Financial conflicts of interest between pharmaceutical companies and the authors of urology clinical practice guidelines in Japan.

Introduction And Hypothesis: In Japan, the authors of urology clinical practice guidelines (UCPG) used in patient-centered care are often targeted by pharmaceutical companies with financial payments. However, the financial relationship between UCPG authors and pharmaceutical companies remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the characteristics of industry payments to physicians that may influence recommendations in UCPG and to assess the transparency of payment disclosure.

[Perioperative Risk Management for Extensively Atheromatous Aortic Disease].

Extensive atheromatous disease of the thoracic aorta is a significant risk factor of lethal complications and remains an unsolved issue in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. The disease condition has been documented to be associated not only with high operative risk but also with relatively poor prognosis especially in patients with aortic replacement, due to the susceptibility to potential embolic events such as neurological deficits. To achieve favorable outcomes after surgical intervention, precise preoperative evaluation and meticulous surgical planning are important.

Pharmaceutical company payments to dermatology Clinical Practice Guideline authors in Japan.

Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) play significant roles in most medical fields. However, little is known about the extent of financial Conflicts of Interest (FCOIs) related to pharmaceutical companies (Pharma) selling dermatology prescription products and dermatology CPG authors in Japan. The aims of this study were to elucidate the characteristics and distribution of payments from Pharma to dermatology CPG authors in Japan, and to evaluate the extent of transparency and accuracy in their FCOI disclosures.

Predictive Factors for Short-Term Survival after Non-Curative Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Early Gastric Cancer.

Background/aims: For early gastric cancer (EGC) treated using endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) with poor curability defined by the Japanese Guidelines (non-curative EGC, N-EGC), additional gastrectomy has been recommended. However, N-EGC patients without additional gastrectomy often die of other diseases within a relatively short interval after ESD. It has been unclear whether additional gastrectomy is beneficial or not for such patients.

Efficacy and Safety of Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin on Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism after Laparoscopic Operation for Gastrointestinal Malignancy in Japanese Patients: A Multicenter, Open-Label, Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after surgery for malignancy in Japanese patients is unclear; therefore, standard prevention protocols have not been established, especially for minimally invasive procedures. We aimed to investigate the additional effect of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) on prevention of VTE after laparoscopic surgery for gastrointestinal malignancy.

Study Design: From February 2013 to January 2017, 400 patients scheduled for laparoscopic surgery were included.

Value of repeated cytology for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas with high risk potential of malignancy: Is it a promising method for monitoring a malignant transformation?

Objectives: The efficacy of and indications for cytological reexamination to detect malignant changes in branch duct type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (BD-IPMNs) have not been studied in detail. We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the efficacy and indications of cytological reexamination by using pancreatic juice (repeated cytology) for BD-IPMNs.

Methods: Forty-five patients who underwent repeated cytology after a diagnosis of benignancy by using initial cytology were recruited for this study.

Oral administration of Cystine and Theanine ameliorates oxaliplatin-induced chronic peripheral neuropathy in rodents.

Oxaliplatin frequently causes severe peripheral neuropathy as a dose-limiting toxicity. However, this toxicity lacks a strategy for prevention. Cystine/Theanine is a supplement, which includes precursors for the biosynthesis of glutathione.

The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score as a prognostic factor for obstructive colorectal cancer patients received stenting as a bridge to curative surgery.

Purpose: The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score, originally developed as a nutritional screening tool, is a cumulative score calculated from the serum albumin level, total cholesterol level, and total lymphocyte count. Previous studies have demonstrated that the score has significant prognostic value in various malignancies. We investigated the relationship between the CONUT score and long-term survival in obstructive colorectal cancer (OCRC) patients who underwent self-expandable metallic colonic stent placement and subsequently received curative surgery.

Protective effect of the oral administration of cystine and theanine on oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy: a pilot randomized trial.

Background: Oxaliplatin, one of the key cytotoxic drugs for colorectal cancer, frequently causes peripheral neuropathy which leads to dose modification and decreased patients' quality of life. However, prophylactic or therapeutic measures have not yet been established. Orally administered amino acids, cystine and theanine, promoted the synthesis of glutathione which was one of the potential candidates for preventing the neuropathy.

Underestimation of COVID-19 cases in Japan: an analysis of RT-PCR testing for COVID-19 among 47 prefectures in Japan.

Background: Under the unique Japanese policy to restrict reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, a nationwide number of its confirmed cases and mortality remains to be low. Yet the information is lacking on geographical differences of these measures and their associated factors.

Aim: Evaluation of prefecture-based geographical differences and associated predictors for the incidence and number of RT-PCR tests for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Immune microenvironment in Barrett's esophagus adjacent to esophageal adenocarcinoma: possible influence of adjacent mucosa on cancer development and progression.

The immune microenvironment plays a pivotal role in cancer development and progression. Therefore, we studied the status of immune cells in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and adjacent Barrett's esophagus (BE) and their association with the clinical course of patients. We included 87 patients with EAC who underwent surgical resection or endoscopic submucosal dissection.

Concealment of trauma and occupational accidents among Fukushima nuclear disaster decontamination workers: A case report.

Objectives: Limited information exists concerning occupational risks in decontamination work after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. Workers involved tend to be migrant workers, face various health risks, and are usually from a low socioeconomic background and generally have difficulty in finding employment. We report a specific case to illustrate the way these workers tend to get injured during working hours and draw attention to the problems arising.

Pharmaceutical Company Payments to Japanese Government Drug Regulation Committee Members.

Little is known about the characteristics and distribution of financial conflicts of interest (FCOIs) in the drug regulation process, both in Japan and globally. This study aimed to identify the characteristics and distribution of pharmaceutical payments to members of Japanese government drug regulation committees, and to assess the accuracy of their FCOI statements. Among members who worked for either of the five committees of the Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food Sanitation Council (PAFSC), which is the advisory committee for pharmaceutical affairs in Japan, from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2019, the extent of payments in 2016 from 78 major pharmaceutical companies in Japan and the accuracy of the self-reported FCOI disclosures were assessed.

Peroral Cholangioscopy-guided Electrohydraulic Lithotripsy with a SpyGlass DS Versus a Conventional Digital Cholangioscope for Difficult Bile Duct Stones.

Objective Recently, a new digital peroral cholangioscopy (POCS) system, the SpyGlass DS (SpyDS), has been used for POCS-guided lithotripsy for difficult bile duct stones (DBDSs). The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the efficacy of SpyDS-guided electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL) for DBDS with that of a conventional digital cholangioscope. Methods Seventeen consecutive patients who had undergone POCS-guided EHL for DBDS with the SpyDS between October 2015 and January 2019 were enrolled in this study group (SpyDS group) using a prospectively maintained database.

[Helicobacter pylori-negative gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma with MALT translocation gene 1 diagnosed using an endoscopic submucosal dissection specimen].

A 15-mm whitish, depressed lesion was observed in the stomach of a 39-year-old using screening esophagogastroduodenoscopy. The lesion had grown to a size of 40mm and had a cobblestone-like appearance at an 11-year endoscopic follow-up. Using endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) as a diagnostic therapy, gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma with MALT translocation gene 1 without Helicobacter pylori infection was detected.