Beliefs about medicines' association with endocrine therapy adherence in early breast cancer survivors in Croatia.

This observational, cross-sectional study conducted at the University Hospital Centre Zagreb (UHC Zagreb) aimed to explore patients' beliefs about adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) as well as their association with non-adherence and sociodemographic and clinical factors. Out of 420 early breast cancer (BC) patients included in the study, 79.5 % perceived AET necessary and important for their health, as measured by the Belief About Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), with the mean necessity score (20.4 ± 3.68) significantly higher than the mean concerns score (13 ± 4.81) (p < 0.001). Based on the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-5), 44.4 % (n = 182) of the participants were non-adherers, out of which 63.2 % (n = 115) were unintentional and 36.8 % (n = 67) intentional non-adherers. Significantly higher concern beliefs were found among patients that were younger (p < 0.001), employed (p < 0.001), intentionally non-adherent to AET (p = 0.006), had a lower body-mass index (p = 0.005) and a higher level of education (p < 0.001), were premenopausal at the time of diagnosis (p < 0.001), taking tamoxifen treatment (p = 0.05) and receiving ovarian suppression (p < 0.001). Younger patients should be recognized as being at risk of non-adherence as they hold greater concern beliefs about medicines.

Portomesenteric Reconstruction during Whipple Procedure Using Autologous Left Renal Vein Patch Graft in a Patient with a Gastric Cancer Recurrence.

The case of vascular reconstruction of the superior mesenteric and portal vein confluence using a left renal vein (LRV) graft has been researched in this paper. The patient was a 66-year-old female who presented with features of biliary obstruction. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan revealed bile duct dilatation and a common bile duct tumor mass. Four years ago, she underwent stomach resection with subsequent Billroth II gastrojejunostomy due to gastric cancer. After surgical resection, on histopathological and immunohistochemistry examination, a recurrence of previously resected poorly cohesive gastric cancer was found.

Approach to persistent ascites after liver transplantation.

Persistent ascites (PA) after liver transplantation (LT), commonly defined as ascites lasting more than 4 wk after LT, can be expected in up to 7% of patients. Despite being relatively rare, it is associated with worse clinical outcomes, including higher 1-year mortality. The cause of PA can be divided into vascular, hepatic, or extrahepatic. Vascular causes of PA include hepatic outflow and inflow obstructions, which are usually successfully treated. Regarding modifiable hepatic causes, recurrent hepatitis C and acute cellular rejection are the leading ones. Considering predictors for PA, the presence of ascites, refractory ascites, hepato-renal syndrome type 1, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, hepatic encephalopathy, and prolonged ischemic time significantly influence the development of PA after LT. The initial approach to patients with PA should be to diagnose the treatable cause of PA. The stepwise approach in evaluating PA includes diagnostic paracentesis, ultrasound with Doppler, and an echocardiogram when a cardiac cause is suspected. Finally, a percutaneous or transjugular liver biopsy should be performed in cases where the diagnosis is unclear. PA of unknown cause should be treated with diuretics and paracentesis, while transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt and splenic artery embolization are treatment methods in patients with refractory ascites after LT.

Case report: Urgent liver pathologies: All in one.

Ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a well-known serious complication of this most common primary liver malignancy. However, when HCC rupture is associated with other focal liver lesions, the diagnosis and therapy may be very challenging. Correct differentiation of focal liver lesions is of paramount importance for successful treatment. The aim of this report is to present a unique case of HCC rupture complicated with liver abscess, hematoma and portal vein thrombosis. We discuss possible pathophysiological mechanisms and radiologic findings of such clinical scenarios and review literature related to the management of HCC rupture.

Case report: two cases of spontaneous intramural duodenal hematoma associated with pancreatitis.

Intramural duodenal hematoma (IDH) is a rare entity and is generally associated with trauma. Spontaneous (nontraumatic) intramural duodenal hematoma is associated with bleeding disorders, anticoagulation therapy, alcoholism, pancreatitis, tumours  and duodenal ulcers. We report two cases of spontaneous intramural duodenal hematoma in middle-aged men who subsequently developed pancreatitis. The underlying pathophysiology is still unclear. In the cases described, it is not clear whether the intramural duodenal hematoma contributed to the development of pancreatitis or pancreatitis has contributed to the development of IDH.

Vitamin D in liver cancer: novel insights and future perspectives.

Vitamin D has been a focus of attention in liver cancer due to its direct and indirect antineoplastic effects. This review critically evaluates data from recently published basic and clinical studies investigating the role of vitamin D in liver cancer. Basic studies indicate that vitamin D plays an important role in liver cancer development by suppressing the activity of hepatic stellate cells and Kupffer cells. Furthermore, vitamin D has a direct anti-proliferative, anti-angiogenic, proapoptotic, and prodifferentiative effect on liver cancer cells. Recent investigation suggested several interesting mechanisms of these actions, such as inactivation of Notch signaling, p27 accumulation, and tyrosine-protein kinase Met/extracellular signal-regulated kinases inhibition. On the other hand, data from clinical observational studies, although promising, are still inconclusive. Unfortunately, studies on the effect of vitamin D supplementation were generally focused on short-term outcomes of chronic liver diseases (liver enzyme levels or elastographic finding); therefore, there are still no reliable data on the effect of vitamin D supplementation on liver cancer occurrence or survival.

Psychological Effects of "Double Crisis" (COVID-19 Pandemic and Earthquakes) on Croatian Medical Students.

INTRODUCTION: In 2020. the COVID-19 pandemic presented an additional source of stress and anxiety not just to the general population but also to medical students who are, even under normal circumstances, constantly under pressure due to demanding student duties. In addition, they experienced a series of devastating earthquakes in and around the Zagreb region which altogether could have had compromised their psychological well-being. The aim of this review was to evaluate the psychological effects of these two natural disasters on the mental health of Croatian medical students. RESULTS: According to standardized questionnaires for depression and anxiety evaluation, 75.3% of students were anxious and 65.2% were depressive during the "double crisis". No significant difference of these two outcomes was observed regarding genders, but it was found that first year students had a significantly higher anxiety score than older ones. CONCLUSION: In such stressful situations, we should emphasize the importance of mental health not just of healthcare workers, but also of medical students in order to prevent serious psychological consequences and to alleviate the negative effects on students' motivation and their educational process.

Concomitant Presence of Hydatid Cyst and Colorectal Liver Metastasis

A 65-year-old man, with signs of acute colon obstruction, was diagnosed with rectal tumour and liver hydatid cyst. Additionally, a focal liver lesion in segment 1 was detected. Moreover, physical examination revealed hepatomegaly and abdominal distension. Thus, rectal resection and small liver lesion biopsy was performed. Serological and pathohistological analyses showed concomitant presence of hydatid cyst and colorectal metastasis in the liver. Hence, the cyst was treated with anthelmintic therapy, and patient lived another year after the diagnosis. To the best of our knowledge, cases of concomitant hydatid cyst and colorectal liver metastasis has never been reported; thus, this article addresses a unique case of coexistence between these two serious liver diseases.

Rare Complication of Necrotizing Pancreatitis: Extension of Retroperitoneal Abscess into Femoral Region.

Distant abscesses are uncommon during the episode of acute pancreatitis (AP). However, these are possible sequalae of necrotizing pancreatitis and should be treated appropriately to prevent serious septic complications. We demonstrate a case of a 56-year-old male patient who presented with severe necrotizing pancreatitis and distant retroperitoneal abscess that reached femoral region and was detected on diagnostic imaging scans. Combination of surgical and supportive therapy was employed, and the patient recovered well with no permanent consequences. Our article highlights the importance of quick and accurate diagnosis and timely intervention in this rare type of pancreatitis complication.

Abdominal wall reconstruction after emergent surgery for fistulizing incarcerated ventral wall hernia in morbidly obese patient.

BACKGROUND: Incarcerated abdominal wall hernias may have a variety of manifestations and the most dreaded consequence is strangulation leading to obstruction and perforation of hollow viscus. Very rarely, such a perforation presents with fistulization into the abdominal wall and skin, which is often not considered but may complicate the management approach. <br/>Case presentation: We reported on presentation and management of a 56-year-old morbidly obese male with a fistulizing incarcerated ventral wall hernia and postoperative abdominal wall necrosis. <br/>Discussion: Contained bowel perforations caused by ventral hernia incarceration are a rare and not well recognized problem and are confined to a handful of case reports in the surgical literature. <br/>Conclusion: The most recognized complications of ventral hernias are incarceration and strangulation leading to obstruction and consequent perforation; however, as the case described below reveals, intestinal perforation and bowel-skin fistulization may occur as unusual incident. Management should involve operative reduction, resection of the involved bowel and staged repair of abdominal wall defect.

Association of Breast Cancer Symptoms with Patients' Quality of Life and Depression; A Croatian Cross-Sectional Study.

AIM: To find out which symptoms are the most associated with a breast cancer patients' quality of life (QoL) and depression. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We performed this cross-sectional study from February to April 2015 at the Department of Medical Oncology, University Hospital for Tumors, Zagreb University Hospital Center "Sestre milosrdnice", Zagreb, Croatia on the sample of 147 breast cancer patients. Primary outcomes were EORTC QLQ-C30 version 3.0 Global QoL scale and Beck Depression Inventory II. RESULTS: After the adjustment for other symptoms, sociodemographic and clinical variables, fatigue (ß=-0.47, P<0.001), pain (ß=-0.24, P=0.023), and appetite loss (ß=-0.18, P=0.037) were statistically significantly correlated with QoL. Fatigue was the only symptom significantly associated with depression (ß=0.39, P=0.006). CONCLUSION: Fatigue, pain, appetite loss contributes the most to the overall breast cancer patients QoL. Although correlated, fatigue and pain contribution to lower QoL is independent from each other. Future studies should investigate whether there is an interaction between fatigue and pain changes over course of treatment. Fatigue and number of children are positively, while age and treatment in daily hospital are negatively associated with depression measured by BDI-II.

UNCOMMON SIDE EFFECTS OF SUNITINIB THERAPY IN A PATIENT WITH METASTATIC RENAL CELL CANCER: CASE REPORT.

- Sunitinib is an orally administered multikinase inhibitor. This therapy can provoke uncommon side effects such as pancytopenia, tumor lysis syndrome, cardiac disorders, thromboembolic incidents, intestinal perforation, pancreatitis, acute renal failure, etc. We report a case of a 63-year-old female admitted to the hospital due to abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and elevated blood pressure. One month earlier, sunitinib therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma was initiated. During the first cycle of therapy, after three weeks of sunitinib 50 mg daily, symptoms started and she stopped taking the drug. At admission, laboratory tests revealed elevated serum and urine amylase, C-reactive protein, urea and creatinine, and lowered platelet and leukocyte counts and hemoglobin value. Urine test showed proteinuria, erythrocyturia, leukocyturia and granulated cylinder. The patient was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis grade III, acute renal failure grade II, pancytopenia and urinary infection, and was hospitalized for five days. She was treated symptomatically and with antibiotic therapy because of persistently elevated C-reactive protein and pathologic urinary sediment, which led to subjective and clinical improvement. Acute pancreatitis, renal insufficiency and pancytopenia are rarely described side effects of sunitinib therapy, and clear connection between these conditions and drug activity is not yet determined. Medical specialists who prescribe and treat patients with sunitinib should be aware of the possible occurrence of these conditions and perform regular checkups of sunitinib treated patients.

[First synchronous liver resection as a part of cytoreductive surgery, peritonectomy and HIPEC in Croatia--case report]. / Prva sjnkrona resekcija jetre u sklopu citoreduktivne kirurgije, peritonektomije i HIPEC-a u hrvatskoj--prikaz bolesnice.

We present a case of a 37-year-old female, with large adenocarcinoma of transverse colon, and metastases in spleen, liver, peritoneum, greater omentum, gall bladder and right adnexa. She was transferred to our Hospital, and extensive elective cytoreductive surgery with intraabdominal hyperthermal chemotherapy (HIPEC) was performed. Couple of months later, she was operated on for a newly evidenced secondary nodus in liver segment VII, and metastasectomy was performed. Throughout entire postoperative period she was receiving cyclic chemotherapy. At this point, 2 years from the first operation, she was without evidenced recurrence of the disease. Aggressive cytoreductive surgery with multiorgan resection, peritonectomy, HIPEC and adjuvant chemotherapy which was proved to be a feasible option in some patients, with synchronous liver resection (LR) proved to be feasible and beneficial for patients with three or fewer liver metastases. This is the first liver resection included in usually performed cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC in Croatia.

GISTs' classifications in predicting aggressive behavior: a single institution experience.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract. When making treatment plan it is very important to make proper tumor aggressiveness estimation. Traditionally, the best prognostic factors are tumor size and number of mitoses. The aim of this study was to define which GIST classification (Amin's or Newman's classification or Fletcher's Consensus Criteria) is the most significant determining prognosis and has the strongest impact on survival. This study included 63 GIST patients whose tumor specimens were evaluated by standard histopathological methods and classified based on histological assessment of malignant behavior to the three different systems. Comparison of those classification systems was done and none of them was proven to be statistically significantly better in predicting overall survival and probability of lethal outcome. We conclude that all three classifications are comparable in prediction of malignant behavior. The worst prognostic factor is existence of metastases at the time of disease diagnosis.

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) and cytoreductive surgery (CS) as treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis: preliminary results in Croatia.

The purpose of our study was to evaluate initial results following introduction of Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) and Cytoreductive Surgery (CS). Twenty two patients with intraperitoneal malignancy undergone cytoreductive surgery (CS) and hyperthermic intraoperative chemotherapy (HIPEC) between January of 2007 and January 2010. Nine patients had adenocarcinoma of colorectal origin, 8 patients had ovarian cancer, and 5 had pseudomyxoma peritonei. Inclusion criteria were diagnosis of peritoneal carcinomatosis based on intraoperative assessment during first operative procedure for intraabdominal malignancy or follow-up diagnostic imaging proof Excluded were patients with known malignant proliferation outside abdomen, liver metastasis and ASA score 4 and higher. All patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei diagnosis are alive, with mean follow-up time 24.8 months (range 15-35). In group of patients with adenocarcinoma from colorectal origin, 3 died, resulting in mean survival time 7.6 months (range 1-16). In group of patients with ovarian cancer, 2 died, resulting in mean survival time 13.8 months (range 0-31). Two patients died in early postoperative period. Most of the patients had some sort of mental disorder. Although HIPEC with CS improves survival, during introduction period higher morbidity and mortality could be expected.

Analysis of colon cancer features in Croatia.

Qualitative and quantitative parametars were evaluated in 186 colorectal cancer patients. Quality of life was evaluated in subgroup of 84 patients. Correlation between Dukes stage of disease and qualitative (gender, blood type, marital status, region of Croatia from where patients were coming) and quantitative biological parametars (age, body mass index) was analysed. There was no statistically significant difference considering distribution of the patients disease stage and gender, blood type, marital status, region of Croatia from where patients were coming and body mass index (p > 0.05). Patients with Dukes D stage of colorectal cancer were statistically significantly younger in comparison to other stages (p < 0.05). Quality of life was the best before surgery, significantly deteriorated immediately after and partially improved three months after the surgery without significant differences between investagted groups with different colorectal cancer stage and type of surgery.

[Fast track surgery--enhanced multimodal rehabilitation after surgery]. / "Fast track" kirurgija--ubrzana multimodalna rehabilitacija kirurskih bolesnika.

Despite constant improvements in surgical technique and perioperative care which led to significant reductions in mortality and morbidity after general surgery, complication rates after major abdominal surgery still reach 15-40%. The main cause of postoperative complications (not linked to surgical technique itself) is the perioperative stress reaction potentiated by pain, inadequate perioperative fluid management, immobilisation and hypothermia. Multimodal rehabilitation of surgical patients represents the practical application of advances in surgery, anaesthesiology and postoperative rehabilitation with the aim of reducing perioperative stressors and facilitating an early return of the patient to his/her preoperative functional status. Besides discussing various aspects of multimodal rehabilitation, the authors present their own first experiences with its introduction into everyday clinical practice.