Faculty Bibliography

PURPOSE/UNASSIGNED:Recurrent or new primary breast cancer requiring comprehensive regional nodal irradiation after prior radiation therapy (RT) to the supraclavicular area and upper axilla is challenging due to cumulative brachial plexus (BP) dose tolerance. We assessed BP dose sparing achieved with pencil beam scanning proton therapy (PBS-PT) and photon volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). METHODS AND MATERIALS/UNASSIGNED:In an institutional review board-approved planning study, all patients with ipsilateral recurrent breast cancer treated with PBS-PT re-RT (PBT1) with at least partial BP overlap from prior photon RT were identified. Comparative VMAT plans (XRT1) using matched BP dose constraints were developed. A second pair of proton (PBT2) and VMAT (XRT2) plans using standardized target volumes were created, applying uniform prescription dose of 50.4 per 1.8 Gy and a maximum BP constraint <25 Gy. Incidence of brachial plexopathy was also assessed. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:= .06) favoring PBS-PT. Two patients with high cumulative BPmax (95.2 Gy [RBE], 101.6 Gy [RBE]) developed brachial plexopathy symptoms with ulnar nerve distribution neuropathy without pain or weakness (1 of 2 had symptom resolution after 6 months without intervention). CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:PBS-PT improved BP sparing and target volume coverage versus VMAT. For patients requiring comprehensive re-RT for high-risk, nonmetastatic breast cancer recurrence with BP overlap and reasonable expectation for prolonged life expectancy, PBT may be the preferred treatment modality.

BACKGROUND & AIMS/UNASSIGNED:The treatment options for systemically progressed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have significantly expanded in recent years. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential of Google searches as a reflection of prescription rates for HCC drugs in the United States (US). METHODS/UNASSIGNED:We conducted an in-depth analysis of US prescription data obtained from the IQVIA National Prescription Audit (NPA) and corresponding Google Trends data from January 2017 to December 2022. We focused on drugs used in the first line and second or later treatment lines for HCC, collecting data on their prescriptions and search rates. Search volumes were collected as aggregated search queries for both generic drugs and their respective brand names. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:During the study period from Q1 2017 to Q4 2022, monthly prescriptions for drugs used in HCC treatment showed an 173% increase (from 1253 to 3422). Conversely online searches increased by 3.5% (from 173 to 179 per 10 million searches). Notably, strong correlations were observed between search interest and prescriptions for newer drugs, which indicates increasing usage, while older drugs with declining usage displayed limited correlation. Our findings suggest a growing role of non-physician professions in managing systemically progressed HCC within the US healthcare system, although oncologists remained primarily responsible for drug prescriptions. CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:In conclusion, online search monitoring can offer the potential to reflect prescription trends specifically related to the treatment of HCC. This approach provides a swift and accessible means of evaluating the evolving landscape of HCC treatment.

BACKGROUND:Retinacula of the ankle are thickening of the deep fascia of the leg (crural fascia) and foot i.e. inseparable structures. Recent studies report their crucial role in functional stability and proprioception of the ankle. CASE PRESENTATION:A 38-yr-old Caucasian man - with a history of lateral malleolus fracture 12 years ago, obesity and right ankle osteoarthritis - was referred to a physiatrist for a right ankle pain that had significantly worsened over the last year. During walking, the patient experienced stinging pain in the area of tibialis anterior and peroneus tertius muscles, and the superior extensor retinaculum. Magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography showed clear thicknening (2.05 mm) of the oblique superomedial band of the inferior extensor retinaculum. Sonopalpation was performed to precisely evaluate/confirm the site of maximum pain. Foot function index (FFI) score was 42. RESULTS:Subsequently, the patient was prescribed fascial manipulation, and he had clinical improvement after the first session (FFI: 21). At 1-month follow-up, the patient was still asymptomatic without any functional limitation (FFI: 24). US imaging confirmed the decreased thickness of the oblique superomedial band of the extensor retinaculum (1.35 mm). CONCLUSION:Fascial Manipulation® appears to be a useful tool to reduce thickness, stiffness, and pain in this case as displayed by the ultrasound Imaging.

We present a new suite of numerical simulations of the star-forming interstellar medium (ISM) in galactic disks using the TIGRESS-NCR framework. Distinctive aspects of our simulation suite are (1) sophisticated and comprehensive numerical treatments of essential physical processes including magnetohydrodynamics, self-gravity, and galactic differential rotation, as well as photochemistry, cooling, and heating coupled with direct ray-tracing UV radiation transfer and resolved supernova feedback and (2) wide parameter coverage including the variation in metallicity over Z "² ≡ Z / Z ⊙ ∼ 0.1 - 3 , gas surface density Σgas ∼ 5-150 M ⊙ pc^−2, and stellar surface density Σstar ∼ 1-50 M ⊙ pc^−2. The range of emergent star formation rate surface density is ΣSFR ∼ 10^−4-0.5 M ⊙ kpc^−2 yr^−1, and ISM total midplane pressure is P tot/k B = 10³-10⁶ cm^−3 K, with P tot equal to the ISM weight W . For given Σgas and Σstar, we find Σ SFR ∝ Z "² 0.3 . We provide an interpretation based on the pressure-regulated feedback-modulated (PRFM) star formation theory. The total midplane pressure consists of thermal, turbulent, and magnetic stresses. We characterize feedback modulation in terms of the yield Ï’, defined as the ratio of each stress to ΣSFR. The thermal feedback yield varies sensitively with both weight and metallicity as Ï’ th ∝ W − 0.46 Z "² − 0.53 , while the combined turbulent and magnetic feedback yield shows weaker dependence Ï’ turb + mag ∝ W − 0.22 Z "² − 0.18 . The reduction in ΣSFR at low metallicity is due mainly to enhanced thermal feedback yield, resulting from reduced attenuation of UV radiation. With the metallicity-dependent calibrations we provide, PRFM theory can be used for a new subgrid star formation prescription in cosmological simulations where the ISM is unresolved.

BACKGROUND:Evidence supporting anticoagulation with unfractionated heparin (UFH) in patients with an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) to prevent limb ischaemia remains limited, while bleeding risks remain high. Monitoring heparin in this setting with anti-factor Xa (anti-Xa) is not previously described. OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:The study objective is to describe the incidence of thromboembolic and bleeding events with the use of UFH in patients with an IABP utilising monitoring with both anti-Xa and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). METHODS:This is a retrospective study of adults who received an IABP and UFH for ≥24 hours. Electronic medical records were reviewed for pertinent data. The primary outcome was the incidence of limb ischaemia during IABP. Secondary outcomes included myocardial infarction, thrombus on IABP, or stroke. Exploratory outcomes included any venous thromboembolism and bleeding events. RESULTS:Of 159 patients, 88% received an IABP for cardiogenic shock and median duration of IABP support was 118 hours (interquartile range, 67-196). Limb ischaemia occurred in four of 159 patients (2.5%). Strokes occurred in 3.8% of the cohort, and bleeding events occurred in 33%. Despite anticoagulation use in all patients, 11% experienced a venous thromboembolism, with most identified upon asymptomatic screening with concern for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. We found no differences in outcomes that occurred with a hybrid anti-Xa and aPTT versus aPTT monitoring alone. CONCLUSIONS:We observed a high rate of thrombotic and bleeding complications with the use of UFH in patients with an IABP. Use of anti-Xa versus aPTT for monitoring was not associated with complications. These data suggest safer anticoagulation strategies are needed in this setting.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this white paper is to educate health care professionals about the evolution of telemedicine (TM) and to propose a hybrid model that leverages the strengths of traditional in-person medicine as well as virtual medicine while maximizing the safety and quality of men's sexual health care. LITERATURE SEARCH STRATEGY/UNASSIGNED:A literature search focused on the use of TM in urology and men's health was performed through PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science (January 1, 2012-April 26, 2022). Keywords included all known permutations of the terminology used to refer to virtual health, care as well as the terminology used to refer to urologic diseases, issues specific to men's health, and men's sexual health concerns. Publications that emerged after the literature search that met this criterion also were incorporated. Opinion pieces, letters to the editor, meeting abstracts, and conference proceedings were excluded. Additional resources were retrieved, such as governmental technical reports, legislative updates and reviews, and blogs. This search strategy yielded 1684 records across databases after removal of duplicates. Abstracts from the retrieved records were reviewed for relevance. Relevant publications were defined as those that reported data on any aspect of TM use specific to urology, men's health, and/or men's sexual health. If relevance was unclear from the abstract, then the full text of the article was retrieved for a more detailed review. In addition, the published evidence-based practice guidelines relevant to care for erectile dysfunction, Peyronie's disease, ejaculatory dysfunction, and hypogonadism were retrieved. The most common reasons for article exclusions were a focus on TM use in disciplines other than urology and the absence of data (ie, opinion pieces). After exclusions, a total of 91 publications remained and constituted the evidence base for this paper.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:This study's primary aim was to assess the safety and performance of second-generation all-soft suture anchors following arthroscopic labral tear repair. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:This prospective, multicenter study was conducted by 6 surgeons at 6 sites in Europe and the United States between November 2018 and August 2020. Patients who required shoulder arthroscopic repair, for a range of labral injuries, were treated with a second-generation all-soft suture anchor. The primary outcome was clinical success rate (percentage of patients without signs of failure and/or reintervention) at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included clinical success rate at 12 months, intraoperative anchor deployment success rate, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) at 6 and 12 months, including visual analog scale (VAS) pain assessment, VAS satisfaction assessment, EQ-5D-5L Index Score, EQ-5D-5L VAS Health Score, Rowe Shoulder Score for Instability, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, and Constant-Murley Shoulder Score. Serious adverse events and serious adverse device effects were collected throughout the study. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Forty-one patients were enrolled (mean age, 28.2 years; 87.8% male, 12.2% female). Clinical success was achieved in 27/28 and 31/32 patients at 6 months and 12 months, respectively. Anchor deployment had a 100% success rate. Significant improvements over baseline were reported for all PROs except Constant-Murley Shoulder (6 months) and VAS Satisfaction Score (12 months). One patient experienced 1 serious adverse event and 1 patient experienced 1 serious adverse device effect. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:Second-generation all-soft suture anchors used in this study demonstrated a high clinical success rate, a favorable safety profile, and patients exhibited significant improvement in PROs.

AIM/UNASSIGNED:Visceral pain, characterized by pain that is diffuse and challenging to localize, occurs frequently and is difficult to treat. In cases where the pain becomes intractable despite optimal medical management, it can affect patients' Quality of Life (QoL). Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) has emerged as a potential solution for intractable visceral pain. PURPOSE/UNASSIGNED:In this narrative review, we collected all evidence regarding the efficacy of SCS for visceral pain across various underlying conditions. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science in which articles published from October 1st, 1963 up to March 7th, 2023 were identified. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Seventy articles were included in this review of which most were retrospective cohort studies, case series and case reports. The studies, often with a small number of participants, reported on SCS for chronic pancreatitis, anorectal pain and bowel disorders, gynaecological diagnoses, visceral pelvic pain, urological disorders and finally general visceral pain. They found positive effects on pain and/or symptom relief, opioid consumption, anxiety and depression and QoL. Complications occurred frequently but were often minor and reversible. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:Better screening and selection criteria need to be established to optimally evaluate eligible patients who might benefit from SCS. A positive outcome of a sympathetic nerve block appears to be a potential indicator of SCS effectiveness. Additionally, women receiving SCS for endometriosis had a better outcome compared to other indications. Finally, SCS could also relief functional symptoms such as voiding problems and gastroparesis. Complications could often be resolved with revision surgery. Since SCS is expensive and not always covered by standard health insurance, the incorporation of cost-analyses is recommended. In order to establish a comprehensive treatment plan, including selection criteria for SCS, rigorous prospective, possibly randomized and controlled studies that are diagnosis-oriented, with substantial follow-up and adequate sample sizes, are needed.