The British journal of surgery
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Previous randomized trials found that a prolonged interval between short-course radiotherapy (SCRT, 25 Gy in 5 fractions) and surgery for rectal cancer (4-8 weeks, SCRT-delay) results in a lower postoperative complication rate and a higher pCR rate than SCRT and surgery within a week (SCRT-direct surgery). This study sought to confirm these results in a Dutch national database. ⋯ There was no difference in surgical complication rates between SCRT-delay and SCRT-direct, but SCRT-delay was associated with more patients having a pCR.
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Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. ⋯ This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high- and low-middle-income countries.
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Nipple-sparing mastectomy is associated with a higher risk of mastectomy skin-flap necrosis than conventional skin-sparing mastectomy. There are limited prospective data examining modifiable intraoperative factors that contribute to skin-flap necrosis after nipple-sparing mastectomy. ⋯ Modifiable intraoperative factors that may decrease the likelihood of necrosis after nipple-sparing mastectomy include incision placement in the lateral inframammary fold, preserving the second intercostal perforating vessel, and minimizing tissue expander fill volume.
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Circulating tumour DNA analysis can be performed using two opposing paradigms: tumour-informed and tumour-agnostic approaches. The first requires sequencing data from the primary tumour sample to identify tumour DNA in circulation, whereas the latter occurs without previous primary tumour genetic profiling. ⋯ For those with stage II disease and detectable postoperative circulating tumour DNA, administration of adjuvant chemotherapy results in a reduction in the number of patients receiving chemotherapy while providing non-inferior recurrence-free survival compared with standard histopathological decision-making algorithms. Monitoring circulating tumour DNA during post-treatment surveillance may provide a significantly earlier diagnosis of recurrence.