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Previous studies proposed comorbidity-based prediction tools to facilitate patient-level assessment of mortality risk, which are essential for confounder adjustment in epidemiologic studies. We compared established comorbidity indices using real-world administrative data of a broad surgical population. Adult patients undergoing surgical or interventional procedures between January 2005 and June 2020 at a tertiary academic medical center in Massachusetts, USA, were included. The Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (van Walraven modification), Combined Comorbidity Score, and Charlson Comorbidity Index were compared regarding the prediction of 30-day mortality. Age and sex were included in all models. Discriminative ability was quantified by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), and calibration was assessed using the Brier score and reliability plots. A total of 514,282 patients were included, of which 5849 (1.1%) died within 30 days. A model including age and sex alone had an AUROC of 0.73 (95% CI 0.72-0.74). The Elixhauser Comorbidity Index–based model showed the best discriminative ability with an AUROC of 0.86 (95% CI 0.86-0.87) compared to models, including the Combined Comorbidity Score (AUROC, 0.85 [95% CI 0.84-0.85]) and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (AUROC, 0.82 [95% CI 0.81-0.83], P < .001, respectively). The Brier score was 0.011 for all scores. Overall, score performances were similar or improved after the implementation of the 10th Revision International Classification of Diseases (Clinical Modification) coding system. The primary findings were confirmed for in-hospital, 7-day, 90-day, 180-day, and 1-year mortality and when including score comorbidities as separate indicator variables (P < .001, respectively). Patient and procedural characteristics were predictive of mortality (AUROC, 0.91 [95% CI 0.91-0.91]), with confirmatory findings and slightly improved performances when adding comorbidity scores (AUROC, 0.93 [95% CI 0.93-0.93] for the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index; AUROC, 0.93 [95% CI 0.93-0.93] for the Combined Comorbidity Score; AUROC, 0.92 [95% CI 0.92-0.93] for the Charlson Comorbidity Index, P < .001, respectively). All 3 comorbidity indices predicted mortality with excellent discrimination; however, they showed only slightly improved performance when incorporated into a model including patient and procedural characteristics. When surgical data are unavailable and in surgical setting–specific subgroups, the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index consistently performed best. [Display omitted] •Comorbidity-based prediction tools enable patient-level assessment of mortality risk.•We compared established prediction tools using electronic health records.•Among 514,282 surgical patients, the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index performed best.•The Elixhauser Comorbidity Index may be used preferably for mortality prediction in broad surgical populations.

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination rates in pregnant women remain low owing to safety concerns. When evaluating vaccine safety, comparisons with unvaccinated individuals may lead to healthy vaccinee bias. This study aimed to investigate the association between mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy-related adverse outcomes compared with influenza vaccination. A propensity score-matched cohort study was conducted using the National Health Insurance Service insurance claims database, combined with COVID-19 and influenza vaccination registration data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Based on the age, comorbidities, insurance type, region, hospital type, gestational age at vaccination, and primiparity, the COVID-19 vaccination-only group and influenza vaccination-only group were matched in a 1:3 ratio, while both (COVID-19 and influenza) vaccination group and influenza vaccination-only group were also matched in a 1:3 ratio. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) between the two groups. From October 18, 2021, to March 3, 2022, 71,902 pregnant women were identified, and the vaccination records of 67,522 individuals were verified. Among them, 610 received the COVID-19 vaccination only, 49,952 received the influenza vaccination only, and 2405 received both vaccines. In the COVID-19 vaccination-only group, the risk of large for gestational age was higher than in the influenza vaccination-only group (OR = 2.285, 95 % CI = 1.155–4.522, P = 0.018). In the group that received both vaccinations, the risk of premature birth was higher (OR = 1.365, 95 % CI = 1.124–1.656, P = 0.002) than that in the influenza vaccination-only group but lower than the domestic baseline incidence rates. No significant differences were observed in other maternal and neonatal outcomes. mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant women is safe without a remarkable increase in adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Given the high morbidity and mortality rates of COVID-19 in pregnant women, it is reasonable to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women.

The optimal dose intensity of chemotherapy for elderly patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains controversial because of concerns about adverse events and comorbidities related to the patients’ frailty. This single-center study retrospectively analyzed patients aged ≥ 70 years who were newly diagnosed with DLBCL and received chemotherapy between 2004 and 2022. Survival outcomes and treatment-related mortality (TRM) were stratified according to geriatric assessment variables, and the influence of chemotherapy dose intensity on outcomes was assessed using the frailty score with a Cox hazards model with restricted cubic spline (RCS) in patients aged 70–79 years. In total, 337 patients were included. The frailty score accurately predicted prognosis (5-year overall survival [OS]: 73.1%, 60.2%, and 29.7% in fit, unfit, and frail patients, respectively; P < 0.001) and TRM (5-year TRM: 0%, 5.4%, and 16.8 in fit, unfit, and frail patients, respectively; P < 0.001). Cox regression with RCS demonstrated a linear association between dose intensity and survival outcomes. Initial dose intensity (IDI) and relative dose intensity (RDI) had a significant impact on OS in fit patients. However, IDI and RDI had no significant effect on survival in non-fit (unfit and frail) patients. The frailty score identified non-fit patients with poorer survival and a higher risk of TRM. While fit patients were likely to benefit from full-dose R-CHOP, unfit and frail patients would likely benefit more from attenuated R-CHOP. This study suggested a potential role for the frailty score in individualizing treatment intensity in elderly patients with DLBCL.

Background In Ontario, FOLFIRINOX (FFX) and gemcitabine + nab‐paclitaxel (GnP) have been publicly funded for first‐line unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer (uLAPC) or metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC) since April 2015. We examined the real‐world effectiveness and safety of FFX vs GnP for advanced pancreatic cancer, and in uLAPC and mPC. Methods Patients receiving first‐line FFX or GnP from April 2015 to March 2017 were identified in the New Drug Funding Program database. Baseline characteristics and outcomes were obtained through the Ontario Cancer Registry and other population‐based databases. Overall survival (OS) was assessed using Kaplan‐Meier and weighted Cox proportional hazard models, weighted by the inverse propensity score adjusting for baseline characteristics. Weighted odds ratio (OR) for hospitalization and emergency department visits (EDV) were estimated from weighted logistic regression models. Results For 1130 patients (632 FFX, 498 GnP), crude median OS was 9.6 and 6.1 months for FFX and GnP, respectively. Weighted OS was improved for FFX vs GnP (HR = 0.77, 0.70‐0.85). Less frequent EDV and hospitalization were observed in FFX (EDV: 67.8%; Hospitalization: 49.2%) than GnP (EDV: 77.7%; Hospitalization: 59.3%). More frequent febrile neutropenia‐related hospitalization was observed in FFX (5.8%) than GnP (3.3%). Risk of EDV and hospitalization were significantly lower for FFX vs GnP (EDV: OR = 0.68, P = .0001; Hospitalization: OR = 0.76, P = .002), whereas the risk of febrile neutropenia‐related hospitalization was significantly higher (OR = 2.12, P = .001). Outcomes for uLAPC and mPC were similar. Conclusion In the real world, FFX had longer OS, less frequent all‐cause EDV and all‐cause hospitalization, but more febrile neutropenia‐related hospitalization compared to GnP. In the real world, implementation of universal public funding of FOLFIRINOX for metastatic pancreatic cancer was associated with improved overall survival, less frequent all‐cause emergency department visits, less frequent all‐cause hospitalization, but increased febrile neutropenia‐related hospitalization compared to patients treated with gemcitabine + nab‐paclitaxel. Expanding funding to include unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer was associated with a similar trend in benefits, but with improved absolute survival.

Purpose Oxaliplatin-containing adjuvant chemotherapy yields a significant survival benefit in stage III colon cancer and is the standard of care. Simultaneously, it causes dose-dependent peripheral neuropathy that may increase the risk of fall-related injury (FRI) such as fracture and laceration. Because these events carry significant morbidity and the global burden of colon cancer is on the rise, we examined the association between treatment with a full versus shortened course of adjuvant chemotherapy and post-treatment FRI and fracture. Methods In this overlap propensity score weighted, retrospective cohort study, we included patients aged ≥ 18 years with resected stage III colon cancer diagnosed 2007–2019 and treated with oxaliplatin-containing adjuvant chemotherapy (oxaliplatin plus a fluoropyrimidine; capecitabine [CAPOX] or 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin [FOLFOX]). Propensity score methods facilitate the separation of design from analysis and comparison of baseline characteristics across the weighted groups. Treatment groups were defined as 50% (4 cycles CAPOX/6 cycles FOLFOX) and > 85% (7–8 cycles CAPOX/11–12 cycles FOLFOX) of a maximal course of adjuvant chemotherapy to approximate the treatment durations received in the IDEA collaboration. The main outcomes were time to any FRI and time to fracture. We determined the subdistribution hazard ratios (sHR) estimating the association between FRI/fracture and treatment group, accounting for the competing risk of death. Results We included 3,461 patients; 473 (13.7%) received 50% and 2,988 (86.3%) received > 85% of a maximal course of adjuvant therapy. For post-treatment FRI, median follow-up was 4.6 years and total follow-up was 17,968 person-years. There were 508 FRI, 301 fractures, and 692 deaths. Treatment with > 85% of a maximal course of therapy conferred a sHR of 0.84 (95% CI 0.62–1.13) for post-treatment FRI and a sHR of 0.72 (95% CI 0.49–1.06) for post-treatment fracture. Conclusion For patients with stage III colon cancer undergoing treatment with oxaliplatin-containing adjuvant chemotherapy, any potential neuropathy associated with longer durations of treatment was not found to result in greater rates of FRI and fracture. Within the limits of this retrospective study, our findings suggest concern about FRI, while mechanistically plausible, ought not to determine treatment duration.

Introduction Despite radical surgery, gastric cancer (GC) survival rates remain low in Western countries. Randomised trials suggest that perioperative chemotherapy downstages disease, improving long-term survival without increasing complications. We compared outcomes for upfront surgery (US) versus surgery combined with perioperative EOX (epirubicin, oxaliplatin, capecitabine) therapy for short- and long-term survival. Methods We analysed 310 patients who underwent curative intent gastrectomy for GC at a single tertiary centre from 2006 to 2017. Patients were assigned to the EOX group ( n  = 105) or the US group ( n  = 205). Propensity score matching (PSM) was utilised to balance baseline characteristics, clinical stage, surgery type, and histology. Short-term outcomes included the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI) and 30-day mortality, while long-term outcomes were overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and disease-free survival (DFS). Results After PSM, 102 patients remained in each group. The EOX group exhibited significantly lower preoperative haemoglobin levels compared to the US group, but other baseline characteristics were comparable. Tumour-related outcomes favoured the EOX group, with significantly smaller tumours ( P  < 0.001), fewer metastatic lymph nodes ( P  = 0.004), and lower tumour stages overall. Splenectomy was more common in the US group (40.2% versus 23.5%, P  = 0.011). Postoperative complications were similar between groups, although ICU admissions were more frequent in the EOX group (16.7% versus 6.9%, P  = 0.030). Thirty-day mortality rates were low and comparable (1.0% in the EOX group versus 2.0% in the US group, P  = 1.000). Long-term outcomes, including overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and disease-free survival (DFS), showed no significant differences between the groups. Conclusions Perioperative EOX therapy is as safe as upfront surgery and significantly reduces metastatic lymph nodes and tumour size, suggesting its role in downstaging the disease. However, despite these promising oncological responses, this benefit does not translate into improved long-term survival.

For elderly patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer, therapeutic approaches and outcomes in a modern cohort are not well characterized. Patients ≥70 years old with clinical stage II and III esophageal cancer diagnosed between 1998 and 2012 were identified from the National Cancer Database and stratified based on treatment type. Variables associated with treatment utilization were evaluated using logistic regression and survival evaluated using Cox proportional hazards analysis. Propensity matching (1:1) was performed to help account for selection bias. A total of 21,593 patients were identified. Median and maximum ages were 77 and 90, respectively. Treatment included palliative therapy (24.3%), chemoradiation (37.1%), trimodality therapy (10.0%), esophagectomy alone (5.6%), or no therapy (12.9%). Age ≥80 (OR 0.73), female gender (OR 0.81), Charlson–Deyo comorbidity score ≥2 (OR 0.82), and high‐volume centers (OR 0.83) were associated with a decreased likelihood of palliative therapy versus no treatment. Age ≥80 (OR 0.79) and Clinical Stage III (OR 0.33) were associated with a decreased likelihood, while adenocarcinoma histology (OR 1.33) and nonacademic cancer centers (OR 3.9), an increased likelihood of esophagectomy alone compared to definitive chemoradiation. Age ≥80 (OR 0.15), female gender (OR 0.80), and non‐Caucasian race (OR 0.63) were associated with a decreased likelihood, while adenocarcinoma histology (OR 2.10) and high‐volume centers (OR 2.34), an increased likelihood of trimodality therapy compared to definitive chemoradiation. Each treatment type demonstrated improved survival compared to no therapy: palliative treatment (HR 0.49) to trimodality therapy (HR 0.25) with significance between all groups. Any therapy, including palliative care, was associated with improved survival; however, subsets of elderly patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer are less likely to receive aggressive therapy. Care should be taken to not unnecessarily deprive these individuals of treatment that may improve survival. Through analysis of the NCDB, we found both definitive and palliative therapy results in improved survival over no therapy in the elderly. Specific groups are less likely to receive aggressive therapy suggesting that nonclinical factors in treatment selection may compromise outcomes.

Background Data are currently insufficient to support the use of adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) after surgical resection for stage II or III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients aged ≥ 75 years. In this study we evaluated efficacy and safety profile of ACT in this population. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 140 patients ≥ 75 years who underwent curative surgical resection for stage II–III NSCLC from 2010 to 2018 with an indication to ACT according to current guidelines. A propensity score-matched analysis was performed to avoid cofounding biases. Results Thirty of 140 patients (21%) received ACT. Most patients (n = 24, 80%) received carboplatin in combination with vinorelbine, while 5 patients (17%) received cisplatin plus vinorelbine and one patient (3%) carboplatin plus gemcitabine. The occurrence of adverse events led to treatment discontinuation in 8 (27%) cases, while 19 (63%) patients completed 4 chemotherapy cycles. Common reported adverse events with ACT were anemia (n = 20, 67%), neutropenia (n = 18, 60%), thrombocytopenia (n = 9, 30%), renal impairment (n = 4, 13%) and transaminase elevation (n = 4, 13%). No toxic deaths occurred. The median follow-up was 67 months (IQR: 53–87). ACT was associated with a significant benefit in both relapse-free survival (median 36 vs. 18.5 months, p = 0.049) and overall survival (median not reached [NR] vs. 33.5 months, p = 0.023) in a propensity score-matched analysis which controlled for cofounders. Conclusion ACT confers a survival benefit after curative resection of stage II–III NSCLC in selected patients aged 75 years or older with a manageable toxicity profile.

Purpose: This study investigated the outcome of elderly patients (≥65 years) with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TESCC) treated with esophagectomy and postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) or definitive radiotherapy (DRT). Patients and Methods: One hundred and ninety patients (median age of 72 years) who received PORT (n = 68) or DRT (n = 122) for TESCC were analyzed. Majority of them showed locally advanced disease (T3/4: 70.5%, N+: 70.5%, Stage III: 51.6%). Compared to patients who received DRT, those who received PORT had lower Age-Adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index (AACCI) scores (2.49 ± 0.61 vs. 3.73 ± 1.28, χ2 = 7.283; P = 0.000) and higher Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) (χ2 = 9.016; P = 0.003) and were of younger ages (68.90 ± 3.00 vs. 75.17 ± 5.71, χ2 = 9.925; P = 0.000). Results: Overall survival (OS) was significantly higher in the PORT group (median, 61.2 months; 95% confidence interval [CI], 46.04-76.36) than in the DRT group (median, 24.37 months; 95% CI, 15.43-33.31). Multivariate analysis showed that treatment method (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.38, 95% CI, 1.46-3.90; P = 0.001), clinical T stage (HR: 0.57, 95% CI, 0.34-0.95; P = 0.031), and lymph node metastasis (HR: 0.51, 95% CI, 0.31-0.84; P = 0.008) were independent prognostic factors. Regarding subgroup analysis, OS of patients receiving PORT was significantly higher than that of DRT in the T3-4 group (HR: 2.98, 95% CI, 1.80-4.92; P = 0.000) and the N+ group (HR: 2.20, 95% CI, 1.26-3.83; P = 0.006). Conclusions: The efficacy of PORT for the treatment of elderly TESCC patients was superior to DRT. With regard to AACCI, KPS, and age, DRT is still a treatment option for elderly TESCC patients, especially for those >75 years of age.

The consequences of minor trauma involving a head injury (MT-HI) in independent older adults are largely unknown. This study assessed the impact of a head injury on the functional outcomes six months post-injury in older adults who sustained a minor trauma. This multicenter prospective cohort study in eight sites included patients who were aged 65 years or older, previously independent, presenting to the emergency department (ED) for a minor trauma, and discharged within 48 hours. To assess the functional decline, we used a validated test: the Older Americans' Resources and Services Scale. The cognitive function of study patients was also evaluated. Finally, we explored the influence of a concomitant injury on the functional decline in the MT-HI group. All 926 eligible patients were included in the analyses: 344 MT-HI patients and 582 minor trauma without head injury. After six months, the functional decline was similar in both groups: 10.8% and 11.9%, respectively (RR=0.79 [95% CI: 0.55-1.14]). The proportion of patients with mild cognitive disabilities was also similar: 21.7% and 22.8%, respectively (RR=0.91 [95% CI: 0.71-1.18]). Furthermore, for the group of patients with a MT-HI, the functional outcome was not statistically different with or without the presence of a co-injury (RR=1.35 [95% CI: 0.71-2.59]). This study did not demonstrate that the occurrence of a MT-HI is associated with a worse functional or cognitive prognosis than other minor injuries without a head injury in an elderly population, six months after injury.