ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The Palliative Prognostic Index (PPI) was developed to improve survival prediction for advanced cancer patients. However, there is limited data about the PPI application in a real-world scenario. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of PPI > 6 in predicting survival of cancer inpatients. METHODS: A prospective observational cohort in an inpatient palliative care service at a tertiary hospital in São Paulo-SP, Brazil, between May 2011 and December 2018. RESULTS: We included 1,376 critically ill cancer inpatients. Patients were divided into three PPI subgroups: PPI ≤ 4, PPI 4-6, and PPI ≥ 6. Their respective medium overall survival values were 44 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 35.52-52.47), 20 days (95% CI 15.40-24.59), and 8 days (95% CI 7.02-8.98), (p < 0.001). PPI ≥ 6 predicted survival of <3 weeks with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 72% and an negative predictive value (NPV) of 68% (sensitivity 67%, specificity 72%). PPI > 4 predicted survival of <6 weeks with a PPV of 88% and an NPV of 36% (sensitivity 74%, specificity 59%). When PPI was <4, the mortality rate over 3 weeks was 39% with a relative risk (RR) of 0.15 (95% CI 0.11-0.20; p < 0.001), and the 6-week mortality rate was 63% with a RR of 0.18 (95% CI 0.13-0.25; p < 0.001) compared to PPI ≥ 4. CONCLUSIONS: PPI was a good discriminator of survival among critically ill cancer inpatients and could assist in hospital discharge decision. PPI may help healthcare policymakers and professionals in offering high-quality palliative care to patients.
ABSTRACT
The mainstays of treatment for colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs) are surgery and chemotherapy. Chemotherapeutic benefits of tumor shrinkage and systemic control of micrometastases are in part counterbalanced by chemotoxicity that can modify the liver parenchyma, jeopardizing the detection of CRLM. This review addresses the clinical decision-making process in the context of radiographic and pathologic responses, the preoperative imaging workup, and the approaches to the liver for CRLM, which disappear after systemic chemotherapy.
Subject(s)
Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy , Liver Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Liver Neoplasms/therapy , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant , Clinical Decision-Making , Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology , Humans , Liver Neoplasms/secondary , Neoadjuvant TherapyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A considerable number of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer progress after exhausting all approved standard therapies but maintain an adequate performance status and could be candidates for further treatment. We aim at reviewing our experience with sorafenib treatment of a patient with FLT3 mutation in refractory metastatic colorectal cancer. METHODS: Treatment with sorafenib of a patient with metastatic colorectal cancer and FLT3 translocation who had previously been heavily treated. RESULTS: The patient with metastatic colorectal cancer, aged 51 years, showed significant symptomatic and laboratory improvement with sorafenib treatment (400 mg twice daily). CONCLUSION: The presented case illustrates how an aggressive and refractory colorectal tumor may respond well to targeted therapy.
ABSTRACT
Fundamentos: a síndrome metabólica (SM) está relacionada com eventos cardiovasculares. Não está estabelecida a relação entre SM e insuficiência cardíaca (IC) nos pacientes de área rural. Objetico: estudar a relação entre insuficiência cardíaca e síndrome metabólica em pacientes de área rural. Métodos: estudo transversal, incluindo 83 pacientes com IC de área rural na cidade de Valença (RJ), com acompanhamento médio de...
