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COVID‐19 pandemic has had a substantial effect on healthcare systems worldwide, including the care of patients with lung cancer. The impact of healthcare disruptions and behavioral changes on lung cancer mortality is unclear. Patients newly diagnosed with lung cancer during the pandemic period 2020–2021 were compared with those diagnosed in the pre‐pandemic 2018–2019. The primary outcome was all‐cause mortality within 1 year. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were conducted to estimate the changes in mortality between pandemic and pre‐pandemic. Multiple mediation analyses were performed to determine the factors that accounted for the changes in mortality. In total, 5785 patients with lung cancer were included in this study. The overall mortality rate was significantly higher during the pandemic compared with the pre‐pandemic (crude hazard ratio [HR]: 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05, 1.29). Mediation analyses showed that not receiving tumor‐directed treatment, diagnosis at an older age, and decreased diagnosis through cancer screening significantly accounted for 17.5% (95%CI: 4.2, 30.7), 13.9% (95%CI: 0.8, 27.0), and 12.4% (95%CI: 3.0, 21.8) of the increased mortality, respectively. This study revealed a significant increase in mortality risk in patients with lung cancer who have not received tumor‐directed treatment or cancer screening, despite potential selection bias for follow‐up status. Efforts should be focused on ensuring timely access to healthcare services, optimizing treatment delivery, and addressing the unique challenges faced by patients with lung cancer during the pandemic to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on lung cancer outcomes and provide clinical care to vulnerable populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on colorectal cancer care and mortality using a large cancer registry in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The study aimed to estimate the all‐cause mortality rates within 1 year of diagnosis among colorectal cancer patients diagnosed during the pandemic period (2020 and 2021) compared to those diagnosed during the pre‐pandemic period (2018 and 2019). Methods: The day of diagnosis was set as Day 0 and Cox regression models were utilized to estimate crude hazard ratios (HRs) and adjusted HRs, accounting for age, sex, cancer stage, and treatment status. Two sensitivity analyses of overall survival were performed with different cutoffs of the pre‐pandemic/pandemic periods and year‐to‐year comparisons. Subgroup analyses were performed using likelihood ratio tests. Results: A total of 15,085 colorectal cancer patients were included, with 6499 eligible for follow‐up. A median age of included patients was 72 years old, of which 59% were male. The distribution of cancer stages showed little variation between the pre‐pandemic and pandemic periods. With a median follow‐up of 177 days, the number of events was 316/3111 (173 events per 1000 person‐years [E/1000PY], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 154–192 E/1000PY) in the pre‐pandemic period, and 326/2746 (245 E/1000PY, 95% CI: 220–274 E/1000PY) in the pandemic period (crude HR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.22–1.66; adjusted HR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.07–1.46). The two sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses consistently supported these findings. Conclusions: The study revealed an increased colorectal cancer mortality during the pandemic period, suggesting a continuous impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the known and unknown risk factors for colorectal cancer for several years. Further studies are necessary to mitigate the adverse effects on patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the association of low back pain (LBP) and lumbar kyphosis with functional disabilities and knee symptoms in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).Methods: We analyzed 586 participants (80.1% female; mean ± SD age 68.8 ± 5.2 years) from the Nagahama Study who were age ≥60 years and had radiographically confirmed knee OA. The Knee Society Knee Scoring System (KSS) was used to assess functional disabilities and knee symptoms. LBP was defined as the presence of any persistent back pain for more than 3 months. Lumbar kyphosis was determined by skin-surface methods using a computer-aided electronic device called the Spinal Mouse. Multiple linear regression analysis was used for assessing the association of LBP and lumbar kyphosis with the KSS scores. Subgroup analyses based on sex were also performed.Results: LBP and lumbar kyphosis were independently associated with a lower KSS function score after adjustment for covariates (mean difference -4.96 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) -7.56, -2.36] points for LBP alone, mean difference -4.47 [95% CI -8.51, -0.43] points for lumbar kyphosis alone, and mean difference -13.86 [95% CI -18.86, -8.86] points for the coexistence of LBP and lumbar kyphosis, respectively). The coexistence of LBP and lumbar kyphosis in women was associated with a lower KSS symptom score (mean difference -4.49 [95% CI -6.42, -2.55] points).Conclusion: These findings suggest that both LBP and lumbar kyphosis are useful clinical signals indicating functional disability and knee symptoms in patients with knee OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the growing diversity among cancer survivors and the fact that oncologists typically do not perform long‐term care, the expected role of primary care physicians (PCPs) in survivor care is expanding. However, communication and collaboration between oncologists and PCPs are lacking. Therefore, we assessed the perception of cancer survivor care among PCPs. Methods: We sent a questionnaire to 767 Japanese Board–certified PCPs, regardless of facility type (clinics and hospitals), inquiring about PCPs' perceptions of their role in survivor care. Additionally, we included vignette‐based scenarios focused on colorectal and prostate cancer survivors to explore factors associated with their clinical decisions. Results: We obtained 91 replies (response rate: 11.9%). A total of 75% of PCPs had encountered at least 1 cancer patient in actual practice. Even for patients actively receiving cancer treatment, >70% of PCPs reported that they were willing to engage in comprehensive survivor care, except for the administration of anticancer drugs. Further, 49% of PCPs considered that both PCPs and oncologists were suited to performing regular screening for cancer recurrence in high‐risk patients. Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that clinic PCPs were less inclined to conduct screening for recurrence than hospital PCPs in both colorectal (odds ratio, 3.85 [95% confidence interval 1.40–10.6]) and prostate (4.36 [95% confidence interval 1.51–12.6]) cancer scenarios. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that Japanese PCPs are willing to engage in survivor care and encourage closer collaboration between oncologists and PCPs. However, oncologists might need to request cooperation, considering the facility type with which PCPs are affiliated. The present study revealed that Japanese primary care physicians (PCPs) were willing to engage in comprehensive survivor care, except for the administration of anticancer drugs. Further, most PCPs were willing to engage in psychosocial support to relieve survivors' anxiety and manage work‐related issues, but they have few opportunities to collaborate with oncologists. Oncologists and PCPs need to engage in more communication and conduct cancer survivor care while capitalizing on PCPs' willingness and capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnostic methods for CP have not been established.4 Thus, we proposed "The Project to Develop a Novel Diagnostic Tool for Chronic Prostatitis" to enable the easy diagnosis of CP by patients and medical professionals who are not urologists. Crowdfunding may also be effective for raising nonmedical professionals' awareness regarding CP. Abbreviation & Acronym CP chronic prostatitis Obtaining research grants is a critical global issue for researchers.1 In Japan, research grants are typically provided using public funds, such as the JSPS KAKENHI Grant, or given by public interest foundations. [Extracted from the article]

Background and Aim: Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is an important enzyme for amino acid metabolism and gluconeogenesis, and low ALT is an indicator of vitamin B6 deficiency. However, it is unknown whether individuals with low ALT are likely to develop loss of independence (LOI) or death. We investigated the association of low ALT with LOI or death in the elderly. Methods: Between 2008 and 2010, 2,484 elderly individuals (≥ 65 years old) without functional dependency from the Locomotive Syndrome and Health Outcomes in the Aizu Cohort Study were enrolled. Based on baseline ALT values, the participants were divided into the following groups: ALT < 10 (n = 73), 10–20 (n = 1,372), 20–30 (reference, n = 734), 30–40 (n = 201), and ≥ 40 (n = 104) U/L groups. LOI was defined as requiring complete support for basic activities of daily living, which is care levels 3–5 in Japanese long‐term care insurance certifications. The hazard ratios of LOI or death were estimated by Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for potential confounders. Results: During the median follow‐up period of 5.75 (interquartile range 4.85–5.83) years, LOI or death occurred in 195 participants (7.85%). Compared with ALT 20–30 U/L, low ALT was associated with LOI or death (multivariable adjusted hazard ratios [95% confidence intervals]: 3.02 [1.57–5.81] and 1.55 [1.07–2.24] in ALT < 10 and 10–20 U/L groups, respectively), while high ALT was not (1.29 [0.72–2.31] and 1.49 [0.68–3.25] in ALT 30–40 and ≥ 40 U/L groups, respectively). Conclusions: Clinicians should be aware of not only high ALT, indicating liver injury, but also low ALT associated with LOI or death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]