Comparison of pathologic response and survival outcomes between neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (nICT) in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: In locally advanced, operable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (nICT) has shown results that are somewhat comparable to those of standard neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT). The impact of these neoadjuvant treatments on survival outcomes, however, has yet to be elucidated. METHODS: This study included 489 patients with locally advanced ESCC who underwent surgery at Sichuan Cancer Hospital after receiving neoadjuvant treatment between June 2017 and September 2023. Patients were categorized into nCRT and nICT groups based on whether they received neoadjuvant treatment. To mitigate potential biases and balance covariates between the two cohorts, 1:2 propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted using a caliper width of 0.05. RESULTS: After PSM, the baseline characteristics of the 360 patients remained balanced between the two groups. The findings indicated a superior pathological response in the nCRT group, as evidenced by significantly greater rates of complete response (32.87% vs 14.58%, P < 0.001) and favorable tumor regression grade (TRG), as well as reduced ypT stages and less perineural and angioinvasion, despite comparable ypN stages. Despite the improvement in complete pathological response (pCR) in the nCRT group, the 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates did not significantly differ between the groups (DFS: 58.32% vs 56.16%, P = 0.67; OS: 69.96% vs 71.99%, P = 0.99). Crucially, The nICT group showed a lower incidence of grade 3 and 4 adverse events in Leukopenia (2.8% vs 29%; P < 0.001) and Neutropenia (2.8% vs 24%; P < 0.001) during neoadjuvant treatment, comparing with nCRT group. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary findings suggest that nICT followed by surgery offers comparable survival rates to nCRT, despite being less effective in pathologic outcomes. Nonetheless, nICT is a safe and feasible strategy for locally advanced ESCC, warranting further exploration to understand its impact on long-term survival.

Body Mass Index Combined With Inflammatory Factors Can Better Predict Varicocele.

Most patients with VC have no symptoms, so they are often discovered due to male infertility. Early identification of them is a matter of concern for clinicians. A retrospective analysis of clinical data from patients between January 1, 2021, and February 1, 2024, was conducted. Patients were divided into VC and non-VC groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed at a ratio of 1:1, and two cohorts with homogeneous baseline status were selected. Multivariate binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to analyze independent risk factors and protective factors and to evaluate their diagnostic value individually and in combination. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 256 patients with similar clinical characteristics were further analyzed after PSM in a 1:1 ratio of the 423 patients included in the study. The two groups had statistically significant differences in systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and body mass index (BMI) (p<0.05). Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that SII and NLR were independent risk factors for VC, while high BMI could reduce the prevalence of VC. The PLR differences were not significant. The ROC analysis showed that BMI, SII, and NLR could predict VC, with areas under the curve of 68.3% (cut-off value 22.32), 83.4% (cut-off value 357.57), and 83.2% (cut-off value 1.8), respectively. The combination of BMI and inflammatory factors was more accurate for predicting VC than BMI alone (87.5% vs. 68.3%, p=0.0001), SII (87.5% vs. 83.4%, p=0.0106), and NLR (87.5% vs 83.2%, p=0.0058). Both SII and NLR are independent risk factors for VC while BMI is an independent protective factor. The BMI, SII, and NLR values have the potential to predict VC. The BMI combined with these inflammatory factors can improve the accuracy of prediction.

Efficacy of brachytherapy versus radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer-propensity score-matched comparison.

OBJECTIVE: The brachytherapy (BT) and radical prostatectomy (RP) are two methods recommended in current guidelines for the treatment of localized prostate cancer (PCa). It is difficult to compare the oncological results of these two treatments because of differences in baseline characteristics and treatment selection.we sought to compare the efficacy of BT and RP after propensity score matching(PSM)analysis. METHODS: Between January 2009 and December 2021, our institution treated 657 patients with localized PCa (BT: n = 198; RP: n = 459)and followed up for > 2 years. Biochemical recurrence was defined as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels of nadir plus 2 ng/ml or higher (Phoenix definition) for BT, and as PSA0.2 ng/ml or greater for RP. PSM was applied based on the age, body mass index, PSA, prostate volume, clinical T-stage, Gleason grade, percentage of positive puncture needles ≥ 1/2, maximum tumor diameter ≥ 5 mm, and follow-up period. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 63 months for BT and 52 months for RP. After propensity score adjustment, a total of 294 (147 each) patients remained for further analysis.Kaplan-Meier curves showed no statistically significant difference in clinical relapse-free survivals (cRFS) (p = 0.637),overall survival (OS) (p = 0.726),and cancer-specific survival (CSS) (p = 0.505).BT was associated with improved biochemical relapse-free survivals (bRFS) compared to RP (p = 0.022), Logistic multivariate analysis based on the whole cohort revealed that clinical T stage ≥ T2b (p = 0.043) and tumor maximum diameter ≥ 5 mm (p = 0.044) were associated with significantly bRFS. CONCLUSION: The BT and RP group patients exhibited similar cRFS, OS, and CSS. However, patients in the BT groups exhibited better bRFS than those in the RP group.Clinical T stage ≥ T2b and a maximum tumor diameter ≥ 5 mm were independent prognostic factors.

Thyroidectomy without lymph node dissection should be considered for stage T1 medullary thyroid carcinoma: a population-based cohort study.

Background: The necessity and therapeutic value of lymph node dissection (LND) in early stage T1 MTC patients remain controversial. Methods: Patients with T1MTC were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Poisson regression analysis was utilized to investigate promotive factors for lymph node metastasis in T1MTC patients. Fisher's exact test was employed to calculate baseline differences between non-LND and LND groups. Propensity score match (PSM) was used to control baseline bias. Survival outcomes were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Multivariable Cox regression assessed the prognostic impact of LND across subgroups. Results: Of 3298 MTC cases, 50.4% were T1MTC. The lymph node metastasis rate increased along with the T stage (from 22.2% to 90.5%). Among 1231 T1MTC patients included after exclusion criteria, 72.0% underwent LND and 22.0% had lymph node metastasis. Patients aged younger than 44 years (RR=1.700, p<0.001), male (RR=1.832, p<0.001), and with tumor larger than 10mm (RR=2.361, p<0.001) were more likely to have lymph node metastasis, while elderly patients (p<0.001) and those with microcarcinoma (p<0.001) were more likely to undergo non-LND procedures. LND provided no OS or DSS benefit over non-LND before and after propensity score match (matched 10-year OS/DSS: LND 83.8/96.2% vs non-LND 81.9/99.3%, p>0.05). Subgroup analyses revealed no prognostic gain with LND in any subgroup (p>0.05). Conclusion: Nearly half of MTC patients were diagnosed at T1 stage and had low lymph node risk. Different from ATA guidelines, avoiding routine LND conferred similar prognosis to standard procedures while potentially improving quality of life. Large-scale prospective multi-center studies should be conducted to further validate these findings.

Minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A propensity-matched national analysis on surgical outcomes and healthcare disparities.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma of distal pancreas is hard to treat due to late presentation. While open distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy has had favourable outcomes, it has also had many complications which were low among Minimally invasive procedures. This retrospective cohort analysis compares minimally invasive and open distal pancreatectomy (MIDP) outcomes using a national inpatient database. METHODS: The study used 2016-2020 NIS data. The study included 1577 distal pancreatic malignant tumor surgery patients. There were 530 Minimally Invasive and 1047 Open groups. Propensity matched analysis was performed on surgical groups to reduce confounding variables. RESULTS: In comparison to open procedures, minimally invasive techniques reduced hospital stays by 10 â€‹% (OR â€‹= â€‹0.90, 95 â€‹% CI 0.86-0.93). While not statistically significant, the unmatched analysis linked MIDP to lower in-hospital mortality. African Americans were 37 â€‹% less likely to undergo MIDP than Caucasians (OR â€‹= â€‹0.63, 95 â€‹% CI â€‹= â€‹0.40-0.96). CONCLUSION: Nationwide analysis suggests MIDP may be a safe and effective surgical treatment for distal pancreatic adenocarcinoma. It may reduce hospital stays and mortality over open surgery. The study also suggests race may affect minimally invasive procedure rates.

Application of three-dimensional printed models with near-infrared fluorescence technology in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery segmentectomy: a single-center propensity-score matching analysis.

Background: The combination of three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology and near-infrared fluorescence (NIF) technology using indocyanine green (ICG) has demonstrated significant potential in enhancing surgical margin and safety, as well as simplifying segmental resection. However, there is limited literature available on the integrated use of these techniques. The current study assessed the effectiveness and value of integrating 3DP-NIF technologies in the perioperative outcomes of thoracoscopic segmental lung resection. Methods: This single-center, retrospective study recruited 165 patients with pulmonary nodules who underwent thoracoscopic segmentectomy. Eligible patients were categorized into two groups: the 3DP-NIF group (71 patients) treated with a combination of 3DP-NIF technology, and the three-dimensional computed tomography bronchography and angiography with modified inflation-deflation (3D-CTBA-ID) group (94 patients). Following rigorous propensity-score matching (PSM) analysis (1:1 ratio), perioperative outcomes between these two approaches were compared. Results: Sixty-six patients were successfully matched in each group. In the 3D-CTBA-ID group, inadequate visualization of segmental planes was noted in 14 cases, compared to only five cases in the 3DP-NIF group (P=0.03). In addition, the 3DP-NIF group demonstrated a shorter time for clear intersegmental boundary line (IBL) presentation {9 [8, 10] vs. 1,860 [1,380, 1,920] s} (P<0.001), and shorter operative time (134.09±34.9 vs. 163.47±49.4 min) (P<0.001), postoperative drainage time (P<0.001), and postoperative hospital stay (P=0.002) compared to the 3D-CTBA-ID group. Furthermore, the incidence of postoperative air leak was higher in the 3D-CTBA-ID group than in the 3DP-NIF group (33.3% vs. 7.6%, P<0.001). Conclusions: The combination of 3DP-NIF technologies served as a reliable technical safeguard, ensuring the safe and efficient execution of thoracoscopic pulmonary segmentectomy.

A novel T1a/b classification for testicular cancer: not only seminoma.

Background: The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) manual divides T1 stage testicular cancer into T1a and T1b, but it is only applicable to seminoma. The purpose of this observational study is to discuss further the possibility of extending this classification system to any T1 testicular cancer. Methods: Testicular cancer patients from 2000 to 2018 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were included in this analysis. After patient selection, univariate and multivariate Cox regression were used to evaluate the impact of tumor size on survival in patients with T1 testicular cancer. A time-dependent receiver operation curve (ROC) was used to determine the best tumor size cut-off value for further T1 subgroup classification. Restricted cubic splines (RCS) analysis was used to compare different tumor sizes with the best tumor size cut-off value. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was conducted to generate baseline balanced data to validate findings. Results: A total of 6,630 patients were included in this study. In the Cox regression model, we found that T1b staged tumor (>34 mm) was an independent risk factor of overall survival [OS, adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 1.57, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-2.21] and cancer-specific survival (CSS, adjusted HR: 5.027, 95% CI: 1.95-12.93). Further PSM analysis consolidated our results. Conclusions: For any T1 testicular cancer, a tumor size of 34 mm could be used as the demarcation point to assess the prognosis. Adopting personalized treatments and follow-up plans may help improve the OS and CSS rate for testicular cancer patients.

Lymph node dissection of station 8 improves the survival of T≤3 cmN0M0 lung adenocarcinoma patients.

Background: Mediastinal station 8 lymph node dissection (8LND) is recommended by guidelines but not routinely performed in real world clinical practice. This study aimed to investigate the effect of 8LND on the prognosis of pT≤3 cmN0M0 lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: Patients undergoing lobectomy were retrospectively enrolled from West China Hospital from 2011 to 2019. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to investigate the effects of 8LND on the progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce the confounding effects. Multivariable analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of 8LND in the matched patients. Subgroup analyses were conducted to further identify patients who might benefit from 8LND. Results: A total of 1,209 patients were enrolled and 261 (21.59%) patients underwent 8LND. Before PSM, for patients who received 8LND (8LND+ patients) and who did not (8LND- patients), the 5-year PFS was 91.34%, 88.03% (P=0.03) respectively, the 5-year OS was 97.10%, 92.78% (P=0.03) respectively, and the 5-year CSS was 97.67%, 93.59% (P=0.05) respectively. After PSM, 8LND+ patients still had better PFS (P=0.006), OS (P=0.01), and CSS (P=0.03) as compared to 8LND- patients. Multivariable analyses showed that 8LND was associated with lower risk of disease progression [hazard ratio (HR): 0.46; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.26-0.80; P=0.007], and lower risk of death (HR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.13-0.85; P=0.02). The survival benefit of 8LND was still found in subgroup analyses in male patients, smokers, patients with a pT2 tumor (≤3 cm), and patients with a poorly differentiated tumor. Conclusions: 8LND could improve the survival of T≤3 cmN0M0 lung adenocarcinoma patients. Routine 8LND is recommended, especially in male, smokers, patients with a pT2 tumor (≤3 cm), and patients with a poorly differentiated tumor.

An analysis of exogenous harmful substance exposure as risk factors for COPD and hypertension co-morbidity using PSM.

Background: Some occupational and environmental exposures could increase the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and hypertension in various work and living environments. However, the effect of exposure to multiple exogenous harmful substances on COPD and hypertension co-morbidities remains unclear. Methods: Participants were selected from eight hospitals in five provinces in China using a multistage cluster sampling procedure. Participants' demographic, exposure, and disease information were collected through questionnaires, spirometry, and blood pressure examinations. Demographic data were used as matching factors, and 1:1 matching between the exposed and non-exposed groups was performed by employing propensity score matching (PSM) to minimize the influence on the results. A one-way chi-squared analysis and multifactorial logistic regression were used to analyze the association between the exposure to exogenous harmful substances (metals and their compound dust, inorganic mineral dust, organic chemicals, and livestock by-products) and the co-morbidity of COPD and hypertension. Results: There were 6,610 eligible participants in the final analysis, of whom 2,045 (30.9%) were exposed to exogenous harmful substances. The prevalence of co-morbidities of COPD and hypertension (6.0%) in the exposure group was higher than their prevalence in the total population (4.6%). After PSM, exogenous harmful substance exposure was found to be a risk factor for the co-morbidity of COPD and hypertension [odds ratio (OR) = 1.347, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.011-1.794], which was not statistically significant before PSM (OR = 1.094, 95% CI: 0.852-1.405). Meanwhile, the results of different outcomes showed that the association between hypertension and exogenous harmful substance exposure was not statistically significant (OR = 0.965, 95% CI: 0.846-1.101). Smoking (OR = 4.702, 95% CI: 3.321-6.656), history of a respiratory disease during childhood (OR = 2.830, 95% CI: 1.600-5.006), and history of respiratory symptoms (OR = 1.897, 95% CI: 1.331-2.704) were also identified as risk factors for the co-morbidity of COPD and hypertension. Conclusion: The distribution of exogenous harmful substance exposure varies in the population, and the prevalence of co-morbidities is generally higher in susceptible populations. Exposure to exogenous harmful substances was found to be a key risk factor after adjusting for demographic confounders.

Survival outcome and prognostic factors of remnant gastric cancer: a propensity score-matched analysis.

Background: Studies on survival and prognostic factors in individuals with remnant gastric cancer (RGC) after gastric cancer (GC) are rare. It is debatable whether prognosis of RGC after GC is worse than that of only primary GC (OPGC). The objective of this study is to compare the survival outcomes between post-GC RGC and OPGC undergoing surgical resection and to identify the prognostic factors of disease-specific survival (DSS) for RGC. Methods: We retrospectively collected data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database among patients who underwent GC surgery in 1988-2020. Propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted to balance baseline characteristics. Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival analysis was performed to compare their overall survival (OS) and DSS. Multivariable Cox analyses were performed to identify the independent prognostic factors of DSS for post-GC RGC by estimating hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: There were 76 patients with RGC and 32,763 patients with OPGC included and analyzed. After balancing the baseline characteristics by PSM, no significant difference existed between OPGC and RGC groups in both OS (P=0.65) and DSS (P=0.28). Fixed-time analyses also showed no difference between the two groups for the 5-year (60.0%, RGC vs. 53.3%, OPGC, P=0.38) and 10-year DSS (56.7%, RGC vs. 48.3%, OPGC, P=0.34). Multivariable analysis revealed that area of lower income ($75,000+ vs. <$55,000, HR =0.21, 95% CI: 0.05-0.89, P=0.03), cardiac tumor [middle vs. cardia, HR =0.16, 95% CI: 0.03-0.77, P=0.02; distal vs. cardia, HR =0.10, 95% CI: 0.02-0.58, P=0.01; not otherwise specified (NOS) vs. cardia, HR =0.11, 95% CI: 0.03-0.51, P=0.004], deeper invasion (T3-4 vs. Tis-2, HR =5.19, 95% CI: 1.21-22.15, P=0.03), higher grade (G3 vs. G1-2, HR =7.35, 95% CI: 1.41-38.48, P=0.02) and not receiving chemotherapy (yes vs. no/unknown, HR =0.16, 95% CI: 0.04-0.60, P=0.007) were independent risk factors for postsurgical DSS in patients with post-GC RGC. Conclusions: The prognosis of post-GC RGC was comparable to that of OPGC following surgical resection. The independent prognostic factors for RGC are similar to those established for OPGC. Our findings suggest that RGC following first GC might be the same entity to OPGC and curative resection should be considered in selected patients.

Transarterial chemoembolization using drug-eluting beads versus lipiodol in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: propensity score matching.

Background: Since the introduction of drug-eluting beads (DEB), the result comparing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) using lipiodol, also called conventional transarterial chemoembolization (c-TACE), and DEB-TACE shows considerable controversy. The objective of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of c-TACE and DEB-TACE to treat unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). Methods: This retrospective study used propensity score matching (PSM) analysis to analyze clinical data from 113 cases of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated at our hospital from September 2016 to July 2021. The safety and efficacy of the two treatment modalities were analyzed after 1:1 matching. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS); the secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), disease control rates (DCRs), and objective response rates (ORRs) at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, and postoperative complications. Results: Twenty-nine patients underwent DEB-TACE and 84 received c-TACE; 28 pairs of patients were eventually matched. After matching, baseline characteristics between groups were comparable. The median PFS of the DEB-TACE group was 10 months compared to 6 months in the c-TACE group (P=0.002). The median OS was 23 months in the DEB-TACE group vs. 14 months in the c-TACE group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.265). The ORR at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months in the DEB-TACE group (69%, 78%, 60%, and 52%) were significantly higher than those in the c-TACE group (39%, 39%, 26%, and 8%) (P<0.05). The DCR at postoperative 3 months was significantly higher in the DEB-TACE group (95%) (P<0.05). There was one case of postoperative liver abscess in the DEB-TACE group, and the patient recovered well after drainage. No serious complications occurred. Conclusions: Compared to c-TACE, DEB-TACE prolonged PFS and exhibited better short-term ORR with a similar level of safety. However, there was no significant advantage in terms of OS.

Health impact evaluation of Aspirational Districts Program in India: Evidence from National Family Health Survey.

The Aspirational District Program (ADP) is a unique initiative of Government of India launched in 2018 that aims to reduce inter-district multidimensional inequality. ADP aims to bring the least developed districts to catch up with the rest of the other districts in the country. The program is comprehensive in its scope as it targets improvement of several key development indicators spanning health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resources, financial inclusion and skill development and basic infrastructure indicators. Aspirational districts (ADs) are eligible for enhanced funding and priority allocation of various initiatives undertaken by the central and the state governments. Our research estimates the causal impact of ADP on the targeted health and nutrition indicators using a combination of propensity score matching and difference-in-differences (PSM-DID). We use the fourth and fifth rounds of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data collected in 2015-16 and 2019-21 respectively which serve as the pre and post-treatment data for our analysis. Moreover, we take advantage of the transparent mechanism outlined for the identification of ADs under ADP, which we use for propensity score matching for our PSM-DID. While we observe negative impact of ADP on early initiation of breastfeeding, we believe that the impact is confounded with the effects of Covid-19 since part of NFHS-5 data was collected during the pandemic. However, the negative impact of ADP on early initiation of breastfeeding disappears when we only use pre-covid data (i.e. data for districts from states surveyed before the pandemic). Additionally, using pre-covid data we find a reduction in the prevalence of underweight children younger than 5 years to an extent of 2 to 4 percentage points in ADs as an impact of ADP, which is robust across multiple specification. We do not find evidence of a positive or a negative impact of ADP on any other health and nutrition indicators. Future research efforts should be made towards impact evaluation of all the targeted indicators in order to get a comprehensive unbiased evaluation of ADP.

Efficacy of chemoradiotherapy in elderly patients with stage IV inoperable head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with radiotherapy (RT) alone for elderly patients (≥ 65 years) with stage IV inoperable head and neck cancer (IV-HNC). METHODS: Elderly patients diagnosed with inoperable IV-HNC from 2010 to 2015 were identified using the SEER database. Then, we performed a 1:1 propensity-score matched (PSM) analysis to reduce treatment selection bias, and the prognostic role of CRT was investigated using Kaplan-Meier analysis, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazard models. The main outcome was overall survival (OS), and the secondary outcome was cancer-specific survival (CSS). RESULTS: A total of 3318 patients were enrolled, of whom 601 received RT alone and 2717 received CRT. Through PSM, 526 patients were successfully matched, and balances between the two treatment groups were reached. In the matched dataset, multivariable Cox analysis revealed that CRT was associated with better OS (HR = 0.580, P < 0.001) and CSS (HR = 0.586, P < 0.001). Meanwhile, subgroups of patients with IV-HNC (younger age, male sex, being married, black race, grade I-II, oral cavity site, T3-T4 stage, N0-N1 stage, M1 stage) were inclined to benefit more from CRT treatment. Furthermore, the survival benefit of CRT was more pronounced in patients aged 65 to 80 years, but was absent in patients aged 80 years or older. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that CRT resulted in better survival than RT alone in elderly patients with inoperable IV-HNC, especially for those subpopulations that benefit more from CRT treatment.

Serum proteomics study on cognitive impairment after cardiac valve replacement surgery: a prospective observational study.

Objective: The incidence of perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) is high, especially after cardiac surgeries, and the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we conducted a prospective observational study to observe serum proteomics differences in PND patients after cardiac valve replacement surgery. Methods: Two hundred and twenty-six patients who underwent cardiac valve surgery were included. They were categorized based on scoring into non-PND group (group non-P) and PND group (group P'). The risk factors associated with PND were analyzed. These patients were further divided into group C and group P by propensity score matching (PSM) to investigate the serum proteome related to the PND by serum proteomics. Results: The postoperative 6-week incidence of PND was 16.8%. Risk factors for PND include age, chronic illness, sufentanil dosage, and time of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Proteomics identified 31 down-regulated proteins and six up-regulated proteins. Finally, GSTO1, IDH1, CAT, and PFN1 were found to be associated with PND. Conclusion: The occurrence of PND can impact some oxidative stress proteins. This study provided data for future studies about PND to general anaesthesia and surgeries.

Comparison of laparoscopic versus open pancreaticoduodenectomy combined with portal vein/superior mesenteric vein resection and reconstruction for pancreatic cancer: a propensity score matching analysis.

Background: Open surgery is gradually replaced by minimally invasive surgery, but few studies have reported the feasibility of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) combined with vascular resection and reconstruction. The present study compared the efficacy of LPD with open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) combined with portal vein/superior mesenteric vein (PV/SMV) resection and reconstruction for pancreatic cancer. Methods: The clinical data of patients who underwent PD combined with PV/SMV resection and reconstruction from March 2016 to August 2022 at our institution were retrospectively analyzed. The perioperative outcomes and survival outcomes were compared after propensity score matching (PSM). Results: The original cohort included 64 patients. Sixteen pairs of patients were obtained by 1:1 PSM. The intraoperative blood loss was greater in the OPD group than in the LPD group (550 vs. 200 mL, P=0.04), and the PV clamp time was longer in the LPD group than in the OPD group (29.4 vs. 18.8 min, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications. The median overall survival and progression-free survival were comparable between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: LPD combined with PV/SMV resection and reconstruction is safe and feasible in selected patients and results in similar perioperative outcomes and prognosis as open surgery.

Low Prognostic Nutritional Index Predicts In-Hospital Complications and Case Fatality in Patients with Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is associated with high case fatality and significant healthcare costs. Recent studies emphasize the critical role of nutritional status in affecting outcomes in neurological disorders. This study investigates the relationship between the Prognostic Nutrition Index (PNI) and in-hospital complications and case fatality among patients with ICH. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed using data from the Changhua Christian Hospital Clinical Research Database between January 2015 and December 2022. Patients under 20 or over 100 years of age or with incomplete medical data were excluded. We utilized restricted cubic spline models, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and ROC analysis to assess the association between PNI and clinical outcomes. Propensity score matching analysis was performed to balance these clinical variables between groups. RESULTS: In this study, 2402 patients with spontaneous ICH were assessed using the median PNI value of 42.77. The cohort was evenly divided between low and high PNI groups, predominantly male (59.1%), with an average age of 64 years. Patients with lower PNI scores at admission had higher in-hospital complications and increased 28- and 90-day case fatality rates. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that PNI could serve as a valuable marker for predicting medical complications and case fatality in patients with spontaneous ICH.

Efficacy and safety of robotic versus laparoscopic liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: a propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence concerning long-term outcome of robotic liver resection (RLR) and laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients is scarce. METHODS: This study enrolled all patients who underwent RLR and LLR for resectable HCC between July 2016 and July 2021. Propensity score matching (PSM) was employed to create a 1:3 match between the RLR and LLR groups. A comprehensive collection and analysis of patient data regarding efficacy and safety have been conducted, along with the evaluation of the learning curve for RLR. RESULTS: Following PSM, a total of 341 patients were included, with 97 in the RLR group and 244 in the LLR group. RLR group demonstrated a significantly longer operative time (median [IQR], 210 [152.0-298.0] min vs. 183.5 [132.3-263.5] min; p = 0.04), with no significant differences in other perioperative and short-term postoperative outcomes. Overall survival (OS) was similar between the two groups (p = 0.43), but RLR group exhibited improved recurrence-free survival (RFS) (median of 65 months vs. 56 months, p = 0.006). The estimated 5-year OS for RLR and LLR were 74.8% (95% CI: 65.4-85.6%) and 80.7% (95% CI: 74.0-88.1%), respectively. The estimated 5-year RFS for RLR and LLR were 58.6% (95% CI: 48.6-70.6%) and 38.3% (95% CI: 26.4-55.9%), respectively. In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, RLR (HR: 0.586, 95% CI (0.393-0.874), p = 0.008) emerged as an independent predictor of reducing recurrence rates and enhanced RFS. The operative learning curve indicates that approximately after the 11th case, the learning curve of RLR stabilized and entered a proficient phase. CONCLUSIONS: OS was comparable between RLR and LLR, and while RFS was improved in the RLR group. RLR demonstrates oncological effectiveness and safety for resectable HCC.

Geographical accessibility of medical resources, health status, and demand of integrated care for older people: a cross-sectional survey from Western China.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) published the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) framework to help healthcare providers cope with the population aging crisis. However, the relevant evidence on the demands of older people and the compensatory capacity of the environment is limited. This study reports for the first time the level of the ICOPE demand in Western China that includes the impact of geographic accessibility of medical resources (GAMR) on ICOPE demand and the potential mechanism of health status. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 1200 adults aged 60 years and older selected through multi-stage stratified cluster sampling to obtain relevant data, including ICOPE demand, health status, and GAMR. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to analyze the impact of GAMR on ICOPE demand among older people and those with different health statuses. RESULTS: Among the prospective research participants, 1043 were eligible for the study. The mean score of ICOPE demand among all participants was 3.68 (standard deviation [SD] = 0.78). After adjusting for covariates between high and low GAMR groups (1:1 match), ICOPE demand was significantly higher in the low GAMR group than in the high GAMR group (average treatment effect on the treated [ATT] = 0.270, p < 0.05). For both good and poor self-rated health status, the ICOPE demand of the low GAMR group was significantly higher than that in the high GAMR group (ATT = 0.345, p < 0.05; ATT = 0.190, p < 0.05). For chronic diseases, the ICOPE demand of older people with multimorbidity in the low GAMR group was significantly higher than that in the high GAMR group (ATT = 0.318, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The older population in Western China has a relatively high demand for ICOPE. Low GAMR is a key factor in ICOPE demand growth in this region. It accelerates demand release for both older people with multimorbidity and self-perceptions of health.

The exploration of surgery and survival prediction in patients with peritoneal metastasis from gastric adenocarcinoma based on the SEER database.

Background: As one of the most common diseases in terms of cancer-related mortality worldwide, gastric adenocarcinoma (GA) frequently develops peritoneal metastases (PMs) in advanced stages. Systemic therapy or optimal supportive care are recommended for advanced GA; however, patients frequently develop drug resistance. Surgical resection is not recommended for stage IV patients, and there have been some controversies regarding the role of it in GA patients with PMs. The aim of the study was to preliminarily evaluate the possible effect of surgical treatments on patients with only PMs from GA. Methods: Data were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (year 2000-2022). A propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to reduce the influence of selection bias and confounding variables on comparisons. Then Cox proportional hazard regression, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and log-rank test were performed to assess the efficacy of surgical treatment in patients with PMs from GA. Results: A total of 399 patients diagnosed with PMs from GA were enrolled for our analysis, of which, 180 (45.1%) patients did not receive surgery and 219 (54.9%) patients received surgery. Multivariate Cox regression analysis before PSM indicated higher rates of overall survival (OS) outcome for patients who had received surgery [hazard ratio (HR) =0.4342, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.3283-0.5742, P<0.001]. After PSM, a total of 172 patients were enrolled, with 86 in each group. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that surgery was the independent factor reflecting patients' survival (HR =0.4382, 95% CI: 0.3037-0.6324, P<0.001). Subgroup survival analysis revealed that surgery may bring advantages to patients with grades I-IV, stages T1-T4, stage N0, and tumor size less than 71 mm (P<0.05). We also found that the OS of chemotherapy patients who had undergone surgery was better than that of chemotherapy patients who had not undergone surgery (P<0.01). Conclusions: Based on the SEER database, surgery has better OS for patients only with PMs from GA. Patients without lymph node metastasis and those who received chemotherapy before may benefit from surgery. These specific groups of patients may have surgery as an option to improve the prognosis.

Effect of intravenous anesthetic drugs on fertilization rate in oocyte retrieval.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of intravenous anesthetic drugs on fertilization rate in subjects receiving oocyte retrieval by assisted reproduction technology (ART). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was designed. The clinical information of subjects who received oocyte retrieval procedure was collected. The subjects were divided into two groups based on the type of anesthesia used: the no-anesthesia group and the intravenous anesthesia group. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. Fertilization rate was compared between the two groups before and after PSM. RESULTS: A total of 765 subjects were divided into two groups: the no-anesthesia group (n = 482) and the intravenous anesthesia group (n = 283). According to propensity scores, 258 pairs of subjects were well matched, and the baseline data between the two groups were not significantly different (P > 0.05). Fertilization rate was 77% in the intravenous anesthesia group, and 76% in the no-anesthesia group, without significant between-group difference (P = 0.685). Before matching, Poisson regression analysis showed no effect of intravenous anesthetic drugs on fertilization rate (RR = 0.859, 95%CI: 0.59 to 1.25, P = 0.422). After matching, no difference was found either (RR = 0.935, 95%CI: 0.67 to 1.29, P = 0.618). CONCLUSION: Intravenous anesthetic drugs may exert no effects on fertilization rate in subjects receiving ART.