Endocrine Abstracts

With the changes in laboratory techniques affecting many disciplines, this is a short introduction to the variety of sales-based careers available in the UK biotechnology sector. The talk incorporates different companies, changing market trends and products and my own 'out of laboratory' experience of working in the biotech commercial world. Currently I work for Silicon Genetics, an American company with a small European operation based in the UK. I am their UK Regional Sales ...

Background: Klinefelter’s syndrome (KS) is a genetic condition affecting men with the potential to severely reduce their testosterone levels and affect their physical appearance. Being a syndrome there are a variety of different symptoms, which individuals may experience to a great or lesser extent. While much research has been directed at understanding the cognitive impact of KS much less research has been undertaken considering the psycho-social impact of living with th...

Background: Medical research suggests individuals with KS are visibly different and likely to be affected by their appearance. This can be associated with increased social stigma and increased psychological morbidity. This can undermine an already fragile self esteem, potentially increasing the risk of social isolation, resulting in further psychological distress. This study qualitatively explored the experiences of men living with a diagnosis of KS.Meth...

Introduction: Pituitary conditions are rare and diagnosis may be slow because symptoms are ambiguous. The treatment may be a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and medication so patients see many healthcare professionals. This survey sought to assess patient satisfaction with the information and support they receive from GPs, endocrinologists, neurosurgeons, radiotherapists, specialist nurses, and other agencies (e.g. the pituitary foundation).Method: ...

Pituitary disorders are relatively uncommon conditions which leave patients feeling isolated and distressed. Acromegaly and Cushing’s are associated with obvious and visible differences to appearance, while other pituitary conditions are associated with profound, yet hidden, physical changes which impact significantly on psychological well being.AimTo explore the subjective experiences of patients living with and managing a pi...

ObjectiveThis explorative study is concerned with assessing the psychosocial impact of living with a pituitary condition. In collaboration with the Pituitary Foundation, who work to understand and represent the experiences of patients, this study explored the psychosocial issues that are evident for and identified by patients with a pituitary condition (anxiety, depression and appearance related distress).Method<p class="abstex...

Background: The phase III, placebo-controlled, randomized TELESTAR study evaluated efficacy and safety of telotristat ethyl (TE) in patients (pts) with diarrhoea (≥4 bowel movements (BMs)/day) due to carcinoid syndrome (CS) inadequately controlled by somatostatin analogs (SSAs). TE, a tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor, decreases peripheral serotonin levels. As add-on treatment to SSAs, TE 250 mg 3x/day (tid) and TE 500 mg tid significantly reduced BM frequency (P...