A US real-world study of treatment patterns and outcomes in localized or locally advanced prostate cancer patients.

Purpose: Men with localized or locally advanced prostate cancer (LPC/LAPC) are at risk of progression after radiotherapy (RT) or radical prostatectomy (RP). Using real-world data, we evaluated patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes in LPC/LAPC.

Methods: Optum claims and electronic health records (EHR) data from January 2010 to December 2021 were queried for men with LPC/LAPC who received primary RT, RP, or androgen deprivation therapy alone within 180 days after diagnosis.

Genetic and biological drivers of prostate cancer disparities in Black men.

Black men with prostate cancer have historically had worse outcomes than white men with prostate cancer. The causes of this disparity in outcomes are multi-factorial, but a potential basis is that prostate cancers in Black men are biologically distinct from prostate cancers in white men. Evidence suggests that genetic and ancestral factors, molecular pathways involving androgen and non-androgen receptor signalling, inflammation, epigenetics, the tumour microenvironment and tumour metabolism are contributing factors to the racial disparities observed.

Serum Testosterone and Dihydrotestosterone and Incidence and Progression of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: Results From the REDUCE Study.

Purpose: Though the pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia is unclear, it was previously believed that increasing androgen levels contributed, though not all data support this idea. We tested if elevated serum testosterone or dihydrotestosterone were risk factors for lower urinary tract symptoms incidence in asymptomatic men and for lower urinary tract symptoms progression in symptomatic men.

Materials And Methods: A post hoc analysis of REDUCE was performed in 3009 asymptomatic men and in 2145 symptomatic men.

Development and Validation of a Tool to Identify Patients Diagnosed With Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Purpose: Several novel therapies for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) have been approved with randomized phase III studies with continuing observational research either planned or ongoing. Accurately identifying patients with CRPC in electronic health care data is critical for quality observational research, resource allocation, and quality improvement. Previous work in this area has relied on either structured laboratory results and medication data or natural language processing (NLP) methods.

Trends and risk factors among adults admitted to the emergency department with fall-related eye injuries.

Background/purpose: Eye injuries can happen to people of any age and for many reasons; among these is a fall. The aims of this study were to: (1) examine trends among fall-related eye injuries in working-age and older adults admitted to the emergency department (ED) from 2012 to 2021; and (2) investigate and compare the risk factors associated with fall-related eye injuries between working-age adults and older adults.

Design: We examined a retrospective cohort in the 2012-2021 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) databases.

Real-world treatment patterns and overall survival among men with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC) in the US Medicare population.

Background: Real-world treatment patterns and survival in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) have not been characterized for the full fee-for-service Medicare population.

Methods: Men newly diagnosed with mCRPC were identified in Medicare fee-for-service claims during 1/1/2014-6/30/2019. Men had evidence of mCRPC and continuous insurance coverage ≥1 year before and ≥6 months after diagnosis unless patients died.

Association of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, Hypertension, Diabetes, and Hyperlipidemia With Gulf War Illness Among Gulf War Veterans.

Background: Approximately 30% of the 700 000 Gulf War veterans report a chronic symptom-based illness of varying severity referred to as Gulf War illness (GWI). Toxic deployment-related exposures have been implicated in the cause of GWI, some of which contribute to metabolic dysregulation and lipid abnormalities. As this cohort ages, the relationship between GWI and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a growing concern.

The effects of a 6-month weight loss intervention on physical function and serum biomarkers in older adults with and without osteoarthritis.

Objective: To examine the effects of a 6-month weight loss intervention on physical function, inflammatory biomarkers, and metabolic biomarkers in both those with and without osteoarthritis (OA).

Design: 59 individuals ≥60 years old with obesity and a functional impairment were enrolled into this IRB approved clinical trial and randomized into one of two 6-month weight loss arms: a higher protein hypocaloric diet or a standard protein hypocaloric diet. All participants were prescribed individualized 500-kcal daily-deficit diets, with a goal of 10% weight loss.

Researcher Experience and Comfort With Telemedicine and Remote Patient Monitoring in Cancer Treatment Trials.

Background: Since the onset of COVID-19, oncology practices across the US have integrated telemedicine (TM) and remote patient monitoring (RPM) into routine care and clinical trials. The extent of provider experience and comfort with TM/RPM in treatment trials, however, is unknown. We surveyed oncology researchers to assess experience and comfort with TM/RPM.

Plain language summary: Does the amount of time it takes for prostate-specific antigen to double affect how long men with nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer live and their healthcare costs?

What Is This Summary About?: This is a plain language summary of a research article originally published in . The original article described the effect of rapidly rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels on how long men with a type of advanced prostate cancer live and their healthcare costs. The prostate is a part of the male body that helps make semen.

Adverse Outcome Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Is Associated with Microstructure Alterations at the Gray and White Matter Boundary.

The gray matter/white matter (GM/WM) boundary of the brain is vulnerable to shear strain associated with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). It is, however, unknown whether GM/WM microstructure is associated with long-term outcomes following mTBI. The diffusion and structural MRI data of 278 participants between 18 and 65 years of age with and without military background from the Department of Defense INTRuST study were analyzed.

Late Mortality After COVID-19 Infection Among US Veterans vs Risk-Matched Comparators: A 2-Year Cohort Analysis.

Importance: Despite growing evidence of persistent problems after acute COVID-19, how long the excess mortality risk associated with COVID-19 persists is unknown.

Objective: To measure the time course of differential mortality among Veterans who had a first-documented COVID-19 infection by separately assessing acute mortality from later mortality among matched groups with infected and uninfected individuals who survived and were uncensored at the start of each period.

Design, Settings, And Participants: This retrospective cohort study used prospectively collected health record data from Veterans Affairs hospitals across the US on Veterans who had COVID-19 between March 2020 and April 2021.

The impact of race on survival in metastatic prostate cancer: a systematic literature review.

Background: Prostate cancer (PC) is the second most diagnosed cancer in men worldwide. While racial and ethnic differences exist in incidence and mortality, increasing data suggest outcomes by race among men with newly diagnosed PC are similar. However, outcomes among races beyond Black/White have been poorly studied.

African American patient-provider communication about glaucoma vision quality-of-life.

Background/objectives: Little is known about African American patient-provider communication about glaucoma-related quality-of-life. The objectives of this study were to: (a) examine associations between patient socio-demographics and vision quality-of-life, (b) describe the extent to which eye care providers and patients discuss glaucoma-related quality-of-life, and (c) examine associations between patient and provider characteristics, whether the patient was in the intervention or usual care group, and whether the patient and provider discuss one or more glaucoma-related quality-of-life domains.

Methods: Adult African American patients with glaucoma who reported non-adherence to glaucoma medications were enrolled from three sites.

Ketamine for Chronic Pain and Mental Health: Regulations, Legalities, and the Growth of Infusion Clinics.

Purpose Of Review: In this article, we will review evidence for ketamine's role in chronic pain and mental health conditions, its current legal status and abuse potential, and the regulations related to its administration in stand-alone infusion clinics, as well as future considerations.

Recent Findings: In the management of chronic pain, ketamine has shown potential to manage neuropathic pain and complex regional pain syndrome and has been used as a treatment for chronic pain management by clinics across the USA. Analogous to the historic rise of lidocaine clinics, ketamine clinics are demonstrating a similar pattern of unregulated growth.

Mast cell activation in lungs during SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with lung pathology and severe COVID-19.

Lung inflammation is a hallmark of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients who are severely ill, and the pathophysiology of disease is thought to be immune mediated. Mast cells (MCs) are polyfunctional immune cells present in the airways, where they respond to certain viruses and allergens and often promote inflammation. We observed widespread degranulation of MCs during acute and unresolved airway inflammation in SARS-CoV-2-infected mice and nonhuman primates.