Few studies have focused on the early treatment stages of cancer, and the impact of treatment delay on oncologic outcomes is poorly defined. We used oral cancer as an example to investigate the distribution of durations until initial treatment.This study was conducted using the National Health Insurance Research Database, which is linked to Taiwan's Cancer Registry and Death Registry databases. We defined "cutoff points for first-time treatment" according to a weekly schedule and sorted the patients into 2 groups based on whether their duration until initial treatment was longer or shorter than each cutoff. We then calculated the Kaplan-Meier estimator to determine the difference in survival rates between the 2 groups and performed logistic regression to identify determining factors.The average time between diagnosis and initial treatment was approximately 22.45 days. The average survival duration was 1363 days (standard deviation: 473.06 days). Oral cancer patients had no statistically significant differences in survival until a cutoff point of 3 weeks was used (with survival duration 71 days longer if initial treatment was received within 3 weeks). Patients with higher incomes or higher Charlson comorbidity index scores and patients treated at a hospital in a region with medium urbanization had lower likelihoods of treatment delay, whereas older patients were at higher risk of treatment delay.The attitudes, beliefs, and social contexts of oral cancer patients influence the treatment-seeking behaviors of these patients. Therefore, the government should advocate the merits of the referral system for cancer treatment or improve quality assurance for cancer diagnoses across different types of hospitals. Health authorities should also educate patients or use a case manager to encourage prompt treatment within 3 weeks and should provide screening and prevention services, particularly for high-risk groups, to reduce mortality risk.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000005632 | DOI Listing |
Indian J Gastroenterol
January 2025
Department of Gastroenterology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, 632 517, India.
Background: Groove pancreatitis (GP) is a form of pancreatitis that affects the pancreaticoduodenal groove area, which lies between the head of the pancreas, the second part of the duodenum and the distal bile duct, presenting as abdominal pain and gastric outlet obstruction. In this study, we present the clinical and radiological characteristics of individuals diagnosed with groove pancreatitis at our center and discuss the use of a conservative treatment approach in managing GP.
Methods: The data of patients with groove pancreatitis treated at our center between January 2012 and December 2021 was analyzed.
Jpn J Ophthalmol
January 2025
Department of Visual Science and Ophthalmology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Purpose: To review hospitalized patients with Acute Retinal Necrosis (ARN) and investigate factors associated with subsequent retinal detachment (RD).
Study Design: Retrospective.
Methods: The study included 40 patients (42 eyes), categorized into non-RD (23 eyes) and RD (19 eyes) groups.
BioDrugs
January 2025
Orsay-Vallée Campus, Paris-Saclay University, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
Liver cancer poses a global health challenge with limited therapeutic options. Notably, the limited success of current therapies in patients with primary liver cancers (PLCs) may be attributed to the high heterogeneity of both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCCs) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCAs). This heterogeneity evolves over time as tumor-initiating stem cells, or cancer stem cells (CSCs), undergo (epi)genetic alterations or encounter microenvironmental changes within the tumor microenvironment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetab Brain Dis
January 2025
Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark.
Background & Aims: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE), one of the most serious prognostic factors for mortality in alcohol-related cirrhosis (ALD cirrhosis), is not recorded in Danish healthcare registries. However, treatment of HE with lactulose, the universal first-line treatment, can be identified through data on filled prescriptions. This study aimed to investigate if lactulose can be used as a surrogate marker of HE.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Rheumatol
January 2025
Department of Public Health, University of Murcia, Campus de Ciencias de la Salud, Murcia, 30120, Spain.
Introduction: Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in inflammatory rheumatic diseases (RMDs) is gaining interest. However, there are unresolved questions about the best practices for implementing TDM effectively in clinical settings.
Objective: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate whether early TDM of adalimumab predicts drug survival at 52 weeks in patients with RMDs.
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