A range of cytological samples are suitable for KRAS and BRAF mutation testing, be it from previously stained preparations or cell blocks. These samples would be highly valuable in cases where cytological samples are the only material available for mutation testing.

Background Cancer is likely to remain the most prevalent noncommunicable disease in high-income countries with an older population. Interestingly, no review of attitudes toward telemedicine among older adults has been performed. This is likely to be the group most affected by both cancer and the increasing use of technology in health care. Objective We aimed to map research on the acceptance of telemedicine among older adults who are cancer patients. Methods We conducted a scoping review. PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were systematically searched from inception to September 2020. Articles were included if the study population had a mean or median age ≥65 years, with cancer diagnoses and if the study assessed patients’ acceptance of a telemedicine intervention. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies were included. Results Out of a total of 887 articles that were identified, 19 were included in the review. Interventions were delivered via telephone, videoconference, web portal, mobile app, wearable technology, and text messaging and included teleconsultation, monitoring and follow-up, psychosocial support and nursing care, and prompts. The most often cited facilitating factor was convenience. Other facilitators included an increase in telemedicine care accessibility, previous positive experiences of telemedicine, appropriate technical knowledge and support, decreased cost, physician recommendations, and privacy conferred by the telemedicine intervention. Barriers include a preference for conventional care along with negative perceptions of telemedicine, concerns about technical difficulties, and confidentiality concerns in the adoption of telemedicine. Conclusions None of the studies explored the ability of tailored interventions to address facilitators and barriers of the acceptance of telemedicine in order to increase its adoption by older adults. Facilitators and barriers will likely differ across different cultural contexts and by type of telemedicine; however, this is a gap in current knowledge. In-depth studies are necessary to determine if interventions could potentially address the barriers identified in this review, to increase acceptability.

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Background: Groin hernia repair is a common surgical procedure and includes both open and laparoscopic techniques. Studies comparing outcomes of laparoscopic versus open groin hernia repair specifically in the geriatric population are lacking. This study compares the outcomes of laparoscopic versus open groin hernia repair techniques in older adults. Methods: A literature search was conducted in each of the five selected databases up till June 2021: PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane and PsychInfo (OVID).Outcomes measured included but were not limited to total length of hospital stay, mean total operative time, intraoperative complications, post-operative complications such as wound infection, seroma formation, chronic pain, mesh infection and recurrence of inguinal hernia. Results: A total of five articles were included in the final analysis. The length of postoperative hospitalization stay was shorter in patients who underwent laparoscopic hernia repair (95% CI: À1.50 to À0.72; P < 0.01, I 2 = 79%). The laparoscopic repair group had a significantly smaller number of patients who sustained postoperative wound infections (95% CI: 0.02 to 0.47; P = 0.003, I 2 = 0%), and lower incidence of chronic pain (95% CI: 0.14 to 0.37, P < 0.01, I 2 = 46%). Analysis of the remaining outcomes did not reveal any statistically significant differences between open and laparoscopic hernia repair. Conclusions: The results of this analysis showed a shorter length of stay, lower wound infection rates and lower chronic pain with laparoscopic groin hernia repair as compared to open repair in older adults. Future prospective studies examining the impact of age on the relationship between surgical approach (open versus laparoscopic) and surgical outcomes are needed.