Journal of Cancer Education最新文献

The Comprehensive Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity (CPACHE) initiative of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) supports long-standing collaborations between an under-resourced institution and NCI-designated Cancer Centers to strengthen cancer research workforce and advance cancer research capacity. One of the longest continuously funded CPACHE programs is the Morehouse School of Medicine/Tuskegee University/University of Alabama at Birmingham O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center tri-institutional partnership. A central component of this partnership is training future generations of investigators, which is accomplished through the research education programs that are designed to build cancer research skills, enhance mentorship, and support career development for all levels from high school students to Early-Stage Investigators (ESIs). This paper evaluates the longitudinal impact of a year-long program for ESIs and postdoctoral fellows since its inception in 2007. The data were extracted from the Research Education Core administrative records about the scholars and mentors and utilized publicly accessible databases Scopus and PubMed for publications, and the NIH RePORTER for grants. Among 89 program scholars, nearly 95% had at least one publication since their program start date. Of these, 70% had a first author, and 62% had a senior author publication. Approximately 20% of scholars obtained NIH funding as principal investigators through grants, core leadership, and/or supplements. This tri-institutional program successfully attracted investigators committed to cancer research. The outcomes suggest that structured training, intensive mentorship, and cross-institutional collaboration can meaningfully support their academic careers. These findings provide insights for strengthening similar programs to continue to meet the evolving professional needs for the development of ESIs and postdoctoral fellows, particularly at under-resourced institutions.

In the United States, Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and the third leading cause of death among non-Hispanic African American/Black (henceforth Black) men. Inadequate CRC knowledge leads to missing early warning signs, delaying prevention and increasing risk. Emerging adulthood (18-25) is a key period for building healthy behaviors and addressing barriers to CRC knowledge in addition to understanding attitudes and practices to CRC screening. Psychosocial barriers - including social support, medical mistrust, and perceived racial discrimination - contribute to the lack of CRC knowledge among older Black men, yet emerging adult Black men remain understudied. The present study examined psychosocial barriers to CRC knowledge among emerging adult Black men. Additionally, although not screening eligible, a secondary aim was to examine how these psychosocial barriers play a role CRC attitudes and preventive practices. One hundred sixty-eight men (M_age = 20.4, SD = 1.73) were recruited in Petersburg, Virginia. Participants completed a survey assessing social support, medical mistrust, and perceived racial discrimination, CRC knowledge, and CRC practice items. Data was analyzed using SPSS v.29. A hierarchical regression, controlling for age, public assistance status, and masculinity, examined social support, medical mistrust, and perceived racial discrimination. Contrary to hypothesis, higher medical mistrust predicted greater CRC knowledge, p = 0.003, while increased social support also predicted greater CRC knowledge, p < .001. Perceived racial discrimination did not significantly predict CRC knowledge. Logistic regressions showed that higher masculinity health problem minimization and perceived racial discrimination predicted significantly lower odds of considering early CRC screening. No variables significantly predicted early detection. Findings provide critical understanding of barriers and facilitators of CRC knowledge among emerging adult Black men. Addressing barriers during emerging adulthood may encourage healthier behaviors and foster motivation to seek CRC knowledge, ultimately supporting prevention in this high-risk population. Results are critical for informing culturally age-tailored prevention strategies.

Dietary quality, physical activity, and sleep hygiene are interrelated behaviors that have been associated with health outcomes among cancer survivors and caregivers. The purpose of this study was to develop health promotion short message service (SMS) content related to these three behaviors using generative artificial intelligence (AI) as part of a health promotion intervention development process. Generative AI was first used to develop English-language SMS drafts for each of the three health behaviors using ChatGPT 3.5 (OpenAI, 2023). SMS drafts were then refined by humans to produce usable messages and approved by content experts. Each SMS was translated to Spanish by a native bilingual/bicultural speaker, with assistance from an AI translator (IXL Learning, 2023). This work demonstrated that AI can be an effective tool for generating new health education SMS content; however, expert human review and revision are critical for ensuring both the accuracy of content and appropriateness of language. Lessons learned and recommendations for incorporating GenAI into future SMS intervention development are discussed.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted cancer education across specialties. Radiation oncology, with its highly technical nature and multidisciplinary approach, faced unique challenges in maintaining training quality while adapting to pandemic restrictions. This subanalysis of a nationwide survey on oncological training quality during the pandemic examines gender-specific differences within radiation oncology specialist training. We analyzed survey responses from 85 radiation oncologists (58 females, 27 males) conducted between February and November 2022, focusing on workload changes, educational access, digital learning adaptation, and training quality assessment. Male radiation oncologists experienced more frequent work disruptions, including temporary departmental relocation (48.1% vs. 24.1%, p = 0.027) and significant work assignment changes (categories 4 + 5: 55.5% vs. 17.2%, p = 0.002). Males reported better access to digital learning alternatives, including e-learning platforms (37.0% vs. 8.6%, p = 0.001) and live online teaching (51.9% vs. 20.7%, p = 0.004), while females more frequently lacked alternatives for clinical training (55.2% vs. 25.9%, p = 0.012). Gender differences emerged in perceived negative training factors, with males more concerned about team meeting disruptions (categories 4 + 5: 51.8% vs. 41.4%, p = 0.022) and females about personal work absences (categories 4 + 5: 31.0% vs. 22.2%, p = 0.015). Despite these operational differences, overall training and work quality assessments remained comparable between genders. The pandemic affected male and female radiation oncologists through different pathways, with males experiencing more work deployment changes and better digital access, while females faced greater gaps in training alternatives. These findings highlight the importance of gender-sensitive crisis response planning to ensure equitable training opportunities during future health emergencies.

Non-adherence to endocrine therapy was associated with insufficient knowledge and poor beliefs towards treatment. A culturally-appropriate education tool may be needed to improve patient care. This study aimed to evaluate a newly developed education tool, with two phases of evaluation involving experts and potential users consisting of breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy. Expert evaluation involved assessment by a multi-disciplinary panel (n = 10) using three tools to assess different aspects of quality: Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP); Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT), which consists of Understandability and Actionability scales; and Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM). The mean scores for EQIP (90.3%), PEMAT (Understandability: 98.2%; Actionability: 96.3%) and SAM (93.4%) revealed that the education tool exhibited good quality. User-based evaluation utilised pre- and post-questionnaires to evaluate user satisfaction via Consumer Information Rating Form (CIRF) and to evaluate the effects of the education tool on knowledge as well as beliefs, assessed using Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ). Patients were recruited from a university hospital and a national cancer institute. Results from CIRF indicated that the participants (n = 62) were satisfied with the comprehensibility, utility and design quality of the education tool. There was a significant improvement for knowledge (1.89 vs. 3.39, p < 0.01) and BMQ-General scores: General-Harm (2.24 vs. 1.91, p < 0.01) and General-Overuse (2.81 vs. 2.44, p < 0.01) after patients were introduced to the education tool. The findings indicated that the education tool may help to improve education for breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy.

Young adults (18-26 years) are at high risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) exposure. Yet, HPV vaccine uptake is suboptimal among young adults. Provider recommendation is frequently the most influential factor in HPV vaccine acceptance. Evidence-based strategies are needed to facilitate provider recommendations for young adults. To inform provider-level strategies for recommending the HPV vaccine to young adult patients, the current study aims to understand current practices and barriers and facilitators to both recommending the HPV vaccine for young adults and for young adults to receive the HPV vaccine. Primary care providers (e.g., physicians, nurses; n = 15) in the United States completed a semi-structured interview guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Data were analyzed thematically using Nvivo. Most participants identified as female (80%), White (67%), and non-Hispanic (93%). Participants reported varying their HPV vaccine discussions based on visit type (acute vs. wellness) and if the patient is new or established in their practice. Participants reported barriers to HPV vaccination in young adults across several CFIR domains including outer setting (e.g., transient living situation), inner setting (e.g., lack of availability of vaccine in clinic), individual (e.g., sex differences), and process (e.g., burnout). Facilitators included considering the HPV vaccine as a high priority and scheduling future vaccine appointments at the current visit. Evidence-based interventions to increase HPV vaccine uptake among young adults are needed. Healthcare providers identified multilevel barriers to both recommending and delivering the HPV vaccine to their young adult patients.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is a key strategy for preventing anogenital cancers. However, coverage among transgender women remains poorly documented, particularly in Latin America. This study examined barriers and facilitators to completing the HPV vaccination schedule among transgender women in Mexico City. We conducted a mixed-methods study with 138 transgender women receiving care in two public clinics. Quantitative, qualitative, and geospatial analyses were integrated. Vaccination completion and HPV prevalence were estimated; 14 semi-structured interviews explored perceived barriers and facilitators, and geographic mapping identified completion patterns. Overall, 32.6% (n = 45) of participants reported completing the vaccination schedule. Older age and higher education were associated with higher completion, though not statistically significant. Reported barriers included personal, organizational, cultural, and geographical challenges. Facilitators included accessibility and promotion of vaccines, clear information from healthcare providers, and participants' interest in health. These findings underscore critical opportunities to enhance HPV prevention through tailored interventions, culturally competent services, and consistent follow-up. Importantly, they highlight the need for educational and communication strategies to improve vaccination uptake and reduce the HPV-related cancer burden in this high-risk population.

Genetic testing is central to personalized cancer care, yet its routine use remains limited in low- and middle-income countries such as Pakistan. Little is known about how clinician confidence, institutional resources, and system-level barriers jointly influence its adoption in this setting. This study aimed to identify the key barriers influencing the use of genetic testing in oncology and to explore practical ways to strengthen its adoption in clinical practice. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 49 oncology clinicians in Pakistan between August and December 2023. The questionnaire assessed clinician confidence, ordering practices, knowledge, training, and perceived barriers related to genetic testing. Two outcomes, low confidence and infrequent test ordering, were analyzed using Fisher's exact test and odds ratios to identify key associations. Open-ended responses were reviewed using an inductive thematic approach to capture context-specific implementation barriers. Among respondents, 14% reported low confidence in their knowledge of genetic testing and 18% rarely ordered tests when indicated. Limited access to a testing laboratory was strongly associated with both low confidence (odds ratio 22.0, p = 0.002) and infrequent ordering (odds ratio 14.0, p = 0.002). The absence of a genetic counsellor showed a positive but non-significant association with confidence (odds ratio 7.26, p = 0.098). Patient-level barriers, including cost (93%) and perceived stigma or irrelevance (69%), were common but did not significantly predict clinicians' behaviour. Qualitative responses highlighted three intersecting domains of barriers: system-level workflow delays and fragmented processes, clinician-level gaps in genetics training and support, and patient-level misconceptions and financial concerns. Improving infrastructure and integrating genetics education are both essential to expand equitable access to precision oncology. Our findings suggest that in Pakistan and similar LMIC settings, targeted strengthening of laboratory and referral infrastructure, together with genetics-focused education and supportive policies, may have the greatest impact on routine use of cancer genetic testing.