Introduction: Exercise rehabilitation has previously been reported effective in attenuating numerous cancer treatment-related toxicities and enhancing the QOL of patients. Many cancer centers have responded to this by initiating group-based exercise instruction to cancer survivors. However, research from other chronic diseases indicates that an individualized approach is most effective at attenuating treatment related toxicities and maximizing quality of life. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to compare a group-based exercise program to individualized exercise on fitness parameters, QOL, and psychological measures.

Methods: 573 individuals who were currently undergoing cancer treatment participated in this investigation. Each group underwent a comprehensive fitness assessment and completed McGill QOL questionnaires at the start of their exercise training, and after 12-weeks of training. Compliance data was also measured for each group. Data was analyzed at the 0.05 level of significance using descriptive statistics.

Results: Exercise has a positive impact on fitness parameters for both groups. On average, the one-on-one exercise group experienced greater improvements in all measured parameters. Likewise, QOL improved for both groups, but to a greater extent in the group exercisers (p<0.05).

Conclusions: Based on these data, it appears as though exercise can improve fitness parameters during cancer treatment. The individualized, one-on-one approach was the most effective at improving fitness

Objectives: To assess how senior citizens followed Telephone CPR (T-CPR) instructions in a simulated cardiac arrest scenario. Methods: Twenty-two voluntary senior citizens were studied in a simulated cardiac arrest scenario following the instructions given to them by an Emergency Medical Dispatcher. The phone calls and the CPR performance were recorded and analyzed. Results: The rescuers reported that they had performed better than the analysis of video and phone call recordings showed. When asked after the scenario the rescuers felt that they had coped with the situation well 72% and quite well 28% of the cases. Every participant evaluated the given telephone CPR instructions as very easy to understand. 35% of the participants thought that performing CPR was physically quite easy. The unexpected result was the EMDs’ bad protocol compliance. Protocol was not strictly followed by the dispatchers. They gave more straight forward instructions without the full knowledge of the situation, than they should have. From the 12 analyzed instructions that the dispatchers should have given to the rescuer, only three instructions (give two deep rescue breaths, correct positioning of the rescuers arms and to compress 15 times) were totally as in the protocol. Conclusions: The quality of CPR given by the senior citizens was inadequate in this study. The EMDs had bad protocol compliance. Standardized and feasible T-CPR instructions by the dispatcher are not seen in this study, even if the rescuers stated that the instructions were clear and easy to understand

Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome (RTS) is a rare autosomal dominant genetic disease characterized by growth deficiency, broad thumbs and great toes, intellectual disability and characteristic craniofacial appearance. Neurological manifestations of RTS include: seizures, primary brain tumors, cranio-spinal and posterior fossa anomalies. We describe a 21 year-old male with past medical history of congenital heart disease, kypho-scoliosis, intellectual disability, and global developmental delay. Neurological examination revealed spasticity with atrophic changes in all the extremities. Brain MRI was unremarkable and spinal MRI revealed multi-level degenerative changes in cervical spine with cervical spinal stenosis for which patient underwent C4-C6 laminectomy with postero-lateral fusion. In spite of de-compressive surgery, the spasticity persisted making RTS as the most likely etiology of spasticity. Patient spasticity was managed with baclofen and tizanidine. The goal of this case report is to extend our current knowledge on RTS and to define new international guidelines for diagnosis, care and treatment.

Patient dose normalization for optimal doses found in phase 1 clinical trials remains underutilized in Clinical Oncology. The Body Surface Area (BSA) is dominant despite its lack of rigor, apparent inadequacies and the frequent need for dose adjustment. The BSA method has been critiqued over the decades. In this paper, the use of In vivo body composition methods to determine fat mass and fat free mass are proposed, which would form the new basis for normalization of lipophilic and hydrophilic drugs. Issues relating to volume of distribution and drug clearance remain largely unknown, but at least the starting patient dose is expected to be better placed. Clinical trials are needed to justify both this approach and the BSA method

Background: Despite the close anatomical relationship between the pancreatic tail and left colonic flexure, large bowel obstruction due to pancreatic cancer is a rare condition.

Case presentation: We present two cases of large bowel obstruction due to pancreatic cancer.

Conclusion: In case of large bowel obstruction due to pancreatic cancer, an aggressive approach should be considered due to the nature of invasive pancreatic cancer in these cases with a palliative aim