Neil Johns - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Neil Johns

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment

Purpose The B-MaP-C study investigated changes to breast cancer care that were necessitated by th... more Purpose The B-MaP-C study investigated changes to breast cancer care that were necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we present a follow-up analysis of those patients commenced on bridging endocrine therapy (BrET), whilst they were awaiting surgery due to reprioritisation of resources. Methods This multicentre, multinational cohort study recruited 6045 patients from the UK, Spain and Portugal during the peak pandemic period (Feb–July 2020). Patients on BrET were followed up to investigate the duration of, and response to, BrET. This included changes in tumour size to reflect downstaging potential, and changes in cellular proliferation (Ki67), as a marker of prognosis. Results 1094 patients were prescribed BrET, over a median period of 53 days (IQR 32–81 days). The majority of patients (95.6%) had strong ER expression (Allred score 7–8/8). Very few patients required expedited surgery, due to lack of response (1.2%) or due to lack of tolerance/compliance (0.8%). There were small...

Cancer cachexia is a chronic wasting syndrome characterised by loss of weight, composed principal... more Cancer cachexia is a chronic wasting syndrome characterised by loss of weight, composed principally of muscle and fat. Patients with advanced cachexia demonstrate loss of appetite, early satiety, severe weight loss, weakness, anaemia and fluid retention. Affected individuals are also likely to report/experience decreased quality of life, decreased levels of physical performance, increased levels of fatigue, increased risks of treatment failure (be it chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery), increased risks of treatment side effects, and an increased mortality rate. Cachexia is therefore an extremely important, yet often underappreciated cause of cancer patient morbidity and mortality which requires urgent attention. Weight loss is significantly associated with cancer morbidity and mortality. It has been observed that half of all cancer patients experience weight loss and one-third lose more than 5% of their original body weight. Skeletal muscle loss appears to be the most significant...

Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery

Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, 2011

European Journal of Surgical Oncology, 2018

Hospitality Review, 2004

Preliminary findings are presented from a study of self-catering accommodation in Scotland, UK, w... more Preliminary findings are presented from a study of self-catering accommodation in Scotland, UK, which has taken an overview of business activities, motivations and key issues in this growing sector. The study was conducted through semistructured interviews with key industry national and international informants as well as a mail survey of 600 self-catering operations in Scotland (a response rate of 43% was achieved). The findings are presented under the following headings: profile of the industry; degrees of commercialism; the self-catering product; customer profile; and opportunities for product and market development.

Techniques in Coloproctology, 2020

Background Patients with rectal cancer who present with sarcopenia (low muscle mass) are at signi... more Background Patients with rectal cancer who present with sarcopenia (low muscle mass) are at significantly greater risk of postoperative complications and reduction in disease-free survival. We performed a subanalysis of a randomised controlled study [the REx trial; www.isrctn.com; 62859294] to assess the potential of prehabilitation to modify muscle mass in patients having neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT). Methods Patients scheduled for NACRT, then potentially curative surgery (August 2014–March 2016) had baseline physical assessment and psoas muscle mass measurement (total psoas index using computed tomography-based measurements). Participants were randomised to either the intervention (13–17-week telephone-guided graduated walking programme) or control group (standard care). Follow-up testing was performed 1–2 weeks before surgery. Results The 44 patients had a mean age of 66.8 years (SD 9.6) and were male (64%); white (98%); American Society of Anesthesiologists class 2 (66%...

Zeitschrift für Naturforschung C, 1974

Acyl CoA derivatives of a number of cinnamic and benzoic acids have been synthesised via the appr... more Acyl CoA derivatives of a number of cinnamic and benzoic acids have been synthesised via the appropriate acyl phenyl thiol esters. The reaction has potential application in the preparation of acyl CoA derivatives of radiolabelled aromatic carboxylic acids. UV absorption spectra have been determined for the CoA thiol esters following their purification by gel permeation chromato graphy. By comparison of the extinction in the the hydroxamate assay of Lipman and Tuttle, extinction coefficients for the series

European Journal of Surgical Oncology, 2019

Inorganica Chimica Acta, 2019

Two new lanthanum complexes, [La2(μ2-OOCFc)4(DTBbpy)2(NO3)2] (1•2CH3CN) and [La2(μ2-OOCFc)4(μ-HOO... more Two new lanthanum complexes, [La2(μ2-OOCFc)4(DTBbpy)2(NO3)2] (1•2CH3CN) and [La2(μ2-OOCFc)4(μ-HOOCFc)2(DTBbpy)2(HOCH3)2](ClO4)2 (2•2CH3OH); (Fc = ferrocene and DTBbpy = 4, 4di-tert butyl bipyridyl) were prepared and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The reaction of sodium ferrocene carboxylate (FcCOONa) with La(NO3)•6H2O (1:1) in methanol at 80 °C followed by the addition of 4, 4di-tert-butyl bipyridyl (DTBbpy) resulted in the formation of (1). The use of La(ClO4)3•6H2O as a precursor under identical synthetic condition yielded (2). In 1 and 2, the La atoms are bridged by four FcCOOligands forming the [La2(μ2-OOCFc)4] core (La…La = 4.0357(4) Å in 1 and 4.3789(3) Å in 2). The coordination number of the La atoms is 9 for 1 and 8 for 2.

Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle, Jan 6, 2017

Sarcopenia is defined as the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. While all hum... more Sarcopenia is defined as the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. While all humans lose muscle with age, 2-5% of elderly adults develop functional consequences (disabilities). The aim of this study was to investigate muscle myogenesis in healthy elderly adults, with or without sarcopenia, compared with middle-aged controls using both in vivo and in vitro approaches to explore potential biomarker or causative molecular pathways associated with sarcopenic versus non-sarcopenic skeletal muscle phenotypes during ageing. Biomarkers of multiple molecular pathways associated with muscle regeneration were analysed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction in quadriceps muscle samples obtained from healthy elderly sarcopenic (HSE, n = 7) or non-sarcopenic (HENS, n = 21) and healthy middle-aged control (HMC, n = 22) groups. An in vitro system of myogenesis (using myoblasts from human donors aged 17-83 years) was used to mimic the environmental challenges of muscle regener...

JCSM Clinical Reports, 2017

Background:Body composition analyses from computed tomography (CT) scans have been used to assess... more Background:Body composition analyses from computed tomography (CT) scans have been used to assess cachexia in cancer patients. We investigated body composition indices, tissue change and treatment outcome in patients with resectable gastric adenocarcinoma.Methods:A cohort analysis of all patients treated with curative intent for gastric adenocarcinoma in two Scandinavian university hospitals from 2008-2011 was performed (n=137). Body composition analyses were performed on CT images taken for routine diagnostics and staging. Both preoperative single scans and repeat CT examinations were analyzed.Results:Perioperative chemotherapy was given to 58 (42.3%) patients. Forty patients (29.2%) suffered severe postoperative complications and 70 (51.1%) patients died within three years. There was a significant reduction in patients’ lean tissue during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (p=0.001). Poorer survival was observed in patients with preoperative skeletal muscle tissue index within the lowermost...

Optical Materials, 2016

Abstract Nanostructured Zinc Sulfide (ZnS) thin films with wurtzite structure were prepared by ch... more Abstract Nanostructured Zinc Sulfide (ZnS) thin films with wurtzite structure were prepared by chemical spray pyrolysis method at low temperature. The effect of sulfur concentration on the structural and optical properties of ZnS thin films was studied. The films were analysed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), UV–Vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL). Nano grain formation of ZnS was observed from XRD and SEM. Variation in band gap of different films is in agreement with size effects. But there is a red shift in the band gap of these films compared to bulk ZnS. This is due to band tailing effect experienced by the films due to the presence of large number of defects which was verified by PL spectrum. The overall emission was blue in colour for all the films and it was confirmed by Commission International d'Eclairage (CIE) diagram.

European Journal of Surgical Oncology (EJSO), 2017

reviewed. Resections with excision margins >10mm were considered complete. Results: Thirty-six pa... more reviewed. Resections with excision margins >10mm were considered complete. Results: Thirty-six patients were operated on with curative intent; 26 were managed by the sarcoma service and ten were managed locally. Median age was 70 years (range 43 to 85). Median follow up was 20.8 months (range 2.5 to 117) by the sarcoma service and 17.8 months (range 5.8 to 117) by local services. Disease specific survival was significantly longer in patients managed by the sarcoma service compared to those managed locally; 91.1 months (range 69.2 to 113) and 48.8 months (range 18.6 to 79.1) respectively, p ¼ 0.012. There was no significant difference in overall survival between the two cohorts (p ¼ 0.112). LR rate was higher in patients managed locally compared to those managed by the sarcoma service (p ¼ 0.015). Complete excision rate was 69% for resections performed by the sarcoma service compared to 50% in those performed locally (p ¼ 0.456). MFI was longer for patients managed by the sarcoma service 8.5 months (range 1.4 to 57.8) compared to 0.8 months (range 0.7 to 16.1) for those managed locally. Conclusions: Disease specific survival is significantly longer in patients with RA of the breast managed within a sarcoma service. Centralisation of care with early referral and surgical management by a dedicated sarcoma-reconstructive team is recommended.

European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990), Oct 29, 2017

There is variation in margin policy for breast conserving therapy (BCT) in the UK and Ireland. In... more There is variation in margin policy for breast conserving therapy (BCT) in the UK and Ireland. In response to the Society of Surgical Oncology and American Society for Radiation Oncology (SSO-ASTRO) margin consensus ('no ink on tumour' for invasive and 2 mm for ductal carcinoma in situ [DCIS]) and the Association of Breast Surgery (ABS) consensus (1 mm for invasive and DCIS), we report on current margin practice and unit infrastructure in the UK and Ireland and describe how these factors impact on re-excision rates. A trainee collaborative-led multicentre prospective study was conducted in the UK and Ireland between 1st February and 31st May 2016. Data were collected on consecutive BCT patients and on local infrastructure and policies. A total of 79 sites participated in the data collection (75% screening units; average 372 cancers annually, range 70-900). For DCIS, 53.2% of units accept 1 mm and 38% accept 2-mm margins. For invasive disease 77.2% accept 1 mm and 13.9% accep...

Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle, Jan 15, 2017

Cancer cachexia (cancer-induced muscle wasting) is found in a subgroup of cancer patients leaving... more Cancer cachexia (cancer-induced muscle wasting) is found in a subgroup of cancer patients leaving the patients with a poor prognosis for survival due to a lower tolerance of the chemotherapeutic drug. The cause of the muscle wasting in these patients is not fully understood, and no predictive biomarker exists to identify these patients early on. Skeletal muscle loss is an inevitable consequence of advancing age. As cancer frequently occurs in old age, identifying and differentiating the molecular mechanisms mediating muscle wasting in cancer cachexia vs. age-related sarcopenia are a challenge. However, the ability to distinguish between them is critical for early intervention, and simple measures of body weight may not be sufficiently sensitive to detect cachexia early. We used a range of omics approaches: (i) undepleted proteome was quantified using advanced high mass accuracy mass spectrometers in SWATH-MS acquisition mode; (ii) phospho epitopes were quantified using protein array...