European recommendations for short-term surveillance of health problems in childhood, adolescent and young adult cancer survivors from the end of treatment to 5 years after diagnosis: a PanCare guideline

PURPOSE

Childhood, adolescent and young adult (CAYA) cancer survivors require ongoing surveillance for health problems from the end of cancer treatment throughout their lives. There is a lack of evidence-based guidelines on optimal surveillance strategies for the period from the end of treatment to 5 years after diagnosis. We aimed to address this gap by developing recommendations for short-term surveillance of health problems based on existing long-term follow-up (LTFU) care guidelines.

METHODS

The guideline working group, consisting of healthcare professionals, parents and survivor representatives from 10 countries, worked together to identify relevant health problems that may occur in survivors between the end of treatment and 5 years after diagnosis and to develop recommendations for short-term surveillance of health problems. The recommendations were drawn from existing LTFU guidelines and adapted where necessary based on clinical expertise.

RESULTS

The working group developed 44 recommendations for short-term surveillance of health problems, which were divided into four categories based on the level of surveillance required: awareness only (n = 11), awareness, history and/or physical examination without surveillance test (n = 15), awareness, history and/or physical examination with potential surveillance test (n = 1) and awareness, history and/or physical examination with surveillance test (n = 17).

CONCLUSION

The development of a guideline for short-term surveillance of health problems fills a critical gap in survivorship care for CAYA cancer survivors, providing much-needed support immediately after treatment up to 5 years after diagnosis.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

This guideline will support healthcare professionals to provide appropriate follow-up care and improve the quality of life of CAYA cancer survivors.

Oculoleptomeningeal Amyloidosis associated with transthyretin Leu12Pro in an African patient

Oculoleptomeningeal amyloidosis is a rare manifestation of hereditary transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis. Here, we present the first case of leptomeningeal amyloidosis associated with the TTR variant Leu12Pro mutation in an African patient. A 43-year-old right-handed Nigerian man was referred to our centre with rapidly progressive neurological decline. He presented initially with weight loss, confusion, fatigue, and urinary and erectile dysfunction. He then suffered recurrent episodes of slurred speech with right-sided weakness. He went on to develop hearing difficulties and painless paraesthesia. Neurological examination revealed horizontal gaze-evoked nystagmus, brisk jaw jerk, increased tone, brisk reflexes throughout and bilateral heel-shin ataxia. Magnetic resonance imaging showed extensive leptomeningeal enhancement. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed a raised protein of 6.4 g/dl. Nerve conduction studies showed an axonal neuropathy. Echocardiography was characteristic of cardiac amyloid. TTR gene sequencing showed that he was heterozygous for the leucine 12 proline mutation. Meningeal and brain biopsy confirmed widespread amyloid angiopathy. TTR amyloidosis is a rare cause of leptomeningeal enhancement, but should be considered if there is evidence of peripheral or autonomic neuropathy with cardiac or ocular involvement. The relationship between different TTR mutations and clinical phenotype, disease course, and response to treatment remains unclear.

Luminescence of oxygen atoms stimulated by metastable helium at cryogenic temperatures

We present investigations of the afterglow of oxygen-helium gas mixtures at cryogenic temperatures. The cooling of a helium jet containing trace amounts of oxygen after passing through a radio frequency discharge zone led to the observation of strong emissions from atomic oxygen. The effect results from the increasing efficiency of energy transfer from metastable helium atoms and molecules to oxygen impurities in the cold dense helium vapor. This effect might find an application for the detection of small quantities of the impurities in helium gas.

Evaluation of the clinical utility of a carotid bruit

BACKGROUND

Uncertainty exists over whether listening for carotid bruits as part of the clinical examination is informative in terms of predicting the presence or severity of carotid stenosis.

AIM

We sought to undertake a comprehensive meta-analysis and meta-regression of all studies to date that have assessed the relationship between a carotid bruit and severity of degree of stenosis.

METHODS

Electronic databases were used to identify all published studies in humans evaluating the association between bruit and stenosis published until and including October 2011. Pooled sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were calculated for each stenosis group. Summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve analysis was performed in studies assessing clinically relevant (i.e. >70%) stenosis. Meta-regression was performed in all studies, using random effects.

RESULTS

We identified 26 studies evaluating the association between carotid bruit and stenosis, in 15 117 arteries. For clinically relevant stenosis (i.e. >70%), we found pooled sensitivity 0.53 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.5-0.55], specificity 0.83 (95% CI: 0.82-0.84) and DOR 4.32 (95% CI: 2.78-6.66). SROC curve analysis gave an area under the curve of 0.73. Meta-regression analysis showed a (non-significant) (P = 0.067) inverse relationship between carotid bruit and stenosis.

CONCLUSION

The carotid bruit is of moderate value for detecting clinically relevant carotid stenosis. It gives high specificity but low sensitivity. The likelihood of a carotid bruit does not increase at increasing degrees of stenosis.

The value of a liaison neurology service in a district general hospital

BACKGROUND

Healthcare development in the UK has resulted in an increase in neurologists working in district general hospitals.

METHODS

The aim of the study was to determine the use of a neurologist for inpatient diagnosis and management, and to measure a neurologist's diagnostic reliability in a district general hospital over a 27-month period. Patient data were prospectively recorded. Follow-up was performed independently by two clinicians reviewing the medical notes. Reasons for diagnostic change were determined.

RESULTS

306 inpatients were referred to the neurologist between 1 January 2007 and 31 March 2009 (2% of medical admissions). Mean (SD) age was 49.3 (18.8) years, and the female/male ratio was 1.2:1. Epilepsy and stroke were the most common diagnoses. Diagnostic concordance between referring physician and neurologist ranged from κ score 0.13 (spinal pathology) to 0.83 (central nervous system infection). Neurological opinion resulted in diagnostic change in 38.2% and management change in 88.8%. Only 1.6% of patients remained without a diagnosis, a fourfold improvement from physician referral. After medical records had been reviewed, 3.3% of inpatient diagnoses (10 of 306 patients) changed from the original diagnosis by the neurologist. Specialist investigation helped in revising diagnoses in four of the 10 diagnostic changes.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that in a district general hospital a neurologist can contribute to inpatient diagnosis and management with minimal diagnostic change over time, suggesting reliability of this service.