Vancouver Island Health Authority

Gastric cancer (GC) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The current standard of care involves neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by radical gastrectomy. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in comparison to chemotherapy alone for patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC).

We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase to identify studies examining the addition of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors to neoadjuvant therapy for LAGC. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated for binary outcomes, such as pathological complete response (pCR), with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Seven studies were included, encompassing a total of 1772 patients. Baseline median age ranged from 31 to 75 years. Most patients had an ECOG performance status score of 0 (942 patients), while 294 had an ECOG score of 1. The estimated pCR (OR 5.94, 95% CI 3.98-8.87; p < 0.000001) significantly favored the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors combined with chemotherapy over chemotherapy alone. Additionally, the incidence of certain adverse events increased significantly in the intervention group, including any-grade hypothyroidism (OR 4.55, 95% CI 2.27-9.10; p = 0.000019) and rash (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.10-2.76; p = 0.017). Conversely, the control group showed a statistically significant lower incidence of grade ≥ 3 fatigue (OR 2.80, 95% CI 1.15-6.85; p = 0.024) compared to the intervention group.

This systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that the addition of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors to neoadjuvant chemotherapy is associated with a higher pathological complete response rate compared to chemotherapy alone in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer.

Diagnosis of acute ischemia typically relies on evidence of ischemic lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a limited diagnostic resource. We aimed to determine associations of clinical variables and acute infarcts on MRI in patients with suspected low-risk transient ischemic attack (TIA) and minor stroke and to assess their predictive ability.

We conducted a post-hoc analysis of the Diagnosis of Uncertain-Origin Benign Transient Neurological Symptoms (DOUBT) study, a prospective, multicenter cohort study investigating the frequency of acute infarcts in patients with low-risk neurological symptoms. Primary outcome parameter was defined as diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)-positive lesions on MRI. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate associations of clinical characteristics with MRI-DWI-positivity. Model performance was evaluated by Harrel’s c-statistic.

In 1028 patients, age (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.03, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.01–1.05), motor (OR 2.18, 95%CI 1.27–3.65) or speech symptoms (OR 2.53, 95%CI 1.28–4.80), and no previous identical event (OR 1.75, 95%CI 1.07–2.99) were positively associated with MRI-DWI-positivity. Female sex (OR 0.47, 95%CI 0.32–0.68), dizziness and gait instability (OR 0.34, 95%CI 0.14–0.69), normal exam (OR 0.55, 95%CI 0.35–0.85) and resolved symptoms (OR 0.49, 95%CI 0.30–0.78) were negatively associated. Symptom duration and any additional symptoms/symptom combinations were not associated. Predictive ability of the model was moderate (c-statistic 0.72, 95%CI 0.69–0.77).

Detailed clinical information is helpful in assessing the risk of ischemia in patients with low-risk neurological events, but a predictive model had only moderate discriminative ability. Patients with clinically suspected low-risk TIA or minor stroke require MRI to confirm the diagnosis of cerebral ischemia.

Spasticity affects up to 80% of individuals with cerebral palsy and can lead to pain and difficulties with performing activities of daily living. If left untreated, spasticity can progress to contracture and neuro-orthopedic deformities. Cryoneurolysis is an emerging and mini-invasive ultrasound-guided technique that causes secondary axonotmesis of peripheral nerves through the formation of an ice ball and may result in months to years of improved range of motion and reduced pain in patients with spasticity. However, the safety of cryoneurolysis has not yet been established in patients with an increased bleeding risk secondary to Hemophilia A. We present a case of cryoneurolysis for cerebral palsy-related spasticity in a 14-year-old male with hemophilia A who previously had minimal benefit from botulinum toxin for increased elbow and wrist flexor tone with contracture. Fifteen minutes prior to cryoneurolysis, an IV infusion of 2000 IU of recombinant antihemophilic factor (FVIII) was administered for bleeding prophylaxis. Targets were identified with ultrasound guidance and nerve stimulation and cryoneurolysis was performed without bleeding complications or adverse events. There was an immediate improvement in tone and range of motion that was maintained at 3- and 8-month follow-ups with reported increased left arm function. This case suggests that cryoneurolysis is an effective mini-invasive procedure for spasticity that improves tone and range of motion and is safe for use in patients with Hemophilia A who receive adequate Factor VIII prophylaxis.