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FISH cytogenetics, TP53 sequencing, and IGHV mutational status are increasingly used as prognostic and predictive markers in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), particularly as components of the CLL International Prognostic Index (CLL-IPI) and in directing therapy with novel agents. However, testing outside of clinical trials is not routinely available in Canada. As a centralized CLL clinic at CancerCare Manitoba, we are the first Canadian province to evaluate clinical outcomes and survivorship over a long period of time, incorporating the impact of molecular testing and the CLL-IPI score. We performed a retrospective analysis on 1315 patients diagnosed between 1960 and 2018, followed over a 12-year period, where 411 patients had molecular testing and 233 patients had a known CLL-IPI score at the time of treatment. Overall, 40.3% (n = 530) of patients received treatment, and 47.5% (n = 252) of patients received multiple lines of therapy. High-risk FISH and CLL-IPI (4-10) were associated with higher mortality (HR 2.03, p = 0.001; HR 2.64, p = 0.002), consistent with other studies. Over time, there was an increase in the use of targeted agents in treated patients. The use of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors improved survival in patients with unmutated IGHV and/or TP53 aberrations (HR 2.20, p = 0.001). The major cause of death in patients who received treatment was treatment/disease-related (32%, n = 42) and secondary malignancies (57%, n = 53) in those who were treatment-naïve. Our data demonstrate the importance of molecular testing in determining survivorship in CLL and underpinning the likely immune differences in outcomes for those treated for CLL.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) rarely complicates acute inflammatory conditions such as surgery, including post-cardiac surgery. Review of 32 previously-reported cases of post-cardiac surgery TTP indicates that this disorder often occurs as early as 2-3 days following surgery, which seems too soon to implicate new formation of anti-ADAMTS13 autoantibodies as a consequence of surgery itself. We diagnosed post-cardiac surgery TTP in a 60-year-old female that began approximately 3 days post-coronary artery bypass surgery in which anti-ADAMTS13 autoantibodies were implicated. We therefore investigated whether anti-ADAMTS13 autoantibodies were also present in a preoperative blood sample. Inhibitory (neutralizing) anti-ADAMTS13 autoantibodies were detectable in the preoperative blood sample, suggesting that the role of surgery in precipitating TTP might be due to effects such as abrupt increase in postoperative von Willebrand factor levels and associated proinflammatory factors, rather than effects of surgery itself leading to the formation of de novo anti-ADAMTS13 autoantibodies.

We investigate the effects of stereoscopic simulation on novice trainee surgical performance.20 first year medical students were randomized into a stereo or non-stereo group. Each participant viewed a 13 minute instructional video and then performed 3 mastoidectomy procedures with an in-house haptic temporal bone simulation, using a 3D-capable display with either active (stereo) or inactive (non-stero) shutter glasses. Following training, participants performed an actual mastoidectomy on a single 3D-printed bone model. The printed models were evaluated by 3 blinded neurotologic surgeons using a 7 point grading system.Two-tailed t-tests showed no significant difference in overall performance (mean score across test categories over all subjects) between stereo (M=3.8, SD=1.1) and non-stereo (M=4.4, SD=1.5) conditions (p=0.163). No significant differences existed in any of the assessed sub-domains.The addition of stereo-vision to haptic training may not affect temporal bone surgical skill acquisition in novice users.