OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical results of gross total resection in the surgical approach to spinal ependymoma. METHODS: Between June 1995 and May 2009, 13 males and 8 females (mean age 34) diagnosed with intramedullary or extramedullary spinal ependymoma were surgically treated at our centre. The neurological and functional state of each patient were evaluated according to the modified McCormick scale. RESULTS: The average follow-up duration was 54 months (ranging from 12 to 168 months). The locations of the lesions were: thoracic region (4, 19%), lumbar region (7, 34%), cervical region (4, 19%), cervicothoracic region (3, 14%) and conus medullaris (3, 14%). Four patients (19%) had deterioration of neurological function in the early postoperative period. The neurological function of three patients was completely recovered at the 6th postoperative month, while that of another patient was recovered at the 14th month. In the last assessment of neurological function, 20 patients (95%) were assessed as McCormick grade 1. No perioperative complications developed in any of our patients. In one patient's 24-month assessment, tumour recurrence was observed. Re-operation was not performed and the patient was taken under observation. CONCLUSION: Two determinants of good clinical results after spinal ependymoma surgery are a gross total resection of the tumour and a good neurological condition before the operation. Although neurological deficits in the early postoperative period can develop as a result of gross total tumour resection, significant improvement is observed six months after the operation.
Conus Snail ; Ependymoma ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lumbosacral Region ; Male ; Postoperative Period ; Recurrence ; Spinal Cord

Given the systemic immunogenic effects of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy in patients with bladder cancer and its non-specific immunogenic effects in viral respiratory diseases, we aimed to study severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in bladder cancer patients with a history of BCG therapy. In the present study, all bladder cancer survivors with a history of BCG therapy were identified and included in the study according to the data recovered from the UORC (Uro-Oncology Research Center) registry database. These patients were followed up in terms of acquiring coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Among the studied patients, 102 eligible bladder cancer patients with a history of BCG therapy entered the study. The males constituted the majority of the patients (86.3%), and more than half of the study population (55.9%) were above 65 years old. Among the understudy patients, 12.7% were confirmed for COVID-19. The study results did not show a statistically significant association between the time and number of BCG therapy courses and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although no statistically significant association was observed between receiving BCG therapy and developing COVID-19, the infection rate in patients who had recently received BCG therapy was lower than those who had received therapy more than a year ago.

The huge communities of microorganisms that symbiotically colonize humans are recognized as significant players in health and disease. The human microbiome may influence prostate cancer development. To date, several studies have focused on the effect of prostate infections as well as the composition of the human microbiome in relation to prostate cancer risk. Current studies suggest that the microbiota of men with prostate cancer significantly differs from that of healthy men, demonstrating that certain bacteria could be associated with cancer development as well as altered responses to treatment. In healthy individuals, the microbiome plays a crucial role in the maintenance of homeostasis of body metabolism. Dysbiosis may contribute to the emergence of health problems, including malignancy through affecting systemic immune responses and creating systemic inflammation, and changing serum hormone levels. In this review, we discuss recent data about how the microbes colonizing different parts of the human body including urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, oral cavity, and skin might affect the risk of developing prostate cancer. Furthermore, we discuss strategies to target the microbiome for risk assessment, prevention, and treatment of prostate cancer.
Bacteria ; Dysbiosis ; Humans ; Male ; Microbiota ; Prostatic Neoplasms/prevention & control*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prognostic role of preoperative neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and the need for para-aortic lymphadectomy in patients with primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-one patients with a diagnosis of PFTC were identified through the gynecologic oncology service database of six academic centers. Clinicopathological, surgical, and complete blood count data were collected. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, advanced stage, suboptimal surgery, and NLR > 2.7 were significant prognostic factors for progression-free survival, whereas in multivariate analysis, only advanced stage and suboptimal surgery were significant. In addition, in univariate analysis, cancer antigen 125 > or = 35 U/mL, ascites, advanced stage, suboptimal surgery, NLR > 2.7, PLR > 233.3, platelet count > or =400,000 cells/mm3, staging type, and histological subtype were significant prognostic factors for overall survival (OS); however, in multivariate analysis, only advanced stage, suboptimal surgery, NLR > 2.7, and staging type were significant. Inclusion of pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy in surgery showed significant association with longer OS, with a mean and median OS of 42.0 months and 35.5 months (range, 22 to 78 months), respectively, vs. 33.5 months and 27.5 months (range, 14 to 76 months), respectively, for patients who underwent surgery without para-aortic lymphadenectomy (hazard ratio, 3.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.4 to 5.7; p=0.002). CONCLUSION: NLR (in both univariate and multivariate analysis) and PLR (only in univariate analysis) were prognostic factors in PFTC. NLR and PLR are inexpensive and easy tests to perform. In addition, patients with PFTC who underwent bilateral pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy had longer OS.
Ascites ; Blood Cell Count ; Blood Platelets* ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Fallopian Tubes* ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision* ; Lymphocytes* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neutrophils* ; Platelet Count

PURPOSE: To determine the potential protective and therapeutic effects and action mechanism of ruscogenin on cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis (AP) model in rats. METHODS: Overall, 32 rats were attenuated to the sham (2-mL/kg/day isotonic solution for 4 weeks), control (20-µg/kg cerulein-induced AP for 12 hours), prophylaxis groups (cerulein-induced AP following 3-mL/kg/day ruscogenin for 4 weeks) and treatment (3-mL/kg/day ruscogenin following cerulein-induced AP for 12 hours). Blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis of nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1/neuronal NOS), malondialdehyde (MDA) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1). After sacrification, pancreas tissues were collected and prepared for light microscopic (hematoxylin and eosin), immunohistochemical (nuclear factor kappa B) and biochemical analysis (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], interleukin-6 and 1β [IL-6 and IL-1β], CRP, high-sensitivity CRP [hs-CRP] amylase, lipase, and ICAM-1). Ultrastructural analysis was performed by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: The protective and therapeutic actions of ruscogenin were accomplished by improvements in histopathology, by decreasing blood cytokine levels of CRP, hs-CRP levels, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, ICAM-1, by reducing the pancreatic enzymes amylase and lipase in blood, and by suppressing the expression of nuclear factor kappa B, ICAM-1, and NOS-1, but not MDA in pancreatic tissues. Ruscogenin also improved cerulein-induced ultrastructural degenerations in endocrine and exocrine cells, especially in treatment group. CONCLUSION: The present findings have demonstrated the beneficial protective and therapeutical effects of ruscogenin, nominating it as a highly promising supplementary agent to be considered in the treatment of AP, and even as a protective agent against the damages induced by disease.
Amylases ; Animals ; Ceruletide ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Interleukin-6 ; Lipase ; Malondialdehyde ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Necrosis ; NF-kappa B ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Pancreas ; Pancreatitis ; Rats ; Therapeutic Uses