Mismatch between ADA and AGS recommendations for glycated hemoglobin targets for older adults

In recent years, modified glycemic targets have been defined for older adults with diabetes mellitus. In a sample of elderly patients, we have identified several inconsistencies between the real life applicability of glycated hemoglobin goals recommended by the American Diabetes Association and the American Geriatrics Society.     

实施临床决策 遏制过度医疗

阐述过度医疗的概念、特征和表现,分析临床决策的原则,确认临床决策是遏制过度医疗的重要举措。     

Physician attitudes about genetic testing for localized prostate cancer: A national survey of radiation oncologists and urologists

Introduction

Genetic testing has been recently put forth as a strategy to improve decision-making in the management of localized prostate cancer. Little is known about how frequently prostate cancer specialists are using these tests, or whether they consider them important or effective. We performed a national survey of radiation oncologists and urologists on their perceptions and self-reported use of genetic testing.

Radical prostatectomy then and now: Surgical overtreatment of prostate cancer is declining from 2009 to 2016 at a tertiary referral center

Background

In the era of increasing scrutiny of delivery of quality care, efforts to decrease surgical overtreatment of insignificant prostate cancer (iCaP) continue.

试论对过度医疗的监管治理

过度医疗已成为社会热点,涉及医疗领域诸多问题。本文在分析过度医疗构成要件及其存在原因的基础上,从完善监管的角度入手,着眼于探讨过度医疗的遏制之道。建议从以下几方面改善监管以治理过度医疗：一是健全医疗机构的法人治理结构;二是改革政府监管机制,主要包括实施正当的监管程序、监管影响评价程序等;三是强化行业自我监督机制;四是实施替代性监管策略,主要是改革医疗付费方式;五是保障公众和舆论对于监管的监督。·     

Views of healthcare professionals about the role of active monitoring in the management of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): Qualitative interview study

BackgroundDuctal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is an in-situ (pre-cancerous) breast malignancy whereby malignant cells are contained within the basement membrane of the breast ducts. Increasing awareness that some low-risk forms of DCIS might remain indolent for many years has led to concern about overtreatment, with at least 3 clinical trials underway internationally assessing the safety of active monitoring for low-risk DCIS. This study aimed to understand healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) views on the management options for patients with DCIS.MethodsQualitative study using semi-structured interviews with HCPs involved in the diagnosis and management of DCIS in Australia and New Zealand. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically using Framework Analysis method.ResultsTwenty-six HCPs including 10 breast surgeons, 3 breast physicians, 6 radiation oncologists, and 7 breast care nurses participated. There was a strong overall consensus that DCIS requires active treatment. HCPs generally felt uncomfortable recommending active monitoring as a management option for low-risk DCIS as they viewed this as outside current standard care. Overall, HCPs felt that active monitoring was an unproven strategy in need of an evidence base; however, many acknowledged that active monitoring for low-risk DCIS could be appropriate for patients with significant co-morbidities or limited life expectancy. They believed that most patients would opt for surgery wherever possible.ConclusionsThis study highlights the important need for robust randomised controlled trial data about active monitoring for women with low-risk DCIS, to provide HCPs with confidence in their management recommendations and decision-making.     

Understanding the pathogenesis of hip fracture in the elderly,osteoporotic theory is not reflected in the outcome of prevention programmes

Hip fractures are an acute and worsening public health problem. They mainly affect elderly people, a population group that is highly vulnerable to disease and accidents, and to falls in particular. Although it has been suggested that osteoporosis is the cause of hip fractures, they mainly occur after a fall has been suffered. The underlying causes of a fall are not related to osteoporosis, although pharmaceutical companies have coined the term "osteoporotic fracture" for hip fractures in the elderly. Drug treatments for osteoporosis have not diminished the frequency of these injuries, nor have they prevented the occurrence of a subsequent fracture. Since pharmaceutical interests require osteoporosis to be considered a disease, rather than a normal condition of senescence, they go further by assuming that treatment for osteoporosis is essential, and that this policy will diminish the incidence of hip fractures. On the other hand, the origin and treatment of conditions that may be conducive to provoking falls are very difficult to elucidate. In this paper, we consider some of the medical and social problems that arise in this area, as well as conflicts of interest regarding the aetiopathogenesis and prevention of hip fracture, and propose a new paradigm for the prevention of falls.     

Breast-conserving Surgery Without Radiation Therapy for Invasive Cancer

Radiotherapy (RT) after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) halves the risk of local recurrence, and it is considered the standard of care for the vast majority of patients with early invasive breast cancer. However, the majority of patients treated with BCS will not recur locally, even in the absence of RT. Over the past several decades, the improved and widespread use of systemic therapy has significantly decreased the rate of local recurrence. This has stimulated interest in identifying favorable patient subsets not requiring RT. Randomized controlled trials have shown in women aged ≥ 70 years with stage I estrogen receptor-positive (ER⁺) tumors, RT can be safely omitted. To better identify patients with favorable prognosis, ongoing trials have incorporated biological markers and genomic assays. Despite great research efforts to de-escalate locoregional treatment, real-world data indicate that omission of RT in low-risk patients is inconsistent. Better decision-making is warranted to reduce overtreatment and financial toxicity.     

Over surgery in breast cancer

Breast surgery remains the original and most effective ‘targeted’ therapy: excision of early cancer is curative and for more advanced disease surgery improves local disease control. However in well intentioned pursuit of cure and local disease control, some cancers are over-treated resulting in major physical and emotional morbidity.Less breast surgery is safe, as evidenced by steady reductions in mortality and local recurrence; earlier diagnosis and widespread use of systemic therapies and radiotherapy have allowed more conservative surgery. As tumour biology dictates cancer outcomes not surgery extent, surgery can safely be ‘minimum required’ rather than ‘more is better’ with the focus on removal of disease rather than healthy tissue.Surgeons can reduce the burden of surgery further but it is important that less surgery is not over-compensated by more radical or unnecessary systemic therapies and/or radiotherapy with their own toxicities and morbidity. We all need to be alert to the potential drivers of over treatment and over surgery such as failure to work within a multidisciplinary team, failure to design a multimodality treatment plan at diagnosis or overuse of novel assessment technologies of uncertain clinical utility. Pursuit of wide margins and the removal of the contra-lateral healthy breast for marginal risk-reduction gains are also to be discouraged as is routine local/regional surgery in stage 4 disease.The surgeon has a pivotal role in minimizing breast surgery to what is required to achieve the best oncological, functional and aesthetic outcomes.     

Stage and Grade Migration in Prostate Cancer Treated With Radical Prostatectomy in a Large German Multicenter Cohort

IntroductionOverdiagnosis and overtherapy in prostate cancer (PCa) treatment should be avoided, which has led to an awareness of the need to decrease treatment in cases of low-risk PCa with radical prostatectomy (RP). Simultaneously, prostate-specific antigen testing has become less popular in the last few years, which has resulted in higher cancer grade and stage at diagnosis. We evaluated stage and grade migration in the disease of patients treated with RP in a large German cohort.Patients and MethodsOverall, 4842 patients undergoing RP between 2000 and 2019 were included. Age, prostate-specific antigen level, biopsy, and pathologic Gleason score as well as clinical and pathologic stage were collected. D’Amico risk groups and Gleason score were evaluated over different time points.ResultsWe detected a significant grade migration toward higher grade. The proportion of biopsy Gleason sum ≤ 6 dropped from 45.8% to 20.6% between ≤ 2010 and 2017-2019. Further, the proportion of patients with low D’Amico risk scores also decreased by almost 50% (20.8% vs 12.2%). Finally, the proportion of non–organ-confined PCa increased over time, and the proportion of postoperative Gleason sum ≤ 6 decreased from 20% to 10% over time.ConclusionTaken together, data indicate a significant preoperative grade and stage migration toward disease of higher grade in RP-treated PCa. Between the years 2000 and 2019, the proportion of biopsy Gleason sum ≤ 6 and the proportions of D’Amico low risk disease decreased by approximately 50% (respectively, 45% to 20% and 20.8% to 12.2%). This might indicate better patient selection for RP, but might also be a telltale sign of the rising mortality and morbidity of PCa.