Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. In the last years, the identification of activating EGFR mutations, conferring increased sensitivity and disease response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, has changed the prospect of NSCLC patients. The PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway regulates multiple cellular functions, including cell growth, differentiation, proliferation, survival, motility, invasion and intracellular trafficking. Alterations in this pathway, mainly PTEN inactivation, have been associated with resistance to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy and lower survival in NSCLC patients. In this review, we will briefly discuss the main PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway alterations found in NSCLC, as well as the cell processes regulated by PTEN/PI3K/AKT leading to tumorigenesis.

The use of smart pumps in a PICU improved patient safety by enabling the interception of infusion programming errors that posed the potential for severe injury to pediatric patients.

Interventions by a clinical pharmacist had a major impact on reducing prescribing errors in the study period, thus improving the quality and safety of care provided.

In the present study, we aimed to investigate the influence of clinical parameters and single-nucleotide polymorphisms of interleukin-6 receptor (rs12083537, rs2228145, rs4329505 and rs11265618) on response to tocilizumab, TCZ (European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response, remission, low disease activity (LDA) and improvement of DAS28). We performed a retrospective cohort study in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) treated with TCZ for 12 months. Multivariable analysis showed that the only variable independently associated to satisfactory EULAR response (odds ratio (OR): 0.61; 95% of confidence interval (CI): 0.42, 0.88; P=0.008), remission (OR: 0.51; CI: 0.35, 0.75; P=0.001), LDA (OR: 0.41; CI: 0.24, 0.72; P=0.002) and improvement in DAS28 (B=-0.32; CI: -0.47, -0.17; P=7.5 × 10) at 12 months was lower number of previous biological therapy (BT). High baseline DAS28 was also associated with a greater decrease in DAS28 at 12 months of treatment (B=0.99; CI: 0.79, 1.20; P=1.5 × 10). Those patients who were carriers of AA genotypes for rs12083537 (OR: 13.0; CI: 2.31, 72.91; P=0.004) and CC for rs11265618 (OR: 12.15; CI: 2.18, 67.81; P=0.004) had better LDA response at 12 months of treatment with TCZ. In conclusion, RA patients treated with TCZ showed better EULAR response, remission, LDA and DAS28 improvement rates when a lower number of BT were previously administered. The AA genotype for rs12083537 and CC for rs11265618 polymorphisms for may act as predictors of good response LDA.