Fukushima Medical University

The objective of this study was to investigate the trends in the number of positive cases of influenza and dengue fever before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in a private hospital in Cambodia. This study was a preliminary observational prospective descriptive study. A total of 2,991 patients were included. The positivity rate for dengue fever was higher before COVID-19 (14.7%, 179/1217) than during the COVID-19 period (4.1%, 10/242). For influenza, the positivity rates before COVID-19 were 13.3% (185/1394) for influenza A and 10.7% (149/1394) for influenza B. During the COVID-19 period, these rates changed to 18.2% (174/958) for influenza A and 0.4% (4/958) for influenza B. A whole country assessment of dengue and influenza disease patients should be done during the COVID-19 pandemic term.

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is associated with low-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV). With HPV DNA testing, the oral rinse of RRP patients may be a useful liquid biopsy, as previously shown in patients with oropharyngeal cancer. Oral rinse, along with palatine and pharyngeal tonsil swabs, were collected from seven patients with persistent RRP. HPV DNA detection was performed using polymerase chain reaction, followed by genotype identification. HPV DNA was detected in five of seven oral rinse samples, but not in any palatine or pharyngeal tonsil swabs. HPV6 was identified in four of the five HPV-positive oral rinses, which was consistent with the RRP tissues. HPV DNA can be detected in oral rinses from patients with RRP, suggesting the utility of the oral rinse as a liquid biopsy. In contrast, neither the palatine nor the pharyngeal tonsils were reservoirs of HPV in study patients with RRP.

As populations age worldwide, breast cancer mortality among older patients continues to rise despite therapeutic advances. This study investigates differences in treatment patterns and outcomes between older and younger patients with metastatic breast cancer. We analyzed clinical data from the Advanced Breast Cancer Database (ABCD) maintained by the Japanese Breast Cancer Research Group. The dataset included patients registered between June 1, 2020, and October 31, 2023, encompassing clinicopathologic information, treatment details, breast cancer specific survival (BCSS), and overall survival (OS). A total of 1629 patients were included. The frequency of chemotherapy and genomic testing decreased with age, yet patients in their 70s demonstrated treatment durations and survival outcomes comparable to those of younger patients. In contrast, patients aged ≥ 80years exhibited shorter duration of second-line therapy (adjusted HR:0.65, 95% CI: 0.43-1.04) and poorer OS (adjusted HR:0.62, 95% CI: 0.37-1.04) and BCSS (adjusted HR:0.66, 95% CI: 0.38-1.14), despite most deaths being attributable to breast cancer rather than non-cancer-related causes. This multicenter retrospective study demonstrates that patients in their 70s can achieve comparable benefits from systemic therapy to younger individuals, emphasizing the importance of not withholding treatment based solely on chronological age. Conversely, the limited effectiveness of later-line therapies in patients aged ≥ 80 highlights the need for individualized treatment strategies that balance efficacy, quality of life, and comorbidities through comprehensive geriatric assessment and shared decision-making.

Aim: The Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, caused an accident at the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). The damage caused by the combination of earthquake, tsunami, and radiation required mass evacuation of the local population. The evacuation to shelters is well known, but the grief that disaster victims experienced is not widely known. This paper considers the reasons for the lack of acknowledgment of the grief of disaster victims following the disaster.

Individuals with locomotive syndrome (LS) have muscle weakness and reduced motor function due to musculoskeletal disorders that cause reduced mobility and physical function. In Japan, musculoskeletal disorders are the most common reason for requiring home support or nursing care, highlighting the need for preventing and ameliorating LS. Middle-aged and older adults sometimes encounter difficulty making a habit of exercise therapy (the mainstay of LS treatment). We investigated whether digital therapeutics (DTx) can prevent or ameliorate LS in middle-aged and older adults. We conducted a prospective, longitudinal, nonrandomized, single-group study of Japanese aged 40 years and older who were eligible for LS checkups (N=47). Each participant underwent an 8-week locomotion training intervention based on DTx supervised by medical staff. We objectively assessed the participants' subjective and objective motor abilities and motor awareness with the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-25), and Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-3 at baseline (before the DTx), an interim point (4 wk after the DTx initiation), and a final evaluation (8 wk post-DTx initiation). We compared the scores of the 3 tests at the 3 time points as dependent variables in a 3-factor ANOVA with Bonferroni correction (significance defined as 0.05/3=0.0167). No increase in amotivation to exercise or refusal to exercise was observed. Significant improvements at 8 weeks versus the baseline were observed in the TUG scores (baseline: 9.0, 95% CI 8.4-9.6; 8 wk: 7.5, 95% CI 7.1-8.0; P=.001) and GLFS-25 results (baseline: 18.7, 95% CI 14.5-22.8; 8 wk: 11.7, 95% CI 8.8-14.7; P=.004). The Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-3 and its subscale data did not differ significantly at any assessment time point. These results indicate that an 8-week locomotive training intervention using DTx significantly improved middle-aged and older adults' TUG and GLFS-25 scores and will help prevent and ameliorate LS and establish better exercise habits among them.