Association of Nilotinib With Cardiovascular Diseases in Patients With Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia: A National Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment has been identified to be a risk factor for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in patients diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, the specific contribution of post-TKI metabolic syndrome and the individual TKIs, including imatinib, nilotinib, and dasatinib, contribute to the development of CVDs remains unclear. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide database to investigate the incidence of post-TKI metabolic syndrome, including diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension, as well as their association with CVDs. To compare the risk of post-TKI comorbidities and CVDs among TKIs, we utilized the incidence rate ratio (IRR), and subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR) calculated from multiple Fine-Gray models. RESULTS: A total of 1211 patients without diabetes, 1235 patients without hyperlipidemia, and 1074 patients without hypertension were enrolled in the study. The incidence rate of post-TKI diabetes and hyperlipidemia was the highest in patients treated with nilotinib compared to imatinib and dasatinib (IRRs ≥ 3.15, Ps ≤ .047). After adjusting for confounders, nilotinib remained a significant risk factor for post-TKI diabetes and hyperlipidemia at an SHR of 3.83 (P < .001) and 5.15 (P < .001), respectively. Regarding the occurrence of CVDs, patients treated with nilotinib were more likely to develop CVDs than those treated with imatinib in non-hyperlipidemic group (IRR = 3.21, P = .020). Pre-existing and post-TKI hyperlipidemia were found to have a stronger association with CVDs, with SHR values of 5.81 (P = .034) and 13.21 (P = .001), respectively. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate that nilotinib treatment is associated with increased risks of diabetes and hyperlipidemia, with hyperlipidemia being the most significant risk for CVDs. Therefore, we recommend that CML patients receiving nilotinib should undergo screening for diabetes and hyperlipidemia prior to initiating TKI treatment. Additionally, regular monitoring of lipid profiles during TKI therapy and implementing effective management strategies to control hyperlipidemia are crucial.

Can rehabilitation adherence among stroke patients be measured using a single item?

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the concurrent validity between logbooks and a single-item rehabilitation adherence measurement for patients with stroke. Agreement between caregivers and patients and between caregivers and physical therapists regarding a single-item measurement was investigated, and its predictive validity was explored. BACKGROUND: Adherence to therapy is a primary determinant of treatment success. There are no standard instruments for measuring rehabilitation adherence available for stroke patients. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal study. METHODS: Seventy-five patients with stroke were recruited, measured four times and followed for 6 months. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist was used to ensure comprehensive reporting. Adherence was documented in logbooks, and single-item measurements were compared. Predictive validity was explored by assessing associations between adherence levels, self-care ability and health-related quality of life. The Spearman's correlation coefficients, weighted kappa, and generalised estimating equations statistics were used to explore the concurrent validity, measurement agreement, and predictive validity, respectively. RESULTS: Logbook records had a fair correlation (rs  = .23, p = .04) with the single-item rehabilitation adherence measurements. There was moderate agreement (kappa = 0.42, p < .001) between caregiver and patient assessments and fair agreement (kappa = 0.29, p = .017) between caregiver and physical therapist assessments of patients' rehabilitation adherence levels. Perfect rehabilitation adherence, based on the logbook and single-item measurements, predicted better scores for self-care ability and quality of life than imperfect rehabilitation adherence during 6 months after inclusion. CONCLUSIONS: There was fair concurrent validity between logbooks and single-item rehabilitation adherence measurements and moderate and fair adherence measure agreement between caregivers and patients and caregivers and physical therapists, respectively. Logbooks and single-item rehabilitation adherence measurements had adequate predictive validity. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Single-item rehabilitation adherence measurement is a workable and straightforward method to assess stroke patients' rehabilitation adherence in busy clinical care settings. Caregivers can represent stroke patients regarding their reported rehabilitation adherence. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Patients were diagnosed with stroke in the study hospital. Rehabilitation physicians transferred patients to a research nurse who then screened them for the inclusion criteria and invited them and their family caregivers to participate in this study if they met the requirements. We also recruited seven physical therapists responsible for the physical therapy of the study participants. After participants signed informed consent, the research nurse encouraged participants to respond to research questions face to face, including rehabilitation adherence data, daily physical function, and quality of life. Each participant was measured four times at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months after inclusion in this study. Physical therapists had to score their patients' rehabilitation adherence levels before discharge. TRIAL REGISTRATION DETAILS: Not applicable.

Smart clothes-assisted home-nursing care program for family caregivers of older persons with dementia and hip fracture: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this preliminary study was to explore whether a smart clothes-assisted home-nursing care program could benefit family caregivers and their care recipients. METHODS: Family caregivers in charge of a care recipient's living situation participated in this convergent parallel, mixed methods study. We recruited older persons with dementia (n = 7) and those discharged following hip-fracture surgery (n = 6) from neurological clinics and surgical wards of a medical center, respectively, along with their family caregivers: three spouses, eight sons, one daughter, and one daughter-in-law. Care recipients were asked to wear a smart vest at least 4 days/week for 6 months, which contained a coin-size monitor hidden in an inner pocket. Sensors installed in bedrooms and living areas received signals from the smart clothing, which were transmitted to a mobile phone app of homecare nurses, who provided caregivers with transmitted information regarding activities, emergency situations and suggestions for caregiving activities. Outcomes included changes from baseline in caregivers' preparedness and depressive symptoms collected at 1- and 3-months, which were analyzed with Friedman's non-parametric test of repeated measures with post-hoc analysis. Transcripts of face-to-face semi-structured interview data about caregivers' experiences were analyzed to identify descriptive, interpretative, and pattern codes. RESULTS: Preparedness did not change from baseline at either 1- or 3-months for family caregivers of persons with dementia. However, depressive symptoms decreased significantly at 1-month and 3-months compared with baseline, but not between 1-months and 3-months. Analysis of the interview data revealed the smart clothes program increased family caregivers' knowledge of the care recipient's situation and condition, informed healthcare providers of the care recipient's physical health and cognitive status, helped homecare nurses provide timely interventions, balanced the care recipient's exercise and safety, motivated recipients to exercise, helped family caregivers balance work and caregiving, and provided guidance for caregiving activities. CONCLUSIONS: Experiences with the smart clothes-assisted home-nursing care program directly benefited family caregivers, which provided indirect benefits to the care recipients due to the timely interventions and caregiving guidance from homecare nurses. These benefits suggest a smart-clothes-assisted program might be beneficial for all family caregivers.

Sequential digital occlusal analysis in patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion with orthognathic surgery: Surgery-first vs orthodontic-first approach.

INTRODUCTION: This study compared changes in occlusal characteristics in patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion with surgery-first approach (SFA) and those with orthodontic-first approach (OFA) through digital occlusal analysis. METHODS: In this prospective study, 90 consecutive subjects were divided into control, OFA, and SFA groups (30 per group). Force discrepancy, occlusal time, tooth contact, center of force, and force-time graph pattern were calculated for all samples using the T-Scan III system. Between-group differences were analyzed using a 1-way analysis of variance and generalized estimating equations. These parameters were calculated at the following time points: preoperatively, 1-month postoperatively (T1), 4-months postoperatively, and 1-year postoperatively (T3). RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in the parameters between the experimental groups. The force discrepancy of the OFA and SFA groups decreased, approaching the value of controls at T3. The occlusal time significantly increased at T1 and progressively decreased at T3. The initial contact and maximum force were most frequently observed on molars, and its maximum force significantly decreased by 5.72% and 7.40% in the OFA and SFA groups at T3, respectively. The number of tooth contact was significantly reduced at T1 and gradually increased at T3. Moreover, after surgery, the force-time graph pattern was normalized, and the center of force tended to be more centric; however, the most frequent trajectory revealed premature contact during closing. CONCLUSIONS: No significant difference was found in all parameters between the OFA and SFA groups. Occlusion deteriorated at 1 month postoperatively but gradually improved at 1 year postoperatively, approaching the controls.

Evaluation of a self-management intervention for adults with epilepsy in Taiwan: A longitudinal randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: Epilepsy is a neurological disease that causes recurrent seizures and can have a significant impact on a person's quality of life (QOL). A self-management intervention (SMI) can allow adults with epilepsy to modify behaviors in order to manage their seizures and evaluate the impact of medication and treatments on their daily lives. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a SMI for adults with epilepsy. METHODS: This was a longitudinal randomized controlled trial. Adults with epilepsy between the age of 20 and 65 years were recruited from a medical center in northern Taiwan. Participants were assigned to an intervention group (IG) or control group (CG) through simple randomization. Data regarding demographic and clinical characteristics were collected at baseline (T0). In addition, participants answered nine validated self-report questionnaires, which were used as outcome measures. Following collection of baseline data, the CG received routine monthly counseling over the next 3 months. The IG received the routine monthly counseling, as well as individual face-to-face health counseling on self-management 1 h/month and remote counseling via the phone or computer network at least twice per month. After the first month (T1) and at the end of the third (T2) and sixth months (T3) participants answered the nine questionnaires again. Differences in outcomes between the IGs and CGs were analyzed by comparing scores for the nine outcome variables at T0 with scores at T1, T2, and T3 with generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: A total of 210 adults agreed to participate in the study; however, only 155 participants completed the questionnaires for all three time points: 75 in the CG and 80 in the IG. The mean age of the 155 participants was 39.6 years (SD = 10.9). There was no significant difference between demographic or clinical variables between the two groups. The only difference in baseline scores (T0) among the nine self-report questionnaires was in epilepsy knowledge, measured with the Epilepsy Knowledge Profile questionnaire, which were significantly higher for the CG (mean = 32.28, SD = 3.92) than the IG (mean = 23.01, SD = 2.79) (p < 0.001). Generalized estimating equations (GEE) analysis showed scores decreased significantly at T3 from baseline for the CG for epilepsy knowledge and QOL (p < 0.001). Improvements in scores for sleep quality, anxiety, depression, self-efficacy, coping, and social support did not differ between groups. Classification of the IG by gender showed a significantly greater increase for males compared with females from baseline to T3 for epilepsy knowledge (p < 0.001). If we further classified the IGs by seizure frequency, participants with a seizure frequency of ≥1 per year had a more significant increase in epilepsy knowledge and increase in QOL compared with participants with a seizure frequency of <1 per year at T3 compared with T0. CONCLUSION: The lack of improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following the SMI may indicate that additional time is required to change behaviors that impact this variable for patients with epilepsy. Additional research should focus on variables associated with medication compliance, epilepsy knowledge, medicine symptom distress, self-efficacy, anxiety, and HRQoL.

Comparison of antiplatelet antibody profiles between hepatitis C virus-associated immune thrombocytopenia and primary immune thrombocytopenia.

Hepatitis C virus-associated immune thrombocytopenia (HCV-ITP) has been assumed to be one of secondary ITP and associated with antiplatelet antibodies. This study was to clarify the antibody profile in HCV-ITP compared with primary ITP. We enrolled 55 HCV-ITP, 30 primary ITP, 11 Helicobacter pylori-ITP, 21 HCV control, and 16 healthy volunteers. We reviewed their blood cell counts, autoimmune markers, and spleen size. We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit to detect the specific antibody to glycoproteins IIb/IIIa, Ia/IIa, Ib/IX, IV, and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I. Compared with primary ITP patients, HCV-ITP patients had an older age, lower white blood cell (WBC) count and fewer presented with severe thrombocytopenia. The rate of positive antibody detection was 63.6% for the HCV-ITP group higher than the rate of 40% for the primary ITP. In the HCV control, antiplatelet antibodies were detected in 38.1% patients and no one had more than two types of antibodies. The antiplatelet antibodies correlated to severer thrombocytopenia. An HLA class I antibody was associated with lower WBCs and larger spleen. In conclusion, HCV-ITP patients had a high rate of positive antiplatelet antibody. The antibodies were associated with not only lower platelets but also leukopenia and splenomegaly.

Trajectory of adherence to home rehabilitation among older adults with hip fractures and cognitive impairment.

This study aimed to identify different trajectories of adherence to home rehabilitation for older adults with hip fracture and cognitive impairment, to examine associations between different adherence trajectories and postoperative recovery outcomes, and to explore the predictors of adherence trajectories. Group-based trajectory modeling showed two adherence trajectories: low (39.06%) and high (60.94%) adherence. The high adherence group had better activities of daily living (ß=11.77, p<.001), instrumental activities of daily living (ß=0.56, p<.01), femoral muscular strength (ß=3.35, p<.01) on the fractured side and quality of life (ß=-0.81, p=.02) than the low adherence group. Participants who established exercise habits (OR=6.49, p<.01) and consulted a physical therapist (OR=4.29, p=.03) during hospitalization were more likely to be in the high adherence group.

The clinicopathological and molecular analysis of gastric cancer with altered SMARCA4 expression.

AIMS: In this study, we examine the clinicopathological and molecular features of gastric cancer (GC) with SMARCA4 alterations. METHODS AND RESULTS: We screened SMARCA4 alterations using immunohistochemistry on 1199 surgically resected GCs with information on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), microsatellite instability (MSI) and other SWI/SNF subunits. SMARCA4, SMARCA2 and ARID1A mutations were investigated by targeted sequencing. The clinicopathological significance was determined by statistical analysis. Twenty-seven cases (2%) with altered SMARCA4 expression were identified, exhibiting completely lost (six), reduced (nine) or heterogeneous (12) patterns. Frequent concomitant alterations of other SWI/SNF subunits were noted with an unusual discordant spatial heterogeneity. In comparison with SMARCA4-retained GCs, SMARCA4-lost GCs were observed more frequently in the non-EBV/MSI subgroup (five of six) and reduced or heterogeneous SMARCA4 expression mainly occurred in EBV- or MSI-associated cases (six of nine and six of 12, respectively; P < 0.001). Histologically, SMARCA4-altered GC, irrespective of expression pattern, demonstrated divergent histomorphology, spanning tubular, poorly cohesive or mixed, neuroendocrine to solid and undifferentiated carcinoma, with a predilection to the latter two (P < 0.001). De-differentiation-like transition and rhabdoid features were noted in a minority of cases. For overall survival, altered SMARCA4 expression was an unfavourable prognostic factor in stage III, EBV-associated GC and non-EBV/MSI intestinal subtype (P ≤ 0.001). SMARCA4 or ARID1A mutations were detected mainly in SMARCA4-lost or reduced GC, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: SMARCA4-altered GCs are rare and have intratumoral heterogeneity, histomorphological diversity, conditional prognostic significance and various genetic drivers. SMARCA4-lost GC may represent a genuine SMARCA4-deficient neoplasm, but most SMARCA4-reduced/heterogeneous cases are secondary to ARID1A collapse or associated with different genotypes.

Risk factors of acute renal impairment after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Acute renal impairment (ARI) is a major complication after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) for cancer patients with peritoneal metastases. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and identify the risk factors of post-HIPEC creatinine increased. METHODS: From April 2015 to December 2019, demographic and perioperative data of 169 patients undergoing CRS/HIPEC with a preoperative creatinine level <1.5 mg/dL were retrospectively reviewed. Renal impairment was defined according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE) version 5.0. The risk factors of creatinine increased were analyzed using univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Among the 169 enrolled patients, 21 (12.4%) had postoperative creatinine increased (ARI group) and 148 (87.6%) did not (non-ARI group). Significantly more of the ARI group received a cisplatin HIPEC regimen than the non-ARI group (71.4 vs. 37.8%, p = 0.004). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the patients who received a cisplatin HIPEC regimen (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 11.38, p < 0.001) and peritoneal dialysis solution as HIPEC perfusate (AOR = 7.07, p = 0.002) were more likely to develop post-HIPEC creatinine increased. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying the risk factors of post-HIPEC creatinine increased can help to improve patient selection, a dose of HIPEC regimens modification and perioperative care. We also identified the detrimental renal effect of peritoneal dialysis solution as HIPEC perfusate. More prospective studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

Are Signs of Degenerative Joint Disease Associated With Chin Deviation?

PURPOSE: Degenerative joint changes commonly affect the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and can result in chin deviation. However, the extent of degenerative TMJ changes and chin deviation has not been well-characterized. The present study sought to correlate degenerative TMJ changes with condylar volume, grayscale measures, and chin deviation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present cross-sectional study had enrolled women with skeletal Class III malocclusion. Cone-beam computed tomography scans were acquired preoperatively. For each condyle, degenerative TMJ signs were analyzed and the condylar volume and grayscale were measured. The predictor variable was the presence of degenerative TMJ signs, classified as categorical data: 0, if none; 1, only present in 1 joint; and 2, present in both joints. The primary outcome variable was a chin deviation of 3 mm or more. Other associated variables were grouped by age, cephalometric data, and 3-dimensional condylar measurements. Descriptive bivariate statistics were computed, and univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify any associations between degenerative TMJ disease and chin deviation. RESULTS: We included 85 patients, who were classified into 2 groups: less than 3 mm of chin deviation (n = 43) and 3 mm or more of chin deviation (n = 42). The presence of more than 10 degenerative TMJ signs was significantly associated with the presence of 3 mm or more of chin deviation (P < .001). In multiple regression models, the presence of subcortical sclerosis in 1 joint and in both joints (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 3.698; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.051 to 13.012; adjusted OR, 5.001; 95% CI, 1.461-17.119, respectively) correlated significantly with the presence of 3 mm or more of chin deviation (P < .05). The volume difference between the 2 condyles was significantly greater in the group with more than 10 degenerative TMJ signs and 3 mm or more of chin deviation than in the group with 10 or fewer degenerative TMJ signs and less than 3 mm of chin deviation (P = .016 and P < .001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In women with skeletal Class III malocclusion, the presence of more than 10 degenerative TMJ signs increased the prevalence of 3 mm or more of chin deviation. The presence of subcortical sclerosis in either 1 or both joints and volume differences between the 2 condyles were associated with greater chin deviation.

Accelerated Risk of Premature Ischemic Stroke in 5-Year Survivors of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Research on cancer survivorship associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is rare. We aimed to elucidate the risk of ischemic stroke in 5-year survivors of NPC following radiotherapy (RT) or concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT). SUBJECTS, MATERIALS, AND METHODS: NPC survivors, defined as those who survived longer than 5 years after diagnosis, were identified and matched at a 1:5 ratio with normal controls from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005 of Taiwan. The stratified Cox regression models were used to access the risk of ischemic stroke, with adjustment for age, treatment modality, comorbidities, and socioeconomic characteristics. RESULTS: From 2000 to 2005, a total of 3,016 NPC survivors who had received RT (n = 959) or CCRT (n = 2,057) and 15,080 controls were matched for age, sex, income, and urbanization level. The risk of ischemic stroke was significantly higher in the NPC survivor cohort than in the control cohort. Stroke was positively related to death. Moreover, the age onset of stroke for NPC survivors was 10 years earlier than that for the general population. CONCLUSION: Not only was the stroke risk in NPC survivors higher than that in the general population, but the onset age was also 10 years earlier. Future survivorship care should include ischemic stroke as a late complication, for its proper prevention and management. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is endemic in Taiwan, and its 5-year survival is 65.2%. With the increased 5-year cancer survivors, survivorship has become an important issue. However, research on NPC survivorship is very rare. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first population-based study on long-term NPC survivors. This study's results indicated that not only was the risk of ischemic stroke in NPC survivors at least triple that of the general population, but the onset age was also 10 years earlier. These results may provide solid evidence that survivorship care guidelines should include stroke as a late complication in 5-year NPC survivors, for its proper prevention and management.

Adherence to Home-Based Rehabilitation in Older Adults With Diabetes After Hip Fracture.

BACKGROUND: Adherence to rehabilitation is beneficial to patients with hip fracture. However, the relationships between different levels of adherence and postoperative recovery among older adults after hip fracture have not been addressed thoroughly in the literature. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to explore the trajectories of adherence to home-based rehabilitation during the 12-month period after hospital discharge and to examine the effects of adhering to prescribed home-based rehabilitation on postoperative recovery of physical functions. METHODS: We employed a secondary data analysis, and 88 hip-fractured older adults with diabetes were recruited. The Chinese Barthel Index was used to measure daily physical functions, a goniometer was used to measure range of motion, and the MicroFET2 dynamometer was used to measure muscle power. Adherence was measured as the rate of adherence to the suggested frequency of home-based rehabilitation activities. RESULTS: Adherence to home-based rehabilitation decreased over time. The high-adherence group was more likely to recover prefracture physical functions than was the low-adherence group, and the high-adherence group had better self-care abilities, greater range of motion for ankle extension, and higher muscular strength on both adduction and abduction than did the low-adherence group. DISCUSSION: The results of our study suggest that patients adhere to more than 50% of prescribed rehabilitation. Future studies should continue to explore interventions to enhance rehabilitation adherence after hospital discharge.

Does Sleep Quality Affect Temporomandibular Joint With Degenerative Joint Changes?

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to answer the following question: Among female patients who have skeletal Class III malocclusion, does poor sleep quality increase the prevalence of degenerative joint changes in the temporomandibular joints (DJC-TMJ)? MATERIALS AND METHODS: We designed a prospective cohort study and enrolled female patients who required orthognathic surgery to correct skeletal Class III malocclusion from January 2014 to December 2017. This is the first serial study to identify the relationship between sleep quality and DJC-TMJ before orthognathic surgery. The predictor variable was sleep quality, documented either as poor, indicated by a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score of 5 or greater, or as good, indicated by a PSQI score of less than 5. The primary outcome variable was the presence of 5 or more DJC-TMJ signs or fewer than 5 DJC-TMJ signs. Other associated variables were grouped into the following categories: demographic variables (age and body mass index) and cephalometric data. Descriptive bivariate statistics were computed and univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with DJC-TMJ. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 52 patients grouped as follows: good sleep quality group (n = 25, PSQI score < 5) and poor sleep quality group (n = 27, PSQI score ≥ 5). Poor sleep quality was significantly associated (P = .027) with an increase in DJC-TMJ signs. In the multiple regression model, a PSQI score of 5 or greater (adjusted odds ratio, 5.806; 95% confidence interval, 1.406 to 23.974) and greater sella-nasion-point A angle (adjusted odds ratio, 1.453; 95% confidence interval, 1.127 to 1.871) were significantly associated (P < .05) with an increased prevalence of DJC-TMJ. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that in female patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion, poor sleep quality could increase the prevalence of DJC-TMJ. Future cohort studies are required to support that sleep disturbance can increase DJC-TMJ in the general population.

Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for peritoneal malignancy: preliminary results of a multi-disciplinary teamwork model in Asia.

BACKGROUND: Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) is an emerging surgical procedure for peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). CRS/HIPEC is a complicated treatment that requires multi-disciplinary teamwork (MDT), which may be lacking when establishing a CRS/HIPEC programme. Herein, we report our preliminary treatment outcomes with the early implementation of an MDT model for CRS/HIPEC. METHODS: From April 2015 to December 2016, 45 patients with a diagnosis of PC who received CRS/HIPEC were reviewed retrospectively in a single institution in Taiwan. RESULTS: Among the 45 patients, CRS was mainly performed by laparotomy (n = 42), and only three patients with limited PC underwent laparoscopic CRS. The first 13 patients received treatment before the MDT had been established (group 1), and the other 32 patients were treated after the MDT had been established (group 2). The highest peri-HIPEC body temperature in group 2 was significantly lower than that in group 1 (36.8 °C vs. 37.5 °C, p < 0.001). Overall, eight patients experienced major complications. The trend of a lower major complication rate was observed after the MDT model had been implemented (30.7% in group 1 vs. 12.4% in group 2, p = 0.202). Pre-CRS/HIPEC abdominal pain significantly increased the risk of post-operative major complications (p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Our experience suggests that the early implementation of an MDT model when establishing a CRS/HIPEC programme at a single institution may result in a higher complete cytoreduction rate and lower major complication rate, and also shorten the learning curve of this complicated procedure.

Predicting need for orthognathic surgery in early permanent dentition patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate using receiver operating characteristic analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to predict the need for orthognathic surgery in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) in the early permanent dentition. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we included 61 patients with complete UCLP (36 male, 25 female; mean age, 18.47 years; range, 16.92-26.17 years). The subjects were grouped into an orthognathic surgery group and a nonsurgery group at the time of growth completion. Lateral cephalograms obtained at the age of 11 years were analyzed to compare the 2 groups. The receiver operating characteristic analysis was applied to predict the probability of the need for orthognathic surgery in early adulthood by using the measurements obtained at the age of 11 years. RESULTS: SNB, ANB, SN, overbite, overjet, maxillary length, mandibular body length, and L1-MP were found to be significantly different between the 2 groups. For a person with a score of 2 in the 3-variable-based criteria, the sensitivity and specificity for determining the need for surgical treatment were 90.0% and 83.9%, respectively (ANB, ≤-0.45°; overjet, ≤-2.00 mm; maxillary length, ≤47.25 mm). CONCLUSIONS: Three cephalometric variables, the minimum number of discriminators required to obtain the optimum discriminant effectiveness, predicted the future need for orthognathic surgery with an accuracy of 86.9% in patients with UCLP.

The relationship between preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification scores and functional recovery following hip-fracture surgery.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the relationship of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification scores (ASA scores) on patient outcomes following hip fracture surgery in Asian countries. Therefore, this study explored the association of patients' preoperative ASA scores on trajectories of recovery in physical functioning and health outcomes during the first year following postoperative discharge for older adults with hip-fracture surgery in Taiwan. METHODS: The data for this study was generated from three prior studies. Participants (N = 226) were older hip-fracture patients from an observational study (n = 86) and two clinical trials (n = 61 and n = 79). Participants were recruited from the trauma wards of one medical center in northern Taiwan and data was collected prior to discharge and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after hospital discharge. Participants were grouped as ASA class 1-2 (50.5%; ASA Class 1, n = 7; ASA Class 2, n = 107) and ASA class 3 (49.5%, n = 112). Measures for mortality, service utilization, activities of daily living (ADL), measured by the Chinese Barthel Index, and health related quality of life, measured by Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36, were assessed for the two groups. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to analyze the changes over time for the two groups. RESULTS: During the first year following hip-fracture surgery, ASA class 1-2 participants had significantly fewer rehospitalizations (6%, p = .02) and better scores for mental health (mean = 70.29, standard deviation = 19.03) at 6- and 12-months following discharge than those classified as ASA 3. In addition, recovery of walking ability (70%, p = .001) and general health (adjusted mean = 58.31, p = .003) was also significantly better than ASA 3 participants. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant association of hip-fracture patients classified as ASA 1-2 with better recovery and service utilization during the first year following surgery. Interventions for hip fractured patients with high ASA scores should be developed to improve recovery and quality of life.

The impact of sleep duration on recovery post-hip fracture among older diabetic adults in Taiwan.

This study explored postoperative changes in sleep duration and physical activity and their relationships with physical function recovery, the muscular strength of the affected side and blood glucose control in elderly adults (n = 41) with diabetes mellitus (DM) who underwent surgery for hip fracture. Thirty-two participants (78.0%) had abnormal sleep durations for at least two time points, and they all had low physical activity levels (an average of 1348.2 kcal/day for the first month, 1377.9 kcal/day for the third month, and 1389.1 kcal/day for the sixth month) during the six months post-hip fracture. The participants with normal sleep durations showed greater femoral muscle improvement on the affected side (adduction: ß = 3.70, p = 0.029; abduction: ß = 7.25, p = 0.016) and better blood glucose control before meals (ß = -73.29, p < 0.001) and after meals (ß = -47.90, p = 0.007) compared with those with abnormal sleep durations. Those with higher physical activity levels had better physical function recovery.

Overall survival benefits of first-line EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating data shows that exon 19 deletions and L858R, both activating epidermal growth factor receptor mutations in non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs), are just two different entities in terms of prognosis and treatment response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing TKIs with conventional chemotherapy was performed. Eight trials of 1498 patients and five trials of 1279 patients with either exon 19 deletions or L858R were included in the meta-analysis. RESULTS: TKI treatment demonstrated progression-free survival benefit in patients with exon 19 deletions (hazard ratio (HR): 0.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.21-0.35) and L858R (HR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.35-0.58). Patients with exon 19 deletions had significant overall survival (OS) benefit under TKI treatment (HR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.60-0.88). Subgroup analyses showed that irreversible TKIs, but not reversible TKIs, had statistically significant OS benefit in these patients (irreversible TKIs, HR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.47-0.73; reversible TKIs, HR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.69-1.02). Patients with L858R demonstrated no OS benefit under first-line TKI use (HR: 1.15, 95% CI: 0.95-1.39). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with advanced NSCLC harbouring exon 19 deletions, TKIs are associated with better OS compared with conventional chemotherapy. Future clinical trials should take exon 19 deletions and L858R as distinct disease entities and evaluate the treatment efficacy separately.

Increased risk of second primary malignancies following uterine cancer: a population-based study in Taiwan over a 30-year period.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies assessing second primary malignancies (SPMs) after uterine cancer have been conducted in Western populations with conflicting results. This study aimed to define the incidence and risk of SPMs in Taiwanese patients with an initial diagnosis of uterine cancer. METHODS: Using population-based data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry for the period 1979-2008, we quantified standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) among 11,571 women with an initial diagnosis of uterine cancer. RESULTS: Among the 11,571 women, 555 (4.80%) developed at least one SPM during 69,987 person-years of follow-up. There was a 71% increased risk of SPM following uterine cancer (SIR=1.71, 95% CI, 1.57-1.86), with higher risks in the vagina/vulva (SIR=9.06), small intestine (SIR=8.45), ovary (SIR=4.15), urinary bladder (SIR=2.31), kidney (SIR=2.24), colorectum (SIR=2.24), lung (SIR=1.96), and breast (SIR=1.43). The risk of SPM was found to be the highest within the first 5 years after diagnosis of uterine cancer, with surveillance bias possibly contributing to the extremely high risk observed in the first follow-up year. The overall risk and pattern of SPM development observed in this study differed from those previously reported in Western populations, possibly because of the methodology and shorter follow-up period employed in this study. The cumulative incidence of SPMs was significantly higher in older patients (≥50 years) than in younger patients (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first study in an Asian population to report 71% increased risk in SPMs in women previously diagnosed with uterine cancer. A younger age at diagnosis of uterine cancer conferred an increased risk of second malignancies, and SPMs worsened survivorship in patients who survived uterine cancer.

TSNARE1 polymorphisms are associated with schizophrenia susceptibility in Han Chinese.

t-SNARE domain containing 1 gene (TSNARE1) is located at human chromosome 8q24.3, and may play a crucial role in intracellular protein transport and synaptic transmission. Recently, a large-scale meta-analysis of genome-wide association study dataset identified that rs10098073 and rs4129585, two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within TSNARE1, were closely associated with the risk of schizophrenia in Caucasians. However, this finding has not been validated in other populations or ethnic groups thus far. In the current study, we conducted a case-control study to confirm the association of these two SNPs with the schizophrenia risk in a Han Chinese population comprising 440 schizophrenia patients and 450 control subjects. According to the genotype data of Han Chinese from Beijing in 1,000 Genomes Project database, rs10098073 and rs4129585 were located in one haplotype block and were in almost complete linkage disequilibrium (D' = 1, r (2) ≥ 0.952). Therefore, only rs10098073 was selected for the subsequent analysis. We showed for the first time that the minor allele (A) of rs10098073 was associated with a reduced risk of schizophrenia (OR = 0.753; 95 % CI 0.613-0.924; P = 0.007). Furthermore, we found that the A allele of rs10098073 reduced the schizophrenia risk through a recessive manner (A/A vs. A/C + C/C, OR = 0.563; 95 % CI 0.357-0.89; P = 0.013, P Bonferroni corrected = 0.026) rather than a dominant manner (A/A + A/C vs. C/C, OR = 0.762; 95 % CI 0.586-0.992; P = 0.043, P Bonferroni corrected = 0.086). Taken together, these findings demonstrate a significant association between TSNARE1 polymorphisms and schizophrenia risk in a Han Chinese population, suggesting TSNARE1 may represent a susceptibility gene for this disease.