Information regarding hospital service use by people newly diagnosed with cancer can inform patterns of healthcare utilisation and resource demands. This study aims to identify characteristics of group-based trajectories of hospital service use three years after an individual was diagnosed with cancer; and determine factors predictive of trajectory group membership.
A group-based trajectory analysis of hospital service use of people aged ≥30 years who had a new diagnosis of cancer during 2018 in New South Wales, Australia was conducted. Linked cancer registry, hospital and mortality data were examined for a three-year period after diagnosis. Group-based trajectory models were derived based on number of hospital admissions. Multinominal logistic regression examined predictors of trajectory group membership.
Of the 44,577 new cancer diagnosis patients, 29,085 (65.2 %) were hospitalised at least once since their cancer diagnosis. Four distinct trajectory groups of hospital users were identified: Low (68.4 %), Very-Low (25.1 %), Moderate-Chronic (2.2 %), and Early-High (4.2 %). Key predictors of trajectory group membership were age group, cancer type, degree of cancer spread, prior history of cancer, receiving chemotherapy, and presence of comorbidities, including renal disease, moderate/serious liver disease, or anxiety.
Comorbidities should be considered in cancer treatment and management decision making. Caring for people diagnosed with cancer with multimorbidity requires multidisciplinary shared care.
Endometrial cancer poses a significant health concern in Puerto Rico, where it ranks as the primary gynecological malignancy among women. This study evaluates concordance with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for endometrial cancer first treatment in Puerto Rican women and its association with 5-year overall survival.
Data on patients with endometrial cancer diagnosed between 2009 and 2015 was obtained from the Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry, which is linked to the Puerto Rico Health Insurance Linkage database (n = 2114). The association between receiving guideline-concordant first treatment and clinical, socioeconomic, and health system factors was evaluated using logistic regression. The 5-year overall survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between guideline-concordant first treatment and overall survival.
In our cohort, 53.9 % of patients received guideline-concordant first treatment. Receiving care at a Commission on Cancer-accredited center, being evaluated by a gynecologist-oncologist, and possessing private insurance enhanced the likelihood of receiving guideline-concordant first treatment. In the Cox regression models, receiving guideline-concordant first treatment was associated with a lower mortality risk (HR: 0.72, 95 % CI: 0.59–0.89).
Guideline-concordant first treatment is a strong predictor of improved survival rates in endometrial cancer. Given that guidelines based on scientific evidence have been demonstrated to enhance patient outcomes, we must understand and promote the factors contributing to their adoption.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) screenings can improve detection and prevent precancerous polyps from becoming malignant tumors. In 2008, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) updated their policy and no longer recommended that adults over age 75 screen for CRC. We evaluated how this policy update impacted screening behaviors and CRC outcomes in older adults.
We obtained data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to analyze blood stool and colonoscopy screening, the Surveillance, Epidemiological, End Results program to analyze CRC staging and survival, the National Association of Centralized Cancer Registries to analyze CRC incidence, and the National Center for Health Statistics to analyze mortality. With a difference-in-differences design, we compared the changes in outcome trends of the exposed group (age 75+), before and after 2008, with the changes in trends of a similar unexposed group (age 65–74).
There was no association between the 2008 update and blood stool tests in older adults. We did, however, find that the update was associated with a 3.0 %-point decline in the probability of older adults completing a colonoscopy within the past two years (C.I. = −4.0, −2.0). Among older adults diagnosed with CRC, the update was associated with a 1.5 %-point increase in the probability of presenting at an advanced stage (C.I. = 1.1, 1.9). Finally, the update was also associated with lower CRC incidence (Est. = −13.9 cases/100,000 population; C.I. = −22.6, −5.1) and mortality rates (Est. = −5.6 deaths/100,000 population; C.I. = −10.1, −1.1). We observed the largest associations between the policy and CRC outcomes in adults age 85+.
The USPSTF’s 2008 recommendation was associated with reduced colonoscopies, especially in adults over age 85. Whether this recommendation, or the 2021 updated guidance, optimizes population health by reducing the burden of CRC screening in older adults remains unknown.
Despite the established benefits and availability of mammographic breast screening, participation rates remain suboptimal. Women with higher BMIs may not screen regularly, despite being at increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer and worse outcomes. This study investigated the association between prospective changes in BMI and longitudinal adherence to mammographic screening among women with overweight or obesity.
Retrospective cohort study of women (N = 2822) participating in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health with an average follow-up of 20 years, with screening participation enumerated via BreastScreen NSW, Australia clinical records over the period 1996–2016. Association between BMI and subsequent adherence to screening was investigated in a series of marginal structural models, incorporating a time variant/invariant socio-demographic, clinical, and health behaviour confounders. Models were also stratified by a proxy measure of socio-economic status (education).
Participants with overweight/obesity were less adherent to mammography screening, compared to healthy/underweight participants (OR=1.29, 95 % CI=1.07, 1.55). The association between overweight/obesity and non-adherence was higher among those who ever had private health insurance (OR=1.30, 95 % CI=1.05, 1.61) compared to those who never had private health insurance and among those with lower educational background (OR=1.38, 95 % CI=1.08, 1.75) compared to those with higher educational background.
Long-term impacts on screening participation exist among women with higher BMI, who are less likely to participate in routinely organised breast screening. Women with a higher BMI should be a focus of efforts to improve breast screening participation, particularly given their increased risk of breast cancer and association of higher BMI with worse breast cancer outcomes among older women.
Cervical cancer disproportionately affects First Nations women in Canada but there is limited information on their participation in organized cervical cancer screening programs.
This co-led retrospective cohort study linked population-based Alberta Cervical Cancer Screening Program point of care data with First Nations identifiers. This Screening Program database includes cervical cancer screening history, screen test results, colposcopy procedure findings, and pathology results for all women in Alberta. First Nations identifiers were obtained from Alberta Health who steward these data on their behalf. Data were available from 2012 to 2018 for women 25 – 69 years of age who were age eligible to participate in cervical cancer screening. Screening participation and retention rates, and screening outcomes were compared between First Nations and non- First Nations women using descriptive statistics with trends estimated using joinpoint models.
Age standardized screening participation and retention rates of First Nations women were lower than those for the non-First Nations women, with an average difference of 13.9 % lower for participation rates (95 % confidence interval = 12.9–14.8 %; P <.0001) and 7.2 % for retention rates (95 % confidence interval = 2.2 % to 12.72; P = 0.013). First Nations women consistently had higher percentages of high risk (high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, atypical glandular cells, atypical squamous cells where HSIL cannot be excluded, Carcinoma in situ) abnormal cytology tests than non-First Nations women.
Identifying where inequities were found in cervical cancer screening participation and retention in this study is the first step to reduce the disproportionate burden of cervical cancer for First Nations women in Canada.
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common neoplasm, and its global burden has become one of the most important factors jeopardizing the health of the world population, especially women. The aim of this study was to analyze mortality trends and the spatial distribution of BC in women in the capital and state of Sergipe, aiming to contribute to the implementation and improvement of strategies for the prevention and health promotion of women with BC. Trends were calculated using the Joinpoint Regression Program 5.0.2. Spatial analyses were performed using the empirical Bayesian model, thematic maps were created using QGIS 3.10.7 and Moran's I indices were calculated using TerraView 4.2.2. Between 1996 and 2022, 1384 and 3128 BC deaths were recorded in the capital and state of Sergipe, respectively. The mortality trend increased in the age groups of 45–75+ for the state of Sergipe, while in the capital, we observed stability in all age groups. The highest AAPC was 4.6213, with a 95 % confidence interval (2.16; 7.14). Univariate global Moran's I analysis indicated spatial autocorrelation during the study period. A direct relationship was found between mortality rates and the more economically developed regions.
The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Preference Score (PROPr) is estimated from descriptive health assessments within the PROMIS framework. The underlying item response theory (IRT) allows researchers to measure PROMIS health domains with any subset of items that are calibrated to this domain. Consequently, this should also be true for the PROPr. We aimed to test this assumption using both an empirical and a simulation approach.
Empirically, we estimated 3 PROMIS Pain inference (PI) scores from 3 different item subsets in a sample of n=199 cancer patients: 4 PROMIS-29 items (estimate: θ4), the 2 original PROPr items (θ2), and 10 different items (θ10). We calculated mean differences and agreement between θ4, and θ2 and θ10, respectively, and between their resulting PROPr4, PROPr2, PROPr10, using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland-Altman (B-A) plots with 95 %-Limits of Agreement (LoA). For the simulation, we used the IRT-model to calculate all item responses of the entire 7 PROPr domain item banks from the empirically observed PROMIS-29+cognition θ. From these simulated item banks, we chose the 2 original PROPr items per domain to calculate PROPrsim and compared it to PROPr4 again using ICC and B-A plots.
θ4 vs θ10 showed smaller bias (-0.012, 95 %-LoA −0.88;0.85) than θ4 vs θ2 (0.025, 95 %-LoA −0.95;1.00. ICC>0.85 (p<0.001) in both θ-comparisons. PROPr4 vs PROPr10 showed lower bias (0.0012, 95 %-LoA −0.039;0.042) than PROPr4 vs PROPr2 (-0.0029, 95 %-LoA −0.049;0.044). ICC>0.98 (p<0.0001) on both PROPr-comparisons. Mean PROPrsim was larger than mean PROPr4 (0.0228, 95 %-LoA −0.1103; 0.1558) and ICC was 0.95 (95 %CI 0.93; 0.97).
Different item subsets can be used to estimate the PROMIS PI for calculation of the PROPr. Reduction to 2 items per domain rather than 4 does not significantly change the PROPr estimate on average. Agreements differ across the spectrum and in individual comparisons.