Trends In Treatment Of Patients Research Articles

Treatment trends in patients with de novo metastatic prostate cancer in the era of upfront combination therapy.

The objective of this study is to assess the trends in treatment selection for patients with de novo metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer in the era of upfront combination therapy. This multicenter retrospective study included 595 patients treated with either upfront combination therapy (upfront novel hormonal therapies and taxane-based chemotherapy) or vintage therapy (androgen deprivation therapy with or without bicalutamide) between 2016 and 2021. High tumor burden metastatic disease was defined when a patient met the CHAARTED or LATITUDE criteria. We evaluated trends in treatment selection and reasons for selecting vintage therapy. Of the 595, 123 and 472 patients were classified as having low and high tumor-burden disease, respectively. The Use of upfront combination therapy was found to be rapidly increasing with utilization rates of 72% and 54% in 2021 for high and low tumor-burden disease, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis found older age, poor performance status, and nonacademic center were significantly associated with the selection of vintage therapy. Of the 163 patients who received vintage hormone therapy after approval of upfront therapy, 74.2% had a specific reason for avoiding upfront therapy. The reasons for selecting vintage therapy included refusal (39.8%), older age (67.6%), frailty (56.3%), and comorbidity (40.8%). Furthermore, 16.9% of patients declined upfront combination therapy due to cost concerns. Upfront combination therapy use has 72% and 54% prevalence among patients with high and low tumor burden diseases, respectively, in this current practice. Older age, poor performance status, and facility bias were negatively associated with the use of upfront combination therapy.

Epidemiological trends and factors associated with survival in patients with medulloblastoma: A 45-year population-based retrospective study

Medulloblastoma (MB) is a primary brain malignancy. However, updated epidemiological data and long-term outcomes are lacking.The clinical and epidemiological datasets of patients with MB in the current study were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) databases. Joinpoint regression models were used to assess the rate of changes in the incidence, prevalence, and treatment trends in patients with MB. Cox hazard and competition risk model analyses were used to assess overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS).The age-adjusted incidence of MB remained relatively stable at 0.15 per 100,000 individuals in 2019. The annual percentage change (APC) of females remained stable, whereas that of males increased over time. The 20-year limited-duration prevalence of patients with MB increased significantly from 0.00016 % in 1999 to 0.00203 % in 2018. Patients aged 5–19 years accounted for 46.7 % of all age groups, and the trend for the three treatments was increased. Average annual percentage change (AAPC) for the chemotherapy group was increased in patients aged 20 + years MB [AAPC = 2.66 (95 % CI 0.93–6.31)]. Multivariate analysis revealed that OS and CSS varied significantly according to age, year of diagnosis, histology, stage, surgery, and radiotherapy. Subgroup analysis showed that chemotherapy was associated with a favorable prognosis in high-risk groups.The incidence of MB remained relatively stable, and its prevalence increased significantly. This current population-based study further identified the prognostic factors in patients with MB. Moreover, the use of chemotherapy was associated with better survival in high-risk groups.

An NCDB analysis of patient treatment trends in soft tissue angiosarcoma.

e23563 Background: Angiosarcoma is a rare subtype of soft tissue sarcoma associated with a generally poor prognosis and high mortality rate. Median survival of patients with angiosarcoma typically ranges from 15 to 24 months, with a 5-year survival of 12-33%. Angiosarcomas have a high propensity for local recurrence, metastasis, and multiple organ involvement as they originate from vascular endothelial cells. Though surgical excision currently plays a central role in the treatment of angiosarcoma, no significant study has analyzed NCDB for treatment trends in these patients. This study aims to characterize the effect of different treatment modalities on overall survival of angiosarcoma patients. Methods: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was used to identify patients diagnosed with angiosarcoma from 2004 to 2020 using histology code 9120 as assigned by the Commission on Cancer Accreditation program. Kaplan-Meier, ANOVA, Chi-Square, Cox Proportional Hazards and Logistic Regression tests were performed, and data were analyzed using SPSS version 29. Statistical significance was set at α = 0.05. Results: 3560 patients with angiosarcoma of the soft tissue were queried. The most common primary site for a tumor was the head, neck, or face (920 patients, 31.3%). Of the initial sample, 1889 ( 53.1%) patients received surgery alone, 450 ( 12.6%) patients received adjuvant chemotherapy, 55 ( 1.54%) received adjuvant radiation, and 30 ( 0.84%) patients received adjuvant chemoradiation. Surgery alone conferred the greatest median survival; no surgery conferred the least ( 31.4 months vs. 7.2 months; p < 0.001). In the crude and adjusted logistic regression models, combined chemoradiation (OR = .210; 95% CI:.100-.400) and surgery alone were associated with the lowest odds of death (OR = .271; 95% CI: .224-.329) relative to no surgical procedure of the primary site. This finding persisted once the model was adjusted for age, stage, and tumor size. Surgery alone conferred the lowest hazard ratio (HR = .352; 95% CI: .323-.384) relative to no surgery. Conclusions: In angiosarcoma patients, surgical excision at the primary site alone was associated with the greatest median survival and the lowest hazard ratio. Additionally, angiosarcoma patients who did not receive surgery had the least median survival. Surgery with adjuvant chemoradiation and surgery alone had the lowest odds of death. These findings affirm that surgical excision at the site of the primary tumor plays a key role in increasing the survival of angiosarcoma patients. Further research is necessary in characterizing treatment trends in angiosarcoma patients to supplement current standardized treatment protocols and improve the mortality of this lethal cancer.

Trends in treatment for patients with late-onset rheumatoid arthritis in Japan: Data from the NinJa study

ABSTRACT Objectives Our objective was to investigate trends in the treatment of patients with late-onset rheumatoid arthritis (LORA) using data from the National Database of Rheumatic Diseases in Japan (NinJa). Methods Patients registered in the National Database of Rheumatic Diseases in Japan were classified according to the disease onset: at <65 years (young-onset rheumatoid arthritis); at 65–74 years (early LORA); and at ≥75 years (late LORA). Chronological changes in the treatment and disease activity were compared. Results A total of 7178, 13,171, 15,295, and 15,943 patients were evaluated in 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019, respectively. In all groups, the use of methotrexate gradually decreased, whereas that of biological/targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) increased; the use of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors decreased, whereas that of non-tumor necrosis factor inhibitors increased. LORA was characterized by more single DMARD use and less methotrexate and biological/targeted synthetic DMARD use. Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors and interleukin-6 inhibitors were used less frequently, whereas abatacept was utilized more frequently in late versus early LORA. Conventional synthetic DMARD (excluding methotrexate) and glucocorticoid use was higher in late versus early LORA. Conclusions This analysis revealed chronological changes in the treatment of LORA in Japan. Differences between early and late LORA suggest that patients are not a homogeneous population.

Trends in Botulinum Toxin Use among Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Population-Based Study

There are limited real-world data on the use of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Accordingly, this nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study aimed to describe BoNT-A treatment trends in patients with MS between 2014 and 2020 in France. This study extracted data from the French National Hospital Discharge Database (Programme de Médicalisation des Systèmes d'Information, PMSI) covering the entire French population. Among 105,206 patients coded with MS, we identified those who received ≥1 BoNT-A injection, administered within striated muscle for MS-related spasticity and/or within the detrusor smooth muscle for neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO). A total of 8427 patients (8.0%) received BoNT-A injections for spasticity, 52.9% of whom received ≥3 BoNT-A injections with 61.9% of the repeated injections administered every 3 to 6 months. A total of 2912 patients (2.8%) received BoNT-A injections for NDO, with a mean of 4.7 injections per patient. Most repeated BoNT-A injections within the detrusor smooth muscle (60.0%) were administered every 5 to 8 months. There were 585 patients (0.6%) who received both BoNT-A injections within striated muscle and the detrusor smooth muscle. Overall, our study highlights a broad range of BoNT-A treatment practices between 2014 and 2020 in patients with MS.

Neoadjuvant versus adjuvant chemotherapy in bladder cancer: a nationwide cohort study.

Radical cystectomy is the standard of care for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. However, the 5-year survival rate is only about 50%. Therefore, additional treatments are needed. We compared the perioperative outcomes, overall survival, and treatment trends in patients with bladder cancer who underwent radical cystectomy and either neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy using nationwide population-based data. We collected the data of patients diagnosed with bladder cancer treated with radical cystectomy between 2004 and 2016 using the National Health Insurance Service database. We evaluated overall treatment trends. The neoadjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy groups were matched by propensity score. Cox proportional hazard analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to assess survival. Of 6134 patients, 1379 underwent adjuvant chemotherapy and 389 underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The utilization rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy increased from 6.4 to 12.2% from 2004 to 2016 (p = 0.018). The administration rate and number of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor cycles were lower in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group than in the adjuvant chemotherapy group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.027, respectively). After propensity score matching, the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group had significantly better overall survival than the adjuvant chemotherapy group (p = 0.004). In multivariate analysis, neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with better overall survival (hazard ratio 0.77, 95% confidence interval 0.65-0.92, p = 0.003). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with lower granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administration and better overall survival than adjuvant chemotherapy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy should be considered for patients with bladder cancer who undergo radical cystectomy.

Real-world frequency of BRAF testing and utilization of therapies in patients with advanced melanoma.

Both BRAF/MEK targeted agents and immunotherapy are approved for the treatment of advanced melanoma. BRAF testing is recommended at the time of advanced melanoma diagnosis. In addition, little is known regarding the treatment trends for patients with BRAF mutated tumors. This investigation aims to assess the real-world prevalence of molecular testing and treatment trends for patients with BRAF mutated tumors. Using a de-identified database, patients of age ≥18 years with advanced melanoma from 2013 to 2018 were examined. Molecular testing performed within 3 months of advanced diagnosis was considered to have the test performed at the time of diagnosis. Test prevalence was calculated and compared in groups stratified by the patient, tumor and treatment factors. In total 4459 patients were included; 1936 (43.4%) stage III, 1191 (26.7%) stage IV and 1332 (29.9%) recurrent. Totally 50.4% of patients received systemic treatment; 76.4% stage IV, 71% recurrent patients and 26.7% stage III patients. However, 73.5% received first-line immunotherapy. In total 73.8% of patients had molecular testing, and 50.5% had tested at the time of advanced diagnosis. Of those tested 42% had a BRAF mutated tumor. In total 48% of these patients received first-line immunotherapy whereas 43% received a BRAF inhibitor, with increasing immunotherapy use seen over time. The majority of patients with advanced melanoma undergo molecular testing at the time of advanced diagnosis. Immunotherapy is the most commonly prescribed treatment regardless of BRAF mutational status. These results provide real-world data on the frequency of molecular testing and treatment trends for patients with advanced melanoma.

Uptake in newly approved antibiotics prescribed to patients with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE).

We assessed trends in treatment of patients with CRE from 2012 through 2018. We detected decreased utilization of aminoglycosides and colistin and increased utilization in extended-spectrum cephalosporins and ceftazidime-avibactam. We found significant uptake of ceftazidime-avibactam, a newly approved antibiotic, to treat CRE infections.

Abstract 11210: Trends in Invasive Treatment of Patients Hospitalized with Acute Decompensated Aortic Stenosis and Cardiogenic Shock

Background: Prior to 2012, balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) was the only potential intervention for patients with decompensated aortic stenosis (AS) and cardiogenic shock. Emergent transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is now an option and has shown acceptable outcomes compared with elective TAVR. We explored how treatment patterns for AS and cardiogenic shock have shifted since TAVR was introduced. Methods: We identified hospitalizations of patients with AS and cardiogenic shock within the National Readmissions Database, the proportion treated with BAV or TAVR, and in-hospital mortality over the study period by treatment. Due to challenges in determining the timing of surgery vs. onset of shock, patients who underwent surgical AVR were excluded. Results: From 2010-2018, there were 17,297 hospitalizations for AS and cardiogenic shock, which have increased over time (Figure A legend). The proportion of hospitalizations where either BAV or TAVR was used has also increased (BAV 3.9%-&gt;7.1%; TAVR 3.8%-&gt;10.1%; Figure A). In-hospital mortality was very high but has significantly decreased over time for all treatment strategies (no invasive: 46.9%-&gt;35.5%; BAV: 45.7%-&gt;34.2%; TAVR 18.8%-&gt;8.9%; Figure B), with much lower mortality rates the TAVR group at all time points. Compared with BAV, patients treated with TAVR were less likely to require mechanical ventilation (TAVR 34.6% vs BAV 49.1%) or mechanical circulatory support (TAVR 19.9% vs BAV 30.6%; p&lt;0.001 for both). Age and comorbidity burden were similar among groups. Conclusions: Over the past decade, hospitalizations for AS and cardiogenic shock have increased as has the proportion in which BAV or TAVR are emergently used. Although in-hospital mortality has declined over time, it remains very high, particularly among patients treated with BAV or those without intervention. This is likely in part due to the lower severity of cardiogenic shock of the patients treated with TAVR.

Trends in treatment for patients with depression in general practice in Norway, 2009\u20132015: nationwide registry-based cohort study (The Norwegian GP-DEP Study)

BackgroundDepression is highly prevalent, but knowledge is scarce as to whether increased public awareness and strengthened government focus on mental health have changed how general practitioners (GPs) help their depressed patients. This study aimed to examine national time trends in GP depression care and whether trends varied regarding patient gender, age, and comorbidity.MethodsNationwide registry-based cohort study, Norway. The study population comprised all residents aged 20 years or older with new depression diagnoses recorded in general practice, 2009–2015. We linked reimbursement claims data from all consultations in general practice for depression with information on demographics and antidepressant medication. The outcome was type(s) of GP depression care during 12 months from the date of diagnosis: (long) consultation, talking therapy, antidepressant drug treatment, sickness absence certification, and referral to secondary mental health care. Covariates were patient gender, age, and comorbidity. The data are presented as frequencies and tested with generalized linear models.ResultsWe included 365,947 new depression diagnoses. Mean patient age was 44 years (SD = 16), 61.9 % were women, 41.2 % had comorbidity. From 2009 to 2015, proportions of patients receiving talking therapy (42.3–63.4 %), long consultations (56.4–71.8 %), and referral to secondary care (16.6–21.6 %) increased, while those receiving drug treatment (31.3–25.9 %) and sick-listing (58.1–50 %) decreased. The trends were different for gender (women had a greater increase in talking therapy and a smaller decrease in sick-listing, compared to men), age (working-aged patients had a smaller increase in talking therapy, a greater increase in long consultations, and a smaller decrease in antidepressant drug use, compared to older patients) and comorbidity (patients with mental comorbidity had a smaller increase in talking therapy and a greater increase in long consultations, compared to those with no comorbidity and somatic comorbidity).ConclusionsThe observed time trends in GP depression care towards increased provision of psychological treatment and less drug treatment and sick-listing were in the desired direction according to Norwegian health care policy. However, the large and persistent differences in treatment rates between working-aged and older patients needs further investigation.

Trends in Treatment for Patients Hospitalized with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Before and After Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure With an Aldosterone Antagonist (TOPCAT)

The TOPCAT trial investigated spironolactone vs placebo in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Although the primary endpoint was not statistically significant, treatment with spironolactone did reduce heart failure hospitalizations compared with placebo. TOPCAT's impact on prescribing patterns in the United States is not well-characterized. We performed a retrospective analysis of discharge prescribing data in the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Registry among patients with left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50% discharged between January 2009 and December 2016 to assess prescribing trends upon dissemination of TOPCAT results. Of 142,201 patients included in the study, 18,581 (13.1%) were prescribed mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) at discharge. Compared with those not prescribed MRAs, patients discharged on MRAs were generally younger (75 vs 78 years), and report white race (76.7% vs 72.0%), more likely to have had prior heart failure hospitalizations (75.5% vs 65.7%), lower brain natriuretic peptide levels (492 vs 545 pg/mL), but similar serum creatinine levels (1.2 vs 1.2 mg/dL) upon admission. MRA prescribing modestly increased over time (p <0.0001), without significant change in the overall trend of prescribing rate for MRAs after TOPCAT results were presented (p =0.17). In conclusion, our findings suggest that for patients with HFpEF, the use of MRAs at hospital discharge is low, with only modest increases over time and no discernible change in the rate of MRA use after the TOPCAT results were released. There remains an important need for more clinical trials to better establish the efficacy and safety of MRAs for the treatment of HFpEF.

Trends towards more active introduction of drug therapy, emphasizing methotrexate and biologic agents, for juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

To evaluate the drug treatment trends in patients with incident juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in 2006-2014. In Finland, patients are entitled to a special reimbursement for medication if their condition meets certain criteria. We gathered all reimbursement decisions with the ICD-10 diagnosis of M08 for patients under 16years of age from a nationwide register maintained by Kela, the Social Institution of Finland. A total of 2439 incident cases of JIA were identified. We surveyed their reimbursable drugs purchased for the first time for JIA upon a doctor's prescription in 3-year cohorts (2006-2008, 2009-2011, 2012-2014). Changes of drug treatment for JIA became more active during our study years. Between 2006-2008 and 2011-2014, the introduction of methotrexate (MTX) for the first time within the first 3months increased from 73% (2006-2008) to 90% (2011-2014) of the patients, IRR (incidence rate ratio) was 1.23 (95% CI 1.10-1.37). The use of parenteral MTX increased even more; IRR was 1.97 (95% CI 1.61-2.41). During the first 2years of their disease, 18% of the first cohort received subcutaneous biologic agents, while the corresponding proportion in the last cohort was 31%. Biologic agents were more likely to be introduced for patients with early (3months) MTX administration than for patients without early MTX introduction; HR (hazard ratio) 2.19 (95% CI 1.63-2.93). During the follow-up, MTX administration became more prevalent for the treatment of JIA soon after diagnosis, mostly because of the increase in the use of parenteral MTX.Key Points • The drug therapy for treating juvenile idiopathic arthritis has changed during recent years. • Methotrexate, some other conventional DMARDs, and biologic DMARDs are introduced earlier.

Uterine fibroids, laparoscopic surgery and morcellation. Literature review

Aim. To analyze the literature data on modern approaches to morcellation of myomatous nodes in laparoscopic surgery and to highlight this area in a historical aspect. To form an idea of the main difficulties associated with morcellation, which contributed to and contribute to the improvement of the technique of this manipulation. Materials and methods. The review includes data from foreign articles published in the elibrary.ru and PubMed databases on this topic. Results. It describes both modern trends in the surgical treatment of patients with uterine myoma, and historical aspects of improving methods aimed at reducing risks, reducing the time of surgical intervention and improving its safety. Analyzed data on the use of electromorcellation, carried out both with the use of plastic containers, and without them. Conclusion. High requirements for surgical interventions contributed to the emergence of such a method of intracorporeal fragmentation of drugs, such as morcellation, which led to a significant reduction in the proportion of laparotomic operations in the treatment of patients with my uterus. The introduction of laparoscopy in the surgical treatment of uterine myoma allowed to achieve a fundamentally new high level of rehabilitation of patients. Removing removed drugs from the abdominal cavity is associated with a certain risk. Despite the significant number of proposed methods and devices for morcellation, they all require further improvement, since it is necessary to completely exclude contact of the myoma node tissue with abdominal organs in the extraction process. Currently, active research continues on ways to realize all the benefits of minimally invasive technologies in compliance with the rules of oncological safety.

Modern possibilities of organ-preserving treatment of patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer

The article reviews the current trends in the organ-preserving treatment of patients with muscular-invasive bladder cancer. An historical insight into the treatment tactics for this malignant disease included. The current trends in the use of surgical technology, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy, as well as molecular genetic diagnostic in patients with invasive bladder carcinomas are demonstrated. Due to the lack of randomized studies we are not able to use such organ-preserving techniques into practice, but it allows to performthis approach in carefully selected groups of patients.

Treatment trends for patients with brain metastases: Does practice reflect the data?

Published guidelines regarding the optimal treatment strategies for brain metastases focus on patients with ≤3 lesions. As delivery techniques for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) improve, radiation oncologists are increasingly using it for patients with >3 metastases. In the current study, the authors sought to characterize practice patterns among practitioners to identify areas of controversy. A survey of practicing radiation oncologists was distributed via e-mail. Responses were collected from April 1 to May 5, 2016. Survey data were analyzed. A total of 711 currently practicing radiation oncologists responded, for a response rate of 12.5%. Specialists in central nervous system tumors (CNS specialists) were more likely to treat higher numbers of patients with brain metastases with SRS. There was a significant difference in the optimal "cutoff number" used when deciding how many lesions to treat with SRS versus whole-brain radiotherapy. Cutoff numbers were significantly higher for high-volume CNS specialists (≥10 patients/month) than for either low-volume CNS specialists (5-9 patients/month) or high-volume, non-CNS specialists (8.1 vs 5.6 and 5.1, respectively; P<.001). A majority of respondents (56%) identified patients with 4 to 6 brain metastases as being the most challenging patients to treat. To the authors' knowledge, there appears to be no consensus regarding the optimal treatment strategy among patients with >3 brain metastases, and practice patterns are heterogeneous. Radiation oncologists, especially high-volume CNS specialists, are treating significantly more brain metastases with SRS than what currently is recommended by published consensus guidelines. Providers struggle with patients with a moderate intracranial disease burden. Further prospective studies are needed to support these practice patterns and guide decision making. Cancer 2017;123:2274-2282. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Undertreatment of thick head and neck melanomas: an age-based analysis.

To determine U.S. treatment patterns for pathologic staging practices in patients with thick head and neck melanomas (HNM). Patients with thick HNM without clinical evidence of in-transit, regional, or distant metastatic spread at presentation were identified from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database. Treatment trends for patients were summarized, and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify associations between varying practice patterns. A total of 1,230 patients with HNM meeting the inclusion criteria were identified. Surgical staging procedures were utilized in 53.5 %, including both sentinel lymph node biopsy (37 %) and elective neck dissection (16 %). Patients undergoing a surgical staging procedure were younger (64 vs. 77 years, p < 0.001) with smaller tumors (6.3 vs. 6.6 mm, p = 0.008). The rate of occult nodal disease was 22 % in patients undergoing a surgical staging procedure. The presence of a positive regional node in this subgroup of patients was associated with a significant reduction in disease-specific (44 vs. 59 months, p < 0.001) and overall survival (40 vs. 53 months, p < 0.001) on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, the presence of a positive node was the most significant factor for reduced overall survival (hazard ratio 2.36, 95 % confidence interval 1.71-3.23) and disease-specific survival (hazard ratio 2.84, 95 % confidence interval 1.99-4.06). Pathologic staging procedures provide independent prognostic information for patients with thick HNM. Despite this, current practice patterns demonstrate underutilization, particularly in elderly patients. Further work is needed to address the barriers to pathologic staging implementation in patients with thick HNM.

Trends in controller treatment of patients with asthma IN primary health care facilities and asthma control (1998-2011) in saint-petersburg, russia

Trends in controller treatment of patients with asthma IN primary health care facilities and asthma control (1998-2011) in saint-petersburg, russia

Factors Influencing Surgical and Adjuvant Therapy in Stage I Breast Cancer: A SEER 18 Database Analysis

Randomized trials have shown no survival difference for patients with stage I breast cancer treated with mastectomy versus breast-conserving surgery (BCS) with radiotherapy (RT). RT is recommended after BCS in order to decrease local recurrence and mortality. We sought to evaluate the treatment trends in patients with stage I breast cancer. We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to identify 194,860 women with stage I breast cancer diagnosed from 1988 to 2007. We evaluated factors that were associated surgical treatment and the utilization of RT after BCS. There was a progressive decline in the proportion of patients with stage I breast cancer who were treated with mastectomy from 1998 to 2007. Significant predictors for being treated with mastectomy included single/divorced women (p=0.007), white race (p<0.001), estrogen receptor negativity (p<0.001), earlier year of diagnosis (p<0.001), smaller tumor size (p<0.001), and region (p<0.001). Twenty percent of the BCS cohort did not receive RT, and this proportion did not change over time. Significant predictors for not receiving RT included small tumor size (p<0.001), African American race (p<0.001), increasing age (p<0.001), single/divorced women (p<0.001), estrogen receptor negativity (p<0.001), and region (p<0.001). The survival for patients treated with BCS and RT was significantly higher than for those who did not receive RT (p<0.001). The use of BCS for the treatment of stage I breast cancer increased over time. A constant proportion of patients did not receive RT after BCS. Omission of RT in BCS is associated with an increase in mortality.

Twenty-one years of experience with ovarian ectopic pregnancy at one institution in Taiwan

ObjectiveTo review the experience with patients with ovarian ectopic pregnancy (OEP) at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Lin-Kou Medical Center, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, between 1989 and 2009. MethodsA retrospective review of the presentation, prevalence, diagnosis, and trends in treatment of patients with OEP, and the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures and intrauterine devices (IUD). The incidence rate ratios (IRR) of ectopic pregnancies (EPs) per live births, OEPs per EPs, and OEPs per live births were analyzed. ResultsThe 110 OEPs diagnosed comprised 2.0% of all EPs (n=5408) and 1:1543 of all live births, leading to a mean OEP per year of 5.24. Seventy-eight patients were managed with laparoscopy and 32 underwent laparotomy. Twenty-six (23.6%) patients used an IUD and 12 (10.9%) had undergone ART. OEP associated with ART increased in the last 10years of the study period. The IRR of EPs per live births, OEPs per EPs, and OEPs per live births all increased between 1989 and 2009. Management of OEP tended to favor laparoscopy in the later years. ConclusionThere was a trend toward better management of OEP with laparoscopy. ART has become a risk factor for OEP. The IRR of EPs per live births, OEPs per EPs, and OEPs per live births all increased over the 21-year period.

High-dose corticosteroid exposure and osteoporosis intervention in adults

High-dose corticosteroid exposure is associated with increased risk of bone loss and osteoporotic fractures. To examine high-dose corticosteroid use and osteoporosis screening and treatment trends in patients receiving high-dose oral or inhaled corticosteroids in a large managed care organization. We reviewed electronic records of inhaled and oral corticosteroid use and osteoporosis intervention in 2002 among patients 20 years or older and developed algorithms to quantitate high cumulative exposure to corticosteroids. High-dose exposure to corticosteroids was found in 18,737 health plan members (0.8%) (7,757 men [41%] and 10.980 women [59%]). Prevalence increased with age, from 0.4% (age range, 20-49 years) to 1% (age range, 50-64 years) and 2% (age range, > or =75 years). Of high-dose users, 72% used only oral, 15% used only inhaled, and 13% used combined oral and inhaled corticosteroids. Bone densitometry was performed in 9% of men and 27% of women exposed to oral corticosteroids and in 4% of men and 23% of women exposed to inhaled corticosteroids. Prescriptions for osteoporosis drugs were filled by 6% of men and 11% of women receiving oral corticosteroids and by 1% of men and 5% of women receiving inhaled corticosteroids. Approximately 1 in 125 people 20 years or older were exposed to high doses of corticosteroids; oral exposure was 3 times more common than inhaled exposure. Most exposed patients do not receive bone density testing or osteoporosis drug prophylaxis. Use of prescription databases to identify high-dose oral and inhaled corticosteroid users can enable focused intervention to reduce bone loss and potentially reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures.