Low-dose CT screening can reduce cancer mortality: A meta-analysis

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death. To reduce lung cancer mortality and detect lung cancer in early stages, low dose CT screening is required. A meta-analysis was conducted to verify whether screening could reduce lung cancer mortality and to determine the optimal screening program. METHODS We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane library, ScienceDirect, and relevant Chinese databases. Randomized controlled trial studies with participants that were smokers older than 49 years (smoking >15 years or quit smoking 10 or 15 years ago) were included. RESULTS Nine RCT studies met the criteria. LDCT screening could find more lung cancer cases (RR=1.58, 95%CI=1.25-1.99, P<0.001) and more stage I lung cancers (RR=3.45, 95%CI=2.08-5.72, P<0.001) compared to chest-X ray or the no screening group. This indicated a statistically significant reduction in lung-cancer-specific mortality (RR=0.84, 95%CI=0.75-0.95, P=0.004), but without a statistically reduction in mortality due to all causes (RR=1.26, 95%CI=0.89-1.78, P=0.193). Annually, LDCT screening was sensitive in finding more lung cancers. CONCLUSIONS Low-dose CT screening is effective in finding more lung cancer cases and decreasing the deaths from lung cancer. Annual low-dose CT screening may be better than a biennial screening to detect more early-stage lung cancer cases.

RESUMO OBJETIVO O câncer de pulmão é a principal causa de mortes relacionadas ao câncer. Para reduzir a mortalidade por câncer de pulmão e encontrar câncer de pulmão em um estágio inicial, é necessária uma triagem por tomografia de baixa dose. Uma meta-análise foi emitida para testemunhar se a triagem poderia reduzir a mortalidade por câncer de pulmão e investigar o melhor programa de triagem. MÉTODOS Pesquisamos PubMed, Web of Science, biblioteca Cochrane, ScienceDirect e relevante banco de dados chinês. Ensaios clínicos controlados aleatórios, em que os participantes eram fumantes com mais de 49 anos (tabagismo >15 anos ou parar de fumar 10 ou 15 anos atrás) foram incluídos. RESULTADOS Nove estudos RCT preencheram os critérios. O rastreamento de LDCT pôde encontrar mais cânceres de pulmão (RR=1,58, IC 95%=1,25-1,99, P<0,001) e mais cânceres de estágio I do pulmão (RR=3,45, IC 95%=2,08-5,72, P<0,001) em comparação com raio X do tórax ou nenhum grupo de triagem. Ele indicou uma redução estatisticamente significativa na mortalidade específica do câncer de pulmão (RR=0,84, IC 95%=0,75-0,95, P=0,004), mas sem uma redução estatisticamente significativa na mortalidade por todas as causas (RR=1,26, IC 95%=0,89-1,78, P=0,193). Anualmente, o rastreamento de LDCT foi sensível em encontrar mais cânceres de pulmão. CONCLUSÕES A triagem de TC de baixa dose é eficaz para encontrar mais cânceres de pulmão e diminuir as mortes por câncer de pulmão. Para encontrar mais cânceres de pulmão em estágio inicial, a triagem anual de tomografia de baixa dose pode ser melhor do que a triagem bianual.

Negative life events and Internet addiction: the mediating role of depression / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore the mediating role of depression in the association between life events and Internet addiction, and to provide evidence for the intervention of Internet addiction.@*Methods@#A total of 3 536 students randomly selected from 3 vocational colleges in Anhui Province completed the questionnaire survey, which included adolescents’ demographic characteristics, the Young Internet Addiction Inventory, the Adolescent Life Events Scale, and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale.@*Results@#Of the 3 536 students surveyed, 427 were Internet addicts (12.08%), including 183 boys (14.89%) and 244 girls (10.58%). Negative life events were associated with depression and Internet addiction (r=-0.30，0.28, P<0.01); depression was mediated indirectly between negative life events and Internet addiction. There was statistical significance (a=0.30, b=0.13, P<0.01). Depression-mediated indirect effects accounted for 14.67% of the total effects.@*Conclusion@#Depression plays a mediating role in the relationship between negative life events and adolescents’ Internet addiction, suggesting that we can reduce the incidence of Internet addiction by reducing students’ depression through early psychological diagnosis and psychological quality training.

Association between different parent-child separation types and emotion regulation strategies among preschool children / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand effects of timing and duration of separation experiences from parents on emotion regulation of left-behind preschoolers,and to provide the reference for phychological instruction and intervention among the special groups of children.@*Methods@#Children’s emotion regulation strategy and the relevant information among 1 373 left-behind preschool children from Funan county in Fuyang.Qianshan county in Anqing,Changfeng county and Fexi county inFeixi were investigated.@*Results@#Children with left-behind experiences younger than 18 months old tend to use less cognitive restructuring (P=0.03) and alternative action strategies (P=0.00) than non-left behind children. Children separated from father less than 47 months (median) and 36 months (median) from mother tend to use less cognitive restructuring (P=0.00) and alternative action strategies (P=0.00) than non-left behind children.@*Conclusion@#Separation experiences from parents younger than 18 months old exert severe damage on children’s emotional regulation. With the duration of separation increases, children show resilience of emotion regulation, which might be a protective factor for negative emotion due to parent-child separation.

Exploring Patterns and Trends with Selected Cancer Rates Reported by China National Cancer Registry: Alternative Perspectives and Findings.

Background: National cancer registration reports provide huge potential for identifying patterns and trends of policy, research, prevention and treatment significance. Yet given the range of factors involved in cancer onset, case identification, progression and reporting, pin-pointing this complexity requires systematic thinking and varied strategies of data analysis. Methods: The study extracts data about incidence rates (IRs) and mortality rates (MRs) of lung, stomach, colorectal and liver cancers for 2004, 2006 and 2009 from relevant China National Cancer Registry (CNCR) reports and analyzes the data using line-graphs, ratios and logistic growth modeling. Results: The study shows that: a) all line graphs of age-specific IRs and MRs of the 4 cancers characterized typical S-shape with substantial differences in terms of smoothness, height and proximity; b) MR lines mimicked and located below the corresponding (of the same cancer, population group and year of reporting) IR lines for almost all the age groups except 1 to 2 oldest ones; c) colorectal cancer witnessed the lowest MR/IR ratios on average followed by gastric and lung cancers and all such ratios featured an increasing trend along the age spectrum; d) urban vs. rural ratios in IRs or MRs showed an increasing trend along the age axis for 3 out of the 4 cancers but a typical v-shaped curves for stomach cancer; e) the lines of recent vs. early ratios in cumulative IRs or MRs for urban areas located apparently closer than that for rural areas; f) all the age-specific IRs and MRs fitted very well with logistic growth models (goodness of fit> 0.91) and the integrations and ages when the models reached 5%, 50% or 95% of their highest values yielded interesting features. Conclusion: The study provides useful perspectives for analyzing age-specific IRs and MRs and reveals a number of interesting patterns and trends with cancer counts reported by CNCR.