<b><i>Background:</i></b> Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a rare disease amongst children and adolescents. Previous studies have reported a number of differences between children/adolescents, young adults, and adult patients with CRC. However, none of these studies compared these age groups according to their clinicopathologic and prognostic characteristics. In the current study, we compare these three age groups. <b><i>Methods:</i></b>A total of 173 (1.1% of 15,654 patients) young CRC patients (≤25 years) were included in the study. As a control group, 237 adult CRC patients (&#x3e;25 years) were also included. Patients were divided into three age groups: child/adolescent (10–19 years), young adult (20–25 years), and adult (&#x3e;25 years). <b><i>Results:</i></b> Statistical differences amongst the three groups in terms of gender (<i>p</i> = 0.446), family history (<i>p</i> = 0.578), symptoms of presentation (<i>p</i> = 0.306), and interval between initiation of symptoms and diagnosis (<i>p</i> = 0.710) could not be demonstrated. Whilst abdominal pain (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) and vomiting (<i>p</i> = 0.002) were less common in young adults than in other groups, rectal bleeding and changes in bowel habits were relatively less common in adolescents than in other groups. Rectal localisation (<i>p</i> = 0.035), mucinous adenocarcinoma (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001), and a poorly differentiated histologic subtype (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) were less common in the adult group than in other groups. The percentage of patients with metastasis and sites of metastasis (e.g., peritoneum and lung) differed between groups. The median overall survival was 32.6 months in the adolescent group, 57.8 months in the young adult group and was not reached in the adult group (<i>p</i> = 0.022). The median event-free survival of the adolescent, young adult, and adult groups was 29.0, 29.9, and 61.6 months, respectively (<i>p</i> = 0.003). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> CRC patients of different age groups present different clinicopathologic and prognostic characteristics. Clinicians should be aware of and manage the disease according to these differences.

A significant portion of the problems faced by veterinarians is related to communication. These problems are intensely experienced between veterinary practitioners and animal owners; yet no lectures or courses aiming to improve professional skills are available in the curriculum of veterinary schools in Turkey. In this study, all students currently enrolled at, and 1992 and 1998 graduates of, the Veterinary School of Firat University (VSFU), Turkey, were surveyed to evaluate the attitudes of veterinary students and graduates toward technical and professional skills. Data were collected from 581 students and 61 recent graduates via personal interviews with students and questionnaires mailed to graduates; information was obtained about participants' technical and professional skills. The overall response rate was 85%. The results show that learning about technical and professional skills is highly valued; competence and comfort in skill sets are associated with comfort in establishing communication with instructors. Positive correlations were also noted between feeling comfortable with and feeling competent in both skill sets. In conclusion, it appears to be essential to introduce courses addressing improvement of professional skills to the curriculum of veterinary schools in Turkey, given that a successful veterinarian profile requires feeling competent in and comfortable with both technical and professional skills.

No abstract

We present the F-FDG and Ga prostate-specific membrane antigen PET/CT images of a 61-year-old patient with a newly diagnosed prostate carcinoma (4 + 4 Gleason score) and high serum prostate-specific antigen levels (460 ng/mL). In F-FDG PET/CT, minimal uptake was demonstrated in the prostatic mass without any accompanying pathological uptake. However, Ga prostate-specific membrane antigen PET/CT revealed multiple pathological uptake in the lung nodules, mediastinal nodes, abdominal-pelvic lymph nodes, bone lesions, and prostatic mass.

Objective: The rates of and the factors influencing HER2 discordance in patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer are investigated. Methods: This study retrospectively examines the rates of HER2 and hormone receptor discordance between the biopsy and postoperative resection specimens of 400 female early-stage breast cancer patients. Results: One hundred and thirty-three (33.3%) patients had received neoadjuvant therapy. The rate of HER2 discordance between biopsy and resection specimens was 1.7% in the control group and 5.3% in the neoadjuvant therapy group (p = 0.018). The rate of HER2 discordance was higher in younger patients and in patients with T1 tumors in the neoadjuvant therapy group. Conclusion: Neoadjuvant therapy, age <40 years and smaller tumor size were independent risk factors for HER2 discordance.

ABSTRACT:In this study, veterinary students and veterinary educators from Firat Veterinary School, Istanbul Veterinary School and Selcuk Veterinary School were surveyed to evaluate their a�itudes to animal use in research. Data were collected from 330 students and 204 educators by personal interviews. All participants showed anthropocentric a�itudes toward animal use in research. Most of the participants agreed on items regarding the animal tests being easier, more scientific, more common, more economical and more reliable than alternative methods, but they also signified that they did not agree with the item indicating that the animal experimentation is more conscience. In conclusion, we can state that both the veterinary students and the educators are in a complete dilemma in the discussions regarding the animal experimentation. In order to avoid the negative circumstances that can arise from this dilemma, it could be said that veterinary schools should be supported in this aspect with related courses to be included within their curriculum.

ABSTRACT:The authors examined the a�itudes of veterinary practitioners in Turkey towards animals' right to life. For this purpose, a telephone questionnaire was applied on a total of 303 practitioners located in four provinces in Turkey. The overall response rate was 82%. The respect for right to life was valued slightly over neutral. According to the 5-point Likert scale, the average value scored by the participants for the items of views about animals' right to life was found as 3.25. Type of practice (pet clinics: 3.41), gender (females: 3.63), perceived responsibility (to animal: 3.48), keeping a pet (yes: 3.34) and membership in a society (yes: 3.67) had a statistically significant influence on a�itudes towards animals' right to life. Independent variables explained 87% of the variance in a�itudes, with most of the variance accounted for by perceived responsibility.

Patients and Methods:We performed a retrospective cohort study of 207 operated breast cancer women treated with doxorubicin (60 mg/m2) and cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m2) for adjuvant setting between 2007 and 2016. Patients' demographic features, toxicities, fat mass, body mass index (BMI) and body surface area (BSA) were evaluated in their charts. Patients were evaluated according to fat mass (high ≥35% vs. low &lt;35%), BMI (obese ≥30 kg/m2 vs. nonobese &lt;30 kg/m2), and BSA (≥1.73 vs. &lt;1.73) levels. Results:Median age was 46 (23-82) and 61.8% of the patients (n=128) were premenopausal. Median fat mass, BSA, and BMI level was 37 (10-55), 1.75 (1.3-2.27) and 29.4 (16-54.7), respectively. Grade ≥3 toxicity was observed in 68 patients (%32.9). Although, in univariate analyses [table 1] there are no differences in terms of grade ≥3 toxicity according to BMI (in obese and nonobese patients, 34.8% vs. 31.4%, respectively, p=0.589), and BSA (in patients with m2 ≥1.73 vs. m2 &lt;1.73, 35.8% vs. 29.6%, respectively, p=0.344), statistically significant difference was observed according to fat mass (fat mass high and low, 39.1% vs. 25.0%, respectively, p=0.031). In multivariate analyses [table 2], fat mass [&lt;35 vs. &gt;35, OR (odds ratio): 2.341 %95CI:0.39-5.27, p=0.040] was affect grade ≥3 toxicity, while BMI [&lt;30 vs. &gt;30; OR:0.876 %95 CI=0.392-1.959, p=0.748], BSA [&lt;1,73 vs. &gt;1.73 m2, OR:0.956, %95CI:0.450-2.034, p=0.908], age [&lt;50 vs. &gt;50, OR:2.171, %95CI:0.338-13.956, P= 0.414], menopausal status [premenopausal vs. postmenopausal, OR:4.374, %95CI:0.661-28.964, p=0,126], stage [1,2 vs 3, OR:0.535, %95CI:0.279-1.024, p=0.059] and histologic subtype [ductal vs. others; OR:2.010 %95 CI=0.368-2.010, p:0.729] was not. Grade ≥3 toxicity according to BMI, BSA, and fat massMethodGrade ≥3 toxicityP valueBMI (obese vs nonobese)34.8% vs. 31.4%0.589BSA (≥1.73 vs. m2 &lt;1.73)35.8% vs. 29.6%0.344Fat mass (≥35% vs. &lt;35%)39.1% vs. 25.0%0.031BMI: Body mass index, BSA: body surface area Multivariate analayses for grade ≥ 3 tocicityParametersOdds Ratio%95 Confidence IntervalP valueFat mass (≥35% vs. 35%)2.3410.39-5.270.040BMI (≥30 vs. &lt; 30)0.8760.392-1.9590.748BSA (&lt;1,73 vs. &gt;1.73)0.9560.450-2.0340.908Age (≥50 vs. &lt;50)2.1710.338-13.9560.414Menopausal status4.3740.661-28.9640,126Stage0.5350.279-1.0240.059Histhologic type2.0100.368-2.0100.729BMI: Body mass index, BSA: Body surface area Discussion:BSA-based dosing has been widely adopted in oncology as a means of safely administering cytotoxic drugs. In our study demonstrated that fat mass is most valuable than BSA and BMI for evaluation to grade ≥3 toxicity for breast cancer patients treated with AC in the adjuvant setting. Citation Format: Kaplan MA, Kavak H, Urakci Z, Nas N, Oruç Z, Yerlikaya H, Akdeniz N, Isikdogan A. Is fat mass more effective than body mass index (BMI) to predict toxicity in early breast cancer patients treated with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-14-04.