Surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis in Hong Kong: 1997 to 2002

Objectives. To describe the characteristics of patients reported with acute flaccid paralysis between 1997 and 2002, and to evaluate the performance of the acute flaccid paralysis surveillance system using indicators recommended by the World Health Organization. Design. Retrospective study. Setting. Department of Health, Hong Kong. Participants. Children aged younger than 15 years who were reported to the Department of Health between 1997 and 2002 with acute flaccid paralysis. Results. Of 120 children with acute flaccid paralysis reported between 1997 and 2002, 42% were younger than 5 years of age. None of the cases were acute poliomyelitis or polio-compatible. A neurological cause was identified in 67.5% of cases, of which the most common was Guillain-Barré syndrome (42%), followed by transverse myelitis (15%). All except one of the performance indicators consistently met World Health Organization requirements and thus demonstrated the effectiveness of the acute flaccid paralysis surveillance programme. The acute flaccid paralysis notification rate consistently exceeded 1.0 per 100 000 population below 15 years of age. The requirement for adequate stool investigation was the single indicator that did not satisfy World Health Organization requirements. This highlighted the importance of maintaining physicians' awareness of acute flaccid paralysis surveillance. Conclusion. Hong Kong should remain vigilant for acute flaccid paralysis. The effective surveillance system and its evaluation may serve as a model for surveillance of other infectious diseases.published_or_final_versio

Health-related quality of life and risk of colorectal cancer recurrence and All-cause death among advanced stages of colorectal cancer 1-year after diagnosis

Background: The study aimed to examine the association between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) assessed with overall survival (OS) and recurrence after diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: Overall 160 patients with advanced stage CRC were recruited in an observational study and completed the generic and condition-specific HRQOL questionnaires at the colorectal specialist outpatient clinic in Hong Kong, between 10/2009 and 07/2010. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics including duration since diagnosis, primary tumor location and treatment modality, were collected to serve as predictor variables in regression models. All-cause death or CRC recurrence was the event of interest. Association between HRQOL with OS was assessed using Cox regression. Association between HRQOL and CRC recurrence was further modeled by competing-risks regression adjusted for the competing-risks of death from any cause. Results: After a median follow-up of 23 months, there were 22 (16.1%) incidents of CRC recurrence and 15 (9.4%) deaths. Decreased physical functioning (hazard ratios, HR = 0.917, 95%CI:0.889-0.981) and general health of domains in SF-12 (HR = 0.846, 95%CI:0.746-0.958) or SF-6D scores (HR = 0.010, 95%CI:0.000-0.573) were associated with an increased risk of death, with adjustment of patients' characteristics. Increased vitality (HR = 1.151, 95%CI:1.027-1.289) and mental health (HR = 1.128, 95%CI:1.005-1.265) were associated with an increased likelihood of death. In models adjusted for competing-risk of death, those with worse HRQOL was not associated with increased risk of CRC recurrence. Conclusions: Although self-reported HRQOL was not a significant prognostic factor for CRC recurrence, the HRQOL provided independent prognostic value about mortality in patients with advanced stage of CRC.published_or_final_versio

Types of Control in Acupuncture Clinical Trials Might Affect the Conclusion of the Trials: A Review of Acupuncture on Pain Management

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To scale, or not to scale? : willingness-to-accept non-surgical periodontal treatment

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A study on health-related quality of life of patients with Colorectal Neoplasm and cost-effectiveness analysis of Colorectal Cancer Screening in Hong Kong

Conference Theme: Translating Health Research into Policy and Practice for Health of the PopulationPoster Presentation - Delivery of Health Services: abstract no. P41-Ab0005BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common cancer in Hong Kong. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important health outcome of CRC survivors. Screening for CRC has the potential of preventing CRC death but there was uncertainty on its impact on HRQOL and the cost-effectiveness of different screening strategies ...postprin

Psychometric assessment of the Chinese version of the Supportive Care Needs Survey short-form (SCNS-SF34-C) among Hong Kong and Taiwanese Chinese colorectal cancer patients

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IPA-3 inhibits the growth of liver cancer cells by suppressing PAK1 and NF-kB activation

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the major malignancies worldwide and is associated with poor prognosis due to the high incidences of metastasis and tumor recurrence. Our previous study showed that overexpression of p21-activated protein kinase 1 (PAK1) is frequently observed in HCC and is associated with a more aggressive tumor behavior, suggesting that PAK1 is a potential therapeutic target in HCC. In the current study, an allosteric small molecule PAK1 inhibitor, IPA-3, was evaluated for the potential in suppressing hepatocarcinogenesis. Consistent with other reports, inhibition of PAK1 activity was observed in several human HCC cell lines treated with various dosages of IPA-3. Using cell proliferation, colony formation and BrdU incorporation assays, we demonstrated that IPA-3 treatment significantly inhibited the growth of HCC cells. The mechanisms through which IPA-3 treatment suppresses HCC cell growth are enhancement of apoptosis and blockage of activation of NF-κB. Furthermore, our data suggested that IPA-3 not only inhibits the HCC cell growth, but also suppresses the metastatic potential of HCC cells. Nude mouse xenograft assay demonstrated that IPA-3 treatment significantly reduced the tumor growth rate and decreased tumor volume, indicating that IPA-3 can suppress the in vivo tumor growth of HCC cells. Taken together, our demonstration of the potential preclinical efficacy of IPA-3 in HCC provides the rationale for cancer therapy.published_or_final_versio

Health-related quality of life in patients with colorectal neoplasm and cost-effectiveness of colorectal cancer screening in Hong Kong

Key Messages 1. Compared with the Hong Kong general population norm, Chinese patients with colorectal neoplasm (CRN) reported worse physical health-related quality of life (HRQOL) but better mental HRQOL and comparable health preference scores. 2. The CRN stage at diagnosis was the most significant determinant of HRQOL. Colorectal cancer was associated with worse physical HRQOL and health preference scores. 3. Immunochemical faecal occult blood testing every 2 years is the most cost-effective colorectal cancer screening strategy, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of HK$43 660 per quality-adjusted life year gained.published_or_final_versio

Real-time ultrasonic assessment of progressive proteoglycan depletion in articular cartilage

2008-2009 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalAccepted ManuscriptPublishe

Pulmonary artery sarcoma diagnosed by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration

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