Effects of mindfulness-based intervention in preventing relapse in patients with remitted psychosis: a randomized controlled trial.

Stress is a key factor in psychotic relapse, and mindfulness offers stress resilience and well-being benefits. This study examined the effects of mindfulness-based intervention for psychosis (MBI-p) in preventing relapse at 1 year among patients with remitted psychosis in Hong Kong. MBI-p is a newly developed manual-based mindfulness protocol and was tested to have improved well-being and clinical outcomes in a pilot study with remitted psychosis patients.

The impact of timing of temozolomide chemoradiotherapy for newly diagnosed glioblastoma on patient overall survival: A multicenter retrospective study.

Background: The optimal timing of initiating adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) chemoradiotherapy after surgery in patients with glioblastoma is contentious. This study aimed to determine whether the timing of adjuvant treatment affects their overall survival (OS).

Methods: Consecutive adult patients with histologically-confirmed newly diagnosed glioblastoma treated with adjuvant TMZ chemoradiotherapy across all neurosurgical centers in Hong Kong between 2006 and 2020 were analyzed.

Multimodal multiphasic preoperative image-based deep-learning predicts HCC outcomes after curative surgery.

Background And Aims: HCC recurrence frequently occurs after curative surgery. Histological microvascular invasion (MVI) predicts recurrence but cannot provide preoperative prognostication, whereas clinical prediction scores have variable performances.

Approach And Results: Recurr-NET, a multimodal multiphasic residual-network random survival forest deep-learning model incorporating preoperative CT and clinical parameters, was developed to predict HCC recurrence.

2024 Hong Kong College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Guidelines for cervical cancer prevention and screening.

Primary prevention of cervical cancer is best achieved by vaccinating girls with a prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Despite the high efficacy of such vaccines, cervical cancer screening remains necessary because current vaccines do not offer full protection. Secondary prevention via cervical screening should target all women from age 25 years or at the onset of sexual activity, whichever occurs later, until age 64 years.

Automatic identification of clinically important species by artificial intelligence-based image recognition: proof-of-concept study.

While morphological examination is the most widely used for identification in clinical laboratories, PCR-sequencing and MALDI-TOF MS are emerging technologies in more financially-competent laboratories. However, mycological expertise, molecular biologists and/or expensive equipment are needed for these. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI), especially image recognition, is being increasingly employed in medicine for fast and automated disease diagnosis.

Trans-arterial chemo-emobilization (TACE) combined with laparoscopic portal vein ligation and terminal branches portal vein embolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: a novel conversion strategy.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is currently one of the most common malignant tumors with the highest mortality rates in the world. Most patients with HCC have lost the opportunity for surgery at the time of initial diagnosis. This study aims to introduce a new conversion strategy: trans-arterial chemo-emobilization (TACE) combined with laparoscopic portal vein ligation (PVL) and terminal branches portal vein embolization (PVE).

Type 2 diabetes pathway-specific polygenic risk scores elucidate heterogeneity in clinical presentation, disease progression and diabetic complications in 18,217 Chinese individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Aims/hypothesis: Type 2 diabetes is a complex and heterogeneous disease and the aetiological components underlying the heterogeneity remain unclear in the Chinese and East Asian population. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether specific pathophysiological pathways drive the clinical heterogeneity in type 2 diabetes.

Methods: We employed newly developed type 2 diabetes hard-clustering and soft-clustering pathway-specific polygenic risk scores (psPRSs) to characterise individual genetic susceptibility to pathophysiological pathways implicated in type 2 diabetes in 18,217 Chinese patients from Hong Kong.

Training the next generation of onco-radiologists: The Hong Kong experience.

Oncologic Radiology (OR) is a new higher subspecialty training programme developed by the Hong Kong College of Radiologists. Instead of the traditional organ-centric approach, the curriculum ensures exposure in a wide spectrum of cancers to trainees who wish to pursue a career in cancer imaging and interventions. The OR training is hands-on and trainees will learn to interpret and report many imaging modalities including ultrasound, mammography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance.

Endoscopic En Bloc Resection of Giant Cell Tumor of Tendon Sheath of Anterior Ankle.

Giant cell tumor of the tendon sheath (GCTTS) originates from the synovial cells of the tendon sheath. It is one of the most common benign soft-tissue tumors of the foot and ankle affecting the joints, bursae, and tendon sheaths and can behave in a locally aggressive manner. Complete surgical resection with long-term follow-up is the preferred treatment.

"Using dried blood spots beyond newborn screening - is Hong Kong ready?": navigating the intersection of innovation readiness, privacy concerns, and Chinese parenting culture.

Background: Newborn screening programmes offer an opportunity to obtain dried blood spots (DBS) cards that contain a wealth of biological information that can be stored for long periods and have potential benefits for research and quality assurance. However, the storage and secondary uses of DBS cards pose numerous ethical, clinical, and social challenges. Empirical research exploring public attitudes is central to public policy planning as it can indicate whether or not there is broad public support, define public concerns, and ascertain the circumstances required to alleviate concerns and ensure support.

Multicentre Randomized Controlled Trial of a Nurse-Led Sexual Rehabilitation Intervention to Rebuild Sexuality and Intimacy After Treatment for Gynecological Cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a sexual rehabilitation program, SEXHAB, in improving sexual functioning, reducing sexual distress, and enhancing marital satisfaction for women after gynecological cancer treatment.

Methods: This is a randomized controlled trial that included 150 women newly diagnosed with gynecological cancer from three public hospitals in Hong Kong. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 78) to receive the SEXHAB or to an attention control group (n = 72) to receive attention.

Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy for High-Risk and Very High-Risk Locoregional Prostate Cancer in the Modern Era: Real-World Experience from an Asian Cohort.

This study retrospectively evaluates the clinical outcomes of definitive volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for high-risk or very high-risk locoregional prostate cancer patients from an Asian institution. Consecutive patients who received VMAT (76 Gy in 38 fractions) between January 2017 and June 2022 were included. Whole pelvic radiotherapy (WPRT) (46 Gy in 23 fractions) was employed for clinically node-negative disease (cN0) and a Roach estimated risk of ≥15%, as well as simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) of 55-57.

Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation: Is There an Association Between Contrast-Enhanced Mammography Imaging Features and Molecular Subtypes of Breast Cancer?

Objective: This study aims to assess the correlation between imaging features of contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) and molecular subtypes of breast cancer.

Methods: This is a retrospective single-institution study of patients who underwent CEM from December 2019 to August 2023. Each patient had at least one histologically proven invasive breast cancer with a core biopsy performed.

Glycaemic control and microvascular complications among paediatric type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Hong Kong at 2 years after diagnosis.

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is becoming increasingly common among children and adolescents worldwide, including those in Hong Kong. This study analysed the characteristics and prevalence of microvascular complications among paediatric T2DM patients in Hong Kong at diagnosis and 2 years after diagnosis.

Methods: All patients aged <18 years who had been diagnosed with DM at public hospitals in Hong Kong were recruited into the Hong Kong Childhood Diabetes Registry.

Management of spontaneous pneumothorax: a mini-review on its latest evidence.

Spontaneous pneumothorax usually presents as a medical emergency and requires prompt attention and treatment. In patients with underlying lung diseases, it is often associated with prolonged hospitalization, persistent air leak and also a high rate of recurrence. It brings considerable clinical burden to patients and therefore advancement of spontaneous pneumothorax management is eagerly anticipated.