3 research outputs found
Silent ovarian ectopic pregnancy: a case report
No full textIn clinical practice, an ovarian pregnancy is considered one of the most challenging diagnoses faced by an obstetrician/gynecologist. In this article, we report a 31-year-old Asian-Pakistani female, who presented to the ObsGynae clinic with 8 weeks of amenorrhea, a positive urine pregnancy test, and very high serum β-hCG levels. Transvaginal ultrasonography ruled out a tubal pregnancy, and the patient was sent for repeat β-hCG levels. The patient was hemodynamically stable and displayed no characteristic signs and symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy. Upon repeat scans and β-hCG levels, a diagnosis of ovarian ectopic pregnancy was made. The patient was managed on medication; a single dose of I/M 50 mg/m2 methotrexate was administered and the resultant decline in β-hCG levels proved the success of conservative treatment in this case. An ovarian ectopic can present as a life-threatening condition, and a high index of suspicion can prevent morbidity as well as mortality. Ovarian pregnancy, without any alarming signs despite very high β-hCG levels, as reported in this case, is one of the rarest clinical cases observed
The Current Landscape of Clinical Trials for Immunotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer: A State-of-the-Art Review
No full textBACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer remains a lethal malignancy with a 5-year survival rate below 6% and about 500,000 deaths annually worldwide. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the most prevalent form, is commonly associated with diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, obesity, and smoking, mainly affecting individuals aged 60 to 80 years. This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy of immunotherapeutic approaches in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
METHODS: A systematic search was conducted to identify clinical trials (Phases I-III) assessing immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer in PubMed/Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science, adhering to PRISMA Statement 2020 guidelines. The final search was completed on May 25, 2024. Ongoing trials were sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization\u27s International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP). Keywords such as pancreatic, immunotherapy, cancer, and clinical trial were used across databases. Gray literature was excluded.
RESULTS: Phase I trials, involving 337 patients, reported a median overall survival (OS) of 13.6 months (IQR: 5-62.5 months) and a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 5.1 months (IQR: 1.9-11.7 months). Phase II/III trials pooled in a total of 1463 participants had a median OS of 12.2 months (IQR: 2.5-35.55 months) and a median PFS of 8.8 months (IQR: 1.4-33.51 months).
CONCLUSIONS: Immunotherapy shows potential for extending survival among pancreatic cancer patients, though results vary. The immunosuppressive nature of the tumor microenvironment and diverse patient responses underline the need for further research to optimize these therapeutic strategies
THE INCIDENCE OF ALCOHOL USE DISORDERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
No full textBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a myriad of challenges to healthcare systems and public health policies
across the globe. Individuals with alcohol use disorders are at peaked risk due to mental, socio-demographic, and economic factors
leading to hindered mental health service access, misinformation and adherence.
Methods: Keywords including “alcohol use”, “death”, “hand sanitizer", "overdose" and "COVID-19" were used to obtain 8
media reports for case analysis. A review of 34 manually extracted records were also conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus,
and the Embase database with no time and language restrictions.
Results: A total of 2,517 individuals with alcohol overdose across the United States, India, Canada, and Iran were presented.
The majority of cases were male, ages 21-65. Common contributors were linked to socio-economic changes, disruption to mental
health services, and physical isolation.
Conclusion: While original studies are essential to evaluate the etiologies of alcohol use and misuse during pandemics, the
dissemination of misinformation must be curbed by directing vulnerable individuals towards accurate information and access to
mental health services
