tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Tracking COVID-19 using online search
Authors: Vasileios Lampos, Maimuna S. Majumder, Elad Yom-Tov, Michael Edelstein, Simon Moura, Yohhei Hamada, Molebogeng X. Rangaka, Rachel A. McKendry, Ingemar J. Cox
Journal: npj Digital Medicine (2021)

Previous research has demonstrated that various properties of infectious diseases can be inferred from online search behaviour. In this work we use time series of online search query frequencies to gain insights about the prevalence of COVID-19 in multiple countries. We first develop unsupervised modelling techniques based on associated symptom categories identified by the United Kingdom's National Health Service and Public Health England. We then attempt to minimise an expected bias in these signals caused by public interest -- as opposed to infections -- using the proportion of news media coverage devoted to COVID-19 as a proxy indicator. Our analysis indicates that models based on online searches precede the reported confirmed cases and deaths by 16.7 (10.2 - 23.2) and 22.1 (17.4 - 26.9) days, respectively. We also investigate transfer learning techniques for mapping supervised models from countries where the spread of disease has progressed extensively to countries that are in earlier phases of their respective epidemic curves. Furthermore, we compare time series of online search activity against confirmed COVID-19 cases or deaths jointly across multiple countries, uncovering interesting querying patterns, including the finding that rarer symptoms are better predictors than common ones. Finally, we show that web searches improve the short-term forecasting accuracy of autoregressive models for COVID-19 deaths. Our work provides evidence that online search data can be used to develop complementary public health surveillance methods to help inform the COVID-19 response in conjunction with more established approaches.
Hyponatremia and cancer: Results of a retrospective analysis of 45 patients treated with a short course of low-dose tolvapan.
Authors: JM Cervera-Grau, Gaspar Esquerdo, Enrique Barrajon, Rafael Peiro, Manuel Santos Ortega, Silvia Rodriguez Villalva, Marina De Piaggio, Macarena Paz Espinoza Venegas, Ana Belen Montiel Rayo
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2013)

e20705 Background: Hyponatremia in the cancer patient is usually caused by the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH). Other factors may cause hypovolemic hyponatremia, diarrhea, and vomiting. It’s present in 47% of cancer admissions. Introduction of vaptans acting as V2-receptor antagonists considerably improved the unconvincing results of conventional treatment consisting of fluid restriction potentially combined with sodium supplementation and/or demeclocycline therapy. Methods: We present a retrospective analysis of hyponatremic cancer patients treated with Tolvaptan. 45 patients, [31 men 14 women], median age 69 years old. 31.1 % had lung cancer, 17,6% other tumors, 11,1% colorectal and 11,1% prostate cancer. Histology: 53,3% Adenocarinoma, 15,6% SCLC, 15,2% others and 5,6% Epidermoid.The mean of the lowest sodium level was associated with squamous histology (Na 118 mEq/L). Descriptively, older patients (&gt;66 y) had lower levels of Na compared to those younger than 66y (Na 122 mEq/L vs Na124 mEq/L). Median of Na at diagnosis of hyponatremia was 124 mEq/L,"waiting period" days before starting treatment,1d (SD= 1,745). Duration treatment [ Sodium levels out of risk according to the doctor criteria]. Results: Participants improved significantly after treatment period (p=.000). There were no differences in TOLVAPTAN improvements between patients with ≤ 124 mEq/L vs &gt;124 mEq/L (p=.142), but patients with Na ≤ 124 mEq/L tend to achieved higher levels of sodium at the end of treatment (p=.016). No significant differences between different histology, location, "waiting period", duration of treatment, or age. However, Men significantly improved after treatment with tolvaptan (p=.000) and women do not showed significant changes (p=.753) (women had significantly higher pretreatment sodium level than men (122.4 mEq/L vs. 126.2 mEq/L,(p= .05). Conclusions: Tolvaptan is effective in the treatment of hyponatremia in patients with differents histological cancers especially with levels lower than 124 mEq/L. Tolvaptan had good safety profile with no side effects. A short course of two days and low dose (15mg/p.o./d ) with Tolvaptan restored safe Sodium levels.
A validation study of a scoring system to estimate the risk of lymph node metastasis for patients with endometrial carcinoma for tailoring the indication of lymphadenectomy
Authors: Y. Todo, Y. Ebina, H. Watari, N. Sakuragi
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2006)

5040 Background: The present standard treatment for cases with endometrial cancer is surgical staging including lymphadenectomy. Elimination of lymphadenectomy will not be approved of unless strict condition are met. Our aim is to verify whether a preoperative scoring system to estimate the risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in endometrial carcinoma is clinically useful for tailoring the indication of lymphadenectomy. Methods: This study was carried out on 211 patients with endometrial carcinoma for whom volume index, serum CA125 level, tumor grade/histology were preoperatively confirmed. LNM score was set up using these three risk factors as reported in our previous study (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003). We analyzed whether these factors remain still valid in a different cohort of patients. Based on the LNM score before a validation study was started, the estimated rate of lymph node metastasis (para-aortic lymph node metastasis) in a low risk group was 3.4% (0.0%), an intermediate group 7.7% (5.8%), a high risk group 44.4% (30.6%) and an extremely high risk group 70.0% (50.0%). Results: Volume index, serum CA125 level, and tumor grade/histology, were found to be independent risk factors for LNM in the cohort of this validation study. The actual rate of lymph node metastasis (para-aortic lymph node metastasis) in a low risk group was 3.2% (1.0%), an intermediate group 15.3% (11.9%), a high risk group 30.2% (23.8%) and an extremely high risk group 78.6% (57.1%). Conclusions: LNM frequencies increased in proportion to the impact of the LNM score and the actual rate of lymph node metastasis for each score was quite consistent with the estimated rate of lymph node metastasis.Our LNM score for patients with endometrial carcinoma is useful. No significant financial relationships to disclose.
Exposure to titanium dioxide, carbon black and cosmetic talc and risk of lung cancer: results from two case-control studies in Montreal
Authors: Ramanakumar Agnihotram, Marie-Elise Parent, Jack Siemiatycki
Journal: Cancer Research (2007)

71  Abstract:  International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently evaluated the carcinogenicity of three poorly soluble low-toxic substances: carbon black, cosmetic talc or titanium dioxide. Though there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenity in experimental animals for these substances, the evidence in humans is sparse and equivocal. In the context of two large population based case-control studies of lung cancer carried out in Montreal, we are able to study the possible relationships between the exposure to each of carbon black, cosmetic talc or titanium dioxide and subsequent risk of lung cancer. Interviews for Study I were conducted in 1979-86 (857 cases, 533 population controls, 1349 cancer controls) and interviews for Study II were conducted in 1996-2001 (1236 cases and 1512 controls). Detailed lifetime job histories were elicited, and a team of hygienists and chemists evaluated the evidence of exposure to a host of occupational substances, including carbon black, cosmetic talc, and titanium dioxide. Lung cancer risk was analyzed in relation to each exposure, adjusting for several potential confounders, including smoking in a three-variable parameterization. For all three substances, in both sexes, the estimated odds ratios were close to the null value, with none significantly elevated. Our results support the hypothesis that exposure to carbon black, cosmetic talc, or titanium dioxide are not risk factors for lung cancer in humans. The results corroborate the recent evaluations of the IARC Monographs.
Cardiovascular Safety of Degarelix Versus Leuprolide for Advanced Prostate Cancer
Authors: Chiara Melloni, Susan F. Slovin, Allan Blemings, Shaun G. Goodman, Christopher P. Evans, Jan Nilsson, Deepak L. Bhatt, Konstantin Zubovskiy, Tine K. Olesen, Klaus Dugi, Noel W. Clarke, Celestia S. Higano, Matthew T. Roe
Journal: JACC CardioOncology (2020)

This study will compare the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) among men with advanced prostate cancer who are being treated with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist versus a GnRH agonist. Treatment of advanced prostate cancer with ADT might increase the risk of subsequent cardiovascular events among men with known atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), but a recent meta-analysis suggested that this risk might be lower with ADT using a GnRH antagonist versus a GnRH agonist. PRONOUNCE is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, open, blinded endpoint trial that will enroll approximately 900 patients with advanced prostate cancer and pre-existing ASCVD who will be treated with ADT. Participants will be randomized to receive the GnRH antagonist degarelix or the GnRH agonist leuprolide as ADT for 12 months. The primary endpoint is time from randomization to first confirmed, adjudicated occurrence of a MACE, which is defined as a composite of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke through 12 months of ADT treatment. Baseline cardiovascular biomarkers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, high-sensitivity troponin T, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide), as well as serial inflammatory and immune biomarkers, will be evaluated in exploratory analyses. As of October 1, 2019, a total of 364 patients have been enrolled. The mean age is 74 years, 90% are white, 80% have hypertension or dyslipidemia, 30% diabetes mellitus, 40% have had a previous myocardial infarction, and 65% have had previous revascularization. Regarding prostate cancer features at randomization, 48% of the patients had localized disease, 23% had locally advanced disease, and 18% had metastatic disease. PRONOUNCE is the first prospective cardiovascular outcomes trial in advanced prostate cancer that will delineate whether the risk of subsequent cardiovascular events associated with ADT is lower with a GnRH antagonist versus a GnRH agonist for men with pre-existing ASCVD. (A Trial Comparing Cardiovascular Safety of Degarelix Versus Leuprolide in Patients With Advanced Prostate Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease [PRONOUNCE]; NCT02663908)
Usefulness of FDG-PET in predicting the prognosis of advanced pancreatic carcinoma with chemotherapy
Authors: M. Ueno, S. Ohkawa, K. Miyakawa, A. Amano, T. Masaki
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2006)

14043 Background: 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET is a new diagnostic imaging technique that takes advantage of increased glucose metabolism by the tumor cells. High uptake of FDG is reportedly associated with poor survival in head and neck cancer (Heikki et al., 1997, Nuclear Oncology). FDG uptake diminishes with elevated levels of plasma glucose. We herein evaluated the usefulness of FDG-PET in predicting the prognosis of advanced pancreatic carcinoma (APC). Methods: FDG-PET was performed on 32 consecutive patients with APC between July 2001 and April 2004. The patients fasted for at least 5 hr before the study. The plasma glucose level was controlled under 150 mg/dl by using oral antidiabetic or insulin therapy in advance. FDG-PET images were acquired 45 min after intravenous injection of FDG. We did not measure the plasma glucose level directly before imaging. The FDG uptake in the primary tumor was quantitated as the standardized uptake value (SUV), and the maximum SUV (SUVmax) was measured in the regions of interest. All of the 32 APC patients received chemotherapy (26: gemcitabine, 1: gemcitabine + UFT, 5: TS-1). We analyzed the correlation between SUVmax and the overall survival. Then, we excluded the diabetics (n = 8) and compared SUV in the non-diabetic patients (n = 24). The overall survival curve was plotted according to the method of Kaplan and Meier. The difference in the overall survival was calculated using the log-rank test, and a multivariate analysis was conducted. Results: 32 patients were examined. All cases showed FDG uptake in the pancreatic tumor (SUVmax ranged from 2.73 to 9.67). The overall survival ranged from 38 to 945 days with a median of 261 days.These patients were classified into two groups at a median SUVmax value of 4.81. There was no significant difference in the overall survival between these two groups (p &gt; 0.05). The non-diabetic patients (n = 24) were classified into two groups at a median SUVmax value of 5.51. The high SUVmax group had shorter overall survival than the low SUVmax group (p = 0.039). The multivariate analysis using Cox hazard model also revealed that SUVmax was a significant, independent factor that influenced the survival (p = 0.043) in the non-diabetic patients. Conclusions: FDG-PET may be a useful modality in determining the prognosis of APC. No significant financial relationships to disclose.
The prognostic value of gene expressions of ERCC1 and RRM1 in non-small cell lung cancer.
Authors: Serap Hasturk, Ozlem Olgunus, Abdullah Tuli, Ebru Dundar, Emine Ozgur Unlu
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2013)

e19071 Background: Non small cell lung cancer is the most common cause of death due to cancer in the world. The role of ERCC1 and RRM1 genes has been researched in prediction of lung cancer prognosis and response of patients to chemotheraphy. We aimed to evaluate the effects of ERCC1 and RRM1 gene expressions profiles on the prediction of the prognosis and the treatment on bronchoscopy specimens of advanced stage NSCLC patients. Methods: The levels of ERCC1 and RRM1 gene expressions were studied for 76 patients which were diagnosed by bronchoscopic biopsy parafin embedded tissue samples. The RRM1 and ERCC1 gene expression profiles were examined by RT-PCR method. Forty were diagnosed with squamous cell cancer, 24 with adenocarcinoma, 12 with NOS NSCLC. Thirty patients were chemotherapy native, 33 were received gemcitabine-cisplatin and 13 were received docetaxel- cisplatin doublets chemotherapy. Results: The mean age of the patients in the study was 59.8±9.3 (years ± SD). The levels of gene expressions of ERCC1 and RRM1 were found to be 2-9 (median 4.9), and 1.3-17.7 (median 6.8). No significant difference was detected between ERCC1 and RRM1 levels and age, gender, histologic type, ECOG, weight loss when the median gene expression levels were used as cut off value. Also, no significant difference was observed for survival analysis among the patients that have low ERCC1 mRNA level (p=0.41). The level of gene expression of ERCC1 was lower in patients with advanced stage (p=0.06). In addition, no significant difference was detected for the survival analysis within the patients that have the low and high RRM1 mRNA levels (p=0.43). When the survival analyses were evaluated between the patients who had chemotherapy and the ones who did not; no significant difference was detected according to ERCC1 and RRM1 levels. Conclusions: We conclude that the analysis of ERCC1 and RRM1 gene expression profiles based on bronchoscopy obtained samples appeares feasible, but the methodology and cut off points that was used to classify expression level as ‘high’ or ‘low’ would require further optimization. These two gene signature proposed for advanced stage NSCLC may not be useful, particularly not ready for clinical application.
BLEEDING READMISSIONS AFTER ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION IN OLDER ADULTS: THE SILVER-AMI STUDY
Authors: John A. Dodson, Alexandra Hajduk, Jeptha P. Curtis, Terrence Murphy, Harlan M. Krumholz, Karen Alexander, David Clardy, Sui Tsang, Mary Geda, Caroline Blaum, Sarwat I. Chaudhry
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2020)
Case 9-2020: A 64-Year-Old Man with Shortness of Breath, Cough, and Hypoxemia
Authors: Kerry L. Reynolds, Ryan J. Sullivan, Florian J. Fintelmann, Michael K. Mansour, Jonathan England
Journal: New England Journal of Medicine (2020)

A 64-year-old man with a history of melanoma presented to the hospital after evaluation for clumsiness of the right arm had revealed a brain mass. Metastatic melanoma was diagnosed, and treatment included combination immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Fevers, dyspnea, and cough developed. Treatment decisions were made.
ATORVASTATIN REDUCES TOTAL EVENTS OVERALL AND ACROSS VASCULAR BEDS IN THE SPARCL TRIAL
Authors: Michael Szarek, Pierre Amarenco, Alfred Callahan, David DeMicco, Rana Fayyad, Larry Goldstein, Rachel Laskey, Henrik Sillesen, K. Michael Welch
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2020)
EFFECT OF LONGITUDINAL STRAIN ON CLINICAL AND ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC OUTCOMES AFTER CARDIAC SURGERY FOR MODERATE ISCHEMIC MITRAL REGURGITATION
Authors: Philippe B. Bertrand, Samantha S. Raymond, Peter K. Smith, Vinod Thourani, Gorav Ailawadi, Emilia Bagiella, Pierre Voisine, Xin Zeng, Yasufumi Nagata, Robert A. Levine, Annetine Gelijns, Marissa Miller, Alan Moskowitz, Wendy Taddei-Peters, Ellen Moquete, Patrick T. O’Gara, John H. Alexander, James S. Gammie, Babatunde Yerokun, Joseph DeRose, Jessica Overbey, Judy Hung
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2020)
Surgery in stage IV melanoma patients: Results from a single institution.
Authors: Elisabetta Pennacchioli, Sara Gandini, Francesco Verrecchia, Giulio Tosti, Federica Baldini, Massimo Mosconi, Giuseppe Spadola, Pier Francesco Ferrucci, Tiziana Latiano, Alessandro Testori
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2012)

e19035 Background: There is no consensus regarding the appropriate management of melanoma patients at stage IV and resectable metastases. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the effect of surgery on overall survival (OS) in patients with resectable metastases. The systematic review was performed by searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane and ISI Web of Science. The meta-analysis was performed using time-to-event data from which hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of OS were estimated and summary estimates were obtain through random effects model. Heterogeneity and publication bias were investigated by sensitivity analyses and funnel plot regression Results: Thirty-three retrospective studies evaluating survival from resected and unresected metastases were found from 1978 until 2010. In resected patients median follow-up is 1.5 years and 2-year OS is 27% whereas in unresected the median follow-up is 6 months and 2-year OS is 12%. Meta-analysis was carried out on the seven studies reporting information on visceral metastases and including 1,165 patients. We included also 93 patients at stage IV treated at the European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy. Surgery has shown an improvement in survival of patients managed with palliative resection of their visceral metastases: the summary estimate suggests a significant decrease in the risk of mortality of 40% for patients who undergo surgery, with no indication of heterogeneity (HR=0.6 (0.45-0.78); I 2 =0). However we found indication for publication bias (P=0.03) suggesting that small studies published only mainly if they found significant results. Conclusions: Our results suggest the benefit of surgical resection for advanced-stage melanoma. Patients with limited sites and numbers of metastases should be considered for curative resection regardless of the location of the disease.
Association between c-Met and lymphangiogenic factors in patients with colorectal cancer.
Authors: Kyoungha Kim, Hanjo Kim, Min Young Lee, Tae Sung Ahn, Jina Yun, Se Hyung Kim, Hyun Jung Kim, Sang Cheol Lee, Sang-Byung Bae, Chan Kyu Kim, Namsu Lee, Seong Kyu PARK, Kyu Taek Lee, Jong-Ho Won, Dae Sik Hong, Hee Sook Park, Suk-Young Park, Moon Soo Lee, Moo Jun Baek
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2013)

e22199 Background: Lymphangiogenesis plays an important role in cancer metastasis. Although animal models show a strong relationship between lymphangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis and survival, the clinical significance of lymphangiogenesis in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains uncertain. The goal of this study was to evaluate the association between c-Met and lymphangiogenic factors and to elucidate their prognostic significance for patients with CRC. Methods: A total of 379 tissue samples were obtained from surgically resected specimens from patients with CRC in Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital between January 2002 and December 2010. The expressions of c-Met, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C, VEGF-D, VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-3, and podoplanin were examined by immunohistochemistry. The expression of each marker and clinical factors were analyzed. Results: Three hundred and one of 379 (79.4%) tissues had c-Met expression. High expression of c-Met in tumor cells was significantly associated with high expression of VEGF-C (P &lt; .001) and VEGFR-3 (P = .001). But, there was no statistically significant association with podoplanin (P = .587) and VEGF-D (P = .096). Of the 103 evaluable patients, expression of c-Met in tumor cells was significantly associated with advanced clinical stage (P = .020), positive lymph node status (P = .038), and high expression of VEGF-C (P = .020). But, there was no statistically significant association with podoplanin (P = .518), VEGFR-3 (P = .085), VEGF-D (P = .203), and overall survival (P = .360). Conclusions: Our results provide indirect evidence for an association and possible regulatory link of c-Met with the lymphangiogenic factors. But, c-Met expression in patients with CRC are not prognostic indicator for overall survival in this retrospective study.
PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF STRESS MYOCARDIAL BLOOD FLOW FOR MAJOR ADVERSE CARDIO-CEREBROVASCULAR EVENT IN THE DIALYSIS DEPENDENT END STAGE RENAL DISEASE PATIENTS EVEN WITHOUT MYOCADIAL PERFUSION ABNORMALITY
Authors: Satoru Ohshima, Norio Umemoto, Ryuta Ito, Takashi Sakakibara, Kiyoshi Niwa, Hiroshi Hori, Toyoaki Murohara
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2020)
DISCREPANCY BETWEEN VISUALLY ASSESSED AND QUANTITATIVE CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHY DERIVED DIAMETER STENOSIS IN A COHORT OF WOMEN WITH STABLE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE
Authors: Mauro Gitto, Yuichi Saito, Marabel Schneider, Nikolaos Papoutsidakis, Scott Ardito, Marianne McCarthy, Ecaterina Cristea, Alexandra Lansky, S. Elissa Altin
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2020)
Uterine fibroid drug is recalled after case of liver failure requiring transplant prompts EU review
Authors: Elisabeth Mahase
Journal: BMJ (2020)

All unexpired stocks of Esmya (ulipristal acetate) 5 mg tablets have been recalled, after a new case of liver failure requiring liver transplant in a patient taking the medicine was reported.

A safety review of the drug by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is now under way. Doctors have been told to advise patients taking Esmya to stop as soon as possible and to return any unused medicine to their pharmacy. …