Acute perforated appendicitis: An analysis of risk factors to guide surgical decision making.

Introduction: Acute perforated appendicitis is associated with increased post-operative morbidity and mortality. Avoiding delays in surgery in these patients may play a role in reducing observed morbidity. Objective: To analyze the clinico-pathological profile and outcomes in a cohort of patients undergoing emergency appendicectomies for suspected acute appendicitis and to determine factors influencing the risk of perforated appendicitis in order to aid better identification of such patients and develop protocols for improved management of this subset of patients. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients undergoing emergency appendicectomies following presentation with acute appendicitis to the Modbury hospital, South Australia from March 2007 to April 2011 was conducted. Statistical analyses were performed in SAS 9.2. Results and Discussion: 506 patients underwent emergency appendectomy for acute appendicitis which included equal number of male and female patients with a median age of 25 years. Perforated appendicitis was found in 102 (20%) patients. Post-operative morbidity was significantly higher in patients with perforated appendicitis (28.4% vs 4.7%; P<0.0001). Male sex, patients older than 60 years, along with raised neutrophil counts and C-reactive protein levels were found to be significantly associated with the risk of perforation (P<0.05). Conclusions: Acute perforated appendicitis is associated with high morbidity. The increased risk of perforation in males and elderly patients appears unrelated to delays in presentation, diagnosis, or surgery. Patients with clinically diagnosed acute appendicitis and an elevation in neutrophil count and CRP level must be considered candidates for early surgery as they are likely to have an appendicular perforation.

Comparing cancer profiles and survival of aboriginal and non-aboriginal patients in South Australia: where are the opportunities for improving Aboriginal health?

Data from the South Australian Cancer Registry (SACR) for 1977-2003 were used to calculate expected and actual distributions of cancer sites in Aboriginal versus non-Aboriginal populations. Expected distributions were calculated using indirect standardisation and compared with actual distributions using a global Chi-square test. Individual contributions to the Chi-square statistic (from each cancer site) were examined using a z-test and Bonferroni corrected p-value. The expected figure for each cancer site corresponds to the number of cancers we would have expected in Aboriginal patients if they had the same cancer distribution of site by age as the non-Aboriginal population. Expected 5- and 10-year survivals were also calculated and compared to expected survivals drawn from Statewide survivals adjusted for age at diagnosis. There was an overall significant difference in expected and actual cancer site distributions for South Australian Aboriginal male (c2 (17df) = 202.94) and female (c2 (20df) = 311.93) patients, and all patients collectively (c2 (22df) = 485.43). Aboriginal patients had poorer expected 5- and 10-year survival compared with South Australian non-Aboriginal patients, and even poorer actual 5- and 10-year survival than expected. The differences between the expected and actual cancer site distributions reflect the disparities in risk factor prevalence for largely preventable cancers and the survival results reflect the multitude of obstacles confronting Aboriginal patients with cancer compared with non-Aboriginal cancer patients. This study provides areas of focus for interventions to reduce cancer levels in the Aboriginal population and to improve survival of Aboriginal people diagnosed with cancer.

Myeloid leukaemia treatment and survival--the South Australian experience, 1977 to 2002.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate trends in survival and treatment for myeloid leukaemia in South Australia during 1977-2002, using population-based survival data plus data on survival and treatment of patients at three teaching hospitals. METHODS: Population data were analysed using relative survival methods and hospital registry data using disease-specific survival. Univariate and multivariable analyses were undertaken. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to investigate factors associated with first-line chemotherapy. RESULTS: South Australia recorded 1,572 new cases of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in 1977-2002, together with 536 cases of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Of these cases, 42.6% were recorded in teaching hospital registries. The five-year survival for AML at the teaching hospitals of 14.5% was similar to the corresponding 12.0% for South Australia as a whole. The five-year survival for CML at these hospitals was higher, however, at 48.1% compared with 37.5% for all South Australian cases. Younger patients had higher survivals, both for AML and CML. An increase in survival was evident for more recently diagnosed cases for both leukaemia types, after adjusting for age. This increase in survival was accompanied by an increase over time in the proportion of patients at teaching hospitals having a primary course of chemotherapy. Cytarabine in combination with other agents was the most common induction therapy for AML. While hydroxyurea was the most common first-line treatment of CML, there were changes in clinical policies towards higher-dose treatments, plus trials of new agents and combination therapies. CONCLUSIONS: Secular gains in survival have occurred from AML and CML in association with an increased use of chemotherapy.

Changes in incidence of in situ and invasive breast cancer by histology type following mammography screening.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate secular trends and correlates of incidence of breast cancer by histology type following the introduction of population-based mammography screening. METHODS: Analysis of age-standardised incidence rates for 1,423 in situ and 16,157 invasive carcinomas recorded on the South Australian population-based cancer registry for the 1985-2004 diagnostic period. Multiple logistic regression was undertaken to compare socio-demographic characteristics by histology. Progression from in situ disease was investigated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The incidence of in situ lesions increased approximately seven-fold over the 20-year period, compared with an increase of about 40% for invasive cancers. The increase for in situ lesions was due to increases for ductal carcinomas, with little change for lobular lesions. By comparison, the percentage increase in incidence for invasive cancer was greater for lobular than ductal cancers. Both for in situ and invasive cancers, percentage increases were greatest for the screening target age range of 50-69 years. One in 14 in situ cases was found to progress to invasive cancer within seven years of diagnosis, but insufficient detail was available to determine whether the invasive cancers were a progression of the in situ lesions or whether they originated separately. These invasive cancers were smaller than generally applying for other invasive cancers of the female breast. CONCLUSIONS: The larger secular increases in incidence for in situ than invasive cancers would reflect the dominant role of mammography in the detection of ductal carcinoma in situ. The lack of an increase for lobular in situ lesions may have resulted from their poorer radiological visibility. The greater percentage increase for lobular than ductal invasive lesions may have been due to an increase in imaging sensitivity for these lesions, plus real increases in incidence. The smaller sizes of invasive cancers found in women with a prior in situ diagnosis may have resulted from more intensive medical surveillance, although the possibility of biological differences cannot be discounted.

Paraproteins: a regional South Australian experience.

We have performed a systematic review of all new serum and urinary paraproteins detected over a six year period in an immunodiagnostic laboratory serving a population of 400,000 people. Clinical diagnoses and associated laboratory features were ascertained from a computerized laboratory database or from clinical notes. Over the period of study, serum or urine paraproteins were detected in 613 new patients. These consisted of 568 patients with serum paraproteins and 45 patients with urinary monoclonal free light chain (in the absence of a serum paraprotein). These paraproteins occurred more commonly in males and the frequency increased with age. Approximately 30% of the serum paraproteins and 60% of urinary monoclonal free light chain were associated with B cell lymphoproliferative disorders (multiple myeloma, plasmacytoma, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, etc) with the remainder being labeled as monoclonal gammopathies of uncertain significance (MGUS). At clinical presentation, patients with lymphoproliferative disorders tended to have higher levels of paraprotein, B2 microglobulin, the presence of free urinary light chain and demonstrated molecular size heterogeneity of the paraprotein but there was considerable overlap. A good correlation was noted between paraprotein concentration and viscosity in most patients. In conclusion paraproteins were most frequently encountered in the context of a gammopathy of uncertain significance. Features which suggested lymphoproliferative disorders included higher levels of serum paraprotein (> 15 g/l), elevated levels of B2-microglobulin and the presence of urinary free high chain. However, as much overlap was seen with patients with MGUS, regular monitoring of paraprotein level is considered mandatory in the management of these patients.