Cancer
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The incidence, epidemiology, Candida species distribution, resistance patterns, and outcome of candidemia in high-risk hematologic malignancy and/or stem cell transplantation patients have not been extensively described since the introduction of new antifungal agents. ⋯ Despite the widespread use of antifungal prophylaxis and the introduction of new antifungal agents, the incidence and associated mortality rates of candidemia remained stable in high-risk hematologic malignancy patients. However, its epidemiological characteristics have shifted, with C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis becoming more common.
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This study aimed to examine disparities in survival and associated factors for patients with nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to determine whether racial disparities varied over time (1991-1995, 1996-1999, and 2000-2002). ⋯ There were no significant differences in survival between blacks and whites with NSCLC within stage stratifications after adjusting for covariates, except for black patients at overall stage for all-cause mortality and at stage III-IV diagnosed in 2000-2002. Receiving stage-specific evidence-based standard therapy was associated with significantly increased survival.
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O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is a key enzyme in the DNA repair process after alkylating agent action. Epigenetic silencing of the MGMT gene by promoter methylation has been associated with longer survival in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) who receive alkylating agents. In this study, the authors evaluated the prognostic value of different biomarkers in recurrent GBM and analyzed the changes in MGMT status between primary tumors and recurrent tumors. ⋯ MGMT methylation status was an important prognostic factor in patients with recurrent GBM who underwent surgery plus carmustine wafer implantation; therefore, it was useful in predicting the outcome of GBM therapy at recurrence.
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Although immediate breast reconstruction is increasingly offered as part of postmastectomy psychosocial rehabilitation, concerns remain that it may delay adjuvant therapy or impair detection of local recurrence. No single population-based study has examined the relationship between immediate breast reconstruction and breast cancer-specific survival. ⋯ Immediate breast reconstruction is associated with decreased breast cancer-specific mortality, particularly among younger women. We believe this association is more likely attributable to imbalances in socioeconomic factors and access to care than to inadequate adjustment for tumor characteristics and disease severity. Further research is needed to identify additional prognostic factors responsible for the improved cancer survival among women undergoing immediate postmastectomy reconstruction.
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Virtually all patients with prostate cancer who receive androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) will ultimately develop evidence of resistance to treatment. The prognosis for patients who develop metastatic castrate-resistant disease is reported to be poor, with overall survival historically estimated to be 24 to 36 months. The goal of the current study was to identify predictors of clinical disease progression in patients with prostate cancer who were receiving ADT. ⋯ Younger men with high-risk disease appear to have worse prognosis than older men with similar disease. This, along with the other prognostic variables established in the current study, may help identify candidates for clinical trials evaluating secondary treatments for patients with castrate-resistant disease.