Immediate impact of COVID-19 on transplant activity in the Netherlands.

The rapid emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented and poses an unparalleled obstacle in the sixty-five year history of organ transplantation. Worldwide, the delivery of transplant care is severely challenged by matters concerning - but not limited to - organ procurement, risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, screening strategies of donors and recipients, decisions to postpone or proceed with transplantation, the attributable risk of immunosuppression for COVID-19 and entrenched health care resources and capacity. The transplant community is faced with choosing a lesser of two evils: initiating immunosuppression and potentially accepting detrimental outcome when transplant recipients develop COVID-19 versus postponing transplantation and accepting associated waitlist mortality. Notably, prioritization of health care services for COVID-19 care raises concerns about allocation of resources to deliver care for transplant patients who might otherwise have excellent 1-year and 10-year survival rates. Children and young adults with end-stage organ disease in particular seem more disadvantaged by withholding transplantation because of capacity issues than from medical consequences of SARS-CoV-2. This report details the nationwide response of the Dutch transplant community to these issues and the immediate consequences for transplant activity. Worrisome, there was a significant decrease in organ donation numbers affecting all organ transplant services. In addition, there was a detrimental effect on transplantation numbers in children with end-organ failure. Ongoing efforts focus on mitigation of not only primary but also secondary harm of the pandemic and to find right definitions and momentum to restore the transplant programs.

[Good results of bladder-preserving treatment in poorly differentiated and invasive bladder carcinoma using interstitial Iridium-192 radiotherapy]. / Goede resultaten van blaassparende behandeling bij slecht gedifferentieerde en invasieve blaascarcinomen met behulp van interstitiële Iridium-192-radiotherapie.

OBJECTIVE: The analyse the efficacy and safety of conservative treatment for T1G3 and T2-T3a bladder carcinoma. DESIGN: Retrospective. SETTING: National Cancer Institute/Anthoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. METHODS: Between 1987 and 1994 (7 years) 63 patients with T1G3 or T2-T3a tumours < 5 cm diameter were treated with a combined approach consisting of a transurethral resection, a course of external irradiation (30 Gy in 15 fractions) to the bladder and an Iridium-192 implant procedure. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 4.2 years (range 3 months to 7.2 years) 42 patients were alive without tumour. Fourteen patients died from bladder cancer and 4 patients died from intercurrent disease. Three patients were alive with non-curable cancer. Nine patients had an isolated bladder relapse. Seven of these could be salvaged with cystectomy (3 patients) or transurethral resection (4 patients). Eight patients developed distant metastases only and 7 patients distant metastases combined with bladder recurrence. The 5 year actuarial survival was 66%. Acute and late morbidity was limited and mainly related to the surgical procedure. CONCLUSION: Bladder conservation using Iridium-192 implantation is an effective and safe procedure and in selected group of patients with bladder cancer it is a good alternative to radical cystectomy.