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Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases Apr 2021Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is a genetic collagen disorder characterized by skin fragility leading to blistering, wounds, and scarring. There are... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE
Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is a genetic collagen disorder characterized by skin fragility leading to blistering, wounds, and scarring. There are currently no approved curative therapies. The objective of this manuscript is to provide a comprehensive literature review of the disease burden caused by RDEB.
METHODS
A systematic literature review was conducted in MEDLINE and Embase in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Observational and interventional studies on the economic, clinical, or humanistic burden of RDEB were included.
RESULTS
Sixty-five studies were included in the review. Patients had considerable wound burden, with 60% reporting wounds covering more than 30% of their body. Increases in pain and itch were seen with larger wound size. Chronic wounds were larger and more painful than recurrent wounds. Commonly reported symptoms and complications included lesions and blistering, anemia, nail dystrophy and loss, milia, infections, musculoskeletal contractures, strictures or stenoses, constipation, malnutrition/nutritional problems, pseudosyndactyly, ocular manifestations, and dental caries. Many patients underwent esophageal dilation (29-74%; median dilations, 2-6) and gastrostomy tube placement (8-58%). In the severely affected population, risk of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was 76% and mortality from SCC reached 84% by age 40. Patients with RDEB experienced worsened quality of life (QOL), decreased functioning and social activities, and increased pain and itch when compared to other EB subtypes, other skin diseases, and the general population. Families of patients reported experiencing high rates of burden including financial burden (50-54%) and negative impact on private life (79%). Direct medical costs were high, though reported in few studies; annual payer-borne total medical costs in Ireland were $84,534 and annual patient-borne medical costs in Korea were $7392. Estimated annual US costs for wound dressings ranged from $4000 to $245,000. Patients spent considerable time changing dressings: often daily (13-54% of patients) with up to three hours per change (15-40%).
CONCLUSION
Patients with RDEB and their families/caregivers experience significant economic, humanistic, and clinical burden. Further research is needed to better understand the costs of disease, how the burden of disease changes over the patient lifetime and to better characterize QOL impact, and how RDEB compares with other chronic, debilitating disorders.
Topics: Adult; Cost of Illness; Dental Caries; Epidermolysis Bullosa; Epidermolysis Bullosa Dystrophica; Humans; Quality of Life; Republic of Korea
PubMed: 33849616
DOI: 10.1186/s13023-021-01811-7 -
Current Oncology (Toronto, Ont.) Mar 2021There is a global rise in skin cancer incidence, resulting in an increase in patient care needs and healthcare costs. To optimize health care planning, costs, and...
There is a global rise in skin cancer incidence, resulting in an increase in patient care needs and healthcare costs. To optimize health care planning, costs, and patient care, Ontario Health developed a provincial skin cancer plan to streamline the quality of care. We conducted a systematic review and a grey literature search to evaluate the definitions and management of skin cancer within other jurisdictions, as well as a provincial survey of skin cancer care practices, to identify care gaps. The systematic review did not identify any published comprehensive skin cancer management plans. The grey literature search revealed skin cancer plans in isolated regions of the United Kingdom (U.K.), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for skin cancer quality indicators and regional skin cancer biopsy clinics, and wait time guidelines in Australia and the U.K. With the input of the Ontario Cancer Advisory Committee (CAC), unique definitions for complex and non-complex skin cancers and the appropriate cancer services were created. A provincial survey of skin cancer care yielded 44 responses and demonstrated gaps in biopsy access. A skin cancer pathway map was created and a recommendation was made for regional skin cancer biopsy clinics. We have created unique definitions for complex and non-complex skin cancer and a skin cancer pathways map, which will allow for the implementation of both process and performance metrics to address identified gaps in care.
Topics: Humans; Incidence; Ontario; Skin Neoplasms
PubMed: 33809399
DOI: 10.3390/curroncol28020114 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Nov 2016The efficacy and safety of nipple-sparing mastectomy and areola-sparing mastectomy for the treatment of breast cancer are still questionable. It is estimated that the... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The efficacy and safety of nipple-sparing mastectomy and areola-sparing mastectomy for the treatment of breast cancer are still questionable. It is estimated that the local recurrence rates following nipple-sparing mastectomy are very similar to breast-conserving surgery followed by radiotherapy.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the efficacy and safety of nipple-sparing mastectomy and areola-sparing mastectomy for the treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive breast cancer in women.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Breast Cancer Group's Specialized Register, the Cochrane Center Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase (via OVID) and LILACS (via Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde [BVS]) using the search terms "nipple sparing mastectomy" and "areola-sparing mastectomy". Also, we searched the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and ClinicalTrials.gov. All searches were conducted on 30th September 2014 and we did not apply any language restrictions.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) however if there were no RCTs, we expanded our criteria to include non-randomised comparative studies (cohort and case-control studies). Studies evaluated nipple-sparing and areola-sparing mastectomy compared to modified radical mastectomy or skin-sparing mastectomy for the treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive breast cancer.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors (BS and RR) performed data extraction and resolved disagreements. We performed descriptive analyses and meta-analyses of the data using Review Manager software. We used Cochrane's risk of bias tool to assess studies, and adapted it for non-randomised studies, and we evaluated the quality of the evidence using GRADE criteria.
MAIN RESULTS
We included 11 cohort studies, evaluating a total of 6502 participants undergoing 7018 procedures: 2529 underwent a nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM), 818 underwent skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) and 3671 underwent traditional mastectomy, also known as modified radical mastectomy (MRM). No participants underwent areola-sparing mastectomy. There was a high risk of confounding for all reported outcomes. For overall survival, the hazard ratio (HR) for NSM compared to SSM was 0.70 (95% CI 0.28 to 1.73; 2 studies; 781 participants) and the HR for NSM compared to MRM was 0.72 (95% CI 0.46 to 1.13; 2 studies, 1202 participants). Local recurrence was evaluated in two studies, the HR for NSM compared to MRM was 0.28 (95% CI 0.12 to 0.68; 2 studies, 1303 participants). The overall risk of complications was different in NSM when compared to other types of mastectomy in general (RR 0.10, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.82, 2 studies, P = 0.03; 1067 participants). With respect to skin necrosis, there was no evidence of a difference with NSM compared to other types of mastectomy, but the confidence interval was wide (RR 4.22, 95% CI 0.59 to 30.03, P = 0.15; 4 studies, 1948 participants). We observed no difference among the three types of mastectomy with respect to the risk of local infection (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.44 to 2.09, P = 0.91, 2 studies; 496 participants). Meta-analysis was not possible when assessing cosmetic outcomes and quality of life, but in general the NSM studies reported a favourable aesthetic result and a gain in quality of life compared with the other types of mastectomy. The quality of evidence was considered very low for all outcomes due to the high risk of selection bias and wide confidence intervals.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
The findings from these observational studies of very low-quality evidence were inconclusive for all outcomes due to the high risk of selection bias.
Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating; Cohort Studies; Female; Humans; Mastectomy; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Nipples; Organ Sparing Treatments; Postoperative Complications; Skin
PubMed: 27898991
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD008932.pub3 -
Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology 2020Cetuximab (CTX) has been approved to be administered concurrently with radiotherapy (RT) to treat locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The aim... (Review)
Review
Comparative efficacy and safety of radiotherapy/cetuximab radiotherapy/chemotherapy for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients: a systematic review of published, primarily non-randomized, data.
BACKGROUND
Cetuximab (CTX) has been approved to be administered concurrently with radiotherapy (RT) to treat locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of concurrent CTX with RT (ExRT).
METHOD
The databases were systematically searched to find relevant articles. The combined hazard ratio (HR), risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval were calculated to assess the efficacy and safety of ExRT in contrast to concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy with RT (ChRT).
RESULTS
In total, 32 articles with 4556 patients were included. The pooled HRs indicated that ExRT achieved an unfavorable overall survival (HR: 1.86, < 0.0001), disease-specific survival (HR: 2.58, = 0.002), locoregional control (HR: 1.94, < 0.00001), and progression-free survival (HR: 2.04, = 0.003) compared with ChRT for locally advanced HNSCC patients. In human papillomavirus-positive patient subgroups, ExRT showed inferior disease-specific survival (HR: 2.55, = 0.009) and locoregional control (HR: 2.27, < 0.0001) in contrast to ChRT. Additionally, ExRT increased the occurrence of mucositis (RR: 1.17, < 0.005), skin toxicity (RR: 6.26, < 0.00001), and infection (RR: 2.27, = 0.04) compared with non-CTX groups (ChRT and RT), and was associated with lower incidence of anemia (RR: 0.35, = 0.009), leukocytopenia (RR: 0.17, < 0.0001), neutropenia (RR: 0.06, < 0.0001), nausea/vomiting (RR: 0.23, < 0.0001), and renal toxicity (RR: 0.14, = 0.007).
CONCLUSION
ChRT should remain the standard treatment for locally advanced HNSCC patients. ExRT was recognized as an effective alternative treatment for locally advanced HNSCC patients who experienced unbearable toxicities caused by non-CTX treatments.
PubMed: 33343720
DOI: 10.1177/1758835920975355 -
European Urology Focus Mar 2023We systematically reviewed the literature and summarized oncologic and safety outcomes for endoscopic management (EM) compared to radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Oncologic and Safety Outcomes for Endoscopic Surgery Versus Radical Nephroureterectomy for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
We systematically reviewed the literature and summarized oncologic and safety outcomes for endoscopic management (EM) compared to radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Studies comparing oncologic and/or safety results for EM versus RNU in patients with UTUC were included in our review. Overall, 13 studies met the criteria, and five studies were included in a meta-analysis using adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and bladder recurrence-free survival (BRFS). EM was associated similar OS (HR 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.75-2.16), CSS (HR 1.37, 95% CI 0.99-1.91), and BRFS (HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.61-1.55) to RNU, while 28-85% of patients treated with EM experienced upper tract recurrence across the studies. EM required more interventions with a higher cumulative risk of complications and lower likelihood of renal preservation. In summary, EM for low-grade UTUC had comparable survival outcomes to RNU at the cost of higher local recurrence rates resulting in a need for long-term rigorous surveillance and repeated interventions. PATIENT SUMMARY: For selected cases of cancer in the upper urinary tract, surgical treatment via a telescope inserted through the urethra or the skin (endoscope) results in cancer control outcomes that are comparable to those after removal of the kidney and ureter. However, because of its higher rate of local recurrence, this approach requires repeated endoscopic treatment sessions. Patients should be well informed about these issues to help in shared decision-making.
Topics: Humans; Nephroureterectomy; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell; Ureter; Ureteroscopy
PubMed: 36463089
DOI: 10.1016/j.euf.2022.11.016 -
Journal of Medical Internet Research Aug 2023The internet is a primary source of health information for patients, supplementing physician care. Google Trends (GT), a popular tool, allows the exploration of public... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The internet is a primary source of health information for patients, supplementing physician care. Google Trends (GT), a popular tool, allows the exploration of public interest in health-related phenomena. Despite the growing volume of GT studies, none have focused explicitly on oncology, creating a need for a systematic review to bridge this gap.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to systematically characterize studies related to oncology using GT to describe its utilities and biases.
METHODS
We included all studies that used GT to analyze Google searches related to malignancies. We excluded studies written in languages other than English. The search was performed using the PubMed engine on August 1, 2022. We used the following search input: "Google trends" AND ("oncology" OR "cancer" or "malignancy" OR "tumor" OR "lymphoma" OR "multiple myeloma" OR "leukemia"). We analyzed sources of bias that included using search terms instead of topics, lack of confrontation of GT statistics with real-world data, and absence of sensitivity analysis. We performed descriptive statistics.
RESULTS
A total of 85 articles were included. The first study using GT for oncology research was published in 2013, and since then, the number of publications has increased annually. The studies were categorized as follows: 22% (19/85) were related to prophylaxis, 20% (17/85) pertained to awareness events, 11% (9/85) were celebrity-related, 13% (11/85) were related to COVID-19, and 47% (40/85) fell into other categories. The most frequently analyzed cancers were breast (n=28), prostate (n=26), lung (n=18), and colorectal cancers (n=18). We discovered that of the 85 studies, 17 (20%) acknowledged using GT topics instead of search terms, 79 (93%) disclosed all search input details necessary for replicating their results, and 34 (40%) compared GT statistics with real-world data. The most prevalent methods for analyzing the GT data were correlation analysis (55/85, 65%) and peak analysis (43/85, 51%). The authors of only 11% (9/85) of the studies performed a sensitivity analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
The number of studies related to oncology using GT data has increased annually. The studies included in this systematic review demonstrate a variety of concerning topics, search strategies, and statistical methodologies. The most frequently analyzed cancers were breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, skin, and cervical cancers, potentially reflecting their prevalence in the population or public interest. Although most researchers provided reproducible search inputs, only one-fifth used GT topics instead of search terms, and many studies lacked a sensitivity analysis. Scientists using GT for medical research should ensure the quality of studies by providing a transparent search strategy to reproduce results, preferring to use topics over search terms, and performing robust statistical calculations coupled with sensitivity analysis.
Topics: Female; Humans; Male; Bias; Biomedical Research; COVID-19; Internet; Search Engine; Neoplasms
PubMed: 37540544
DOI: 10.2196/47582 -
JAMA Dermatology Apr 2014Indoor tanning is a known carcinogen, but the scope of exposure to this hazard is not known. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
IMPORTANCE
Indoor tanning is a known carcinogen, but the scope of exposure to this hazard is not known.
OBJECTIVE
To summarize the international prevalence of exposure to indoor tanning.
DATA SOURCES
Studies were identified through systematic searches of PubMed (1966 to present), Scopus (1823 to present), and Web of Science (1898 to present) databases, last performed on March 16, 2013. We also hand searched reference lists to identify records missed by database searches and publicly available data not yet published in the scientific literature.
STUDY SELECTION
Records reporting a prevalence of indoor tanning were eligible for inclusion. We excluded case-control studies, reports with insufficient study information, and reports of groups recruited using factors related to indoor tanning. Two independent investigators performed searches and study selection. Our search yielded 1976 unique records. After exclusions, 161 records were assessed for eligibility in full text, and 88 were included.
DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
Two independent investigators extracted data on characteristics of study participants, inclusion/exclusion criteria, data collection format, outcomes, and statistical methods. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to summarize the prevalence of indoor tanning in different age categories. We calculated the population proportional attributable risk of indoor tanning in the United States, Europe, and Australia for nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and melanoma.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Ever and past-year exposure to indoor tanning.
RESULTS
The summary prevalence of ever exposure was 35.7% (95% CI, 27.5%-44.0%) for adults, 55.0% (33.0%-77.1%) for university students, and 19.3% (14.7%-24.0%) for adolescents. The summary prevalence of past-year exposure was 14.0% (95% CI, 11.5%-16.5%) for adults, 43.1% (21.7%-64.5%) for university students, and 18.3% (12.6%-24.0%) for adolescents. These results included data from 406 696 participants. The population proportional attributable risk were 3.0% to 21.8% for NMSC and 2.6% to 9.4% for melanoma, corresponding to more than 450 000 NMSC cases and more than 10 000 melanoma cases each year attributable to indoor tanning in the United States, Europe, and Australia.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Exposure to indoor tanning is common in Western countries, especially among young persons. Given the large number of skin cancer cases attributable to indoor tanning, these findings highlight a major public health issue.
Topics: Australia; Beauty Culture; Canada; Carcinoma, Basal Cell; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cosmetic Techniques; Europe; Humans; Melanoma; Risk Assessment; Skin Neoplasms; Sunbathing; Suntan; Ultraviolet Rays; United States
PubMed: 24477278
DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2013.6896 -
Journal of Skin Cancer 2022In chronic osteomyelitis-derived squamous cell carcinoma, what are the demographic and clinical variables, risk factors associated with worse outcomes, and results of... (Review)
Review
AIMS
In chronic osteomyelitis-derived squamous cell carcinoma, what are the demographic and clinical variables, risk factors associated with worse outcomes, and results of treatment modalities used?
METHODS
A systematic review was performed using PubMed and EMBASE. Articles were evaluated for inclusion and exclusion criteria, and for quality analysis. PRISMA guidelines were applied. Demographic and clinical data and therapeutic approaches were presented narratively and in descriptive statistics registered at PROSPERO.
RESULTS
Most patients were male (40/49), trauma was the most common etiology (27/36), and about half of all SCC were in the tibia (25/48). Amputation was the main definitive treatment (42/47). Adjuvant treatments were not analyzed. Well-differentiated SCC accounted for 58.3% (21/36) of all tumors. Bone invasion was described in 82.8% (24/29); recurrence, in 7.7% (3/39); and metastasis, in 7.7% (3/39). Recurrence and metastasis occurred more frequently when bone invasion was present ( = 0.578 and = 0.646, respectively). SCC with lymph node involvement showed a higher tendency to metastasize ( = 0.377). Compared with limb salvage, amputation was associated with a tendency for less recurrence ( = 0.312) and longer survival ( = 0.219).
CONCLUSIONS
COM-derived SCC mostly occurs after trauma and is usually located in the tibia. Bone invasion is common, and patients predominantly undergo amputation. This treatment is associated with a trend toward higher survival, compared to limb salvage.
PubMed: 36262471
DOI: 10.1155/2022/2671420 -
PloS One 2013The aim of this study was to assess the role of skin rash in predicting the efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) and the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Skin rash could predict the response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor and the prognosis for patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to assess the role of skin rash in predicting the efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) and the prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
METHOD
We systematically searched for eligible articles investigating the association between rash and the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs and the prognosis of patients with NSCLC. The summary risk ratio (RR) and hazard ratio (HR) were calculated using meta-analysis.
RESULTS
We identified 33 eligible trials involving 6,798 patients. We used two different standards to group the patients [standard 1: rash vs. no rash, standard 2: rash (≥ stage 2) vs. rash (stage 0, 1)]. For standard 1, the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) of the rash group were significantly higher than the no rash group [RR = 3.28; 95% CI: 2.41-4.47(corrected RR = 2.225, 95% CI: 1.658-2.986); RR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.58-2.43]. The same results were observed for standard 2. For standards 1 and 2, the progression-free survival (PFS) (HR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.37-0.53; HR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.50-0.65) and overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.28-0.52; HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.35-0.71) of the rash group were significantly longer than the control group, and the same results were observed in the subgroup analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
skin rash after EGFR-TKI treatment may be an efficient clinical marker for predicting the response of patients with NSCLC to EGFR-TKIs. Furthermore, skin rash is also the prognostic factor of patients with NSCLC. Patients with skin rash have a longer PFS and OS.
Topics: Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; ErbB Receptors; Exanthema; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Prognosis; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 23383079
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055128 -
Virology Oct 2013Systematic reviews of the prevalence of different types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) across a broad range of disease grades from normal to cancer are essential to gain... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Systematic reviews of the prevalence of different types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) across a broad range of disease grades from normal to cancer are essential to gain basic knowledge of how widespread infections with the different HPV types are, and to provide information on the possible carcinogenicity of different HPV types. For HPV types that infect human mucosa, of which 12 are established causes of cervical cancer, we present the results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of 47 HPV types in cervical samples across the entire range of cervical diagnoses from normal to cervical cancer, restricted to studies using a number of well characterized PCR assays. For the cutaneous HPV types, which have been linked to the development of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, their presence has been measured in a variety of different sample types and by assays with variable performance. Therefore, we restricted a systematic review of their prevalence to studies that assayed for cutaneous HPV infection in a case-control format.
Topics: Alphapapillomavirus; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Case-Control Studies; DNA, Viral; Female; Humans; Mucous Membrane; Papillomavirus Infections; Prevalence; Sensitivity and Specificity; Skin Diseases, Viral; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms
PubMed: 23928291
DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2013.07.015