Search

The objective of this study was to examine the effect modification of age on the relationship between cancer and prevalence of self-reported stroke. We used cross-sectional data from the 2015-2016 iteration of the Canadian Community Health Survey. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess the association between cancer and self-reported stroke. Covariates were assessed for effect modification using the maximum likelihood estimation method. We analyzed 86,809 subjects; the prevalence of self-reported stroke was 1.11%. The odds ratio for the association between cancer and self-reported stroke was 1.26 (95% CI 0.98-1.61) after adjusting for age, sex, dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, education, and household income. Age and hypertension were found to be effect modifiers, and the association between cancer and self-reported stroke was stronger in younger adults and in those without hypertension. These results suggest that cancer-associated strokes may have unique underlying mechanisms compared to conventional strokes., (© 2023 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: We aimed to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of interventions implemented by Canadian neurology residency programs for the 2020-2021 iteration of the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS)., Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to Canadian neurology residency programs and final-year Canadian medical students who applied to at least one neurology program during the 2020-2021 match cycle. The surveys evaluated pre-interview and interview period interventions implemented by Canadian neurology residency programs and accessed by medical students., Results: Thirty-five medical students and 13 out of 15 institutions in Canada with neurology residency programs responded to the survey. Multiple adaptations were implemented, including social media advertisement, web-based platforms, pre-interview information sessions, and teaching sessions, with all surveyed programs implementing at least two virtual interventions. We found that all interventions were perceived as adequate by a majority (>60%) of medical students, with pre-interview period virtual information sessions perceived as effective by the largest proportion of respondents. All Canadian neurology residency programs held virtual interviews for the 2020-2021 cycle, and most programs utilized the same interview structure as prior years. There was discordance between residency program stakeholders and medical students on the most helpful interview period modality. Medical students found the hospital tours and information sessions most valuable, whereas program stakeholders perceived the virtual socials and interviews as most helpful., Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to innovative adaptations implemented by Canadian neurology residency programs, which were seen as effective by both medical students and program stakeholders.

Background: Life dissatisfaction varies with different factors--particularly in the presence of chronic conditions, such as cancer. The combination of cancer and mental health disorders may increase life dissatisfaction due to lowered resilience against stress. We sought to determine if life dissatisfaction is higher in Canadians aged 40 and above with cancer compared to the cancer-free population and if there is a synergistic effect between cancer and mental health disorder on life dissatisfaction., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using the 2015-2016 Canadian Community Health Survey. We included 67,294 subjects aged 40+, and evaluated the association between cancer, mental health disorders, and life dissatisfaction using logistic regression and odds ratios (ORs) while adjusting for age, sex, marital status, education level, and chronic conditions. Relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributional proportion due to interaction (AP), and Synergy index (S-index), were calculated to determine the significance of additive interaction., Results: Compared to the cancer-free population, life dissatisfaction was higher in patients with cancer (OR 2.44, 95% CI: 1.88-3.16) and mental health disorders (OR 5.17, 95% CI: 4.56-5.85). The adjusted ORs for life dissatisfaction were 2.45 (95% CI: 1.74-3.43) and 5.17 (95% CI: 4.55-5.87) for cancer and mental health disorders, respectively, but when both conditions were present, the OR increased to 12.50 (95% CI: 8.40-18.62). The results suggested a synergistic interaction (RERI: 5.89 [95% CI: 0.91-10.87]; AP: 0.47 [95% CI: 0.25-0.69]; and S-index: 2.05 [95% CI: 1.30-3.23])., Conclusion: This study showed higher life dissatisfaction in cancer and mental health disorder patients. A synergistic effect was detected between cancer and mental health disorder on life dissatisfaction. These results suggest cancer patients with mental health disorders require additional support and psychological resources to improve their quality of life., (© 2021 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)