Parent reports of children’s working memory,coping, and emotional/behavioral adjustment in pediatric brain tumor patients: A pilot study

Neurocognitive problems in childhood survivors of brain tumors are well documented. Further, research has shown that problems in cognitive functioning may be associated with impairment in the use of complex strategies needed to cope with stress, including secondary control coping strategies (e.g., acceptance and cognitive reappraisal) which have been associated with fewer adjustment problems. The present study measured cognitive function, coping strategies, and adjustment in children ages 6–16 years at the time of brain tumor diagnosis and at two follow-up time-points up to 1 year post-diagnosis. In a prospective design, working memory was assessed in a total of 29 pediatric brain tumor patients prior to undergoing surgery, child self-reported coping was assessed at 6 months post-diagnosis, and parent-reported child adjustment was assessed at 12 months post-diagnosis. Significant correlations were found between working memory difficulties and secondary control coping. Secondary control coping was also negatively correlated with child attention and total problems. Regression analyses did not support secondary control coping mediating the association between working memory difficulties and child attention or total problems. These findings represent the first longitudinal assessment of the association between working memory, coping, and adjustment across the first year of a child’s brain tumor diagnosis and suggest a possible role for early interventions addressing both working memory difficulties and coping in children with brain tumors.     

促排卵治疗及其风险的探讨

促排卵药物在临床中的广泛应用,给不孕患者带来了希望,另一方面促排卵带来的风险也越来越引起人们的重视,如卵巢过度刺激综合征(OHSS)、妊娠并发症、出生缺陷和肿瘤等。因此,用哲学的观点客观地看待促排卵的成效与风险之间的关系有助于临床医生进一步提高促排卵安全性的认识,做出正确的决策。     

Recommendation Recall and Satisfaction After Attending Breast/Ovarian Cancer Risk Counseling

This study examined women’s recall of physician recommendations as well as patient satisfaction following participation in a breast/ovarian cancer risk and prevention program. Participants were 41 high risk women who attended a cancer risk program 4–6 months earlier. Two-thirds of women who received recommendations for tamoxifen treatment and genetic testing did not recall these recommendations upon follow-up. A number of women misunderstood recommendations and a quarter of the sample recalled recommendations that were not made during the consultation. Although these high risk women were generally satisfied with their counseling visit, those individuals who received particularly complex sets of recommendations reported feeling less understood and were less satisfied with the counseling. Findings underline the importance of examining recommendation recall, in addition to perceptions of cancer risk, when evaluating the clinical implications of cancer risk assessment.     

Increasing Utilization of Cancer Genetic Counseling Services Using a Patient Navigator Model

Rarely has utilization of genetic counseling for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) been studied separately from utilization of testing. At Kaiser Permanente Colorado, consistently only 30% of all members referred for HBOC attend genetic counseling. To increase the volume of genetic counseling appointments, a patient navigator approach was pilot tested in a randomized-controlled trial over 3 months. A total of 125 members were referred for HBOC genetic counseling (55 randomized to PN, 70 randomized to usual care). Utilization of referrals for Navigator-assisted members was 44%, compared to 31% in the usual care arm (p=0.16). The patient navigator significantly decreased time to appointment, with over 80% of Navigator-assisted members seen for genetic counseling less than three months from referral date, compared to 32% in usual care (p=0.002). patient navigator assistance shortens time from referral to appointment for HBOC genetic counseling, and may increase utilization of such services.     

Risk Assessment and Genetic Counseling for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer: Recommendations of the National Society of Genetic Counselors

These cancer genetic counseling recommendations describe the medical, psychosocial and ethical implications of identifying at-risk individuals for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) through cancer risk assessment, with or without genetic susceptibility testing. They were developed by members of the Practice Issues Subcommittee of the National Society of Genetic Counselors’ Familial Cancer Risk Counseling Special Interest Group. The information contained in this document is derived from extensive review of the current literature on cancer genetic risk assessment as well as the professional expertise of genetic counselors with significant experience in education and counseling regarding hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Critical components of the process include the ascertainment of medical and family histories, determination and communication of cancer risk, assessment of risk perception, education regarding the genetics of HBOC, discussion of molecular testing for HBOC if appropriate (including benefits, risks and limitations) and any necessary follow-up. These recommendations do not dictate an exclusive course of management or guarantee a specific outcome. Moreover, they do not replace the professional judgment of a health care provider based on the clinical situation of a client.     

Recommendations from Multi-disciplinary Focus Groups on Cascade Testing and Genetic Counseling for Fragile X-associated Disorders

The purpose of this paper is to report the outcome of a collaborative project between the Fragile X Research and Treatment Center at the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (M.I.N.D.) Institute at the University of California at Davis, the National Fragile X Foundation (NFXF), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The objective of this collaboration was to develop and disseminate protocols for genetic counseling and cascade testing for the multiple disorders associated with the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) mutation. Over the last several years, there has been increasing insight into the phenotypic range associated with both the premutation and the full mutation of the FMR1 gene. To help develop recommendations related to screening for fragile X-associated disorders, four, two day advisory focus group meetings were conducted, each with a different theme. The four themes were: (1) fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS); (2) premature ovarian failure (POF) and reproductive endocrinology; (3) psychiatric, behavioral and psychological issues; and (4) population screening and related ethical issues.     

个体化医疗和大数据时代的机遇和挑战

随着分子生物学的发展,高通量测序技术的引入和“大数据”处理能力的提高,现代医学正在经历巨大的变革,由传统的标准化医疗模式向个体化医疗模式转变。随着人类基因组计划和DNA元素百科全书计划的完成及人类和肿瘤基因图谱的绘制,我们正逐步解开人类基因组的奥秘。这极大地推进了人们对疾病,尤其是对肿瘤的认识。作为疾病诊断的“金标准”,病理学也在经历着深刻的变革,逐渐向个体化病理学发展。个体化医疗时代的到来,使医学各领域和社会多方面都面临新的机遇和挑战。     

贝伐单抗治疗实体肿瘤的临床研究进展

血管内皮生长因子(vascular endothelial growth factor,VEGF)在肿瘤的发病机制中起着关键作用,其作为抗肿瘤治疗的重要靶点,已得到越来越多的关注.贝伐单抗(Bevacizumab,BEV)是一种血管内皮生长因子的单克隆抗体,是目前最受关注的分子靶向药物之一,自2004年经美国FDA批准上市以来,BEV已被用于多种实体肿瘤的治疗.本文就BEV关于治疗几类实体肿瘤的临床研究进展作一综述.     

4例肾上腺区局限性Castleman病临床诊治分析

探讨肾上腺区局限性Castleman病的临床特点及诊治方法。回顾性分析4例经术后病理证实的肾上腺区局限性 Castle-man病患者的临床资料,并结合文献复习讨论Castleman病的临床特点及诊治方法。结果4例肾上腺区局限性Castleman病均顺利手术切除,术后随访1个月～22个月,未见肿瘤复发。Castleman病临床上少见,表现为不明原因的淋巴结肿大,临床表现无特异性,最终确诊依靠病理诊断。病变可发生在淋巴组织的任何部位,肾上腺区罕见,手术切除为首选治疗。     

卵巢激素影响女性恐惧情绪加工的神经机制

大脑结构和功能的性别差异导致恐惧情绪加工的两性差别。女性对恐惧情绪加工受到体内雌激素和孕激素浓度的影响。近年来, 人类脑成像技术、遗传学和分子生物学的综合研究发现了卵巢激素影响女性恐惧情绪加工的神经机制。其中, 雌激素水平升高导致杏仁核活动增强, 使女性对恐惧面孔识别的准确性增加, 而孕激素水平则相反。这与女性在月经周期不同阶段对社会交往的需求和妊娠期间的自我保护机制有关。