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Background: Adherence-to-colonoscopy in cascade screening of colorectal cancer (CRC) is crucial to the effectiveness of screening, but it has not been systematically evaluated. We aimed to evaluate the colonoscopy adherence among average-risk populations globally. Methods: We searched Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for observational and experimental studies published in English up to December 31, 2018 and reporting the colonoscopy adherence following positive initial screening. We calculated pooled adherence with its 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random-effects meta-analysis. Subgroup and mixed-effects meta-regression analysis were performed to evaluate heterogeneous factors for adherence. Findings: Of 9,772 articles identified, 191 (313 studies) were included in the systematic review. The pooled adherence-to-colonoscopy was 81·6% (95% CI: 79·6-83·4), with the estimates varying substantially by continents, CRC incidence, GDP per capita, recruitment method, screening round and type of initial test. Type of initial test was the most modifiable heterogeneous factor for adherence across studies (Q=53·00, P

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate the most updated worldwide distribution, risk factors, and temporal trends of cervical cancer for different countries and age groups. METHODS The Global Cancer Observatory database was retrieved for the age-standardized rates (ASRs, per 100,000 persons) for incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in 2018. The associations with risk factors were examined by multivariable regression analysis, adjusting for human development index (HDI) and gross domestic products (GDP) per capita. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to calculate the 10-year annual average percent change (AAPC) for incidence and mortality. RESULTS A total of 568,847 new cases (ASR, 13.1) and 311,365 deaths (ASR, 6.9) of cervical cancer were reported globally in 2018. The highest incidence and mortality were observed in Southern Africa (ASRs, 43.1 and 20.0) and countries with low HDI (ASRs, 29.8 and 23.0). Countries with higher incidence and mortality had lower HDI (β = -8.19, 95% CI -11.32 to -5.06, p

BACKGROUND Pneumococcal infection is a leading cause of disability and death globally. The Hong Kong Government has launched two programmes for pneumococcal vaccination - The Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (VSS) and the Government Vaccination Programme (GVP). This study aimed to examine the enabling factors, obstacles and perception of pneumococcal vaccination, and their association with its uptake in a general Chinese population. METHODS We performed a population-based, telephone survey in the general public aged 65 or above via simple random sampling. A validated survey based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) was used. Their socio-demographic information; history of previous participation in the GVP or VSS; and self-perceived health status were captured. Binary logistic regression models were constructed to examine the factors independently associated with vaccination. RESULTS A total of 1,000 respondents were enrolled in the study, with 402 (40.2%) respondents having intention to join the GVP/VSS in 12 months. Respondents with long-term medical consultant and medication (adjusted odds ratios [aOR] = 1.541, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.008-2.356, p = 0.046); high levels of perceived susceptibility of infections (aOR = 3.624, 95 %CI: 2.318-5.665, p

Background Alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI) is recommended to be implemented in primary care settings to intervene against hazardous/harmful drinking. However, studies showed that the uptake rate was low in many regions/countries. This systematic review presented current findings on the facilitators and barriers of SBI implemented by health professionals in primary care settings using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Methods We included qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies identified through four electronic databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, and Web of Science) from inception to June 2020. Included articles had to address barriers and facilitators of SBI implementation and provide sufficient details that the CFIR domains could be identified and data were abstracted using a standardized extraction form. Results A total of 74 studies published from 1985 to 2019 were finally analysed and summarized. The most common facilitators were knowledge and positive beliefs about SBI (characteristics of the individuals) and available resources (inner setting). In contrast, the most common barriers were cost related to implementing SBI (intervention characteristics), negative beliefs about SBI (characteristics of the individuals), and lack of self-efficacy in implementing SBI (characteristics of the individuals). It could be observed that factors related to the inner setting and characteristics of individuals were extensively studied whilst the process received the least attention. Conclusions Most of the facilitators and barriers are modifiable. Additionally, most literature focused on various kinds of available assets to implement SBI. To promote the spread of SBI implementation, more high-quality studies on the implementation process are needed. This systematic review could serve as a reference framework for health authorities to devise strategies for improving the implementation of SBI in primary care settings. Trial registration This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021258833).

Background: This study investigated socioeconomic inequalities in premature cancer mortality by cancer types, and evaluated the associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and premature cancer mortality by cancer types. Methods: Using multiple databases, cancer mortality was linked to SES and other county characteristics. The outcome measure was cancer mortality among adults ages 25–64 years in 3,028 U.S. counties, from 1999 to 2018. Socioeconomic inequalities in mortality were calculated as a concentration index (CI) by income (annual median household income), educational attainment (% with bachelor's degree or higher), and unemployment rate. A hierarchical linear mixed model and dominance analyses were used to investigate SES associated with county-level mortality. The analyses were also conducted by cancer types. Results: CIs of SES factors varied by cancer types. Low-SES counties showed increasing trends in mortality, while high-SES counties showed decreasing trends. Socioeconomic inequalities in mortality among high-SES counties were larger than those among low-SES counties. SES explained 25.73% of the mortality. County-level cancer mortality was associated with income, educational attainment, and unemployment rate, at −0.24 [95% (CI): −0.36 to −0.12], −0.68 (95% CI: −0.87 to −0.50), and 1.50 (95% CI: 0.92–2.07) deaths per 100,000 population with one-unit SES factors increase, respectively, after controlling for health care environment and population health. Conclusions: SES acts as a key driver of premature cancer mortality, and socioeconomic inequalities differ by cancer types. Impact: Focused efforts that target socioeconomic drivers of mortalities and inequalities are warranted for designing cancer-prevention implementation strategies and control programs and policies for socioeconomically underprivileged groups.

Background and study aims Serrated lesions are precursors of approximately one-third of colorectal cancers (CRCs). Information on their detection rate was lacking as an important reference for CRC screening. This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the overall detection rate for serrated lesions and their subtypes in average-risk populations undergoing CRC screening with colonoscopy. Patient and methods MEDLINE and Embase were searched to identify population-based studies that reported the detection rate for serrated lesions. Studies on average-risk populations using colonoscopy as a screening tool were included. Metaprop was applied to model within-study variability by binomial distribution, and Freeman-Tukey Double Arcsine Transformation was adopted to stabilise the variances. The detection rate was presented in proportions using random-effects models. Results In total, 17 studies involving 129,001 average-risk individuals were included. The overall detection rates for serrated lesions (19.0 %, 95 % CI = 15.3 %–23.0 %), sessile serrated polyps (2.5 %, 95 % CI = 1.5 %–3.8 %), and traditional serrated adenomas (0.3 %, 95 % CI = 0.1 %–0.8 %) were estimated. Subgroup analysis indicated a higher detection rate for serrated lesions among males (22.0 %) than females (14.0 %), and Caucasians (25.9 %) than Asians (14.6 %). The detection rate for sessile serrated polyps was also higher among Caucasians (2.9 %) than Asians (0.7 %). Conclusions This study determined the overall detection rate for serrated lesions and their different subtypes. The pooled detection rate estimates can be used as a reference for establishing CRC screening programs. Future studies may evaluate the independent factors associated with the presence of serrated lesions during colonoscopy to enhance their rate of detection.

Background and aim The reported prevalence and risk factors for sessile serrated lesions (SSLs) show significant variation. We aimed to specifically study the prevalence and potential risk factors of SSLs in an average risk colorectal cancer (CRC) screening population of Chinese subjects. Methods This is a case-control study of prospectively collected data from a territory-wide colorectal screening program in Hong Kong. Information on risk factors was obtained from questionnaires completed prior to screening colonoscopy. We compared subjects with SSLs against controls without these lesions to identify potential risk factors using multivariable logistic regression. Results Of 12 039 asymptomatic screening subjects, 6011 subjects received a screening colonoscopy with 2214 subjects (36.8%) having conventional adenomas, 486 subjects (8.1%) having hyperplastic polyps, and 85 subjects (1.4%) having SSLs only. Of these subjects, three had synchronous advanced adenomas and were excluded from the analysis. More than 60% of these lesions were in the proximal colon. We compared these 82 subjects with SSLs only and 3226 controls without any polyps. After multivariable logistic regression, age ≥ 66 years, smoking, and diabetes mellitus (DM) were significant independent risk factors for SSLs. Conclusion In this study, we report the prevalence of SSLs to be 1.4%. Age ≥ 66 years, smoking, and DM were independent risk factors for these lesions. Our findings provide relevant new data that should be taken into consideration when designing region-specific surveillance programs for SSLs with the ultimate goal of reducing the risk of CRC.

BACKGROUND: Vaccines for COVID-19 are anticipated to be available by 2021. Vaccine uptake rate is a crucial determinant for herd immunity. We examined factors associated with acceptance of vaccine based on (1). constructs of the Health Belief Model (HBM), (2). trust in the healthcare system, new vaccine platforms and manufacturers, and (3). self-reported health outcomes. METHODS: A population-based, random telephone survey was performed during the peak of the third wave of COVID-19 outbreak (27/07/2020 to 27/08/2020) in Hong Kong. All adults aged ≥ 18 years were eligible. The survey included sociodemographic details; self-report health conditions; trust scales; and self-reported health outcomes. Multivariable regression analyses were applied to examine independent associations. The primary outcome is the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine.RESULTS: We conducted 1200 successful telephone interviews (response rate 55%). The overall vaccine acceptance rate after adjustment for population distribution was 37.2% (95% C.I. 34.5–39.9%). The projected acceptance rates exhibited a “J-shaped” pattern with age, with higher rates among young adults (18–24 years), then increased linearly with age. Multivariable regression analyses revealed that perceived severity, perceived benefits of the vaccine, cues to action, self-reported health outcomes, and trust in healthcare system or vaccine manufacturers were positive correlates of acceptance; whilst perceived access barriers and harm were negative correlates. Remarkably, perceived susceptibility to infection carried no significant association, whereas recommendation from Government (aOR = 10.2, 95% C.I. 6.54 to 15.9, p < 0.001) was as the strongest driving factor for acceptance. Other key obstacles of acceptance included lack of confidence on newer vaccine platforms (43.4%) and manufacturers without track record (52.2%), which are of particular relevance to the current context.CONCLUSIONS: Governmental recommendation is an important driver, whereas perceived susceptibility is not associated with acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine. These HBM constructs and independent predictors inform evidence-based formulation and implementation of vaccination strategies.

A quality of life assessment is useful in identifying a specific health impact on patients who are suffering from various medical conditions. This study estimated the quality of life among patients with cancers of the lungs, breast, colorectum, oesophagus, liver, and stomach in urban China and evaluates the associated factors. This study employed a random cluster sampling strategy to recruit patients with lung, breast, colorectal, oesophageal, liver, or stomach cancer from eleven third-grade class-A (the highest level) hospitals in Beijing between October 2013 and May 2014. We performed a quality of life survey that included solicitation of sociodemographic and clinical information and the use of a EuroQoL five-dimension three-level questionnaire. We applied the Chinese time trade-off method to calculate the health utility values, which were transformed into binary variables (using the median as the cut-off). In addition, multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to examine the factors associated with the quality of life. A total of 637 patients (91 with lung cancer, 152 with breast cancer, 60 with colorectal cancer, 108 with oesophageal cancer, 154 with liver cancer, and 72 with stomach cancer) were included in this study; the medians of the health utility values were 0.780, 0.800, 0.800, 0.860, 0.800, and 0.870, respectively. The most common concerns for patients of all six cancer types were pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. The reported health status of patients was associated with various demographic and clinical variables. This study highlighted that pain relief and psychological support are important aspects of patient management for those with these types of cancer. Individuals with factors associated with a poorer quality of life should be targets for additional support.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is believed to share similar characteristics with SARS in 2003 and Mediterranean East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012. We hypothesized that countries with previous exposure to SARS and MERS were significantly more likely to have fewer cases and deaths from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We retrieved the incidence of COVID-19 per 100,000 population within 30 days since the first confirmed case was reported from the 2019 Novel COVID-19 data repository by the Johns Hopkins Centre for Systems Science and Engineering for 94 countries. The association between previous exposure to SARS and/or MERS and the 30-day COVID-19 incidence rate was examined by multivariable linear regression analysis, whilst controlling for potential confounders including the INFORM COVID-19 Risk Index, Testing Policies, Democracy Index, Scientific Citation Index, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Human Development Index (HDI) and the population density of each country. We found that countries with previous exposure to SARS and/or MERS epidemics were significantly more likely to have lower incidence of COVID-19 (β coefficient - 225.6, 95% C.I. - 415.8,- 35.4, p = 0.021). However, countries being classified as having "full democracy" using Democracy Index had higher incidence of COVID-19 (reference: authoritarian regime; β coefficient 425.0, 95% C.I. 98.0, 752.0, p = 0.011). This implies that previous exposure to global epidemics and Democracy Index for a country are associated its performance in response to COVID-19. We recommend future studies should evaluate the impact of various pandemic control strategies at individual, community, and policy levels on mitigation of the disease.

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The impact of COVID-19 on urological services in different geographical areas is unknown. Objective To investigate the global impact of COVID-19 on urological providers and the provision of urological patient care. Design, setting, and participants A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted from March 30, 2020 to April 7, 2020. A 55-item questionnaire was developed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on various aspects of urological services. Target respondents were practising urologists, urology trainees, and urology nurses/advanced practice providers. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis The primary outcome was the degree of reduction in urological services, which was further stratified by the geographical location, degree of outbreak, and nature and urgency of urological conditions. The secondary outcome was the duration of delay in urological services. Results and limitations A total of 1004 participants responded to our survey, and they were mostly based in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Worldwide, 41% of the respondents reported that their hospital staff members had been diagnosed with COVID-19 infection, 27% reported personnel shortage, and 26% had to be deployed to take care of COVID-19 patients. Globally, only 33% of the respondents felt that they were given adequate personal protective equipment, and many providers expressed fear of going to work (47%). It was of concerning that 13% of the respondents were advised not to wear a surgical face mask for the fear of scaring their patients, and 21% of the respondents were advised not to discuss COVID-19 issues or concerns on media. COVID-19 had a global impact on the cut-down of urological services, including outpatient clinic appointments, outpatient investigations and procedures, and urological surgeries. The degree of cut-down of urological services increased with the degree of COVID-19 outbreak. On average, 28% of outpatient clinics, 30% of outpatient investigations and procedures, and 31% of urological surgeries had a delay of >8 wk. Urological services for benign conditions were more affected than those for malignant conditions. Finally, 47% of the respondents believed that the accumulated workload could be dealt with in a timely manner after the COVID-19 outbreak, but 50% thought the postponement of urological services would affect the treatment and survival outcomes of their patients. One of the limitations of this study is that Africa, Australia, and New Zealand were under-represented. Conclusions COVID-19 had a profound global impact on urological care and urology providers. The degree of cut-down of urological services increased with the degree of COVID-19 outbreak and was greater for benign than for malignant conditions. One-fourth of urological providers were deployed to assist with COVID-19 care. Many providers reported insufficient personal protective equipment and support from hospital administration. Patient summary Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has led to significant delay in outpatient care and surgery in urology, particularly in regions with the most COVID-19 cases. A considerable proportion of urology health care professionals have been deployed to assist in COVID-19 care, despite the perception of insufficient training and protective equipment., Take Home Message The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has imposed great challenges to the urological community globally. The impact of COVID-19 on urological services increased with the degree of outbreak, and resulted in significant delay in the delivery of urological care.

Background Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and prostate health index (PHI) have been used as biomarkers for prostate cancer detection. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of PHI for prostate cancer detection in Chinese men. Method We developed a Markov model for Chinese male patient aged 50-75 years old. The PSA strategy was to offer TRUS-PB for all patients with elevated PSA of 4-10 ng/mL. The PHI strategy was to offer PHI for patients with elevated PSA of 4-10 ng/mL. TRUS-PB would only be offered for patients with PHI >35.0. Model inputs were extracted from local data when available. The cost per quality-adjusted life years gained for both strategies were calculated. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios in relation to the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold were compared. One-way sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed. Cost-effectiveness acceptability curves were also constructed. Results With a Markov model of 25 screening cycles from age 50 to 75 years, the mean total costs per man were estimated to be USD 27,439 in the PSA strategy and USD 22,877 in the PHI strategy. The estimated effects were estimated to be 15.70 in the PSA strategy and 16.05 in the PHI strategy. The PHI strategy was associated with an expected decrease in cost of USD 4562 and an expected gain of 0.35 QALY, resulting in an ICER of USD -13056.56. The results were shown to be robust upon one-way sensitivity analysis. Upon Monte Carlo simulation, the PHI strategy was more cost-effective for 100% of the iterations. The PHI strategy demonstrated dominance over the PSA strategy regardless of what WTP threshold we use. Conclusions A PHI-based screening strategy may be more cost-effective than a PSA-based strategy for prostate cancer detection in Chinese men. These results support consideration of a PHI-based approach for prostate cancer in Hong Kong.

Background Although randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have suggested a non-significant increased risk of stroke among proton pump inhibitor (PPI) users, the association has not been confirmed. We evaluated the association between regular use of PPIs and incident stroke and identified population groups at high net risk. Methods This is a prospective analysis of 492,479 participants free of stroke from the UK biobank. Incident stroke was identified through linkage to hospital admission and death registries using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 codes (I60, I61, I63, and I64). We evaluated hazard ratios (HRs) adjusting for demographic factors, lifestyle habits, prevalent comorbidities, concomitant use of medications, and indications of PPIs. We assessed the risk differences (RDs) according to the baseline Framingham Stroke Risk Score. In the meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (from 1988 to 1 June 2020) for randomized trials comparing PPIs with other interventions, placebo, or no treatment on stroke risk. Results were combined using a fix-effect meta-analysis (Mantel-Haenszel method). Results We documented 5182 incident strokes over 3,935,030 person-years of follow-up. Regular PPI users had a 16% higher risk of stroke than non-users (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.27). The estimated effect was similar to our meta-analysis of nine RCTs (case/participants 371/26,642; RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.50; quality of evidence: moderate). The absolute effect of PPI use on stroke increased with the baseline Framingham Stroke Risk Score, with an RD of 1.34‰, 3.32‰, 4.83‰, and 6.28‰ over 5 years for the lowest, quartile 2, quartile 3, and the highest quartile, respectively. Conclusions Regular use of PPIs was associated with an increased risk of stroke, with a higher absolute risk observed in individuals with high baseline stroke risk. Physicians should therefore exercise caution when prescribing PPIs. An assessment of the underlying stoke risk is recommended for individualized use of PPIs.

Yi Wang,1,&ast; Xiao-Ya Wu,2,&ast; Harry HX Wang,1,3 Yu-Ting Li,4 Yu Fu,1,5 Jia-Ji Wang,6,7 Jose Hernandez,8,9 Martin CS Wong3,10,11 1School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Shipai Community Health Centre, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; 4State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 5Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; 6Guangdong-Provincial Primary Healthcare Association, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 7School of Public Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 8Faculty of Medicine and Health, EDU, Digital Education Holdings Ltd., Kalkara, Malta; 9Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; 10School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 11School of Public Health, The Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Harry HX WangSchool of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou, 510080, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail wanghx27@mail.sysu.edu.cn; haoxiangwang@cuhk.edu.hkBackground: Adherence to lifestyle recommendations remains insufficient in cardiovascular (CV) health management globally. Body constitution, from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, is primarily influenced by an individual’s internal metabolism and susceptibility to external pathogenic factors. Nevertheless, less is known about whether body constitutions may play a role in the presence of unhealthy lifestyles. We aimed to explore the associations between body constitutions and unhealthy lifestyles among Chinese individuals at high CV risk.Methods: Computerised data were retrieved from a primary care population-based health record for all 1739 eligible individuals at high CV risk who attended routine check-up in an urbanised, medium-size district in Guangzhou, China. Unhealthy lifestyles were determined in accordance with guideline recommendations. The body constitution was assessed on the basis of physical signs, personality, body symptoms, and the susceptibility to environmental changes, following nationally standard procedure. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed using marginal standardisation method.Results: The participants ranged in age from 20 to 96 years, with a mean age of 69.55 years. There were slightly more females than males (52.3% vs 47.7%). Current smoking, regular drinking, and physical inactivity were most common. Participants with a body constitution of phlegm-and-dampness type (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=1.999, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.003– 3.984; p=0.049) tended to be current smokers, and those assessed with special diathesis type (aOR=2.166, 95% CI=1.029– 4.559; p=0.042) had a higher likelihood of being regular drinkers. Having a body constitution type of blood stasis (aOR=1.375, 95% CI=1.029– 1.838; p=0.031) or qi deficient (aOR=1.711, 95% CI=1.080– 2.709; p=0.022) was associated with physical inactivity.Conclusion: Our findings add to current evidence suggesting that an individual’s body constitution is closely related to the presence of unhealthy lifestyles. This offers new insights for health management through body constitution-based strategies to target those at high CV risk who need tailor-made attention in lifestyle modifications during routine primary care.Keywords: body constitution, unhealthy lifestyles, association, primary care, cardiovascular health management

Globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) is a substantial public health burden, and it is increasingly affecting populations in Asian countries. The overall prevalence of CRC is reported to be low in Asia when compared with that in Western nations, yet it had the highest number of prevalent cases. This review described the prevalence of CRC in Asia according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer from World Health Organization (WHO) database and summarized its major risk factors. Non-modifiable factors include genetic factors, ethnicity, age, gender, family history and body height; smoking, alcohol drinking, weight, Westernized diet, physical inactivity, chronic diseases and microbiota were involved in environmental factors. These risk factors were separately discussed in this review according to published literature from Asian countries. CRC screening has been playing an important role in reducing its disease burden. Some recommendations on its screening practices have been formulated in guidelines for Asia Pacific countries.

ObjectivesAnimal experiments indicate that exposure to particulate matter (PM) can induce hepatotoxic effects but epidemiological evidence is scarce. We aimed to investigate the associations between long-term exposure to PM air pollution and liver enzymes, which are biomarkers widely used for liver function assessment.MethodsA cross-sectional analysis was performed among 351 852 adult participants (mean age: 40.1 years) who participated in a standard medical screening programme in Taiwan. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels were measured. A satellite-based spatio-temporal model was used to estimate the concentrations of ambient fine particles (PM with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm, PM2.5) at each participant’s address. Linear and logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations between PM2.5 and the liver enzymes with adjustment for a wide range of potential confounders.ResultsAfter adjustment for confounders, every 10 µg/m3 increment in 2-year average PM2.5 concentration was associated with 0.02%(95% CI: −0.04% to 0.08%), 0.61% (95% CI: 0.51% to 0.70%) and 1.60% (95% CI: 1.50% to 1.70%) increases in AST, ALT and GGT levels, respectively. Consistently, the odds ratios of having elevated liver enzymes (>40 IU/L) per 10 µg/m3 PM2.5 increment were 1.06 (95% CI: 1.04 to 1.09), 1.09 (95% CI: 1.07 to 1.10) and 1.09 (95% CI: 1.07 to 1.11) for AST, ALT and GGT, respectively.ConclusionsLong-term exposure to PM2.5 was associated with increased levels of liver enzymes, especially ALT and GGT. More studies are needed to confirm our findings and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

To examine the effectiveness of telemonitoring and hemodynamic monitoring devices in reducing mortality rates in heart failure. PubMed and Cochrane Library were searched to 1 May 2017 for randomized controlled trials and real-world studies investigating the effects of telemonitoring or hemodynamic monitoring on mortality in heart failure. Heart failure is associated with increased mortality. Telemonitoring and hemodynamic monitoring have been shown to reduce mortality rates in some studies but not others. Fifty-two and five publications on telemonitoring and hemodynamic monitoring were included. In 23,233 patients (mean age 70 years, mean follow-up 12 ± 10 months), telemonitoring reduced all-cause mortality by 22% (HR = 0.78; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.74–0.83; P 0.05). Overall, telemonitoring but not hemodynamic monitoring reduced mortality in heart failure.

Background To evaluate the long-term association between organised colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and reduction of CRC-related mortality. Methods We systematically reviewed studies on organized CRC screening through PubMed, Ovid Medline, Embase and Cochrane database from its inception to November 2020. Moreover, we retrieved the matched CRC-related mortality (over 50 years) of those areas from the initial year of CRC screening programmes to the latest data available obtained from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The mortality in the initial year and the latest year was used to calculate the age-standardised mortality ratio (ASMR). We adopted a random-effects model to synthesis the ASMR. Subgroup analyses were performed according to the screening period and modalities. Furthermore, a linear mixed model (LMM) was conducted as a sensitivity analysis. Results CRC screening programmes have been conducted in 58 countries/regions. After matching with the IARC database, we recorded >2.5 million CRC-related deaths from 22 countries where rollout screening programmes were performed. The screening modality with a provision of choice between faecal tests and colonoscopy as the primary screening test was associated with a 38.1% reduction in CRC mortality (ASMR=0.619, 95%CI: 0.549-0.698), which was higher than programmes that offered guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBT) (0.894, 0.835-0.958), faecal immunochemical tests (FIT) (0.879, 0.847-0.913), gFOBT or FIT (0.882, 0.835-0.932), and faecal tests or flexible sigmoidoscopy (0.840, 0.786-0.898). The longer duration of screening was associated with a higher reduction in the pooled ASMR. In particular, the pooled ASMR became non-significant (0.987, 0.934-1.043) when the FIT screening was implemented for less than 5 years (IDDF2021-ABS-0179 Figure 1. The pooled age-standardised colorectal cancer-related mortality ratio by screening modalities and screening duration). The LMM result also showed a 0.172 decrease in ASMR (P Conclusions A CRC screening programme running for >5 years was associated with a reduction of CRC-related mortality. Countries with a heavy burden of CRC should implement sustainable, organised CRC screening providing a choice between faecal tests and colonoscopy as a preferred primary screening test.

Background Sessile serrated lesion(SSL) is notorious for its malignancy potential and the difficulty to be detected and distinguished under endoscopy. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate endoscopic characteristics of SSL and delineate features that inform distinction between SSA/P and other types of lesions, including hyperplastic polyp (HP) and conventional adenoma. Methods MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Library from the inception to September 9, 2020, were searched for cohort, cross-sectional or case-control studies comparing endoscopic characteristics of SSL and other polyps. The primary outcome measure was the odds of finding specific endoscopic characteristics in patients with SSL compared with other types of polys in patients undergoing colorectal cancer screening. Results We included 74 studies from 16 countries comprising 34,535 SSL. Compared with HP, SSL was more likely to be in the right colon (OR 5.45; 95% CI 4.13-7.17; P 5mm vs. Conclusions We systematically synthesised current evidence on the discriminating endoscopic features of SSL. These findings could enhance the detection of SSL in endoscopy practice.

Key Points Question Is the global burden of gastric cancer increasing in younger adults compared with older adults? Findings In this cohort study of data from 1980 to 2018 covering more than 1 million cases of gastric cancer, an increasing incidence of gastric cancer was observed in individuals younger than 40 years in a significant number of countries, including Sweden, the UK, and Ecuador. Meaning These findings suggest that the prevention of gastric cancer should become a priority in clinical guidelines and policy agendas to ameliorate its associated morbidity and mortality, especially among younger populations., Importance Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers, with a high mortality-to-incidence ratio. It is uncertain whether developed nations may encounter an increasing burden of gastric cancer in young adults, as occurs for other cancers. Objectives To evaluate the incidence and mortality of gastric cancer and compare the global incidence trends between younger (, This cohort study uses data from national and global cancer registries to evaluate the incidence and mortality of gastric cancer between 1980 and 2018 and compares the global incidence between younger and older populations.

This study aimed to evaluate the global distribution, associated factors, and epidemiologic trends of gallbladder cancer (GBC) by country, sex, and age groups. The Global Cancer Observatory was interrogated for the disease burden of GBC using age-standardized rates (ASR). The prevalence of different potential risk factors for each country was extracted from Global Health Observatory and their associations with GBC incidence and mortality were examined by linear regression analysis using beta coefficients (β). The Cancer Incidence in Five Continents I-XI and the WHO Mortality database were searched and Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) was generated from joinpoint regression analysis. The incidence (ASR = 2.3) and mortality (ASR = 1.7) of GBC varied globally in 2018 and were higher in more developed countries and among females. Countries with higher incidence had higher human development index (βmale = 0.37; βfemale = 0.27), gross domestic products (βmale = 0.13) and higher prevalence of current smoking (βfemale = 0.05), overweight (βmale = 0.02), obesity (βmale = 0.03), and hypercholesterolaemia (βmale = 0.07). Similar patterns of associations were also observed for mortality with an additional association found for diabetes (βfemale = 0.07). Although there was an overall decreasing trend in mortality, an increasing trend in incidence was observed among some populations, particularly in males (AAPCs, 8.97 to 1.92) and in younger individuals aged

Introduction We aimed to identify gaps in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours towards viral hepatitis among the Hong Kong public and provide insights to optimise local efforts towards achieving the World Health Organization's viral hepatitis elimination target. Methods A descriptive, cross-sectional, self-reported web-based questionnaire was administered to 500 individuals (aged ≥18 years) in Hong Kong. Questionnaire items explored the awareness and perceptions of viral hepatitis-related liver disease(s) and associated risk factors in English or traditional Chinese. Results The majority (>80%) were aware that chronic hepatitis B and/or C could increase the risks of developing liver cirrhosis, cancer, and/or failure. Only 55.8% had attended health screenings in the past 2 years, and 67.6% were unaware of their family's history of liver diseases. Misperceptions surrounding the knowledge and transmission risks of viral hepatitis strongly hint at the presence of social stigmatisation within the community. Many misperceived viral hepatitis as airborne or hereditary, and social behaviours (casual contact or dining with an infected person) as a transmission route. Furthermore, 62.4% were aware of hepatitis B vaccination, whereas 19.0% knew that hepatitis C cannot be prevented by vaccination. About 70% of respondents who were aware of mother-to-child transmission were willing to seek medical consultation in the event of pregnancy. Gaps in knowledge as well as the likelihood of seeking screening were observed across all age-groups and education levels. Conclusions Comprehensive hepatitis education strategies should be developed to address gaps in knowledge among the Hong Kong public towards viral hepatitis, especially misperceptions relevant to social stigmatisation and the importance of preventive measures, including vaccination and screening, when exposed to risk factors.

Drawing is a major component of cognitive screening for dementia. It can be performed without language restriction. Drawing pictures under instructions and copying images are different screening approaches. The objective of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance between drawing under instructions and image copying for MCI and dementia screening.A literature search was carried out in the OVID databases with keywords related to drawing for cognitive screening. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed by QUADAS-2. The level of diagnostic accuracy across different drawing tests was pooled by bivariate analysis in a random effects model. The area under the hierarchical summary receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) was constructed to summarize the diagnostic performance.Ninety-two studies with sample size of 22,085 were included. The pooled results for drawing under instructions showed a sensitivity of 79% (95% CI: 76 - 83%) and a specificity of 80% (95% CI: 77 - 83%) with AUC of 0.87 (95% CI: 0.83 - 0.89). The pooled results for image copying showed a sensitivity of 71% (95% CI: 62 - 79%) and a specificity of 83% (95% CI: 72 - 90%) with AUC of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.80 - 0.86). Clock-drawing test was the screening test used in the majority of studies.Drawing under instructions showed a similar diagnostic performance when compared with image copying for cognitive screening and the administration of image copying is relatively simpler. Self-screening for dementia is feasible to be done at home in the near future.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the risk of coronavirus transmission to healthcare workers performing aerosol-generating procedures and the potential benefits of personal protective equipment during these procedures. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched using a combination of related MeSH terms and keywords. STUDY SELECTION: Cohort studies and case controls investigating common anesthetic and critical care aerosol-generating procedures and transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 to healthcare workers were included for quantitative analysis. DATA EXTRACTION: Qualitative and quantitative data on the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus to healthcare workers via aerosol-generating procedures in anesthesia and critical care were collected independently. The Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies - of Interventions tool was used to assess the risk of bias of included studies. DATA SYNTHESIS: Seventeen studies out of 2,676 yielded records were included for meta-analyses. Endotracheal intubation (odds ratio, 6.69, 95% CI, 3.81-11.72; p < 0.001), noninvasive ventilation (odds ratio, 3.65; 95% CI, 1.86-7.19; p < 0.001), and administration of nebulized medications (odds ratio, 10.03; 95% CI, 1.98-50.69; p = 0.005) were found to increase the odds of healthcare workers contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1 or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The use of N95 masks (odds ratio, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.03-0.39; p < 0.001), gowns (odds ratio, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.48-0.73; p < 0.001), and gloves (odds ratio, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.29-0.53; p < 0.001) were found to be significantly protective of healthcare workers from contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1 or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. CONCLUSIONS: Specific aerosol-generating procedures are high risk for the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1 and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 from patients to healthcare workers. Personal protective equipment reduce the odds of contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1 and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the updated disease burden, risk factors, and temporal trends of liver cancer based on age, sex, and country. Methods: We estimated the incidence of liver cancer and its attribution to hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 2018 based on the Global Cancer Observatory and World Health Organization (WHO) Cancer Causes database. We extracted the prevalence of risk factors from the WHO Global Health Observatory to examine the associations by weighted linear regression. The trend analysis used data from the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents and the WHO mortality database from 48 countries. Temporal patterns of incidence and mortality were calculated using average annual percent change (AAPC) by joinpoint regression analysis. Results: The global incidence of liver cancer was (age-standardized rate [ASR]) 9.3 per 100,000 population in 2018, and there was an evident disparity in the incidence related to HBV (ASR 0.2–41.2) and HCV (ASR 0.4–43.5). A higher HCV/HBV-related incidence ratio was associated with a higher level of alcohol consumption (β 0.49), overweight (β 0.51), obesity (β 0.64), elevated cholesterol (β 0.70), gross domestic product (β 0.20), and Human Development Index (HDI; β 0.45). An increasing trend in incidence was identified in many countries, especially for male individuals, population aged ≥50 years, and countries with a higher HCV/HBV-related liver cancer incidence ratio. Countries with the most drastic increase in male incidence were reported in India (AAPC 7.70), Ireland (AAPC 5.60), Sweden (AAPC 5.72), the UK (AAPC 5.59), and Norway (AAPC 4.87). Conclusion: We observed an overall increasing trend of liver cancer, especially among male subjects, older individuals, and countries with a higher prevalence of HCV-related liver cancer. More efforts are needed in enhancing lifestyle modifications and accessibility of antiviral treatment for these populations. Future studies should investigate the reasons behind these epidemiological changes.

Objectives We examined if the WHO International Health Regulations (IHR) capacities were associated with better COVID-19 pandemic control. Design Observational study. Setting Population-based study of 114 countries. Participants General population. Main outcome measures For each country, we extracted: (1) the maximum rate of COVID-19 incidence increase per 100,000 population over any 5-day moving average period since the first 100 confirmed cases; (2) the maximum 14-day cumulative incidence rate since the first case; (3) the incidence and mortality within 30 days since the first case and first COVID-19-related death, respectively. We retrieved the 13 country-specific International Health Regulations capacities and constructed linear regression models to examine whether these capacities were associated with COVID-19 incidence and mortality, controlling for the Human Development Index, Gross Domestic Product, the population density, the Global Health Security index, prior exposure to SARS/MERS and Stringency Index. Results Countries with higher International Health Regulations score were significantly more likely to have lower incidence (β coefficient −24, 95% CI −35 to −13) and mortality (β coefficient −1.7, 95% CI −2.5 to −1.0) per 100,000 population within 30 days since the first COVID-19 diagnosis. A similar association was found for the other incidence outcomes. Analysis using different regression models controlling for various confounders showed a similarly significant association. Conclusions The International Health Regulations score was significantly associated with reduction in rate of incidence and mortality of COVID-19. These findings inform design of pandemic control strategies, and validated the International Health Regulations capacities as important metrics for countries that warrant evaluation and improvement of their health security capabilities.

Background Hong Kong is a densely populated city with a low incidence and mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The city imposed different levels of social distancing including, the closure of sports venues and restrictions on eateries. This inevitably affects the eating behaviour and physical activities of the population. We examined the changes in eating behavior and physical activities before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and identified sociodemographic factors associated with the behavioral changes. Methods This was a cross-sectional study via a random telephone survey of Chinese adults conducted in Hong Kong from May to June, 2020 - a period in which social distancing measures were being imposed. We measured the physical activity habits from four aspects and dietary consumption patterns from seven aspects before and during the pandemic based on the World Health Organization’s guidelines and previous publications. Results In total, 724 participants were recruited. Individuals were found to cook more frequently at home (p

Background: Sessile serrated adenoma/polyp is notorious for its malignancy potential and the difficulty to be detected and distinguished under endoscopy. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate endoscopic characteristics of SSA/P and delineate features that inform distinction between SSA/P and other types of lesions, including hyperplasitc polyp (HP) and conventional adenoma. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Library from the inception to September 9, 2020 were searched for cohort, cross-sectional or case-control studies comparing endoscopic characteristics of SSA/P and other polyps. The primary outcome measure was the odds of finding specific endoscopic characteristics in patients with SSA/P compared with other types of polys in patients undergoing colorectal cancer screening. Findings: We included 74 studies from 16 countries comprising 34,535 SSA/P. Compared with HP, SSA/P was more likely to be in the right colon (OR 5.45; 95% CI 4.13-7.17; P 5mm vs.

Background: Asymptomatic infection of SARS-CoV-2 may lead to silent community transmission and compromise pandemic control measures of COVID-19. We aimed to estimate the rate of asymptomatic COVID-19 infection from published studies, and compare this rate among different patient groups. Methods: The electronic databases including Medline, Embase, PubMed, and three Chinese electronic databases (The Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang Data, and VIP) were searched. Studies with sample size (or number of subjects) not less than 5 were included. The STATA command ‘Metaprop’ was implemented to conduct meta-analysis for the pooled rate estimates of asymptomatic infections with exact binomial and score test-based 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: A total of 12,713 COVID-19 patients in 136 studies were included in the meta-analysis, including 2,785 asymptomatic infections. The overall rate of asymptomatic infection was 15.1% (95% CI: 12.0%-18.4%). Subgroup analysis showed that the rate was significantly higher in pregnant women (36.3%, 95% CI: 15.7%-59.6%), children (29.4%, 17.4%-42.9%), and studies for screening settings (25.3%, 15.4%-36.5%) conducted on or after 01 March 2020 (27.8%, 15.7%-41.7%). In terms of geographical regions, the rate was the highest in Asia (excluding China) (27.4%, 14.3%-42.6%), followed by Europe (22.7%, 6.3%-44.9%), the US (15.9%, 8.9%-24.3%), and China (13.1%, 10.2%-16.3%). Conclusions: High proportion of asymptomatic infection were observed in pregnant women, children, European residents, screening programmes, and in studies conducted in and after March 2020. Our findings help inform the true burden of COVID-19 among different groups of cases, and provide information on cost-effective strategies of identifying and tracing asymptomatic infections.

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate how the knowledge and perception towards colorectal cancer (CRC) screening had been changed in a large population, and identified factors associated with its participation based on factors pertinent to the Health Belief Model (HBM). METHODS Data from 3600 screening participants and 3600 non-participants were collected through a telephone survey via simple random sampling of telephone numbers in a territory-wide directory from December 2016 to November 2018. Sociodemographic factors; the enabling factors of screening as well as the barriers of screening were collected. The changes in these factors were evaluated by Pearson's chi-square trend test. A logistic regression model was constructed to identify the association between the above factors and CRC screening participation. RESULTS The knowledge level (67.9% to 85.4%, p

Simple Summary Esophageal cancer is the seventh most common cancer globally. Preventive measures and clinical management differ based on histologic subtype. However, information has been lacking on its most recent patterns according to histological subtype, associated risk factors, and epidemiological trends on a global scale. This study is a global analysis of the incidence/mortality trends of esophageal cancer in more than 48 countries/regions based on high quality population-based registries. We conclude that adenocarcinoma has already surpassed squamous cell carcinoma as the most frequent type of esophageal cancer in some western countries and is expected to increase in other countries. It is important to closely monitor and slow down the growing rates of obesity and metabolic syndrome, which are the important risk factors for adenocarcinoma. With the development of more advanced and less invasive technology, population-based targeted screening endoscopy would be recommended for high-risk individuals. Abstract This study aimed to examine the global burden, risk factors, and trends of esophageal cancer based on age, sex, and histological subtype. The data were retrieved from cancer registries database from 48 countries in the period 1980–2017. Temporal patterns of incidence and mortality were evaluated by average annual percent change (AAPC) using joinpoint regression. Associations with risk factors were examined by linear regression. The highest incidence of esophageal cancer was observed in Eastern Asia. The highest incidence of adenocarcinoma (AC) was found in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. A higher AC/squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) incidence ratio was associated with a higher prevalence of obesity and elevated cholesterol. We observed an incidence increase (including AC and SCC) in some countries, with the Czech Republic (female: AAPC 4.66), Spain (female: 3.41), Norway (male: 3.10), Japan (female: 2.18), Thailand (male: 2.17), the Netherlands (male: 2.11; female: 1.88), and Canada (male: 1.51) showing the most significant increase. Countries with increasing mortality included Thailand (male: 5.24), Austria (female: 3.67), Latvia (male: 2.33), and Portugal (male: 1.12). Although the incidence of esophageal cancer showed an overall decreasing trend, an increasing trend was observed in some countries with high AC/SCC incidence ratios. More preventive measures are needed for these countries.

Background This study aimed to evaluate the updated incidence, mortality, risk factors, and epidemiologic trends of colorectal cancer (CRC) for different regions and sex using publicly available data from 186 countries. Methods The Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) database was retrieved for the age-standardized rates (ASR) for incidence and mortality of CRC in 2018 and 2012. The prevalence of risk factors (2008–2016) was retrieved from the Global Health Observatory database. The associations between the prevalence of risk factors and incidence and mortality of CRC and were measured using beta coefficients (β) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) generated from a univariable linear regression analysis. Results In 2018, the highest incidence and mortality of CRC were in regions of very high human development index (HDI) (ASRs, 30.6 and 11.1) with men to women ratio of 1.4 and 1.2. Population in countries with higher incidence have higher alcohol consumption (β=1.30, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.57 for men; β=0.46, CI 0.35 to 0.57 for women), higher prevalence of tobacco use (β=0.11, CI 0.02 to 0.19 for women), insufficient physical activity (β=0.59, CI 0.34 to 0.84; β=0.19, CI 0.09 to 0.29), overweight (β=0.47, CI 0.38 to 0.57; β=0.16, CI 0.12 to 0.20), obesity (β=0.24, CI 0.11 to 0.38; β=0.34, CI 0.25 to 0.43), and elevated cholesterol (β=1.80, CI 1.53 to 2.07; β=1.22, CI 1.05 to 1.38). Similar associations were also found for mortality (figure 1). From 2012 to 2018, there was an overall increase in the trend of incidence and mortality, particularly in Asia (+29.7% and +17.4%) and Africa (+24.3% and +17.6%), and among men (+14.6% and +8.0%) compared with women (+14.0% and +4.3%). Conclusions The variation in disease burden of CRC was associated with HDI and the prevalence of risk factors. There was an increasing trend in the incidence and mortality of CRC, particularly in regions with low and middle incomes and among men. More intensive lifestyle modifications and population-based screening are recommended for these populations.

Background The success of population-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is dependent on the optimal achievement of various targets. We estimated the pooled performance indicators of CRC screening programmes that used faecal immunochemical tests (FIT) as a primary screening modality and colonoscopy as a subsequent confirmatory test in various countries. Methods We searched PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane from inception to 1st Jan 2020. We included original articles published in the English language describing population-based CRC screening programme that used FIT and colonoscopy, and relevant national CRC screening reports by hand searching. We extracted data to pool early performance indicators, including participation rate, invalid FIT rate, FIT positive rate, adenoma/CRC detection rate of FIT, colonoscopy compliance rate, rate of adequate bowel preparation, colonoscopy completion rate, colonoscopy complication rate, and positive predictive values (PPV) of FIT for adenoma/CRC. We used Metaprop to conduct a meta-analysis via R software (version 3.6.3). The Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation was used to stabilise the variances, and a random-effects model was used to pool the rates with proportions. Results A total of 85 studies (64 articles and 21 reports) were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled participation rate was 52.2%, and the pooled proportion of invalid FIT was 1.0%. The FIT positive rate was 7.0%, the adenoma detection rate was 21.8‰, and the CRC detection rate was 2.5‰. In addition, the colonoscopy compliance rate (79.1%), rate of adequate bowel preparation (86.3%), and the colonoscopy completion rate (93.1%) were high. We found the pooled complication rate of 0.3%, with PPVs of FIT being 39.2% (for adenoma) and 4.7% (for CRC). The range of all indicators varied substantially. In subgroup analysis, a higher FIT cut-off value indicated lower positivity and lower adenoma detection rate. Compared with CRC screening programmes with one FIT, those with two FIT had lower participation rate (48.8% vs 55.5%) but higher positive rate (8.9% vs 5.8%) and adenoma detection rate (21.8‰ vs 17.3‰). Conclusions Our findings reported the pooled performance indicators of different CRC screening programmes. The summary measures could inform the benchmarking of performance indicator targets across different CRC screening programmes.

Background Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality globally. The global ASR of incidence of liver cancer was 9.3 per 100,000 persons in 2018. There was an estimated total of 471,000 and 168,200 new cases of liver cancer attributable to HBV and HCV in 2018, respectively. This study aimed to evaluate the association between incidence of liver cancer and its risk factors among 185 countries. Methods The Age-standardised rates (ASR) for incidence of liver cancer in 2018 were extracted from Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN). The prevalence of smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, and diabetes in 2010 for each country were retrieved from the Global Health Observatory (GHO). Primary Outcome: To determine the association between incidence (ASR) and prevalence of risk factors by using multivariable linear regression adjusting for human development index (HDI) and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Results The country with higher incidence was associated with a higher prevalence of smoking (males: β=0.25, p=0.028) and alcohol consumption (females: β=0.94, p=0.042) (table 1: β, beta coefficient refers to how much does the incidence (ASR) change per unit increase in risk factor). No association between the incidence and body mass index (BMI) or diabetes were found in the current analysis (p>0.05). Conclusions Smoking and alcohol consumption remain as important risk factors for liver cancer at a country level. Smoking was associated with an increased risk of Country-specific preventive strategies in the reduction of liver cancer burden includes promoting smoking cessation and alcohol control for high-risk populations.

Background This study aimed to evaluate the global incidence, mortality of gallbladder cancer, and their associations with human development index (HDI), gross domestic products (GDP), smoking, alcohol drinking, and overweight for 180 countries. Methods The regional and national incidence and mortality figures for gallbladder cancer in 2018 were retrieved from the GLOBALCAN database. Age-standardized rates (ASRs) were evaluated by the Segi–Doll world standard population. HDI and GDP per capita in 2018 for each country were collected from the United Nation and World Bank. Prevalence of smoking, alcohol drinking, and overweight in 2010 was retrieved from the Global Health Observatory. The association between the incidence/mortality and these factors was examined by Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r). Results The global ASR of the incidence of gallbladder cancer was 2.3 per 100,000 persons in 2018. The highest rates were reported in Eastern Asia (ASR=3.0), whilst the lowest rates were found in Middle Africa (0.35). The incidence was the highest in countries with very high HDI (2.5) as compared to those with high (2.4), medium (2.0), and low HDI (0.55). Countries with higher incidence were correlated with higher HDI (r=0.31, p 0.05). Conclusions Higher incidence and mortality of gallbladder cancer were found in regions with higher HDI, higher prevalence of smoking and overweight. With population aging and growth, we might expect a further substantial increase in its disease burden, especially for countries with high socioeconomic development. Preventive interventions on reducing the prevalence of risk factors for gallbladder cancer are warranted.

Background Worldwide, oesophageal cancer is one of the most common cancers and a leading cause of cancer mortality. Owing to its aggressive disease nature and poor survival rate, it contributes to a substantial burden to global health and clinical practice. This study aimed to estimate the worldwide incidence and risk factors of oesophageal cancer by histological subtypes using data from 178 countries. Methods The data on the incidence of oesophageal cancer by histological types in 2018 were estimated from GLOBALCAN and Cancer Incidence in Five Continents (CI5). Age-standardized rates (ASRs) for oesophageal cancer incidence by histological subtypes were evaluated by Segi–Doll population. The prevalence of tobacco use, alcohol drinking, physical inactivity, obesity, diabetes, and lipid disorders for each country were retrieved from the Global Health Observatory. The association between the ratio of histological subtypes and risk factors was examined by multivariable linear regression. Results We estimated a total of 63,470 (12.6%) and 502,669 new cases of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in 2018, respectively. The incidence among males was 3.6-fold and 2.2-fold of that among females for AC and SCC, respectively. The highest AC:SCC ratio was found in the UK (ratio 2.880, ASR 7.5), New Zealand (2.667, 4.2), the Netherlands (2.536, 7.7), Bahrain (2.143, 0.9), and Canada (2.000, 3.7) among males (figure 1). As for females, the highest AC:SCC ratio was observed in Moldova (1.000, 0.2), the Netherlands (0.800, 1.2), Iceland (0.750; 0.5), the UK (0.700; 1.4), and Cyprus (0.667; 0.3). A higher AC:SCC ratio was associated with a higher prevalence of obesity (male: β 0.039, 95% CI 0.023 to 0.055; female: 0.009, 0.004 to 0.146) and high cholesterol (male: 0.028, 0.010 to 0.047; female: 0.011, 0.004 to 0.019); but a lower prevalence of tobacco use (male: -0.007, -0.014 to -0.001) and diabetes (male: 0.009, 0.004 to 0.146; female: -0.021, -0.038 to -0.003). Conclusions While SCC is the predominant subtype of oesophageal cancer, the incidence of AC has surpassed SCC in a substantial proportion of countries, probably due to the increasing prevalence of obesity and metabolic disorders. Future research should investigate the reasons behind these epidemiological changes.

No abstract available.

IntroductionAn international city, Hong Kong, in proximity to the first epicentre of COVID- 19, experienced two epidemic waves with different importation pressure. We compared the epidemiological features of patients with COVID-19 in the context of containment policies between the first and second waves.MethodsWe retrieved information on the first 1038 cases detected in Hong Kong (23 January to 25 April 2020) to analyse the epidemiological characteristics including age/gender-specific incidence, clustering, reproduction number (Rt) and containment delay; in relation to the containment measures implemented. Factors associated with containment delay were evaluated by multiple linear regression analysis with age, gender, epidemic wave and infection source as covariates. A time series of 5-day moving average was plotted to examine the changes across the two epidemic waves.ResultsThe incidence and mortality (135.5 and 0.5 per 1 000 000 population) was among the lowest in the world. Aggressive escalation of border control correlated with reductions in Rt from 1.35 to 0.57 and 0.92 to 0.18, and aversions of 450 and 1650 local infections during the first and second waves, respectively. Implementing COVID-19 tests for overseas returners correlated with an upsurge of asymptomatic case detection, and shortened containment delay in the second wave. Medium-sized cluster events in the first wave were family gatherings, whereas those in the second wave were leisure activities among youngsters. Containment delay was associated with older age (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.01, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.02, p=0.040), male gender (AOR=1.41, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.96, p=0.039) and local cases (AOR=11.18, 95% CI 7.43 to 16.83, pConclusionPrompt and stringent all-round containment strategies represent successful measures in pandemic control. These findings could inform formulation and implementation of pandemic mitigation strategies.