The global, regional, and national burden of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and its attributable risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019.

BACKGROUND: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is uncommon in most areas of the world but poses a significant public health burden in endemic regions. OBJECTIVES: We provide an overview of the most recent global epidemiology of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). METHODS: We estimated the burden of NPC in 204 countries and territories by age, sex, and Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) from 1990 to 2019. RESULTS: At the GBD regional level, the most severe age-standardized incidence in 2019 occurred in East Asia. From 1990 to 2019, the East Asia and High-income Asia Pacific had the greatest increase in percentage in age-standardized incidence. Central Asia and the Caribbean had the greatest increase in percentage in age-standardized disability-adjusted life-years (DALY) and death rates. At the national level, Cabo Verde, Romania, and the Cyprus reported the largest percentage increases in the age-standardized incidence. Cabo Verde, Romania, and Jamaica reported the largest increases in the age-standardized DALY and death rates. CONCLUSIONS: The global age-standardized incidence of NPC increased globally between 1990 and 2019, especially in the East Asia.

Comparison of subjective and objective assessment of glucocorticoid response in nasal polyps: a preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Glucocorticoids (GC) therapeutic response in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) varies markedly. AIMS/OBJECTIVES: To compare the utility between subjective and objective assessment of GC sensitivity in reflecting the impact of GC on systemic and local eosinophilia in CRSwNP patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-six patients with CRSwNP were enrolled. All patients were given 30 mg of prednisone once daily for 7 days and subsequently classified into subjectively GC-sensitive and -insensitive subgroup or objectively GC-sensitive and -insensitive subgroup. The numbers of eosinophils and neutrophils in blood and polyp tissues were compared between GC-sensitive and GC-insensitive subgroup. RESULTS: 17/26 (65.4%) patients were subjectively and 8/26 (30.8%) patients objectively sensitive to GC treatment. The absolute number and percentage of eosinophils in blood were decreased both in GC-sensitive and -insensitive subjects after GC treatment. In addition, a significant reduction in tissue eosinophil percentage was only observed in objectively GC-sensitive subjects after GC treatment. Furthermore, the change of tissue eosinophil percentage in objectively GC-sensitive subjects was significantly higher than that in objectively GC-insensitive subjects. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Objective assessment may better reflect oral GC response in tissue eosinophilic inflammation than subjective assessment in patients with CRSwNP.