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Monkeypox (mpox), a viral zoonotic disease, is spreading worldwide. However, evidence that informs prevention and control strategies in the Asia Pacific Region is very limited. Our study aims to investigate the experiences of mpox patients from infection to treatment to provide scientific basis for the prevention and control. A multicenter qualitative design was used. A total of 15 mpox patients were recruited between July 6 and July 25, 2023, from six cities in China. Semistructured interviews were conducted by telephone and analyzed using the thematic analysis. The interview was divided into two sections: patients' experiences (prediagnosis experience, treatment-seeking experience, and quarantine experience) and advice. Prediagnosis experience was summarized into three themes: symptoms, possible routes of infection, and knowledge of mpox. Treatment-seeking experience was summarized into three themes: time of visit to hospital, diagnostic difficulties, and attitude toward diagnosis. Quarantine experience was summarized into three themes: body and mind reactions, reluctance to self-disclose infection status, and factors facilitating recovery. Themes identified from patients' advice were as follows: (1) Increase in testing channels and methods, (2) Development and introduction of vaccines, (3) Adjustment of quarantine program, (4) Improvement of treatment measures, and (5) Improvement of publicity and education. To effectively curb the mpox epidemic, structured measures are urgently needed to address the mpox-related stigma and discrimination. Targeted health education should be provided to MSM, focusing on the prevention, detection, and treatment services. Hospitals should enhance the training of clinicians in key departments including infectious disease and dermatology, to improve diagnostic capability and sensitivity. Furthermore, given the absence of specific antiviral medications, supervised home quarantine may be a good option., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Penile cancer is a relatively rare genital malignancy whose incidence and mortality are rising in many countries., Objective: This study aims to assess the recent incidence and mortality patterns and incidence trends of penile cancer., Methods: The age-standardized incidence and mortality rates (ASIR and ASMR, respectively) of penile cancer in 2020 were estimated from the Global Cancer Registries (GLOBOCAN) database. Incidence trends of penile cancer from 1973 to 2012 were assessed in 44 populations from 43 countries using the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents plus (CI5plus) and the Nordic Cancer Registries (NORDCAN) databases. Average annual percentage change was calculated to quantify trends in ASIR using joinpoint regression., Results: Globally, the estimated ASIR and ASMR of penile cancer were 0.80 (per 100,000) and 0.29 (per 100,000) in 2020, equating to 36,068 new cases and 13,211 deaths in 2020, respectively. There was no significant correlation between the ASIR (P=.05) or ASMR (P=.90) and Human Development Index. In addition, 15 countries saw increasing ASIR for penile cancer, 13 of which were from Europe (United Kingdom, Lithuania, Norway, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Cyprus, Netherlands, Italy, Croatia, Slovakia, Russia, and the Czech), and 2 from Asia (China and Israel)., Conclusions: Although the developing countries still bear the higher incidence and mortality of penile cancer, the incidence is on the rise in most European countries. To mitigate the disease burden resulting from penile cancer, measures to lower the risk for penile cancers, including improving penile hygiene and male human papillomavirus vaccination, may be warranted., (©Leiwen Fu, Tian Tian, Kai Yao, Xiang-Feng Chen, Ganfeng Luo, Yanxiao Gao, Yi-Fan Lin, Bingyi Wang, Yinghui Sun, Weiran Zheng, Peiyang Li, Yuewei Zhan, Christopher K Fairley, Andrew Grulich, Huachun Zou. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (https://publichealth.jmir.org), 06.07.2022.)

Objectives: To assess the association between blood circulating vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer risk in the Asian population., Design: This is a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies that investigated the relationship between blood circulating vitamin D levels and colorectal cancer risk in the Asian population., Data Sources: Relevant studies were identified through a literature search in Medline, Embase and Web of Science from 1st January 1980 to 31st January 2019. Eligibility criteria: original studies published in peer-reviewed journals investigating the association between blood circulating vitamin D levels and the risk of colorectal cancer and/or adenoma in Asian countries., Data Extraction and Synthesis: Two authors independently extracted data and assessed the quality of included studies. Study-specific ORs were pooled using a random-effects model. A dose-response meta-analysis was performed with generalised least squares regression. We applied the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale quality assessment to evaluate the quality of the selected studies., Results: The eight included studies encompassed a total of 2916 cases and 6678 controls. The pooled ORs of colorectal cancer for the highest versus lowest categories of blood circulating vitamin D levels was 0.75 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.97) up to 36.5 ng/mL in the Asian population. There was heterogeneity among the studies ( I 2 =53.9%, P heterogeneity =0.034). The dose-response meta-analysis indicated a significant linear relationship ( P non-linearity =0.11). An increment of 16 ng/mL in blood circulating vitamin D level corresponded to an OR of 0.79 (95% CI 0.64 to 0.97)., Conclusions: The results of this meta-analysis indicate that blood circulating vitamin D level is associated with decreased risk of colorectal cancer in Asian countries. The dose-response meta-analysis shows that the strength of this association among the Asian population is similar to that among the Western population. Our study suggests that the Asian population should improve nutritional status and maintain a higher level of blood circulating vitamin D., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)