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Domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH) is an infectious disease associated with chronic hepatitis in cats, which suggests a similarity with hepatitis B virus infections in humans. Since its first identification in Australia in 2018, DCH has been reported in several countries with varying prevalence rates, but its presence in Taiwan has yet to be investigated. In this study, we aimed to identify the presence and genetic diversity of DCH infections in Taiwan. Among the 71 samples tested, eight (11.27%) were positive for DCH. Of these positive cases, three cats had elevated levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST), suggesting an association between DCH infection and chronic hepatitis. Four DCH-positive samples were also tested for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) coinfection. One sample (25%) was positive for FIV, whereas there was no positive sample for FeLV (0%). In addition, we performed whole genome sequencing on six samples to determine the viral genome sequences. Phylogenetic analyses identified a distinct lineage compared with previously reported sequences. This study highlights the importance of continuous surveillance of DCH and further research to elucidate the pathophysiology and transmission route of DCH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and teamwork quality in prehospital settings has always been challenging. Currently, commercialized quality-monitored chest pads and single-angle cameras are being used to monitor prehospital the resuscitation quality in patients following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). However, both these methods have drawbacks. In New Taipei City, we introduced the panoramic video camera as a novel method to assess the resuscitation quality of OHCA patients to monitor both technical skills and teamwork. The panoramic video camera enabled a comprehensive evaluation of prehospital resuscitation, thereby allowing team members to evaluate their performance by reviewing the video after resuscitation. This is the first step toward improving the evaluation of prehospital resuscitation. Using this panoramic video camera and a high-speed internet connection, real-time resuscitation feedback from the dispatch center or medical directors can be provided promptly, thus, making prehospital resuscitation safe and efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: An increasing incidence of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) has been reported in several Western countries. However, the epidemiology of AML in Asia is very limited. According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline of AML, a range of conventional therapy options is available to AML patients. Nevertheless, different treatment strategies may result in diverse healthcare utilization and costs. Understanding the treatment patterns, healthcare utilization and costs of AML would thus be essential for clinicians and policymakers to optimize the treatment strategies of AML. Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence, treatment patterns, healthcare utilization and costs of AML in Taiwan using a nationwide population database. Methods: We retrospectively identified AML patients diagnosed from 2006 to 2015 from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database (TCRD) and estimated the epidemiology of AML in Taiwan. The TCRD was linked to National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) to collect the treatment patterns and health care utilization. Patients diagnosed with AML from 2011 to 2015 were further identified to analyze treatment patterns, healthcare utilization and costs. Results: The crude annual incidence of AML increased from 2.78 to 3.21 cases per 100,000 individuals from 2006 to 2015. However, the age-standardized rate (ASRs) of AML slightly declined from 2.47 to 2.41 cases per 100,000 individuals in the same period. Among 2,179 AML patients who received induction therapy (median age: 56 years), most of them (n = 1744; 80.04%) received standard-dose cytarabine (SDAC) regimen. The remaining 162 patients received high dose cytarabine (HDAC) and 273 patients received non-standard dose cytarabine (N-SDAC) regimen as the induction therapy. The median medical costs in our study for patients treated with chemotherapy alone was $42,271 for HDAC, $36,199 for SDAC and $36,250 for N-SDAC. For those who received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) after induction therapy, their median medical costs were $78,876 for HDAC, $78,593 for SDAC and $79,776 for N-SDAC. Conclusions: This study is the first population-based study conducted in Asia to provide updated and comprehensive information on epidemiology, treatment patterns and healthcare resource utilization and costs of AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have shown long‐term survival benefits in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Nevertheless, significant concern has been raised regarding long‐term TKI‐associated vascular adverse events (VAEs). The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate the incidence of VAEs in Taiwanese patients with CML treated with different TKIs (imatinib, nilotinib, and dasatinib) as well as potential risk factors. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database and National Health Insurance Research Database. Adult patients diagnosed with CML from 2008 to 2016 were identified and categorized into three groups according to their first‐line TKI treatment (imatinib, nilotinib, and dasatinib). Propensity score matching was performed to control for potential confounders. Cox regressions were used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of VAEs in different TKI groups. Results: In total, 1,111 patients with CML were included in our study. We found that the risk of VAEs in nilotinib users was significantly higher than that in imatinib users, with an HR of 3.13 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.30–7.51), whereas dasatinib users also showed a nonsignificant trend for developing VAEs, with an HR of 1.71 (95% CI, 0.71–4.26). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, only nilotinib usage, older age, and history of cerebrovascular diseases were identified as significant risk factors. The annual incidence rate of VAEs was highest within the first year after the initiation of TKIs. Conclusion: These findings can support clinicians in making treatment decisions and monitoring VAEs in patients with CML in Taiwan. Implications for Practice: This study found that patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) treated with nilotinib and dasatinib may be exposed to a higher risk of developing vascular adverse events (VAEs) compared with those treated with imatinib. Thus, this study suggests that patients with CML who are older or have a history of cerebrovascular diseases should be under close monitoring of VAEs, particularly within the first year after the initiation of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Concerns have been raised regarding long‐term adverse events related to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment. This article reports on the incidence of TKI‐associated vascular adverse events in a cohort of Taiwanese patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation during rituximab treatment for diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is important in the HBV‐endemic area. This population‐based study examines the impact of antiviral prophylaxis for DLBCL patients with HBV infections. We identified 3702 adult patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL between 2011 and 2015 receiving R‐CHOP, R‐CVP, CHOP or CVP from the Taiwan Cancer Registry. We further stratified them into three groups: HBsAg‐negative patients (HBV‐negative, N = 2921), HBV carriers who received antiviral prophylaxis (HBV + Px, N = 711), and HBV carriers who did not receive antiviral prophylaxis (HBV + No Px, N = 70). HBV + Px patients were the youngest, and 69·4% received entecavir for antiviral prophylaxis. The median overall survival (mOS) of HBV‐negative and HBV + Px patients was similar (74·23 months and not reached, respectively). However, the mOS of HBV + No Px patients was only 35·61 months (P = 0·0028 compared with HBV + Px patients), indicating that antiviral prophylaxis improves OS in HBsAg‐positive DLBCL patients. The multivariate analysis showed that the HBV status and antiviral prophylaxis was an independent prognostic factor. In conclusion, our population‐based study illustrates the importance of antiviral prophylaxis in HBsAg‐positive DLBCL patients. Under antiviral prophylaxis, the survival of DLBCL patients with HBV infections was comparable to that of HBV‐negative patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The standard frontline therapy for patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is R-CHOP. However, patients older than 80 years are excluded from clinical trials. The importance of rituximab and anthracycline remains unknown in extremely elderly DLBCL patients. Here, we incorporated data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database (TCRD), National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), and National Death Registry to evaluate the clinical benefits of rituximab and anthracycline in elderly patients. From the TCRD and NHIRD, we included DLBCL patients aged older than 60 years who received R-CHOP, R-CVP, CHOP, or CVP between 2010 and 2015. Results: Of the 3228 eligible patients, 2559 were between 60 and 79 years (the 60–79 group), and 669 were older than 80 years (the 80+ group). The proportions of patients in the different Ann Arbor stages and the practice settings were similar in both groups. The male-to-female ratio and the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) scores in the 80+ group were higher than those in the 60–79 group. Patients in the 60–79 group received R-CHOP more frequently than those in the 80+ group. In the 60–79 group, the median age of the patients receiving R-CVP or CVP was older than those receiving R-CHOP or CHOP. In the analysis of overall survival (OS) and time to treatment failure (TTF), R-CHOP, female sex, younger age, lower Ann Arbor stage, lower CCI score, and care at a medical center predicted a favorable prognosis in the 60–79 group. However, only R-CHOP, younger age, and lower Ann Arbor stage remained independent favorable prognostic factors in the 80+ group. Conclusions: Our population-based study demonstrated the clinical benefits of rituximab and anthracycline in extremely elderly Asian patients with DLBCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The treatment response and overall survival (OS) improved after incorporating rituximab with chemotherapies. Yet, available evidence as to whether women and men may benefit similarly from rituximab have not been adequately addressed, particularly in the real-world setting. The objective of this study was to examine sex differences in the clinical outcomes of rituximab in DLBCL patients using the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database and National Health Insurance Research Database. Materials and Methods: All DLBCL patients aged 20 years and older during 2009–2013 were identified (n = 4490; women = 2048). Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare the results. Results: The baseline characteristics were similar between women and men with DLBCL, except that women had lower Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), and that fewer women underwent R-CHOP. In the survival analysis, women had better OS and longer time to treatment failure. The multivariate analysis of OS showed that the female sex remained to be an independent favorable prognostic factor regardless of Ann Arbor stages, age, treatments, CCI, and practice settings. In the subgroup analysis, the female advantage was only significant in the patients receiving rituximab-CHOP chemotherapy instead of in those receiving other rituximab-containing or non-rituximab therapies. This advantage diminished when rituximab dose was higher. Conclusion: From our population-based study, women demonstrated more survival benefits from the use of rituximab-containing induction chemotherapies for DLBCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most frequent indolent lymphoma in Western countries, but it is less frequent in Asia. Several trials have demonstrated the progression‐free benefit of rituximab maintenance for FL patients in Western countries. However, the overall survival (OS) benefits and effectiveness of rituximab maintenance in Asian FL patients remain uncertain. We utilized the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database and the National Health Insurance Research Database to investigate the roles of rituximab maintenance for newly diagnosed FL patients in Taiwan. Among 836 patients with newly diagnosed FL during 2009‐2012, we enrolled patients with stage II‐IV diseases receiving 4‐8 cycles of rituximab‐containing induction chemotherapies (R‐induction). We excluded those who died or received additional chemotherapy within 180 days after R‐induction. Among the 396 enrolled patients, 260 underwent rituximab maintenance (R‐maintenance group), and 136 served as the observation group. The R‐maintenance group received less anthracycline and fewer cycles of R‐induction than the observation group, but they exhibited a significantly better OS both in the univariate and multivariate analyses [hazard ratio, 0.42; 95% confidence interval, 0.19‐0.91] after adjusting for age, sex, and Ann Arbor stages. Meanwhile, we also found more patients required further therapies in the first 6 months after the cease of rituximab maintenance. In the subgroup analysis, patients older than 60 years or with stage IV diseases benefited more from rituximab maintenance. Conclusively, our nationwide study is the first one to demonstrate the OS benefit of rituximab maintenance after induction therapies in newly diagnosed FL patients from Asian populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, the addition of cetuximab to chemotherapy has improved treatment outcomes for patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC). In this study, we present the real-world survival data of R/M HNSCC patients who received cetuximab-containing regimens from thirteen medical centers in Taiwan, as well as a three-level risk stratification model for this patient population., Methods: This study enrolled R/M HNSCC patients from thirteen medical centers in Taiwan who received cetuximab-containing regimens from January 1, 2017 to June 6, 2022. The cases were divided into a training cohort and a validation cohort based on the start of treatment. Overall survival (OS) was evaluated in both cohorts and exploratory analysis was performed to identify associated adverse clinical and laboratory factors. The results of the exploratory analysis were used to construct a three-level risk stratification prediction model for OS., Results: A total of 1434 patients with R/M HNSCC were enrolled in this study and received cetuximab-containing regimens. The overall population had a median OS of 8.57 months (95% CI: 8.07 - 9.08). Multivariate analysis of the training cohort identified poor ECOG performance status, heavy alcohol consumption, and prior adjuvant CCRT or lack of prior RT as adverse prognostic factors. Comparison of laboratory data between patients with OS≦6 and OS > 6 also revealed unfavorable factors, including increased white blood cell count, decreased hemoglobin level, increased platelet count, increased absolute neutrophil count, decreased absolute lymphocyte count, and increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. Using forward prediction, a three-level risk stratification prediction model was constructed using the variables of ECOG performance status, alcohol consumption, skin metastasis, modality of radiation therapy, hemoglobin level, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. The median OS in the low-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk groups were 12.02 months (95% CI 10.44-13.61), 7.5 months (95% CI 7.33-8.17), and 4.01 months (95% CI 3.94-4.08), respectively, with a log-rank test p-value < 0.001., Conclusion: This study presents a three-level risk stratification model with strong prediction ability for OS in R/M HNSCC patients who received cetuximab-containing regimens. The results are based on real-world data and may provide valuable information for clinicians in treatment planning and future drug development., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: For R/M HNSCC, the differences in prognosis and treatment options between distant metastasis (DM) and locoregional recurrence, especially in the DM group, remain unclear., Methods: From the Taiwan Head Neck Society registry database, patients who were diagnosed with R/M HNSCC and received cetuximab-based frontline therapy were collected for analysis., Results: Among the enrolled patients, 59.3% (491/827) belonged to the DM group. The DM group had less primary site of oral cavity, less betel nut chewing, higher lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, and higher LDH/albumin ratio compared with the non-DM group. For the patients with primary site of oral cavity and current smokers, DM coexisted with poorer outcomes. In the DM group, EXTREME-like regimen was more suitable for older patients, those with elevated LDH, and those with higher LDH/albumin ratio than TPExtreme-like regimen., Conclusion: DM coexisted with poorer prognosis in certain groups. LDH-associated biomarkers may aid treatment options for DM patients., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: There are limited real-world data to guide the sequencing of targeted therapies in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). The objective of this study was to characterize real-world treatment patterns (primarily second line [2L]) after prior vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) targeted therapy in an unselected mRCC population from Taiwan between 2013 and 2017. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) and their management were also evaluated (NCT03633579)., Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients who had received prior VEGF-targeted therapy and were treated at the National Taiwan University Hospital or the Taipei Veterans General Hospital between June 2013 and December 2017. Outcomes were characterized using descriptive statistics., Results: Overall, 27 patients were included: 22 (81.5%) male; mean standard deviation (SD) age, 63.1 (11.1) years; 18 (66.7%) initiated targeted therapy during the year immediately following mRCC diagnosis. All patients received sunitinib as their first-line (1L) targeted therapy, with a median (range) treatment duration of 10 (1.8-65.8) months. The most common reason for discontinuing 1L sunitinib was disease progression (88.9% of patients). Everolimus was the most common 2L targeted therapy, in 23 patients (85.2%); 4 patients (14.8%) received 2L axitinib. Median (range) duration of 2L therapy was 4.0 (0.1-30.5) months for everolimus and 4.2 (0.5-9.2) months for axitinib. Ten TRAEs were reported among seven patients receiving 2L everolimus: hypertension (n = 5), hand-foot syndrome (n = 2), hyperglycemia (n = 1), renal failure (n = 1), and interstitial pneumonitis (n = 1). The majority (80%) of TRAEs were managed in the outpatient setting. No TRAEs were reported in the axitinib group., Conclusion: Real-world management of patients with mRCC in Taiwan broadly aligned with clinical guidelines and national reimbursement policy at the time of the study. These findings may be a useful reference for assessing the implications of evolving mRCC management approaches in Taiwan., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to the subject matter or materials discussed in this article., (Copyright © 2022, the Chinese Medical Association.)

Background: Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is the ultimate cure for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)., Aim: This study was performed to compare the outcomes of ALL patients receiving busulfan (Bu) with cyclophosphamide (Cy)-based or total body irradiation (TBI)-based regimen in a Chinese population., Methods: We enrolled 224 adult patients with ALL who received allo-HSCT at National Taiwan University Hospital between 1997 and 2016., Results: The median age at transplantation was 33 years. Before allo-HSCT, 75.9% of patients attained first or late complete remission. A total of 141 patients (62.9%) received Bu/Cy-based conditioning, either myeloablative (MA) or reduced-intensity stem cell transplantation (RIST), and 83 patients received a TBI-based regimen (MA-TBI). Patients receiving the MA-Bu regimen had longer relapse-free survival (RFS) than those receiving the MA-TBI regimen (median, 24.1 vs. 6.7 months, p = .044). There was no difference in overall survival (OS, MA-Bu vs. MA-TBI vs. RIST-Bu: 39.4 vs. 28.2 vs. 13.1 months, p = .276), treatment-related mortality (TRM), or incidences of grade 3-4 acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). Among patients receiving identical GvHD prophylactic regimens, there was no difference between MA-Bu and MA-TBI groups regarding the incidence of grade 3-4 acute GvHD, grade 2-4, and all-grade chronic GvHD. In subgroup analysis, patients receiving oral busulfan had comparable RFS and OS to the intravenous busulfan group (p = .436 and p = .236, respectively), but a higher TRM (25% vs. 9.8%, p = .016). In the multivariable analysis, disease status before allo-HSCT was the only risk factor impacting RFS and OS., Conclusion: In summary, patients receiving Bu/Cy-based or TBI-based regimens as conditioning had similar results in terms of OS, TRM, and acute GvHD, whereas the use of myeloablative Bu/Cy resulted in a better RFS. A Bu-based regimen could be an alternative conditioning choice for patients who are ineligible to receive TBI. Prospective and randomized controlled trials are warranted to validate the long-term outcomes., (© 2021 The Authors. Cancer Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Aim/objective: Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) is one of the most frequent types of leukaemia/lymphoma in adults in Western countries. However, there are few studies regarding its epidemiology and treatment patterns in Asian countries., Methods: To investigate CLL/SLL in Asian populations, we identified CLL/SLL patients diagnosed during 2006 to 2015 from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database and estimated the incidence. Further, patients diagnosed during 2008 to 2015 were included for the analysis of treatment patterns and survivals. Treatments for CLL/SLL were retrieved from the Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database and survival data from the National Death Registry., Results: In total, 1497 patients who were older than 20 years and had newly diagnosed CLL/SLL during 2006-2015 were identified. The age-standardized incidence rates of CLL/SLL (0.36 per 100 000 persons in 2006, and 0.54 in 2015) increased during the 10-year period. The sex ratio was ranged from 1.21 to 2.63 with male predominant during 2006 and 2015. For the analysis of treatment patterns (n = 1236), 72.8% patients received chemotherapies. The median duration between the diagnosis and start of treatments was 27 days, and monotherapy of chlorambucil, bendamustine or cyclophosphamide was the most common regimen in initial treatments. The median follow-up duration for the patients receiving therapies was 29.6 months, and 45.0% patients experienced relapse or refractory. In patients with relapse/refractory CLL/SLL, 34.1% received rituximab-containing chemotherapies. Three hundred and ninety-nine (32.3%) patients received intensive treatments, and 175 (43.9%) of them received rituximab-containing chemotherapies. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 61%, and age was an important prognostic factor for CLL/SLL patients., Conclusions: This study is the first population-based study in Asia and provides comprehensive evidence of epidemiology, treatment patterns and survivals of CLL/SLL in an Asian population., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematological malignancy originating from myeloid precursor cells, with different cytogenetic abnormalities, genetic mutations and diverse clinical prognoses. We investigated the clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of adult AML patients in Taiwan., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively included 3851 patients with AML in the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database from 2011 to 2015. We excluded patients younger than 20 years, with acute promyelocytic leukemia, and with no pathological confirmation., Results: Among the 3292 patients included, 2179 received induction chemotherapy and 1113 did not, because of older age and higher Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score. Among the 2179 treated patients, 162 received high-dose cytarabine-based chemotherapy, 1535 received standard-dose cytarabine with anthracyclines, 209 received low-dose cytarabine-based chemotherapy, and 273 received chemotherapy without cytarabine. Patients in the low-dose cytarabine group had the oldest age and highest CCI scores compared with the other groups. In the analysis of overall survival (OS), the median OS of the overall study population was 6.27 months. Treated patients with AML had a longer OS than untreated ones (12.43 months treated vs. 2.03 months not treated; P < .0001). In the multivariate analyses of the treated patients with AML, several factors indicated better prognosis, including receiving standard-dose or high-dose cytarabine, female sex, younger age, lower CCI score, treatment at a medical center, favorable cytogenetic abnormalities, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation., Conclusion: Our study was a population-based study that illustrates the real-world outcomes of adult patients with AML in Taiwan., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Margin status and lymph node metastasis are the most important prognostic factors for oral cancers. However, while adequate surgical resection is crucial for local control and prognosis, the definition of clear margins has long been a subject of debate. In this study, we analyzed data from a nationwide population-based cancer registry database and evaluated the impact of surgical margins on cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) as well as the optimal cutoff of adequate surgical margins., Methods: This analysis included all cases of oral cancer diagnosed from 2011 to 2017 that were reported to the Taiwan Cancer Registry database. The staging system was converted from American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) version 7 to AJCC version 8. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional-hazards regression were performed to identify covariates that were significantly associated with CSS and OS., Results: Between 2011 and 2017, 15,654 of a total of 36,091 cases diagnosed with oral cancers were included in the final analyses. Advanced N stage, positive margins, and advanced T stage are the leading risk factors for poor CSS and OS. When surgical margins were subdivided into 1-mm intervals from 5 mm to positive margin, we found that surgical margins <4 mm and <5 mm predict poor CSS and OS, respectively., Conclusions: This is the first nationwide, population-based cohort to revisit the question of the adequate surgical margins for oral cancers. We conclude that surgical margins ≥4 mm and ≥5 mm are adequate for good CSS and OS, respectively., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: There are many unrevealed parts regarding lymphoma etiology. Previous studies suggested differences in lymphoma epidemiology among countries existed; however, some were one-center studies that were not enough to represent the whole population., Objective: To provide epidemiological information on lymphoma within Taiwanese and to compare the data with that in Japan and the United States., Methods: We used Taiwan Cancer Registry Database as our data source. Patients with lymphoma were identified through the ICD-O-3 codes and those with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) were categorized into three major types and 13 subtypes according to 2008 WHO classification. Incidence of lymphoma was adjusted according to the 2000 world standard population., Results: During 2002-2012, 21 929 cases were diagnosed with four major types of lymphoma in Taiwan. Aggressive B-cell lymphoma (52.21%, N = 11 450) was the most common type of NHL. Median age at diagnosis of aggressive B-cell lymphoma was the eldest (63.0-65.0 years). Male excess in T/NK-cell lymphoma was the most obvious (sex ratio: 1.39-2.07). The incidence of NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, was higher (male: 0.16-0.34 per 100 000, female: 0.06-0.16 per 100 000) in Taiwan than that in the United States and Japan., Conclusion: This is the first population-based study in Taiwan to investigate subtype-specific epidemiology of lymphoma. The incidence rates of lymphoma in Taiwan are mostly lower than those in the United States and higher or comparable to those in Japan except for NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, whose age-adjusted incidence in Taiwan is the highest., (© 2018 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

We report the first case of granulomatous amebic encephalitis caused by Acanthamoeba in a previously healthy farmer in Taiwan who fell into a ditch. The DNA amplicons of amebas identified by polymerase chain reaction in the cerebrospinal fluid specimen and the ditch water specimens were identical and shared strong homology with A. castellanii . He survived after treatment with amphotericin B, rifampin, and corticosteroids.