Dear Reader,
The disease burden of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is substantial, which adversely affects the patients, their families, and the healthcare system. Notably, RA-associated pain is often debilitating and have detrimental effect on patients' overall quality of life (QoL). In contrast to the early concepts, contemporary view considered pain as a complex set of neural, humoral, and emotional events. Hence, it is crucial to appreciate that not all RA-associated pain is affiliated to the active disease, whereas non-inflammatory pain has also been reported. In the current Feature Story, the pathophysiology and multifaceted impacts of RA-associated pain will be reviewed. Essentially, the recent advancement in pharmacological treatment against RA pain will be highlighted. In addition, the clinical performance of physical therapy and the roles of psychological intervention in the holistic care for RA patients will be discussed.
Apart from RA, prostate cancer (PCa) is a complex disease that affects millions of males globally. Importantly, PCa often follows an indolent clinical course since patients with PCa often remain asymptomatic during the early stages of the disease. Therefore, the disease is often diagnosed at late stages requiring extensive treatment. To uncover the complex nature of PCa, Prof. Ng Chi Fai, the Director of SH Ho Urology Centre at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), was invited to discuss the underlying reasons for the late diagnosis of the disease. Moreover, Prof. Ng will also highlight the treatment in early and advanced stages of the disease. Particularly, the use of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical practice will be featured.
In addition to the thematic topics, updates on the pharmacologic management multiple myeloma (MM), and the essence in optimising protein intake in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are highlighted in the Industry Updates. On the other hand, updates in rabies preventive treatment, treatment for advanced glaucoma, and epidemiological issues about hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and recent trial data on repurposing pomalidomide in reducing hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT)-related epistaxis will be discussed in the Epoch section.
Hope you enjoy this issue!
Dr. Roy Yuen-chi Lau
PhD, DBA, MPH, MMedSc, MA, BSc,
FRSPH, MIET, MRSC, MSB, CBiol, CSci, MRACI CChem
Editor-in-Chief
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