Rural barriers to early lung cancer detection: Exploring access to lung cancer screening programs in New Hampshire and Vermont

BackgroundRural populations face many health disadvantages compared to urban areas. There is a critical need to better understand the current lung cancer screening landscape in these communities to identify targeted areas to improve the impact of this proven tool.MethodsData from the County Health Rankings of New Hampshire and Vermont was reviewed for population density, distribution of adult smokers, and level of education compared to the distribution of Lung Cancer Screening Facilities throughout these two states.ResultsScreening programs in southern counties of Vermont with lower levels of education have decreased access. In New Hampshire, there are no programs within 30 miles of the areas with the largest distribution of smokers, and decreased access in some areas with the lowest levels of education.ConclusionsImproving equitable access to high-quality screening services in rural regions and the creation of targeted interventions to address decreased access in areas of high tobacco use and low education is vital to decreasing the incidence of latestage presentations of lung cancer within these populations.     

肝细胞癌TACE术后病灶存活或复发18F-FDGPET/CT和增强CT诊断价值Meta分析

目的采用Meta分析方法评价¹⁸F-脱氧葡萄糖正电子发射计算机体层摄影(¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT)和增强CT(CECT)诊断经导管肝动脉化疗栓塞术(TACE)术后存活或复发病灶的临床价值。方法根据PRISMA报告规范开展Meta分析。检索PubMed、Embase、Cochrane Library、Web of Science、中国知网、万方和维普数据库中¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT和CECT诊断TACE术后存活或复发病灶的临床研究,时间至2019-04。由2位研究人员独立筛选文献、提取资料,根据诊断准确性研究质量评价工具-2(QUADAS-2)评价纳入研究的偏倚风险后,采用Stata 12.0软件进行Meta分析,计算其汇总敏感度(Sen)和特异度(Spe),绘制受试者工作特征曲线(SROC)并计算曲线下面积(AUC)。结果共纳入10篇¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT及13篇CECT诊断TACE术后存活或复发病灶的原始研究,分别包括322例患者的467个病灶和748例患者的943个病灶。Meta分析显示,¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT诊断TACE术后存活或复发病灶的Sen=0.92(95%CI为0.87~0.94)、Spe=0.95(95%CI为0.82~0.99)、AUC=0.97(95%CI为0.93~0.99);CECT诊断TACE术后存活或复发病灶的Sen=0.72(95%CI为0.66~0.78)、Spe=0.99(95%CI为0.93~1.00)、AUC=0.87(95%CI为0.83~0.89)。此外,CECT诊断TACE术后存活或复发Sen(Z=2.34,P=0.02)和AUC(Z=2.21,P=0.03)值低于¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT,差异有统计学意义。结论相比于CECT,¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT对TACE术后存活或复发病灶具有较高诊断效能,可视为TACE术后存活或复发病灶有效的影像学诊断方法。     

Stress Testing Versus CT Angiography in Patients With Diabetes and Suspected Coronary Artery Disease

Background

The optimal noninvasive test (NIT) for patients with diabetes and stable symptoms of coronary artery disease (CAD) is unknown.

How accurate is atherosclerosis imaging by coronary computed tomography angiography?

Invasive coronary plaque imaging such as intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography has been widely used to observe culprit or non-culprit coronary atherosclerosis, as well as optimize stent sizing, apposition and deployment. Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) is non-invasively available to assess coronary artery disease (CAD) and has become an appropriate strategy to evaluate patients with suspected CAD. Given recent technologies, semi-automated plaque software is available to identify coronary plaque stenosis, volume and characteristics and potentially allows to be used for the assessment of more details of plaque information, progression and future risk as a surrogate tool of the invasive imaging modalities. This review article aims to focus on various evidence in coronary plaque imaging by coronary CTA and describes how accurate coronary CTA can classify coronary atherosclerosis.     

Association of four CpG-SNPs in the vascular-related genes with coronary heart disease

Vascular-related gene polymorphism can affect the susceptibility of coronary heart disease. In current study, we aimed to evaluate the contribution of four vascular-related gene CpG-SNPs to coronary heart disease (CHD). A total of 784 angiography-proven CHD patients and 746 non-CHD controls were included in the current association study. The four CpG-SNPs (including VEGFA rs1005230, ACE rs4316, CST3 rs3827143 and AGTR1 rs275653) were genotyped using the Sequenom MassARRAY platform. All genotype distribution of four SNPs met HWE. Among the four CpG-SNPs, none was found to be associated with CHD on both genotype and allele levels. Further subgroup tests by age or gender were unable to observe any significant associations of them with CHD. Our case-control study showed that none of four CpG-SNPs in the vascular-related genes was associated with the risk of CHD in Han Chinese, although we could not exclude other genetic variants of these vascular-related genes with contribution to CHD.     

非那雄胺在慢性中心性浆液性脉络膜视网膜病变患者中的应用

目的评估非那雄胺治疗慢性中心性浆液性脉络膜视网膜病变(central serous chorioretinopathy,CSC)的有效性及安全性。方法选取2017年3月至2019年6月在本院确诊的慢性CSC患者31例40眼,采用单臂试验对患者进行非那雄胺治疗。使用非那雄胺治疗后6个月,对患者的视网膜神经上皮层(retinal neuroepithelial layer,RNL)下积液状况,ETDRS视力以及黄斑中心凹视网膜厚度(central foveal thickness,CFT)进行检查。结果非那雄胺治疗后1个月,有10眼(25.0%)RNL下积液完全消退。持续治疗2个月、3个月、4个月、5个月、6个月,分别有7眼(17.5%)、6眼(15.0%)、7眼(17.5%)、3眼(7.5%)及3眼(7.5%)RNL下积液消退,仅有4眼(10.0%)在治疗后6个月RNL下积液仍存在。患眼EDTRS视力非那雄胺治疗后1个月为(50.00±16.11)个字母,与治疗前(46.16±16.67)个字母差异无统计学意义(P=0.2213);治疗后2个月(53.39±14.67)个字母,较治疗前显著升高(P=0.0003);治疗后3个月、4个月、5个月、6个月,分别为(57.39±12.76)个字母、(58.52±12.39)个字母、(59.13±10.76)个字母及(60.42±10.96)个字母,与治疗前相比差异均有统计学意义(均为P<0.0001)。而患眼CFT自治疗后1个月、2个月、3个月、4个月、5个月、6个月分别为(274.10±22.74)μm、(273.00±17.22)μm、(263.50±12.81)μm、(263.90±10.62)μm、(259.70±12.48)μm及(252.60±11.00)μm,与治疗前(296.60±35.41)μm相比,差异均有统计学意义(均为P<0.05)。所有患者均无服药后身体不适或并发症发生。结论非那雄胺对于慢性CSC的治疗安全且有效,有望成为慢性CSC的治疗选择。     

电阻抗断层成像技术在儿科呼吸系统疾病诊治中的应用

电阻抗断层成像技术(electrical impedance tomography,EIT)作为一项新兴的功能性成像技术,具有无损伤、便携、图像监护等突出特点。肺功能成像是目前EIT最主要的应用领域,可以实现实时动态监测肺通气及血流灌注。本文对肺EIT在儿童呼吸系统疾病及其诊疗过程中的应用基础及临床研究进展进行总结,为未来EIT技术在儿科临床急救领域的推广应用提供帮助。