Peter C. Kurniali

Treatment of glioma patients with ketogenic diets: report of two cases treated with an IRB-approved energy-restricted ketogenic diet protocol and review of the literature.

BackgroundBased on the hypothesis that cancer cells may not be able to metabolize ketones as efficiently as normal brain cells, the ketogenic diet (KD) has been proposed as a complementary or alternative therapy for treatment of malignant gliomas.Case presentationWe report here our experience in treating two glioma patients with an IRB-approved energy-restricted ketogenic diet (ERKD) protocol as monotherapy and review the literature on KD therapy for human glioma patients. An ERKD protocol was used in this pilot clinical study. In addition to the two patients who enrolled in this study, we also reviewed findings from 30 other patients, including 5 patients from case reports, 19 patients from a clinical trial reported by Rieger and 6 patients described by Champ. A total of 32 glioma patients have been treated using several different KD protocols as adjunctive/complementary therapy. The two patients who enrolled in our ERKD pilot study were monitored with twice daily measurements of blood glucose and ketones and daily weights. However, both patients showed tumor progression while on the ERKD therapy. Immunohistochemistry reactions showed that their tumors had tissue expression of at least one of the two critical mitochondrial ketolytic enzymes (succinyl CoA: 3-oxoacid CoA transferase, beta-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase 1). The other 30 glioma patients in the literature were treated with several different KD protocols with varying responses. Prolonged remissions ranging from more than 5 years to 4 months were reported in the case reports. Only one of these patients was treated using KD as monotherapy. The best responses reported in the more recent patient series were stable disease for approximately 6 weeks. No major side effects due to KD have been reported in any of these patients.ConclusionsWe conclude that 1. KD is safe and without major side effects; 2. ketosis can be induced using customary foods; 3. treatment with KD may be effective in controlling the progression of some gliomas; and 4. further studies are needed to determine factors that influence the effectiveness of KD, whether as a monotherapy, or as adjunctive or supplemental therapy in treating glioma patients.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov# NCT01535911

Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Stage II Colon Cancer: A Clinical Dilemma

The decision to treat a patient with stage II colon cancer with adjuvant chemotherapy can be challenging. Although the benefit of treatment is clear in most patients with stage III disease, the decision to provide chemotherapy after surgical resection in stage II disease must be made on an individual basis. Several trials have demonstrated the small but absolute benefits of receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II colon cancer for disease-free survival and overall survival. In an attempt to better understand the role of chemotherapy, several studies were performed that identified high-risk characteristics that can be used prognostically and predictively to aid in the clinical decision making process. ASCO, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and the European Society of Medical Oncology have published guidelines describing these high-risk characteristics. Since then, several other molecular markers have emerged that may offer more information on a given patients risk for recurrence. The decision to treat a patient with stage II colon cancer must be made on an individual basis, considering the risks and benefits of treatment. In this short review, we will present the available evidence and offer possible directions for future study.

Management of locally advanced and metastatic colon cancer in elderly patients.

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States with a median age at diagnosis of 69 years. Sixty percent are diagnosed over the age of 65 years and 36% are 75 years or older. At diagnosis, approximately 58% of patients will have locally advanced and metastatic disease, for which systemic chemotherapy has been shown to improve survival. Treatment of cancer in elderly patients is more challenging due to multiple factors, including disabling co-morbidities as well as a decline in organ function. Cancer treatment of elderly patients is often associated with more toxicities that may lead to frequent hospitalizations. In locally advanced disease, fewer older patients receive adjuvant chemotherapy despite survival benefit and similar toxicity when compared to their younger counterparts. A survival benefit is also observed in the palliative chemotherapy setting for elderly patients with metastatic disease. When treating elderly patients with colon cancer, one has to consider drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Since chronological age is a poor marker of a patients functional status, several methods of functional assessment including performance status and activities of daily living (ADL) or instrumental ADL, or even a comprehensive geriatric assessment, may be used. There is no ideal chemotherapy regimen that fits all elderly patients and so a regimen needs to be tailored for each individual. Important considerations when treating elderly patients include convenience and tolerability. This review will discuss approaches to the management of elderly patients with locally advanced and metastatic colon cancer.

A Retrospective Study Investigating the Incidence and Predisposing Factors of Hospital-Acquired Anemia

Hospitalized patients frequently have considerable volumes of blood removed for diagnostic testing which could lead to the development of hospital-acquired anemia. Low hemoglobin levels during hospitalization may result in significant morbidity for patients with underlying cardiorespiratory and other illnesses. We performed a retrospective study and data was collected using a chart review facilitated through an electronic medical record. A total of 479 patients who were not anemic during admission were included in analysis. In our study, we investigated the incidence of HAA and found that, between admission and discharge, 65% of patients dropped their hemoglobin by 1.0 g/dL or more, and 49% of patients developed anemia. We also found that the decrease in hemoglobin between admission and discharge did not differ significantly with smaller phlebotomy tubes. In multivariate analysis, we found that patients with longer hospitalization and those with lower BMI are at higher risk of developing HAA. In conclusion, our study confirms that hospital-acquired anemia is common. More aggressive strategies such as reducing the frequency of blood draws and expanding the use of smaller volume tubes for other laboratory panels may be helpful in reducing the incidence of HAA during hospitalization.

Thyroid Metastases from Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Gallbladder

Gallbladder cancer is a relatively uncommonmalignancy with approximately 5,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the USA [1, 2]. The majority of gallbladder cancers are adenocarcinoma (about 90 %) with squamous cell carcinoma accounting for only about 1–2 % of all cases [3–6]. The overall prognosis of squamous cell carcinoma is significantly worse than adenocarcinoma [5]. Gall bladder cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage due to the aggressive biological nature of the tumor and non-specific initial clinical presentation, such as bloating and/or right upper quadrant discomfort. In other instances, gallbladder cancer is found incidentally at surgery or on pathologic review following cholecystectomy [7]. The most common sites of distant metastases are the peritoneum, liver, and lung [8]. However, it is known to metastasize to unusual sites such as skin and subcutaneous tissue, breast, heart, and muscle [9, 10]. Metastasis of adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder to the thyroid has also been reported in the past [11]. Case Report