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Background: One third of adults with cancer suffer from common mental disorders in addition to their malignant disease. However, it is unknown whether this proportion is the same in patients who have brain tumors and which factors modulate the risk for psychiatric comorbidity. Methods: In a multicenter study, patients with high‐grade glioma at 13 neurooncology clinics were enrolled consecutively and interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (SCID) to diagnose common mental disorders. Predictors of psychiatric comorbidity were investigated using binary logistic regression. Results: Six hundred ninety‐one patients were interviewed. The proportion of patients who had mental disorders was 31% (95% confidence interval [CI], 28%–35%). There was evidence for an association of psychiatric comorbidity with the following factors: younger age (odds ratio [OR], 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1–3.4; p =.04), stable disease versus complete remission (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1–2.8; p =.04), lower income (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.0–2.8; p =.04), living alone (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.0–2.6; p =.05), fatigue (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1–2.4; p =.03), and impaired cognitive functioning (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.5–3.6; p <.01). There was no evidence for independent effects of gender, histology, affected lobe, time since diagnosis, or employment status. Conclusions: Approximately one third of adult patients with high‐grade glioma may suffer from a clinically relevant common mental disorder, without notable disparity between the genders. In particular, clinicians should pay attention to possible comorbidities for cases in which patients exhibit compromised subjective cognitive function, are younger than 50 years, maintain a state of stable disease, or live alone. In a multicenter, cluster‐randomized clinical trial involving 691 adult patients with high‐grade glioma, the proportion with a comorbid psychiatric disorder was 31%. Comorbidity was more likely in younger patients and in those who had stable disease, were living alone, had lower income, had impaired subjective cognitive functioning, and had fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin reactions after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with anthracyclines are rare and mostly limited to small areas. We describe a 56-year-old male with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with epirubicin chemoembolization. Immediately the procedure, pain on the right side and an extended livedo reticularis-like skin reaction appeared. Since dexrazoxane, a topoisomerase-II catalytic-cycle inhibitor, has been shown to be effective in preventing or reducing skin necrosis and ulceration following anthracycline extravasation, the drug was administered 8 h after TACE and repeated in the following 2 days. Due to marked extrahepatic diffusion of epirubicin as evidenced by computed tomography imaging, the patient showed signs of systemic organ involvement. The critically ill patient required close follow-up and intensified treatment including blood supply and pulmonary drainage of a pleural effusion. The patient presented a significant clinical improvement of the skin lesions and resolution of organ involvement with normalization of laboratory parameters after dexrazoxane. In conclusion, adverse extended skin reactions and severe systemic effects related to anthracyclines diffusion could be properly treated with dexrazoxane infusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Aim: The aim was to evaluate cost-effectiveness of yttrium-90 transarterial radioembolization (TARE) in comparison to sorafenib treatment.Patients& Methods: A single-center, retrospective, observational study was performed, 166 patients with intermediate-/advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma were treated with sorafenib and 19 with TARE. The patients out of the sorafenib group matching the inclusion criteria for TARE, were reassigned to a subgroup SOR3.Results: Mean costs for SOR3 patients amounted to €27,992 per patient, instead for TARE treatment, mean expense per patient was €17,761 (p = 0.028). Overall survival was similar between the two groups, while midterm survival rates (p = 0.012) were significantly higher with TARE treatment.Conclusion: TARE causes significantly lower treatment costs than sorafenib with better outcome in midterm survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic hepatitis B has a complex natu­ral history. The age at infection, comor­bidities, coinfections, and other, yet to be identified factors, determine the prob­ability of developing a chronic infection. The HBV virus can never be completely eliminated and remains in the hepato- cytes for life. However, to reach an inac­tive carrier status is a realistic goal of the therapy. For HBV treatment, pegylated interferon and direct antivirals are avail­able. To screen persons at risk and to vaccinate all of the population are im­portant prophylactic measures.Chronic hepatitis C infection leads, in 30% of cases, to liver cirrhosis. Treat­ment is recommended from fibrosis stage Metavir 2. New DAA allows short treatment, with a high response rate and very few adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]