A descriptive survey of cancer helplines in the United Kingdom: Who they are, the services offered, and the accessibility of those services

Abstract Background There are more than 1500 UK health helplines in operation, yet we have scant knowledge about the resources in place to support the seeking and delivering of cancer‐related telephone help and support. This research aimed to identify and describe cancer and cancerrelated helpline service provision: the number of helplines available, the variety of services provided, and the accessibility of those services. Method This study used online national questionnaire survey sent to 95 cancer and cancerrelated helplines in the United Kingdom. Results A total of 69 (73%) of 95 surveyed cancer and cancer‐related helplines completed the survey. Most helplines/organizations were registered charities, supported by donations; 73.5% of helplines had national coverage. Most helplines served all age‐groups, ethnic groups, and men and women. Only 13.4% had a number that was free from landlines and most mobile networks, and 56.6% could only be contacted during working hours. More than 50% of helplines reported no provisions for callers with additional needs, and 55% had no clinical staff available to callers. Ongoing support and training for helpline staff was available but variable. Conclusion Although cancer helplines in the United Kingdom offer reasonably broad coverage across the country, there are still potential barriers to accessibility. There are also opportunities to optimize the training of staff/volunteers across the sector. There are further prospects for helplines to enhance services and sustain appropriate and realistic quality standards

The role of the human papillomavirus (HPV) in cervical cancer : a review about HPV-induced carcinogenesis and its epidemiology, diagnosis, management and prevention

The human papillomavirus (HPV) was the first virus known to induce carcinogenesis and is associated with cancers of the uterine cervix, anogenital tumors and malignancies of the head and neck. This paper reviews the structure and basic genomic characteristics of the virus and outlines the clinical involvement of the main HPV serotypes, focusing on the carcinogenic role of HPV-16 and 18. The mecha¬nisms that occur in the development of cervical neoplasia due to the oncogenic proteins E6 and E7 which interfere with the regulation of the cell cycle through their interaction with p53 and retinoblastoma protein are described. Epidemiological factors, diagnostic tools and the management of the disease are also reviewed, along with the available vaccines to prevent the viral infection. Insights on current research on involvement of oxidative stress and micro-RNAs in cervical carcinogenesis are also explored as they may unlock new means of diagnosis and treatment in the future.peer-reviewe

The economic burden of antibiotic resistance: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Antibiotic resistance (ABR) has substantial global public health concerns. This systematic review aimed to synthesise recent evidence estimating the economic burden of ABR, characterised by study perspectives, healthcare settings, study design, and income of the countries. Methods This systematic review included peer-reviewed articles from PubMed, Medline, and Scopus databases, and grey literature on the topic of the economic burden of ABR, published between January 2016 and December 2021. The study was reported in line with ‘Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’ (PRISMA). Two reviewers independently screened papers for inclusion first by title, then abstract, and then the full text. Study quality was assessed using appropriate quality assessment tools. Narrative synthesis and meta-analyses of the included studies were conducted. Results A total of 29 studies were included in this review. Out of these studies, 69% (20/29) were conducted in high-income economies and the remainder were conducted in upper-and-middle income economies. Most of the studies were conducted from a healthcare or hospital perspective (89.6%, 26/29) and 44.8% (13/29) studies were conducted in tertiary care settings. The available evidence indicates that the attributable cost of resistant infection ranges from -US$2,371.4 to +US$29,289.1 (adjusted for 2020 price) per patient episode; the mean excess length of stay (LoS) is 7.4 days (95% CI: 3.4–11.4), the odds ratios of mortality for resistant infection is 1.844 (95% CI: 1.187–2.865) and readmission is 1.492 (95% CI: 1.231–1.807). Conclusion Recent publications show that the burden of ABR is substantial. There is still a lack of studies on the economic burden of ABR from low-income economies, and lower-middle-income economies, from a societal perspective, and in relation to primary care. The findings of this review may be of value to researchers, policymakers, clinicians, and those who are working in the field of ABR and health promotion.</p

Participant characteristics.

<p>Participant characteristics.</p

Criteria for making modifications.

<p>Criteria for making modifications.</p

Demographic and clinical characteristic of working patients by country of residence (network).

<p>BE—Belgium, DE—Germany, ES—Spain, FI—Finland, HU—Hungary, IT—Italy, NL—Netherlands, NO—Norway, PL—Poland, SE—Sweden, SK—Slovakia, UK—United Kingdom. Data presented as mean±SD inflated for clustering or median (25%-75% IQR) or percentage related to the total number of cases in particular subgroups (%).</p

Characteristic of employed patients related to advice to take time off work by family practitioners.

<p>Data presented as mean±SD inflated for clustering or median (25%-75% IQR) or percentage related to the total number of cases in particular subgroups (%);</p

An overview of the HOME BP website.

<p>An overview of the HOME BP website.</p

Predictors of advising off work among working patients with LRTI.

<p>Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated based on multilevel mixed-effects binomial logistic regression with family practitioners (FPs) and countries fitted as random effects (FPs nested within countries).</p

Predictors of advising off work among working patients with LRTI by country of residence (network).

<p>BE—Belgium, DE—Germany, ES—Spain, FI—Finland, HU—Hungary, IT—Italy, NL—Netherlands, NO—Norway, PL—Poland, SE—Sweden, SK—Slovakia, UK—United Kingdom. Table presents the odds ratios with 95% CI based on results of multilevel mixed-effects binomial logistic regression with family practitioners fitted as random effect.</p