Impact of improvement in specificity of primary screening test on total cost of prostate cancer mass screening

OBJECTIVES: Improvement in the specificity of primary screening tests, without significant cost elevation of the assay, provides cost savings in prostate cancer screening programs by reducing unnecessary secondary screening procedures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the economic impact of improvement in the specificity of primary screening tests and to estimate the socially acceptable cost elevation for improved specificity. METHODS: A decision-analytic model was designed to evaluate the total costs of prostate cancer mass screening according to the changes in the specificity and the cost of the primary screening test. All assumed factors were tested by three-way sensitivity analyses incorporating cost and specificity. RESULTS: The base case analysis showed that a 1% improvement in the specificity of the primary screening test provides a $1.19 cost reduction per participant. Sensitivity analyses showed that an acceptable cost elevation for a 1% improvement in the specificity ranged from 0.68 to 2.90 $/% with respect to changes in several factors in the screening program. CONCLUSIONS: The specificity and cost of the primary screening test has a significant economical impact on prostate cancer mass screening. For each screening program, it should be taken into consideration whether the cost of the new test deserves the specificity.     

Effect of probiotics,Bifidobacterium bifidum G9-1, on gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: study protocol for open-label,single-arm,exploratory research trial (Big STAR study)

Metformin is associated with risks of gastrointestinal complications in patients with type 2 diabetes. In contrast, probiotic Bifidobacterium bifidum G9-1 (BBG9-1) could improve the symptoms of diarrhea caused by metformin in animal models. Thus, the primary outcome of this study will be the effect of the probiotic BBG9-1 on gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, in patients with type 2 diabetes who use metformin. This open-label, single-arm, and exploratory study will examine 40 patients with type 2 diabetes who use metformin and have symptoms of constipation or diarrhea. After the baseline examination (objective 1), patients will be administered probiotic BBG9-1 for 10 ± 2 weeks. Then, examinations will be performed (objective 2). The primary outcome will be changes in the symptoms of constipation or diarrhea from objective 1 to objective 2. Secondary outcomes will include changes in gut microbiota, and correlations between changes in fecal properties and biomarkers, including HbA1c level and body mass index. This is the first study to investigate the effect of probiotic BBG9-1 on the change in the symptom of constipation or diarrhea in patients with type 2 diabetes who use metformin.     

螺旋断层调强放疗进行全中枢神经系统照射时不同部位靶区外放的临床研究

目的:分析使用螺旋断层加速器TOMO进行全中枢神经系统放疗的患者的MVCT图像，以颅骨、颈椎、胸椎、腰椎和整体靶区（PTVROI）为感兴趣区分别进行图像配准和摆位误差统计，计算各感兴趣区的靶区外放。方法:回顾性分析中国医学科学院肿瘤医院2016年~2020年使用TOMO行全中枢神经系统放疗的16例患者的154套MVCT图像，分别以颅骨、颈椎、胸椎、腰椎和PTVROI进行配准，统计不同部位靶区的摆位误差数据，得到5组包含左右（X）方向、头脚（Y）方向、腹背（Z）方向的摆位误差数据，比较颅骨、颈椎、胸椎、腰椎和PTVROI是否有差异，并应用公式M=2.5Σ+0.7σ分别计算不同部位的临床靶区到计划靶区的外放边界。结果:在X方向上的两两比较中，颅骨vs颈椎，差异有统计学意义（P=0.023），其余各组比较均无显著性差异；Y方向上的两两比较均未显示有显著性差异；而在Z方向上，PTVROI vs颅骨、PTVROI vs胸椎，无显著性差异，其他组两两比较，PTVROI vs颈椎（P<0.001）、PTVROI vs腰椎（P<0.001）、颅骨vs颈椎（P=0.007）、颅骨vs胸椎（P=0.017）、颅骨vs腰椎（P<0.001）、颈椎vs胸椎（P<0.001）、颈椎vs腰椎（P<0.001）、胸椎vs腰椎（P<0.001），差异有统计学意义。结论:使用TOMO行全中枢神经系统放疗，Y方向的靶区外放差异较小，X和Z方向的靶区外放边界从头到腰椎呈递增趋势，建议在中枢的不同位置采取不同的PTV外放策略。     

Promoter variation in the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene is associated with remission of symptoms during fluvoxamine treatment for major depression

We investigated the association between remission of depressive symptoms in fluvoxamine treatment and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene. Sixteen SNPs in the COMT gene were investigated in 123 outpatients with major depression. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms located in the 5′ region were associated with remission in fluvoxamine-treated outpatients with moderate to severe depression.