INTRODUCTION: Surgical resection of the primary and metastatic tumour is increasingly recommended in suitable patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). While the role of metastasectomy is well studied and established in colorectal liver metastasis, evidence remains limited in pulmonary metastases. This systematic review was conducted to examine the current evidence on the role of lung metastasectomy (LUM) in CRC. METHODS: Three databases were systematically searched, to identify studies that compared survival outcomes of LUM, and factors that affected decision for LUM. RESULTS: From a total of 5,477 records, 6 studies were eventually identified. Two papers reported findings from one randomised controlled trial and 4 were retrospective reviews. There was no clear survival benefit in patients who underwent LUM compared to those who did not. When compared against patients who underwent liver metastasectomy, there was also no clear survival benefit. Patients who underwent LUM were also more likely to have a single pulmonary tumour, and metachronous disease. CONCLUSION The evidence suggests a role for LUM, but is limited by inherent selection bias in retrospective reviews, and the single randomised clinical trial performed was not completed. More prospective studies are required to understand the true effect of LUM on outcomes in metastatic CRC.
Colorectal Neoplasms/surgery* ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/surgery* ; Lung Neoplasms/surgery* ; Metastasectomy ; Pneumonectomy ; Prognosis ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

INTRODUCTION: To date, there have only been 2 systematic reviews, and 1 systematic review and meta-analysis on high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for benign thyroid nodules. The present systematic review and meta-analysis seeks to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HIFU in the treatment of benign thyroid nodules. METHODS: Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched for relevant studies from 1990 to 2021. Nine studies were included in the systematic review and 6 in the meta-analysis. Pooled volume reduction rates (VRRs) at 3, 6 and 24 months after HIFU were assessed. RESULTS: This systematic review and meta-analysis showed that pooled VRRs at 3, 6, and 24 months after HIFU were 42.14 (95% confidence interval [CI] 28.66-55.62, I2=91%), 53.51 (95% CI 36.78-70.25, I2=97%) and 46.89 (95% CI 18.87-74.92, I2=99%), respectively. There was significant heterogeneity in the pooled VRRs at 3, 6 and 24 months after HIFU. No studies recorded complete disappearance of the nodules. Common side effects included pain, skin changes and oedema. There were no major complications except for transient vocal cord paralysis and voice hoarseness (0.014%) and transient Horner syndrome (0.5%). CONCLUSION HIFU may be an effective and safe alternative treatment modality for benign thyroid nodules. Larger clinical trials with longer follow-up are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of HIFU in treating benign thyroid nodules.
High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation/adverse effects* ; Humans ; Pain ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Thyroid Nodule/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: The American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th edition (AJCC8) prognostic stage (PS) was implemented January 1, 2018, but it is complex due to multiple permutations. A North American group proposed a simpler system using the anatomic stage with a risk score system (RSS) of 1 point each for grade 3 tumor and human epithelial growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and estrogen receptor (ER) negativity. Here we aimed to evaluate this risk score system with our database of Asian breast cancer patients and compare it against the AJCC8 PS. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with breast cancer stage I–IV in 2006–2012 were identified in the SingHealth Joint Breast Cancer Registry. Five-year breast cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated for each anatomic stage according to the risk score and compared with the AJCC8 PS. RESULTS: A total of 6,656 patients were analyzed. The median follow-up was 61 (interquartile range, 37–90) months. There was a high receipt of endocrine therapy (84.6% of ER+ patients), chemotherapy (84.3% of node-positive patients), and trastuzumab (86.0% of HER2+ patients). Within each anatomic stage, there were significant differences in survival in all sub-stages except IIIB. On multivariate analysis, the hazard ratio for negative ER was 1.74 (1.48–2.06), for negative HER2 was 1.49 (1.26–1.74), and for grade 3 was 1.84 (1.55–2.19). On multivariate analysis controlled for age, ethnicity, and receipt of chemotherapy, the RSS (Akaike information criterion [AIC] = 10,649.45; Harrell's Concordance Index [C] = 0.85) was not inferior to the AJCC8 PS (AIC = 10,726.65; C = 0.84) for CSS, nor was the RSS (AIC = 14,714.4; C = 0.82) inferior to the AJCC8 PS (AIC = 14,784.69; C = 0.81) for OS. CONCLUSION: The RSS is comparable to the AJCC8 PS for a patient population receiving chemotherapy as well as endocrine- and HER2-targeted therapy and further stratifies stage IV patients.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Biomarkers ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Drug Therapy ; Estrogens ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Joints ; Multivariate Analysis ; Trastuzumab

BACKGROUND: There is limited literature in the management of chronic urticaria in children. Treatment algorithms are generally extrapolated from adult studies. OBJECTIVE: Utility of a weight and age-based algorithm for antihistamines in management of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) in childhood. To document associated factors that predict for step of control of CSU and time taken to attain control of symptoms in children. METHODS: A workgroup comprising of allergists, nurses, and pharmacists convened to develop a stepwise treatment algorithm in management of children with CSU. Sequential patients presenting to the paediatric allergy service with CSU were included in this observational, prospective study. RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients were recruited from September 2012 to September 2013. Majority were male, Chinese with median age 4 years 7 months. A third of patients with CSU had a family history of acute urticaria. Ten point two percent had previously resolved CSU, 25.5% had associated angioedema, and 53.1% had a history of atopy. A total of 96.9% of patients achieved control of symptoms, of which 91.8% achieved control with cetirizine. Fifty percent of all the patients were controlled on step 2 or higher. Forty-seven point eight percent of those on step 2 or higher were between 2 to 6 years of age compared to 32.6% and 19.6% who were 6 years and older and lesser than 2 years of age respectively. Eighty percent of those with previously resolved CSU required an increase to step 2 and above to achieve chronic urticaria control. CONCLUSION: We propose a weight- and age-based titration algorithm for different antihistamines for CSU in children using a stepwise approach to achieve control. This algorithm may improve the management and safety profile for paediatric CSU patients and allow for review in a more systematic manner for physicians dealing with CSU in children.
Adult ; Angioedema ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cetirizine ; Child ; Histamine Antagonists ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Male ; Pharmacists ; Prospective Studies ; Urticaria

Child ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Hospitals, Pediatric ; Humans ; Mass Screening

Edaravone, a synthetic-free radical scavenger, has been reported to reduce ischemia-reperfusion-induced renal injury by improving tubular cell function, and lowering serum creatinine and renal vascular resistance. The present study investigated the effect of edaravone in diabetes mellitus-induced nephropathy in rats. A single administration of streptozotocin (STZ, 55 mg/kg, i.p.) was employed to induce diabetes mellitus in rats. The STZ-administered diabetic rats were allowed for 10 weeks to develop nephropathy. Mean body weight, lipid alteration, renal functional and histopathology were analysed. Diabetic rats developed nephropathy as evidenced by a significant increase in serum creatinine and urea, and marked renal histopathological abnormalities like glomerulosclerosis and tubular cell degeneration. The kidney weight to body weight ratio was increased. Moreover, diabetic rats showed lipid alteration as evidenced by a signifi cant increase in serum triglycerides and decrease in serum high-density lipoproteins. Edaravone (10 mg/kg, i.p., last 4-weeks) treatment markedly prevented the development of nephropathy in diabetic rats by reducing serum creatinine and urea and preventing renal structural abnormalities. In addition, its treatment, without significantly altering the elevated glucose level in diabetic rats, prevented diabetes mellitus-induced lipid alteration by reducing serum triglycerides and increasing serum high-density lipoproteins. Interestingly, the renoprotective effect of edaravone was comparable to that of lisinopril (5 mg/kg, p.o, 4 weeks, standard drug). Edaravone prevented renal structural and functional abnormalities and lipid alteration associated with experimental diabetes mellitus. Edaravone has a potential to prevent nephropathy without showing an anti-diabetic action, implicating its direct renoprotection in diabetic rats.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Creatinine ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Glucose ; Kidney ; Lipoproteins, HDL ; Lisinopril ; Rats* ; Streptozocin ; Triglycerides ; Urea ; Vascular Resistance

The cooking process may emit toxic compounds and airway irritants from both the fuel combustion and cooking fumes which is harmful to the respiratory health among the restaurant workers. A cross-sectional study of 243 restaurant workers from the selected restaurants in Sungai Long, Malaysia was conducted. The standardized British Medical Research Council questionnaire on Respiratory Symptoms (1986) was used during the interview to access the symptoms and the spirometry test was performed to evaluate the pulmonary functions of the participants. The data of socio-demography and occupational characteristics were also collected. The most complaint respiratory symptoms by the restaurant workers were breathlessness, which accounted for 33.7%, followed by wheezing (14%). The mean values of all pulmonary function tests (PFT) of the restaurant workers were within the normal range (>80%), except for the Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) (79.09%). The results of the bivariate statistical analysis, Chi-square, ANOVA and t-test, showed the determining factors of the respiratory health among the workers were workers’ age and gender in addition to the working duration and the ethnicity. The restaurant workers in Sungai Long were at risk of developing respiratory symptoms and lower pulmonary function values due to prolonged exposure to cooking fumes. Emphasis should be given to the safety and health of restaurant workers and health education should be provided to the restaurant workers and owners. Strategies to increase notification of such occurrences among these workers should be looked into by related agencies in the country.