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Objectives The purpose of this feasibility study was to examine the impacts of a peer discussion group intervention called “the pancreatobiliary cancer salon” on psychological distress among patients with pancreatobiliary cancer and their caregivers. Methods We recruited patients with pancreatic or biliary tract cancer and their caregivers. We conducted a within-group pre–post comparison study. Participants were grouped by the type of cancer and treatment. Each group consisted of four to five patients or caregivers. Hospital staff members facilitated group discussions where participants freely talked for 1 h. We evaluated participants’ psychological condition using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and their impressions of the pancreatobiliary cancer salon. Results We analyzed data from 42 patients and 27 caregivers who joined the salon for the first time. Thirty-five patients (83.3%) had pancreatic cancer. Thirty-one patients (71.4%) had unresectable pancreatobiliary cancer and 14 patients (33.3%) were being treated with second-line or third-line chemotherapy at the time of the survey. Twenty-two patients (52.4%) participated in the salon within 6 months after diagnosis. Most participating caregivers were the patient's spouse/partner (51.9%) or child (34.6%). Both patients and caregivers experienced high levels of satisfaction with the pancreatobiliary cancer salon. Both patients and caregivers had significantly lower psychological distress as assessed by POMS after the salon. Significance of results A peer discussion group intervention might be well-received and has potential to benefit for patients with pancreatobiliary cancer and their caregivers.

Rituximab (RIT) is a mouse-human chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody that is one of the key drugs for the treatment of CD20-positive B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). Although RIT frequently causes infusion reactions (IR) during initial administration, there have been few reports about the frequency and risk factors for IR during re-administration of RIT to patients with recurrence. In this study, we investigated the frequency of clinically relevant IR (Grade ≥ 2) that occurred during re-administration of RIT and the risk factors for such IR. Twenty patients (31 ) developed IR (Grade ≥ 2). These reactions commonly occurred at an infusion rate of 100 mg/hr, but some patients developed IR after the completion of rituximab administration. In addition, the incidence of IR during re-administration of RIT was signi cantly higher among patients who had developed IR at the time of initial administration [Odds ratio 4.74 (95 CI 1.28 -17.5, P = 0.012)]. When patients receive re-administration of RIT, it is necessary to pay careful attention to IR in the same way as at the time of initial administration. In particular, the re-administration of rituximab to patients at high risk of developing IR should be performed carefully, including inpatient management.

Monocyclic compounds bearing ketone and enone moieties in the same molecule can be cyclized to bicyclic compounds initiated by samarium diiodide. The stereochemistry of the products depended on the reaction conditions and also the protecting group of the hydroxy group existed in the molecule. A cyclization mechanism is discussed.