Medicina
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Background and objectives: When resecting colon adenocarcinoma, surgeons decide between the use of laparoscopically assisted and open surgery. Laparoscopic resection is known to have short-term benefits over an open operation. However, researchers are not as unified about the long-term findings. ⋯ Conclusion: The obtained results suggest that laparoscopic resection of colon cancer is not inferior from an oncologic point of view and results in a similar long-term survival and disease-free interval. Recurrence of carcinoma, older age at initial operation and elevated tumor markers, above a pre-set threshold at operation, were found to be independent factors of lower survival. We believe that the obtained results will be of benefit when choosing treatment for colon adenocarcinoma.
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Background and Objectives: Clinicians are called to overcome age-related challenges in decision making during In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible impact of a single calendar year difference among patients aged 34, 35 and 36 on IVF outcomes. Materials and Methods: Medical records between 2008 and 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. ⋯ Conclusion: A calendar year difference between patients undergoing IVF treatment at 34 or 35 years of age does not appear to exert any influence regarding outcome. When treatment involves patients above the age of 35, then a single calendar year may exert considerable impact on IVF outcome. This observation indicates that age 35 may serve as a valid cut-off point regarding IVF outcome.
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Quality of life improvement stands as one of the main goals of the medical sciences. Increasing cancer survival rates associated with better early detection and extended therapeutic options led to the specific modeling of patients' choices, comprising aspects of reproductive life that correlated with the evolution of modern society, and requires better assessment. ⋯ Additionally, crossing roads with general fertility and senescence studies proved highly beneficial due to the enlarged scope and better synergies and funding. We here strive to bring attention to this domain of care and to sensitize all medical specialties towards a more cohesive approach and to better communication among caregivers and patients.
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Background andObjectives: Prostate cancer is the second most harmful disease in men worldwide and the number of cases is increasing. Therefore, new natural agents with anticancer potential should be examined and the response of existing therapeutic drugs must be enhanced. Stevia pilosa and Stevia eupatoria are two species that have been widely used in traditional medicine, but their effectiveness on cancer cells and their interaction with antineoplastic drugs have not been studied. ⋯ The combination of the Stevia extracts and enzalutamide produced a greater effect on the inhibition of the proliferation and migration of cancer cells than the Stevia extracts alone, but not of the enzalutamide alone. Conclusion: The results indicate that SPME and SEME have an inhibitory effect on the viability and migration of prostate cancer cells and do not interfere with the enzalutamide anticancer effect. The data suggest that Stevia extracts may be a potential source of molecules for cancer treatment.
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Review
The Role of Blood Biomarkers for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Diagnosis of Traumatic Brain Injury.
Background and Objectives: The annual global incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is over 10 million. An estimated 29% of TBI patients with negative computed tomography (CT-) have positive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI+) findings. Judicious use of serum biomarkers with MRI may aid in diagnosis of CT-occult TBI. ⋯ GFAP has shown diagnostic potential for MRI findings such as DAI and awaits further validation. Tau shows promise in detecting DAI and disrupted functional connectivity. Candidate biomarkers should be evaluated within the context of analytical performance of the assays used, as well as the post-injury timeframe for blood collection relative to MRI abnormalities.