Ecoclimate drivers shape virome diversity in a globally invasive tick species.

Spillovers of viruses from animals to humans occur more frequently under warmer conditions, particularly arboviruses. The invasive tick species Haemaphysalis longicornis, the Asian longhorned tick, poses a significant public health threat due to its global expansion and its potential to carry a wide range of pathogens. We analyzed meta-transcriptomic data from 3595 adult H. longicornis ticks collected between 2016 and 2019 in 22 provinces across China encompassing diverse ecological conditions. Generalized additive modeling revealed that climate factors exerted a stronger influence on the virome of H. longicornis than other ecological factors, such as ecotypes, distance to coastline, animal host, tick gender, and antiviral immunity. To understand how climate changes drive the tick virome, we performed a mechanistic investigation using causality inference with emphasis on the significance of this process for public health. Our findings demonstrated that higher temperatures and lower relative humidity/precipitation contribute to variations in animal host diversity, leading to increased diversity of the tick virome, particularly the evenness of vertebrate-associated viruses. These findings may explain the evolution of tick-borne viruses into generalists across multiple hosts, thereby increasing the probability of spillover events involving tick-borne pathogens. Deep learning projections have indicated that the diversity of the H. longicornis virome is expected to increase in 81.9% of regions under the SSP8.5 scenario from 2019 to 2030. Extension of surveillance should be implemented to avert the spread of tick-borne diseases.

Use of patient-reported experience and outcome measures within the colorectal cancer care continuum: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) are frequently adopted to evaluate colorectal cancer (CRC) care, but the use of patient-reported experience measures (PREM) appears to be underdeveloped and not widely validated. This scoping review aims to understand the contexts for deployment of PREMs in CRC care, reliability of measures, gaps in current use of PREMs, and how PREMs are associated with PROMs when deployed together. METHODS: Four scientific databases (PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus) were systematically searched from January 2011 to December 2023. Observational or interventional studies involving quantitative or mixed methodology with samples consisting CRC patients undergoing screening, treatment, or cancer surveillance and utilizing at least one PREM as an exposure or outcome were included. RESULTS: The initial search resulted in 10,400 records. Only 13 relevant studies (consisting of 17,105 participants) met the eligibility criteria. Utilization of PREMs was heterogenous across our sample and the CRC care continuum, and about half of the studies (53.8%) evaluated the relationship between PREMs and PROMs. PREM usage across the CRC care continuum largely focused on treatment/survivorship. Better care experience was positively associated with improved patient-reported outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Future work in CRC PREM development should focus on (1) establishing validated measures that aim to either capture disease/treatment-specific granularity or capitalize on applicability across care settings, (2) localizing novel or existing PREMs to consider different cultural contexts in healthcare, and (3) benchmarking associations between PREMs, PROMs, and other outcomes of interest. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Individuals progressing through the CRC care continuum often undergo a multitude of procedures from detection and diagnosis to treatment and surveillance. The establishment of validated PREMs specific to CRC would help to benchmark and further improve the quality of care received-which should translate to better patient-reported outcomes-and serve as process indicators for institutions and providers to maintain rigorous health service delivery standard for CRC survivors.

Case report: From palliative to potentially curative - the advent of immunotherapy providing hope to advanced gallbladder adenocarcinoma.

Introduction: Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are often diagnosed at an advanced stage where prognosis is poor and curative-intent surgery is infeasible. First-line cisplatin-gemcitabine chemotherapy for advanced gallbladder cancer has remained unchanged over more than a decade, but recent developments in immunotherapy such as durvalumab have highlighted promise as a combination treatment regime with current standard chemotherapy. Methods: In this case description, we present a case of locally-advanced gallbladder adenocarcinoma involving the biliary confluence that was initially planned for an extended right hepatectomy after portal vein embolization. Interval imaging revealed peritoneal metastasis, which was confirmed on diagnostic laparoscopy and biopsy. The patient underwent 8 cycles of cisplatin 25 mg/m2 and gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 chemotherapy on days 1 and 8 of each 21-day cycle, with durvalumab (Imfinzi®) 1,500 mg immunotherapy on day 1 of every cycle, in accordance with the treatment protocol of the TOPAZ-1 trial. Repeat imaging demonstrated a stable primary lesion with no further evidence of peritoneal disease. The patient subsequently underwent curative-intent conversion surgery with an extended right hepatectomy and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy, which were completed through a fully minimally-invasive laparoscopic approach. Results: Final pathological TNM classification was ypT1aN0, with near-complete pathological response to pre-surgical therapy, uninvolved margins (R0 resection) and tumour shrinkage from 2.5 centimetres on pre-operative cross-sectional imaging to 0.5 centimetres on final histology. The patient had an uneventful post-operative course, and was fit for discharge by the fourth post-operative day. He remained well after three months of routine post-operative follow-up, with no significant post-operative complications and biochemical or radiological evidence of disease recurrence. Conclusion: Our case description highlights the immense potential of combination durvalumab immunotherapy with cisplatin-gemcitabine chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced gallbladder adenocarcinoma. The patient's locally advanced disease was initially planned for complex open surgery, prior to discovery of peritoneal metastasis rendering it inoperable. This was successfully down-staged with combination therapy to eventual R0 resection via minimally-invasive surgery. In addition, this case description demonstrates the feasibility of a fully laparoscopic approach with postulated benefits of diagnostic re-evaluation of peritoneal disease, reduced wound pain and shorter length of hospital stay.

Deciphering Biotic and Abiotic Mechanisms Underlying Straw Decomposition and Soil Organic Carbon Priming in Agriculture Soils Receiving Long-Term Fertilizers.

Straw-related carbon (C) dynamics are central for C accrual in agro-ecosystems and should be assessed by investigating their decomposition and soil organic carbon (SOC) priming effects. Our understanding of biotic and abiotic mechanisms underpinning these two C processes, however, is still not sufficiently profound. Soils that had received organic and mineral fertilizers for 26 years were sampled for a 28 day incubation experiment to assess 13C-labeled straw decomposition and SOC priming effects. On the basis of analyzing physicochemical properties, fungal taxonomic (MiSeq sequencing) and functional (metagenomics) guilds, we quantified the contributions of biotic and abiotic attributes to straw decomposition and SOC priming. Here, we propose two distinct mechanisms underlying straw decomposition and SOC priming in agriculture soils: (i) accelerated straw mineralization in manure-treated soils was mainly driven by biotic forces, while (ii) larger SOC priming in NPK-amended soils was through abiotic regulation.

Late-onset cytomegalovirus cholangiopathy in a renal transplant patient: Case report and review of the literature.

This case report highlights the investigation and treatment of a 70-year-old male with cytomegalovirus (CMV) cholangiopathy. The patient underwent a kidney transplant in 2016 and presented 3 years later with the atypical presentation of left shoulder pain associated with dilated biliary tree and mild transaminitis. Initial endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) showed diffuse stricture of the common bile duct, requiring stenting, and over the course of a year multiple stent changes were required to prevent cholestasis. CMV polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were conducted on bile duct brushings and found to be positive. Oral valganciclovir was given for 6 weeks but the strictures did not resolve. He underwent a laparoscopic total choledochectomy and hepaticojejunostomy as definitive treatment. CMV involvement of the biliary tract has rarely been reported in kidney transplant patients. Antiviral therapy in the form of ganciclovir or valganciclovir is often sufficient to eradicate CMV infection and improve clinical disease. Surgical management should be considered only if the patient has failed medical therapy, or if there is suspicion of malignancy. This case shows that in renal transplant patients presenting with cholangiopathy, CMV disease should be considered as a possible differential even in patients without early CMV infection or with prior CMV prophylaxis.

Robotic approach for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma: from Bismuth 1 to vascular resection.

BACKGROUND: Implementation of minimally invasive surgical approaches for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) has been relatively slow compared to other indications. This is due to the complexity of the disease and the need of advanced skills for the reconstructive phase. The robot may contribute to close the gap between open and minimally invasive surgery in patients with Klastkin tumors. STUDY DESIGN: We report details of our experience with robotic approach in patients affected by pCCA. In particular selection criteria, ERAS management, technical tips and robotic setup are discussed. Finally, results from our cohort are reported. A video clip of a patient that underwent left hepatectomy with en-bloc caudatectomy and portal vein resection at the confluence with end-to-end reconstruction for a pCCA 3-b according to Bismuth-Corlette classification with full robotic approach is enclosed. RESULTS: Fourteen patients underwent robotic resection of pCCA over the three-year interval with a median follow-up interval of 18.7 months. The pre-operative Bismuth-Corlette classification was 1 for two patients (14.2%) and 2 for one patient (7.1%), 3-a for three (21.4%) patients, 3-b for four (28.6%) patients and 4 for four (28.6%) patients. Median estimated blood loss was 150 ml (range 50-800 ml) and median operative time was 490 min (range 390-750 min). The median length of hospital stay after the index operation was 6 days (range 3-91). Final histology revealed a median of 19 (range 11-40) lymph nodes retrieved, with 92.9% R0 resections. 90-days mortality was nihil and 3-year survival exceeds 50%. CONCLUSION: With adequate preparation, outcomes of robotic approach to pCCA can be safe and in line with the current international benchmark outcomes, as showed in this study, when performed in expert high volume centers for complex major hepatectomy and robotic HPB.

Early vs late drain removal after pancreatic resection-a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Reducing clinically relevant post-operative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) incidence after pancreatic resections has been a topic of great academic interest. Optimizing post-operative drain management is a potential strategy in reducing this major complication. METHODS: Studies involving pancreatic resections, including both pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and distal pancreatic resections (DP), with intra-operative drain placement were screened. Early drain removal was defined as removal before or on the 3rd post-operative day (POD) while late drain removal was defined as after the 3rd POD. The primary outcome was CR-POPF, International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery (ISGPS) Grade B and above. Secondary outcomes were all complications, severe complications, post-operative haemorrhage, intra-abdominal infections, delayed gastric emptying, reoperation, length of stay, readmission, and mortality. RESULTS: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were included for analysis. The studies had a total of 8574 patients, comprising 1946 in the early removal group and 6628 in the late removal group. Early drain removal was associated with a significantly lower risk of CR-POPF (OR: 0.24, p < 0.01). Significant reduction in risk of post-operative haemorrhage (OR: 0.55, p < 0.01), intra-abdominal infection (OR: 0.35, p < 0.01), re-admission (OR: 0.63, p < 0.01), re-operation (OR: 0.70, p = 0.03), presence of any complications (OR: 0.46, p < 0.01), and reduced length of stay (SMD: -0.75, p < 0.01) in the early removal group was also observed. CONCLUSION: Early drain removal is associated with significant reductions in incidence of CR-POPF and other post-operative complications. Further prospective randomised trials in this area are recommended to validate these findings.

Preoperative Quality of Life and Mental Health Can Predict Postoperative Outcomes and Quality of Life after Colorectal Cancer Surgery.

Background and Objectives: It remains unclear which domains of preoperative health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and mental health are predictive of postoperative clinical and patient-reported outcomes in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort of 78 CRC patients undergoing elective curative surgery was recruited. The EORTC QLQ-C30 and HADS questionnaires were administered preoperatively and one month after surgery. Results: Preoperative cognitive functioning scores (95% CI 0.131-1.158, p = 0.015) and low anterior resection (95% CI 14.861-63.260, p = 0.002) independently predicted poorer 1-month postoperative global QOL. When postoperative complications were represented using the comprehensive complication index (CCI), poorer preoperative physical function scores were associated with higher CCI scores (B = -0.277, p = 0.014). Preoperative social function score (OR = 0.925, 95% CI 0.87 to 0.99; p = 0.019) was an independent predictor for 30-day readmission, while physical functioning score (OR = -0.620, 95% CI -1.073--0.167, p = 0.008) was inversely related to the length of hospitalization. The overall regressions for 1-month postoperative global QOL (R2: 0.546, F: 1.961, p = 0.023) and 30-day readmission (R2: 0.322, χ2: 13.129, p < 0.001) were statistically significant. Conclusions: Various QLQ-C30 domains were found to be predictive of postoperative outcomes, including complications, readmission, and length of hospitalization. Preoperative cognitive dysfunction and low AR were independent predictors of poorer postoperative global QOL. Future research should seek to examine the efficacy of targeting specific baseline QOL domains in improving clinical as well as patient-reported outcomes after CRC surgery.

Recent advances in recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma therapy.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent form of primary liver cancer, accounting for 75%-85% of cases. Although treatments are given to cure early-stage HCC, up to 50%-70% of individuals may experience a relapse of the illness in the liver after 5 years. Research on the fundamental treatment modalities for recurrent HCC is moving significantly further. The precise selection of individuals for therapy strategies with established survival advantages is crucial to ensuring better outcomes. These strategies aim to minimize substantial morbidity, support good life quality, and enhance survival for patients with recurrent HCC. For individuals with recurring HCC after curative treatment, no approved therapeutic regimen is currently available. A recent study presented novel approaches, like immunotherapy and antiviral medication, to improve the prognosis of patients with recurring HCC with the apparent lack of data to guide the clinical treatment. The data supporting several neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies for patients with recurring HCC are outlined in this review. We also discuss the potential for future clinical and translational investigations.

Safely Implementing a Program of Pure Laparoscopic Donor Right Hepatectomy: The Experience From a Southeast Asian Center.

Laparoscopic donor right hepatectomy (LDRH) is a technically challenging procedure. There is increasing evidence demonstrating the safety of LDRH in high-volume expert centers. We report our center's experience in implementing an LDRH program in a small- to medium-sized transplantation program. Methods: Our center systematically introduced a laparoscopic hepatectomy program in 2006. We started with minor wedge resections followed by major hepatectomies with increasing complexities. In 2017, we performed our first laparoscopic living donor left lateral sectionectomy. Since 2018, we have performed 8 cases of right lobe living donor hepatectomy (laparoscopy-assisted: 4 and pure laparoscopic: 4). Results: The median operative time was 418 (298-540) min, whereas the median blood loss was 300 (150-900) mL. Two patients (25%) had surgical drain placed intraoperatively. The median length of stay was 5 (3-8) d, and the median time to return to work was 55 (24-90) d. None of the donors sustained any long-term morbidity or mortality. Conclusions: Small- to medium-sized transplant programs face unique challenges in adopting LDRH. Progressive introduction of complex laparoscopic surgery, a mature living donor liver transplantation program, appropriate patient selection, and the invitation of an expert to proctor the LDRH are necessary to ensure success.

Tradeoffs of microbial life history strategies drive the turnover of microbial-derived organic carbon in coastal saline soils.

Stable soil organic carbon (SOC) formation in coastal saline soils is important to improve arable land quality and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. However, how microbial life-history strategies and metabolic traits regulate SOC turnover in coastal saline soils remains unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of microbial life history strategy tradeoffs on microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) and microbial-derived SOC formation using metagenomic sequencing technology in different salinity soils. The results showed that high-salinity is detrimental to microbial CUE and microbial-derived SOC formation. Moreover, the regulation of nutrients stoichiometry could not mitigate adverse effects of salt stress on microbial CUE, which indicated that microbial-derived SOC formation is independent of stoichiometry in high-salinity soil. Low-salinity soil is dominated by a high growth yield (Y) strategy, such as higher microbial biomass carbon and metabolic traits which are related to amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and cell processes. However, high-salinity soil is dominated by stress tolerance (S) (e.g., higher metabolic functions of homologous recombination, base excision repair, biofilm formation, extracellular polysaccharide biosynthesis, and osmolytes production) and resource acquisition (A) strategies (e.g., higher alkaline phosphatase activity, transporters, and flagellar assembly). These trade-offs of strategies implied that resource reallocation took place. The high-salinity soil microbes diverted investments away from growth yield to microbial survival and resource capture, thereby decreasing biomass turnover efficiency and impeding microbial-derived SOC formation. Moreover, altering the stoichiometry in low-salinity soil caused more investment in the A-strategy, such as the production of more ß-glucosidase and ß-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, and increasing bacterial chemotaxis, which thereby reduced microbial-derived SOC formation. Our research reveals that shift the microbial community from S- and A- strategies to the Y-strategy is important to increase the microbial CUE, and thus enhance SOC turnover in coastal saline soils.

Insights from an Exploratory Retrospective Cohort Study: Are Face-to-Face Follow-Up Consultations after Colonoscopy a Thing of the Past?

BACKGROUND: Colonoscopy is a commonly performed procedure, but most patients will not actually be found with colorectal cancer. Subsequent face-to-face consultations to explain post-colonoscopy findings are common despite the time and cost-saving benefits of teleconsultation, especially in a post-COVID-19 era. This exploratory retrospective study examined the proportion of post-colonoscopy follow-up consultations that could have been converted to teleconsultation within a tertiary hospital in Singapore. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of all patients who underwent colonoscopy in the institution from July to September 2019 was identified. All follow-up face-to-face consultations related to the index colonoscopy from the scope date to 6 months post-colonoscopy were traced. Clinical data relevant to the index colonoscopy and these consultations were extracted from electronic medical records. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 859 patients (68.5% male, age range: 18-96 years). Of these, 15 (1.7%) had colorectal cancer, but the majority (n = 643, 74.9%) were scheduled for at least one post-colonoscopy visit - a total of 884 face-to-face clinical visits. The final sample was 682 (77.1%) face-to-face post-colonoscopy visits that did not involve any procedures performed or indicated the need for any subsequent follow-up. CONCLUSION: If such "unnecessary" post-colonoscopy consultations exist within our institution, then similar situations possibly occur elsewhere. As COVID-19 continues to periodically tax healthcare systems worldwide, preservation of resources will remain integral alongside quality standards of routine patient care. There is a need for detailed analyses and modeling to hypothesize potential savings by also considering the start-up and maintenance costs of switching to a teleconsultation-dominated system.

Organic amendments with high proportion of heterocyclic compounds promote soil microbiome shift and microbial use efficiency of straw-C.

Soil microbial use efficiency of straw carbon (C), which is the proportion of straw-C microbes assimilate into new biosynthetic material relative to C lost out of the system as CO2, is critical in increasing soil organic C (SOC) content, and hence maintaining soil fertility and productivity. However, the effect of chemical structures of the organic amendments (OAs) on the microbial use efficiency of straw-C remains unclear. The effect of the chemical structure of the OAs on microbial use efficiency of straw-C was elucidated by a combination of 13C-straw labeling with high-throughput sequencing and pyrolysis-GC/MS. We found a strong positive correlation between the microbial use efficiency of straw-C and the proportion of heterocyclic compounds (Hete_C). The microbial use efficiency of straw-C was highest in soil supplemented with Hete_C-dominant OAs, which significantly shifted microbial community structure toward fungal dominance. Specifically, fungal-to-bacterial ratio, fungal richness, and the relative abundance of Ascomycota were higher in soil with a higher proportion of Hete_C-dominant OAs. Together, our study suggests that OAs with high proportion of Hete_C promote the microbial use efficiency of straw-C by increasing the dominance of fungi in the soil microbial community in agroecosystems.

Laparoscopic versus open groin hernia repair in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Groin hernia repair is a common surgical procedure and includes both open and laparoscopic techniques. Studies comparing outcomes of laparoscopic versus open groin hernia repair specifically in the geriatric population are lacking. This study compares the outcomes of laparoscopic versus open groin hernia repair techniques in older adults. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in each of the five selected databases up till June 2021: PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane and PsychInfo (OVID). Outcomes measured included but were not limited to total length of hospital stay, mean total operative time, intraoperative complications, post-operative complications such as wound infection, seroma formation, chronic pain, mesh infection and recurrence of inguinal hernia. RESULTS: A total of five articles were included in the final analysis. The length of postoperative hospitalization stay was shorter in patients who underwent laparoscopic hernia repair (95% CI: -1.50 to -0.72; P < 0.01, I2  = 79%). The laparoscopic repair group had a significantly smaller number of patients who sustained postoperative wound infections (95% CI: 0.02 to 0.47; P = 0.003, I2  = 0%), and lower incidence of chronic pain (95% CI: 0.14 to 0.37, P < 0.01, I2  = 46%). Analysis of the remaining outcomes did not reveal any statistically significant differences between open and laparoscopic hernia repair. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this analysis showed a shorter length of stay, lower wound infection rates and lower chronic pain with laparoscopic groin hernia repair as compared to open repair in older adults. Future prospective studies examining the impact of age on the relationship between surgical approach (open versus laparoscopic) and surgical outcomes are needed.

Impact of donor age on recipient morbidity and mortality after living donor liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Evidence for use of graft from older donors in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has been conflicting. This study aims to clarify the impact of donor age on recipient morbidity and mortality after adult LDLT. METHODS: A total of 90 live liver donors and recipients who underwent primary adult-to-adult LDLT were divided into three groups according to donor age: donors in 20s (D-20s) group, donors in 30s and 40s (D-30s and 40s) group and donors in 50s & 60s (D-50s and 60s) group. Multivariate analyses were conducted to look for independent risk/prognostic factors. Donor age was analysed as a continuous variable to determine an optimal cut off. RESULTS: Overall donor morbidity was 4/90 (4.44%), major donor morbidity was 1/90 (1.11%) and there was no donor mortality. Recipients in the D-20s group had better 1-, 3- and 5-year recipient survival than recipients in the D-50s and 60s group (96%, 91%, 91% versus 73%, 58%, 58%, respectively) (P = 0.020). Donor age was identified to be an independently significant risk factor for increased major complications (P = 0.007) and prognostic factor for reduced overall survival (P = 0.014). The optimal donor age cut off was determined to be 46.5 years old. CONCLUSION: Older donors are associated with poorer recipient outcomes after adult-to-adult LDLT. Usage of liver grafts from older donors should be carefully considered when choosing liver grafts for patients undergoing LDLT.

Multimodal prehabilitation in older adults before major abdominal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Multimodal prehabilitation aims to prepare frail older patients for major surgery. The objective of this review is to determine the benefits of pre-operative multimodal prehabilitation compared to standard care in older patients. METHODS: Data sources included MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL and PsychINFO. They were searched from inception to September 2021. Only randomized controlled trials (RCT) with an average study population age ≥ 65 that had undergone major abdominal operation with at least two components (physical, nutritional, psychological) of prehabilitation programs were included. RESULTS: Nine RCTs were included with a total of 823 patients, of whom 705 completed the study with 358 undergoing prehabilitation and 347 were controls. Significantly lower complications were observed in the prehabilitation group compared to control (OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.46 to 0.99; p = 0.04; I2 = 32%). A significant increase in 6-min walking distance (6MWD) from baseline to immediately prior to surgery (mean difference 35.1 m; 95%CI 11.6-58.4; p = 0.003; I2 = 67%) and 8 weeks post-surgery (mean difference 44.9 m; 95%CI 6.0-83.8; p = 0.02; I2 = 75%) was noted in the prehabilitation group. No difference was observed in length of stay (OR 0.59; 95% CI - 0.23 to 1.40; p = 0.16; I2 = 91%) or 30-day emergency department visit (OR 0.72; 95% CI 0.41 to 1.26; p = 0.25; I2 = 0%). Patient reported outcome measures were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Amongst older patients, multimodal prehabilitation increases peri-operative functional capacity and may potentially decrease post-operative complications. Future studies should continue to focus on older patients who are frail as this is the group that prehabilitation would likely have a clinically significant impact on.

Telemedicine Acceptance Among Older Adult Patients With Cancer: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is likely to remain the most prevalent noncommunicable disease in high-income countries with an older population. Interestingly, no review of attitudes toward telemedicine among older adults has been performed. This is likely to be the group most affected by both cancer and the increasing use of technology in health care. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to map research on the acceptance of telemedicine among older adults who are cancer patients. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review. PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were systematically searched from inception to September 2020. Articles were included if the study population had a mean or median age ≥65 years, with cancer diagnoses and if the study assessed patients' acceptance of a telemedicine intervention. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies were included. RESULTS: Out of a total of 887 articles that were identified, 19 were included in the review. Interventions were delivered via telephone, videoconference, web portal, mobile app, wearable technology, and text messaging and included teleconsultation, monitoring and follow-up, psychosocial support and nursing care, and prompts. The most often cited facilitating factor was convenience. Other facilitators included an increase in telemedicine care accessibility, previous positive experiences of telemedicine, appropriate technical knowledge and support, decreased cost, physician recommendations, and privacy conferred by the telemedicine intervention. Barriers include a preference for conventional care along with negative perceptions of telemedicine, concerns about technical difficulties, and confidentiality concerns in the adoption of telemedicine. CONCLUSIONS: None of the studies explored the ability of tailored interventions to address facilitators and barriers of the acceptance of telemedicine in order to increase its adoption by older adults. Facilitators and barriers will likely differ across different cultural contexts and by type of telemedicine; however, this is a gap in current knowledge. In-depth studies are necessary to determine if interventions could potentially address the barriers identified in this review, to increase acceptability.

Liver resection versus liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma within Milan criteria: a meta-analysis of 18,421 patients.

Background: Outcomes after liver resection (LR) and liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are heterogenous and may vary by region, over time periods and disease burden. We aimed to compare overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between LT versus LR for HCC within the Milan criteria. Methods: Two authors independently searched Medline and Embase databases for studies comparing survival after LT and LR for patients with HCC meeting the Milan criteria. Meta-analyses and metaregression were conducted using random-effects models. Results: We screened 2,278 studies and included 35 studies with 18,421 patients. LR was associated with poorer OS [hazard ratio (HR) =1.44; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14-1.81; P<0.01] and DFS (HR =2.71; 95% CI: 2.23-3.28; P<0.01) compared to LT, with similar findings among intention-to-treat (ITT) studies. In uninodular disease, OS in LR was comparable to LT (P=0.13) but DFS remained poorer (HR =2.95; 95% CI: 2.30-3.79; P<0.01). By region, LR had poorer OS versus LT in North America and Europe (P≤0.01), but not Asia (P=0.25). LR had inferior survival versus LT in studies completed before 2010 (P=0.01), but not after 2010 (P=0.12). Cohorts that underwent enhanced surveillance had comparable OS after LT and LR (P=0.33), but cohorts undergoing usual surveillance had worse OS after LR (HR =1.95; 95% CI: 1.24-3.07; P<0.01). Conclusions: Mortality after LR for HCC is nearly 50% higher compared to LT. Survival between LR and LT were similar in uninodular disease. The risk of recurrence after LR is threefold that of LT.

Evaluation of Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation in Largest Southeast Asian Transplantation Center: Benchmarking With Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation (A2ALL) Experience.

BACKGROUND: The volume-outcome relation for complex surgical procedures such as living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) generally favors high volume (HV) centers. It is important for low to medium volume (MV) centers to evaluate their centers' performance against HV centers to allow early detection and correction of potential systemic issues. There is a dearth of national and international comprehensive registries for LDLT that may allow reasonable risk-adjusted comparisons for benchmarking. This study aims to evaluate the LDLT program by comparing our center's performance against HV centers of the Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation cohort. STUDY DESIGN: Patient outcomes from a MV transplant center were compared with 11 HV transplant centers from the Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation cohort. Outcomes evaluated included length of hospital stay, same admission mortality, 90-day mortality, and overall survival. RESULTS: A total of 1381 patients were analzyed. HV 1 to 4, 6, 8, 9, and 11 centers had a shorter median length of hospital stay compared with the MV center (All Dunnett corrected P values all less than .05). HV 9 and 11 centers had lower same admission mortality compared with the MV center (Dunnett corrected P = .023 and .015). After adjusting for other significant predictors, the MV center had comparable 90-day mortality rates and overall survival rates to all HV centers. CONCLUSION: This benchmarking exercise has demonstrated that the limitation of low institutional case volume can be overcome with a protocol-based framework to implement a safe LDLT program. This framework presented can be adopted for developing programs.