Objective: The incidence and mortality rates of endometrial cancer are increasing globally, including in Japan. Quality of cancer care is promoted through guideline adherence. This study aimed to establish quality indicators (QIs) for endometrial cancer and explore the factors contributing to treatment nonadherence. Methods: QIs and pattern-of-care indicators (PCIs) were developed using the Research and Development/University of California Los Angeles modified Delphi method. QIs reflect desirable healthcare patterns, whereas PCIs address treatment areas with lacking evidence.Data from the Hospital-Based Cancer Registry and Diagnosis Procedure Combination Survey were used. Patients diagnosed or treated between January 1 and December 31, 2020 were included. The reasons for nonadherence were collected. Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing adherence, including age, body mass index, comorbidities, facilities, and recurrence risk. Results: Of the 35 proposed QI candidates, 8 QIs and 9 PCIs were selected, predominantly focusing on surgical aspects. Adherence rates varied, with peritoneal lavage cytology being the highest (93.1%), and postoperative hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for patients aged <45 years being the lowest (30.9%), when focusing on process indicators. Reasons for nonadherence included patient preference and medical comorbidities as significant factors. Multivariate analysis highlighted age, clinical stage, and Barthel index as significant contributors to nonadherence. Conclusion We developed QIs to comprehensively assess endometrial cancer treatment.Adherence rates are favorable; however, HRT has a low adherence rate. Factors leading to nonadherence include advanced age and incomplete activities of daily living, particularly in advanced stages.

Objective: Cervical cancer rates in Japan (16.0/100,000) exceed the global average rate (11.3/100,000, according to the High/Very-High Human Development Index in 2020). This necessitates the evaluation of care quality and the quality indicators (QIs) for cervical cancer that were developed in 2013 to serve this purpose. This study updated these indicators using current evidence and consensus while longitudinally examining trends in practice patterns. Methods: The revision involved reviewing existing QIs and patterns of care indicators and incorporating new indicators using the modified Delphi method. Adherence to these indicators was assessed using a linked hospital-based cancer registry-based diagnostic procedure combination database covering approximately 70% of patients with cancer in Japan. The longitudinal trends of the existing indicators were evaluated using the linear probability model. Results: Seven new indicators were added to the existing twelve. Two of the new indicators mainly focused on early-stage surgical intervention, while one focused on advanced-stage bevacizumab combination therapy, with adherence rates of 81.7%, 0.8%, and 45.9%.Longitudinal analyses revealed significant improvements with the use of cisplatin in concurrent chemoradiotherapy for advanced-stage cervical cancer (+1%/year), oral anticancer agents as maintenance therapy after primary treatment for early-stage cervical cancer (−0.8%/ year), and hysterectomy for adenocarcinoma in situ in patients above 44 years old (−2%/year). Conclusion The QIs for cervical cancer in Japan have been revised based on 2022 evidence.The existing and new indicators should be continually evaluated to correspond to the latest knowledge. This will facilitate the standardization and promotion of bottom-up improvements in cervical cancer care.

Objective: Hospital treatment volume affects survival in patients with endometrial cancer;notably, initial treatment at high-volume centers improves survival outcomes. Our study assessed the effect of hospital treatment volume on cost-effectiveness and survival outcomes in patients with endometrial cancer in Japan. Methods: A decision-analytic model was evaluated using the following variables and their impact on cost-effectiveness: 1) hospital treatment volume (low-, intermediate-, and highvolume centers) and 2) postoperative recurrent risk factors based on pathological findings (high- and intermediate-risk or low-risk). Data were obtained from the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology database, systematic literature searches, and the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. Quality-adjusted life years (QALY) was used as a measure of effectiveness. The model was built from a public healthcare perspective and the impact of uncertainty was assessed using sensitivity analyses. Results: A base-case analysis showed that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio at high-volume centers was below a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of ¥5,000,000with a maximum of ¥3,777,830/4.28 QALY for the high- and intermediate-risk group, and ¥2,316,695/4.57 QALY for the low-risk group. Treatment at the high-volume centers showed better efficiency and cost-effectiveness in both strategies compared to intermediate- or lowvolume centers. Sensitivity analyses showed that the model outcome was robust to changes in input values. With the WTP threshold, treatment at high-volume centers remained cost-effective in at least 73.6% and 78.2% of iterations for high- and intermediate-risk, and lowrisk groups, respectively. Conclusion Treatment at high-volume centers is the most cost-effective strategy for guiding treatment centralization in patients with endometrial cancer.

Objective: Hospital treatment volume affects survival in patients with endometrial cancer;notably, initial treatment at high-volume centers improves survival outcomes. Our study assessed the effect of hospital treatment volume on cost-effectiveness and survival outcomes in patients with endometrial cancer in Japan. Methods: A decision-analytic model was evaluated using the following variables and their impact on cost-effectiveness: 1) hospital treatment volume (low-, intermediate-, and highvolume centers) and 2) postoperative recurrent risk factors based on pathological findings (high- and intermediate-risk or low-risk). Data were obtained from the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology database, systematic literature searches, and the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. Quality-adjusted life years (QALY) was used as a measure of effectiveness. The model was built from a public healthcare perspective and the impact of uncertainty was assessed using sensitivity analyses. Results: A base-case analysis showed that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio at high-volume centers was below a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of ¥5,000,000with a maximum of ¥3,777,830/4.28 QALY for the high- and intermediate-risk group, and ¥2,316,695/4.57 QALY for the low-risk group. Treatment at the high-volume centers showed better efficiency and cost-effectiveness in both strategies compared to intermediate- or lowvolume centers. Sensitivity analyses showed that the model outcome was robust to changes in input values. With the WTP threshold, treatment at high-volume centers remained cost-effective in at least 73.6% and 78.2% of iterations for high- and intermediate-risk, and lowrisk groups, respectively. Conclusion Treatment at high-volume centers is the most cost-effective strategy for guiding treatment centralization in patients with endometrial cancer.

Objective: Hospital treatment volume affects survival in patients with endometrial cancer;notably, initial treatment at high-volume centers improves survival outcomes. Our study assessed the effect of hospital treatment volume on cost-effectiveness and survival outcomes in patients with endometrial cancer in Japan. Methods: A decision-analytic model was evaluated using the following variables and their impact on cost-effectiveness: 1) hospital treatment volume (low-, intermediate-, and highvolume centers) and 2) postoperative recurrent risk factors based on pathological findings (high- and intermediate-risk or low-risk). Data were obtained from the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology database, systematic literature searches, and the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. Quality-adjusted life years (QALY) was used as a measure of effectiveness. The model was built from a public healthcare perspective and the impact of uncertainty was assessed using sensitivity analyses. Results: A base-case analysis showed that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio at high-volume centers was below a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of ¥5,000,000with a maximum of ¥3,777,830/4.28 QALY for the high- and intermediate-risk group, and ¥2,316,695/4.57 QALY for the low-risk group. Treatment at the high-volume centers showed better efficiency and cost-effectiveness in both strategies compared to intermediate- or lowvolume centers. Sensitivity analyses showed that the model outcome was robust to changes in input values. With the WTP threshold, treatment at high-volume centers remained cost-effective in at least 73.6% and 78.2% of iterations for high- and intermediate-risk, and lowrisk groups, respectively. Conclusion Treatment at high-volume centers is the most cost-effective strategy for guiding treatment centralization in patients with endometrial cancer.

BACKGROUND: Body mass-independent parameters might be more appropriate for assessing cardiometabolic abnormalities than weight-dependent indices in Asians who have relatively high visceral adiposity but low body fat. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-measured trunk-to-peripheral fat ratio is one such body mass-independent index. However, there are no reports on relationships between DXA-measured regional fat ratio and cardiometabolic risk factors targeting elderly Asian men. METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional data of 597 elderly men who participated in the baseline survey of the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) study, a community-based single-center prospective cohort study conducted in Japan. Whole-body fat and regional fat were measured with a DXA scanner. Trunk-to-appendicular fat ratio (TAR) was calculated as trunk fat divided by appendicular fat (sum of arm and leg fat), and trunk-to-leg fat ratio (TLR) as trunk fat divided by leg fat. RESULTS: Both TAR and TLR in the group of men who used ≥ 1 medication for hypertension, dyslipidemia, or diabetes ("user group"; N = 347) were significantly larger than those who did not use such medication ("non-user group"; N = 250) (P < 0.05). After adjusting for potential confounding factors including whole-body fat, both TAR and TLR were significantly associated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, fasting serum insulin, and the insulin resistance index in the non-user group and non-overweight men in the non-user group (N = 199). CONCLUSION The trunk-to-peripheral fat ratio was associated with cardiometabolic risk factors independently of whole-body fat mass. Parameters of the fat ratio may be useful for assessing cardiometabolic risk factors, particularly in underweight to normal-weight populations.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adiposity/physiology* ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biomarkers/metabolism* ; Cardiometabolic Risk Factors ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Intra-Abdominal Fat/diagnostic imaging* ; Japan ; Male ; Osteoporosis/etiology* ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; Thorax/diagnostic imaging*

BACKGROUND: The Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) study was launched to investigate risk factors for osteoporotic fractures, interactions of osteoporosis with other non-communicable chronic diseases, and effects of fracture on QOL and mortality. METHODS: FORMEN baseline study participants (in 2007 and 2008) included 2012 community-dwelling men (aged 65-93 years) in Nara prefecture, Japan. Clinical follow-up surveys were conducted 5 and 10 years after the baseline survey, and 1539 and 906 men completed them, respectively. Supplemental mail, telephone, and visit surveys were conducted with non-participants to obtain outcome information. Survival and fracture outcomes were determined for 2006 men, with 566 deaths identified and 1233 men remaining in the cohort at 10-year follow-up. COMMENTS The baseline survey covered a wide range of bone health-related indices including bone mineral density, trabecular microarchitecture assessment, vertebral imaging for detecting vertebral fractures, and biochemical markers of bone turnover, as well as comprehensive geriatric assessment items. Follow-up surveys were conducted to obtain outcomes including osteoporotic fracture, cardiovascular diseases, initiation of long-term care, and mortality. A complete list of publications relating to the FORMEN study can be found at https://www.med.kindai.ac.jp/pubheal/FORMEN/Publications.html .
Aged ; Bone Density ; Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology* ; Cohort Studies ; Geriatric Assessment ; Humans ; Independent Living ; Japan/epidemiology* ; Long-Term Care/statistics & numerical data* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis/etiology* ; Osteoporotic Fractures/etiology* ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: Age-related low-grade inflammation causing endothelial disruption influences sarcopenia, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. We reported previously that maintenance of muscle strength in elderly hypertensive men with high platelet levels is positively associated with subclinical atherosclerosis but not in those with low platelet levels. Since reduced tongue pressure is related to sarcopenia, tongue pressure may be associated with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in hypertensive elderly subjects, and platelet levels may function as an indicator of the association between tongue pressure and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 342 hypertensive elderly Japanese men aged 60-89 who participated in an annual health check-up in 2015 and 2016. Subclinical carotid atherosclerosis was defined as a common carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) of 1.1 mm or more. RESULTS: In the overall study population, 171 subjects demonstrated low platelets (< 21.4 × 10/μL). Tongue pressure was significantly inversely associated with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in these subjects, but not in subjects with high platelets. The known cardiovascular risk factor adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis for a 1 standard deviation (SD) increment in tongue pressure (10.4 kPa) were 0.54 (0.35, 0.85) and 1.31 (0.87, 1.96), respectively. CONCLUSION Tongue pressure is inversely associated with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in hypertensive elderly men with low platelet levels, but not in those with high levels. This finding may thus constitute an efficient tool for clarifying the background mechanism of age-related diseases such as sarcopenia, hypertension, and atherosclerosis.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aging ; blood ; physiology ; Carotid Artery Diseases ; blood ; physiopathology ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Confidence Intervals ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Hypertension ; blood ; physiopathology ; Japan ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Platelet Count ; Pressure ; Risk Factors ; Tongue ; physiology

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to propose a set of quality indicators (QIs) based on the clinical guidelines for cervical cancer treatment published by The Japan Society of Gynecologic Oncology, and to assess adherence to standard-of-care as an index of the quality of care for cervical cancer in Japan. METHODS: A panel of clinical experts devised the QIs using a modified Delphi method. Adherence to each QI was evaluated using data from a hospital-based cancer registry of patients diagnosed in 2013, and linked with insurance claims data, between October 1, 2012, and December 31, 2014. All patients who received first-line treatment at the participating facility were included. The QI scores were communicated to participating hospitals, and additional data about the reasons for non-adherence were collected. RESULTS: In total, 297 hospitals participated, and the care provided to 15,163 cervical cancer patients was examined using 10 measurable QIs. The adherence rate ranged from 50.0% for ‘cystoscope or proctoscope for stage IVA’ to 98.8% for ‘chemotherapy using platinum for stage IVB’. Despite the variation in care, hospitals reported clinically valid reasons for more than half of the non-adherent cases. Clinically valid reasons accounted for 75%, 90.9%, 73.4%, 44.5%, and 88.1% of presented non-adherent cases respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed variations in pattern of care as well as an adherence to standards-of-care across Japan. Further assessment of the causes of variation and non-adherence can help identify areas where improvements are needed in patient care.
Guideline Adherence ; Humans ; Insurance ; Japan* ; Methods ; Patient Care ; Platinum ; Proctoscopes ; Qi ; Standard of Care ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

Background： While the number of older cancer patients increases as the society ages, the current status of the pain control is not well characterized among older patients. To improve the quality of care, it is necessary to understand the current status. Objectives： The aim of this study was to describe the pain control for older cancer patients in comparison to younger counterparts and characterize it. Methods： During four months in 2013, Aomori Prefectural Central Hospital started asking all hospitalized cancer patients about their pain every day using a standardized pain questionnaire. In addition, a questionnaire adopted to the outpatient setting was distributed to the patients who visited outpatient department of the hospital. The information about pain, quality of life (QOL) and the medical histories were included in the data analyses. Their responses were compared between outpatients versus inpatients and older ( ≥65 years) versus younger (＜65 years) patients. Results： The response rate was 57.0％. Pain management was less adequate among outpatients than among inpatients, with pain relief rate of 28.9％ for the former and 52.6％ for the latter (P＜0.001). Among outpatients, the pain relief rate for the older patients was particularly low (older：24.7％ vs younger：35.8％, P＜0.01). Conclusion： Pain management for older patients in the outpatient settings needs a particular attention for improvement. Resources should be allocated to enable better detection and relief of pain among outpatients.