Massive inguinoscrotal bladder hernia

Inguinoscrotal bladder hernias are rare, occurring in 1-4% of all inguinal hernias. Massive inguinoscrotal bladder hernias, where >50% of the bladder is found in the hernia sac are extremely rare. Patients can suffer significant morbidity from such a hernia. These include sepsis, unilateral or bilateral ureteric obstruction, renal failure and strangulation with secondary ischaemia of the bladder wall and bladder rupture. Inguinoscrotal bladder hernias are most commonly diagnosed at the time of surgery. This may lead to significant complications for the patient, particularly if undetected during surgery.

Integrated Cancer System: a perspective on developing an integrated system for cancer services in London

This article explores the potential for integrated cancer systems to improve the quality of care and deliver cost efficiencies and improve outcomes for cancer patients. Currently, patients in the UK still have poorer survival rates than comparable countries such as Canada, Sweden, Norway and Australia. Improving the quality of cancer services is a key policy objective and cancer is a priority outcome measure in both the NHS and Public Health Outcomes Framework. Evidence suggests that better integrated delivery has the potential to improve the quality and reduce the cost of healthcare, and ultimately improve health outcomes. One of the key themes from the Model of Care for Cancer Services (1) was that cancer services should be commissioned along pathways and that provider networks should be established to deliver care. London has two integrated cancer systems; one covering north central and east London (London Cancer) and the other covering west and south London (London Cancer Alliance). There a number of areas in cancer care that the current model of service provision has failed to adequately address and which have the potential to improve significantly though implementation of integrated services. These include improving early diagnosis, reducing inequalities in access to treatment and outcomes and maximising research and training across the system. Important drivers for the integration of cancer services are strong clinical leadership, shared informatics systems, focusing on quality of services and improving patient experience. Emerging needs of integrated cancer in London are around strengthening the involvement of primary care, public health and the third sector; working to develop sufficient capacity and expertise in primary care and collaborating more closely with commissioners to develop integrated systems.

P5-13-24: A Predictive Model of Early Systemic Disease Relapse after Standard Adjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer

Background

Early relapse after adjuvant therapy for breast cancer is very discouraging and remains a major problem. We sought to identify predictors of early relapse risk and build a predictive model for relapse using prospectively collected data for patients seen at the Markey Cancer Center starting 2007 to date.

Methods: Of the 1098 new patients seen, 814 patients had stage I-III disease and were further analyzed for predictors of early relapse risk. Univariate analyses were performed for key variables including patient age, tumor size, grade, estrogen receptor (ER) status, progesterone receptor (PgR) status, and HER2 status. A multivariate Cox regression model was built to identify predictors of systemic relapse and model-building was performed using step-wise model selection to determine candidate models. A risk score was developed based on the linear combination of covariates in the final Cox model. Time-dependent predictive curves, a newly developed statistical methodology, were used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the proposed risk score.

Results: Median patient age was 57 years (Range 25–92) and 88% were white. Forty six (46) % had stage I disease, 36% stage II, and 18% stage III. Median follow up time was 2.3 years. Of this 814 patient cohort, 708 patients had complete baseline covariate data and were used to build the candidate models. The final Cox regression model included 5 covariates that were significantly associated with risk of early relapse: stage III disease (p = 0.0011), grade III (p = 0.0028), PgR-negative status (p = 0.0121), HER2−negative status (p = 0.0305), and node-positive status (p = 0.0360). These five covariates were then used to calculate an early recurrence risk score, which is the weighted average of these risk factors when present, with the weights being the coefficients from the Cox regression model. The 1-year, 2-year and 3-year predictive curves for this risk score decrease considerably, especially for the 2-year and 3-year curves, indicating good predictive accuracy of the risk score. The highest risk score group, which represents 4.8% of the population, has a 1-year, 2-year and 3-year relapse probabilities of 13.0% (95% CI: 4.1%, 27.3%), 39.4 % (95% CI: 20.1%, 58.3%), and 52.3% (95% CI: 28.5%, 71.5%), respectively. In comparison, for the overall population, the corresponding 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year relapse probabilities were only 1.1% (95% CI: 0.5%, 2.1%), 4.2% (95% CI: 2.7%, 6.1%) and 6.2% (95% CI: 4.2%, 8.6%), respectively.

Conclusions: The developed risk score based on stage, tumor grade, PgR, HER2, and node status is highly predictive of early relapse in breast cancer patients after standard adjuvant therapy. Our model can be used to identify patients with high risk of early disease relapse who may otherwise benefit from enrollment on novel adjuvant therapeutic trials to improve their outcome.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-13-24.

Workplace health improvement: perspectives of environmental health officers

BACKGROUND

Environmental health practice in the field of occupational health and safety is traditionally concerned with protecting health relating to the workplace. However, little is currently known about environmental health officers' (EHOs) perceptions of their role in workplace health improvement, a pertinent topic in light of the recent government agenda for improving the health of the workforce in the UK.

AIMS

To explore how EHOs perceive workplace health improvement and its relevance to their professional role.

METHODS

A qualitative methodology was employed, using a case-study design with thematic analysis of 15 transcripts of in-depth telephone interviews with EHOs working in London, UK.

RESULTS

EHOs view themselves primarily as enforcement officers, with legislation guiding their understandings of workplace health. Many interpret work-related ill health in terms of safety and physical injury and do not feel competent in assessing broader psychosocial elements of ill health. However, a few EHOs welcomed the opportunity to promote health in the workplace, recognizing the importance of prevention.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates a gap between the contemporary EHO role framed by professional bodies as holistic and contributing to public health goals and the role perceived by EHOs 'on the ground'. A more traditional, protective and enforcement-based approach persists among EHOs in this sample, and few feel they have skills to address determinants beyond physical hazards to health. Yet, a minority of EHOs adopted a more health-promoting approach, suggesting that the potential contribution of EHOs to the workplace health improvement agenda should be explored further.

Is Metabolic Syndrome and Central Obesity Relevent to Biology and Progression of Postmenopausal Breast Cancer?

Introduction: Obesity isassociated with both an increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer and increased mortality rates. The mechanism is unclear, and central (visceral) obesity, insulin resistance, altered sex steroids, and altered adipokines, are mooted as possible factors. These features may cluster in the so-called Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), and the focus of this study was to systematically relate MetS to standard clinicopathological indices of breast cancer.Methods: Postmenopausal women with newly diagnosed breast cancer (n=105) were prospectively recruited. A detailed clinical and dietary history was performed, as well as body composition analysis, metabolic screen, and plasma measurement of adipokines and inflammatory markers. MetS was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation definition.Results: One hundred and five patients were recruited, the median age was 68 years (40-94) and the mean BMI was 28.3 ± 5.2 kg/m2, with 87% of patients centrally obese. MetS was diagnosed in 39% of patients, and was significantly (p<0.005) associated with 13cm greater waist circumference, higher total and trunk fat mass and increased inflammation with CRP levels almost double for MetS patietns compared to non MetS (10.3 ± 2.7 V's 5.8 ± 1.0 mg/L; p=0.084).Patients with later pathological stage (II- IV) were significantly more likely to be obese (BMI) (45% Vs 16%; p=0.007), centrally obese (waist circumference) (94% Vs 72%; p=0.009), hyperglycaemic (31% Vs 12%; p=0.047), hyperinsulinaemia (19% Vs 0; p=0.026) and 51% had MetS compared to 12% for early stage disease (Path stage 0-I). Patients with node positive disease were significantly more likely to be hyperinsulaemic (22% V's 5%; p=0.030) and have MetS (50% V's 30%; p=0.028) than node negative disease.MetS was not associated with hormone receptor status or serum levels of oestradiol, progesterone, testosterone, or SHBG levels. However, SHBG levels decreased with obesity (p=0.002) and as the number of features of MetS increased (0 features: 87 ± 15.8 compared to 5 features: 32 ±2.7; p=0.003). Insulin levels increased with obesity (p=0.006), and with increasing number of features of MetS.Discussion: MetS and central obesity are common in Irish postmenopausal breast cancer patients. MetS appears to be associated with aggressive tumour biology, and this may have significance in preventive and novel treatment approaches.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 1051.

Prognostic features for response and survival in elderly patients withde novoacute myeloid leukemia treated with mitoxantrone and intermediate dose cytarabine

Forty-three fit elderly patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) received chemotherapy with mitoxantrone and intermediate dose cytarabine (MIDAC) in a phase II clinical trial conducted by the Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group. The main aim of the study was to evaluate the tolerability and efficacy of MIDAC in inducing durable remissions. While the chemotherapy was generally well tolerated, less than half the patients achieved complete remission (CR) after induction and many of those in CR could not receive planned consolidation cycles. The median overall survival for all patients was 6.5 months and the median disease-free survival for those achieving CR was 8.3 months. Only 2 patients survived beyond 4 years. Factors significantly associated with shorter survival were adverse cytogenetics, marrow dysplasia and increasing age. These results suggest that only selected elderly patients with AML are likely to benefit from aggressive chemotherapy and that novel therapies are required to improve the poor prognosis of this group.

Retinal nerve fiber thickness in inflammatory demyelinating diseases of childhood onset

PURPOSE

To evaluate retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in children with acquired demyelinating diseases.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study of patients seen between 2006-2008 at the Pediatric MS Center of the Jacobs Neurological Institute. Consensus definitions for pediatric demyelinating disease were followed. All children received OCT testing and assessment of visual acuity (VA) using Snellen and low contrast letter acuity (LCLA) charts.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight children diagnosed with acquired demyelinating disease, 15 healthy controls, and five children with other neurological disorders (OND) were included. Average RNFLT in healthy controls was 107 +/- 12 microm(n = 30) versus 108 +/- 5 microm (n = 10) in OND controls. In children with multiple sclerosis, average RNFLT +/- SD was 99 +/- 14 microm in unaffected (n = 24) versus 83 +/- 12 micromin eyes affected by optic neuritis ("affected eyes") (n = 10). Average RNFLT in children with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and transverse myelitis was 102 +/- 15 microm in unaffected (n = 18) versus 67 +/- 17 microm in affected eyes (n = 6). In children with optic neuritis (ON), average RNFLT +/- SD was 97 +/- 13 microm in unaffected (n = 5) versus 89 +/- 12 microm in affected eyes (n = 9). Differences between children with demyelinating disease and controls and between ON and nonON eyes were statistically significant (P < 0.001). Bivariate correlations of RNFLT with LCLA (P = 0.002) and VA (P < 0.001) were significant.

CONCLUSIONS

OCT may be a valuable tool for the assessment and monitoring of anterior optic pathway dysfunction in children with demyelinating diseases.