Evaluating the Cost-Effectiveness of Hydrogel Rectal Spacer in Prostate Cancer Radiation Therapy

Purpose

A hydrogel rectal spacer (HRS) is a medical device that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to increase the separation between the prostate and rectum. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis of HRS use for reduction in radiation therapy (RT) toxicities in patients with prostate cancer (PC) undergoing external beam RT (EBRT).

HBV患者血清YKL-40、CA19-9、GP73水平与其病情相关性

目的 分析HBV患者YKL-40、CA19-9、GP73水平差异及与患者病情轻重程度的相关性,探讨HBV患者病情的判定指标。方法 选取2015年5月—2018年5月收治的100例HBV患者,其中慢性HBV感染组40例、慢性乙型肝炎组36例、HBV相关肝硬化组24例,同期选择我院健康体检的健康者50例作为健康对照组;检测患者血中YKL-40、CA19-9、GP73水平;分析HBV感染患者血清YKL-40、CA19-9、GP73水平与病情轻重程度的相关性。结果 慢性HBV感染、慢性乙型肝炎及HBV相关肝硬化患者血中YKL-40水平分别为（36.38±4.19）ng/mL 、（49.02±4.32）ng/mL、（65.14±5.21）ng/mL ,CA19-9分别为（12.03±1.03）KU/L、（13.84±0.98）KU/L、（16.94±0.81）KU/L,GP73分别为（47.22±5.38）ng/mL 、（98.53±10.24）ng/mL 、（229.85±12.19）ng/mL,均明显高于对照组的（28.19±3.27）ng/mL 、（7.34±0.92）KU/L 、（30.93±3.89）ng/mL,均P=0.000 0。随着慢性HBV感染者、慢性乙型肝炎患者和不同HBV相关肝硬化患者肝脏炎症及纤维化程度加重,患者血中YKL-40、CA19-9和GP73也随之显著增加,均P=0.000 0;YKL-40、CA19-9和GP73均是影响HBV感染患者体内炎症坏死及肝脏纤维化的独立性影响因素,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。结论 HBV感染患者血清中YKL-40、CA19-9、GP73水平是HBV感染患者病情轻重程度的独立性影响因素。     

The impact of neighborhoods and friendships on interracial anxiety among medical students and residents: A report from the medical student CHANGES study

Objective

To examine the experience of interracial anxiety among health professionals and how it may affect the quality of their interactions with patients from racially marginalized populations. We explored the influence of prior interracial exposure—specifically through childhood neighborhoods, college student bodies, and friend groups—on interracial anxiety among medical students and residents. We also examined whether levels of interracial anxiety change from medical school through residency.

Data Source

Web-based longitudinal survey data from the Medical Student Cognitive Habits and Growth Evaluation Study.

Study Design

We used a retrospective longitudinal design with four observations for each trainee. The study population consisted of non-Black US medical trainees surveyed in their 1st and 4th years of medical school and 2nd and 3rd years of residency. Mixed effects longitudinal models were used to assess predictors of interracial anxiety and assess changes in interracial anxiety scores over time.

Principal Findings

In total, 3155 non-Black medical trainees were followed for 7 years. Seventy-eight percent grew up in predominantly White neighborhoods. Living in predominantly White neighborhoods and having less racially diverse friends were associated with higher levels of interracial anxiety among medical trainees. Trainees' interracial anxiety scores did not substantially change over time; interracial anxiety was highest in the 1st year of medical school, lowest in the 4th year, and increased slightly during residency.

Conclusions

Neighborhood and friend group composition had independent effects on interracial anxiety, indicating that premedical racial socialization may affect medical trainees' preparedness to interact effectively with diverse patient populations. Additionally, the lack of substantial change in interracial anxiety throughout medical training suggests the importance of providing curricular tools and structure (e.g., instituting interracial cooperative learning activities) to foster the development of healthy interracial relationships.