Outcome of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Versus Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting for Patients With Intermediate SYNTAX II Score.

Patients with intermediate SYNTAX II score have been representing a confusion in our daily practice for interventional cardiologists whether to treat them by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using second generation drug eluting stents or by coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We enrolled 214 consecutive patients with intermediate SYNTAX II score to undergo revascularization (109 patients underwent PCI and 105 patients underwent CABG) after Heart Team discussion. We compared both procedures with respect to the primary composite end point of major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization or stroke) at 40 months post procedure. At 40 months post revascularization procedure, the primary end-point occurred in 22 patients and 15 patients in the PCI and CABG groups, respectively (hazard ratio, 1.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.87-3.14; P = 0.13). No significant differences were detected between both groups regarding the composite incidence of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization, and stroke. CABG significantly provided better quality of life than PCI for patients with intermediate SYNTAX II score. In patients with intermediate SYNTAX II score, there was no statistically significant difference between the PCI using second generation drug eluting stents and CABG with respect to the incidence of MACCE at 40 months post revascularization procedure.

Value of fertility-sparing surgery for young females with epithelial ovarian cancer: a comparative study / Valor de la cirugía de preservación de la fertilidad en mujeres jóvenes con cáncer de ovario epitelial: un estudio comparativo

Resumen OBJETIVO: Comparar la cirugía radical con la cirugía conservadora de la fertilidad en mujeres con cáncer de ovario epitelial en estadio 1A-C con respecto a la tasa de recurrencia y las tasas de supervivencia. Además, evaluar los desenlaces reproductivos y obstétricos para las mujeres con cáncer de ovario epitelial en estadio I tratadas con una conducta conservadora de la fertilidad. PACIENTES Y MÉTODOS: Estudio prospectivo efectuado en pacientes con cáncer de ovario epitelial, estadio I, con edad ≤ 40 años. A las pacientes del grupo de preservación de la fertilidad se les practicó salpingooforectomía del lado del ovario afectado y una biopsia por incisión o escisión en cuña del ovario contralateral. A las pacientes del grupo de cirugía radical se les practicó la histerectomía total y salpingooforectomía bilateral. Para evaluar los desenlaces reproductivos y oncológicos se dio seguimiento a todas las pacientes durante cinco años. RESULTADOS: Se estudiaron 60 pacientes; las del grupo de cirugía de preservación de la fertilidad eran significativamente más jóvenes (30 ± 4 en comparación con 35 ± 5) (p < 0.001), el tamaño de sus tumores era más pequeño 3.4 ± 1.3 en comparación con 6.0 ± 2,6 (p < 0.001), de menor grado (p < 0.001). = 0.011), estadio más precoz (p < 0.001) y con más histología mucinosa que las pacientes del grupo de cirugía radical. No hubo diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre ambos grupos en cuanto a la recurrencia tumoral o las tasas de supervivencia. De 25 pacientes operadas para preservación de la fertilidad 18 de 25 intentaron quedar embarazadas. Se registraron 15 de 18 embarazos, incluidos 13 nacidos vivos, 1 aborto espontáneo y 1 muerte fetal intrauterina. CONCLUSIÓN: La cirugía conservadora de la fertilidad podría ser una alternativa adecuada a la cirugía radical para mujeres jóvenes con cáncer epitelial de ovario en estadio I.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: In the current study, we aimed to compare between radical surgery and fertility saving surgery in females with stage 1A-C EOC regarding recurrence rate and patients survival rates in addition to evaluating reproductive and obstetric outcomes for stage I EOC females who were managed by fertility saving surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively identified 60 patients diagnosed with stage I EOC aged ≤ 40 years. Patients in the fertility-preservation group underwent salpingo-oophorectomy on the side of the affected ovary in addition to incisional biopsy or wedge excision of the ovary on the other side. Patients in the radical surgery group underwent total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. We followed up all patients for 5 years to assess their reproductive and oncological outcomes. RESULTS: Patients in the fertility preservation surgery group were significantly younger (30 ± 4 versus 35 ± 5) (p < 0.001), their tumor sizes were smaller 3.4 ± 1.3 versus 6.0 ± 2.6 (p < 0.001), of lower grade (p = 0.011), earlier stage (p < 0.001) and has more mucinous histology than patients in the radical surgery group. There were no statistically significant differences between both groups regarding tumor recurrence or survival rates. Of 25 patients underwent fertility preservation surgery, 18/25 (72%) tried to get pregnant. 15/18 (83%) pregnancies were recorded, including 13 live births, 1 miscarriage, and 1 intrauterine fetal death. CONCLUSION: Fertility sparing surgery could be adequate alternative to radical surgery for young females with stage I EOC.

Forkhead box M1 over-expression and dachshund homolog 1 down-regulation as novel biomarkers for progression of endometrial carcinoma in Egyptian patients.

INTRODUCTION: Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) is considered as a novel anti-cancer target, because it has many essential functions such as mitosis regulation, cell cycle transition, and other carcinogenesis signaling pathways. Dachshund homolog 1 (DACH1) is a member of the Sno/Ski co-repressor family. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Expression of DACH1 has been detected in many cancers. Patients and pathologic specimens: 50 patients with endometrial cancer (EC) were included in the study: ten specimens of normal endometrium and twenty specimens of endometrial hyperplasia. All samples underwent processing to investigate FOXM1 and DACH1 expression using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: FOXM1 expression was detected in EC tissues more than normal endometrium and endometrial hyperplasia tissues (p = 0.001) and 0.01. Increased FOXM1 expression was positively associated with larger tumor size (p = 0.002), high grade (p = 0.004), myometrial invasion, presence of lymph node metastases, higher Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (p < 0.001), and worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates. The expression of DACH1 was lower in EC cells than normal endometrium and endometrial hyperplasia tissues (p = 0.071) and 0.252. Low DACH1 expression was associated with high grade (p = 0.001), presence of lymph node metastases (p = 0.49), higher FIGO stage (p = 0.022), and unfavorable PFS and OS rates (p = 0.037). We found an inverse association between expression of FOXM1 and DACH1 in EC tissues and in non-neoplastic endometrial tissues (p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: FOXM1 over-expression and DACH1 down-regulation in EC were related to poor clinical and pathological parameters and unfavorable prognosis.

Incidence and predictors of radial artery occlusion after transradial coronary catheterization.

BACKGROUND: Radial artery occlusion (RAO) is considered the most common and devastating complication of transradial approach (TRA). It has been described as the "Achilles' heel" of the transradial technique. Our aim was to assess the incidence and predictors of radial artery occlusion after transradial coronary catheterization. RESULTS: This was a prospective study enrolling 164 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) via the transradial approach (TRA) using 6-F catheters. Doppler ultrasonography assessment of the radial artery (RA) was conducted on day 1 and 6 months following the procedure. The studied group included 104 male (63.4%) and 60 female (36.6%) patients with a mean age of 57.7 ± 8.8 years and a mean RA diameter of 2.8 ± 0.5 mm. On day 1, Doppler examination revealed RAO in 54 patients (32.9%). After 6 months, RAO was detected in 49 patients (29.9%). Interestingly, only 1 new case (0.9%) of RAO was noted, and 6 patients (11.1%) had regained their RA patency. On multivariate analysis, female gender, age, manual compression, and RA diameter emerged as independent predictors of RAO. Using TR band for hemostasis for only 2 h was recognized as a potent independent predictor of RA patency on day 1 and 6 months after the procedure (n = 2, 3.7% in the RAO group, vs. n = 23, 20.9% in the non-RAO group, p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: RAO, although clinically a silent issue, has been the main complication following TRA. In patients with high predictors of RAO, careful management and close follow-up are required to ensure radial artery long-term patency.

Prognostic impact of Apaf-1, Cyclin D1, and AQP-5 in serous ovarian carcinoma treated with the first-line chemotherapy.

Chemoresistance is the major obstacle to effective treatment in patients with serous ovarian carcinoma (SOC), which frequently related to the failure of chemotherapeutic agents to induce apoptosis. In this study, the immunohistochemical expression of Apaf-1, Cyclin D1, and Aquaporin-5 (AQP-5) was studied in 50 paraffin blocks of SOC. Data on overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and response to the first-line chemotherapy were collected and then statistically analyzed. Apaf-1 expression was observed in 84% of the SOC cases with a significant down-regulation with higher tumor grade, lymph node metastasis, and advanced FIGO stage. Cyclin D1 expression was found in 70% of the cases with a significant up-regulation with higher tumor grade, lymph node metastasis, and advanced FIGO stage. Positive AQP-5 expression was noted in 84% of the cases with a significant positive association with higher tumor grade, lymph node metastasis, and advanced FIGO stage. During the follow-up period, the Apaf-1 expression had a significant negative association with OS and DFS (p < 0.001 for each), while both Cyclin D1 and AQP-5 expression had a significant positive association with unfavorable OS and DFS. The cases of SOC treated with suboptimal surgery revealed a significant association of low Apaf-1, high Cyclin D1, and strong AQPs with the poor response to the first-line chemotherapy (p = 0.047, p < 0.001, and 0.006 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Down-regulation of Apaf-1 protein and the overexpression of Cyclin D1 and AQP-5 proteins possibly contribute to an aggressive SOC with a high risk of recurrence and poor response to the first-line chemotherapy.