CommEmorating the Last Event: calling time on the end of treatment Bell following RAdioThErapy? The CELEBRATE study

INTRODUCTION

In the UK it is commonplace for patients completing radiotherapy to be invited to ring a bell as a form of celebration. The project aimed to explore the experiences of the end of treatment bell from the perspective of patients who had received treatment for cancer, and therapeutic radiographers who treat patients. The study also aimed to consider possible alternative methods of commemorating the EoT, considering the needs of patients, family members and healthcare professionals.

METHODS

Online focus groups were held with patients (n = 5) and therapeutic radiographers (n = 4) in December 2020; a joint online event (n = 6) was held in March 2022. They were all facilitated by two members of the research team. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Participants' views and experiences were mixed; however, there was a consensus that alternative forms of commemoration should be available to meet patients' diverse needs. Features of a specification were considered and suggestions made for alternative practices, with a focus upon patients' transition needs after radiotherapy has ended.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that departments should consider the harms as well as the benefits conferred by the EoT bell and explore alternative ways to mark an episode of treatment.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

A one-size-fits-all approach is not appropriate in relation to marking the end of an episode of treatment.

[Do leptin and neuropeptide Y influence blood pressure regulation in healthy pregnant women and women with preeclampsia?]

Leptin (LP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) are involved in the regulation of appetite and energy expenditure. As was shown in our previous studies healthy non pregnant and pregnant women are characterized by a significant positive correlation between maternal body mass index (BMI) and plasma leptin concentration. On the other side participation of both leptin and obesity in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension is presumed. The present study aimed to answer the following question: to what extend LP and NPY are involved in the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension in pregnant women with EPH gestosis. One to 2 days before delivery plasma LP and NPY concentration were estimated in 43 healthy pregnant women, in 18 pregnant women with EPH gestosis and in 26 healthy non pregnant women. In pregnant women with EPH gestosis, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) (114.6 +/- 1.3 mm Hg) and mean leptinaemia (21.9 +/- 8.5 ng/ml) were significantly higher than in healthy pregnant women (89.1 +/- 0.9 mm Hg and 15.0 +/- 1.3 ng/ml respectively) and in non pregnant women (MAP--91.56 +/- 1.4 mm HG i LP--10.9 +/- 1.7 ng/ml). In healthy pregnant women, in women with EPH gestosis and in healthy nonpregnant women plasma NPY concentrations were of similar magnitude (42.3 +/- 4.1 vs 43.7 +/- 8.5 vs 50.7 +/- 6.1 pg/ml respectively). In pregnant women with EPH gestosis a significant positive correlation was found between diastolic blood pressure or MAP and plasma NPY concentration. Leptinaemia was significantly correlated with systolic, diastolic and MAP respectively only when results obtained in both groups of pregnant women were analyzed together.

CONCLUSIONS

1) leptin seems to be involved in the regulation of blood pressure both in healthy and preeclamptic pregnant women, 2) participation of NPY in the pathogenesis of hypertension in preeclamptic women is likely.

Concentrations of leptin and neuropeptide Y in maternal plasma, umbilical cord blood and in amniotic fluid in pregnant women with EPH-gestosis

Leptin is presumed to be related to body mass index (BMI) and body fat stores and is involved together with neuropeptid Y (NPY) in the regulation of appetite. As pregnancy is accompanied both by changes of BMI and appetite, performance of studies presented in this paper were fully justified. In 43 healthy pregnant women and in 18 pregnant women with mild or moderate EPH-gestosis, concentrations of leptin and NPY were estimated in maternal venous blood, umbilical cord blood and in amniotic fluid. The control group consisted of 26 healthy nonpregnant women. Healthy nonpregnant women showed a BMI of 23.08+/-0.65 kg/m2 which was significantly lower than in healthy pregnant women (26.9+/-0.4 kg/m2, p < 0.001) and in women with EPH-gestosis (29.7+/-0.9, p < 0.0001). Also in healthy pregnant women the BMI was significantly lower than in EPH-gestosis subjects (p < 0.001). In healthy nonpregnant women plasma leptin levels were significantly lower than in healthy pregnant and EPH-gestosis women (10.9+/-1.68 vs 14.99+/-1.28 vs 21.89+/-2.58 ng/ml, respectively). In umbilical cord blood plasma leptin levels were significantly lower than in maternal blood only in healthy pregnant women (7.37+/-0.69 vs 14.99+/-1.28 ng/ml) but not in EPH-gestosis subjects (18.06+/-3.38 vs 21.89+/-2.58 ng/ml). Leptin levels in amniotic fluid were significantly lower than in umbilical cord blood both in healthy pregnant women (2.25+/-0.20 vs 7.37+/-0.69 ng/ml) and EPH-gestosis women (6.58+/-2.62 vs 18.06+/-3.38 ng/ml). In EPH-gestosis women leptin levels were significantly higher than in healthy pregnant women in maternal blood (21.89+/-2.58 vs 14.99+/-1.28 ng/ml), umbilical cord blood (18.06+/-3.38 vs 7.37+/-0.69 ng/ml) and amniotic fluid (6.58+/-2.62 vs 2.25+/-0.2 ng/ml). In both examined pregnant groups plasma NPY levels were nonsignificantly lower in healthy pregnant and EPH-gestosis women (42.28+/-4.09 and 43.68+/-8.45 pg/ml, respectively) than in nonpregnant women 50.65+/-6.13 pg/ml). In normal pregnancy a significantly higher NPY level was found in umbilical cord blood as compared with respective values in EPH-gestosis women (116.28+/-17.0 vs 49.65+/-7.01 pg/ml). Finally in both examined groups of pregnant women the amniotic fluid NPY level was of similar magnitude (13.85+/-1.52 and 13.89+/-2.46 pg/ml in healthy pregnant and EPH-gestosis women respectively). No significant correlation was found between fetal birth weight and cord-serum leptin and NPY levels respectively.

[The HELLP syndrome as a severe complication of EPH gestosis]

On the basis of a literature review the extremely severe form of EPH gestosis--the HELLP syndrome is described. In the clinical manifestations of the syndrome a symptom triad predominates: haemolytic anaemia, raised values of hepatic enzymes and thrombocytopenia. The only causative treatment saving the life of the mother and fetus is possibly early termination of pregnancy and adequate supplementation of blood deficiency. The pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis and treatment of the HELLP syndrome are discussed.

A 6-hydroxydopamine-induced selective parkinsonian rat model

Previous parkinsonian rat models have generally been characterized by unilateral destruction of both the nigrostriatal pathway and the mesolimbic pathway using the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). We created a hemiparkinsonian model in which there is 6-OHDA-induced destruction of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway but sparing of the dopaminergic mesolimbic pathway. This resulted in reproducible, quantifiable rotational behavior in response to either amphetamine or apomorphine and a near total depletion of dopamine in the striatum ipsilateral to the lesion with a dorsolateral distribution of supersensitive dopaminergic D2 receptors. This model parallels the MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine)-induced hemiparkinsonian model in primates and more closely approximates the extent of neurodegeneration seen in human idiopathic Parkinson's disease than previous parkinsonian rat models. It may therefore prove a convenient model for studying the recently reported phenomenon of sprouting from host dopaminergic neurons following tissue implantation.