Given the rising rate of opioid-related adverse drug events during postsurgical pain management, a nonpharmacologic therapy that could decrease analgesic medication requirements would be of immense value. We designed a prospective, placebo-and-randomized controlled trial to assess the clinical effect of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TEAS) on the postoperative patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) requirement for morphine, as well as side effects and recovery profile after inguinal hernia repair. Seventy-one subjects undergoing inguinal hernia repair with a standardized anesthetic technique were randomly assigned to one of three analgesic treatment regimens: PCA + TEAS (n = 24); PCA + sham-TEAS (no electrical stimulation) (n = 24), and PCA only (n = 23). The postoperative PCA requirement, pain scores, opioid-related side effects, and blood cortisol levels were recorded. TEAS treatment resulted in a twofold decrease in the analgesic requirement and decreased pain level reported by the patients. In addition, a significant reduction of cortisol level was reported in the TEAS group at 24 h postoperatively compared to the sham and control groups. We conclude that TEAS is a safe and effective option for reducing analgesic consumption and postoperative pain following inguinal hernia repair.

Introduction. Testicular cancer is the most frequently occurring malignant tumour in young men. Self-examination of testicles allows for early detection of the disease. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the level of knowledge concerning testicular cancer among young men. Material and methods. The study was conducted among 296 students of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. Results. The majority of students were never previously interested in the issue of testicular cancer. The students were not able to say at what age this type of cancer usually occurs nor did they know the risk factors or symptoms of the disease. Students of Medicine had much more knowledge about testicular cancer than the students from other fields. 91% of the examined men declared that doctors never informed them about the risk of developing testicular cancer and the importance of self-examination of the testicles. 72% of students of faculties other than medical, never searched for any information concerning testicular cancer on their own. Only 29% of students of all faculties perform self-examination of their testicles. Conclusions. Young man do not have sufficient knowledge concerning testicular cancer and rarely self-examine their testicles. Therefore, it is justified to disseminate more broadly knowledge concerning testicular cancer and to encourage young men to undergo self-examination. Introduction. Testicular cancer is the most frequently occurring malignant tumour in young men. Self-examination of testicles allows for early detection of the disease. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the level of knowledge concerning testicular cancer among young men. Material and methods. The study was conducted among 296 students of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. Results. The majority of students were never previously interested in the issue of testicular cancer. The students were not able to say at what age this type of cancer usually occurs nor did they know the risk factors or symptoms of the disease. Students of Medicine had much more knowledge about testicular cancer than the students from other fields. 91% of the examined men declared that doctors never informed them about the risk of developing testicular cancer and the importance of self-examination of the testicles. 72% of students of faculties other than medical, never searched for any information concerning testicular cancer on their own. Only 29% of students of all faculties perform self-examination of their testicles. Conclusions. Young man do not have sufficient knowledge concerning testicular cancer and rarely self-examine their testicles. Therefore, it is justified to disseminate more broadly knowledge concerning testicular cancer and to encourage young men to undergo self-examination.

Background: ARID1A (also known as BAF250a, p270 or SMARCF1) is a major component of the mammalian SWI/SNF family that is involved in the regulation of the chromatin structure. ARID1A gene mutations have been associated with many types of malignancies, including breast cancer. This study aimed to explore the expression of BAF250a protein in breast cancer and its association with the clinical and pathological characteristics and prognosis of breast cancer. Methods: We assessed the BAF250a expression in 119 invasive breast carcinomas samples and 92 healthy control and correlated this expression pattern with various clinical and pathologic parameters including histologic type and grade, tumor size, lymph node status, estrogen receptor (ER) status, progesterone receptor (PR) status. Immunohistochemical analysis of BAF250a, ER, PR, was carried out, and evaluation of stainings was performed. Results: The mean value of BAF250a expression in the experimental group was higher than in healthy control (P=0.001). The expression is unrelated to age, menopausal status, lymph node status, tumor size and location, grade and histologic type of tumor, and hormonal status (ER, PR). Conclusions: These data suggest that BAF250a is overexpressed in breast cancers. BAF250a may play context-dependent tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressive roles in cancer.