CareNet, Inc.

October 29 is World Stroke Day. This day is marked to raise awareness about stroke prevention, early detection, and treatment. Stroke is the second leading cause of death globally and a major cause of long-term physical disabilities. One in four people is estimated to have a stroke in their lifetime, and every 3 seconds, somewhere in the world, someone has a stroke. Age, gender, race, or country are no barriers to having a stroke. While survival after a stroke is possible, the aftermath of a stroke can be debilitating, making awareness about the disease crucial.   The risk factors for stroke include high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, an unhealthy diet, and lack of exercise, but 90% of the strokes are preventable. Strokes occur when blood vessels in the brain become blocked (ischemic stroke) or they burst (hemorrhagic stroke), depriving blood flow to parts of the brain and damaging nerve cells.   Symptoms of a stroke often appear suddenly; they include facial paralysis, speech difficulties, and vision loss. On signs of such symptoms, medical attention must be sought immediately. Time is critical, and early treatment can significantly affect outcomes. Regular monitoring of blood pressure is strongly recommended along with exercise and a balanced diet as effective stroke prevention measures.   Although strokes can happen to anyone, the risk of one occurring can be reduced by taking appropriate preventive measures. Let us consider World Stroke Day as an opportunity to safeguard our health and take the necessary steps to prevent the risk of stroke for ourselves and our loved ones. Our health is in our hands!   Reference：https://lnkd.in/g35eD-Z #WorldStrokeDay #Stroke #WSD2024

[Vol.42] What is correlation analysis? “Tell Me About Statistics!” addresses the questions and misconceptions many people have when reading medical articles and provides easy-to-understand explanations of statistics.   Analytical methods that examine the relationship between two things (items and variables) are collectively called correlation analysis, which is also known as bivariate analysis.   There are various methods for correlation analysis; however, the choice of analysis method depends on whether the measured data are quantitative, ranked, or categorical.   For further information, please click here. https://lnkd.in/ek8mRUBK   #CareNet #statistics

[HCC and Kobe Minimally Invasive Cancer Center Present Subgroup Analysis on the Clinical Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment at ACLC 2024]   Healthcare Consulting Corporation (HCC), a subsidiary of CareNet, Inc., and a research team from eight institutions led by the Kobe Minimally Invasive Cancer Center have analyzed the clinical efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors for small cell lung cancer, with a focus on brain, bone, and liver metastases. The results were presented in a poster at ACLC 2024.   The analysis included patients diagnosed with small cell lung cancer who began PD-L1 inhibitor combination chemotherapy (CDBCA + ETP + atezolizumab or CDDP/CBDCA + ETP + durvalumab) by the end of December 2022. Overall survival (OS) was used as the primary measure of efficacy. No significant differences were observed between the atezolizumab and durvalumab groups among patients with brain, bone, or liver metastases, suggesting comparable efficacy between the two treatments. Bone metastases were identified as an important prognostic factor for poor OS, potentially more pronounced in patients treated with durvalumab.   HCC plans to use the methodology from this study as a model for collaboration with various medical institutions, with the goal of validating it for other types of cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer, as well as for non-cancer diseases.   For more information, please click here. https://lnkd.in/eEUJsARu More details are also available in HCC's press release (Japanese only):https://lnkd.in/eDbNw7ah

[Survey on postoperative drug therapy for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative patients]   Every October is Breast Cancer Month. Breast Cancer Month is an international health campaign that aims to promote screening and prevention of the disease, which affects 2.3 million women worldwide. In conjunction with Breast Cancer Month, CareNet and Macromill CareNet surveyed 52 physicians (28 at cancer treatment-based hospitals and 24 at non-cancer-treatment-based hospitals) among CareNet members who treat hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative early-stage breast cancer patients. ・94% of doctors had performed Oncotype DX in the last year, and 27% of patients with [HR-positive/HER2-negative early invasive breast cancer] had received postoperative drug therapy. ・In terms of first-line drugs for post-operativepostoperative drug therapy by risk of recurrence, chemotherapy accounted for 80% of all patient types in patients at “high risk,” hormonal therapy for 70%–90% of patients with [lymph node-negative (low to intermediate risk)], and chemotherapy for approximately 70% of [lymph node-positive (low to intermediate risk)]. The proportion of patients with positive lymph node metastases (low-to-medium risk) ranged from 70% to 90%. ・The most common benefit of Oncotype DX was “can determine which patients do not need postoperative chemotherapy” at 88%, followed by “can identify patients who can benefit from chemotherapy” at 54% and “can predict the risk of distant recurrence” at 42%. “Can identify patients who will benefit from chemotherapy” was higher among low users, while “Can predict the risk of distant recurrence” was higher among high users, with high users tending to perform the test on a wider range of patients to predict the risk of recurrence and low users tending to perform it on patients who appeared to be clinically at higher risk and to confirm the need for chemotherapy. ・In the future, the intention to perform Oncotype DX will increase (Top2 box) with around 40% of physicians in the “lymph node-negative/(premenopausal and postmenopausal)” and “lymph node-positive/premenopausal” categories, and 60% in the “lymph node-positive/postmenopausal” category. This is expected to result in more patient-oriented treatment options. <Survey period> 11/09/2024–25/09/2024 For more information on the survey results, please click here. https://lnkd.in/e2BH2iu9

CareNet.com publishes weekly articles that are popular among member physicians according to the “Physician Popularity Ranking”. We occasionally share highly ranked articles on LinkedIn. Here, we summarize the articles that ranked first in the previous week’s popularity ranking. ***************************************************** Flu Vaccine Improves Outcomes in CVD Patients ~ Meta-Analysis Courtesy of CareNet A recent study reveals that the influenza vaccine significantly enhances outcomes in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Published in Cardiology in Review by Rahul Gupta and colleagues from the Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute, this systematic review and meta-analysis highlights compelling findings. This study demonstrated a marked reduction in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular death, and stroke among patients who received influenza vaccine, with vaccinated patients presenting odds ratios of 0.74, 0.73, and 0.71, respectively, compared to those who received a placebo. Notably, no significant differences were found in hospitalization rates for myocardial infarction or heart failure. These findings underscore the cardioprotective benefits of the influenza vaccine, reinforcing its critical role in cardiovascular health management. (Mori, Care Net) View original article here: Gupta R, et al. Cardiol Rev. 2024;32:423-428. https://lnkd.in/erxgBmiU Click here for references: Garcia-Lledo A, et al. J Am Heart Assoc. 2021;10:e019608. https://lnkd.in/eees4cWe Frobert O, et al. Circulation. 2021;144:1476-1484. https://lnkd.in/ere8NtPK #CareNet

CareNet Inc. will commence the pharmaceutical information platform service, “DI Plus” (DI = Drug Information), from October 2024 as part of its “Pharmaceutical DX Business” to support the appropriate dissemination of pharmaceutical products by pharmaceutical companies.   Read for more => https://lnkd.in/e5BAVHWW

World Arthritis Day (WAD), observed annually on October 12, is an international day dedicated to raising awareness about the existence and impact of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). It was established in 1996 by Arthritis and Rheumatism International (ARI). There are over 200 types of RMDs, but their impact is not widely recognized because many are “invisible.” Many patients with RMDs either remain undiagnosed, are often misdiagnosed, or have their symptoms overlooked, leaving them to suffer in silence. This lowers their quality of life, limits their ability to participate in society, reduces access to employment, and diminishes self-esteem. Additionally, the likelihood of developing a disability and the financial burden associated with these conditions enhance reliance on welfare systems and family support. Arthritis is primarily categorized into osteoarthritis and inflammatory (or autoimmune) arthritis, with the well-known rheumatoid arthritis belonging to the latter type. Patients with RMDs typically first consult a general practitioner (GP). However, owing to insufficient training on RMDs in medical education, symptoms are often overlooked until the patient sees a rheumatologist. Furthermore, the limited number of rheumatologists implies that many individuals do not receive specialized care. Let us use World Arthritis Day as an opportunity to raise awareness of these conditions and listen to the voices of those affected. Support efforts to improve access to medical care are also crucial to ensure that patients receive accurate diagnoses and appropriate treatment. #WorldArthritisDay #WAD2024 #Arthritis

[Vol.41] What is an outlier? “Tell Me About Statistics!” addresses the questions and misconceptions many people have when reading medical articles and provides easy-to-understand explanations of statistics.   Among data belonging to a group, data that are extremely large (or small) compared to others is called an “outlier.” Abnormal values and outliers caused by measurement errors, recording errors, and so on, are conceptually different; however, in practice, they may be indistinguishable.   There are two methods to find outliers : ・A boxplot ・The Smirnoff-Grubbs test   For further information, please click here. https://lnkd.in/eqjRBnxu   #CareNet #statistics

World Lung Day is an annual campaign held on September 25 to highlight the importance of healthy lungs and promote addressing the causes of and developing prevention methods for lung disease. The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) are collaborating to promote the importance of healthy lungs to governments and healthcare providers to prevent and treat respiratory diseases and provide equitable access to pneumonia vaccines.   This year’s theme is “Clean Air and Healthy Lungs for All.” FIRS’s vision is a world where everyone has the right to clean air and healthy lungs.   Air pollution is the leading cause of respiratory diseases, killing seven million people each year due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and respiratory infections. Ninety-nine percent of the world’s population breathe unhealthy air and are most affected by air pollution, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Tobacco use and passive smoking are also critical factors in efforts to improve health worldwide.   The significance of World Lung Day lies in its efforts to address the rapidly growing number of lung diseases such as asthma, COPD, and lung cancer, and infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. By raising awareness about lung health, the event aims to influence policymakers, healthcare providers, and the public to take action to improve lung health globally.   Reference https://lnkd.in/etJKxw3e #WorldLungDay #CleanAir #LungHealth

Since its foundation in 1996, CareNet has consistently served as a platform for clinically relevant medical education, providing reliable information to physicians. CareNet’s “Medical Education” content has continued to evolve and expand, delivering unbiased, scientifically-based clinical information, and is currently utilized by approximately 230,000*1 physicians. (*1 As of September 2024). CareNet’s “Medical Education” is a non-promotional website that consists of two content areas. One is a business alliance with WebMD, which operates one of the world’s largest medical information sites, Medscape, and translates Continuing Medical Education content from Medscape for distribution to CareNet member physicians. The other is e-Lecture, a service that distributes “medical education content” produced by the medical affairs divisions of pharmaceutical companies to physicians. A typical example is “disease awareness” content that is not biased toward specific drug information. This content is published separately from the promotional content (MRPlus) provided by the marketing department. In other words, depending on the strategy of each pharmaceutical company, the commercial and medical divisions can use different distribution services. Through these services, CareNet supports the lifelong learning of Japanese healthcare professionals by delivering the latest medical knowledge in a neutral and scientific manner. #CareNet