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1.
Res Sq ; 2023 Mar 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36993198

ABSTRACT

Circulating miR-371a-3p has excellent performance in the detection of viable (non-teratoma) GCT pre-orchiectomy; however, its ability to detect occult disease is understudied. To refine the serum miR-371a-3p assay in the minimal residual disease setting we compared performance of raw (Cq) and normalized (∆Cq, RQ) values from prior assays, and validated interlaboratory concordance by aliquot swapping. Revised assay performance was determined in a cohort of 32 patients suspected of occult retroperitoneal disease. Assay superiority was determined by comparing resulting receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curves using the Delong method. Pairwise t-tests were used to test for interlaboratory concordance. Performance was comparable when thresholding based on raw Cq vs. normalized values. Interlaboratory concordance of miR-371a-3p was high, but reference genes miR-30b-5p and cel-miR-39-3p were discordant. Introduction of an indeterminate range of Cq 28-35 with a repeat run for any indeterminate improved assay accuracy from 0.84 to 0.92 in a group of patients suspected of occult GCT. We recommend that serum miR-371a-3p test protocols are updated to a) utilize threshold-based approaches using raw Cq values, b) continue to include an endogenous (e.g., miR-30b-5p) and exogenous non-human spike-in (e.g., cel-miR-39-3p) microRNA for quality control, and c) to re-run any sample with an indeterminate result.

2.
J Music Ther ; 60(2): 131-148, 2023 Jun 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36787235

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this secondary analysis was to explore physiological, psychological, and situational influencing factors that may affect the impact of a mindfulness-music therapy intervention on anxiety severity in young adults receiving cancer treatment. Young adults receiving cancer treatment for ≥ eight weeks were recruited from adult and pediatric oncology outpatient centers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Participants were asked to attend up to four, in-person (offered virtually via Zoom video conference after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic) 45-min mindfulness-based music therapy sessions over twelve weeks with a board-certified music therapist. Participants completed questionnaires about anxiety, stress, and other cancer treatment-related outcomes before and after participating in the intervention. Changes in anxiety (i.e., PROMIS Anxiety 4a) over time were compared among baseline physiological (e.g., age or sex), psychological (e.g., stress), and situational influencing (i.e., intervention delivery format) factors using Wilcoxon-rank sum tests. Thirty-one of the 37 enrolled participants completed the baseline and post-intervention measures and were eligible for inclusion in the secondary analysis. Results revealed that higher baseline physical functioning (median change = -6.65), anxiety (median change=-5.65), fatigue (median change = -5.6), sleep disturbance (median change = -5.6),female sex (median change = -5.15), or virtual intervention delivery(median change = -4.65) were potential physiological, psychological, or situational influencing factors associated with anxiety improvement following mindfulness-based music therapy. Additional investigation into physiological, psychological, or situational influencing factors associated with anxiety response will help to tailor the design of future mindfulness-music therapy interventions to decrease psychological distress and address the unique psychosocial concerns among young adults receiving cancer treatment. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03709225.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Mindfulness , Music Therapy , Neoplasms , Child , Humans , Young Adult , Music Therapy/methods , Mindfulness/methods , Pandemics , Stress, Psychological/therapy , Stress, Psychological/psychology , COVID-19/therapy , Neoplasms/complications , Neoplasms/therapy , Neoplasms/psychology , Anxiety/therapy , Anxiety/psychology
3.
Eur J Cancer ; 173: 59-70, 2022 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35863107

ABSTRACT

Ovarian immature teratoma is a rare subtype of germ cell tumour that can be pure or associated with non-teratomatous germ cell tumour elements and is graded based on extent of the immature neuroectodermal component. Immature teratoma (IT) can also be associated with somatic differentiation in the form of sarcoma, carcinoma, or extensive immature neuroectodermal elements and may produce low levels of serum alpha-fetoprotein. Variable interpretation of these issues underlies diagnostic and management dilemmas, resulting in substantial practice differences between paediatric and adult women with IT. The Malignant Germ Cell International Consortium (MaGIC) convened oncologists, surgeons, and pathologists to address the following crucial clinicopathologic issues related to IT: (1) grading of IT, (2) definition and significance of 'microscopic' yolk sac tumour, (3) transformation to a somatic malignancy, and (4) interpretation of serum tumour biomarkers. This review highlights the discussion, conclusions, and suggested next steps from this clinicopathologic conference.


Subject(s)
Endodermal Sinus Tumor , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal , Ovarian Neoplasms , Teratoma , Adult , Child , Consensus Development Conferences as Topic , Endodermal Sinus Tumor/drug therapy , Endodermal Sinus Tumor/therapy , Female , Humans , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/diagnosis , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/therapy , Ovarian Neoplasms/drug therapy , Ovarian Neoplasms/therapy , Teratoma/drug therapy , Teratoma/therapy
4.
Eur Urol Focus ; 8(3): 660-662, 2022 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35537936

ABSTRACT

Testicular germ cell tumours (GCTs) are the most common malignancy among young men. Management of GCTs relies on the serum tumour markers α-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and lactate dehydrogenase, among other parameters. However, these tumour markers can only be detected at elevated levels in half of GCT patients. Circulating miR-371a-3p has emerged as a blood-based biomarker that can reliably detect macroscopic GCTs, aside from teratoma. Here we review the literature, describe the methodologies currently used to measure circulating miR-371a-3p, and discuss the following clinical scenarios in which miR-371a-3p may impact practice in the future: (1) men with an inconclusive small testicular mass; (2) response monitoring during chemotherapy; (3) postchemotherapy residual masses; and (4) follow-up after treatment with curative intent. PATIENT SUMMARY: We discuss the potential uses and promise, as well as current limitations, of a novel blood test that may improve care for men with testicular cancer.


Subject(s)
Circulating MicroRNA , MicroRNAs , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal , Testicular Neoplasms , Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics , Humans , Male , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/diagnosis , Testicular Neoplasms/diagnosis , Testicular Neoplasms/genetics
5.
J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol ; 35(3): 260-264, 2022 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34718078

ABSTRACT

Malignant ovarian neoplasms are uncommon in the pediatric and adolescent population. Imaging and tumor markers help to guide the preoperative risk/benefit analysis for planned surgical management, which is the mainstay of therapy. An interdisciplinary approach should be taken in the management of this vulnerable population from diagnosis through post-treatment surveillance. In this review, the initial evaluation, risk stratification, and management of various types of malignant ovarian masses will be addressed, with a special focus on how to optimize an interdisciplinary approach to ovarian masses.


Subject(s)
Ovarian Neoplasms , Adolescent , Biomarkers, Tumor , Child , Diagnostic Imaging , Female , Humans , Ovarian Neoplasms/diagnosis , Ovarian Neoplasms/surgery , Retrospective Studies
6.
J Pain Symptom Manage ; 63(4): e357-e363, 2022 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34896280

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT: Adolescent and young adults (AYAs) with cancer experience significant psychological distress due to cancer treatment that can persist long after treatment. However, little is known regarding optimal interventions to support the psychosocial needs of AYAs with cancer. OBJECTIVE: The overall objective of this single arm, longitudinal, pilot study was to determine the feasibility of implementing a mindfulness-based music therapy intervention to improve anxiety and stress in AYAs receiving cancer treatment. METHODS: AYAs (15 - 39 years old) who were to receive cancer treatment for ≥ eight weeks were recruited from the pediatric, melanoma, sarcoma, breast, lymphoma, and leukemia oncology outpatient centers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The music therapy intervention included four sessions of individual mindfulness-based music therapy in-person or using Zoom over twelve weeks. Prior to-and after the intervention period, participants completed the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Anxiety 4a and Perceived Stress Scale. Changes in patient-reported outcomes are compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. RESULTS: Over ∼14 months, 37 of 93 eligible AYAs were enrolled to the study (39.8% consent rate). Overall, 27 of 37 (73%) participants (Median age=32; 56.8% Female) completed at least two music therapy sessions and the baseline measures and end of study measures. Participation in the mindfulness-based music therapy sessions resulted in significant pre-to-posttest improvements in perceived stress (median change: -4.0, P = 0.013) and non-significant changes in anxiety (median change: -1.9, P = 0.20). Satisfaction and acceptability were highly rated. CONCLUSIONS: The delivery of a four-session mindfulness-based music therapy intervention to AYAs receiving chemotherapy was feasible and significantly improved perceived stress. These preliminary findings should be confirmed in a randomized controlled trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03709225.


Subject(s)
Mindfulness , Music Therapy , Sarcoma , Adolescent , Adult , Anxiety/therapy , Child , Feasibility Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Mindfulness/methods , Pilot Projects , Stress, Psychological/therapy , Young Adult
8.
Ecancermedicalscience ; 15: 1187, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33777180

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic poses an unprecedented health crisis in all socio-economic regions across the globe. While the pandemic has had a profound impact on access to and delivery of health care by all services, it has been particularly disruptive for the care of patients with life-threatening noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as the treatment of children and young people with cancer. The reduction in child mortality from preventable causes over the last 50 years has seen childhood cancer emerge as a major unmet health care need. Whilst survival rates of 85% have been achieved in high income countries, this has not yet been translated into similar outcomes for children with cancer in resource-limited settings where survival averages 30%. Launched in 2018, by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) is a pivotal effort by the international community to achieve at least 60% survival for children with cancer by 2030. The WHO GICC is already making an impact in many countries but the disruption of cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to set back this global effort to improve the outcome for children with cancer, wherever they may live. As representatives of the global community committed to fostering the goals of the GICC, we applaud the WHO response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular we support the WHO's call to ensure the needs of patients with life threatening NCDs including cancer are not compromised during the pandemic. Here, as collaborative partners in the GICC, we highlight specific areas of focus that need to be addressed to ensure the immediate care of children and adolescents with cancer is not disrupted during the pandemic; and measures to sustain the development of cancer care so the long-term goals of the GICC are not lost during this global health crisis.

9.
J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol ; 34(3): 383-386, 2021 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33316416

ABSTRACT

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Pediatric ovarian neoplasms with imaging appearance suggestive of teratoma are often presumed to have low risk of malignancy. We assessed the pre-operative imaging appearance of pediatric malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (MOGCT) and the presence of associated teratoma in a series of MOGCT. DESIGN: Retrospective review of clinical and pathology data. SETTING: Multicenter trial for extracranial malignant germ cell tumors in young female individuals by the Children's Oncology Group (COG study AGCT0132) that included yolk sac tumor, embryonal carcinoma and choriocarcinoma. PARTICIPANTS: Female individuals 0-20 years of age at enrollment with ovarian primary nonseminomatous malignant germ cell tumors. INTERVENTIONS: Review of data forms, including prospectively collected surgical checklist documenting imaging characteristics of the tumor, and review of pathology reports. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Description of imaging appearance and frequency of mixed histology with benign teratoma elements. RESULTS: A total of 138 female individuals (11 months to 20 years of age) had primary ovarian tumors. Imaging appearance and pathology information were available for 133 patients. Among the 133 patients, tumor appearance was solid (10.5%), solid with calcification (3.0%), mixed cystic and solid (58.7%), mixed cystic and solid with calcification (24.8%), and unknown (3.0%). In all, 54% had elements of teratoma in addition to malignant histology. CONCLUSION: Mixed cystic and solid appearance with or without calcification was seen in 83.5% of pediatric ovarian malignant germ cell tumors. Associated benign teratoma was common. The presence of a mixed cystic and solid appearance on preoperative imaging should not dissuade the surgeon from obtaining preoperative serum markers and undertaking complete surgical staging.


Subject(s)
Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/pathology , Ovarian Neoplasms/pathology , Teratoma/pathology , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Diagnostic Imaging , Female , Humans , Infant , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/diagnostic imaging , Ovarian Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Retrospective Studies , Teratoma/diagnostic imaging
10.
Pediatr Blood Cancer ; 66(8): e27796, 2019 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31066223

ABSTRACT

Testis cancer is considered a rare-incidence cancer but comprises the third most common cancer diagnosed within the adolescent and young adult (AYA) years (15-39 years). Most testis cancer patients can anticipate a survival outcome in excess of 95%. However, there are subgroups of AYA patients where outcomes are considerably worse, including younger adolescents, patients with certain histological subtypes, or from certain ethnic backgrounds. For those cured with chemotherapy, the toxicity of treatment and burden of late effects is significant. Newer germ cell tumor-specific biomarkers may identify patients who do not require further treatment interventions or may detect early recurrence, potentially reducing the burden of treatment required for cure. An international collaboration for this rare tumor is creating the forum for trial design, where these biomarker research questions are embedded. Going forward, AYA testis cancer patients could benefit from having a more personalized treatment plan, tailored to risk, that minimizes the overall burden of late effects.


Subject(s)
Needs Assessment/standards , Testicular Neoplasms/diagnosis , Testicular Neoplasms/therapy , Adolescent , Humans , Male , Young Adult
11.
J Glob Oncol ; 4: 1-11, 2018 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30241165

ABSTRACT

The Central America Four (CA-4) region, comprising Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, is the largest low- and middle-income country region in the Western Hemisphere, with over 36 million inhabitants. The CA-4 nations share a common geography, history, language, and development indices, and unified with open borders in 2006. The growing CA-4 cancer burden among the noncommunicable diseases is expected to increase 73% by 2030, which argues for a regional approach to cancer control. This has driven efforts to establish population-based cancer registries as a central component of the cancer control plans. The involvement of international and academic partners in an array of initiatives to improve cancer information and control in the CA-4 has accelerated over the past several years. Existing data underscore that the infectious cancers (cervical, stomach, and liver) are a particular burden. All four countries have committed to establishing regional population-based cancer registries and have advanced significantly in pediatric cancer registration. The challenges common to each nation include the lack of national cancer control plans and departments, competing health priorities, lack of trained personnel, and sustainability strategies. General recommendations to address these challenges are outlined. The ongoing regional, international, and academic cooperation has proven helpful and is expected to continue to be a powerful instrument to contribute to the design and implementation of long-term national cancer control plans.


Subject(s)
Data Accuracy , Neoplasms/epidemiology , Central America/epidemiology , Cost of Illness , Demography , Humans , Incidence , Mortality , Neoplasms/prevention & control , Neoplasms/therapy , Partnership Practice , Public Health Surveillance , Registries
12.
BMC Cancer ; 18(1): 854, 2018 Aug 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30157803

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP) chemotherapy administered every 3 weeks for 4 cycles remains the standard first line treatment for patients with intermediate- and poor-risk metastatic germ cell tumours (GCTs). Administering standard chemotherapy 2-weekly rather than 3-weekly, so-called 'accelerating chemotherapy', has improved cure rates in other cancers. An Australian multicentre phase 2 trial demonstrated this regimen is feasible and tolerable with efficacy data that appears promising. The aim of this trial is to determine if accelerated BEP is superior to standard BEP as first line chemotherapy for adult and paediatric male and female participants with intermediate and poor risk metastatic GCTs. METHODS: This is an open label, randomised, stratified, 2-arm, international multicentre, 2 stage, phase 3 clinical trial. Participants are randomised 1:1 to receive accelerated BEP or standard BEP chemotherapy. Eligible male or female participants, aged between 11 and 45 years with intermediate or poor-risk metastatic GCTs for first line chemotherapy will be enrolled from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Participants will have regular follow up for at least 5 years. The primary endpoint for stage 1 of the trial (n = 150) is complete response rate and for the entire trial (n = 500) is progression free survival. Secondary endpoints include response following treatment completion (by a protocol-specific response criteria), adverse events, health-related quality of life, treatment preference, delivered dose-intensity of chemotherapy (relative to standard BEP), overall survival and associations between biomarkers (to be specified) and their correlations with clinical outcomes. DISCUSSION: This is the first international randomised clinical trial for intermediate and poor-risk metastatic extra-cranial GCTs involving both adult and pediatric age groups open to both males and females. It is also the largest, current randomised trial for germ cell tumours in the world. Positive results for this affordable intervention could change the global standard of care for intermediate and poor risk germ cell tumours, improve cure rates, avoid the need for toxic and costly salvage treatment, and return young adults to long, healthy and productive lives. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN 12613000496718 on 3rd May 2013 and Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02582697 on 21st October 2015.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Clinical Protocols , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/drug therapy , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/pathology , Adolescent , Adult , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects , Bleomycin/adverse effects , Bleomycin/therapeutic use , Child , Child, Preschool , Cisplatin/adverse effects , Cisplatin/therapeutic use , Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic , Etoposide/adverse effects , Etoposide/therapeutic use , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Multicenter Studies as Topic , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Research Design , Young Adult
14.
Eur Urol ; 73(2): 262-270, 2018 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28687143

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Controversy exists regarding the optimal management strategy for clinical stage IS seminomatous (SGCT) and nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT) of the testis. OBJECTIVE: To assess contemporary treatment patterns and outcomes for clinical stage IS testicular cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Using the National Cancer Data Base (2004-2012), we identified 1362 patients with clinical stage IS SGCT and NSGCT of the testis, treated with either adjuvant treatment (AT) or observation. OUTCOME MEASURES AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: We calculated the annual percent change (APC) to assess treatment trends. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW)-adjusted Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analyses were used to compare overall survival (OS) between AT and observation groups. Analyses were stratified by histologic type. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Overall, there were 581 (43%) and 781 (57%) men with SGCT and NSGCT, respectively. Among men with SGCT, the use of AT decreased over the study period (APC=-2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -4.4, -1.1, p=0.001). The 5-yr IPTW-adjusted rates of OS were 99% and 97% in the AT and observation groups, respectively (hazard ratio = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.12, 1.14, p=0.08). Among men with NSGCT, the use of AT remained stable over the study period (APC = +0.8, 95% CI: -0.7, +2.2, p=0.29). The 5-yr IPTW-adjusted rates of OS were 97% and 95% in the AT and observation groups, respectively (HR=0.66, 95% CI: 0.27, 1.61, p=0.36). Limitations include the lack of full treatment details and cancer-specific survival information. CONCLUSIONS: Trends in the use of AT significantly decreased over time for SGCT, while it remained stable for NSGCT. Nonetheless, we report 5-yr OS rates of ≥95% for both histologies without any significant benefit with the use of AT. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings. PATIENT SUMMARY: We evaluated treatment trends and outcomes for stage IS testicular cancer. We found that treatment changed over time for seminoma and remained stable for nonseminoma; there was no significant survival benefit in the use of adjuvant treatment versus observation for both seminomatous and nonseminomatous germ cell tumors.


Subject(s)
Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/therapy , Practice Patterns, Physicians' , Testicular Neoplasms/therapy , Urology , Adult , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant , Humans , Male , Neoplasm Staging , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/pathology , Practice Patterns, Physicians'/trends , Radiotherapy, Adjuvant , Testicular Neoplasms/pathology , Time Factors , Treatment Outcome , Watchful Waiting
16.
PLoS One ; 12(5): e0175237, 2017.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28481882

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic vitamin D deficiency is associated with slowed growth in children. It is unknown whether vitamin D repletion in children with asymptomatic serum vitamin D deficiency can restore normal growth. OBJECTIVE: We tested the impact of vitamin D-supplementation on serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and short-term growth in Mongol children, with very low serum vitamin D levels in winter. DESIGN: We conducted two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in urban school age children without clinical signs of rickets. The Supplementation Study was a 6-month intervention with an 800 IU vitamin D3 supplement daily, compared with placebo, in 113 children aged 12-15 years. A second study, the Fortification Study, was a 7-week intervention with 710 ml of whole milk fortified with 300 IU vitamin D3 daily, compared with unfortified milk, in 235 children aged 9-11 years. RESULTS: At winter baseline, children had low vitamin D levels, with a mean (±SD) serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration of 7.3 (±3.9) ng/ml in the Supplementation Study and 7.5 (±3.8) ng/ml in the Fortification Study. The serum levels increased in both vitamin D groups-by 19.8 (±5.1) ng/ml in the Supplementation Study, and 19.7 (±6.1) ng/ml in the Fortification Study. Multivariable analysis showed a 0.9 (±0.3 SE) cm greater increase in height in the vitamin-D treated children, compared to placebo treated children, in the 6-month Supplementation Study (p = 0.003). Although the children in the 7-week Fortification Study intervention arm grew 0.2 (±0.1) cm more, on average, than placebo children this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.2). There were no significant effects of vitamin D supplements on differences in changes in weight or body mass index in either trial. For the Fortification Study, girls gained more weight than boys while taking vitamin D 3 (p-value for interaction = 0.03), but sex was not an effect modifier of the relationship between vitamin D3 and change in either height or BMI in either trial. CONCLUSIONS: Correcting vitamin D deficiency in children with very low serum vitamin D levels using 800 IU of vitamin D3 daily for six months increased growth, at least in the short-term, whereas, in a shorter trial of 300 IU of D fortified milk daily for 7 weeks did not.


Subject(s)
Growth , Urban Population , Vitamin D/administration & dosage , Adolescent , Child , Double-Blind Method , Female , Humans , Male , Mongolia , Placebos , Vitamin D/blood
17.
Cancer ; 122(20): 3127-3135, 2016 Oct 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27500561

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: People aged 26 to 34 years represent the greatest proportion of the uninsured, and they have the highest incidence of testicular cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between insurance status and cancer outcomes in men diagnosed with germ cell tumors. METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was used to identify 10,211 men diagnosed with germ cell gonadal neoplasms from 2007 to 2011. Associations between insurance status and characteristics at diagnosis and receipt of treatment were examined with log-binomial regression. The association between insurance status and mortality was assessed with Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: Uninsured patients had an increased risk of metastatic disease at diagnosis (relative risk [RR], 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.38) in comparison with insured patients, as did Medicaid patients (RR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.51-1.74). Among men with metastatic disease, uninsured and Medicaid patients were more likely to be diagnosed with intermediate/poor-risk disease (RR for uninsured patients, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.04-1.44; RR for Medicaid patients, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.23-1.57) and were less likely to undergo lymph node dissection (RR for uninsured patients, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.57-0.94; RR for Medicaid patients, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.63-0.92) in comparison with insured patients. Men without insurance were more likely to die of their disease (hazard ratio [HR], 1.88; 95% CI, 1.29-2.75) in comparison with insured men, as were those with Medicaid (HR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.08-2.10). CONCLUSIONS: Patients without insurance and patients with Medicaid have an increased risk of presenting with advanced disease and dying of the disease in comparison with those who have insurance. Future studies should examine whether implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act reduces these disparities. Cancer 2016;122:3127-35. © 2016 American Cancer Society.


Subject(s)
Insurance Coverage , Medicaid , Medically Uninsured/statistics & numerical data , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/mortality , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/pathology , Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , Severity of Illness Index , Adult , Aged , Cohort Studies , Databases, Factual , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Incidence , Insurance, Health , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Staging , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/therapy , Prognosis , SEER Program , Survival Rate , United States
18.
Pediatr Blood Cancer ; 63(12): 2086-2095, 2016 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27554756

ABSTRACT

Malignant germ cell tumors (GCT) arise from abnormal migration of primordial germ cells and are histologically identical whether they occur inside or outside the central nervous system (CNS). However, the treatment strategy for GCTs varies greatly depending on the location of the tumor. These differences are in part due to the increased morbidity of surgery in the CNS but may also reflect differential sensitivity of the tumors to chemotherapy and radiation therapy (RT) or not-yet-understood biologic differences between these tumors. Historically, specialists caring for extracranial and intracranial GCT in the United States have practiced separately without much cross communication. The focus of this review is a discussion of differences between the management of CNS and extra-CNS GCTs and opportunities for collaboration and future research.


Subject(s)
Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/therapy , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Child , Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation , Humans , Transplantation, Autologous
19.
Am J Surg Pathol ; 39(8): 1121-31, 2015 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25828390

ABSTRACT

We report 33 pure yolk sac tumors of the testis from boys 5 to 71 months of age (mean 20.7 mo) diagnosed from 1918 to 2014. All except 1 underwent orchiectomy, with lymph node dissections (all negative) performed in 18; 21 also received chemotherapy and 12 radiotherapy. The tumors were 1.6 to 7.0 cm (mean 3.7 cm) and were nonencapsulated, with a gray to yellow, often mucoid, cut surface. The commonest pattern was reticular-microcystic, but macrocystic, papillary, endodermal sinus (Schiller-Duval bodies), labyrinthine, myxomatous, glandular, and solid patterns were also observed. Follow-up was available for 32 patients (mean 100.5 mo; range, 3 to 456 mo). Twenty-four patients (including 4 who did not receive adjuvant therapy) were without evidence of disease, 8 had metastatic disease; 5 of the latter died of tumor and 1 of treatment complications. Two patients with metastasis were cured with radiation with or without chemotherapy. Two or more of the following were associated with a poor outcome in patients presenting with stage I cases: tumor size >4.5 cm (4/6 tumors [67%]), invasion of rete testis and/or epididymis (3/7 tumors [43%]), and necrosis (6/17 tumors [35%]). In the nonmetastasizing group, 2 or more unfavorable features occurred in only 3/24 tumors (13%) (P=0.0001). It is crucial that this tumor be distinguished from the juvenile granulosa cell tumor, which occurs at a slightly younger age and has distinctive features, although there may be some morphologic overlap. The survival of young boys with testicular yolk sac tumor is very good because of both effective chemotherapy and likely, the inherent characteristics of the tumor in this age group.


Subject(s)
Endodermal Sinus Tumor/secondary , Testicular Neoplasms/pathology , Biopsy , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant , Child, Preschool , Diagnosis, Differential , Endodermal Sinus Tumor/mortality , Endodermal Sinus Tumor/surgery , Humans , Infant , Lymph Node Excision , Male , Necrosis , Neoplasm Invasiveness , Neoplasm Staging , Orchiectomy , Predictive Value of Tests , Radiotherapy, Adjuvant , Testicular Neoplasms/mortality , Testicular Neoplasms/surgery , Time Factors , Treatment Outcome , Tumor Burden
20.
J Adolesc Health ; 55(3): 373-9, 2014 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24746678

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Cancer risk behaviors often begin in adolescence and persist through adulthood. Tobacco use, indoor tanning, and physical inactivity are highly prevalent, socially patterned cancer risk behaviors, and their prevalence differs strongly by sex. It is therefore possible that these behaviors also differ by gender expression within the sexes due to social patterning. METHODS: We examined whether five cancer risk behaviors differed by childhood gender expression within the sexes and whether patterns of media engagement (e.g., magazine readership and trying to look like media personalities) explained possible differences, in a U.S. population-based cohort (N = 9,435). RESULTS: The most feminine girls had higher prevalence of indoor tanning (prevalence risk ratio [pRR] = 1.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.23-1.42) and physical inactivity (pRR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.01-1.34) and lower prevalence of worse smoking trajectory (prevalence odds ratio = .75, 95% CI = .65-.88) and smoking cigars (pRR = .61, 95% CI = .47-.79) compared with least feminine girls. Media engagement accounted for part of the higher prevalence of indoor tanning. The most masculine boys were more likely to chew tobacco (pRR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.14-2.79) and smoke cigars (pRR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.17-2.06) but less likely to follow a worse smoking trajectory (prevalence odds ratio = .69, 95% CI = .55-.87) and be physically inactive (pRR = .54, 95% CI = .43-.69) compared with least masculine boys. CONCLUSIONS: We found some strong differences in patterns of cancer risk behaviors by gender expression within the sexes. Prevention efforts that challenge the "masculinity" of smoking cigarettes and cigars and chewing tobacco and the "femininity" of indoor tanning to reduce their appeal to adolescents should be explored.


Subject(s)
Adolescent Behavior , Femininity , Masculinity , Neoplasms/etiology , Risk-Taking , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Mass Media , Neoplasms/epidemiology , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Sedentary Behavior , Sex Factors , Smoking/adverse effects , Smoking/epidemiology , Tanning/statistics & numerical data , Tobacco, Smokeless/adverse effects , United States/epidemiology
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