Chinese expert consensus on assessment of cognitive impairment in the elderly.

Cognitive impairment is a term that refers to the impairment of one or more cognitive domains to varying degrees caused by a variety of reasons. It is under a high prevalence, many risk factors, complex etiology, and great harm to the elderly population. Early screening, diagnosis, and intervention for cognitive impairment in the elderly are of great importance. However, at present, the recognition rate of cognitive impairment for the elderly in China is low, the rate of missed diagnosis is high, and the evaluation is not standardized. This consensus integrates the commonly used cognitive function assessment scales in China and abroad, and aims to popularize the screening of cognitive impairment, standardize the evaluation methods and procedures of cognitive impairment in the elderly, and establish clinical diagnoses, interventions, and follow-up plans in a timely manner.

Abiraterone acetate and docetaxel with androgen deprivation therapy in high-volume metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer in China: an indirect treatment comparison and cost analysis.

BACKGROUND: To conduct an indirect treatment comparison of patients with high-volume mHSPC and a cost analysis between Abi-ADT and Doc-ADT therapies in China. METHODS: The Bucher technique for indirect treatment comparison was used. A cost analysis was conducted from both healthcare and patient perspectives. RESULTS: The indirect treatment comparison demonstrated no significant difference in PFS for Abi-ADT versus Doc-ADT (HR: 0.84, 95% CI 0.66-1.07). Doc-ADT therapy costs less than Abi-ADT, with potential savings of up to RMB 887,057 per patient from the healthcare perspective and RMB 226,210 per patient from the patient perspective. CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences in PFS between Doc-ADT and Abi-ADT therapy for patients with high-volume mHSPC. Doc-ADT therapy is a cost-saving alternative to Abi-ADT in China.

Chinese expert consensus on the application of comprehensive geriatric assessment for the elderly.

Comprehensive geriatric assessment is the major approach in screening geriatric syndrome. The aim of this expert consensus is to supply standard operating procedures for clinical practice of comprehensive geriatric assessment in China.

Improvement of a Simple and Cost-Effective Passive Cooling Rate-Controlled Device for Cell/Tissue Cryopreservation.

The currently used commercial cooling-rate control device is the liquid nitrogen controlled rate freezer (LNF), which has some shortcomings such as high cost, high liquid nitrogen consumption, and potential operational risks in quality control. Based on thermophysical properties of new materials, we improved, manufactured, and optimized a reliable yet simple device named the "passive cooling rate-controlled device (PCD)" with real-time temperature tracing. In this study, using the improved PCD we cryopreserved human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and compared the results with a standard commercial CryoMed LNF. The temperature profiles and cooling rates of the HUVEC samples in a cryopreservation solution (with dimethyl sulfoxide [DMSO] in 10% v/v concentration) were measured and automatically recorded by the PCD during the controlled cooling process. This study and experimental results showed that the HUVEC survival rates after cryopreservation using the PCD have no significant difference from those using the CryoMed LNF and that the improved PCD is a user-friendly, reliable, and low-cost device to ensure an optimal slow cooling rate ranging from -0.5 to -1°C/min for the cryopreservation. Considering the advantages of low cost, durability, reliability, and no liquid nitrogen consumption for the cooling process, it is concluded that the PCD is an excellent controlled cooling device to achieve a desired optimal cooling rate for cell/tissue cryopreservation.

Apparent diffusion coefficient values are superior to transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy for the assessment of prostate cancer aggressiveness.

Background Few studies have focused on comparing the utility of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided biopsy in predicting prostate cancer aggressiveness. Whether apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values can provide more information than TRUS-guided biopsy should be confirmed. Purpose To retrospectively assess the utility of ADC values in predicting prostate cancer aggressiveness, compared to the TRUS-guided prostate biopsy Gleason score (GS). Material and Methods The DW images of 54 patients with biopsy-proven prostate cancer were obtained using 1.5-T magnetic resonance (MR). The mean ADC values of cancerous areas and biopsy GS were correlated with prostatectomy GS and D'Amico clinical risk scores, respectively. Meanwhile, the utility of ADC values in identifying high-grade prostate cancer (with Gleason 4 and/or 5 components in prostatectomy) in patients with a biopsy GS ≤ 3 + 3 = 6 was also evaluated. Results A significant negative correlation was found between mean ADC values of cancerous areas and the prostatectomy GS ( P < 0.001) and D'Amico clinical risk scores ( P < 0.001). No significant correlation was found between biopsy GS and prostatectomy GS ( P = 0.140) and D'Amico clinical risk scores ( P = 0.342). Patients harboring Gleason 4 and/or 5 components in prostatectomy had significantly lower ADC values than those harboring no Gleason 4 and/or 5 components ( P = 0.004). Conclusion The ADC values of cancerous areas in the prostate are a better indicator than the biopsy GS in predicting prostate cancer aggressiveness. Moreover, the use of ADC values can help identify the presence of high-grade tumor in patients with a Gleason score ≤ 3 + 3 = 6 during biopsy.

Body mass index and serum lipid profile influence serum prostate-specific antigen in Chinese men younger than 50 years of age.

This study is to assess the potential factors that could affect the serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level in healthy younger men. We evaluated the associations of age, body mass index (BMI) and serum lipid profile with serum PSA level in 6774 Chinese men (aged 20-49 years) who received a routine health examination. Eligible men were classified into 10-year age groups. BMI was categorized as underweight (<18.5), normal (18.5-22.9), overweight (23.0-24.9), obese (25.0-29.9) and very obese (>30) according to the redefined World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for the Asia-Pacific region. PSA levels were compared among groups as well. In multiple linear regression analysis, PSA was positively correlated with age (P<0.0001). Negative correlations existed between PSA and BMI (P<0.0001) and triglyceride level (P=0.01). No relationship could be found between PSA and serum cholesterol (P=0.711) or high-density lipoprotein (HDL; P =0.665). In addition, we found that serum PSA levels increased with age and decreased with BMI. Our study demonstrates that age, BMI and triglyceride levels influence the PSA level in men <50 years of age.