The role of social inequalities in the epidemiology of urological cancers: can this inform cancer screening?

Health inequalities are systematic and potentially remediable differences in health across populations. Understanding the origins of these discrepancies, the healthcare consequences and the manifestations of related diseases can help improve the outcomes of underserved communities. Here I discuss how social factors may be used to help identify particular at-risk populations with regards to urological malignancies, and how these can be potentially used as biomarkers that inform cancer screening targets.

A Systematic Review of the Efficacy and Toxicity of Brachytherapy Boost Combined with External Beam Radiotherapy for Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer.

Context: The optimum use of brachytherapy (BT) combined with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for localised/locally advanced prostate cancer (PCa) remains uncertain.

Objective: To perform a systematic review to determine the benefits and harms of EBRT-BT.

Evidence Acquisition: Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and EBM Reviews-Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were systematically searched for studies published between January 1, 2000 and June 7, 2022, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement.

Gene of the month: GATA3.

GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) is a zinc-finger pioneer transcription factor involved in diverse processes. GATA3 regulates gene expression through binding nucleosomal DNA and facilitating chromatin remodelling. Post-translational modifications modulate its activity.

Protocol for the YORKSURe prospective multistage study testing the feasibility for early detection of bladder cancer in populations with high disease-specific mortality risk.

Introduction: Around 25% of patients with bladder cancer (BCa) present with invasive disease. Non-randomised studies of population-based screening have suggested reductions in BCa-specific mortality are possible through earlier detection. The low prevalence of lethal disease in the general population means screening is not cost-effective and there is no consensus on the best strategy.

Diagnosis, treatment, and survival from kidney cancer: real-world National Health Service England data between 2013 and 2019.

Objectives: To report the NHS Digital (NHSD) data for patients diagnosed with kidney cancer (KC) in England. We explore the incidence, route to diagnosis (RTD), treatment, and survival patterns from 2013 to 2019.

Materials And Methods: Data was extracted from the Cancer Data NHSD portal for International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition coded KC; this included Cancer Registry data, Hospital Episode Statistics, and cancer waiting times data.