Background: Little is known about proper interval periods between the flushings of totally implantable access ports after completion of chemotherapy. Manufacturer guidelines recommend flushing catheters every 4 weeks. Methods: This retrospective study examined whether flushing less than every 4 weeks conferred any benefit. Results: 349 totally implanted access ports were divided into four groups based on the different durations of the intervals between flushings. Sixteen (4.6%) complications were observed in the study population. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that extending the flushing interval to up to 4 months remains medically safe and drastically reduces the costs.

Introduction: Because of the often unfavorable prognosis, particularly for patients with metastases, health-related quality of life is extremely important for breast cancer patients. In recent years, data on patient-relevant endpoints is being increasingly collected electronically; however, knowledge on the acceptance and practicability of, and barriers to, this form of data collection remains limited. Material and Methods: A questionnaire was completed by 96 patients to determine to what extent existing computer skills, disease status, health-related quality of life and sociodemographic factors affect patients? potential willingness to use electronics methods of data collection (ePRO). Results: 52 of 96 (55?%) patients reported a priori that they could envisage using ePRO. Patients who a priori preferred a paper-based survey (pPRO) tended to be older (ePRO 53 years vs. pPRO 62 years; p?=?0.0014) and typically had lower levels of education (p?=?0.0002), were in poorer health (p?=?0.0327) and had fewer computer skills (p?=?0.0003). Conclusion: Barriers to the prospective use of ePRO were identified in older patients and patients with a lower quality of life. Given the appropriate conditions with regard to age, education and current health status, opportunities to participate should be provided to encourage patients? willingness to take part and ensure the validity of survey results. Focusing on ease of use of ePRO applications and making applications more patient-oriented and straightforward appears to be the way forward.

Sister Mary Joseph's nodule is an inconspicuous and uncommon clinical sign of advanced malignant disease, especially gastric cancer. Pregnancy-associated gastric cancer is an extremely rare condition and can be difficult to diagnose, due to the absence or misinterpretation of symptoms as pregnancy-related. Diagnostic aids, such as a basic chemistry panel and imaging techniques, may not show any abnormalities. We present a case of a 37-yearold pregnant patient whose umbilical nodule was the first presenting physical sign of gastric cancer, which had metastasized throughout the abdominal and pelvic regions.

No abstract