Patient-Reported Outcomes in Prostate Cancer: Prospective Changes Analysis for Prognosis Prediction

Prostate cancer is affecting a higher proportion of male population. Health Related Quality of Life assessment can guide the development of an interdisciplinary and patient-centered care intervention. This study is aimed to assess Health Related Quality of Life in prostate cancer patients. Relationships between socio-demographic, clinical characteristics and patient-reported outcomes have been considered. Consecutive outpatients with prostate cancer, admitted at the Urology Clinic of the Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto, were studied (n = 300). Health Related Quality of Life was assessed as part of the routine practice. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer general questionnaire, QLQ-C30, and its specific module for prostate cancer patients, QLQ-PR25, were used. Evolution along time (elapsed since diagnosis, and up to 5 years) was considered in order to search for a prognosis prediction in prostate cancer patients. This study confirms the feasibility of a systematic Health Related Quality of Life assessment. Global Health Related Quality of Life was found to be higher 6 months after diagnosis, decreasing then until the second year after diagnosis and improving thereafter. A peak with better scores was identified at the fifth year after diagnosis. Social and physical dimensions revealed a similar pattern. Clinical significance was found 6 months and 5 years after diagnosis. The prospective analysis of Health Related Quality of Life changes is able to explore the patients’ outcomes in order to find patterns and relationships for prognosis prediction along the disease course. Such approach might promote patient confidence and thus a better cancer experience.

Assessing the estrogenic potency in a Portuguese wastewater treatment plant using an integrated approach

The estrogenic potency of a wastewater treatment plant （WWTP） was evaluated using chemical and biological analyses, which showed that after the station treatment processes some of the selected endocrine disruptor compounds （EDCs） were still present in the treated effluent （e.g., bisphenol A, alkylphenols, estrone）. Thus, the most common endocrine EDCs were identified and quantified and the overall estrogenicity of the treated effluent assessed by integrating the results. Male goldfish （Carassius auratus） were used as biological indicators in a 28-day experiment. Vitellogenin （Vtg）, gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indices, steroids （17β-estradiol and 11-ketotestosterone） and histopathology were biomarkers used in fish to evaluate WWTP treated effluent estrogenicity, in combination with instrumental analyses. The results showed a significant increase （P 〈 0.01） in plasma and liver Vtg, which were significantly correlated （r = 0.66; P 〈 0.01）. The gonadosmatic index was significantly （P 〈 0.01） reduced in exposed fish. The steroid analyses revealed significant elevations in 17β-estradiol and depressed 11-ketotestosterone concentrations. The histological examinations show changes in exposed fish gonads, such as regressed testes and in some cases （43% to 75%） the development of ovo-testis in fish exposed to 50% and 100% treated effluent.

A multi-integrated approach on toxicity effects of engineered TiO2 nanoparticles

The new properties of engineered nanoparti- cles drive the need for new knowledge on the safety, fate, behavior and biologic effects of these particles on organisms and ecosystems. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles have been used extensively for a wide range of applica- tions, e.g, self-cleaning surface coatings, solar cells, water treatment agents, topical sunscreens. Within this scenario increased environmental exposure can be expected but data on the ecotoxicological evaluation ofnanoparticles are still scarce. The main purpose of this work was the evaluation of effects of TiO2 nanoparticles in several organisms, covering different trophic levels, using a battery of aquatic assays. Using fish as a vertebrate model organism tissue histological and ultrastructural observations and the stress enzyme activity were also studied. TiO2 nanoparticles （Aeroxide~ P25）, two phase composition ofanatase （65%） and rutile （35%） with an average particle size value of 27.64-11 nm were used. Results on the ECs0 for the tested aquatic organisms showed toxicity for the bacteria, the algae and the crustacean, being the algae the most sensitive tested organism. The aquatic plant Lemna minor showed no effect on growth. The fish Carassius auratus showed no effect on a 21 day survival test, though at a biochemical level the cytosolic Glutathione-S-Transferase total activity, in intestines, showed a general significant decrease （p〈0.05） after 14 days of exposure for all tested concentrations. The presence of TiO2 nanoparticles aggregates were observed in the intestine lumen but their internalization by intestine cells could not be confirmed.