ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: As the population ages, the proportion of elderly patients requiring total hip arthroplasty (THA) increases, but it is not clear whether older age independently influences outcome. The aim was to assess function, quality of life, and satisfaction after THA in patients ≥ 80 years compared with those aged between 65 and 75 years when adjusting for confounding factors. METHODS: A single-center retrospective cohort study was performed between 2010 and 2019. A total 2,367 THAs were performed on patients ≥ 80 years and 5,113 on patients aged 65 to 75 years. The demographic data and length of stay (LOS) were recorded. Preoperative and 2-year postoperative Oxford Hip Scores (OHS), EuroQol (EQ-5D), and satisfaction scores were collected. Clinically meaningful difference was defined as 5 points in OHS and utility of 0.085 in EQ-5D. Regression analyses were performed to adjust for confounding factors. RESULTS: Patients in ≥ 80-years group were more likely women (P < .001), have higher American Society of Anesthesiolgists grade (P < .001), worse preoperative OHS (mean difference [MD] 2.3, P < .001), and EQ-5D (MD 0.087, P < .001). Both age groups achieved clinically meaningful and statistically significant (P < .001) improvement in OHS and EQ-5D utility at 2 years. When adjusting for confounding variables, the ≥ 80-year-old group had significantly (P < .001) lower improvement in OHS (MD -1.9 points) and EQ-5D (MD -0.055 utility), but these differences were not clinically meaningful. There was no difference (P = .813) in satisfaction between the groups. When adjusting for confounding variables, ≥ 80-year-old group had increased risk of longer LOS (odds ratio 1.27, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: There were no clinically meaningful differences in hip-specific outcome or health-related quality of life according to age group, and both were equally satisfied with their outcome. The older age group did, however, have longer LOS. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III retrospective cohort study.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Mucosal melanoma (MM) is a rare disease, accounting for approximately 1.4% of all melanomas and only 0.03% of all new cancer diagnoses. Traditionally, it has been associated with a poor prognosis, with an overall 5-year survival rate of <25%. Progress in treatment has been hindered by its rarity and lack of evidence. However, studies on the treatment of subcutaneous melanoma with immunotherapy have demonstrated significant improvement in survival rates and have become a core part of oncological strategies. This paper discusses the revision of the evidence for the use of immunotherapy in the head and neck. METHODS: This systematic review was conducted on January 19, 2019. The Medline and Embase databases were searched. In total, 509 articles were collated and screened. Inclusion criteria for the study included treatment-naive cohorts, cohorts with recurrent disease, primary outcomes with overall survival and disease-free survival at 5 years and at the longest follow-up, and studies of adults with MM in whom immunotherapy was reported as a treatment strategy. The exclusion criteria included duplicate papers, anatomical sites other than the head and neck, case reports, and those not published in English. RESULTS: Fifty-two papers out of the 509 collated papers met the inclusion criteria. The results are shown as a comparison of yearly survival rates following different treatment modalities (immunotherapy vs nonimmunotherapy) at 2, 3, and 5 years. It was found that, with immunotherapy, survival rates at all intervals were higher than those without immunotherapy. DISCUSSION: Immunotherapy outcomes in small studies have shown good data for increasing survival rates at yearly intervals in MM of the head and neck. Larger clinical trials are needed to accurately distinguish the efficacy and survival outcomes of immunotherapy when compared with treatment modalities, excluding immunotherapy. However, the ability to perform larger trials is limited by the rarity of MM of the head and neck.
