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Background The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and National Cancer Database (NCDB) show improved overall survival (OS) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) over the last 15 years. This analysis evaluated the validity of the largely community‐based Connect MM Registry as a national reference for MM. Methods Baseline disease characteristics and survival in US newly diagnosed MM patients were examined using the Connect MM Registry as well as SEER and NCDB databases. Baseline characteristics predictive of longer survival in Connect MM were also identified. Results As of February 2017, 3011 patients were enrolled in the Connect MM Registry; 2912 were treated. Median age at time of MM diagnosis and age range were numerically similar from 2010 to 2015 across all 3 registries; SEER had a higher representation of nonwhite racial groups than that in the other 2 registries. OS rates suggest proportionate improvement with year of diagnosis among the 3 registries. A Cox proportional hazards model suggests that younger age (, Survival data from the Connect MM Registry, which is representative of the national MM population, reflect national trends of improvement. This establishes the Connect MM Registry as a reference for MM survival in the US.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a new challenge to health care professionals. During the last decade, scientists have (a) created diagnostic criteria for CFS, (b) devised CFS assessment approaches, (c) collected CFS epidemiological data, and (d) formulated CFS treatment approaches. The CFS diagnostic criteria identify a subpopulation of individuals with this disorder, and those individuals might have a greater tendency to have psychiatric comorbidity. In addition, the initial CFS epidemiological data collected might have underestimated the prevalence of this disorder. If current estimated prevalence rates of CFS are inaccurate, these estimates could have detrimental public policy implications. Health care professionals need to assume a larger role in defining this syndrome, in developing more sensitive research strategies for collecting data with CFS samples, in conceptualizing more complex theories for understanding this disease, in conducting more rigorous CFS epidemiological research, and in devising more comprehensive treatment approaches for CFS.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is an illness that is characterized by debilitating fatigue and a group of other related symptoms. Few epidemiological studies have been conducte4 and none have focused on a nursing population. The present study is the first to assess the prevalence of Chronic Fatigue Syndromerelated symptoms in a sample of nurses. Demographic characteristics, symptoms, and possible prevalence rates are presented and discussed When using both narrow and more inclusive criteria to define this symptom complexr higher rates of this disorder were found than in previous epidemiological studies. The implications of thesefindings are discussed

The present study assessed the prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in a sample of nurses. There is a paucity of studies on the prevalence of CFS in healthcare professionals. Two samples of nurses were recruited through mailed questionnaires. Data were collected on demographic characteristics and symptoms. In addition from the sample, those nurses with CFS-like symptoms were more comprehensively evaluated using a structured clinical interview and reviewing their medical records. A physician review team estimated the prevalence of CFS to be 1,088 per 100,000. These findings suggest that nurses might represent a high-risk group for this illness, possibly due to occupational stressors such as exposure to viruses in the work setting, stressful shift work that is disruptive to biologic rhythms, or to other possible stressors in the work settings (e.g., accidents).

Most of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) epidemiological studies have relied on physicians who refer patients having at least six months of chronic fatigue and other symptoms. However, there are a number of potential problems when using this method to derive prevalence statistics. For example, some individuals with CFS might not have the economic resources to access medical care. Other individuals with CFS might be reluctant to use medical personnel, particularly if they have encountered physicians skeptical of the authenticity of their illness. In addition, physicians that are skeptical of the existence of CFS might not identify cases. In the present pilot study, a random community sample (N = 1,031) was interviewed by telephone in order to identify and comprehensively evaluate individuals with symptoms of CFS and those who self-report having CFS. Different definitions of CFS were employed, and higher rates (0.2%) of CFS were found than in previous studies. Methodological benefits in using more rigorous epidemiological methods when estimating CFS prevalence rates are discussed.