Lauritzencrosby4502

In age-adjusted models, NHB women with luminal A disease had a 2.43 times higher rate of BC mortality compared to their NHW counterparts (95% CI = 1.99 to 2.97). High socioeconomic status (SES) NHB women had more than twice the mortality rates than their white counterparts (HR = 2.67, 95% CI = 1.65 to 4.33). Racial disparities among women without insurance, in the lowest SES index, or diagnosed with triple-negative BC were less pronounced. Conclusions In Atlanta, the largest racial disparities are observed in luminal tumors and most pronounced among women of high SES. More research is needed to understand drivers of disparities within these treatable features. © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press.Background Melanoma, which is the sixth most common cancer in women, is visible on the surface of the skin; therefore, self-screening (skin self-examination [SSE]) may be beneficial. Methods A convenience sample of women undergoing mammography was sequentially assigned by week into this two-arm targeted melanoma screening intervention. Both groups saw an informational poster and received a brochure promoting risk self-identification and SSE education. One group received an additional 1-week SSE reminder. Participants completed baseline and 1- and 3-month follow-up surveys assessing SSE performance, identifying a concerning mole, scheduling a dermatology appointment, and anxiety due to the program. Performance of SSE between groups was compared using χ2 analysis. The electronic medical record was reviewed for diagnosis of concerning moles. Results At 1 month, 384 of 420 (91.4% retention) women completed the survey. Of those, 311 (80.9%) performed SSE. Of those who performed SSE, 54 (14%) found a concerning mole at either 1 or 3 months. At 3 months, 346 (82.4% retention) women completed the survey. The number of women who performed SSE did not differ between groups at 1 month (χ2 = 1.64, P = .17) or 3 months (χ2 = 1.58, P = .12). Seven melanomas were found among 34 women who identified a concerning mole; examination of 4.8 women yielded one melanoma. Anxiety was low with a median score of 9.5 (range = 0-42.9). Conclusions Introducing melanoma risks and SSE education during mammography was feasible and did not demonstrate harms; thus, there is an opportunity to reach a large, at-risk population with limited burden for the participant and clinics. © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press.Background Liquid biopsies could improve diagnosis, prognostication, and monitoring of colorectal cancer (CRC). Mutation, chromosomal copy number alteration, and methylation analysis in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from plasma or serum has gained great interest. However, the literature is inconsistent on preferred candidate markers, hampering a clear direction for further studies and clinical translation. BTK inhibitor This review assessed the potential of ctDNA analysis for clinical utility. Methods A systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines was conducted up to December 3, 2018, followed by methodological quality assessment. Primary endpoints were accuracy for detection, prognostication, and monitoring. Results Eighty-four studies were included. For CRC detection, sensitivity was 75% using ctDNA mutation analysis and up to 96% using copy number analysis. Septin 9 (SEPT9) hypermethylation analysis showed sensitivities of 100% and specificities of 97%. Regarding prognostication, ctDNA KRAS mutations were associated with oncological outcome and could predict response to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor therapy. For monitoring, sequential ctDNA KRAS mutation analysis showed promise for detection of relapses or therapy resistance. Conclusions This comprehensive overview of ctDNA candidate markers demonstrates SEPT9 methylation analysis to be promising for CRC detection, and KRAS mutation analysis could assist in prognostication and monitoring. Prospective evaluation of marker panels in clinical decision making should bring ctDNA analysis into practice. © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press.Background We aimed to estimate the minimally important difference (MID) for interpreting group-level change over time, both within a group and between groups, for the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) scores in patients with advanced breast cancer. Methods Data were derived from two published EORTC trials. Clinical anchors (eg, performance status [PS]) were selected using correlation strength and clinical plausibility of their association with a particular QLQ-C30 scale. Three change status groups were formed deteriorated by one anchor category, improved by one anchor category, and no change. Patients with greater anchor changes were excluded. The mean change method was used to estimate MIDs for within-group change, and linear regression was used to estimate MIDs for between-group differences in change over time. For a given QLQ-C30 scale, MID estimates from multiple anchors were triangulated to a single value via a correlation-based weighted average. Results MIDs varied by QLQ-C30 scale, direction (improvement vs deterioration), and anchor. MIDs for within-group change ranged from 5 to 14 points (improvement) and -14 to -4 points (deterioration), and MIDs for between-group change over time ranged from 4 to 11 points and from -18 to -4 points. Correlation-weighted MIDs for most QLQ-C30 scales ranged from 4 to 10 points in absolute values. Conclusions Our findings aid interpretation of changes in EORTC QLQ-C30 scores over time, both within and between groups, and for performing more accurate sample size calculations for clinical trials in advanced breast cancer. © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press.Background Multiple systemic treatments have been developed for stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but their use and effect on outcomes at the population level are unknown. This study describes the utilization of first-line systemic treatments among stage IV NSCLC patients in California and compares survival among treatment groups. Methods Data on 17 254 patients diagnosed with stage IV NSCLC from 2012 to 2014 were obtained from the California Cancer Registry. Systemic treatments were classified into six groups. The Kaplan-Meier method and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare survival between treatment groups. Results Fifty-one percent of patients were known to have received systemic treatment. For patients with nonsquamous histology, pemetrexed regimens were the most common treatment (14.8%) followed by tyrosine kinase inhibitors (11.9%) and platinum doublets (11.5%). Few patients received pemetrexed/bevacizumab combinations (4.5%), bevacizumab combinations (3.6%), or single agents (1.