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Background: In the present study, we investigated the dynamics of immunity over time by measuring anti SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies and SARS-CoV-2 specific T-cell responses (interferon-gamma release assay) after two doses of vaccines in residents and health care workers (HCW). Mostly, 224 (98%) residents and 244 (89%) HCW received two doses of mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2, Pfizer-BioNTech); the rest of the participants received heterologous vaccinations with mRNA and vector vaccines. The study was conducted at the time when the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 prevailed.Methods: We analyzed blood samples of 228 residents (median age 83.8 years) and of 273 HCW (median age 49.7 years) from five nursing homes and one home for the elderly with assisted living support at one specific time point. Participants received two vaccinations. The blood samples were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG antibody and T-cell responses.Results: The initial immune responses in the younger participants were about 30% higher than in the older age group. Over time the estimated mean of the parameters (estimated from the study sample for the total population) decreased in all groups within the maximum observation period of 232 days. Comorbidities such as coronary heart disease or diabetes mellitus reduced the initial immune responses regardless of age. With regard to measured IgG antibody levels, absolute values decreased over time, whereas the interferon-gamma response remained at a constant level between day 120 and 180 and seemed to be less dependent on the time elapsed after vaccination.Conclusions: Based on our data, it does not seem possible to determine a reliable threshold of robust immunity, but we suggest that high titres of neutralizing capacity and interferon-gamma response might be an indicator of protection against severe COVID-19 courses.

For frequent pediatric chronic conditions, especially less common chronic conditions patient education programs are missing. A recently developed modular patient education approach (ModuS) combines disease-specific modules with generic psychosocial topics. ModuS was associated with increased disease-specific knowledge and improvements in families' well-being in children with asthma. In this study we tested if new developed ModuS programs for seven, mostly less common, chronic conditions show comparable program-associated effects. ModuS education programs were offered to the affected child and its parents. Disease-specific knowledge, children's health-related quality of life, life satisfaction and condition-specific burden were measured before, directly following and 6 weeks after participation in the program. The results were compared with families who received a ModuS asthma program. One hundred and sixty-eight children participated. Families were highly satisfied with the programs. Program participation was associated with increased families' knowledge, children`s self-reported health-related quality of life and reduced condition-specific burden. The results were comparable with the results of 230 families who participated in a ModuS asthma program. The ModuS approach allowed the development of patient education programs for children with a variety of chronic conditions. Therefore, ModuS closed an important healthcare gap. [Co-written with the ModuS Study Group.]

Simple Summary: An important component in the study of survival in breast cancer patients is how the tumor is detected. This involves examining whether and to what extent survival differs when the tumor is detected, for example, by screening or by symptoms. In such an analysis, it is important to note that survival times are influenced by several biases. One important factor is the bias due to the so-called lead time, i.e., the time by which the diagnosis has been brought forward by screening. Therefore, survival may appear to be longer even if earlier diagnosis did not affect disease progression. We examine whether there is a remaining survival difference after correction for bias that could be attributable to the mode of detection, for example, because of higher quality of care. These results can then be used to further improve the survival of breast cancer patients. (1) Background: Screen-detected breast cancer patients tend to have better survival than patients diagnosed with symptomatic cancer. The main driver of improved survival in screen-detected cancer is detection at earlier stage. An important bias is introduced by lead time, i.e., the time span by which the diagnosis has been advanced by screening. We examine whether there is a remaining survival difference that could be attributable to mode of detection, for example, because of higher quality of care. (2) Methods: Women with a breast cancer (BC) diagnosis in 2000–2022 were included from a population-based cancer registry from Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, which also registers the mode of cancer detection. Mammography screening was available from 2005 onwards. We compared the survival for BC detected by screening with symptomatic BC detection using Kaplan–Meier, unadjusted Cox regressions, and Cox regressions adjusted for age, grading, and UICC stage. Correction for lead time bias was carried out by assuming an exponential distribution of the period during which the tumor is asymptomatic but screen-detectable (sojourn time). We used a common estimate and two recently published estimates of sojourn times. (3) Results: The analysis included 32,169 women. Survival for symptomatic BC was lower than for screen-detected BC (hazard ratio (HR): 0.23, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.21–0.25). Adjustment for prognostic factors and lead time bias with the commonly used sojourn time resulted in an HR of 0.84 (CI: 0.75–0.94). Using different sojourn times resulted in an HR of 0.73 to 0.90. (4) Conclusions: Survival for symptomatic BC was only one quarter of screen-detected tumors, which is obviously biased. After adjustment for lead-time bias and prognostic variables, including UICC stage, survival was 27% to 10% better for screen-detected BC, which might be attributed to BC screening. Although this result fits quite well with published results for other countries with BC screening, further sources for residual confounding (e.g., self-selection) cannot be ruled out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Summary: Background: Germany‐wide skin cancer screening was introduced in 2008 to reduce skin cancer mortality and morbidity. However, the effectiveness of the program is still unclear. We explore the relationship between early‐stage melanoma incidence and melanoma mortality in subsequent years, using early‐stage melanoma incidence as surrogate for screening participation and early detection. Patients and Methods: Data on melanoma incidence for 2005–2016 and melanoma mortality for 2005–2018 were obtained for 244 German counties. We investigated the correlation between several measures of incidence and mortality with correlation analyses and linear regressions. Results: Melanoma incidence of early stages (in situ and T1) rose by 69% between pre‐screening (2005–2007) and screening period (2008–2010). In contrast, there was no temporal trend in mortality over time. Correlation coefficients between incidence and mortality variables ranged between –0.14 and 0.10 (not significant). Linear regression indicated that mortality 6 years after screening introduction decreases with increasing change in early‐stage incidence (b = –0.0029, 95% confidence interval [–0.0066, 0.0007]). Conclusions: The estimated population‐based effects of skin cancer screening on melanoma mortality were minimal and not significant. A potential effectiveness cannot be demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: There are regional differences in skin cancer screening uptake in Germany. So far, it is unclear whether a high uptake of screening services leads to a reduction in mortality. This article presents study results on the investigation of spatiotemporal associations between skin cancer screening and mortality. The methods used are discussed regarding their suitability. Material and methods: The basis is ambulatory claims data on the utilization of early skin cancer detection as well as data on skin cancer mortality from the cause‐of‐death statistics of the years 2011–2015 at county level in Germany. In addition to a descriptive evaluation, spatiotemporal cluster analyses and regression models were used to investigate the relationship between the uptake of early detection and mortality. In addition to age, adjustments were also made for other selected socio‐economic and socio‐graphical variables. Results: The descriptive results show striking spatial patterns of skin cancer screening and mortality. Cluster analyses identified regions with significantly higher and lower cases of early detection and skin cancer mortality. The spatiotemporal regression analyses show no clear association. Only early detection by a dermatologist, adjusted for age, shows an association with mortality. Conclusions: No clear association between early skin cancer detection and mortality can be derived from the results. However, the study design used with a spatiotemporal cluster and regression analysis has shown that these methods allow in‐depth statements about the relationship between early skin cancer detection and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background And Aims: The evidence for the benefit of the skin cancer screening introduced in Germany in 2008 is weak. We investigate to what extent data from the German epidemiological cancer registries are suitable to contribute to the evaluation of skin cancer screening and report these evaluation results. Material And Methods: Skin cancer‐related cancer registry data from 1999–2019 were described in terms of completeness and comprehensiveness. Regional pools with data of different validity were defined, missing data were multiply imputed where appropriate, and temporal trends were analyzed. In addition, data from the cause of death statistics were used. Results: Reliable estimates of completeness are only available for malignant melanoma (ICD‐10: C43). Based on a regional data pool covering approximately 21% of the German population, melanoma‐related incidence can be validly described since 2005. Sufficient information for multiple imputation is available for T‐stage and localization. The trend analyses show incidence changes that can be expected in the short term in the temporal context of the introduction of early detection, which changes into a long‐lasting high incidence. The rate of advanced stages does not decrease significantly. From 2014 onwards, the melanoma mortality rate, which had been rising until then, decreases. Conclusions: Adequately selected and processed cancer registry data are suitable for population‐based evaluation of skin cancer screening. An explanation of the persistently high incidence level is not possible based on the cancer registry data. Overdiagnosis or an increase in the background incidence can be considered. The benefit of skin cancer screening remains open. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Summary: Background and goals: The rising incidence of skin cancer in Germany has increased the need for secondary prevention measures. For this purpose, a statutory skin cancer screening for insured persons aged 35 and older was introduced on 1 June 2008. The aim of this work package in the Innovation Fund project "Perspectives of a multimodal evaluation of early skin cancer detection" (Pertimo) was to test an evaluation of skin cancer screening using secondary data. Patients and methods: The data basis was statutory insured persons of the DAK Health from the age of 35 who were insured as of 31 December 2010 and were followed up until the end of 2015. The rates of participation, skin tumors detected in skin cancer screening (tumor detections), and interval tumors that occurred within two years after a finding‐free skin cancer screening were calculated. Results: The biennial skin cancer screening take‐up rate in 2014 and 2015 was 33.6% for women and 32.6% for men. Of those screened, 4.2% had a skin cancer finding (tumor detection) in the course of skin cancer screening. Of all incident skin cancer diagnoses (2012–2015), 50.1% were detected in skin cancer screening. In 1.5% of the insured persons with skin cancer screening without findings, an incidental skin tumor was diagnosed in the following two years (interval tumor). Conclusions: The data from the statutory health insurance mapped the skin cancer screening occurrence in Germany and highlighted the importance of dermatologists in the screening process. The analysis provided important new insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims The Virtual Diabetes Outpatient Clinic for Children and Adolescents (VIDIKI) study was a 6-month quasi-randomized, multicentre study followed by an extension phase to evaluate the effects of monthly video consultations in addition to regular care. A health economic analysis was conducted to assess the direct costs. Methods The cost data of 240 study participants (1–16 years of age) with type 1 diabetes who were already using a continuous glucose monitoring system were collected in the first 6 months of the study. The intervention group (IG) received monthly video consultations plus regular care, and the waiting control group (WG) received only regular care. Cost data were collected for a comparable anonymized group of children from the participating health insurance companies during the 6-month period before the study started (aggregated data group [AG]). Results Cost data were analysed for the AG (N=840) 6 months before study initiation and those for the study participants (N=225/240). Hospital treatment was the highest cost category in the AG. There was a cost shift and cost increase in the IG and WG, whereby diabetes supplies were the highest cost category. The mean direct diabetes-associated 6-month costs were € 4,702 (IG) and € 4,936 (WG). Conclusion The cost development within the cost collection period over two years possibly reflects the switch to higher-priced medical supplies. Video consultation as an add-on service resulted in a small but nonsignificant reduction in the overall costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: CONCORD‐3 highlighted wide disparities in population‐based 5‐year net survival for cutaneous melanoma during 2000–2014. Clinical evidence suggests marked international differences in the proportion of lethal acral and nodular subtypes of cutaneous melanoma. Objectives: We aimed to assess whether the differences in morphology may explain global variation in survival. Methods: Patients with melanoma were grouped into the following seven morphological categories: malignant melanoma, not otherwise specified (International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, third revision morphology code 8720), superficial spreading melanoma (8743), lentigo maligna melanoma (8742), nodular melanoma (8721), acral lentiginous melanoma (8744), desmoplastic melanoma (8745) and other morphologies (8722–8723, 8726–8727, 8730, 8740–8741, 8746, 8761, 8770–8774, 8780). We estimated net survival using the nonparametric Pohar Perme estimator, correcting for background mortality by single year of age, sex and calendar year in each country or region. All‐ages survival estimates were standardized using the International Cancer Survival Standard weights. We fitted a flexible parametric model to estimate the effect of morphology on the hazard of death. Results: Worldwide, the proportion of nodular melanoma ranged between 7% and 13%. Acral lentiginous melanoma accounted for less than 2% of all registrations but was more common in Asia (6%) and Central and South America (7%). Overall, 36% of tumours were classified as superficial spreading melanoma. During 2010–2014, age‐standardized 5‐year net survival for superficial spreading melanoma was 95% or higher in Oceania, North America and most European countries, but was only 71% in Taiwan. Survival for acral lentiginous melanoma ranged between 66% and 95%. Nodular melanoma had the poorest prognosis in all countries. The multivariable analysis of data from registries with complete information on stage and morphology found that sex, age and stage at diagnosis only partially explain the higher risk of death for nodular and acral lentiginous subtypes. Conclusions: This study provides the broadest picture of distribution and population‐based survival trends for the main morphological subtypes of cutaneous melanoma in 59 countries. The poorer prognosis for nodular and acral lentiginous melanomas, more frequent in Asia and Latin America, suggests the need for health policies aimed at specific populations to improve awareness, early diagnosis and access to treatment. What is already known about this topic?The histopathological features of cutaneous melanoma vary markedly worldwide.The proportion of melanomas with the more aggressive acral lentiginous or nodular histological subtypes is higher in populations with predominantly dark skin than in populations with predominantly fair skin. What does this study add?We aimed to assess the extent to which these differences in morphology may explain international variation in survival when all histological subtypes are combined.This study provides, for the first time, international comparisons of population‐based survival at 5 years for the main histological subtypes of melanoma for over 1.5 million adults diagnosed during 2000–2014.This study highlights the less favourable distribution of histological subtypes in Asia and Central and South America, and the poorer prognosis for nodular and acral lentiginous melanomas.We found that later stage at diagnosis does not fully explain the higher excess risk of death for nodular and acral lentiginous melanoma compared with superficial spreading melanoma. Linked Comment:C.M. Olsen. Br J Dermatol 2022; 187:284. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Missing data on tumour stage information is a common problem in population-based cancer registries. Statistical analyses on the level of tumour stage may be biased, if no adequate method for handling of missing data is applied. In order to determine a useful way to treat missing data on tumour stage, we examined different imputation models for multiple imputation with chained equations for analysing the stage-specific numbers of cases of malignant melanoma and female breast cancer. Methods This analysis was based on the malignant melanoma data set and the female breast cancer data set of the cancer registry Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The cases with complete tumour stage information were extracted and their stage information partly removed according to a MAR missingness-pattern, resulting in five simulated data sets for each cancer entity. The missing tumour stage values were then treated with multiple imputation with chained equations, using polytomous regression, predictive mean matching, random forests and proportional sampling as imputation models. The estimated tumour stages, stage-specific numbers of cases and survival curves after multiple imputation were compared to the observed ones. Results The amount of missing values for malignant melanoma was too high to estimate a reasonable number of cases for each UICC stage. However, multiple imputation of missing stage values led to stage-specific numbers of cases of T-stage for malignant melanoma as well as T- and UICC-stage for breast cancer close to the observed numbers of cases. The observed tumour stages on the individual level, the stage-specific numbers of cases and the observed survival curves were best met with polytomous regression or predictive mean matching but not with random forest or proportional sampling as imputation models. Conclusions This limited simulation study indicates that multiple imputation with chained equations is an appropriate technique for dealing with missing information on tumour stage in population-based cancer registries, if the amount of unstaged cases is on a reasonable level.

Objective: To explore the outcomes of monthly video consultations for children with diabetes. Methods: The Virtual Outpatient Diabetes Clinic for Children and Youth (VIDIKI) was a 6‐month multicenter controlled clinical trial followed by an extension phase. The 240 participants (1‐16 years), all using a CGM, were quasi‐randomized by residence location to the intervention group (IG) or the waitlist‐control group (WG). The IG started immediately after enrollment with monthly video consultations as an add‐on to regular care, while the WG received regular care for 6 months before starting the intervention. The extension phase lasted between 12 months and 2 years, depending on the enrollment date. Linear regression was applied to model the primary outcome of HbA1c after 6 months and other metabolic and psychosocial outcomes. Results: After covariate adjustments, the HbA1c at 6 months—corresponding to the controlled treatment phase—was 0.11% lower in the IG than that in the WG (95% CI −0.31 to 0.09, P =.277). For the total study sample, a significant HbA1c improvement was found after 12 months of video consultations, which increased further until month 15. The diabetes burden of the main caregivers was lower, and parental treatment satisfaction was significantly higher in the IG than that in the WG. Conclusions: The VIDIKI study found no significant HbA1c difference between IG and WG after 6 months in the controlled phase, but there was a decreased diabetes burden and increased treatment satisfaction for the parents. In the longitudinal perspective, a significant HbA1c improvement was found after 12 and 15 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective population‐based mammography screening should impact breast cancer (BC) incidence, age and stage‐specific incidence and BC mortality. We aim to investigate such effects in a time period of 10 years after implementation of the German mammography screening program. Data on 323,719 breast cancer patients from 2003 to 2014 for defined regions covering a population of 30 million inhabitants and official mortality data from 1998 to 2016 for almost the whole of Germany were used. We compared incidence and mortality rates for the prescreening time period (2003/2004) and the latest available data (2013/2014 and 2015/2016, respectively) and performed trend analyses using joinpoint regression models. In the screening exposed age groups (50–59 and 60–69 years), BC incidence showed a typical prevalence peak with the introduction of the mammography screening, mainly driven by an increase of early‐stage BC. For Stage III and IV BC incidence in 2013/2014 was 24.2 and 23.0% (age group 50–59 years) and 28.3 and 24.2% (age group 60–69 years) lower than in the prescreening period. From 2003/2004 to 2015/2016 BC mortality decreased by 25.8 and 21.2%, respectively. As corresponding trends in nonexposed age groups were distinctly unfavorable, the reduction of late‐stage BC incidence and BC mortality in the screening exposed age groups in Germany is most likely to be attributed to the introduction of the national mammography screening program. These positive effects are bought at the cost of a moderate occurrence of overdiagnosis, especially by a sharp increase of in situ cancers. What's new? Effective mammography screening should have an impact on breast cancer (BC) incidence and mortality. Until today, however, there is little information available on the population‐based outcomes of the national breast cancer screening program in Germany. Here, the authors present age‐specific population‐based data before and after implementation of the program. Compared to non‐exposed age groups, screening‐eligible women showed more favorable trends regarding the incidence of late‐stage BC and BC mortality. A persistent excess of BC incidence, mainly driven by an increase of in situ cancers, indicated a moderate amount of overdiagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Differences in relative survival (RS) of melanoma between histologic subtypes were discussed to be mainly caused by tumor thickness.Objective: To investigate RS of melanoma, stratified by tumor thickness for each histologic subtype, and identify survival trends.Methods: With use of cancer registry data on melanoma cases (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, codes C43.0-C43.9) diagnosed in Germany in 1997-2013, 5- and 10-year age-standardized RS stratified by histologic subtype and stratified or standardized by T stage was estimated by standard and modeled period analyses. We restricted 10-year RS analyses to patients younger than 75 years.Results: We analyzed 82,901 cases. Overall, the 5- and 10-year RS rates were 91.7% and 90.8%, respectively. Prognosis worsened with increasing T stage for all histologic subtypes, but T-stage distribution varied substantially. Survival differences by histologic subtype were strongly alleviated after adjustment for T stage but remained significant. Overall, 5-year RS increased significantly (by 3.8 percentage points) between the periods 2002-2005 and 2010-2013. This increase was no longer seen after adjustment for T stage.Limitations: Exclusion of cases on account of missing information on T stages, changes in the definition of T stages, and lack of information on screening and treatment limit our analyses.Conclusion: Differences in RS between histologic subtypes were strongly mediated by tumor thickness. Over time, RS of melanoma increased as a result of changes in T-stage distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Patients with dementia (PwD) are a vulnerable group and caring for these patients in acute care hospitals is challenging. Structural conditions and standardized treatment procedures in hospitals often do not correspond to the needs of this patient group. Physicians may not be well prepared for caring for PwD.Objective: This study aimed to ascertain physicians’ experiences and attitudes in caring for PwD or cognitive disorders and their subjective workload. This describes physicians’ estimation of the share of the overall workload resulting from caring for PwD on the ward. Furthermore, we identified factors that are most likely to contribute to the workload.Material and methods: An online survey was conducted using a self-developed standardized questionnaire with 29 questions based on a systematic literature review. The questionnaire was pretested in several steps and finally sent out via e‑mail to 610 physicians in 9 hospitals in northern Germany. Aspects surveyed were: physicians’ confidence in caring for PwD and resulting workload, challenges in caring for PwD, collaboration with relatives and other professionals and educational needs. Important influencing factors were determined by multiple linear regression analyses.Results: A total of 192 hospital physicians completed the questionnaire (response rate 32%). According to respondents the proportion of PwD in acute care hospitals increased significantly during the last 3 years. Only one third of respondents reported feeling confident in caring for PwD and 65% stated that they do not feel confident in caring for PwD especially in situations of nutrition in cases of food refusal and distinguishing between delirium and dementia. The strongest influencing factors were increased efforts in terms of time and support needs, complex medical situations, difficult collaboration with relatives and lack of patient compliance. A successful collaboration with other professionals was associated with increased confidence in caring for PwD. Legal and ethical aspects as well as drug therapies were mentioned as desirable topics for educational programs.Conclusion: A relevant number of hospital physicians feel insecure and burdened in caring for PwD. The study provides important information for the design of educational programs and for potential changes in structural and procedural aspects. The results may be used as starting points for improving hospital care for PwD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Little is known about the psychosocial development and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of extremely preterm infants once they are adolescents. Methods The regional population-based study cohort included 90 extremely premature infants (< 27+0 gestational weeks) born between January 1997 and December 1999 in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. In addition to a neurological and cognitive Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 4th edition assessment, self- and parent-reported psychological problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), and health-related quality of life (KINDLR) were obtained and compared with a general population of 3,737 adolescents using data from a German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS survey 2003-2006, Robert Koch Institute, Germany). Results Overall, 72 of the 90 surviving adolescents and their families (80.0%) participated in this study (mean age: 15.7 years; range: 14.2-17.2). A total of 22 adolescents (30.6%) did not have any neurosensory or cognitive limitations, whereas 31 adolescents (43.1%) were affected by multiple impairments. Parent-reported psychological problems were more common in the study cohort for the total difficulties score (11.3 points [standard deviation, SD: 5.9] vs. 7.7 points [SD: 5.0], p < 0.001) and for three of the five domains (emotional symptoms, hyperactivity-inattention, peer relationship problems) compared with the KiGGS reference population. In contrast, the rate of self-reported "abnormal" psychological problems was similar to the reference population. Parent-reported HRQOL was significantly lower in the study cohort for the total score (-3.7 points, p < 0.05) and for three of six subscales (emotional wellbeing, p < 0.05; self-esteem, p < 0.001, and wellbeing with regard to friends/friendship, p < 0.001). The adolescents themselves reported an HRQOL similar to that of the KiGGS reference population, though they rated their HRQOL higher for wellbeing with regard to families (p < 0.001) and wellbeing with regard to school/ all-day function (p < 0.001). Overall, the parent- and self-reported HRQOL results were not associated with maternal education or disability status but were associated with adolescents' psychological problems. Conclusion Concordant with the high rate of functional and cognitive limitations, parents of adolescents who were born extremely prematurely faced more psychological problems in their children and reported a lower HRQOL compared with the KiGGS reference population. The adolescents themselves did not recognize these differences. However, having psychological problems was associated with lower self- and parentreported HRQOL results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) patients often remain asymptomatic for several years after diagnosis. When the disease becomes symptomatic or progressive, chemotherapy with fludarabine in combination with an anti-CD20 antibody (FCR) is recommended as standard therapy, except for patients with relevant comorbidity or with del(17p13) oder TP53 mutation. We predict the number of prevalent CLL patients in 2011-2020 who need first-line therapy but are ineligible for FCR treatment. The input parameters of the Markov model are the estimated total CLL incidence (based on German cancer registry data) and clinical data on disease progression and patient characteristics (obtained by a systematic literature research). Plausibility ranges for the estimation of the total CLL incidence are given by the following: (1) inclusion of small lymphocytic lymphoma and (2) an alternative handling of death-certificate-only cases. The number of patients ineligible for FCR treatment increases from approximately 1200 in 2011 to approximately 1450 in 2020. The inclusion of small lymphocytic lymphoma cases results in 10% higher estimates, the alternative handling of death-certificate-only cases in 8% lower estimates. Recently, several new and targeted agents have been approved for CLL patients ineligible for standard treatment. Estimation of patient numbers is a prerequisite for planning of health care and for calculating the costs of treatment. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Shiga toxin-producing, enteroaggregative Escherichia coli was responsible for the 2011 outbreak of haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). The present single-centre, observational study describes the 1-year course of the disease with an emphasis on kidney function. Outcome data after 1 year are associated with treatment and patient characteristics at onset of HUS. Methods. Patients were treated according to a standardized approach of supportive care, including a limited number of plasmapheresis. On top of this treatment, patients with severe HUS (n = 35) received eculizumab, a humanized anti-C5 monoclonal antibody inhibiting terminal complement activation. The per-protocol decision--to start or omit an extended therapy with eculizumab accompanied by azithromycin--separated the patients into two groups and marked Day 0 of the prospective study. Standardized visits assessed the patients' well-being, kidney function, neurological symptoms, haematological changes and blood pressure. Results. Fifty-six patients were regularly seen during the followup. All patients had survived without end-stage renal disease. Young(er) age alleviated restoring kidney function after acute kidney injury even in severe HUS. After 1 year, kidney function was affected with proteinuria [26.7%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 13.8-39.6], increased serum creatinine (4.4%, CI 0.0-10.4), increased cystatin C (46.7%, CI 32.1-61.3) and reduced (<90 mL/ min) estimated glomerular filtration rate (46.7%, CI 32.1-61.3). Nine of the 36 patients without previous hypertension developed de novo hypertension (25%, CI 10.9-39.1). All these patients had severe HUS. Conclusions. Although shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)-HUS induced by O104:H4 was a life-threatening acute disease, follow-up showed a good recovery of organ function in all patients. Whereas kidney function recovered even after longer duration of dialysis, chronic hypertension developed after severe HUS with neurological symptoms and could not be prevented by the extended therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The main purpose of skin cancer screening is melanoma mortality reduction. Before the implementation of nationwide German skin cancer screening, the pilot project SCREEN was conducted in Schleswig-Holstein in 2003–2004. We aimed to determine whether the pilot project had achieved a mortality reduction. Methods Using an incidence-based approach (patients with both melanoma diagnosis and death in 2003–2008), we compared the observed melanoma mortality of the SCREEN cohort to the melanoma mortality expected without screening in the general population of Saarland. Results The age- and sex-standardized melanoma mortality ratio (SMR) for 5.5 years of follow-up was 0.59 (95% confidence interval, 0.40–0.83). Conclusion Our results indicate reduced mortality in the SCREEN cohort. Several potential biases cannot be excluded, but most of them tend to inflate the SMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emergency department (ED) management of the German STEC O104:H4 outbreak in 2011 was not limited to patients being truly infected with STEC. In parallel to spread of alarming news in public media, patients suffering from diarrhea due to other reasons fearfully presented, equally. We retrospectively characterized these two cohorts for anamnestic, clinical, and laboratory findings at their first ED contact. From 15th of May to July 2011, 302 adult patients with diarrheal complaint presented at the EDs of two tertiary hospitals in Lubeck, northern Germany. Fecal testing for STEC was obtained in 245 (81%) patients: 105 were STEC-positive and 140 were STEC-negative. Anamnestic characteristics (defecation rate, visible bloody diarrhea, and lower abdominal pain), abdominal tenderness, and some laboratory findings were significantly different between both cohorts but not reliable to exclude STEC. In >90% of STEC-positive patients diarrheal symptoms had started in May, reflecting the retrospective nationwide peak of infections, whereas the majority of STEC-negative patients became symptomatic in June 2011. During the German STEC O104:H4 outbreak a definite distinction at initial ED contact between STEC-positive versus STEC-negative patients by clinical judgment alone was not reliable. Fecal testing in the ED, however, might survey the outbreak of foodborne infections with the utmost precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objectives Oral and pharyngeal cancer is still a serious health problem with an annual incidence of about 13,000 in Germany. This study aimed at describing trends of incidence and mortality in Germany by age, sex, and sub-site as a baseline for an oral cancer prevention campaign. Methods Using data from the National Association of Population-based Cancer Registries, incidence rates for oral and pharyngeal cancer (ICD-10, C00–C14) from 2003 to 2011 and mortality rates from 1990 to 2012 were analysed by age, sex, and sub-site (C00–C06, C07–C08, C09–C14). Trends were described by annual percentage changes. Results Men are 2.5-times more likely than women to be diagnosed and 3-times more likely to die from this tumour. Incidence and mortality in women increased slightly during the last decade, while incidence and mortality in men remained stable at a high level. While a decline was observed for younger age groups, an increase was seen in the elderly. For some sub-sites a deviation from this overall pattern was observed. Conclusions The decrease in this tumour in younger age groups is pleasing and may be attributed to public efforts in non-smoker protection in recent years. Further efforts are needed to counteract the increasing burden of disease in older age groups and in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study describes and compares health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of prostate cancer patients who received either radical prostatectomy (nerve-sparing, nsRP, or non-nerve-sparing, nnsRP) or radiotherapy (external RT, brachytherapy, or both combined) for treatment of localised prostate cancer. Methods: The prospective, multicenter cohort study included 529 patients. Questionnaires included the IIEF, QLQ-C30, and PORPUS-P. Data were collected before (baseline), three, six, twelve, and twenty-four months after treatment. Differences between groups' baseline characteristics were assessed; changes over time were analysed with generalised estimating equations (GEE). Missing values were treated with multiple imputation. Further, scores at baseline and end of follow-up were compared to German reference data. Results: The typical time trend was a decrease of average HRQOL three months after treatment followed by (partial) recovery. RP patients experienced considerable impairment in sexual functioning. The covariate-adjusted GEE identified a significant - but not clinically relevant - treatment effect for diarrhoea (b = 7.0 for RT, p = 0.006) and PORPUS-P (b = 2.3 for nsRP, b = 2.2 for RT, p = 0.045) compared to the reference nnsRP. Most of the HRQOL scores were comparable to German norm values. Conclusions: Findings from previous research were reproduced in a specific setting of a patient cohort in the German health care system. According to the principle of evidence-based medicine, this strengthens the messages regarding treatment in prostate cancer and its impacts on patients' health-related quality of life. After adjustment for baseline HRQOL and other covariates, RT patients reported increased symptoms of diarrhoea, and nnsRP patients decreased prostate-specific HRQOL. RP patients experienced considerable impairment in sexual functioning. These differences should be taken into account by physicians when choosing the best therapy for a patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common malignancy, whose public health significance is often unrecognized. This analysis has two objectives: first, to provide up-to-date incidence estimates by sex, age group, histological type, and body site; and second, to study the impact of skin cancer screening. The impact of screening on NMSC incidence in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, is analyzed by comparing four time periods of different screening settings (no screening (1998-2000), pilot project (Skin Cancer Research to Provide Evidence for Effectiveness of Screening in Northern Germany, SCREEN, 2003-2004), after SCREEN (2004-2008), and nation-wide skin cancer screening (2008-2010)) to a reference region (Saarland, Germany). Age-standardized (Europe) NMSC incidence was 119/100,000 for women and 145/100,000 for men in the most recent screening period in Schleswig-Holstein (2008-2010). During implementation of SCREEN (2003-2004), incidence increased from 81.5/100,000 to 111.5/100,000 (1998-2000) by 47% for women and 34% for men. All age groups in women were affected by the increase, but increases for men were mostly limited to the older age groups. Incidence in Saarland first increased slowly, but increased steeply with the introduction of the nation-wide skin cancer screening in 2008 (+47% for women and +40% for men, reference 2004-2008). Observed changes are most likely attributed to screening activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]