The risk factors, the optimal therapy and prognostic factors contributing to poor outcomes of neuroendocrine urinary bladder carcinoma are not fully elucidated because of its rarity. We reviewed the medical records of neuroendocrine bladder carcinoma patients treated at the University of Nebraska Medical Center between 1996 and 2011. Eighteen patients, 55% female with a median age of 77 years, had stage IV disease at diagnosis in 50% of cases. There was a high prevalence of smoking (78%), medical co-morbidities (94%), prior cancer history (22%) and family history of cancer (61%). Treatment modalities included surgery (72%), platinum-based chemotherapy (50%) and/or radiation (22%). Median overall survival was 18.5 months (95% confidence interval, 7-36 months). Patients with Stage II and III cancer who underwent radical surgery with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy had a median survival of 37 months. In addition to smoking, for the first time, our study indicates that the personal or family history of cancer may increase risk to neuroendocrine bladder cancer. Advanced age and stage at diagnosis, and the presence of multiple co-morbidities contribute to poor overall survival. Patients with early-stage disease are likely to benefit from a combination of radical surgery and platinum-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

CLL has been defined as presence of more than 5000 small mature appearing monoclonal B lymphocytes with a specific immunophenotype in peripheral blood. It is a well-known fact that CLL is associated with autoimmune cytopenias. CLL cells are CD5+ B lymphocytes, and usually are not the “guilty” cells which produce autoantibodies. T cell defect is another characteristic of CLL and the total number of T cells is increased, and there is inversion of the CD4/CD8 ratio. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is the most common autoimmune complication of CLL and has been reported in 10–25% of CLL patients. However, the stage-adjusted estimated rate of AIHA in CLL is about 5%. Conversely, CLL is three times more common in patients who present with AIHA. Direct agglutinin test (DAT) is positive in 7–14% of CLL patients but AIHA may also occur in DAT negative patients.Autoimmune thrombocytopenia (AIT) is the second most common complication of CLL and has been reported in 2–3% of patients. DAT is positive in AIT but presence of antiplatelet antibodies is neither diagnostic nor reliable. Autoimmune neutropenia (AIN) and pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) are very rare complications of CLL and like other autoimmune complications of CLL may occur at any clinical stage. It is believed that most case reports of AIN and PRCA in CLL actually belong to large granular lymphocytic leukemia (LGL). Non-hematologic autoimmune complications of CLL including cold agglutinin disease (CAD), paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP), acquired angioedema, and anti-myelin associated globulin are rare.Before starting any treatment, clinicians should distinguish between autoimmune cytopenias and massive bone marrow infiltration since autoimmune complications of CLL are not necessarily equal to advanced disease with poor prognosis. According to IWCLL guideline, steroids are the mainstay of treatment of simple autoimmunity. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), cyclosporine, and rituximab are used in complex, steroid refractory cases. Monotherapy with purine analogues and alkylating agents should be avoided as they may increase CLL associated autoimmune complications.

Lymphoma patients treated with autologous transplantation (ASCT) live an increasingly long life with the recent advancement in therapeutic modalities. This has resulted in an increase in the incidence of therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MN), which is one of the leading causes of non-relapse mortality. Several observational studies have linked the development of t-MN after ASCT with the intensity and frequency of chemotherapy, particularly alkylating agents, use of total body irradiation (TBI), and peripheral blood progenitor cells. In addition, role of genetic factors is increasingly being identified. It is postulated that the use of chemotherapy prior to ASCT results in DNA damage of progenitor cells, mitochondrial dysfunction, and altered gene expression related to DNA repair, metabolism as well as hematopoietic regulation. Cytogenetic studies have shown the presence of abnormalities in the peripheral blood progenitor cells prior to ASCT. It is, therefore, likely that the reinfusion of peripheral blood progenitor cells, proliferative stress on infused progenitor cells during hematopoietic regeneration and associated telomere shortening ultimately result in clonal hematopoiesis and blastic transformation. Cytopenias, myelodysplasia, or cytogenetic abnormalities are common and can be transient after ASCT; therefore, only when present together, they do confirm the diagnosis of t-MN. Attempts to reduce the occurrence of t-MN should be directed toward minimizing the exposure to the identified risk factors. Although the median survival is few months to less than a year, studies have shown the promising role of allogeneic transplantation in select young t-MN patients without high-risk cytogenetics. In this review we will explain the recent findings in the field of t-MN in lymphoma patients that have implications for identifying the molecular and genetic mechanisms of leukemogenesis and discuss potential strategies to reduce the risk of t-MN in this patient population.

Breast cancer–related lymphedema (BCRL) is a potentially debilitating and often irreversible complication of breast cancer treatment. Risk of BCRL is proportional to the extent of axillary surgery and radiation. Other risk factors include obesity and infections. Given the 5-year survival rate of 90% and its potential impact on the quality of life of survivors of breast cancer, BCRL has become a significant financial burden on the health care system. Minimizing axillary surgery and radiation has been proven to reduce the risk of BCRL. Comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment at the time of initial diagnosis; early referral to physical therapy after surgery; and patient education regarding weight loss, skin, and nail care are cornerstones of the management of early-stage lymphedema. End-stage lymphedema may benefit from referral to a plastic surgeon specializing in lymphedema surgery. In this review, we attempt to review the incidence, risk factors, staging, prevention, and management of this complication of breast cancer treatment. We also describe our multidisciplinary approach for the prevention of this complication at the time of initial diagnosis.

SUMMARYA 70-year-old man was diagnosed with a massive bleeding duodenal ulcer which was refractory to emergency endoscopic management. Angiogram of the coeliac and superior mesenteric arteries revealed bleeding from the superior and inferior pancreaticoduodenal arteries. Transcatheter arterial embolisation of superior and inferior pancreaticoduodenal arteries along with the gastroduodenal artery was performed. Two weeks later he developed severe necrotising pancreatitis of the pancreatic head probably due to ischaemia, which was managed conservatively. Three months later the patient experienced another episode of pancreatitis which progressed into multiorgan dysfunction and the patient passed away. BACKGROUND

Palbociclib 3-weeks-on/1-week-off, combined with hormonal therapy, is approved for hormone receptor positive (HR+)/HER2-negative (HER2−) advanced/metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Neutropenia is the most frequent adverse event (AE). We aim to determine whether an alternative 5-days-on/2-days-off weekly schedule reduces grade 3 and above neutropenia (G3 + ANC) incidence. In this single-arm phase II trial, patients with HR+/HER2− MBC received palbociclib 125 mg, 5-days-on/2-days-off, plus letrozole or fulvestrant per physician, on a 28-day cycle (C), as their first- or second-line treatment. The primary endpoint was G3 + ANC in the first 29 days (C1). Secondary endpoints included AEs, efficacy, and serum thymidine kinase 1 (sTK1) activity. At data-cutoff, fifty-four patients received a median of 13 cycles (range 2.6–43.5). The rate of G3 + ANC was 21.3% (95% CI: 11.2–36.1%) without G4 in C1, and 40.7% (95% CI: 27.9–54.9%), including 38.9% G3 and 1.8% G4, in all cycles. The clinical benefit rate was 80.4% (95% CI: 66.5–89.7%). The median progression-free survival (mPFS) (95% CI) was 19.75 (12.11–34.89), 33.5 (17.25–not reached [NR]), and 11.96 (10.43–NR) months, in the overall, endocrine sensitive or resistant population, respectively. High sTK1 at baseline, C1 day 15 (C1D15), and C2D1 were independently prognostic for shorter PFS (p = 9.91 × 10−4, 0.001, 0.007, respectively). sTK1 decreased on C1D15 (p = 4.03 × 10−7), indicating target inhibition. Rise in sTK1 predicted progression, with the median lead time of 59.5 (inter-quartile range: −206.25–0) days. Palbociclib, 5-days-on/2-days-off weekly, met its primary endpoint with reduced G3 + ANC, without compromising efficacy. sTK1 is prognostic and shows promise in monitoring the palbociclib response. ClinicalTrials.gov#: NCT3007979.

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A 22-year-old man with a history of multiple episodes of priapism presented to the emergency room with an erection lasting more than 48 h after conservative management failed at home. He had no known family history of sickle cell disease or trait. He was haemodynamically stable. Physical examination revealed an enlarged, tender penis. Laboratory data revealed a positive sickle solubility test. Haemoglobin electrophoresis revealed sickle cell trait and urine drug screen was positive for cannabinoids. Initial management was attempted with intracavernosal phenylephrine without any success. The patient underwent a limited El-Ghorab procedure on the right corpora cavernosa but the priapism did not resolve adequately. Two  days later, the patient had to undergo a bilateral El-Ghorab procedure and achieved complete resolution of the priapism.