Quality assessment of prostate cancer reports to the Danish Cancer Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Danish Cancer Registry (DCR) is the oldest nationwide population-based cancer registry in the Nordic countries. At the time of the study the DCR recorded date of diagnosis, tumor stage and initial treatment. The validity of the clinical information reported to the DCR has never been analyzed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients diagnosed with prostate cancer from 1 May to 31 December 1997 and living in eight Danish counties were identified through the DCR. Clinical data was retrieved from hospital records where date of diagnosis, stage at diagnosis and treatment received were registered. RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis was 74.6 years (s.d. 8.6 years). Diagnosis was verified histologically for 87% of cases. Overall 95% of the patients had a difference less than three months between the reported date of diagnosis and the date found in hospital records. Correction of dates of diagnosis had no impact on survival. Hospital records identified 86 patients with T1-2 disease without distant metastases (M0), but only 56 of these patients (65%) were reported to the DCR as having localized disease. According to hospital records a total of 242 patients were confirmed having distant metastases (M1) at diagnosis but only 139 of these cases (57%) were reported to the DCR as such. Considerable "over reporting" of curative treatment was observed. CONCLUSION: The DCR has been shown to be reliable in terms of new cases being reported. For the majority of cases there were insignificant differences concerning the date of diagnosis. However, the DCR information on stage and treatment was found to be inaccurate. Since 2004 the DCR registration process, including staging according to the TNM classification, has been carried out electronically from several registers. Future comparison between cohorts of different time intervals or international comparison should be interpreted with caution when clinical information is included.

Effect of recombinant Factor VIIa on outcome of acute variceal bleeding: an individual patient based meta-analysis of two controlled trials.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Two randomized controlled studies have evaluated the effect of recombinant Factor VIIa (rFVIIa) on variceal bleeding in cirrhosis without showing significant benefit. The aim of the present study was to perform a meta-analysis of the two trials on individual patient data with special focus on high risk patients. METHODS: The primary outcome measure was the effect of rFVIIa on a composite five day endpoint: failure to control bleeding, 5-day rebleeding or death. Analysis was based on intention to treat. High risk was defined as active bleeding on endoscopy while under vasoactive drug infusion and Child-Pugh score >8. RESULTS: 497 patients were eligible for the meta-analysis; 308 (62%) had active variceal bleeding at endoscopy (oozing or spurting) and 283 of these had a Child-Pugh score >8. Analysis on the composite endpoint in all patients with bleeding from oesophageal varices did not show any beneficial treatment effect. However, failure rate for the primary composite end-point was significantly lower in treated patients with active bleeding at endoscopy (17%) compared to placebo (26%, p=0.049). This difference was highly significant in patients with Child-Pugh score >8 and active bleeding at endoscopy (rFVIIa 16%, placebo 27%; p=0.023). No significant treatment effect was found at 42 days. Five thromboembolic events occurred in rFVIIa treated patients compared to none in placebo treated patients. CONCLUSIONS: The current meta-analysis shows a beneficial effect of rFVIIa on the primary composite endpoint of control of acute bleeding, prevention of rebleeding day 1-5 and 5-day mortality in patients with advanced cirrhosis and active bleeding from oesophageal varices at endoscopy. A major drawback of the treatment is a potential increased risk of arterial thrombo-embolic events. This treatment might be considered in patients with lack of control of bleeding after standard treatment.

Length of life gained with surgical treatment of prostate cancer: A population-based analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyse relative survival, excess mortality and gain in life expectancy in men who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) for localized prostate cancer (PCa) between 1995 and 2011 in Denmark. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study population comprised the complete cohort of 6489 men who underwent RP between 1995 and 2011. Risk of mortality was calculated using a competing risk model. Relative survival, excess mortality rate (EMR) and gain in life expectancy in men undergoing RP were calculated using a matched cohort Danish population based on date of birth and date of surgery. RESULTS: During follow-up 328 patients died, 109 (33.2%) of PCa and 219 (66.8%) of other causes. The cumulative incidence of PCa mortality was 5.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.4, 7.2] after 10 years. Relative survival was significantly above 1.0 for RP patients, except for high-risk patients. EMR was -9.34 (95% CI -10.56, -8.13) after 10 years, i.e. nine men would die in excess of the general population. Overall, the gain in life expectancy in men undergoing RP compared with the general population was 0.41 years. CONCLUSION: This population-based study demonstrated that the gain in life expectancy with RP compared with the general population in Denmark is minimal.

The effect of rehabilitation on health-care utilisation in COPD patients in Copenhagen.

INTRODUCTION: The Integrated Rehabilitation Programme for Chronic Conditions project (SIKS) implemented rehabilitation programmes for people with four chronic conditions in the local area within the Municipality of Copenhagen. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of rehabilitation on health-care utilisation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients as a subgroup of SIKS. METHODS: For the analyses, data from Danish National Registers' were obtained. The following outcomes were analysed: (i) COPD hospital admissions, (ii) COPD bed days, (iii) COPD outpatient visits, (iv) COPD emergency room visits, (v) general practitioner visits, (vi) specialist visits, and (vii) COPD specific medication. The rehabilitation group consisted of 118 patients who completed the programme. The control group consisted of 236 COPD patients in Copenhagen who did not undergo rehabilitation and were matched with the intervention group according to propensity score calculated on the basis of patient socio-demographic characteristics and health-care utilisation pattern in 2 years prior to the rehabilitation programme. The effect was assessed by applying the principle of difference-in-difference analysis. RESULTS: Compared with their matched controls, the patients participating in the rehabilitation programme showed a statistically significantly smaller increase in hospital admissions, bed days and outpatient visits. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides the policy decision makers in the Municipality of Copenhagen with an assessment of the effect of a real-life intervention. It shows that the pulmonary rehabilitation programme introduced had the anticipated effects on health-care utilisation. The study also suggests that the methods used for evaluation were appropriate.

Differences in survival from prostate cancer in Denmark, Iceland and Sweden.

INTRODUCTION: Register-based studies have shown large survival differences among prostate cancer patients in the Nordic countries. The aim of this study was to determine the background of such differences in Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with prostate cancer were identified through population-based cancer registers in the three countries. Clinical findings at diagnosis were retrieved from hospital records. In Sweden, clinical information was gathered from regional population-based prostate cancer registers. Country-specific incidence and excess mortality rates were compared, with adjustment for prognostic factors. RESULTS: The relative survival in the cohorts was comparable to that in previous population-based studies. Significant differences in excess mortality rates were found across countries, which diminished or disappeared after adjustment for patient characteristics, i.e. metastatic status, clinical T stage and prostate-specific antigen level. A difference in the proportion of patients with metastatic disease was the main explanation of the differences in survival among countries, while the incidence rates of metastatic cancer were similar. DISCUSSION: Register-based studies of the relative survival of prostate cancer patients are influenced by national differences in clinical presentation at diagnosis. Differences in the proportion of patients with metastatic spread explained most of the difference in relative survival among patients in Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. Future country comparisons of relative survival should include adjustment for differences in patient characteristics, such as stage, prostate-specific antigen level and screening intensity.

Language understanding and vocabulary of early cochlear implanted children.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to identify factors associated with the level of language understanding, the level of receptive and active vocabulary, and to estimate effect-related odds ratios for cochlear implanted children's language level. METHODS: The patient material included all children born in Denmark between January 2005 and January 2011, having received a cochlear implant (CI) and with a minimum of 6 months of hearing with their CI (N=94). The participation rate was 88% (N=83). Sixty-eight (82%) of the participating children were implanted bilaterally. Mean age at implantation was 19.6 months. The mean age at test was 46.3 months and the mean age of hearing with CI was 25.9 months. The children were tested with three different tests, the PPVT-4, the Reynell receptive part and a Danish test "Viborgmaterialet" for active vocabulary. Logistic regression models were used for analysis of the potential influence of eighteen different factors upon the test outcomes. RESULTS: The majority of children did not have age equivalent language understanding and vocabulary. There was significant effect of the following factors upon the test outcomes: age at hearing aid start before implantation, age at implantation, length of hearing, communication mode, mode of implantation, amount of support teaching, residence and educational placement. Children who started HA treatment before 6 months of age, were implanted before 12 months or did not use total communication had the highest odds of having age equivalent language understanding and vocabulary. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of hearing impaired children in Denmark received hearing aids before six months of hearing and the majority was implanted before 18 months of age. Despite these medical and technical advances the vast majority did not have age equivalent language understanding and vocabulary. Data suggest that the language gap is not closed in two years after implantation.

Patients undergoing radical prostatectomy have a better survival than the background population.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to investigate standardised relative survival and mortality ratio for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer at our institution. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1995 and 2010, a total of 1,350 consecutive patients underwent radical prostatectomy. Patients were followed prospectively per protocol. No patients were lost to follow-up. Overall and cause-specific survival were described using Kaplan-Meier plots. Standardized relative survival and mortality ratio were calculated based on expected survival in the age-matched Danish population using the methods and macros described by Dickmann. The country-specific population mortality rates used for calculation of the expected survival were based on data from The Human Mortality Database. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 3.4 years (range: 0-14.3 years). A total of 59 (4.4%) patients died during follow-up. In all, 17 (1.3%) patients died of prostate cancer. The estimated ten-year overall survival was 89.3%. The cancer-specific survival was estimated to 96.6% after ten years. Relative survival was 1.04 after five years and 1.14 after ten years. The standardized mortality ratio, i.e. observed mortality/expected mortality, was 0.61 and 0.39 at five and ten years, respectively. CONCLUSION: The overall and cancer-specific ten-year survival in a consecutive series of patients in a non-screened Danish population is ≥ 89%. The survival and mortality ratio is significantly better than expected in the age-matched background population. This finding is likely explained by selection bias. Although the results indicate an excellent outcome in terms of cancer control, the efficacy of prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer remains at debate. FUNDING: not relevant. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.