Targeting Barriers of Systems of Care in a Growing Multi-disciplinary Field.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Cardio-oncology is a growing multi-disciplinary field that focuses on treating and preventing cardiovascular complications in cancer survivors and patients. This review summarizes the current clinical needs and system-based approaches to target barriers of care. RECENT FINDINGS: The field of cardio-oncology has experienced significant growth in recent years, and an increasing number of programs have been developed across the nation to provide improved and multi-disciplinary care to this patient population. Despite this burgeoning growth, practitioners in the field continue to face important challenges which include lack of administrative and departmental support, funding limitations, and gaps in the areas of mentoring, education, and research. Despite continued growth, cardio-oncology providers continue to face a multitude of challenges. Early inclusion of multi-disciplinary stakeholders, oncologists, cardiovascular team members, and administrative leadership provides an opportunity to collaborate and achieve unique patient care and health system benefits, such as prevention of adverse cardiovascular outcomes, and facilitates the delivery of optimal oncologic treatment.

GQSAR modeling and combinatorial library generation of 4-phenylquinazoline-2-carboxamide derivatives as antiproliferative agents in human Glioblastoma tumors.

BACKGROUND: TSPO translocator protein, encoded in humans by the Tspo gene plays a crucial role in mitochondria mediated apoptosis and necrotic cell death through its association with Mitochondrial Permeability Transition pore (MPTP). It has been shown that this function can be exploited as a potential treatment for human Glioblastoma Multiforme. In this study, a novel robust fragment based QSAR model has been developed for a series of 4-phenylquinazoline-2-carboxamides experimentally known to be ligands for TSPO, thus triggering apoptotic mechanism cascade. RESULTS: Model developed showed satisfactory statistical parameters for the experimentally reported dataset (r2=0.8259, q2=0.6788, pred_r2=0.8237 and F-test=37.9). Low standard error values (r2_se=0.253, q2_se=0.34, pred_r2_se=0.14) confirmed the accuracy of the generated model. The model obtained had 4 descriptors, namely, R1-Volume, R2-SsCH3E-index, R3-SsCH3count and R5-EpsilonR. Two of them had positive contribution while the other two had negative correlation. CONCLUSION: The high binding affinity and the presence of essential structural features in these compounds make them an ideal choice for the consideration as potent anti-GBM drugs. Activity predicted by GQSAR model reinforces their potential as worthy candidates for drugs against GBM. The detailed analysis carried out in this study provides a substantial basis for the prospective design and development of novel 4-phenylquinazoline-2-carboxamide compounds as TSPO ligands capable of inducing apoptosis in cancer cells.

An evaluation of the efficacy of aspirin and benzydamine hydrochloride gargle for attenuating postoperative sore throat: a prospective, randomized, single-blind study.

Postoperative sore throat (POST), although a minor complication, remains a source of postoperative morbidity. We compared the efficacy of dispersible aspirin gargle to benzydamine hydrochloride (a topical nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drug) gargles for prevention of POST. We enrolled 60 consecutive female patients, 16-60 yr of age, ASA physical status I or II, undergoing elective modified radical mastectomy under general anesthesia in this prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blind study. Patients were randomly divided into 3 groups of 20 subjects each: Group 1 (C) mineral water; Group 2 (AS) tab aspirin 350 mg; and Group 3 (BH) 15 mL of benzydamine hydrochloride (0.15%). All the medications were made into 30 mL of solution. Patients were asked to gargle this mixture for 30 s, 5 min before induction of anesthesia. Grading of POST was done at 0, 2, 4, and 24 h postoperatively on a 4-point scale (0-3). Aspirin gargles reduced the incidence of POST for 4 h whereas benzydamine hydrochloride gargles reduced POST for 24 h. POST was more severe in the control group at 0 and 2 h (P < 0.05). Aspirin and benzydamine hydrochloride gargles significantly reduced the incidence and severity of POST (P < 0.05).