Helicobacter pylori infection—although its overall prevalence has declined over time—remains a major cause of peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer, particularly among older adults in aging societies such as Japan. While eradication therapy is known to reduce the gastric cancer risk, its use in older adults is often complicated by comorbidities, polypharmacy, altered drug metabolism, and limited life expectancy. This review summarizes current perspectives on the management of H. pylori infection in older patients, based on Japanese clinical practice and recent evidence. Older individuals frequently have long-standing infections accompanied by advanced gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia, which may adversely affect diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic outcomes. Diagnostic evaluation is further complicated by severe mucosal atrophy and the frequent use of acid-suppressive medications, requiring careful interpretation of test results and, in some cases, correlation with endoscopic findings. In Japan, vonoprazan-based eradication regimens have become the standard of care because of their high efficacy and pharmacological stability regardless of CYP2C19 genotype. Available data indicate that eradication therapy is generally safe and well tolerated in older patients, with adverse event rates comparable to those observed in younger populations. Eradication therapy is highly recommended for disease-specific indications (e.g., peptic ulcer) and for primary prevention of gastric cancer. Overall, older age alone should not be considered a contraindication to eradication therapy; rather, treatment decisions should be based on a comprehensive assessment of comorbidities, concomitant medications, the patient’s functional status, and the patient’s preferences.

Objective: To determine the seasonal differences in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and objective physical activity among older adults residing in non-urban areas in snowy and cold regions according to sex.Patients and Methods: Fifty older adults aged ≥65 years were included in the present study. IADL was assessed using the revised Frenchay Activities Index (FAI), and physical activity was measured using a triaxial accelerometer. Comparisons were made between the snowy and non-snowy seasons based on sex.Results: Compared to the non-snowy season, the female participants exhibited significantly lower scores for outdoor housework, outdoor activity, and overall scores on the FAI during the snowy season. In terms of physical activity, a decrease in the number of steps and light-intensity physical activity, accompanied by an increase in sedentary behavior, was observed in both sexes. High light-intensity physical activity decreased in the snowy season, especially in the female participants. In addition, the total moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and short-bout MVPA (intermittent and lasting <10 minutes) also decreased.Conclusion: Considering the significant changes in lifestyle and physical activity during the cold snowy season, women should consider performing alternative physical activities other than indoor household chores. Furthermore, men should be encouraged to participate in indoor household chores they typically do not engage in, irrespective of the season.

Objective: Almost half of all patients with cancer experience dyspnea, which can have various causes. Although systemic corticosteroids are administered to relieve symptoms, their efficacy has not been established. This systematic review aims to determine the efficacy of systemic corticosteroids for dyspnea in patients with cancer. Methods: CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Ichushi-Web databases were searched for articles published from their inception to September 23, 2019, on studies of systemic corticosteroid administration for dyspnea in patients with cancer. The primary outcome measure was dyspnea intensity, as assessed by patient-reported outcomes. Secondary outcome measures were quality of life, delirium, and severe adverse events. Results: Two RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. With regard to alleviating dyspnea, the systematic corticosteroid group was associated with significantly greater dyspnea relief than the placebo group (mean difference: −0.71 [95% CI: −1.4 to −0.03]). However, a meta-analysis of quality of life and delirium could not be performed due to insufficient data. Analysis of severe adverse events showed no significant difference in their incidence between the corticosteroid and control groups (relative rate: 0.96 [95% CI: 0.19-4.93]). Conclusions: Systemic corticosteroids may be effective in treating dyspnea in patients with cancer, particularly those with lung involvement. Limiting the conditions for which corticosteroids are approved is expected to promote their appropriate use and minimize their adverse effects. However, further investigation is needed to determine the appropriate dosage, and the conditions in which corticosteroids are effective.

Objective: This multi-center retrospective study aimed to clarify the characteristics, diagnostic accuracy, treatment outcomes, and prognostic factors of uterine serous carcinoma (USC) in Japanese women. Methods: The medical records of 193 patients who were treated between 2006 and 2008 at 24 participating institutions in the Japanese Clinical Oncology Group were examined, and pathological slides of 188 patients were re-checked through central pathology review (CPR), hematoxylin-eosin staining, and immunohistochemistry. Results: USC was confirmed in 144 of the 188 (76.6%) patients using CPR, and only 50% were correctly diagnosed preoperatively. Forty-three patients were diagnosed with non-serous carcinoma, whereas one patient had metastasis from another organ. The average age was 65.7 years, and 19% of patients had a history of other cancers. The incidence of stage III–IV disease was 52.8%, and lymph node metastasis was found in 28.5% of patients. Extrauterine spread and distant metastasis occurred in 39% and 14% of patients, respectively. The 2-year overall survival and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 56% and 42%, respectively. The PFS of patients with stage I and II who underwent complete staging surgery was 92.3%, and that of those without lymph node dissection or omentectomy was 33.3%. Patients with USC had a significantly worse prognosis than 43 patients with non-serous carcinoma. Conclusion USC in Japanese women has characteristics different from those of endometrioid carcinoma, worse prognosis, and is difficult to diagnose preoperatively. Complete surgical staging is necessary even for early-stage disease. Additionally, new adjuvant treatment strategies, including molecular targeted therapy, should be explored.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical significance of adaptive radiotherapy (ART) in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Materials and Methods: Eligible patients were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy using IMRT. Planning computed tomography in ART was performed during radiotherapy, and replanning was performed. Since ART was started in May 2011 (ART group), patients who were treated without ART up to April 2011 (non-ART group) were used as the historical control. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate overall survival (OS), locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). LRFS for the primary tumor (LRFS_P) and regional lymph node (LRFS_LN) were also studied for more detailed analysis. Statistical significance was evaluated using the log-rank test for survival. Results: The ART group tended to have higher radiation doses. The median follow-up period was 127 months (range, 10 to 211 months) in the non-ART group and 61.5 months (range, 5 to 129 months) in the ART group. Compared to the non-ART group, the ART group showed significantly higher 5-year PFS (53.8% vs. 81.3%, p = 0.015) and LRFS (61.2% vs. 85.3%, p = 0.024), but not OS (80.7% vs. 80.8%, p = 0.941) and DMFS (84.6% vs. 92.7%, p = 0.255). Five-year LRFS_P was higher in the ART group (61.3% vs. 90.6%, p = 0.005), but LRFS_LN did not show a significant difference (91.9% vs. 96.2%, p = 0.541). Conclusion Although there were differences in the patient backgrounds between the two groups, this study suggests the potential effectiveness of ART in improving locoregional control, especially in the primary tumor.

Background/Aims: Nutritional factors associated with gastric cancer (GC) are not completely understood. We aimed to determine the effect of nutrient intake on the incidence of GC. Methods: This was a post hoc analysis of a prospective trial that evaluated modalities for GC screening in participants aged 30 to 74 years living in high-risk areas for GC in Japan between June 2011 and March 2013. The patients were followed up for GC incidence for 6 years. All participants completed a self-administered food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) upon enrollment before GC screening. Daily nutrient intake was calculated from the FFQ and dichotomized at each cutoff value using receiver operating characteristic analysis. Risk factors associated with GC incidence were investigated in terms of nutrient intake and participant characteristics using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Results: Overall, 1,147 participants were included in this analysis. The median age was 62 years, and 50.7% of the participants were men. The median follow-up period was 2,184 days.GC was detected in 25 participants during the follow-up. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that the intake of sodium (adjusted hazards ratio [aHR], 3.905; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.520 to 10.035; p=0.005) and vitamin D (aHR, 2.747; 95% CI, 1.111 to 6.788, p=0.029) were positively associated with GC incidence, whereas the intake of soluble dietary fiber (aHR, 0.104; 95% CI, 0.012 to 0.905; p=0.040) was inversely associated with GC incidence. Conclusions Daily high intake of sodium and vitamin D and low soluble dietary fiber intake are associated with GC incidence.

Striking advances in systemic therapy for unresectable advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have improved the average prognosis of patients with HCC. As a result, the guidelines for the treatment of HCC have changed significantly. However, various issues have emerged in clinical practice. First, there is no established biomarker that can predict response to systemic therapy. Second, there is no established treatment regimen after primary systemic therapy, including combined immunotherapy. Third, there is no established treatment regimen for intermediate-stage HCC. These points make the current guidelines ambiguous. In this review, we present the Japanese guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC based on the latest evidence; introduce various efforts mainly in Japanese real-life practice to update these guidelines; and present our perspectives on future guidelines.

Methods: HFCs were obtained from patients with LSS who had undergone decompression surgery. The cells were stimulated with TGF-β and pretreated with either the p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase inhibitor SB203580 or the p44/42 MAP kinase inhibitor FR180204. IL-6 secretion in the cell culture medium and IL-6 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels were analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunoassay and real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Results: TGF-β administration resulted in a dose- and time-dependent stimulation of IL-6 release. Treatment with SB203580 and FR180204 markedly suppressed TGF-β–induced IL-6 secretion from HFCs. Moreover, these inhibitors suppressed IL-6 mRNA expression in response to TGF-β stimulation. Conclusions Our findings indicate that TGF-β induces IL-6 protein secretion and gene expression in HFCs through the activation of p38 or p44/42 MAP kinases. These results suggest a potential association between IL-6–mediated inflammatory response and tissue hypertrophy in LSS, and we provide insights into molecular targets for therapeutic interventions targeting LSS-related inflammation through our analysis of the MAP kinase pathway using HFCs.

In this revision, we have attempted to align the Model Core Curriculum for Medical Education competency, "problem-solving ability based on specialized knowledge," with the "Standards of National Examination for Medical Practitioners." The major diseases and syndromes in "Essential Fundamentals" correspond to the basic diseases in Table 1 of the Core Curriculum, symptoms, physical and laboratory examinations, and treatment in "General Medicine" correspond to the items in Table 2 of the Core Curriculum, and the diseases in "Medical Theory" correspond to the diseases in PS-02 of the Core Curriculum. The validity of the diseases in the Core Curriculum was verified using the evaluation results of the examination level classification of the "Research for Revision of National Examination Criteria." Approximately 690 diseases were conclusively selected. This revision mentions the number of diseases in the Core Curriculum for the first time. Hopefully, this will lead to a deeper examination of diseases that should be studied in medical schools in the future.