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Simple Summary: Understanding how effective a treatment is before a major bladder surgery can help doctors to plan better patient care. Our research investigated the survival rates of patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy before having their bladders removed due to cancer. We wanted to examine if there were differences in survival for those who had certain signs of cancer in their lymph nodes after the chemotherapy. Our findings suggest that those who showed these signs and had received prior chemotherapy had a more challenging health outlook than those who directly went for surgery. This information is crucial as it may guide doctors to consider additional treatments and closer patient monitoring in certain cases. Our study helps to provide a clearer picture for both doctors and patients when making decisions about bladder cancer treatment. Patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) prior to radical cystectomy (RC) typically show better survival outcomes than those undergoing immediate surgery for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. However, most studies have not considered the lymph node (LN) status when evaluating NAC's survival benefits. This study sought to delineate the impact of NAC on patients based on their pathologically determined LN status at the time of RC. We examined data from 1395 patients treated at two departments between 1991 and 2022. Of them, 481 had positive LNs. A comparison of overall survival (OS) outcomes revealed that patients without LN involvement ((y)pN0) benefited from NAC with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.692 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.524–0.915). In contrast, patients with (y)pN+ showed no improvement with NAC (HR 0.927, 95%CI 0.713–1.205). Notably, patients treated with NAC for stage

Simple Summary: This survey-based study has assessed the types of coping mechanisms and QoL of patients diagnosed with and treated for prostate cancer. Patients using active forms of coping, seeking support and planning seem to have higher self-esteem, while maladaptive coping strategies in the form of self-blame can cause a significant decrease in patients' self-esteem. Our results show that older patients, despite the use of adaptation strategies, have lower self-esteem. Early psychological assessment and mobilization of patients' personal resources may allow patients to change stress coping methods towards more adaptive forms. The aim of this study was to analyze coping mechanisms and their psychological aspects during the treatment of neoplastic prostate hyperplasia. We have analyzed strategies and styles of coping with stress and self-esteem of patients diagnosed with neoplastic prostate hyperplasia. A total of 126 patients were included in the study. Standardized psychological questionnaires were used to determine the type of coping strategy by using the Stress Coping Inventory MINI-COPE, while a coping style questionnaire was used to assess the type of coping style by using the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS). The SES Self-Assessment Scale was used to measure the level of self-esteem. Patients using adaptive strategies of coping with stress in the form of active coping, seeking support and planning had higher self-esteem. However, the use of maladaptive coping strategies in the form of self-blame was found to cause a significant decrease in patients' self-esteem. The study has also shown the choice of a task-based coping style to positively influence one's self-esteem. An analysis related to patients' age and coping methods revealed younger patients, up to 65 years of age, using adaptive strategies of coping with stress to have a higher level of self-esteem than older patients using similar strategies. The results of this study show that older patients, despite the use of adaptation strategies, have lower self-esteem. This group of patients should receive special care both from family and medical staff. The obtained results support the implementation of holistic care for patients, using psychological interventions to improve patients' quality of life. Early psychological consultation and mobilization of patients' personal resources may allow patients to change stress coping methods towards more adaptive forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In recent years, a reduction in the life expectancy gap between people living with HIV (PLWH) and the general population has been observed, irrespective of CD4 lymphocyte count, due to widespread access to antiretroviral treatment. The increase in the life expectancy of PLWH has increased awareness of both the ageing process and gender discrepancies in immune restoration and survival. Materials and Methods: Longitudinal data were collected for 2240 patients followed up at the Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Warsaw, Poland (n = 1482), and the Department of Acquired Immunodeficiency, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland (n = 758). Immune restoration was measured from the time of starting combination antiretroviral therapy until achieving 500 CD4 lymphocytes/μL, 800 CD4 lymphocytes/μL, and CD4/CD8 lymphocyte ratios of > 0.8 and > 1.0. Full recovery was achieved when the patient was restored to both 800 CD4 lymphocytes/μL and a CD4/CD8 lymphocyte ratio > 1.0. Results: For all endpoints, immune restoration had a protective effect by reducing mortality. Patients who achieved immune restoration had a greater chance of reduced mortality than those who did not achieve immune restoration: for CD4 count > 500 cells/μL, HR = 5.4 (interquartile range: 3.09–9.41), p < 0.001; for CD4 > 800 cells/μL, HR = 5.37 (2.52–11.43), p < 0.001; for CD4/CD8 ratio > 0.8, HR = 3.16 (1.81–5.51), p < 0.001; for CD4/CD8 ratio > 1.0, HR = 2.67 (1.49–5.24), p = 0.001, and for full immune recovery, HR = 3.62 (1.63–8.04), p = 0.002. Conclusions: Immune restoration remains a powerful factor in improving the survival of PLWH, regardless of the speed of recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]