Comparison of outcomes between minimally invasive and median sternotomy for double and triple valve surgery: A meta-analysis

Background

Limited data exists demonstrating the efficacy of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) compared to median sternotomy (MS) for multiple valvular disease (MVD). This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to compare operative and peri-operative outcomes of MIS vs MS in MVD.

Methods

PubMed, Ovid, and Embase were searched from inception until August 2019 for randomized and observational studies comparing MIS and MS in patients with MVD. Clinical outcomes of intra- and postoperative times, reoperation for bleeding and surgical site infection were evaluated.

Results

Five observational studies comparing 340 MIS vs 414 MS patients were eligible for qualitative and quantitative review. The quality of evidence assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale was good for all included studies. Meta-analysis demonstrated increased cardiopulmonary bypass time for MIS patients (weighted mean difference [WMD], 0.487; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.365-0.608; P < .0001). Similarly, aortic cross-clamp time was longer in patients undergoing MIS (WMD, 0.632; 95% CI, 0.509-0.755; P < .0001). No differences were found in operative mortality, reoperation for bleeding, surgical site infection, or hospital stay.

Conclusions

MIS for MVD have similar short-term outcomes compared to MS. This adds value to the use of minimally invasive methods for multivalvular surgery, despite conferring longer operative times. However, the paucity in literature and learning curve associated with MIS warrants further evidence, ideally randomized control trials, to support these findings.

     

Early intervention in myelofibrosis and impact on outcomes: A pooled analysis of the COMFORT-I and COMFORT-II studies

Background

In a pooled analysis of the phase 3 Controlled Myelofibrosis Study With Oral JAK Inhibitor Treatment I (COMFORT-I) and COMFORT-II clinical trials, adult patients with intermediate-2 or high-risk myelofibrosis who received oral ruxolitinib at randomization or after crossover from placebo or best available therapy (BAT) had improved overall survival (OS).

Methods

This post hoc analysis of pooled COMFORT data examined relevant disease outcomes based on the disease duration (≤12 or >12 months from diagnosis) before ruxolitinib initiation.

Results

The analysis included 525 patients (ruxolitinib: ≤12 months, n = 84; >12 months, n = 216; placebo/BAT: ≤12 months, n = 66; >12 months, n = 159); the median age was 65.0–70.0 years. Fewer thrombocytopenia and anemia events were observed among patients who initiated ruxolitinib treatment earlier. At Weeks 24 and 48, the spleen volume response (SVR) was higher for patients who initiated ruxolitinib earlier (47.6% vs. 32.9% at Week 24, p = .0610; 44.0% vs. 26.9% at Week 48, p = .0149). In a multivariable analysis of factors associated with spleen volume reduction, a logistic regression model that controlled for confounding factors found that a significantly greater binary reduction was observed among patients with shorter versus longer disease duration (p = .022). At Week 240, OS was significantly improved among patients who initiated ruxolitinib earlier (63% [95% CI, 51%‒73%] vs. 57% [95% CI, 49%‒64%]; hazard ratio, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.01‒2.31; p = .0430). Regardless of disease duration, a longer OS was observed for patients who received ruxolitinib versus those who received placebo/BAT.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that earlier ruxolitinib initiation for adult patients with intermediate-2 and high-risk myelofibrosis may improve clinical outcomes, including fewer cytopenia events, durable SVR, and prolonged OS.

Plain Language Summary

• Patients with myelofibrosis, a bone marrow cancer, often do not live as long as the general population. These patients may also have an enlarged spleen and difficult symptoms such as fatigue.
• Two large clinical trials showed that patients treated with the drug ruxolitinib lived longer and had improved symptoms compared to those treated with placebo or other standard treatments.
• Here it was examined whether starting treatment with ruxolitinib earlier (i.e., within a year of diagnosis) provided benefits versus delaying treatment.
• Patients who received ruxolitinib within a year of diagnosis lived longer and experienced fewer disease symptoms than those whose treatment was delayed.

     

2019年重庆市30岁及以上人群归因于被动吸烟的肺癌疾病负担研究

目的 分析重庆市肺癌发病死亡和疾病负担归因于被动吸烟的情况,为开展肺癌防治提供建议。 方法 肺癌死亡个案数据来源于2019年重庆市肿瘤登记报告系统,被动吸烟率来自2013年重庆市慢性病及危险因素监测。计算人群归因危险度百分比(population attributable risk percent, PAR%)、被动吸烟导致的肺癌发病、死亡和疾病负担。采用Excel 2010与SPSS 25.0进行统计分析,率的比较采用χ²检验。 结果 2013年30岁及以上成年人被动吸烟率为52.37%。2019年重庆市30岁及以上人群肺癌发病率与标化发病率分别为118.44/10万与80.83/10万,死亡率与标化死亡率分别为96.51/10万、63.58/10万。肺癌发病率和死亡率归因于被动吸烟的PAR%分别为19.76和19.04,归因发病率与归因标化发病率分别为23.41/10万和16.34/10万,归因死亡率与归因标化死亡率分别为18.38/10万和12.40/10万。2019年重庆市30岁及以上肺癌早死所致寿命损失年率(years of life lost,YLL)、残疾所致寿命损失年率(years lived with disability,YLD)、调整伤残寿命损失年率(disability adjusted life year,DALY)分别为21.16‰、0.31‰、21.47‰,YLL率、YLD率、DALY率归因于被动吸烟的PAR%分别为21.16、19.76和20.49,归因YLL率为4.34‰,归因YLD率为0.06‰,归因DALY率为4.40‰。 结论 2019年重庆市30岁及以上人群肺癌发病率、死亡率、YLL率、DALY率高,被动吸烟率高,肺癌归因于被动吸烟的疾病负担重,应加强落实控烟工作。     

South African abortion attitudes from 2007-2016: the roles of religiosity and attitudes toward sexuality and gender equality

ABSTRACT

Abortion is legal in South Africa, but negative abortion attitudes remain common and are poorly understood. We used nationally representative South African Social Attitudes Survey data to analyze abortion attitudes in the case of fetal anomaly and in the case of poverty from 2007 to 2016 (n = 20,711; ages = 16+). We measured correlations between abortion attitudes and these important predictors: religiosity, attitudes about premarital sex, attitudes about preferential hiring and promotion of women, and attitudes toward family gender roles. Abortion acceptability for poverty increased over time (b = 0.05, p < .001), but not for fetal anomaly (b = ?0.008, p = .284). Highly religious South Africans reported lower abortion acceptability in both cases (Odds Ratio (OR)_anomaly = 0.85, p = .015; OR_poverty = 0.84, p = .02). Premarital sex acceptability strongly and positively predicted abortion acceptability (OR_anomaly = 2.63, p < .001; OR_poverty = 2.46, p < .001). Attitudes about preferential hiring and promotion of women were not associated with abortion attitudes, but favorable attitudes about working mothers were positively associated with abortion acceptability for fetal anomaly ((OR_anomaly = 1.09, p = .01; OR_poverty = 1.02, p = .641)). Results suggest negative abortion attitudes remain common in South Africa and are closely tied to religiosity, traditional ideologies about sexuality, and gender role expectations about motherhood.     

Association Between Patient and Physician Sex and Physician-Estimated Stroke and Bleeding Risks in Atrial Fibrillation

Background

Physicians treating nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) assess stroke and bleeding risks when deciding on anticoagulation. The agreement between empirical and physician-estimated risks is unclear. Furthermore, the association between patient and physician sex and anticoagulation decision-making is uncertain.

H型高血压患者舌面诊图像颜色特征参数分析＊

目的 分析H型高血压患者的舌面诊图像颜色参数特征，探讨H型高血压患者的舌诊、面诊变化规律。方法 运用上海中医药大学自行研制的Smart TCM-1型中医舌面一体仪，采集高血压患者舌面诊图像，提取特征参数，分析健康对照组、H型高血压组与非H型高血压组患者舌面颜色参数特征。结果 ①在舌色各项参数中，H型高血压组舌尖部R值、B值、V值均显著小于健康对照组（P < 0.01）；非H型高血压组舌尖部B值显著小于健康对照组（P < 0.01），S值较健康对照组显著增大（P < 0.05）；H型高血压组舌尖部R、V值均明显小于非H型高血压组（P < 0.05）。在舌苔各项参数中，H型高血压组舌中H值、V值均明显小于健康对照组（P < 0.05）；非H型高血压组舌中V值、舌右V值均显著小于健康对照组（P < 0.01）；H型高血压组舌中H值明显小于非H型高血压组（P < 0.05），右侧舌苔S值明显大于非H型高血压组（P < 0.05）。②H型高血压组面色参数鼻G值、下颌G值、口唇R值、口唇V值均明显小于健康对照组（P < 0.05）；非H型高血压组前额H值、目眶H值、脸颊H值、鼻H值、下颌H值、整体H值均明显大于健康对照组（P < 0.05）；H型高血压组前额H值、目眶G值、目眶H值、脸颊H值、鼻G值、鼻H值、下颌R值、下颌G值、下颌H值、下颌V值、口唇R值、口唇G值、口唇V值、整体R值、整体G值、整体H值、整体V值均明显小于非H型高血压组（P < 0.05）。结论 H型高血压患者苔色偏黄，以舌中部为主，且舌右侧黄苔积聚较明显；H型高血压患者面色为黄中带红，口唇、下颌部更为晦暗。H型高血压患者的舌、面诊特征参数的变化，与高血压病阳亢湿盛病机相符。     

The Impact of IMRT and Proton Radiotherapy on Secondary Cancer Incidence

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is concern about the increase of radiation-induced malignancies with the application of modern radiation treatment techniques such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and proton radiotherapy. Therefore, X-ray scatter and neutron radiation as well as the impact of the primary dose distribution on secondary cancer incidence are analyzed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The organ equivalent dose (OED) concept with a linear-exponential and a plateau dose-response curve was applied to dose distributions of 30 patients who received radiation therapy of prostate cancer. Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy was used in eleven patients, another eleven patients received IMRT with 6-MV photons, and eight patients were treated with spot-scanned protons. The treatment plans were recalculated with 15-MV and 18-MV photons. Secondary cancer risk was estimated based on the OED for the different treatment techniques. RESULTS: A modest increase of 15% radiation-induced cancer results from IMRT using low energies (6 MV), compared to conventional four-field planning with 15-MV photons (plateau dose-response: 1%). The probability to develop a secondary cancer increases with IMRT of higher energies by 20% and 60% for 15 MV and 18 MV, respectively (plateau dose-response: 2% and 30%). The use of spot-scanned protons can reduce secondary cancer incidence as much as 50% (independent of dose-response). CONCLUSION: By including the primary dose distribution into the analysis of radiation-induced cancer incidence, the resulting increase in risk for secondary cancer using modern treatment techniques such as IMRT is not as dramatic as expected from earlier studies. By using 6-MV photons, only a moderate risk increase is expected. Spot-scanned protons are the treatment of choice in regard to secondary cancer incidence.