To contribute to the WHO initiative, VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, an assessment of global vision impairment in 2020 and temporal change is needed. We aimed to extensively update estimates of ...global vision loss burden, presenting estimates for 2020, temporal change over three decades between 1990–2020, and forecasts for 2050.
We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based surveys of eye disease from January, 1980, to October, 2018. Only studies with samples representative of the population and with clearly defined visual acuity testing protocols were included. We fitted hierarchical models to estimate 2020 prevalence (with 95% uncertainty intervals UIs) of mild vision impairment (presenting visual acuity ≥6/18 and <6/12), moderate and severe vision impairment (<6/18 to 3/60), and blindness (<3/60 or less than 10° visual field around central fixation); and vision impairment from uncorrected presbyopia (presenting near vision <N6 or <N8 at 40 cm where best-corrected distance visual acuity is ≥6/12). We forecast estimates of vision loss up to 2050.
In 2020, an estimated 43·3 million (95% UI 37·6–48·4) people were blind, of whom 23·9 million (55%; 20·8–26·8) were estimated to be female. We estimated 295 million (267–325) people to have moderate and severe vision impairment, of whom 163 million (55%; 147–179) were female; 258 million (233–285) to have mild vision impairment, of whom 142 million (55%; 128–157) were female; and 510 million (371–667) to have visual impairment from uncorrected presbyopia, of whom 280 million (55%; 205–365) were female. Globally, between 1990 and 2020, among adults aged 50 years or older, age-standardised prevalence of blindness decreased by 28·5% (–29·4 to −27·7) and prevalence of mild vision impairment decreased slightly (–0·3%, −0·8 to −0·2), whereas prevalence of moderate and severe vision impairment increased slightly (2·5%, 1·9 to 3·2; insufficient data were available to calculate this statistic for vision impairment from uncorrected presbyopia). In this period, the number of people who were blind increased by 50·6% (47·8 to 53·4) and the number with moderate and severe vision impairment increased by 91·7% (87·6 to 95·8). By 2050, we predict 61·0 million (52·9 to 69·3) people will be blind, 474 million (428 to 518) will have moderate and severe vision impairment, 360 million (322 to 400) will have mild vision impairment, and 866 million (629 to 1150) will have uncorrected presbyopia.
Age-adjusted prevalence of blindness has reduced over the past three decades, yet due to population growth, progress is not keeping pace with needs. We face enormous challenges in avoiding vision impairment as the global population grows and ages.
Brien Holden Vision Institute, Fondation Thea, Fred Hollows Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lions Clubs International Foundation, Sightsavers International, and University of Heidelberg.
Purpose
Incidence of BS primitive neuroectodermal tumors (BS-PNET) in children is not reported to date. Our main objectives were to estimate the incidence and report the outcome of BS-PNET in ...children.
Methods
Data were collected using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results cancer registry.
Results
From 1973 to 2013, we identified 83 pediatric patients (aged 0–21 years). Patients were divided into two age groups (0–3 years and 4–21 years). Median overall survival was 53 months. Patients in the older age group had a significant survival advantage (
P
< 0.001), as did those who received three modalities of therapy (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy) (
P
< 0.001) and patients with gross or subtotal tumor resection (
P
< 0.001).
Conclusions
This study presents the first estimate of incidence and the largest cohort of pediatric BS-PNETs to date. A high index of suspicion of BS-PNET in similar cases is crucial for diagnosis, treatment, and outcome.
Purpose Advances in cancer treatment achieved during the past decades have resulted in increased survival of most pediatric and adult patients that suffered from different adrenal tumor types. This ...article reviews the incidence and survival of adrenal gland tumors as second primary tumors, according to data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Methods The SEER 13 Registries Database from 1992 to 2013 was used. All primary cancer sites were selected using the multiple primary standardized incidence ratios (MP-SIR) session. Results Data for a total of 2,887,468 persons with cancer were reviewed; 117 of whom had suffered second primary adrenal tumors. The overall SIR of adrenal gland tumor as a second primary was 1.5. A high incidence ratio of the event was detected in specific primary tumor sites: hypopharynx (observed/expected (O/E) = 44.6); other endocrine tissue (including the thymus) (O/E = 38.3); small intestine (O/E = 8.9); liver (O/E = 8.7); stomach (O/E = 5); nodal NHL (O/E = 3.8); kidney and renal pelvis (O/E = 3.2) and breast (O/E = 1.8). Conclusion The underlying shared mechanisms should be investigated between adrenal tumors and hypopharyngeal, endocrine and other tumors. Racial disparity is an important challenge in cancer treatment at the United States and should be taken into consideration in the design of cancer prevention programs. This could be achieved through follow-up programs at specialized national cancer networks, especially for rare tumors like adrenal gland.
Introduction
Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most common primary intraocular cancer of childhood. Over the last few decades, a variety of techniques and treatment modalities emerged that improved the ...survival and ocular salvage rate of patients with RB. We investigated the relative survival trends of patients with RB from 2000 to 2018 by using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.
Design
Retrospective database review.
Methods
We extracted data from SEER 18 from 2000 to 2018. All patients with clinically diagnosed RB during the study period were included. We utilized SEER*Stat 8.3.9 and JPSurv software to estimate relative 5‐ and 10‐year survival rates and trends and generated descriptive analyses with IBM SPSS.
Main Outcome Measures
Patient survival rates at 5‐ and 10‐year after RB diagnosis.
Results
RB was diagnosed in 1479 patients within the SEER 18 Program during our study period. The cohort comprised 776 (52.5%) males, 615 (41.6%) non‐Hispanic whites, 487(32.9%) Hispanics, 1030 (69.6%) patients with unilateral disease, and 1087 (73.5%) patients with localized disease. Relative survival trends at 5‐ and 10‐year significantly declined over the study periods (−0.42%, and −0.50% annually, respectively) but the decline was not significant in unilateral and bilateral RB cases separately.
Conclusions
Five‐ and ten‐year relative survival trends declined from 2000 to 2018 and were significantly decreasing. Further studies that include more patients are needed to identify the factors contributing to reduced survival of patients with RB over time.
Retinoblastoma was one of the success stories in pediatric oncology, with survival exceeding 98%. However, here we show a decline in the survival of retinoblastoma at the population level. This can be attributed to the new therapies practices in smaller centers with decentralization of services.
Background
Thyroid carcinoma is a very rare tumor in the pediatric age group, accounting for only 1.5–3% of childhood carcinomas in the United States and Europe. We aimed to identify the risk of a ...second malignancy among pediatric thyroid cancer survivors.
Methods
The cohort analysis consisted of pediatric cancer patients aged less than 20 years, diagnosed with a primary thyroid cancer, identified by site code ICD-0-3: C739, and reported to the SEER 9 database between 1973 and 2013. They were followed up until December 31, 2013; the end of the study period, or up to death if earlier.
Results
Out of 1769 patients diagnosed primarily with thyroid carcinoma, 42 patients had a total of 45 incidences of subsequent malignancies. The mean age of patients at the initial diagnosis of thyroid cancer was 16 years. Females (90.5%) had a significantly higher incidence of second malignancies (SM) than males (9.5%). The overall Standardized Incidence Ratio (SIR) of SM in the study patients was higher than expected (SIR = 1.48). Some specific sites showed significantly higher incidences: the salivary glands (SIR = 33.95), the gum and other parts of the mouth excluding the lips, tongue, salivary glands and floor of the mouth (SIR = 24.53)*** and the kidneys (SIR = 5.72). The overall risk of SM in patients who had received radioactive iodine was higher than expected (SIR = 4.41). The cumulative incidence of SM after treatment of thyroid cancer in children increases steadily over 40 years (11.92%).
Conclusions
Race, gender, histological subtypes, and radioactive iodine are potentially significant prognostic factors for the development of SM among pediatric thyroid cancer survivors. Identification of underlying mechanisms that raise the risk of SM is important for both treatment and follow-up strategies.
Abstract Objectives To estimate global and regional trends from 2000 to 2020 of the number of persons visually impaired by diabetic retinopathy and their proportion of the total number of ...vision-impaired individuals. Methods Data from population-based studies on eye diseases between 1980 to 2018 were compiled. Meta-regression models were performed to estimate the prevalence of blindness (presenting visual acuity <3/60) and moderate or severe vision impairment (MSVI; <6/18 to ≥3/60) attributed to DR. The estimates, with 95% uncertainty intervals UIs, were stratified by age, sex, year, and region. Results In 2020, 1.07 million (95% UI: 0.76, 1.51) people were blind due to DR, with nearly 3.28 million (95% UI: 2.41, 4.34) experiencing MSVI. The GBD super-regions with the highest percentage of all DR-related blindness and MSVI were Latin America and the Caribbean (6.95% 95% UI: 5.08, 9.51) and North Africa and the Middle East (2.12% 95% UI: 1.55, 2.79), respectively. Between 2000 and 2020, changes in DR-related blindness and MSVI were greater among females than males, predominantly in the super-regions of South Asia (blindness) and Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania (MSVI). Conclusions Given the rapid global rise in diabetes and increased life expectancy, DR is anticipated to persist as a significant public health challenge. The findings emphasise the need for gender-specific interventions and region-specific DR healthcare policies to mitigate disparities and prevent avoidable blindness. This study contributes to the expanding body of literature on the burden of DR, highlighting the need for increased global attention and investment in this research area.
To estimate global and regional trends from 2000 to 2020 of the number of persons visually impaired by glaucoma and their proportion of the total number of vision-impaired individuals.
A systematic ...review and meta-analysis of published population studies and grey literature from 2000 to 2020 was carried out to estimate global and regional trends in number of people with vision loss due to glaucoma. Moderate or severe vision loss (MSVI) was defined as visual acuity of 6/60 or better but <6/18 (moderate) and visual acuity of 3/60 or better but <6/60 (severe vision loss). Blindness was defined as presenting visual acuity <3/60.
Globally, in 2020, 3.61 million people were blind and nearly 4.14 million were visually impaired by glaucoma. Glaucoma accounted for 8.39% (95% uncertainty intervals UIs: 6.54, 10.29) of all blindness and 1.41% (95% UI: 1.10, 1.75) of all MSVI. Regionally, the highest proportion of blindness relating to glaucoma was found in high-income countries (26.12% 95% UI: 20.72, 32.09), while the region with the highest age-standardized prevalence of glaucoma-related blindness and MSVI was Sub-Saharan Africa. Between 2000 and 2020, global age-standardized prevalence of glaucoma-related blindness among adults ≥50 years decreased by 26.06% among males (95% UI: 25.87, 26.24), and by 21.75% among females (95% UI: 21.54, 21.96), while MSVI due to glaucoma increased by 3.7% among males (95% UI: 3.42, 3.98), and by 7.3% in females (95% UI: 7.01, 7.59).
Within the last two decades, glaucoma has remained a major cause of blindness globally and regionally.
This open access book describes strategies and experiences of highly skilled professionals in improving oncology care worldwide. The book is structured into three main sections with several chapters ...each, reflecting the authors' individual, real-life experiences. It explores ways to improve oncology education and scientific training, how to set up and run a clinical research facility ethically and efficiently in low- and middle-income settings, addressing the challenges that the workforce encounters in the real world. The main challenges of today’s oncologists seem to be the ever-growing patient care and administrative workload and the risk of burn-out. What are the best strategies to maintain a healthy work-life for the benefit of the patients, the physicians and society, taking into account the different needs, depending on factors like peace, social and gender equality? This book addresses oncologists all over the world and their allies throughout the associated industries to highlight the importance of shared and sustainable education, clinical research and global cancer care.
PDF
