Sequential multimodal treatments with chemotherapy and surgery for advanced soft tissue sarcoma may be associated with better survival than chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

In patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS), surgery had been reported to be associated with superior overall survival (OS). Chemotherapy details for such patients were less reported, and whether multimodal treatment with surgery and chemotherapy provides extra survival benefit remains unclear.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients with newly diagnosed advanced STS treated at National Taiwan University Hospital from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2017. OS was calculated from the day of diagnosis of advanced STS to the day of death or last follow-up. Baseline patient characteristics and details regarding surgery and chemotherapy were recorded.

RESULTS

A total of 545 patients were diagnosed with STS from 2011 to 2017, of which 226 patients had advanced STS. The median age was 54.7 years, and 54% of patients were women. Approximately 38% of patients with advanced STS underwent surgery and exhibited a trend of longer OS compared with who did not (median = 18.6 vs. 11.9 months, p = 0.083). In the chemotherapy subgroup, the benefit of surgery was more prominent (median = 21.9 vs. 16.5 months, p = 0.037). Patients who received chemotherapy prior to surgery exhibited numerically longer OS than those who underwent surgery first (median = 33.9 vs. 18.3 months, p = 0.155). After adjusting other clinical factors, chemotherapy remained an independent factor associated with favourable OS.

CONCLUSION

Surgery may be more beneficial for the patients who receive chemotherapy. Our results support evaluation of sequential multimodal treatments strategy including surgery and chemotherapy in patients with advanced STS.

[Maternal and Child Health Exhibition in the early days of the People's Republic of China]

In the early days of the People's Republic of China, Maternal and Child Health Exhibitions were widely held in urban and rural areas across the country. The vivid image and wide coverage of the Exhibition have directly promoted the popularization of a new and more progressive delivery methods in urban and rural areas across the country. While effectively protecting the health of mothers and children, the people's political power is closely linked to "progress".The purpose, organizer and content of the Maternal and Child Health Exhibition are related to the policies of new methods of midwifery, painless delivery, and birth control in the early days of People's Republic of China.It also partly carried the mission of learning from the Soviet Union to "learn from the advanced medical experience", therefore the content in the first ten years was slightly different.

Medication overload: A closer look at polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications among older people in Taiwan and Japan

BACKGROUND

Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) are widely recognized as vital quality indicators of pharmacotherapy in older adults. As Taiwan and Japan grapple with the ongoing challenges of population aging, obtaining an accurate understanding of the prevalence of these indicators is crucial for developing effective strategies to optimize pharmacotherapy in older populations. The present study aims to comprehensively evaluate the prevalence of polypharmacy and PIMs in Taiwan and two Japanese cohorts, shedding light on the similarities and differences in prescribing practices across these populations.

METHODS

This study employed a cross-sectional design to investigate individuals aged ≥65 years in Taiwan, as well as two Japanese cohorts: Japan Cohort 1 (dispensing data from chain pharmacies; year 2014 and 2019) and Japan Cohort 2 (claims data; year 2017 and 2019). The prescription records of these participants were collected from the national claims database in Taiwan for the years 2014, 2017, and 2019. To identify polypharmacy and hyper-polypharmacy, the study defined the use of 5-9 and 10+ drugs, respectively. Furthermore, the study identified PIMs based on the STOPP-J criteria. Notably, the study further explored the most frequently used PIMs (by categories) in Taiwan.

RESULTS

In the year 2019, the prevalence of polypharmacy exhibited similar rates in Taiwan (35.4%) and Japan Cohort 2 (33.1%), while surpassing that of Japan Cohort 1 (25.6%). Nonetheless, the incidence of PIMs in Taiwan was the highest (66.5%), exceeding those of the two Japanese cohorts (Cohort 1: 43.7% and Cohort 2: 40.2%) in the same year. Notably, the top three categories of commonly used PIMs in Taiwan comprised non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antithrombotic drugs, and benzodiazepines.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the varying prevalence of polypharmacy and PIMs between Taiwan and Japan, but emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts towards optimizing pharmacotherapy in older adults.

Cost and effectiveness analyses of the anti-osteoporosis medication in patients with hip fracture in Taiwan: A population-based national claims database analysis

BACKGROUND

Real-world cost and effectiveness analyses of the anti-osteoporosis medications (AOM) using a nationwide database in Asia were limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost and effectiveness of AOMs therapy under the reimbursement of National Health Insurance in Taiwan.

METHODS

Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, patients who had hospitalization due to incident hip fractures with related operation between 2008 and 2017 were identified as our study population. Patients who initiated AOMs within 1 year post incident hip fracture were matched with those did not according to the propensity score. The direct medical cost and subsequent fracture within three years were estimated. Statistically significant differences of risk for subsequent fracture between the AOM and non-AOM groups were estimated using the COX proportional hazards model. All costs were presented as New Taiwan Dollars (NTD).

RESULTS

There were 27,357 new hip fracture patients who initiated AOMs, and 76% of them were women with a mean age of 77.7 years. Among patients ages ≥70 who encountered hip fractures, those who initiated AOMs experienced fewer non-vertebral fractures (HR = 1.07 (1.02-1.13), p = 0.0114 for those ages 70-79 years old; HR = 1.11 (1.06-1.17), p < 0.0001 for those ages ≥80 years) and mortality (HR = 1.18 (1.14-1.22), p < 0.0001 for those ages 70-79; HR = 1.20 (1.16-1.23), p < 0.0001) within 3 years post incident fracture; meanwhile, consuming fewer medical resources in the national insurance healthcare system. (Increment cost = -16011.2 NTD, p = 0.0248 for those ages 70-79; Increment cost = -17257.9 NTD, p = 0.0032 for those ages ≥80 years) CONCLUSION: Overall, under Taiwan's national health insurance, the use of AOMs is cost-saving, especially in the population aged ≥70 years. The finding of this research was valuable for policymakers in considering healthcare policy promotion and resource allocation in the future.

Higher risk of future events, mortality and greater healthcare use among patients with increasingly recurrent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events in Taiwan: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To describe the occurrence of recurrent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events within 3 years after a new-onset event, the associated disease burden and statin prescribing in patients with ASCVD in Taiwan.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

This was a retrospective cohort study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database.

PARTICIPANTS

In total, 111 399, 133 538 and 21 572 patients who were hospitalised with diagnosis of coronary heart disease (CHD), cerebrovascular disease (CBVD) and peripheral artery disease (PAD), respectively, between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2014.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

For each index and recurrent event, patients were observed for 12 months after admission to quantify risks of mortality, recurrent events, statin treatment and healthcare use.

RESULTS

We identified 97 321, 120 914 and 14 794 patients with new-onset CHD, CBVD and PAD, respectively. The proportions of developing first, second and third recurrent events were 22.5%, 25.6% and 30.9% for CHD; 20.9%, 26.2% and 32.4% for CBVD and 40.2%, 41.4% and 43.6% for PAD, respectively. Most patients had the same type of ASCVD for their recurrent events as their new-onset event. The mortality rates increased with each recurrent event (p<0.05 for all three ASCVD groups). The rates of hospital readmission and emergency room (ER) visit increased with increasing recurrent events. For example, in the CHD group, the 1-year readmission rates following the index, first and second recurrent events were 43.1%, 47.6% and 55.3%, respectively, and the proportions of visiting ER were 46.4%, 51.9% and 57.8%, respectively. Statin prescribing was suboptimal at time of index event and recurrent events.

CONCLUSION

Recurrent ASCVD events were associated with a higher risk of recurrent event and mortality and greater healthcare use. However, statin prescriptions at index event and after each recurrent event were suboptimal.

Osteoporosis care after hip fracture: Observation from national health insurance database and fracture liaison services

BACKGROUND

The objective of this research was to report the trend of osteoporosis care after hip fractures from usual care (UC) and to compare the quality of care with those who received fracture liaison services (FLSs).

METHODS

Data on osteoporosis care for patients with hip fracture were acquired from the National Health Insurance claims (UC group), and surveys from FLS programs (FLS group). A total of 183,300 patients receiving UC and 3010 patients receiving FLS were studied. For the two groups, common osteoporosis care indicators, such as bone mineral density (BMD) testing rate, antiosteoporosis medication commencement rate, and adherence rate were described.

RESULTS

There were 2488 participants (82.7%) in the FLS group who completed Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 8 weeks, 155 (5.1%) who finished it between 8 weeks and 1 year. Even in 2018, when the DXA completion rate was at its highest, the completion rate in the UC group was only 23.5%. In terms of medication commencement, 2372 FLS patients (78.8%) received treatment within 3 months. Only 24.9% of the UC patients received antiosteoporosis medication within 3 months. Furthermore, antiosteoporosis medication adherence rate was 92.2% after 1 year and 83.9% after 2 years in the FLS group, but these were only 66.5% and 42.7%, respectively, in the UC group.

CONCLUSION

Patients who received FLS had more timely BMD exams, antiosteoporosis medication treatment, and higher adherence to antiosteoporosis therapy than those who received UC. The discrepancy in rates of continuing treatment became more significant over time between both groups.

[Advances in the study of postpancreatectomy acute pancreatitis]

Postpancreatectomy acute pancreatitis (PPAP) is an acute inflammation of the remnant pancreas in the early postoperative period caused by a variety of factors. With the progress of related research,PPAP has been confirmed as an independent risk factor for many severe complications such as postoperative pancreatic fistula. In some cases, it progresses to necrotizing PPAP, increasing the risk of mortality. Currently, the International Study Group for Pancreatic Surgery has standardized and graded PPAP as an independent complication, taking into account factors including serum amylase, radiological features, and clinical impact. This review summarizes how the concept of PPAP was proposed, as well as the latest progress in the research related to its etiology, prognosis, prevention, and treatment. However, given the large heterogeneity of relevant studies and the fact that they were mostly retrospective, in the future, it is necessary to place more emphasis on PPAP and elucidate the problems through more standardized studies to optimize strategies for the prevention and management of complications after pancreatic surgery.

The real-world adherence of the first-line anti-osteoporosis medications in Taiwan: Visualize the gap between reality and expectations

BACKGROUND

Adherence to anti-osteoporosis medications (AOMs) is crucial. National Health Insurance (NHI) in Taiwan has its own rules of reimbursement rule for AOMs. The midterm adherence remained inconclusive. Here we investigated the adherence according to the initially used AOMs, for three consecutive years.

METHODS

The nationwide cohort study from 2008 to 2018, based on Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, included 336,229 patients. Their adherence, indicated by medication possession ratio (MPR), to the initial AOMs was investigated yearly for three consecutive years. The overall MPRs (OMPR), including the switched AOMs, were also calculated in the first year. The Sankey diagram further visualized the patient flows toward different adherence according to the initial AOMs.

RESULTS

The OMPR in the first year improved if the patients used AOMs with longer dosing intervals. 100%, 68.9%, 40.7%, and 34.0% of the patients started the treatment with zoledronate, denosumab, alendronate, and raloxifene, respectively, had OMPR ≥75% in the first year. In the 3rd year, only 20.89%, 24.13%, and 12.83% of the patients continuously treated with zoledronate, denosumab, and alendronate, respectively, had MPR ≥75%. From the Sankey diagram, we also observed that patients who had poor adherence at one year were inclined to have poor adherence or discontinue antiosteoporosis treatment in the next year.

CONCLUSION

The initial AOMs and the observed adherence may provide clues for optimizing patient treatment. The real-world adherence in Taiwan was far from satisfactory in our study.

Eleven years secular trend of the initiation of anti-osteoporosis medications and subsequent fractures in Taiwan: From 2008 to 2018

BACKGROUND

Osteoporosis is a common metabolic bone disease that benefits from many newly developed anti-osteoporosis medications (AOMs). Reimbursement policies need to allocate medical budgets properly based on evidence-based data. This study aimed to investigate the 11-year secular trend, focusing on older age and males in this adjustment wave of the National Health Insurance reimbursement.

METHODS

We adopted a nationwide cohort from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). Patients undergoing newly initiated AOMs from 2008 to 2018 were included. The AOMs in this study included denosumab, zoledronate, ibandronate, alendronate, raloxifene, and risedronate. Patients <50 years, pathological fractures, missing data, and two AOMs prescribed were excluded. The real-world trends related to subsequent fragility fracture and death within 1 and 3 years were used to evaluate the potential effects due to revision of reimbursement policies.

RESULTS

Of 393,092 patients, among them, 336,229 patients met the criteria, whose mean age ranged from 73.3 to 74.4 years, and nearly 80% were female. Further analysis showed a steady increase of AOMs from 5567 (17.1%) and 8802 (27.0%) in 2008-6697 (18.3%) and 10,793 (29.5%) in 2018 for males and 80+ years respectively. The subsequent fragility fracture within one and three years post AOMs initiation was 5.81% and 11.80% in 2018.

CONCLUSION

This study showed an immediate drop in AOMs prescription after the implementation of a new stricter reimbursement policy. It took 5 years to return the annual prescription number.

Constraining in reimbursement criteria and the adherence to anti-osteoporosis medications (AOMs) in Taiwan: Urbanization makes the difference

BACKGROUND

The Bureau of National Health Insurance in Taiwan implemented a new reimbursement scheme incorporating bone mineral density (BMD) criteria on Jan. 1, 2011. This study aimed to investigate a real-life 11-year secular trend of adherence in new AOMs users and evaluated the change of adherence to AOMs therapy in different urbanization areas after reimbursement criteria were restrained.

METHODS

We used Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database to identify new AOMs users as our study population. The AOMs in this study included denosumab, zoledronate, ibandronate, alendronate, raloxifene, and risedronate. The first prescription date of AOMs was defined as the cohort entry date. The adherence rates within one year after initiation were assessed.

RESULTS

High adherence (≥75%) in the first year increased markedly after the new reimbursement scheme in 2011, changing from 31.8% in 2008, and 41.7% in 2011 to 54.2% in 2018. On the other hand, low adherence (<25%) decreased from 38.8% in 2008 to 14.6% in 2018. In addition, the switchers increased from 5.9% in 2008 to 9.3% in 2018, indicating a more flexible choice of AOMs. The proportion of high adherence to AOMs was highest in high-urbanization areas, and the proportion increased about two times from 30% in 2008 to 60% in 2018.

CONCLUSION

The implementation of new reimbursement criteria in 2011 was associated with increased adherence to AOMs and the increase was most apparent in high-urbanization areas.

Epidemiology and clinical impact of osteoporosis in Taiwan: A 12-year trend of a nationwide population-based study

BACKGROUND

Osteoporosis increases the fracture and mortality risk of patients and has a higher disease burden than some cancers. Therefore, global concerns regarding the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis have been raised. However, fast-aging Taiwan lacks national epidemiological data on osteoporosis in recent years. We aimed to establish and update epidemiological data on osteoporosis by analyzing national data from 2008 to 2019.

METHODS

We estimated the prevalence and incidence of osteoporosis in patients aged ≥50 years based on claims data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance database from 2008 to 2019. We also analyzed the key parameters of fracture care (anti-osteoporosis medication use, bone mineral density examination rate, and length of hospital stay) to understand the secular trend of management and related clinical outcomes (imminent refracture rate and mortality).

RESULTS

The number of prevalent osteoporosis increased from 2008 to 2015 and remained constant until 2019; however, the age-standardized prevalence and incidence rates declined from 2008 to 2019 (3.77%-2.91% and 2.08%-1.02%, respectively). The overall incidence rates of hip and spine fractures decreased significantly by 34% and 27%, respectively. For patients with hip and spine fractures, the immanent refracture rates were 8.5% and 12.9% and the 1-year mortality rate remained stable at approximately 15% and 6%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The age-standardized prevalence and incidence rates decreased remarkably from 2008 to 2019, while the number of prevalent osteoporosis remained steady. Patients with hip fractures encountered a high 1-year mortality rate, while the risk of imminent refracture was notable for patients with spine fractures.

Longitudinal follow-up of pediatric Graves' disease in preschool children: Clinical characteristics and a case report

RATIONALE

Pediatric Graves' disease at preschool age is a rare condition. Previous reports have indicated that adolescents with this disease are girls. Pediatric Graves' ophthalmopathy in young children is rare, and long-term follow-up reports are lacking.

PATIENT CONCERNS

The patient had hyperthyroidism and bilateral proptosis for 2 years, but she was only 4 years old.

DIAGNOSES

The blood test revealed hyperthyroidism and the ophthalmic examination revealed proptosis. The patient had Graves' disease and Graves' ophthalmopathy.

INTERVENTIONS

Initially, she was followed up in the pediatric department. Bilateral proptosis developed, and she was brought to the ophthalmology department for assistance. Orbital computed tomography revealed borderline enlargement of the extraocular muscles bilaterally. Other initial clinical findings included bilateral upper and lower eyelid trichiasis and mild punctate epithelial erosions of the cornea. She received conservative medical treatment in the ophthalmology department.

OUTCOMES

Remission of hyperthyroidism was achieved 2 years after medical control. No elevated intraocular pressure, strabismus, or optic neuropathy developed during follow-up. Significant cosmetic improvement and gradual resolution of punctate epithelial erosions were found over 10 years. Finally, the patient had only mild bilateral lower trichiasis.

LESSONS

Longitudinal follow-up revealed that the ocular manifestations of proptosis and eyelid trichiasis may have good outcomes. Proptosis gradually improved as the patient grew up.

Health care utilization and potentially preventable adverse outcomes of high-need, high-cost middle-aged and older adults: Needs for integrated care models with life-course approach

PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH

The success of modern health care increases life expectancy and prolongs the days of having multimorbidity and functional limitations; the so-defined "high need, high cost (HNHC)" state represents the extreme scenarios of care burden and complexity. This study aims to explore health care utilization and the risk of preventable adverse outcomes stratified by age and HNHC state.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the National Health Insurance (NHI) database. People aged ≥40 years were included and further stratified by age (middle-aged: 40-64 and older adults: 65) and HNHC state (top 10% of spending). Health care utilization and drug consumption across different groups were obtained. The multimorbidity frailty index (mFI) was developed for further analysis. Cox regression models were used to examine the associations between HNHC and adverse clinical outcomes (preventable hospitalizations, preventable emergency department visits, and mortality).

RESULTS

HNHC participants were older, had a higher mFI and drug consumption, and had higher health care utilization. Compared with non-HNHC participants, HNHC participants exhibited a 4.4-fold and 2.4-fold higher risk of preventable hospitalizations in middle-aged (HR=4.41; 95% CI, 4.17-4.65, p<0.01) and older adults (HR=2.44; 95% CI, 2.34-2.55, p<0.01). Similar risks were observed for preventable emergency department visits and mortality (all p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The HNHC state substantially increased health care utilization, polypharmacy, and potentially preventable adverse outcomes after adjustment for frailty. Intervention studies developing integrated care models using the life-course approach are needed to improve the quality of health care systems in super-aged societies.

Vaccine hesitancy educational tools for healthcare providers and trainees: A scoping review

In the era of vaccine hesitancy, highlighted by the current SARS-CoV2 pandemic, there is an acute need to develop an approach to reduce and address apprehension towards vaccinations. We sought to map and present an overview of existing educational interventions for healthcare providers (HCPs) on strategies to engage in effective vaccine discussion. We applied the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology framework in this scoping review. We searched five relevant databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycInfo, and SCOPUS) and grey literature through the Google search engine using keywords and subject headings that were systematically identified. We identified 3384 citations in peer-reviewed literature and 41 citations in grey literature. After screening for our inclusion criteria, we included 28 citations from peer reviewed literature and 16 citations from grey literature for analysis. We identified a total of 41 unique education interventions. Interventions were available from multiple disciplines, training levels, clinical settings, and diseases/vaccines. Interventions predominantly centered around two foci: knowledge sharing and communication training. Most interventions identified from peer-reviewed literature were facilitated and were applied with multiple modes of delivery. Interventions from grey literature were more topical and generally self-directed. We identified several gaps in knowledge. Firstly, accessibility and generalizability of interventions was limited. Secondly, distribution of interventions did not adequately address nursing and pharmacy disciplines, and did not cover the breadth of medical specialties for whom vaccine discussions apply. Thirdly, no interventions addressed self monitoring and the clinicians' recognition and management of emotions during difficult conversations. There is a need to address this gap and provide available, credible and comprehensive educational interventions that will support our healthcare providers in effective communication with vaccine hesitant patients.

Impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination on hospitalized childhood pneumonia in Taiwan

BACKGROUND

A national 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) catch-up program among children aged 2-5 years in 2013, before routine infant immunization in 2015, successfully reduced serotype 19A-related invasive pneumococcal diseases in Taiwan. We aimed to investigate its impact on hospitalized childhood pneumonia.

METHODS

We analyzed the National Health Insurance Research Database, 2001-2017, for hospitalized children aged <18 years with the diagnoses of all-cause pneumonia, lobar/pneumococcal pneumonia, and pneumococcal parapneumonic diseases. The study period was divided into 2001-2005 (pre-PCV), 2006-2012 (private sectors), and 2013-2017 (universal PCV13 vaccination).

RESULTS

On pneumococcal parapneumonic diseases, the national PCV13 vaccination program was associated with an immediate decline in 2-4-year-old children and significant decreasing trends in all ages. The incidence rate ratios of 2016-2017/2011-2012 were 0.16 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06-0.40) and 0.18 (95% CI, 0.13-0.23) in children aged < 2 and 2-4 years, respectively. We observed an increase of lobar/pneumococcal pneumonia cases after an early decline. The intensive/invasive medical needs and the fatality of all-cause pneumonia decreased significantly in children of all ages.

CONCLUSIONS

Pneumococcal parapneumonic diseases and the disease burden of lobar/pneumococcal pneumonia and lower respiratory tract infections declined after the national PCV13 vaccination program.

IMPACT

The impact study of the PCV13 immunization program on childhood pneumonia in Asian countries remained limited. The unique PCV13 immunization program in Taiwan, catch-up before primary infantile series, reduced severe childhood pneumococcal pneumonia at 5 years post PCV13. The intensive and invasive medical needs and fatality of all-cause pneumonia decreased significantly in children of all ages. We observed an increase in lobar/pneumococcal pneumonia after an early decline.

[Association between metabolic risk factors and the hepatitis B reactivation of inactive HBsAg carriers in Jiangsu province: a cohort study]

Objective: To analyze the impact of metabolic risk factors on the epidemiological characteristics of the reactivation of inactive HBsAg carriers (IHC) and provide effective intervention measures to standardize the management of chronic hepatitis B infections. Methods: Based on the chronic hepatitis B infection cohort established in 2010 in Jiangsu province, six follow-up visits from 2012 to 2020 were conducted to analyze the characteristics and influencing factors of the hepatitis B reactivation of IHC and the impact of metabolic risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and hyperglycemia. Results: From 2012 to 2020, 2 527 IHC and 17 730 person-years were observed during a median follow-up period of 7.0 person-years. Ninety-eight cases of hepatitis B reactivation, with a cumulative reaction rate, was 3.9%, and the incidence density was 5.53/1 000 person-years. Multivariate Cox proportional risk regression analysis showed that age and baseline HBV DNA were independent risk factors of HBV reactivation. Compared with the patients ≥60 years, 40-49 age group (aHR=2.16, 95%CI:1.20-3.90) and 20-29 age group (aHR=5.48, 95%CI:2.07-14.48) were significantly associated with hepatitis B reactivation. Compared with the HBV DNA negative patients at baseline, the risk of hepatitis B reactivation was higher in the group with low HBV DNA level 100-1 999 IU/ml (aHR=1.67, 95%CI:1.11-2.52). Stratification analysis results showed that compared with those without metabolic risk factors, in the ≥50 age group, patients with ≥2 metabolic risk factors showed adjusted HR of 2.73 (95%CI:1.08-6.96). Conclusions: The risk of hepatitis B being reactive is the persistent existence of IHC in communities in Jiangsu province, especially young adults, low-level HBV DNA carriers, and IHC with ≥2 metabolic risk factors. Follow-up for these IHC should be strengthened to reduce the risk of disease progression by antiviral treatment at the right time.

Anesthesia With Propofol Sedation Reduces Locoregional Recurrence in Patients With Breast Cancer Receiving Total Mastectomy Compared With Non-Propofol Anesthesia

Purpose

We examined locoregional recurrence (LRR) in patients with breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) receiving total mastectomy (TM) under propofol-based paravertebral block-regional anesthesia (PB-RA) versus sevoflurane-based inhalational general anesthesia (INHA-GA) without propofol. All-cause death and distant metastasis were secondary endpoints.

Patients and Methods

Patients with breast IDC receiving TM were recruited through propensity score matching and categorized into INHA-GA with sevoflurane and PB-RA with propofol groups. Cox regression analysis was performed to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, the adjusted HR (aHR; 95% CI) of LRR for the PB-RA with propofol group was 0.52 (0.28–0.96) compared with the INHA-GA with sevoflurane group. The aHRs of LRR for differentiation grade II, grade III, the American Joint Committee on Cancer clinical stage II, stage III, pathological tumor (pT) stage 2, pT stage 3–4, pathological nodal (pN) stage 1, and pN stage 2–3 were 1.16 (1.04–2.08), 1.28 (1.07–2.12), 3.71 (1.82–7.59), 4.67 (1.65–13.18), 1.09 (1.02–1.21), 1.17 (1.03–2.16), 1.10 (1.03–1.33), and 1.22 (1.06–2.41), respectively, compared with differentiation grade I, clinical stage I, pT1, and pN0. The aHR of LRR for adjuvant RT was 0.88 (0.64–0.94) compared with that for no adjuvant RT.

Conclusion

PB-RA with propofol might be beneficial for reducing LRR in women with breast IDC receiving TM compared with INHA-GA without propofol.

Efficacy of Myopia Control and Distribution of Corneal Epithelial Thickness in Children Treated with Orthokeratology Assessed Using Optical Coherence Tomography

The association between myopia control efficacy in children treated with orthokeratology and corneal epithelial thickness is still unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the corneal epithelial thickness and its association with axial length changes in children treated with orthokeratology. This retrospective cohort study enrolled children aged from 9 to 15 years who had received orthokeratology for myopia control and had been followed up for at least 1 year. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography was performed to generate wide epithelial thickness maps of the patients. Annual axial length changes were calculated from the axial length at 6 months after the initiation of orthokeratology lens wear and at final measurements. Corneal epithelial thickness data were obtained from 24 sectors and a central 2 mm zone of the wide epithelial thickness map. Associations between annual axial length changes and corneal epithelial thickness for each sector/zone of the wide epithelial thickness map, and orthokeratology treatment data were determined by generalized estimating equations. Finally, a total of 83 eyes of 43 patients (mean age 11.2 years) were included in the analysis. The mean annual axial length change was 0.169 mm; when regressing demographic and ortho-k parameters to mean annual axial length changes, age and target power were both negatively associated with them (β = −14.43, p = 0.008; β = −0.26, p = 0.008, respectively). After adjusting for age and target power, the annual axial length changes were positively associated with the corneal epithelium thickness of IT1, I1, SN2, and S2 sectors of the wide epithelial thickness map, and negatively with that of the I3 sector. In conclusion, we identified associations between annual axial length changes and the corneal epithelium thickness of certain sectors in children treated with orthokeratology. This may facilitate the design of orthokeratology lenses with enhanced efficacy for myopia control.

The epidemiology, treatment patterns, healthcare utilizations and costs of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) in Taiwan

BACKGROUNDS

An increasing incidence of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) has been reported in several Western countries. However, the epidemiology of AML in Asia is very limited. According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline of AML, a range of conventional therapy options is available to AML patients. Nevertheless, different treatment strategies may result in diverse healthcare utilization and costs. Understanding the treatment patterns, healthcare utilization and costs of AML would thus be essential for clinicians and policymakers to optimize the treatment strategies of AML.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence, treatment patterns, healthcare utilization and costs of AML in Taiwan using a nationwide population database.

METHODS

We retrospectively identified AML patients diagnosed from 2006 to 2015 from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database (TCRD) and estimated the epidemiology of AML in Taiwan. The TCRD was linked to National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) to collect the treatment patterns and health care utilization. Patients diagnosed with AML from 2011 to 2015 were further identified to analyze treatment patterns, healthcare utilization and costs.

RESULTS

The crude annual incidence of AML increased from 2.78 to 3.21 cases per 100,000 individuals from 2006 to 2015. However, the age-standardized rate (ASRs) of AML slightly declined from 2.47 to 2.41 cases per 100,000 individuals in the same period. Among 2,179 AML patients who received induction therapy (median age: 56 years), most of them (n = 1744; 80.04%) received standard-dose cytarabine (SDAC) regimen. The remaining 162 patients received high dose cytarabine (HDAC) and 273 patients received non-standard dose cytarabine (N-SDAC) regimen as the induction therapy. The median medical costs in our study for patients treated with chemotherapy alone was $42,271 for HDAC, $36,199 for SDAC and $36,250 for N-SDAC. For those who received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) after induction therapy, their median medical costs were $78,876 for HDAC, $78,593 for SDAC and $79,776 for N-SDAC.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first population-based study conducted in Asia to provide updated and comprehensive information on epidemiology, treatment patterns and healthcare resource utilization and costs of AML.

Increased fracture risk after discontinuation of anti-osteoporosis medications among hip fracture patients: A population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

To compare the risks of major osteoporotic, vertebral, and non-vertebral fractures between patients who discontinued anti-osteoporosis medications.

METHODS

We conducted a comparative effectiveness study with a nationwide population-based cohort study design. Patients aged ≥50 years admitted between 2012 and 2015 for incident hip fractures and receiving denosumab or bisphosphonates with sufficient compliance for at least 1 year were included. Patients were categorized into persistent or non-persistent denosumab or bisphosphonates users based on their subsequent use pattern. The main outcomes were subsequent hospitalizations for a major osteoporotic, vertebral or non-vertebral fracture. Multivariate, time-varying Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the risk of major outcomes.

RESULTS

Compared with persistent denosumab users, non-persistent denosumab users had a significantly higher risk of major osteoporotic fractures (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-2.14), vertebral fractures (HR = 2.18; 95% CI, 1.46-3.24) and death (HR = 3.57; 95%CI, 2.63-4.84). However, the increased risk of fracture was not found in both persistent and non-persistent bisphosphonates users. Noteworthy, the increased risk of vertebral fractures in non-persistent denosumab users was more pronounced within 1 year post-discontinuation (HR = 2.90; 95% CI, 1.77-4.74) and among patients who discontinued from 2-year denosumab therapy (HR = 3.58; 95% CI, 1.74-7.40).

DISCUSSION

Discontinuation of denosumab resulted in an increased risk of major osteoporotic fractures, especially vertebral fractures. The increased risk tends to reveal within 1 year post-discontinuation and be greater after a longer treatment duration. Notably, only fracture with hospitalization was identified as our research outcome, the real risk of osteoporotic fracture post discontinuation is believed to be higher, especially for vertebral fracture.

Impact of expanded strong opioid availability on opioid prescription patterns in patients with cancer: A population-wide cohort study in Taiwan

Background One of the major barriers to adequate cancer pain management in Taiwan is the limited prescription options regarding strong opioids. Internationally recommended strong opioids, including oxycodone and hydromorphone, were not introduced in Taiwan until late 2014. We analysed the patterns in opioid prescription for cancer pain management, after the introduction of new opioid options. Methods All inpatient and outpatient clinical visits from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2017, with the diagnosis of cancer and the analgesic prescriptions were collected from the database of National Health Insurance, Taiwan, and analysed. Opioids were grouped into strong opioids, weak opioids, and guideline non-recommended opioids. Findings A total of 1, 292, 905 patients with cancers were included. Approximately 50% of patients used analgesics, 50% of which were opioids; the proportions were stable during the study period. The annual cumulative opioid use per patient (defined daily dose, DDD) significantly decreased from 36•41±102•59 (Mean±SD) in 2012 to 32•42±100•99 in 2017 (p < •001). The annual cumulative strong opioid use per patient increased significantly from 17•54±89•23 in 2012 to 19•28±94•97 in 2017 (+9•90%, p < •001). In parallel, the annual cumulative weak opioids use per patient decreased from 18•64±40•81 in 2012 to 13•04±26•79 in 2017 (-30•04%, p < •001). Among extended-release strong opioids, the use of transdermal fentanyl significantly decreased after oxycodone and hydromorphone were introduced (p < •001). Interpretation Increased therapeutic options in strong opioid prescriptions led opioid prescription patterns to evolve towards international cancer pain management guidelines. In addition, increased accessibility to a wider range of different strong opioids may facilitate more efficient opioid titration and rotation - and thus decrease, not increase, the opioid usage. Funding This study was supported by Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (MOST-106-2314-B-002-213 and MOST-108-2314-B-002-072-MY3), Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan (MOHW109-TDU-B-211-114002), National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (NTUH-103-002314 and NTUH. 105-S2954), and National Center of Excellence for Clinical Trial & Research, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (NCTRC201208 and NCTRC201603).

Carrier dynamics and lasing behavior of InAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers with short cavity lengths

The modulation p-doping technique has emerged as an effective way to optimize the carrier dynamics process of quantum dot (QD) structures. Here, the laser structures based on the 1.3μm multiple-layer InAs/GaAs QD were fabricated with and without modulation p-doping. The carrier relaxation rate was increased after modulation p-doping, as demonstrated by transient absorption spectroscopy. The higher relaxation rate in p-doped QDs could be explained by more rapid carrier-carrier scattering process originating from increasing of the hole quasi-Fermi-level movement that increases the probability of occupancy of the valence states. In addition, the lasing behavior of Fabry-Perot lasers with and without modulation p-doping was investigated and compared. It was found that the ground state (GS) lasing in the absence of facet coating was successfully achieved in a p-doped laser diode with short cavity length (400μm), which can be attributed to the higher GS saturation gain caused by p-doping. With assistance of a designed TiO₂/SiO₂facet coating whose central wavelength (∼1480 nm) is far beyond the lasing wavelength of 1310 nm, the GS lasing could be realized in a laser diode with short cavity lengths (300μm) under continuous wave operation at room temperature, implying great potential for the development of low-cost and high-speed directly modulated lasers.

Long-term oncologic outcomes of breast conserving surgery with propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia or volatile inhalational general anesthesia without propofol: a propensity score-matched, population-based cohort study

To estimate oncologic outcomes (overall survival [OS], locoregional recurrence [LRR], and distant metastasis [DM]) in patients with breast intraductal carcinoma (IDC) receiving breast conserving surgery (BCS) under propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) or volatile inhalational (INHA) general anesthesia (GA) without propofol. Patients with breast IDC receiving BCS were recruited through propensity score matching and categorized by anesthesia techniques into propofol-based TIVA-GA and non-propofol-based INHA-GA groups, respectively. Cox regression analysis was performed to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR; 95% CI) of all-cause mortality for TIVA-GA with propofol compared with INHA-GA without propofol was 0.94 (0.83-1.31). The aHR (95% CI) of LRR for TIVA-GA with propofol group compared with INHA-GA without propofol was 0.77 (0.58-0.87). The aHR (95% CI) of DM for TIVA-GA with propofol compared with INHA-GA without propofol was 0.91 (0.82-1.24). Propofol-based TIVA-GA might be beneficial for reducing LRR in women with breast IDC receiving BCS compared with non-propofol-based INHA-GA.

Paravertebral block in regional anesthesia with propofol sedation reduces locoregional recurrence in patients with breast cancer receiving breast conservative surgery compared with volatile inhalational without propofol in general anesthesia

PURPOSE

We examined locoregional recurrence (LRR) in patients with breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) receiving breast conservative surgery (BCS) under propofol-based paravertebral block-regional anesthesia (PB-RA) versus sevoflurane-based inhalational general anesthesia (INHA-GA) without propofol. All-cause death and distant metastasis were secondary endpoints.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with breast IDC receiving BCS were recruited through propensity score matching and categorized into INHA-GA with sevoflurane and PB-RA with propofol groups. Cox regression analysis was performed to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, the adjusted HR (aHR; 95% CI) of LRR for the PB-RA with propofol group was 0.67 (0.46-0.99) compared with the INHA-GA with sevoflurane group. The aHRs of LRR for differentiation grade II, grade III, the American Joint Committee on Cancer clinical stage II, stage III, pathological tumor (pT) stage 2, pT stage 3-4, pathological nodal (pN) stage 2-3, and Her-2 positivity were 1.87 (1.03-3.42), 2.31 (1.20-4.44), 1.67 (1.09-2.56), 2.43 (1.18-4.97), 1.17 (1.03-1.19), 1.28 (1.13-2.24), 1.20 (1.05-2.22), and 1.59 (1.01-2.51), respectively, compared with those for differentiation grade I, clinical stage I, pT1, pN0, and HER-2 negativity. The aHR of LRR for adjuvant radiotherapy was 0.60 (0.38-0.97) compared with that for no adjuvant radiotherapy.

CONCLUSION

PB-RA with propofol might be beneficial for reducing LRR in women with breast IDC receiving BCS compared with INHA-GA without propofol.

Epidemiology, treatment patterns and survival of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) in Taiwan, 2006-2015

AIM/OBJECTIVE

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) is one of the most frequent types of leukaemia/lymphoma in adults in Western countries. However, there are few studies regarding its epidemiology and treatment patterns in Asian countries.

METHODS

To investigate CLL/SLL in Asian populations, we identified CLL/SLL patients diagnosed during 2006 to 2015 from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database and estimated the incidence. Further, patients diagnosed during 2008 to 2015 were included for the analysis of treatment patterns and survivals. Treatments for CLL/SLL were retrieved from the Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database and survival data from the National Death Registry.

RESULTS

In total, 1497 patients who were older than 20 years and had newly diagnosed CLL/SLL during 2006-2015 were identified. The age-standardized incidence rates of CLL/SLL (0.36 per 100 000 persons in 2006, and 0.54 in 2015) increased during the 10-year period. The sex ratio was ranged from 1.21 to 2.63 with male predominant during 2006 and 2015. For the analysis of treatment patterns (n = 1236), 72.8% patients received chemotherapies. The median duration between the diagnosis and start of treatments was 27 days, and monotherapy of chlorambucil, bendamustine or cyclophosphamide was the most common regimen in initial treatments. The median follow-up duration for the patients receiving therapies was 29.6 months, and 45.0% patients experienced relapse or refractory. In patients with relapse/refractory CLL/SLL, 34.1% received rituximab-containing chemotherapies. Three hundred and ninety-nine (32.3%) patients received intensive treatments, and 175 (43.9%) of them received rituximab-containing chemotherapies. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 61%, and age was an important prognostic factor for CLL/SLL patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first population-based study in Asia and provides comprehensive evidence of epidemiology, treatment patterns and survivals of CLL/SLL in an Asian population.

Long-term survival outcomes and prognostic factors related to ruptured intracranial aneurysms: A comparison of surgical and endovascular options in a propensity score-matched, nationwide population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

To determine the long-term survival outcomes of and prognostic factors for survival in patients with a ruptured intracranial aneurysm (RIA) who underwent endovascular coil embolization or surgical clipping.

METHODS

We selected patients who had received a diagnosis of RIA between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2017. Propensity score matching was performed, and Cox proportional hazards model curves were plotted to analyze all-cause mortality in patients undergoing different treatments.

RESULTS

The matching process yielded a final cohort of 8102 patients (4051 and 4051 in endovascular coil embolization and surgical clipping groups, respectively) who were eligible for inclusion. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for endovascular coil embolization compared with surgical clipping were 0.87 (95% CI, 0.79-0.97). The aHRs for the ages of 65 to 74, 75 to 84, and ≥85 years compared with the ages of 20 to 64 years were 1.82 (95% CI, 1.60-2.07), 3.35 (95% CI, 2.93-3.84), and 6.99 (95% CI, 5.51-8.86), respectively. Surgical clipping; old age; male sex; treatment during 2011 to 2013; presence of diabetes, congestive heart failure, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, or end-stage renal disease; history of stroke or transient ischemic attack; Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥2; attendance of nonacademic hospitals; and low income were significant independent prognostic factors for poor survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with surgical clipping, endovascular coil embolization led to more favorable survival outcomes in patients with RIAs.

Long-Term Medical Resource Consumption between Surgical Clipping and Endovascular Coiling for Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Propensity Score-Matched, Nationwide, Population-Based Cohort Study

Purpose: To estimate long-term medical resource consumption in patients with subarachnoid aneurysmal hemorrhage (SAH) receiving surgical clipping or endovascular coiling. Patients and methods: From Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, we enrolled patients with aneurysmal SAH who received clipping or coiling. After propensity score matching and adjustment for confounders, a generalized linear mixed model was used to determine significant differences in the accumulative hospital stay (days), intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and total medical cost for aneurysmal SAH, as well as possible subsequent surgical complications and recurrence. Results: The matching process yielded a final cohort of 8102 patients (4051 and 4051 in endovascular coil embolization and surgical clipping, respectively) who were eligible for further analysis. The mean accumulative hospital stay significantly differed between coiling (31.2 days) and clipping (46.8 days; p < 0.0001). After the generalized linear model adjustment of gamma distribution with a log link, compared with the surgical clipping procedure, the adjusted odds ratios (aOR; 95% confidence interval [CI]) of the medical cost of accumulative hospital stay for the endovascular coil embolization procedure was 0.63 (0.60, 0.66; p < 0·0001). The mean accumulative ICU stay significantly differed between the coiling and clipping groups (9.4 vs. 14.9 days; p < 0.0001). The aORs (95% CI) of the medical cost of accumulative ICU stay in the endovascular coil embolization group was 0.61 (0.58, 0.64; p < 0.0001). The aOR (95% CI) of the total medical cost of index hospitalization in the endovascular coil embolization group was 0·85 (0.82, 0.87; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Medical resource consumption in the coiling group was lower than that in the clipping group.

Contemporary external beam radiotherapy boost or high dose-rate brachytherapy boost for cervical cancer: a propensity-score-matched, nationwide, population-based cohort study

To estimate the survival effects of contemporary external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) boost modalities (intensity-modulated radiation therapy or volumetric modulated arc therapy) and high dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) boost in patients with cervical cancer (CC). Patients who had been diagnosed as having CC were recruited from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database. Propensity score matching was performed, and Cox proportional-hazards model curves were used to analyze the all-cause mortality of patients who received standard whole-pelvis irradiation with different boost modalities. The matching process yielded a final cohort of 1,630 patients (815 in the EBRT boost and HDR-BT boost groups, respectively) eligible for further analysis. The multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that the adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence intervals) for EBRT boost compared with HDR-BT boost was 1.62 (1.43-1.84). Multivariable analysis revealed that the independent poor prognostic factors of all-cause mortality among patients with CC were adenocarcinoma, no chemotherapy, Charlson comorbidity index score ≥ 1, age ≥ 60 years, and advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage. HDR-BT boost may be more beneficial than contemporary EBRT boost in selected patients with CC.

Real-World Outcomes of Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Taiwan: A Nationwide Population-Based Study, 2011-2015

BACKGROUND

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematological malignancy originating from myeloid precursor cells, with different cytogenetic abnormalities, genetic mutations and diverse clinical prognoses. We investigated the clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of adult AML patients in Taiwan.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively included 3851 patients with AML in the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database from 2011 to 2015. We excluded patients younger than 20 years, with acute promyelocytic leukemia, and with no pathological confirmation.

RESULTS

Among the 3292 patients included, 2179 received induction chemotherapy and 1113 did not, because of older age and higher Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score. Among the 2179 treated patients, 162 received high-dose cytarabine-based chemotherapy, 1535 received standard-dose cytarabine with anthracyclines, 209 received low-dose cytarabine-based chemotherapy, and 273 received chemotherapy without cytarabine. Patients in the low-dose cytarabine group had the oldest age and highest CCI scores compared with the other groups. In the analysis of overall survival (OS), the median OS of the overall study population was 6.27 months. Treated patients with AML had a longer OS than untreated ones (12.43 months treated vs. 2.03 months not treated; P < .0001). In the multivariate analyses of the treated patients with AML, several factors indicated better prognosis, including receiving standard-dose or high-dose cytarabine, female sex, younger age, lower CCI score, treatment at a medical center, favorable cytogenetic abnormalities, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

CONCLUSION

Our study was a population-based study that illustrates the real-world outcomes of adult patients with AML in Taiwan.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy or Endocrine Therapy for Invasive Ductal Carcinoma of the Breast With High Hormone Receptor Positivity and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 Negativity

IMPORTANCE

Although neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) is an alternative to chemotherapy for strongly hormone receptor (HR)-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (ERBB2)-negative breast cancer, evidence is currently lacking regarding the probable survival outcomes of NET in comparison with those of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for this cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate all-cause mortality among patients with strongly HR-positive and ERBB2-negative breast cancer treated with NET vs NACT.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cohort study included patients with a diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) with strong HR positivity and ERBB2 negativity, treated between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2016, with follow-up from the index date (ie, date of IDC diagnosis) to December 31, 2018. The data came from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database. Data were analyzed from January to November 2020.

EXPOSURES

NET vs NACT for IDC with strong HR positivity and ERBB2 negativity.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary end point was all-cause mortality. Propensity score matching was performed, and Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze all-cause mortality among patients undergoing different neoadjuvant treatments.

RESULTS

A total of 640 patients (297 [46.4%] aged 20-49 years) undergoing NET (145 patients [22.7%]) or NACT (495 patients [77.3%]) were eligible for further analysis. In the multivariate Cox regression analyses, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for all-cause mortality among the NET cohort compared with the NACT cohort was 2.67 (95% CI, 1.95-3.51; P < .001). The aHRs for age were 1.13 (95% CI, 1.03-2.24), 1.25 (95% CI, 1.13-2.45), and 1.37 (95% CI, 1.17-3.49) for all-cause mortality among patients aged 50 to 59, 60 to 69, and 70 years or older, respectively, compared with those aged 20 to 49 years (P = .002); the aHR for all-cause mortality among premenopausal women was 1.35 (95% CI, 1.13-1.56) compared with postmenopausal women (P < .001); and that of patients with a Charlson Comorbidity Index score of 2 or greater was 1.77 (1.37-2.26) compared with those with a score of 0 (P < .001). The aHRs of all-cause mortality for clinical tumor stage 2, 3, and 4 compared with 1 were 1.84 (95% CI, 1.07-3.40), 1.97 (95% CI, 1.03-3.77), and 2.49 (95% CI, 1.29-4.81), respectively (P = .009). The aHRs for all-cause mortality by clinical nodal (cN) stages were 1.49 (95% CI, 1.13-1.99) and 1.84 (95% CI, 1.31-2.61) for cN stage 1 and cN stages 2 or 3, respectively, compared with cN stage 0 (P = .005); those for differentiation were 1.77 (95% CI, 1.24-2.54) and 2.31 (95% CI, 1.61-3.34) for differentiation grade 2 and differentiation grade 3, respectively, compared with differentiation grade 1 (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The findings of this study suggest that for patients with strongly HR-positive and ERBB2-negative IDC, NACT may be considered the first choice for neoadjuvant treatment.

Metabolic Syndromes as Important Comorbidities in Patients of Inherited Retinal Degenerations: Experiences from the Nationwide Health Database and a Large Hospital-Based Cohort

This study aimed to evaluate the medical and socioeconomic impacts of IRDs using the nationwide health database and a large hospital-based cohort. This retrospective cross-sectional cohort study used data from the nationwide National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). All patients with IRD from January 2012 to December 2016 were selected from the NHIRD and matched with the general population at a ratio of 1:4. All variables, including comorbidities, medications, service utilization, and medical costs, within 1 year from the date of the IRD diagnosis, were analyzed. Disability data were retrieved from the Taiwan Inherited retinal degeneration Project (TIP), a medical center-based database. A total of 4447 and 17,788 subjects from the nationwide database were included in the IRD and control groups, respectively. The Charlson comorbidity index score was higher in the IRD group (0.74:0.52, p < 0.001). Yearly visits to the ophthalmology clinic were more frequent in the IRD group (6.80:1.06, p < 0.001), particularly to tertiary medical centers (p < 0.001). The IRD group showed greater odds ratios (OR) for metabolic syndrome-related comorbidities, including hypertension (OR = 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10 to 1.26) and diabetes (OR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.45), and double the average yearly medical cost (2104.3 vs. 1084.6 USD, p < 0.001) and ten times the yearly ophthalmology cost (369.1 vs. 36.1 USD, p < 0.001). The average disability level was 54.17% for all subjects. This study revealed the large medical and socioeconomic impacts of IRD on not only patients with IRD, but also their family members and the whole society.

[The safety and efficacy of combined hepatic artery resection in treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma: a meta-analysis]

Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of combined hepatic artery resection for the treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Methods: We searched Pubmed, The Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, China Knowledge Network, Wanfang Data Resource System, Vip-Chinese Sci-tech Journal System Database, and China Biomedical Literature Database, and collected the randomized controlled studies or retrospective studies on the safety and efficacy of combined hepatic artery resection and non-hepatic artery resection in the treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma. The search period is from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2019. Review Manager 5.3 software was used to analyze the extracted data indicators. Results: A total of 14 articles were collected, and a total of 2 374 patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma were included in the study. Meta-analysis results showed that the perioperative mortality in the hepatic artery resection (HAR) group was higher than that of the control group (OR=1.70, 95%CI=0.02-2.90, P=0.05), and the total postoperative morbidity rate was higher than that of the control group (OR=1.28, 95%CI= 0.93-1.76, P=0.13), both of which were not statistically significant compared with the control group. Subgroup analysis showed that the incidence of liver failure (OR=1.15, 95%CI= 0.73-1.82, P=0.54), biliary fistula (OR=1.20, 95%CI= 0.78-1.84, P=0.40), and abdominal infection in the two groups (OR=0.98, 95%CI= 0.53-1.83, P=0.95) was without significant difference. The R0 resection rate of the HAR group was higher than that of the control group, and the difference was not statistically significant (OR=1.08, 95%CI=0.66-1.75, P=0.77). The rates of lymph node metastasis in the HAR group were higher than that in the control group (OR= 2.48, 95%CI= 1.05-5.84, P=0.04). One-year(OR=0.48, 95%CI= 0.32-0.72, P=0.000 5), 3-year (OR= 0.51, 95%CI=0.36-0.72, P=0.000 1), and 5-year (OR=0.50, 95%CI=0.35-0.70, P<0.000 1) survival rates of HAR group were lower than those of the control group. The survival rates of patients in HAR group treated with combined chemotherapy drugs after operation were significantly improved (OR= 7.33, P=0.02). Conclusions: The safety of combined HAR treatment for hilar cholangiocarcinoma is acceptable, but poor postoperative survival may be related to the high lymph node metastasis rate. Therefore, it is still necessary to be cautious in carrying out this operation. Combined with adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery may improve survival.

Recurrence rate and risk factors for recurrence after thoracoscopic surgery for primary spontaneous pneumothorax: A nationwide population-based study

PURPOSE

This large-scale nationwide population-based study aimed to determine the recurrence rate and risk factors for recurrence after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP).

METHODS

This retrospective study used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database to identify individuals who underwent VATS for PSP from 2007 to 2014. All patients were followed up until December 31, 2017. Study variables included demographic characteristics, intensive care unit admission, lung resection status, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and hospital level. The primary outcome was 1-year recurrence, and the secondary outcomes were the 1-year rate of reintervention for recurrence and overall recurrence rate.

RESULTS

During the study period, 6654 patients underwent VATS for PSP (average age: 23.2 years, 89.1% male), including 910 patients (13.7%) who experienced recurrence within 1 year and 531 patients (8.0%) who required reintervention within 1 year. The overall recurrence rate was 24.8%, with an average follow-up time of 6.7 years. Age ≤18 years and the use of NSAIDs, especially ketorolac, were significant risk factors for 1-year recurrence and overall recurrence. Younger age was a risk factor for 1-year reintervention. In subgroup analysis, NSAID use was a significant risk factor for 1-year recurrence, 1-year reintervention, and overall recurrence in pediatric patients but not in adult patients.

CONCLUSIONS

In Taiwan, the 1-year recurrence rate was 13.7% after VATS for PSP. Younger age and the use of NSAIDs, especially ketorolac, were significant risk factors for short- and long-term recurrence after VATS for PSP.

Pathologic response rates for breast cancer stages as a predictor of outcomes in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by breast-conserving surgery

PURPOSE

To determine easy-to-use predictors of overall survival (OS), locoregional recurrence (LRR), and distant metastasis (DM) in patients with breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by breast-conserving surgery (BCS), we obtained pathologic response rates (PRRs) for combined primary and nodal diseases (American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] stages) from clinical and pathologic reports, and we used these as predictors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We enrolled patients with IDC who had received NACT followed by BCS. Cox regression analysis was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence intervals (CIs) for the patients' PRRs; other independent predictors were controlled for or stratified in the analysis.

RESULTS

We analyzed 1047 patients with IDC (611, 260, and 176 patients in clinical stages IIB, IIIA, and IIIB-C, respectively) receiving NACT and BCS. After multivariate Cox regression analyses, the adjusted HRs (aHRs; 95% CI) in patients with pathologic complete response (ypT0N0) were 0.26 (0.13-0.56), 0.36 (0.15-0.85), and 0.15 (0.08-0.31) for all-cause mortality, LRR, and DM, respectively. The aHRs (95% CI) in patients with downstaging of AJCC stages were 0.55 (0.35-0.89), 0.91 (0.62-0.96), and 0.63 (0.43-0.91) for all-cause mortality, LRR, and DM, respectively. The aHRs (95% CI) in patients with upstaging of AJCC stages were 1.77 (1.06-2.24), 1.08 (1.03-1.82), and 1.19 (1.07-2.01) for all-cause mortality, LRR, and DM, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The impacts of AJCC-stage PRRs are useful predictive tools and strong predictors for OS, LRR, and DM in patients with breast IDC receiving NACT followed by BCS.

Effect of pathologic stages on postmastectomy radiation therapy in breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy and total mastectomy: A Cancer Database Analysis

PURPOSE

To use pathologic indicators to determine which patients benefit from postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) for breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and total mastectomy (TM).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We enrolled 4236 patients with breast invasive ductal carcinoma who received NACT followed by TM. Cox regression analysis was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence intervals; independent predictors were controlled for or stratified in the analysis.

RESULTS

After multivariate Cox regression analyses, the adjusted HRs derived for PMRT for all-cause mortality were 0.65 (0.52-0.81, P < 0.0001) and 0.58 (0.47-0.71, P < 0.0001) in postchemotherapy pathologic tumor stages T2-4 (ypT3-4) and postchemotherapy pathologic nodal stages N2-3 (ypN2-3), respectively. Moreover, adjusted HRs derived for PMRT with all-cause mortality were 0.51 (0.38-0.69, P < 0.0001), 0.60 (0.40-0.88, P = 0.0096), and 0.64 (0.48-0.86, P = 0.0024) in pathological stages IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC, respectively. Additionally, the PMRT group showed significant locoregional control irrespective of the pathologic response, even ypT0, ypN0, or pathological complete response (pCR), compared with the No-PMRT group. The multivariate analysis showed no statistical differences between the PMRT and No-PMRT groups for distant metastasis-free survival in any pathologic response of ypT0-4, ypN0-3, and pathologic American Joint Committee on Cancer stages pCR to IIIC.

CONCLUSION

For patients with breast cancer ypT3-4, ypN2-3, or pathologic stages IIIA-IIIC receiving NACT and TM, benefit from PMRT if it is associated with OS benefits, regardless of the clinical stage of the disease. Compared with No-PMRT, PMRT improved locoregional recurrence-free survival, even pCR, in patients with breast cancer receiving NACT and TM.

[Association of age-related white matter hyperintensity with brain atrophy and cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease]

Objective: To investigate the association of age-related white matter hyperintensity (WMH) with brain atrophy and cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods: Consecutive samples of a prospective PD cohort with complete 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging in the Department of Movement Disorders in Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, from October 2018 to August 2019 was retrospectively analyzed. Cognition was evaluated by Mini-Mental State Scale (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The severity of WMH was semi-quantitatively measured by Fazekas scale (0-6 points), and the mean cortical thickness and thalamus volume were calculated by FreeSurfer software. The demographic and disease characteristics, the severity of WMH, the mean cortical thickness and thalamus volume were respectively compared between PD patients with and without dementia. Moreover, univariate and multivariate generalized linear models were used to analyze the correlation of the severity of WMH with brain atrophy and MoCA. Results: A total of 225 patients with PD were included in the study, with a median age of 66 years old. Comparisons between groups suggested that patients with dementia were with severer WMH, older, and had lower levels of serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein and more reduced mean cortical thickness than those without dementia (all P<0.05), but no significant difference in the thalamus volume was found between the two groups. The generalized linear model showed that the cognitive impairment of PD patients was significantly correlated with WMH (β=-0.021, 95%CI:-0.040--0.002, P=0.032), but independent of age, cortical thickness, and levels of serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein. Conclusion: WMH may worsen PD cognitive impairment independent of brain atrophy. Clinical prevention and treatment of cerebral small vessel disease may have protective effects on cognitive function in patients with PD.

Antiviral prophylaxis for hepatitis B carriers improves the prognosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in Taiwan - a population-based study

The prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation during rituximab treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is important in the HBV-endemic area. This population-based study examines the impact of antiviral prophylaxis for DLBCL patients with HBV infections. We identified 3702 adult patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL between 2011 and 2015 receiving R-CHOP, R-CVP, CHOP or CVP from the Taiwan Cancer Registry. We further stratified them into three groups: HBsAg-negative patients (HBV-negative, N = 2921), HBV carriers who received antiviral prophylaxis (HBV + Px, N = 711), and HBV carriers who did not receive antiviral prophylaxis (HBV + No Px, N = 70). HBV + Px patients were the youngest, and 69·4% received entecavir for antiviral prophylaxis. The median overall survival (mOS) of HBV-negative and HBV + Px patients was similar (74·23 months and not reached, respectively). However, the mOS of HBV + No Px patients was only 35·61 months (P = 0·0028 compared with HBV + Px patients), indicating that antiviral prophylaxis improves OS in HBsAg-positive DLBCL patients. The multivariate analysis showed that the HBV status and antiviral prophylaxis was an independent prognostic factor. In conclusion, our population-based study illustrates the importance of antiviral prophylaxis in HBsAg-positive DLBCL patients. Under antiviral prophylaxis, the survival of DLBCL patients with HBV infections was comparable to that of HBV-negative patients.

Economic burden of cancers in Taiwan: a direct and indirect cost estimate for 2007-2017

OBJECTIVE

Cancers result in significant economic burdens on patients, health sectors and society. Reliable burden estimates will help guide resource allocation. This study aimed to perform a nationwide cost analysis of the direct and indirect costs of the top ten most costly cancers, and acute coronary syndrome (ACS), as a comparison, in Taiwan.

SETTING

A population-based cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

In total, 545 221 patients with newly diagnosed cancer (lung cancer, female breast cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, oral cancer, leukaemia, prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, gastric cancer and oesophageal cancer) and 170 879 patients with ACS between 2007 and 2014 were identified.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Direct medical costs were calculated from claims recorded in the National Health Insurance Research Database . Indirect costs, comprising morbidity-associated and mortality-associated productivity losses, were estimated from public life expectancy, average wage and employment data. The costs incurred in the 3 years after diagnosis were assessed. As a comparison, the cost of ACS was also estimated using the same study frame. A cost driver analysis was conducted to identify factors impacting cancer costs.

RESULTS

The cancers with the highest mean direct medical costs and total costs were leukaemia (US$28 464) and oesophageal cancer (US$81 775), respectively. Indirect costs accounted for over 50% of the total economic burden of most cancers, except for prostate cancer and female breast cancer. The costs of ACS were lower than those of most cancers. From the cost driver analysis, older age at diagnosis significantly (p<0.05) decreased the total cost of cancer; in contrast, male, tumour metastasis, comorbidities and treatment in medical centres increased the costs.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates the comprehensive economic burden of the top 10 most costly cancers in Taiwan. These results are valuable for optimising healthcare resource allocation.

Impact of the Requirement of Bone Mineral Density Evidence on Utilization of Anti-osteoporosis Medications, Clinical Outcome and Medical Expenditures of Patient With Hip Fracture in Taiwan

Background: Since 2011, Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) issued a regulation on the reimbursement to anti-osteoporosis medications (AOMs). This study aimed to evaluate the impact of this regulation in reimbursement on the utilization of AOMs, clinical outcomes and associated medical expenditures of patients with incident hip fractures.

Methods: By using the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), patients with incident hip fracture from 2006 to 2015 were identified as our study cohort. Patients younger than 50 years old or prescribed with AOMs within one year prior to incident fracture were excluded. Outcomes of interest were quarterly estimates of the proportion of patients who received bone mineral density (BMD) examination, who were prescribed AOMs, as well as who encountered subsequent osteoporotic fracture-related visits and associated medical expenditures. Particularly, age- and gender specific estimates were reported. An interrupted time series study design with segmented regression model was used to quantitatively explore the impact of the changes of the reimbursement criteria on the level (immediate) and trend (long-term) changes of these outcomes.

Results: Our study enrolled 118 493 patients with incident hip fracture with those patients aged older than 80 years old accounting for the largest proportion. A significantly decreased trend of AOMs prescription rates was observed immediately post regulation except for female aged between 65 and 80, while the long-term pattern showed no significant difference. However, the percentage of patients encountered subsequent osteoporotic fracture-related visit was not statistically different between pre- and post-regulation periods. Noteworthy, the policy regulation was associated with an increasing trend of osteoporotic fracture associated medical expenditures, especially for patients older than 80 years old.

Conclusion: The regulation on the reimbursement for AOMs decreased the prescribing rate of AOMs immediately although the effect did not sustain thereafter. However, higher subsequent osteoporotic fracture-related medical expenditures were introduced, especially among those very old population.

Pathologic response as predictor of recurrence, metastasis, and survival in breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy and total mastectomy

To determine easy-to-use predictors of overall survival (OS), locoregional recurrence (LRR), and distant metastasis (DM) in breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and total mastectomy (TM), we used the pathologic response (PR) of primary breast diseases (T stages), nodal diseases (N stages), and combined primary and nodal diseases (American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] stages) based on existing clinical and pathologic reports as predictors. We enrolled patients with IDC who received NACT followed by TM. Cox regression analysis was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence intervals (CIs) of PR; other independent predictors were controlled for or stratified in the analysis. We analyzed 3654 IDC patients (1031, 1215, 1003, and 405 patients with clinical stages IIB, IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC, respectively) receiving NACT and TM. After multivariate Cox regression analyses, the adjusted HRs (aHRs) (95% CI) for all-cause mortality, LRR, and DM were noted to be 0.21 (0.13-0.34), 0.19 (0.08-0.48), and 0.33 (0.23-0.47), respectively, for pCR; 0.56 (0.48-0.65), 0.67 (0.51-0.89), and 0.61 (0.52-0.70), respectively, for AJCC downstaging; and 1.85 (1.56-2.18), 1.17 (0.84-1.62), and 1.61 (1.36-1.90), respectively, for AJCC upstaging. The PR parameters used in the study are easily applied because they are based on existing staging records, and they can strongly predict OS, LRR, and DM in IDC patients receiving NACT and TM, regardless of clinical stage. The results can be used to guide adjuvant treatment.

Outcome of post-mastectomy radiotherapy after primary systemic treatment in patients with different clinical tumor and nodal stages of breast cancer: a cohort study

To evaluate the effect of post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) stratified by clinical tumor (T) or nodal (N) staging and determine predictors of overall survival (OS), locoregional recurrence (LRR), distant metastasis, and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with breast cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and total mastectomy (TM), we enrolled patients who received a diagnosis of breast invasive ductal carcinoma who received NACT followed by TM. Cox regression analysis was employed to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence intervals (CIs). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that non-PMRT, Charlson comorbidity index ≥ 2, advanced clinical T or N stage, pathologic partial response, pathologic stationary disease, or pathologic progression disease were poor prognostic factors for OS. Well-differentiated tumor grade, pathologic complete response, and positive hormone receptors were better independent prognostic factors for OS. Adjusted HRs derived from PMRT for breast cancer after NACT and TM were 0.69 (0.53-0.89) and 0.74 (0.59-0.93) in clinical T3 and T4, respectively. aHRs derived from PMRT for breast cancer after NACT and TM were 0.67 (0.45-0.99), 0.75 (0.62-0.92), and 0.77 (0.60-0.98) in clinical N0, N1, N2-3, respectively. The aHRs (95% CI) of the PMRT group to the non-PMRT group for LRR-free survival and DFS were improved significantly. Our study indicated that PMRT significantly improved OS in clinical T3N0-T4N3 and for LRR-free survival and DFS in clinical T2N0-T4N3 from those of non-PMRT patients regardless of pathologic response and other predictors.

Frontline treatments in extremely elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a population-based study in Taiwan, 2010-2015

Background

The standard frontline therapy for patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is R-CHOP. However, patients older than 80 years are excluded from clinical trials. The importance of rituximab and anthracycline remains unknown in extremely elderly DLBCL patients. Here, we incorporated data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database (TCRD), National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), and National Death Registry to evaluate the clinical benefits of rituximab and anthracycline in elderly patients. From the TCRD and NHIRD, we included DLBCL patients aged older than 60 years who received R-CHOP, R-CVP, CHOP, or CVP between 2010 and 2015.

Results

Of the 3228 eligible patients, 2559 were between 60 and 79 years (the 60–79 group), and 669 were older than 80 years (the 80+ group). The proportions of patients in the different Ann Arbor stages and the practice settings were similar in both groups. The male-to-female ratio and the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) scores in the 80+ group were higher than those in the 60–79 group. Patients in the 60–79 group received R-CHOP more frequently than those in the 80+ group. In the 60–79 group, the median age of the patients receiving R-CVP or CVP was older than those receiving R-CHOP or CHOP. In the analysis of overall survival (OS) and time to treatment failure (TTF), R-CHOP, female sex, younger age, lower Ann Arbor stage, lower CCI score, and care at a medical center predicted a favorable prognosis in the 60–79 group. However, only R-CHOP, younger age, and lower Ann Arbor stage remained independent favorable prognostic factors in the 80+ group.

Conclusions

Our population-based study demonstrated the clinical benefits of rituximab and anthracycline in extremely elderly Asian patients with DLBCL.

Overall survival, locoregional recurrence, and distant metastasis of definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy for cervical squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma: before and after propensity score matching analysis of a cohort study

PURPOSE

To estimate the outcomes of definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for bulky or advanced-stage cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We enrolled patients who had been diagnosed as having cervical SCC or ADC and received definitive CCRT. A Cox regression analysis was performed to determine the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI); independent predictors were stratified or controlled for in the analysis, and the endpoint was all-cause mortality among patients with cervical SCC and ADC who received CCRT. Propensity score matching was performed to create well-balanced groups.

RESULTS

we enrolled 3258 patients who had International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IB2-IVA cervical cancer without distant metastasis. Among them, 2927 patients with cervical SCC and 331 patients with cervical ADC received definitive CCRT. The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that ADC, advanced FIGO stage, no intracavitary brachytherapy, old age, earlier year of diagnosis, and higher comorbidity scores were significant independent poor prognostic factors of all-cause mortality in patients with cervical cancer who received definitive CCRT. Patients with cervical ADC who received definitive CCRT had higher all-cause mortality, locoregional recurrence (LRR), and distant metastasis (DM) (adjusted HR [95% CI]: 2.10 [1.79-2.46], 1.79 [1.35-2.37], and 1.97 [1.54-2.53] for all-cause mortality, LRR, and DM, respectively) compared with patients with cervical SCC who received CCRT.

CONCLUSION

Definitive CCRT in patients with cervical ADC resulted in lower overall survival, higher LRR, and higher DM rate compared with patients with cervical SCC.

Outcome patterns of cervical adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma following curative surgery: before and after propensity score matching analysis of a cohort study

To estimate the outcome patterns and predictors of curative surgery for cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC) for overall survival (OS), locoregional recurrence (LRR), and distant metastasis (DM), we enrolled 4628 patients who had received a diagnosis of cervical SCC or ADC and received curative surgery. Cox regression analysis was employed to calculate hazard ratios and confidence intervals (CIs); independent predictors were controlled for or stratified in the analysis, and the endpoint was all-cause death. Propensity score matching was conducted to create well-balanced groups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the pathologic type of ADC, age ≥ 70 years, advanced pathologic stage, positive margin, poorly differentiated cancer, undifferentiated cancer, adjuvant sequential chemotherapy and radiotherapy, earlier year of diagnosis, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) = 1, CCI ≥ 2, low income levels, and treatment at a nonmedical center were significant independent poor prognostic factors for all-cause mortality in cervical cancer treated with curative surgery. Adjusted hazard ratios (95% CIs) for patients with cervical ADC who received curative surgery were 2.34 (1.96-2.79), 1.15 (0.89-1.49), and 2.16 (1.75-2.66) compared with cervical SCC for all-cause mortality, LRR, and DM, respectively. This study indicated that curative surgery for cervical ADC was associated with poorer OS and higher DM rates relative to cervical SCC, but no significant differences were identified in LRR.

Abstract P2-20-05: Systemic bevacizumab, etoposide and cisplatin (the BEEP regimen) improves the survival of leptomeningeal metastasis of breast cancer

Introduction: Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) of breast cancer (BC) is dismal with median overall survival (OS) around 3-4 months. Newer therapies such as bevacizumab, etoposide, cisplatin (BEEP) or intrathecal (IT) trastuzumab have shown the activity in in LM (BMC Cancer. 2015 Apr 17;15(1):299). From 2014, we actively provide the treatment choice of BEEP for patients with leptomeningeal metastases in National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH). We aim to report and analyze the successful experience of BEEP treatment for breast cancer LM patients in the recent years.

Methods: We extracted the patient list from the cytology laboratory of NTUH for every BC patient who was diagnosed as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology positive LM in NTUH from 2011 to 2016. Medical records of anticancer treatment modality before and after the diagnosis of cytology confirmed LM were summarized. The main treatment efficacy outcome is OS, defined as the date from confirmed positive CSF cytology for carcinoma cells to the date of death. In order to understand the effect of actively providing BEEP treatment, the patients were also divided into two diagnostic time periods: 2011-2013 vs 2014-2016. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to understand the prognostic factors for the whole group.

Results: From 2011 to 2016, a total of 34 consecutive patients with cytology confirmed LM were identified. The median age at the time of LM diagnosis was 57 (range 30-80). The treatment after LM diagnosis included: intrathecal (IT) methotrexate (MTX) (82.4%), systemic chemotherapy (68%; BEEP regimen n =19, others n = 3), and WBRT (n = 5, 14.7%). For HER2-positive patients, 43 % (n = 3) also received IT trastuzumab. OS improved over diagnostic time periods 2014-2016 vs 2011-2013 (13.57 vs 3.20 months, p = 0.0036), where 7 of 17 (41%) and 12 of 17 (71%) patients received BEEP treatment, respectively. When all treatments were included in the multivariate model, BEEP (HR 0.24, p=0.0032) and IT trastuzumab (HR 0.22, p = 0.035) but not IT MTX (HR 0.86, p = 0.78) remained significant prognostic factors (Table 1). The CSF response (as defined by two consecutive negative CSF cytology results) was 58% (19/34) with a median of 28 days from treatment to CSF response. Patients with a CFS response is associated with significant better OS (HR 0.25, p &lt; 0.001).

Conclusion: We have shown that MBC LM is a treatable disease and systemic BEEP and IT trastuzumab are efficacious treatments that could improve survival.

Table 1. Adjusted hazard ratios of treatments for leptomeningeal metastasis in 34 patientsAdjusted hazard ratio (95% CI)p-valueIntrathecal methotrexate vs non-intrathecal methotrexate0.86 (0.28, 2.64)0.787BEEP vs non-BEEP0.24 (0.09, 0.62)0.003Intrathecal trastuzumab vs no intrathecal trastuzumab0.22 (0.05, 0.90)0.035

Citation Format: Tom Wei-Wu Chen, I-Shiow Jan, Dwang-Ying Chang, Ching-Hung Lin, I-Chun Chen, Ho-Min Chen, Ann-Lii Cheng, Yen-Shen Lu. Systemic bevacizumab, etoposide and cisplatin (the BEEP regimen) improves the survival of leptomeningeal metastasis of breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-20-05.

Histopathologic findings after selective ophthalmic arterial injection of melphalan for retinoblastoma

PURPOSE:

The aim is to describe histopathologic observations in eyes enucleated after selective ophthalmic arterial injection (SOAI) of melphalan for retinoblastoma (RB).

STUDY DESIGN:

This is retrospective clinical study.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Histopathologic analysis of 14 eyes (13 patients) from May 2008 through January 2015 at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.

RESULTS:

The eyes after SOAI were enucleated due to tumor viability (n = 7, 2 with vitreous hemorrhage), neovascular glaucoma (n = 4), lens drop to vitreous with total hyphema and elevated intraocular pressure (n = 1), retinal detachment (RD) progressed (n = 1), and persistent RD with phthisis change (n = 1). Almost all of the eyes showed vitreous seeding (n = 11 eyes) before treatment. After the treatment of SOAI, the histopathological examination revealed complete regression in four eyes with one was clinically diagnosed as viable tumor and progression, one with RD progression, and two as neovascular glaucoma. Six eyes showed invasion into the optic nerves, reaching the lamina cribrosa in five eyes, and six eyes with invasion into the choroid were observed. All of the cases with lamina cribrosa involvement showed tumor progression before enucleation, four cases with lamina cribrosa involvement expired later.

CONCLUSION:

Although some cases of RB can be controlled effectively with SOAI, but for refractory cases after SOAI, earlier decision of enucleation may be needed.

Epidemiology of pediatric multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, and optic neuritis in Taiwan

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The epidemiology of pediatric acquired demyelinating disorders remains to be clarified in many parts of Asia. We carry out this study to depict the epidemiology of pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica (NMO), and optic neuritis (ON) in Taiwan.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective nationwide population-based study using data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Prevalent cases of pediatric MS and NMO during 2001-2015, and incident cases of pediatric MS, NMO, and ON during 2003-2015 were identified. The demographic features and comorbidities were investigated.

RESULTS

We identified 403 MS, 42 NMO, and 1496 ON incident cases under the age of 20 during 2003-2015. The majority of pediatric MS (86.1%) and NMO (90.5%) patients were 10 years old or above. The incidence of MS and ON was relatively steady, while that of NMO increased prominently later during the study period. The average incidence of pediatric MS and NMO during 2011-2015 was 0.52 and 0.11 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. The female preponderance was evident for pediatric MS and NMO, and less so for pediatric ON. The most common autoimmune comorbidities for pediatric MS were thyrotoxicosis (1.0%) and systemic lupus erythematosus (0.7%).

CONCLUSION

The epidemiology of pediatric MS was largely stationary in Taiwan during 2001-2015, while the prevalence of pediatric NMO rose steeply during this period, probably reflecting better recognition of this clinical entity. Autoimmune comorbidities were uncommon for pediatric MS and NMO in Taiwan.