Circulating tumor cells help differentiate benign ovarian lesions from cancer before surgery: A literature review and proof of concept study using flow cytometry with fluorescence imaging.

Current tools are insufficient for distinguishing patients with ovarian cancer from those with benign ovarian lesions before extensive surgery. The present study utilized a readily accessible platform employing a negative selection strategy, followed by flow cytometry, to enumerate circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with ovarian cancer. These counts were compared with those from patients with benign ovarian lesions. CTC counts at baseline, before and after anticancer therapy, and across various clinical scenarios involving ovarian lesions were assessed. A negative-selection protocol we proposed was applied to patients with suspected ovarian cancer and prospectively utilized in those subsequently confirmed to have malignancy. The protocol was implemented before anticancer therapy and at months 3, 6, 9 and 12 post-treatment. A cut-off value for CTC number at 4.75 cells/ml was established to distinguish ovarian malignancy from benign lesions, with an area under the curve of 0.900 (P<0.001). In patients with ovarian cancer, multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that baseline CTC counts and the decline in CTCs within the first three months post-therapy were significant predictors of prolonged progression-free survival. Additionally, baseline CTC counts independently prognosticated overall survival. CTC counts obtained with the proposed platform, used in the present study, suggest that pre-operative CTC testing may be able to differentiate between malignant and benign tumors. Moreover, CTC counts may indicate oncologic outcomes in patients with ovarian cancer who have undergone cancer therapies.

A Novel and Simple Algorithm Using Surface Electrocardiogram That Localizes Accessory Conduction Pathway in Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome in Pediatric Patients.

BACKGROUND: The location of the accessory pathway (AP) can be precisely identified on surface electrocardiography (ECG) in adults with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. However, current algorithms to locate the AP in pediatric patients with WPW syndrome are limited. OBJECTIVE: To propose an optimal algorithm that localizes the AP in pediatric patients with WPW syndrome. METHODS: From 1992 to 2016, 180 consecutive patients aged below 18 years with symptomatic WPW syndrome were included. After the exclusion of patients with non-descriptive electrocardiography (ECG), multiple APs, congenital heart diseases, non-inducible tachycardia, and those who received a second ablation, 104 patients were analyzed retrospectively. Surface ECG was obtained before ablation and evaluated by using previously documented algorithms, from which a new pediatric algorithm was developed. RESULTS: Previous algorithms were not highly accurate when used in pediatric patients with WPW syndrome. In the new algorithm, the R/S ratio of V1 and the polarity of the delta wave in lead I could distinguish right from the left side AP with 100% accuracy. The polarity of the delta wave of lead V1 could distinguish free wall AP from septal AP with an accuracy of 100% in left-side AP, compared to 88.6% in leads III and V1 for right-side AP. The overall accuracy was 92.3%. CONCLUSIONS: This simple, novel algorithm could differentiate left from right AP and septal from free wall AP in pediatric patients with WPW syndrome.

Epidemiology and mortality among dialysis patients with parathyroidectomy: Taiwan National Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Parathyroidectomy (PTx) is usually necessary in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on dialysis. Risk factors for higher PTx rates are controversial. The objectives of this study were to identify the risk factors for PTx in patients on dialysis and evaluate the mortality after PTx. METHODS: We analyzed data obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database and included 35,162 ESRD dialysis patients. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the incidence of PTx and survival rate after PTx. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify the risk factors. RESULTS: The PTx rate was 8.09 per 1,000 patient-years. Stratified on the basis of gender and diabetic mellitus (DM), the highest incidence rate of PTx was in females without DM. Stratified by age and DM, the highest incidence rate of PTx was in those aged 18-44 years without DM. The significant risk factors for PTx were younger age, female (hazard ratio (HR) 1.409, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.257-1.580), DM (HR 0.479, 95% CI: 0.413-0.555), peritoneal dialysis (HR 1.657, 95% CI: 1.418-1.938) and hypertension (HTN) (HR 1.317, 95% CI: 1.162-1.492). The cumulative survival rates after PTx were 97.1%, 94.5%, 82.8% and 77.4% at the first, second, fifth and seventh year, respectively. Only age was significantly associated with higher mortality after PTx. CONCLUSIONS: Higher PTx rates were found in dialysis patients who were female and younger, did not have DM, were on peritoneal dialysis and had HTN. Advanced age was associated with a higher mortality after PTx.