Liver cancer is one of the world’s most prevalent malignancies, and is also the third leading cause of cancer death in China. Hepatitis and cirrhosis background is a major feature of liver cancer patients in China, which makes specific requirements that suits the national conditions in many aspects of prevention and control like screening diagnosis, treatment options, and prognosis follow-up. The Specifications for Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Liver Cancer (2017 Edition), which is based on China’s practice, proposes liver cancer staging in line with China’s national conditions and forms a multi-disciplinary joint diagnosis and treatment model based on surgical treatment. Liver transplantation is included in liver cancer as one of the surgical treatments option. It also emphasizes the support of evidence-based medicine. The Specifications for Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Liver Cancer (2017 Edition) may have laid a solid foundation for future diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer in China.
Objective The purpose of this study, which focuses on the number of the Cochrane Systematic Review’s (CSR) full texts, protocols and registered titles from Chinese authors, is to show the development of evidence-based medicine (EBM) and promote EBM’s further development in China. Methods On the basis of The Cochrane Library (Issue 1, 2009) and the Cochrane Collaboration (March 2009) periodicals, we performed statistical analysis of different countries that released CSR’s full texts, protocols and registered titles, as well as the time, authors and distribution of the CSR’s full texts, protocols and registered titles in China. Results The publishing rates of the CSR’s full texts, protocols and registered titles in China ranked the seventh, fifth and second, respectively. Although the number of CSR’s full texts and protocols showed an increased annual trend in China, the development of area distribution was unbalanced. Moreover, China’s published articles contained 47 Cochrane collaboration groups, without effective practice and health care groups, consumers and communication groups, and methodology and multiple stenosis groups. Conclusions The current Chinese EBM situation has a great potential in writing CSR. However, there are still many problems that need to be resolved.
Objective To make an individualized treatment plan for a newly diagnosed Barrett esophagus patient by means of evidence-based medicine. Methods After the clinical problems were put forward, both the systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were collected from The Cochrane Library (Issue 3, 2009) and PubMed (1995 to 2010) and SCIE (1995 to 2010). The treatment protocol was made by combining the evidence and the preference of patient. Results A total of 21 RCTs and 6 systematic reviews (meta-analyses) were identified. A rational treatment plan was made upon a serious evaluation and patient’s preferences: improving the lifestyle and adopting the APC therapy combined with acid-suppressive drugs (Omeprazole, 40 mg, bid) for six weeks. Three months later, the endoscope reexamination showed the patient was much better. After another twelve-month follow-up, the plan proved to be optimal. Conclusion In accordance with the evidence-based methods, the rational treatment plan made for a diagnosed Barrett esophagus male can effectively relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
Enteral nutrition can improve patient’s nutritional status, reduce the incidence of complications, and promote the patient’s rehabilitation. For patients with stroke, enteral nutrition is the first choice for nutritional support. Nurses not only participate but also play important roles in the whole process of nutrition management in stroke. Therefore, standardizing the nursing practice in enteral nutrition and developing nursing guideline in line with Chinese clinical practice is of great significance. In the guideline, 18 key clinical questions had been established via the Delphi method, and for each question, detailed recommendations had been constructed. It is expected to provide clinical standards for enteral nutrition in patients with stroke, and to improve the nutritional management and disease prognosis of stroke patients.
Objective To seek the best evidence on communication between physicians and patients so as to improve the physician-patient relationship in China. Methods We used the key words ‘physician-patient relationship’ and ‘communication’ to identify related systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and then evaluated them with the Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire (OQAQ) checklist. Results Seventeen studies were included for final evaluation. According to the OQAQ checklist, the score range of the study quality was 3 to 9. 41.29% (7/17) of the included studies scored 7 to 9, 23.5% (4/17) scored 6, and 35.3% (6/17) scored 3 to 5. Factors influencing physician-patient communication primarily included communication targets, time, contents, and approaches. Conclusion There are not enough studies on physician-patient communication in China. We need to identify the problems affecting communication behavior, encourage patients to express their preferences, choose appropriate training strategies, and make timely evaluation so as to better satisfy the needs of patients and physicians.
Objective To investigate the current situation of clinical studies on puerarin for angina pectoris and assess whether it is adequate to provide evidence for clinical practiice. Methods We collected all the published clinical studies on puerarin for angina pectoris from 1966 to October 2003, and assessed all the included reports according to international clinical epidemiological standard. Results 106 RCTs, 8 non-randomized controlled studies and 24 case series were included and analyzed. 126 studies reported diagnosis criteria, 10 desccribed inclusion criteria; 3 studies were quasi-random, 1 double blind, 4 single blind; no study reported follow-up; 117 studies reported adverse effects. Conclusions Currently the quality of studies on puerarin for angina pectoris is not good enough to provide reliable evidence for clinical practice.
Through searching and evaluating the evidence on advanced prostate cancer, we found that different types of androgen deprivation had similar effect, and immediate androgen deprivation had survival benefit. For the patient with hormone-refractory prostate cancer, therapies including mitoxantrone, prednisone, docetaxel and surmine were more effective. Strontium-89 provided more effective pain relief than external beam radiation. And bisphophonate had no effect. Antiandrogen withdrawal suggested prostate specific antigen would decline, but the clinical outcome wasn’t reported.