scholarly journals The Demographic Analyses of Undiagnosed and Misdiagnosed Cancer Cases via Autopsy Data

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aishvarya Godla ◽  
Andrew Zloza ◽  
Marco Rossi

Cancer is one of the most common causes of death. Recent increases in undiagnosed and misdiagnosed cancer cases at autopsies suggests that the presence of cancer is more prevalent in the general population than previously thought. Such cases may be different in certain populations with regard to key demographic characteristics (age, race, gender, etc.). Therefore, this study aimed to identify trends in these undiagnosed cases of different cancer types. The data suggest that cancers of the lung, gastrointestinal tract, and prostate gland were frequently undiagnosed/misdiagnosed, while cancers of the breast and brain are rarely missed. The data also show that the presence of undetected prostate cancer is likely not different, to a significant degree, in younger versus older age groups. This indicates that cancer possibly manifests early in human life but remains undetected for several decades. However, further research is required to confirm this hypothesis. The data suggests that the prevalence of undetected cancer is highest in African-Americans compared to other races/ethnicities such as European and Asian. With regard to gender, the prevalence of undetected cancer appears to be higher in men than women. To conclusively validate these findings, further research is needed including concurrent and prospective analyses on live cases.

Author(s):  
Alexandre Badoux ◽  
Norina Andres ◽  
Frank Techel ◽  
Christoph Hegg

Abstract. A database of fatalities caused by natural hazard processes in Switzerland was compiled for the period between 1946 and 2015. Using information from the Swiss flood and landslide database and the Swiss destructive avalanche database, the data set was extended back in time and more hazard processes were added by conducting an in-depth search of newspaper reports. The new database now covers all natural hazards common in Switzerland categorized into seven process types: flood, landslide, rockfall, lightning, windstorm, avalanche, and other processes (e.g. ice avalanches, earthquakes). Included were all fatal accidents associated with natural hazard processes where victims did not expose themselves to an important danger on purpose or wilfully. The database contains information on 635 natural hazard events causing 1023 fatalities, which corresponds to a mean of 14.6 victims per year. The most common causes of death were snow avalanche (37 %), followed by lightning (16 %), flood (12 %), windstorm (10 %), rockfall (8 %), landslide (7 %) and other processes (9 %). About 50 % of all victims died in one of the 507 single-fatality events; the other half of victims were killed in the 128 multi-fatality events. The number of natural hazard fatalities that occurred annually during our 70-year study period ranged from two to 112 and exhibited a distinct decrease over time. While the number of victims during the first three decades (until 1975) ranged from 191 to 269 per decade, it ranged from 47 to 109 in the four following decades. This overall decrease was mainly driven by a considerable decline in the number of avalanche and lightning fatalities. About 75 % of victims were males in all natural hazard events considered together, and this ratio was roughly maintained in all individual process categories except landslides (lower) and other processes (higher). The ratio of male to female victims was most likely to be balanced when deaths occurred at home (in or near a building), a situation that mainly occurred in association with landslides and avalanches. The average age of victims of natural hazards was 35.9 years, and accordingly, the age groups with the largest number of victims were the 20–29 and 30–39 year-old groups, which in combination represented 34% of all fatalities. It appears that the natural hazard fatality rate in Switzerland during the past 70 years has been relatively low in comparison to rates in other countries or rates of other types of fatal accidents in Switzerland.


Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Ayushi Rai ◽  
Saba Noor ◽  
Syed Ishraque Ahmad ◽  
Mohamed F. Alajmi ◽  
Afzal Hussain ◽  
...  

Cancer is one of the most common causes of death and affects millions of lives every year. In addition to non-infectious carcinogens, infectious agents contribute significantly to increased incidence of several cancers. Several therapeutic techniques have been used for the treatment of such cancers. Recently, nanotechnology has emerged to advance the diagnosis, imaging, and therapeutics of various cancer types. Nanomaterials have multiple advantages over other materials due to their small size and high surface area, which allow retention and controlled drug release to improve the anti-cancer property. Most cancer therapies have been known to damage healthy cells due to poor specificity, which can be avoided by using nanosized particles. Nanomaterials can be combined with various types of biomaterials to make it less toxic and improve its biocompatibility. Based on these properties, several nanomaterials have been developed which possess excellent anti-cancer efficacy potential and improved diagnosis. This review presents the latest update on novel nanomaterials used to improve the diagnostic and therapeutic of pathogen-associated and non-pathogenic cancers. We further highlighted mechanistic insights into their mode of action, improved features, and limitations.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal Geldsetzer ◽  
Trasias Mukama ◽  
Nadine K Jawad ◽  
Tim Riffe ◽  
Angela Rogers ◽  
...  

Men are more likely than women to die due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This paper sets out to examine whether the magnitude of the sex differences in the COVID-19 mortality rate are unusual when compared to other common causes of death. In doing so, we aim to provide evidence as to whether the causal pathways for the sex differences in the mortality rate of COVID-19 likely differ from those for other causes of death. We found that sex differences in the age-standardized COVID-19 mortality rate were substantially larger than for the age-standardized all-cause mortality rate and most other common causes of death. These differences were especially large in the oldest age groups.


1995 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 319-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
P N Cooper ◽  
C M Milroy

This study investigates the under-reporting of suicide with particular reference to differences between sex and age groups and the various modes of suicide. The study was performed retrospectively using the files of H M Coroner for South Yorkshire (West) over the years 1985 to 1991. There were 536 deaths judged on the balance of probability to be suicidal in nature. Only 60 per cent of these deaths received a suicide verdict and would therefore register in official suicide statistics. A significantly smaller proportion of females (51.7 per cent) received a suicide verdict than males (64.5 per cent). Of the young females (<45) 61.7 per cent were given a suicide verdict compared to 46.6 per cent of older females (45+). These differences are explained by different preferences for mode of suicide, in particular for poisoning using solids or liquids. Only 40 per cent of cases within this category received a suicide verdict. Drowning showed an even smaller percentage (24 per cent). Self-immolation (42 per cent) and jumping from a height (51 per cent) were also under-represented. Of these, self-poisoning, drowning and jumping from a height were relatively popular among females. In contrast, common causes of death favoured predominantly by males — hanging and carbon monoxide poisoning — received a high percentage of suicide verdicts (81 per cent and 90 per cent). Thus official suicide statistics produce a distorted view of the suicide population with relative underreporting of females, particularly older females, and marked under-reporting of some causes of death, notably poisoning using solids or liquids, drowning, self-immolation and jumping from a height.


1970 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-80
Author(s):  
MI Bari ◽  
MI Haque ◽  
AB Siddiqui ◽  
MH Haidary ◽  
MA Hossain

Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) is one of the leading common causes of death in young children in Bangladesh. Three hundred fifty one patients of ARI below five years of age are selected as per WHO guidelines. Out of 351 patients, one patient died due to very severe pneumonia with severe malnutrition. There was male preponderance in all the age groups and also 41% of male children had recurrent attacks of ARI. In this study, it was statistically proved that malnutrition (p=Q.00028) and smoking habits of parents (p=0.04054) had significant important risk factors on recurrent attacks of ARI. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/taj.v14i2.8390 TAJ 2001; 14(2): 74-77


1970 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
MN Hossain ◽  
Z Rahman ◽  
S Akhter

A cross sectional study was carried out at the department of Forensic Medicine in Dhaka Medical College during the period of January 2008 to December 2009. Data were collected from 3rd copy of the post mortem reports which were preserved in the department of Forensic Medicine with the verbal consent of the doctors who performed autopsy report. During this period total 5114 autopsies were conducted. Out of this 970 cases (19%) were suicidal in nature. It was noticed that all suicidal deaths occurred from 10 years to all age group respectively, but top amongst age group of suicidal deaths occurred in between 21 to 30 years of people. Suicidal deaths are more common in female than male. Suicidal deaths due to hanging is highest, next common causes of death due to organophosphorus compund poisoning. Suicidal deaths by hanging is more in female than male but in poisoning cases male are more lvictimised than female. Objectives of our study are to see the occurrence and methods of suicidal death. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bmj.v40i1.9957 BMJ 2011; 40(1): 18-21


1970 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 74-77
Author(s):  
Rukshana Ahmed ◽  
Shamim Ara

Pathological changes in the prostate gland occur commonly with advancing age including inflammation, atrophy, hyperplasia and carcinoma and a change in volume is also evident. Estimation of volume of prostate may be useful in a variety of clinical settings. A cross-sectional descriptive study was designed to see the changes in volume of the prostate with advancing age and done in the Department of Anatomy, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka from August 2006 to June 2007. The study was performed on 70 post-mortem human prostates collected from the unclaimed dead bodies that were under examination in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka. The samples were divided into three age groups; group A (10-20 years), group B (21-40 years) and group C (41-70 years). Volume of the sample was measured by using the ellipsoid formula. The mean ± SD volume of prostate was 7.68 ± 3.64 cm3 in group A, 10.61 ± 3.99 cm3 in group B and 15.40 ± 6.31 cm3 in group C. Mean difference in volume between group A and group C, group B and group C were statistically significant (p<0.001). Statistically significant positive correlation was found between age and volume of prostate (r = + 0.579, p < 0.001). Key Words: Prostate; volume; Bangladeshi. DOI: 10.3329/imcj.v4i2.6501Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2010; 4(2): 74-77


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 3254
Author(s):  
Jianling Xie ◽  
Eric P. Kusnadi ◽  
Luc Furic ◽  
Luke A. Selth

Breast and prostate cancer are the second and third leading causes of death amongst all cancer types, respectively. Pathogenesis of these malignancies is characterised by dysregulation of sex hormone signalling pathways, mediated by the estrogen receptor-α (ER) in breast cancer and androgen receptor (AR) in prostate cancer. ER and AR are transcription factors whose aberrant function drives oncogenic transcriptional programs to promote cancer growth and progression. While ER/AR are known to stimulate cell growth and survival by modulating gene transcription, emerging findings indicate that their effects in neoplasia are also mediated by dysregulation of protein synthesis (i.e., mRNA translation). This suggests that ER/AR can coordinately perturb both transcriptional and translational programs, resulting in the establishment of proteomes that promote malignancy. In this review, we will discuss relatively understudied aspects of ER and AR activity in regulating protein synthesis as well as the potential of targeting mRNA translation in breast and prostate cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Palacios-Fernandez ◽  
Mario Salcedo ◽  
Gregorio Gonzalez-Alcaide ◽  
Jose-Manuel Ramos-Rincon

Abstract Background The aging population is an increasing concern in Western hospital systems. The aim of this study was to describe the main characteristics and hospitalization patterns in inpatients aged 85 years or more in Spain from 2000 to 2015. Methods Retrospective observational study analyzing data from the minimum basic data set, an administrative registry recording each hospital discharge in Spain since 1997. We collected administrative, economic and clinical data for all discharges between 2000 and 2015 in patients aged 85 years and older, reporting results in three age groups and four time periods to assess differences and compare trends. Results There were 4,387,326 discharges in very elderly patients in Spain from 2000 to 2015, representing 5.32% of total discharges in 2000–2003 and 10.42% in 2012–2015. The pace of growth was faster in older age groups, with an annual percentage increase of 6% in patients aged 85–89 years, 7.79% in those aged 90–94 years, and 8.06% in those aged 95 and older. The proportion of men also rose (37.30 to 39.70%, p < 0.001). The proportion of patients that died during hospital admission decreased from 14.64% in 2000–2003 to 13.83% in 2012–2015 (p < 0.001), and mean length of stay from 9.98 days in 2000–2003 to 8.34 days in 2012–2015. Some of the most frequent primary diagnoses became even more frequent relative to the total number of primary diagnoses, such as heart failure (7.84 to 10.62%), pneumonia (6.36 to 7.36%), other respiratory diseases (3.87 to 8.49%) or other alterations of urinary tract (3.08 to 5.20%). However, there was a relative decrease in the proportion of femoral neck fractures (8.07 to 6.77%), neoplasms (7.65 to 7.34%), ischemic encephalopathy (6.97 to 5.85%), COPD (4.23 to 3.15%), ischemic cardiomyopathy (4.20 to 8.49%) and cholelithiasis (3.07 to 3.28%). Conclusions Discharges in the very elderly population are increasing in both relative and absolute terms in Spanish hospitals. Within this group, discharged patients are getting older and more frequently male. The mean length of stay and the proportion of patients that died during hospital admission are decreasing. Acute-on-chronic organ diseases, neoplasms, acute cardiovascular diseases, and infections are the most common causes of discharge.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Ishitani ◽  
R Teixeira ◽  
D Abreu ◽  
L Paixão ◽  
E França

Abstract Background Quality of cause-of-death information is fundamental for health planning. Traditionally, this quality has been assessed by the analysis of ill-defined causes from chapter XVIII of the International Classification of Diseases - 10th revision (ICD-10). However, studies have considered other useless diagnoses for public health purposes, defined, in conjunction with ill-defined causes, as garbage codes (GC). In Brazil, despite the high completeness of the Mortality Information System, approximately 30% of deaths are attributable to GCs. This study aims to analyze the frequency of GCs in Belo Horizonte municipality, the capital of Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Methods Data of deaths from 2011 to 2013 in Belo Horizonte were analyzed. GCs were classified according to the GBD 2015 study list. These codes were classified in: a) GCs from chapter XVIII of ICD-10 (GC-R), and b) GC from other chapters of ICD-10 (GC-nonR). Proportions of GC were calculated by sex, age, and place of occurrence. Results In Belo Horizonte, from the total of 44,123 deaths, 5.5% were classified as GC-R. The majority of GCs were GC-nonR (25% of total deaths). We observed a higher proportion of GC in children (1 to 4 years) and in people aged over 60 years. GC proportion was also higher in females, except in the age-groups under 1 year and 30-59 years. Home deaths (n = 7,760) had higher proportions of GCs compared with hospital deaths (n = 30,182), 36.9% and 28.7%, respectively. The leading GCs were the GC-R other ill-defined and unspecified causes of death (ICD-10 code R99)), and the GCs-nonR unspecified pneumonia (J18.9), unspecified stroke (I64), and unspecified septicemia (A41.9). Conclusions Analysis of GCs is essential to evaluate the quality of mortality information. Key messages Analysis of ill-defined causes (GC-R) is not sufficient to evaluate the quality of information on causes of death. Causes of death analysis should consider the total GC, in order to advance the discussion and promote adequate intervention on the quality of mortality statistics.


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