Sorafenib with Transarterial Chemoembolization Achieves Improved Survival vs. Sorafenib Alone in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

We hypothesized that sorafenib plus transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) would confer survival benefits over sorafenib alone for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC). We investigated this while using the population-based All-Cancer Dataset to assemble a cohort (n = 3674; median age, 60; 83% men) of patients receiving sorafenib for aHCC (Child-Pugh A) with macro-vascular invasion or nodal/distant metastases. The patients were classified into the sorafenib-TACE group (n = 426) or the propensity score-matched sorafenib-alone group (n = 1686). All of the participants were followed up until death or the end of the study. Time-dependent Cox model and the Mantel-Byar test were used for survival analysis. During the median follow-ups of 221 and 133 days for the sorafenib-TACE and sorafenib-alone groups, 164 (39%) and 916 (54%) deaths occurred, respectively; the corresponding median overall survivals (OS) were 381 and 204 days, respectively (hazard ratio, HR: 0.74; 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.63-0.88; p = 0.021). The one-year and six-month OS were 53.5% and 80.3% in the sorafenib-TACE group and 32.4% and 54.4% in the sorafenib-alone group, respectively. The major complications were comparable between the two groups. The addition of TACE to sorafenib improves survival, with a 26% reduction in mortality. These findings provide strong real-world evidence that supports this combination strategy for eligible Child-Pugh A aHCC patients.

Risk and clinical predictors of osteoporotic fracture in East Asian patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a population-based cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Osteoporosis is becoming an impending epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region. The association between risk of osteoporotic fracture (OTPF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in East Asian patients is yet to be fully examined. We conducted a nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study of 98,700 patients aged ≥50 years with or without COPD using a national administrative claims dataset. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients were divided into COPD and comparison groups comprising 19,740 and 78,960 patients, respectively. The groups were 1 to 4 matched for age, gender, index date, diabetes mellitus, pre-existing osteoporosis and chronic kidney disease. Information such as the geographic area where southern part represented more sunshine exposure, smoking-related diagnoses, alcohol use disorder, whether there was regular use of inhaled corticosteroids and oral corticosteroids, vitamin D prescriptions, Charlson-Deyo comorbidity index score, and other relevant medical comorbidities were extracted for analysis. They were followed up until OTPF or the end of the year 2013. The outcome measure was an osteoporotic vertebral fracture and other long-bone fractures. A multivariate Cox model was constructed to derive adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) for OTPF with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) after controlling for age, sex, insurance premium category, vitamin D prescription, osteoporosis, and coronary heart disease (CHD). Kaplan-Meier curves of the probability of OTPF-free survival for each cohort were compared using the log-rank test. Patients with OTPF during the first follow-up year were excluded from the overall risk calculation. Contributing factors to the increased risk of OTPF in COPD patients were examined in a sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: After a total follow-up of 68,743 patient-years for the COPD group and 278,051 patient-years for the matched comparison group, the HR for OTPF was 1.24 (95% CI [1.02-1.51]; P = 0.0322) in COPD patients. The aHR was increased by 30% for vertebral OTPF (aHR = 1.297, 95% CI [1.020-1.649]; P = 0.0339). Differential lag time sensitivity analysis revealed a progressively elevated risk up to 8-fold increase in women (aHR = 8.0 (95% CI [1.81-35.4]; P < 0.01)) during the fifth follow-up year. COPD patients with pre-existing osteoporosis or given vitamin D prescription harbor a sustained increased risk up to the 5th (aHR, 4.1; 95% CI [1.61-10.35]) and third (aHR, 2.97; 95% CI [1.48-5.97]) follow-up year, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our nationwide population-based cohort study demonstrates that East Asian COPD patients aged 50 and beyond do harbor a modestly increased risk for osteoporotic vertebral fractures particularly for those who are female, have pre-existing osteoporosis or require vitamin D prescription.

Clinical analysis of contributors to the delayed gallbladder opacification following the use of water-soluble contrast medium.

OBJECTIVES: Gallbladder opacification (GBO) on computed tomography (CT) imaging may obscure certain pathological or emergent conditions in the gallbladder, such as neoplasms, stones, and hemorrhagic cholecystitis. This study aimed to investigate the clinical contributing factors that could predict the presence of delayed GBO determined by CT. METHODS: This study retrospectively evaluated 243 consecutive patients who received enhanced CT or intravenous pyelography imaging and then underwent abdominal CT imaging within 5 days. According to the interval between imaging, the patients were divided into group A (1 day), group B (2 or 3 days), and group C (4 or 5 days). Three radiologists evaluated CT images to determine GBO. Fisher's exact test and multivariate backward stepwise elimination logistic regression were performed. RESULTS: Positive GBO was significantly associated with the interval between imaging studies, contrast type, contrast volume, renal function, and hypertransaminasemia (P<0.05). Multivariate backward stepwise elimination logistic regression analysis of the three groups identified contrast type and hypertransaminasemia as independent predictors of GBO in group B patients (odds ratio [OR], 13.52, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.72-106.38 and OR, 3.43, 95% CI, 1.31-8.98, respectively; P<0.05). Hypertransaminasemia was the only independent predictor of GBO in group C patients with an OR of 7.2 (95% CI, 1.62-31.73). Hypertransaminasemia was noted in three patients (100%) who initially underwent imaging 5 days prior to GBO. CONCLUSION: Delayed GBO on CT imaging may be associated with laboratory hypertransaminasemia, particularly in patients receiving contrast medium over a period of ≥4 days. A detailed clinical history, physical examination, and further workup are of paramount importance for investigating the underlying cause behind the hypertransaminasemia.

Multiple gastrointestinal stromal tumors in a patient with type I neurofibromatosis presenting with tumor rupture and peritonitis.

A young woman with type 1 neurofibromatosis (NF-1) complained of abdominal pain for 3 days. Computed tomography disclosed two jejunal tumors with rupture and peritonitis. Surgery revealed two tumors in the jejunum, one of which was ruptured. Specimen examination found four additional intramural nodules between these tumors. Histology proved these tumors were all gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). The finding of multiple digestive tumors associated with peritonitis in an NF-1 patient should lead to the consideration of a ruptured GIST.