The comparative efficacy and safety of factor Xa inhibitors and warfarin for primary thromboprophylaxis in multiple myeloma patients undergoing immunomodulatory therapy.

There are limited data on the optimal choice of anticoagulation in multiple myeloma (MM) patients receiving immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs). We conducted a propensity score-matched cohort study using the TriNetX database to compare the efficacy and safety of factor Xa inhibitors and warfarin in this patient population. Compared to warfarin, factor Xa inhibitors had a similar risk of deep vein thrombosis (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.11 [95% CI: 0.50-2.46]) or pulmonary embolism (HR: 1.08 [95% CI: 0.59-2.00]). There were no differences in the risk of gastrointestinal or intracranial bleeding. Factor Xa inhibitor-treated patients had lower all-cause mortality (HR: 0.56 [95% CI: 0.36-0.86]) compared with warfarin. These data suggest that factor Xa inhibitors had similar safety and efficacy compared with warfarin for MM patients on IMiDs.

Indigenizing and co-producing the ACGME anesthesiology milestone in Taiwan: a Delphi study and subgroup analysis.

BACKGROUND: To implement the ACGME Anesthesiology Milestone Project in a non-North American context, a process of indigenization is essential. In this study, we aim to explore the differences in perspective toward the anesthesiology competencies among residents and junior and senior visiting staff members and co-produce a preliminary framework for the following nation-wide survey in Taiwan. METHODS: The expert committee translation and Delphi technique were adopted to co-construct an indigenized draft of milestones. Descriptive analysis, chi-square testing, Pearson correlation testing, and repeated-measures analysis of variance in the general linear model were employed to calculate the F values and mean differences (MDs). RESULTS: The translation committee included three experts and the consensus panel recruited 37 participants from four hospitals in Taiwan: 9 residents, 13 junior visiting staff members (JVSs), and 15 senior visiting staff members (SVSs). The consensus on the content of the 285 milestones was achieved after 271 minor and 6 major modifications in 3 rounds of the Delphi survey. Moreover, JVSs were more concerned regarding patient care than were both residents (MD = - 0.095, P < 0.001) and SVSs (MD = 0.075, P < 0.001). Residents were more concerned regarding practice-based learning improvement than were JVSs (MD = 0.081; P < 0.01); they also acknowledged professionalism more than JVSs (MD = 0.072; P < 0.05) and SVSs (MD = 0.12; P < 0.01). Finally, SVSs graded interpersonal and communication skills lower than both residents (MD = 0.068; P < 0.05) and JVSs (MD = 0.065; P < 0.05) did. CONCLUSIONS: Most ACGME anesthesiology milestones are applicable and feasible in Taiwan. Incorporating residents' perspectives may bring insight and facilitate shared understanding to a new educational implementation. This study helped Taiwan generate a well-informed and indigenized draft of a competency-based framework for the following nation-wide Delphi survey.

Decompressive Craniectomy versus Craniotomy for Acute Subdural Hematoma: Updated meta-analysis of real-world clinical outcome after RESCUE-ASDH trial.

INTRODUCTION: The RESCUE-ASDH trial found that disability and quality-of-life outcomes were similar between craniotomy and decompressive craniectomy for traumatic acute subdural hematoma, contrasting previous literature. This meta-analysis aims to validate the applicability of RESCUE-ASDH results using real-world data in acute subdural hematoma patients. METHODS: We searched Chocrane, Embase, and MEDLINE for relevant articles reporting clinical outcomes of craniotomy and decompressive craniectomy. Meta-analysis utilized R software with the restricted maximum likelihood method for random-effects meta-analyses, presenting odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals with Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman adjustment for heterogeneity. RESULTS: Besides RESCUE-ASDH, 5 retrospective studies were included, spanning 2006-2016. A total of 961 patients with traumatic ASDH were included in this study (Craniotomy = 467; Decompressive craniotomy = 494). The pooled analysis of retrospective studies showed no significant difference in poor clinical outcomes between the two groups (OR 0.59, 95% CI, 0.32 to 1.10). These findings align with the RESCUE-ASDH trial (OR 0.84, 95% CI, 0.58 to 1.23). Mortality rate was significant higher in patients undergoing craniectomy in pooled result of retrospective studies (OR 0.59, 95% CI, 0.32 to 1.10). In RESCUE-ASDH trial, reoperation rate was higher in the craniotomy group, but the pooled result of retrospective did not show significant difference between the craniotomy and craniectomy group. CONCLUSIONS: This real-world evidence confirms the RESCUE-ASDH trial results. Both craniotomy and decompressive craniectomy yielded similar disability and quality-of-life outcomes for traumatic acute subdural hematoma patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 2, Systematic and meta-analysis.

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Radial or Femoral Access for Carotid Stenting.

PURPOSE: There is a growing interest in performing coronary artery and neurovascular interventions via the radial artery; however, few studies have examined the outcomes of transradial carotid stenting. Therefore, our study aimed to compare cerebrovascular outcomes and crossover rates in carotid stenting between transradial and traditional transfemoral approaches. METHODS: A systematic review was performed by searching three electronic databases from inception to June 2022 in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. In addition, random effect meta-analysis was used to pool the odds ratios (ORs) for stroke, transient ischemic attack, major adverse cardiac events, death, major vascular access site complications, and procedure crossover rates between the transradial and transfemoral approaches. RESULTS: A total of 6 studies were included involving a total of n = 567 transradial and n = 6176 transfemoral procedures. The ORs for stroke, transient ischemic attack, and major adverse cardiac events were 1.43 (95% confidence interval, CI 0.72-2.86, I2 = 0), 0.51 (95% CI 0.17-1.54, I2 = 0), and 1.08 (95% CI 0.62-1.86, I2 = 0), respectively. Neither the major vascular access site complication rate (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.32-3.87, I2 = 0) nor crossover rate (OR 3.94, 95% CI 0.62-25.11, I2 = 57%) showed statistically significant differences between the two approaches. CONCLUSION: The modest quality of the data suggested comparable procedural outcomes between the transradial and transfemoral approaches when performing carotid stenting; however, high level evidence regarding postoperative brain images and risk of stroke in transradial carotid stenting are lacking. Therefore, it is reasonable for interventionists to weigh up the risks of neurological events and potential benefits, including fewer access site complications, before choosing the radial or femoral arteries as access sites. Future large-scale randomized controlled trials are imperative.

The Association between Proton Pump Inhibitors and the Effectiveness of CDK Inhibitors in HR+/HER- Advanced Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

There have been many clinical questions regarding whether the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) could deteriorate the effects of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKIs) in HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer patients. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of this clinical question, including studies enrolling HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer patients treated with CDKIs (Palbociclib or Ribociclib) and reporting at least one comparative survival outcome, either overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS), between concomitant PPI users and non-users. Eight studies met the eligibility criteria, with a total of 2584 patients included (PPI users: 830, PPI non-users: 1754), demonstrating that concomitant PPI use was associated with significantly higher risks of all-cause mortality (HR = 2.03; 95% CI, 1.49 to 2.77; I2 = 0%) and disease progression (HR = 1.75; 95% CI, 1.26 to 2.43; I2 = 59%) in breast cancer patients taking Palbociclib. In contrast, there were no significant survival impacts of PPIs on Ribociclib (HR = 1.46; 95% CI, 0.91 to 2.34; I2 = 36%). Additionally, there was no significant difference in the risk associated with CDKI dose reduction due to drug toxicity (RR = 1.12; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.29). Therefore, when HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer patients require the use of PPIs, it may be reasonable to consider using Ribociclib.

Is there a weekend effect in spine surgery?: A systematic review and meta-analysis of postoperative outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The concept of a weekend effect is that patients admitted to hospitals on the weekend tend to have poorer outcomes compared to those admitted on a weekday. Whether there is a weekend effect among patients receiving spine surgery is not well described in the literature. We sought to perform a systematic review with meta-analysis to explore whether a weekend effect exists among patients experiencing spinal surgery. METHODS: The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and MEDLINE electronic databases were searched for relevant articles. Meta-analyses were performed using functions available in the metafor package within the R software. We obtained adjusted odds ratios (OR) from included studies and pooled OR through an inverse variance method. A random-effects model was applied for meta-analysis and effect sizes were presented with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Our search strategy identified 316 references from electronic databases and eventually 6 studies were included in the analysis. The pooled result of 5 studies reporting overall complication rate indicated significant increased risk of complications among the weekend admission group (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.80). The pooled results of 3 studies demonstrated no difference in overall mortality rates between these 2 groups of patients (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.67 to 1.97). CONCLUSIONS: In spinal surgical patients, the weekend effect significantly contributes to a higher complication rate. Knowledge of potential adverse events in patients admitted on weekends is necessary for spinal surgeons and caregivers to improve patient outcomes with spinal surgery.

Remimazolam versus propofol for procedural sedation: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: To improve patient tolerability and satisfaction as well as minimize complications, procedural sedation has been widely used. Propofol is the most widely used agent for induction of anesthesia and sedation by anesthesiologists. With a different mechanism compared to propofol, remimazolam is a new short-acting GABA-A receptor agonist. It is an ester-based benzodiazepine. This meta-analysis aims to clarify the efficacy and safety of remimazolam versus propofol for procedure sedation. Methods: Electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing efficacy or safety of remimazolam versus propofol. Meta-analysis were conducted using RStudio with "metafor" package with random-effects model. Results: A total of twelve RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled results demonstrated that patients with remimazolam for procedural sedation had lower risk of bradycardia (OR 0.28, 95% CI [0.14-0.57]), hypotension (OR 0.26, 95% CI [0.22-0.32]), and respiratory depression (OR 0.22, 95% CI [0.14-0.36]). There was no difference in the risk of developing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) (OR 0.65, 95% CI [0.15-2.79]) and dizziness (OR 0.93, 95% CI [0.53-1.61]) between the remimazolam and propofol groups. Using remimazolam for procedural sedation is significantly associated with less injection pain compared to propofol (OR 0.06, 95% CI [0.03-0.13]). Regarding the sedation efficacy, there was no difference in sedation success rate or time to loss of consciousness, recover and discharge between the remimazolam and the propofol groups. Conclusions: Based on our meta-analysis, patients receiving procedural sedation with remimazolam had lower risk of bradycardia, hypotension, respiratory depression and injection pain compared with propofol. On the other hand, there was no difference in sedation success rate, risk of PONV, dizziness, time to LOC, recovery and discharge between these two sedatives. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022362950.

Robot-Assisted Kyphoplasty versus Fluoroscopy-Assisted Kyphoplasty: A Meta-Analysis of Postoperative Outcomes.

Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures are the most common manifestation of osteoporosis. Percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) can lead to both pain improvement and correction of kyphosis secondary to collapsed vertebral bodies. Robot-assisted (RA) PKP has been reported to provide better vertebral body fracture correction than conventional fluoroscopy-assisted (FA) PKP. The aim of this meta-analysis is to compare clinical outcomes of RA PKP versus FA PKP. The Pubmed, Embase, and MEDLINE electronic databases were searched from January 1900 to December 2022, with no language restrictions for relevant articles. We extracted the preoperative and postoperative mean pain score and standard deviation from the included studies and pooled them using an inverse variance method. Statistical analyses were performed using functions available in the metafor package in R software. The results of this meta-analysis were summarized with weighted mean differences (WMDs). Our search strategy identified 181 references from the Pubmed, Embase, and MEDLINE electronic databases. We excluded duplicates and irrelevant references, after screening titles and abstracts. The remaining 12 studies were retrieved for full-text review, and, finally, we included five retrospective cohort studies from 2015 to 2021, comprising 223 patients undergoing RA PKP and 246 patients undergoing FA PKP. No difference was found in subgroup analysis based on the timing of postoperative pain assessment, despite the overall estimate of postoperative pain indicating a significant difference between the RA PKP and FA PKP groups (WMD, -0.22; 95% CI, -0.39 to -0.05). The long-term pain assessment revealed a significantly lower VAS in the RA PKP group than the FA PKP group at six months postoperatively (WMD, -0.15; 95% CI, -0.30 to -0.01), but no difference between the subgroups at three (WMD, 0.06; 95% CI, -0.41 to -0.54) and twelve months (WMD, -0.10; 95% CI, -0.50 to 0.30) postoperatively. Our meta-analysis revealed no significant difference in postoperative pain between RA PKP and FA PKP. Patients undergoing RA PKP had better pain improvement compared to FA PKP at 6 months postoperatively. However, further studies focusing on long-term outcomes in patients undergoing RA PKP are warranted to clarify its benefit, given the small number of included studies.

Association between statin use and risk of gallstone disease and cholecystectomy: a meta-analysis of 590,086 patients.

Background: Statins have been reported to reduce the risk of gallstone disease. However, the impacts of different durations of statin use on gallstone disease have not been clarified. The aim of this study is toperform a systematic review with meta-analysis to update and to elucidate the association between statin use and the risk of gallstone disease and cholecystectomy. Methods: Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library were searched from the inception until August 2022 for relevant articles investigating the difference in the risk of gallstone disease between statin users and non-users (PROSPERO, ID: CRD42020182445). Meta-analyses were conducted using odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to compare the risk of gallstone disease and cholecystectomy between statin user and nonusers. Results: Eight studies enrolling 590,086 patients were included. Overall, the use of statins was associated with a marginally significant lower risk of gallstone disease than nonusers (OR, 0.91; 95% CI [0.82-1.00]). Further subgroup analysis showed that short-term users, medium-term users, and long-term users were associated with a significantly higher risk (OR, 1.18; 95% CI [1.11-1.25]), comparable risk (OR, 0.93; 95% CI [0.83-1.04]), and significantly lower risk of gallstone diseases (OR, 0.78; 95% CI [0.68-0.90]) respectively, compared to nonusers. Conclusions: Patients with medium-term or long-term use of statins without discontinuation are at a lower risk of gallstone disease or cholecystectomy.

Ten circumstances and solutions for finding the sample mean and standard deviation for meta-analysis.

A common problem in meta-analyses is the unavailability of mean and standard deviation (SD). Unfortunately, only having values of the median, interquartile range (IQR), or range cannot be directly utilized for meta-analysis. Although some estimation and conversion methods have been proposed in the past two decades, there were no published and user-friendly tools developed based on multiple scenarios of missing SD. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a collection of possible circumstances of missing sample means or SD with solutions for teaching and research. A total of 10 common circumstances of missing SD or mean could have available statistics of p value, t value, z score, confidence interval, standard error, median, IQR, and range. Teachers and investigators can use relevant formulas for finding the sample mean and SD according to the available circumstance. Due to the complicated computations, our team provides a free available spreadsheet. With ever-evolving statistical methods, some formulas may be further improved in the future; therefore, it is recommended to involve statisticians in evidence-based practice or systematic reviews.

Impact of perioperative α1-antagonists on postoperative urinary retention in orthopaedic surgery: meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) is a common complication following orthopaedic surgery. Previous studies attempted to establish the preventative role of α1-antagonist in POUR in the general surgical population; however, there is still no consensus regarding its use in orthopaedic surgery due to limited evidence. METHODS: Electronic databases of Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched by two independent investigators from inception to 1 March 2022 to identify relevant randomized clinical trials. Two reviewers independently completed a critical appraisal of included trials by using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool version 2.0 and extracted data from included articles. Risk of POUR was summarized as risk ratio (RR) with 95 per cent confidence intervals (c.i.). Mean difference (MD) was used for meta-analysis of continuous outcomes. RESULTS: Five randomized clinical trials involving 878 patients (α1-antagonist, 434; placebo, 444) undergoing hip/knee arthroplasty and spine surgeries were included. One study was assessed as high risk of bias from the randomization process and was excluded from the final meta-analysis. There was no difference in the risk of POUR between patients taking α1-antagonist and the placebo in arthroplasty (RR, 0.64; 95 per cent c.i., 0.36 to 1.14) and in spine surgeries (RR, 1.03; 95 per cent c.i., 0.69 to 1.55). There was no difference in length of stay (MD, -0.14 days; 95 per cent c.i., -0.33 to 0.05). Use of α1-antagonist was associated with a higher risk of adverse events (RR, 1.97; 95 per cent c.i., 1.27 to 3.06), with a composite of dizziness, light-headedness, fatigue, altered mental status, and syncope being the most commonly reported symptoms. CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing spinal surgery and joint arthroplasty, routine administration of perioperative α1-antagonist does not decrease risk of POUR but does increase perioperative dizziness, light-headedness, and syncope.

Risk Factors for 30-day Unplanned Readmission following Surgery for Lumbar Degenerative Diseases: A Systematic Review.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. OBJECTIVES: Surgical procedures for lumbar degenerative diseases (LDD), which have emerged in the 21-century, are commonly practiced worldwide. Regarding financial burdens and health costs, readmissions within 30days following surgery are inconvenient. We performed a systematic review to integrate real-world evidence and report the current risk factors associated with 30-day readmission following surgery for LDD. METHODS: The Cochrane Library, Embase, and Medline electronic databases were searched from inception to April 2022 to identify relevant studies reporting risk factors for 30-day readmission following surgery for LDD. RESULTS: Thirty-six studies were included in the review. Potential risk factors were identified in the included studies that reported multivariate analysis results, including age, race, obesity, higher American Society of Anesthesiologists score, anemia, bleeding disorder, chronic pulmonary disease, heart failure, dependent status, depression, diabetes, frailty, malnutrition, chronic steroid use, surgeries with anterior approach, multilevel spinal surgeries, perioperative transfusion, presence of postoperative complications, prolonged operative time, and prolonged length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: There are several potential perioperative risk factors associated with unplanned readmission following surgery for LDD. Preoperatively identifying patients that are at increased risk of readmission is critical for achieving the best possible outcomes.

Do proton pump inhibitors affect the effectiveness of chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients? A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPI), one of the most commonly prescribed medications, carry a myriad of adverse events. For colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, it still remains unclear whether the concurrent use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) would negatively affect chemotherapy. PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to 10 June 2022, to identify relevant studies involving CRC patients receiving chemotherapy and reporting comparative survival outcomes between PPI users and non-users. Meta-analyses were performed using random-effects models. We identified 16 studies involving 8,188 patients (PPI = 1,789; non-PPI = 6,329) receiving either capecitabine-based or fluorouracil-based regimens. The overall survival (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.15; I2 = 0%) and progression-free survival (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.35; I2 = 29%) were similar between PPI users and non-users in patients taking capecitabine-based regimens, with low statis-tical heterogeneity. Although the subgroup analysis indicated that early-stage cancer patients taking capecitabine monotherapy with concurrent PPI had a significantly higher disease progression rate (HR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.21 to 3.16; I2 = 0%) than those who did not use PPIs, both groups had comparable all-cause mortality (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 0.75 to 2.29; I2 = 0%). On the other hand, there was little difference in both OS and PFS in both early- and end-stage patients taking capecitabine combination therapy between PPI users and non-users. Conversely, the use of concomitant PPI in patients taking fluorouracil-based regimens contributed to a marginally significant higher all-cause mortality (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.40; I2 = 74%), but with high statistical heterogeneity. In conclusion, PPI has little survival influence on CRC patients treated with capecitabine-based regimens, especially in patients taking capecitabine combination therapy. Thus, it should be safe for clinicians to prescribe PPI in these patients. Although patients treated with fluorouracil-based regimens with concomitant PPI trended toward higher all-cause mortality, results were subject to considerable heterogeneity. Systematic Review Registration: identifier https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022338161.

Laser projector method for measuring postoperative acetabular anteversion after total hip replacement.

Introduction: For patients undergoing THR, measuring the postoperative acetabular anteversion precisely plays a pivotal role in the prognosis. However, using elliptical methods mandates computerized equipment that is frequently in shortage in remote areas and developing countries. We invented a laser projector utilizing the ellipse method to measure the acetabular anteversion directly. The aim is to examine the consistency and validity of the laser projector as compared to our original software, Elliversion. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected 50 postoperative pelvis radiographs including acetabulum from our institution. One investigator first measured the anteversion of included radiographs through Elliversion software as the control group. Subsequently, two operators independently used the laser projector for measurements in two separate periods with 1-day intervals as the experimental group. Our analysis was comprised of intra- and inter-observer comparisons and reliability, which investigated both the consistency and validity, by using two-sample student's t-test and intraclass correlation coefficient. Results: There was no significant difference in measuring the anteversion through laser projectors between two operators (p = 0.54), with excellent inter-observer reliability (ICC, 0.967). The estimated effect in the anteversion measurement between the Elliversion and laser projector was also comparable, with the ICC level of 0.984, indicating excellent reliability. Conclusion: Our study reported the consistency and validity of this laser projector as there is no significant difference between Elliversion and Laser projector, notably with excellent intra- and inter-observer reliability. We look forward to helping elevate clinical acumen when doctors provide care to patients after THR, especially in remote areas.

Mechanical or biological heart valve for dialysis-dependent patients? A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The optimal selection of prosthetic heart valve for dialysis-dependent patients remains controversial. We investigated the comparative effectiveness and safety of mechanical prosthesis (MP) and bioprosthesis (BP) for these patients. METHODS: After the systematic review, we included studies that involved patients on dialysis undergoing aortic valve replacement or mitral valve replacement (MVR) and reported comparative outcomes of MP and BP. Meta-analysis was performed using random-effects model. We conducted a subgroup analysis based on the valve position and postoperative international normalized ratio (INR), which was extracted from either tables or methods of each study. A meta-regression was used to examine the effects of study-level covariates. RESULTS: We included 24 retrospective studies without randomized-controlled trials, involving 10,164 participants (MP = 6934, BP = 3230). Patients undergoing aortic valve replacement with MP exhibited a better long-term survival effectiveness (hazard ratio, 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.47-0.86). Conversely, studies including MVR demonstrated little difference in survival (hazard ratio, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.73-1.12). A meta-regression revealed that age had little effect on long-term survival difference between MP and BP (ß = -0.0135, P = .433). MP had a significantly greater bleeding risk than did BP when INR was above 2.5 (incidence rate ratio, 10.58; 95% CI, 2.02-55.41). However, when INR was below 2.5, bleeding events were comparable (incidence rate ratio, 1.73; 95% CI, 0.78-3.82). The structural valve deterioration rate was significantly lower in MP (risk ratio, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.14-0.44). CONCLUSIONS: MP is a reasonable choice for dialysis-dependent patients without additional thromboembolic risk requiring aortic valve replacement, for its better long-term survival, durability, and noninferior bleeding risk compared with BP. Conversely, BP might be an appropriate selection for patients with MVR, given its similar survival rate and lower bleeding risk. Although our meta-regression demonstrates little influence of age on long-term survival difference between MP and BP, further studies stratifying patients based on age cut-off are mandatory.

The Association between Baseline Proton Pump Inhibitors, Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, and Chemotherapy: A Systematic Review with Network Meta-Analysis.

(1) Although emerging evidence suggests that proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-induced dysbiosis negatively alters treatment response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in cancer patients, no study systematically investigates the association between PPIs, ICIs, and chemotherapy; (2) Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, and PubMed were searched from inception to 20 May 2022, to identify relevant studies involving patients receiving ICIs or chemotherapy and reporting survival outcome between PPI users and non-users. Survival outcomes included overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Network meta-analyses were performed using random-effects models. p-scores, with a value between 0 and 1, were calculated to quantify the treatment ranking, with a higher score suggesting a higher probability of greater effectiveness. We also conducted pairwise meta-analyses of observational studies to complement our network meta-analysis; (3) We identified 62 studies involving 26,484 patients (PPI = 8834; non-PPI = 17,650), including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), urothelial carcinoma (UC), melanoma, renal cell carcinoma (RCC), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the neck and head. Eight post-hoc analyses from 18 randomized-controlled trials were included in our network, which demonstrated that, in advanced NSCLC and UC, patients under ICI treatment with concomitant PPI (p-score: 0.2016) are associated with both poorer OS (HR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.37 to 1.67) and poorer PFS (HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.25 to 1.61) than those without PPIs (p-score: 1.000). Patients under ICI treatment with concomitant PPI also had poorer OS (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.31) and poorer PFS (HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.48) in comparison with those receiving chemotherapy (p-score: 0.6664), implying that PPIs may compromise ICI's effectiveness, making it less effective than chemotherapy. Our pairwise meta-analyses also supported this association. Conversely, PPI has little effect on patients with advanced melanoma, RCC, HCC, and SCC of the neck and head who were treated with ICIs; (4) "PPI-induced dysbiosis" serves as a significant modifier of treatment response in both advanced NSCLC and UC that are treated with ICIs, compromising the effectiveness of ICIs to be less than that of chemotherapy. Thus, clinicians should avoid unnecessary PPI prescription in these patients. "PPI-induced dysbiosis", on the other hand, does not alter the treatment response to ICIs in advanced melanoma, RCC, HCC, and SCC of the head and neck.

Timing of Adjuvant Radiotherapy After Keloid Excision: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: No consensus exists regarding the appropriate timing of adjuvant radiotherapy administration after surgical excision of keloids. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the appropriate timing of adjuvant radiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and observational cohort studies was performed. A pooled estimate of the incidence rate was performed using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses based on different anatomic region, biologically effective dose, keloid length, and radiotherapy regimen were also conducted. RESULTS: Sixteen observational cohort studies (1,908 keloid lesions) met the inclusion criteria. The incidence rate was significantly lower in the group treated with electron beam therapy more than 24 hours after surgery (3.80%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.78%-8.13%) than that in the group treated with the same therapy within 24 hours of surgery (37.16%; 95% CI, 20.80%-66.37%; p < .0001), but no significant difference was observed between the groups regarding brachytherapy and x-ray treatments. CONCLUSION: Immediate adjuvant radiotherapy did not significantly reduce the incidence rate of recurrent keloids.