Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Basima A. Almomani, Bushra M. Hijazi, Belal A. Al-Husein, Muna Oqal, Lara M. Al-Natour
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of pharmaceutical education on short-term antibiotic adherence and assess antibiotic utilization patterns. The results showed that pharmacist-led educational intervention significantly enhanced adherence to prescribed short-term antibiotics, which is crucial for controlling antibiotic resistance.
Article
Oncology
Joan M. Neuner, Nicole Fergestrom, Liliana E. Pezzin, Purushottam W. Laud, Kathryn J. Ruddy, Aaron N. Winn
Summary: This study investigated the impact of costs, medication delivery mode, and other pharmacy-related factors on adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) for breast cancer. The results showed that mail order pharmacy use, low copayments, and 90-day prescription refills were associated with higher adherence.
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH AND TREATMENT
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Maryam Ibrar, Nicola Peddie, Sommer Agnew, Amanda Diserholt, Leanne Fleming
Summary: This study explored the lived experience of adjuvant hormone therapy (HT) in breast cancer survivors and the impact of HT side effects on medication adherence. The most commonly reported side effects were sleep disturbance, hot flashes, anxiety, and joint pain. These side effects were found to negatively affect medication adherence.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Oncology
Elizabeth J. Cathcart-Rake, Tara Sanft, Amye J. Tevaarwerk
Summary: Sella and colleagues shed light on the potential mechanisms underlying weight changes for young survivors after breast cancer diagnosis. However, policy and regulatory changes are necessary to target modifiable determinants of health and implement practical, sustainable interventions based on this information.
Review
Oncology
Emma E. Bright, Lauren B. Finkelstein, Madeline S. Nealis, Sarah R. Genung, Jordan Wrigley, Heng Chao J. Gu, Sarah J. Schmiege, Joanna J. Arch
Summary: This study aims to provide an up-to-date systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to enhance AET adherence among breast cancer survivors. The results showed that lowering medication costs and a subgroup of psychosocial and reminder interventions showed the most promise, informing future research, policy, and clinical directions.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Kurt Stoschitzky
Summary: In the SECURE trial, it was found that the use of a polypill containing aspirin, ramipril, and atorvastatin significantly reduced the risk of cardiovascular events in older patients with recent myocardial infarction. However, the absence of beta-blockers in this polypill raised questions as these drugs have been known to be effective after myocardial infarction and are recommended in current guidelines.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Isabel Rodriguez, Juan Carlos Lopez-Caro, Silvia Gonzalez-Carranza, Maria Elena Cerrato, Maria Mar De Prado, Francisca Gomez-Molleda, Margarita Pinel, Maria Teresa Saiz, Carmen Fuentes, Esther Barreiro, Miguel Santibanez
Summary: This retrospective study compared adherence to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in patients with asthma before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found no significant differences in the electronic prescription refill rate, dichotomous or ordinal categorization, or prevalence of nonadherence between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. These results suggest that adherence to inhaler treatment did not increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, and prescription compliance remains suboptimal.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Othman AlOmeir, Nilesh Patel, Parastou Donyai
Summary: The study developed a grounded theory based on a literature review and meta-synthesis of qualitative research to explain the difficulties faced by breast cancer survivors in making the initial decision to accept long-term endocrine therapy and the challenges of continuing or stopping treatment. The findings indicated that some women changed their minds about treatment due to medication side effects over time.
SUPPORTIVE CARE IN CANCER
(2022)
Review
Oncology
William Sebastian, Lauren Forchette, Kelsey Donoughe, Yibei Lun, Anisha Verma, Tuoen Liu
Summary: In this review paper, various important aspects of hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer were discussed, including HR structure and signaling, genetics (epigenetics and gene mutations), gene expression-based assays, traditional and new drugs for treatment, and new technological uses in diagnosis and treatment. Particularly, the commonly mutated genes and abnormally methylated genes in HR-positive breast cancer were summarized, and the common gene expression-based assays used in breast cancer as prognostic and/or predictive tools were compared in detail. These topic discussions have not been fully described and summarized within other research or review articles.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elize Pietersen, Kim Anderson, Helen Cox, Keertan Dheda, Aihua Bian, Bryan E. Shepherd, Timothy R. Sterling, Robin M. Warren, Yuri F. van der Heijden
Summary: This study found that incomplete treatment with certain anti-TB drugs, such as second-line injectables and para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS), was more common than with other drugs in the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis. The reasons for discontinuation varied, with adverse events being the main cause for discontinuation of second-line injectables and patient refusal for discontinuation of PAS.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Paul Waliaula Wekunda, Dickens S. Omondi Aduda, Bernard Guyah
Summary: Despite an effective TB program with high coverage, treatment interruption remains a serious issue, leading to prolonged infectiousness and risks of drug resistance and death. This study identified predictors of TB treatment interruption, with factors such as alcohol consumption, gender, education level, and having a treatment supporter playing significant roles. Interventions targeting both individual patients and their living environments are needed to address the high rates of TB treatment interruption.
Review
Oncology
Izzati Yussof, Nor Asyikin Mohd Tahir, Ernieda Hatah, Noraida Mohamed Shah
Summary: This systematic review aimed to determine the rate and correlates of adherence and persistence in female breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant endocrine therapy over a five-year period. The results showed that the average adherence rate at five years was 66.2% and the average persistence rate was 66.8%. Adherence decreased by 25.5% from the first to fifth year. Factors associated with lower adherence included age, comorbidity index, depression, and adverse effects, while the use of aromatase inhibitors, chemotherapy, and prior medication were associated with improved adherence.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Siyu Ma, Donald S. Shepard, Grant A. Ritter, Robert E. Martell, Cindy Parks Thomas
Summary: The study showed that a small reduction in copayments did not impact medication treatment adherence for Medicare and Medicaid dual eligible patients with breast cancer. However, when reaching the catastrophic coverage threshold, both groups showed significant improvement in adherence.
Article
Oncology
Dandan Zheng, Joseph Thomas III
Summary: This study examines the relationship between adherence to and persistence with adjuvant hormone therapy and mortality in older women with breast cancer. The results show that adherence is associated with all-cause mortality, but not with breast cancer-specific mortality. Longer persistence is associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality and breast cancer-specific mortality. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of adherence and persistence in improving survival outcomes for older women with breast cancer.
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH AND TREATMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elizabeth T. Mansi, Samantha Banks, Alyson J. Littman, Noel S. Weiss
Summary: This study evaluated the association between sociodemographic factors and cholesterol-lowering medication use in high-risk individuals. It was found that only 61% of participants without healthcare coverage used the medication, while 85% of those with coverage used it. Older age and minimal variation by race and ethnicity were associated with higher medication use. Income, education level, and relationship status were weakly or not associated with medication use.
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Nabihah Haron, Senthilmani Rajendran, Thomas George Kallarakkal, Rosnah Binti Zain, Anand Ramanathan, Mannil Thomas Abraham, Shin Hin Lau, Lai Choo Cheng, Sherrie Mei Yee Chong, Farah Aliya Mohamed Azahar, Zuraiza Mohamad Zaini, Siew Wui Chan, Yet Ching Goh, Daniel Lim, Juliana Khairi, Marzuki Zainal Abidin, Zainal Ariff Abdul Rahman, Chee Sun Liew, Siew Chinn Fong, Yi-Hsin Yang, Siti Mazlipah Ismail, Sok Ching Cheong
Summary: This study evaluated the accuracy of a mobile phone application called MeMoSA (R) in reviewing images of oral lesions, and found that it is a reliable telemedicine tool for identifying high-risk lesions for early management, comparable to clinical examination.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yun-Syuan Li, Shih-Han Wang, Shang-Jyh Hwang, Yi-Hsin Yang, Kun-Pin Hsieh
Summary: Compared with clopidogrel, ticagrelor was associated with higher risks of MACE, death, cardiac death, and major bleeding within 12 months in patients with ACS undergoing dialysis. However, there was no significant difference in the risk for any bleeding event between the two groups.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Jahnavi Kalvala, Ruth M. Parks, Andrew R. Green, Kwok-Leung Cheung
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate the concordance of Ki-67 measurement between core needle biopsy (CNB) samples and surgical excision (SE) samples in patients with invasive breast cancer. Results showed overall concordance, but reliability was unclear. Urgent international consensus on Ki-67 measurement is needed.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Yu-Chien Yang, Ru-Yu Huang, Hui-Jen Tsai, Po-Chih Li, Yi-Hsin Yang, Kun-Pin Hsieh
Summary: Nilotinib-treated patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) have a significantly higher risk of developing arterial thromboembolic events (ATE) compared to patients treated with imatinib. However, the risks of ATE and other cardiovascular-related events were not significantly different between dasatinib and imatinib.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE CARDIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Senthilmani Rajendran, Jian Han Lim, Kohgulakuhan Yogalingam, Thomas George Kallarakkal, Rosnah Binti Zain, Ruwan Duminda Jayasinghe, Jyotsna Rimal, Alexander Ross Kerr, Rahmi Amtha, Karthikeya Patil, Roshan Alex Welikala, Ying Zhi Lim, Paolo Remagnino, John Gibson, Wanninayake Mudiyanselage Tilakaratne, Chee Sun Liew, Yi-Hsin Yang, Sarah Ann Barman, Chee Seng Chan, Sok Ching Cheong
Summary: This study developed a platform for image collection and annotation, resulting in a clinically labelled oral lesions database, which can support the development of automated lesion classification algorithms.
Article
Respiratory System
Chao-Chien Wu, Chin-Chou Wang, Wen-Yu Chung, Chau-Chyun Sheu, Yi-Hsin Yang, Ming-Yen Cheng, Ruay-Sheng Lai, Sum-Yee Leung, Chi-Cheng Lin, Yu-Feng Wei, Ching-Hsiung Lin, Sheng-Hao Lin, Jeng-Yuan Hsu, Wei-Chang Huang, Chia-Cheng Tseng, Yung-Fa Lai, Meng-Hsuan Cheng, Huang-Chi Chen, Chih-Jen Yang, Shih-Chang Hsu, Chian-Heng Su, Chien-Jen Wang, Huei-Ju Liu, Hua-Ling Chen, Yuan-Ting Hsu, Chih-Hsing Hung, Chon-Lin Lee, Ming-Shyan Huang, Shau-Ku Huang
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate the potential contribution of environmental exposure to adult asthma and its heterogeneity. The results showed that increasing levels of PM2.5 and PAHs were associated with a modest increase in relative risk for emergency and outpatient visits. Metal and organic pollutants posed a significant risk for asthma and its severity, correlating with oxidative stress markers. Circulating sphingolipid metabolites were also found to be associated with asthma, environmental exposure, and inflammatory markers.
Article
Oncology
Yung-Yeh Su, Nai-Jung Chiang, Yi-Hsin Yang, Chia-Jui Yen, Li-Yuan Bai, Chang-Fang Chiu, Shih-Chang Chuang, Shih-Hung Yang, Wen-Chi Chou, Jen-Shi Chen, Tai-Jan Chiu, Yen-Yang Chen, De-Chuan Chan, Cheng-Ming Peng, Sz-Chi Chiu, Chung-Pin Li, Yan-Shen Shan, Li-Tzong Chen
Summary: The NAPOLI-1 nomogram, derived from a previous study, can predict the overall survival in gemcitabine-refractory metastatic pancreatic cancer patients treated with liposomal irinotecan plus fluorouracil and leucovorin, and the timing and dose of treatment are important factors affecting prognosis.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Magdalena Nowakowska, Salwa S. Zghebi, Li-Chia Chen, Darren M. Ashcroft, Evangelos Kontopantelis
Summary: This study used data from the Health Survey for England waves 1997-2014 to analyze the relationship between age and prescription opioid use in different socioeconomic groups. The findings showed that the association between age and opioid use varies across income and education levels. Higher income and education were associated with a lower probability of reported opioid use. The highest probability of opioid use was observed in the 40-60 age group among those with lower income and education. Employment status did not significantly affect opioid use. Further research is needed to understand opioid use patterns in older people, especially those from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Chi-Jung Tai, Chun-Kuan Lu, Chun-Ying Lee, Su-Shin Lee, Yi-Hsin Yang
Summary: This study found that adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy can benefit the 1-year mortality and stroke hospitalisation in patients with chronic osteomyelitis. It is recommended to initiate hyperbaric oxygen therapy within 90 days of hospitalisation for chronic osteomyelitis.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Katie Riches, Kwok-Leung Cheung, Vaughan Keeley
Summary: This paper explores the validity and reliability of measures to diagnose breast lymphedema, including ultrasound and tissue dielectric constant. The study found that breast lymphedema is associated with patient characteristics and breast cancer treatments.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Teng-Chou Chen, Chih-Peng Lin, Ting-Chun Wang, Darren M. Ashcroft, K. Arnold Chan, Li-Chia Chen
Summary: This study investigated the patterns of chronic opioid prescribing in noncancer pain patients in Taiwan, taking into account the use of tramadol, and identified the risk of serious adverse events. The findings highlight a significant underestimation of chronic opioid prescribing in Taiwan when tramadol is not considered, raising concerns about unmet pain management needs and limited accessibility of alternative treatments for noncancer pain.
CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Ratul Quddus, Jessica Banks, Jenna L. Morgan, Charlene Martin, Malcolm W. R. Reed, Stephen Walters, Kwok Leung Cheung, Annaliza Todd, Riccardo Audisio, Tracy Green, Deirdre Revell, Jacqui Gath, Kieran Horgan, Chris Holcombe, Rishi Parmeshwar, Alastair Thompson, L. Wyld
Review
Surgery
Kai Siang Chan, Michelle Tian Hui Chong, Clement Luck Khng Chia, Kwok Leung Cheung
Summary: This updated meta-analysis indicated that primary endocrine therapy (PET) in older women with breast cancer had worse overall survival and recurrence-free survival compared to primary surgical therapy (PST), although this may be influenced by the patients' increased age and co-morbidities. However, health-related quality of life outcomes were mostly similar between PET and PST.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Chantae Reid-Agboola, Anita Klukowska, Francesca L. Malcolm, Cora Harrison, Ruth M. Parks, Kwok-Leung Cheung
Summary: This article is a systematic review that evaluates the use of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in breast cancer. The study found that CGA can be used to identify factors affecting survival and quality of life, thus aiding in treatment decision-making. However, there is still uncertainty regarding the choice of optimal assessment tools.
Meeting Abstract
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Yubo Wang, Douglas Steinke, Sean Gavan, Li-Chia Chen
PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY
(2022)