospective, randomized trial comparing PFS in primary breast cancer patients undergoing one of two adjuvant chemotherapy regimens followed by 2 versus 5 years of treatment with zoledronate. CTCs from patients without signs of breast cancer recurrence were analyzed in peripheral blood using the FDA cleared CellSearch® System (Veridex, USA) 2 and 5 years after primary diagnosis. RESULTS: CTCs were detected at 2 and 5 years after primary diagnosis in 96 (16.7%) and 47 (8.2%) of the 574 patients, respectively. There were no associations between CTC status and patient and tumor characteristics or treatment regimens. In 442 (77.0%) patients, no CTCs were detected at either of the two time points, and in 11 patients (1.9%), CTCs were found at both 2 and 5 years after primary diagnosis. In 85 (14.8%) patients, CTCs were present 2 years after primary diagnosis but not after 5 years, while 36 (6.3%) patients had CTCs in their blood only at the 5-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with EBC, CTCs can be detected even 5 years after primary diagnosis without clinical signs of disease recurrence.

Survey of compartment syndrome of the lower extremity after gynecological operations.

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to investigate incidence, circumstances and consequences of acute compartment syndrome (CS) of the lower extremity after gynecological operations in lithotomy position by collecting data from departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Germany. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. SETTING: Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the area of North Rhine (Germany) METHODS: A 24-item questionnaire was sent to 168 gynecological departments. In addition, cases anonymously reported to the Expert Committee for Medical Malpractice Claims of the Medical Association of North Rhine between 2002 and 2012 were analyzed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Incidence of acute CS after gynecological operations. RESULTS: A total of 59 questionnaires (35 %) were returned for analysis, reporting 21 cases of CS. Based on the collected data, we calculated an incidence of postoperative CS ranging between 0.067 % and 0.28 %. All reported cases of postoperative CS occurred after surgeries in lithotomy position, 57.1 % of cases occurred after laparoscopic procedures and 76.2 % after procedures longer than 4 h. Overall, 61.0 % of departments do not routinely inform about the risk of this complication when they get patients' informed consent. Reported prevention strategies were inconsistent and ranged from none to multiple measures. CONCLUSION: CS is a complication clearly associated with long lasting gynecological operations in Lithotomy position. Despite a relatively high incidence, so far no guidelines on perioperative management and medicolegal aspects exist and preventive measures are heterogeneous among institutions. The need for guidelines and recommendations by an expert committee has been identified.

Compartment syndrome after gynecologic operations: evidence from case reports and reviews.

Compartment syndrome (CS) of the lower leg is a rare but severe complication of operations in the lithotomy (LT) position after urologic, gynecologic and general surgery. A delay in diagnosis and treatment can lead to loss of function and even life-threatening complications. The pathophysiology is still not fully understood but it is believed that ischemia as a result of increased compartment pressure and decreased perfusion pressure may lead to CS. The type of leg support and the intraoperative hypotension have been discussed as risk factors but evidence is mainly based on case reports and expert opinion. Studies suggest that time spent in the LT position and the addition of head-down tilt are associated with CS. As these positions are routinely applied during various gynecologic procedures, forensically CS has to be considered as a specific complication of gynecologic surgery in the LT position. Despite the low incidence there is a need for prospective studies and guidelines for its prevention. Sixteen case reports describing 19 cases of CS following gynecologic surgery in lithotomy position were found during a literature search. This review is based on 14 of these case reports (17 cases), which describe a postoperative compartment syndrome in a previously healthy leg. We summarize the reported cases and literature on CS after gynecologic procedures in order to increase awareness among medical staff and to give careful recommendations regarding perioperative management based on available information.