Background: Numerous reports indicate the educational deficiencies of medical students in delivering bad-news-related skills. Evaluation of the performance of training programs in this area should be one of the key components of the educational process. The purpose of this study was to analyze medical students’ preferences and educational needs regarding DBN (delivering bad news). The effect of clinical experience on the self-assessment of skills was analyzed. Methods: The quantitative survey was conducted using the CAWI technique. The study involved 321 fifth- and sixth-year medical students from 14 medical universities in Poland. Pearson’s χ² test was used for statistical analysis. The profile of respondents for categorical variables was determined by KMeans analysis. Results: As many as 75.1% of students revealed that they did not feel sufficiently prepared for DBN. Only 18.7% reported having adequate competence in this area. More than half of the inquired students (63.6%) witnessed a situation during their clinical practice in which a physician provided a patient with information about an unfavorable diagnosis. These students were less likely to declare that they could not deliver BN (43.4%) than students who had no such experience (58.2%). As many as 86.3% of the respondents reported the need for more time in DBN skills training. Students mostly preferred active teaching methods. Conclusions: Understanding students’ learning needs and preferences can help medical schools optimize their education programs to develop DBN-related competencies.

Purpose: The aim of our study was to analyze students’ emotional experiences and coping mechanisms regarding the situation of delivering bad news (DBN). Patients and Methods: 291 fifth- and sixth-year students from 14 medical universities took part in our study. Their responses were analyzed from the perspective of their experience – whether the individuals received bad news, delivered bad news themselves, witnessed bad news being delivered, or had no experience at all. We used content analysis (CA) to examine the responses and analyzed classified variables using χ² tests, logistic regression, and predictive modeling with multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). Results: Students who had experience as a deliverer were more likely to experience failure and guilt (p=0.005). Predictions of anxiety (59.3%), stress (41.9%), and sadness (33.7%) were the highest in the students with no DBN experience. These students were most likely to make statements suggesting lack of methods and strategies for coping with difficult emotions. Students, who were immersed in DBN experiences, more often expressed the need to talk about their emotions with an experienced doctor, a family member or a friend, and used those conversations as a coping strategy. Conclusion: The most important aspects that influence the quality of delivering bad news are both communication skills and emotional context. Training regarding DBN should not only contain those two elements, but also consider the development of coping mechanisms.

Background: We aimed to identify which attitudes and emotions accompany latter-year medical students as they experience situations where bad news is communicated. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the computer-assisted web interview (CAWI) methodology in a group of 321 fifth- and sixth-year medical students from 14 medical universities in Poland. Correlations were analyzed using Pearson’s χ² test. For the categorical variables, subject profiles were analyzed using K-means clustering. Results: Students’ self-assessments of their competence in delivering bad news (DBN) differed depending on the type of experience they had with it. More than half of the students had observed a situation of DBN (63.6%) and as many as 26.5% of the participants had received bad news themselves. These two groups were less likely to declare a lack of DBN-related skills (43.4% and 33.4%, respectively) than others. In this study, 9% of the students had personally delivered bad news. Only 13.4% of these students rated their DBN skills as insufficient. They were also the least likely to express concern regarding high levels of stress (29.6%) and anxiety (48%). Conclusions: The ability to personally deliver bad medical news to a patient was the most effective form of gaining experience in DBN. Being a bearer of bad news may help students develop their own strategies for coping with difficult emotions and develop their professional competences, leading to improved medical care and patient comfort.

Chronic myeloid leukemia is defined by the presence of the BCR::ABL1 fusion, which plays a central role in disease pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment selection, and molecular monitoring. This narrative review aimed to summarize the current clinical significance of BCR::ABL1, with particular emphasis on diagnostic methods, assessment of response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, mechanisms of resistance, and treatment-free remission. A literature search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar, focusing primarily on English-language guidelines, review articles, and clinically relevant studies published between 2015 and 2025, while also including earlier landmark publications. The review shows that cytogenetic analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction provide complementary diagnostic information. Serial RT-qPCR measurement of BCR::ABL1 on the International Scale remains the standard method for assessing the depth and kinetics of molecular response. Interpretation should consider previous results, treatment adherence, dose modifications, assay variability, and the overall clinical context. Detection of kinase-domain mutations, particularly T315I, may explain treatment resistance and guide subsequent TKI selection. Targeted next-generation sequencing and digital PCR may improve the detection of resistant subclones and low-level residual disease, but their findings should not be used as isolated treatment criteria. Overall, accurate and standardized BCR::ABL1 monitoring remains essential for individualized CML management, while further research is needed to validate additional prognostic markers and improve prediction of treatment-free remission.

Background: Plasma phosphorylated tau at threonine 217 (p-tau217) has emerged as a promising minimally invasive biomarker for the biological detection of Alzheimer’s disease. This review aimed to evaluate the analytical platforms used for plasma p-tau217 measurement, their diagnostic performance, and the principal challenges associated with its implementation in clinical practice. Methods: A structured narrative review of publications issued between 2019 and 2026 was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science, with Google Scholar and reference-list screening used as supplementary sources. Studies evaluating plasma p-tau217 assays, analytical validation, diagnostic accuracy, comparison with positron emission tomography or cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, and clinical implementation were included. Owing to substantial methodological and analytical heterogeneity, findings were synthesised narratively. Results: Plasma p-tau217 showed high diagnostic performance for identifying amyloid and tau pathology and generally outperformed other phosphorylated tau isoforms. Mass-spectrometry-based measurement, particularly percentage p-tau217, demonstrated the highest analytical selectivity and diagnostic accuracy. However, fully automated immunoassays showed greater potential for routine laboratory use because of their higher throughput and reduced technical complexity. Diagnostic performance varied according to the assay, cut-off values, clinical setting, disease prevalence, and patient characteristics. A two-cut-off strategy improved classification while retaining an intermediate group requiring confirmatory testing. Conclusions: Plasma p-tau217 may substantially improve access to biological Alzheimer’s disease diagnostics, but it should not be interpreted as a stand-alone test. Clinical implementation requires assay-specific validation, standardization, external quality control, and integration with clinical assessment and confirmatory diagnostic methods.

Postoperative ileus (POI) is a multifactorial condition causing the transient cessation of bowel motility, which significantly increases patient morbidity and healthcare costs. This narrative review synthesizes current clinical evidence evaluating the efficacy, safety, and underlying mechanisms of early postoperative coffee administration in mitigating POI. A structured literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus was conducted, focusing on randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses that assessed early coffee consumption against standard care in human surgical cohorts. Clinical data consistently demonstrate that coffee significantly accelerates gastrointestinal recovery across colorectal, gynecological, general abdominal, and obstetric surgeries. The intervention effectively reduces the time to first flatus, first defecation, and the tolerance of solid food. These prokinetic benefits are driven by cephalic-vagal reflex stimulation, gastrointestinal hormone secretion, and intrinsic anti-inflammatory properties, with decaffeinated formulations showing comparable efficacy to caffeinated ones. Furthermore, coffee demonstrates a favorable safety profile without elevating overall postoperative complication rates, including anastomotic leakage, and enhances patient compliance. Ultimately, postoperative coffee consumption is a universally accessible, safe, and low-cost dietary intervention that expedites bowel recovery and decreases hospital length of stay. Its routine integration into standardized Enhanced Recovery After Surgery pathways offers a highly pragmatic strategy for managing POI.