Staple Food Fortification with Folic Acid and Iron and Gastrointestinal Cancers:Critical Appraisal of Long-Term National Fortification

The co-occurrence of wheat flour fortification with folic acid and iron and gastrointestinal cancer incidences were critically assessed in the East Azerbaijan province in Northwest of Iran. In an ecological design, overall gastrointestinal cancer rate ratios and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated as primary outcome before (2004-2006) and after (2007-2015) the introduction of fortification. No consistent changes were observed in esophageal and gastric cancer, but the rate ratios of colorectal cancer increased significantly after fortification in the 35-54 years age group (women: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.79-2.49; men: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.33-1.89) and the 55-74 years age group (women 1.50, 95% CI: 1.27-1.76; men: 2.51, 95% CI: 2.13-2.95). The increased incidence of colorectal cancer was contemporary with long-term fortification; further investigation is required to establish the associations

Differences in Prostate Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Lower Saxony (Germany) and Groningen Province (Netherlands):Potential Impact of Prostate-Specific Antigen Testing

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequent cancer among men in Europe. Differences in PCa incidence around the world can be partly explained by variations in recommendations for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), particularly for early detection. For example, the PSA testing policy is more conservative in the Netherlands than in Germany. To better understand the relationship between PSA testing recommendations and PCa incidence, stage distribution, and mortality, we compared these variables over time between Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany and the neighboring province of Groningen in the Netherlands. METHODS: Population data, tumor stage- and age group-specific PCa incidence (ICD-10 C61) and mortality rates for Lower Saxony and Groningen were obtained from the Lower Saxony Epidemiological Cancer Registry, the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organization, and Statistics Netherlands for 2003–2012. Incidence and mortality rates per 100,000 person-years were age-standardized (ASR, old European standard). Trends in age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) and mortality rates (ASMR) for specific age groups were assessed using joinpoint regression. RESULTS: The mean annual PCa ASIR between 2003 and 2012 was on average 19.9% higher in Lower Saxony than in Groningen (120.5 vs. 100.5 per 100,000), while the mean annual ASMR was on average 24.3% lower in Lower Saxony than in Groningen (21.5 vs. 28.4 per 100,000). Between 2003 and 2012, the average annual percentage change (AAPC) in PCa incidence rates did not change significantly in either Lower Saxony (−1.8%, 95% CI −3.5, 0.0) or Groningen (0.2%, 95% CI −5.0, 5.7). In contrast, the AAPC in mortality rate decreased significantly during the same time period in Lower Saxony (−2.5%, 95% CI −3.0, −2.0) but not in Groningen (0.1%, 95% CI −2.4, 2.6). CONCLUSIONS: Higher PCa incidence and lower PCa-related mortality was detected in Lower Saxony than in Groningen. Although recommendations on PSA testing may play a role, the assessed data could not offer obvious explanations to the observed differences. Therefore, further investigations including data on the actual use of PSA testing, other influences (e.g., dietary and ethnic factors), and better data quality are needed to explain differences between the regions

Human-recognizable CT image features of subsolid lung nodules associated with diagnosis and classification by convolutional neural networks

Objectives The interpretability of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for classifying subsolid nodules (SSNs) is insufficient for clinicians. Our purpose was to develop CNN models to classify SSNs on CT images and to investigate image features associated with the CNN classification. Methods CT images containing SSNs with a diameter o

Determinants of Population-Based Cancer Screening Performance at Primary Healthcare Institutions in China

BACKGROUND: For a decade, most population-based cancer screenings in China are performed by primary healthcare institutions. To assess the determinants of performance of primary healthcare institutions in population-based breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening in China. METHODS: A total of 262 primary healthcare institutions in Tianjin participated in a survey on cancer screening. The survey consisted of questions on screening tests, the number of staff members and training, the introduction of the screening programs to residents, the invitation of residents, and the number of performed screenings per year. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the determinants of performance of an institution to fulfil the target number of screenings. RESULTS: In 58% and 61% of the institutions between three and nine staff members were dedicated to breast and cervical cancer screening, respectively, whereas in 71% of the institutions ≥10 staff members were dedicated to colorectal cancer screening. On average 60% of institutions fulfilled the target number of breast and cervical cancer screenings, whereas 93% fulfilled the target number for colorectal cancer screening. The determinants of performance were rural districts for breast (OR = 5.16 (95%CI: 2.51-10.63)) and cervical (OR = 4.17 (95%CI: 2.14-8.11)) cancer screenings, and ≥3 staff members dedicated to cervical cancer screening (OR = 2.34 (95%CI: 1.09-5.01)). CONCLUSIONS: Primary healthcare institutions in China perform better in colorectal than in breast and cervical cancer screening, and institutions in rural districts perform better than institutions in urban districts. Increasing the number of staff members on breast and cervical cancer screening could improve the performance of population-based cancer screening

Surgical Menopause and Bilateral Oophorectomy:Effect of Estrogen-Progesterone and Testosterone Replacement Therapy on Psychological Well-being and Sexual Functioning; A Systematic Literature Review

Background: Besides experiencing vasomotor symptoms, after surgical menopause and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO), women experience moderate to severe psychological and sexual symptoms. Aims: To systematically review and meta-analyze the effect of systemic hormone replacement therapy (sHRT) on psychological well-being and sexual functioning in women after surgical menopause and BSO. Methods: Medline/Pubmed, EMBASE and PsychInfo were systematically searched until November 2021. Randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of sHRT on psychological well-being and/or sexual functioning in surgically menopausal women and women after BSO were eligible for inclusion. Two independent authors performed study selection, risk of bias assessment and data extraction. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) were calculated. Outcomes: Primary outcomes for psychological well-being were defined as overall psychological well-being, depression, and anxiety. Primary outcomes for sexual functioning were defined as overall sexual functioning, sexual desire, and sexual satisfaction. All outcomes were assessed on short (≤12 weeks) or medium term (13–26 weeks). Results: Twelve studies were included. Estradiol had a beneficial effect on depressed mood on short term 3–6 years after surgery or 2 years (median) after surgery with high heterogeneity (SMD: −1.37, 95%CI: −2.38 to −0.37, P = .007, I2 79%). Testosterone had a beneficial effect on overall sexual functioning on short to medium term 4.6 years (mean) after surgery (SMD 0.38, 95%CI 0.11–0.65, I2 0%) and on sexual desire on medium term at least 3–12 months after surgery (SMD 0.38, 95%CI 0.19–0.56, I2 54%). For most studies, risk of bias was uncertain. Clinical implications: Estradiol may beneficially affect psychological symptoms after surgical menopause or BSO and testosterone might improve sexual desire and overall sexual functioning. Strengths and limitations: This review only included patient-reported outcomes, thereby reflected perceived and not simply objective symptoms in surgically menopausal women and women after BSO. The small number of studies highly varied in nature and bias could not be excluded, therefore our results should be interpreted with great caution. Conclusion: Independent randomized controlled clinical trials investigating the effects of estrogen-progesterone and testosterone on psychological and sexual symptoms after surgical menopause are needed. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42019136698

Underuse of long-term routine hospital follow-up care in patients with a history of breast cancer?

Background: After primary treatment for breast cancer, patients are recommended to use hospital follow-up care routinely. Long-term data on the utilization of this follow-up care are relatively rare. Methods: Information regarding the utilization of routine hospital follow-up care was retrieved from hospital documents of 662 patients treated for breast cancer. Utilization of hospital follow-up care was defined as the use of follow-up care according to the guidelines in that period of time. Determinants of hospital follow up care were evaluated with multivariate analysis by generalized estimating equations (GEE). Results: The median follow-up time was 9.0 (0.3-18.1) years. At fifth and tenth year after diagnosis, 16.1% and 33.5% of the patients had less follow-up visits than recommended in the national guideline, and 33.1% and 40.4% had less frequent mammography than recommended. Less frequent mammography was found in older patients (age > 70; OR: 2.10; 95%CI: 1.62-2.74), patients with comorbidity (OR: 1.26; 95%CI: 1.05-1.52) and patients using hormonal therapy (OR: 1.51; 95%CI: 1.01-2.25). Conclusions: Most patients with a history of breast cancer use hospital follow-up care according to the guidelines. In older patients, patients with comorbidity and patients receiving hormonal therapy yearly mammography is performed much less than recommended

A Classification Approach for Cancer Survivors from Those Cancer-Free, Based on Health Behaviors:Analysis of the Lifelines Cohort

Simple Summary Health behaviors affect health status in cancer survivors. We aimed to identify such key health behaviors using nonlinear algorithms and compare their classification performance with logistic regression, for distinguishing cancer survivors from those cancer-free in a population-based cohort. We used health behaviors and socioeconomic factors for analysis. Participants from the Lifelines population-based cohort were binary classified as cancer survivors or cancer-free using nonlinear algorithms or logistic regression. Data were collected for 107,624 cancer-free participants and 2760 cancer survivors. Using all variables, algorithms obtained an area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) of 0.75 +/- 0.01. Using only health behaviors, the algorithms differentiated cancer survivors from cancer-free participants with AUCs of 0.62 +/- 0.01 and 0.60 +/- 0.01, respectively. In the case-control analyses, both algorithms produced AUCs of 0.52 +/- 0.01. The main distinctive classifier was age. No key health behaviors were identified by linear and nonlinear algorithms to differentiate cancer survivors from cancer-free participants. Health behaviors affect health status in cancer survivors. We hypothesized that nonlinear algorithms would identify distinct key health behaviors compared to a linear algorithm and better classify cancer survivors. We aimed to use three nonlinear algorithms to identify such key health behaviors and compare their performances with that of a logistic regression for distinguishing cancer survivors from those without cancer in a population-based cohort study. We used six health behaviors and three socioeconomic factors for analysis. Participants from the Lifelines population-based cohort were binary classified into a cancer-survivors group and a cancer-free group using either nonlinear algorithms or logistic regression, and their performances were compared by the area under the curve (AUC). In addition, we performed case-control analyses (matched by age, sex, and education level) to evaluate classification performance only by health behaviors. Data were collected for 107,624 cancer free participants and 2760 cancer survivors. Using all variables resulted an AUC of 0.75 +/- 0.01, using only six health behaviors, the logistic regression and nonlinear algorithms differentiated cancer survivors from cancer-free participants with AUCs of 0.62 +/- 0.01 and 0.60 +/- 0.01, respectively. The main distinctive classifier was age. Though not relevant to classification, the main distinctive health behaviors were body mass index and alcohol consumption. In the case-control analyses, algorithms produced AUCs of 0.52 +/- 0.01. No key health behaviors were identified by linear and nonlinear algorithms to differentiate cancer survivors from cancer-free participants in this population-based cohort

The association of preoperative anxiety and depression with neurocognitive disorder following oncological surgery

Background: The proposed underlying mechanisms of anxiety and depression, and of postoperative neurocognitive disorder (NCD), each include immune system involvement. Therefore, the aims of this study were to investigate the incidence of postoperative NCD 3 months after surgery among oncological patients undergoing surgery and to evaluate the role of preoperative anxiety and depression. Method: A consecutive series of patients (age ≥ 18 years) undergoing surgery for the removal of solid tumors were included (n = 218). Cognitive performance was assessed preoperatively and at 3 months postoperatively. Preoperative anxiety and depression were evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results: NCD affected 12.3% of elderly patients (age ≥ 70 years, n = 57) at 3 months after surgery, with executive function mostly affected. By contrast, 8.4% of younger patients (age < 70 years, n = 107) were affected, with information processing speed mostly affected. Low educational attainment was a risk factor (OR, 6.0; 95% CI, 1.9–19.0) of overall NCD, whereas preoperative anxiety was associated with decline in the domain of executive function. Conclusion: Postoperative NCD is a complication of oncological surgery for all adults instead of the elderly only. Preoperative anxiety was associated with an increased risk of executive function decline, and low educational attainment was a key factor for overall NCD

General practitioners' approaches to prostate-specific antigen testing in the north-east of the Netherlands

BACKGROUND: There is wide variation in clinical practice for the early detection of prostate cancer, not least because of the ongoing debate about the benefits of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing. In this study, we aimed to assess the approaches, attitudes, and knowledge of general practitioners (GPs) regarding PSA testing in primary care in the Netherlands, particularly regarding recommendations for prostate cancer. METHODS: Questionnaire surveys were sent to 179 GPs in the north-east of the Netherlands, of which 65 (36%) were completed and returned. We also surveyed 23 GPs attending a postgraduate train-the-trainer day (100%). In addition to demographic data and practice characteristics, the 31-item questionnaire covered the attitudes, clinical practice, adherence to PSA screening recommendations, and knowledge concerning the recommendations for prostate cancer early detection. Statistical analysis was limited to the descriptive level. RESULTS: Most GPs (95%; n = 82) stated that they had at least read the Dutch GP guideline, but just half (50%; n = 43) also stated that they knew the content. Almost half (46%; n = 39) stated they would offer detailed counseling before ordering a PSA test to an asymptomatic man requesting a test. Overall, prostate cancer screening was reported to be of minor importance compared to other types of cancer screening. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical PSA testing in primary care in this region of the Netherlands seems generally to be consistent with the relevant guideline for Dutch GPs that is restrictive to PSA testing. The next step will be to further evaluate the effects of the several PSA testing strategies