Comparing EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L performance in common cancers: suggestions for instrument choosing.

PURPOSE: To compare the performance of three-level EuroQol five-dimensions (EQ-5D-3L) and five-level EuroQol five-dimensions (EQ-5D-5L) among common cancer patients in urban China. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in three provinces from 2016 to 2018 in urban China. Patients with breast cancer, colorectal cancer, or lung cancer were recruited to complete the EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L questionnaires. Response distribution, discriminatory power (indicator: Shannon index [H'] and Shannon evenness index [J']), ceiling effect (the proportion of full health state), convergent validity, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were compared between the two instruments. RESULTS: A total of 1802 cancer patients (breast cancer: 601, colorectal cancer: 601, lung cancer: 600) were included, with the mean age of 55.6 years. The average inconsistency rate was 4.4%. Compared with EQ-5D-3L (average: H' = 1.100, J' = 0.696), an improved discriminatory power was observed in EQ-5D-5L (H' = 1.473, J' = 0.932), especially contributing to anxiety/depression dimensions. The ceiling effect was diminished in EQ-5D-5L (26.5%) in comparison with EQ-5D-3L (34.5%) (p < 0.001), mainly reflected in the pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression dimensions. The overall utility score was 0.790 (95% CI 0.778-0.801) for EQ-5D-3L and 0.803 (0.790-0.816) for EQ-5D-5L (p < 0.001). A similar pattern was also observed in the detailed cancer-specific analysis. CONCLUSIONS: With greater discriminatory power, convergent validity and lower ceiling, EQ-5D-5L may be preferable to EQ-5D-3L for the assessment of HRQoL among cancer patients. However, higher utility scores derived form EQ-5D-5L may also lead to lower QALY gains than those of 3L potentially in cost-utility studies and underestimation in the burden of disease.

Development and external validation of a nomogram to predict the risk of Upper gastrointestinal precancerous lesions in a non-high-incidence area.

BACKGROUND: Upper gastrointestinal precancerous lesions (UGPL) is the major preventable disease in non-high-incidence area. A prognostic nomogram was constructed to predict and identity susceptible population of UGPL before endoscope screening. METHODS: We recruited 300 ,016 eligible participants for upper gastrointestinal cancer (UGC) screening aged 40-74 years from two cities in Hunan province from 2012 to 2019. Individuals at high risk of UGC on basis of questionnaire estimation underwent endoscopic screening. Participants in two cities accepting endoscopy were used as training and external validation cohorts, respectively. A nomogram was developed based on independent prognostic factors of UGPL determined in multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of 35, 621 with high risk for UGC, 10, 364 subjects undertook endoscopy (participation rate of 29.1%). The detection rate for UGPL was 4.55%. The nomogram showed that age, gender, mental trama, picked food, and atrophic gastritis history in a descending order were significant contributors to UGPL risk. The C-index value of internal and external validation of the model is 0.612 and 0.670, respectively. The calibration data for UGPL showed optimal agreement between the nomogram prediction and actual observation. Furthermore, high-risk and low-risk group divided based on score from the nomogram predicted a significantly distinct detection rate. CONCLUSION: The nomogram provides screening workers a simple and accurate tool for identifying individuals at a higher risk of UGPL as primary screening before endoscopy among Chinese population in non-high-risk areas, thus reducing the incidence of UGC by improving the UGPL detection.

Community-Based Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Screening in a Randomized Controlled Trial: Baseline Results in a Non-high-incidence Area.

A cluster-randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to evaluate to the effectiveness of reducing mortality of upper gastrointestinal cancer (UGC) and feasibility of screening through a questionnaire combined with endoscopy in non-high-incidence urban areas in China. The trial design, recruitment performance, and preliminary results from baseline endoscopy are reported. Seventy-five communities in two urban cities with a non-high-incidence of UGC were randomized to a screening endoscopy arm (n = 38) or a control arm (n = 37). In the screening arm, individuals at high risk of UGC underwent endoscopic screening. The primary outcome was the UGC mortality, and secondary outcomes included the UGC detection rate, incidence rate, survival rate, and clinical stage at the time of diagnosis. A total of 10,416 and 9,565 individuals were recruited into the screening and control arms, respectively. The participation rate was 74.3%. In the screening arm, 5,242 individuals (50.3%) were estimated to be high-risk. Among them, 2,388 (45.6%) underwent endoscopic screening. Age and household income were associated with undergoing endoscopy. Three early esophageal cancer (0.13%), one gastric cancer (0.04%), 29 precancerous esophageal lesions (1.21%), and 53 precancerous gastric lesions (2.22%) were detected. Age, sex, a family history of cancer, intake of meat-egg-milk frequently, superficial gastritis, and clinical symptoms of gastric cancer were associated with the presence of precancerous lesions. The detection rate was low using endoscopic screening in non-high-incidence area given the relatively low compliance rate. These findings provide a reference for designing effective community-based UGC screening strategies in non-high-incidence urban areas.

Medical and non-medical expenditure for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in China: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

AIM: We aimed to assess economic burden of breast cancer (BC) diagnosis and treatment in China through a multicenter cross-sectional study, and to obtain theoretical evidence for policy-making. METHODS: This survey was conducted in 37 hospital centers across 13 provinces in China from September 2012 to December 2014. We collected information on the subject characteristics. We then assessed the medical and non-medical expenditure for BC diagnosis and treatment, factors influencing the average case expense, variations between medical and non-medical expenditure at different clinical stages, economic impact of overall expenditure in newly diagnosed course after reimbursement to the patient's family, composition of non-medical expenditure and time loss for the patient and family. RESULTS: Among 2746 women with BC (72.6% were admitted to specialized hospitals), the overall average expenditure was US $8450 (medical expenditure: $7527; non-medical expenditure: $922). Significant differences were found among the overall expenditure in the four clinical stages (P < 0.0001); the expenditure was higher in stages III and IV than that in stages I and II, whereas the stage IV was the highest (P < 0.0001). Moreover, a higher self-reported predicted reimbursement ratio was associated with a less economic impact on the patient's family, and the average time lost was estimated as $1529. CONCLUSIONS: Early detection and treatment of breast cancer might be effective for decreasing the economic burden, because costs escalate as the degree of malignancy increases.

Development and validation of two prognostic nomograms for predicting survival in patients with non-small cell and small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to construct two prognostic nomograms to predict survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) using a novel set of clinical parameters. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two nomograms were developed, using a retrospective analysis of 5384 NSCLC and 647 SCLC patients seen during a 10-year period at Xiang Ya Affiliated Cancer Hospital (Changsha, China). The patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify the prognostic factors needed to establish nomograms for the training cohort. The model was internally validated via bootstrap resampling and externally certified using the validation cohort. Predictive accuracy and discriminatory capability were estimated using concordance index (C-index), calibration curves, and risk group stratification. RESULTS: The largest contributor to overall survival (OS) prognosis in the NSCLC nomogram was the therapeutic regimen and diagnostic method parameters, and in the SCLC nomogram was the therapeutic regimen and health insurance plan parameters. Calibration curves for the nomogram prediction and the actual observation were in optimal agreement for the 3-year OS and acceptable agreement for the 5-year OS in both training datasets. The C-index was higher for the NSCLC cohort nomogram than for the TNM staging system (0.67 vs. 0.64, P = 0.01) and higher for the SCLC nomogram than for the clinical staging system (limited vs. extensive) (0.60 vs. 0.53, P = 0.12). CONCLUSION: Treatment regimen parameter made the largest contribution to OS prognosis in both nomograms, and these nomograms might provide clinicians and patients a simple tool that improves their ability to accurately estimate survival based on individual patient parameters rather than using an averaged predefined treatment regimen.

Case-control study on the modified ilioinguinal incision of anterior approach for the treatment of pelvic and acetabular fractures / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study modified ilioinguinal approach through the retrospective analysis on the surgical treatment of 63 patients with pelvic and acetabular fractures through anterior approach.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From January 2006 to January 2013, 63 patients with pelvic and acetabular fractures were treated with the ilioinguinal anterior approach, including 45 males and 18 females, ranging in age from 12 to 68 years old, with an average of (37.71 +/- 13.41) years old. All the patients were divided into two groups: standard ilioinguinal anterior approach group (group A) and modified ilioinguinal anterior approach group(group B). In group A, there were 26 males and 11 females, with an average age of (38.49 +/- 13.64) years old. In group B, there were 19 males and 7 females, with an average age of (36.62 +/- 13.29) years old. Intraoperative and postoperative indicators in group A and B were observed and compared, including operation incision exposure time (from skin incision to complete the ilioinguinal in front of three "windows"), the blood loss, incision close time and treatment effect of Majeed function score.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared to group A, the incision exposure time of patients in group B was shorter, the blood loss (bleeding during exposure process) was less, and the close incision time was shorter, but the treatment effect of Majeed function score had no significant differences between two groups. All the patients were followed up, and the during ranged from 3 to 36 months, with an average of (18.6 +/- 9.2) months. According to Matta standard assessment reduction of pelvic and acetabular fracture, there were 28 patients got an excellent result, 8 good, and 1 fair in the group A; and 20 patients got an excellent result, 5 good, and 1 fair in the group B. According to Majeed function score for hip function, 20 patients got a satisfactory result, 12 good,4 fair and 1 poor in group A, and the mean score was 82.51 +/- 9.72; and 13 patients got an satisfactory result, 10 good, 3 fair and 0 poor in group B, and the mean score was 80.54 +/- 10.79.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The modified approach has several advantages as follows: providing a good surgical exposure; preventing from the injury of femoral nerve, femoral artery and vein under the inguinal ligament; not needing to open the inguinal canal, which can avoid the occurrence of inguinal hernia, reduce operation prodedures and shorten operation time.</p>

Characteristics of treating dislocation and fracture of sacroiliac joint through anterior and posterior approches / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate characteristics of treating dislocation and fracture of sacroiliac joint through anterior and posterior approaches.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Between January 2006 and September 2012, 39 patients with dislocations and fractures of sacroiliac joint were treated with operation. There were 28 males and 11 females, aged 12 to 64 (mean, 41.3) years old. Seventeen cases were chosen through anterior approach, 13 cases through posterior and 9 cases were combined with anterior and posterior approaches. The anterior approach were made with supine position, performed open reduction, and two plates with 4 holes were used as internal fixation for arthrodesis of sacroiliac joint after reduction; while posterior approach prone position, close or open reduction was performed, and one or two partial thread lag screws, which with 7.3 mm in diameter and 60 to 75 mm in length, were penetrated via sacroiliac joint for fixation under X-ray. Postoperative complications were observed, Matta and Majeed scoring were used to evaluated currative effects.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All patients were followed up from 6 to 36 months. The patient could sit on the bed 2 to 4 weeks after surgery and walk with a crane 6 weeks' later. No breakage or loosening of screw occurred during follow-up. In all but one case with old sacral iliac fractures reducted poor, others obtained good opposition. According to Matta's criteria, 30 cases got excellent results, 8 good and 1 fair. According to Majeed's funtional standard, 14 patients got excellent results, 20 good 4 fair and 1 poor.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Treating dislocation and fracture of sacroiliac joint through anterior and posterior approaches can obtain good effects. However, anatomic location, fracture types, degree of displacement, the rate of preoperational reduction, vulnerability assessment of operation and fixation strength should be considered.</p>